The Manjaro Linux developers have released an alpha of their next project, Manjaro Summit, a “semi-immutable” version of the popular distro.

Immutable distros, also known as atomic distros, are taking the Linux world by storm. These distros borrow a page from Android and iOS, keeping the root partition read-only and updating via atomic updates that only take effect when the update fully completes, ensuring a partial update doesn’t wreck the system.

Manjaro, already a popular Arch-based distro, has been experimenting with what they call “a semi-immutable” version of the distro, with it reaching alpha status. Dennis ten Hoove, Manjaro platform engineer, discussed the alpha in a forum post.

Manjaro Summit is a semi-immutable (We’re calling it that for now because the term immutable is technically incorrect and controversial) distro with an atomic update system. Updates are done by downloading pre-made disk images, the root partition is read-only and only parts of the filesystem are migrated upon update.

The benefit of such a system is that everyone is running a near identical system configuration, this makes it easier to reproduce bugs and issues. Images can also be tested before being published. And should an update prove to be bad, you can simply roll back to an older unaffected version.

The immutability makes the system more resistant to user and software error, it also provides some limited protection against malware.

Interestingly, the Manjaro team is still determining exactly what Summit will be.

We are still unsure what Summit will eventually become, a stable rolling workstation distro, or an always moving distro chasing the latest and greatest in software.

The technology powering summit is purpose build to be as simple as possible, it is encouraged for people to start building and sharing images and configurations which fit their usecase or that of a wider community.

Like many immutable distros, it is still possible to install applications in the traditional manner by “layering packages” onto the root partition, but this is not the recommended method. Instead, Summit will rely primarily on Flatpak applications, which are self-contained, along with all their dependencies.

Distrobox, and companion app BoxBuddy, will provide yet another way of installing apps by giving users the ability to run other distros within a container and install app into them. Distrobox’s strength lies in its ability to integrate those apps into the host system—in this case Summit—making it seem as if the app was natively installed.

If a user wants to install an app via the Pacman package manager, without “layering” the package onto the root system, the app will only remain on the system until the next restart.

Summit Could Be a Game Changer for Manjaro

Manjaro made a name for itself by making Arch Linux approachable to the average user. In many ways, however, its association with Arch has been both a blessing and a curse.

Arch is well known as a do-it-yourself distro, giving users a minimalist experience and letting them set up their distro the way they want, as opposed to being stuck with someone else’s idea of what makes a good default setup. Manjaro turned that model on its head, giving users an easy-to-install and use Arch-based distro.

At the same time, however, Manjaro is not Arch—a distinction lost on some users. Instead, Manjaro is more accurately related to Arch in the same way Ubuntu is related to Debian. Manjaro and Ubuntu are both based on their respective parent distros, but use their own repositories and diverge enough to be their own unique distro.

Arch is the preeminent rolling release distro, pushing packages and updates out as they come in. In contrast, while Manjaro pushes security updates immediately, it usually holds back most other updates for a couple of weeks of additional testing in an effort to provide a more stable and reliable rolling distro experience.

As a result, some users experience issues with Manjaro, especially when they try to use it as a vanilla Arch system. Using the Arch User Repository (AUR) can be a particular weak point, as AUR packages count on the underlying system being as up-to-date as possible. Because Manjaro holds back non-critical updates, this can lead to incompatibilities and breakages with AUR packages.

At the same time, in the years since Manjaro was founded, a number of Arch-based distros have popped up, some of whom have the goal of beating Manjaro at their own game and creating an easy-to-use Arch-based experience. Since none of these other Arch-based distros hold packages back like Manjaro, some of them have earned a reputation for being more trouble-free and avoiding Manjaro’s pitfalls.

If Manjaro Summit is successful, Manjaro could once again set itself apart in the Arch world, offering its unique blend of rolling release combined with the benefits of immutability and atomic updates.