History

How

Garuda Linux is an Arch-based rolling-release Linux distribution focused on gaming, performance, and aesthetics.
First released in March 2020 by the Garuda Linux team — a community project based in India.
Built on top of Arch Linux — uses the same pacman package manager and AUR ecosystem.
Ships with the linux-zen kernel by default — optimized for desktop responsiveness and gaming.
Uses Btrfs with automatic Snapper snapshots — every pacman transaction creates a snapshot.

Who

Founded by dr460nf1r3 (Nico), TNE, Librewish (Shrinivas Kumbhar), and other community contributors.
Maintained by the Garuda Linux Team — fully community-driven, no corporate backing.
Based in India — one of the few major distros with Indian roots.

Why

Arch Linux is powerful but requires manual setup for gaming and performance tuning.
Goal: deliver a ready-to-game Arch experience out of the box — no manual tweaking needed.
Combines Arch’s cutting-edge packages with automated performance optimizations, beautiful theming, and safety nets (Btrfs snapshots).

Introduction

What is Garuda Linux?

A rolling-release, Arch-based Linux distro designed for gaming, performance, and daily desktop use.
Ships with the linux-zen kernel, Btrfs + auto-snapshots, ZRAM, and gaming tools pre-configured.
Default desktop: Dr460nized KDE Plasma — a heavily customized, visually stunning KDE setup.
Uses pacman + Chaotic-AUR — access to all Arch packages plus thousands of pre-built AUR packages.

Garuda Editions

Garuda Dr460nized       → KDE Plasma (default, most popular, gaming-focused)
Garuda Dr460nized Gaming → Dr460nized + full gaming suite pre-installed
Garuda GNOME            → GNOME desktop variant
Garuda Xfce             → lightweight Xfce desktop
Garuda Cinnamon         → Cinnamon desktop (familiar for Mint users)
Garuda MATE             → MATE desktop
Garuda LXQt-kwin        → ultra-lightweight LXQt
Garuda Wayfire          → Wayland compositor (experimental/advanced)
Garuda Sway             → tiling Wayland WM
Garuda i3               → tiling X11 WM

Garuda vs Other Gaming Distros

Feature	Garuda Linux	Pop!_OS	Nobara	SteamOS
Base	Arch (rolling)	Ubuntu LTS	Fedora (rolling)	Arch (immutable)
Kernel	linux-zen	linux-generic	linux-fsync	linux-neptune
Gaming tools	Pre-installed	Partial	Pre-installed	Steam-focused
Snapshots	Btrfs auto	No	No	No
AUR access	Yes (Chaotic-AUR)	No	No	Limited
Target	Gaming + general	Gaming + creative	Gaming + general	Steam Deck only

Advantages

Ready-to-game out of the box, linux-zen kernel for low latency, Btrfs auto-snapshots (safe to experiment), Chaotic-AUR (pre-built AUR packages — no compile time), ZRAM enabled by default, beautiful Dr460nized KDE theme, full Arch ecosystem access, rolling release (always latest), Garuda Assistant GUI for system management.

Disadvantages

Rolling release can occasionally break, heavier than vanilla Arch (more pre-installed software), Btrfs snapshots consume disk space over time, not ideal for servers, requires more RAM than lightweight distros (~4GB minimum for Dr460nized), less documentation than Ubuntu/Fedora.

Use Cases

PC gaming (Steam, Lutris, Heroic), daily desktop use, content creation, development workstation, learning Arch Linux with safety nets, performance-critical workloads.

Installation & Setup

System Requirements

Minimum (Dr460nized KDE):
  CPU:   x86_64 dual-core
  RAM:   4 GB (8 GB recommended)
  Disk:  30 GB (50 GB recommended for snapshots)
  GPU:   Any (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel supported)

Recommended for Gaming:
  CPU:   Multi-core 64-bit (Intel/AMD)
  RAM:   16 GB
  Disk:  SSD 100 GB+
  GPU:   NVIDIA GTX 1060+ or AMD RX 580+

Creating Bootable USB

# Download ISO from: https://garudalinux.org/downloads
 
# Using Ventoy (recommended — multi-boot)
# Just copy the ISO to the Ventoy USB drive
 
# Using dd (Linux)
sudo dd if=Garuda-dr460nized-linux-zen-*.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress
sync
 
# Using Rufus (Windows) — select DD mode, not ISO mode

Installation (Calamares Installer)

1. Boot from USB → "Boot with open source drivers" (AMD/Intel)
   or "Boot with proprietary drivers" (NVIDIA)
2. Try or Install Garuda Linux
3. Language & Keyboard
4. Partitioning:
   - Erase disk (recommended — sets up Btrfs automatically)
   - Manual: /boot/efi (512MB FAT32), / (rest, Btrfs)
   - Swap: use ZRAM instead (Garuda default — no swap partition needed)
5. User creation
6. Install → ~10-15 min
7. Reboot → remove USB

First Boot Setup

# Garuda Welcome app opens automatically
# Run system update first (critical on fresh install)
sudo pacman -Syu
 
# Or use Garuda Assistant → System Maintenance → Update System
 
# Install Chaotic-AUR (usually pre-configured, verify):
sudo pacman-key --recv-key 3056513887B78AEB --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com
sudo pacman-key --lsign-key 3056513887B78AEB
sudo pacman -U 'https://cdn-mirror.chaotic.cx/chaotic-aur/chaotic-keyring.pkg.tar.zst'
sudo pacman -U 'https://cdn-mirror.chaotic.cx/chaotic-aur/chaotic-mirrorlist.pkg.tar.zst'
# Add to /etc/pacman.conf:
# [chaotic-aur]
# Include = /etc/pacman.d/chaotic-mirrorlist
 
# Enable multilib (for 32-bit gaming libraries)
# Uncomment in /etc/pacman.conf:
# [multilib]
# Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
sudo pacman -Syu

NVIDIA Driver Setup

# Garuda includes nvidia-installer-dkms for easy NVIDIA setup
sudo nvidia-installer-dkms
# Reboot after installation
 
# Or manually:
sudo pacman -S nvidia-dkms nvidia-utils lib32-nvidia-utils nvidia-settings
 
# Check NVIDIA driver is loaded
nvidia-smi
lsmod | grep nvidia
 
# For older cards (Kepler/Maxwell):
sudo pacman -S nvidia-470xx-dkms  # from AUR/Chaotic-AUR

Package Management

Package Resolution Pipeline

graph TD
    UserQuery[User runs pacman/yay Command] --> CacheCheck{Is package in local package database cache?}
    CacheCheck -->|Yes| LocalInstall[Install instantly from local cache /var/cache/pacman/pkg]
    CacheCheck -->|No| RepoSearch[Search configured repositories in /etc/pacman.conf]
    RepoSearch --> CoreExtra[1. Search official core & extra repositories]
    RepoSearch --> ChaoticAUR[2. Search pre-built Chaotic-AUR mirrorlist]
    RepoSearch --> UserSelect{Is package found in binary repositories?}
    UserSelect -->|Yes| DownloadBinary[Download pre-compiled ZSTD package]
    UserSelect -->|No| AURSearch[Search Arch User Repository AUR via yay/paru]
    AURSearch --> BuildAUR{Found in AUR?}
    BuildAUR -->|Yes| CloneBuild[Clone PKGBUILD, check dependencies, and build from source code]
    BuildAUR -->|No| Error([Package not found in any repository])
    DownloadBinary --> InstallSync[Install package & register in local pacman DB]
    CloneBuild --> InstallSync

pacman (Core Package Manager)

# Update system
sudo pacman -Syu                   # sync + upgrade all packages
sudo pacman -Syuu                  # force downgrade if needed (dangerous, use with care)
 
# Install & remove
sudo pacman -S package             # install
sudo pacman -S package1 package2   # install multiple packages
sudo pacman -R package             # remove (leaves dependencies behind)
sudo pacman -Rs package            # remove package + its unneeded dependencies
sudo pacman -Rns package           # remove package + unneeded deps + configuration files
 
# Search & query
pacman -Ss keyword                 # search remote database for keyword
pacman -Si package                 # display remote package detailed information
pacman -Qi package                 # display locally installed package info
pacman -Ql package                 # list all files owned by package
pacman -Qo /usr/bin/python         # query package that owns a specific file path
pacman -Qs keyword                 # search locally installed packages for keyword
pacman -Q                          # list all installed packages
pacman -Qe                         # list explicitly installed packages
pacman -Qdt                        # list orphaned packages (installed as dependency but no longer needed)
 
# Cache management (Crucial for Btrfs space)
sudo pacman -Sc                    # remove uninstalled package archives from cache
sudo pacman -Scc                   # remove all cached package archives
sudo paccache -r                   # keep only the last 3 versions of active packages
sudo paccache -rk 1                # keep only the last 1 version (extreme cleanup)

Advanced Pacman Configuration & Troubleshooting

Optimize Mirror Speeds:

# Install rate-mirrors (much faster and more accurate than reflector)
sudo pacman -S rate-mirrors
 
# Test and update Arch mirrors
rate-mirrors arch | sudo tee /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
 
# Test and update Chaotic-AUR mirrors
rate-mirrors chaotic | sudo tee /etc/pacman.d/chaotic-mirrorlist

Creating Custom Pacman Hooks:
- Custom hooks let you run scripts automatically before or after package installations. Created in /etc/pacman.d/hooks/.
- Example Hook: Auto-clean old package caches after every upgrade transaction (/etc/pacman.d/hooks/clean_cache.hook):
```
[Trigger]
Operation = Upgrade
Operation = Install
Type = Package
Target = *
 
[Action]
Description = Cleaning old pacman cache...
When = PostTransaction
Exec = /usr/bin/paccache -r
```

Signature verification errors (Keyring Repair):

If you receive invalid or corrupted package (PGP signature) errors:

# 1. Reset Pacman key database
sudo rm -rf /etc/pacman.d/gnupg
sudo pacman-key --init
sudo pacman-key --populate archlinux garuda
 
# 2. Update keyring packages specifically
sudo pacman -Sy archlinux-keyring garuda-keyring
 
# 3. Force sync and update key database
sudo pacman-key --refresh-keys
sudo pacman -Syu

Chaotic-AUR (Pre-built AUR Packages)

# Chaotic-AUR is pre-configured on Garuda
# It provides pre-compiled AUR packages — no need to compile from source
 
# Search Chaotic-AUR packages
pacman -Ss package                 # searches all repos including chaotic-aur
 
# Popular packages available in Chaotic-AUR:
sudo pacman -S visual-studio-code-bin
sudo pacman -S google-chrome
sudo pacman -S spotify
sudo pacman -S discord
sudo pacman -S heroic-games-launcher
sudo pacman -S proton-ge-custom-bin
sudo pacman -S mangohud
sudo pacman -S gamemode
sudo pacman -S bottles

yay / paru (AUR Helpers)

# yay is pre-installed on Garuda
yay -Syu                           # update system + AUR packages
yay -S package                     # install from AUR
yay -Ss keyword                    # search AUR
yay -R package                     # remove
yay -Yc                            # remove unneeded deps
 
# paru (Rust-based, more features)
sudo pacman -S paru                # install paru (from Chaotic-AUR)
paru -Syu                          # update all
paru -S package                    # install from AUR
paru -Ss keyword                   # search
paru -c                            # clean orphans

Flatpak

# Flatpak is pre-installed on Garuda
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
 
flatpak install flathub org.gimp.GIMP
flatpak update                     # update all Flatpaks
flatpak list
flatpak uninstall org.gimp.GIMP
flatpak run org.gimp.GIMP

Gaming Setup & Tools

Steam

# Install Steam (from Chaotic-AUR or multilib)
sudo pacman -S steam
 
# Enable Steam Play (Proton) for Windows games
# Steam → Settings → Steam Play → Enable Steam Play for all titles
# Select Proton version (Proton Experimental or Proton-GE recommended)
 
# Install Proton-GE (better compatibility than official Proton)
sudo pacman -S proton-ge-custom-bin   # from Chaotic-AUR
# Or use ProtonUp-Qt to manage Proton versions:
sudo pacman -S protonup-qt
 
# Steam native runtime libraries
sudo pacman -S lib32-mesa lib32-vulkan-icd-loader
# For NVIDIA:
sudo pacman -S lib32-nvidia-utils
# For AMD:
sudo pacman -S lib32-vulkan-radeon lib32-amdvlk

Lutris (Multi-Platform Game Manager)

sudo pacman -S lutris
 
# Lutris manages: Steam, GOG, Epic, Battle.net, Origin, emulators
# Install Wine dependencies for Lutris:
sudo pacman -S wine-staging winetricks
sudo pacman -S lib32-gnutls lib32-libldap lib32-libgpg-error
sudo pacman -S lib32-sqlite lib32-libpulse
 
# Lutris runners: Wine, DXVK, VKD3D-Proton, DOSBox, ScummVM, emulators
# Install DXVK (DirectX → Vulkan translation):
sudo pacman -S dxvk-bin            # from Chaotic-AUR

Heroic Games Launcher (Epic + GOG + Amazon)

sudo pacman -S heroic-games-launcher   # from Chaotic-AUR
 
# Heroic supports:
# - Epic Games Store (free games, AAA titles)
# - GOG Galaxy (DRM-free games)
# - Amazon Prime Gaming
# Uses Wine/Proton under the hood for Windows games

GameMode (CPU/GPU Performance Boost)

# GameMode is pre-installed on Garuda Gaming edition
sudo pacman -S gamemode lib32-gamemode
 
# Enable GameMode service
systemctl --user enable --now gamemoded
 
# Run a game with GameMode:
gamemoderun ./game
gamemoderun steam steam://rungameid/APPID
 
# In Steam: add launch option:
# gamemoderun %command%
 
# What GameMode does:
# - Sets CPU governor to "performance"
# - Applies GPU performance tweaks (NVIDIA/AMD)
# - Disables CPU mitigations temporarily
# - Renice game process for priority
# - Inhibits screensaver/sleep
 
# Check GameMode status:
gamemoded -s

MangoHud (In-Game Performance Overlay)

sudo pacman -S mangohud lib32-mangohud
 
# Run with MangoHud:
mangohud ./game
mangohud steam steam://rungameid/APPID
 
# In Steam launch options:
# mangohud %command%
 
# MangoHud shows: FPS, frametime, CPU/GPU usage, temps, VRAM, RAM
 
# Config file: ~/.config/MangoHud/MangoHud.conf
# Example config:
# fps
# cpu_stats
# gpu_stats
# ram
# vram
# cpu_temp
# gpu_temp
# frametime
# position=top-left
# font_size=24
 
# GOverlay — GUI for MangoHud config:
sudo pacman -S goverlay

Wine & DXVK (Windows Games without Steam)

Translation Stack Architecture

graph TD
    WinApp["Windows Game/Executable (.exe)"] -->|Calls Win32/DirectX APIs| WineTranslation["Wine translation layer / Proton"]
    
    subgraph Wine Translation Stack
        WineTranslation -->|Win32/POSIX API Translation| SystemCalls["Linux System Calls (kernel)"]
        WineTranslation -->|DirectX 9/10/11 Calls| DXVK["DXVK (Translates DX9/10/11 to Vulkan)"]
        WineTranslation -->|DirectX 12 Calls| VKD3D["VKD3D-Proton (Translates DX12 to Vulkan)"]
    end
    
    SystemCalls --> Kernel["linux-zen kernel"]
    DXVK --> VulkanDrivers["Vulkan Driver (Mesa / NVIDIA)"]
    VKD3D --> VulkanDrivers
    
    VulkanDrivers --> GPU["GPU Hardware (AMD / NVIDIA / Intel)"]
    Kernel --> GraphicServer["Display Server (Wayland via Xwayland / X11)"]

Translation Phases:
- 1. Win32 API Mapping: Wine translates Windows API calls (like memory allocation, threading, and window creation) directly into POSIX standards and Linux system calls in real-time, eliminating emulator overhead.
- 2. DirectX Translation:
  - DXVK intercepts Direct3D 9, 10, and 11 calls and translates them to Vulkan command buffers. This bypasses the old, slower OpenGL translation path.
  - VKD3D-Proton maps Direct3D 12 calls to Vulkan. Because D3D12 is structurally similar to Vulkan, this provides low-overhead, high-performance execution.
- 3. Vulkan Execution: High-efficiency Vulkan graphics drivers execute the translated rendering pipeline directly on the GPU hardware.

Core Installation & Configuration

# Wine — run Windows .exe files (Staging has latest experimental fixes)
sudo pacman -S wine-staging winetricks
 
# Create a Wine prefix (isolated Windows environment)
WINEPREFIX=~/.wine32 WINEARCH=win32 wine wineboot
WINEPREFIX=~/.wine64 wine wineboot
 
# Install DirectX, Visual C++ runtimes via winetricks
winetricks d3dx9 d3dx11 vcrun2019 dotnet48
 
# DXVK — DirectX 9/10/11 → Vulkan (much better performance)
sudo pacman -S dxvk-bin
WINEPREFIX=~/.wine64 setup_dxvk install
 
# VKD3D-Proton — DirectX 12 → Vulkan
sudo pacman -S vkd3d-proton-bin   # from Chaotic-AUR
 
# Bottles — GUI Wine manager (easier than raw Wine)
sudo pacman -S bottles

Advanced Custom Wine Prefix Script

Setup a wrapper script to run games under an optimized, isolated Wine prefix with performance environment variables (run-wine-game.sh):

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Custom Wine gaming runtime wrapper script
 
# Config directories
export WINEPREFIX="${HOME}/.local/share/wineprefixes/gaming_prefix"
export WINEARCH="win64"
export WINEDEBUG="-all" # Disable debugging for minor performance boost
 
# Performance optimizations
export DXVK_HUD="fps,compiler" # Display DXVK FPS and pipeline compile indicators
export DXVK_ASYNC=1            # Enable asynchronous pipeline compilation (minimizes stutter)
export PROTON_NO_ESYNC=0        # Ensure Eventfd synchronization is allowed
export PROTON_NO_FSYNC=0        # Ensure Futex synchronization is allowed (Zen kernel supports fsync)
 
# CPU & GPU Driver optimizations
export __GL_THREADED_OPTIMIZATIONS=1 # For NVIDIA cards
export mesa_glthread=true            # For AMD/Intel Mesa drivers
 
# Create prefix directory if missing
if [ ! -d "$WINEPREFIX" ]; then
    echo "[*] Initializing gaming Wine prefix at: $WINEPREFIX"
    mkdir -p "$(dirname "$WINEPREFIX")"
    wine wineboot --init
    
    # Setup DXVK within the new prefix
    setup_dxvk install
fi
 
# Run the targeted game executable
if [ -z "$1" ]; then
    echo "Usage: $0 path/to/game.exe"
    exit 1
fi
 
echo "[*] Executing game under gamemoderun + wine..."
gamemoderun wine "$@"

Custom DXVK Configuration File

Optimize game behavior by configuring variables in dxvk.conf inside the WINEPREFIX or custom path exported via export DXVK_CONFIG_FILE=/path/to/dxvk.conf:

# Custom performance overrides for DXVK
 
# Frame Rate & Sync Limits
dxgi.tearFree = True
dxgi.numBackBuffers = 3
d3d9.maxFrameLatency = 1
d3d11.maxFrameLatency = 1
 
# VRAM memory management tweaks
dxvk.maxChunkSize = 128
dxvk.hud = compiler,fps
 
# AMD Smart Access Memory / Resizable BAR cache settings
dxgi.deviceMemoryLimit = 0
 
# Game specific optimizations (e.g. override reported GPU)
# dxgi.customDeviceId = 0x10de
# dxgi.customVendorId = 0x10de

Advanced MangoHud Configurations

Create custom tweaks inside ~/.config/MangoHud/MangoHud.conf to monitor resource bounds in real-time:

# MangoHud configuration
 
# Overlay settings
legacy_layout=false
horizontal=false
position=top-left
round_corners=8
background_alpha=0.65
font_size=20
 
# Metrics
fps
fps_limit=144
toggle_fps_limit=F3
 
# GPU details
gpu_stats
gpu_temp
gpu_core_clock
gpu_mem_clock
gpu_power
 
# CPU details
cpu_stats
cpu_temp
cpu_mhz
cpu_power
 
# Memory details
ram
vram
 
# Frame details
frame_timing
frametime
 
# Keybindings
toggle_hud=F12

Emulation

# RetroArch (multi-system emulator frontend)
sudo pacman -S retroarch retroarch-assets-xmb
 
# Individual emulators
sudo pacman -S dolphin-emu          # GameCube / Wii
sudo pacman -S rpcs3               # PlayStation 3 (from Chaotic-AUR)
sudo pacman -S yuzu                # Nintendo Switch (from Chaotic-AUR)
sudo pacman -S pcsx2               # PlayStation 2
sudo pacman -S ppsspp              # PSP
sudo pacman -S desmume             # Nintendo DS
sudo pacman -S mgba                # Game Boy Advance
sudo pacman -S cemu               # Wii U (from Chaotic-AUR)
 
# Emulation Station DE (frontend for all emulators)
sudo pacman -S emulationstation-de

Performance Tuning

linux-zen Kernel

Resource Management & Scheduling Flow

graph TD
    SystemLoad["User Session / Active Gaming"] -->|Triggers performance profile| GameModeDaemon["GameMode Daemon (gamemoded)"]
    
    subgraph Resource Allocation Stack
        GameModeDaemon -->|Configures governor| CPUPower["cpupower (Sets Governor to 'performance')"]
        GameModeDaemon -->|Applies nice/ioprio| ZenScheduler["Zen Scheduler (BORE / PDS - Prioritizes game execution thread)"]
        GameModeDaemon -->|Disables temporarily| KernelMitigations["CPU Security Mitigations (via sysctl or reboot)"]
        GameModeDaemon -->|Optimizes virtual memory| VMManagement["VM / Swap Optimization (ZRAM, Swappiness=10)"]
    end
    
    CPUPower --> CPUCores["High Frequency CPU Cores"]
    ZenScheduler --> ExecutionPriority["Low Latency Thread Execution"]
    KernelMitigations --> PerformanceGain["Reduced Kernel-Space CPU Overhead"]
    VMManagement --> RAMAlloc["Compressed Swap in RAM (No Disk Bottlenecks)"]

Resource Allocation Architecture:
- 1. CPU Scheduling: The linux-zen kernel utilizes the BORE (Burst-Oriented Response Enhancer) scheduler (or similar low-latency schedulers like PDS or BMQ in custom kernels). It prioritizes interactive tasks (games, audio, user interface) over background services, ensuring zero frame drops even under high background load.
- 2. Dynamic Power Management: The kernel works with cpupower and gamemoded to ramp up CPU core frequencies instantly when a process requests performance execution, overriding standard conservative scaling limits.
- 3. Compressed Swap (ZRAM): Swap requests are handled directly in RAM using compressed ZSTD algorithms, preventing any swap-to-disk disk-access latency.

Kernel Selection & Installation

# Garuda ships linux-zen by default — optimized for desktop/gaming
uname -r                           # check current kernel
# Should show: x.x.x-zen1-x-zen
 
# Available kernels (install via pacman):
# linux-zen      → low-latency, desktop/gaming (Garuda default)
# linux-tkg-pds  → TKG patchset, best for gaming (from Chaotic-AUR)
# linux-tkg-bmq  → BMQ scheduler variant
# linux-cachyos  → CachyOS optimized kernel (from Chaotic-AUR)
# linux-xanmod   → XanMod kernel with extra patches
# linux           → vanilla Arch kernel
# linux-lts       → long-term support kernel (most stable)
 
# Install alternative kernel:
sudo pacman -S linux-tkg-pds linux-tkg-pds-headers
# Select at GRUB boot menu
 
# Check kernel scheduler details:
cat /sys/kernel/debug/sched/features

Custom Gaming Sysctl Tuning

Configure custom system control parameters in /etc/sysctl.d/99-gaming.conf (linked here: 99-gaming.conf) to optimize virtual memory, network backlogs, and hardware watchdogs:

# /etc/sysctl.d/99-gaming.conf
 
# Virtual Memory Management
vm.swappiness = 10                  # Minimize swapping to disk (use ZRAM)
vm.vfs_cache_pressure = 50          # Keep directory and inode caches longer
vm.dirty_bytes = 268435456          # Prevent massive disk write operations from freezing UI (256MB)
vm.dirty_background_bytes = 67108864 # Flush dirty data earlier (64MB)
 
# Process Scheduling
kernel.sched_autogroup_enabled = 0  # Disable autogroup to allow direct thread renicing
kernel.nmi_watchdog = 0             # Disable hardware watchdog (frees up CPU execution cycles)
 
# Networking Buffer Limits
net.core.netdev_max_backlog = 16384 # Allow larger packet backlog (prevents network drops)
net.ipv4.tcp_fastopen = 3           # Enable TCP Fast Open for faster server handshake
 
# File Descriptors
fs.file-max = 2097152               # Increase file descriptor limit for heavy modded games

Apply changes immediately:
- sudo sysctl -p /etc/sysctl.d/99-gaming.conf

Laptop Power Limits & Energy Profiles

Tune thermal and power management on laptops running Garuda to prevent thermal throttling while gaming:

# 1. Install power-profiles-daemon (default for KDE/GNOME interfaces)
sudo pacman -S power-profiles-daemon
sudo systemctl enable --now power-profiles-daemon
 
# Set execution profile to performance
powerprofilesctl set performance
powerprofilesctl list
 
# 2. Advanced TLP battery management (alternative to power-profiles-daemon)
sudo pacman -S tlp tlp-rdw
sudo systemctl enable --now tlp
 
# Configure /etc/tlp.conf settings when plugged in:
# CPU_SCALING_GOVERNOR_ON_AC="performance"
# CPU_ENERGY_PERF_POLICY_ON_AC="performance"
# INTEL_GPU_MIN_FREQ_ON_AC=350
# INTEL_GPU_MAX_FREQ_ON_AC=1100

ZRAM (Compressed RAM Swap)

# ZRAM is enabled by default on Garuda — no swap partition needed
# ZRAM creates a compressed block device in RAM for swap
# Much faster than disk swap, reduces I/O
 
# Check ZRAM status:
zramctl
swapon --show
free -h
 
# ZRAM config: /etc/systemd/zram-generator.conf
# [zram0]
# zram-size = ram / 2        # use half of RAM
# compression-algorithm = zstd
 
# Garuda default: zram-size = min(ram, 8192)
# Compression: lz4 (fast) or zstd (better ratio)

CPU Governor & Power Management

# Check current CPU governor
cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor
 
# Available governors:
# performance   → max frequency always (best for gaming)
# schedutil     → kernel scheduler-based (Garuda default)
# powersave     → minimum frequency (battery saving)
# ondemand      → scales with load
 
# Set performance governor (temporary):
echo performance | sudo tee /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu*/cpufreq/scaling_governor
 
# Permanent via cpupower:
sudo pacman -S cpupower
sudo cpupower frequency-set -g performance
sudo systemctl enable --now cpupower
# Edit /etc/default/cpupower: governor='performance'
 
# Garuda uses auto-cpufreq for laptop battery management:
sudo pacman -S auto-cpufreq
sudo systemctl enable --now auto-cpufreq

GPU Performance

# AMD GPU — enable performance mode
echo high | sudo tee /sys/class/drm/card0/device/power_dpm_force_performance_level
# Permanent: add to /etc/udev/rules.d/30-amdgpu-pm.rules:
# ACTION=="add", KERNEL=="card0", SUBSYSTEM=="drm", DRIVERS=="amdgpu", \
# ATTR{device/power_dpm_force_performance_level}="high"
 
# AMD GPU — check info
sudo pacman -S radeontop          # GPU usage monitor
radeontop
 
# NVIDIA GPU — performance mode
sudo nvidia-settings -a "[gpu:0]/GpuPowerMizerMode=1"   # prefer max performance
nvidia-smi -q -d PERFORMANCE      # check performance state
 
# Check GPU info
lspci | grep -i vga
glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"
vulkaninfo | grep "GPU id"

Btrfs Snapshots & System Safety

graph TD
    PacmanCmd["User executes pacman -Syu / upgrade"] --> LibalpmHook["libalpm triggers pre-transaction hook"]
    LibalpmHook --> SnapPre["Snapper creates Read-Only pre-snapshot"]
    SnapPre --> PacmanUpgrade["Pacman performs upgrade modifications on target files"]
    PacmanUpgrade --> LibalpmPost["libalpm triggers post-transaction hook"]
    LibalpmPost --> SnapPost["Snapper creates Read-Only post-snapshot"]
    SnapPost --> GRUBUpdate["systemd unit updates grub-btrfs menu entries"]
    
    subgraph "Recovery Options"
        BootSnap["1. Boot directly from Read-Only pre-snapshot via GRUB"]
        BootSnap --> VerifySystem["2. System starts in volatile overlay filesystem"]
        VerifySystem --> CliRollback["3. Run: snapper rollback [snapshot-id]"]
        CliRollback --> DefaultSubvol["4. Recreates root subvolume pointing to snapshot state"]
        CliRollback --> Reboot["5. Reboot into recovered system"]
    end

Snapper & Snapshot Management Commands

List Snapshots:

# List all snapper-managed snapshots
sudo snapper -c root list
 
# List low-level Btrfs subvolumes on /
sudo btrfs subvolume list /

Create Manual Snapshots:

# Create manual snapshot with a custom comment
sudo snapper -c root create --description "Before testing custom graphic drivers" --userdata "type=manual"

Delete Snapshots:

# Delete single snapshot by ID
sudo snapper -c root delete 102
 
# Delete a range of snapshots to free up space
sudo snapper -c root delete 105-120

System Rollback Workflows:
- Scenario A: Soft Rollback (Undo file modifications from run-time):
```
# Compares files between snapshot 50 and current active filesystem, then replaces modified files
sudo snapper -c root undochange 50..0
```
- Scenario B: Hard Rollback (System doesn’t boot correctly):
  - 1. Reboot PC and enter GRUB Bootloader Menu.
  - 1. Select Garuda Linux snapshots sub-menu and choose the desired pre-update snapshot.
  - 1. The system boots into a read-only overlay layout. Log in, open a terminal, and run:
    - sudo snapper rollback (This updates the Btrfs default subvolume symlinks to point to this snapshot as the new active root subvolume).
  - 1. Reboot your system normally.

Customize Retained Snapshot Limits:

Configure snapshots retention limits inside /etc/snapper/configs/root:

# Hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly limits
TIMELINE_LIMIT_HOURLY="5"
TIMELINE_LIMIT_DAILY="7"
TIMELINE_LIMIT_WEEKLY="0"
TIMELINE_LIMIT_MONTHLY="0"
TIMELINE_LIMIT_YEARLY="0"

Btrfs Filesystem Maintenance

Check Space Allocation:

# Show detailed space allocation (Metadata, Data, System chunks)
sudo btrfs filesystem df /
 
# Show human-readable device space usage
sudo btrfs filesystem usage /

Filesystem Defragmentation:

# Recursively defragment files and directories on Btrfs filesystem
sudo btrfs filesystem defragment -r -v -czstd /

Filesystem Scrub (Data Corruption Check):

# Start scrubbing in the background to verify checksums and repair corrupted blocks
sudo btrfs scrub start /
 
# Check scrubbing status
sudo btrfs scrub status /

Filesystem Balance (Chunk Re-allocation):

# Rebalance chunks to optimize disk space allocation (reclaims empty chunks)
# Only balance chunks that are less than 50% utilized to prevent heavy SSD load
sudo btrfs balance start -dusage=50 -musage=50 /
 
# Check balancing status
sudo btrfs balance status /

Kernel Parameters for Gaming

# /etc/default/grub — add to GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT:
# mitigations=off          → disable CPU security mitigations (5-15% perf gain, security risk)
# nowatchdog               → disable watchdog timer
# nmi_watchdog=0           → disable NMI watchdog
# quiet splash             → clean boot
# threadirqs               → thread IRQs for lower latency
 
# Garuda Gaming default cmdline:
# quiet splash rd.udev.log_priority=3 vt.global_cursor_default=0
# loglevel=3 ibt=off
 
# After editing /etc/default/grub:
sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
 
# Sysctl tweaks for gaming (/etc/sysctl.d/99-gaming.conf):
# vm.swappiness = 10
# vm.vfs_cache_pressure = 50
# kernel.nmi_watchdog = 0
# net.core.netdev_max_backlog = 16384
sudo sysctl -p /etc/sysctl.d/99-gaming.conf

Kernel & Architecture

Boot Process

graph TD
    PowerOn([Power On]) --> UEFI[UEFI / BIOS POST]
    UEFI --> GRUB[GRUB 2 Bootloader]
    GRUB -->|Optional| SnapBoot[Boot into Btrfs Snapshot - Read-Only]
    GRUB -->|Default| ZenKernel[linux-zen Kernel Loaded]
    ZenKernel --> Initramfs[initramfs / mkinitcpio]
    Initramfs --> Systemd[systemd PID 1]
    Systemd --> Subvolumes[Mount Btrfs Subvolumes: @, @home, @cache, @log]
    Subvolumes --> Services[Start Services: zram-generator, snapper, NetworkManager]
    Services --> DisplayManager[SDDM Display Manager]
    DisplayManager --> KDE[KDE Plasma Dr460nized Desktop]

Step-by-Step Boot Phases

1. UEFI POST: System hardware verification. UEFI reads NVRAM to locate the bootloader binary (usually /boot/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI or /boot/EFI/Garuda/grubx64.efi).
2. GRUB 2: The GRUB configuration file /boot/grub/grub.cfg is executed. Garuda uses grub-btrfs to parse the snapper snapshot subvolumes and generate bootable read-only kernel entries dynamically.
3. Zen Kernel & initramfs: The system loads vmlinuz-linux-zen and the RAM disk image initramfs-linux-zen.img. The kernel decompresses, runs hooks defined in /etc/mkinitcpio.conf (e.g., keyboard, udev, btrfs), and boots.
4. systemd & Btrfs Mounts: Control shifts to systemd (PID 1). It mounts Btrfs subvolumes from /etc/fstab using specific mount options:
- compress=zstd:3 (enables transparent ZSTD compression to save disk space and SSD wear).
- noatime (prevents updating file access times to eliminate constant disk writes).
- ssd (activates SSD-specific performance block allocations).
- discard=async (asynchronously releases unused blocks to keep the SSD fast).
5. SDDM & Desktop: The display manager SDDM launches the graphical environment, executing the fish shell environment wrappers and starting KDE Plasma Dr460nized.

Linux File System Hierarchy (FHS)

/           Root filesystem (Btrfs @ subvolume)
├── /boot   Kernel, initramfs, GRUB2
├── /dev    Device files
├── /etc    System configuration
├── /home   User home dirs (Btrfs @home subvolume)
├── /opt    Optional software (Steam, games)
├── /proc   Virtual: process + kernel info
├── /root   Root user home
├── /run    Runtime data
├── /srv    Service data
├── /sys    Virtual: hardware info
├── /tmp    Temporary files (tmpfs — RAM)
├── /usr    Programs, libraries, docs
│   ├── /usr/bin    User commands
│   ├── /usr/lib    Libraries
│   └── /usr/share  Shared data
└── /var    Variable data (logs, cache, pacman db)

Garuda Btrfs subvolumes (default layout):
  @           → mounted at /
  @home       → mounted at /home
  @cache      → mounted at /var/cache
  @log        → mounted at /var/log
  @snapshots  → Snapper snapshot storage

GRUB & Snapshot Boot

# Garuda installs grub-btrfs — GRUB shows Btrfs snapshots as boot entries
# If system breaks after update:
# 1. Reboot → GRUB menu → "Garuda Linux snapshots"
# 2. Select a snapshot from before the problem
# 3. Boot into it (read-only snapshot)
# 4. From inside snapshot, run: sudo garuda-update (or pacman rollback)
# 5. Or: sudo snapper rollback <number>
 
# Update GRUB snapshot list:
sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
 
# grub-btrfs auto-updates on snapshot creation (systemd path unit)
systemctl status grub-btrfsd

Shell & Terminal

Default Shell & Terminal

# Garuda Dr460nized uses fish shell by default
echo $SHELL                        # /usr/bin/fish
 
# fish features: auto-suggestions, syntax highlighting, tab completion
# No need to source config — fish auto-loads ~/.config/fish/config.fish
 
# Switch to bash/zsh if preferred:
chsh -s /bin/bash
chsh -s /bin/zsh
sudo pacman -S zsh zsh-autosuggestions zsh-syntax-highlighting
 
# Default terminal: Konsole (KDE) or Alacritty (GPU-accelerated)
sudo pacman -S alacritty          # fast GPU terminal
sudo pacman -S kitty              # another GPU terminal

Essential Commands

# File operations
ls -la / exa -la / lsd -la        # list files (exa/lsd are modern ls replacements)
sudo pacman -S exa lsd bat        # install modern CLI tools
bat file.txt                      # cat with syntax highlighting
fd pattern                        # modern find replacement
rg pattern                        # ripgrep — fast grep
 
# System info
neofetch                          # system info + ASCII art (pre-installed)
fastfetch                         # faster neofetch alternative
btop                              # modern htop (pre-installed on Garuda)
 
# Disk usage
df -hT                            # disk space + filesystem type
dust                              # modern du replacement
sudo pacman -S dust ncdu
 
# Process management
btop / htop / top                 # process monitor
kill PID / killall name           # kill process

fish Shell Basics

# fish config: ~/.config/fish/config.fish
 
# Variables
set name "Garuda"
echo $name
 
# Functions
function greet
    echo "Hello, $argv[1]"
end
greet "World"
 
# Aliases (fish calls them abbreviations)
abbr -a update 'sudo pacman -Syu'
abbr -a install 'sudo pacman -S'
 
# Conditionals
if test $status -eq 0
    echo "Success"
else
    echo "Failed"
end
 
# Loops
for i in (seq 1 5)
    echo $i
end

Garuda Tools & GUI Apps

Garuda Assistant

Launch: Garuda Assistant (system tray or app menu)

Tabs:
- Maintenance  → update system, clear cache, fix pacman db, remove orphans
- Settings     → enable/disable services, swap, ZRAM
- Tweaks       → apply performance tweaks, gaming mode
- Diagnostics  → system info, logs, hardware report

# CLI equivalent of common Garuda Assistant tasks:
sudo pacman -Syu                   # update system
sudo pacman -Rns $(pacman -Qdtq)   # remove orphans
sudo pacman -Sc                    # clear package cache
sudo pacman-db-upgrade             # upgrade pacman database

Garuda Gamer

# Garuda Gamer is a GUI tool for installing gaming software
# Launch: Garuda Gamer (app menu)
 
# Categories in Garuda Gamer:
# - Game Launchers: Steam, Lutris, Heroic, Bottles, GameHub
# - Wine/Proton: Wine-staging, Proton-GE, DXVK, VKD3D
# - Emulators: RetroArch, Dolphin, RPCS3, Yuzu, PCSX2
# - Tools: MangoHud, GameMode, GOverlay, ProtonUp-Qt
# - Streaming: OBS, Sunshine (game streaming server)
 
# Install Garuda Gamer if not present:
sudo pacman -S garuda-gamer

Garuda Boot Options (GRUB)

GRUB menu entries on Garuda:
- Garuda Linux          → normal boot (linux-zen)
- Garuda Linux (fallback) → fallback initramfs
- Garuda Linux snapshots → boot from Btrfs snapshot
- UEFI Firmware Settings → BIOS/UEFI setup

# Edit GRUB timeout:
sudo nano /etc/default/grub
# GRUB_TIMEOUT=5
sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

System Maintenance

# Full system update (pacman + AUR):
garuda-update                      # Garuda's update wrapper (recommended)
# or:
sudo pacman -Syu && yay -Syu
 
# Remove orphaned packages:
sudo pacman -Rns $(pacman -Qdtq)
 
# Clear package cache (keep last 3 versions):
paccache -r
 
# Fix broken pacman database:
sudo pacman-db-upgrade
sudo pacman -Fy                    # sync file database
 
# Fix pacman lock (if pacman crashed):
sudo rm /var/lib/pacman/db.lck
 
# Reinstall all packages (nuclear option):
sudo pacman -Qqn | sudo pacman -S -
 
# Check for failed systemd services:
systemctl --failed
 
# Disk usage analysis:
sudo ncdu /
sudo btrfs filesystem usage /

Networking

Network Management

# Garuda uses NetworkManager (same as most desktop distros)
nmcli device status                # show all devices
nmcli connection show              # all connections
 
# Wi-Fi
nmcli device wifi list             # scan networks
nmcli device wifi connect "SSID" password "password"
 
# Static IP
nmcli connection modify "Wired connection 1" \
  ipv4.method manual \
  ipv4.addresses "192.168.1.100/24" \
  ipv4.gateway "192.168.1.1" \
  ipv4.dns "8.8.8.8"
nmcli connection up "Wired connection 1"
 
# Network info
ip a                               # interfaces + IPs
ip route                           # routing table
ss -tulnp                          # listening ports

Firewall

# Garuda uses firewalld (same as Fedora)
sudo systemctl enable --now firewalld
sudo firewall-cmd --list-all
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=ssh
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=25565/tcp   # Minecraft server
sudo firewall-cmd --reload
 
# Or use UFW (simpler):
sudo pacman -S ufw
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw allow ssh
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw status

SSH

sudo pacman -S openssh
sudo systemctl enable --now sshd
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=ssh
sudo firewall-cmd --reload
 
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your@email.com"
ssh-copy-id user@host
ssh user@host

User & Group Management

User Commands

sudo useradd -m -s /bin/fish username
sudo passwd username
sudo usermod -aG wheel username    # add to wheel (sudo) group
sudo usermod -aG gamemode username # add to gamemode group
sudo userdel -r username
id username
groups username

sudo Configuration

# Garuda uses the "wheel" group for sudo (same as Arch/Fedora)
sudo visudo
# Uncomment: %wheel ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL
 
# Passwordless sudo (for gaming/automation — less secure):
# %wheel ALL=(ALL:ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL

Systemd & Services

systemctl

systemctl status servicename
sudo systemctl start|stop|restart servicename
sudo systemctl enable|disable servicename
systemctl list-units --type=service --state=running
systemctl --failed                 # show failed services
sudo systemctl daemon-reload

# GameMode daemon
systemctl --user status gamemoded
systemctl --user enable --now gamemoded
 
# Sunshine (game streaming server — GeForce NOW alternative)
sudo pacman -S sunshine
sudo systemctl enable --now sunshine
# Web UI: https://localhost:47990
 
# Pipewire (audio — pre-installed, replaces PulseAudio)
systemctl --user status pipewire
systemctl --user status wireplumber
pactl info                         # audio server info

Dr460nized KDE Desktop

KDE Plasma Basics

Super key          → Application launcher (KRunner)
Super + Tab        → Switch windows
Alt + Tab          → Switch windows (classic)
Super + D          → Show desktop
Super + E          → File manager (Dolphin)
Super + L          → Lock screen
Ctrl + Alt + T     → Terminal
Super + PrtSc      → Screenshot (Spectacle)
Super + Shift + S  → Screenshot region

KDE Customization

# KDE System Settings → Appearance → Global Theme
# Garuda Dr460nized uses: Sweet theme + Latte Dock + custom icons
 
# Install additional themes:
sudo pacman -S kvantum-qt5         # Kvantum theme engine
sudo pacman -S latte-dock          # macOS-style dock
 
# KDE Plasma widgets (right-click desktop → Add Widgets)
# Useful widgets: System Monitor, Weather, Clipboard, Notes
 
# Virtual desktops
# System Settings → Workspace → Virtual Desktops
# Ctrl + F1/F2/F3/F4 → switch desktops
# Meta + Ctrl + Left/Right → switch desktops

Display & HiDPI

# KDE Wayland session (recommended for HiDPI):
# Select "Plasma (Wayland)" at SDDM login screen
 
echo $WAYLAND_DISPLAY              # check if Wayland active
echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE             # "wayland" or "x11"
 
# HiDPI scaling: System Settings → Display → Global Scale
# Fractional scaling supported natively on Wayland
 
# Multi-monitor: System Settings → Display → Arrangement

Developer Setup

Programming Languages

# Python
sudo pacman -S python python-pip
python -m venv myenv && source myenv/bin/activate
 
# Node.js
sudo pacman -S nodejs npm
# or via nvm:
yay -S nvm
nvm install --lts
 
# Rust
sudo pacman -S rustup
rustup default stable
 
# Go
sudo pacman -S go
 
# Java
sudo pacman -S jdk-openjdk
 
# C/C++
sudo pacman -S base-devel gcc cmake gdb

IDEs & Editors

# VS Code
sudo pacman -S visual-studio-code-bin   # from Chaotic-AUR
# or:
flatpak install flathub com.visualstudio.code
 
# JetBrains Toolbox
yay -S jetbrains-toolbox
 
# Neovim
sudo pacman -S neovim
 
# Vim
sudo pacman -S vim

Git

sudo pacman -S git
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "you@example.com"
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub          # copy to GitHub

Containers (Docker / Podman)

# Docker
sudo pacman -S docker docker-compose
sudo systemctl enable --now docker
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
 
# Podman (rootless, Docker-compatible)
sudo pacman -S podman podman-compose
podman run -it fedora:latest bash

Dev Environment Bootstrapping Scripts

Setup an automated, reproducible script to configure compilers, runtimes, docker access permissions, and workspaces (bootstrap_dev.sh):

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Automated Developer Environment Bootstrap Script for Arch/Garuda
 
set -euo pipefail
 
echo "=========================================="
echo "   Garuda Dev Environment Bootstrapper    "
echo "=========================================="
 
# 1. System Update
echo "[*] Syncing repositories and upgrading packages..."
sudo pacman -Syu --noconfirm
 
# 2. Base Development Tools
echo "[*] Installing build-essential toolchain (gcc, make, patch)..."
sudo pacman -S --needed --noconfirm base-devel git curl wget rsync cmake
 
# 3. Docker Installation and Permissions Setup
echo "[*] Installing Docker engine and compose utilities..."
sudo pacman -S --needed --noconfirm docker docker-compose
sudo systemctl enable --now docker.service
sudo usermod -aG docker "$USER"
echo "[+] Docker setup completed. (Please log out and log back in to apply group privileges)"
 
# 4. Programming Runtimes (Python, Node.js, Rust, Go)
echo "[*] Configuring runtime libraries and environments..."
sudo pacman -S --needed --noconfirm python python-pip python-virtualenv nodejs npm go
 
# Setup Rust using rustup
if ! command -v rustup &> /dev/null; then
    sudo pacman -S --needed --noconfirm rustup
    rustup default stable
fi
 
# 5. Dev Directory Creation
echo "[*] Creating workspace folders..."
mkdir -p "${HOME}/Projects" "${HOME}/.local/bin"
 
echo "=========================================="
echo "  Bootstrap Completed successfully!       "
echo "  Note: Run 'newgrp docker' or reboot to  "
echo "  use Docker without sudo.                "
echo "=========================================="

Custom Fish Shell Functions

Add modular, automated shell routines inside ~/.config/fish/functions/ to boost terminal efficiency:

Python Virtualenv Activator (venv.fish):

# ~/.config/fish/functions/venv.fish
function venv --description "Create or activate a Python virtual environment"
    if test -d .venv
        source .venv/bin/activate.fish
        echo "Active Python Virtualenv: "(python -V)
    else if test -d venv
        source venv/bin/activate.fish
        echo "Active Python Virtualenv: "(python -V)
    else
        echo "No virtualenv found (.venv/ or venv/). Creating one..."
        python3 -m venv .venv
        source .venv/bin/activate.fish
        pip install --upgrade pip
    end
end

Network Port Monitor (ports.fish):

# ~/.config/fish/functions/ports.fish
function ports --description "List open and listening ports with process info"
    sudo ss -tulnp
end

System Cleaner Hook (sysclean.fish):

# ~/.config/fish/functions/sysclean.fish
function sysclean --description "Clean pacman cache, orphaned packages, and snapper history"
    echo "=========================================="
    echo "       Running System Cleanup             "
    echo "=========================================="
    echo "[*] Removing orphaned packages..."
    sudo pacman -Rns (pacman -Qdtq) 2>/dev/null; or echo "No orphan packages to remove."
    
    echo "[*] Pruning old pacman cached archives..."
    sudo paccache -r
    
    echo "[*] Cleaning user cache..."
    rm -rf ~/.cache/*
    
    echo "=========================================="
    echo "            Cleanup Complete              "
    echo "=========================================="
end

Troubleshooting

System Won’t Boot After Update

1. Reboot → GRUB menu → "Garuda Linux snapshots"
2. Select snapshot from before the update
3. Boot into it
4. Open terminal → run: sudo snapper rollback <snapshot-number>
   or: sudo pacman -U /var/cache/pacman/pkg/package-old-version.pkg.tar.zst
5. Reboot normally

Pacman Errors

# Error: failed to synchronize databases
sudo pacman -Syy                   # force refresh all databases
 
# Error: signature is unknown trust
sudo pacman-key --refresh-keys
sudo pacman -S archlinux-keyring garuda-keyring
 
# Error: database is locked
sudo rm /var/lib/pacman/db.lck
 
# Partial upgrade issues (never do pacman -Sy without -u)
sudo pacman -Syu                   # always full upgrade
 
# Reinstall broken package:
sudo pacman -S --overwrite '*' package

NVIDIA Issues

# Black screen after NVIDIA install:
# Boot from snapshot → reinstall drivers
sudo pacman -S nvidia-dkms nvidia-utils
 
# Check NVIDIA is working:
nvidia-smi
glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"
 
# Force NVIDIA for specific app (Optimus laptops):
__NV_PRIME_RENDER_OFFLOAD=1 __GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=nvidia app
# Or use prime-run:
sudo pacman -S nvidia-prime
prime-run game

Audio Issues

# Check Pipewire status:
systemctl --user status pipewire wireplumber
 
# Restart audio:
systemctl --user restart pipewire wireplumber
 
# Check audio devices:
pactl list sinks short
pactl list sources short
 
# Set default output:
pactl set-default-sink sink-name
 
# Install PulseAudio compatibility (if app needs it):
sudo pacman -S pipewire-pulse

Gaming Performance Issues

# Check if GameMode is active:
gamemoded -s
 
# Check CPU governor:
cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor
 
# Check GPU usage:
radeontop                          # AMD
nvidia-smi dmon                    # NVIDIA
 
# Check for thermal throttling:
watch -n 1 "cat /sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone*/temp"
 
# Enable fsync (better than esync for Wine/Proton):
# Use linux-tkg kernel which has fsync built-in
# Or check: ulimit -Hn (should be > 524288)
# Add to /etc/security/limits.conf:
# * hard nofile 524288

More Learn

Github & Webs

Garuda Linux Official Website
Garuda Linux Documentation
Garuda Linux Forum
Arch Linux Wiki — the best Linux wiki, applies to Garuda
ProtonDB — Game Compatibility Reports
Lutris Game Database
Heroic Games Launcher
MangoHud GitHub
GameMode GitHub
Chaotic-AUR
Snapper Documentation
Arch Linux — Garuda is built on Arch — all Arch knowledge applies
Kali Linux — security tools available on Garuda via AUR
Linux Advanced — kernel internals, performance tuning, hardening
Game Development — game engine and development notes

Table of Contents

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Garuda Linux – Gaming & Performance Guide