Retrofitting

If you want to change the desktop or modify other settings later on, you can do this with the Reborn Updates and Maintenance tool, a point-and-click tool that does not require completely reinstalling the system.

Besides letting you configure an additional desktop environment, the tool supports the integration of another display manager. It also offers various functions for maintaining the system, such as emptying the caches and journals and removing unnecessary program packages. You can even use it to reconfigure the GRUB boot manager if needed (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Everything you need to fundamentally reconfigure RebornOS is already included in the system.

Software

Hardly any other Linux derivative offers such a variety of software and installation options as RebornOS. This is attributable to the availability of several graphical front ends. Pace, which you will find in the System submenu, lets you manage the active repositories. In addition to Arch's own repository, the RebornOS repositories are also available here. The Pacman front end, Pamac, is used in all environments for manual software updates and installation.

Since RebornOS, like its base Arch Linux, follows the rolling release strategy, it normally does not require manual updates. If you are using the KDE Plasma desktop, Discover is available as a graphical front end for package management in addition to Pamac. And you can choose between several kernel versions by calling the Arch Linux Kernel Manager in the System menu. In a simple dialog, it offers the choice between several kernels (Figure 5).

Figure 5: The Arch Linux Kernel Manager lets you choose between different kernel versions at the push of a button.

In addition to Flatpaks, you can also integrate Anbox [3] if required. Anbox supports the use of numerous Android applications on RebornOS that were originally intended for the ARM architecture. You will find Anbox under Reborn Updates and Maintenance, which also lets you install alternative desktop environments (Figure 6).

Figure 6: RebornOS gets along perfectly with Android apps thanks to the Anbox emulator.

Conclusions

RebornOS offers a newcomer-friendly Arch derivative. The operating system, based on Antergos and Arch Linux, not only impresses with its numerous graphical front ends, which in many cases remove the need for detours to the command line, but it also offers a great choice of desktop environments.

Users who like to experiment and enjoy a change of scenery will definitely get their money's worth. Thanks to the integration of conventional repositories, as well as the Flatpak manager and Anbox, RebornOS also serves as an integration platform that brings together diverse worlds under a single umbrella. The system, which is well-suited to everyday use, proves to be an interesting alternative for power users to Ubuntu's one-size-fits-all paradigm.