[zahlman]

My point was exactly that GGP shouldn't have expected to be able to do the system update without risk.

But the usual way to install Linux nowadays is from a live boot, so you automatically have a recovery drive anyway. It's not hard to set up regular restore points with Timeshift or similar, either.

That said, I haven't had problems like what you describe in nearly 4 years.

[jakkos]

I've used Windows, Ubuntu, and NixOS all for longer than I ever used arch and never had an update leave my computer inoperable.

[zahlman]

And the other person did, as have many others on support forums.

Updates generally just work, on the balance of my experience and other available evidence. It's still unwise to schedule them at a time where a failure would be more disruptive than baseline, and it's still best practice to be prepared for a failure and not have to figure things out on the fly.