Linux

What was the last version of Windows you used before hopping on over? This includes the Linux greybeards too.

I was on Win10 but moved over as the end of life cycle is drawing near and I do not like Win11 at all.

Another thing for this change was the forced bloody updates, bro I just wanna shut down my PC and go to bed, if I wanna update it, I'll do it on a Saturday morning with my coffee or something.

Lastly, all the bloat crap they chuck in on there that most users don't really need. I think the only thing I kept was the weather program.

So what's your reasoning for the change to the reliable and funni penguin OS?

So I'm looking at trying am Immutable Linux Desktop (uBlue Aurora probably). One thing I'm not clear on is how to run GUI apps during development. From what I understand I should create a container with distrobox, install my toolchains in it and start developing. I'm used to containers for CLI and server work, but I'm not sure how it applies to the GUI (Wayland / KDE).

If I do a cargo run inside distrobox for a Rust GUI project will it just work? I saw that I can 'export' apps, but that is for already built executables whereas I will be building and rebuilding them.

A while back there was some debate about the Linux kernel dropping support for some very old GPUs. (I can't remember the exact models, but they were roughly from the late 90's)

It spurred a lot of discussion on how many years of hardware support is reasonable to expect.

I would like to hear y'alls views on this. What do you think is reasonable?

The fact that some people were mad that their 25 year old GPU wouldn't be officially supported by the latest Linux kernel seemed pretty silly to me. At that point, the machine is a vintage piece of tech history. Valuable in its own right, and very cool to keep alive, but I don't think it's unreasonable for the devs to drop it after two and a half decades.

I think for me, a 10 year minimum seems reasonable.

And obviously, much of this work is for little to no pay, so love and gratitude to all the devs that help keep this incredible community and ecosystem alive!

And don't forget to Pay for your free software!!!

I don't want to use Osmc or LibreELEC. What I'm going for is something like Android TV (tried using LineageOS but that didn't work out for me).

I was interested in something like Plasma Bigscreen but most of the tutorial is about 4 years old and point to using an old image.

I installed the Debian package. After that, I logged in and set Automatic login, and switch the session to Plasma Bigscreen (x11). After applying and a reboot, it launched Plasma Bigscreen but some widgets (like the audio, KDE Connect) froze when clicking on them.

What do you recommend? I prefer to use a Raspberry Pi.

I have a server that is also plugged into my TV. It's running Ubuntu server, but then I installed the DE when I started trying to use it with the TV as well.

For the TV I'm using Kodi synced with Jellyfin. Unfortunately it's not very stable. Most of the time it's fine, but with specific files Kodi will crash, often bringing down the whole system. I expect this is at least partly because the DE was an afterthought and it's not running a full DE.

I'm looking at doing a full refresh of the server, and am wondering if there is a distro that is particularly good for this use case. I also want to be able to play games on occasion with xbox controllers.

TL;DR: Can you suggest a distro to run on a PC connected to a TV, used mainly to run Kodi and as a server via docker containers, but also for games via wine/proton with controller support?

Let’s talk today about kernel crashes, or even better, how can we collect information if a kernel panic happens on Arch Linux and on SteamOS, the Linux distribution used on the Steam Deck.

Hello Everybody I've been encountering a recent occurred Problem with my installation of Debian 12. When I plug in my Phone (Fairphone 4) to transfer some large files, it won't get recognized, which is odd because I do this every few Weeks and since a couple of months this keeps happening. It will something like:

Malformed URL mtp:udi=/org/kde/solid/udev/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb2/2-7/.

Or

Unable to open MTP device "002,086".

I've installed gMTP, but that won't recognize my devices either. I also tried to manually go to the media and mnt directory but found nothing. Likewise, I switched cables, Phones and USB Ports.

At first, I thought it was a Dolphin issue because when I switched to the Thunar File Manager everything seemed to be flawless, but now it's even occurring on Thunar.

These are my Specs if it helps.

• OS: Debian 12 bookworm
• Kernel: x86_64 Linux 6.1.0-21-amd64
• DE: KDE 5.103.0 / Plasma 5.27.5
• CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 @ 8x 4GHz
• GPU: GeForce 720

Any Comments or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Hello, all. I just got handed down a Surface Go (1st gen, 4gb ram), and I want to use it as a note taking machine, document reader, and secondary display for my primary laptop (Framework intel 12th gen running Fedora GNOME).

I have a pen but no keyboard, so any config will be done with a usb keyboard, but usage will be like a tablet.

1. I have heard I should install GNOME on a tablet. I am generally ok with the 'opinionated' design of GNOME, but does anyone know what performance to expect? Would I be better off with a lightweight distro and de?

2. What apps can be recommended for stylus notetaking? Would prefer svg output, and simple workflow to export them to my main machine, where I can embed in markdown notebooks

3. Finally, the secondary display usage. Is this feasible? I know GNOME has RDP support, but my uni's wifi makes that very difficult, and I'd prefer a wired connection if possible. I don't need the stylus to work.

BONUS: If anyone has experience with the proprietary Surface Connect port, can it be adapted to usb c on linux, so that I can transfer power and >= 5gpbs of data? I see usb c adapters online, but they don't mention data; only power delivery.

Hear me out, the mascot is a freaking chameleon, that's cool as shit man.

Also it's a German engineered distro, German engineering wins again!

Zypper is just a funnier name for a package manager and it has Tumbleweed which is arch but actually doesn't break for once!

Your rebuttal?

So, at school we use the whole Office 365 suite for a myriad of tasks.

Teams is used as the main way to share exercises and lesson material, Outlook is used as the resident email service, and you're expected to use OneDrive to store all/most of your data. There are some additional apps that require Windows, but beyond the office 365 suite they are all replaceable.

What I'm wondering is, what distro can run/access those apps without too much hassle and set-up?

I'm looking to do this on a HP probook x360, upgraded to 32 GB of ram. The only peripheral of note I've got is a Ugee drawing tablet, but I can use the openTabletDriver or their own on some distro's.

Edit: Thanks guys!

User helpimnotdrowning recommend Mint! This'll be my first real daily foray onto Linux, so it's definitely a good option. I'll also have a look at Gnome Vs KDE. I've been looking at KDE in the past, but gnome is definitely worth a peep as well.

User BearOfATime, thanks for giving the software name that allows for a seamless VPN transition! I'll also look into the win 10 LTSC. Not sure it's a right fit, but it's always fun to learn more!

As a couple of you recommend, there seems to be a teams flatpak to download, so I'll have a look into that!

Finally, I'd like to thank y'all for the useful and helpful answers! Many of you said to try the webapps, so I'll be doing that! My current plan is to use VMWare (alt is Vbox. VMware works (and looks) better) and try to actively use a mint VM. Not sure If I'll be able to stick to it, and not unknowingly switch to windows, but having it as a starting app should solve a couple issues. Slower start times, sure, but that's not the worst. Your advice is very much appreciated! It's given me a good confidence boost to start. Thanks for that :D

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/18408267

On Open Source and the Sustainability of the Commons par Ploum - Lionel Dricot.

I switched to Linux about 1.5 years ago now when replacing my old Macbook Pro with a Tuxedo Infinity Book. I am super happy with the transition, and for the most part my digital life has severely improved as a result of it. There's one thing in particular though that I haven't fully grasped or understood despite all the talk about it, and that really has mostly caused confusion on my part, and that is Xorg/X11 (I don't know the difference...) vs. Wayland.

I started out with Tuxedo OS 1 and 2 running KDE Plasma 5.x.x, and thus have been on X11 for the most part since switching to Linux. I never dared switching to Wayland myself. However, they somewhat recently started offering optional upgrades to Tuxedo OS 3 running KDE Plasma 6 where Wayland is the default, and I took the plunge. The only real difference I noticed was small annoyances that I had to fix. Glitching windows running on XWayland and having to configure some .desktop-files to force apps to launch natively in Wayland. Apps not showing the correct desktop icons but the generic Wayland logo instead, making Alt+Tabbing a bit more difficult because it is harder to tell applications apart. Annoying smooth scrolling (I don't want scrolling to have as much friction as polished ice) activated in all kinds of applications that I seem to have to turn off individually. Nothing breaking (though I haven't dared booting with my Nvidia dGPU yet in fear of breaking something irreversibly...), but I haven't noticed any improvements either, and I find it a bit frustrating not knowing where to make the necessary changes and always having to search for it seemingly on a case by case basis.

Now for instance I was updating FreeTube to a new version, and the flags I previously added to the ́.desktop'-file suddenly doesn't work anymore (--enable-features=UseOzonePlatform,WaylandWindowDecorations --ozone-platform-hint=auto). The application won't launch unless I remove them, but then it launches under XWayland instead. Not that I have any issues so far running it like that, but I guess I would prefer to run everything natively in Wayland if I can.

So recently tried zorin os and now im dual booting it with windows, and because of that I need a have NTFS partition between them. Now I have a 256gb windows partition, a 256 linux partition and a 1.7 Tb shared ntfs partition shared between them and I wonder how do you organize your files if you need to have them on another partition and cant use ~.

For programs they will always end up on / and I cant install them on another partition (dont know why) but what do you do for files? What folders do you have and where are they?

massachusetts institue of technology. richard stallman is from there. most linux utilities were developed there and a lot of open source projects were and are made there!!! is it the best university for linux and open source??

What do you think are the best mice for use with linux?

What factors do you think are most important in selecting a mouse? (eg precision, build quality, comfort, other)

Price is optional

The Linux Kernel

The Linux Kernel is the primary interface for all hardware-software interactions on your Linux operating system (OS). It enables software applications to efficiently utilize system hardware like processors, memory, peripherals, and more.

It’s updated regularly to patch security issues, add support for new hardware, and occasionally remove support for outdated and unused architectures. For instance, support for AMD’s Ryzen CPUs was added with Linux Kernel version 4.10. Older Kernel versions would experience problems running the processor.

To check your system's Linux Kernel version, type “uname -r” in the terminal. Checking Linux Kernel version in Ubuntu 22.04 through terminal

While some Linux distributions automatically update the kernel, others may require a manual OS update to access the latest version. As a rule of thumb, if you aren’t running bleeding-edge hardware, you should be fine with the default kernel version and routine updates you receive from your Linux distros

Linux Distributions (Distros)

Linux distributions, or distros, are tailored operating systems built around the Linux Kernel, targeting specific users or user preferences. The term “distribution” stems from the early days of Linux, when people and organizations adopted the Linux kernel, bundled in additional tools and software–package managers, desktop environments, custom tweaks—and “distributed” it as a fully functional and cohesive operating system.

Each Linux distro offers a unique out-of-the-box experience, thus favoring certain workflows over others. For example, Ubuntu is a stable general-purpose distro, whereas Garuda Linux is focused on gaming and cutting-edge software. Ubuntu 23.10 Default desktop The Garuda Linux Desktop.

New to Linux? Ubuntu Isn't Your Only Option

Desktop Environments (DE)

A desktop environment is a collection of components that build the common graphical user interface (GUI). This includes icons, panels, taskbars, wallpapers, widgets, and, most importantly, the window manager–a system software that controls the placement and appearance of application windows.

Unless you need a "headless" server, it’s super important to focus on the DE while picking a Linux distro. It’ll dictate how you open apps, multitask, customize the appearance, and more. Ubuntu 23.10 overview feature and virtual desktop switcher-2 Garuda Linux Mac-inspired workflow with Appmenu in panel, left-side windows button, and a dock for launching apps.

Also, a desktop environment will come with a set of integrated apps and utilities so that the apps and overall system follow the same design philosophy and look visually consistent. For example, the GNOME desktop environment ships with GTK apps, while KDE Plasma has Qt apps. As such, if you run GTK (or GNOME) apps on a KDE system, it may feel out of place with the rest of the desktop. Running GTK calculator app on a Qt system - Garuda Linux running KDE Plasma

4. Terminal and Console

In modern Linux computing, a terminal or “terminal emulator” refers to the GUI window that creates a command-line interface (CLI) for you to enter commands and view the system-generated outputs. For instance, here’s the GNOME terminal that’s accessible on distros running on GNOME: Image of Gnome Terminal running on Ubuntu

In contrast, a console or “virtual console” is a special type of terminal you get in minimal GUI-less Linux installations or server environments. This gives you direct access to the shell (a command-line interpreter), offering a straightforward, full-screen CLI experience. Many Linux distros allow you to access the “console” view through dedicated key combinations–either Alt+F1…F5 or Ctrl+Alt+F1…F5. Ubuntu 23.10 Teletypewriter view

5. Binaries, Packages, Dependencies, and Repositories (Repos)

Binaries are computer-readable code for a program (or part of a program) that the computer can run and process. Packages are binaries bundled with additional information such as configuration files, version numbers, software descriptions, installation instructions, dependencies, and more. Now, dependencies for a package are additional packages, binaries, or system components, necessary for that package to run.

Different distros have their own packaging formats for creating distro specific software packages, like Steam, LibreOffice, or Firefox. They upload these packages to a large library called a repository so you can easily download and install them. For example, Debian and Debian-based distros support DEB packages which are maintained in the Debian repository.

Now, sometimes, the software you want won’t be in the official repository, at which point you can reference an unofficial collection called a third-party repository. For reference, Personal Package Archives (PPAs) is a third-party repo for DEB packages maintained by program developers or enthusiasts.

Take this example: I’m trying to install LibreOffice, but it isn't available in the Ubuntu 22.04 repository. So I had to add the PPA:libreoffice, where it’s available to install. Linux terminal displaying the addition of LibreOffice PPA to Ubuntu.

Only use PPAs from trusted sources (check reviews and ratings) to avoid installing malware on your system.

6. Package Managers

Package managers are tools that connect you to a software repository so you can easily download, install, update, remove, and manage packages along with their dependencies. Just like packaging formats, there are distro-specific package managers. For example, there’s APT for managing DEB packages on Debian-based systems and DNF for managing RPM packages for Red Hat-based systems.

This mode of distributing packages can be challenging for developers as they have to package their apps into multiple formats and keep them updated on multiple repositories to ensure availability across distros. To try solving this problem we have universal package managers like Snap and Flatpak. Installing Discord from Flathub the flatpak store Installing Discord from the Snap Store

Universal package managers distribute software that includes everything necessary to run it, making it easier to install and compatible with different distros. Moreover, they require minimal interaction with your system files, making them theoretically more secure. However, by bundling “all” necessary files, universal packages are more extensive and take up more space.

Prioritize installing apps in the official repo because they are optimized for your system and take up less space. Use Snaps and Flatpaks when official repo packages are not available.

7. Rolling Release and Point Release Model

When looking into different Linux distros, you must have come across the terms “rolling release” and “point release”. This basically refers to how updates are delivered to a distro.

In a rolling release model, your Linux distro gets continuous updates to the latest software. This means you'll always have access to the newest features and fixes. However, updating your system regularly (at least every two weeks) is essential to avoid compatibility issues with future updates. If you don't, your system might become outdated. Examples include Manjaro and Garuda Linux. Manjaro Linux Desktop. The Garuda Linux Desktop.

Point release distros release new versions at specific intervals. You don't need to update your system as frequently, which can be convenient for professionals or servers that require stability. These releases, called "upgrades," update many core system files or replace them with newer packages. Examples include Ubuntu, Pop!_OS, and Linux Mint. Ubuntu 23.10 Default desktop Pop!_OS Linux Desktop view. Linux Mint Desktop Overview.

Point release distros have an "End of Life" date. After this date, they no longer receive updates, which can lead to security risks and compatibility issues if you keep using them. For example, Ubuntu 23.10 is supported for 9 months after its release, while Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Long Term Support) gets 5 years of support.

Understanding these essential Linux terms is the first step towards becoming a Linux power user. With this knowledge, you're now better equipped to navigate the Linux landscape, engage in discussions, and confidently continue your learning journey.

Linux
Linux
Ubuntu

I just can’t find a decent email client that looks like it’s from the last 20 years. Geary and Evolution both appear to be pretty modern but something about using Gmail with a Yubikey just doesn’t work and neither of them will connect to my account. Both on Fedora and OpenSUSE. Thunderbird works but it’s so old fashioned and Betterbird doesn’t look much better. What’s everyone else using?

My end goal is to get my desktop running functionally like a high-powered Steam Deck with my HDR monitor. I’m beyond fed up with Microsoft and really want a Linux distro to be the primary OS on my PC (and ultimately the only OS once Ubisoft decides to support R6: Siege on Linux). Eventually I’ll switch from my NVIDIA GPU to AMD since everything I’ve read makes AMD out to be far more consumer and Linux friendly than NVIDIA, but in the time being I’d love some help getting this working on my current hardware.

To get KDE Plasma 6 with HDR running, so far I have tried installing the latest HoloIso and Manjaro’s official Plasma desktop stable branch. Before doing all of the below I made sure that the option to use the iGPU ports was disabled in my BIOS.

For HoloIso, I’ve followed the directions from the GitHub readme file and installed from a USB drive to one of my internal 1 TB SSDs. I’m able to boot from the ISO on the USB drive and run the installation tool in HoloIso. The installation seemingly runs successfully and tells me to restart. After restarting and booting into that drive, I see the GRUB menu which disappears quickly, and then I see nothing but a black screen. I have tried booting with both of my monitors connected to my GPU via DisplayPort, and booting with only one monitor connected to my GPU via DisplayPort. Neither seems to solve the issue.

I then went on to try what seemed like a more stable distro that was similar to SteamOS - Manjaro with Plasma. Installation went smoothly and I was able to actually boot into Manjaro after installation. Noticing there was no HDR option in the display settings I did some Googling and found that I was using X11 and not Wayland (which is where the HDR support lies). I did some more Googling and found a guide to switch to Wayland (I can’t find the guide again now dangit) but upon doing so and restarting, all I saw was a black screen.

Honestly, if anyone has any suggestions for what to try I would love some help. I’m familiar with navigating Linux but relatively unfamiliar with installing it and VERY unfamiliar with display technologies so any suggestions for what to try are appreciated.

I was thinking of getting a wifi card like that, but can't seem to find any.

What are the packages that comes default with Linux Mint Cinnamon that I can remove without any problems.

Linux Mint comes with lots of packages installed by default to give full experience to new users. But not everyone needs everything. In my case for example, I don't need celluloid, pix, hexchat, hypnotix, rhythmbox, LibreOffice, etc,... Those applications has their own audience and Linux Mint including them is a good thing but I personally don't want them.

Mini Rant or QA maybe?

I searched the internet a bit for the answer, on various forums, and subreddits. And All the people who asked this question got obliterated as far as I've seen. The common answers are:

if you remove the applications that came installed with Mint by default, it will cause Dependency issues.

If I remove an application and the dependencies shold be removed UNLESS some other application need those dependency, right? If that's the case, why removing packages can cause dependency issues?

Why would you want to remove essential applications like LibreOffice, pix etc. ? (this question is asked in the sense of "what sane person would want to remove those?")

Cause why not? Maybe I like GwenView more than Pix, maybe I don't need office applications at all. Why this even matter?

If you want don't want Mint's default applications, then what's the point of using Mint? Just use something like Ubuntu server or something. People need to realize that lot of people (at least me) using Mint for it's System management (updates, apt source list, etc..) via GUI ability. Just because I want to manage my system with ease, that doesn't mean I need everyt applications it offers me.

I honestly feel bad for the person who asked the question in the first place. They didn't got the answers till the very end. All they got is Criticism and it's not constructive one.

Why this kind of behaviour even exist?

P.S.: I'm using Mint inside VM for testing purposes. I don't want my VM to take a lot of space. That's why I don't need lot of applications.

The settings on KDE show this info about my computer after buying a used motherboard. Apparently it came from a prebuilt, though it is a standard ASUS board. Where does this branding come from and is it possible to remove it?

The branding also shows in inxi:

Machine: Type: Desktop System: PC Specialist product: Tornado R7S v: N/A serial: <superuser required> Mobo: ASUSTeK model: PRIME B450-PLUS v: Rev X.0x serial: <superuser required> part-nu: 1744753 UEFI: American Megatrends v: 4402 date: 12/13/2023

I have very little experience with linux, so maybe this is a dumb question :)

I run Ubuntu 24.04 on a machine, and I had an old HDD in a usb-case which I mounted using fstab. Worked fine, but I decided it wasn't appropriate for my purpose and removed it (physically and from fstab).

But it still shows up in the file manager? What am I missing?