GalliumOS: A Linux Distribution for cheap Chromebooks
# Intro
GalliumOS is a distribution designed to be run on cheap x86 Chromebooks. I've been using a Chromebook C740 (4GB RAM) with GalliumOS for about 3 years now and I figured I should share my experience.
While you can run GalliumOS on other hardware, I really don't see the point. This review is really for people that think they might want to cheap-o chromebook with Linux on it.
While a ChromeOS/Linux dual-boot through chrx is possible, this review focuses on a CoreBoot installation which only boots GalliumOS.
# Hardware
GalliumOS only works with x86 based Chromebooks, and some models have specific hardware based limitations. Full details on that here.
I think GalliumOS is really exciting for two reasons:
1. CoreBoot is a slightly more FOSS motherboard firmware, but it still contains some blobs listed here. I was hoping to see a libreboot port, but that never materialized.
2. Chromebooks are dirt cheap. You can get my laptop on ebay for $110 buy-it-now. If you are patient and willing to bid, you can score one for about $50.
# Installation
Installing GalliumOS is trickier than installing other distros. In most cases, you are going to want to re-flash the motherboard firmware. More details here. Please make sure to back up your original motherboard firmware.
# Daily Use
GalliumOS is built with the XFCE desktop environment. The user interface is quick, responsive, simple, and capable. I've experimented with using other desktop environment but found that they challenged the limited hardware in this laptop.
Gallium is built on Ubuntu and has access to most of the same software. The wiki also provides a nice page for some commonly sought third party software. I've never had issues installing Linux applications, and I use WINE/DosBox/Virtualbox etc to run a fair bit of Windows software as well.
Most chromebooks have fairly speedy solid-state storage, and as a result they boot quickly and are very responsive under Linux.
I've experimented with using other distros, but GalliumOS provides a certain degree of pre-configuration and optimization that I was unable to match with my modest skills and time.
# Pain Points
GalliumOS does a decent job of helping with these pain points, but at the end of the day a cheap-o chromebook is a cheap-o chromebook.
## keyboard
The keyboard is missing some of the keys you are used to. It is immediately obvious that there is no windows (super) key, no F11, and no F12. There are a handful of other keys missing as well. In some cases, the caps-lock key is replaced with a search key. The GalliumOS team has created "overlays" that provide these keys, which you can see here.
## touchpad
The touchpad on most Chromebooks is truly terrible, and the C740 is one of the worst. GalliumOS tries to compensate for this by providing a totally custom touchpad configuration. A two finger click is a right click, and a three finger click is a middle click. I can also try to click in one of three "zones" across the bottom of my touchpad. I've gotten used to it, but it was very frustrating at first.
I've used other distributions (like Linux Mint) that don't have this custom touchpad profile. IMO the touchpad on the C740 is unusable without the tweaks provided by GalliumOS.
## RAM
Chromebooks have very, very limited RAM. 4GB is doable, but if you use a lot of web-apps you will run up against the limit pretty quickly. Owners of 2GB models should seek out alternatives to web-apps whenever possible.
I typically have about 10 tabs open in Firefox, but there are definitely websites I avoid due to RAM and CPU speed issues. Google services like Drive and Gmail are particularly painful.
## Display
Many chromebooks have sub-HD screens. My C740 has a 1366x768 display. Using a low-resolution
# Intro
GalliumOS is a distribution designed to be run on cheap x86 Chromebooks. I've been using a Chromebook C740 (4GB RAM) with GalliumOS for about 3 years now and I figured I should share my experience.
While you can run GalliumOS on other hardware, I really don't see the point. This review is really for people that think they might want to cheap-o chromebook with Linux on it.
While a ChromeOS/Linux dual-boot through chrx is possible, this review focuses on a CoreBoot installation which only boots GalliumOS.
# Hardware
GalliumOS only works with x86 based Chromebooks, and some models have specific hardware based limitations. Full details on that here.
I think GalliumOS is really exciting for two reasons:
1. CoreBoot is a slightly more FOSS motherboard firmware, but it still contains some blobs listed here. I was hoping to see a libreboot port, but that never materialized.
2. Chromebooks are dirt cheap. You can get my laptop on ebay for $110 buy-it-now. If you are patient and willing to bid, you can score one for about $50.
# Installation
Installing GalliumOS is trickier than installing other distros. In most cases, you are going to want to re-flash the motherboard firmware. More details here. Please make sure to back up your original motherboard firmware.
# Daily Use
GalliumOS is built with the XFCE desktop environment. The user interface is quick, responsive, simple, and capable. I've experimented with using other desktop environment but found that they challenged the limited hardware in this laptop.
Gallium is built on Ubuntu and has access to most of the same software. The wiki also provides a nice page for some commonly sought third party software. I've never had issues installing Linux applications, and I use WINE/DosBox/Virtualbox etc to run a fair bit of Windows software as well.
Most chromebooks have fairly speedy solid-state storage, and as a result they boot quickly and are very responsive under Linux.
I've experimented with using other distros, but GalliumOS provides a certain degree of pre-configuration and optimization that I was unable to match with my modest skills and time.
# Pain Points
GalliumOS does a decent job of helping with these pain points, but at the end of the day a cheap-o chromebook is a cheap-o chromebook.
## keyboard
The keyboard is missing some of the keys you are used to. It is immediately obvious that there is no windows (super) key, no F11, and no F12. There are a handful of other keys missing as well. In some cases, the caps-lock key is replaced with a search key. The GalliumOS team has created "overlays" that provide these keys, which you can see here.
## touchpad
The touchpad on most Chromebooks is truly terrible, and the C740 is one of the worst. GalliumOS tries to compensate for this by providing a totally custom touchpad configuration. A two finger click is a right click, and a three finger click is a middle click. I can also try to click in one of three "zones" across the bottom of my touchpad. I've gotten used to it, but it was very frustrating at first.
I've used other distributions (like Linux Mint) that don't have this custom touchpad profile. IMO the touchpad on the C740 is unusable without the tweaks provided by GalliumOS.
## RAM
Chromebooks have very, very limited RAM. 4GB is doable, but if you use a lot of web-apps you will run up against the limit pretty quickly. Owners of 2GB models should seek out alternatives to web-apps whenever possible.
I typically have about 10 tabs open in Firefox, but there are definitely websites I avoid due to RAM and CPU speed issues. Google services like Drive and Gmail are particularly painful.
## Display
Many chromebooks have sub-HD screens. My C740 has a 1366x768 display. Using a low-resolution
GalliumOS: A Linux Distribution for cheap Chromebooks
# Intro
GalliumOS is a distribution designed to be run on cheap x86 Chromebooks. I've been using a Chromebook C740 (4GB RAM) with GalliumOS for about 3 years now and I figured I should share my experience.
While you can run GalliumOS on other hardware, I really don't see the point. This review is really for people that think they might want to cheap-o chromebook with Linux on it.
While a ChromeOS/Linux dual-boot through chrx is possible, this review focuses on a CoreBoot installation which only boots GalliumOS.
# Hardware
GalliumOS only works with x86 based Chromebooks, and some models have specific hardware based limitations. Full details on that [here](https://galliumos.org/).
I think GalliumOS is really exciting for two reasons:
1. CoreBoot is a *slightly more* FOSS motherboard firmware, but it still contains some blobs listed [here](https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/third_party/coreboot/blobs/). I was hoping to see a libreboot port, but that never materialized.
2. Chromebooks are dirt cheap. You can get my laptop on ebay for $110 buy-it-now. If you are patient and willing to bid, you can score one for about $50.
# Installation
Installing GalliumOS is trickier than installing other distros. In most cases, you are going to want to re-flash the motherboard firmware. More details [here](https://wiki.galliumos.org/Installing). Please make sure to back up your original motherboard firmware.
# Daily Use
GalliumOS is built with the XFCE desktop environment. The user interface is quick, responsive, simple, and capable. I've experimented with using other desktop environment but found that they challenged the limited hardware in this laptop.
Gallium is built on Ubuntu and has access to most of the same software. The wiki also provides a nice page for some commonly sought [third party software](https://wiki.galliumos.org/Additional_Software). I've never had issues installing Linux applications, and I use WINE/DosBox/Virtualbox etc to run a fair bit of Windows software as well.
Most chromebooks have fairly speedy solid-state storage, and as a result they boot quickly and are very responsive under Linux.
I've experimented with using other distros, but GalliumOS provides a certain degree of pre-configuration and optimization that I was unable to match with my modest skills and time.
# Pain Points
GalliumOS does a decent job of helping with these pain points, but at the end of the day a cheap-o chromebook is a cheap-o chromebook.
## keyboard
The keyboard is missing some of the keys you are used to. It is immediately obvious that there is no windows (super) key, no F11, and no F12. There are a handful of other keys missing as well. In some cases, the caps-lock key is replaced with a search key. The GalliumOS team has created "overlays" that provide these keys, which you can see [here](https://wiki.galliumos.org/Media_keys_and_default_keybindings).
## touchpad
The touchpad on most Chromebooks is truly terrible, and the C740 is one of the worst. GalliumOS tries to compensate for this by providing a totally custom touchpad configuration. A two finger click is a right click, and a three finger click is a middle click. I can also try to click in one of three "zones" across the bottom of my touchpad. I've gotten used to it, but it was very frustrating at first.
I've used *other* distributions (like Linux Mint) that don't have this custom touchpad profile. IMO the touchpad on the C740 is unusable without the tweaks provided by GalliumOS.
## RAM
Chromebooks have very, very limited RAM. 4GB is doable, but if you use a lot of web-apps you will run up against the limit pretty quickly. Owners of 2GB models should seek out alternatives to web-apps whenever possible.
I typically have about 10 tabs open in Firefox, but there are definitely websites I avoid due to RAM and CPU speed issues. Google services like Drive and Gmail are particularly painful.
## Display
Many chromebooks have sub-HD screens. My C740 has a 1366x768 display. Using a low-resolution
# Intro
GalliumOS is a distribution designed to be run on cheap x86 Chromebooks. I've been using a Chromebook C740 (4GB RAM) with GalliumOS for about 3 years now and I figured I should share my experience.
While you can run GalliumOS on other hardware, I really don't see the point. This review is really for people that think they might want to cheap-o chromebook with Linux on it.
While a ChromeOS/Linux dual-boot through chrx is possible, this review focuses on a CoreBoot installation which only boots GalliumOS.
# Hardware
GalliumOS only works with x86 based Chromebooks, and some models have specific hardware based limitations. Full details on that [here](https://galliumos.org/).
I think GalliumOS is really exciting for two reasons:
1. CoreBoot is a *slightly more* FOSS motherboard firmware, but it still contains some blobs listed [here](https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/third_party/coreboot/blobs/). I was hoping to see a libreboot port, but that never materialized.
2. Chromebooks are dirt cheap. You can get my laptop on ebay for $110 buy-it-now. If you are patient and willing to bid, you can score one for about $50.
# Installation
Installing GalliumOS is trickier than installing other distros. In most cases, you are going to want to re-flash the motherboard firmware. More details [here](https://wiki.galliumos.org/Installing). Please make sure to back up your original motherboard firmware.
# Daily Use
GalliumOS is built with the XFCE desktop environment. The user interface is quick, responsive, simple, and capable. I've experimented with using other desktop environment but found that they challenged the limited hardware in this laptop.
Gallium is built on Ubuntu and has access to most of the same software. The wiki also provides a nice page for some commonly sought [third party software](https://wiki.galliumos.org/Additional_Software). I've never had issues installing Linux applications, and I use WINE/DosBox/Virtualbox etc to run a fair bit of Windows software as well.
Most chromebooks have fairly speedy solid-state storage, and as a result they boot quickly and are very responsive under Linux.
I've experimented with using other distros, but GalliumOS provides a certain degree of pre-configuration and optimization that I was unable to match with my modest skills and time.
# Pain Points
GalliumOS does a decent job of helping with these pain points, but at the end of the day a cheap-o chromebook is a cheap-o chromebook.
## keyboard
The keyboard is missing some of the keys you are used to. It is immediately obvious that there is no windows (super) key, no F11, and no F12. There are a handful of other keys missing as well. In some cases, the caps-lock key is replaced with a search key. The GalliumOS team has created "overlays" that provide these keys, which you can see [here](https://wiki.galliumos.org/Media_keys_and_default_keybindings).
## touchpad
The touchpad on most Chromebooks is truly terrible, and the C740 is one of the worst. GalliumOS tries to compensate for this by providing a totally custom touchpad configuration. A two finger click is a right click, and a three finger click is a middle click. I can also try to click in one of three "zones" across the bottom of my touchpad. I've gotten used to it, but it was very frustrating at first.
I've used *other* distributions (like Linux Mint) that don't have this custom touchpad profile. IMO the touchpad on the C740 is unusable without the tweaks provided by GalliumOS.
## RAM
Chromebooks have very, very limited RAM. 4GB is doable, but if you use a lot of web-apps you will run up against the limit pretty quickly. Owners of 2GB models should seek out alternatives to web-apps whenever possible.
I typically have about 10 tabs open in Firefox, but there are definitely websites I avoid due to RAM and CPU speed issues. Google services like Drive and Gmail are particularly painful.
## Display
Many chromebooks have sub-HD screens. My C740 has a 1366x768 display. Using a low-resolution
display on the modern web is frequently annoying. Some poorly designed applications need to be drug above and below the screen to press buttons. Remember: alt+click+drag will let you reposition a window by clicking anywhere inside of it.
## Storage
Most chromebooks have extremely limited internal storage. You can either plug in an SD card, or try to replace the built-in SSD. I replaced my 16GB SSD with a 64GB SSD from some chinese manufacturer.
## Display Out
I have found that HDMI output on the C740 brings the processor to its knees. I don't really know why, but it could be because I'm trying to drive a 4k monitor with the integrated graphics of an Intel Celeron 3215U.
## Webcam
The webcam is dogshit.
# Strong Points
## Cost
This is a fully functional Linux machine that can realistically be obtained for around $100. There are lots of old Chromebooks sitting in people's basements that can be revived this way for next to nothing. I've been thinking about buying a handful of these and setting up a [bridge simulator](http://daid.github.io/EmptyEpsilon/#tabs=1) night, or pre-configuring them for video/audio calls and shipping them to relatives.
## Security
GalliumOS seems to follow good standards, including providing full-disk encryption out of the box.
## Battery
This celery processor eats lite. I get about 5.5 hours of battery life, and the battery is *somewhat* swappable if I'm willing to patiently spudge out the glue holding it down.
# Plausible Use Cases
* If you need to provide multiple low-end laptops, this is a great way to do that cheaply. I am strongly tempted to set up six of these and use them for old-school LAN parties or something.
* RetroGaming: Wine and DosBox cover most of the noscripts that you'd want to play. I actually run a Windows XP Virtual Machine on this laptop so I can play some games. It works just fine, as long as the game is happy with 1.5GB of RAM. You can actually play [oblivion](https://www.gog.com/game/elder_scrolls_iv_oblivion_game_of_the_year_edition_deluxe_the) pretty smoothly on this machine. Consider trying out the [OpenMW](https://forum.openmw.org/viewtopic.php?t=3698) engine to play morrowind and oblivion natively.
* Writing: The tiny screen is great for focused writing. Just put your writing application in full-screen mode and start hammering out characters. You can't run too many side-applications, so other than music and maybe a chat application, you won't be tempted to indulge in distractions.
* Travel/Banger laptop: I brought this device with me when I was visiting hostels on the East Coast. It was lightweight and had good battery life. I didn't really care if it got stolen, because it didn't cost much and I had full-disk encryption. The fact that it is obviously a cheap laptop makes it less compelling a target for thieves. It also has a kensington lock port.
* Guest Computer: Set it up and let guests use it if they need to get online. There isn't a built-in "guest mode" like with vanilla Ubuntu, but you can create a shortcut to launch Firefox in Incognito mode.
# Bad Use Cases
* Modern Gaming
* HTPC: Basically the HDMI output isn't very smooth. Get a raspberry pi 4 and install LibreElec instead. You'll like it better.
* Web Browsing Machine: Unfortunately, the web has gotten a lot fatter than it used to be. I'm starting to see a lot of websites that are miserable to use while on this laptop.
* Communications Platform: I tried setting up this laptop to connect to steam, discord, slack, teams, and a few comms apps all at once. I ran out of RAM. If you primarily use FOSS communications like XMPP and IRC, you'll be fine.
# Conclusion
If you want a cheap-o linux device, an older Chromebook with GalliumOS is a decent option. GalliumOS does a great job of maximizing the usefulness of very limited hardware.
**TLDR: It is easier to run Oblivion in a VM than it is to run many popular websites.**
https://redd.it/kfu7hq
@r_linux
## Storage
Most chromebooks have extremely limited internal storage. You can either plug in an SD card, or try to replace the built-in SSD. I replaced my 16GB SSD with a 64GB SSD from some chinese manufacturer.
## Display Out
I have found that HDMI output on the C740 brings the processor to its knees. I don't really know why, but it could be because I'm trying to drive a 4k monitor with the integrated graphics of an Intel Celeron 3215U.
## Webcam
The webcam is dogshit.
# Strong Points
## Cost
This is a fully functional Linux machine that can realistically be obtained for around $100. There are lots of old Chromebooks sitting in people's basements that can be revived this way for next to nothing. I've been thinking about buying a handful of these and setting up a [bridge simulator](http://daid.github.io/EmptyEpsilon/#tabs=1) night, or pre-configuring them for video/audio calls and shipping them to relatives.
## Security
GalliumOS seems to follow good standards, including providing full-disk encryption out of the box.
## Battery
This celery processor eats lite. I get about 5.5 hours of battery life, and the battery is *somewhat* swappable if I'm willing to patiently spudge out the glue holding it down.
# Plausible Use Cases
* If you need to provide multiple low-end laptops, this is a great way to do that cheaply. I am strongly tempted to set up six of these and use them for old-school LAN parties or something.
* RetroGaming: Wine and DosBox cover most of the noscripts that you'd want to play. I actually run a Windows XP Virtual Machine on this laptop so I can play some games. It works just fine, as long as the game is happy with 1.5GB of RAM. You can actually play [oblivion](https://www.gog.com/game/elder_scrolls_iv_oblivion_game_of_the_year_edition_deluxe_the) pretty smoothly on this machine. Consider trying out the [OpenMW](https://forum.openmw.org/viewtopic.php?t=3698) engine to play morrowind and oblivion natively.
* Writing: The tiny screen is great for focused writing. Just put your writing application in full-screen mode and start hammering out characters. You can't run too many side-applications, so other than music and maybe a chat application, you won't be tempted to indulge in distractions.
* Travel/Banger laptop: I brought this device with me when I was visiting hostels on the East Coast. It was lightweight and had good battery life. I didn't really care if it got stolen, because it didn't cost much and I had full-disk encryption. The fact that it is obviously a cheap laptop makes it less compelling a target for thieves. It also has a kensington lock port.
* Guest Computer: Set it up and let guests use it if they need to get online. There isn't a built-in "guest mode" like with vanilla Ubuntu, but you can create a shortcut to launch Firefox in Incognito mode.
# Bad Use Cases
* Modern Gaming
* HTPC: Basically the HDMI output isn't very smooth. Get a raspberry pi 4 and install LibreElec instead. You'll like it better.
* Web Browsing Machine: Unfortunately, the web has gotten a lot fatter than it used to be. I'm starting to see a lot of websites that are miserable to use while on this laptop.
* Communications Platform: I tried setting up this laptop to connect to steam, discord, slack, teams, and a few comms apps all at once. I ran out of RAM. If you primarily use FOSS communications like XMPP and IRC, you'll be fine.
# Conclusion
If you want a cheap-o linux device, an older Chromebook with GalliumOS is a decent option. GalliumOS does a great job of maximizing the usefulness of very limited hardware.
**TLDR: It is easier to run Oblivion in a VM than it is to run many popular websites.**
https://redd.it/kfu7hq
@r_linux
nuTensor - active uMatrix fork
https://github.com/geekprojects/nuTensor
https://redd.it/kfmzov
@r_linux
https://github.com/geekprojects/nuTensor
https://redd.it/kfmzov
@r_linux
GitHub
GitHub - geekprojects/nuTensor: nuTensor: Point and click matrix to filter net requests according to source, destination and type
nuTensor: Point and click matrix to filter net requests according to source, destination and type - geekprojects/nuTensor
Docker is Object Oriented Programming (OOP) for Systems
https://chsasank.github.io/docker-is-object-oriented-programming-oop-for-systems.html
https://redd.it/kfl6h9
@r_linux
https://chsasank.github.io/docker-is-object-oriented-programming-oop-for-systems.html
https://redd.it/kfl6h9
@r_linux
chsasank.github.io
Docker is Object Oriented Programming (OOP) for Systems - Sasank's Blog
I was explaining about docker to my colleagues and I was struck by an epiphany: Docker is essentially object oriented programming (OOP) for systems programming. For the uninitiated Docker is OS-lev...
darktable 3.4.0 released
https://www.darktable.org/2020/12/darktable-3-4/
https://redd.it/kjizvk
@r_linux
https://www.darktable.org/2020/12/darktable-3-4/
https://redd.it/kjizvk
@r_linux
Reminders app
What do you use for your reminders app? I'm not looking for project management features, just your basic to-do app with a couple of extra things like giving a to-do due date/time, push notifications when due/overdue and perhaps iOS sync.
Anybody using anything they really like?
https://redd.it/kjs8h4
@r_linux
What do you use for your reminders app? I'm not looking for project management features, just your basic to-do app with a couple of extra things like giving a to-do due date/time, push notifications when due/overdue and perhaps iOS sync.
Anybody using anything they really like?
https://redd.it/kjs8h4
@r_linux
reddit
Reminders app
What do you use for your reminders app? I'm not looking for project management features, just your basic to-do app with a couple of extra things...
My contributions to elementary OS as a non-coder and how you can too!
https://techthoughts.substack.com/p/contributing-to-elementary-os
https://redd.it/kjg5n7
@r_linux
https://techthoughts.substack.com/p/contributing-to-elementary-os
https://redd.it/kjg5n7
@r_linux
Substack
My contributions to elementary OS as a non-coder and how you can too!
The power of suggestions in open source software.
Basic question on creating a sudo user
So I am very new to Linux and not at all skilled with computers. I am trying to create a new sudo account, but I am not managing to. Albeit looking at tutorials I don’t understand the very first thing to do ssh root@server_address. Where do I see the server address ? Is the command line ssh root@server ? Can some explain better what do I have to do ? Also sincerely ease off for downvoting me. I have never been good at computers and despite tutorials I still don’t understand how to do this. Yes it can be that complicated for someone new to these devices
https://redd.it/kjwngt
@r_linux
So I am very new to Linux and not at all skilled with computers. I am trying to create a new sudo account, but I am not managing to. Albeit looking at tutorials I don’t understand the very first thing to do ssh root@server_address. Where do I see the server address ? Is the command line ssh root@server ? Can some explain better what do I have to do ? Also sincerely ease off for downvoting me. I have never been good at computers and despite tutorials I still don’t understand how to do this. Yes it can be that complicated for someone new to these devices
https://redd.it/kjwngt
@r_linux
reddit
Basic question on creating a sudo user
So I am very new to Linux and not at all skilled with computers. I am trying to create a new sudo account, but I am not managing to. Albeit...
Planner 2.6 released - Board View, Sub projects and more.
https://useplanner.com/release/2020/12/24/merry-christmas-everyone-planner-2-6-is-here/
https://redd.it/kjxdkk
@r_linux
https://useplanner.com/release/2020/12/24/merry-christmas-everyone-planner-2-6-is-here/
https://redd.it/kjxdkk
@r_linux
Planner
Merry Christmas everyone, Planner 2.6 is here.
New Board View, Sub-project and more.
csBooks 5.0.0 Released
I am developing a software for Linux platform to read and manage ebooks in PDF, Epub and MOBI formats called csBooks [https://caesiumstudio.com/csbooks\].
As a linux user myself, I obviously distribute csBooks for free on Linux platform but Windows user pay for it and that money goes for the development of csBooks back.
I am looking for some volunteers to give csBooks a try and analyse the features that would make the most sense for the next release.
I have the following features in pipeline -
1. More format support for ebooks
2. Support for editing metadata of books
3. Audio book support
4. Librivox integration and may be other audiobook platforms
5. Tags and translations support
6. Speed reading mode.
Thanks in advance :)
https://redd.it/kjzlws
@r_linux
I am developing a software for Linux platform to read and manage ebooks in PDF, Epub and MOBI formats called csBooks [https://caesiumstudio.com/csbooks\].
As a linux user myself, I obviously distribute csBooks for free on Linux platform but Windows user pay for it and that money goes for the development of csBooks back.
I am looking for some volunteers to give csBooks a try and analyse the features that would make the most sense for the next release.
I have the following features in pipeline -
1. More format support for ebooks
2. Support for editing metadata of books
3. Audio book support
4. Librivox integration and may be other audiobook platforms
5. Tags and translations support
6. Speed reading mode.
Thanks in advance :)
https://redd.it/kjzlws
@r_linux
Caesiumstudio
Caesium Studio is an app development studio that has successfully created multiple apps with millions of downloads.
Caesium Studio is an app development studio that has successfully created multiple apps with millions of downloads. The founder of Caesium Studio, Ravi Sharma, is an engineer, mentor, and author who has over a decade of app development experience. He has…
Linux for computer-illiterates
It seems that even after a decade of weekly use a computer-illiterate has not been able to understand the concept of a file system (directories and files, etc.).
Are there some projects that make Linux work for those people? For example, I am thinking of things like putting text on a horizontal scrollbar literally saying "click this location on the screen (it's called a scrollbar) to see more files" in a file chooser dialog.
Perhaps LibreOffice's KDE file chooser is just too complicated with all the default styling (a horizontal scrollbar is also super low in height). To be honest, I think it sucks too, because of what I think are bugs (if you scroll to the right with the keyboard, I think it selects a file in the old position with the mouse cursor, scrolling back to the previous position).
https://redd.it/kk08ph
@r_linux
It seems that even after a decade of weekly use a computer-illiterate has not been able to understand the concept of a file system (directories and files, etc.).
Are there some projects that make Linux work for those people? For example, I am thinking of things like putting text on a horizontal scrollbar literally saying "click this location on the screen (it's called a scrollbar) to see more files" in a file chooser dialog.
Perhaps LibreOffice's KDE file chooser is just too complicated with all the default styling (a horizontal scrollbar is also super low in height). To be honest, I think it sucks too, because of what I think are bugs (if you scroll to the right with the keyboard, I think it selects a file in the old position with the mouse cursor, scrolling back to the previous position).
https://redd.it/kk08ph
@r_linux
reddit
Linux for computer-illiterates
It seems that even after a decade of weekly use a computer-illiterate has not been able to understand the concept of a file system (directories...
Weekend Fluff / Linux in the Wild Thread - December 25, 2020
Welcome to the weekend! This stickied thread is for you to post pictures of your ubuntu 2006 install disk, slackware floppies, on-topic memes or more.
When it's not the weekend, be sure to check out r/WildLinuxAppears or r/linuxmemes!
https://redd.it/kk29xx
@r_linux
Welcome to the weekend! This stickied thread is for you to post pictures of your ubuntu 2006 install disk, slackware floppies, on-topic memes or more.
When it's not the weekend, be sure to check out r/WildLinuxAppears or r/linuxmemes!
https://redd.it/kk29xx
@r_linux
reddit
Weekend Fluff / Linux in the Wild Thread - December 25, 2020
Welcome to the weekend! This stickied thread is for you to post pictures of your ubuntu 2006 install disk, slackware floppies, on-topic memes or...
Looking for a Linux distro with built in games for elderly people
I have an old Windows XP laptop that I want to give to my grandpa. He doesn't need the laptop for anything other than basic Web browsing and playing simple games. Windows XP is having problems with connecting to our fibre Internet. Since XP is so outdated, id like to just install a Linux distro that has a few basic games fun for elderly people, eg. Solitaire, crosswords, sudoki, find the object, etc.
https://redd.it/kk32d9
@r_linux
I have an old Windows XP laptop that I want to give to my grandpa. He doesn't need the laptop for anything other than basic Web browsing and playing simple games. Windows XP is having problems with connecting to our fibre Internet. Since XP is so outdated, id like to just install a Linux distro that has a few basic games fun for elderly people, eg. Solitaire, crosswords, sudoki, find the object, etc.
https://redd.it/kk32d9
@r_linux
reddit
Looking for a Linux distro with built in games for elderly people
I have an old Windows XP laptop that I want to give to my grandpa. He doesn't need the laptop for anything other than basic Web browsing and...
Help needed!
Hello guys and girls, what I am about to say may sound like a joke but it is true. My cat stepped on my computer that was on a table, I tried to take her off and with her back legs she managed to somehow throw my laptop on the floor. The laptop froze and apart from the mousepad nothing worked! I pressed the on/off button and when it opened it said: " no bootable device insert boot disk and press any key"
I don't know what happened, it is like the whole operating system got deleted or sth.
I know this is not a linux problem but I can't find a good answer online elsewhere.
PS: I don't have either a USB or a CD/DVD with the linus OS since a friend of mine installed it years ago for me :-/
https://redd.it/kk598o
@r_linux
Hello guys and girls, what I am about to say may sound like a joke but it is true. My cat stepped on my computer that was on a table, I tried to take her off and with her back legs she managed to somehow throw my laptop on the floor. The laptop froze and apart from the mousepad nothing worked! I pressed the on/off button and when it opened it said: " no bootable device insert boot disk and press any key"
I don't know what happened, it is like the whole operating system got deleted or sth.
I know this is not a linux problem but I can't find a good answer online elsewhere.
PS: I don't have either a USB or a CD/DVD with the linus OS since a friend of mine installed it years ago for me :-/
https://redd.it/kk598o
@r_linux
reddit
Help needed!
Hello guys and girls, what I am about to say may sound like a joke but it is true. My cat stepped on my computer that was on a table, I tried to...
Sailfish OS Question
Hello, I bought a Sony Xperia Xa2 Plus for Sailfish also so far satisfied with it, but I wanted to know if you can use penetration apps there as I work in a network security company.
The question is followed by the other: can I enable Opensuse repositories in sailfish OS? Or even other repositories?
https://redd.it/kk605i
@r_linux
Hello, I bought a Sony Xperia Xa2 Plus for Sailfish also so far satisfied with it, but I wanted to know if you can use penetration apps there as I work in a network security company.
The question is followed by the other: can I enable Opensuse repositories in sailfish OS? Or even other repositories?
https://redd.it/kk605i
@r_linux
reddit
Sailfish OS Question
Hello, I bought a Sony Xperia Xa2 Plus for Sailfish also so far satisfied with it, but I wanted to know if you can use penetration apps there as I...
On why linux is not to dominate the home computer space (and why this is maybe fine)
Before the storm in the cup begins i would like to describe my position. In relation to most people i am quite tech savvy user. Not quite on compile and modify kernel level, but i am fluent in several programming languages and have at least a basic understanding of computer from ground level (we are talking bit adders and logic of ram) to high levels like networking.
I do currently write this post on a windows computer, however I think positively of linux and admire all the work that went into it. I am running it on my ~~old laptop motherboard in even older computer case~~ headless server (it would be crazy to use anything else - windows server, are you serious?) and have tried it several times on my own computer.
My computer is a laptop with Intel i7 (8th gene) processor and 1060 with max-q design. I run it connected to a 4k monitor. Laptops almost always use so called hybrid approach to deal with graphics. In my last try I used Pop_os! -> I know debian shell commands like apt and didn't really feel like learning arch style one and drivers for my laptop components were only available on debian type oses.
Installation was smooth and fast - though the installer crashed once, but this was not really a big problem especially in comparison with windows mbr problems i had in the past and once the os bootet i started to install the most important programs.
And then the problems started. The second monitor would and would not display - i deduced the problem were NVIDIA drivers - not the fault of the os and the problem is still being fixed as we speak. However, even when the monitor worked the firefox was quite slow in comparison with windows version - this was due to disabled hardware acceleration which was, if I understand correctly, decision made because of NVIDIA driver mess.
And now let's talk about the programs. If small github project have much higher probability of working on linux than on windows because some python libs not being available on windows, project of bigger companies are usually not available on linux. For high demand tools open source alternatives are available - but does range in quality from Blender to OpenSCAD. It should also be said here that to most users, even if it is simpler than clicking, shell is a place of horror and would like to not touch it ever - so called app stores have mitigated that issue mildly, they work until the moment user uses some software that included - then they have the honour to look at horror that is most open source documentation and if they have to compile it themselves it's a lost cause.
​
AND after all that debugging and problem-solving you go back to windows and you look at your WSL and you say "IT'S fine." and you forget that you ever went down that rout.
And where does this leave me? It leaves me puzzled. As server os it is superior. For programming shell is better than cmd, but WSL can solve that. And Android phones, though running linux, are in my opinion very not linux-y. It's a closed system collecting user data - the last thing that linux is about.
Maybe I am wrong. But as a general opinion linux will never really compete with windows and mac-os, because it's targeting different people. Big organizations like governments to this date have not had much luck with the transition (one notable example is Munich - the jury why this has not succeed is still out - here are 2 view point https://itsfoss.com/munich-linux-failure/, https://www.windowscentral.com/munich-germanys-government-using-windows-again-after-failure-linux ) For big corporations the transition much more expensive because of quite high labor cost and the time lost and so not may have made the switch.
And I don't think it should. Linux now has the brightest future it ever had because of windows' lackluster attempts on arm so
Before the storm in the cup begins i would like to describe my position. In relation to most people i am quite tech savvy user. Not quite on compile and modify kernel level, but i am fluent in several programming languages and have at least a basic understanding of computer from ground level (we are talking bit adders and logic of ram) to high levels like networking.
I do currently write this post on a windows computer, however I think positively of linux and admire all the work that went into it. I am running it on my ~~old laptop motherboard in even older computer case~~ headless server (it would be crazy to use anything else - windows server, are you serious?) and have tried it several times on my own computer.
My computer is a laptop with Intel i7 (8th gene) processor and 1060 with max-q design. I run it connected to a 4k monitor. Laptops almost always use so called hybrid approach to deal with graphics. In my last try I used Pop_os! -> I know debian shell commands like apt and didn't really feel like learning arch style one and drivers for my laptop components were only available on debian type oses.
Installation was smooth and fast - though the installer crashed once, but this was not really a big problem especially in comparison with windows mbr problems i had in the past and once the os bootet i started to install the most important programs.
And then the problems started. The second monitor would and would not display - i deduced the problem were NVIDIA drivers - not the fault of the os and the problem is still being fixed as we speak. However, even when the monitor worked the firefox was quite slow in comparison with windows version - this was due to disabled hardware acceleration which was, if I understand correctly, decision made because of NVIDIA driver mess.
And now let's talk about the programs. If small github project have much higher probability of working on linux than on windows because some python libs not being available on windows, project of bigger companies are usually not available on linux. For high demand tools open source alternatives are available - but does range in quality from Blender to OpenSCAD. It should also be said here that to most users, even if it is simpler than clicking, shell is a place of horror and would like to not touch it ever - so called app stores have mitigated that issue mildly, they work until the moment user uses some software that included - then they have the honour to look at horror that is most open source documentation and if they have to compile it themselves it's a lost cause.
​
AND after all that debugging and problem-solving you go back to windows and you look at your WSL and you say "IT'S fine." and you forget that you ever went down that rout.
And where does this leave me? It leaves me puzzled. As server os it is superior. For programming shell is better than cmd, but WSL can solve that. And Android phones, though running linux, are in my opinion very not linux-y. It's a closed system collecting user data - the last thing that linux is about.
Maybe I am wrong. But as a general opinion linux will never really compete with windows and mac-os, because it's targeting different people. Big organizations like governments to this date have not had much luck with the transition (one notable example is Munich - the jury why this has not succeed is still out - here are 2 view point https://itsfoss.com/munich-linux-failure/, https://www.windowscentral.com/munich-germanys-government-using-windows-again-after-failure-linux ) For big corporations the transition much more expensive because of quite high labor cost and the time lost and so not may have made the switch.
And I don't think it should. Linux now has the brightest future it ever had because of windows' lackluster attempts on arm so
It's FOSS
Munich Is Ditching Linux For Purely Political Reasons
Brief: Once the flagbearer of open source adoption, the city of Munich is finally shutting the door on Linux in order to welcome Windows.
German city Munich was among the first to opt for Linux as the main operating system and adopt open source office product.…
German city Munich was among the first to opt for Linux as the main operating system and adopt open source office product.…
far and some great project like pi. But there is a light on the end of the tunnel. Or more like a high speed train that is to bound to hit you. It's called Chrome OS. If you want reason for this just go look at this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNm-b1UXGTY
https://redd.it/kk6jl5
@r_linux
https://redd.it/kk6jl5
@r_linux
YouTube
A Christmas Computer Bug, and the Future of Files
In 1987, a German student wrote CHRISTMA EXEC - a virus whose basic mechanisms still work if you port them to today's desktop computers. Why haven't we changed in nearly 30 years? And what could we do instead?
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.…
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.…
Ryan Gordon strike back again this year with his Christmas Open Source MicroGrants!
https://twitter.com/icculus/status/1341505590456102916?s=20
https://redd.it/kk3t9v
@r_linux
https://twitter.com/icculus/status/1341505590456102916?s=20
https://redd.it/kk3t9v
@r_linux
Twitter
Ryan C. Gordon
Let’s do this again this Christmas! Last year we gave 3,550 dollars worth of microgrants to 15 open source projects. Want to contribute this year? DM me. Last year’s write up: https://t.co/c3bjiGmOlz https://t.co/7KjRjy0PCE