MuPDF no Github
Since a few days ago, the Github repository for MuPDF appears empty (the link from its official website also fails). https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/mupdf-android-viewer/releases The app continues to be updated in Playstore, but I use Obtainium so it is impossible for me to download. Do you know if it is something temporary?
https://redd.it/1mqwg7r
@r_linux
Since a few days ago, the Github repository for MuPDF appears empty (the link from its official website also fails). https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/mupdf-android-viewer/releases The app continues to be updated in Playstore, but I use Obtainium so it is impossible for me to download. Do you know if it is something temporary?
https://redd.it/1mqwg7r
@r_linux
GitHub
Releases · ArtifexSoftware/mupdf-android-viewer
Android SDK: viewer. Contribute to ArtifexSoftware/mupdf-android-viewer development by creating an account on GitHub.
My 48-hour project: A declarative meta package manager for Linux (like NixOS meets Bedrock), all in one 9000-line shell noscript.
Hey r/linux,
I'm the author of NxPKG, and I'm really excited (and a bit nervous) to share my passion project with you all.
I'm a high school student from China, and my main field of study is actually humanities. But I fell in love with the elegance of Linux system design, and that led me down this rabbit hole. I tried posting on Hacker News recently, but it didn't get much visibility as a new account, so I wanted to bring it to a community I know and respect.
**GitHub link first, so you can see what I'm talking about:** [**https://github.com/txmu/nxpkg**](https://github.com/txmu/nxpkg)
---
**The "Why" - What's the Point?**
I was deeply inspired by giants like NixOS and Bedrock Linux, but I wanted to experiment with solving a few problems that kept me up at night: the fragility of our software supply chains, the risks of centralized repositories, and the inevitable "system rot" that happens to even the cleanest installs over time.
NxPKG is my attempt to build a system from the ground up with solutions to those problems baked into its core.
---
**The "What" - The Core Features**
* **Declarative Meta-Management:** This is the heart of it. Like NixOS, you define your entire system (packages, environments, etc.) in a single "world" file. Then, like Bedrock, you can declare environments managed by other package managers. For example, you can tell your Arch host it needs a Debian "Strata" with "build-essential" installed, and "nxpkg rebuild" makes it happen.
* **P2P Content Distribution:** There are no central servers for packages or sources. Everything is shared over a Kademlia-based DHT network. To prove a package's authenticity, NxPKG uses a hybrid trust model: it prefers GPG signatures from developers you trust, but can fall back to verifying the package's metadata against an immutable record on a built-in Proof-of-Stake blockchain.
* **Built-in Decentralized Forum:** Even the community forum for discussing packages is built-in, P2P, and censorship-resistant.
---
**The "How" - The Story Behind the Code**
This project has been a long journey for me. It started from a **4,569-character Chinese design document where I laid out the entire system architecture myself.**
The implementation is... unconventional. The whole thing is a single, self-contained **9000+ line shell noscript**. To make this ambitious goal achievable, I took a pragmatic approach to development. To accelerate the process, I used AI tools to help generate boilerplate code and implement specific, well-defined functions (like the Python code for the embedded HTTPS server).
However, **the core logic, the overall architecture, and the complex integration of all components were entirely my own work.** This isn't a weekend hack; this **v6.2.0 is the 32nd iteration** of the project. I put this specific release together in about **48 hours, squeezed in between homework and sleep.**
---
**Please Note: This is a Proof-of-Concept!**
I have to be very clear: this is an experimental project for learning and exploration. While it's functional, **please DO NOT use it on any production or critical machine.** It's a prototype, not a replacement for pacman or apt.
I'm sharing this here because I'm eager to learn from you all. What are your honest thoughts?
* Is the meta-management "Strata" system a useful concept?
* Is the P2P + Blockchain model for trust overkill or a good idea?
* What did I get fundamentally wrong in the architecture?
Any and all feedback is incredibly valuable to me. I'll be here all day to answer your questions. Thanks for taking a look
*P.S. English isn't my first language, so I used an AI to help polish this post. It's very late here in China, so I'm heading to sleep right after posting this, but I'll be back in about 7 hours (~8 AM Beijing time) and I'm super excited to read and answer all of your comments then! Hope it reads okay and sorry for any weird
Hey r/linux,
I'm the author of NxPKG, and I'm really excited (and a bit nervous) to share my passion project with you all.
I'm a high school student from China, and my main field of study is actually humanities. But I fell in love with the elegance of Linux system design, and that led me down this rabbit hole. I tried posting on Hacker News recently, but it didn't get much visibility as a new account, so I wanted to bring it to a community I know and respect.
**GitHub link first, so you can see what I'm talking about:** [**https://github.com/txmu/nxpkg**](https://github.com/txmu/nxpkg)
---
**The "Why" - What's the Point?**
I was deeply inspired by giants like NixOS and Bedrock Linux, but I wanted to experiment with solving a few problems that kept me up at night: the fragility of our software supply chains, the risks of centralized repositories, and the inevitable "system rot" that happens to even the cleanest installs over time.
NxPKG is my attempt to build a system from the ground up with solutions to those problems baked into its core.
---
**The "What" - The Core Features**
* **Declarative Meta-Management:** This is the heart of it. Like NixOS, you define your entire system (packages, environments, etc.) in a single "world" file. Then, like Bedrock, you can declare environments managed by other package managers. For example, you can tell your Arch host it needs a Debian "Strata" with "build-essential" installed, and "nxpkg rebuild" makes it happen.
* **P2P Content Distribution:** There are no central servers for packages or sources. Everything is shared over a Kademlia-based DHT network. To prove a package's authenticity, NxPKG uses a hybrid trust model: it prefers GPG signatures from developers you trust, but can fall back to verifying the package's metadata against an immutable record on a built-in Proof-of-Stake blockchain.
* **Built-in Decentralized Forum:** Even the community forum for discussing packages is built-in, P2P, and censorship-resistant.
---
**The "How" - The Story Behind the Code**
This project has been a long journey for me. It started from a **4,569-character Chinese design document where I laid out the entire system architecture myself.**
The implementation is... unconventional. The whole thing is a single, self-contained **9000+ line shell noscript**. To make this ambitious goal achievable, I took a pragmatic approach to development. To accelerate the process, I used AI tools to help generate boilerplate code and implement specific, well-defined functions (like the Python code for the embedded HTTPS server).
However, **the core logic, the overall architecture, and the complex integration of all components were entirely my own work.** This isn't a weekend hack; this **v6.2.0 is the 32nd iteration** of the project. I put this specific release together in about **48 hours, squeezed in between homework and sleep.**
---
**Please Note: This is a Proof-of-Concept!**
I have to be very clear: this is an experimental project for learning and exploration. While it's functional, **please DO NOT use it on any production or critical machine.** It's a prototype, not a replacement for pacman or apt.
I'm sharing this here because I'm eager to learn from you all. What are your honest thoughts?
* Is the meta-management "Strata" system a useful concept?
* Is the P2P + Blockchain model for trust overkill or a good idea?
* What did I get fundamentally wrong in the architecture?
Any and all feedback is incredibly valuable to me. I'll be here all day to answer your questions. Thanks for taking a look
*P.S. English isn't my first language, so I used an AI to help polish this post. It's very late here in China, so I'm heading to sleep right after posting this, but I'll be back in about 7 hours (~8 AM Beijing time) and I'm super excited to read and answer all of your comments then! Hope it reads okay and sorry for any weird
Unlocking Linux Superpowers with eBPF and xstack
https://brainnoises.com/blog/unlocking-linux-superpowers-with-ebpf-and-xstack/
https://redd.it/1mrdchc
@r_linux
https://brainnoises.com/blog/unlocking-linux-superpowers-with-ebpf-and-xstack/
https://redd.it/1mrdchc
@r_linux
Brainnoises
Unlocking Linux Superpowers with eBPF and xstack
Dive into the world of eBPF, the Linux kernel's secret weapon for performance analysis, and discover how new tools like xstack are making it easier than ever to debug complex systems with almost zero overhead.
Understanding GNOME Shell’s focus stealing prevention.
https://blogs.gnome.org/shell-dev/2024/09/20/understanding-gnome-shells-focus-stealing-prevention/
https://redd.it/1mrjh4b
@r_linux
https://blogs.gnome.org/shell-dev/2024/09/20/understanding-gnome-shells-focus-stealing-prevention/
https://redd.it/1mrjh4b
@r_linux
GNOME Shell & Mutter
Understanding GNOME Shell’s focus stealing prevention
Focus stealing prevention exists for two main reasons: One is security, since we need to prevent rogue apps from deceiving users into e.g. typing their password into another window. If apps can...
This Week in Plasma: a lot of polishing!
https://blogs.kde.org/2025/08/16/this-week-in-plasma-a-lot-of-polishing/
https://redd.it/1mrlrkb
@r_linux
https://blogs.kde.org/2025/08/16/this-week-in-plasma-a-lot-of-polishing/
https://redd.it/1mrlrkb
@r_linux
KDE Blogs
This Week in Plasma: a lot of polishing!
Welcome to a new issue of This Week in Plasma!
Every week we cover the highlights of what’s happening in the world of KDE Plasma and its associated apps like Discover, System Monitor, and more.
Every week we cover the highlights of what’s happening in the world of KDE Plasma and its associated apps like Discover, System Monitor, and more.
Is CachyOS in violation of upstream licences?
Not exactly the post I wanted to make, but here we go.
I have been daily driving CachyOS for a while now, as I wanted to experiment a bit more with distributions I never got to use. I am actually having a good time, so there is no hate nor ill intent of mine over this project.
Still, today I was reading some documentation I ended up on this page, their terms of service for the repository... and I cannot help but to find it troubling.
They basically prevent redistribution of packages https://wiki.cachyos.org/policy/repository\_policy/#6-prohibited-redistribution with some narrow exceptions for caching. Their language (emphasis mine):
>5. Redistribution of the Repository
>This policy defines “redistribution” as the behaviors of inclusion of the CachyOS repository (and its mirrors) or packages obtained from the CachyOS repository as a part of the distributed image of the operating system or sysroots. Redistribution also includes the behaviors of Linux distributions to provide the utilities that enable CachyOS repository by users’ choice, or to provide any distributed or official document that guide users to enable CachyOS repository (and its mirrors) by their means. End users and third-party mirrors are not subject to the redistribution policy.
>Redistribution of CachyOS repository is exclusively authorized to the CachyOS team only.
>6. Prohibited Redistribution
>Redistribution of the CachyOS repository (and its mirrors) in any unauthorized Linux distribution, including other Arch-based distributions, is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. This includes, but is not limited to:
>Manjaro
>EndeavourOS
>ArcoLinux
>Parabola
>Any other Linux distribution not explicitly mentioned in the “Redistribution of the Repository” section.
My understanding is that those clauses are in gross violation of several upstream licences like the GPL3.0, as one cannot prevent third-parties to freely distribute derivatives (which packages are).
Am I getting this wrong or the language of that policy is unenforceable and possibly illegal?
https://redd.it/1mrnfeh
@r_linux
Not exactly the post I wanted to make, but here we go.
I have been daily driving CachyOS for a while now, as I wanted to experiment a bit more with distributions I never got to use. I am actually having a good time, so there is no hate nor ill intent of mine over this project.
Still, today I was reading some documentation I ended up on this page, their terms of service for the repository... and I cannot help but to find it troubling.
They basically prevent redistribution of packages https://wiki.cachyos.org/policy/repository\_policy/#6-prohibited-redistribution with some narrow exceptions for caching. Their language (emphasis mine):
>5. Redistribution of the Repository
>This policy defines “redistribution” as the behaviors of inclusion of the CachyOS repository (and its mirrors) or packages obtained from the CachyOS repository as a part of the distributed image of the operating system or sysroots. Redistribution also includes the behaviors of Linux distributions to provide the utilities that enable CachyOS repository by users’ choice, or to provide any distributed or official document that guide users to enable CachyOS repository (and its mirrors) by their means. End users and third-party mirrors are not subject to the redistribution policy.
>Redistribution of CachyOS repository is exclusively authorized to the CachyOS team only.
>6. Prohibited Redistribution
>Redistribution of the CachyOS repository (and its mirrors) in any unauthorized Linux distribution, including other Arch-based distributions, is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. This includes, but is not limited to:
>Manjaro
>EndeavourOS
>ArcoLinux
>Parabola
>Any other Linux distribution not explicitly mentioned in the “Redistribution of the Repository” section.
My understanding is that those clauses are in gross violation of several upstream licences like the GPL3.0, as one cannot prevent third-parties to freely distribute derivatives (which packages are).
Am I getting this wrong or the language of that policy is unenforceable and possibly illegal?
https://redd.it/1mrnfeh
@r_linux
CachyOS
Repository Usage Policy
Can icons in right click context menu be changed?
I am using Linux Mint Cinnamon Edition. I have been able to change the icons of the applications, however it appears that changing icon themes has no effect on right click context menu icons, which makes the system look divergent.
Is it possible to change the icons using themes or otherwise?
https://preview.redd.it/kb881nrmcdjf1.png?width=1618&format=png&auto=webp&s=e21ceff54273b70efdce9b54268f488b039d613b
https://redd.it/1mrsvt5
@r_linux
I am using Linux Mint Cinnamon Edition. I have been able to change the icons of the applications, however it appears that changing icon themes has no effect on right click context menu icons, which makes the system look divergent.
Is it possible to change the icons using themes or otherwise?
https://preview.redd.it/kb881nrmcdjf1.png?width=1618&format=png&auto=webp&s=e21ceff54273b70efdce9b54268f488b039d613b
https://redd.it/1mrsvt5
@r_linux
Vodafone TV blocks Linux users – let’s make our voices heard
I recently discovered that Vodafone TV is completely inaccessible from Linux desktops. On the very same PC, it works fine under Windows, but on Linux the service blocks playback altogether. Even with tricks like user-agent spoofing or running a Windows VM, it still refuses to play anything. The only way I could get it working was by booting into my Windows partition, which makes it clear that Vodafone is deliberately blocking Linux browsers.
This is extremely frustrating, because Vodafone advertises the service as accessible “from any device via browser” without ever disclosing that Linux is excluded. At the same time, the company’s own hardware and infrastructure are heavily based on Linux, from routers to Android TV boxes, making this restriction feel hypocritical and arbitrary.
It is also unfair and discriminatory. In many regions Linux has a larger desktop market share than macOS, yet macOS is supported while Linux users are left out. There is no real technical excuse for this either. Competing streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, HBO, and even local services like COSMOTE TV have supported Linux browsers for years using standard DRM technologies like Widevine. Vodafone simply hasn’t bothered to implement the same solution.
Beyond the technical issues, this raises important questions of consumer rights, accessibility, and transparency. Paying customers are denied equal access to a service they have subscribed to, with no prior disclosure. That is unacceptable in 2025, especially from a company of Vodafone’s size and resources.
I have already submitted a formal complaint to Vodafone Greece. But this won’t change unless Linux users everywhere make their voices heard. If you are a Vodafone customer in any country, please take a few minutes to send a complaint to your local Vodafone branch.
Even a short message demanding equal support for Linux is valuable. If we push together, Vodafone will have no choice but to realize that ignoring Linux users is not an option.
https://redd.it/1mrvik9
@r_linux
I recently discovered that Vodafone TV is completely inaccessible from Linux desktops. On the very same PC, it works fine under Windows, but on Linux the service blocks playback altogether. Even with tricks like user-agent spoofing or running a Windows VM, it still refuses to play anything. The only way I could get it working was by booting into my Windows partition, which makes it clear that Vodafone is deliberately blocking Linux browsers.
This is extremely frustrating, because Vodafone advertises the service as accessible “from any device via browser” without ever disclosing that Linux is excluded. At the same time, the company’s own hardware and infrastructure are heavily based on Linux, from routers to Android TV boxes, making this restriction feel hypocritical and arbitrary.
It is also unfair and discriminatory. In many regions Linux has a larger desktop market share than macOS, yet macOS is supported while Linux users are left out. There is no real technical excuse for this either. Competing streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, HBO, and even local services like COSMOTE TV have supported Linux browsers for years using standard DRM technologies like Widevine. Vodafone simply hasn’t bothered to implement the same solution.
Beyond the technical issues, this raises important questions of consumer rights, accessibility, and transparency. Paying customers are denied equal access to a service they have subscribed to, with no prior disclosure. That is unacceptable in 2025, especially from a company of Vodafone’s size and resources.
I have already submitted a formal complaint to Vodafone Greece. But this won’t change unless Linux users everywhere make their voices heard. If you are a Vodafone customer in any country, please take a few minutes to send a complaint to your local Vodafone branch.
Even a short message demanding equal support for Linux is valuable. If we push together, Vodafone will have no choice but to realize that ignoring Linux users is not an option.
https://redd.it/1mrvik9
@r_linux
Reddit
From the linux community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the linux community
I'm using Linux Mint now daily for the last 4 months and I start to love the flexibility & simpleness of Linux. Windows on the other hand feels now clunky and bloated.
https://redd.it/1mrxkfd
@r_linux
https://redd.it/1mrxkfd
@r_linux
What were your biggest struggles when switching to Linux for the first time?
I've been helping a couple of people, mostly friends, switch to Linux recently after the current state of privacy on Windows and I'm surprised at the different parts of the experience different people struggle with, what are the points of the change that you needed help with or would have liked better tutorials for?
https://redd.it/1mrxbf6
@r_linux
I've been helping a couple of people, mostly friends, switch to Linux recently after the current state of privacy on Windows and I'm surprised at the different parts of the experience different people struggle with, what are the points of the change that you needed help with or would have liked better tutorials for?
https://redd.it/1mrxbf6
@r_linux
Reddit
From the linux community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the linux community
Windows 12 could be Linux's biggest chance, Mint 22.2 beta: Linux Weekly News - The Linux Experiment
https://peertube.wtf/w/swvrwjMRigEKqZgfeLNtMj
https://redd.it/1ms45yw
@r_linux
https://peertube.wtf/w/swvrwjMRigEKqZgfeLNtMj
https://redd.it/1ms45yw
@r_linux
PeerTube.wtf
Windows 12 could be Linux's biggest chance, Mint 22.2 beta: Linux Weekly News
Head to https://squarespace.com/thelinuxexperiment to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code thelinuxexperiment Grab a brand new laptop or desktop running Linux: https:/...
Linux Format gone...
I've been using Linux for about twenty years and bought a few linux magazines during that time. Linux Format was my favorite and while I didn't subscribe I bought a few each year if they had articles I wanted or contents on the included disc. So it was a bad feeling when my local magazine place didn't have a copy lately. So I looked at the LF website to see that they are folding their tent. I just want to say my thanks to some good people I don't know and I will certainly miss the magazine.
https://redd.it/1ms64yx
@r_linux
I've been using Linux for about twenty years and bought a few linux magazines during that time. Linux Format was my favorite and while I didn't subscribe I bought a few each year if they had articles I wanted or contents on the included disc. So it was a bad feeling when my local magazine place didn't have a copy lately. So I looked at the LF website to see that they are folding their tent. I just want to say my thanks to some good people I don't know and I will certainly miss the magazine.
https://redd.it/1ms64yx
@r_linux
Reddit
From the linux community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the linux community
JayzTwoCents' Linux benchmarks feel OFF... - Gardiner Bryant
https://peertube.wtf/w/rsg7LREccDhsRFaPdfsXab
https://redd.it/1ms48cg
@r_linux
https://peertube.wtf/w/rsg7LREccDhsRFaPdfsXab
https://redd.it/1ms48cg
@r_linux
PeerTube.wtf
JayzTwoCents' Linux benchmarks feel OFF...
JayzTwoCents has had it rough with Linux lately... join me as we review his latest Linux video for commentary and criticism. My Game ❯ Get the source code: https://github.com/heavyelementinc/dudeli...
Battlefield 6 Requires Windows Secure Boot
I’ve been dual booting Linux and Windows for years now, and this is the first true roadblock that I’ve run into. Battlefield 6 is requiring my Secure Boot option to be set to “Windows” instead of “Other OS” in BIOS or else the game won’t launch due to the Anti-Cheat.
While no, this doesn’t mean Linux won’t boot, it does mean that the graphics drivers do not work. It stretches the image and makes it practically unusable.
I assume I’m not the first to ever experience this, so how do other people combat anti-cheat on Windows restricting their dual booting needs? If there was a way I could just use the Windows secure boot option with correct video drivers for Ubuntu, I would be covered.
https://redd.it/1msehr8
@r_linux
I’ve been dual booting Linux and Windows for years now, and this is the first true roadblock that I’ve run into. Battlefield 6 is requiring my Secure Boot option to be set to “Windows” instead of “Other OS” in BIOS or else the game won’t launch due to the Anti-Cheat.
While no, this doesn’t mean Linux won’t boot, it does mean that the graphics drivers do not work. It stretches the image and makes it practically unusable.
I assume I’m not the first to ever experience this, so how do other people combat anti-cheat on Windows restricting their dual booting needs? If there was a way I could just use the Windows secure boot option with correct video drivers for Ubuntu, I would be covered.
https://redd.it/1msehr8
@r_linux
Reddit
From the linux community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the linux community
Are there any fortune-mod addons or implementations that give arbitrary tips about git, grep, awk and sed?
Pretty much like games do on loading screens, but with fortune-mod with Unix general development/management tools. It would be a great use-case to learn more about these tools in a daily basis and experiment new things.
https://redd.it/1msf0g8
@r_linux
Pretty much like games do on loading screens, but with fortune-mod with Unix general development/management tools. It would be a great use-case to learn more about these tools in a daily basis and experiment new things.
https://redd.it/1msf0g8
@r_linux
Reddit
From the linux community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the linux community
Why are some distros better than others at handling nvidia drivers?
I hope being brave enough to post this here, instead of r/linux4noobs was not the wrong decision. Be kind linux gigachads, I have been using linux personally and for work for a few years now, so felt confident to post here.
I am kind of a distro hopper (I see/reminisce about a different distro than the one I am currently on, I will bkp my data and do a fresh install), but trying my best to stop doing this.
So, over the course of the last 10 days, I have tried 3-4 different distros on the same set of hardware (an HP Omen Laptop with AMD CPU and Nvidia GPU (1660Ti) ). And I had quite the different set of experiences when it came to getting my dGPU working across them.
First up was Cachy OS (back home, using it right now and mostly stick to this), pretty smooth sailing. No issues with the installer, it loaded up without any special flags/changes to GRUB. Installed the drivers on its own. I could login to a desktop and use applications on the GPU directly after install.
Next was Linux Mint, though it didn't install nvidia proprietary or the new nvidia-open ones (not noveau)...still worked, installer used my integrated GPU. And installing post install on linux mint has always been nice and easy for me. just go to their driver manager and it tells you which one is reccomended amongst the various proprietary drivers and you just install that. After install, everything works as expected.
Then MX Linux, given their focus on accessibility/ease-of-use with their MxTools, it was pretty easy there too.......to cut the story short...lets fast forward a bit
Then I wanted to give openSUSE another shot after I had heard zypper got parallel downloads. And boy was that a mistake.....when I launch the installer without modifying nomodeset in GRUB, it will not load the installer for me (I checked all ttys with ctrl+alt+f2-f7)...and if do launch installer by setting nomodeset it starts up and installls.......BUT!!!! directly after installing the OS I get 1280x768 something resolution which is wrong! (my display is 1080p). Also btw, everytime after installing openSUSE, zypper repo list was broken for me, it was referencing a repo from my boot USB or something so I had to remove it. Then I followed the automated install steps on https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:NVIDIA\_drivers \--> add the NVIDIA repo, refresh zypper, then the automated install steps (which btw it says, tested on TUMBLEWEED !!!!!) and lo and behold zypper does install something. Since I had secure boot disabled both before install and (set it to disabled in the OS installer) I didn't have to go through the MOK process (it never appeared after reboot)....and it still didn't fucking work!!!
So the main thing I wanted to discuss is why? why is it like this? that some arch-based distro can support a GPU driver out of the box, an LTS debian distro can support the computer out of the box and then post install you can install proprietary drivers pretty straightforward way but these rpm based distros always make it so complicated ! (unless you go for ublue or some other containerized version)
The thing with opensuse is, there wasn't even noveau bundled in and even though it was using my integrated GPU it was the completely wrong res when other distros like mint allow me to run at the right res even with my integrated gpu. And I completely opted out of the SE Linux/App-armor thing during install.....
so tell me, what kind of sane person who has nvidia GPUs would use openSUSE? since it seems to be so unreliable? (ik RHEL is even worse, have to use it at work) why would someone with say a server with one or more nvidia GPUs use something like openSUSE or RHEL or any rpm based distro (Fedora has also been a bit all over the place with regards to the drivers in the past for me) ?
and why can't they just do it like debian based distros seem to do it? or arch-based distros do it? or bundle something either noveau or the new nvidia-open ones in their initial install
I hope being brave enough to post this here, instead of r/linux4noobs was not the wrong decision. Be kind linux gigachads, I have been using linux personally and for work for a few years now, so felt confident to post here.
I am kind of a distro hopper (I see/reminisce about a different distro than the one I am currently on, I will bkp my data and do a fresh install), but trying my best to stop doing this.
So, over the course of the last 10 days, I have tried 3-4 different distros on the same set of hardware (an HP Omen Laptop with AMD CPU and Nvidia GPU (1660Ti) ). And I had quite the different set of experiences when it came to getting my dGPU working across them.
First up was Cachy OS (back home, using it right now and mostly stick to this), pretty smooth sailing. No issues with the installer, it loaded up without any special flags/changes to GRUB. Installed the drivers on its own. I could login to a desktop and use applications on the GPU directly after install.
Next was Linux Mint, though it didn't install nvidia proprietary or the new nvidia-open ones (not noveau)...still worked, installer used my integrated GPU. And installing post install on linux mint has always been nice and easy for me. just go to their driver manager and it tells you which one is reccomended amongst the various proprietary drivers and you just install that. After install, everything works as expected.
Then MX Linux, given their focus on accessibility/ease-of-use with their MxTools, it was pretty easy there too.......to cut the story short...lets fast forward a bit
Then I wanted to give openSUSE another shot after I had heard zypper got parallel downloads. And boy was that a mistake.....when I launch the installer without modifying nomodeset in GRUB, it will not load the installer for me (I checked all ttys with ctrl+alt+f2-f7)...and if do launch installer by setting nomodeset it starts up and installls.......BUT!!!! directly after installing the OS I get 1280x768 something resolution which is wrong! (my display is 1080p). Also btw, everytime after installing openSUSE, zypper repo list was broken for me, it was referencing a repo from my boot USB or something so I had to remove it. Then I followed the automated install steps on https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:NVIDIA\_drivers \--> add the NVIDIA repo, refresh zypper, then the automated install steps (which btw it says, tested on TUMBLEWEED !!!!!) and lo and behold zypper does install something. Since I had secure boot disabled both before install and (set it to disabled in the OS installer) I didn't have to go through the MOK process (it never appeared after reboot)....and it still didn't fucking work!!!
So the main thing I wanted to discuss is why? why is it like this? that some arch-based distro can support a GPU driver out of the box, an LTS debian distro can support the computer out of the box and then post install you can install proprietary drivers pretty straightforward way but these rpm based distros always make it so complicated ! (unless you go for ublue or some other containerized version)
The thing with opensuse is, there wasn't even noveau bundled in and even though it was using my integrated GPU it was the completely wrong res when other distros like mint allow me to run at the right res even with my integrated gpu. And I completely opted out of the SE Linux/App-armor thing during install.....
so tell me, what kind of sane person who has nvidia GPUs would use openSUSE? since it seems to be so unreliable? (ik RHEL is even worse, have to use it at work) why would someone with say a server with one or more nvidia GPUs use something like openSUSE or RHEL or any rpm based distro (Fedora has also been a bit all over the place with regards to the drivers in the past for me) ?
and why can't they just do it like debian based distros seem to do it? or arch-based distros do it? or bundle something either noveau or the new nvidia-open ones in their initial install