that can't hurt, right?

I spin up a couple VMs and install the big ones, check out the preinstalled packages, the package managers, install fastfetch and take a screenshot of the package versions and footprints. A dozen VMs later, I have a neat looking little folder with fastfetch screenshots, I compare the ASCII art and plot the package amount and memory footprint in a spreadsheet. I look into increasingly more obscure distros to add to my little digital stamp collection. Instead of gaming after work, I spend my time installing new distros. At some point I start going down the list of ASCII logos in the fastfetch source code to see which ones I'm missing.

Most blur together, it's always the Calamares or Anaconda installer. The CLI based ones are largely the same as Arch. Notable differences are the minimalistic source based ones like KISS and CRUX. SourceMage is fun. RedStar is exciting just because of what it is. I didn't find many differences from the surface level looks I gave the distros, but I certainly gained more confidence in my installation and rescue abilities from the more manual ones. Anyways, my collection currently contains 141 OSes. Let this be a warning to you and don't do distrohoping, kids.

https://imgur.com/G4Z6mz2

**The conclusion**

So, a year after I switched my daily driver to Linux, how do I feel about it? I truly, genuinely, love it. I can do most anything I could with Windows, save for Photoshop and Office365, but whatever, there's alternatives for those. But I can also do *more*. Tinkering with Plasma and making it look and behave how I want is amazing. If you want to do something, theres a setting for it. My UI themes are perfectly synchronized between Qt and GTK, my icon theme is a custom monochrome version of candy icons, because if you want to write a noscript to run through all the noscript files and pull all the color out, you can. My mouse cursor seems pretty vanilla, but is also a custom converted version originally only available on Windows, because if you want to convert that, you can do that too.

My terminal is set it up with tmux first and later replaced that with WezTerm to give me persistent sessions as well as graphics support. It still greets me with the same weather report styled through figlet that I set up on my first day of playing with it, but now it also pulls the Arch rss feed to alert me of any potential update issues. All in a custom colorscheme of course.

Everything, from the messages shown during boot, to the installed packages, to the behavior of windows, down to the colors of every last pixel is - to quote Kanye from before he went mad - "the exact motherfucker I wanted". And more importantly, it doesn't stand in my way when I need to do some actual work.

Yes, perfect doesn't exist, and sometimes there is something to fix. But annoyances exist on Windows too that require investing time, using google, troubleshooting and typing commands into the scary console. The difference however is this- on Windows, I'm always undoing things the developers did, while on Linux, I'm fixing things the (volunteer) developers for whatever reason didn't have the capacity for. On Windows, I'm fighting *against* the developers, and on Linux, I'm fighting *alongside* them.

And that is why I feel it's important to get more newbies into the ecosystem, more eyes on bugs, more people to complain, and more potential developers who think "fuck it, I'll just do it myself". And I'll certainly be here to welcome them with open arms.

Thank you so much for reading!

https://redd.it/1opy2x3
@r_linux

Status of linux tablets in 2025

I did a lot of research into this and finally found that Surface Go 2/3/4 are pretty much the only devices that qualifies as true x86 linux "tablets" out there, which is a bit disappointing, since they are a bit underpowered and top out at 8 GB of RAM.

Other options are too heavy and are awkward to use as tablets. Examples are Surface Pro models, Minisforum v3, Starlite and Surface-like devices from Dell (latitude 7210 for example), HP and Lenovo.

IMO they better quality as compact laptops rather than tablets.

Surface Go devices are around 500+ grams (1.20 lbs) and are comfortable to hold and use as tablets.

They are 100% compatible with linux out of the box.

I've been using a used Surface Go 2 I picked up for $160 for a couple of days and it's a joy to use both as a tablet and with the detachable keyboard, albeit if you only use it for web browsing and typing.

I just wish there were more devices in that weight class with better specs, but unfortunately I couldn't find any.

Has anyone found other good linux-friendly tablets worth checking out?












https://redd.it/1opx1ie
@r_linux

Say hi to Kit | Firefox (official Firefox swag)
https://www.firefox.com/en-US/kit/

https://redd.it/1oq0kim
@r_linux

Kubuntu.org security issue warning in firefox
https://redd.it/1oq1qi4
@r_linux

Does Windows do this for you?

Does your OS do this for you?

/etc/cron.daily/installation-birthday:

0 0
| |
____|___|____
0 |~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~| 0
| | | |
___|__|___________|___|__
|/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/|
0 | H a p p y | 0
| |/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/| |
_|___|_______________________|___|__
|/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/|
| |
| B i r t h d a y ! ! ! |
| ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ |
|___________________________________|

Congratulations, your Debian system "gato" was installed

4 year(s) ago today!



https://redd.it/1oq15ge
@r_linux

Armbian 25.11 release is coming
https://blog.armbian.com/armbian-25-11-release-is-coming/

https://redd.it/1opyzxe
@r_linux

LXQt (Lightweight Qt Desktop Environment) 2.3.0
https://lxqt-project.org/release/2025/11/05/release-lxqt-2-3-0/

https://redd.it/1oq6wws
@r_linux

CachyOS Continues Delivering Leading Performance Over Ubuntu 25.10, Fedora Workstation 43
https://www.phoronix.com/review/cachyos-ubuntu-2510-f43

https://redd.it/1oq9o7q
@r_linux

FINALLY I INSTALLED A FORM OF ARCH ON THIS LAPTOP
https://redd.it/1oqhjzd
@r_linux

New user: had an oddly tender moment last night

So I recently took the plunge to Linux (I'm on Mint Cinnamon), and last night I tweaked all my settings and themes and got things working how I wanted them to. And I was just sitting at my computer with my new operating system listening to some of my favorite music, and it was just nice. Nice to know I was in control of my computer and everything in it. I've used Windows my whole life and I never got that feeling with them.

https://redd.it/1oqkdxs
@r_linux

swww renamed to awww, due to the author's guilt from obliviously naming it "final solution"
https://www.lgfae.com/posts/2025-10-29-RenamingSwww.html

https://redd.it/1oqq2jd
@r_linux

Updated installer for Affinity on Linux

"To all my graphic designers on Linux in the struggle...here's some pain medicine."

As always, hope this helps. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g19VW0K7LUY

https://redd.it/1oqu8gf
@r_linux

Sim racing on Linux

Hi there!

I had a chance to try out Bazzite but ultimately I turned it away because I just couldnt get my thrustmaster wheel to work properly

The experience I had in other games and the OS overall was amazing but I mostly just sim race so I went back to W11

Well Windows 11 is absolute , pardon my language, dogshit

So I'm kinda stuck in the middle. I don't wanna use W11 but from my experience on Bazzite/Linux it doesnt offer me what I need/want

I'm hoping since I'm a newbie I made some mistake and thats why my tm wheel didn't work

I did try to trouble shoot it for a couple of days but ultimately I gave up because I just dont have too much free time and I'd rather spend that time playing

I'd love if anyone who sim races as well could pitch in and tell me just if it is possible or not

(for reference the wheel is a T300RS GT)

Thanks for reading , have a good day

https://redd.it/1oqubyu
@r_linux

SigInt Cyberdeck I built, running mint
https://redd.it/1oqwvv4
@r_linux

Microsoft Contributing "RAMDAX" Driver For Upcoming Linux 6.19 Kernel
https://www.phoronix.com/news/Microsoft-RAMDAX-Linux-Driver

https://redd.it/1oqwvql
@r_linux

We should act before the imminent destruction of the concepts of device ownership

I’m sadly starting to see a trend. Most phone bootloaders are locked nowadays. It’s not one specific manufacturer, it’s basically everyone.

If the OEM gives you the option to unlock them, it either voids the warranty or comes with severe punishment.

When you want to root your phone to get the liberty you lost to the “security features”, you basically break any apps that check for play integrity or other methods to detect root (even tho you can bypass that, it’s against TOS). I've mostly seen this on banking apps, but they are not the only ones. Not to mention that to even have the play integrity API, you have to have Google services installed and running. So you can't even de-Google your phone and keep the features.

This problem has been rampant on phones, it’s definitely not new, but it's basically the first thing that blocks the development of Linux for general phones. 

Not to mention that no constructors follow a common thing like UEFI, they just all have their own thing. Which is a real pain for any kind of OS development.

Those aren’t the only issues tho, there's also all the proprietary blobs stuff. Without a way to either replicate them without reverse engineering, or open sourcing versions of the drivers, we will be stuck in this situation. Look at postmarketOS, they struggle a lot with this. This makes adding a device to their supported list a really hard thing to do, while costing a lot of time and money.

I think this will happen soon to laptops and desktops too. With the rise of ARM, I believe locking the bios and bootloader of those systems is not out of the question. Apple already kind of started with IBoot. It’s not fully locked, but definitely less open than what was used before in Intel macs.

And it’s not that ARM devices don't support UEFI, they absolutely do. Most Windows ARM systems use them right now. Arm’s SystemReady program allows them to boot just like x86 PCs do.

Then why the lockdown?

They will definitely say it’s for security, but Windows PCs, arm or not, have proven that you can have security while giving the user the choice to disable that security. UEFI and Secure Boot work just fine on ARM too, so it's not even a compatible issue. Secure defaults can be set as default, there is no problem with that. There is a really clear problem when those same defaults can’t be changed tho.

Now they'll probably argue that they didn't choose to do so, and that’s required by regulations.

I believe this is either misinformation, a stretch or a straight-up lie.

Radio and DRM firmware can stay on an isolated part of the device on their own. They don't need to prevent the entire OS boot process. The radio part already runs on an isolated part of the system on its own processor with signed firmware that complies with the FCC/RED requirements. The same thing goes for the DRM issue. User keys can allow for banking apps and all the other apps to verify the system without having to rely on OEM only control.

We need to act, not just complain

# What we should ask for:

We need to ask for owner-managed Secure Boot on every single type of general purpose computer. This goes for phones, smartwatches, computers… you get the point.
Either allow the user to disable secure boot or allow the user to manage their own keys, with proper documentation on how to do so.

We should also try to separate the concerns:

The radio and DRM stuff can be kept under signed, secure version on isolated systems to meet regulations.
This should NOT require a full system lockdown or OEM to have the full control over what you boot on YOUR device.
Provide documentation on how to interface with the hardware like GPS, Camera, GPUs and all to allow for third party OSes to develop properly without having to reverse engineer every single driver. This also means being able to develop proper alternatives to those NDA-only drivers.

We should have proper control over our device security:

Devices should be able to support TPM or DICE in a

We should act before the imminent destruction of the concepts of device ownership

I’m sadly starting to see a trend. Most phone bootloaders are locked nowadays. It’s not one specific manufacturer, it’s basically everyone.

If the OEM gives you the option to unlock them, it either voids the warranty or comes with severe punishment.

When you want to root your phone to get the liberty you lost to the “security features”, you basically break any apps that check for play integrity or other methods to detect root (even tho you can bypass that, it’s against TOS). I've mostly seen this on banking apps, but they are not the only ones. Not to mention that to even have the play integrity API, you have to have Google services installed and running. So you can't even de-Google your phone and keep the features.

This problem has been rampant on phones, it’s definitely not new, but it's basically the first thing that blocks the development of Linux for general phones. 

Not to mention that no constructors follow a common thing like UEFI, they just all have their own thing. Which is a real pain for any kind of OS development.

Those aren’t the only issues tho, there's also all the proprietary blobs stuff. Without a way to either replicate them without reverse engineering, or open sourcing versions of the drivers, we will be stuck in this situation. Look at postmarketOS, they struggle a lot with this. This makes adding a device to their supported list a really hard thing to do, while costing a lot of time and money.

I think this will happen soon to laptops and desktops too. With the rise of ARM, I believe locking the bios and bootloader of those systems is not out of the question. Apple already kind of started with IBoot. It’s not fully locked, but definitely less open than what was used before in Intel macs.

And it’s not that ARM devices don't support UEFI, they absolutely do. Most Windows ARM systems use them right now. Arm’s SystemReady program allows them to boot just like x86 PCs do.

**Then why the lockdown?**

They will definitely say it’s for security, but Windows PCs, arm or not, have proven that you can have security while giving the user the choice to disable that security. UEFI and Secure Boot work just fine on ARM too, so it's not even a compatible issue. Secure defaults can be set as default, there is no problem with that. There is a really clear problem when those same defaults can’t be changed tho.

Now they'll probably argue that they didn't choose to do so, and that’s required by regulations.

I believe this is either misinformation, a stretch or a straight-up lie.

Radio and DRM firmware can stay on an isolated part of the device on their own. They don't need to prevent the entire OS boot process. The radio part already runs on an isolated part of the system on its own processor with signed firmware that complies with the FCC/RED requirements. The same thing goes for the DRM issue. User keys can allow for banking apps and all the other apps to verify the system without having to rely on OEM only control.

**We need to act, not just complain**

# What we should ask for:

* We need to ask for owner-managed Secure Boot on every single type of general purpose computer. This goes for phones, smartwatches, computers… you get the point.
* Either allow the user to disable secure boot or allow the user to manage their own keys, with proper documentation on how to do so.

We should also try to separate the concerns:

* The radio and DRM stuff can be kept under signed, secure version on isolated systems to meet regulations.
* This should NOT require a full system lockdown or OEM to have the full control over what you boot on YOUR device.
* Provide documentation on how to interface with the hardware like GPS, Camera, GPUs and all to allow for third party OSes to develop properly without having to reverse engineer every single driver. This also means being able to develop proper alternatives to those NDA-only drivers.

We should have proper control over our device security:

* Devices should be able to support TPM or DICE in a

way that allows baking apps, enterprise and DRM to work with third party OSes.
* They should also work with User provided keys.

We need to address the EOL and right to repair situation.

* When OEM updates end, we NEED to have a proper way to continue using the device with third party software, such as postmarketOS. This means allowing the user to unlock or provide keys to continue using the device.
* This would reduce e-waste by extending the device’s life.

We also want to know how our devices work. OEMs should have proper, publicly accessible documentation on the entire boot process and unlock procedure.

**Why should we act now ?**

With ARM growing in popularity, I'm kinda afraid the open boot system we had until now on desktop will disappear too. If OEM lockdown becomes the norm on PCs too, it will be really hard, almost impossible, to reverse those changes. It’s basically our last chance to act.

**How should we act ?**

Well, the EU has some places we can reach and some projects that kinda match what we want. We can associate ourselves with the right to repair movement, and try to prevent the entire ecosystem from being locked down.

So you should contact your MEPs. Explain that all of this is needed for fair competition, sustainability and right to repair.

Also try to reference existing proof of things like this already existing. Reference Windows PCs on ARM with UEFI support, x86 PCS allowing Secure Boot management and all. If you have additional arguments, please give them to other people so we can really argue to our MEPs.

You should state that it should be a right and that it’s not really weakening security, as user keys can do the same thing as OEM keys.

If you are in the states, I don’t know what you can do. So if someone has an idea, please post it.

Btw, English isn’t my native language, so there are going to be mistakes in this text, or repetition due to my lack of vocabulary. This is also my second time posting this. The first time I used AI translation which some people didn’t like. So I translated it all myself, even if some parts are not exactly how I want them to be, you'll probably get the idea. But be aware that my last two grades in English were 6.5/10 and 5.5/10.

Also, I’m not a professional, those are my opinions and I basically gathered as much info as I could to not spread misinformation. I removed some part on IBoot due to people saying I wasn’t quite right in the last post. So if you see anything wrong, please correct me and ill edit the post.

Should we name this “Right to own” ? Idk I just thought of that.

https://redd.it/1or04gp
@r_linux

Made Dog Tags for my first Linux Festival coming up!
https://redd.it/1or2ctg
@r_linux

Hyprland 0.52 out now!
https://hypr.land/news/update52/

https://redd.it/1or9ejv
@r_linux

Why don't more people use Linux?

Dumb question, I'm sure, but I converted a few days ago and trying it out on my laptop to see how it goes. And it feels no different from windows, except its free, it has a lot of free software, and a giant corpo isn't trying to fuck my asshole every ten minutes.

Why don't companies use this? It's so simple and easy to install. It works just fine. And it's literally completely under your own control. Like, why is this some weird, hidden thing most people don't know about it?

Having finally taken the plunge, I feel like I'm in topsy turvy world a but.

Sure, my main PC is still windows 10 because, sadly, so much goes through the windows ecosystem so I do need access to it. But, that wouldn't be a problem if people wisened up to this option.

https://redd.it/1or97hk
@r_linux