This Week in Plasma: new year, new accessibility features!
https://blogs.kde.org/2026/01/03/this-week-in-plasma-new-year-new-accessibility-features/

https://redd.it/1q2yc9u
@r_linux

I wiped a mini PC and accidentally built an Android TV that boots faster than my phone

I did something out of curiosity and now I can’t unsee how broken modern smart TVs actually are.

I took an old x86 mini PC, wiped everything, installed bare Arch Linux, and layered Waydroid on top of it. No desktop. No window manager. Just a minimal compositor and Android.

Then I spoofed Waydroid to identify itself as Android TV, not a phone.

What happened next surprised me.

• Android TV apps installed by default
• Proper Leanback UI
• Remote-friendly navigation
• Hardware decoding working flawlessly
• Boot time: 3–5 seconds (cold boot)

For context:
My actual Android TV takes ~30 seconds to boot and still lags opening YouTube.

This setup:

• Uses systemd-boot (no GRUB delay)

• Runs zero OEM services

• Has PC-grade CPU + cooling

• Doesn’t phone home every 5 minutes

It made me realize something uncomfortable:

Most smart TVs are slow by design, not by limitation.

They’re locked-down computers pretending to be appliances.

This thing I built feels more like a console:
Press power → instant UI → content.

No ads. No “recommended for you”. No vendor nonsense.

I didn’t plan to build a TV OS.
I just wanted to see how far minimal Linux + Android could go.

Turns out… very far.

Curious if anyone else has tried something similar — or if we’ve just accepted bad TV UX as “normal” for too long.

https://redd.it/1q34z7o
@r_linux

RADV Driver Lands Another Big Improvement For Early AMD GCN Graphics Cards
https://www.phoronix.com/news/AMD-GFX6-GFX7-VM-Faults

https://redd.it/1q34sbs
@r_linux

ReactOS Starts 2026 With Another "Major Step" Toward Windows NT6 Compatibility
https://www.phoronix.com/news/ReactOS-Starts-2026

https://redd.it/1q38f4c
@r_linux

For those who love the terminal & are interested in rolling or modifying their own: a guide from the folks behind Docker Compose.
https://clig.dev/

https://redd.it/1q36sg3
@r_linux

Linux Kernel Security Work by Greg Kroah-Hartman
http://www.kroah.com/log/blog/2026/01/02/linux-kernel-security-work/

https://redd.it/1q2esri
@r_linux

dwipe: Making `dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/ohno` less risky updated
https://redd.it/1q2scgj
@r_linux

If he had accepted.. we wouldn’t be here today. I'm in an existential crisis, guys!
https://redd.it/1q1lx0h
@r_linux

Home server connected to multiple devices of different distros

Beginning with the fact that i am a fairly young linux person (figuratively and littrally) and i was planning on having a home entertainment system running soley one Distro (bassite or cashy OS) However i did start to wonder if i were to get more devices (cameras home server etc.)
My question is if i were to want to have remote acesss to each of these devices Via a GUI through a central portal (im thinking along the lines of google home or casa os's interface)
functionality i would want is to turn on and off devices (home entertainment system lights or curtains) as well i would preferably want to access, view and edit files with a GUI. And a nice cherry on top would be to have a "home dashboard" that i can customize to show which information is important at the moment.(things like which device is on and how much power is currently being drawn by X device)

Has this been done before? Is it documented?
how curvy of a learning curve am i about to ride?



https://redd.it/1q3j51v
@r_linux

Replaced Chrome OS (EOL for this thing) with Bodhi Linux on a HP Chromebook 11 G5 (2017)
https://redd.it/1q3kpyb
@r_linux

Zinwa Q25 coming soon with your favorite OS!
https://redd.it/1q3lrv9
@r_linux

Learning linux with Dad 101
https://redd.it/1q3nw4f
@r_linux

Your favorite stations on Shortwave/Tuner/etc?
https://redd.it/1q3r77l
@r_linux

Out with the old, in with the new. Goodbye Microsoft.
https://redd.it/1q3t2zn
@r_linux

A new beautiful file manager for linux
https://github.com/compiledkernel-idk/prism-fm

https://redd.it/1q3t9jt
@r_linux

RPi 5 Travel Router - Upgraded USB WiFi Adapter(s)

Hear me out. I’ve made a Raspberry Pi 5 travel router out of curiosity and have absolutely loved it. However, I’m noticing serious range degradation for WiFi.

I’m looking for a solid USB WiFi adapter that can do what I need it to do for the travel router (give me more range), but also support my emerging interest in cybersecurity (which means I need other supported modes).

I’m not looking to spend hundreds, but something affordable. I typically always buy exactly what I need and then a little more just incase, and hopefully that makes sense to everyone. Not looking for anything that would have insane speeds, just needs to be durable. Style wise I’m good with two antennas, but aesthetically like the single better.

Current Setup:
Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB) - wlan0
Raspberry OS Lite (64-bit)
TP Link AC600 Nano - wlan1
Pi-Hole / Unbound - DNS and DHCP

Extras:
wlan0 - Connects to iPhone Hotspot for data
wlan1 - AP using PiHole DHCP (Just swapped to this setup and it’s been brilliant. Had issues running separate subnets for both wlan1 and eth0.)
eth0 - Static IP for Xbox

All traffic routes to wlan0. NetworkManager controls only wlan0/eth0 for static IP while wlan1 is unmanaged.

Happy to answer setup questions if interested in whatever it is that I’m doing haha OR if you see a flaw in my logic please point that out and explain why. Thanks!

https://redd.it/1q3ybav
@r_linux

What are the reasons to install Linux in 2026?

I got a new computer and I'm thinking about what OS install on it.

Should I install Windows or Linux?

Windows runs every FLOSS app I run on Linux. Windows also runs every Windows app I emulate with Wine and the apps Wine can't emulate. Windows also runs the apps that are Windows only, including games that Steam and Wine can't run.

What is the killer feature Linux has over Windows in 2026 that makes it worth the install?

https://redd.it/1q43qx8
@r_linux

Simple ad blocker/Patcher for Spotify(Flatpak) on Linux
https://redd.it/1q46hkd
@r_linux

Why don't distros just wrap language-specific package managers instead of repackaging everything?

Hi,

I realize this is a very random and controversial topic, but bear with me. So far, I've written a total of two Linux tools myself. However, I realized that I don't make any of them installable for different distros separately, in other words deploy them for other distros. If I do, I only deploy them on AUR and that's all I bother with.

Maybe I'm just a bit lazy, but there's a commonly mentioned point that deploying a program for Linux is quite cumbersome. Because for each distribution, you have to deploy, that is, create packages, then track the versions of the relevant libraries, and act accordingly.

However, while writing these two rather insignificant tools, I realized something: Deploying these programs in the repository of the language (pip, cargo etc.) is quite easy and quite universal.

So my suggestion is this: Yes, perhaps there will be libraries and binary files scattered throughout the system. However, if we overlook this and assume that all these packages from different package managers can be managed nicely by the distro's own package manager (TLDR):

Why do distros bother to keep packages in their repositories that can be installed using the package managers of the languages themselves (like bun, cargo, uv)? Why don't package managers use extra tools like “uv tool install,” or “cargo,” or “bun” internally?

Proof of concept: https://github.com/ripytide/metapac

Edit: I realized in the comments that I had expressed myself poorly. Try to see the concept I mentioned as an experimental path. Not as an instant change, but as a gradual transition.

Edit 2: To give you an idea about the issue, Linus's talk about package managers: https://youtu.be/Pzl1B7nB9Kc (from 5:55)

https://redd.it/1q46xk1
@r_linux

Switched and regret nothing, I even forget I am running something different.

I re-cased my workstation, and on a whim installed Ubuntu Studio.

https://preview.redd.it/dejcdnevdgbg1.jpg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9b345288d6c59d2c26504b760f956ec9bf5d8214

This is not another 30 day challenge. This was a most likely permanent, and at least “indefinite” at this point, since I have no foreseeable plans to switch back. For me its easy since in windows most of my workflow is browser based or opensource Linux native programs ported to windows (gimp, Shotcut etc). I ran Linux since 2004 on my Laptop or alternate device (, but its never been the ONLY OS on my workstation (1st distro was Mepis). I do have a 5 PC license for my MSP business for 365, but OnlyOffice is pretty much there for local machine use and I can log-into the portal and edit any collaborative documents with the browser based 365. (LibreOffice I dealt with for years, but I feel OnlyOffice Community Ed. is more polished and modern)

The machine is all AMD so the GPU is actually much more stable and reliable for video rendering in Linux (no more driver crashes!),

I had just re-cased my workstation when I decided to switch. So i edited the case review in this thing and It was so much easier than windows and at the same quality, rendering on the GPU seemed noticeably faster in linux.

Its been way smoother than I expected. Other things I found easier:

Screen Shots and annotation: I am using Gradia to take screen shots an annotate it directly. Instead of in windows having to use the snipping tool, and then open the file in another program to add notations or whatever. So much easier and much less time in different apps.

RDP-- How does Linux handle this better??? Using Remmia I have way more granular control over quality. In the remote session it is so smooth you can forget your emoted into a headless machine. (Assuming you tweak all the settings, it defaults to a low bitrate)

Webcam: I had a 1080p Razer webcam, that while decent quality wouldn’t work in windows without their software. Now not only did it just work, but OBS has control over all the quality and color settings that were locked out in windows!

OpenRGB- Detected everything works without being intrusive or eating CPU cycles.

Everything loads faster, just feel more responsive, and workflow is easier.

As someone who daily drove Linux on a laptop, this is the first time on my desktop I haven't felt like I am missing anything. Quick-books I have the cloud version so it runs in the browser, my 365 account can be access in the browser, any games I play just work. Way different than 5 years ago.

I will not be switching back.

https://redd.it/1q4b9dc
@r_linux

For your sanity reboot first

I have to be the unluckiest person in the world

I’ve been using Linux for almost two weeks, starting on my college laptop, and yesterday I installed it on my main PC (Nvidia). Today I woke up, styled my KDE a bit, let the kernel update, and that’s when the chaos began.

I spent nearly 5 hours trying to fix my internal keyboard bc it wasn't working at all only the fn keys

First, I thought maliit-keyboard.service was crashing. Tried restarting it and even deleting it, but was advised not to.

Booting the previous kernel (6.17.1) stuck at the loading screen; the new kernel (6.17.12) didn’t help either. 6.1 gave a “Dev disk” error, so maybe the SSD wasn’t the problem.

Installed the newest kernel 6.18 , yet nothing worked, nor i could boot after the login

Tried all i8042 commands, Nvidia drivers, more stable kernels (6.1), Wayland/X11 — still nothing.

then I tried removing old kernels to free space, but they didn’t existed somehow ?????
Compiling kernel 6.6 (Lenovo-friendly) failed due to missing directorie, even tho I installed them and booted ??


Checked BIOS (updated) and tested Windows.
In Windows it was even worse, the pc“forgot” my password??? had to create a new one , yet Keyboard still didn’t work.

I was starting to accept that maybe was hardware related the keyboard issues, and opened the device manager to see if at least the gpu was fine in windows and I saw an usb device that couldn't be identified, which led to a Reddit post from 3yrs ago, and the secret was to unplug every cable from the pc, turn it off and then reboot.

EVERYTHING WORKED FINE AFTER THAT, NO ERROR MESSAGES ON DMSG NO WEIRD STUFF HAPPENING HAD THE KEYBOARD BACK AND I COULD BOOT INTO ANY KERNEL INSTALLED

the amount of reboots, getting into bios mode, Reddit posts and videos just to simply having to turn it off and reboot

https://redd.it/1q4d9or
@r_linux