thayer @ thayer @lemmy.ca

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Joined

2 yr. ago

A kodi distro, such as LibreElec would be my vote, but I don't believe it does streaming services very well, if at all.

I am so done with streaming services.The local library has more TV and films than I'll ever have the time or inkling to actually watch.

Yes and yes.

I've been running Fedora Silverblue on nearly all of my PCs for about a year now and overall it's been great.

• Automatic and unobtrusive updates for the core OS and user apps (everything happens in the background without interaction; flatpak updates are applied immediately, and OS updates are applied at next boot)
• I can choose to apply many core updates immediately, but rarely do
• Atomic OS updates means that everything must be installed successfully or none of the OS updates are applied, which prevents a partially updated system
• Being an image-based distro, I can and do easily rebase to Fedora's test/beta/remix releases, and just as easily rollback, or run both stable and beta releases side by side for testing purposes
• Being image-based means there's no chance of orphaned packages or library files being left behind after an update, resulting in a cleaner system over time
• In the event that anything does go sideways after a system update (hasn't happened yet), I can easily rollback to the previous version at boot

Some elements not unique to Silverblue but part of its common workflow:

• Distrobox/toolbox allow you to run any other distro as a container, and then use that distro's apps as if they were native to your host system; this includes systemd services, locally installed RPMs, debs, etc.; I use distrobox to keep most of my dev workflow within my preferred Archlinux environment
• Flatpaks are the FOSS community's answer to Ubuntu's Snaps, providing universal 1-click installation of sandboxed user apps (mostly GUI based); Firefox, Steam, VLC, and thousands of other apps are available to users, all without the need for root access

My only complaints about Silverblue are more to do with how Flatpaks work right now, such as:

• Drag & drop doesn't work between apps, at least not for the apps I've attempted to use; for example, dragging a pic into a chat window for sharing; instead, I have to browse to and select the image from within the chat app
• Firefox won't open a link clicked within Thunderbird unless the browser is already open, otherwise it just opens a blank tab
• Many flatpak apps are maintained by unofficial volunteers, and this isn't always clear on Flathub; I view this as a security risk and would prefer to see a flag or warning of some kind when a flatpak is not maintained by the official upstream developer

That said, I'm confident that these issues will be addressed over time. The platform has already come a long way these past couple of years and now that the KDE and GNOME teams are collaborating for it, things will only get better.

Like I said though, overall Silverblue has been a really great user experience, and as a nearly 20-year Linux veteran it has really changed the way I view computing.

Flatpak apps will use the same dotfiles as apps installed via traditional methods, however the storage location will likely be different. Most dotfiles will be contained within their respective flatpak app directory under ~/.var, so you can cherry pick which settings you want to bring over.

That still wouldn't answer their dilemma of older versioning of packages, unless they went to Sid.

The bottom line is that GrapheneOS is the most security-focused mobile operating system available, and the Google Pixel is pretty well the only mainstream phone with an unlockable bootloader.

If Alphabet were to ever lock down the Pixel's bootloader, the GOS devs would undoubtedly jump ship to a lesser available platform in order to continue the project. But until then, no other hardware comes close with respect to embedded security.

Looking so forward to seeing K-9 Mail incorporate even more modern features (snooze!) and take on the new branding. It has already come a long way these past couple of years, and made my degoogling journey much easier. Would love to see an Android-based calendaring equivalent too. Shout out to cketti for all his hard work!

For what it's worth, I use F-Droid and the Play Store via the Aurora store frontend, all without a Google account.

I don't install the Google Play Store bundle, as I feel it defeats the purpose. I do install Google Services Framework though as most apps rely on it and it doesn't require network access.

I generally don't use any apps that compromise user privacy, so apps like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, YouTube, and Google Maps are all a no-go for me. If and when I need to access their services, I use an alternative front end or simply use a browser.

Even if you do need to use the above apps though, you'll find GrapheneOS a much more secure and privacy-respecting way of doing so.

How does GOS work with apps, or how would a proper Linux OS work with apps?

For the former, GOS works really well for what I want from a smartphone. Self-hosted contacts and calendaring, Signal for messaging, Firefox and Vanadium for browsing, markdown editor, file sync, etc. all work great.

For the latter, a proper Linux-oriented release would be something like a mature version of the GNOME Shell mobile project. I don't need specific Android apps, but rather the ability to complete certain tasks (banking, appointments, email, etc.). With Linux, there's already an app for most of those tasks. The only exception might be Signal, but I'm sure if GNOME Shell matures enough we'll see a solution for mobile Linux activation too.

I just wanted to point out that you pretty much can just tarball your user directory and drop it into a fresh system. If you embrace the Flatpak and container-based workflow, it's incredibly easy to be up and running in no time. Obviously, containers and flatpaks aren't unique to image-based distros, but are perhaps less common in traditional distros.

Sure, you'll need to add a printer back, or reconnect to wifi networks, but your user and/or dev environment will carry over, and with a couple of commands, any package overlays and flatpaks will be reinstalled and ready to go.

I found flatpaks and containerization to be the only real learning curve with Silverblue, and only because I hadn't used them previously. Compared to the learning curve and unorthodox approach of NixOS, Silverblue itself is as easy as using vanilla Fedora Workstation.

Pixel 7 with GrapheneOS. It's the first and only time I've ever felt I was in control of my own smartphone.

If GOS is ever no longer an option, I will likely stop using smartphones altogether until a proper community-based Linux OS with similar features is available.

Longtime Debian and Arch veteran here. I moved most of my workstations to Silverblue earlier this year (maybe 8 months ago now), and I've been very happy overall.

There is a bit of a learning curve if you aren't familiar with Flatpak or container-based workflows, assuming you wish to embrace those elements, but the curve is nowhere near as steep or unconventional as NixOS.

I love the automated updates. The flexibility to rebase or rollback the core OS on the fly, without any extra work, is great too. For example, it's very easy to test out beta releases, remixes, and preconfigured software bundles like uBlue.

I still use Arch for 99% of my command line tasks, inside a container managed by distrobox.

I strongly believe that Flatpak is the future of Linux software deployment, and although the format still has its kinks, it is already quite mature and will only get better as more and more upstream developers adopts its use.

Well said, and this should really be the top comment. Yes, I am mostly a Fedora user these days, but I also love Arch and Debian. I have a lot of respect for the significant contributions that Redhat have given to the community time and time again, and I had zero issue with their recent stance.

I use the flatpak version, which keeps all of the cache and config directories together, and I'm fairly certain I've simply copied the flatpak data folder between computers in the past. I could be wrong though; I might have only copied it between distros on the same hardware.

I guess it depends on your definition of clean. I use the classic Bodum French press, so your mileage may vary (some cheap presses catch more grounds in the screen area).

I wash the glass carafe like any glassware, and then simply rinse and wipe the press itself under the tap without soap throughout the week. Once every couple of weeks, I'll dismantle the plunger and thoroughly clean it with dish soap to remove any stains.

You've gotten some really good replies already (it's likely the cable or port issues). I just want to point out that the KingFast brand is dollar-store quality memory and storage. There are many online posts discussing their drives failing or corrupting after power interruptions, etc.

I know you said it's been replaced already, so just a caution against saving it for another rainy day project. I binned mine upon receipt of a refurbished PC.

I can't speak for the OP, but I routinely copy/paste from my post history in order to save time.

As a fellow Silverblue user, I really wanted to like NixOS. I was surprised to discover it did not support declarative management of flatpak workflows, which pretty much eliminated it as an option for me. That, combined with its highly unconventional filesystem hierarchy, and its cumbersome configuration and project documentation was enough to send me back to Silverblue.

Don't get me wrong, NixOS is very powerful and an excellent solution for some use cases; it just wasn't right for mine.

I've used this workflow for years and like you said, any attacker would have to know your LUKS passphrase or catch your desktop while the screen is unlocked.

I can't speak for all methods but in the case of GNOME's greeter, autologin doesn't apply to remote sessions.