I rarely get anything from the play store. Usually f-droid or one of the other apps like Droidify or Izzy, and Aurora. Once in a while an app demands to verify with the Play store for the life of me I have no idea why… Plexus has helped with that sometimes, but sometimes doesn’t work.

One or two of my computers have been on for about five years. The laptop I use mostly has been on for several months. But I’m a very teched-up person. I’ve got computers in various forms all over the place. Actually less nowadays compared to many years ago. I don’t shut anything down because I’ve got various services in operation 24/7.

I have found assorted features I like on Samsung’s tailored Android, and I’ve found an equal amount of terrific features in LG’s interface. The only time I have a real problem is when there are significant customisations you cannot turn off. And that’s being done more and more. Hence, custom ROM. It is amazing how much better some devices run once I put CM, or Lineage or some others, on it.

That’s what custom ROMs are for.

Yeah they want it as much as they want AI so like not at all. Good riddance to both!

Exactly my reaction! Like, yay! They’re taking it away :-D

Thanks! By your brief description of ethereum I can see why people consider it a pyramid scheme lol.

Not to hijack this post, but since there are knowledgeable folks participating, could someone point to either an article or a video that explains the various crypto currencies, how they work, what role the mining functions, and explains them in language that most people can understand?

Thank you if anyone has a reference to provide. :-)

P.S. I’m aware Google exists, but I’d like one that’s at least vetted by someone knowledgeable. Between search manipulations and AI, I’ve found searching to be very iffy as it is in terms of finding good authoritative results.

Ewww. Such fucking useless imposition of restrictions that should be the user’s decision. Like almost everything else in technology nowadays where control is being taken away from the user.

I’m only ever going to use devices that I can put whatever custom ROM I want on or that natively supports the options I want.

As long as the general public just bends over and accepts this shit, they’ll keep doing stuff like this.

Wait, am I to understand they’re intending on making it that you cannot just install any apk you choose because it’s your phone and your business? Is that going to be no longer possible?

On top of those severe restrictions of Lineage I don’t even like that you can’t move apps to the SD. I’ve tried formatting SD as internal storage. I’ve tried a dozen different SD chips on a dozen different phones with a dozen versions of Android. And EVERY one of them failed after a brief moment with some errors and corrupted the chip. Every attempt.

So I use them as external and on other Android devices I have no problem moving apps over to them. I don’t move all types of apps, but ones that are mostly referential like icon packs or reference apps, there’s no justification to not allowing it.

Well, despite the fact that I’ve heard more than once that Elementary “looks like Mac” it’s really only the fact of having a dock on the bottom and a status bar on top. And the dock that ships with Elementary does not even zoom (it’s disabled due to some license issue). So I really don’t see it as resembling Mac except maybe to someone who has only ever seen Windows and Mac and only the one style. Thinks resemble other things in some ways sometimes. But it behaves nothing like Mac. I do find some of their choices rather disturbing like how there’s no minimize button. Immediately fixed by installing tweaks. That’s one of many great aspects of Linux: you can change what you don’t like.

Anyway, I usually recommend it because of its simplicity and elegance. You can just dive right in and use it, and likely accomplish whatever your ordinary work entails, and you don’t ever really have to fuss about with anything. The only reason I don’t use it myself is because I customize the shit out of all my tech. I have many widgets and such things to enhance efficiency and the variety of tools I use. So that’s why I’m on KDE Plasma. But if not for my customization I would honestly enjoy using ElementaryOS.

I also have a few touch-screens one on a hybrid notebook and one a Tpad. I have Pop!OS on the hybrid and a slightly older Ubuntu on the tpad. Gnome is a really good DE for touch interface. I really wish something truly touch would arrive, but I think because Android is so successful, nobody wants to try tackling that with straight up Linux. I can understand it, especially given the limited demographic I mean how many people would really make serious use of a touch Linux system? Too few to make it worthwhile. But the Tpad I use is a very slow device, relatively, and yet Ubuntu works quite smoothly on it. It’s prompt and responsive and does what I need out of it without any problem or noticeable latency.

I am quite happy with my main laptop which is a fairly new ASUS Zenbook. I’m running Kubuntu but I think pretty soon I may be changing over to plain ol’ Debian which is my favorite by far. I just need to be certain that all my hardware will function and it should, as it’s no longer brand new. But when I first got it, literally only the latest build of Ubuntu was properly seeing my audio device. Even 22.04 would not, it had to be 23 or 24 which had just come out.

Anyway, I’ve rambled on quite a bit. I think if builds like Elementary were more popular, it would be easier for newbies to take a stab at using Linux and it would be easier for folks like us to encourage others. I hate when someone I know has problem after problem with WinBlow$ 11 or 10, and I know that Linux would be just perfect. But they are scared of new and different. Even customization could be really offered and appealing if it were done with templates rather than so many little elements.

But, that being said, I’m happy that for the most part, when I interact with another Linux user, I can usually assume they’re savvy and understand what I’m talking about. I am glad that there’s no completely dumb-friendly distro, and I don’t think there should be. But simplicity is appealing to even the most clever of users if all they need to do is use and expect reliability. For shits sake Windoze just does a million things you never asked it to, because it serves a master other than you. It’s worth getting away from it for pretty much anything.

Well, simple and clean appeals to people who don’t want to be overwhelmed. There’s a reason it’s pleasant.

Well, except that they have consistently been the one that has and installs proper drivers for a variety of hardware I’ve used it with. Many - many test units over the years with either brand new or older and obscure hardware that not a single distro I could find recognized, nearly every time it was Ubuntu that came through for me. Including my current laptop. I have been aware of the progression toward a corporate type atmosphere with them, though, and I don’t like it. I’m thinking about seeing if plain ol’ raw Debian now has the proper drivers because if it does, I may replace my Kubuntu with it. But that doesn’t change the fact that they’ve delivered when all others failed.

That’s numerous threads every day in every Linux-related forum. A lot of people cannot seem to distinguish a sincere recommendation based on stated needs frombjust the opportunity to proclaim their allegiance to their favorite.

I always recommend to beginners ElementaryOS. The name being coincidental. It is a relatively simple looking but very very elegant and polished interface. Give it a try.

Excellent! Thanks for the endorsement, I’ll have a look. A reputable site is always something to hold onto.

Anyone know if this is a reliable review? 99% of “reviews,” nowadays are just paid by the manufacturer to advertise under the guise of being a review.

Looks interesting. Especially Si/C battery of which I’ve not yet heard.

Maybe you were in some seriously shady subs with pimple nosed little snotbags acting as mod, but none of this was ever a problem for me in the subs I frequented.

Oh dude I don’t spend a lot of time here. But I will look at what you said thanks.