this post was submitted on 22 Jul 2024
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Linux

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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[–] [email protected] 49 points 4 months ago

I have all the blobs, I like my hardware to work

[–] [email protected] 38 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Ages ago someone wrote a bash script that would calculate your "stallman score", essentially checking the license of every package in your system.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago

From absolutely-proprietary:
"the FSF considers the v7.9x license to be non-free - however, the previous license was apparently non-free also"

That's all I know

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 months ago (2 children)

It's called vrms (virtual RMS) and Debian at least packages it.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago

7 out of 705 installed packages are non-free packages on my RPi server.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

It's called check-dfsg-status since Stallmann stepped down after his controversial statements in Minsky's Epstein scandal.

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 4 months ago

Id say around 80% since I use a lot of foss programs and only use linux/android/openwrt/brother printers. The other 20% is random proprietary stuff like steam I guess to be generous.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (7 children)

FOSS-y

AbsolutelyProprietary

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

I don't know what to say about people who I told about lichess but still think chess.com is better

[–] [email protected] 13 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Maybe just say why it is better:

  • No ads / subscriptions
  • No tracking
  • Free software is really fast
  • You can do many projects with Lichess
  • Clean non-cluttered UI

So, in summary, it's not hyped up (marketing), clean, no tracking, free chess.com experience.

I don't know what are the advantages' chess.com has over Lichess right now. The chess should be free.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

normies: but le world class chess streamer I know plays on chess.com!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

Your response: because it makes him money especially when he has Chess.com logo hidden somewhere when he streams.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Chess dot com tells me what opening I played

(Because Lord knows I don't)

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago (2 children)

As much as I can get it, and more every year.

All my computers run Linux exclusively. Gaming desktop, personal laptop, Steam Deck, work laptop, and all my servers in my home lab.

Hypervisor is XCP-ng, VMs are a mix of Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and some random other Linux distros for testing and experimenting.

My NAS is a TrueNAS Core box.

I'm in the process of switching my router to PFSense.

Phone is a Pixel 6a with GrapheneOS.

Email, VPN, and cloud storage is Proton.

Password manager is Bit Warden.

Office docs are all Libre Office & Only Office.

The only non-FOSS software I use constantly is Discord and Steam, and of course, most of the games I play. On my phone I have majority FOSS apps for everyday stuff, but some things are still proprietary.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (5 children)

Seems you also use a bit of freeBSD in your setup besides Linux. Still FOSS though!

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago (5 children)

Libreboot + GNU/Linux-Libre Guix System

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago

100% except the damn firmware and things I can't change

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago (1 children)

A good 90% I'd say. All my devices run Linux (NixOS laptop, Ubuntu server, LineageOS phone).

Non-FOSS stuff:

  • AMD GPU in my Framework 16 laptop means the only unfree package on my laptop is Steam.
  • The proprietary apps I do run on my phone are TooGoodToGo and my bank as I'm not aware of alternatives.
  • I wear a Pebble Time Steel smartwatch, also not aware of any alternatives.
  • PS5 controller firmware has no replacement.

I don't browse the surface web a lot and when I do I tend to disable JS, so I avoid most of the nonfree JS. I have no social media accounts besides Mastodon, Matrix, and Lemmy, which are all free :)

As an extension, all my close family runs Linux on their computers, as it ended up being lower maintenance than setting them up with Windows when time came to upgrade.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (3 children)

For watches you can use the Pine time or BangleJS. The Banglejs doesn't do as well in terms of privacy and freedom but it is better than nothing.

As for banking I usually do it either in person or on there website.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago

I don't run Linux anymore, though this should change sometime next year. I use Blender and Krita for work, QOwnNotes for note-taking, Firefox for the web, QBittorrent for sharing holiday films, etc. For image editing I use Affinity, probably the only notable proprietary program on my system apart from Windows.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago (5 children)

Mostly

I still have Intel WiFi and a phone which requires firmware to work correctly.

I also recently installed Lego star wars in Bottles for fun. I also use the web a lot which uses non free JavaScript.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (5 children)

Currently running majority FLOSS, and glad for the excellent options that these very capable people have released.

Desktops, laptops, HTPC:

Trisquel GNU/Linux on Libreboot BIOS hardware

--//--

Phones and tablets are:

GrapheneOS + Fdroid only apps

--//--

Rockbox audio players

(+ Open Tunes from FMA, Argofox, CC netlabels, jamendo, bandcamp etc)

--//--

Gadgetbridge + Amazfit Bip (watch)

[Looking to switch out this watch for a FLOSS smartwatch like: pinetime or bangle.js]

--//--

and dd-wrt on the router

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Got multiple machines, but I think my most FOSS setup is a corebooted Thinkpad X230. The ME firmware was stripped, leaving it non-functional after the initialization. I replaced the WiFi card with an Atheros one that doesn't require non-free firmware. The GPU is by Intel Ivy Bridge, so no need for proprietary driver. Currently running Debian on it.

With that said, there are some components I couldn't get by:

  • the EC firmware is pretty much a blackbox, even though I was able to unlock some part to make it work with aftermarket batteries
  • the graphic ROM may still be proprietary (gonna have to recheck what my machine got currently) -- FOSS is an option as well but with less support
  • even though non-functional, the ME is still on -- god knows what this thing does exactly
  • CPU microcode

The rest of the components are pretty well-documented by the community if not by the OEMs themselves.

I would put 95% for this specific setup. However, if counting everything I got, not even close, as I need some proprietary components for living.

For example, my company gave me a newer Thinkpad to do work, which thankfully I got to install Linux on. I still have to run enterprise stuff from time to time, most of which are far from FOSS.

And don't get me started on tax form submission.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago

Nearly 100%. All Linux and AMD. The biggest part that isn't is BIOS. As far as programs go I can think of almost nothing I use that isn't FOSS. I guess Discord.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

It's just the firmware, my work-necessary programs, and steam.

I love arch, but i'm planning on moving to atomic fedora eventually, but I use a bunch of niche things because i'm an early adopter

i'll switch to fedora atomic when pwvucontrol, tofi, hyprland, hyprland-autoname-workspaces, citrix workspace (work necessary), notiflut-land, bato, wljoywake, wayland-pipewire-idle-inhibit, ananicy-cpp, easyeffects, wl-mirror, gtk3-classic, keyd, iwgtk, qtalarm, kvantum and subliminal are all available, haven't checked which are yet

couple of those (pwvucontrol and notiflut-land) aren't even in the AUR yet so it'll be a while.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago

My PC is mostly foss, the exceptions being that I use YouTube and discord. still working on my phone though.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

1 FreeBSD server with zfs mirror for storage and various server software

1 FreeBSD laptop for development

1 Linux laptop for software that doesn't support FreeBSD

1 Linux desktop for work.

The rest of the family is 100% windows though :/

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Edit: I didn't see the community, sorry, feel free to disregard this comment lol

Phone OS: GrapheneOS Calendar: Fossify Calendar Files: filen.io Gallery: Fossify Gallery E-mail: ProtonMail Notes: Notesnook Keyboard: HeliBoard Maps: OrganicMaps Passwords: Proton Pass RSS: Feeder Step counter: Forest YouTube frontend: NewPipe, FreeTube Weather: Breezy weather

I still use services like Spotify, FB Messenger, and Play services for some of my banking apps. I'm a bit new to this whole privacy thing and custom ROMs, but so far it feels good. When I buy a computer I'll install Linux on it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Excluding hardware (microcode, UEFI, etc); within my Linux system, the only proprietary software I have installed are Nvidia drivers and Steam (installed via flatpak). When I first made the switch to Linux, I was actually shocked at the minimal amount of proprietary software I actually used/needed.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago

It's hella foss!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Pretty FOSS?

PC - Thinkpad T14s Gen 4: EndeavourOS, Firefox and Thunderbird with the Proton suite of things such as Mail, Pass and VPN - I do pay for them but I think it's worth it.

Phone - Pixel 8 with GrapheneOS and as many F-Droid apps as possible. Proton apps for Mail, Pass, Drive, VPN. Cromite browser. The only that aren't are probably my banking apps, but I could always switch to web I guess.

I think my biggest hurdle is a Map app that has traffic data that isn't Google maps.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

On my main profile on GrapheneOS there are 7 closed source apps and 1 self build technically closed source (for now) all out of total 71 apps.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Like sub 10% maybe.

Phone 1: iPhone

Phone 2: Android (pixel 4, stock rom)

Desktop 1: Windows

Desktop 2: Mac OS

Laptop 1: Windows

Laptop 2: Mac OS.

Laptop 3: Windows/KDE Neon, no attention paid to whether or not the drivers are foss.

Server: Proxmox with Debian and Truenas VMs.

Router: pfSense.

I just use what works for me, and what license the software uses is not at all a factor in that choice.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (3 children)

OS

  • Linux on my laptop, had hackintoshed a 2015 MacBook Pro before to run macOS Sonoma, and that ran on this device before
  • Windows on my desktop to play games from studios that are owned by a certain Chinese investment company starting on T.
  • stock Android on my SM-A536B since LineageOS isn't ported (yet) to this device.

(Semi)Libre Software

  • Zed
  • Eternity for Lemmy
  • Tubular (NewPipe + Sponsorblock and ReturnYTDislike)
  • Tusky for Mastodon
  • Rust (the language)

Proprietary software

  • GSuite (for collaboration)
  • Games and game launchers (namely Steam on PC and on laptop and Epic ~~shitty~~ games launcher on PC)

I'd consider my setup 8/10 FOSS.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

Almost everything. All Linux machines, SO included. Self-hosted most everything for a loooooong time, but with Obtainium now I'm really close to ditching the Play Store, too.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (4 children)

Linux on all my computers and GrapheneOS on my Google Pixel 6a with 99.8% FOSS applications. Maybe 96% FOSS softwares on my stationary computer and 100% on my laptops.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Libre hardware:

  • Turris Omnia router with their OpenWrt-based distro. Bought in 2017, upgraded to Wifi-6 in 2022. Great product.
  • 3x system76 laptops with Coreboot and Debían
  • The desktop is a system76 darter pro with a broken hinge, so it's connected to a widescreen monitor and external mouse, keyboard. Also Debían.

The non FOSS systems are:

  • HP Dev One running proprietary UEFI, and Pop!_OS
  • a couple of Pixel phones running stock OS
  • an iPad Pro with keyboard from 2018
  • X201 Thinkpad with AFFS upgrade running Debían. Connected to some AudioEngine speakers and Spotify, this is our media player.
  • a Thinkpad T43p with XP for Age of Empires and Freecell
  • an Apple TV.
[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (2 children)

All FOSS except Nvidia drivers and processor microcode!

next graphics card will definitely be an AMD

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

Laptop is foss except bios. Desktop has apu and wifi firmware.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

I run bone stock default Fedora.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

On my home PC everything is FOSS. I'm a serious hobby user of Inkscape and GIMP. No advantage to using commercial alternatives.

Work PC is all commercial software. For me FOSS CAD doesn't come close.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

Linux desktop with an Nvidia GPU, two Linux laptops, android phone. I'm struggling to think of any closed source productivity apps I still use, and I play games from Steam. NAS is running whatever Synology crap it came with, I haven't tried fucking with the firmware on my Epson, my 3D printer runs Marlin and my laser engraver runs GRBL.

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