No, Manjaro is NOT Arch

Many people love Manjaro as a clean and easy way to get into Arch or even Linux in general. But many people claim that Manjaro has diverted too far away from Arch to consider it. So, let’s compare both Arch and Manjaro, how they are different, and why more people might need to distinguish that Manjaro isn’t Arch. https://youtu.be/VzAw8a3Jx-k So first, what is Arch? Arch Linux is an independent rolling release distribution that is known for being very customizable and bleeding edge but not for being easy to install. Your hand isn’t held at all when you install Arch. You are forced to either learn how to install your system manually from scratch, including partitioning through a terminal, installing the actual Linux kernel, and setting up your bootloader and DEs. Basically, the customization isn’t an option. It’s a requirement because you’re building it. ...

July 23, 2022 · 5 min · 1021 words · Brandon Hopkins

These Linux Distros are ACTUALLY FREE. Stallman Approved!

Linux is open-source software; however, most Linux distributions usually include some non-free software. Whether it’s proprietary blobs or drivers for running certain types of hardware, or it’s a distribution that ships Google Chrome by default for some reason… While the core of a distribution is usually FOSS software, there are still proprietary elements on most Linux distributions. So, let’s see what running a fully open-source system is like and look at the distributions that the Free Software Foundation recommends. ...

July 16, 2022 · 8 min · 1699 words · Brandon Hopkins

Chrome OS Flex is a NIGHTMARE!

Chrome OS Flex is a way to run Chrome OS on almost any computer you would like, even if it isn’t a Chromebook. What we’ll be going through is the pros and cons, the installation process, and my personal experience with it, as I’ve been playing around with Chrome OS Flex on all the devices I have available to me. If you don’t know Chrome OS, it’s an operating system built around Chrome. The idea is that most people boot into whatever their OS is, and then the only thing they do is open a web browser. So, Google thought, why not get rid of the “bloat” that is an operating system and make Chrome the operating system? This makes the OS very dependent on web apps and things along that nature and makes Chrome OS one of the best choices for people who want to go on Facebook or write a Google Doc occasionally. However, Chrome OS is also bad for many people who depend on their computers for professional work. ...

July 15, 2022 · 7 min · 1423 words · Brandon Hopkins

Fedora vs Arch Linux - Battle of the Best!

Today we are going to be taking a look at, Fedora and Arch Linux. Specifically we will look at some of the main differences between them, as Fedora and some Arch-based Linux distribution seems to be where I always end up when trying to pick a distro. Both Arch and Fedora generally are considered cutting edge distributions, so all the packages are up-to date in comparison to something like Debian; however, the way in which they achieve that is different, so on both you will be getting, the latest versions of your preferred desktop environment, the latest kernels, latest versions of your favorite applications, and more. ...

June 11, 2022 · 6 min · 1252 words · Brandon Hopkins

Microsoft Edge might WIN on Linux.

The time is here! A stable version of Microsoft’s Edge web browser is now available for Linux. There have been beta and developer versions for some time, but the stable release was recently spotted in the yum repository hosted by Microsoft. If you want to try it out, you can download the rpm package in Fedora or use the command line to upgrade to Ubuntu. The stable version is not yet an option on the official page, but there are other ways to get the package. ...

May 16, 2022 · 2 min · 321 words · Brandon Hopkins

7 (more) AWESOME Linux Terminal CLI Applications

One of my favorite things to do when playing around with my Linux system is try out CLI applications. They’re just so functional and simple and provide tools to improve your computing experience. Recently I took to Twitter to ask you all what some of your favorites are. I compiled the list from all the submissions. I’ll post the Tweet below so you can browse all the replies if you’d like to. ...

May 15, 2022 · 5 min · 879 words · Brandon Hopkins
Icons of the popular linux packaging formats with graph.

Flatpak vs. Snap vs. AppImage - Linux Packaging Benchmarks!

We will check out some of the more popular Linux packaging formats and run some benchmarks to see if there are any clear winners between them. But before we get into the actual benchmarking, we must first discuss these different packaging formats and some of their key differences. We’re going to focus on Flatpaks, Snaps, and AppImages. All of these have the benefit of being independent of your Linux distribution, meaning that you can run all of these packaging formats no matter what version or distribution of Linux we’re running. This differs from something like APT, Pacman, DNF, or whatever it may be, because those are distribution-specific package management systems. ...

April 16, 2022 · 8 min · 1523 words · Brandon Hopkins

7 Awesome Linux Terminal Utilities

The terminal comes loaded with tons of great tools you can use to help you manage your system and workflow. In the article we will list 7 tools you can add to your terminal to improve your workflow. Trash-cli Command line trash bin interface. trash-put trash files and directories. trash-empty empty the trashcan(s). trash-list list trashed files. trash-restore restore a trashed file. trash-rm remove individual files from the trashcan. Youtube-dl Command-line program to download videos from YouTube.com and other video sites. ...

March 21, 2022 · 1 min · 131 words · Brandon Hopkins

Favorite GNOME/GTK Themes, Icons, and more!

This is a list of my favorite GNOME themes, which combine the perfect combination of wallpaper, icons, and extensions. This article is a work in progress. CLEAN Look with Qogir Distro: OpenSUSE DE: GNOME 41 Shell: Blur my Shell, UI Improvements, User Themes Panel: Extension List, Places, Sound Input & Output Device Chooser, freon, krypto GTK Theme: Qogir-theme 361 Icon Theme: Qogir-icon-theme Wallpaper: wallpapercave.com Fluent GTK Experience My current GNOME GTK theming icons and more! My favorite thing about the GNOME desktop environment in Linux is how awesome you can make it look. In this video we highlight the Fluent GTK theme, Flatery icons, and quickly overview my current extension set. ...

March 21, 2022 · 2 min · 291 words · Brandon Hopkins

Perfect Windows 11 Virtual Machine on Linux (VMware Guide)

In this guide, we will cover how to set up a Windows 11 guest virtual machine on our Linux host. We’ll do this in VMware, as it provides better graphics performance for gaming and creative applications. This also won’t require GPU passthrough to get decent performance. Learn more about VMware graphics options here. Installing VMware on Linux For Arch-based systems, the easiest way is through the package linked below in the AUR. You can use yay or another AUR helper. ...

March 11, 2022 · 4 min · 684 words · Brandon Hopkins
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