Linux distributions agreeing to a single universal packaging system? That sounds like a joke, right? That's because it is. It's been a tradition of sort to prank readers on 1st of April with a humorous article. Since we are already past the 1st April in all time zones, let me share this year's April Fool article with you. I hope you find it as amusing as I did while writing it 😄No Snap or FlatPak! Linux Distros Agreed to Have Only One Universal PackagingIs this the end of fragment...
The portable AppImage format is quite popular among developers and users alike. It allows you to run applications without installation or dependency issues, on virtually any Linux distribution.However, managing multiple AppImages or keeping them updated can sometimes be a bit cumbersome. Fortunately, there are third-party tools that simplify the process, making it easier to organize, update, and integrate AppImages into your Linux system.In this article, I’ll share some useful tools that can hel...
Rust in Linux kernel is not news. You already know about that. But Rust in GNU is a big move.It seems that a Rust rewrite of GNU's coreutils (meta package that gives us commands like cp, ls, dd, mv etc) will be included in Ubuntu's upcoming release.This concerns many hardcore Free Software supporters, as they see it a move to take GNU out of GNU Linux.What are your thoughts on it?💬 Let's see what else you get in this editionChimera Linux moving away from RISC-V.Beginner's gui...
Ollama has been a game-changer for running large language models (LLMs) locally, and I've covered quite a few tutorials on setting it up on different devices, including my Raspberry Pi. But as I kept experimenting, I realized there was still another fantastic way to run Ollama: inside a Docker container.Now, this isn’t exactly breaking news. The first Ollama Docker image was released back in 2023. But until recently, I always used it with a native install. It wasn’t until I was working on a...
How do you update Arch Linux? You run sudo pacman -Syu command.How do you install a package on Arch Linux? You run sudo pacman -Syu package_name.Which might make you wonder why do you need a system update while installing a new package? What does those S, y and u do? Let me explain these things to you.What does pacman -Syu does?In simpler words, pacman -Syu updates all the installed packages on your Arch-based Linux distribution if they have a newer version available. Here, -S stands for sync or...
How do you update Arch Linux? You run sudo pacman -Syu command.How do you install a package on Arch Linux? You run sudo pacman -Syu package_name.Which might make you wonder why do you need a system update while installing a new package? What does those S, y and u do? Let me explain these things to you.What does pacman -Syu does?In simpler words, pacman -Syu updates all the installed packages on your Arch-based Linux distribution if they have a newer version available. Here, -S stands for sync or...
We reached the 30,000 followers mark on Mastodon. This is an unexpected feat. We have 140,000 people on our Twitter profile but that's because Twitter/X is a bigger platform. I am pleasantly surprised to see so many people on an alternative, decentralized platform like Mastodon.If you use Mastodon, do join us there.It's FOSS (@itsfoss@mastodon.social)6.2K Posts, 27 Following, 30.2K Followers · World’s leading Linux and Open Source web portal.
https://itsfoss.com/Mastodon💬 Let's see...
Imagine you found a cool text editor like Pulsar and downloaded it in the AppImage format. You enjoy using it and now want to make it the default application for markdown files.You right-click on the file and click 'open with' option, but here, you don't see the Pulsar listed here.That's a problem, right? But it can be easily fixed by creating a desktop entry for that AppImage application.Let me show you how to do that. Step 1: Create a desktop entry for AppImageThe very firs...
Ollama is one of the easiest ways for running large language models (LLMs) locally on your own machine.It's like Docker. You download publicly available models from Hugging Face using its command line interface. Connect Ollama with a graphical interface and you have a chatGPT alternative local AI tool.In this guide, I'll walk you through some essential Ollama commands, explaining what they do and share some tricks at the end to enhance your experience.💡If you're new to Ollama or j...
Keeping your laptop always plugged-in speeds up the deterioration of its battery life. But if you are using a docking station, you don't have the option to unplug the power cord. Thankfully, you can employ a few tricks to limit battery charging levels.How to Limit Charging Level in Linux (and Prolong Battery Life)Prolong your laptop’s battery life in long run by limiting the charging to 80%.It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash💬 Let's see what else you get in this editionA new COSMIC-equipped...
In case you didn't know it already, regularly charging the battery to 100% or fully discharging it puts your battery at stress and may lead to poor battery life in long run.I am not making claims on my own. This is what the experts and even the computer manufactures tell you. As you can see in the official Lenovo video above, continuous full charging and discharging accelerate the deterioration of battery health. They also tell you that the optimum battery charging range is 20-80%.Although ...
If you are someone interested in self-hosting, home automation, or just want to tinker with your Raspberry Pi, you have various options to get started.But, if you are new, and want something easy to get you up to speed, CasaOS is what you can try.CasaOS isn't your ordinary operating system. It is more like a conductor, bringing all your favorite self-hosted applications together under one roof. Built around the Docker ecosystem, it simplifies the process of managing various services, apps, ...
Imagine a scenario, you downloaded a new binary called ls from the internet. The application could be malicious by intention. Binary files are difficult to trust and run over the system. It could lead to a system hijacking attack, sending your sensitive files and clipboard information to the malicious server or interfere with the existing process of your machine.Won’t it be great if you’ve the tool to run and test the application within the defined security parameter. Like, we all know, ls comma...
Skype is being discontinued by Microsoft on 5th May.Once a hallmark of the old internet, Skype was already dying a slow death. It just could not keep up with the competition from WhatsApp, Zoom etc despite Microsoft's backing.While there are open source alternatives to Skype, I doubt if friends and family would use them. I am not going to miss it, as I haven't used Skype in years. Let's keep it in the museum of Internet history.Speaking of the old internet, Digg is making a comeba...
When it comes to screen recording in Linux or any other operating system, OBS Studio becomes he go-to choice.It offers all the features baked in for users, ranging from casual screen recorders to advanced streamers.One such useful feature is to record a part of the screen in OBS Studio. I'll share the detailed steps for Linux users in this tutorial.🚧The method mentioned is based on a Wayland session. Also, this is a personal workflow, and if readers have better options, feel free to comment...
From Kiosk projects to homelab dashboards, there are numerous usage of a touch screen display with Raspberry Pi. And it makes total sense to use the on-screen keyboard on the touch device rather than plugging in a keyboard and mouse. Thankfully, the latest versions of Raspberry Pi OS provide a simple way to install and use the on-screen keyboard.On-screen keyboard on Raspberry PiLet me show how you can install the on-screen keyboard support on Raspberry Pi OS.📋I am using the DIY Touchscreen by S...
May 5 2025, is the day Skype will cease to exist as Microsoft retires it, pushing people to switch to their Teams offering. The death of Skype was a slow one, but one that has been coming for quite some time now.While it may be appealing to switch to Teams, it is still Microsoft, the not-so-privacy friendly company☠️ So, why not give open source Skype alternatives a chance instead?You can stop sending your data to companies, and privately communicate with your friends and colleagues.Join me as I...
