Let's Learn Linux!: Linux Is All About Choice! - Issue #4 - GaiaYoga Gardens, Lower Puna, Far East Big Island, Hawai'i - Saturday, March 11, 2023
Warm greetings fellow Linux-and-FOSS lovers! 😁🙏💚✨🤙
One of the very notable differences between Linux, in its innumerable different distributions, and corporate-owned and developed operating systems like Windows and MacOS, is that Linux very clearly and directly gives the power and freedom of choice back to the people. Whereas with Windows and MacOS you are required to adapt to how a corporation wants you to use their operating system, with very little ability to modify it in any basic way, Linux is the complete opposite, offering a mind-blowing degree of choices around every single aspect of its form, function, and the software installed.
The very first choice that one has regarding Linux is which one (or two, three, four...) of the many hundreds of different distributions that one would like to run. There is a Linux distribution for every taste, preference, and proclivity that one could have! There are very user-friendly distros, great for those coming from Windows or MacOS, and there are distros that are inherently far more hands-on and do-it-yourself, with everything in between. Some, like Arch Linux, offer a great balance between the two, being both very do-it-yourself, with just the right degree of automation.
The next big choice that one would have is the GUI, or Graphical User Interface, which would translate to which Desktop Environment (DE) and/or Window Manager (WM) one would like to use. The super cool thing about Linux is it doesn't really have to be one over the other, as multiple desktop environments and window managers can be installed at the same time, allowing one to go back and forth at will. Some desktop environments are very minimalistic, like XFCE, while others, like KDE Plasma offer everything, including the kitchen sink, with a huge degree of customization possible. There are many more from which to choose as well, each with their own unique flavor. Some desktop environments have their own array of applications, like KDE Plasma and Gnome, while others are application agnostic.
The next notable choice on the list would be the particular applications that one would like to use, and the list is extensive. The number of available applications does vary quite a lot between different distros, however, along with how up-to-date they are. Distros like Debian have massive arrays of software available. Arch has many different ways to install applications: binaries (pre-built packages) from the official repositories and community repositories, build-from-source applications via PKGBUILD files in the AUR (Arch User Repository) and ABS (Arch Build System), and even installing applications from other distros using applications such as debtap (for .deb install files from Debian-based distros).
Even which filesystem to use is up to decision in Linux, each with their own unique benefits. Linux, unlike Windows or MacOS, can be easily be configured to read and write many different filesystems, including those of the above two just mentioned.
Linux, again, unlike Windows or MacOS, plays well with other operating systems, so that it is easy to dual-boot, or multi-boot, allowing one to choose which OS to boot from a configurable boot menu. In everything, Linux gives you the choice, and doesn't make it for you.
OK my dear Hive family, that bring me to the end of this installment of Let's Learn Linux! I hope that you found it interesting, engaging, and perhaps even inspiring! I hope that you're enjoying these posts as much as I enjoy writing them! Until next week! 😁 🙏 💚 ✨ 🤙
All images were taken with my Motorola G Power Android Phone or are screen shots from my laptop.
Thank you all so much who have helped me get to where I am today, and allowing me to share more of the beauty and magic from my life and my world with you, and for your continuous appreciation and support! I am truly deeply grateful! 😁🙏💚✨🤙
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Sources
Signature image created by @doze, and the dividers made by @thepeakstudio, with all tweaked to their present form by me.
Banner image created by me using Polish, with the Arch Linux logo converted into ASCII art, and Tux the Linux Peguin created by Larry Ewing.
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Thanks for the great overview!
You're most welcome Steve! I'm grateful that you appreciated it! 😁 🙏 💚 ✨ 🤙
Thanks for this, I learn a lot!
Absolutely, you're very welcome! I'm grateful that you found it useful! Yay! 😁 🙏 💚 ✨ 🤙
Yay! 🤗
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Linux is the best operating system I have found, since I use it I never need Windows anymore, to the point that I am completely independent of it.
I recently started researching how to change my desktop wallpaper, and I made a script that changes your wallpaper to a random one when you run it.
This is the script to change the wallpaper
#!/bin/bash
"# Path of the wallpapers directory on yor hdd"
wallpaper_folder="/path/of/the/wallpapers"
"# Select one random wallpaper of the directory"
wallpaper=$(ls $wallpaper_folder | shuf -n1)
"# set the wallpaper as background"
pcmanfm --set-wallpaper="$wallpaper_folder/$wallpaper"
Remember to remove the quotes, I had to place them so that you could see the format of the commented lines here in hive.
This script is optimized for lubuntu 16.06 lts, that justifies the use of pcmanfm, i know that you can use feh or any other pkg, but i just made a script that works from cero on any lubuntu 16.04 without have to install or download any package, and pcmanfm complete this requirement.
I'll share it with you, but first I'll explain what I did: I put a direct link on my desktop so that when I click on that file (which is the script) the script will be executed directly, first I'll leave you the configuration of how to do this , is the next:
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Icon=/here/is/the/route/where/theicon/is/icon.png
Name=CHANGE WALLPAPER
Categories=Graphics; Utility
Terminal=false
Hidden=false
Exec=/here/is/the/path/where/the/script/is/located
The above file you have to save with extension .desktop, so for example : wallpaperchange.desktop and drop it on the desktop.
Enjoy!.
Below you can see how the icon looks on my desktop, you just choose the image you want to put in your script (it can be any) and then you have it on the desktop and it runs directly without having to switch to terminal mode or anything.
Awesome brother, that's great! There is so much cool stuff that can be done with scripts! Thank you so much for sharing it! I love it! 😁 🙏 💚 ✨ 🤙
The interesting thing about this script that I made is that you avoid having to install image apps that take up a lot of space or having to download very complex program sources.
With just a few lines of script you can do the same as changing the wallpaper.
If you'd like me to share the script that automates changing the wallpaper every time you start your computer, let me know and I'll post it. It is practically the same but adding a line that what it does is add an indication to the autostart file that the wallpaper change at the next startup, so that every time you start your pc you will have a different wallpaper. The only thing you have to do is have a nice and big gallery of wallpapers and linux does everything else.
It's always a pleasure to help you and the hive community, my brother!
That's excellent! Yes, I'd love for you to post it! I have an application that does something similar, but I like having multiple ways to do things, plus I think it would be useful for others reading this thread! Thank you again so much brother, and I feel the same way! 😁 🙏 💚 ✨ 🤙
Sure my friend, here we go!
#!/bin/bash
"# wallpaper path. You just change the below path for yours."
wallpaper_folder="/home/hive/Pictures/Wallpapers"
"# Select one random wallpaper of the directory"
wallpaper=$(ls $wallpaper_folder | shuf -n1)
"# set the wallpaper as background"
pcmanfm --set-wallpaper="$wallpaper_folder/$wallpaper"
"# Create a config file for changing wallpaper at every boot"
echo "[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Exec=pcmanfm --set-wallpaper='$wallpaper_folder/$(ls $wallpaper_folder | shuf -n1)'
Hidden=false
NoDisplay=false
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true
Name[en_US]=Change Wallpaper
Name=Change Wallpaper
Comment[en_US]=
Comment=" > ~/.config/autostart/change_wallpaper.desktop"
Yay! Thank you! 😁 🙏 💚 ✨ 🤙