They are finally adding the option to setup a user desktop to the installer in a build shortly. Which needed to be done years ago IMO. They are doing some outreach on their YouTube channel.
If they do I might try it. However I've had issues getting the video drivers to behave on BSDs even ones that "should" work. Hopefully podman and/or docker is something I can use easily.
Steam Controller was significantly better than Xbox controllers for some kinds of games, but it was much clunkier for others. Steam Deck's controller is an improvement over either of them, and this new Steam Controller appears to be pretty much Deck's controller without the Deck, with some tiny extras added.
The Steam Controller is amazing for first person games. I set the right pad to quick mouse movement with some inertia and the gyro to precise mouse movement, and it feels so natural and pleasant to use.
I have six of the previous generation controller and I love them, only minor annoyance is pairing them occasionally. I don't really use the haptics part all that much though
Gaming on Linux is hit and miss, depending on the distro you use and your desktop environment. Some games should be launched with gamescope if you are using Gnome/GDM
To have HellDivers run in borderless window on Debian 14. It required me to manually compile gamescope (wasn't that difficult but Valve's instructions are out of date), and use the backports on Trixie to upgrade the kernel to 6.16, and update wireplumber and pipewire (sound was flakey on some games). Kernel 6.16 performs much better than 6.12 just generally.
All the Arkham games work perfectly. Doom Eternal has some weird latency in the mouse and aiming doesn't feel right.
I could never get my Xbox One bluetooth controller behaving with Linux. I ended buying a 8bitdo Xbox style controller which works perfectly. It is much better made than the Xbox controller and roughly the same price.
A few games I've tried required a little fiddling to work correctly. Some of these, like Dark Souls, required me to get a Windows patcher to run in linux to patch a windows binary, which required me to launch the patcher from Proton in Steam, and know where Steam installed the game. Not straightforward at all, but it can be done. I would not call it an experience for the average Windows gamer.
Some of the latest shooters, will get you banned because anti-cheat.
That said, there's nothing in my library (180 games!) that doesn't run in Linux, and I have a number of games that you can't even get to run in Windows at all anymore.
I think the gaming community should all send Gabe Newell a Valentines Day card, or maybe a Christmas gift, or something. Seriously, the man has done so much for gaming, think of where we'd be without him. Windows App Store, Sony Game Store, walled gardens...
No the correct choice is what I want to use and it is Debian. Distro-hopping doesn't fix your problems and you will end up with either the same issues or more issues by distro-hopping.
I use my Linux machine for things other than games and I am not moving to "distro of the week" to run one game.
The correct choice if you don't want to spend all that time fucking around with your configs to play a game is Bazzite. If you value something more than the time you save then sure, use Debian for that ineffable reason: but don't bitch and moan about Linux being hard to play games on just because you're using a distro that isn't designed for it.
Bazzite makes gaming easy and is the Linux distro for gaming.
>People exaggerate the problems of using a stable distro.
Stability isn't a problem, it's a feature. Companies trust Debian, Ubuntu LTS, etc. for their servers EXACTLY because the packages are old.
This isn't the case with desktop computers, where the latest optimizations are delivered weekly if not monthly, and may improve performance across the board.
I've been playing games on Debian Stable for many years now, and although there were some issues back when the Linux Steam client first came out, in past five or so years, I noticed that I tend to forget to even check whether a game works with Proton before buying, and I haven't had any issues playing all sorts of games.
Of course, I don't play AAA slop that's essentially rootkits with a game attached on the side, but even more reasonable AAA titles tend to work just fine.
What I'm trying to say is that this "debian stable is from previous century" confusion needs to die. They had one or two slightly longer periods between two stable releases, many years in the past, but that seems to be all people remember.
Even if you didn't want to use the Steam versions. Steam OS is essentially a customised Arch Linux and you can install stuff as you would on other Linux distros e.g. via packages and flathub. Basically it is a regular computer underneath. That is why I am very excited about this Steam box.
You can add packages, but they can be wiped by the updates. Flatpaks work seamlessly and because of the Deck's popularity, most everything you would want is available in flatpak form
On the Steam Deck you boot into desktop mode and it’s a standard Linux. Install what you want. I have Heroic Launcher on mine, running games from GOG and Epic alongside Steam games.
A good portion of these stickers are to do with things that are political or quasi political. What tends to happen is that a lot if times people have been burned in someway for supporting an idea or a cause. This is often because people have been fooled by charlatan, or it was later revealed that things were more complicated or different than they were led to believe.
Cringe and why people hate it is best explained by watching the very first episode of the UK office.
Most people want to go to work, turn up and do their time and go home. People that are often top enthusiastic are difficult to deal with day to day. People that adorn their personal possessions with slogans are seen as a warning sign.
I think it's more a very lame flex. Macbooks were expensive and if you were walking around the office with a Macbook it was because you were important enough to convince management to buy you one instead of some crappy Dell. Eventually enough people get Macbooks that you need another way to stand out so you slap a bunch of cheap stickers all over it to show everyone, "See, you coddle your trophies. I beat mine up because it's just a tool and I don't care. I'm too busy gettin' it done!"
My work devices don't have much on them, mostly corporate asset tags and the like. My own, though, I make my own. The stickers reflect things I like or find amusing; maybe they'll get a smirk or a chuckle from someone else, maybe not.
In the end, they're like the tattoos that someone else commented on. (I have those as well.) If you appreciate them, great! If you don't like them, that's fine too. Fundamentally, they're not for you.
I think you might be romanticizing this, a bit. When you convince the public that not talking about something is the best course of action, they become a lot easier to control. We learned this during WWII with the propaganda machine that was fully employed on all fronts, and arguably before that with the work of Edward Bernays and people like him. If public discourse and debate could be quashed, then it was much, much easier to simply tell everyone what their opinions of a thing should be.
I think that on its face the term "sacred knowledge" kind of communicates an intimacy that indicates that it's not something that's shared with people who don't have a privileged relationship with you.
I think the big difference now is that people have a megaphone in the form of social media and they forget just how wide the statements they shout through it can spread.
They are slowly removing branches in the UK. Opening hours are only a few hours a week in certain places. You have to use the app to verify online purchases in my case. There is no workaround.
I basically firewall stuff like the bank apps and other stuff on my phone. My PC for the most part is just Debian Linux and my car is an older vehicle that can be literally repaired indefinitely due to it being more utilitarian.
The problem is that a lot of that has been ruined by corporate cringe and "weird funny stuff" is no longer weird and funny, especially when you have a bunch of influencers trying to either monetise it, sanitise it and/or attach their personal brand to it.
e.g. One of the biggest people that does Debian content, does a bunch of absolute cringe behaviour associated with them where I almost want to die of second hand embarrassment.
From my POV (old?, never on social mass media), you live in a strange world if some influencer has any... influence on your opinion of Debian. I see little to no monetization of "the good stuff".
They don't have any influence about what I think of Debian. What happens though is people outside will associate their (unbearably cringe in this case) behaviour with you, whether you like it or not.
I'm a long-time Debian user and I have no idea who you're talking about. How much weight do they actually carry? Who is this influencer you're talking about?
I gave an example of something I remembered from last month. I can't remember the exact name of the account, and I normally block them afterwards or mute them from the feed.
The reason I am complaining about this is I was trying to find some good info to send to a friend. I ended up making my own videos to send to them as I had 3 or 4 different people asking me to show them how to do things on Debian. So I ended up recording how to do it myself.
I will also complain about it in the manner I wish. Since you have no called me a clown, I will now complain about it more vaguely.
I legitimately do not understand this kind of behavior.
A: "I have an excellent example that clearly illustrates my point."
B: "Great, what is it?"
A: "Uhm, if you don't already know, then you're stupid. You can easily find it anywhere."
We're gatekeeping evidence that supports our claims now?
What? I’ve been active frequently on Mastodon since 2018 and I have no idea who or what you’re talking about. A link would be helpful rather than playing the “oh you know who…” game.
There are loads of tech influencers in the Linux space on Youtube and loads of techie platforms. There is various levels of cringe in the Linux space, some of it is honestly embarrassing. If you don't see it already, you are going to tell me it isn't a problem. There isn't one person doing this. There are plenty.
It isn't I won't say. It is I can't remember because I pretty much insta-block it when I see it.
Some notable examples of stuff I've seen in Linux / Tech land the last few months:
- One person was dressed in a furry lizard suit, while compiling gentoo.
- Another person made a song about Debian packages. I thought it was a gag at first.
- Another woman was dressed in a school girl outfit, cat ears and a push up bra (not sure she was Linux stuff, but it was tech).
I am not expecting everyone to be some greybeard in his office but some of it is a bit much and sometimes they have really good info in the video, but the initial impression is so jarring that it will put people off (I had people tell me this).
I actually made my own YouTube channel because I was trying to find decent information to send to someone who was a new Linux user without this BS. I ended up making videos myself detailing how to setup a bunch of stuff up.
The point we're making in this thread is that we aren't seeing the same things you are, and it's highly likely that whatever comments you're thinking about are not representative of the kinds of opinions people in tech hold.
I am not going back through months worth of YouTube history to satisfy people have insinuated that I have been lying on a claim that isn't even that controversial. I mainly watch car and canal boats videos these days and don't bother with tech stuff outside of security and home lab bits and pieces.
I was trying to find videos palatable to someone that is interested and just wants to run something reliable instead of Windows. I didn't find any.
> The point we're making in this thread is that we aren't seeing the same things you are, and it's highly likely that whatever comments you're thinking about are not representative of the kinds of opinions people in tech hold.
Linux cringe is a thing that been a complaint for a while. That why people do copy-pasta of the GNU\Linux stuff, the "programmer socks" meme, "I run arch BTW" and there is the infamous dropbox post made on here back in 2008.
Most people that don't exist in online world, find all of this very weird and off putting.
You are asking for something unreasonable i.e. I go through possibly several months of YouTube history in a comment section argument to "prove" that there people in the Linux community that do weird and cringey things, which is something that they are known for.
This is after you insinuated that I lied less than two comments ago. You put remembering in scare quotes and some other dude told me I was a "clown" because I can't remember username I saw months ago.
So no. I won't be doing that for you or anyone else now.
What you asked me to do was overly onerous for a discussion.
Even if I found the links and gave you them, I will be told there isn't a problem (especially judging by the username) and I am "taking things too seriously".
There is huge amount of cringe and embarrassing behaviour in the Linux community and Tech community in general. It is well known and denying it is utterly disingenuous.
I used to put stickers on my desktop PC and laptop when I was in my early 20s. Then I realised my laptop was kinda free advertising for whatever companies product I had stuck on the back.
Now it seems have come very "corporate cringe", similar to the 16 pieces of flair at Chotchkie's. It also looks a bit childish IMO.
Are they really that funny though? While I appreciate that it is subjective, they are often only vaguely funny.
More often or not a lot of the supposed humour is a thin veneer over some sort of political or quasi-political messaging. You can even see in the screenshots that most of it is either political, product placement or their tech stack.
As a JS developer, I once had a sticker in the npm font, but it said "left-pad". I liked that one.
Just a pretty one is fine too though. I had a cool one at some point that was the logo of a small local meetup with friendly organisers, and the logo was essentially a drawing of a local landmark. It fit perfectly over the OEM logo. I miss that one.
> I wouldn't even put this in the "somewhat amusing" category. This is really in the 16 pieces of allowed flair category as far as I am concerned.
There you are, the perfect quote for you to print out and stick on your laptop!
Turns out you were just waiting for the right one all along. And you thought you just dropped in here to be grumpy. Oh, no, we have stickers here for everyone. =)
It isn't grumpiness. I am allowed to complain about cringe and slacktivism which is rife in the tech land, which is what laptop stickers are. It is a symptom of a bigger problem.
I was actually not sure which word to use before: "grumpy" or "complain". I went with the former, because somewhere above, you told somebody off for their innocent little left-pad sticker. This whole thread reads to me like some guy yelling about how lawns used to be greener and had fewer balls on them.
But that's okay, I think you are right, and of course you're allowed to do that. We all have our things that tick us off.
One of mine is, I recently realized, people who casually believe in astrology. You know, they're a libra, they tell me, and of course I would think astrology is stupid because I'm a candelabra with Jupiter ascending or whatever, and these are always sceptical all the time.
I got super annoyed when someone suggested to me that astrological signs were a great topic for small talk. I disagree. Babbling about astrology as if its tenets were true is a symptom of a bigger problem, a growing problem, and I will not take part in it.
> about cringe and slacktivism which is rife in the tech land, which is what laptop stickers are. It is a symptom of a bigger problem.
I understand what you're getting at. I'm not sure I agree fully, I'm more reminded of the stupid fad when I was in high school when all the kids put stickers on their backpacks, often political ones. I also happen to think these laptop stickers are often empty, cheap gestures resulting in ugly laptops.
But in the end, it's just people being people, expressing themselves, some of them trying to have a little fun or meaning or levity in their lives, whether we share it or not.
And if people like you and me show up and do nothing but complain about them, and I tell them they're stupid for thinking they "are" a "libra", and you tell them how their sticker isn't even funny, then at that point, we have not only not accomplished anything (I wouldn't even feel better myself), and it's entirely fitting to call us grumpy.and maybe even make a little fun of us.
A lot of things suck, and I'm sorry these stickers reminded you of some of them. I hope you can find something nicer to think about, and smile. :)
> I went with the former, because somewhere above, you told somebody off for their innocent little left-pad sticker.
I didn't tell anyone off. I honestly don't see what amusing about it. You stick it on the back of your laptop and do what? I used to forget the stickers were even there when I did it and found it very annoying to peel off later.
> And if people like you and me show up and do nothing but complain about them, and I tell them they're stupid for thinking they "are" a "libra", and you tell them how their sticker isn't even funny, then at that point, we have not only not accomplished anything (I wouldn't even feel better myself), and it's entirely fitting to call us grumpy.and maybe even make a little fun of us.
I've long accepted I am an arsehole. The opinion I originally said was pretty mild and as per usual people made it more of a controversy than it originally was.
Ah right, I'm making my boss happy with that one I suppose?
Well, glad I also had the local landmark icon on it then, to prove that I'm also a free thinker.
Then again, the laptop after that had an "I work with someone from Tulsa, Oklahoma" sticker, which I suppose I merely stuck on there to get the approval of my former coworker from Tulsa who made that sticker, probably hoping I would get a promotion out of it down the road.
Political messaging I am completely fed up with and I am sure I am not the only person fed up with it. I go out of my way now to make sure that I see almost none of it.
When I see overt political messaging outside of someone that works for a particular organisation or political party, I steer clear.
I've found that most people (doesn't matter what political persuasion) have a very poor understanding of what they are actually supporting if they understand it at all. Often they simply parroting what they've elsewhere.
why is it surprising that people feel like showing their own politics with stickers when the government they live under currently deports random people, blows up boats based on vague accusations, tries to reform the country with Project2025, ..., do i have to go on?
nice for you that you're able to ignore politics - you should maybe be aware that this is a privilege. lots of people would probably want to ignore politics, but instead they have to fear for their existence, dignity or way of life.
"but not everyone on HN is american", well, other countries also have their fair share of political issues. and if you don't see them as issues, then again, you're just showing your own privilege.
high-wage, male, (often times white) tech-workers wonder why people are upset. "i'm fine, what's the problem?"
Most of those people and organizations they represent switch themes every couple of years when the previous problem they worked on gets fully solved. It's incredibly obvious for those of us looking from the outside. They solved (and therefore abandoned) COVID by the middle of 2020, which is when they were forced to work on anti-black racism in the US. That one was resolved by the end of 2021, after which they focused on Ukraine. That one didn't stay long thanks to their incredible efficiency at solving complex problems, therefore they switched to Gaza. Having mostly solved that problem by now, they decided to focus on internal politics again. I wonder how long this will stick.
> why is it surprising that people feel like showing their own politics with stickers when the government they live under currently deports random people, blows up boats based on vague accusations, tries to reform the country with Project2025, ..., do i have to go on?
I am in my early-40s. I remember when Obama was droning people abroad based on iffy intel. I remember when George Bush/Dick Cheney started a war in Afghanistan and Iraq, which killed possibly millions (I heard all sorts of different numbers).
If I put a sticker on my laptop, it doesn't stop any of that happening. It doesn't bring back the people that killed in those wars. All it is trying to do is signal to other people that you have the "right opinions". It is a form of slacktivism.
> nice for you that you're able to ignore politics - you should maybe be aware that this is a privilege. lots of people would probably want to ignore politics, but instead they have to fear for their existence, dignity or way of life.
I am mature enough to understand that in the vast majority of circumstances I cannot affect in the outcome in any meaningful way.
Whether I ignore politics or not will have no effect on the outcome. I suggest you go back and watch old TV programs and documentaries. People were having the same discussions 20, 30 and some 50 years ago on the exact topics and making the same arguments, often they were word for word the same.
> "but not everyone on HN is american", well, other countries also have their fair share of political issues. and if you don't see them as issues, then again, you're just showing your own ignorance, privilege or both.
I choose to ignore the political issues in my country (the UK) as well. I can't do anything to solve the problems in the country.
No it isn't. I cannot do anything meaningful about it.
I have written in the past to MPs (many times). I was either ignored, or I was told I didn't know what I was talking about even though I actually was working in a related area.
If I talk to my friends, they don't care. If I talk to my relatives, they don't care either or understand. If I talk about it on the internet, I am told I am wrong and I should shutup, even when I post direct evidence of something and back it up with references. This hasn't been just one thing either, it been many different things.
So I want you to tell me what am I supposed to do exactly?
> if literally everyone around you is saying that you are wrong (Including your friends, even), then maybe it is time for some soul searching.
No I said they don't listen to what I say or are likely to understand it. I am normally talking about technical things and how it interfaces with law e.g. OSA, encryption, right to repair etc.
Many people in my family are laymen and work manual jobs their only use of technology is Whatsapp, Facebook and Xbox Live. My brother is a welder, my father is a joiner. My best friend loads purfume onto a truck and cannot do basic algebra and skipped school at 14, my other two good friends while more educated are completely non technical. I normally get a link to amazon as a screenshot in whatsapp as they don't know how to copy and past from the address bar.
What usually happens is that I am proven right like about a year or two later and it is never mentioned again because I don't want to berate my family and friends. I've learned over time not to bother discussing these subjects with them because it is a waste of time. One of my friends got quite upset once when I was talking about how bitmap graphics worked.
Thanks though for taking the worst possible interpretation of what I said and not answering my question I asked and doing pretty much what I am complaining about. I really appreciate that :-S.
I want you to answer my original question. If people don't listen to you (MPs, and other people in power) and you can back up what you are saying with good evidence. What are you supposed to do?
Giving up just ensures that your voice and values certainly won’t be heard.
But I guess it’s comfortable enough for you still so there is little reason to get active.
Soon it won’t be so comfortable anymore also for you, by then it will be too late to speak up.
It’s laughable that you think nothing has changed in the last 50 years politically.
Not so recently they were still putting people to death by the hundreds of thousands in my country and I’m sure as shit not gonna let it happen again, even if it’s a bit cringe for you to witness resistance to facism
> Giving up just ensures that your voice and values certainly won’t be heard.
It won't be heard anyway. It is a fiction that I as a fucking nobody can affect anything in any meaningful manner. It is a delusion that is sold to people so they believe that they have a voice.
The only thing I might be able to do is stop other people from wasting their time.
> But I guess it’s comfortable enough for you still so there is little reason to get active. Soon it won’t be so comfortable anymore also for you, by then it will be too late to speak up.
What you are doing is essentially a guilt trip. I don't want to spend possibly the rest of my life on a political project.
> It’s laughable that you think nothing has changed in the last 50 years politically.
No it isn't. Go back 40-50 years (1970s) and look at TV, docs, news reports etc. Many of the same issues are being discussed in pretty the same way word for word. I have read stuff about the Roman Empire where it seems people were making political arguments that sounded very similar to what is heard today. The human condition is constant throughout all of recorded history.
> Not so recently they were still putting people to death by the hundreds of thousands in my country and I’m sure as shit not gonna let it happen again, even if it’s a bit cringe for you to witness resistance to facism
I've heard this melodramatic nonsense my entire life. The Nazis and Fascists are gone, the few that remain are completely irrelevant. I was told George Bush was Hitler 2.0 back in the early 2000s. These days people talk about his bad paintings.
The problem is that it isn't just stickers on a piece of equipment.
A lot of these laptop stickers are either tech stacks (which are usually a form of advertising for a corporation), quasi-political messaging or outward political messaging.
I've partially explain this in my OP and other replies under this subject, but I and many other see them as a warning sign of things that are much more worrisome. I am naturally suspicious of any "corporate fun stuff" which is what a lot of this has turned into. That was accurately portrayed for what it is in office space with the "16 pieces of flair". Anyone who calls this out as suspicious will have someone like yourself saying "what is the problem? just a sticker".
Nope. You asked the question, I gave you a pretty clear and polite answer, which in retrospect you didn't deserve. It is fine if you don't agree, being a dick about it isn't.
If you aren't interested in my (or anyone elses) POV, don't bother asking the question in future.
Kind of like seeing a car with a bunch of bumper stickers? Nothing necessarily wrong with it, but you feel like you might want to keep the owner at a certain distance in order to keep your life simple and calm.
I have no brand loyalty, hero worship, religion, sports or team in particular, and my hobbies are my own. I have no problem sharing my opinions, but I didn't do stickers, posters, band shirts, or anything like that growing up and still don't. And I heavily agree with the office space reference. Plus, it feels distinctly un-corporate or business professional to allow company devices to be branded in such a way.
And with all of that being said, this hn article has me ruminating on what people are declaring with these things, and my takeaway is that it is a form of tribal expression. Whether it is a "I work with tech stacks" or media entertainment they prefer on their own time, it is a way to find like-minded people and share perhaps some whimsy or at the very least make their laptop distinguishable from the other thousand plus in their organization. Much like how all crossovers are nearly identical in a parking lot, so too are the numerous HP/Macs/what-have-you sitting on everyone's desk. Much like changing the wallpaper away from a corporate logo, if allowed, you're making that piece of equipment more "yours". Much like ricing your terminal.
If the company culture allows this and you see senior staff doing it, in a way it is in your favor to follow the trend - just to say, I see what's going on and I will join in to show my affiliation with this company's culture. It also gives you a chance to say "this is my tribe" and influence people, one way or another. And face it, a blank laptop lid is also a form of expression, whether you intend for it to be or not. So embrace it if allowed, rebel if it isn't allowed and see who follows suit or complains, or don't embrace it. It's a choice you make even if you do not play along.
And to be frank, in our current climate, politics is very important. One side uses their freedom of speech to suppress others and has more branding on their vehicles and toolboxes than a Lisa Frank notebook binder from the 80s. This as a form of intimidation, as well as expression. I think there should be more political stickers. For every "Don't Tread On Me" there should be a counter "We Will Tread Where There Is Inequality".
I know the argument, "there is no need for politics in the workplace", but companies are more political than any individual, as they contribute campaign fiances to both parties, thanks to Citizens United. If they don't want politics at work, they should take their work out of politics.
Edited to Add: Sticker Bombing has strong Punk roots. And few things are more punk than putting politics where corporations may not like it; directly in their face. Now, whether or not sticking bombing your laptop lid is still punk is debatable, but you cannot deny its roots.
I also get people want to personalise stuff. I drive an old 4x4 and modded it (nothing too crazy), and I am planning on getting an Armstrong MT-350 if I can find one. Each one will require me actually doing work on the vehicles.
> And to be frank, in our current climate, politics is very important.
I heard that 20 years ago when I was in my early 20s. Everyone claims it is of the upmost importance at <current time>. Even if it was, putting a sticker on a laptop isn't going to change it.
If they do I might try it. However I've had issues getting the video drivers to behave on BSDs even ones that "should" work. Hopefully podman and/or docker is something I can use easily.