You guys amaze me. While I’m gobsmacked by your understanding of such intricate code, I just install a distro and use it. If I like it, I’ll use it for a while. If I don’t like it, I load another. 99% of distros work quite nicely for me. I generally operate my life on the K.I.S.S. principle, so it also works on my computer.
Cheers!
Hi @4dandl4
I dont think you would see much difference during the install.
When you came to use Gentoo with systemd, you would find the log files no longer as text files that you could easily read. You have to learn systemd commands to look at the logs.
And if you wanted to start or stop a daemon… for example you might want to start ftpd… well you do it a different way and again you would have to learn the systemd instruction for starting a process.
I can never remember the systemd commands … I dont use it often enough.
Regards
Neville
Hi Bill,
I like that. It is true… most good distros on standard home PC just run without a problem.
I like simple software. The simplest distro is Void… but it is so simplified they left out most of the GUI stuff, and most users would miss that.
The simplest init system is runit… thats why Void uses it.
The main thing about dealing with a complex thing like a Linux system is to break it up into modules so your mind can focus on
one issue at a time.
Us retired home users are fortunate. We can take a bit of time to do things in a nice way , rather than having to force thru some task using clunky tools that we havent time to fix.
Regards
Neville
I’ll add Void to my Ventoy or run it in Boxes, just for you.
That’s where I live, berninghausen. I certainly would be opposed to systemd from a philosophical standpoint, and I understand philosophy drives MANY people to Linux, ergo, I can see the problem with the rationale.
But while my philosophical opposition may exist, it is overridden by the fact that I just like using computers that work for tasks I am interested in. I have stated that I am NOT a programmer. True. But in early days of my career, I used some very cumbersome systems that required significant internal/systems-based programming. Look up a Compugraphic desktop publishing desk for one example. And I was a whiz at that stuff. But we are talking 8-bit systems. I dabble in distros because I want the BEST ONE FOR ME. I have found three I am fond of… Zorin, Pop! and Solus Budgie. I probably will keep playing, but I am well satisfied with these three rockin distros!
Totally agree, fishyaker. If it floats my boat/blows my skirt up/makes me happy/gets work done, it’s a good distro.
As an example, today I’m using Kubuntu 22.04 with Firefox and KMail. Utterly beautiful and functional. For some reason, Evolution didn’t want to work and I’m tired of Thunderbird. And the newest KDE is nice on my eyes. I have Mint 20.3 and Rolling Rhino 2204-19 on my other drives. Might be time to take a break from Mint and try something else–maybe Void, Neville?
Thats great.
It is rather barebones… you need to add a few apps
Neville
@nevj
Indeed it is barebones!!! I was able to emerge Firefox, but I cannot find a file manager. I am now emerging xfce, so I can get a light weight DE.
Don’t want to force a thread split, but I have had some issues with Evolution. I have sort of quit looking for a magic email app and have resorted to webmail for most of my accounts. But I do miss having a good mail app to just handle shit.
It has the insight file manager. It is OK but unusual
You might prefer something else.
Thunderbird is about the best
Hang on, you already have a dte… Not a good idea to install a second one
I think it means you should edit the file xinitrc and add the line
exec startxfce4
presumably at the end of the file.
Then if you say startx it will do what is in the .xinitrc file
Try it, no harm
neville
@nevj
I always have trouble understanding this!!! Correct me if I am wrong, but
this is what I did>
I “cd ~/” and did a “ls -a”, to see the .files
I then used “touch .xinitrc” to create the .file in ~/
I then used “nano .xinitrc” to open and edit the .xinitrc file and entered the
“exec startxfce4” for “startx” to work one can also invoke the " startxfce4"
command. I now have the display manager and sddm merged so I can
login at boot.
Yes, you can either
It would seem installing xfce automatically includes an install of sddm , and that the sddm daemon is started automatically when you boot so that sddm uses either 1. or 2. (dont know which but probably 1.).
So now, instead of a text screen login prompt you get an sddm login screen.
Lumina is different. When you install lumina , it doesnt automatically drag in sddm… at least it didnt in my Void install. So I had to install sddm ( actually I used lxdm) separately. … What happened in Gentoo?
In the old days display managers did not exist. You just booted to the text screen, logged in, and typed startx. Much simpler.
Cheers
Neville
systemd is ebic!! It’s the devil for many, but I love the init system!! People are just astroturfers on the antisystemdclub, like how most linux users astroturf with the archmasterraceclub.
Note: club replaces circlejerk as I have to be mindful of audience and I had a life on Reddit.
Watch this video, anti-systemders Why Systemd is the Devil but I Love It - YouTube
