cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/53891687

Hello guys, today I wanted to talk about a project I deeply care about and I'm actively contributing to, as I believe its good for everyone, including privacy concerned users

Ladybird Browser

This browser comes from the project "SerenityOS", and has since evolved and separated from it. The founders are Andreas Kling, and Chris Wanstrath. The main goal of this project is to create a browser from scratch, avoiding chromium, gecko, etc. The main keypoints that should be of interest for Privacy Oriented Users are the following:

• Ladybird lead (Andreas Kling) states "We're not monetizing users, in any way. This is uncharted territory for browsers. So we're not going to do any default search deals. We're not going to do cryptocurrencies or try to monetize user data, just sponsorships and donations"

• While** Ladybird will implement current web standards including cookie handling and tracking mechanisms for compatibility**, the browser's philosophy puts the user in control of these decisions, not the company. The browser won't have built-in incentives to encourage data collection since it doesn't profit from it.

• It aims to be "free from advertising's influence" Ladybird, representing a shift away from the current web ecosystem where users like us are the product. This allows the project to implement privacy features without worrying about harming advertising partners or revenue streams.

As of now, the project has hired several developers with money coming from donations, from partners such as FUTO, Shopify, Cloudflare, among many, and is also seeing lots of volunteer activity on github. So well, if you like the web having more diversity and us having another alternative to google, check them out https://ladybird.org/

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/38020983

Before We Begin
Hello deck-ers, this guide walks you through installing Waydroid, a tool to run Android apps on your Steam Deck. Links are included below for troubleshooting and updates. Enjoy ;)

Step 1: Set Up a Password

Your Steam Deck’s terminal (Konsole) will ask for a password during installation. If you haven’t set one yet:

1. Switch to Desktop Mode and open the Konsole app (found in the taskbar or applications menu).
2. Type passwd and press Enter.
3. Create a password. For simplicity, a 4-digit code like 9876 works, but use something stronger if security matters to you, (as it should).
   • Note: The password won’t show as you type, this is not a bug.
   • Re-enter the password when prompted to confirm.

Why? This password grants temporary "sudo" access to install software.

Step 2: Install Waydroid

Prerequisite: Ensure your Steam Deck is connected to the internet.

1. Open Konsole (still in Desktop Mode).

2. Copy and paste these commands one by one, waiting for each to finish:

   Command 1 – Download the Installer:

   cd ~/ && git clone https://github.com/ryanrudolfoba/steamos-waydroid-installer
   

   This downloads the necessary files to your home folder.

   Command 2 – Run the Installer:

   cd ~/steamos-waydroid-installer && chmod +x steamos-waydroid-installer.sh && ./steamos-waydroid-installer.sh
   

   This makes the script executable and starts the installation.

3. Wait for the magic to happen!

   • The installer sets up Waydroid and applies custom configurations.
   • Installation takes ~5 minutes (varies with internet speed).
   • When finished, close Konsole and return to Game Mode.

Step 3: Launch Waydroid

1. In Game Mode, navigate to your Library > Non-Steam Games.
2. Find and launch the script named Android_Waydroid_Cage.sh.
3. Waydroid will boot, give it a moment to initialize.

Need to Uninstall?

1. Back in Desktop Mode, open Konsole.
2. Paste these commands:

   cd ~/Android_Waydroid && ./uninstall.sh
   

   This removes Waydroid and its files.

Troubleshooting & Tips

• Issues? Check the official GitHub for known bugs, compatibility notes, and updates.
• Keyboard/Mouse Not Working? Some users report needing a Bluetooth or USB input device for setup.
• Performance: Close background apps in Desktop Mode and try again, otherwise I recommend checking opened issues over on github.

Enjoy your Android apps on Steam Deck! 🎮
Credits to ryanrudolfoba and the Waydroid contributors, cool guys!

Last tip: If this is your thing, check the AndroidTV installation option for a cool docked experience !!!

Before We Begin
Hello deck-ers, this guide walks you through installing Waydroid, a tool to run Android apps on your Steam Deck. Links are included below for troubleshooting and updates. Enjoy ;)

Step 1: Set Up a Password

Your Steam Deck’s terminal (Konsole) will ask for a password during installation. If you haven’t set one yet:

1. Switch to Desktop Mode and open the Konsole app (found in the taskbar or applications menu).
2. Type passwd and press Enter.
3. Create a password. For simplicity, a 4-digit code like 9876 works, but use something stronger if security matters to you, (as it should).
   • Note: The password won’t show as you type, this is not a bug.
   • Re-enter the password when prompted to confirm.

Why? This password grants temporary "sudo" access to install software.

Step 2: Install Waydroid

Prerequisite: Ensure your Steam Deck is connected to the internet.

1. Open Konsole (still in Desktop Mode).

2. Copy and paste these commands one by one, waiting for each to finish:

   Command 1 – Download the Installer:

   cd ~/ && git clone https://github.com/ryanrudolfoba/steamos-waydroid-installer
   

   This downloads the necessary files to your home folder.

   Command 2 – Run the Installer:

   cd ~/steamos-waydroid-installer && chmod +x steamos-waydroid-installer.sh && ./steamos-waydroid-installer.sh
   

   This makes the script executable and starts the installation.

3. Wait for the magic to happen!

   • The installer sets up Waydroid and applies custom configurations.
   • Installation takes ~5 minutes (varies with internet speed).
   • When finished, close Konsole and return to Game Mode.

Step 3: Launch Waydroid

1. In Game Mode, navigate to your Library > Non-Steam Games.
2. Find and launch the script named Android_Waydroid_Cage.sh.
3. Waydroid will boot, give it a moment to initialize.

Need to Uninstall?

1. Back in Desktop Mode, open Konsole.
2. Paste these commands:

   cd ~/Android_Waydroid && ./uninstall.sh
   

   This removes Waydroid and its files.

Troubleshooting & Tips

• Issues? Check the official GitHub for known bugs, compatibility notes, and updates.
• Keyboard/Mouse Not Working? Some users report needing a Bluetooth or USB input device for setup.
• Performance: Close background apps in Desktop Mode and try again, otherwise I recommend checking opened issues over on github.

Enjoy your Android apps on Steam Deck! 🎮
Credits to ryanrudolfoba and the Waydroid contributors, cool guys!

Last tip: If this is your thing, check the AndroidTV installation option for a cool docked experience !!!

Best recent guide on Citron, a Switch Emulator. Seems to perform nicely!

• Video here: https://youtu.be/T6zxEtmmhYA
• Citron link here: https://git.citron-emu.org/Citron/Citron/releases

This is a filler post, in the meantime I'm writting multiple step-by-step guides myself for the upcoming wiki.

Keep sailing!

Hello deck-ers?!

I'm shaytan. After some time away from the internet, and now leaving behind reddit, I'm trying to revive this community as I very recently got a steamdeck, but I've been passionate about linux, linux gaming, and hardware for a while.

My plans for this place are to keep it aligned with piracy and steamdeck, but also take a lot more time into helping general support questions, and sharing resources and content related to the steamdeck and handheld gaming.

I'll try to prepare some posts for this place, and if possible have a good wiki soon!

Any help is welcome!

Roadmap

• 1st -> ~~Mild overhaul of rules and look by the 2nd of February~~
• 2nd -> ~~General opening post for a proper re-start, 5th of February~~
• 3rd -> Some pre-prepared posts/small guides dedicated to new users starting the 6th at a consistency of 1 a week at minimum.
• 4rd-> A proper wiki for all things related to the steamdeck by the end of February at worst
• 5th -> Some more hardware specific and more technical guides by march

As a disclaimer, I want this place to remain piracy oriented, but also more valuable for everyday use, so ideally this place should have more general deck content between piracy posts

It's hard to make the full switch towards a more private life, but switching your mail already fixes a big underlying issue: that being, Google or other companies having access to all your emails. So, I'll cover the basics of making your online mailing more private.

Switching Mail Providers:

Your email is a big part of your online footprint and helps you keep track of your online identity. So, in order to keep that to yourself, I encourage leaving services like:

"Gmail" or "Outlook",

for others like:

"ProtonMail" or "Tutanota".

This is already a big step towards keeping all your emails private and safe. Both of these are free and respect your privacy on their free tier, but expand in features with paid plans. This takes time, as you have to switch your email on most accounts to this new email.

For the best privacy, you should delete most accounts and create new ones with this new email or with aliases. Some people, like myself, prefer to have multiple emails over aliases. For example:

• "something.banking11231@provider.me" -> For banking and finance
• "something.social12312@provider.me" -> For social media
• "general.use@provider.me" -> For casual and responsible internet use
• "something.trash21412@provider.me" -> For crappy websites or similar uses

(Self-hosting your own mail domain is possible, but it’s a harder process, and custom domains are not always accepted or reliable.)

(You should keep your old email for a year or so to make sure no important service was left behind locked to that email. Once that's done, you can delete the account.)

Tips:

If you can, you should try expanding your protocol with this:

• Adding 2FA to any online website, especially email. I use ~~"Authy" ~~for this. -> Better use Aegis, good app!

• Switching your browser to something like "Librewolf".

• Switching to a password manager like "Proton Pass" or "1Password".

• Encourage your close family to do the same once you're comfortable with the process.

• Switch social media to private alternatives.

• If you take any efforts to switch browser or install Aegis, try to use "F-droid", or even better, "Droidify". These being a FOSS app store, and a good Material alternative frontend. For apps not in here, consider "Aurora store", a more private **"Play store" **alternative

This is about it for me, quick posts from class, feel free to add into this topic bellow.

Edit:

Important additions after reading the comments:

• Proton is a bit disencouraged by some for some political views published by the CEO under proton's account and image. They backed down, and I believe it isn't something too bad as for users to leave such a good privacy oriented suite of apps. I encourage anyone who cares about this topic to research before making the switch.

• Mail is not 100% private with any option, and shouldn't be used for highly sensitive information. For that use end to end encrypted apps well respected, like "signal". Still is best to just don't send very sensitive information online.

• As a comment pointed, for a mail to be as private as possible, both the sender and reciever should have a private mail, otherwise you can be private but the other person would still be having your mail conversations stored under "gmail" or similar.

Sorry if this post didn't give the best newbie advice, I tried to track back some of my old knowledge, but I'll take more time to research the next time. Take care and stay private!