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submitted 18 hours ago by Bell@lemmy.world to c/linux@lemmy.ml

The End of Windows 10 is looming. The world needs a simpler, easy, quick, snackable alternative

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[-] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 1 points 53 minutes ago* (last edited 39 minutes ago)

Windows isn't immutable either. And i had a lot of issues with Kinoite. Some flatpaks need workarounds, everything starts only after a second, can't really remove that one annoying software and too much rpm-ostree installs slows updates to a crawl, etc. Then you look into Universalblue's build-your-custom-image and see the bazillion steps and dependencies and walk away.

Now i look into plain Fedora old as a Windows 10 alternative for my mom.

[-] the_wiz@feddit.org 2 points 6 hours ago

9front (with enough volunteers and a modern browser) could be exactly that.

[-] Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 26 points 13 hours ago

You're being downvoted, but you're right.

People want something simple. Something that just runs the basics and automatically backs up online and invisibly.

The vast majority of people don't need to have the choice of 17 different browsers, or 43 office suites, and they certainly don't need the terminal or Powershell, or anything else. They just need a browser and a way to maybe write a letter and view photos. Maybe a way for the kids to do their homework. If their laptop spontaneously combusts, they want to be able to sign into a new one and have everything put back as it was automatically.

ChromeOS is perfect for them, apart from being a Google product. It's something we tend to miss because we're technically minded, but most people don't care about computers, and don't want what we want. They want an appliance. If someone created that system with privacy built in, it could be great :)

[-] countrypunk@slrpnk.net 8 points 13 hours ago

You're absolutely right. We need to have many different options for many different people.

[-] princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 hour ago

I think you're still missing the point though. People that see a computer as an appliance don't want or need many different options and can be overwhelmed by the choice. We need a Linux Basic of some sort that all of us coalesce around to recommend to non-technical users, that is designed to be absolutely bulletproof and unbreakable. I'd say it should be immutable to prevent any accidental fluffery, have flatpaks as the main software installation method (snaps can go to hell and appimages just suck for updating) and come with a productivity suite pre-installed as well as typical codecs so things like streaming services work OOTB. Mint could have been such a choice, but it's just still too niggly for users with no technical skills and no inkling to learn them. We need an "it just works" distro goshdarnit!!

[-] Quazatron@lemmy.world 40 points 17 hours ago

Do we? Who's we?

[-] ISOmorph@feddit.org 16 points 17 hours ago

Is ChromeOS even that successful? Hasn't it been merged with Android already? Seems to me nobody wants "snackable" OSs...

[-] princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 43 minutes ago

Is ChromeOS even that successful?

I think this probably makes sense from within your "bubble", that of being the sort of technical user that's on a Linux forum on the internet. Chromebooks are incredibly popular in education, and ChromeOS has held a marketshare of 5-8% over the last few years, only dipping to 2.5% in the last six months.

Linux already will run on a literal brick, we just need an OS that is web-first and locked down for high school kids in a way where educational institutions will want to buy it in bulk. As for device, we really need something built to be a modern netbook. The Framework 12 could have been that, but it starts at $1244 in fully base spec with an i3-1315U, no Windows license and DIY. What we need is a Framework 10 without expansion cards, without a digitiser/touch, running the barebones Intel N100 4c/4t, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD. Make it as repairable but single SKU and pre-built. Partner with someone like Universal Blue for the OS, who they already have as an official partner for other devices with Bazzite. It also needs to be sub-$600 to compete.

By the way, ChromeOS being folded into Android isn't a negative reflection on it. Google are trying to mimic Samsung DeX with their Pixel devices and it just isn't a smart business decision to develop two parallel desktop experiences when ChromeOS already runs on the Android kernel anyway. Android also has more brand recognition, and overall it will probably encourage developers to make proper desktop kb+m versions of their apps (which can exist in the same apk). A way for Linux to compete there would be strong system integration of Waydroid but that's probably mostly a "bonus feature" if they manage to succeed with everything else.

[-] Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 13 hours ago

I think at least part of the problem has been the built in expiry date, and the fact that so many off brand Chromebooks are absolute shit. They have tiny screens and low specs, and struggle with multiple web pages open.

I fancied one myself to take out and about, as I do most of my work on my PC, but they all seemed to have under 13 inch screens, and a five year shelf life. I like to research my family tree, so have a few tabs open, but the lack of memory would kill them and make it painful to do.

[-] ogeist@lemmy.world 1 points 13 hours ago

Google is using the Microsoft Handbook by providing cheap laptops to students so that's all they get familiar with.

[-] BorisBoreUs@lemmy.world 7 points 14 hours ago

"Please, world World, FOSS World Needs Funding for Something You Want"

[-] 17lifers@sopuli.xyz 6 points 14 hours ago

the existing immutables will do

[-] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 4 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

We really should have a FirefoxOS equivalent. Frankly, there’s little reason not to do this. The only thing really missing is Firefox support for PWAs.

I’d imagine a Debian based OS, with cage first showing a first-time-setup thing, then going to simper web first DE. You still need a panel at the bottom for managing multiple windows and the system tray and wifi and a desktop and start menu for pinned apps. Storage doesn’t even need to be local, it could just point to something in the cloud that you have execute commands on your behalf.

This is the ideal for tons of simple, lightweight users and there are a LOT of them.

[-] CapillaryUpgrade@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 hours ago

That actually sounds like a fun afternoon with Blue-Build.

[-] anothermember@feddit.uk 12 points 17 hours ago

It would need someone to set it up, but I have my non-techy family members on Silverblue and it suits the purpose as outlined. Also not sure why all the fear-mongering about btrfs, I would say it's ready and suitable for mainstream use now, or you don't have to use it.

[-] princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 32 minutes ago

I think there are a lot of people that confuse Btrfs with Bcachefs, which is definitely not ready for primetime.

[-] Hozerkiller@lemmy.ca 6 points 17 hours ago

BTRFS is fine for most people as long as they are using 1 drive.

[-] smeg@feddit.uk 5 points 11 hours ago

What are the issues with multiple drives?

[-] TerHu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 10 hours ago

i also need to know for my setup 😅

[-] Vendetta9076@sh.itjust.works 11 points 18 hours ago
[-] ogeist@lemmy.world 3 points 13 hours ago

Bazzite and PopOs are also very good options

[-] network_switch@lemmy.ml 6 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

I read the article and it just sounds like they're praising ChromeOS for being web browser centric. Need office, open Google docs/drive. Pretty much a Linux distro but by default come with a bunch of progressive web apps installed for common applications?

Consumer expectations. On Linux you can just use the web browser just like most people already do on ChromeOS and I assume windows and mac's. But on regular Linux, Mac, and Windows people expect more. So I guess a distro that brands itself and markets to users to just use the web browser for everything and maybe a store of progressive web apps/preinstalled ones

Also out of the box support. ChromeOS is Google backed. Laptop makers sell mainstream ChromeOS boxes. Linux doesn't have major mainstream device support. It'd be far less fussy if hardware vendors were releasing plenty of Linux out the box hardware. Right now it's some workstation centric hardware from Lenovo and Dell and smaller companies like System76

On that note I'd place my hopes with System76 since they're currently focused on consumer experience. Cosmic DE is still not prime-time ready but maybe a couple more years. 26.04 release use as the default for their new hardware and it still effectively be early adopter phase for Cosmic DE. Then 28.04 ready for primetime. Keep trying to break into being a mainstream hardware brand. Other is what happens with KDE Plasma with Valve and SteamOS, Plasma Mobile, and maybe the TV interface. A bunch of consumer centric use cases driving development in KDE land. Maybe they'll come up with a way to get flatpak permissions work in a way that alerts users on need and makes it easy to do like on Android/iOS

[-] Pat@feddit.nu 1 points 15 hours ago

You could probably make a small Arch install, add LibreOffice and something either like the GNOME browser or Firefox. What people using ChromeOS want is something light (for cheaping out on hardware to schools), and basically just a way to access a browser. Plus, something something permissions. ChromeOS is marketed towards enterprise, like education. Just need the bare minimum to get on the 'net, and no more.

[-] the_wiz@feddit.org 1 points 1 hour ago

In reality, what Chromebooks provide is a reinvention of the good old mainframe and terminal principle. In theory (like my recent - half joking - 9front comment) this is something that would be really easy to set up with nearly all Linux systems and especially immutable ones.

My take would be:

Put an sign up / sign in form as a "first boot" message in a distribution of your choice where you can specify (or have pre-filled by an organisation) a central server (could be something fancy like Nextcloud or something simple rsync based) where your whole profile folder gets synced to. After that: If anything goes kaputt just roll back the sync. Or "powerwasch" (to keep the ChromeOS terminology) the system to a clean state and re-sync your home folder.

In theory something that could all be implemented with a little scripting in an afternoon.

[-] Shareni@programming.dev 2 points 2 hours ago

Why the hell would you use arch for browser centric use? Literally any stable distro would work perfectly fine, and doesn't risk failing to boot because of an update...

[-] princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 26 minutes ago

Because arch btw 🙄

I think an immutable distro like Bazzite's cousins Aurora (KDE) and Bluefin (GNOME) would be far more appropriate. Combined with automatic rollback (if the system fails to boot, rollback to previous version) and it'd be practically bulletproof in education.

[-] conspiracypentester@lemmy.world 3 points 18 hours ago
[-] tux0r@feddit.org -1 points 15 hours ago

The End of Windows 10 is looming. The world needs a simpler, easy, quick, snackable alternative

OpenBSD exists.

That said, this article remains true.

[-] princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 25 minutes ago

I don't know much about it, is OpenBSD suitable for non-technical users?

[-] tux0r@feddit.org 1 points 23 minutes ago
[-] princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 14 minutes ago

Could you elaborate a bit? Is it difficult to break, say compared to an immutable like Bazzite? Is it easy to install software? Does it include support for a variety of hardware OOTB?

[-] tux0r@feddit.org 1 points 1 minute ago

Is it difficult to break

Well, it won't forbid you rm -rf /. But generally, it is very reliable.

Is it easy to install software?

Yes, and there is quite a huge selection available from the official repositories (and you can compile most software "missing" there yourself).

Does it include support for a variety of hardware OOTB?

It depends on the hardware, but generally speaking, OpenBSD supports a nice amount of platforms and tries to keep "old" hardware alive as long as possible (for example, VAX support was dropped in 2016, which was quite some time after they were en vogue). What isn't supported, however, is Bluetooth which was removed in OpenBSD 5.6 unless you use a dongle.

this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2025
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