I'm your regular end user. I use my computers to edit text, audio and video, watch movies, listen to music, post and bank on the internet...

my main computer uses now debian 12.5 after abandoning xubuntu.

For my backup notebook I have several candidates:

• Simply install debian 12.5 again, the easiest choice.

• Install linux mint, so I get ubuntu but without them throwing their subscription services down my throat. I'm unsure about other advantages, as ubuntu is debian based, maybe the more frequent program updates? Kernels are also updated more often than with debian as far as I know. Do you know of other advantages?

• Go for FreeBSD: this might require a learning curve, because this is an OS I've never used. Are commands that different from debian?

other more niche linux OSs seem too much a hassle and I guess won't be as supported as the main ones.

I was thinking about using graphene OS, but I've read some lemmy users dislike this OS due to perceived misleading advertising and the pixel 7a you're supposed to install graphene on because it's from google (an advertising company).

Another option would be lineage OS, but there is so much false information about this OS, namely compatible phones that simply don't work with this OS and no support.

what works for you? I want a phone with no google, that doesn't force me to use the manufacturer's ecosystem and that won't show the apps I don't want or need (on an asus I own you cannot neither get rid nor hide bloatware)

target OS is debian or linux mint

how do I start looking for the package I need?

This happens with some mkv files and to all mp4 files I play, both with apt and flatpak installed vlc versions.

this never happened on the same computer with xubuntu 23.10

I had to attach a piece of plastic 1 inch thick to a shoe sole to make it 1 inch taller. Why is not relevant.

After using this frankenshoe for 2 months I no longer need it, but the shoe sole is sticky.

I used isopropyl alcohol to rub it and removed a bit of junk, but part of the surface is still sticky. I applied more isopropyl and let it act for an hour. Still sticky.

What works for you?

after reading https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-a-Keyboard and other sources I used a 75% isopropyl alcohol solution to clean my black and grey plastic notebook's keys and surface.

I applied the alcohol to cotton pads. Each cotton pad I used came back black, completely black. This is the first time I use isopropyl alcohol to clean this notebook I bought it 8 years ago.

To clean the surface I sometimes pressed the pad with my nails, because I first thought the black residue on the cotton pads was simply dirt and oils accumulated during 8 years. Now, on second thoughts, it could be the isopropyl alcohol solved the upper layer of plastic and now the clearer lines I see where I pressed with my nails are how the notebook looked 8 years ago. Lines look like an anarchic groove, but don't feel different to the finger.

On other parts I can also see the circular motions I applied to clean those parts. Do I have to apply more alcohol or have I already damaged the plastic?

OTOH I cannot believe wikihow and other sources like https://www.howtogeek.com/65073/how-to-thoroughly-clean-your-keyboard-without-breaking-anything/ would include information that hurts the computer.

Am I doing this right?

I'd like to install linux mint xfce 21.3 and xubuntu 24.04 alongside the already present debian 12.5, but I don't know if I have to create the partitions before installing or if I'm guided to create the partitions while installing.

On debian 12.5 there are 3 partitions already: /boot/efi, /boot and nvme0 without a mount point, which I encrypted. I used lsblk to get this information.

Incidentally I ask: in the encrypted partition I reserved 50% of space for my home directory, created LV (logical volumes) for /var (9.2GiB) and /tmp (2 GiB) as well. Can I edit the size of these LV?

The other question is, am I installing too many distros on the same computer? CPU is an Intel Core i7-7500U CPU @ 2.70GHz

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/16399318

I own several external 2.5'' HDDs on the 1 TB range where I save my data. Samsung has worked well for me, but now I need more space.

One option would be to buy an external SSD instead of HDD.

Another would be to get an external NVME, but so far I haven't found cases for them.

Nowadays we even have 1 TB flash drives, should I get one of these instead?

I could also buy 2 0.5 TB micro SD cards instead.

So many options make it difficult to decide.

What brands and technologies do you recommend?

Software is going to be debian based.

I own several external 2.5'' HDDs on the 1 TB range where I save my data. Samsung has worked well for me, but now I need more space.

One option would be to buy an external SSD instead of HDD.

Another would be to get an external NVME, but so far I haven't found cases for them.

Nowadays we even have 1 TB flash drives, should I get one of these instead?

I could also buy 2 0.5 TB micro SD cards instead.

So many options make it difficult to decide.

What brands and technologies do you recommend?

Software is going to be debian based.

In every ubuntu derivative, if I open a terminal and type an unrecognized command I always get suggestions.

This is so far not what happens with debian 12.5. What package do I need?

And what do debian users use to find new packages from the terminal?

I don't know if I didn't install non free firmware. Pavucontrol is installed. If I type alsa on a terminal it returns: bash: alsa: command not found.

ETA: turns out I only had to update the system

Hardware: 2014 macbook, nuked macos, clean xubuntu 24.04 installation

I never experienced this with my other notebook, a 2016 model from a Taiwanese vendor, forgot the name.

On the macbook: I plug in the external HDD, xubuntu recognizes and opens the volume, I can use vlc to play video files (mostly mkv, x265) but then, 2 to 5 minutes later, xubuntu reconnects to the HDD, meaning the connection stopped and vlc stops playing the file. Not big files, 250 to 500 MiB, 1080p

It's impossible to watch a 30 minute show.

This never happened with the 2016 notebook and on this notebook I also installed xubuntu 24.04, so I'm assuming this is a hardware issue.

Is it so? Any way to avoid this?

the macbook is an Intel Core i5-4278U CPU @ 2.60GHz, the other notebook an Intel Core i7-7500U CPU @ 2.70GHz