Choose Linux

Choose Linux enters indefinite hiatus.

Ell tells us about her first ever experience with Windows 10 and how it compares with Linux. Plus Drew has been using a Wayland-based i3-like tiling window manager called Sway.

We try out Solus and are all impressed by this independent distro. Then Ell and Drew sing the praises of Visual Studio Code - a text editor that's packed full of features.

We revisit some of the projects we have covered in previous episodes to see what we've stuck with and what we haven't. Qubes OS and Tails, a handy Android app, building websites, easy Arch, the cloud, hardware hacking, and more.

A confusing experience in Distrohoppers which raises deeper questions about the value and viability of smaller distros.

Valentine's Day is nearly here so it's time to talk about why we love Linux and open source. Nothing is perfect though, so we also touch on a few areas that we feel could be improved.

Distrohoppers serves up something very different in the form of desktop BSD, and we reveal how important freedom is to us all.

Trying to explain what Linux and open source are can be tricky. We discuss our various approaches, and how they differ depending on the experience of who we are explaining them to.

Ultimate privacy in Distrohoppers, and the best ways to run other operating systems within your current Linux distro.

All three of us have different levels of experience with Linux but there are tons of things that we wish we'd learned earlier in our journey. From gatekeeping to community culture, command line tricks to backups, and more.

A chance to learn some Linux fundamentals in Distrohoppers, and the numerous ways we can all contribute to Linux and open source.

We talk about the best ways to get involved in open source communities, finding like-minded people, conference strategies, community hubs, and what happened to all the LUGs.

There are numerous ways to install software on a modern Linux system and we each have a different approach. Plus a lean and focused KDE experience in DistroHoppers.

We are joined by special guest Chz who is a long-time user of single board computers to talk about how we use boards like the Raspberry Pi, Orange Pi, and ROCKPro64. Special Guest: chzbacon.

We have three different approaches to using the cloud, so we discuss various ways to expand your Linux knowledge beyond the desktop. Plus Distrohoppers delivers a mobile-like experience that splits opinion.

There's lots to consider when setting someone up with Linux for the first time. User needs and expectations, distro choice, hardware, and so much more. We discuss our experiences, and ask some fundamental questions.

Getting into hardware hacking with Arduino, and analysing sleep data from CPAP machines. Plus a glimpse into the past in Distrohoppers.

We check out a great tool for learning web development basics, and Distrohoppers brings us mixed experiences. Plus which of the 10 commandments for Linux users we agree with.

Distrohoppers delivers a distro that divides us, and we check out the video streaming and recording software OBS Studio. Plus a handy audio recorder that's as simple as it gets.

We take a look at the continuation of Antergos called Endeavour OS and are pretty impressed, and Distrohoppers delivers an interesting distro that's obsessed with cats. Plus the only way to watch YouTube videos on Android.

Distrohoppers brings us up a fascinating distro where every application runs in its own VM. Plus Drew and Joe disagree on the best media solution.

Two new hosts join Joe to talk about a nice i3 implementation and an amazing arcade game written in Bash. Plus a new segment called Distrohoppers, and a useful hidden feature of GNOME.

Zorin OS is described as “a powerful desktop you already know how to use.” It’s elegant, beginner-friendly and looks beautiful, too. Should we be paying more attention to it? Then in another first, Jason installs his first alternative mobile OS, and Joe gives advice on getting the most out of LineageOS. Unfortunately we end the episode by saying goodbye to Jason as he moves on to pursue several independent projects, but the show will go on with the same spirit of discovery and newness!

He didn't stop at Xfce. Jason became that Arch Linux guy. Is it as challenging to install as we’ve been told? We discuss the hard way, and then the easier way. Then we take the mighty Oryx Pro laptop from System76 for a first impressions test drive!

Practically overnight, Intel’s Clear Linux OS has turned into a distribution worth paying attention to. But is it ready for regular desktop Linux users? Plus, Jason goes down yet another awesome rabbit hole with a new project on GitHub aimed at giving back to the Linux and open source community.

We take Ubuntu MATE 18.04 for a test drive on the Raspberry Pi 3. How does it compare to Raspbian? After that, a fascinating discussion about the Linux community. What are the high points and low points? What’s that magic ingredient that makes it feel so different from other tech communities?

Jason leaves the warm embrace of GNOME and finally tries Xfce for 24 hours. What happened took him by surprise! Then we dive into some hardware talk about the latest All-In-One Linux PC from Entroware, which packs in a lot of quality for the price. But are there any downsides?

The Linux Gaming Report rolls forward as Jason throws Manjaro 18 on the test bench and walks away shocked. Then we offer some best practices and tips for, well, choosing Linux! How to pick the right hardware for your needs, where to discover your perfect distribution, and how to best enjoy your new journey.

Jason goes deeper down the rabbit hole by exploring the state of Steam gaming on 9 different Linux distributions. Find out how Fedora compares to Pop!_OS. Plus, first impressions of Purism’s brand new Librem 15 v4 laptop.

The distro challenges roll on with Fedora Workstation. Jason shares his thoughts on getting it up and running, feeling at home with vanilla Gnome, and why Fedora may be perfect place for his Magic the Gathering addiction. Plus, the Raspberry Pi journey continues with NextCloudPi. Is creating a DropBox substitute really this easy?

Jason finally discovers the bottomless well of potential that is the Raspberry Pi, and talks about his first experience with Raspbian. Then Joe and Jason take a nostalgic deep dive into retro gaming on both the Raspberry Pi and the Pinebook. Plus some final thoughts on openSUSE Tumbleweed and Leap.

Episode 2 is all about opposites, such as the major differences between benchmarking graphics cards like Radeon VII on Linux and Windows. Then we dive into the Phoronix Test Suite, a robust tool that isn't just for tech reviewers. Find out why you should be using it too. Plus, the distro challenges roll on as Jason decides to do a complete 180, jumping from elementary OS to openSUSE Tumbleweed.

We kick off a brand new show with a discussion about Jason's elementary OS community challenge. Then we get into the pros and cons of setting up your own NAS with OpenMediaVault. Plus, find out more about your hosts and what we have in store for future episodes.