User:Rudxain/Unix: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 13:12, 19 April 2026

Welcome to my page about anything Unix! Here you can learn about Linux, Android, and maybe even Redox and BSD.

The purpose of this page is to raise awareness about OSes that respect their users, and to propose them as alts for Microslop Winbloats and Crapintosh. I know there are non-*nix systems that also honor their users, but "Unices" are more standard (both in practice, and in theory), so it's more pragmatic to recommend *nix.

Why Unix?

This is the part where I sell you the benefits of *nix systems. Imagine a salesman voice, lol:

Tired of getting your data collected, sold, and leaked?
Tired of over-hyped AI being forced onto everything?
Frustrated by lack of transparency and documentation? (and meaningless error messages?)
Tired of being treated like a toddler?
Don't have patience to deal with bloat?

Oh dear, do I have a deal for you! *nix is what you need:

Private and secure: No telemetry by default.
No AI, unless you want to run a self-hosted model.
Open-source (better than source-available!): naked internals; freedom to modify and redistribute (depends on license)
Lightweight and blazing-fast ⚡: install only what you want; wanna remove the bootloader? sure you can!
File oriented: wanna see battery temperature? just cat its file; wanna flash a USB? just cp the image to the raw device! No need for special tools.

Choosing a distro

While I agree that recommending Mint to beginners is fine (it'd be better if it wasn't based on Ubuntu; though LMDE seems promising), please DO NOT even imply that "Debian is hard". I might be biased, but installing and using Debian as a daily-driver is easier than ever.

With that out of the way, keep in mind that Linux gives you the freedom to install any desktop-environment (DE) you want! So if you care more about the system GUI than pre-installed apps, just choose one of the following:

Debian: the big daddy/momma of all popular distros. If outdated packages are a concern, install Testing rather than Stable. See the FAQ about anything remotely related to Debian (multi-language).
Arch (BTW): cutting-edge packages; low (not minimal) bloat; nice documentation.
Nix: most popular immutable distro; easily roll-back any problematic upgrades (unlike Arch).^[1]
Bazzite (see also SteamOS): for gaming.
PMOS: for smartphones and tablets.

Android

If you need Android but your BL is perma-locked, you can install Termux, as it's more lightweight than a VM. If your BL is unlocked, then try installing a custom "ROM" (I hate that term so much. It's clearly a misnomer). List of suggestions:

Note that you might not need a real Android device: you can install Waydroid on a regular distro.

Choosing a DE

There are 2 major options:

If you like non-cluttered UIs, choose GNOME
If you like versatility and ergonomics, choose KDE Plasma

Everything else is "less standard", but still worth trying:

Cinnamon is the default on Mint
There's also Xfce, if you want less bloat, but I've read that nowadays its memory footprint is in the same ballpark as Plasma and GNOME.^{[citation needed]}

Choosing a shell

Um acshually 🤓, "shell" can refer to any kind of UI, not just text interfaces

Yes, but for the purposes of this page, "shell" will refer to REPL and CLI programs.

Let's be honest, Bash and Readline have terrible defaults. No wonder Zsh and Fish are so popular. HOWEVER, let me be clear that Bash can approximate the ergonomics of Zsh really well, given that you configure it properly.^[2]^[3]^[4]

I haven't tried Fish, because it looks bloated. However, I'd recommend it over Zsh, simply because Zsh is too similar to Bash. If you use a non-POSIX shell, why not go all the way and enjoy the benefits? ;)

Since we're talking about "anti-POSIX", maybe try Nushell? It's too weird for me, very "PowerShelly", lol.

Usage

Your distro (and most installed packages) should have docs available locally as man-pages or in /usr/share/doc/. Most DEs have a "Welcome" app that auto-starts on first login, so you should be good to go.

And please:

Don't be afraid of the terminal! Terminals are your friend. Don't let Big ~~Brother~~ Tech tell you otherwise.
Don't be afraid of CLI apps! Except rm, that one is dangerous unless you add -i. See how to recover deleted files.
Don't be afraid of shells! except Bash, that one is a menace.^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8] I use Bash daily but I recommend Oils.

External links

POSIX spec. It also serves as man-pages.
Open Android Projects
"Make Android self-hosting"

References

[1] ttps://github.com/0atman/noboilerplate/blob/bbbc16c32d6f4f69b0ba50c4199179c7e5b0ff62/scripts/38-nixos.md

[2] ttps://github.com/Rudxain/dotfiles/blob/d02045700129609f2c6dfa91ebf9a54a9d81b012/.config/inputrc

[3] ttps://github.com/Rudxain/dotfiles/blob/d02045700129609f2c6dfa91ebf9a54a9d81b012/.config/sh/rc#L24-L28

[4] ttps://github.com/Rudxain/dotfiles/blob/d02045700129609f2c6dfa91ebf9a54a9d81b012/.bashrc#L5-L10

[5] ttps://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashPitfalls

[6] ttps://github.com/anordal/shellharden/blob/1e629728e37d2e78dd3a06ed69cd54e2f66b87b0/how_to_do_things_safely_in_bash.md

[7] ttps://github.com/oils-for-unix/oils/wiki/Shell-WTFs

[8] ttps://github.com/koalaman/shellcheck/issues/3067

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[8]

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 While I agree that recommending [[wikipedia:Linux_Mint|Mint]] to beginners is fine (it'd be better if it wasn't based on [[Ubuntu]]; though [[wikipedia:Linux_Mint#LMDE|LMDE]] seems promising), please DO NOT even imply that "[[wikipedia:Debian|Debian]] is hard". I might be biased, but installing and using Debian as a daily-driver is easier than ever.
-With that out of the way, keep in mind that Linux gives you the freedom to install any [[wikipedia:Desktop_environment|desktop-environment]] (DE) you want! So if you care more about the system GUI than pre-installed apps, just choose one of the following:
+With that out of the way, keep in mind that Linux gives you the freedom to install any [[wikipedia:Desktop_environment|desktop-environment]] (DE) you want! So if you care more about the system [[wikipedia:Graphical_user_interface|GUI]] than pre-installed apps, just choose one of the following:
 *Debian: the big daddy/momma of all popular distros. If outdated packages are a concern, install [https://wiki.debian.org/DebianTesting Testing] rather than Stable. See [https://www.debian.org/doc/user-manuals#faq the FAQ about anything remotely related to Debian] (multi-language).
@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 Note that you might not need a ''real'' Android device: you can install [[wikipedia:Waydroid|Waydroid]] on a regular distro.
-== Usage ==
+== Choosing a DE ==
+There are 2 major options:
+* If you like non-[[wikt:clutter|cluttered]] [[wikipedia:User_interface|UIs]], choose [[wikipedia:GNOME|GNOME]]
+* If you like [[wikt:versatile|versatility]] and [[wikipedia:Ergonomics|ergonomics]], choose [[wikipedia:KDE_Plasma|KDE Plasma]]
+Everything else is "less standard", but still worth trying:
+* [[wikipedia:Cinnamon_(desktop_environment)|Cinnamon]] is the default on Mint
+* There's also [[wikipedia:Xfce|Xfce]], if you want less bloat, but I've read that nowadays its [[wikipedia:Memory_footprint|memory footprint]] is in the same [[wikipedia:Guesstimate|ballpark]] as Plasma and GNOME.{{Citation needed}}
+== Choosing a shell ==
+<blockquote>Um acshually 🤓, "[[wikipedia:Shell_(computing)|shell]]" can refer to any kind of UI, not just text interfaces</blockquote>Yes, but for the purposes of this page, "shell" will refer to [[wikipedia:Read–eval–print_loop|REPL]] and [[wikipedia:Command-line_interface|CLI]] programs.
+Let's be honest, [[wikipedia:Bash_(Unix_shell)|Bash]] and [[wikipedia:GNU_Readline|Readline]] have '''terrible defaults'''. No wonder [[wikipedia:Z_shell|Zsh]] and [[wikipedia:Fish_(Unix_shell)|Fish]] are so popular. HOWEVER, let me be clear that Bash can approximate the ergonomics of Zsh ''really well'', given that you configure it properly.<ref>https://github.com/Rudxain/dotfiles/blob/d02045700129609f2c6dfa91ebf9a54a9d81b012/.config/inputrc</ref><ref>https://github.com/Rudxain/dotfiles/blob/d02045700129609f2c6dfa91ebf9a54a9d81b012/.config/sh/rc#L24-L28</ref><ref>https://github.com/Rudxain/dotfiles/blob/d02045700129609f2c6dfa91ebf9a54a9d81b012/.bashrc#L5-L10</ref>
+I haven't tried Fish, because it looks bloated. However, I'd recommend it over Zsh, simply because Zsh is too similar to Bash. If you use a non-POSIX shell, why not go all the way and enjoy the benefits? ;)
+Since we're talking about "anti-POSIX", maybe try [https://www.nushell.sh/ Nushell]? It's too weird for me, very "[[wikipedia:PowerShell|PowerShelly]]", lol.
+==Usage==
 Your distro (and most installed packages) should have docs available locally as [[wikipedia:Man_page|<code>man</code>-pages]] or in <code>/usr/share/doc/</code>. Most DEs have a "Welcome" app that auto-starts on first login, so you should be good to go.
 And please:
-* Don't be afraid of the [[wikipedia:Terminal_emulator|terminal]]! Terminals are your friend. Don't let Big <s>Brother</s> Tech tell you otherwise.
+*Don't be afraid of the [[wikipedia:Terminal_emulator|terminal]]! Terminals are your friend. Don't let Big <s>Brother</s> Tech tell you otherwise.
-* Don't be afraid of [[wikipedia:Command-line_interface|CLI]] apps! Except <code>rm</code>, that one is dangerous unless you add <code>[https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9799919799/utilities/rm.html#:~:text=%2Di,-Prompt -i]</code>. See [https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/faq/coreutils-faq.html#I-used-rm-to-remove-a-file_002e-How-can-I-get-it-back-now_003f how to recover deleted files].
+*Don't be afraid of CLI apps! Except <code>rm</code>, that one is dangerous unless you add <code>[https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9799919799/utilities/rm.html#:~:text=%2Di,-Prompt -i]</code>. See [https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/faq/coreutils-faq.html#I-used-rm-to-remove-a-file_002e-How-can-I-get-it-back-now_003f how to recover deleted files].
-* Don't be afraid of [[wikipedia:Unix_shell|shells]]! except [[wikipedia:Bash_(Unix_shell)|Bash]], that one is a menace.<ref>https://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashPitfalls</ref><ref>https://github.com/anordal/shellharden/blob/1e629728e37d2e78dd3a06ed69cd54e2f66b87b0/how_to_do_things_safely_in_bash.md</ref><ref>https://github.com/oils-for-unix/oils/wiki/Shell-WTFs</ref><ref>https://github.com/koalaman/shellcheck/issues/3067</ref> I use Bash daily but I recommend [https://oils.pub/ Oils].
+*Don't be afraid of [[wikipedia:Unix_shell|shells]]! except Bash, that one is a menace.<ref>https://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashPitfalls</ref><ref>https://github.com/anordal/shellharden/blob/1e629728e37d2e78dd3a06ed69cd54e2f66b87b0/how_to_do_things_safely_in_bash.md</ref><ref>https://github.com/oils-for-unix/oils/wiki/Shell-WTFs</ref><ref>https://github.com/koalaman/shellcheck/issues/3067</ref> I use Bash daily but I recommend [https://oils.pub/ Oils].
 ==External links==