Ages ago, back between 2005 and 2011, I had switched from Macs to an All-in-one IBM pc. What I ended up installing on it was PC-BSD because the networking that came with it out of the box worked very well with my company's firewall/network security.
It came with a KDE interface. I used it for a year until I switched back to a mac and purchased a product that I was able to log into work with... But while I have not been a KDE fan in recent times, mostly GTK/Gnome, I did have fond memories of that year.
A week or so ago I began hunting around for a good KDE distro. The caveat was that I did want to be able to install WINE and PLAYONLINUX so I could play a couple of my favorite games. I tried Neon, KaOS, OpenSUSE, Kubuntu and Fedora.
KaOS is, without a doubt, the best looking KDE distro (of course that is subjective). But it was limiting when it came to getting gaming software set up. OpenSUSE was OK but the actual installation did not end well for me. Neon is the KDE kitchen sink and worked alright, but I did run into one or two struggles with Ubuntu software. Kubuntu was loaded to the hilt, and it worked well, but I felt there were some KDE performance issues. Finally I installed the KDE spin of Fedora 31. I always have a love/not-love-so-much relationship with Fedora as I always end up breaking something in some update. But so far it has been very nice. KDE performs very well, and Fedora performs well in general.
There is also a KDE version of Solus that I might try...
Anyway, just an update of my computing adventures.
Showing posts with label solus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label solus. Show all posts
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Friday, March 9, 2018
New Keyboard and still on Solus
Been sticking with Solus operating system (linux). The version is up to 3.99, alllllmooostt 4! It should be incremental and likely not very noticeable. I believe snap will be a bigger part of the store and open additional possibilities to grab software from other repos.
The only other thing regarding Solus is that they do plan on shifting their UI code base from GTK+ to Qt+ at some point. I believe the work has already begun.
Keyboard... I love mechanical keyboards! I have been using an alps-like switch keyboard from Matias for awhile now. The only problem is you cannot find backlit keys for these switches... and my room is always so dark it is impossible to see the keys. I can generally type without looking but sometimes I get shifted and then have a hard time resetting. With a backlit keyboard that takes a half second and I am back on track.
So... I decided to purchase another Pok3r. Normally I purchase mechanicals that have the Cherry Brown keys, but this time I decided to try something different. I have heard a lot of good things about the Cherry RED keys that I went with that.
So far so good. They are quieter than the browns, and are linear (smooth stroke from start to finish, no catch to indicate activation). They have about the same spring rating so the keys to have a bit of firmness to them which I like. I am often a bottom out typist, even with the browns or alps, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of difference to me in how it has affected my typing speed (which was always abysmal anyway).
I purchased the Pok3r LE which is like the normal Pok3r but MUCH heavier and more solidly built. Honestly I could use it as a deadly weapon it is so stiff and heavy. The more robust packaging does cost a little extra. Most people would probably be better off with a regular Pok3r... The LE also comes with PBT keycaps as opposed to ABS.
I don't know if most people care about the keycaps... PBT is stiffer and heavier than ABS. PBT also retains more color over time and does not wear as quickly. Over time you might notice your ABS keycaps develop a shine (from your fingers smacking/rubbing them constantly). Because PBT is heavier, it has a slightly deeper tone to it as you type (especially when you bottom out).
I BELIEVE the keycaps are also double shot and PBT for the Pok3r, which also adds to the cost.
Either way, so far it FEELS like it is worth the money and it is barely the tiniest bit louder than my matias quiet click keyboard it is replacing, and it feels pretty good to type on.
Tactile switches (like the Matias alps or Cherry browns) are generally better for typing, while linear switches are generally better for gaming. Tactile switches often come with a sound indicator... they are called "clicky". Cherry makes another type of switch called the Cherry Blue which is tactile AND noisy (on purpose). This click is an audible version of the tactile part of the key press. Many pure typists like that.
So now, at home, I am using my Cherry Red keys and at work my Cherry Browns. In storage I have a Cherry Blue and a Matias Alp/quiet keyboard. I like both of them, especially the Matias, and while the Cherry Blue keyboard has backlighting, the clicky sounds actually drive me a little bonkers.
That's it for now!
The only other thing regarding Solus is that they do plan on shifting their UI code base from GTK+ to Qt+ at some point. I believe the work has already begun.
Keyboard... I love mechanical keyboards! I have been using an alps-like switch keyboard from Matias for awhile now. The only problem is you cannot find backlit keys for these switches... and my room is always so dark it is impossible to see the keys. I can generally type without looking but sometimes I get shifted and then have a hard time resetting. With a backlit keyboard that takes a half second and I am back on track.
So... I decided to purchase another Pok3r. Normally I purchase mechanicals that have the Cherry Brown keys, but this time I decided to try something different. I have heard a lot of good things about the Cherry RED keys that I went with that.
So far so good. They are quieter than the browns, and are linear (smooth stroke from start to finish, no catch to indicate activation). They have about the same spring rating so the keys to have a bit of firmness to them which I like. I am often a bottom out typist, even with the browns or alps, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of difference to me in how it has affected my typing speed (which was always abysmal anyway).
I purchased the Pok3r LE which is like the normal Pok3r but MUCH heavier and more solidly built. Honestly I could use it as a deadly weapon it is so stiff and heavy. The more robust packaging does cost a little extra. Most people would probably be better off with a regular Pok3r... The LE also comes with PBT keycaps as opposed to ABS.
I don't know if most people care about the keycaps... PBT is stiffer and heavier than ABS. PBT also retains more color over time and does not wear as quickly. Over time you might notice your ABS keycaps develop a shine (from your fingers smacking/rubbing them constantly). Because PBT is heavier, it has a slightly deeper tone to it as you type (especially when you bottom out).
I BELIEVE the keycaps are also double shot and PBT for the Pok3r, which also adds to the cost.
Either way, so far it FEELS like it is worth the money and it is barely the tiniest bit louder than my matias quiet click keyboard it is replacing, and it feels pretty good to type on.
Tactile switches (like the Matias alps or Cherry browns) are generally better for typing, while linear switches are generally better for gaming. Tactile switches often come with a sound indicator... they are called "clicky". Cherry makes another type of switch called the Cherry Blue which is tactile AND noisy (on purpose). This click is an audible version of the tactile part of the key press. Many pure typists like that.
So now, at home, I am using my Cherry Red keys and at work my Cherry Browns. In storage I have a Cherry Blue and a Matias Alp/quiet keyboard. I like both of them, especially the Matias, and while the Cherry Blue keyboard has backlighting, the clicky sounds actually drive me a little bonkers.
That's it for now!
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Continuing foray back into the linux world: Solus
So Elementary OS was fine! Gorgeous linux. I wanted something a little different.
Elementary OS is based on Ubuntu, all well and good as Ubuntu does excellent work to put out a version of linux that everyone can use, everyday.
So after I got ElementaryOS working juuuuuuuuust the way I wanted it to work, I scrapped it and installed Solus.
Solus is an equally pretty OS, very nice to look at and the UI is somewhat configurable/theme-able based on Gnome/GTK3+... But Solus is not otherwise based on an existing distribution. It is a hand-crafted linux (https://solus-project.com/home/) that has its strong and weak points as almost any linux does.
Strong points:
1. hand crafted with love
2. attractive
3. low resource usage
4. rolling updates
5. nothing set in stone
Weak points:
1. nothing set in stone
2. uses its own packaging system
3. limited applications/libraries in software store/repositories
Solus supports multiple UIs, including Mate, Cinnamon, etc. I chose the home-crafted UI called Budgie. It is pretty much gnome compatible (based on GTK3+). I have read that in the future (next year?) it will be converted to QT (of KDE underpinnings fame). That could have some serious "native" application repercussions, it will be interesting to see how it is handled.
To date I have been able to get my computer back to where I can do everything I want to do, email (though I preferred ElementaryOS's homegrown email application over Thunderbird), browsing, gaming (Star Stable Online and Diablo 3, plus native linux games on Steam), coding (some nice syntax editors available), and office-work (excel, word, etc.).
That is pretty much all I *need* to do on this computer and I am able to do it.
It has been pretty stable, except for one update that hosed my task bar a little, but that was very easy to fix.
INSTALLING Solus gave me a bit of a headache, but in the end it turned out that it was my fault for a lack of observance. Once I looked CLOSELY at the installation application I figured out what I was doing wrong and remedied the situation. Also, the fancy automated disk took isn't half bad... and I was able to mount my extra disks and shove my documents, and other large data folders off onto other drives, create a gaming drive, etc.
One weird thing, the choices of disk format support that comes with Solus was different from Elementary OS and is likely very different from Ubuntu. It was a little annoying to not have the FULL RANGE of file system types to choose from when initializing my drives. Like... why ReiserFS (3) and not Reiser4? Why not XFS? I don't NEED those and, in fact in the case of some Steam games cannot USE those file systems because of their addressing, so I just ended up using venerable ext4 for everything. It works. I would like to have tried btrfs though...
Elementary OS is based on Ubuntu, all well and good as Ubuntu does excellent work to put out a version of linux that everyone can use, everyday.
So after I got ElementaryOS working juuuuuuuuust the way I wanted it to work, I scrapped it and installed Solus.
Solus is an equally pretty OS, very nice to look at and the UI is somewhat configurable/theme-able based on Gnome/GTK3+... But Solus is not otherwise based on an existing distribution. It is a hand-crafted linux (https://solus-project.com/home/) that has its strong and weak points as almost any linux does.
Strong points:
1. hand crafted with love
2. attractive
3. low resource usage
4. rolling updates
5. nothing set in stone
Weak points:
1. nothing set in stone
2. uses its own packaging system
3. limited applications/libraries in software store/repositories
Solus supports multiple UIs, including Mate, Cinnamon, etc. I chose the home-crafted UI called Budgie. It is pretty much gnome compatible (based on GTK3+). I have read that in the future (next year?) it will be converted to QT (of KDE underpinnings fame). That could have some serious "native" application repercussions, it will be interesting to see how it is handled.
To date I have been able to get my computer back to where I can do everything I want to do, email (though I preferred ElementaryOS's homegrown email application over Thunderbird), browsing, gaming (Star Stable Online and Diablo 3, plus native linux games on Steam), coding (some nice syntax editors available), and office-work (excel, word, etc.).
That is pretty much all I *need* to do on this computer and I am able to do it.
It has been pretty stable, except for one update that hosed my task bar a little, but that was very easy to fix.
INSTALLING Solus gave me a bit of a headache, but in the end it turned out that it was my fault for a lack of observance. Once I looked CLOSELY at the installation application I figured out what I was doing wrong and remedied the situation. Also, the fancy automated disk took isn't half bad... and I was able to mount my extra disks and shove my documents, and other large data folders off onto other drives, create a gaming drive, etc.
One weird thing, the choices of disk format support that comes with Solus was different from Elementary OS and is likely very different from Ubuntu. It was a little annoying to not have the FULL RANGE of file system types to choose from when initializing my drives. Like... why ReiserFS (3) and not Reiser4? Why not XFS? I don't NEED those and, in fact in the case of some Steam games cannot USE those file systems because of their addressing, so I just ended up using venerable ext4 for everything. It works. I would like to have tried btrfs though...
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