If Free and Open Source Software has 1 million fans, then I'm one of them
If Free and Open Source Software has 5 fans, then I'm one of them
If Free and Open Source Software has 1 fan, that's me
If Free and Open Source Software has 0 fans, I'm no longer alive
If the whole world is against Free and Open Source Software, then I am against the whole wide world.
Until my dying breath, I shall support Free and Open Source Software.
Of course my parents always seem to try to get me to be like "Most" People. I never was like most people. Never was, and never am going to be, and I'd rather not be like "Most" people.
I mean, would most people get the idea in their noggin that they would create their own (truly in a sense) computer from effectively scratch that won't be absolutely practical for average society? Probably not. Most people probably don't even delve into nerdy subjects like that, probably due to the fact they'd rather not have their hobbies become public, because if this were 1983, they would be ostracized socially for it just because that it's their hobby, just like in 2023 that they don't admit they like anime and manga publicly, because the toxic monkeys of normal society that my parents believe I should be appealing to, (And, no... I will never be. All of the oceans on all seven continents of the Earth can sooner boil, and every public office can close their doors for good since the toxicity of said "normies" will give me cancer, no matter how many vegetables I eat, cigarettes I don't smoke, and probably other harmful practices which cause cancer I intentionally avoid.)
But the way I see it, I only live once, and it might be an idea to write on the ol' Bucket List, that I will be wanting to "truly build" my own computer from scratch. Like, it's safe to say, I'm not going to just go to Amazon or eBay with a laundry list of hardware that I want to include in the particular setup that I want to have and then pay some seller from who knows where in the world, excluding the regions of Eastern Europe, and have the components all shipped to me in the back of a truck and I just put them all aside until it's ready for me to build and have it put through its paces after I put a far more sane OS than Windows 11 on it, probably going so far as to avoid said NT installation media like the Plague, or the Coronavirus pandemic which had been so relevant in the past that I don't feel like the Windows fanboys I know in the town of Kingston-Greenwood area are really going to mock me for my choice to just defy popular opinion and decide to pick an OS that is much harder than it actually is worth trying to get installed, and running on my system, as opposed to running Windows and not being mocked for the fact I run Linux, or perhaps being tried to be persuaded back to Microsoft Windows.
I mean, I've already decided I hate Windows 11, and if (or when) Microsoft gets off its corporate ass and releases a Windows 12, I have very high doubts I'm going to be in line to upgrade to the latest & greatest version of the Redmond juggernaut's Operating System.
Before reading this blog post tonight, and "automatically assuming" that I'm going to do a set-up walkthrough for my new favourite OS ever, Arch Linux, I'm going to have to bring some attention as to why I am choosing to write tonight's blog post on this blogger website the way I am.
Also, I'm going to start maining it on devices which I will not be using for Zoom (Ubuntu Christian Edition will be taking that job instead.) And, I shall give the modern Microsoft Windows versions and Apple Macintosh macOS versions the flipped bird.
If someone calls me stupid or some other insult for choosing Arch Linux over Microsoft Windows...
They are the baka!
Not ME!!!!
So far, we've looked at how to do many different things using Linux Distros like the blog admin, but now you've noticed today's Blog Post Title. "Hold on... How to Cairo Like The Blog's Admin?"
You can quit playing the "Huh.mp4" video whenever. We're going to explain what exactly the Cairo I'm talking about is, and what this means for you. It's important that you essentially understand this and don't continue like I just wrote this stuff down to utterly confuse/mislead you.
Now, since this blog post is in no means talking about the city in Egypt, but rather, a Desktop Environment that it is named for, we will cover how to install it.
Of course, you will realize that this is pretty self-explanatory. Why? Well, we're going to continue discussing this further, as we continue in today's blog.
First of all, you will need Windows 7 installed at minimum in order to run Cairo. This means, that we can run Cairo on a Windows System such as Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and even 11. In order to install Cairo, we will need to download it from the World Wide Web, first and foremost.
OK, since we've opened it in the Google website, we'll just click the 1st link that it displays on the Search Result page. The search result page will likely have some video tutorials on how to install it, but sometimes people are too slow for the video tutorial. We'll go to the first link to download the Cairo Desktop environment.
When we have installed the .NET Framework 4.7.1 or later (unneeded on Windows 10 post-version 1709 or any version of Windows 11), then we can just go ahead and Download Cairo. Once that's finished, we'll just install it.
Now we're going to install Cairo Desktop Environment, which is pretty self-explanatory. If we are running this on Windows 8 or later, we can make disabling File Explorer completely optional. We will turn off Windows Explorer in 7 since this version of Windows was the "final" version of Windows to be shipped from the "overlords" at Microsoft without the use of UWP and Windows Store technologies.
Alternatively, if you are sure you are not going to be using Windows Store apps or the UWP in your Windows 10 or 11 deployment application, you may also disable the Explorer. However you should leave it unchecked if you are running Windows 10 or 11, if you do run either of those two Operating Systems and you need to use the UWP services or apps from the Microsoft Windows Store. (You can also just use Linux to use website versions of the apps you will be disabling in Windows.)
When you're ready to continue, press Install on the dialog. If your install crashes, it's obviously due to the .NET Framework not being available. Just install the correct version of the .NET Framework & retry installation, if that is the case.
However, if it continues to have issues in Windows 7, which is expected considering that we are trying to run an unsupported OS --- we may try the Windows 10 update. (Yes, some people still stupidly claim that Windows 10 cannot fix the problems that Windows 7 creates --- however, I'm more inclined to believe that people like that have their heads up their asses.)
I don't like seeing this particular screen (at all). But, sometimes these days, I have no choice but to set up this version.
I also hate Zoom meetings. Why I'm doing all these shitty Zoom meetings, is kind of beyond me, honestly.
I've pretty much decided that Zoom meeting for today is going to stop. I have had it up to here. >:(
But, wait. I can't let the fact I'm feeling angry right now just stop me from writing the blog on Cairo like the Blog's Admin. I'd be keeping everything stuck in the middle if I did that. So, I should go, oh oh oh oh, anger control, anger control. Focus, focus, I'm okay I'm okay.
I've decided I'm just going to not let the fact I had to hear some uncomfortable truth not bother me.
(I'll just walk away from this.)
As it turns out, Cairo Desktop Environment apparently is an unrecommended app, as according to the "overlords of Microsoft."
I am just going to ignore this warning and install Cairo anyway. (Besides, I would likely do exactly the same thing on Windows 11 because the 11 Start menu is what made me leave Windows for Linux in the first place.)
As you can see here from this screenshot, this is the Cairo desktop environment working. It can shut down your computer when you are finished working with Windows --- so you do not need to shut down Windows using the File Explorer's Start menu.
Now I'm done with this --- probably shouldn't have juggled a Zoom meeting with trying to write this blog post today. Oh well, it's not like it really, absolutely matters anyway, since I'm going to be taking these blog posts down once and for all at a presently undetermined date at the future.
And to be fair, that's okay. For now, we will just interrupt the "basic installation instructions of Linux for just like the Administrator", (We'll be returning to those later.) And then mention a specific challenge of beating the Gran Turismo games that I will be focusing on --- not that there are specific Gran Turismo challenges for each game from GT 1 to 7 (This includes Sport, by the way), but one particular challenge which pretty much states, "I must beat Gran Turismo 1 using nothing but either Japanese cars or the Dodge Viper GTS/RT 10/GTS-R."
American cars, excluding the Vipers which I've mentioned (already) are also not that well represented in Gran Turismo 1. Why? Well, the proof is in the Gran Turismo 1 disc itself, depending on which region version you have. If you have the Japanese version, You have the Dodge Viper GTS/RT-10 and Copperhead Concept Car (All Dodge cars are listed as Chrysler), and Both of the 1996 C4 Corvette Coupes and the Camaro Z28. (The 30th Anniversary one is available in Simulation mode as a hidden prize car for beating the Clubman Cup.) and the 427 Corvette Stingray is absent completely from the Arcade Mode in that version of the game. Whereas in the International Releases, (NTSC U/C, and PAL) the 1967 Corvette Stingray is present there, too.
So, I plan on taking up this challenge in the NTSC U/C disc which is what I have in real life, and then perhaps sharing the data I have collected from the gameplay at a later date, on a future posting somewhere. Also, the majority of my race wins will probably be behind the wheel of a Japanese car of some kind.
And of course, speaking of how to Fedora like the blog admin, we will be looking at in today's blog post, How to use Fedora Linux like the blog admin. Now, if you've been paying some attention to the titles of all of these blog posts so far, you will likely begin to notice a pattern here. What is it? Well, simply put --- many of these Linux distros will be simple enough to get started with on your own & you can easily learn most of these distros by both exploring the environment on your own, and looking up the help of the distro's specific forum in case you get stuck and need to be helped through getting it to work.
With that out of the way, we will be moving onto today's topic, How to Fedora Linux, like the blog admin.
"But wait a minute," you might say...
To which, I reply my skeptical blog reader...
With those differences clearly out of the way, we will end this blog post's introduction, and begin with today's discussion of the blog topic. How to Fedora Workstation like the blog's administrator.
With that kept in mind, whenever I refer to "Fedora Linux" from this point forward, I am talking precisely about Fedora Workstation, not --- Fedora Silverblue,which I have already covered.
Just like last time when we covered Fedora Linux work, we will simply start by getting the ISO of Fedora Linux from the Fedora Linux website, https://fedoraproject.org/workstation/download/, and selecting the one appropriate for our computer's architecture. You may either choose to use the Fedora Media Writer Tool for Microsoft Windows, Mac, or Linux if you plan to install Fedora on another machine (or overwrite the current OS installed on your current machine --- be sure to back up important files if that is the route you are going to be taking), or just download the ISO file for "Intel and AMD x86_64 systems," if like most people your PC is an x86_64 system. If you have an ARM or PowerPC64 system, download the appropriate architecture for that, but no architecture is universal.
When the initial install process of Fedora Linux Like The Blog Admin --- Step 4, completes... Register your user credentials correctly as always.
We will reboot when the prompt displays it is alright to do so. We also will remove the installation media from the drive, whether it be DVD, USB image, or ISO image depending on how this system is being installed.
Once the process finishes, we will be into the Fedora Linux desktop.
It might take a while if you are only doing this on a 2GB of RAM system --- on VirtualBox, considering you may not have a full amount of RAM (such as bare minimum 4GB) to work with.
Thank you for your time.
Even though I had promised on Sunday that on Monday I would be covering another "Linux how-to" post, we will be covering how to "Fedora Silverblue" like the blog admin. Hold up? How to "Fedora Silverblue" like the blog admin? Isn't this kind of redundant to explain?
Well, yes and no. Yes, since it's another fork of Fedora/RedHat, which means that a lot of the things which are covered in this post will be similar to Fedora Workstation. Also, Fedora Workstation is probably what you are going to refer to most of the time when someone talks about "Fedora Linux" anyway.
Speaking of those differences (and why you would want to understand the two):
1. Silverblue is immutable: This means that your operating system mounts system files as read-only. And this also means that neither you/nor anything you install can make changes to the files that are needed to make the computer function.
2. You can't manage your system with DNF:
Fedora Silverblue changes the paradigm. It is an image-based operating system, meaning the core system is one image identical across many computers. The version of Silverblue on your machine is identical to the one on the developer's machine. When you download an update, you replace your system image with a new image containing the latest software.
This means you cannot update or manage your system using the DNF package manager that most other versions of Fedora rely on. Instead, you use rpm-ostree to download updated images or make modifications to your image. More on that later.
3. You must use Toolbx to use DNF instead:
DNF isn't off limits to Fedora Silverblue users. It's just that instead of downloading RPMs to your system, you stick them in containers. That's where Toolbx comes in.
Toolbx is a terminal-based tool to create containerized spaces for you to install and manage packages. This comes with certain advantages. If you're developing a website, you can download all the packages you need to a separate container rather than add hundreds of extra packages to your core system.
When you're done, you can delete the entire container and the packages within without any concern about the stability of your PC. You can give multiple websites their own container, and the same is true for software development.
Let's say you're not a developer. Toolbx is still where you go to install other terminal-based tools you've come to rely on. If you want to use software like rsync or exiftool, you can still do so in Fedora Silverblue using Toolbx.
Toolbx is available for Fedora Workstation as well. The difference is that on Silverblue, it comes preinstalled and is your only way to use DNF or install command-line programs.
4. Flatpak is the default format for apps:
Flatpak is a universal app format for Linux desktops. With Flatpak, a developer can easily package their app in one format and know that it will run across most versions of Linux. This is a far cry from the way Linux has traditionally functioned.
Most Linux distros, including Fedora Workstation, have the ability to install Flatpak apps. What sets Fedora Silverblue apart is that Flatpaks are the expected, default way to install apps. The app store provides Flatpaks, whether directly from Fedora or from Flathub.
There are ways to install traditional RPMs if needed. You can do so using Toolbx, though this method won't add an icon to your app drawer. You will instead need to launch the app from the command line each time. Another option is to add an app to your system image using rpm-ostree, such as with the following command:
rpm-ostree install package
Making modifications to your system image takes longer and requires a restart each time for your new program to appear in your app drawer. Installing Flatpaks is a much more straightforward experience.
5. You can easily rollback to a previous version:
All operating system updates run the risk of introducing bugs or making changes that you don't like. On traditional Linux distros, like Fedora Workstation, undoing a system update is a tricky process. You can try reverting packages to their previous version, but if an update installs plenty of new programs, you need to go through the changes with a fine-tooth comb to undo everything by hand.
With Fedora Silverblue, you can temporarily revert to a previous version of your system with only a few mouse clicks. Simply select an older release during boot. You may need to hold down a certain key to bring up the list of options. Or to permanently roll back, you can use the rpm-ostree rollback command.
To restore your system, you don't need to look at changelogs or even know what changed. This makes rolling back a system something a less computer-savvy person can figure out.
6. Try Out Beta Releases with No Risk:
Those of us who enjoy getting our hands on the latest software before its official release know that doing so comes with some degree of risk. You can encounter bugs that make your computer less stable, with no easy way to return your system back to how it was other than reinstalling your distro from scratch.
In contrast, you can rebase to the upcoming version of Fedora Silverblue with zero risk. That's right, zero. You can even switch to the unstable development version of Fedora, known as Rawhide, with peace of mind. That's because even if you find your system in an unbootable state, you can simply switch back to your most recent stable system image.
You can then tell your system to stick to the stable version going forward as if you had never decided to dabble with unfinished software in the first place.
(Information source: MakeUseOf - Fedora Silverblue vs. Workstation:
https://www.makeuseof.com/fedora-silverblue-vs-workstation/)
Very much similar to before when we installed Linux Mint (see blog post no. 39), we first need to install the appropriate ISO for our hardware. Most ia_x86_64 users should use the x86_64 release ISO, but if you need aarch or ppc64, then those are options as well.
Similar to when I was explaining on how to install Linux Mint, the procedure I will employ is pretty much the exact same. But, you should pay attention to any differences that will be obvious vs. when Fedora Silverblue's boot media is in the computer's DVD drive as a DVD (if you chose to burn it as a DVD in 2023, or if you have it on a memory stick.)
First things first, you're obviously not going to get very far without downloading the ISO as I've already mentioned. Since most people will be installing this on an ia_x86_64 system, we will be using the x86_64 ISO for our purposes. I will again be using VirtualBox to explain everything as we go along, so let's keep going with that.
First things first, at the boot menu, we will notice an option to install "Fedora 38", as well as to Test this media & install Fedora 38 (in other words, go into live mode) and troubleshooting. We'll just install Fedora 38, as this computer has nothing else on the hard drive worth worrying about losing, but other than that, we will install Fedora 38.
Since we booted into the installer straight away, we get the full screen localization screen. For now, we will leave everything as English (unless you are feeling particularly advenutrous and wish to install the distro in another language, one which you do not speak. -- Strongly not recommended unless you have a basic idea of what the icons are & don't need to understand what it is you're trying to read on the screen.)
So, we will select Continue to continue the installer to the next step of installation.
This screen is alerting you to the fact that your disks are selected to be automatically partitioned. We'll have to confirm that this is precisely what we want (since this means we will not need to manually partition the disk install as if in some other more advanced distros --- which we will cover later) and partition the disk to make that alert go away.
On this screen, there is nothing to do except for click Done.
Now, we're ready to install Fedora Silverblue. If this had been on a secondary hard drive or we were overwriting Windows 10 or 11, we would have been asked to overwrite or add partitions to allow the final OS to boot. But since this computer in the lesson has nothing else on it, we will instead click Begin Installation.
The next step is simply letting it work...
Feel free to walk away from the computer while it does this. It will not need to be interacted with again until you are prompted to enter anything, or to reboot the operating system if no further prompts are given to do so.
In the meantime, there isn't much else to do here. Except maybe look at the progress bar as it loads (Not genuinely considered to be entertaining... If you want to do that for "fun", I suggest playing the game, Progress Bar Simulator, or Loading Screen Simulator (I suppose I have the title right, should be corrected if I'm wrong) but like I said... In the meantime, I'm just going to be walking away from this and letting it work - I'm pretty sure that it's bound to give me some further directions to complete before I am done with any of these things.
When the installation process completes, press "Reboot System."
After your first reboot, you will be put into the User Credential screen for non-administrative purposes.
(Oh, and one more thing! Unless you're sure that you can function on first-party repositories only, keep Third-Party Repositories Disabled. Otherwise, Enable Third Party Repositories at the prompt by simply pressing Enable-Third Party Repositories.)
Connecting your Google, Nextcloud, and Microsoft accounts are completely optional steps. You don't have to connect any of them if you don't want to do that.
Next, after typing your desired user name, enter the password twice. The first time to set your password, and the second (& final time) so that it can be checked for typos. And the "Be careful not to lose your password." warning doesn't play around, since if you lose your OS login password --- your system's done. It will still boot into the OS just fine, but you will never be able to log into the OS ever again. You will need a recovery drive to be able to ensure you can still access your files should the need be necessary to. (More on creating a recovery drive later. For now, we'll continue with the installation and initial setup of Fedora Silverblue.)
If you want to tour GNOME 44, click the "Take Tour" button on the desktop. Otherwise, select No Thanks to be immediately put on the desktop.
And, that's pretty much it. If you installed this distro in VirtualBox, you will need to install Guest Additions, but other than that, it's entirely all ready to go and ready to do whatever you feel you need to. ---
Just one more thing before I'm done...
All Operating Systems I will be using on VMs for these blog series will eventually be installed on real hardware.
So, that ends today's How to (insert name of Linux distro which is a complete OS) here like the Blog Admin.
My parents often said that my life should not be overcomplicated. So, with this in mind, I'm going to end the series of blogs, ...
