this post was submitted on 11 Jun 2023
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Linux
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Shit, just linux.
Use this community for anything related to linux for now, if it gets too huge maybe there will be some sort of meme/gaming/shitpost spinoff. Currently though… go nuts
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It's basically like... this nice compromise between Arch and Gentoo. You got precompiled packages, but if you'd like, you can compile everything from source. xbps-src is like Portage on Gentoo, except some of the more popular packages get precompiled and put on the main repo (kernels, libraries, office suits, browsers, etc.).
I like it cuz if you'd like, you can get nitty gritty about it, but if you'd just like things to work out if the box, just use the repos and off you go. Plus, it comes with xfce by default (if you choose the DE ISO), which is what I use, so saves me the time to set up xfce. And it has a non-free repo, so that's also a big plus (take a proprietery package, repackage it for Void if the license allows it, if not, just leave the template in xbps-src and let users make their own package).
Also, it's incledibly stable for a rolling release distro. I also use it on some severs, I've never had a single one break something after an update. It's not as bleeding edge as Arch, so they'd rather opt for not something as new, but more stable, which I also like.
Is it going to hassle me about which daemons to restart or shudder demand I pick a timezone? These are the sins of Ubuntu.
Well that and clogging up my mount list with snaps.
Ummm... no, you pick a time zone during install, that's it. You might need to restart some services if you change your time zone (wouldn't know, never had to change it).
That being said, it doesn't come with an NTP client/server by default (as is with Ubuntu and other "everything works out of the box" distros), you have to install one manually. Once installed, the service is inactive, you have to make it active by symlinking a folder from one location to another (this is all explained on Void's site, it doesn't use systemd, it uses runit as it's init/service manager). Restarting services is pretty easy (as is with systemd)
sv restart name_of_service, that's it.I don't think snap is available in the default repo (maybe in the non-free one, haven't checked), but it does have flatpak in the default repo. Either way, couldn't really help you regarding anything snap/flatpak related, I don't use them. Everyting I need is in xbps-src, so I just compile from source (or repack, in case of non-free packages, like AnyDesk).
I may have to check this out. Arch user here, but missing portage. That was my favorite package manager of any distro, but boy did it get old when you forgot some use flag and ended up having to recompile your entire life.
My previous reply went to hell (void 🤔 😂), the server seems to be overloading, lol 😂.
I'll reply tomorrow, it's 2AM here now, hate to have to write everything 😂.
Still better than shitty API changes on Reddit, amirite?!? Heyyyooo! Down with the corporate overlords!!
Yeah agree on that, better be able to have freedom with a little downtime than have to put up with rules imposed by a corporation.
OK, back on track. xbps-src is not exactly like Portage. It's better, cuz you don't define anything when compiling. Basically, there's the template file that does everything regarding dependencies and packaging the application. You just run the script, tell it what you want to package that is in xbps-src and that's it. It chroots in wherever you cloned master from github, downloads all dependencies from the repo, downloads all compile binaries/libraries it might need and just goes to work. If a dependency is not in the repo, it takes it's xbps-src template, downloads the source and compiles that as well. The automation scrips are superb, there is practically very little that can go wrong during compile time. This is because not just anything can get as a template in xbps-src. It has to pass all build tests for all supported architectures before it's able to get in the source collection. That is why it's so stable, they don't leave anything to chance, they want clean tested packages. If you don't put in the work to correct your template, it's not getting into the source collection.
You have convinced me to try it. Thanks, I really appreciate it.
Good luck 😊.
One more thing. Might require tinkering on some rigs to get it working like it should (weird chipesets and south/north bridge combos or audio, NIC that's just not what MB manufacturers typically use), but the good news is that every quirk has a solution.
You might have to go back to reddit to get help though. They're not the kind of crowd to get into politics or pass judgement about... anything really. They use what they can for free, github and reddit (istead of hosting a forum) is what works for them. I respect that, ideology is not everyone's cup of tea 🤷.
I've been using Linux exclusively for two decades. I think I can manage. At least with Linux, quirky problems come with (usually) detailed error messages and things you can search the interwebs for. Windows just gives you a sadface and "something went wrong, lol".
Well, thought it was good to mention that, just in case 😊. I haven't used Linux for that long (actually I have, but with lomg on/off periods).