Weekly Forum Summary

[system]

Key Stats

In the past week, our Linux forums had the following activity and key statistics:

• Total New Posts: 45
• Total New Topics: 4

Top Members

• @ricky89: 9 posts, 16 likes
• @Brian_Masinick: 6 posts, 14 likes
• @hydn: 12 posts, 14 likes
• @Blue_bird: 5 posts, 9 likes
• @sfrias: 2 posts, 6 likes
• @Itachixkurosaki: 3 posts, 3 likes
• @toadie: 2 posts, 2 likes
• @temika: 1 post, 1 like
• @benowe1717: 1 post, 1 like
• @hornedfrog: 1 post, 1 like

Interesting Topics

• Your Linux Setup: What Would You Change If Starting Fresh?
  In General Discussions, @hydn kicked off a reflective thread about rebuilding a workstation from scratch. He shared moving from Kali to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS with a minimal set of GNOME extensions and a tiling-style workflow that stays close to defaults for stability. Replies from @ricky89 and @Itachixkurosaki compared Debian-based XFCE setups and recent experiences hopping between Mint, Manjaro, Endeavour, Bazzite, Void, and finally CachyOS for a snappier feel.

• Motherboard Bios and big drives managments
  @ricky89 started a practical troubleshooting thread in General Discussions about slow POST times caused by an external 10 TB Seagate drive spinning up on boot. A switched USB hub solved it. @hydn suggested checking for a separate Fast Boot toggle and possible MSI firmware updates, while @Itachixkurosaki reported a similar delay on an MSI B550 Gaming Plus after a BIOS update and will try the hub approach.

• Any software that will do a boot disk image backup without stopping the computer?
  In Linux Support, @Rob asked for hot backup tooling that can produce crash-consistent images for bare-metal recovery. The thread explored using LVM snapshots imaged with dd or Clonezilla, and alternatives like Rescuezilla or Veeam Agent for Linux. @toadie asked for learning resources and @hydn supplied a set of LVM snapshot guides. @ricky89 noted dd’s limitations when restoring partition images.

• Does Kroah-Hartman GitHub mirror have any Git Large File Storage LFS file(s)?
  @temika opened a focused question in Linux Support about cloning Greg KH’s Linux stable mirror. @hydn clarified the mirror does not use Git LFS, so a standard clone works fine, and recommended a shallow clone with --depth 1 to reduce time and disk usage.

• CachyOS is great, but I returned to MX
  Back in General Discussions, @Blue_bird likened CachyOS to a Formula 1 car that is blazing fast but high maintenance, while MX Linux feels like a dependable performance sedan when paired with Liquorix kernels. @Brian_Masinick added that he keeps CachyOS around for experimentation but relies daily on antiX and MX.

• Best Linux distro and Desktop Environment Combinations
  This long-running thread in Linux Support saw @Brian_Masinick emphasize the correct spelling of antiX and share the project’s mission to support older hardware efficiently. @sfrias updated a prior post accordingly, and @Blue_bird framed “distro + DE” choice around how much maintenance and polish you want at the desktop versus server crossover.

• Share your OS, Distro, Desktop setup - (screenshots, photos)
  In General Discussions, @sfrias showed an antiX and xBSD-flavored workflow using neofetch, Conky, and mostly TTY-based “heavy lifting” over SSH, XRDP, or VNC for server admin. @Blue_bird shared an Ubuntu desktop snapshot, keeping the screenshot thread lively.

• 12 Most Stable Linux “Rolling Release” Distributions
  Over in Articles & guides, @hydn expanded the list from 9 to 12, and explained why Arch ranks lower in a “worry-free” sort even though it excels at delivering upstream with minimal intervention. @Brian_Masinick appreciated the improvements and context.

• Reduce Disk Writes on Debian & Ubuntu (Server & Desktop)
  Also in Articles & guides, @benowe1717 described using the guide’s tips to extend the life of aging SSDs at home, praising remount-without-reboot and browser cache-to-tmpfs ideas. @ricky89 found the journald cleanup advice useful, and @hydn shared notes on budget SSDs and the pain of microSD failures on Raspberry Pi.

• Share your favorite linux music player
  In Linux Support, @ricky89 returned to Strawberry as a favorite and explored Discord Rich Presence integration. On Linux, a small Python script can query Strawberry via dbus to update presence, while on Windows he worked around the lack of dbus by monitoring Strawberry’s cache directory and pushing updates when files change.

Activity by the @staff Group

• @hydn updated the dual-boot walkthrough with notes about Windows 11 24H2 auto-enabling BitLocker, plus Ventoy as another USB tool and cross-links to related resources. See the changes here: Dual-Boot Linux and Windows: 5-Minute Install Guide.
• In a thoughtful reply on immutable systems trade-offs, @hydn highlighted Vanilla OS and openSUSE Slowroll for those curious about different stability models: Immutable Linux Distros: Are They Right for You? Take the Test.
• @ricky89 contributed practical file-sharing perspective in a backup strategy thread, noting when Samba remains the better fit in mixed environments: My personal Linux backup strategy.
• @toadie explored the path to adopting LVM for hot backups, weighing whether a fresh install would be needed to switch: Any software that will do a boot disk image backup without stopping the computer?.
• Community hospitality stayed strong with @hydn welcoming new participants in foundational threads like the sysadmin commands list: 90 Linux Commands frequently used by Linux Sysadmins (updated to 100+).
• @system published last week’s automated forum digest to keep everyone current: Weekly Forum Summary.

Best Reply or Topic of the Week

• Best Reply: @Andres_Tarrio’s quick and effective workaround for a GNOME display issue that blanks the screen when maximizing windows. He suggested disabling Variable Refresh Rate for the affected display, which immediately fixes it for users who can live without VRR. Read it here: Screen goes blanks when maxmizing window on Gnome.

“If you disable Variable Refresh Rate for that screen, the problem goes away. Just a workaround if you can live without VRR.”

Thanks for reading. See you again next week!

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