This week in our forums…
Key Stats
In the past week, the Linux community forums had the following activity and key statistics:
- Total New Posts: 42
- Total New Topics: 3
Top Members
- @Brian_Masinick: 14 posts, 12 likes
- @hydn: 10 posts, 6 likes
- @Mat: 5 posts, 5 likes
- @shybry747: 2 posts, 3 likes
- @Halano: 1 post, 1 like
- @e_b: 1 post, 1 like
- @system: 1 post, 1 like
- @RootGroot25: 1 post, 1 like
- @tmick: 3 posts, 1 like
- @unixdude: 3 posts, 1 like
Interesting Topics
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Arch website and services under DDoS attack
A timely thread kicked off by @hydn tracking the Arch Linux service outages, with links to Arch’s news post, status page, and mailing list thread. @shybry747 asked big-picture questions about the rise of attacks on Linux infrastructure, while @hydn added context on the “growing issue of automated traffic” and modern DDoS mitigation. A bit of levity from @tmick kept things human amid the security talk.
Category: #General-Discussions • Tags: #security, arch-linux -
Favorite Derived Linux Distributions (Built on Debian, Arch, etc.)
A new companion thread to explore derivative distros such as MX Linux, antiX, Linux Mint, and EndeavourOS. @Brian_Masinick highlighted antiX’s no-systemd approach and recent interest in Cachy OS for cutting-edge kernels, while @Mat discussed the appeal of “plain old Debian” and clean Xfce setups, referencing Asmi Linux. @hydn curated a family-tree overview from DistroWatch.
Category: #General-Discussions • Tags: distros -
Favorite laptop brands?
Hardware favorites skewed ThinkPad: @Brian_Masinick’s T14 Gen 3 continues to impress; @RootGroot25 contrasted Lenovo reliability with past HP experiences; @Mat praised Lenovo + Ubuntu LTS “plug and play,” and @hydn noted the long support runway with Ubuntu’s extended security maintenance.
Category: #General-Discussions -
/var/cache to TMPFS. Advice needed
Practical tuning chat: @AnthonyRKing examined apt cache size, @Halano shared a one-line fstab entry to mount /var/cache on tmpfs, and @hydn advised against moving the entire cache to RAM on modern systems due to lost caching and extra rebuilds/downloads, pointing instead to zram/zswap and SSD best practices.
Category: Linux Support • Tags: #performance, #storage -
Synology NAS alternatives
Storage strategy in the real world. @unixdude weighed a capacity upgrade versus a 2-bay NAS for offsite backups, while @shybry747 underscored the difference between backups and archives:“A backup should be a copy of your current working files, but an archive contains not just a backup but a history of backups.”
Snapshots, redundancy, and ransomware resilience were recurring themes.
Category: #General-Discussions • Tags: #storage, #backups -
Finding Linux Compatible Printers
@e_b asked about refreshing the community printer guide. @hydn welcomed them and committed to updating the article, suggesting the newsletter for notifications when it lands.
Category: #Community-Picks • Tags: desktop -
Debian derivatives (or pure Debian), let us know what you like and why you like it
@Brian_Masinick praised Debian’s stability while noting “minor beefs” with Trixie—especially around bootloader behavior on multi-boot setups—framed by years of multi-distro testing experience.
Category: #General-Discussions • Tags: debian, distros -
Arch Linux Updates: Frequency, Stability, and Best Practices
Long-time Arch user insights from @Brian_Masinick: dependable experiences with EndeavourOS and Cachy OS (when kept current), less success with Manjaro in the past. Practical notes about reinstalling with a fresh ISO for large delta updates.
Category: #General-Discussions • Tags: arch-linux, distros -
Linux Distro Choice: How Close to the Edge Are You?
Balancing stable systems with experimental play: @Brian_Masinick keeps production environments steady while confining bleeding-edge trials to removable media—sensible risk management many can emulate.
Category: #General-Discussions • Tags: distros -
50 Linux Text Editors You Should Know About
A check-in on power editors and IDE-like capabilities, with @Brian_Masinick asking which features matter most in day-to-day use. A good prompt for sharing your config gems and workflows.
Category: #Community-Picks • Tags: tools, software
Activity by the @staff Group
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- Added depth to the DDoS discussion with traffic/bot landscape context and WAF insights: post in “Arch website and services under DDoS attack”.
- Kicked off and curated the derived distros thread; later explored Asmi’s tooling and desktop ideas: follow-up with screenshots/tools.
- Gave actionable, modern guidance on caches, zram/zswap, and SSD longevity: /var/cache to TMPFS reply.
- Responded to a content request and promised an article refresh: Linux-compatible printers thread.
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- Pressed on the “why” behind the Arch incident, raising questions about broader Linux ecosystem targeting: DDoS thread reply.
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- Shared a methodical backup plan with hardware moves, cost breakdown, and filesystem strategy for offsite redundancy: Synology NAS alternatives update.
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- Lightened the mood during the DDoS thread with humor while staying engaged with current events: quip in the DDoS topic.
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- Posted the prior week’s digest to keep everyone oriented: Weekly Forum Summary entry.
Best Reply or Topic of the Week
- Best Reply: @shybry747’s guidance on backups vs archives in “Synology NAS alternatives”
A concise, practical explanation of why historical snapshots matter and how to structure redundancy beyond “one big disk.” It stands out for its clarity and immediate applicability to home and small-office backup strategies.
Thanks for reading. See you again next week! 