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: 67
- Total New Topics: 7
Top Members
- @hydn: 16 posts, 5 likes
- @Mohaa: 13 posts, 12 likes
- @Brian_Masinick: 9 posts, 16 likes
- @ricky89: 6 posts, 4 likes
- @rogerp: 4 posts, 8 likes
- @MarshallJFlinkman: 3 posts, 4 likes
- @tmick: 3 posts, 3 likes
- @filipe_nascimento: 3 posts, 3 likes
- @unixdude: 1 post, 3 likes
- @Halano: 1 post, 3 likes
Interesting Topics
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Linux mint updating cache problem — In this newly opened and now solved linux Support thread, newcomer @filipe_nascimento ran into an unexpected Volian repo on a clean Mint install, triggering apt-secure warnings. @hydn explained how third‑party repos like deb.volian.org can be introduced (e.g., by installing nala) and how to remove the offending entry under /etc/apt/sources.list.d. @MarshallJFlinkman added mirror troubleshooting steps via Update Manager. The OP ultimately reinstalled clean and reported success. debian package-manager
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Can Linux save ewaste — A thoughtful General Discussions Discussions debate by @Mohaa on whether lean Linux setups can meaningfully extend older hardware lifespans when modern browsers dominate resource usage. @Halano captured it well:
web browsers are huge — it’s like another operating system on top of the system.
Practical advice followed, including @MarshallJFlinkman suggesting about:processes and using uBlock Origin to curb memory usage. -
What I’ve learned from distro hopping — New General Discussions Discussions topic from @Mohaa comparing minimal base installs (tty-first) and RAM footprints across distros, then layering Xorg/Wayland plus a tiling WM. Lessons learned included how package choices and installers (e.g., display managers pulling full DE stacks) can balloon footprints. @Brian_Masinick encouraged the exploration and follow-ups.
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New member Intro — A warm welcome to @Mohaa, who shared a candid backstory of hardware adversity, VM-led testing, and a return to Linux between Fedora 42 and Debian 13. @hydn chimed in with a welcome and pointers. General Discussions Discussions linux microsoft-windows forums
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For active members: Fine-tuning forum email notifications — A Community guide by @hydn for dialing in Discourse email noise. Key tip: set emails to “only when away” and “unless previously sent” so frequent visitors aren’t double-notified. Also includes advice on weekly/monthly digests and per-topic watch/mute controls. Site Help
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‘Serverless Horrors’ on Hacker News — In Showcase, @Mat shared a collection of real-world pitfalls from serverless deployments and the HN discussion thread. @hydn added Lobsters to the reading list for deeper dives. This thread is a good starting point for evaluating serverless trade-offs.
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I was wrong! zswap IS better than zram — An Articles & guides & guides entry by @hydn revisiting prior guidance and providing a more balanced, empirical comparison of ZRAM vs Zswap. Rule of thumb: ZRAM shines with light/occasional swap; Zswap makes sense when swap demand spikes unpredictably and fast storage (e.g., NVMe) is available. @Brian_Masinick appreciated the data-driven approach.
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QEMU-KVM question — Active General Discussions Discussions thread where @tmick explored cloning Windows from HDD to SSD in a dual-boot setup. @shybry747 suggested GRUB updates would be required; later, @bricklayerX proposed an alternative—restore the clone to a virtual disk and run it via virt‑manager, avoiding risks with physical disks. The thread is a practical mix of cloning strategies and tooling like qemu-img and Clonezilla.
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9 Most Stable Linux “Rolling Release” Distributions — In Articles & guides & guides, @Brian_Masinick weighed in on stability trade-offs (e.g., skepticism about Manjaro, long-time enjoyment of PCLinuxOS, interest in Void, praise for openSUSE’s variant). @hydn noted that earlier rankings were adjusted based on community feedback. arch-linux kali-linux distros
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Favorite Derived Linux Distributions (Built on Debian, Arch, etc.) — @Mat highlighted the appeal of derivative distros that stay close to their bases (e.g., “nothing more than plain old Debian” with a polished Xfce). The thread evolved with updates confirming better experiences compared to other popular derivatives. General Discussions Discussions distros
Activity by the @staff Group
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@hydn led from the front:
- Balanced the ZRAM vs Zswap discussion with extra detail and references: I was wrong! zswap IS better than zram (Articles & guides & guides).
- Shared hardware/practical maintenance notes on storage wear and troubleshooting: Increase the Performance and lifespan of SSDs & SD Cards (Articles & guides & guides).
- Practical buying/compatibility angles for peripherals: Finding Linux Compatible Printers (Community Picks).
- Community curation and meta-sharing: ‘Serverless Horrors’ on Hacker News (Showcase).
- Welcomed new and returning members: Welcome! Please introduce yourself (Community).
- Package management guardrails in support threads: Linux mint updating cache problem (linux Support).
- Distro ecosystem context and metrics clarity: CachyOS Is On the Rise — Here’s Why It Deserves the Buzz (General Discussions Discussions).
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@ricky89 offered practical system admin guidance:
- On cloning and backups: Clonezilla for cloning drives (Articles & guides & guides).
- Connectivity hardware that “just works” on Linux: Fedora 42 and the sigil of “4” (General Discussions Discussions).
- Mirror hygiene and performance findings: Linux Updates and European mirrors (General Discussions Discussions).
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@tmick kept virtualization threads productive with clear questions and follow-ups: QEMU-KVM question (General Discussions Discussions).
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@unixdude added community flavor and inspiration in desktop threads with curated wallpapers: Sharing our wallpapers - past and present (General Discussions Discussions).
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@shybry747 provided concise, helpful input on bootloader changes during drive migrations: QEMU-KVM question.
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@system posted the prior week’s digest to keep readers oriented: Weekly Forum Summary (Community).
Best Reply or Topic of the Week
QEMU-KVM question — @bricklayerX proposed a clever and low-risk alternative to physical disk juggling: clone the HDD to a raw image, then boot it as a VM via virt-manager, leveraging qemu-img for resizing and copying inside the virtual disk. It’s a practical approach that:
- avoids accidental damage to the physical dual-boot setup,
- enables experimentation and rollback,
- and teaches modern virtualization workflows along the way.
Thanks for reading. See you again next week! 