Not that I have the knowledge, experience, or tools to really tinker with this; but I do look forward to what others may do with this!

Please elaborate on how this is “ironic”

By offering this as a bonus doesn’t take away the offline installers and DRM Free content you buy from them.

It isn’t being forced, and it isn’t costing extra, so what’s the issue?

Avoid any machine with an Nvidia graphics card for Linux. It’s more hassle than it’s worth. Source: my experience.

However, I have good luck with most laptops that have Intel integrated graphics. Specifically Lenovo machines. I am not exactly sure what budget you have, but you can get a second hand Lenovo machine that would work quite well.

If you don’t care about it being fully open source/libre, then from my experience you likely won’t have much issue with Wifi either.

As far as what you are wanting to use it for, you could get away with something fairly low powered. Depending on your preferences, I would suggest a number of distros for that purpose:

Fedora, it’s been a good distro in my experience. They offer different spins of it with different desktop environments. I personally love KDE, but you could go with Gnome too.

As far as hardware goes, if you are unsure about a machine being usable with linux, I would check here: https://linux-hardware.org/

Hope this helps!

I love buying music of artists I find on Bandcamp. I get lossless quality audio, and I get to support the artist. Granted, it is best to do the bandcamp fridays because more money goes to the artist.

However I hate that Epic now owns Bandcamp, and has for a while.

I would agree with you here. From my experience, schooling doesn’t aim to teach critical thinking, or reading comprehension ad much as it should. The way tests and work are handled is more closely inline with memorization. Memorization doesn’t help people break new ground, or help develop the tools to begin troubleshooting, and tackling new ideas and problems.

Memorization typically ally only helps with solving problems we already have answers to.

I appreciate the compliment. However, there are plenty of people who are more knowledgeable than I am when it comes to the grand topic of computers and technology.

It would be cool if there was a website, or an app that would act as just an F-Droid repo browser to show package details, and other pertinent information.

I don’t mind Obtainum’s UI, but I apparently have missed features it has. I don’t have F-Droid installed at all currently. I am sure there has got to be a way to find package names without having the F-Droid client installed.

You’re right. I get hit with the “you don’t know which year” phrases. But when I ask further probing questions as to why I should know those things, I get hit with the “well I learned this in X year of school.” and they fail to explain the importance. People often equate memorization with being intelligent and real world examples point to this absolutely not being the case.

I oddly find technical documentation of things and informational pieces to be far more interesting.

And might I add, well put!

Thank you! I didn’t know that was an option with Obtanium, but sure appreciate you sharing!

The worst part, is a good chunk of those people don’t retain or comprehend what they read either.

That aspect of tech support often burns me out. However, put a complex computer related problem in front of me, and I could find myself at it for as many hours as I can be awake without burnout.

The problem is that I don’t use an fdroid client whatsoever. I use Obtanium. So as far as my search has taken me, the fdroid link is the only one with APKs built that Obtanium can use.

I have found in my years of experience in IT, the best way I can handle an issue/error that a user may face is to work through it with them, verbally tell them what I am doing to fix it while showing them. Another trick from my repertoire is to try to relate to their frustration, or their problem, so they don’t feel talked down to.

You are right, the humanities are important.

And it can be about how things are framed and communicated.

I think it’s a mix of all of these things.

Being able to read isn’t quite equivalent to reading comprehension though. So between that, and lack of curiosity, laziness, defeatism, and more; it really does stunt the population when it comes to computer knowledge.

Single handedly that is how I have acquired any of the computer knowledge I have. So it is absolutely mind blowing that people just can’t seem to grasp the fact that most of the time what it takes to understand something, is reading. That being said, beyond that, breaking through to new discoveries; it makes me appreciate those with an inquisitive mind that tend to push the envelope beyond what is well understood and well documented.

I am by no means top at anything I do with a computer, but I do find it said that I tend to know more than almost anyone I interact with in real life when it comes to using computers.

For the most part the way I became proficient with a computer has come down to reading comprehension. I would like to see studies showing the overlap of computer proficiency, and reading comprehension.

I still use Nova, however, I use AFWall+ to deny internet access to it. As well, as give it as little permissions as necessary.

I have tried many of launchers over the years, and I can only find myself using one: Nova.

However, I don’t exactly love that Nova was bought out by Branch, an analytics company. So I still use Nova, but when using LineageOS or stock Android I use AFWall+ to block internet access to Nova.

If privacy isn’t a concern of yours, then Nova without a way to deny internet connection to it would do.

Nova has the google feed feature you are looking for. It works quite well.

Nova has 1 feature that I cannot find in another launcher (at least not an open source one…) that for me is the ability to swipe up and down on an app icon and have it launch another app or shortcut. It’s powerful and allows me to keep my homescreen empty, and I have 12 app icons on my taskbar. That being said with swiping, I can launch 36 apps from my taskbar alone. Allows me to keep it clean. And that mixed with separate tabs for app categories created by me.

The closest to Nova I have found, and is an excellent launcher is NeoLauncher

This launcher has quite the selection of features and I do implore you to check this launcher out.

I ended up trying out LSPosed mod and Pixel Expert and Iconify, and decided not to use it. This k you for taking the time to respond and share!