same

I just use Debian + virt-manager.

I can either use the shell or connect using the graphical tool, via SSH. Much simpler, much less overhead.

I read that as sarcasm :D

Wow, that’s just ridiculous.

“Here’s some free software that is non-free.”

Debian. Works, proven, stable. “The universal operating system”, called that for a reason.

I wish I knew what each of the Piefed compoments does.

Oh yes, those transports (https://slidge.im/) are very reliable. I’ve played with Matrix bridges a while ago, but never got to a reliable setup, so I’m very happy with Slidge + ejabberd now.

Don’t worry too much about deciding between Prosody and ejabberd, both are great and include a migration tool from the other. I’ve moved from Prosody to ejabberd, but mostly because I want to know both. :)

Prosody or ejabberd . Those are not resource-intensive, but easy to selfhost and very reliable. You can also have a look at Snikket .

Decentralise communication, take some power of some nasty people and take part in making the world more resilient. :)

Also, keep in mind that the docker group effectively grants root access.

The account can then mount any file or directory into a container and do whatever it wants.

“sickos”? Seriously? Ableist bullshit.

Also, ever heard of sunlight? Not all people use computers exclusively at night…

See now why we need decentralised communication?

Yes, Android Translation Layer. It works with some specific apps, but is not ready yet. But more and more start working.

Yes. Although I’m not sure what rice cookers are for. Just heat up rice with water… Done.

Debian stable. It just works.

Debian has specific installers for Macs, for example.

1. Distrohopping is just re-installing with a different distro. I don’t why some people switch all the time, I’d consider it a waste of time. Also, I once tried many distros and then settled on one. Sticking with one means you’ll be able to know it very well at some point. I for example opened a lot of bug reports and then even started fixing some packaging, I doubt I’d have gone that far with hopping.

2. How about: Put Linux on an external SSD in a USB adapter and then swap macOS/Linux SSDs once you’re ready? You could also use a 2nd computer for learning. Take your time and set up things to work for you before deleting your main OS.

3. Debian, because it has extensive documentation and works really well. If you search for something, you will find a how to. Install the GNOME or KDE flavours, depending on what you prefer. There are also other flavours of course, but considering you want something somewhat familiar coming from macOS, I believe GNOME (+ extensions, perhaps) would work really well for you.

a) privacy friendly and the Debian wiki even lists where Debian could improve b) beginner friendly and especially due to the amount of documentation, also if you need some specific software, it will likely be in the repos c) Debian comes in various flavours, try out a live system or watch some Youtube videos to decide what you like d) works with gaming and there are usually packages for Debian and Debian-based systems

4. I’ve tried out a Fairphone with /e/os just yesterday. The OS is probably fine, but perhaps also have a look at iode.tech, they are closer to upstream and afaik do security patches quicker. And iodé OS is the next best thing when you don’t want to use a Google device. They support a couple more devices and also something important for security: A locked bootloader. They are based in France. And /e/os collects unique IDs from devices. Ultimately you could get a Fairphone and just try out both. Flash them and play with the UI for a bit. Choose what you like.

5. Don’t replace your devices as long as they do what you need them to do, an exception would be if you can no longer install security updates, as usually is the case on phones after a while.

If you automate all aspects of your life, what have you got?

Don’t fall for the scam that is “AI”, think. Computers cannot think for you.

Debian is not behind. Changed enter the repos pretty quickly and every 25 months you get a release. Which is perfect, as it means I don’t have to maintenance for my mother that often.

Still there are security patches.

If you want the newest shiny stuff, use Testing or Unstable. I’ve done that for years, for that is not the right choice for everyone, as things change on the time. And I don’t get paid for the tech support I do for my family, so I’d rather see them have larger changes less often. Family would agree, as they find it difficult to learn how to deal with the changes.

My parents for example do not care about tools for drivers installation (everything works just fine already), they don’t know what a kernel is (so there’s no need to switch), snapshots/Flatpak/Steam/Wine/faster package manager are not important (they don’t know what any of that is).

They use a browser and occasionally a text editor, that’s it. Debian + GNOME works really well for them.

Often something simple is just right.