Recent Articles From Valnet

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Sep 22, 2025

• GNU/Linux

  • XDA ☛ 6 operating system luxuries Windows users have never known about Linux

    Windows has long been the dominant force when it comes to desktop operating systems, and there really isn't much room for debate there. It's got a massive lead on both macOS and Linux, and it's so ingrained in our society that a lot of Windows users have never known anything else. After all, ignorance is bliss, and Windows 11 works well enough if you don't know about the alternatives.

    But that's just the thing: if you do learn about the alternatives, then it quickly becomes apparent that there are some big benefits to a platform like Linux that Windows users have never really known about. Let me tell you about some of the things you've been missing out on if you've spent your whole life on Windows.

  • HowTo Geek ☛ How I Make Hopping Linux Distros Easy and Painless

    If you've been reading much of my work, you know I switch Linux distributions (also called distros) a lot. Distro-hopping involves completely overwriting an operating system, and I've been asked how I do that without pulling my hair out. Let me explain.

    The answer, in part, is that I do not have much hair left to pull, as you might astutely observe by the headshot in my author biography. That's not all though; I've also developed several habits to make complete OS transitions simple and minimize the time between wiping the hard drive and humming along with my PC work and entertainment.

  • WINE or Emulation

    • HowTo Geek ☛ Dolphin Emulator Is Solving Crashes for Wii and GameCube Games

      Dolphin is probably one of the biggest game emulation projects out there. It started years ago, and while the task of emulating most Wii and GameCube games is a hard one, developers have made great progress to the point that most computers and smartphones can play these old, but gold, titles. Now, the latest progress report has shown it's gotten a lot better recently.

      Dolphin's latest progress report is out, and it shows many of the things Dolphin has rolled out but hasn't individually announced. The biggest thing in here, for me, is the fact that the team has changed the default CPU emulation mode on desktop PCs from Dual Core to Single Core. For years, Dual Core mode has been the default choice because it splits the emulation workload across two CPU cores—emulation is very CPU-reliant, so the emulator will naturally try and take the most advantage possible out of the CPU. However, it was also the leading cause of random crashes, instability, and lost save data.

      The developers noted that as PC hardware has become more powerful, many no longer need the extra speed from Dual Core mode to achieve full-speed emulation—one core can get the job done. The team decided that the stability and reliability of Single Core mode provide a better out-of-the-box experience for the majority of users. Those with less powerful hardware can still manually enable Dual Core mode at their own risk. This change only applies to the Windows version—the Android version of the emulator will continue to use Dual Core mode as there's a wide variety of Android phones out there, a lot of which can't pull it off on one core alone.

  • Games

    • HowTo Geek ☛ 8 Games You Can Play in Your Ubuntu Terminal

      Many of us fear the Linux terminal and might even hesitate to open it. Why is that? Probably because it’s all text, endless commands, and not a single graphical button in sight. It gives off the vibe of a serious, no-nonsense boss. Strictly business and no fun allowed.

      But here’s the twist: you can actually flip that perception on its head. With a few simple commands, you can turn your serious-looking Ubuntu terminal into a playground that you’ll look forward to opening and interacting with.

      Now, I won’t lie, these games can’t compete with triple-A titles in terms of graphics. What they do bring, though, is plenty of fun, challenge, and a dash of nostalgia. They’re lighthearted, addictive, and the perfect cure for boredom. That’s my promise to you.