news
Open Hardware/Modding: Valnet on SBCs, HexOS, Homelabs and More
-
XDA ☛ 6 microcontroller projects that used to require a full SBC running Linux
A few years ago, the default answer to almost any “tiny computer” project was a full single-board computer running Linux. That made sense, because you got drivers, packages, a real filesystem, and every network tool under the sun.
Today’s microcontrollers have been quietly amassing superpowers, and the ecosystem around them has matured in ways that change what “needs Linux” even means. These projects are the proof, and they are the kind of proof that fits in the palm of your hand.
-
XDA ☛ HexOS is doing for NAS software what Ubuntu did for Linux desktops
Much has been said about HexOS, the up-and-coming operating system for NAS devices that aims to provide a more friendly user experience. When it's built on a foundation as strong as TrueNAS, which nis available for free for consumers, yet it asks for $199 for the privilege of using it (for now), it's fair to be skeptical.
But HexOS is doing something very important for NAS software: making it more easily accessible to everyone. In a way, it's very similar to what Ubuntu did for the Linux desktop. It may not make sense if you're already deep into the ecosystem, but it has the widest appeal for the majority of the public, and it could help popularize this kind of product.
-
HowTo Geek ☛ Homelab projects to try this weekend (February 13 - 15)
This weekend, I challenge you to try at least one of these homelab projects. You don’t have to deploy all three, but I’m sure you could benefit from a more private search engine, a “works anywhere” code server, or a self-hosted private budget system.
-
HowTo Geek ☛ Don't set up Nginx Proxy Manager—use this instead for your Homelab
Are you looking for the best way to open your self-hosted services up to the internet? Whether you’re wanting to host your own website at home or play Minecraft with friends, Cloudflare Tunnels is what you should use—not Nginx Proxy Manager.
-
HowTo Geek ☛ This free firmware made my old router useful again (and safer)
That old Wi-Fi 4 router you have sitting in a box collecting dust probably isn't up to the job of running a multi-gigabit network, but that doesn't make it useless. With a software update, you can turn it into a specialized piece of equipment for your self-hosting needs.
Routers age like computers
We don't normally think of routers as computers, but they are. They have a CPU, RAM, and storage, just like any other. As time goes on and as software and user demands increase, they can't perform as well as they used to. That is why your old Wi-Fi 4 router will likely struggle to consistently deliver gigabit speeds, while even an inexpensive modern router can easily handle it.
Additionally, routers, like any other computer, eventually wind up collecting dust that makes it harder for them to operate at the ideal temperature, especially if they're already running near their max.
-
Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications
-
HowTo Geek ☛ This is the easiest way to run Linux distros on your Android phone
You can run pretty much any popular Linux distribution on your Android phone in a few simple steps. With the right scripts, you can even install a fully-featured GUI distro with the desktop environment and window manager of your choice. Let me show you how.
Use Linux within a terminal
If you only need the command-line interface for the Linux you're trying to install, Termux is the simplest option. Among the many cool things it can do, Termux allows you to install and run many distros within its shell. It's a lot like the Windows Subsystem for Linux, which provides you with a full Linux distro within the terminal.
Start by installing Termux. It's available on the Play Store, but that version is heavily restricted and not updated regularly. The real version of the app is hosted on F-Droid (a free and open-source app store for Android). You can either install the F-Droid store or download the APK file from F-Droid and sideload it.
-