Recent Valnet Articles With Focus on GNU/Linux

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Oct 05, 2025

• GNU/Linux

  • Desktop/Laptop

    • HowTo Geek ☛ This Linux Laptop Makes the Most of Kubuntu's Capabilities

      The Kubuntu Focus M2 Gen 6 is a solid mid-range workstation laptop that will appeal to anyone wanting a professional, developer-oriented environment facilitated by the Kubuntu Linux OS. While I had qualms with some of the M2's hardware and some specific software, it was overall a good experience.

  • Applications

    • XDA ☛ 11 Linux apps Windows refugees need to know about

      Switching from the operating system you've used all your life can be scary. It's a whole new paradigm to get used to, and in the case of Linux compared to Windows, there are a ton of apps you may be used to that don't have Linux versions. That makes it hard to make the transition as you need to not only learn new things, but find out what you need to learn first, which can be a big barrier.

      But things don't have to be that scary, and almost everything you're used to has a great alternative on Linux, or it might already be available for Linux and you don't know about it. So let's take a look at a few apps you can install on a Linux PC to get you up and running just as you were on Windows 11.

    • Make Use Of ☛ I can convert literally anything with these free FFmpeg-powered apps

      Converting videos, audio, or even images used to feel like a chore. FFmpeg is a powerful, open-source media engine that handles virtually any format you can think of. The only catch: it’s command-line based, which can be intimidating if you’re not comfortable typing commands.

      Fortunately, there are plenty of free apps that give you the full strength of FFmpeg without the hassle of memorizing complex syntax. From simple drag-and-drop interfaces to advanced batch processing, there’s a tool for every workflow, platform, and skill level.

  • Instructionals/Technical

    • XDA ☛ I migrated my self-hosted services from one Proxmox node to another, and it was shockingly easy

      Thanks to its astonishingly low minimal system requirements and built-in support for LXCs, Proxmox is one of the best virtualization platforms for repurposing old machines into robust self-hosting workstations. In fact, I’ve armed a budget-friendly NAS I received a few days ago with Proxmox and plan to use it for hosting a couple of experimental containers. But since I’ve already got an old laptop serving as an LXC-hosting PVE node, I figured I could try migrating some virtual guests from the dinosaur machine to my shiny new NAS.

      Turns out, there are a multitude of ways to move containers and virtual machines between guests. Having tinkered with many of them over the last few days, here are some perks and quirks I encountered in each method.

    • XDA ☛ I set up a remote Linux VM on Proxmox I can use from Windows, and it's almost as good as native

      I've talked before about how I wish I could use Linux as a daily driver on my computer, but there are several blockers to me doing so that have prevented me from being able to make the switch. However, I recently built a rather overpowered Proxmox-based machine, and I've been migrating some of my older services while adding new ones to it. Among those services is a full-fledged Ubuntu Server install, with 400 GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and about half of the Intel Core i7-14700K's cores assigned to it. With the magic of remote desktop technology, I can use it as if it were a native machine.

      Before diving into how to do it, I'm sure you're wondering why I don't just install a virtual machine on my primary PC, instead of using Proxmox and a remote desktop. The answer to that question is answered by the difficulties I faced with switching to Linux on my main PC in the first place, as a virtual machine on my main PC is also, unfortunately, not an option. With this method, I get the best of both worlds: a full Linux install that feels native, while nothing is actually touching my primary computer.

    • HowTo Geek ☛ 3 Terminal Tricks You'll Wish You Knew Earlier

      It doesn't matter whether you're learning the terminal or a seasoned pro, there's always plenty of little tricks for you to learn—tricks that save you time. I have three useful Bash tricks that you can add to your arsenal.

• Distributions and Operating Systems

  • Open Hardware/Modding

    • HowTo Geek ☛ 3 DIY E-Ink Projects for Beginners

      I love e-ink displays. The tech behind them is fascinating, especially since they can continue displaying an image after losing power. There are a lot of fun DIY projects to do with e-ink displays, and here are three of my favorites.

• Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

  • Programming/Development

    • Python

      • XDA ☛ I replaced all my bash scripts with Python, and here’s what happened

        I have used bash scripts for years because they are ubiquitous and fast to prototype. Over time, my small helpers turned into a tangle of chained commands and fragile pipes. I finally decided to migrate everything to Python to see whether the maintenance headaches would ease. I expected a few niceties, maybe better error messages, and not much else. What I got was a fundamental change in how I write and reason about my tools.

    • Shell/Bash/Zsh/Ksh

      • HowTo Geek ☛ 6 Text Filtering Uses for the Linux awk Command

        The awk command is a versatile text-processing tool in Linux. It filters and manipulates files using patterns, conditions, and actions. It supports a wide range of scenarios, making it straightforward to extract specific data from logs, configuration files, or any text file.

      • HowTo Geek ☛ 4 Interesting and Unusual Linux Shells

        As a Linux user, you probably run commands in your terminal using one of two shells: bash or zsh. Maybe you’ve heard of their predecessors, like sh or csh; you might even be aware of newer shells like fish. But what about these modern alternatives: can they make a meaningful difference to your everyday work?

        fish: The Friendly Interactive Shell

        The fish shell is one of the most widely known modern alternatives to whichever shell your distro uses by default. It emphasizes user-friendly features, with powerful tab completion, syntax highlighting, and command suggestions.

        fish is available for Linux and macOS, so starting to use it can be as simple as running brew install fish or apt-get install fish.

  • Standards/Consortia

    • XDA ☛ SMB over QUIC is a game-changer, and I can't wait for it to come to the home lab ecosystem

      Whether you're a home labber looking to connect self-hosted services with a storage server or a casual user trying to pair your NAS with a Windows machine, you’ve definitely heard of SMB. Besides NFS, it’s one of the most popular network protocols for transferring large amounts of data on a home network. But unlike its rival, SMB is easy to set up, works well on the big three OS families, and doesn’t require a lot of mental calculus when creating permissions.

      Not to mention, SMB has incorporated a handful of neat features and optimizations over the years. But what if there was a way to improve SMB’s utility even further? That’s precisely what SMB over QUIC is designed to accomplish. Heck, I’d go so far as to say it’s a noticeable upgrade over the conventional SMB protocol, and I can’t wait for it to become more accessible to home labbers and NAS enthusiasts.