XDA and HowTo Geek (Valnet) Stories About BSD, GNU/Linux, and More

posted by Roy Schestowitz on May 05, 2026

• Desktop Environments (DE)/Window Managers (WM)

  • XDA ☛ Linux has too many desktops, and that’s why beginners give up

    One of the great things about Linux is how much you can customize your system down to the deepest level. You can switch between different kernels, drivers, desktops, and apps, making everything work just the way you want it to. For most people, though, that will come down to the desktop choice, which often related to what distro you choose, too.

    Between GNOME, KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, and so many others, there are a ton of options for the desktop, and while having choice is undoubtedly a good thing, it gets to a point where it can be a problem. And Linux is probably at that point.

  • K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt

    • XDA ☛ KDE Plasma 6.7 is bringing better performance and battery life to Intel laptops

      Every week, we get a sneak peek into what people are working on in KDE Plasma. Well, okay, it's not really a 'sneak peek,' given that KDE Plasma is open source and you can just pop over to GitHub to check out what everyone is working on. However, it definitely feels like we're getting a curated look behind the curtain to see what to expect from future releases, so it's close enough.

      As it turns out, the KDE community is still trucking ahead with adding features to Plasma 6.7, and one of the most interesting ones is related to Intel chips. If you have an Intel laptop, you may notice that KDE Plasma will not only perform better, but take less of a toll on your device's battery.

• Distributions and Operating Systems

  • BSD

    • XDA ☛ I stopped dismissing FreeBSD after trying out its modern distros

      I’ve been obsessed with the Linux ecosystem for a long time, and FOSS distros currently comprise the majority of my home lab. However, Linux wasn’t very approachable in the early 2010s, as most flavors didn’t have the same hardware compatibility or QoL services as their modern counterparts. Well, the current FreeBSD situation is a lot similar to how Linux was perceived back in the day.

      But after diving headfirst into the FreeBSD rabbit hole last year, I have to admit that it’s a lot more usable than you’d think. Sure, you’ll need some technical finesse to survive the occasional curveball it may toss your way, but unless you’re running a wacky hardware combo, FreeBSD flavors are surprisingly easier to use – to the point where I’d actually recommend checking them out if you love tinkering with cool distros as much as I do.

  • Fedora Family / IBM

    • XDA ☛ Fedora is becoming the default Linux recommendation, and Ubuntu did this to itself [Ed: That's nonsense as many flock away from Fedora for similar reasons]

      For years, if not decades, Ubuntu has been the default recommendation for anyone wanting to switch from Windows to Linux. Backed by a large organization like Canonical, Ubuntu arguably has the most coordinated resources behind it to create a reliable and predictable experience.

      But the Linux landscape has evolved a lot, and what used to be a driving force in the Linux space seems to have turned into a ball and chain holding it back. At least, that's how many in Linux community seem to see it, and I can understand why.

      I've made it no secret that I'm not a big fan of Ubuntu, and more and more, it's looking like Fedora is taking over as the standard recommendation for new Linux users, and for good reason. While Fedora has its drawbacks, Canonical has often made bad decisions that contribute to Ubuntu losing its popularity.

  • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

    • XDA ☛ Waydroid runs Android apps on Linux better than Windows ever ran them on WSA

      The Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) is history now. Microsoft caved in and killed the project, which angered a lot of users because it was one of the main highlights of the Windows 11 launch. Microsoft failed to anticipate the demand for running Android apps with Google Play Store support, and the option to only download apps via the Amazon Appstore didn’t appeal to a lot of users. I thought WSA would kill third-party Android emulators on Windows, but WSA didn’t catch up with them.

      On the Linux side, though. Waydroid can help run Android apps with Google support, and that opens doors to a wide range of apps compared to WSA. The possibilities are endless, and I don’t need to worry about a limited app library, subpar performance due to virtualization overhead, or figuring out Google account integration.

• Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

  • HowTo Geek ☛ 5 free, open-source apps that save me hundreds of dollars and hours of work

    Somewhere between your productivity apps and your cloud storage, you're probably paying hundreds—maybe thousands—of dollars a year in subscriptions. But at the same time, you can't really help it because these tools genuinely save you time and help you get more done. Fortunately, I’ve found five powerful free and open-source (FOSS) alternatives that can do the same job without emptying your pocket.

  • Standards/Consortia

    • HowTo Geek ☛ Why digital archivists chose a comic book format over everything else

      From the day I learned to read, I've been an avid comic book reader. Graphic novels, superhero stories, science fiction, cyberpunk, and fantasy all line my bookshelves (and e-reader).

      As technology evolved and things went out of print, people started archiving old publications. This led to a Renaissance of sorts in the comic book and archival worlds.

      Today, we're talking about one of my favorite file formats (and one I use daily): Comic Book Reader, or CBR.