DEV Community: Lucas Marçal Coutinho

Dynamic wallpapers on your Linux distro

Lucas Marçal Coutinho — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 22:31:47 +0000

🇧🇷 Caso prefira ler em outra língua, esse artigo foi publicado também em português. Clique AQUI para acessar!

Introduction

An important step for many people in the process of making the system their own is the choice of wallpaper. However, such a thing is not always easy...

I don't know about you, but for someone coming from Windows, dynamic wallpapers is such a banal feature that it doesn't even cross your mind that it may not be available “out of the box” on other operating systems.

Okay, it's not as useful as a talking cow made of ASCII symbols, but it allows you to make your system a little more unique.

If you are interested in this feature or just curious about the possibilities, just take a look below!

Initial considerations

Just to make it clear, this article simply provides ways to make your distro switch between wallpapers from time to time, hence the “dynamic” in the title.

As for the tests, some of them were done on Pop!_OS 21.04, some on Manjaro 21.2.0, others on Fedora Workstation 35. But, due to time and hardware limitations, I couldn't test the alternatives found in other distros or explore interfaces in search of the feature in question.

So, if you know of any other method that was not mentioned (whether native or not), share it with us :)

1 - BackSlide

BackSlide is an extension to the Gnome Shell interface that provides a simple experience to install, configure and manage dynamic wallpapers.

If you are unfamiliar with Gnome extensions, I recommend taking a look at the 🇺🇸 How to Use GNOME Shell Extensions post by It's FOSS.

BackSlide - Repository

2 - Dynamic Wallpaper Editor

Dynamic Wallpaper Editor is a solution that comes pre-installed in Manjaro, accessible through the settings in the Layouts app.

However, DWE can be installed via flatpak and used on any operating system that uses Gnome Shell, Cinnamon or Mate as an interface.

There's not much secret in its use either: just add the wallpapers, rearrange them as you wish, set the duration of each one (or all) and save the file (.xml) with these settings.

And believe it or not, this .xml file can be set as wallpaper through, for example, Gnome Tweaks, applying dynamic wallpapers.

Dynamic Wallpaper Editor - Repository

3 - Dwall (Dynamic Wallpaper)

Dwall is a shellscript that uses a tool called cron to automate the periodic exchange of wallpapers.

I spoke Greek, right 😅? I recommend checking out the following posts: 🇧🇷 What can you do with Shell Script? from Diolinux blog, 🇺🇸 Linux Jargon Buster: What is a Cron Job in Linux? made by It's FOSS and 🇺🇸 How to use cron on Linux written by the opensource.com team.

The initial proposal is to use the project's own wallpapers, as it contains sets of images with some small changes in each one, in order to give the feeling of the passage of time. However, it is possible to use own images.

As the installation and configuration process is a little more complicated, besides not having a graphical interface, I ask you to follow the instructions directly from the source: the Dwall repository on GitHub.

Dwall - Repository

Conclusion

As not everything is perfect, some problems and/or details were found in during the tests:

BaskSlide completely crashed Manjaro when I tried to manually switch to the next wallpaper. On Pop!_OS and on Fedora it worked fine.
Dynamic Wallpaper Editor, on the flatpak version, has the "limitation" of needing some other app to place the generated file as a wallpaper.

DE was tested in its flatpak version on Fedora and native on Manjaro.

Note: The native version can apply the wallpapers by itself.

Finally, as for Dwall, it was only tested on Pop!_OS. A detail is that when the system goes into sleep mode (turns off the screen after a while) for more than an hour, the wallpaper remains the same until the next "full" hour.

Every hour, on the spot, cron runs the Dwall to change the wallpaper, as the system was suspended to save energy, this task is not performed.

As much as I haven't found the perfect solution, I hope this article has helped you in some way 😄.

Feedback!

Feel free to say what you think about this article, ask questions, point out any topic that was not very well explained or that was not discussed, suggest other topics and complement what has already been said. To the next!

References and recommendations

🇧🇷 Aprenda a dominar o Shell Script - Diolinux Play

🇺🇸 Automatically Change Wallpapers in Linux with Little Simple Wallpaper Changer - It’s FOSS

🇺🇸 Automatically change your wallpaper on Linux - DEV Community

🇧🇷 Criei um SISTEMA que se configura SOZINHO 👀 - Diolinux

Powering your GitHub

Lucas Marçal Coutinho — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 16:22:55 +0000

🇧🇷 Caso prefira ler em outra língua, esse artigo foi publicado também em português. Clique AQUI para acessar!

Introduction

Git, a code versioning system, was created by none other than Linus Torvalds to manage Linux kernel code versions. It later became popular and is widely used today.

Over time, tools and platforms have been created to facilitate, improve or complement the use of Git. Thus arises GitHub, the largest open-source code repository in the world, and (as humans are never satisfied…) the need to improve its user experience, giving rise to some browser extensions.

Fun fact: Currently GitHub belongs to Microsoft.

Believe it or not, ladies and gentlemen, there is room for improvement on GitHub. Until recently there was no dark mode on the site, something we solved through extensions (something you can still use if you don't like the native theme).

So, make yourself a cup of coffee and stay tuned, for here comes the Octocat with steroids!

1. Enhanced GitHub

This extension adds some new functionality to the site, making it possible to see the size of each repository and each file, giving the option to copy the file's contents and many other little things!

Respository - Enhanced GitHub

Chrome - Enhanced GitHub

Firefox - Enhanced GitHub

2. GitHub Hovercard

GitHub Hovercard shows nice floating cards when hovering over a user/repository/issue/commit anywhere on GitHub, giving you instant access to some information.

This extension has a Firefox version, but as of this writing it appears to have been removed from the Mozilla catalog.

If you use this browser and are interested in this extension, I recommend keeping an eye on its repository.

Repository - GitHub Hovercard

Chrome - GitHub Hovercard

3. OctoLinker

The OctoLinker enables easy navigation between project codes, transforming language-specific instructions (such as include, require or import) into links that redirect to the file referenced in the code or to an external site.

Respository - OctoLinker

Chrome - OctoLinker

Firefox - OctoLinker

4. Octotree

Octotree, also makes it easy to analyze and explore the GitHub code, only in a little different way. It adds a sidebar to the website, where you can navigate more efficiently between project folders and files.

It has some paid features like icon themes, multiple tabs and font setting. I recommend you try it out to see if it's worth it or if even the free version suits your needs well.

If you don't like Octotree or have any problems using it, a totally free alternative extension is Gitako.

Respository - Octotree

5. Refined GitHub

This extension simplifies the GitHub interface, adds loads of new features, like fixing merge conflicts with one click, copying all content from a given file, and the ability to download specific folders.

Respository - Refined GitHub

Chrome - Refined GitHub

Firefox - Refined GitHub

Bônus: Sourcegraph

Sourcegraph, brings to its hosted code (not necessarily only on GitHub) some other features that facilitate navigation between the project codes and its analysis, such as the possibility to go to the exact point where a variable was declared, search every time it appears in all project files and documentation floating cards when hovering over something.

Repository - Sourcegraph

Chrome - Sourcegraph

Firefox - Sourcegraph

Conclusion

Finally, I need to clarify and alert you to some important points.

For personal taste and not being exactly an advanced programmer, I don't currently use any of the extensions listed above. However, I thought it might be useful to someone, testing them all before writing this text.
Yes, extensions can bring a lot of new functionality. However, this comes at a cost and is often the negative impact on browser performance and page loading.
Be careful! There are malicious extensions that can spy on your browsing history, improperly access sensitive data, or other equally bad things. Don't go out installing just any one, see the ratings, read the comments, research it.

Octocat told me that soon there will be a new “git push” here with more extension tips, stay tuned 🐙!

Feedback!

Feel free to say what you think of this article, ask questions, point out a topic that was not very well explained or that needed to be talked about, suggest other topics and complement what has already been said. To the next!

Your code, stylish

Lucas Marçal Coutinho — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 21:30:06 +0000

🇧🇷 Caso prefira ler em outra língua, esse artigo foi publicado também em português. Clique AQUI para acessar!

Introduction

There was a time when creating websites was more difficult and float ruled the world... it was a dark time and full of terrors. But, not only in terms of languages the technology has evolved, great tools have emerged to make life easier for the dev.

Bringing with them features that browsers don't natively provide or a friendlier view of existing ones, browser extensions are the friend that every developer should have.

With that in mind, I've separated 5 extensions that can help you mainly in the matter of website styling, allowing you to select colors with the mouse, measure distances between elements and much more. Besides a nice bonus at the end… what are you waiting for 😉?

1. ColorZilla

Colors are a key point in any website, as they balance style and give a unique, personal or striking touch.

ColorZilla is an extension that first appeared for Mo*zilla* Firefox and became famous for making it easier to work with colors in the browser, allowing inspection of the color palette of the browser. website, providing a powerful CSS gradient generator and a few more things.

If you don't need something as robust, Firefox has a color picker natively. It can be found in DevTools, under the Inspector tab.

Chrome - ColorZilla

Firefox - ColorZilla

2. CSS Peeper

Think CSS inspection through DevTools impractical or intimidating? CSS Peeper arrives to make inspecting styles easier and more elegant. It also intelligently extracts the site's color palette and makes it easy to export your assets.

This extension is not available for Firefox and unfortunately I have not found alternatives to it.

Chrome - CSS Peeper

3. Dimensions

Measuring distances between elements on a website has never been easier with Dimensions. When activating the extension, your mouse becomes the starting point of two axes that are used to calculate spaces.

This extension also allows you to make measurements inside images, being of great help when you have a mockup in .png or .jpg for example.

Mockup, when it comes to design, is a prototype / model / draft of a given project, being used mainly to acquire user feedback and get an overview of it.

Chrome - Dimensions

Firefox - Dimensions

4. Web Developer

Web Developer provides a number of extra features that may not be present in your browser. Note that not only tools involving CSS are added, but they touch on several points when it comes to website development that can be very useful.

It is also an extension that was originally made for Firefox and, due to its success, was ported to Google's browser.

Chrome - Web Developer

Firefox - Web Developer

5. WhatFont

In order to facilitate the inspection of typographies on the web WhatFont arrives, simply activate the extension and click on the text about which you want to know the information. It's simple, elegant and extremely useful.

The CSS Peeper extension (cited above) also provides some information when inspecting some text with it, the main difference of information that these extensions bring is that the former provides letter-spacing and the other provides font-style as one of the information.

As CSS Peeper is not available in all browsers, I found it relevant to include this extension in the list.

Chrome - WhatFont

Firefox - WhatFont

Bonus: Lighthouse

This is an open-source tool created by Google that analyzes a particular website and scores according to 5 items: Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices, SEO and support such as PWA.

In terms of CSS, pay more attention to the score of the first 3 items mentioned above: build a responsive site, using assets optimized for the web and take advantage of good contrasts so as not to hinder the reading of your content.

As a great way to keep track of whether your site is good and up to web standards, Lighthouse come integrated with Google Chrome, having an official extension so that any Chromium-based can have this functionality.

The Giant of the Searches did not take this extension to its competitors' stores. But, being open-source, two alternatives for Firefox were created. However, none of them can rate sites running locally. A solution for this might be to install and use Lighthouse via NPM in your projects.

Chrome - Lighthouse

Firefox - Google Lighthouse

Firefox - Lighthouse Report Generator

Conclusion

Finally, I need to clarify and alert you to some important points.

I admit that, for personal taste and workflow style, I don't currently use extensions 2 and 4 listed above, but I thought it might come in handy for someone and I've tested them all before writing this text.
Yes, extensions can bring a lot of new functionality. However, this comes at a cost and is often the negative impact on browser performance and page loading.
Be careful! There are malicious extensions that can spy on your browsing history, improperly access sensitive data, or other equally bad things. Don't go out installing just any one, see the ratings, read the comments, research it.

And, as the dev will not live only from CSS, a little bird told me that more extension tips are coming 🙃!

Feedback!

Installing a distro has never been easier

Lucas Marçal Coutinho — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 15:00:08 +0000

🇧🇷 Caso prefira ler em outra língua, esse artigo foi publicado também em português. Clique AQUI para acessar!

Introduction

I don't know about you, but I don't handle changes well. An example of this was the departure of Charlie Sheen from the series Two and a Half Men… I'm not over it yet. So, in order to avoid creating trauma and nightmares with penguins, I will teach you how to install a Linux distro without having to delete the Windows already installed.

This process is called dualboot and basically consists of dividing the internal memory in one part with the OS already installed and another free part to install the other system and, when turning on the computer, you choose which one you want use.

Having dualboot on your PC means that you have 2 operating systems on it, but it doesn't necessarily have to be Windows and a Linux distro (it can be two Linux distros, two versions of Windows...). There is also multiboot where you could install more than 2 OSs on the same computer.

Do not worry! Only one of the operating systems runs at a time, so all of your computer's performance will be focused on the OS you choose when you start it up.

So grab a coffee mug, separate a 4 GB or more pen drive that can be erased and let's get down to business!

“Next, Next, Next”

There was a time when Linux distros were difficult to install or even unfriendly to the common user, with their use concentrated on people familiar with the world of technology.

As the penguin world became more known and stood out for privacy, security and speed, the potential of open-source software has grown infinitely in the eyes of many people.

And it was there that the hope for competition worthy of the Microsoft OS was ignited, thus giving rise to Ubuntu: a distro created and maintained by Canonical that opened many doors and hearts for the community.

Over time, other distros have also emerged with focus on being friendly and installation methods have been facilitated, installers have gained a graphical interface and the whole process has become intuitive.

Currently the process of installing some distros is so easy that it is basically a succession of clicks on the “Next” button… Does that sound familiar? 🙃

A family of distros

Something very common in the Linux world is a distro to use another as a base, as this saves time by not having to reinvent the wheel, allowing developers to focus on solving existing problems and creating new features.

This tends to create a “family” of distros that share the same base, having in common a large part of the inherited resources. Ubuntu is a beautiful example of this as it is based on Debian, inheriting its stable base but making shorter releases to deliver some news to its users faster.

Curiosity: Ubuntu has an “official family” called Ubuntu flavours.

Being part of a “family” is, in general, a good thing! Because solutions to some problems, system modifications and applications made for a particular distro can also work in other distros that have the same basis.

Linux Mint, I choose you!

In the Linux world, there is a sea of distro options with different interfaces and purposes. And, to continue with this article, I had to choose one from this great variety. This distro being one of the ones I used on a daily basis and that I can recommend to you.

Most distros have the installation process very similar to the one I chose, such as Ubuntu, KDE Neon, Manjaro, Pop! _OS and so on. But, as a guarantee, look for tutorials on the internet about the specific installation process of the distro you want to use, there is a lot of material out there (courtesy of our beloved community ❤️).

Linux Mint is one of the most recommended distros for anyone looking to migrate from Windows to the Linux world. This is due to the similarities that its main interface, Cinnamon, has with the Microsoft system.

But beware, Linux Mint is not just a pretty face! It is a powerful distro based on famous distros, inheriting almost all of its superpowers and qualities, but with new spices added to the recipe.

The varieties of mint

To clarify: I did not specify the distro that Linux Mint is based on purpose, as there are variants with different bases, write it down!

Based on Ubuntu	Based on Debian
Linux Mint - Cinnamon	LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition) - Cinnamon
Linux Mint - MATE
Linux Mint - Xfce

Cinnamon, MATE and Xfce are the name of the interfaces that are installed by default in each variant.

Having download options with different different interfaces is a way of respecting the different tastes of users. But why a variant based on Debian? Simple, a little extra stability. Not to mention extended support.

LTS, not LTS and Rolling Release

By "extended support" I meant that the distro has a considerably longer period in which it will receive updates, without you having to update your distro's version (a deeper, time-consuming update that can cause bugs or incompatibilities). Distros that have this type of support are called LTS (Long-Term Support).

All versions of Linux Mint are LTS and based on a LTS version of Ubuntu, with 2 years of support each. However, the Debian-based variant is supported until shortly after its next release (which takes about 2-3 years).

Within the 2 year period, 4 new versions of Ubuntu are released, but only 1 of them is LTS. Within that same period new versions of Linux Mint are also released, all of them LTS and based on the last Ubuntu LTS released.

As such, non-LTS distros do not have a large update period, with support time around 9 months. Ubuntu, for example, launches an LTS distro and, every 6 months, launches a new version with reduced support time until completing the 2 year cycle for the new LTS.

There are still some distros that are Rolling Release which, as the name suggests, is not limited to these milestones and release versions, as they are in a constant development process. Arch Linux follows this model of updates, always delivering the latest to its users.

Women as inspiration

Numbers are so boring and lackluster that, in addition to the version number, each new release of Linux Mint is codenamed with a female name ending with the letter a. Just a curiosity to sweeten your day. 😉

Do you want to know more about it and have a look at the codenames used until today? Take a look at this 🇺🇸 It’s FOSS article and the Linux Mint page on 🇺🇸 Wikipedia.

Caution is never too much

First of all, it is important that you back up your files in case an error occurs during the Linux Mint installation process.

Take it easy, this is just a step to make sure you don't miss anything important, it doesn't mean there is a big error rate.

You can save your most important files to another HDD/SSD or upload them to sites like Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox.

Downloading the ISO

ISO is the format used to aggregate all information and files on a CD or DVD, as if it were a RAR or ZIP file. Think of .iso files as a virtual CD or DVD.

In your preferred browser, visit the 🇺🇸 Linux Mint website to download the distro installation file.

It has been some time since the developers of Linux Mint announced that they will update the project's website, but, as of the writing and publication of this article, this has not yet happened.

In the top menu of the website, click on "Download" (or just hover over it and click on "Linux Mint 20.1"). You will be taken to the page where you can choose from the most recent variants based on Ubuntu LTS.

If you have a Ryzen 5 or 7 processor go to the next topic!

A little further down the page you will find links to download the variants. The one we are going to install is Cinnamon!

Finally you will be taken to the page where you can download the ISO. I recommend downloading it via torrent or that you choose the mirror that is closest to you!

Mirror, in this case, is another server that contains the file we need, as a "reflection" of the original server. It is interesting to use a mirror closer for the download to occur faster, because the closer, the shorter the distance the data has to travel.

For you to download via torrent, it is necessary to have installed a program that supports this type of download such as Free Download Manager (#tip).

While the file downloads, take the opportunity to have a coffee, play with the pet and check on social networks because, depending on your connection, it may take a little while.

If your internet connection is really bad, you can leave it downloading overnight and program the download manager to shut down your PC as soon as it is over. 😜

Houston, we have a problem

The Kernel 5.4 LTS, which comes standard on Linux Mint 20.1, does not offer good support for Ryzen 5 and 7 processors (I believe they are only 3rd generation). So, in order not to affect the support of their standard ISOs, the development team made available a version of the Cinnamon variant with Kernel 5.8 (not LTS), which has better support for the mentioned processors.

To download this ISO, just in the "Download" menu click on "All versions", choose the version "20.1 Ulyssa" and access "Cinnamon (Edge, 64-bit)" or just click on this link. You will be taken to a downloads page very similar to the one we see above.

Creating a bootable pen drive

Creating a bootable pen drive is basically copying the files contained in the ISO to the USB device and giving it the ability to start from it when the computer is turned on.

You could also create a bootable CD or DVD with other methods.

Downloading Rufus

There are several software that are capable of creating a bootable pen drive, such as balenaEtcher, Universal USB Installer and YUMI. However, we will be using Rufus which is fast, powerful and has support for several languages. To do this, just click on this link to access the official Rufus page.

Note that in the upper right corner there is the option to change the language of the site, if you prefer.

Scrolling down the page you will arrive at the “Download” section where you can choose between the installable version and the portable version of Rufus. Download the one you prefer.

In the installable version, just run it and the program is quickly installed. Open Rufus and let's start making the settings to format the pen drive.

Formatting the pen drive

If you have not stuck your USB stick in your PC yet, the time has come! In the "Drive Properties" section, in the "Device" subsection, select your pen drive.

Remembering that the pen drive must have 4 GB or more of storage!

In the subsection "Boot Selection" click "SELECT" and look for the ISO you downloaded.

Now, in the subsection “Partition scheme”, you are shown two options: MBR and GTP. However, before we go any further, we need to talk a little bit about it.

Partition schemes are standards regarding how your data is stored in memory.

It turns out that the MBR (Master Boot Record) is the standard on older devices, usually those that came with Windows 8.1 or earlier. If your PC came with Windows 10, your partition scheme is probably GPT (GUID Partition Table), a newer and more powerful standard.

To be sure of the partition scheme your computer uses, enter the BIOS or UEFI (used on newer PCs) and look for an option that mentions UEFI.

UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is, in short, the younger brother of the BIOS, a replacement for it that has the ability to work with GPT partition systems.

Then choose between MBR and GPT according to what your computer supports. And, when choosing one of the two options, the field in the subsection “Target system” will be changed automatically, we do not need to modify it manually.

And ready! The basic settings are these. If you wish, in the “Formatting options” section, in the “Volume name” subsection, you can change the name that your pen drive will have when it is formatted.

Of course, if you are experienced with formatting, there are some advanced settings you can do.

Now, in the “Status” section, just click on the “START” button to start the process! If the following message appears, use the recommended option, just give an "OK"!

Basically the ISO we downloaded gives us 2 options to make the pen drive bootable: the ISO Image mode and the DD Image mode.

The ISO Image mode partitions and formats the thumb drive so that Windows can understand it and, after making the appropriate copies of the ISO content, give you access to the files on the thumb drive (either to modify any settings or access a document).

The DD Image mode, on the other hand, only creates an exact clone of the file we downloaded, without having to format or partition the pen drive, however, you will no longer be able to access the contents of the pen drive or your access to it will be very limited.

Now a warning message will appear informing you that the pen drive will be erased, just "OK" too.

Under no circumstances remove the pen drive from your computer before the process is finished or you have canceled it.

Wait until the progress bar is completely filled and ready!

Freeing up space for installing Linux Mint

The Linux Mint installer has a powerful built-in tool that is able to partition the memory however, we have to be aware of an astute villain called Disk Fragmentation.

Partitioning memory means separating spaces in storage so that each space is managed separately.

Imagine that your storage consists of several little boxes that hold the same amount of data and that these little boxes form several rows. When storing a file, your system will try to put its data in little boxes in sequence, but it may happen that it does not find the necessary number of little boxes in sequence for this or reach the end of a row. So the solution is to store the file data in little boxes that may not be in sequence.

Now think about the mess that writing and deleting multiple files can make! This is disk fragmentation. Therefore, it is advisable to use the Windows disk defragmentation tool to ease this mess.

It is also recommended to free up space for the distro by the Windows disk management tool, as the fragmentation mess cannot be completely undone, so the OS that caused it knows for sure how far it can free.

By disks I mean any type of storage, whether they are SSDs, HDDs, and so on.

Knowing this, let's take a look at this disk! But calm down that the process is simple. Among Windows programs, look for “Defragment and Optimize Drives”. In the window that opens, click on “Analyze”, wait for the analysis to complete and, finally, click on “Optimize”.

Now in the Windows search field, type "Create and format hard disk partitions" to open the Windows disk manager.

In the window that opens, right-click on the main partition (usually the disk (C:)) and select the "Shrink Volume" option.

An analysis will be made by the system of how much memory it can free without affecting its files and its functioning. In the window that opens, the only editable field comes with the maximum amount of memory that you can free up in MegaBytes.

There is no minimum space standard for a distro, some require more space and some do not. Some like Deepin do not allow to be installed in a storage smaller than 64GB. This version of the Linux Mint we downloaded requires only 12.1 GB to install.

The space you must leave for the distro depends on what you intend to do. If you are going to use it lightly and download a few apps and files, I think 64 GB is enough. In case you want to make a more intensive use, it might be interesting to think about making available 240 GB or more.

However, if you free up less space than Linux Mint needs (12.1 GB), the option "Install Linux Mint alongside Windows 10" does not appear.

In this case, I will only leave a space around 15GB, as this installation will be used only for this article.

Tip: Choose the number of GigaBytes you want to separate and multiply by 1024 (value of 1 GB in MB), you will have the value in MegaBytes!

Now that you have entered the MegaBytes value that will be made available to the distro, just click on "Shrink"! It may take a few seconds to finish and after that, the free space will appear as “Unallocated”.

An unallocated space is a space that exists, it is available for use, however, before using it, it is necessary to format it.

If you just want to test the distro I recommend that, instead of dualboot, test it via Live Mode or on a Virtual Machine.

Changing the boot priority

In this step we are going to inform the computer that we want it to look for the OS first, not on the HD or SSD, but on the bootable flash drive that we just created. With the stick on the computer, restart the system. When the machine starts to restart, press the assigned key to enter the BIOS or UEFI a few times.

This key may vary between manufacturers and their models, search Google "how to access bios/uefi samsung notebook, model np123xyz" or something similar.

On the BIOS/UEFI screen, look for the “Boot” section.

If your computer came from the factory with Windows 8.1 or earlier, you may have to disable “Secure Boot Control”. If you have difficulties I recommend taking a look at this article.

In case you want to know the reason for this I found a very didactic explanation in Techlog360.

Click on the “Boot priority” option and put the pen drive/USB device as the first option.

Now save your changes and restart the machine!

Booting from pen drive

If you chose the GPT partition system even though your computer does not support it, an error message similar to this one will be presented to you.

However, if you have chosen the MBR partition system, but your computer is newer and came with UEFI as standard, no error will be presented to you and you will be able to proceed with the installation normally however, when the PC is restarted, it will probably boot directly on Windows (it will not give you the menu to choose which OS you want to use).

If the steps were followed correctly, when restarting the computer you should be presented with a screen similar to the following:

Probably the screen that will appear to you will be a little more "rustic", say, boiling down to a black screen and white letters. But don't despair, in any case it is choosing the first option that we start Linux Mint.

Just select the first option to proceed, then the Linux Mint will be loaded, taking you to its home screen.

Live Mode

Note that no installation window has been opened, but that there is a CD/DVD icon on the Desktop for you to open the installer. This is because of a feature that many distros have: Live Mode. You are using a complete Linux system from your pen drive.

But this has its drawbacks… For example: the space for installing applications is limited to the free space of your pen drive and, when restarting, all changes made are lost.

Feel free to explore and make sure you want to continue, as the only changes we've made so far have been changing the boot priority (something that doesn't even have to be undone because, seeing that there is no plugged-in flash drive, the PC skips to the next storage unit) and frees up memory for the distro (which can be easily undone by going to the disk manager, right-clicking on the storage that has been downsized, and clicking “Extend Volume”).

You could also test Linux distros through a Virtual Machine… But that is the subject of another article! But if you want to learn soon I recommend watching the videos 🇧🇷 Máquinas Virtuais de forma SIMPLES - GNOME Boxes, 🇧🇷 Esqueça o VirtualBox! Conheça o Virt Manager! and 🇧🇷 VirtualBox - Testando sistemas operacionais SEM FORMATAR!.

Beginning of installation

If you got here it is because your determination has no limits, my dear penguin brother. It's time to start (finally) the installation process! Double-click the CD / DVD icon on the Desktop to open the installer.

On the first screen that appears, choose the language in which you want to have your Linux Mint (you can change it later, if you wish), the installer's language will be changed to the chosen one as well. Click the "Continue" button.

On the screen that follows choose the layout of your keyboard or the one you want to use. Click the "Continue" button.

On this screen, it is not mandatory, but I recommend installing the codecs that he suggests so that there are no problems in the reproduction of some media. Click the "Continue" button.

Codec is the acronym for encoder/decoder. In this case, it is software that understands some media formats.

You should now have reached the following screen:

If you check the second option, the Linux Mint installer will erase all files and Windows from storage to install the distro.

In the third option, it is possible to make advanced configurations in partitioning (subject for a future article!).

But let's use the first option: the installer has already intelligently detected that it has a unallocated space (the space that we released) and will install Linux Mint on it.

Now just click on “Install now” and, in the window that opens, click on “Continue”.

In this window, the changes that will be made to the unallocated space are informed: it will be divided in two, the first partition being responsible for keeping the boot information and the second the OS itself.

On the next screen, choose your time zone reference location (just click on the map or type the name of the city).

Now, enter the information as you wish and choose a strong password to protect your account. I won't do that, but if you wanted a little more security, you can check the option "Encrypt my home folder".

Now just proceed to the installation to finally begin! A green bar fills as the process progresses and some information about what is happening is written above it. Slides with information about Linux Mint will run during installation, feel free to read.

If you want more detailed information about what is happening, just click on the triangle next to the progress bar.

Finally, this window will open indicating that the installation is finished and that you can now restart your computer to enjoy your new operating system!

As soon as you click to restart, a screen will appear before the system shuts down, indicating that you can now remove the pen drive from the computer.

When restarting the computer, you will be presented with a menu (probably much more beautiful than the one below) where you can choose between Linux Mint and Windows 10, just choose with the arrow keys and press "Enter". If it takes more than 10 seconds to switch to Windows 10 the first option in the menu will start by default.

The name of this menu is GRUB (GRand Unified Bootloader), a software that gives the user the option of starting one of the installed systems or accessing some advanced options for distros that are installed.

My GRUB is more "ugly" because I am using a Virtual Machine to have better images for you.

It's time to login for the first time!

Now it's official, welcome to the Linux world! When you log in for the first time, the “Welcome” application will start so you can stay on top of the basic features of the distro and make your first settings. So that this application does not open every time you sign in to Linux Mint, just uncheck the checkbox “Show this dialog at startup”.

Take a good look at this application, so you will feel more comfortable in the system.

Sharing files between Windows and Linux

Interestingly, Windows cannot even find the folders for any Linux distro installed on the same computer. However, distros can access Windows files without a problem. So, you could either create a separate memory space just to be a shared files space between the two OSs or just leave the files you need in Windows storage.

Microsoft has promised that in future updates Windows will be able to access the distros folders installed on the same PC.

Your life with a taste of mint

Now it's your duty to explore and learn about this new land, penguin soldier! There are a lot of tutorials and courses out there for you to study... just avoid changing the system files without you knowing what you are doing that everything will be fine.

Knowledge is power

My intention was not just to make a quick tutorial, but to try to ensure that you understand the whole process so that you are not afraid to try. We must not abhor the unknown, we must seek a way to understand, know and learn from it.

Feedback!

This article was initially written in Portuguese, so if you find any inconsistencies in the text, please let me know!

References and recommendations

🇧🇷 Diolinux - YouTube

🇧🇷 Curso de Linux - Curso em Vídeo - YouTube

🇺🇸 Curious Case Of Linux Distribution Code Names - It’s FOSS

🇺🇸 How To Dual Boot Linux Mint And Windows 10 - It’s FOSS

🇧🇷 Linux Mint - Wikipedia

Linux, the right choice?

Lucas Marçal Coutinho — Sun, 03 Jan 2021 15:00:02 +0000

🇧🇷 Caso prefira ler em outra língua, esse artigo também foi publicado em português. Clique AQUI para acessar!

Introduction

If you opened this article, you are at least curious about the world of the Penguin. Be careful: you are being attracted to the more open-source, private and customizable side of the Force.

Some people may feel comfortable in Windows and never even consider an alternative to it, many do not even know that there are options to the Microsoft system, while others fear that Linux world is just a "black screen" (terminal).

This is the first in a series of articles in which I will try to resolve some of your doubts about the Linux world and show you that this subject is only a 7-headed monster if you want it to be :)

After all, what is Linux?

At first, this question may seem trivial and something similar may come to your mind: “Linux is a operating system, like Windows and MacOS, but free”. But that's not quite it...

The Operating System (OS) is the name given to the program or set of programs that manages computer resources, as a bridge with a graphical interface between hardware and the user.

Linux, in fact, is not an operating system, but it is the kernel (core) present in several OSs.

The kernel, in general, is the heart of the operating system: the part that makes the connection between applications and hardware, that is, who allocates and manages the machine's resources so that programs can run.

Another important point is that not all Linux-based software is necessarily free because, as it is an open-source project, its license allows third parties to sell a proprietary version of the kernel or even charge for distributions based on it. Some examples would be Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Zorin OS Pro and the SUSE Linux Enterprise product line.

Open-source software is created under a license that allows the public to study, modify and distribute their code as they see fit. Some restrictions may apply depending on the license.

GNU without Linux, that's me without you

The kernel is, in fact, a very important part of the composition of any operating system, however this puzzle has many more pieces, as the kernel needs a whole environment and tools that make it possible to manage the machine.

The GNU project, on the other hand, had a lot of tools, utilities and components necessary for the composition of an OS, but guess what, just one piece was missing: the kernel.

GNU is a recursive acronym for GNU is Not Unix and, my dears, there are wonderful references at the end of the article if you like history or are just curious about the project!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, what we now commonly call just Linux is the combination of the entire system created by the GNU project and the kernel project created by Linus Torvalds, whose correct name for, what is now really an operating system, is GNU/Linux.

Distros

Distro is nothing more than an abbreviation for distribution, a term used to generically refer to a GNU/Linux based operating system.

In the previous section, it was mentioned that the combination of applications and tools from the GNU project and the Linux kernel (GNU/Linux) is an operating system, however, there is not, in fact, an OS called "GNU/Linux" to download and install it on your computer... and that's where distros come in.

There are several distros, each aimed at its audience or a specific purpose. Therefore, despite generally having the same base, linux distributions can be very different from each other, ranging from a modified kernel and proprietary programs to different graphical interfaces.

The graphical interface, also called the GUI, or Graphical User Interface, of the OS, is the part of the distro that manages the way things are presented visually to the user.
Note that GUI is an extremely generic term and is being used to refer to the graphical part of the OS, which the user can see and interact with, which does not include text-based and command-line interfaces.

Graphical interfaces / Desktop Environments

It's possible that instead of coming across graphical interface, you'll find a slightly different definition: Desktop Environment or simply DE. While, formally, the first term refers, in this article, to how an OS presents itself graphically to a user, the second refers not only to the interface, but to a whole set of tools that the project responsible for it created to the same.

What good would an interface be without a settings program or a file explorer? Yes, these programs are part of DE, an environment developed to support the interface and complement the user experience, in addition to generating a visually cohesive system.

Now, unlike Windows and MacOS, which only have their default "look", there are several graphical interfaces in the Linux world.

Of course, even though Windows and macOS only have a single interface, there are ways (official and unofficial) to customize them. However, in the Linux world, it is possible to simply install a new interface and delete the old one.

Some DEs have interfaces that are more user-friendly, intuitive, and even have Windows similarities to ease the user transition (like Cinnamon and KDE Plasma).

Others, on the other hand, may have a very different usability than what you're used to, but still provide a more minimalist and, who knows, productive experience (like Gnome).

In general, other DEs can also be installed via the terminal and, when logging in, you choose which interface you want to use.

Gnome

Gnome is a project that places special emphasis on usability and, even though it may seem strange to you at first glance, it has an intuitive and easy-to-adapt interface.

Maybe you've heard about one of the most famous Linux distros, Ubuntu. It uses Gnome and is a system recommended by many people precisely because it is easy to learn to use, has a solid foundation and constant updates.

There are several other distros that use Gnome - Manjaro, Debian, Fedora, GnomeOS - each with its own unique features.

GnomeOS is a distro created by the Gnome project itself for developer testing purposes. This distribution is not considered stable enough for everyday use so please do not install it on your main computer.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a Gnome-derived project, being developed by the Linux Mint team. For Windows users, it has a much more friendly and familiar interface, which is precisely its intention: to be a gateway for those who want to migrate from Microsoft's operating system to the Linux world.

Undoubtedly, the Linux Mint distribution is another great recommendation, with an extremely intuitive interface and, as it is an OS based on Ubuntu, a frequently updated program repository.

There are other distros that use Cinnamon besides Linux Mint, such as Debian and Fedora, with their differences, of course.

It is worth mentioning that linux distributions can release different versions of themselves but with a different interface.
The Linux Mint team, for example, despite having created CInnamon, also makes available versions of its operating system with DEs Mate and Xfce.

KDE Plasma

KDE Plasma is developed by the KDE team with a focus on usability and, mainly, customization. With advanced customization options available by default, distributions with KDE Plasma are a great option for anyone who wants to modify their system to the fullest.

KDE Neon is the official distro that the project maintains to test new DE features, but some other distros also adopt a more stable version of Plasma to make it available for the user, such as Manjaro, Fedora and Kubuntu.

Today, there are two versions of KDE Neon, one that you can actually use on your personal computer and the other one to be used as testing by developers.

Others DEs and interfaces

There are other DEs and interfaces like DDE, XFCE, LXDE, LXQT, Mate and UKUI.

I recommend you do your research, take a look at the channels Diolinux and The Linux Experiment to see how the interfaces work and which ones you like best.

Perfection is individual

The perfect OS does not exist, but everyone is constantly updating to always be the best version of themselves. However, the perfect system for you would be one that meets all your needs.

There's no such thing as a perfect interface, but rather the one you feel comfortable to use, where you're the most productive or just the one you think is the most beautiful.

I recommend that you test, experiment and learn more about it. Most distros do not charge you anything for using them and none limit your access to the system so... why not give it a try?

Pros and cons

Nothing is perfect, unfortunately neither is the Linux world. So, here are some pros and cons of using Linux distros over Windows.

Pros	Cons
Linux distros are faster than Windows	Linux has few NATIVE games
Linux distros are more secure than Windows	There are programs for Windows that do not exist in the Linux world
Linux is open-source and most distros are free
Multiple choice of interfaces
It is extremely customizable
Full system access

Research, first of all, if the programs and resources you need are available in the distribution you are considering using.

Choosing your distro

I recommend that you watch the videos Qual a melhor distro para “——” and Como escolher a melhor distro para o seu uso?. The first is basically a re-recording of the second, but both complement each other and will show you some other important points for choosing the distro.

Taking into account some points, I separated some recommendations of distros for questions:

Beauty

Deepin and Ubuntu Kylin are by far the most beautiful distros for me. But there is a catch: both are Chinese distros and there is no guarantee that you will find any material (forum, documentation, videos…) in English or in your native language for you to consult in case there is a problem. Another important point is that there may be some parts of the system that are not translated.

Despite being present in the distribution name, Ubuntu Kylin just uses Ubuntu as a base, having no relationship with Canonical (maintainer of Ubuntu) .

Another very beautiful distro is eXternOS, but it is still in beta until the posting of this article. One option would be to use a distro with KDE Plasma and modify it as you wish, there are several tutorials on the internet and the results are incredibly beautiful.

Today, I also find Gnome 40 (or higher) quite charming, being my favorite DE and the one I've been using by default since well before the redesign in the version 40 interface ❤️!

Games

This is a wound that anyone who doesn't like the Linux world loves to hammer. As I said before, Linux doesn't have many native games like Windows does… But there's nothing stopping you from trying to run games made for Windows on Linux.

This magic of being able to run programs made for Windows on Linux is thanks to WINE and Proton.
Not all software supports these technologies, and even if they do, there may be some issues. Find out more about the subject, if it interests you, search specifically for the applications you need.

Pop!_OS is one of the best distros to play today, already coming with Nvidia drivers (if choosing this option on the website) and for having a frequently updated program repository.

I recommend you to watch these two videos: Configurando o Pop!_OS para jogos and Como jogar no Linux em 2020. They will give you a sense of how things work and give you tips on where to look to see if your favorite games are supported on Linux.

With the advent of Steam Deck, some distributions like Fedora have announced investments to improve gaming experience and hardware compatibility.

Development

Here we already need the latest software, constant updates and a large arsenal of programs. Ubuntu has long been the darling and the best distro to develop in the Linux world because it is popular, stable and easy to use.

However, over time, other distros have also acquired and reinforced these characteristics, with some having more appeal to the developer audience like Pop!_OS, Fedora and Manjaro.

Stability (one distro to rule them all)

In general, distros like Ubuntu, Linux Mint and Pop!_OS try to deliver a balance between stability and new features. However, there is an operating system that is known to focus on stability: Debian.

Debian is an operating system primarily composed of free software and maintained by the community. Its release cycle for new versions is considerably longer than traditional distros, focusing precisely on a stable system and long-term support.

This distribution may not have the programs or DEs in their latest versions, as their updates are only made available after many tests, to try as much as possible to ensure that nothing causes problems for your user.

It's called freedom, right?

You don't have to be indecisive among so many choices, it's open-source! If you want, just format and install another distro or another DE. You are free to install, reinstall and modify as you wish.

I hope I have clarified some of your doubts. I know I haven't addressed every possible subject, but other articles will come to complement this one :)

Feedback!

This article was initially written in Portuguese, so if you find any inconsistencies in the text, please let me know!

References and recommendations

🇺🇸 Overview of the GNU System

🇺🇸 Linux and the GNU System

🇺🇸 get GNU/Linux!

🇺🇸 Graphical user interface - Wikipedia

🇧🇷 Diolinux

🇧🇷 Curso de Linux - Curso em Vídeo

🇺🇸 ProtonDB

🇺🇸 The Linux Experiment

🇧🇷 Open Source (Código Aberto): veja como funciona - TOTVS

🇺🇸 Why everyone should try using Linux - opensource.com

🇺🇸 Linux Jargon Buster: What is Desktop Environment in Linux? - It's FOSS

🇺🇸 What makes the Linux community special? - opensource.com