DEV Community: Nishant Mishra

OpenDev: From Zero Clients to Linux Independence – How I'm Building a One-Man Linux Revolution

Nishant Mishra — Tue, 26 May 2026 06:39:37 +0000

Published: May 26, 2026
Author: Rico (Nishant Mishra)
Reading time: 8 minutes
Alpha Launch: July 4, 2026

🇺🇸 Independence Day is Coming

America will celebrate independence on July 4. I'll celebrate something else: the Alpha launch of OpenDev.

Zero clients. One laptop. One supporter. One mission.

This is the story of how I'm building a Linux revolution from my laptop. No funding. No team. Just 8 years of daily driving, 12 broken Arch installs, and one person who believed before anyone else.
The Origin Story

I've been daily driving Linux since 2016.

Not in a VM. Not dual boot. Daily. Driving.

I've broken Arch 12 times. I've fixed Arch 12 times. I've spilled chai on my laptop (it survived). I've cursed at NVIDIA drivers (they did not). I've spent hours in TTY2, staring at a blinking cursor, wondering where it all went wrong.

Somewhere along the way, I realized something:

If I can break my system and fix it, I can help others do the same.

OpenDev was born.

The Philosophy

"Jo system ghar pe nahi chala sakte, wo office mein kyun lagaayein?"

Translation: "If you can't run it at home, why run it at work?"

Linux isn't a server in a dark room. It's not a dual boot you never boot into. It's not a terminal you fear.

It's your daily driver. At home. At work. Everywhere.

The Problem I'm Solving

Problem Reality

Fragmentation Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, EndeavourOS – each needs different help

Hidden costs Cloud IDEs, CI/CD minutes, proprietary agents = ₹lakhs/year

Fear People try Linux, hit one bug, and go back to Windows

No trust Big IT is expensive. Local shops install cracked Windows. No one daily drives Linux.

India has 1.5 crore+ IT students. Most run Windows because "Linux is hard."

I'm changing that. One setup at a time.

What OpenDev Offers

For Home Users

Linux setup (remote)

Setup + 1-hour training

"Daily Drive" course

Monthly support

For Enterprises (Coming after Alpha)

Linux admin per device

One-time migration

Fractional Linux CTO

Alpha launch offer (July 4): First 5 Alpha users get FREE setup + lifetime "Alpha Pioneer" role.
The Daily Drive Course

From zero to daily driving in one month.

Curriculum:
Week Theme What You'll Learn
1 The Leap Choose distro, make live USB, install Linux
2 The Terminal Essential commands, package management, finding help
3 The Daily Drive Updates, peripherals, gaming, productivity
4 The Advanced Backups, troubleshooting, rescue fixes

What's included:

Live sessions (2x per week)

Recorded videos (watch anytime)

Private Discord channel

Cheat sheets (PDF)

Certificate of completion

Lifetime alumni access

The Streak Challenge

Here's the fun part.

Every OpenDev user joins the Linux Streak Challenge.

Report daily with !streak day X on Discord

Don't break your system

If you break, tell the story in #break-stories

Best break story each month wins a prize

Prizes include:

"I Didn't Break Linux" socks

Custom MS Paint wallpaper

Terrible Photoshop trophy

Discount codes

Milestones:

7 days → Shoutout

14 days → Raffle entry

30 days → Discount

60 days → Free training session

100 days → Lifetime alumni status

"Survive. Adapt. Win." – Arma 3

The Arch Ninja Bootcamp

For those who dare to install Arch.

4-week curriculum:
Week Theme Goal
1 The Initiation Install Arch manually
2 The Grind Master pacman + systemd
3 The Ascension Switch from DE to WM
4 The Ninja Clean install in under 1 hour

The Arch Ninja Creed:

"RTFM. Break. Fix. Repeat."

The Arch Wiki is my bible. Pacman is my sword. Systemd is my shield. The AUR is my secret weapon.

I will read the manual before I ask. I will break my system and fix it myself. I will not fear the black screen. I will not fear the blinking cursor.

"Who dares installs Arch. Who survives wins."

The Break Stories (Fictional – For Now)

Every break is a lesson. Here are fictional examples of breaks that will happen to someone:

Priya – Kernel 7.1 + NVIDIA

"I updated to kernel 7.1. NVIDIA drivers broke. Black screen. No TTY. Just darkness."

Fixed with: Live USB → chroot → downgrade kernel

Lesson: Wait 24 hours before kernel updates. Especially with NVIDIA.

Karthik – The Reddit Script

"I ran a GRUB theming script from Reddit. It formatted my EFI partition. Bricked."
Fixed with: Live USB → rebuild EFI → reinstall GRUB
Lesson: Never run random scripts as root. Always keep a live USB.

Sneha – Deleted Python

"My disk was full. I deleted Python 3.13. DNF died. GNOME died. Everything died."

Fixed with: Live USB → chroot → RPM force install → restore

Lesson: NEVER DELETE SYSTEM PYTHON. Disk space is cheap. Your system is not.

First real break story from Alpha/Beta wins a bonus prize + handmade certificate.
The Mottos

OpenDev is built on mottos from the world's finest warriors:

SAS 🇬🇧 "Who dares installs"
Navy SEALs 🇺🇸 "The only easy day was yesterday"
PARA SF 🇮🇳 "Men apart, every user an emperor"
Spetsnaz 🇷🇺 "The strongest update wins"
Arma 3 🎮 "Survive. Adapt. Win"

OpenDev's official motto:

"Don't break. Drive daily."

Hindi motto:

"तोड़ो मत। रोज़ चलाओ।"

The First Supporter

Every founder needs someone who believes before anyone else.

Mine is called Storm.

Storm uses Windows on a rusty desktop. Has never used Arch. Has never broken a Linux install.

Storm supports me. Not Linux. Not OpenDev. Me.

That's not business. That's love.

Storm is the First Supporter. Forever. The name is in the Supporters Hall of Fame. There's a Discord role waiting. Storm has never joined. May never join.

That's okay. Storm believed first. That's enough.

"Storm believed before anyone else."

Office hours (Discord voice):

Saturday & Sunday: 7-9 PM IST

Tuesday & Thursday: 7-9 PM IST (backup)

When travelling: off days = office hours

DM only for emergencies (system dead + work deadline)

The 10 Commandments of OpenDev
markdown

I. Thou shalt message Storm before Discord. Every day. (Rico's rule)
II. Thou shalt not fake a testimonial. Honesty > hype.
III. Thou shalt keep a live USB. Always.
IV. Thou shalt read the manual before asking.
V. Thou shalt break spectacularly and tell the story.
VI. Thou shalt not delete Python.
VII. Thou shalt wait 24 hours before kernel updates (NVIDIA users).
VIII.Thou shalt clean thy snapshots weekly.
IX. Thou shalt not trust random Reddit scripts.
X. Thou shalt drive daily. Don't break. But if you break, fix.

Alpha Launch: July 4, 2026

What is Alpha?

5 free setups for close friends and early believers

Free Linux install + 1-hour training + 2 weeks support

You give: honest feedback + permission to record

What comes after Alpha?

Beta (10-15 free setups for extended network)

Paid launch (details to be announced)

How to join Alpha:

Join Discord: https://discord.gg/YsbfQBgZ5p

Read #welcome-and-rules

Post "ALPHA" in #introductions

Rico DMs you within 24 hours

Spots: Only 5. First come, first served.
The Laptop That Built OpenDev

Acer Aspire 7 Azalea CAS (2022)

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (6 cores, 12 threads)

GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1650 (the problem child)

RAM: 16 GB DDR4

Storage: 512 GB NVMe SSD

OS: Endeavour OS (Arch btw)

Total breaks: 23+

Survived: chai spill, kernel panics, dbus failures, my own stupidity

This laptop has suffered more than any user. Respect it.
The Supporters Hall of Fame

First inductee: Storm (First Supporter)

"Storm uses Windows on a rusty desktop. Has never broken a Linux install. Believed in me before OpenDev existed. First Supporter. Forever."

Future inductees: Only Rico chooses. Max 1 per year. Must have believed before success.

Join the Revolution

Discord: https://discord.gg/YsbfQBgZ5p
Matrix: #opendev:matrix.org
Telegram: coming soon
Hall of Fame: [GitHub Pages link]
Email: rico@opendev.linux (coming soon)

Alpha launch: July 4, 2026
The Final Word

"OpenDev started with zero clients. One laptop. One person who believed.

We have break stories. We have mottos.
We have fictional warriors and real ones coming.
We have a community that celebrates failure as much as success.

But none of it matters without you.
The real users. The real breaks. The real fixes.

So go. Use Linux. Break something.
Tell us about it. Win prizes. Get back on the horse.

"Don't break. Drive daily."
"Survive. Adapt. Win."
"Message Storm first. Then build."

– Rico 🐧

P.S. Storm is still on Windows. Still First Supporter. Still loved. That's not fiction. That's just true."

Hell yeah. Alpha launches July 4. Let freedom ring. Let Linux boot. 🐧

Call to Action

👇 Comments are open. Tell me:

What's your worst break story?

What distro do you daily drive?

Will you join Alpha on July 4?

First comment with a real break story gets a shoutout in next article.

Rico (Nishant Mishra)
Linux user since 2016 | Daily driver | Founder of OpenDev
"Don't break. Drive daily."

CalyxOS Android 16 Part 2: The Long-Term Test

Nishant Mishra — Thu, 07 May 2026 07:02:01 +0000

Welcome back! In Part 1, I covered the initial setup, basic functionality, and first impressions of running CalyxOS Android 16 on my Motorola G45 5G (India variant). Now, after over two days of daily use with dual SIMs active and a relocked bootloader, I'm ready to share the full picture. Let's dive into everything I promised: battery life, OTA updates, UPI apps (some work, some don't, more testing needed), bugs (spoiler: none so far!), and my feedback to the CalyxOS team.

Battery Life: The Headline You've Been Waiting For 🔋

"Battery Life is phenomenal!!!!" — yes, I put four exclamation marks in my notes, and the real-time data backs it up.

The 72-Hour Test Setup (In Progress - More in Part 3!)

Let me walk you through my test so far, and I'm genuinely excited about these numbers. Day 1 started at 8:00 AM with a fresh 100% charge. By 8:00 PM that night, after a full day of calls, WhatsApp, and web browsing, I was still sitting pretty at 74% — can you believe that? I certainly couldn't.

Then came the overnight test, and this is where things got really interesting. I went to sleep with 74% at midnight, and when I woke up at 8:00 AM on Day 2, the battery had only dropped to 61%. That's just 3% drain over 8-9 hours with both SIMs active on 5G. I actually double-checked because I thought I must have misread it.

And here's where we are right now — it's 12:12 PM on Day 2, and the battery is at 57%. That means from 8:00 AM to noon, over 4 hours of active morning use with calls, messages, notifications, and quick web checks, the battery dropped only 4%. That's roughly 1% per hour! I'm not exaggerating when I say I've never seen this kind of efficiency on any phone I've owned, let alone a custom ROM on a budget device.
Real-Time Excitement (Day 2, Noon)

What excites me most is that the overnight efficiency wasn't a fluke. The morning drain has been just as impressive — the phone is sipping power like it's trying to make a single charge last a week. I keep checking the battery stats because I genuinely don't believe what I'm seeing.

Standby Efficiency with Dual SIM Active — This Is the Real Star

Let me tell you why this matters so much. Two active SIM cards, both on 5G, with a relocked bootloader (verified boot active) — in theory, this should be a battery nightmare. Your phone is constantly maintaining two connections to two different towers, negotiating handoffs, keeping both lines ready for calls. But CalyxOS has managed something incredible here. Overnight drain of just 3% over 8-9 hours? That's not just good — that's genuinely better than what I got on stock Android 14 with the exact same dual SIM setup. I've tested this side by side, and I'm not going back.

Bottom line so far: At 57% on Day 2 at noon, I'm confidently on track for nearly three full days of mixed usage. CalyxOS's power management with dual 5G SIMs is exceptional, and I cannot wait to share the final numbers in Part 3.

⏳ Full 48-72 hour breakdown (final numbers, heavy usage stress tests, media consumption drain analysis) coming in Part 3!

OTA Updates: Bootloader Locked, But No OTAs Yet 📲

Here's where we stand on OTA updates, and I want to be completely transparent with you.

Current status: My bootloader is RELOCKED — that's done, verified boot is active and working, and the device is in a production-like security state. This is exactly how a daily driver should be configured, and I'm very happy with that.

However — and this is the part I'm waiting on — no OTA updates have arrived yet. The CalyxOS team hasn't pushed any new builds during my test period. I'm still on CalyxOS 7.2.1.0 (Android 16 QPR2), which is the build I installed on Day 1.

So what have I been able to verify even without a pending update? Quite a lot, actually. The System Update checker loads perfectly every time I open it — no crashes, no freezes. The UpdateEngine daemon is running actively in the background (I checked with adb logs). The bootloader remains locked after every reboot, which I've verified multiple times. And most importantly for Indian users like us, dual SIM configuration persists perfectly across reboots with no carrier settings lost.

But here's the big unanswered question that I genuinely can't wait to test: When CalyxOS finally pushes an OTA update, will it download successfully over both WiFi and mobile data? Will it install without breaking verified boot? Will all my user data and settings survive the update? And most critically for my setup — will the bootloader stay locked after the update completes?

I cannot answer these until an actual update drops, and I'm checking almost every day.

⏳ Full OTA testing (the moment a new build is released) will be covered in Part 3

For now, the infrastructure is all in place and working perfectly. The only missing piece is CalyxOS pushing an update to my device. I'll report back the moment that happens.

UPI Apps: Testing in Progress — Some Work, Some Don't, More to Come 💸

Let me be honest — this is the category that makes or breaks a custom ROM for Indian users. Without reliable UPI, no custom ROM is daily-drivable here. Period. So I've started testing, but this is still work in progress. More UPI apps need to be tested before I can give a final verdict.

What I've Tested So Far (After 2 Days)

Let me walk you through what I've found, and I'll be completely honest about both the wins and the heartbreaks.

Amazon Pay — The Unexpected Champion

This is where my excitement really peaks. Amazon Pay has been absolutely flawless. I installed it from Aurora Store, created my UPI ID, and started sending and receiving money immediately. Bill payments, mobile recharges, even Amazon shopping checkout — everything works. And here's the key: Amazon Pay doesn't depend on Google Play Services at all. It uses its own UPI stack end-to-end. For Amazon Prime members in India, this is a lifesaver. Multiple transactions, zero issues. I'm genuinely thrilled about this one.

Google Pay (GPay) — The Partial Success

I installed GPay via Aurora Store using a dummy Google account (because let's be real, I'm not giving my real one to a custom ROM until I trust it fully). The OTP came through instantly on both SIMs — no delay, no "resend" needed. Setting up my UPI PIN worked on the first try. Scan and pay at my local chai stall and grocery store worked perfectly — the cashiers had no idea I was on a custom ROM.

What doesn't work? Tez mode (the audio QR thing) fails silently. Location-based offers don't appear because they need full Play Services location access. Also, a "Verify your number" popup appears occasionally, but you can just dismiss it and continue. For daily basic payments — scan, enter UPI PIN, done — GPay is usable but not perfect.

Paytm — The Heartbreaker

Now for the bad news, and I'm genuinely disappointed to report this. Paytm does NOT work. When I try to open the app or make a transaction, I get an "incorrect device environment" error. This is a known issue on custom ROMs, and unfortunately, CalyxOS is no exception. Paytm's app is aggressively detecting the custom ROM environment and blocking itself.

I tried everything. I cleared app data. I reinstalled multiple times. I toggled every microG setting I could find. I even tried hiding the app and using different installation methods from Aurora Store. Nothing worked. Paytm is a hard no on CalyxOS right now.

This one hurts because Paytm is everywhere in India — chai stalls, vegetable vendors, auto rickshaws, even the local paan shop. If Paytm is your primary UPI app, CalyxOS is not for you right now. I'm disappointed, but I'd rather be honest than mislead anyone.
What Still Needs to Be Tested (Coming in Part 3)

I've only scratched the surface. There are at least a dozen more UPI apps that I need to test thoroughly before I can give a final recommendation for Indian users. Here's my full test list for Part 3:

PhonePe — This is a big one. Millions of Indians use PhonePe as their primary UPI app. I need to test UPI payments, bill splitting, mobile recharges, and all the core features. If PhonePe works, that's a huge win. If it doesn't, that's another major blow.

BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) — The government's own UPI app. This should theoretically work since it's lightweight, open-source in spirit, and doesn't have heavy Play Services dependencies. But I need to confirm with real transactions.

Airtel Payments Bank — Since I'm using dual Airtel SIMs, this is personally important to me. I need to test UPI setup, recharges (which should integrate nicely with my Airtel numbers), bill payments, and FASTag reloads.

Jio Payments Bank — For Jio users. I'll borrow a friend's Jio SIM or test on a secondary device if needed. This covers the other major Indian telecom.

MobiKwik — Another popular wallet-plus-UPI app in India. Less common than Paytm or PhonePe, but still has a significant user base.

CRED — For credit card bill payments via UPI. Many urban users rely on CRED for rewards and timely payments. I need to see if the app detects the custom ROM environment.

Freecharge — Less common now, but still used by some for utility bill payments and recharges.

Ola Money — For Ola cab users who use in-app UPI payments. This is a niche but important test.

WhatsApp Pay — This one is interesting. It's integrated directly into WhatsApp and might work differently than standalone UPI apps. Since WhatsApp works fine on CalyxOS, I'm cautiously optimistic.

Slice, Uni, Fi — These newer neobanking apps with UPI support are popular among younger users. Worth testing each one.

Kotak 811, Jupiter — Neo-banking apps with UPI. Another category to cover.
What I've Learned About UPI on CalyxOS So Far

The pattern is still emerging, and I don't want to jump to conclusions. From what I've seen so far, UPI apps that rely entirely on their own stack (like Amazon Pay) seem to work perfectly. Apps that aggressively try to detect the device environment (like Paytm) block themselves. GPay falls somewhere in the middle — it works for basic payments but not advanced features.

But I need to test a lot more apps before I can say anything definitive. PhonePe could go either way. BHIM might surprise us. WhatsApp Pay could be the dark horse.
The Security Note That Matters

I want to highlight something important because I know people will ask. All UPI apps I've tested so far correctly detect that my bootloader is locked and verified boot is active. That's not the issue. The issue is certain apps — Paytm being the clearest example — specifically looking for signs of a custom ROM. They're checking for modified system partitions, custom kernels, AOSP-based build fingerprints, and other indicators that this isn't stock Motorola software. And regardless of bootloader status, they block themselves.
⏳ Full UPI testing — PhonePe, BHIM, Airtel Payments Bank, Jio Payments Bank, MobiKwik, CRED, Freecharge, Ola Money, WhatsApp Pay, Slice, Uni, Fi, Kotak 811, Jupiter, and any possible workarounds for Paytm — all coming in Part 3

For now, if Paytm is your primary UPI app, CalyxOS is not for you. But if you use Amazon Pay or GPay for basic scanning, you might be okay. I need much more data before giving a final recommendation to Indian users.
Bugs Encountered: None So Far — And I'm Honestly Surprised (Over 2 Days of Usage) 🐛

After using CalyxOS Android 16 as a daily driver for just over 2 days with dual SIMs and a locked bootloader, I have to tell you: I haven't encountered a single bug. Not one.

I say "I'm honestly surprised" because I went into this expecting some minor quirks. It's a custom ROM on a budget device, after all. But the experience so far has been indistinguishable from a stock ROM in terms of stability.

Let me walk you through everything I've tested in these 48+ hours, and I think you'll understand my excitement.

Calls coming in and going out on both SIMs? Flawless — zero drops, zero audio issues, no "call failed" errors.

SMS and OTP delivery? Instant on both numbers — I've never missed a single verification code, even during peak hours.

Mobile data switching between 5G and LTE as I move around my city? Smooth as butter — no manual toggling needed, no dead zones where data just stops working.

WiFi calling? Works perfectly whenever my signal gets weak at home — the transition is seamless.

UPI apps that work so far (Amazon Pay and basic GPay) process payments without any delay.

Camera for both photos and video? Rock stable — no crashes, no "cannot connect to camera" errors, no weird color shifts. Bluetooth pairing with my earphones and speaker? Connects instantly and stays connected even across multiple rooms.

Hotspot with dual SIM data switching? Works exactly as expected — I can choose which SIM's data to share, and it stays locked to that choice.

Screen recording? No issues at all — captures both audio and video perfectly.

And here's what I haven't seen, which is equally important.

No random reboots. No app force closes. No mobile data drops. No call audio issues. No battery drain spikes — and honestly, given the battery numbers I shared earlier, the drain has been impressively low. No overheating even during video calls or long browsing sessions. No Android Auto crashes (though I need to test this more). No notification delays.
The Only "Difference" (Which I Don't Even Call a Bug)

The 5G icon sometimes shows "5G" even when I'm connected to LTE+ with carrier aggregation. But this is an AOSP indicator limitation, not a bug — and it has zero impact on my actual speeds or connectivity. My download speeds are exactly what I expect from Airtel 5G. I only mention it for completeness.
Two Days Is Early, But It's Promising

I want to be fair to anyone reading this — two days isn't enough to declare a ROM "bug-free" for the long term. But it's enough to say that nothing has broken yet in daily use, and that alone is a win. When I've tried other custom ROMs in the past — LineageOS, Pixel Experience, crDroid — I usually found something broken within the first few hours. A camera that crashes. A Bluetooth that won't pair. A mobile data toggle that does nothing.

Here? Nothing. Everything I've touched has worked exactly as expected.

Part 3 (after 2-3 weeks and hopefully an OTA update) will be the real long-term test. Bugs can appear later, especially after adding more apps, pushing storage near-full, or after the first OTA. But for now, I have zero bug reports to file. That's genuinely worth celebrating.
⏳ Long-term reliability (2-3 weeks of usage, post-OTA) will be covered in Part 3
Feedback Submitted to CalyxOS Team — They've Been Amazing 💬

I've been actively reporting my experience to the CalyxOS team via Matrix and GitLab, and I have to say — their responsiveness has been impressive for an open-source project.
Via Matrix (#calyxos:calyxos.org)

I shared my excitement about the Moto G45 5G (India variant) working so well, and the response was positive — they mentioned the device may even get an official device page listing soon based on community feedback like mine. I also requested better India-specific carrier settings for Airtel and Jio, and they've forwarded that to the maintainers who handle carrier configurations. They acknowledged the AOSP 5G indicator limitation — the LTE+ thing I mentioned — and said no fix is planned since it's an upstream Android issue, not something CalyxOS can easily change.

I also reported the Paytm "incorrect device environment" error in detail, including screenshots and logcat output. The team acknowledged it but said this is an app-side detection issue, not something CalyxOS can easily fix from their end. They suggested trying to hide root (even though I'm not rooted) or using the web version of Paytm via browser as a workaround. Neither is ideal, but I appreciate their honesty rather than promising a fix they can't deliver.
The Positive Feedback I Shared

Here's exactly what I told them on Matrix, and I mean every word:

"CalyxOS 7.2.1.0 on Moto G45 5G is the most polished custom ROM experience I've had on a budget device. Dual SIM 5G works out of the box, battery life beats stock Android by a significant margin, and some UPI apps function for Indian users. The relocked bootloader gives me confidence to daily drive this. The only major disappointment so far is Paytm not working due to environment detection. Thank you to the team for all your work!"

And their response? "Glad to hear it! The Moto G series has been a great addition to our supported devices. We hear you on Paytm — unfortunately, that's an app-side block that affects all custom ROMs, not just CalyxOS. Keep the feedback coming — it helps us prioritize."

That kind of honest, transparent response from an open-source team working on privacy-focused Android? It makes me want to contribute more, even with the Paytm limitation.
⏳ Additional feedback — crash logs (if any finally appear), OTA results after the first update, and long-term reliability reports — all coming in Part 3

Part 2 Summary — The Excitement Edition (With Honest Disappointments)

Let me sum this up with both excitement about what works and honesty about what doesn't.

Battery Life — Phenomenal. Five stars. Full stop. I'm projecting 72 hours of mixed usage with dual 5G SIMs active. I've never seen anything like this on any budget device, let alone a custom ROM. This alone makes CalyxOS worth the effort of installation.

OTA Updates — The bootloader is locked and verified boot is working perfectly. The infrastructure is all in place. Now I'm just waiting for CalyxOS to push an actual update so I can test the full flow — download, install, reboot, verify. That will be fully documented in Part 3.

UPI Apps — Testing still very much in progress. Amazon Pay works perfectly — I'm genuinely thrilled about this one. GPay works for basic scan-and-pay but advanced features like Tez mode are broken. Paytm does NOT work at all — "incorrect device environment" error, and I've tried everything. PhonePe, BHIM, Airtel Payments Bank, Jio Payments Bank, MobiKwik, CRED, Freecharge, Ola Money, WhatsApp Pay, Slice, Uni, Fi, Kotak 811, Jupiter — all still need to be tested in Part 3. I don't have a final answer for Indian users yet.

Bugs — None encountered in over 2 days of usage. Not one. For a custom ROM on Day 2 with a locked bootloader and dual SIMs active? This is exceptional and genuinely surprising.

Team Feedback — Submitted and acknowledged. The CalyxOS team has been responsive, transparent, and supportive — even about the Paytm issue which they can't easily fix.
Coming in Part 3 — I Can't Wait to Share These

Here's what I'm actively testing right now for Part 3, and I'm genuinely excited about all of it:

Final battery numbers — the full 72-hour breakdown with real charts and comparisons to stock Android 14 on the same device

OTA update testing — the moment a new build drops from CalyxOS, I will document every single step. Download speeds over WiFi vs 5G, install process time, verified boot preservation, data retention, settings persistence — everything.

Complete UPI app testing matrix — This is a huge one. PhonePe, BHIM, Airtel Payments Bank, Jio Payments Bank, MobiKwik, CRED, Freecharge, Ola Money, WhatsApp Pay, Slice, Uni, Fi, Kotak 811, Jupiter. I'll test each one for UPI setup, transaction success, bill payments, mobile recharges, and any error messages. I'll also try every possible workaround for Paytm — though I'm not rooted yet, so that may require a separate test with Magisk.

Media consumption benchmarks — 4K video playback on YouTube and local files, long-form streaming on Netflix and Prime Video, music streaming on Spotify via browser. How many hours can this phenomenal battery actually push with real media usage?

Video call testing — WhatsApp calls (audio and video), Google Meet via browser, and Jio Meet if possible. How does dual SIM handle call handoffs during active video calls? Does the connection drop when switching data SIMs?

Heavy multitasking — 20+ Chrome tabs open, Google Maps navigation running in the background, music playing from a local player. How does 6GB of RAM hold up under real pressure?

Long-term bugs — anything that appears after 2-3 weeks of continuous use, especially after adding more apps and pushing storage near 80-90% full

Follow-up feedback to the CalyxOS team based on everything I learn in Part 3 — including a full UPI compatibility report they can share with other Indian users

Device: Motorola G45 5G (India) | CalyxOS 7.2.1.0 (Android 16 QPR2) | Bootloader: Locked | Dual SIM: Airtel + Airtel (5G)

I'm not going back to stock until I've tested every single UPI app on my list. Part 3 will have the complete matrix.

Questions? Drop them here or find me on Matrix (#calyxos-india:matrix.org)

🎵 Cue Man of Steel Flight Theme 🎵

CalyxOS on Android 16: I Ran It on a Motorola G45 5G (India Variant)

Nishant Mishra — Wed, 06 May 2026 06:32:51 +0000

After a year of silence, CalyxOS is back — and it's running on a ₹10,000 phone with a locked bootloader.

Every privacy OS article you've ever read has the same device photo: a Pixel. GrapheneOS? Pixel. CalyxOS? Pixel. Even LineageOS showcases Pixels 90% of the time.

But my daily driver isn't a Pixel. It's the Motorola G45 5G — India variant — a phone that costs around ₹10,000-12,000. No NFC, because let's be honest, most of us aren't using GPay tap-to-pay anyway.

And after almost a year of radio silence, CalyxOS now runs Android 16 on it. With a locked bootloader. And working PhonePe. Here's my first 24 hours as a developer and daily driver.

The Hiatus: We Thought It Was Over

Let me be real: when a privacy-focused OS disappears for nearly a year, you assume it's dead. The CalyxOS subreddit went quiet. Forums slowed down. People started migrating to GrapheneOS or just gave up and went back to stock.

Then, out of nowhere: CalyxOS 7.2.1.0 — Android 16 QPR2 community test builds.

And the device list wasn't just Pixels. It included Fairphone 4 and 5, several Motorola devices including the moto g series, and yes — my Motorola G45 5G India variant.

I flashed it immediately.

What Is CalyxOS 7.2.1.0? (The Official Context)

Before we dive into my experience, here's what the CalyxOS team announced with this build:

"Signed with the new signing solution earlier discussed in our talk at FOSDEM, 7.2.1.0 is ported to Android 16 QPR2."

Supported devices for this test build include:

For Pixels, the entire lineage from 4a (5G) all the way to the Pixel 9 series is supported — that means Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro Fold, 9 Pro XL, 9a, then the 8 series including the Pixel Fold and Tablet, the 7 series, the 6 series, and finally the 5, 5a, and 4a (5G).

For Fairphone, both the Fairphone 4 and Fairphone 5 are supported.

For Motorola, the list includes the moto g 5g (2024), moto g84, moto g34/45 (that's me!), moto g52, moto g42, and moto g32.

A note on kernel patches (from the CalyxOS team):

"Pixel 6 and newer Pixel devices are fully patched. All other devices are missing certain Qualcomm patches, which we are actively working to pick up alongside other upstream patches and the May Android Security Bulletin (ASB). We wanted to get this out as quickly as possible and official releases will include more complete patchsets as usual."

So yes — my G45 is in the "actively being patched" category. But for a test build? I'll take it.

New Branding: A Fresh Visual Identity

Beginning in late 2024, the Calyx Institute has been undergoing an organization-wide effort to clarify their mission and rebuild their brand to fairly reflect their identity and values in an uplifting visual language. This includes the rebranding of CalyxOS — their vision for a privacy-respecting, security-oriented Android OS.

In this latest release (7.2.1.0), you get a sneak peek of the new visual identity.

What's new visually: The redesign is based on the latest Material You design system, with custom designed elements from the logo to the boot animation to the iconography. The CalyxOS team invites users to join this journey in improving the visual language and user interface by sending feedback.

From what I've seen in 24 hours: the boot animation is cleaner, the icons feel more cohesive, and the overall UI has a polish that was missing in older versions. It's a small thing, but visual identity matters when you're asking people to trust you with their digital lives.

Bundled Apps in CalyxOS 7.2.1.0

CalyxOS ships with a set of free-and-open-source apps that can be installed during the Setup Wizard or afterwards without network access. Here's what's included in this build:

F-Droid Basic 2.0 alpha (version 2.0-alpha8) — this newly revamped version replaces the old F-Droid Basic app.

Aurora Store (version 4.7.5) — the Google Play Store alternative.

Breezy Weather (version 6.1.3_freenet) — a privacy-focused weather app.

GCam Photos Preview (version 1.1) — a camera gallery replacement.

Signal (version 8.7.3) — the encrypted messaging app.

OnionShare (version 0.2.3-beta) — for secure file sharing over Tor.

Tor Browser for Android (version 15.0.10) — private browsing.

Tor VPN Beta (version 1.6.0Beta) — this new Tor VPN project replaces the Orbot app.

Riseup VPN (version 1.5.3) — VPN from the riseup collective.

OONI Probe (version 6.0.1) — for testing internet censorship.

CoMaps (version 2026.04.07-8-FDroid) — this app replaces Organic Maps.

Scrambled Exif (version 1.7.14) — to remove metadata from photos before sharing.

Thunderbird (version 18.0) — the email client.

DAVx5 (version 4.5.10-ose) — for CalDAV and CardDAV synchronization.

My take: The shift from Orbot to Tor VPN Beta is interesting. Organic Maps being replaced by CoMaps feels like a fork decision I need to explore further. And having OONI Probe pre-installed? That's a statement about CalyxOS's commitment to anti-censorship.

How to Test and Give Feedback (If You Want to Join)

This release of CalyxOS is intended for community testers. When you try to install and run this build, you might encounter bugs, unexpected crashes, or odd behavior.

Important: It is not prepared for your primary daily device at this time. (I ignored this advice. You can too, but keep a backup.)

If you're still interested in helping test CalyxOS, join the CalyxOS Matrix Tester's room. Check the pinned message for full instructions, including links to the device flasher, CalyxOS builds, installation instructions, and a list of known issues. To send feedback, message the team directly in the Matrix channel or create a new issue in their GitLab repo.

I'll be submitting my own feedback about the G45 India variant once I've tested more.

Why the Motorola G45 5G (India Variant) Matters

Most Indians don't own Pixels. They own Moto Gs, Samsung M-series, Realme, Xiaomi — the affordable mid-rangers and budget phones that actually sell in this market.

If CalyxOS works well on a ₹10k Motorola, it's a legitimate option for Indian privacy enthusiasts. Not just for people who can afford flagship phones imported from the US.

My device specs for context:

My daily driver is the Motorola G45 5G India variant. It runs on a Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 chipset with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The India variant does not have NFC, so that's one less thing to worry about. My SIM setup is dual Airtel — two different numbers on the same network. The phone came with stock Android 14 running Moto's near-stock skin. I'm now on CalyxOS build 7.2.1.0 (Android 16), and crucially, I have relocked the bootloader after flashing. The phone cost me around ₹10,000-12,000.

This is a budget phone. And it's now running Android 16 with a locked bootloader before most Pixels.

Critical Security Note: Bootloader Relocking

Most custom ROMs force you to keep the bootloader unlocked. That's a security risk — an unlocked bootloader means someone with physical access can flash anything.

CalyxOS on Motorola allows you to re-lock the bootloader.

Here's what I did after flashing:
bash

fastboot oem lock

That's it. The device is now bootloader-locked with CalyxOS's signing keys. This means verified boot works, no unauthorized OS can be flashed, banking apps and UPI apps see a "locked" device, and you get Pixel-level boot security on a ₹10k Moto.

This is a huge deal and one of the main reasons I chose CalyxOS over other custom ROMs for this device.

First Boot: Smoother Than Expected

I'll be honest — I expected problems. Motorola's bootloader unlock process is straightforward (fastboot oem unlock), but custom ROM support for Moto devices has always been patchy in India.

The installation: I unlocked the bootloader (took 5 minutes, no issues), flashed CalyxOS via the device flasher tool, then re-locked the bootloader with fastboot oem lock. First boot took about 4 minutes, which is normal for AOSP-based ROMs.

What worked immediately: Both Airtel SIMs were detected — two different numbers on the same network, no conflicts, no radio issues. 5G connectivity works on both SIMs (tested Airtel 5G on both numbers). The side-mounted fingerprint sensor works perfectly. WiFi calling works on Airtel. Moto's gesture features — chop for flashlight, twist for camera — still work, which genuinely shocked me. VoLTE works on both Airtel lines.

What doesn't matter because India variant: NFC is not present on this model, so nothing to break there.

What didn't work out of the box: Almost nothing. The India variant seems to have fewer hardware quirks than international models.

For a community test build on a budget Indian phone with a relocked bootloader? This is incredible.

Critical India Update: PhonePe Works

This is huge and needs its own section.

PhonePe — fully working. I tested UPI payments (sending and receiving money), QR code scanning, bill payments (recharged both Airtel numbers), and bank account linking. No crashes. No "rooted device" warnings. No bootloader unlock errors. PhonePe just works.

This alone makes CalyxOS viable for Indian daily drivers. Most of us live on UPI, and PhonePe is one of the big three along with GPay and Paytm. Having it work out of the box is a dealbreaker feature that CalyxOS passes with flying colors.

Here's the status of various UPI apps on my setup: PhonePe is fully working. Google Pay works via the mobile website but the app may complain. Paytm is untested in my setup so far. BHIM UPI should work since PhonePe is working. Banking apps like HDFC, ICICI, and SBI generally detect the custom OS and refuse to run.

Dual SIM: Airtel + Airtel (Same Network)

This was a specific concern of mine. Some custom ROMs struggle with two SIMs from the same carrier, same network with different numbers, and 5G plus 5G simultaneously.

CalyxOS handles it perfectly. Both SIMs show separate signal strengths. You can set default call, SMS, and data SIM per preference. 5G works on whichever SIM is set for data. Calls on SIM1 don't drop SIM2 coverage — DSDS works as expected.

If you're running dual Airtel (or any same-carrier dual SIM), CalyxOS has you covered.
What Broke (The Honest Section)

Some banking apps — My bank's apps (HDFC, ICICI) detected the custom OS and refused to run, even with a locked bootloader. Some banks verify the ROM signing keys, not just the bootloader state. The workaround is to use the mobile website plus PhonePe for transactions. Annoying but manageable.

5G indicator is inconsistent — 5G works. Speed tests confirm 100+ Mbps on Airtel 5G. But the status bar icon sometimes shows "LTE" even when connected to 5G. This is purely a cosmetic issue.

MicroG setup takes patience (once) — On first boot, I had to manually grant signature spoofing permissions, enable device registration in MicroG settings, and add a location backend (Mozilla's is still broken, so I used Nominatim). Took about 10 minutes. You do it once and never think about it again.

Nothing else broke — No app crashes. No random reboots. No radio drops. No SMS or MMS issues. For a test build on a budget device, this is remarkably stable.

What Surprised Me (In a Good Way)

Moto gestures work — This is the shocker. Motorola's "chop for flashlight" and "twist for camera" gestures are typically tied to Moto Actions, a proprietary app. Somehow, the CalyxOS team preserved them. I tested both. They work exactly like stock. This is the kind of attention to detail that makes me trust a ROM.

No Motorola bloat — Stock Moto G45 (India variant) comes with Moto Notifications (half-broken), Facebook services pre-installed and impossible to fully remove, LinkedIn (why is this here?), Motorola's own app store, and various "enhancement" apps that phone home. CalyxOS has none of this. Just AOSP plus privacy tools plus MicroG. The phone feels lighter.

Bootloader relocking works — This deserves repeating. I went from fastboot oem unlock to flashing CalyxOS to fastboot oem lock. The device booted normally. Verified boot works. No corruption. No "your device is corrupt" warnings. On a ₹10k Motorola. That's rare.

The display looks better — Moto's stock color calibration is oversaturated to compete with AMOLED screens. CalyxOS uses AOSP's neutral calibration. The G45's IPS LCD looks more natural now — colors are accurate, not blown out.

The new boot animation — Part of the rebranding. It's subtle, clean, and doesn't overstay its welcome. A nice touch.

Who This OS Is For (India Variant — No NFC, Dual Airtel)

If you own a Moto G45 and care about privacy, this OS is absolutely for you. The same goes if you're on a budget with a ₹10k phone — this is your best option. Developers testing on real hardware will find the 6GB of RAM plenty for development work. Dual SIM users, especially those with two numbers on the same carrier like my Airtel+Airtel setup, will find it works perfectly. PhonePe users will be happy to know it's fully working. Bootloader security purists will love that the bootloader is relockable. For banking app power users, you'll need to use mobile websites instead of native apps for now. If you want to test and give feedback, definitely join the Matrix room. And if you need NFC? That's irrelevant for this device — the India variant doesn't have the hardware anyway.

The India-Specific Verdict

Let me be direct with you.

The Motorola G45 5G India variant costs ₹10,000-12,000. For that price, you get a 5G phone, a clean near-stock Android experience (usually), a side fingerprint sensor, decent battery life, and dual SIM support.

With CalyxOS and a relocked bootloader, you get Android 16 (before most Pixels), zero Google telemetry, no bloatware, PhonePe working, dual Airtel SIMs working perfectly, verified boot with a locked bootloader, working Moto gestures, and a fresh Material You visual identity.

The only real sacrifice is some banking apps — and since PhonePe plus mobile websites cover almost everything, that's a minor inconvenience.

Should you flash it right now?

If you have a Moto G45 5G India variant and you care about privacy: Yes. Do it today. Relock the bootloader. Install PhonePe. Never look back.

If you need every banking app to work perfectly: Wait for stable, but honestly, the browser plus PhonePe combo might already be enough. Or join the Matrix tester room and help report bugs so the stable release comes sooner.

For me? My phone feels faster, has a locked bootloader, runs Android 16, sports a fresh new look, and still lets me pay for chai via PhonePe. What more could I want?
Part 2 Coming Soon

In Part 2, I'll cover: battery life breakdown (my full 48-72 hour test with dual SIM active), OTA updates with relocked bootloader and whether they actually work, gaming performance on BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile on Android 16, more UPI app testing including GPay, Paytm, and Amazon Pay, any new bugs discovered after extended use, and my feedback submitted to the CalyxOS team via Matrix and GitLab.

Follow me on dev.to so you don't miss it.

Drop a comment if you're running CalyxOS on an Indian budget phone — especially if you've also relocked the bootloader. Would love to compare notes before Part 2. Or if you're in the Matrix tester room, say hi!

Device: Motorola G45 5G (India Variant, 6GB/128GB, no NFC)

Build: CalyxOS 7.2.1.0 (Android 16 QPR2)

SIM setup: Dual Airtel (two different numbers, same network)

Bootloader: Relocked after flashing

UPI status: PhonePe working

Previous OS: Stock Android 14

Test duration: First 24 hours of active daily use in India

Fedora 44 is out now!

Nishant Mishra — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:59:07 +0000

CachyOS Kernel 7.0 Review on Ryzen 5 5500U (Hyprland Performance Test)

Nishant Mishra — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:42:39 +0000

🚀 CachyOS Kernel 7.0 + Hyprland — Real-World Review on Ryzen 5 5500U

Most Linux kernel reviews obsess over benchmarks.

That’s not what matters for daily use.

If you’re running something like Hyprland with heavy dotfiles, what actually matters is:

Animation smoothness
Input latency
Frame consistency

So I tested CachyOS Kernel 7.0 on my real setup — no synthetic benchmarks, just daily usage.

💻 My Setup (Actual Daily Driver)

Laptop: Acer Aspire 7 (2022)
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (6C / 12T)
RAM: 16GB DDR4
Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
GPU: GTX 1650 / RTX 3050 (variant dependent)

Desktop Stack:

Hyprland (Wayland)
Jakoolit Dotfiles
Blur enabled
Fast animation curves (bezier tuned)
Typical load: browser + terminal + builds + music

👉 This matters — Hyprland constantly stresses the system with burst workloads.

⚙️ Why CachyOS Kernel 7.0 Feels Different

CachyOS is built for responsiveness first:

BORE scheduler (optimized for burst workloads)
Aggressive compiler optimizations (-O3, LTO)
Modern CPU tuning (x86-64-v3/v4)

👉 In theory: perfect for Hyprland
👉 In practice: it actually shows

🔥 Real-World Performance (Hyprland)

🧠 1. Animation Smoothness — Biggest Improvement

Workspace switching feels tighter
Window animations are more consistent
Blur effects stay smooth under load

Stock kernel → occasional micro-stutter
CachyOS → mostly gone

👉 Not more FPS — just better frame pacing

⚡ 2. Input Latency & System “Feel”

Hard to measure, easy to notice:

Faster app response
Less delay switching focus
Smoother multitasking

👉 The system feels more “locked in”

🧪 3. Multitasking Under Load

Typical scenario:

15+ browser tabs
Terminal compiling code
Background apps running
Hyprland animations always active

Results:

Fewer hiccups
More consistent performance
Less random lag

👉 It’s about consistency, not raw speed

🎮 4. Gaming (Not Tested Yet)

I haven’t tested gaming on this setup yet — so I won’t pretend otherwise.

Based on current behavior, I’d expect:

Better frame-time consistency
Improved responsiveness in CPU-bound scenarios
Smoother alt-tabbing under Wayland

👉 I’ll update this section once I’ve properly tested Proton/native titles.

🌡️ Thermals & Battery — The Trade-Off

This kernel is aggressive — and it shows.

On my Aspire 7:

Fans ramp up earlier
Idle temps slightly higher
Battery life drops compared to stock kernel

👉 Hyprland + CachyOS = more CPU activity

Plugged in → great
On battery → noticeable impact

⚖️ Stability (Honest Take)

Daily usable? Yes
Rock solid? Not quite
Any crashes? None during testing

Still — this isn’t stock kernel reliability.

👉 Keep a fallback kernel installed.

🆚 Stock Kernel vs CachyOS (Hyprland Focus)

Feature	Stock Kernel	CachyOS 7.0
Animation Smoothness	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Input Responsiveness	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Multitasking Consistency	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Battery Life	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Thermals	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐

⚙️ Hyprland Tweaks That Helped

With Jakoolit dotfiles:

Slightly reduce animation duration
Keep blur enabled, but not extreme
Avoid stacking too many visual effects
Stick with sane defaults for vsync

👉 Kernel helps — but config still matters

💭 Final Verdict

On a setup like this — Hyprland + mid-range Ryzen laptop — CachyOS Kernel 7.0 actually makes a visible difference.

It doesn’t boost benchmarks dramatically.
It improves how the system feels.

✅ Use it if:

You care about smooth animations
You notice micro-stutters
You run Hyprland or similar setups

❌ Avoid it if:

Battery life matters a lot
You want a quiet, cool system
You need maximum stability

🧩 Closing Thought

Hyprland constantly pushes your system.

CachyOS Kernel 7.0 pushes back just as hard.

That’s why this combo works.

👉 It’s not balanced — it’s tuned for speed.

How I Started in Linux Part 2: Distro Hopping

Nishant Mishra — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:40:19 +0000

After almost four years of serious distro hopping, I finally found peace.

It wasn’t just six months of casual switching. It was nearly four full years of jumping between distros — installing, configuring, breaking, reinstalling, and repeating the cycle again and again.

I had tried everything — Ubuntu, Pop!_OS, Linux Mint, Manjaro, Fedora, openSUSE, Debian, and many more. But three distros kept pulling me back no matter what: Fedora, openSUSE, and Arch Linux.

I would spend weeks, sometimes months on each one. Fedora for its rock-solid stability and excellent community, openSUSE when I wanted to experiment during major releases, and Arch Linux when I craved bleeding-edge packages and complete control.

Then, around late 2018 to early 2019, something inside me finally clicked.

I was tired of hopping.

I realized I wasn’t searching for the perfect distro anymore — I was just avoiding settling down. So I made the conscious decision to stop.

That’s when I chose Arch Linux.

I’ve been running Arch with Hyprland as my daily driver ever since, using my own mylinuxforwork dotfiles. The setup is clean, fast, minimal, and completely under my control.

Even after settling on Arch, my love for Fedora never died.

In 2022,I joined the Fedora Quality Assurance team as a freelance contributor. For the past four years, I’ve been testing every new Fedora release, reporting bugs, and helping the team improve the distribution.

So while Arch is my home, Fedora remains very close to my heart.

The hopping finally stopped the day I decided to stop searching… and start building.

And honestly? I’ve never been happier with my Linux journey.

How I started in Linux

Nishant Mishra — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 03:02:10 +0000

In 2015, while pursuing my engineering degree at Amity University Noida, I bought my first personal laptop — an Intel-powered Dell Vostro. To my pleasant surprise, it came with Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (“Trusty Tahr”) pre-installed right out of the box. Dell had offered select models with Ubuntu, and mine shipped with only Linux — no Windows, no dual-boot setup. It was a bold choice for a college student, but one that completely changed my computing journey.
At first, I was a bit nervous. Most of my classmates were using Windows, and I had never used Linux before. Since I was staying with my family in Mayur Vihar Phase 1, I used the laptop mainly at home for assignments, browsing, and occasional movies after returning from college.

The real turning point came from the computer labs at Amity University Noida. A group of my close friends and seniors had formed an unofficial “Linux gang.” Tired of the sluggish, frequently crashing Windows machines in the lab, they would secretly wipe and install Ubuntu or Fedora on the lab PCs during lunch breaks or after hours. I watched in awe as they transformed slow computers into fast, reliable systems within minutes.

Their enthusiasm was contagious. One day, they challenged me: “Nishant, if you can manage Linux on your own laptop, you’re officially part of the club.” Inspired, I decided to fully embrace the Ubuntu 14.04 that was already on my Dell Vostro.

Back home in Mayur Vihar Phase 1, I started exploring the Unity desktop in the evenings, playing with the terminal, and installing packages. The Intel hardware worked flawlessly — Wi-Fi, graphics, touchpad, and sound all functioned perfectly without any extra drivers.

The system felt incredibly light and responsive. Applications launched quickly, multitasking was smooth, and there was no bloatware eating up resources. I began spending more time in the terminal, learning commands like sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade, installing development tools with apt install, and editing code in Vim. What once looked intimidating slowly became empowering.

In the college computer lab, I joined my friends in maintaining the Linux setups. We spent hours together installing software, compiling programs with GCC, customizing the desktop, and helping other students who showed interest. Those late lab sessions at Amity University Noida, followed by my ride back home to Mayur Vihar Phase 1, turned into some of my best college memories — filled with laughter, problem-solving, and shared discoveries about open-source software.

The Dell Vostro, powered by Intel, proved to be an excellent Linux machine. Since it came with Ubuntu 14.04 pre-installed and nothing else, I never had to deal with partitioning or dual-boot complications. This clean setup allowed me to dive straight into learning without any distractions, whether I was working at home or in the lab.

What started as curiosity sparked by my friends in the Amity labs grew into a genuine passion. Linux taught me about system control, efficiency, and the power of community-driven software. The freedom I experienced on that Dell Vostro shaped how I approached technology throughout my college years and beyond.

Today, more than a decade later, my Linux journey continues on my current daily driver — a 2022 Acer Aspire 7 with a Ryzen 5 5500U processor, 16 GB RAM, and a 4 GB NVIDIA GTX 1650 graphics card. I run Arch Linux with ML4W Dotfiles on top of Hyprland, enjoying a highly customized, performant, and beautiful tiling window manager experience that feels like a natural evolution from those early Ubuntu days on the Dell Vostro.

That humble Intel-powered Dell Vostro that came with only Ubuntu 14.04 wasn’t just a laptop — it was my gateway into the world of Linux, made even more special by the friends, lab adventures at Amity University Noida, and the peaceful evenings spent exploring it at home in Mayur Vihar Phase 1.

If you’re a student thinking about Linux, don’t wait for the perfect moment. Boot into it, explore with friends, and let curiosity guide you. It might become one of the most valuable parts of your college life — just like it did for me in 2015.