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Hardware vendor System76 have just released Pop!_OS 20.04, their Linux distribution based on Ubuntu 20.04 with all their fancy tweaks and it's a brilliant release.

Pop isn't just a skin on top of Ubuntu, the fantastic folks over at System76 are really focused on make everything easier to use and have a good workflow. Part of this is of course due to making their own hardware, which they sell with Pop!_OS. One of these major changes is Pop!_Shell, a collection of tech acting as a layer on top of GNOME Shell to provide a keyboard-centric workflow experience with Auto Tiling (amongst other things).

"Pop!_OS 20.04 LTS introduces new and unique technologies to enhance our customers workflow and efficiency," says Carl Richell, Founder and CEO. "No matter what you use your computer for, be it teaching machines to drive, discovering new medicines, coding, creating, or gaming, Pop!_OS 20.04 LTS will make your experience more seamless and enjoyable."

Here's a video they shared with us on the Auto Tiling feature:

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Before this, I had honestly not bothered to really look into tiling. Now though? System76 and Pop!_OS have made me something of a convert. It's so ridiculously fluid and wonderful to have everything you're using sorted for you in such a way.

Flatpak

Another improvement is that Pop!_Shop, the software store where you can install all sorts of extras is now bundling in Flatpak package support. Flatpaks are one of the packaging formats (next to Snaps) trying to become the next generation with cross-distro support. With Pop!_OS having Flatpak support this means you get an expanded set of games and software right out of the box, along with updates that don't depend on your Linux distribution.

By default System76 has Pop!_OS setup with support for downloading software from the official Pop!_OS repository, Flathub, or Ubuntu.

Graphics

Users of hybrid graphics will also see improvements here in Pop!_OS 20.04 LTS. You no longer have to pick between either GPU to be on all the time, as it supports a Hybrid Graphics mode letting you pick between GPUs for applications.

On top of all that it includes Automatic Firmware Updates, Offline OS Upgrades, and easier access to a Re-fresh OS feature. Plus all the major improvements pulled in from Ubuntu 20.04 incuding a fresh Linux Kernel for even more hardware support.

System76 say it's their "most thoughtful and advanced operating system to date" and it's easily won me over. See more on the official Pop!_OS website.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Whitewolfe80 Apr 30, 2020
Used pop os for a while now while i still hate gnome(feels like a mac and that's not a good thing for me) with a firey passion, the actual os it self is great i find it more stable than the distro its built off weirdly.
scaine Apr 30, 2020
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It's weird. I hate tiling in the same way I hate fullscreen windows, apart from when I'm playing games. I think it's a carry over from being old. Back in the VGA era, you only really could run fullscreen. I remember going to university and they had these insane hi-res green screens attached to crazy-powerful unix PCs and suddenly I could have the equivalent of 10 full screen windows ON SCREEN AT THE SAME TIME. It defined me, I think. Clearly, because tiling WMs are lame.

Besides. I have pretty backgrounds. You can't take that from me.

(I realise that I can still have 10 full screen windows on screen at the same time in a tiling WM. My point is that it doesn't feel the same, because it just looks like one massive full screen window with a bunch of stuff going on. Nope. It's not rational. It's just the way I feel.)
wytrabbit Apr 30, 2020
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Quoting: Whitewolfe80Used pop os for a while now while i still hate gnome(feels like a mac and that's not a good thing for me) with a firey passion, the actual os it self is great i find it more stable than the distro its built off weirdly.

I used to hate it, I couldn't use it at all so I was on Xfce for a few years. Since I started with Pop last year it's grown on me considerably.
fagnerln Apr 30, 2020
There's a big hype on this distro, I will try it later. The problem is Gnome, I'm on Ubuntu right now and I'm fighting with Gnome, as it makes everything harder. Want to change the audio output fast? Nope! Install a extension. Want to create a text file on Nautilus? Nope!

I love the look of it btw


Last edited by fagnerln on 30 April 2020 at 11:23 pm UTC
Muvon53 Apr 30, 2020
Quoting: fagnerlnThe problem is Gnome, I'm on Ubuntu right now and I'm fighting with Gnome, as it makes everything harder. Want to change the audio output fast? Nope! Install a extension. Want to create a text file on Nautilus? Nope!
Your solution is near and is called KDE
fagnerln Apr 30, 2020
Quoting: Muvon53
Quoting: fagnerlnThe problem is Gnome, I'm on Ubuntu right now and I'm fighting with Gnome, as it makes everything harder. Want to change the audio output fast? Nope! Install a extension. Want to create a text file on Nautilus? Nope!
Your solution is near and is called KDE

I used KDE for approximately a year, I found a lot of bugs in Baloo and Discovery on OpenSUSE, and in november I switched to Kubuntu 19.10, which was more stable, but I had some little bugs on Dolphin (it crashes on right clicking some files, for some reason). KDE is really great, everything is smooth, but I'm tired, I don't know why, I'm more comfortable using a GTK DE, like XFCE or Cinnamon. I will eventually install Xubuntu here... lol
Purple Library Guy Apr 30, 2020
Quoting: Muvon53
Quoting: fagnerlnThe problem is Gnome, I'm on Ubuntu right now and I'm fighting with Gnome, as it makes everything harder. Want to change the audio output fast? Nope! Install a extension. Want to create a text file on Nautilus? Nope!
Your solution is near and is called KDE Mate
Fixed!
Purple Library Guy Apr 30, 2020
I'm not into the tiling thing, but I'm glad this exists because a fair number of people are into it and it seems like it's probably genuinely useful if your workflow goes that way.
Although I still think we should be suspicious of temptations to multitask; I would wager there are a good number of people out there who use multiple windows, screens etc. for the wrong reasons and think it's increasing their productivity when it is actually dividing their attention, forcing them to waste time repeatedly reorienting, and preventing them from getting much flow in any one task.
Dorrit Apr 30, 2020
Quoting: Purple Library GuyAlthough I still think we should be suspicious of temptations to multitask; I would wager there are a good number of people out there who use multiple windows, screens etc. for the wrong reasons and think it's increasing their productivity when it is actually dividing their attention
I suspect the same.
I never could get anything done unless I concentrate on one window/one task.
ewertonurias May 1, 2020
Quoting: fagnerlnI used KDE for approximately a year, I found a lot of bugs in Baloo and Discovery on OpenSUSE, and in november I switched to Kubuntu 19.10, which was more stable, but I had some little bugs on Dolphin (it crashes on right clicking some files, for some reason). KDE is really great, everything is smooth, but I'm tired, I don't know why, I'm more comfortable using a GTK DE, like XFCE or Cinnamon. I will eventually install Xubuntu here... lol
I've been using Plasma (KDE Neon) since version 5.17 (October 2019), I haven't had any problems yet, and it's being the best DE for me to play with GTX 960 (KWin has solved my tearing).
If you haven't tried KDE Neon User Edition yet, I think it's worth a try ^_^


Last edited by ewertonurias on 1 May 2020 at 1:13 am UTC
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