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Latest Comments by tuubi
Ubuntu 24.04 increases vm.max_map_count for smoother Linux gaming
26 Mar 2024 at 2:57 pm UTC Likes: 7

Quoting: Comandante ÑoñardoAnd how to manually do this "vm_max_map_count" increase on Ubuntu 22.04?
The way I did it on Mint ages ago was by adding a file called `/etc/sysctl.d/80-increase-map-count.conf` with the following content:
vm.max_map_count=16777216

You can add the line to /etc/sysctl.conf instead, or replace the value with the new Ubuntu default if you prefer. This has been working fine for me though, and won't get overwritten by an update.

Then you'll either want to reboot or run this command to make the setting take effect immediately:
sudo sysctl -p

GOG begin funding indie devs with Loco Motive releasing this Summer
26 Mar 2024 at 11:42 am UTC Likes: 8

Love the sprite work and animations. Too bad they gave up on the Linux release.

GE-Proton 9-2 released, ULWGL gets renamed to umu (Unified Linux Wine Game Launcher)
21 Mar 2024 at 2:30 pm UTC Likes: 3

Quoting: Liam Dawe
Quoting: voytrekkIs this something that we should be using in Lutris now? GE hasn't released a Wine-GE-9.x yet.
Wine-GE is pretty much no longer a thing with GE-Proton and umu together.
Looks like the Lutris implementation of ULWGL/umu is still in the oven:
https://github.com/lutris/lutris/issues/5319 [External Link]

Valve COO on Epic's Tim Sweeney "you mad bro?" when launching the Epic Store
20 Mar 2024 at 10:45 pm UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: s01itude
Quoting: tuubiI simply have a hard time trusting a phone any better than I trust the browser on my Linux desktop.
Given how things have gone (with both google and apple) I have a hard time trusting a company who takes OSS and then layers closed sourced software on top of it with my mobile phone. I also don't use web browsers with closed sourced software in the mix for the same reason.

I've looked into sailfishos several times, and while it looks promising in many ways, I just am done with buying into software/services from companies that promote their product as open source when in reality most (if not all) of their own actual code is closed source. Not only do they become harder to trust, but their work really SHOULD be given back to the OSS community to help further linux mobile software development given how much they themselves rely on OSS.

When they're ready to go open source then I'll consider buying their product(s)
That's fair. Notably the GUI/UX bits are proprietary, and while Jolla stated a decade ago that the plan is to go open source at some point, I'm not exactly holding my breath anymore. Jolla's latest "Community News" post from earlier this month actually promised an update on the open source situation "during the spring", but still...

And of course the Android emulation layer shipped in Sailfish X is closed tech. Waydroid is an option, but apparently it's not quite as seamless or performant.

Apex Legends Global Series postponed due to mid-match hacks
19 Mar 2024 at 10:29 pm UTC

Quoting: hell0
Quoting: scaineGod I hate Microsoft products so much. My entire professional life has been cursed to limit their awfulness.
Quoting: tuubiI'm not going to debate this any further, simply because this is too close to stuff I have to worry about at work. Windows is bleak enough to think about even when I'm being paid for it.
Quite ironic how you guys seem to work with Windows way more than I do and loath it. Meanwhile I've been working exclusively with Linux for the past 8 years-ish and have a lot of beef to pick with its permission management. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side. I'll admit my initial statement is probably exaggerated in retrospect and should be read more along the line of "Windows also has had permission management comparable to what's found on Linux for a long time".
You got that wrong, actually. At least in my case. Personally I'm a lot more familiar with the Linux side, seeing as I've been using Linux for more than two decades now, for work and everything else. I do have to worry about this sort of stuff professionally (at the policy level), but I rely on research and the input of coworkers with Windows expertise when I need to. I've never been one to hide my biases, but my request for clarification was in good faith.

Anyway, your new phrasing is more palatable.

Broken Sword - Shadow of the Templars remaster hits over £400k on Kickstarter
19 Mar 2024 at 3:51 pm UTC Likes: 3

Quoting: nenoroPeople are waiting for a new Broken Sword not a remake god damn...
A new game is in the works as whizse mentions above, but apparently people are waiting for remakes as well if they're willing to back a kickstarter for 400k.

Apex Legends Global Series postponed due to mid-match hacks
19 Mar 2024 at 6:15 am UTC

Quoting: hell0
Quoting: tuubiHow are these Windows permission management features much better than their Linux equivalents? Are there relevant studies, or maybe some solid metrics you used to rank them yourself? Or did you base your claim on something else entirely?
POSIX ACLs use the group permission as mask, this means non-ACL-aware programs can completely screw up permissions by changing what they believe to be something different. It is also impossible to set a default ACL that allows traversing directories but not executing files. There is also very little support for ACLs, you're pretty much stuck with "setfacl". Meanwhile, on Windows, you get a complete and robust tool by right clicking any file/folder.

It gets worse if you try to manage permissions over a large group of devices. Windows has Active Directory, on Linux you can sort of achieve something similar by slapping together LDAP and a bunch of other softwares but it's nowhere near as complete or easy to setup.

One point on which Linux is more advanced though is containerisation/sandboxing. Going back to the original topic, running steam through some sort of sandbox (flatpak, snap, appimage, firejail) could, in theory, limit the damage a RCE could do (disclaimer: as with all thing security, it's more complicated than just "use this and it's safe" so do your own research).
Okay. I hear you. I'm not convinced that Windows is better at this stuff than Linux, as my experiences differ from yours and so does the research I've read on the subject. I guess these things are complicated enough that people will disagree. And the implementations are certainly different under the hood.

I'm not going to debate this any further, simply because this is too close to stuff I have to worry about at work. Windows is bleak enough to think about even when I'm being paid for it. :wink:

I will say that the only relevant thing to this discussion is the security of the typical gaming setup on Linux vs one on Windows. Optional enterprise features aren't going to come into play.

Apex Legends Global Series postponed due to mid-match hacks
18 Mar 2024 at 8:14 pm UTC Likes: 3

Quoting: hell0For the record -and as much as it pains me to admit it- Windows has had much better permission management than Linux for decades now. ACLs are actually usable on NTFS and non-root account has been the default since at least windows XP (you can do "root" actions from your normal account but that requires validation, just like sudo on linux).
How are these Windows permission management features much better than their Linux equivalents? Are there relevant studies, or maybe some solid metrics you used to rank them yourself? Or did you base your claim on something else entirely?

Valve COO on Epic's Tim Sweeney "you mad bro?" when launching the Epic Store
17 Mar 2024 at 2:11 pm UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: pleasereadthemanual
Quoting: tuubiYeah, I couldn't do banking on my phone. I wouldn't even want to, but I'm sure that's a blocker for many people. The rest of the stuff on your list (and calendar events, alarms, etc.) are fine.
I can't carry around enough cash for all possible purchases (besides, the number of stores even accepting cash is decreasing), so I need an easy way to transfer money quickly. Notifications for unexpected transactions also help me notice fraud more quickly.

The NFC payment feature in my banking app is also handy for reducing fraud, and isn't tied to Apple, Google, Samsung, or god forbid, Meta. Only to my bank, who has all my details and transaction history anyway. Not a requirement, but definite value add.
Yeah, I don't carry cash either. I pay with my debit card, mostly with its contactless (NFC) payment feature. But I'm sure available payment methods vary by country.

Quoting: pleasereadthemanualMy phone is also a lot more secure than my computers (my GrapheneOS phone anyway, not my Pinephone), so I can't blame anybody for wanting to do their banking on a phone. Despite my distaste for phones, that's not a point I can even debate.
So I won't debate. I simply have a hard time trusting a phone any better than I trust the browser on my Linux desktop.

Quoting: pleasereadthemanual
Quoting: tuubiSignal's official Android app worked fine on my Sailfish phone (using the inbuilt Android compatibility layer) when I tried it, except that it couldn't access my contacts. There's also a native client called Whisperfish that's still a bit janky but it mostly does the job. Same goes for Telegram: The official Android app works fine, and so does the slightly stripped down version on F-Droid, but I use a native FOSS client called Fernschreiber to chat to my Telegram contacts. But only if I'm not near a computer. I like a proper keyboard.
The problem is, Signal requires me to have one phone and only one phone. You can only have one primary phone, and you can't transfer message history (easily), and it's all a big pain. I've heard Waydroid takes upwards of 7 minutes to startup on a Pinephone. Even if it worked (I tried Axolotl a few years ago, it did not work), I'm just not willing to disable one device so I can only use it on another. And the fact that I even feel I need a "backup phone" is reason enough not to do it. That's Signal's fault, but it is the biggest blocker for me. I'm glad it works for you.
Yeah, Signal can be inconvenient, even if most people only use one phone at a time. The Alien Dalvik Android layer on Sailfish X is pretty seamless though. If apps work, they work pretty well. And most apps I've tried (from F-Droid, mostly) have been fine. Although currently the only Android app I use regularly is an eBook reader.

Quoting: pleasereadthemanualI despise typing on a phone. Everything about it is awful. But, well, sometimes I don't have a keyboard near me, or need to call someone when I'm out.
Same. I actively avoid chatting and writing emails on a phone. I also actively avoid phone calls, but that has nothing to do with the operating systems. I just don't like talking on the phone.

Valve COO on Epic's Tim Sweeney "you mad bro?" when launching the Epic Store
17 Mar 2024 at 11:32 am UTC

Quoting: pleasereadthemanual
Quoting: tuubi
Quoting: s01itudelinux on mobile (outside of android) is basically a joke at best at this point
That's a bit harsh. I've been happy with Sailfish OS on my phones for years, and the wife isn't complaining either. If you're into mobile gaming or something, sure, it's not a realistic option, but it's certainly not a joke for those of us with simpler needs.
I've owned a Pinephone for a few years now. I never use it and would never rely on it for even my simple needs with a phone. For reference, those are:

  • Maps

  • Messages

  • Calls

  • Email

  • 2FA device

  • Banking (can do it in the browser, I guess)
Yeah, I couldn't do banking on my phone. I wouldn't even want to, but I'm sure that's a blocker for many people. The rest of the stuff on your list (and calendar events, alarms, etc.) are fine.

Quoting: pleasereadthemanualI can't run Signal on it, so I can't message anybody.
Signal's official Android app worked fine on my Sailfish phone (using the inbuilt Android compatibility layer) when I tried it, except that it couldn't access my contacts. There's also a native client called Whisperfish that's still a bit janky but it mostly does the job. Same goes for Telegram: The official Android app works fine, and so does the slightly stripped down version on F-Droid, but I use a native FOSS client called Fernschreiber to chat to my Telegram contacts. But only if I'm not near a computer. I like a proper keyboard.

Quoting: pleasereadthemanualPerhaps the experience is better on Android phones that have been flashed with a Linux-based operating system.
We've got a couple of Sony Xperia 10 III phones with paid Sailfish X licenses, and the OS installation was a manual process. There are currently no phones available with Sailfish OS pre-installed.

Before these I had the original Xperia 10, and before that the original Jolla phone from 2013 (a developer version that I got for free). As you can see, I don't really like phones, and I don't buy new ones until I absolutely need to.