Arch and Tumbleweed, Running Sans Systemd
Swapnil Bhartiya today posted an interesting article describing his experiences using Tumbleweed the last weeks from an Arch user's point of view. I feel inspired. Elsewhere, James Darvell asks if the latest Microsoft Linux ceasefire is true love or just toxic and the Linux Migrant noticed MX-15 is in beta. A Slashdot reader today asked if folks will be able to run a modern desktop system into 2016 without systemd. So far, no one has really given him a straight answer.
The top story today was Swapnil Bhartiya's post answering if Tumbleweed is good enough for a "seasoned Arch user." Bhartiya admits to being a total Arch fan saying, "I fell in love with it." However, Arch requires a bit of a time commitment, so Bhartiya wondered if a binary rolling distribution would suffice. He report essentially no problems and sounded like he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. In fact, he said, "So far I am liking openSUSE Tumbleweed. It's tempting to switch fully to Tumbleweed as it's more stable and system management is easier. But Arch is way too addictive. I may continue to use both for a while before deciding which one to keep."
Linux Journal's James Darvell today said, "Every now and then, you come across a news story that makes you choke on your coffee or splutter hot latte all over your monitor. Microsoft's recent proclamations of love for Linux is an outstanding example of such a story." After running down several highlights in the Microsoft/FOSS history, Darvell said, "So, you can forgive us for being shocked when Microsoft starts handing out t-shirts and badges that say "Microsoft Loves Linux" at open-source conferences and events. Could it be true? Does Microsoft really love Linux?" Again, after a laundry list of reasons not to trust Microsoft, he concludes that Microsoft is just using Linux to make a bit of money right now, and:
We shouldn't be slow to forget Microsoft's mantra of Embrace, Extend and Exterminate. Right now, Microsoft is very much in the early stages of embracing Linux. Will Microsoft seek to splinter the community through custom extensions and proprietary "standards"?
The Fedora Folks today introduced the Fedora Cinnamon Spin. A Cinnamon Spin had been promised for Fedora 23 "for users craving a more traditional user interface." It ships with Firefox, Nemo, LibreOffice, Pidgin, Hexchat, and lots of Spice(s). So, check that out.
In other interesting tidbits:
* Good News! Linux MX-15 in Beta 2 will ship in 32 and 64 bit versions.
* Frustrated Devuan user wonders if a modern desktop is possible without systemd