You might have heard once or twice that Windows is bad. I’m sure you also, at least once, experienced why – it’s slow, updates whenever it wants (even during standby), printers are a nightmare (they are, to be fair), browsing takes aeons… you get it. Perhaps you even thought about moving to Mac for these reasons – after all they’re well known for “just working”, right? Not just that, but you can use them for so much longer! Well, compared to cheap garbage computers that might be true, however in general it’s mostly marketing drivel.

Then there’s Linux. You probably heard about it – perhaps you even met one of our very devoted missionaries of the tux! If so, I’m very sorry – coping with big techs’ shenanigans all day and fixing family computers can result in some weird behaviour. And blogposts.

Once an operating system mostly aimed at tinkerers and developers, nowadays some versions of Linux can easily keep up and surpass the likes of Microsoft Windows and MacOS – of course always depending on what you want to do with it. Companies have been created around the free operating system selling devices with ever-increasing quality, and with the support of Valve it has been made a viable option even for demanding gamers. Heard of the new mobile gaming console, the Steam Deck? It’s running Arch Linux.

Now, I want to make one thing very clear to every reader: Linux is not to be understood simply as Windows replacement. As with MacOS it is a whole other operating system with different paradigms to get used to. In fact Linux is closer to MacOS in many aspects, given both came from the same family of operating systems called UNIX (You don’t have to remember that, just trivia). As such running a Windows .exe file on Linux instead of installing Linux software from the Software Store needs the same user approach as, let’s say, playing a Playstation 1 game on a Nintendo Switch. It simply is a different platform. However many modern tools nowadays also feature a Linux version or are web based anyway (meaning they can run inside your browser), and anything that doesn’t can be replaced by a plethora of awesome tools you find on pages 10 to 21.
The one and only exception here might be Adobe Photoshop – despite my best efforts I couldn’t find something comparable. Be not afraid though, artists do have tools like Krita, GIMP and others at their disposal with the latter being actively worked on to introduce non-destructive editing features in the future. Get them right out of the graphical Software Store that doesn’t flood your screen with ads and privacy-violating payware.

What you can expect

From here on I’ll keep talking about “Distributions” or “Distros” instead of “Linux”, since different flavours of Linux come with different expectations. Think of it like Android phones – It’s all Android, however a Google Pixel feels quite different than a Xiaomi with their MIUI Launcher, or Samsungs “One UI”. While Distributions like Linux Mint are made for ease of use and simplicity, others like the infamous Arch Linux are specifically made with powerusers in mind. To give you a hassle-free start I’ll present you three highly user-friendly distros right on the next page.

What you’ll also notice is how the Software Stores are centered around free and Open-Source applications (services like Spotify are also available though). Unlike Microsoft or Apple there are no investors to please, a majority of distros are maintained by a group of very dedicated private developers or small companies who make their main revenue by selling devices as well as support and cloud plans. As the community is extremely aware of the downsites of modern data collection you’ll also rarely find invasive applications or apps who’re calling home. This might reduce available options, however the upsides are clear: Smaller, fast-running tools that do exactly the thing you want without being slowed down by ads, want you to log in first or only exist to grab some data. This results in a faster experience overall without the system becoming slower over time.

Almost any distribution is built in a way that gives the user choice and control. That means you still have the option to let your computer automatically update itself, but it’s not the norm – instead you’ll be notified about updates after opening the Software Store. As we see on a regular basis with Windows, automatic updates without notifications often lead to massive unanticipated slowdowns. Not a good experience at all.

However if you’re always on the hunt for the newest trend in the IT buzzword world, I can happily announce to you that you’ll most likely be severely disappointed! This of course doesn’t mean Linux can’t be pretty – in fact a little visit at r/unixporn will show you how much love some people put into their machines to have them look truly unique. The goal of most developers however is to build a good and reliable system that respects you as a user – not a selling platform for the “new” Metaverse.

Enough talk – on page 3 I’ll show you how to try Linux on your computer yourself via USB stick, all without changing anything about your existing files.

Introduction

Android device flashing probably is one of those things you heard about either for its ecological value, economical value, or as something only nerds do. And while both may be true (you’re a nerd now, congratulations!), its financial benefits and the gain in knowledge about the device you may even use for hours each single day can not be underestimated. After doing it the first time on my old bq Aquaris X Pro I really started appreciating the device and its benefits – but also was mildly frustrated about the initial learning curve on how to do things, as I had little reference to go by, no one to tell me what the hell fastboot is and why my god forsaken GPS simply won’t work.

So that’s why I gonna tell you.

  
Page 1: Introduction
  
The easy way:
	Page 2: /e/ OS One-Click Installer
	Other Post: Buy a degoogled Phone
  
What you need to know:
	Page 3: Terminology & Resources (Glossary)
	Page 4: Visual Examples
	Page 5: What adb is & how to prepare it (Android Debugging Bridge)
	Page 6: List of known (Google-free) Android ROMs
  
Flashing your Phone:
	Page 7: Common Example
	Page 8: Manually installing MicroG

First of all, what you need to do this is a phone you either not depend on right now or a backup plan in case your endeavour doesn’t meet your expectations, a proper USB cable, a computer and a lot of time and nerves. It may be a good idea to get an old phone (except Huawei, more on that below) from ebay, craigslist or any other source so you have a cheap device to tinker with. This will save you a lot of stress and perhaps makes an otherwise unused phone useful again.

There are, unfortunately, devices and manufacturers where you are utterly out of luck. One of the main villains here is Huawei. They, as well as many other chinese companies like Xiaomi, once forced you to contact them so they could send you a unique unlock code for your device but closed down that service in 2018 (this isn’t linked to the embargo). This, of course, made developers of free operating systems move to other devices and projects, leaving the brand vacant. And while there is a way to still unlock your phone through a paid semi-legal service by the name of DC Unlocker and HCU Client, you usually don’t get much further after that.
Luckily there aren’t many manufacturers locking down their devices this much. Most of the process depends on the popularity of devices here – the more people use them, the higher our chance to get a nice new operating system. The best example for this is the Samsung Galaxy S4, for which you can still get a modern and secure LineageOS 18.1 (based on Android 11).

However, be aware you are trading security for privacy by flashing your phone. By unlocking your bootloader, thereby perhaps tripping security measures like Samsung Knox, and flashing a custom operating system you rip a huge security hole into Androids security concept as sideloading is now possible for anyone who gets physical access to your device. I myself was able to write and sideload a small file comprised of about 6 commands that deleted my security pattern, enabling me to simply start and access my phone. At that point file encryption doesn’t help anymore. There are reasons why you might still want to flash your phone: Maybe you own a Google Pixel and want to go with CalyxOS or GrapheneOS (they are able to relock the bootloader after flashing without bricking the phone). Perhaps you want to safe some money after the OEM stopped support for your device way too early. Not feeling secure because of surveillance on phones is also a valid reason, given how much worth private data is nowadays. In the end, it’s up to you and your individual threat level to decide whether or not flashing is a valid option for you.

This whole guide will also focus on Google-free flashing. While installing all or some Google services only adds a single step to the process, it wouldn’t really help us to jump right back into the lions pit if we aim to regain our privacy. However, for anyone who really wants to do so, I’ll mention how to do it in this article too.

If you want to check whether your favourite apps work on Android operating systems without Google services or with MicroG (See page 3 to know what that is), download the app Plexus from F-Droid or their website.

In case you like what you’re reading I’d be super grateful if some people may decide to support me. <3

Next Page: /e/ OS One-Click Installer

For years now, Linux is struggling to really achieve a stable foothold in the world of desktop computers. Even though it’s the de-facto standard almost anywhere else, let it be Servers, Smartphones, IoT (Internet of Things), integrated systems and more, it just keeps failing to attract a greater userbase and is still most well known as a system for professionals and nerds, something you can’t actually get any other work done than what IT specialists do.

While this may change rapidly in the near future (mostly thanks to Valve, who’re pushing things with their Proton compatibility Layer and their soon-to-be-released Steam Deck that’s based on Arch Linux + KDE), the details that’re hitting on the breaks still persist and should, in my humble opinion, be put more into focus as the opportunity of a massive influx of new people is on the horizon.

Terminal-Affinity is hurting the experience

“As a user of [Linux & Win] now – Aaaaay… – they’re both bad.”

Linus Sebastian, CEO Linus Media Group

Just by reading this, many users may be instantly outraged. The Terminal is one of the reasons Linux is so beloved by many professionals, and it’s obvious why: Unlike Windows, it gives you access to absolutely everything. Why should anyone despise it?
The reason is quite simple: Accessibility. Let me give you an example.

Recently, Linus Sebastian from the well beloved Linus Tech Tips Youtube Channel has started a “Linux Challenge” with Luke, one of his colleagues. Both are seasoned Windows powerusers who now switch to Linux for (at least?) a month while recording their experience. The videos are not out yet, but they’re already talking lengthly about it on their weekly WAN show. And while they also struggle with problems that just pop up as people use vastly different configurations with devices from manufacturers that may or may not respect some standards as they should, they also encounter problems that are so incredibly unnecessary you wonder why there’s still only a commandline option for that.

As an example he brings up a file copy into a folder that belongs to root. Things like this should not be a big deal, especially not on an operating system that keeps being praised as being most open and letting the user do whatever they want to do (even if it’s unfathomably stupid). Yet, even after 20 years, big Linux file managers like Nautilus and Dolphin still do not have implemented a proper system to raise privileges on users demand, making it virtually impossible to administrate your own computer outside of the terminal. This is especially frustrating as tutorials for Linux are praised to be super simple because of their copy & paste nature, yet as soon as you have to copy a file to a destination outside of your /home folder you have to learn how sudo ‘cp -r <src> <dest>‘ means, directly followed by chown as well as chmod to set up file permissions correctly. Not to mention cd and ls if you never saw a terminal before. Welcome to Linux.

This is just one example, but it leads to one of the biggest issues as the file privilege system of Linux may be powerful, but to new users it’s a literal beast.

Such problems don’t come from nowhere. As the GNU/Linux Community is mainly made out of nerds and professionals, there aren’t enough people to demand a solution thats not just easy to use if you already know it, but also intuitive on first glance and a great experience to use (which, for most people includes a GUI). Even something small like asking if you want to either open or execute the file you just double-clicked makes a huge difference for someone who’s trying to find his way through something new they don’t have to use. Telling a frustrated user to “use chmod +x” after their executable only opens as text file only leads to even more frustration. Not to mention file managers even implemented the “make file executable” checkbox, it’s just rarely mentioned.

A loud minority of Toxic Elitists

“Just go back to Windows if you don’t want to learn yourself.”

A toxic response

Of course, neither of the above applies to every distro (Linux Mint does these things really well for example), nor does the following apply to every forum or distro-specific community. Yet, every new Linux user will eventually face the dreaded dragon of the Linux Community: a toxic, elitist environment where your trouble will be met with ridicule, as only filthy non-Linux peasants would dare to expect a graphical experience over the chad command line. /s

Jokes aside, experiences like this are made daily and keep driving away potential newcomers. And even if you’re not the person who’s directly involved, looking up solutions only to find toxicity towards others who were right where you’re standing right now makes a lot of people wish their Windows back, where they knew how to go around. Keep in mind, nobody who tries Linux has to use it, but they want to use it. Being send back to where they came from, their bad experience with Linux will persist.

It can be even worse to be trapped in the pit between apologists of different distros while looking for help. Nobody is helped by reading “Oh, you should’ve picked my distro over your distro because that distro sucks”. From my personal experience, most of these people don’t even think about what’d be best for the one who asked, but what they like best. If you don’t support that you might as well go back to your dirty Windows. /s

This can lead up to ridiculous situations, in where you can get accused of being stupid simply because of your choice of distro. Those people can’t be helped, but given the size of the community, overlaps in distros and the almost absolute lack of graphical tutorials you’ll eventually meet those people. Even worse, they might argue that the missing feature protects you from harming your own system – an argument we constantly hear from Apple. Hard to be more disrespectful if you ask me.

Still worth the hassle

“User Experience? Very good. […] Which is why I’m genuinely switching my work laptop to Linux and I genuinely think it’s gonna be a better experience.”

Luke Lafreniere, COO Floatplane Media

Despite all the problems and the initial learning curve being a 90° brick wall as soon as you’re forced into the terminal, it can be very much worth the hassle. There are communities out there which are very welcoming too, Linux Mint communities being a good example. But if the Linux Community really wants to keep up the pace all the system options finally need to be made accessible graphically, details like gnome-tweaks not being present by default have to be ironed out (they’re working on that tho’) and a better documentation has to be present on how to get by solely by the means of the GUI to not just attract new users, but to keep them.

Because let’s be real, users that aren’t tech-savvy don’t want to use the terminal. They want a nice clicky button to press while not being treated like idiots.