Currently I think the one that is the most exciting to me is Natsumi Browser, a modification for most firefox-based browsers with an interface similar to arc or zen browser. I used zen for months after it released, but every few updates some core functionality would break and they kept removing features that were essential to my workflow so I much prefer this as a modification on top of Floorp. I think the dev just does it as a hobby project, but there’s new useful features added frequently, and keybindings!
As someone who used zen for a while I feel that lol. I ended up going back to firefox, and I found ways to make it work for my workflow :3
Home assistant!
I have a few open source audio projects in the works myself right now. Aside from my own stuff, Fish shell has been my latest addiction.
Haiku. We need a more modern OS to compete against Linux.
Haiku is cool
I’ve been really floored by how much KDE stuff they’ve been able to get running on it.
I wish a couple of the UI things could be changed though, like how windows are maximized and things, though. I’m totally on board with the Be influence. However, some of it feels actually stuck in the 90s instead of evolving into whatever Be would have become.
But overall it’s still really impressive and I throw them a $20 here and there when I can to help support it.
I’ll take 90s over 60s any day.
O…k?
I think everything going on with the open source phone space is very exciting, also I think copyparty is very cool.
Immich has been the biggest impact for me lately, but I wouldn’t say it is the most exciting. I need to find one of those.
Plasma Bigscreen. I would love to replace my Apple TVs with something more open.
Funnily enough, I never managed to get big screen working on a raspberry pi. I ended up flashing a broken build of Android TV to it instead
By a wide margin the many different projects for an open source phone OS. From GrapheneOS to PostmarketOS, from Ubuntu Mobile to Plasma Mobile.
I am sick and tired of corporations telling me how I can use my phone. I am sick and tired of corporations deciding what apps I can install, from where, and what data they are allowed to collect. I am done with enshittification and the gradual disappearing of all useful information, either behind a paywall, or replaced by monetized content.
The last straw was when Google Maps decided to replace the “gas station on the route” feature that sent you to the cheapest gas station to some other logic it didn’t disclose, but that stinks of affiliate preference.
Same!!!
Absolutely, fully agree here. An Open Source widely applicable phone OS would benefit millions of people. Possibly billions.
Let alone open source!
The frustrating part of this is how much of the smartphone world is dependent on companies playing along.
I have a Venmo business account I use from time to time. I tried to log in on it from my laptop yesterday to check my balance. I was met with this:
We used to complain that apps are just worse versions of websites, but increasingly, you’re being forced to install an app just to do basic things.
Is there any way to guarantee every app will be available on a linux phone? We can grab APKs at the moment off sketchy websites, but I don’t know how much longer that’s going to work after Google kills sideloading.
Can you not just log in on a mobile browser in desktop only mode?
No. This is literally from a desktop browser. That feature is only available on the app.
It really sucks, but at least there are alternatives to venmo. I’ve heard that in Europe, you’re require to have an app to show your Id or use the bank or some such.
Thoughts on GNU TALER??
Is it what we should all be using? What are its flaws and shortcomings?
I really dislike the name is the main thing.
You use an IBAN to send money. Yeah technically it’s your bank, but it’s a digital transfer without a middleman.
You can even put notes on it to pay invoices.
Nah. In Europe, Venmo is just not a thing, because bank transfers are free and fast. IDs are a plastic card, just like almost everywhere else.
Banking apps are a bit more problematic, because most people (and probably banks, idk) prefer if you use those not just if you have a smartphone and want to do banking on it, but also as a second factor for when you want to log in on your desktop.
There’s plenty of alternatives (TAN readers, for example), but none as simple or seamless, unfortunately. But bank websites are fully featured (and usually more so than the app, actually).
Ugh. Fuck those people. That should be a crime.
atm, if you’re using Waydroid, you can use Aurora Store/ Droid. No shady websites needed!
Thoughts on /e/OS? Been thinking of giving fairphone 6 a go.
/e/OS is just another android rom, and unlike calyxOS or grapheneOS, /e/OS isn’t very privacy focused. There’s some weird stuff regarding a hidden “license id” and some of their services rely in openAI. You might as well just use a “real” privacy-first android rom if you’re trying to get away from tech giants, their tracking and closed source software.
That’s interesting. Where can I learn more about the lack of safety features and the connection to OpenAI? Seems pretty surprising, especially considering they tout safety and data privacy as their primary selling point.
My main source regarding the privacy/security stuff is this blog (in German). To be clear, /e/ isn’t bad on that front, the alternatives are just better.
You can read mode on the OpenAI integration in the /e/OS forums and the fairphone forums.
Interesting stuff, thanks for sharing! Definitely concerning, especially the openAI stuff. I guess I will take a look at grapheneOS again, but I just hate the idea that I need to buy a google product in order to use it.
CalyxOS development is paused right now but it’s still available and campatible with more devices. I wouldn’t recommend a currently unsupported OS but personally I’m still using it on my Pixel 7a. I had some google integration issues in GrapheneOS, plus I prefer the focus on privacy instead of security.
Mine of course! A decentralised sharing/file system.
Soon to come; web compatibility…
Exciting enough for me to use on a daily basis, and I’m actively following their development progress. Not contributing, mind you. Nobody wants me of all people touching their codebase.
FreeCAD - The open source alternative to various proprietary parametric CAD and solid modelling software such as Solidworks, Fusion360, OnShape, etc. This recently passed its milestone 1.0 release at which point it could finally be considered actually broadly functional for actual real world use. Among various other widgets, I prominently used it to make this and this. Yeah, you guys know how it is.
I consider FreeCAD pretty important coming from the 3D printing hobbyist’s perspective because its the lone bulwark (well, okay, maybe also along with Blender and OpenSCAD) standing firm against the tidal wave of predatory bullshit being peddled by the commercial modelling software options, all of which at this point are genuine full-blown instruments of evil desperately trying to strangle, gatekeep, and paywall humankind’s ability to just make some goddamned shapes to 3D print.
In other news, I complied UZDoom from source the other night because somehow I missed that zdoom.org has precompiled binaries on their site, which I haven’t had to visit in years, but the UZDoom Github page doesn’t. We live and learn. UZDoom is pretty exciting because it’s a continuation of GZDoom with the added feature of kicking its insane former lead developer off of the project, or rather forking it out from under him. And everybody loves to play Doom.
I ought to contribute to FreeCAD.
I’m going to have to say OpenStreetMap, it’s always going to have a place in my heart.
Are there any mapping apps thats not google maps that has traffic data? I haven’t looked in a while, but last time I did it was a ‘no’ and I’m just shocked this hasn’t really been solved. Either by highjacking google maps data, or using local news data to fill in areas of maps with heavy traffic etc. There’s gotta be some way to solve this.
Like I get it, projects can’t just wholesale use google maps data, they’ll get shut down, but there’s no side loaded plugin you can load to use Google’s traffic data and the project just kind of winks in their github page and says ‘we don’t encourage anyone to use this plugin…’?
Magic Earth. Sometimes it crashes and gives confusing voice instructions. But it has traffic data and is therefore my daily driver.
https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Magic_Earth
Not
owned by HaliburtonI am now wondering if these are two different things both named magic earth?
Yeah. My bad. Not owned by Halliburton. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Earth_Inc.
I really love the work Asahi linux is doing, once they add m3 support (god knows when) I am switching over.
My M2 MBP is basically a desktop workstation, so Asahi not supporting DisplayPort over USB-C means that I won’t be able to connect a monitor, which I do 98% of the time. I’m switching when the driver releases.
PostmarketOS, I have an fp3 I want to install it on
I’m also watching the latest 1v1 tournament of Beyond All Reason, double heavy mines are terrifying
I am super hyped about Arrs. I have configured a stack and yet to activate it. Waiting til I can install Raspberry pi with vpn in another country for an endless downloads.
All the Arr stuff is working really great already. Whats going to happen in future? Can’t wait!
Other than that, Immich is dope.
None, really.
I like the free software ecosystem.
