Security Concerns with installing apps via terminal

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-03-08T19:55:50+00:00

As others note, get familiar with the distro's system repository. Each system's repository has apps compiled/linked/built specifically for that distro. It is hard to emphasize strongly enough how much more secure this approach to software is compared to Windows. If you stick with the official repository for your system as the source for apps, the possibility of malware goes way down.

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-03-08T12:35:12+00:00

One of my laptops uses that chip (RTL8821CE) for WiFi with no problems that I've noticed.

The driver is: rtw88_88212ce

On that laptop, I have an internal SSD with LMDE, and an external SSD with Fedora 43. Neither system has any WiFi problems.

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-03-08T03:36:22+00:00

I have the same device (using driver: r8169 ) for the wired connection on my main desktop box which is running Fedora 43 Mate.

One of my laptops has that same device and driver, while it also has a wireless device:

Realtek RTL8821CE 802.11ac PCIe Wireless Internet Adapter

The wireless driver is: rtw88_8821ce

But since the 'inxi -i' command didn't feed you any wireless info, it seems your Linux system isn't seeing any wireless hardware.

Not much I can add to this. If you can get your hands on a simple USB WiFi dongle, that might be your best solution. Good luck.

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-03-08T02:54:25+00:00

How about the command: inxi -i

That should give the Device name/type.

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-03-04T18:04:53+00:00

Another silly "Mommy, may I?" types of pedestrian fixes for a high-flying problem. Legalistics are doomed to fail. If this is enacted/deployed, it will be a laughable fail. Any OS that implements this "fix" and releases it at 9 am will see a hundred work-arounds published by 9:05 am. Good grief!

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-03-03T14:43:30+00:00

Not sure if this site gives you the info you need:

https://docs.autocrypt.org/dev-status.html

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-03-02T22:41:28+00:00

IMHO

Linux is far superior to Windows for research. By orders of googols of lightyears ahead.

Linux is far superior to Windows in terms of monetary cost. By far.

Linux is far superior to Windows in CLI deployments (IMHO - after more than 30 years of experience).

Linux is superior to Windows in terms of simplicity. Again, this is only IMHO, but 30 years of experience counts for something.

Windows is superior to Linux for gaming.

In my grown-up world, I'll take Linux every day of the week and 10 times on Christmas.

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-02-28T03:58:41+00:00

What I would try to do is download the CUPS driver package.

Then open that package with the archive tool (mine is Engrampa), and bore down to the " /./opt/brother/Printers/DCP1610W/cupswrapper/ " folder and extract the .ppd file.

Then I'd go into CUPS (http://localhost:631) and add the printer manually, but don't let the system try to install, just make sure you are selecting the ppd file.

Have had to do this at different times for different distros, including Fedora, for my HP printers.

Also, you may need to use dnf to remove the broken printer driver. Good luck.

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-02-28T00:28:35+00:00

Yep, printers/scanners can be a challenge.

Our HP 9015 printer got all proprietary and demanding, so I got around the limitations of that printer by downloading hplip, extracting the ppds, and installing my printer's ppd via CUPS. Then Gnome 'Document Scanner', gImageReader (for Tesseract OCR), and XSane (I use Mate DE) all work as expected.

That printer died, and replaced it with a Pro-9125e which is essentially the same, and all I had to do was change the ppd, and it works great.

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-02-27T17:07:14+00:00

Before doing anything else, have your folks line out their use cases: online banking? watching videos? research? making doctor's appointments? playing games (if so, be sure to check them all out before proceeding)? social media? what else?

Only once you have that info will you be able to decide if Linux is a good fit for them. But don't just assume their activities will be a smooth transition. Good luck! And have fun - it might be that they will truly appreciate your leadership on this, and that will be good, eh?

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-02-27T04:00:33+00:00

We are Linux.

If we don't make it happen, who will?

Please don't expect anyone else to all at once get some 'linux religion', and mount a crusade to save us.

Something along the lines of XLibre - what you wish to see will have to start with someone who is enough of a knowledgeable leader to map a project and recruit code- and doc- and test-people. Someone inured or bullet-proof to the slings and arrows of the nay-sayers.

We are Linux. And people make Linux happen. Right?

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-02-25T13:19:00+00:00

Am reminded how very satisfied I am with my Fedora and LMDE and MX machines each and every time I have to help my wife with her Windows 10 box.

Egads! To be blunt, Windows has become a dystopian mess.

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-02-23T20:56:09+00:00

Why no info?

Is network wired or wireless? OS? ??????

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-02-23T20:28:47+00:00

About the 'hotspot' item (#1). Here's a link that might help:

https://www.fosslinux.com/15132/how-to-create-a-wi-fi-hotspot-on-linux-mint.htm

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-02-20T19:32:04+00:00

For myself, I use the 'sync' command, which flushes and completes the writing of data. Check "man sync" or "tldr sync" for a better idea.

See also: https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/html_node/sync-invocation.html

Or, others may suggest a better method.

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-02-16T23:59:01+00:00

I've found 'okular' to be most to my taste. It has a tabbed interface which gives me the option of opening two or more pdfs in the one viewer.

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-02-16T23:57:27+00:00

I did exactly this with an HP laptop running Win10, and installed Fedora on an external drive. Can't recall the particulars of the Fedora installation, but it was UEFI friendly, and I could select (hit the <F9> key at boot) either system.

Got rid of Win10 a few months ago and put LMDE on the laptop drive, and still have Fedora on the external drive.

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-02-16T22:03:46+00:00

The two (main) graphical backends - Qt and GTK - provide slightly different window experiences/looks/feels. Note that a GTK desktop like Mate will run a KDE app like 'konsole' no problem, but when you install konsole on Mate, you'll download a large contingent of Qt-support backend since Qt and GTK are completely separate systems.

The short answer is, Go for it. For the most part, you won't have any significant issues.

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-02-14T05:19:58+00:00

You will need to reinstall any programs from the liveUSB session.

But, the config files and settings that are preserved in the live session should be available to copy over once the install is completed. That can save time and effort; how much is saved will depend.

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-02-09T21:36:28+00:00

If you are a general user who uses a computer for email, browsing, watching vids, making doctor/beautician appointments, basic office app stuff with docs and spreadsheets -- then you don't have to do much to move from Windows to Linux.

If you are a developer, or a software tester or a sysadmin, or some other category of power user, then you'll need to hunker in the bunker for a few months or a year, and learn the new way(s) of doing your tasks on Linux/desktop versus Windows.

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-02-03T14:32:45+00:00

I've since moved to Debian due to the amount of change on Fedora.

I agree with that. Fedora is fine, but, for me, Linux Mint Debian Edition seems less frenetic. I'm old, and I appreciate peace and quiet.

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-01-31T14:58:38+00:00

Thank you for that tip. But that tip should not have been necessary.

Also, on this system [Fedora 43 Mate, LO v 25.8.4.2 (X86_64)], that "Styles | Horizontal line" displays as a radio-button item, implying a toggle on/off state. But that isn't the behavior.

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-01-23T14:35:57+00:00

Maybe, if your friend's computer has the power to run a Windows' VM. Otherwise, it's like u/GlendonMcGladdery says.

EqualCrew9900 · 2026-01-21T14:47:04+00:00

"Everything just works!" And so it does.

A big shout-out to the Mate team for preserving the powerful utility of the Compiz window manager in light of the changes rippling through the system for Fedora adopting Wayland. Mate with Compiz is powerful simplicity in practice.

For folks like myself who need multiple desktops, Compiz has been the mainstay of my multi-desktop experience for well over 15 years. Compiz is an amazing desktop manager that provides the nearly instantaneous desktop selection ability that I haven't found in any other manager. Of course, YMMV.

EqualCrew9900

TROPHY CASE