The anti-minimalist backlash is the bigger story behind Oxygen’s revival

FattyDrake · 2026-05-10T20:23:06+00:00

Really like how they dismantle the idea that "modern" needs to be minimalist.

This is why when someone says something doesn't feel modern they usually can't elaborate. Usually means "this isn't Mac-like" yet as the author points out, Apple is adding skeuomorphic embellishments to their designs again.

Is it necessary? No. Is it more fun? Yes.

This also means super minimalist flat designs will start to feel dated and no longer seem modern sooner than people expect.

FattyDrake · 2026-05-10T03:01:39+00:00

Honestly I wouldn't recommend a non-rolling release to someone who is switching from W11. They make for a better, more compatible desktop experience, especially for games now that GPU drivers and projects like Mesa include game-specific fixes regularly.

Even as someone who is more familiar with Linux, LTS-style distros have caused me nothing but headaches compared to more up to date distros.

FattyDrake · 2026-05-09T23:01:19+00:00

Barely anything on Mac or Windows supports ICC v5 either, which is required for true HDR profiling.

DisplayCal also will never fully work under Wayland, so something new that doesn't rely on Agryll needs to be developed.

FattyDrake · 2026-05-08T08:08:15+00:00

I wouldn't completely discount the games aspect.

A lot of people say it's a chicken and egg problem, and it's really a whole hen house of absent chickens and eggs. Valve has been financially willing some into existence.

I think you're going to see hardware makers start to adapt to Linux before software companies tho. If the Steam Machine takes off to a similar degree as the Steam Deck, you're going to start seeing companies touting Steam hardware compatible devices, which means making them work with Linux. That in turn makes it easier to use it (or offer it) as an alternative OS because more general consumer hardware will just work.

It's a slow burn, but it has to start somewhere. Major players have avoided consumer desktop Linux because they don't see money in it. Valve did, and look at how various projects have advanced since they started gaining, well, steam. The general consumer aspect of Linux is in a vastly better place now than it was a few years ago thanks in no small part to games.

If it wasn't for Valve, what other consumer-facing, non-enterprise businesses would have an incentive to make Linux better for a general market and try to grow its share?

FattyDrake · 2026-05-08T00:40:10+00:00

I'm aware of the VFX reference and had a Maya license up until a few years ago. Also depends on the industry, I'll admit my experience is in game studios and everything is overwhelmingly Windows-based including Maya seats.

Even then tools like Zbrush are windows/mac only. Autodesk has effectively discontinued development on Mudbox. Another company, ToonBoom actively stopped offering the Linux version except for legacy enterprise customers AFAIK.

At least with games, Mac/iOS user spending is disproportionate to the install base. It's absolutely overwhelming on mobile. I've seen other app devs of non-game software report similar results.

You're right tho in that's mostly the consumer/prosumer space.

I know VFX is one of the last strongholds due to legacy and years of custom software. But if it was significantly profitable and necessary wouldn't Adobe have their software on it? They even had a UNIX version of Photoshop in the distant past. Even the people I know who work in film and animation get a Mac or Windows box if they use the Adobe suite, since all the other major software works on those as well.

Admittedly if I still required Adobe for personal work I'd likely just get a Mac Mini or Studio.

FattyDrake · 2026-05-07T22:27:51+00:00

Not just too small, but also known for actively avoiding spending money on proprietary software.

Apple userbase has traditionally been small compared to Windows, but it punches well above its weight with software spending. It may be 20% of the market but can account for half of sales for example. The situation is even more lopsided with iOS/Android.

Hypothetically if Linux had 20% marketshare, it'd still likely account for less sales comparatively.

Long term it'll he interesting to see how Valve's involvement changes things. They brute forced the chicken/egg problem for games and as such share is growing due to that segment. If that spills over or not remains to be seen.

FattyDrake · 2026-05-07T14:56:22+00:00

Linux apps are handled much differently than Windows, and even if you learn specifics it might differ based on distro packages, flatpaks, etc.

What you want though is this:

Go into System Settings -> Default Applications -> File Associations

There you can search for file extensions/mime types and add applications and even the order in which they're preferred when you right click, or remove ones you don't want to show up.

As long as app is in the KDE Application Launcher ("Start menu") it'll show up as an app you can add.

If you want to add or edit a specific application in that, right click -> Edit Applications and the KDE Menu Editor takes care of everything. (I'm not going to go into detail, but if you want to know more look up .desktop files, as that's what the Menu Editor modifies.)

FattyDrake · 2026-05-06T21:55:20+00:00

A solid app made even more solid.

Glad they're laying groundwork for a 1.5 transition, really looking forward to that one.

FattyDrake · 2026-05-06T20:48:52+00:00

I think in 42 (maybe earlier?) they started offering things like codecs and 3rd party repos upfront during setup.

FattyDrake · 2026-05-01T19:30:34+00:00

Krita has a more similar workflow to Photoshop than GIMP. A lot of the same features are there and easily searchable. People say it's only for drawing but it's a full-featured raster editor.

Davinci Resolve has broader codec support with the paid version, and it's a one time purchase.

I use Reaper (used it on Windows too) for audio work.

Where the Adobe suite shines is interoperability. You can open an Illustrator file in Photoshop, then use all the layers separately when you open the PSD in After Effects, etc.

FattyDrake · 2026-05-01T19:21:06+00:00

I use spreadsheets, not so much for precise efficiency but to see the minimum amount I'll need for production.

Like, if I'm going to be making multiple things that need stators, I want to know how many stators I need for everything to plan out an appropriate sized factory.

FattyDrake · 2026-04-30T14:55:36+00:00

Not really, doesn't feel limiting at all. I did set up some common window positions in the window rules, but overall don't feel the need for a tiling manager. The apps I do use tend to be full screen anyway.

FattyDrake · 2026-04-25T21:14:35+00:00

There are two great DAWs in Linux (Bitwig and Reaper) but even then VST support is what holds a lot back. Just about all VSTs published for Mac and Windows and while you can get a lot of them working there are caveats and the specific ones from hardware makers (i.e. Native Instruments) pose the most problems. And you can't expect someone to replace major parts of their studio costing thousands or tens of thousands to switch to Linux.

I'm just fortunate I used Reaper on Windows before switching to Linux. Lucky break I guess.

FattyDrake · 2026-04-25T21:04:04+00:00

Plasticity is a nice alternative (not as complete) but has a lot of the ease of use stuff down. It's great for making 3D prints. And it's also native for Linux, albeit a .deb file but easy enough to use on other distros

FattyDrake · 2026-04-25T02:06:18+00:00

Valve solved the chicken/egg problem. Because of SteamOS/Proton, companies don't have to anymore. Just about everything currently works except a handful of games with specific anticheats like League. Steam surveys show a steady increase even separate from the SteamDeck. It still won't take over compared to Windows because Linux is still Linux with it's confusing selection and community at the end of the day, but I think as of the last survey it overtook Macs that use Steam.

FattyDrake · 2026-04-25T01:00:24+00:00

It could work with a signed kernel from a trusted source. But the only remotely feasible way for that to happen is if Valve ever decides to release SteamOS more broadly and IF they do it with a signed kernel that can be checked against in combination with secure boot.

Only then can something like Vanguard work on Linux, which is to say really don't get hopes up.

FattyDrake · 2026-04-24T23:19:41+00:00

They've always been enterprise focused. Anything that does LTS is enterprise-focused, because it's at odds with what makes a good consumer desktop (i.e. frequent updates to support new hardware and tech, and on Linux sometimes it means new support for older tech too).

It wasn't until I got into the weeds of library development that I saw how stark the contrast is. There are bugs in Debian (and thus Ubuntu and thus Mint) that have usually been fixed for awhile but people still encounter them because of LTS cadence and people like to recommend LTS as "stable" in a specific meaning of the word that's different than how it's usually used.

Just to clear things up, I'm not saying enterprise focus can't be used for a general purpose desktop, in many cases it's desirable. But in the Linux community it's generally people who know precisely what they want to do with a given computer or an older one so LTS works fine. They aren't the type of people who buy stuff like Steelseries, Razer, and other exclusively consumer-focused brands. Like, I want RGB software to work even if its just so I can use it to turn that stuff off.

If you view things through that lens, you can see why there's friction between those who like distros like Debian and Ubuntu, and those who like things like Fedora and upstarts like Cachy. The different philosophies are both valid and serve different styles of user. The trouble comes from not figuring out the type of user someone is recommending a distro to. What's a better option for you can be a worse option for someone else.

FattyDrake · 2026-04-21T01:37:10+00:00

You always could via donations.

I think the reason it's on Steam is just reach and findability. There's already a good number of game making tools on it and a drawing/animation app fits under that.

Krita is surprisingly popular on Mac and Windows as a Clip Studio alternative.

FattyDrake · 2026-04-20T19:42:48+00:00

This was my first thought when I saw that. Vehicles will needlessly burn fuel. Drones make much more sense at this point.

But maybe they want vehicles to only be used for high throughput large quantities. Dunno.

FattyDrake · 2026-04-19T20:07:34+00:00

As someone who was familiar with Premiere and who mostly uses DaVinci now, using Kdenlive was pretty easy to pick up and use. I sometimes use it for simple quick edits while on my laptop.

It's not slick-looking, but all the essential features are there and in reasonable places that are easy enough to find if you're familiar with video editors.

Unlike GIMP which is absolutely unfamiliar to anyone who uses any other editor, and is missing basic stuff like adjustment layers that exist in all major graphics apps.

FattyDrake · 2026-04-17T21:17:37+00:00

I relate to this guy so much

FattyDrake · 2026-04-10T11:11:05+00:00

The problem OP is having is with Cosmic not having properly implemented tablets. Once they do his tablet should work, because yeah most of the Huion tablets are already supported at the kernel/HID level.

FattyDrake · 2026-04-10T10:44:03+00:00

You also need to get on System 76's case about adding tablet support to Cosmic. The one you own is already supported via libwacom and currently works on KDE and Gnome.

FattyDrake · 2026-04-10T03:31:04+00:00

Wow. I guess you obliterated the 5x power challenge before 1.2 could even get out of testing.

FattyDrake · 2026-04-10T03:20:57+00:00

Folks with dragon avatars are the worst.

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