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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"><channel><title><![CDATA[It's FOSS]]></title><description><![CDATA[Making You a Better Linux User]]></description><link>https://itsfoss.com/</link><image><url>https://itsfoss.com/favicon.png</url><title>It&apos;s FOSS</title><link>https://itsfoss.com/</link></image><generator>Ghost 6.0</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 22 Oct 2025 14:41:03 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://itsfoss.com/rss/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><ttl>60</ttl><item><title><![CDATA[Arduino Alternative Microcontroller Boards for Your DIY Projects in the Post-Qualcomm Era]]></title><description><![CDATA[If Arduino being acquired puts a bad taste in your mouth, or even if you just want to explore what the alternatives offer, this article is for you.]]></description><link>https://itsfoss.com/arduino-alternative-microcontroller-boards/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68f1dc648435e10001fc2266</guid><category><![CDATA[List 📋]]></category><category><![CDATA[Gadgets 🎛️]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Pulkit Chandak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 22 Oct 2025 07:13:10 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/arduino-alternatives.webp" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/arduino-alternatives.webp" alt="Arduino Alternative Microcontroller Boards for Your DIY Projects in the Post-Qualcomm Era"><p>Arduino has been the cornerstone of embedded electronics projects for a while now. Be it DIY remote-controlled vehicles, binary clocks, <a href="https://www.instructables.com/Power-Laces-the-Auto-lacing-shoe/" rel="noreferrer">power laces</a>, or as is relevant to the month of publishing, <a href="https://www.instructables.com/Flamethrowing-Jack-O-Lantern/" rel="noreferrer">flamethrowing Jack-O&apos;-Lanterns</a>! The versatility and affordability of the board has been uniquely unparalleled. </p><p>But now that <a href="https://www.arduino.cc/qualcomm">Qualcomm has acquired Arduino</a> projecting more AI-forward features with more powerful hardware, there might be some changes around the corner. Perhaps I am reading too much between the lines but not all of us have favorable views about Big Tech and corporate greed. We thought it might be a good time to look at some alternatives. </p><p>Since Arduino has a lot of different models with different features, we will not draw a comparison between Arduino and other boards, but just highlight the unique features these alternative boards have.</p><h2 id="1-raspberry-pi-pico">1. Raspberry Pi Pico</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/raspberry-pi-pico.webp" class="kg-image" alt="Arduino Alternative Microcontroller Boards for Your DIY Projects in the Post-Qualcomm Era" loading="lazy" width="1765" height="758" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/raspberry-pi-pico.webp 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/raspberry-pi-pico.webp 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1600/2025/10/raspberry-pi-pico.webp 1600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/raspberry-pi-pico.webp 1765w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>Raspberry Pi needs no introduction, it being the one company besides Arduino that has always been the favorite of tinkerers. While Raspberry Pi is known for its full fledged single-board-computers, the <a href="https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/microcontrollers/pico-series.html" rel="noreferrer">Pico</a> is a development board for programming dedicated tasks like the Arduino boards.</p><p>There are two releases of the Pico at the time of writing this article, 1 and 2. The major upgrade being the processor. There are certain prefixes which denote model features, &quot;W&quot; denoting wireless capabilities, &quot;H&quot; denoting pre-soldered headers. Here, I describe the cutting-edge model, the <a href="https://www.pishop.us/product/raspberry-pi-pico-2w-with-header/" rel="noreferrer"><strong>Pico 2 W with Headers</strong></a>.</p><ul><li><strong>Processors:</strong> Dual Cortex-M33 (ARM) upto 133 MHz and optional Hazard3 processors (RISC-V)</li><li><strong>Memory: </strong>520 KB on-chip SRAM</li><li><strong>Input-Output:</strong> 26 GPIO pins</li><li><strong>Connectivity:</strong> Optionally 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.2 on the W model</li><li><strong>Power:</strong> Micro-USB</li><li><strong>Programming Software or Language:</strong> MicroPython or C/C++</li><li><strong>Price:</strong> $8</li><li><strong>Extra Features:</strong> Temperature sensor</li></ul><p>The greatest advantage of Raspberry Pi is the huge userbase, second probably only to Arduino. Besides that, the GPIO pins make projects easier to construct, and the optional RISC-V processors give it an open-source experimental edge that many long for.</p><h2 id="2-esp32">2. ESP32</h2><p>ESP32 is a SoC that has soared in popularity in the past decade, and for all the right reasons. It comes in very cheap, screaming &quot;hobbyist&quot; and is committed to good documentation and an open SDK (software development kit). It came as a successor to the already very successful and still relevant <a href="https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Espressif-Systems/ESP8266-DevKitC-02U-F?qs=qSfuJ%252Bfl/d6KCnDPGU%252BMZA%3D%3D" rel="noreferrer">ESP8266 SoC</a>.</p><p>The categorization is a little to get a hang of because of the sheer number of boards available. The original ESP32 SoC boards come with dual-core Xtensa LX6 processors that go up to 240 MHz, and they come with Wi-Fi + Bluetooth classic/LE built-in. The ESP32-S series are a little enhanced, with more GPIO pins for connectivity. Now the ESP32-C series transitioned to RISC-V chips, and finally the ESP32-H series are designed for ultra low-power IoT applications. If the board name has WROOM, it belongs to the original basic family but the ones with WROVER indicate modules with PSRAM and more memory in general. You can find all the &quot;DevKits&quot; <a href="https://www.espressif.com/en/products/devkits" rel="noreferrer">here</a>.</p><p>Getting over the whole naming culture, I will directly describe one board here that might fulfill your Arduino-alternative needs, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Espressif-ESP32-DevKitC-VE-Development-Board/dp/B087TNPQCV?th=1" rel="noreferrer">ESP32-DevKitC-VE</a>:</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/esp32-2.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Arduino Alternative Microcontroller Boards for Your DIY Projects in the Post-Qualcomm Era" loading="lazy" width="1148" height="577" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/esp32-2.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/esp32-2.jpg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/esp32-2.jpg 1148w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><ul><li><strong>Processors:</strong> Dual-core 32-bit LX6 upto 240 MHz</li><li><strong>Memory: </strong>8 MB</li><li><strong>Input-Output:</strong> 34 programmable GPIOs</li><li><strong>Connectivity:</strong> 802.11 Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2 with BLE</li><li><strong>Power:</strong> Micro-USB</li><li><strong>Programming Software or Language:</strong> Arduino IDE, PlatformIO IDE (VS Code), LUA, MicroPython, Espressif IDF (IoT Development Framework), JavaScript</li><li><strong>Price:</strong> $11</li><li><strong>Extra Features:</strong> Breadboard friendly, rich set of peripheral interfaces</li></ul><p>I encourage you to do your own research based on your needs of the board and choose one, as the support and hardware is rock solid but the sheer number of options can be a little tricky to figure out.</p><h2 id="3-adafruit-feather">3. Adafruit Feather</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/AdafruitFeather.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Arduino Alternative Microcontroller Boards for Your DIY Projects in the Post-Qualcomm Era" loading="lazy" width="970" height="728" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/AdafruitFeather.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/AdafruitFeather.jpg 970w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p><a href="https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-feather/feathers" rel="noreferrer">Adafruit Feather</a> isn&apos;t a single board, but a <a href="https://www.adafruit.com/category/946" rel="noreferrer">category of hardware boards</a> that come with all sorts of different features and processors each. The idea is getting a &quot;feather&quot;, which is the board, and then getting &quot;wings&quot; which are hats/shields, basically extending the features and abilities of the board, and there are a huge number of them. This extensible versatility is the most attractive features of the boards but also the reason why I cannot describe one board that best suits the needs of any user. I can, however, tell you what options they provide.</p><h3 id="all-feathers">All Feathers</h3><ul><li>Can be programmed with Arduino IDE</li><li>Come with Micro-USB or USB-C</li><li>Are 0.9&quot; long and breadboard-compatible</li><li>Can be run with either USB power or a LiPo battery</li></ul><h3 id="processors">Processors</h3><p>The boards are available with several different processors, such as:</p><ul><li>Atmel ATmega32u4 and ATmega 328P - 8 bit AVR</li><li>Atmel ATSAMD21 - 32 bit ARM Cortex M0+</li><li>Atmel ATSAMD51 -&#xA0;32-bit ARM Cortex M4</li><li>Broadcom/Cypress WICED - STM32 with WiFi</li><li>Espressif ESP8266 and ESP32 - Tensilica with WiFi/BT</li><li>Freescale MK20 - ARM Cortex M4, as the Teensy 3.2 Feather Adapter</li><li>Nordic nRF52832 and nRF32840 - ARM Cortex &amp; Bluetooth LE</li><li>Packet radio modules featuring SemTech SX1231</li><li>LoRa radio modules featuring SemTech SX127x</li></ul><p>A good model to look into for an Arduino alternative is <a href="https://www.adafruit.com/product/5900" rel="noreferrer">Adafruit&#x202F;ESP32&#x202F;Feather&#x202F;V2</a>.</p><h3 id="connectivity-and-wings">Connectivity and wings</h3><p>The &quot;feathers&quot; have different categories based on their connectivity. The categories include:</p><ul><li>Basic Feathers</li><li>Wi-Fi Feathers</li><li>Bluetooth Feathers</li><li>Cellular Feathers</li><li>LoRa and Radio Feathers</li></ul><p>This doesn&apos;t mean that these connectivity features are mutually exclusive, there are several boards which have more than one of theses connectivity options.</p><p><a href="https://www.adafruit.com/category/814" rel="noreferrer">The Wings</a> add all the functionality to the boards, and the number of options are immense. I cannot possibly list them here.</p><h2 id="4-seeeduino">4. Seeeduino</h2><p>As Arduino alternatives go, this board seems to be one of the most worthy of holding that title. It looks like an Arduino, works with the software that Arduino is compatible with, and even supports the shields made for UNO-R3. Here is the description of the most recent model at the time of writing this, <a href="https://www.seeedstudio.com/Seeeduino-V4-2-p-2517.html" rel="noreferrer">Seeeduino V4.3</a>:</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/seeeduino.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Arduino Alternative Microcontroller Boards for Your DIY Projects in the Post-Qualcomm Era" loading="lazy" width="1400" height="1050" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/seeeduino.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/seeeduino.jpg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/seeeduino.jpg 1400w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><ul><li><strong>Processors:</strong> ATmega328</li><li><strong>Memory: </strong>2 KB RAM, 1 KB EEPROM and 32 KB Flash Memory</li><li><strong>Input-Output:</strong> 14 digial IO pins, 6 analog inputs</li><li><strong>Power:</strong> Micro-USB, DC Input Jack</li><li><strong>Programming Software or Language:</strong> Arduino IDE</li><li><strong>Price:</strong> $7.6</li></ul><p>If you need a no-brainer Arduino alternative that delivers what it does with stability and efficiency, this should be your go-to choice.</p><h2 id="5-stm32-nucleo-boards">5. STM32 Nucleo Boards</h2><p>STM32 offers a <a href="https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/s/stmicroelectronics/stm32-kits" rel="noreferrer">very, very wide range of development boards</a>, among which the <a href="https://www.st.com/en/evaluation-tools/stm32-nucleo-boards.html" rel="noreferrer">Nucleo boards</a> seem like the best alternatives for Arduino. They come in three series as well: Nucleo-32, Nucleo-64 and Nucleo-144, the numbers at the end of which denote the number of connectivity pins that the board offers. Every single series has a number of models within, again. Here, I will describe the one most appropriate as an Arduino alternative:</p><h3 id="stm32-nucleo-f103rb"><a href="https://www.st.com/en/evaluation-tools/nucleo-f103rb.html" rel="noreferrer">STM32 Nucleo-F103RB</a></h3><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/stm32nucleo.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Arduino Alternative Microcontroller Boards for Your DIY Projects in the Post-Qualcomm Era" loading="lazy" width="682" height="798" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/stm32nucleo.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/stm32nucleo.jpg 682w"></figure><ul><li><strong>Microcontroller:</strong> STM32</li><li><strong>Input-Output:</strong> 64 IO pins; Arduino shield-compatible</li><li><strong>Connectivity:</strong> Arduino Uno V3 expansion connector</li><li><strong>Power:</strong> Micro-USB</li><li><strong>Programming Software or Language:</strong> IAR Embedded Workbench, MDK-ARM, STM32CubeIDE, etc.</li><li><strong>Price:</strong> $10.81</li><li><strong>Extra Features:</strong> 1 programmable LED, 1 programmable button, 1 reset button</li><li><strong>Optional Features:</strong> Second user LED, cryptography, USB-C, etc.</li></ul><p>STM32 provides great hardware abstraction, ease of development, GUI based initialization, good resources and more. If that is the kind of thing you need, then this should probably be your choice.</p><h2 id="6-microbit">6. micro:bit</h2><p><a href="https://microbit.org/get-started/what-is-the-microbit/" rel="noreferrer">micro:bit boards</a> are designed mostly for younger students and kids to learn programming, but offer some really interesting features that can help anyone make a project without buying many extra parts. In fact, this is one of the <a href="https://itsfoss.com/ways-kids-learn-code/" rel="noreferrer">ideal tools for introducing STEM education to young children</a>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/microbitv2.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Arduino Alternative Microcontroller Boards for Your DIY Projects in the Post-Qualcomm Era" loading="lazy" width="653" height="267" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/microbitv2.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/microbitv2.jpg 653w"></figure><p>Here are the details of the most recent version at the time of writing, micro:bit v2:</p><ul><li><strong>Processors:</strong> Nordic Semiconductor nRF52833</li><li><strong>Memory: </strong>128 KB RAM, 512 KB Flash Memory</li><li><strong>Input-Output:</strong> 25 pins (4 dedicated GPIO, PWM, I2C, SPI)</li><li><strong>Connectivity:</strong> Bluetooth 5.0, radio</li><li><strong>Power:</strong> Micro-USB</li><li><strong>Programming Software or Language:</strong> </li><li><strong>Price:</strong> $17.95 (<a href="https://microbit.org/buy/" rel="noreferrer">other more expensive bundles with extra hardware are also available</a>)</li></ul><p>The extra built-in features of the board include:</p><ul><li>2 built in buttons that can be programmed in different ways</li><li>Touch sensor on the logo, temperature sensor</li><li>Built-in speaker and microphone</li><li>25 programmable LEDs</li><li>Accelerometer and compass</li><li>Reset and power button</li></ul><p>If a plethora of extra hardware features capable of executing almost anything you might want, or if you want a development board with extensive documentation for younger audiences, this should be your go to choice. The company doesn&apos;t only make great boards, but also supports inclusive technological education for children of all abilities, and sustainability, which is admirable.</p><h2 id="7-particle-photon-2">7. Particle Photon 2</h2><p><a href="https://store.particle.io/products/photon-2?_fid=6d0f69df9&amp;_pos=2&amp;_ss=c" rel="noreferrer">The Particle Photon 2</a> is a board designed with ease of prototyping in mind. It enables IoT projects, giving broad customization options to both hardware and software. The Photon is also Feather-compatible (from Adafruit), giving the ability to attach Wings to extend the features.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/Particle-Photon.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Arduino Alternative Microcontroller Boards for Your DIY Projects in the Post-Qualcomm Era" loading="lazy" width="796" height="797" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/Particle-Photon.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/Particle-Photon.jpg 796w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><ul><li><strong>Processors:</strong> ARM Cortex M33, upto 200 MHz</li><li><strong>Memory: </strong>3MB RAM, 2MB Flash<strong> </strong>Memory</li><li><strong>Input-Output:</strong> 16 GPIO pins</li><li><strong>Connectivity:</strong> Dual-band Wi-Fi and BLE 5.3</li><li><strong>Power:</strong> Micro-USB</li><li><strong>Programming Software or Language:</strong> VSC plug-in</li><li><strong>Price:</strong> $17.95</li></ul><p>The Photon also has a built-in programmable LED. Particle also provides a Wi-Fi antenna add-on component if your project requires that. If building new product ideas is your need, this might just be what you&apos;re looking for.</p><h2 id="8-teensy-development-boards">8. Teensy Development Boards</h2><p><a href="https://www.pjrc.com/teensy/" rel="noreferrer">The Teensy board series</a>, as the name suggests, aims for a small board with a minimal footprint with a lot of power packed at an affordable price. There have been several releases of the board, with the most recent one at the time of writing being <a href="https://www.pjrc.com/store/teensy41.html" rel="noreferrer">Teensy 4.1</a>:</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/teensy41_4.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Arduino Alternative Microcontroller Boards for Your DIY Projects in the Post-Qualcomm Era" loading="lazy" width="772" height="224" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/teensy41_4.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/teensy41_4.jpg 772w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><ul><li><strong>Processors:</strong> ARM Cortex-M7 at 600 MHz</li><li><strong>Memory: </strong>1024K RAM<strong>, </strong>8MB Flash Memory</li><li><strong>Input-Output:</strong> 55 digital IO pins, 18 analog input pins</li><li><strong>Power:</strong> Micro-USB, </li><li><strong>Programming Software or Language:</strong> Arduino IDE + Teensyduino, Visual Micro, PlatformIO, CircuitPython, command line</li><li><strong>Price:</strong> <a href="https://www.sparkfun.com/teensy-4-1.html" rel="noreferrer">$31.50</a></li><li><strong>Extra Features:</strong> Onboard Micro SD card</li></ul><p>If you need a stable base for your project that just works, this might be your choice. It is worth noting that the Teensy boards have excellent audio libraries and offer a lot of processing power.</p><h2 id="9-pinecone">9. PineCone</h2><p><a href="https://pine64.com/product/pinecone-bl602-evaluation-board/" rel="noreferrer">PineCone</a> is a development board from one of the foremost open source companies, Pine64. It provides amazing features and connectivity, making it ideal for a lot of tinkering purposes.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/Pinecone.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Arduino Alternative Microcontroller Boards for Your DIY Projects in the Post-Qualcomm Era" loading="lazy" width="600" height="600" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/Pinecone.jpg 600w"></figure><ul><li><strong>Processors:</strong> 32-bit RV32IMAFC RISC-V &#x201C;SiFive E24 Core&#x201D;</li><li><strong>Memory: </strong>2 MB Flash Memory</li><li><strong>Input-Output:</strong> 18 GPIO pins</li><li><strong>Connectivity:</strong> Wi-Fi, BLE 5.0, Radio</li><li><strong>Power:</strong> USB-C</li><li><strong>Programming Software or Language:</strong> Rust</li><li><strong>Price:</strong> $3.99</li><li><strong>Extra Features:</strong> 3 on-board LEDs</li></ul><p>The RISC-V processor capability gives it the open-source hardware edge that many other boards lack. That makes it quite good for IoT prototyping into devices and technologies that might be very new and untapped.</p><h2 id="10-sparkfun-development-boards">10. Sparkfun Development Boards</h2><p>Sparkfun has a whole range of boards on their website, out of which the two most notable series are the &quot;RedBoard&quot; series and the &quot;Thing&quot; series. A big part of some of these boards is the <a href="https://www.sparkfun.com/qwiic" rel="noreferrer">Qwiic ecosystem</a>, in which I2C sensors, actuators, shields, etc. can be connected to the board with the same 4-pin connector. Not only that, but you can daisy-chain the boards in one string, making it more convenient and less prone to errors. <a href="https://www.smart-prototyping.com/Qwiic.html" rel="noreferrer">Here&apos;s</a> a great article to learn about the Qwiic ecosystem.</p><h3 id="sparkfun-redboard-qwiic"><a href="https://www.sparkfun.com/sparkfun-redboard-qwiic.html" rel="noreferrer">Sparkfun RedBoard Qwiic</a></h3><p>This is another board that is a perfect alternative to Arduino with extra features because it was designed to be so. It is an Arduino-compatible board, supporting the software, shields, etc.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/SparkfunReadBoard.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Arduino Alternative Microcontroller Boards for Your DIY Projects in the Post-Qualcomm Era" loading="lazy" width="699" height="447" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/SparkfunReadBoard.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/SparkfunReadBoard.jpg 699w"></figure><ul><li><strong>Microcontroller:</strong> ATmega328 with UNO&apos;s Optiboot Bootloader</li><li><strong>Input-Output:</strong> 20 Digital IO pins, 1 Qwiic connector</li><li><strong>Connectivity:</strong> 20 Digital I/O pins with 6 PWM pins</li><li><strong>Power:</strong> Micro-USB, Pin input</li><li><strong>Programming Software or Language:</strong> Arduino IDE</li><li><strong>Price:</strong> $21.95</li></ul><h3 id="sparkfun-thing-plus-series">Sparkfun Thing Plus Series</h3><p>The Sparkfun Thing Plus series comes in with sorts of different processors and connection abilities like RP2040, RP2350, nRF9160, ARM Cortex-M4, ESP32-based, STM32-based, etc. We&apos;ve chosen to describe one of the most popular models here, <a href="https://www.sparkfun.com/sparkfun-thing-plus-esp32-wroom-usb-c.html" rel="noreferrer">SparkFun Thing Plus - ESP32 WROOM (USB-C)</a>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/20168Diagonal.webp" class="kg-image" alt="Arduino Alternative Microcontroller Boards for Your DIY Projects in the Post-Qualcomm Era" loading="lazy" width="700" height="700" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/20168Diagonal.webp 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/20168Diagonal.webp 700w"></figure><ul><li><strong>Microcontroller:</strong> ESP32-WROOM Module</li><li><strong>Input-Output:</strong> 21 Multifunctional GPIO</li><li><strong>Connectivity:</strong> Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, dual integrated Bluetooth (classic and BLE)</li><li><strong>Power:</strong> USB-C, Qwiic connector</li><li><strong>Programming Software or Language:</strong> Arduino IDE</li><li><strong>Price:</strong> $33.73</li><li><strong>Extra Features:</strong> RGB status LED, built-in SD card slot, Adafruit Feather compatible (you can attach the &quot;Wings&quot;)</li></ul><p>Sparkfun offers a lot of options, especially based on the form-factor. They not only provide /new unique features of their own, but also utilize the open technologies provided by other companies very well, as you can see.</p><h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2><p>The Arduino boards clearly have a lot of alternatives, varying in size, features and practicality. If Arduino being acquired puts a bad taste in your mouth, or even if you just want to explore what the alternatives offer, I hope this article has been helpful for you. Please let us know in the comments if we missed your favorite one. Cheers! </p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[I Used This Open Source Library to Integrate OpenAI, Claude, Gemini to Websites Without API Keys]]></title><description><![CDATA[This underrated open source JavaScript library lets you integrate popular commercial LLMs without needing their paid API. You can test it out within minutes on your Linux system with this tutorial.]]></description><link>https://itsfoss.com/puter-js-ai-without-api/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68e8c4558435e10001fb3f31</guid><category><![CDATA[AI 🤖]]></category><category><![CDATA[Coding]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Bhuwan Mishra]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 20 Oct 2025 03:31:08 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/puter-js-ai-chat-integration.webp" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/puter-js-ai-chat-integration.webp" alt="I Used This Open Source Library to Integrate OpenAI, Claude, Gemini to Websites Without API Keys"><p>When I started experimenting with AI integrations, I wanted to create a chat assistant on my website, something that could talk like GPT-4, reason like Claude, and even joke like Grok.</p><p>But OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and xAI all require API keys. That means I needed to set up an account for each of the platforms and upgrade to one of their paid plans before I could start coding. Why? Because most of these LLM providers require a paid plan for API access. Not to mention, I would need to cover API usage billing for each LLM platform.</p><p>What if I could tell you there&apos;s an easier approach to start integrating AI within your websites and mobile applications, even without requiring API keys at all? Sounds exciting? Let me share how I did exactly that.</p><h2 id="integrate-ai-with-puterjs">Integrate AI with Puter.js&#xA0;</h2><p>Thanks to <a href="https://developer.puter.com/"><u>Puter.js</u></a>, an open source JavaScript library that lets you use cloud features like AI models, storage, databases, user auth, all from the client side. No servers, no API keys, no backend setup needed here. What else can you ask for as a developer?</p><p>Puter.js is built around Puter&#x2019;s decentralized cloud platform, which handles all the stuff like key management, routing, usage limits, and billing. Everything&#x2019;s abstracted away so cleanly that, from your side, it feels like authentication, AI, and LLM just live in your browser.</p><p>Enough talking, let&#x2019;s see how you can add GPT-5 integration within your web application in less than 10 lines.</p><pre><code class="language-HTML">&lt;html&gt;
  2. &lt;body&gt;
  3.    &lt;script src=&quot;https://js.puter.com/v2/&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  4.    &lt;script&gt;
  5.        puter.ai.chat(`What is puter js?`, {
  6.            model: &apos;gpt-5-nano&apos;,
  7.        }).then(puter.print);
  8.    &lt;/script&gt;
  9. &lt;/body&gt;
  10. &lt;/html&gt;</code></pre><p>Yes, that&#x2019;s it. Unbelievable, right? Let&apos;s save the HTML code into an <code>index.html</code> file place this a new, empty directory. Open a terminal and switch to the directory where <code>index.html</code> file is located and serve it on localhost with the Python command:</p><pre><code>python -m http.server</code></pre><p>Then open <a href="http://localhost:8000"><u>http://localhost:8000</u></a> in your web browser. Click on Puter.js &#x201C;Continue&#x201D; button when presented.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-03f7b24c-4e4e-44d4-9da1-2de9a07ff625.jpeg" class="kg-image" alt="I Used This Open Source Library to Integrate OpenAI, Claude, Gemini to Websites Without API Keys" loading="lazy" width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-03f7b24c-4e4e-44d4-9da1-2de9a07ff625.jpeg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-03f7b24c-4e4e-44d4-9da1-2de9a07ff625.jpeg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1600/2025/10/data-src-image-03f7b24c-4e4e-44d4-9da1-2de9a07ff625.jpeg 1600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-03f7b24c-4e4e-44d4-9da1-2de9a07ff625.jpeg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Integrate ChatGPT with Puter JS</span></figcaption></figure><p>&#x1F6A7; It would take some time before you see a response from ChatGPT. Till then, you&apos;ll see a blank page.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/puter-js-ai-without-api-example.png" class="kg-image" alt="I Used This Open Source Library to Integrate OpenAI, Claude, Gemini to Websites Without API Keys" loading="lazy" width="918" height="570" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/puter-js-ai-without-api-example.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/puter-js-ai-without-api-example.png 918w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">ChatGPT Nano doesn&apos;t know Puter.js yet but it will, soon</span></figcaption></figure><p>You can explore a lot of examples and get an idea of what Puter.js does for you on its <a href="https://docs.puter.com/playground/"><u>playground</u></a>.</p><p>Let&#x2019;s modify the code to make it more interesting this time. It would take a user query and return streaming responses from three different LLMs so that users can decide which among the three provides the best result.&#xA0;</p><pre><code class="language-html">&lt;!DOCTYPE html&gt;
  11. &lt;html lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;
  12. &lt;head&gt;
  13.    &lt;meta charset=&quot;UTF-8&quot;&gt;
  14.    &lt;meta name=&quot;viewport&quot; content=&quot;width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0&quot;&gt;
  15.    &lt;title&gt;AI Model Comparison&lt;/title&gt;
  16.    &lt;script src=&quot;https://cdn.twind.style&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  17.    &lt;script src=&quot;https://js.puter.com/v2/&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  18. &lt;/head&gt;
  19. &lt;body class=&quot;bg-gray-900 min-h-screen p-6&quot;&gt;
  20.    &lt;div class=&quot;max-w-7xl mx-auto&quot;&gt;
  21.        &lt;h1 class=&quot;text-3xl font-bold text-white mb-6 text-center&quot;&gt;AI Model Comparison&lt;/h1&gt;
  22.        
  23.        &lt;div class=&quot;mb-6&quot;&gt;
  24.            &lt;label for=&quot;queryInput&quot; class=&quot;block text-white mb-2 font-medium&quot;&gt;Enter your query:&lt;/label&gt;
  25.            &lt;div class=&quot;flex gap-2&quot;&gt;
  26.                &lt;input
  27.                    type=&quot;text&quot;
  28.                    id=&quot;queryInput&quot;
  29.                    class=&quot;flex-1 px-4 py-3 rounded-lg bg-gray-800 text-white border border-gray-700 focus:outline-none focus:border-blue-500&quot;
  30.                    placeholder=&quot;Write a detailed essay on the impact of artificial intelligence on society&quot;
  31.                    value=&quot;Write a detailed essay on the impact of artificial intelligence on society&quot;
  32.                /&gt;
  33.                &lt;button
  34.                    id=&quot;submitBtn&quot;
  35.                    class=&quot;px-6 py-3 bg-blue-600 hover:bg-blue-700 text-white rounded-lg font-medium transition-colors&quot;
  36.                &gt;
  37.                    Generate
  38.                &lt;/button&gt;
  39.            &lt;/div&gt;
  40.        &lt;/div&gt;
  41.  
  42.        &lt;div class=&quot;grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-3 gap-4&quot;&gt;
  43.            &lt;div class=&quot;bg-gray-800 rounded-lg p-4&quot;&gt;
  44.                &lt;h2 class=&quot;text-xl font-semibold text-blue-400 mb-3&quot;&gt;Claude Opus 4&lt;/h2&gt;
  45.                &lt;div id=&quot;output1&quot; class=&quot;text-gray-300 text-sm leading-relaxed h-96 overflow-y-auto whitespace-pre-wrap&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  46.            &lt;/div&gt;
  47.            
  48.            &lt;div class=&quot;bg-gray-800 rounded-lg p-4&quot;&gt;
  49.                &lt;h2 class=&quot;text-xl font-semibold text-green-400 mb-3&quot;&gt;Claude Sonnet 4&lt;/h2&gt;
  50.                &lt;div id=&quot;output2&quot; class=&quot;text-gray-300 text-sm leading-relaxed h-96 overflow-y-auto whitespace-pre-wrap&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  51.            &lt;/div&gt;
  52.            
  53.            &lt;div class=&quot;bg-gray-800 rounded-lg p-4&quot;&gt;
  54.                &lt;h2 class=&quot;text-xl font-semibold text-purple-400 mb-3&quot;&gt;Gemini 2.0 Pro&lt;/h2&gt;
  55.                &lt;div id=&quot;output3&quot; class=&quot;text-gray-300 text-sm leading-relaxed h-96 overflow-y-auto whitespace-pre-wrap&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  56.            &lt;/div&gt;
  57.        &lt;/div&gt;
  58.    &lt;/div&gt;
  59.  
  60.    &lt;script&gt;
  61.        const queryInput = document.getElementById(&apos;queryInput&apos;);
  62.        const submitBtn = document.getElementById(&apos;submitBtn&apos;);
  63.        const output1 = document.getElementById(&apos;output1&apos;);
  64.        const output2 = document.getElementById(&apos;output2&apos;);
  65.        const output3 = document.getElementById(&apos;output3&apos;);
  66.  
  67.        async function generateResponse(query, model, outputElement) {
  68.            outputElement.textContent = &apos;Loading...&apos;;
  69.            
  70.            try {
  71.                const response = await puter.ai.chat(query, {
  72.                    model: model,
  73.                    stream: true
  74.                });
  75.                
  76.                outputElement.textContent = &apos;&apos;;
  77.                
  78.                for await (const part of response) {
  79.                    if (part?.text) {
  80.                        outputElement.textContent += part.text;
  81.                        outputElement.scrollTop = outputElement.scrollHeight;
  82.                    }
  83.                }
  84.            } catch (error) {
  85.                outputElement.textContent = `Error: ${error.message}`;
  86.            }
  87.        }
  88.  
  89.        async function handleSubmit() {
  90.            const query = queryInput.value.trim();
  91.            
  92.            if (!query) {
  93.                alert(&apos;Please enter a query&apos;);
  94.                return;
  95.            }
  96.  
  97.            submitBtn.disabled = true;
  98.            submitBtn.textContent = &apos;Generating...&apos;;
  99.            submitBtn.classList.add(&apos;opacity-50&apos;, &apos;cursor-not-allowed&apos;);
  100.  
  101.            await Promise.all([
  102.                generateResponse(query, &apos;claude-opus-4&apos;, output1),
  103.                generateResponse(query, &apos;claude-sonnet-4&apos;, output2),
  104.                generateResponse(query, &apos;google/gemini-2.0-flash-lite-001&apos;, output3)
  105.            ]);
  106.  
  107.            submitBtn.disabled = false;
  108.            submitBtn.textContent = &apos;Generate&apos;;
  109.            submitBtn.classList.remove(&apos;opacity-50&apos;, &apos;cursor-not-allowed&apos;);
  110.        }
  111.  
  112.        submitBtn.addEventListener(&apos;click&apos;, handleSubmit);
  113.        
  114.        queryInput.addEventListener(&apos;keypress&apos;, (e) =&gt; {
  115.            if (e.key === &apos;Enter&apos;) {
  116.                handleSubmit();
  117.            }
  118.        });
  119.    &lt;/script&gt;
  120. &lt;/body&gt;
  121. &lt;/html&gt;
  122. </code></pre><p>Save the above file in the <code>index.html</code> file as we did in the previos example and then run the server with Python. This is what it looks like now on localhost.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-675e3ede-e510-4810-8e1c-c7e54cbfa743.jpeg" class="kg-image" alt="I Used This Open Source Library to Integrate OpenAI, Claude, Gemini to Websites Without API Keys" loading="lazy" width="1280" height="720" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-675e3ede-e510-4810-8e1c-c7e54cbfa743.jpeg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-675e3ede-e510-4810-8e1c-c7e54cbfa743.jpeg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-675e3ede-e510-4810-8e1c-c7e54cbfa743.jpeg 1280w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Comparing output from different LLM provider with Puter.js</span></figcaption></figure><p>And here is a sample response from all three models on the query &quot;What is It&apos;s FOSS&quot;.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/itsfoss-in-ai-views.png" class="kg-image" alt="I Used This Open Source Library to Integrate OpenAI, Claude, Gemini to Websites Without API Keys" loading="lazy" width="2000" height="1021" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/itsfoss-in-ai-views.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/itsfoss-in-ai-views.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1600/2025/10/itsfoss-in-ai-views.png 1600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/itsfoss-in-ai-views.png 2388w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>Looks like It&apos;s FOSS is well trusted by humans as well as AI &#x1F609;</p><h2 id="my-final-take-on-puterjs-and-llms-integration">My Final Take on Puter.js and LLMs Integration</h2><p>That&#x2019;s not bad! Without requiring any API keys, you can do this crazy stuff.</p><p>Puter.js utilizes the &#x201C;User pays model&#x201D; which means it&#x2019;s completely free for developers, and your application user will spend credits from their Puter&#x2019;s account for the cloud features like the storage and LLMs they will be using.&#xA0;I reached out to them to understand their pricing structure, but at this moment, the team behind it is still working out to come up with a pricing plan.&#xA0;</p><p>This new Puter.js library is superbly underrated. I&#x2019;m still amazed by how easy it has made LLM integration. Besides it, you can use Puter.js SDK for authentication, storage like Firebase. </p><p>Do check out <a href="https://developer.puter.com/">this wonderful open source JavaScript library</a> and explore what else you can build with it.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://developer.puter.com/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Puter.js - Free, Serverless, Cloud and AI in One Simple Library</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Puter.js provides auth, cloud storage, database, GPT-4o, o1, o3-mini, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, DALL-E 3, and more, all through a single JavaScript library. No backend. No servers. No configuration.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/apple-icon-180x180.png" alt="I Used This Open Source Library to Integrate OpenAI, Claude, Gemini to Websites Without API Keys"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">Puter</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/card.png" alt="I Used This Open Source Library to Integrate OpenAI, Claude, Gemini to Websites Without API Keys" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself]]></title><description><![CDATA[There are no easy options. You have to take the matter in your hand, quite literally.]]></description><link>https://itsfoss.com/open-source-ebook-readers-options/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68ee31cd8435e10001fb5334</guid><category><![CDATA[List 📋]]></category><category><![CDATA[Gadgets 🎛️]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Pulkit Chandak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 17 Oct 2025 05:20:49 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/open-source-ebook-readers.png" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/open-source-ebook-readers.png" alt="Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself"><p>The e-ink display technology arrived on the scene as the answer for a long list of issues and desires people had with digital book reading. The strain on the eyes, the distractions, the low battery life&#x2014;all of it fixed in one swoop. </p><p>While the most popular option that remains in the category is an Amazon Kindle, not everyone of us would want a DRM-restricted Big Tech ecosystem.</p><p>As a Linux user and open source enthusiast, I wanted something more &apos;open&apos; and thus I scoured the World Wide Web and came up with a few interesting options.</p><p>I have put them into two categories:</p><ul><li>DIY: You use a board like Raspberry Pi Pico and you build it yourself thanks to the blueprint provided by the project developer. This is for hardware tinkerers.</li><li>A couple of non-DIY options that may be considered here.</li></ul><p>Needless to say, you should not expect a polished, out of the box eBook experience like Amazon Kindle but that&apos;s not what we are aiming for here, are we?</p><p>Also, I have not tested these projects on my own. As much as I would like to, I don&apos;t have enough money to get all of them and experiment with them.</p><h2 id="1-the-open-book">1. The Open Book</h2><p>The Open Book project is the definitively DIY ebook reader project. It is based on the <strong>Raspberry Pi Pico</strong>, and makes a point of having to buy a minimum number of components. The pins on the Pico make it easy to control all necessary actions including button controls, power controls, etc. The firmware is called <em>libros,</em> which needs to be flashed onto the Pico. It also uses a library called Babel that gives it the ability to display the text of all languages in the world, which is a major advantage.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/5c5eb5bd-4e18-4e48-82ef-1283f04f3b98/The%20Open%20Book.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself" loading="lazy" width="2000" height="1283"></figure><ul><li><strong>Display:</strong> 4.2&quot; GDEW042T2 display, designed for fast refreshing</li><li><strong>Formats supported:</strong> Plain UTF-8 text, TXT files (a converter is given by the creator)</li><li><strong>Battery:</strong> 2 AAA batteries</li><li><strong>Cost:</strong> Can differ depending on the cost of the hardware you decide to go with, but a decent build can be made at about $130.</li></ul><p>The PCB for the main board as well as the e-paper driver are easily printable because the schematics are <a href="https://www.oddlyspecificobjects.com/projects/openbook/" rel="noopener noreferrer">given by the creator</a>. The instructions for setting up the device and getting books ready to be read on the device are given very clearly and concisely on the website.</p><h2 id="2-zereader">2. ZEReader</h2><p><a href="https://marx.engineer/zereader/" rel="noopener noreferrer">ZEReader</a> is a device inspired by The Open Book, making another iteration of the <strong>Raspberry Pi Pico</strong> based e-ink device. This project is relatively more convenient as it provides a USB-C port for charging. The convenience is not only limited to the usage, but also the assembly. The software is based on <a href="https://www.zephyrproject.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Zephyr Real-Time OS</a>, which makes it easier for the software to be adapted to other hardware boards as well.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/95d67151-622b-4a3d-981a-c26d8bf11bd8/zereader.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself" loading="lazy" width="778" height="520"></figure><ul><li><strong>Display:</strong> 7.5&quot; Waveshare ePaper display</li><li><strong>Formats supported:</strong> EPUB, very basic HTML parsing</li><li><strong>Battery:</strong> LiPo battery</li><li><strong>Cost:</strong> Unknown</li></ul><p>For navigation, there are 4 buttons designed on the casing. The board is printable with <a href="https://github.com/Allegra42/ZEReader-KiCad" rel="noopener noreferrer">schematics available online</a>, and the parts can be gathered as the user pleases according to the requirements. There&apos;s a micro SD card necessary for storage of files. The instructions can all be found on the <a href="https://github.com/Allegra42/ZEReader" rel="noopener noreferrer">GitHub page</a>, along with the information of the parts and software commands. Get more information on our <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/zereader-open-source-epub-reader/" rel="noopener noreferrer">news article</a> about the device.</p><h2 id="3-dual-screen-e-reader">3. Dual-Screen E-Reader</h2><p>The big idea behind this project is getting back to the feeling of reading a two-paged book instead of a single-page pamphlet-like structure like a Kindle provides. A button press to change the page moves both the pages ahead, making it feel more natural, similar to an actual book. </p><p>Instead of a full single-board computer like a Raspberry Pi, this uses a SoC, <strong>ESP32-S3</strong>. This provides a significant edge to the power consumption, drawing very low power as it is in the reading mode, but in the deep sleep mode, which occurs after 10 minutes of inactivity, it reduces power consumption even more dramatically, basically never needing to be turned off.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/e2d8d078-ced5-4540-b140-6273ae15af0e/dualscreenereader.jpeg" class="kg-image" alt="Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself" loading="lazy" width="1280" height="960"></figure><ul><li><strong>Display:</strong> 2 x 4.2&quot; panels</li><li><strong>Formats supported:</strong> EPUB, basic HTML</li><li><strong>Battery:</strong> 2 x 1300 mAh batteries</li><li><strong>Cost:</strong> Original creator&apos;s estimate is a little over $80.</li></ul><p>The parts are all laid out in a very concise list on the originating <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/esp32/comments/1mi8tb4/i_made_a_diy_esp32s3based_dualscreen_ereader/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reddit post</a> with all the relevant information linked there effectively. The project is posted on <a href="https://www.yankodesign.com/2025/08/08/this-genius-dual-screen-e-reader-feels-like-actually-reading-a-book/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yanko Design</a> as well in a well written post.</p><h2 id="4-piereader">4. piEreader</h2><p>The piEreader aims for a fully open approach, that includes the hardware, software, and even a server to host a library. The heart of the device is a <a href="https://itsfoss.com/compute-module/" rel="noreferrer"><strong>Raspberry Pi Compute Module</strong></a>, giving it more capabilities than an average microcontroller. </p><p>The display on the build has a touch-screen as well as a backlight. The software revolves around MuPDF, which is a very well known popular e-book reader on the Linux platform.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/bcc0eb63-56eb-492a-b473-9bfb6393b126/piereader.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="473"></figure><ul><li><strong>Display:</strong> <a href="https://www.good-display.com/product/617.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">4.2&quot; e-paper display</a></li><li><strong>Formats supported:</strong> EPUB, MOBI, CBZ, PDF, etc.</li><li><strong>Battery:</strong> Lithium battery</li><li><strong>Cost:</strong> Unknown</li></ul><p>The <a href="https://hackaday.com/2024/07/17/free-and-open-e-reader-from-the-ground-up/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hackaday page</a> contains all the necessary information, and the <a href="https://gitlab.com/guyjeangilles/piereader" rel="noopener noreferrer">GitLab page</a> hosts all the necessary code. It is worth noting that the creator has been able to successfully try out the software on other boards like PINE64-LTS, SOQUARTZ, etc. as well. Read more about this device in our <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-to-ebook-reader/" rel="noopener noreferrer">news article</a>.</p><h2 id="5-turtlebook">5. TurtleBook</h2><p>Taking an extremely practical approach, the creator of TurtleBook made some really innovative choices. </p><p>First, and as they mention, most e-book readers have a lot of unnecessary features when mostly all that is needed is turning a page. As such, the reader doesn&apos;t have any physical buttons. It works on gestures, which can be used to switch pages, open menus and adjust brightness, among other things. </p><p>Also since e-ink technology doesn&apos;t require a lot of power, the power setup is solar with hybrid capacitors, making it truly autonomous and one-of-a-kind. The device is based on an <strong>Arduino MEGA2560 board</strong>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/ef4562e0-324d-44f1-8189-1266cd05d228/turtlereader.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself" loading="lazy" width="933" height="700"></figure><ul><li><strong>Display:</strong> Waveshare 5.3&quot; e-ink display, and a small OLED panel for easily accessing the menu options</li><li><strong>Formats supported:</strong> CB files (custom formatting website is given by the creator)</li><li><strong>Battery:</strong> Hybrid capacitors</li><li><strong>Cost:</strong> $80-$120</li></ul><p>All the necessary parts and the links to them are provided by the creator in a list on the <a href="https://github.com/fel88/TurtleBook" rel="noopener noreferrer">GitHub page</a>, as well as the schematics for the PCBs and 3D-printable casing. There are two options, one with SRAM, a charger and WiFI capabilities and the other one with no charger or WiFi. The <a href="https://www.instructables.com/Solar-Powered-Zero-Buttons-E-book-Reader/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Instructables</a> page for the device has very detailed instructions for the entire process, making it one of the most friendly options on this list.</p><h2 id="6-epub-inkplate">6. EPub-InkPlate </h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/3f32bb79-b671-4f1e-bcda-58b54176f217/inkplate6.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself" loading="lazy" width="1920" height="1080"></figure><p><a href="https://soldered.com/product/inkplate-6-6-e-paper-board/" rel="noreferrer">Inkplate 6</a> from Soldred Electronics is basically an ESP-32 based e-Paper display. Inkplate uses recycled screens from old, discarded e-Book readers. Excellent intiative.</p><p>The project is open source both software and hardware wise. While you can build a lot of cool devices on top of it, the <a href="https://github.com/turgu1/EPub-InkPlate">EPub-InkPlate project</a> allows you to convert it into an eBook reader.</p><p>Although, the GitHub repo doesn&apos;t seen any new updates since 2022, it could be worth giving a shot if you already have an InkPlate display.</p><h2 id="7-pinenote-not-diy">7. PineNote (not DIY)</h2><p>While not DIY like the other projects on the list, <a href="https://pine64.org/devices/pinenote/" rel="noopener noreferrer">PineNote</a> is from the company Pine64, which has been one of the most actively pro-open source companies in recent times. </p><p>Since it is pre-built by a proper manufacturer, it can provide a lot of stable features that the DIY projects might lack. To start with, it is immensely powerful and has a Linux-based&#xA0;OS. It has a 128 GB eMMC storage, 4 GB RAM, and an ARM processor.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/b6ff308a-190f-48bf-b09e-d8ba20dfe737/pinenote.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself" loading="lazy" width="774" height="742"></figure><ul><li><strong>Display:</strong> 10.3&quot; multi-touch e-ink panel with frontlighting and an optional Wacom EMR pen</li><li><strong>Formats supported:</strong> PDF, MOBI, CBZ, TXT, etc. virtually any format</li><li><strong>Battery:</strong> 4000 mAh lithium battery</li><li><strong>Cost:</strong> $400 (I know but it&apos;s not just an e-Book reader)</li></ul><p>It also is charged by USB-C and can be expanded into different sorts of projects, not just an e-book reader since it is based on an unrestricted Linux OS.</p><h2 id="special-mention-paper-7">Special Mention: paper 7</h2><p>Don&apos;t confuse this paper 7 with the <a href="https://amzn.to/4qaSzq9" rel="noreferrer">Paper 7 e-ink tablet from Harbor Innovations</a>. That <a href="https://shop.harborinno.com/products/paper-7-8gb-256gb-color-7-8-rlcd-tablet-with-android-14?sca_ref=9817790.OckCAwSoIhXGdK&amp;sca_source=itsfoss">Paper 7</a> is also an excellent device but not open source.</p><p>Yes. The <a href="https://paperlesspaper.de/en/buy-7-inch-epaper-picture-frame" rel="noopener noreferrer">paper 7</a> I am talking about is an open source device, or at <a href="https://github.com/paperlesspaper/">least it is in the process</a>. It is developed by a company called <a href="https://paperlesspaper.de/en">paperless paper</a> based in Leipzig, Germany. It has been designed mainly as a photo frame, but I think it can be repurposed into an e-book reader. </p><p>Presently, the <a href="https://paperlesspaper.de/en/integrations">official integration</a> shows that you can save and read webpages on it. Adding the ability to read PDF and ePUB files would be wonderful.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/fab02e83-e143-44dc-b04e-9f3d78026d14/paper7.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself" loading="lazy" width="3840" height="2560"></figure><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://paperlesspaper.de/en/buy-7-inch-epaper-picture-frame" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">paper 7</a></div><h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2><p>There are a lot of options to choose from, each with something more distinct than the last. The extent of the open-source philosophy, the amount of effort it might require, the extra features the devices have are some of the factors that might influence your decision when choosing the right device for yourself. </p><p>Whatever your choice may be, you might find yourself with a new device as well as a new interest, perhaps, after dabbling into the DIY side of open technology. We wish you the very best for it. Let us know what you think about it in the comments. Cheers!</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff]]></title><description><![CDATA[Lots happening in open source world. Some good, some not so good.]]></description><link>https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-25-42/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68ee21e58435e10001fb52c3</guid><category><![CDATA[Newsletter ✉️]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Abhishek Prakash]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 16 Oct 2025 04:50:27 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/foss-weekly-3.png" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/foss-weekly-3.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff"><p>In the previous newsletter, I asked what kind of advice someone looking to switch from Windows to Linux would have. I got so many responses that I am still replying to all the suggestions. </p><p>I am also working on the &apos;Windows to Linux migration&apos; page. Hopefully, we will have that up by next week.</p><p>Hope to see more people coming to Linux as Windows 10 support has ended now.</p><p><strong>&#x1F4AC; Let&apos;s see what you get in this edition:</strong></p><ul><li>Mastering alias command.</li><li>A bug that broke Flatpaks on Ubuntu 25.10.</li><li>Controversy over Framework supporting Hyprland project.</li><li>New Flatpak software center.</li><li>Open source game development arriving on iPhone.</li><li>And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes!</li></ul><h2 id="%F0%9F%93%B0-linux-and-open-source-news">&#x1F4F0; Linux and Open Source News</h2><ul><li><a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/xogot-for-iphone/">Xogot</a> is now available on Apple iPhone for open source game development.</li><li>The German state of Schleswig-Holstein <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/schleswig-holstein-email-system-migration/">has completed a massive transition</a> to open source email systems.</li><li><a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/ubuntu-25-10-release/">Ubuntu 25.10</a> has been released as the second and final interim release of Ubuntu for 2025, with a bug <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/ubuntu-25-10-flatpak-bug/">briefly breaking flatpak installations</a> on it.</li><li><a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/zorin-os-18-release/">Zorin OS 18 is also available</a> now, looking prettier than ever.</li></ul><p>Framework has found itself in <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/framework-hyprland-sponsorship/">a controversy</a> over its recent endorsements of Hyprland project.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://news.itsfoss.com/framework-hyprland-sponsorship/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Framework is Accused of Supporting the Far-right, Apparently for Sponsoring the Hyprland Project</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">The announcement has generated quite some buzz but for all the wrong reasons.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-694.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS News</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Sourav Rudra</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/framework-hyprland-sponsorship-debate.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="%F0%9F%A7%A0-what-we%E2%80%99re-thinking-about">&#x1F9E0; What We&#x2019;re Thinking About</h2><p><a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/telegram-unfair-community-ban/">Telegram banned our community group</a> without reasons. It&apos;s a deja vu moment, as Facebook was also banning links to Linux websites some months ago. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://news.itsfoss.com/telegram-unfair-community-ban/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Telegram, Please Learn Who&#x2019;s a Threat and Who&#x2019;s Not</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Our Telegram community got deleted without an explanation.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-691.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS News</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Sourav Rudra</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/telegram-unfair-community-ban.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p>Proprietary ecosystems are great at keeping creative people locked in, but <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/proprietary-workflow-stifling-creativity/">you can break free with the power of FOSS</a>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://news.itsfoss.com/proprietary-workflow-stifling-creativity/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">5 Signs Your Proprietary Workflow Is Stifling Your Creativity (And What You Can Do About It)</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">If these signs feel familiar, your creativity may be stifled by proprietary constraints.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-685.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS News</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Theena Kumaragurunathan</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/Proprietary-Workflow.webp" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="%F0%9F%A7%AE-linux-tips-tutorials-and-learnings">&#x1F9EE; Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings</h2><ul><li>You can greatly improve your efficiency in the Linux terminal <a href="https://itsfoss.com/linux-alias/">by using aliases</a>.</li><li><a href="https://itsfoss.com/linux-gaming-tips/">Ubuntu/GNOME customization tips</a>.</li><li>Our <a href="https://itsfoss.com/nano-editor-guide/">beginner&apos;s guide to the Nano text editor</a> will teach you the basics without overwhelming you.</li><li>Understanding <a href="https://itsfoss.com/linux-mint-update/">software update management in Linux Mint</a>.</li></ul><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://itsfoss.com/manjaro-tutorials/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Getting Started With Manjaro</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">This is a collection of tutorials that are useful for new Manjaro users.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-688.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Abhishek Prakash</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/getting-started-with-manjaro.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="%F0%9F%91%B7-ai-homelab-and-hardware-corner">&#x1F477; AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner</h2><p>We have <a href="https://itsfoss.com/elecrow-raspberry-pi-5-case/">a Pironman alternative</a> for you that saves your wallet and desk space.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://itsfoss.com/elecrow-raspberry-pi-5-case/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">We have a new option in tower cases for Raspberry Pi 5. This one has a lower price tag but does that make it worth a purchase?</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-689.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Abhishek Prakash</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/elecrow-mini-pc-case.webp" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p><a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/ubo-pod/">Ubo Pod</a> is an open source AI assistant that works for you, not for your data. It is based on Raspberry Pi.</p><p>Bhuwan tried them all but <a href="https://itsfoss.com/llama-cpp/">llama.cpp</a> finally nailed the local LLM experience.</p><p>I have been using Keychron mechanical keyboard for two years now. I recently came across <a href="https://keychron-k2-he-magnetic.kckb.me/96efa7ef">their upcoming product that has ceramic mechanical keyboards</a>. Interesting materials choice, right?</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><a href="https://keychron-k2-he-magnetic.kckb.me/96efa7ef"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/keychron.webp" class="kg-image" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff" loading="lazy" width="680" height="478" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/keychron.webp 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/keychron.webp 680w"></a></figure><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://keychron-k2-he-magnetic.kckb.me/96efa7ef" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Keychron&apos;s Ceramic Keyboards</a></div><h2 id="%F0%9F%8E%AB-event-alert-first-ever-ubucon-in-india">&#x1F3AB; Event Alert: First Ever UbuCon in India</h2><p>The Ubuntu India LoCo is hosting <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/events/first-ubucon-india/">the first ever UbuCon event in India</a>, and we are the official media partners for it!</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://news.itsfoss.com/events/first-ubucon-india/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">India&#x2019;s First UbuCon Set to Unite Ubuntu Community in Bengaluru This November</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">India gets its first UbuCon!</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-684.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS News</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Sourav Rudra</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ubucon-india-2025-ft-img.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p>Proprietary ecosystems are great at keeping creative people locked in, but </p><h2 id="%E2%9C%A8-project-highlights">&#x2728; Project Highlights</h2><p><a href="https://github.com/kolunmi/bazaar">Bazaar</a> is getting all the hype right now; it is a neat app store for <a href="https://itsfoss.com/gnome-tricks-ubuntu/">GNOME</a> that focuses on providing applications and add-ons from Flatpak remotes, particularly <a href="https://flathub.org/">Flathub</a>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://github.com/kolunmi/bazaar"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">GitHub - kolunmi/bazaar: New App Store for GNOME</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">New App Store for GNOME. 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  143. <h2 id="%F0%9F%92%A1-quick-handy-tip">&#x1F4A1; Quick Handy Tip</h2><p>In KDE Plasma, open settings and go into <code>Colors &amp; Themes &#x2192; Window Decorations &#x2192; Configure Titlebar</code>.</p><p>Here, add the &quot;<em>On all desktops</em>&quot; and &quot;<em>Keep above other windows</em>&quot; options to the title bar by dragging and dropping. Click on &quot;<em>Apply</em>&quot; to confirm the changes.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/kde-title-bar-button-tips-workspace.png" class="kg-image" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff" loading="lazy" width="1062" height="809" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/kde-title-bar-button-tips-workspace.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/kde-title-bar-button-tips-workspace.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/kde-title-bar-button-tips-workspace.png 1062w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>Now, you can use:</p><ul><li>The <em>On all desktops</em> button to pin an app to all your desktops.</li><li>The <em>Keep above other windows</em> button to keep a selected window always on top.</li></ul><h2 id="%F0%9F%8E%8B-fun-in-the-fossverse">&#x1F38B; Fun in the FOSSverse</h2><p>Can <a href="https://itsfoss.com/quiz/match-terminal-shortcuts/">memory match terminal shortcuts with their actions</a>?</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://itsfoss.com/quiz/match-terminal-shortcuts/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Memory Match Terminal Shortcuts With Their Actions</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">An enjoyable way to test your memory by matching the Linux terminal shortcuts with their respective actions.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-692.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Abhishek Prakash</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/terminal-shortcut-match.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p><strong>&#x1F923; Meme of the Week</strong>: Windows 10 will be missed by many, but there are <a href="https://itsfoss.com/best-linux-distributions/">much better Linux choices</a> to replace it with.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/meme276.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff" loading="lazy" width="1080" height="1072" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/meme276.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/meme276.jpg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/meme276.jpg 1080w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p><strong>&#x1F5D3;&#xFE0F; Tech Trivia</strong>: On October 16, 1959, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_Data_Corporation">Control Data Corporation</a> introduced the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CDC_1604">CDC 1604</a>, one of the first fully transistorized computers. It was designed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seymour_Cray">Seymour Cray</a>, who later became known as the father of supercomputing. The CDC 1604 <strong>was among the fastest machines of its time</strong> and was used for scientific research, weapons control, and commercial data processing.</p><p><strong>&#x1F9D1;&#x200D;&#x1F91D;&#x200D;&#x1F9D1; From the Community</strong>: Windows 10 has reached end of life, and <a href="https://itsfoss.community/t/windows-10-reaches-eol-tomorrow/14953">our FOSSers are discussing the event</a>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://itsfoss.community/t/windows-10-reaches-eol-tomorrow/14953"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Windows 10 reaches EOL tomorrow!</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Hi everybody, it&#x2019;s that time again, that happens approx. every 10 or so years: A Windows version is reaching its end of life. I was doing some research and asked Brave Search about it. And the facts said that Windows 10 has 47% of overall Windows market share, which is roughly 35% of the overall share. Let&#x2019;s just hope that they will do the right thing and switch to Linux. I wanted to know: what are others opinions on this? Do you know somebody who migrated from Windows?</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/f274f9749e3fd8b4d6fbae1cf90c5c186d2f699c_2_180x180-73.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS Community</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">George1</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/7f5d6a0c04b5245a166c0314d7cb9ae78ecc625a_2_473x1024.jpeg" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="%E2%9D%A4%EF%B8%8F-with-love">&#x2764;&#xFE0F; With love</h2><p><strong>Please share it with your Linux-using friends</strong>&#xA0;and encourage them to subscribe (hint:&#xA0;<a href="https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/">it&apos;s here</a>).</p><p>Share the articles in Linux Subreddits and community forums.</p><p><a href="https://news.google.com/publications/CAAiENHoh-T8yP9Q8Qywor2dwGkqFAgKIhDR6Ifk_Mj_UPEMsKK9ncBp?ref=itsfoss.com">Follow us on Google News</a>&#xA0;and stay updated in your News feed.</p><p>Opt for&#xA0;<a href="https://itsfoss.com/membership">It&apos;s FOSS Plus membership</a>&#xA0;and support us &#x1F64F;</p><p>Enjoy FOSS &#x1F604;</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5]]></title><description><![CDATA[We have a new option in tower cases for Raspberry Pi 5. This one has a lower price tag but does that make it worth a purchase?]]></description><link>https://itsfoss.com/elecrow-raspberry-pi-5-case/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68ec62cd8435e10001fb4dad</guid><category><![CDATA[Gadgets 🎛️]]></category><category><![CDATA[Review]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Abhishek Prakash]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 07:48:52 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-mini-pc-case.webp" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-mini-pc-case.webp" alt="The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5"><p><a href="https://www.sunfounder.com/products/pironman-5-nvme-m-2-ssd-pcie-mini-pc-case-for-raspberry-pi-5?ref=itsfoss">SunFounder&apos;s Pironman cases for Raspberry Pi</a> are a huge hit. This bestselling device <a href="https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-5-tower-cases/" rel="noreferrer">converts the naked Raspberry Pi board into a miniature tower PC</a>. The RGB lighting, OLED display and glass casing make it look cool. Full HDMI ports, NVMe ports and active-passive cooling options enhance the functionality of the Pi 5.</p><p>This great gadget is too expensive for some people to <a href="https://www.sunfounder.com/products/pironman-5-nvme-m-2-ssd-pcie-mini-pc-case-for-raspberry-pi-5?ref=itsfoss">buy at $76 for the Pironman</a> and $95 for the dual-NVMe <a href="https://itsfoss.com/pironman-5-max-review/" rel="noreferrer">NVMe Pironman Max</a>. </p><p>SunFounder knows it and that&apos;s why they have <a href="https://www.sunfounder.com/collections/1-raspberry-pi-5-collection/products/pironman-5-mini-case?ref=itsfoss">introduced Pironman 5 Mini at $45</a> but have removed the OLED display, full HDMI ports and reduced the number of fans. Dealbreaker? Maybe. Maybe not. But I have come across a new case that has most of the features at a much lower price.</p><h2 id="elecrows-pitower">Elecrow&apos;s Pitower</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-pitpower-case-sideview.webp" class="kg-image" alt="The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="563" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/elecrow-pitpower-case-sideview.webp 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-pitpower-case-sideview.webp 1000w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>Like SunFounder, Elecrow&apos;s has been offering gadgets and accessories for Raspberry Pi and other embedded devices for years. Their <a href="https://itsfoss.com/crowview-note-review/" rel="noreferrer">CrowView Note</a> and <a href="https://itsfoss.com/crowpi-3-review/" rel="noreferrer">all-in-one starter kits</a> have been popular among SBC enthusiasts. </p><p>They have just r<a href="https://www.elecrow.com/small-mini-pc-case-with-1-3-oled-screen-for-raspberry-pi-and-jetson-nano.html?idd=6" rel="noreferrer">evealed a new product, a mini PC case for your Raspberry Pi 5 and Jetson Orin Nano</a>. Yes, that doubles the excitement.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/hardware_overview_of_mini_pc_case_for_RPI.webp" class="kg-image" alt="The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/hardware_overview_of_mini_pc_case_for_RPI.webp 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/hardware_overview_of_mini_pc_case_for_RPI.webp 1000w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><table>
  144. <thead>
  145. <tr>
  146. <th>Parameter</th>
  147. <th>Specification</th>
  148. </tr>
  149. </thead>
  150. <tbody>
  151. <tr>
  152. <td>Compatible Devices</td>
  153. <td>Raspberry Pi 5 / Jetson Orin Nano</td>
  154. </tr>
  155. <tr>
  156. <td>Display</td>
  157. <td>1.3&#x2033; OLED Screen</td>
  158. </tr>
  159. <tr>
  160. <td>Material</td>
  161. <td>Aluminum Alloy + Acrylic</td>
  162. </tr>
  163. <tr>
  164. <td>Cooling System</td>
  165. <td>3 &#xD7; Cooling Fans</td>
  166. </tr>
  167. <tr>
  168. <td>Power Control</td>
  169. <td>Integrated Power Button</td>
  170. </tr>
  171. <tr>
  172. <td>PCIe Interface (Raspberry Pi Version)</td>
  173. <td>PCIe M.2</td>
  174. </tr>
  175. <tr>
  176. <td>Supported SSD Sizes</td>
  177. <td>2230 / 2242 / 2260 / 2280</td>
  178. </tr>
  179. <tr>
  180. <td>RTC (Real-Time Clock) Support</td>
  181. <td>Supported (Raspberry Pi Version)</td>
  182. </tr>
  183. <tr>
  184. <td>Dimensions</td>
  185. <td>120 &#xD7; 120 &#xD7; 72 mm</td>
  186. </tr>
  187. <tr>
  188. <td>Weight</td>
  189. <td>500 g</td>
  190. </tr>
  191. <tr>
  192. <td>Ports</td>
  193. <td>2 x Full HDMI Ports 4 x USB 1 X Ethernet 1 X Type C for power</td>
  194. </tr>
  195. <tr>
  196. <td>Included Accessories</td>
  197. <td>1 &#xD7; Case (Unassembled) 1 &#xD7; PCBA Board 3 &#xD7; Cooling Fans 1 &#xD7; Heatsink (for Raspberry Pi)   -1 &#xD7; User Manual</td>
  198. </tr>
  199. </tbody>
  200. </table>
  201. <p>And all this comes at a lower price tag of nearly $40 (more on this later). That sounds tempting, right? Let&apos;s see how good this case is.</p><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F4CB;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">Elecrow sent me this case for review. The views expressed are my own.</div></div><h2 id="features-meet-affordibility">Features meet affordibility</h2><p>Let&apos;s take a look at the appearance of Elecrow&apos;s mini PC case. It is slightly bigger than the Pironman cases and has a more boxy looks somehow. </p><p>The OLED display and power button are at the top. The micro SD card outlet is at the bottom and to accommodate it, the case has taller feet.</p><p>There is nothing in the front of the device except a transparent acrylic sheet. The main look of the case comes from the side that gives you a broader look at the circuits. It looks magnificent with the RGB lights. The GPIO pins are accessible from here and they are duly marked. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-pi-case-1.webp" class="kg-image" alt="The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="563" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/elecrow-pi-case-1.webp 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-pi-case-1.webp 1000w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Front view</span></figcaption></figure><p>There are three RGB fans here. Two in the back throw air out and one at the top sucks air in. This is done to keep the airflow in circulation inside the case. The official Raspberry Pi Active Cooler is also added to provide some passive cooling.</p><p>All the other ports are accessible from the back. In addition to all the usual Raspberry Pi ports, there are two full-HDMI ports replacing the mini HDMI ports. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-mini-pc-case-back.webp" class="kg-image" alt="The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="563" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/elecrow-mini-pc-case-back.webp 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-mini-pc-case-back.webp 1000w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Back view</span></figcaption></figure><p>The NVMe board is inside the case and it is better to insert the SSD while assembling the case. Yes, this is also an assembly kit.</p><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F4CB;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">I used the case for Raspberry Pi 5 and hence this section focuses on the Pi 5 specific features.</div></div><h2 id="assembling-the-case">Assembling the case</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-mini-pc-case-box.webp" class="kg-image" alt="The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="563" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/elecrow-mini-pc-case-box.webp 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-mini-pc-case-box.webp 1000w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Mini PC case box</span></figcaption></figure><p>Since Elecrow&apos;s tower case is clearly inspired from SunFounder&apos;s Pironman case, they also have kept the DIY angle here. This simply means that you have to assemble the kit yourself.</p><p>It is while assembling that you can decide whether you want to use it for Raspberry Pi 5 or Jetson Orin Nano. Assembling instructions differ slightly for the devices.</p><p>There is an official assembly video and you should surely watch it to get a feel of how much effort is required for building this case.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nRU7NWqa6ns?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="Unboxing &amp; Assembling the Elecrow Mini PC Case for RaspberryPi 5"></iframe></figure><p>In my case, I was not aware of the assembly video as I was sent this device at the time the product was announced. I used the included paper manual and it took me nearly two hours to complete the assembly. If I had had the help of the video and if I had not encountered a couple of issues, this could have been done within an hour.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-mini-pc-assembly.webp" class="kg-image" alt="The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="563" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/elecrow-mini-pc-assembly.webp 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-mini-pc-assembly.webp 1000w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Assembling the case</span></figcaption></figure><p>Did I say issues? Yes, a few. First, the paper manual didn&apos;t specifically mention connecting one of the FPC cables. The video mentions it, thankfully. </p><p>One major issue was in putting in the power button. It seems to me that while they sized the hole according to the power button, they applied the black coating later on. And this reduced the size of the hole from which the power button passes through. </p><p>I don&apos;t see the official assembly video mentioning this issue and it could create confusion. The workaround is to simply use an object to remove the coating. I used scissors to scrape it.</p><p>Another issue was putting in the tiny screws in even tinier spaces at times. The situation worsened for me as the paper manual suggested joining the main board and all the adapter boards in the initial phases. This made putting the screws in even harder. As the video shows, this could be done in steps.</p><p>My magnetic screwdriver helped a great deal in placing the tiny screws in narrow places, and I think Elecrow should have provided a magnetic screwdriver instead of a regular one. </p><h2 id="user-experience">User experience</h2><p>To make full use of all the cool features, i.e., OLED display, RGB fans, etc., you need to install a few Python scripts first.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-scripts-for-pitower-case.webp" class="kg-image" alt="The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5" loading="lazy" width="1597" height="655" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/elecrow-scripts-for-pitower-case.webp 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/elecrow-scripts-for-pitower-case.webp 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-scripts-for-pitower-case.webp 1597w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Scripts to add support for power button actions and OLED screen</span></figcaption></figure><p>And here&apos;s the thing that I have noticed with most Elecrow products: they are uncertain about the appropriate location for their documentation. </p><p>The paper manual that comes with the package has a QR code that takes you to <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/14QB_eCKqBgupR0OfekWJwF35kZT6SiLa">this Google Drive</a> that contains various scripts and a readme file. But there is also <a href="https://www.elecrow.com/wiki/mini-pc-case.html">an online Wiki page</a> and I think this page should be considered and distributed as the official documentation.</p><p>After running 12 or so commands, including a few that allow 777 permissions, the OLED screen started showing system stats such as CPU temperature and usage, RAM usage, disk stats, date and time. It would have been nice if it displayed the IP address too.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-pi-light-sync-issue.webp" class="kg-image" alt="The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="563" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/elecrow-pi-light-sync-issue.webp 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-pi-light-sync-issue.webp 1000w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Milliseconds of light sync issue which is present in SunFounder cases too</span></figcaption></figure><p>Like Pironman, Elecrow also has RGB lighting of fans out of sync by a few milliseconds. Not an issue unless you have acute OSD. The main issue is that it has three fans and the fans start running as soon as the device is turned on. For such a tiny device, three continuously running fans generate considerable noise.</p><p>The problem is that there is no user-facing way of controlling the fans without modifying the scripts themselves.</p><p>Another issue is that if you turn off Pi from the operating system, i.e., use the shutdown command or the graphical option of Raspberry Pi OS, the RGB lights and fans stay on. Even the OLED screen keeps on displaying whatever message it had when the system was shut down.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-case-top-view.webp" class="kg-image" alt="The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="563" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/elecrow-case-top-view.webp 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-case-top-view.webp 1000w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Top of the case has the OLED display and power button</span></figcaption></figure><p>If you shut down the device by long pressing the power button, everything is turned off normally. This should not be the intended behavior. I have notified Elecrow about it and hopefully their developers will work on fixing their script.</p><p>Barring these hiccups, there are plenty of positives. There is an RTC battery to give you correct time between long shutdowns, although it works only with Raspberry Pi OS at the moment. The device stays super cool thanks to three fans maintaining a good airflow and the active cooler adding to the overall cooling. The clear display with RGB lights surely gives it an oomph factor.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-pi-case.webp" class="kg-image" alt="The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="563" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/elecrow-pi-case.webp 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/elecrow-pi-case.webp 1000w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">My photography skills don&apos;t do justice</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion </h2><p>There is room for improvement here, and I hope Elecrow updates their scripts to address these issues in the future:</p><ul><li>Proper handling of lights/fans shutdown instead of relying on the power button.</li><li>Provide options to configure the RGB lights and control the fans.</li><li>Include IP address in OLED display (optional).</li></ul><p>Other than that, I have no complaints. The case is visually appealing, the device remains cool, and the price is reasonable in comparison to the <a href="https://www.sunfounder.com/products/pironman-5-nvme-m-2-ssd-pcie-mini-pc-case-for-raspberry-pi-5?ref=itsfoss">popular Pironman cases</a>.</p><p>Coming to the pricing. The device costs $32 for the Jetson Nano version and $40 for the Raspberry Pi version. I am guessing this is because the Pi version includes the additional active cooler. </p><p>Do note that the pricing displayed on the website DOES NOT include shipping charges and customs duty. Those things will be additional.</p><p>Alternatively, at least for our readers in the United States of America, the device is <a href="https://amzn.to/4o9ARBi">available on Amazon</a> (partner link) but at a price tag of $59 at the time of writing this review. You don&apos;t have to worry about extra shipping or custom duty fee if you order from Amazon.</p><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://amzn.to/4o9ARBi" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Get it from Amazon US (for $59)</a></div><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://www.elecrow.com/small-mini-pc-case-with-1-3-oled-screen-for-raspberry-pi-and-jetson-nano.html?idd=6" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Get it from official website (shipping/customs extra)</a></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[I Switched From Ollama And LM Studio To llama.cpp And Absolutely Loving It]]></title><description><![CDATA[Like Ollama, I can use a feature-rich CLI, plus Vulkan support in llama.cpp and it takes a lot less disk space, too.]]></description><link>https://itsfoss.com/llama-cpp/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68e621288435e10001fa6d56</guid><category><![CDATA[AI 🤖]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Bhuwan Mishra]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 11 Oct 2025 02:26:37 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/llama-cpp-setup.png" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/llama-cpp-setup.png" alt="I Switched From Ollama And LM Studio To llama.cpp And Absolutely Loving It"><p>My interest in running AI models locally started as a side project with part curiosity and part irritation with cloud limits. There&#x2019;s something satisfying about running everything on your own box. No API quotas, no censorship, no signups. That&#x2019;s what pulled me toward local inference.</p><h2 id="my-struggle-with-running-local-ai-models">My struggle with running local AI models</h2><p>My setup, being an AMD GPU on Windows, turned out to be the worst combination for most local AI stacks.</p><p>The majority of AI stacks assume NVIDIA + CUDA, and if you don&#x2019;t have that, you&#x2019;re basically on your own. ROCm, AMD&#x2019;s so-called CUDA alternative, doesn&#x2019;t even work on Windows, and even on Linux, it&#x2019;s not straightforward. You end up stuck with CPU-only inference or inconsistent OpenCL backends that feel like a decade behind.</p><h2 id="why-not-ollama-and-lm-studio">Why not Ollama and LM Studio?</h2><p>I started with the usual tools, i.e., Ollama and LM Studio. Both deserve credit for making local AI look plug-and-play. I <a href="https://itsfoss.com/lm-studio-linux/" rel="noreferrer">tried LM Studio first</a>. But soon after, I discovered how LM Studio hijacks my taskbar. I frequently jump from one application window to another using the mouse, and it was getting annoying for me. Another thing that annoyed me is its installer size of 528 MB.&#xA0;</p><p>I&#x2019;m a big advocate for keeping things minimal yet functional. I&#x2019;m a big admirer of a functional text editor that fits under 1 MB (Dred), a reactive JavaScript library and React alternative that fits under 1KB (Van JS), and a game engine that fits under 100 MB (Godot).</p><p>Then I tried <a href="https://itsfoss.com/ollama/" rel="noreferrer">Ollama</a>. Being a CLI user (even on Windows), I was impressed with Ollama. I don&#x2019;t need to spin up an Electron JS application (LM Studio) to run an AI model locally.</p><p>With just two commands, you can <a href="https://itsfoss.com/ollama-setup-linux/" rel="noreferrer">run any AI models locally with Ollama</a>.</p><pre><code>ollma pull tinyllama
  202. ollama run tinyllama&#xA0;</code></pre><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-ee90006e-2f85-4828-8da6-ff194fb265cd.png" class="kg-image" alt="I Switched From Ollama And LM Studio To llama.cpp And Absolutely Loving It" loading="lazy" width="1303" height="690" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-ee90006e-2f85-4828-8da6-ff194fb265cd.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-ee90006e-2f85-4828-8da6-ff194fb265cd.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-ee90006e-2f85-4828-8da6-ff194fb265cd.png 1303w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>But once I started testing different AI models, I needed to reclaim disk space after that. My initial approach was to delete the model manually from File Explorer. I was a bit paranoid! But soon, I discovered <a href="https://itsfoss.com/ollama-commands/" rel="noreferrer">these Ollama commands</a>:</p><pre><code>ollama rm tinyllama     #remove the model
  203. ollama ls               #lists all models</code></pre><p>Upon checking how lightweight Ollama is, it comes close to 4.6 GB on my Windows system. Although you can delete unnecessary files to make it slim (it comes bundled with all libraries like rocm, cuda_v13, and cuda_v12),&#xA0;</p><p>After trying Ollama, I was curious! Does LM Studio even provide a CLI? Upon my research, I came to know, yeah, it does offer a <a href="https://lmstudio.ai/docs/cli"><u>command lineinterface</u></a>. I investigated further and found out that LM Studio uses <a href="https://github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp">Llama.cpp</a> under the hood.</p><p>With these two commands, I can run LM Studio via CLI and chat to an AI model while staying in the terminal:</p><pre><code>lms load &lt;model name&gt;   #Load the model
  204. lms chat                #starts the interactive chat</code></pre><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-6de74712-319d-4dc2-8e38-0e6e07b4eb65.png" class="kg-image" alt="I Switched From Ollama And LM Studio To llama.cpp And Absolutely Loving It" loading="lazy" width="1353" height="809" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-6de74712-319d-4dc2-8e38-0e6e07b4eb65.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-6de74712-319d-4dc2-8e38-0e6e07b4eb65.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-6de74712-319d-4dc2-8e38-0e6e07b4eb65.png 1353w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>I was generally satisfied with LM Studio CLI at this moment. Also, I noticed it came with Vulkan support out of the box. Now, I have been looking to add Vulkan support for Ollama. I discovered an approach to compile Ollama from source code and enable Vulkan support manually. That&#x2019;s a real hassle!</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-40e81af1-6e57-4107-af74-ca3402e17c2b.png" class="kg-image" alt="I Switched From Ollama And LM Studio To llama.cpp And Absolutely Loving It" loading="lazy" width="1600" height="606" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-40e81af1-6e57-4107-af74-ca3402e17c2b.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-40e81af1-6e57-4107-af74-ca3402e17c2b.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-40e81af1-6e57-4107-af74-ca3402e17c2b.png 1600w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>I just had three additional complaints at this moment. Every time I needed to use LM Studio CLI(lms), it would take some time to wake up its Windows service. LMS CLI is not feature-rich. It does not even provide a CLI way to delete a model. And the last one was how it takes two steps to load the model first and then chat.&#xA0;</p><p>After the chat is over, you need to manually unload the model. This mental model doesn&#x2019;t make sense to me.&#xA0;</p><p>That&#x2019;s where I started looking for something more open, something that actually respected the hardware I had. That&#x2019;s when I stumbled onto Llama.cpp, with its Vulkan backend and refreshingly simple approach.&#xA0;</p><h2 id="setting-up-llamacpp">Setting up Llama.cpp</h2><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-red"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F6A7;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">The tutorial was performed on Windows because that&apos;s the system I am using currently. I understand that most folks here on It&apos;s FOSS are Linux users and I am committing blasphemy of sort but I just wanted to share the knowledge and experience I gained with my local AI setup. You could actually try similar setup on Linux, too. Just use Linux equivalent paths and commands.</div></div><h3 id="step-1-download-from-github">Step 1: Download from GitHub</h3><p>Head over to its <a href="https://github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp/releases"><u>GitHub releases page</u></a> and download its latest releases for your platform. </p><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F4CB;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">If you&#x2019;ll be using Vulkan support, remember to download assets suffixed with <b><strong style="white-space: pre-wrap;">vulkan-x64.zip</strong></b>&#xA0;like llama-b6710-bin-ubuntu-vulkan-x64.zip,&#xA0;llama-b6710-bin-win-vulkan-x64.zip.</div></div><h3 id="step-2-extract-the-zip-file">Step 2: Extract the zip file</h3><p>Extract the downloaded zip file and, optionally, move the directory where you usually keep your binaries, like <code>/usr/local/bin</code> on macOS and Linux. On Windows 10, I usually keep it under <code>%USERPROFILE%\.local/bin</code>.</p><h3 id="step-3-add-the-llamacpp-directory-to-the-path-environment-variable">Step 3: Add the Llama.cpp directory to the PATH environment variable</h3><p>Now, you need to add its directory location to the PATH environment variable.&#xA0;</p><p>On Linux and macOS (replace path-to-llama-cpp-directory with your exact directory location):</p><pre><code>export PATH=$PATH:&#x201D;&lt;path-to-llama-cpp-directory&gt;&#x201D;</code></pre><p>On Windows 10 and Windows 11:</p><pre><code>setx PATH=%PATH%;:&#x201D;&lt;path-to-llama-cpp-directory&gt;&#x201D;</code></pre><p>Now, Llama.cpp is ready to use.</p><h2 id="llamacpp-the-best-local-ai-stack-for-me">llama.cpp: The best local AI stack for me</h2><p>Just grab a .gguf file, point to it, and run. It reminded me why I love tinkering on Linux in the first place: fewer black boxes, more freedom to make things work your way.</p><p>With just one command, you can start a chat session with Llama.cpp:</p><pre><code>llama-cli.exe -m e:\models\Qwen3-8B-Q4_K_M.gguf --interactive</code></pre><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-1a18524a-704a-4c6c-878a-862d5fd9bd4f.png" class="kg-image" alt="I Switched From Ollama And LM Studio To llama.cpp And Absolutely Loving It" loading="lazy" width="1341" height="480" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-1a18524a-704a-4c6c-878a-862d5fd9bd4f.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-1a18524a-704a-4c6c-878a-862d5fd9bd4f.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-1a18524a-704a-4c6c-878a-862d5fd9bd4f.png 1341w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>If you carefully read its verbose message, it clearly shows signs of GPU being utilized:</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-2468722e-0e4e-483d-bfdb-873b908eb9d1.png" class="kg-image" alt="I Switched From Ollama And LM Studio To llama.cpp And Absolutely Loving It" loading="lazy" width="1329" height="606" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-2468722e-0e4e-483d-bfdb-873b908eb9d1.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-2468722e-0e4e-483d-bfdb-873b908eb9d1.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-2468722e-0e4e-483d-bfdb-873b908eb9d1.png 1329w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>With llama-server, you can even download AI models from Hugging Face, like:</p><pre><code>llama-server -hf itlwas/Phi-4-mini-instruct-Q4_K_M-GGUF:Q4_K_M</code></pre><p><code>-hf</code> flag tells to download the model from the <a href="https://itsfoss.com/hugging-face/" rel="noreferrer">Hugging Face</a> repository.</p><p>You even get a web UI with Llama.cpp. Like run the model with this command:</p><pre><code>llama-server -m e:\models\Qwen3-8B-Q4_K_M.gguf --port 8080 --host 127.0.0.1</code></pre><p>This starts a web UI on <a href="http://127.0.0.1:8080"><u>http://127.0.0.1:8080</u></a>, along with the ability to send an API request from another application to Llama.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-5f30ee9a-6a2b-4878-8eb9-441725e11fa1.png" class="kg-image" alt="I Switched From Ollama And LM Studio To llama.cpp And Absolutely Loving It" loading="lazy" width="1847" height="902" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-5f30ee9a-6a2b-4878-8eb9-441725e11fa1.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-5f30ee9a-6a2b-4878-8eb9-441725e11fa1.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1600/2025/10/data-src-image-5f30ee9a-6a2b-4878-8eb9-441725e11fa1.png 1600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-5f30ee9a-6a2b-4878-8eb9-441725e11fa1.png 1847w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>Let&#x2019;s send an API request via curl:</p><pre><code>curl http://127.0.0.1:8080/completion -H &quot;Content-Type: application/json&quot; -d &quot;{\&quot;prompt\&quot;:\&quot;Explain the difference between OpenCL and SYCL in short.\&quot;,\&quot;temperature\&quot;:0.7,\&quot;max_tokens\&quot;:128}</code></pre><ul><li>temperature controls the creativity of the model&#x2019;s output</li><li>max_tokens controls whether the output will be short and concise or a paragraph-length explanation.</li></ul><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-892dcba2-9244-4308-8057-d2a265d04847.png" class="kg-image" alt="I Switched From Ollama And LM Studio To llama.cpp And Absolutely Loving It" loading="lazy" width="1341" height="573" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-892dcba2-9244-4308-8057-d2a265d04847.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-892dcba2-9244-4308-8057-d2a265d04847.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-892dcba2-9244-4308-8057-d2a265d04847.png 1341w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><h2 id="llamacpp-for-the-win">llama.cpp for the win</h2><p>What am I losing by using llama? Nothing. Like Ollama, I can use a feature-rich CLI, plus Vulkan support. All comes under 90 MB on my Windows 10 system.</p><p>Now, I don&#x2019;t see the point of using Ollama and LM Studio, I can directly download any model with llama-server, run the model directly with llama-cli, and even interact with its web UI and API requests.&#xA0;</p><p>I&#x2019;m hoping to do some benchmarking on how performant AI inference on Vulkan is as compared to pure CPU and SYCL implementation in some future post. Until then, keep exploring AI tools and the ecosystem to make your life easier. Use AI to your advantage rather than going on endless debate with questions like, will AI take our jobs?</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff]]></title><description><![CDATA[We are looking at the end of Windows 10. Is it time to see an increase in Linux user base?]]></description><link>https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-25-41/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68e3457b8435e10001fa65da</guid><category><![CDATA[Newsletter ✉️]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Abhishek Prakash]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 04:35:13 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/foss-weekly-1.png" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/foss-weekly-1.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff"><p>Microsoft is all <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/windows-11-local-account-setup-killed/">set to kill existing methods</a> to set up a local account on fresh Windows 11 installs. I am not really surprised. This is Microsoft being Microsoft.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://news.itsfoss.com/windows-11-local-account-setup-killed/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Microsoft Kills Windows 11 Local Account Setup Just as Windows 10 Reaches End of Life</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Local account workarounds removed just before Windows 10 goes dark.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-682.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS News</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Sourav Rudra</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/microsoft-kills-account-bypass-on-windows.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p>And this comes just days before Windows 10 support is scheduled to end. And that is a pivotal moment for us desktop Linux users. I have seen an influx of people migrating to Linux when Windows XP and 7 support ended. Some of those went back to Windows with newer systems, whereas some became lifelong Linux users.</p><p>We are reorganizing and also creating new guides to make the Windows 10 to Linux migration smooth for new users. Please provide your suggestions on what difficulties a new user may face when they switch to Linux and what kind of questions that might have about switching to Linux. Let&apos;s work to a broader Linux userbase &#x1F4AA;</p><p><strong>&#x1F4AC; Let&apos;s see what you get in this edition:</strong></p><ul><li>A new openSUSE Leap release.</li><li>Codes of Conduct being called a disaster.</li><li>Linus being unhappy with some Rust code.</li><li>And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes!</li></ul><h2 id="%F0%9F%93%B0-linux-and-open-source-news">&#x1F4F0; Linux and Open Source News</h2><ul><li>Linus Torvalds recently <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/linus-torvalds-criticizes-drm-merge/">called out Rust format checking</a>.</li><li><a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/opensuse-leap-16-release/">openSUSE Leap 16</a> is here with major modernization work.</li><li>The FSF has turned 40 and has launched <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/fsf-librephone-initiative/">the LibrePhone initiative</a>.</li><li>Amazon launches the &apos;Linux-based&apos; <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/amazon-vega-os/">Vega OS</a> for its Fire TV devices.</li><li>Wikidata has launched <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/wikidata-launches-vector-database/">an open source vector database</a> for use with AI.</li></ul><p>By the way, <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/ubuntu-25-10-features/">Ubuntu 25.10</a> will be releasing today. Do check out the new features it is getting.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://news.itsfoss.com/ubuntu-25-10-features/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Ubuntu 25.10: Release Date and New Features in Questing Quokka</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Take a look at the new features and changes you&#x2019;ll see in the upcoming Ubuntu 25.10 release.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-683.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS News</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Sourav Rudra</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ubuntu-25-10-whats-new-1.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="%F0%9F%A7%A0-what-we%E2%80%99re-thinking-about">&#x1F9E0; What We&#x2019;re Thinking About</h2><p>Open Source legend, Eric S. Raymond, says <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/codes-of-conduct-debate/">Codes of Conduct are a disaster</a>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://news.itsfoss.com/codes-of-conduct-debate/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">The Man Who Started Open Source Initiative Advocates for Abolishing Codes of Conduct</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Between Anarchy and Bureaucracy: The Code of Conduct Debate Ignited by Eric Raymond.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-675.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS News</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Sourav Rudra</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/codes-of-conduct-disaster.webp" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p>You <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/open-source-beyond-free/">can balance cost and effort</a> if you go the FOSS way as a creative.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://news.itsfoss.com/open-source-beyond-free/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Beyond Free: The Value Proposition of Open Source for Creatives</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">FOSS is free as in cost, but not free as in effort. The loss of convenience is real, especially at the start. But for creatives who are willing to invest, the long-term rewards&#x2014;flexibility, control, and a workflow built to last&#x2014;are more than worth the price.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-680.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS News</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Theena Kumaragurunathan</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/Value-Proposition-of-Open-Source-for-Creatives-1.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="%F0%9F%A7%AE-linux-tips-tutorials-and-learnings">&#x1F9EE; Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings</h2><ul><li><a href="https://itsfoss.com/git-with-obsidian/">Obsidian + Git</a> = simple version control for ideas.</li><li>Learn <a href="https://itsfoss.com/btrfs/">the pros and cons of using Btrfs</a> on a Linux system.</li><li>Skip the syntax and focus on writing with <a href="https://itsfoss.com/wysiwyg-markdown-editors/">WYSIWYG Markdown editors for Linux</a>.</li></ul><p>Speaking of Obsidian and Markdown editors, the popular open source notes software <a href="https://itsfoss.com/joplin-tips/">Joplin can be made more effective with these tips</a>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://itsfoss.com/joplin-tips/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Mastering Joplin Notes: Tips and Tweaks</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Joplin is an awesome open source note taking application. Here&#x2019;s how you can make the best of it.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-681.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Sreenath</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/joplin-tips-and-tricks.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="%F0%9F%91%B7-ai-homelab-and-hardware-corner">&#x1F477; AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner</h2><p>IBM has launched <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/ibm-unveils-granite-4/">Granite 4.0</a>, their hybrid AI model that beats rivals twice its size.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://news.itsfoss.com/ibm-unveils-granite-4/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">IBM Unveils Granite 4.0 Hybrid Model That Competes with Rivals Twice Its Size</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">These models sure pack a punch.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-678.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS News</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Sourav Rudra</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ibm-granite-4-0-release.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="%E2%9C%A8-project-highlights">&#x2728; Project Highlights</h2><p><a href="https://github.com/nvim-telekasten/telekasten.nvim">telekasten.nvim</a> is a Neovim Lua plugin that lets you manage a markdown-based zettelkasten/wiki + journal inside <a href="https://itsfoss.com/install-neovim/">Neovim</a>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://github.com/nvim-telekasten/telekasten.nvim"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">GitHub - nvim-telekasten/telekasten.nvim: A Neovim (lua) plugin for working with a markdown zettelkasten / wiki and mixing it with a journal, based on telescope.nvim</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">A Neovim (lua) plugin for working with a markdown zettelkasten / wiki and mixing it with a journal, based on telescope.nvim - nvim-telekasten/telekasten.nvim</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/pinned-octocat-093da3e6fa40-18.svg" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">GitHub</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">nvim-telekasten</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/98bf5688-16c0-4337-a77a-06fecf2b4893" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="%F0%9F%93%BD%EF%B8%8F-videos-i-am-creating-for-you">&#x1F4FD;&#xFE0F; Videos I Am Creating for You</h2><p>I don&apos;t usually do rant videos but this is a first. An <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0cufWhVUQQ">argument against &apos;sudo apt update&apos; and &apos;sudo apt upgrade&apos;</a>. Is it time to unify these two into a single command? Please take this opinion video lightly even if you disagree (and you have every right to disagree and express your opinion).</p><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x0cufWhVUQQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="&#x201C;apt update &amp;&amp; apt upgrade&quot; Needs to Go. Here&#x2019;s Why!"></iframe></figure><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Subscribe to It&apos;s FOSS YouTube Channel</a></div>
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  225. <h2 id="%F0%9F%92%A1-quick-handy-tip">&#x1F4A1; Quick Handy Tip</h2><p>In the GNOME Files app (<a href="https://itsfoss.com/nautilus-tips-tweaks/"><em>Nautilus</em></a>), you can left-click and drag to select multiple items. To add more items to your selection, hold the CTRL key while dragging; this lets you include additional files lower in the list without losing your previous selection.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/control-drag-mouse.gif" class="kg-image" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff" loading="lazy" width="798" height="482" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/control-drag-mouse.gif 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/control-drag-mouse.gif 798w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><h2 id="%F0%9F%8E%8B-fun-in-the-fossverse">&#x1F38B; Fun in the FOSSverse</h2><p>Take <a href="https://itsfoss.com/quiz/terminal-personality/">this personality quiz</a> to find out what kind of terminal user you are.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://itsfoss.com/quiz/terminal-personality/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">What Type of Terminal User Are You? [Personality Quiz]</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Find out which terminal persona you are because your Linux habits say more about you than your horoscope ever could.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-679.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Abhishek Prakash</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/penguin-ninja.webp" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p><strong>&#x1F923; Meme of the Week</strong>: Linux, the savior of old hardware and those wronged by Microsoft and Apple.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/meme921.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff" loading="lazy" width="1440" height="1800" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/meme921.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/meme921.jpg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/meme921.jpg 1440w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p><strong>&#x1F5D3;&#xFE0F; Tech Trivia</strong>: On October 06, 1942, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_Carlson">Chester Carlson</a> patented electrophotography, a way to make dry copies of text and images on paper without using ink or chemicals. A few years later, the Haloid Company licensed his patent, renamed the process <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerography" rel="noreferrer">xerography</a>, and eventually became Xerox, turning document copying into a global industry.</p><p><strong>&#x1F9D1;&#x200D;&#x1F91D;&#x200D;&#x1F9D1; From the Community</strong>: FOSSers are talking about the planned <a href="https://itsfoss.community/t/about-android-sideloading-apps-policy-changes/14940">Android sideloading policy change</a> from Google. Got any insights to add?</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://itsfoss.community/t/about-android-sideloading-apps-policy-changes/14940"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">About Android Sideloading Apps Policy Changes</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">I&#x2019;ve been reading and seeing videos about some Google policy changes that would affect side-loading of apps on Android in the next few years. Doesn&#x2019;t sound like it&#x2019;s going to be a positive change for developers or Free and Open Source projects like F-Droid. I&#x2019;m wondering what others think of the situation and if they&#x2019;ve come across any interesting work-arounds to keep side-loaded apps on their phones.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/f274f9749e3fd8b4d6fbae1cf90c5c186d2f699c_2_180x180-72.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS Community</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Laura_Michaels</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/f274f9749e3fd8b4d6fbae1cf90c5c186d2f699c-62.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.41: Windows 11 Fiasco, Ubuntu 25.10 Releasing, Joplin Tips, NeoVim Journals and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="%E2%9D%A4%EF%B8%8F-with-love">&#x2764;&#xFE0F; With love</h2><p><strong>Please share it with your Linux-using friends</strong>&#xA0;and encourage them to subscribe (hint:&#xA0;<a href="https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/">it&apos;s here</a>).</p><p>Share the articles in Linux Subreddits and community forums.</p><p><a href="https://news.google.com/publications/CAAiENHoh-T8yP9Q8Qywor2dwGkqFAgKIhDR6Ifk_Mj_UPEMsKK9ncBp?ref=itsfoss.com">Follow us on Google News</a>&#xA0;and stay updated in your News feed.</p><p>Opt for&#xA0;<a href="https://itsfoss.com/membership">It&apos;s FOSS Plus membership</a>&#xA0;and support us &#x1F64F;</p><p>Enjoy FOSS &#x1F604;</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Can't Recall the Syntax? Try These WYSIWYG Markdown Editors on Linux]]></title><description><![CDATA[With WYSIWYG editors, you get a toolbar that you can use to create formatted text easily. This way, you can create Markdown documents without typing the Markdown syntax.]]></description><link>https://itsfoss.com/wysiwyg-markdown-editors/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68e3d0b58435e10001fa673f</guid><category><![CDATA[List 📋]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Community]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 06 Oct 2025 15:05:57 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/wysiwyg-markdown-editors.png" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/wysiwyg-markdown-editors.png" alt="Can&apos;t Recall the Syntax? Try These WYSIWYG Markdown Editors on Linux"><p>From GitHub repositories to technical documentation, Markdown is an extremely popular lightweight markup language.</p><p>Basically, markdown files are plain text, but they follow certain syntax and when they are rendered, you see a beautiful document with headings, bullet points, code boxes and more.</p><p>There are many Markdown editors available for Linux users but mostly they are two paned editors where you write in Markdown syntax in left and it gets rendered on the other side.</p><p>Though lightweight and easy to begin with, you still have to <a href="https://itsfoss.com/markdown-guide/" rel="noreferrer">get yourself familiar with Markdown syntax</a>. That might be out of the comfort zone for many.</p><p>This is why I have compiled a list of markdown editors with WYSIWYG feature.</p><p>WYSIWYG sounds like one of those 2000s terms that didn&apos;t succeed, but actually is an acronym for an extremely convenient category of editing software. WYSIWYG stands for &quot;What You See is What You Get&quot; and these editors render the Markdown code in real time and shows the output immediately as the code is typed in. Best of all, you get a toolbar that you can use to easily create formatted text.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/wysiwyg-editor.webp" class="kg-image" alt="Can&apos;t Recall the Syntax? Try These WYSIWYG Markdown Editors on Linux" loading="lazy" width="1536" height="1024" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/wysiwyg-editor.webp 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/wysiwyg-editor.webp 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/wysiwyg-editor.webp 1536w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">WYSIWYG editors come with toolbar and you don&apos;t need to remember syntax, although you can still use them</span></figcaption></figure><p>This makes things a lot easier, especially for people who have to work with Markdown once in a while. Let&apos;s see what WYSIWYG Markdown editors you can use on Linux.</p><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x270B;</div><div class="kg-callout-text"><b><strong style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Non-FOSS Warning!</strong></b> Some of the applications mentioned here are not open source. They have been included in the context of Linux usage.</div></div><h2 id="1-marktext">1. MarkText</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/MarkText.png" class="kg-image" alt="Can&apos;t Recall the Syntax? Try These WYSIWYG Markdown Editors on Linux" loading="lazy" width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/MarkText.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/MarkText.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/MarkText.png 1200w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p><a href="https://github.com/marktext/marktext">MarkText</a> is an Electron based modern-looking editor that offers a simple and clean working environment. The features are:</p><ul><li><strong>Interface:</strong> Custom, minimal, desktop-environment-independent single-pane interface.</li><li><strong>Highlight features:</strong> Several writing modes (such as Focus mode, Typewriter mode, Source Code mode, each with a different emphasis), options for formatting and block options on the menu.</li><li><strong>Navigation:</strong> Sidebar for file tree and table of contents, tab bar for open files; all optional.</li><li><strong>Exports to:</strong> HTML, PDF</li><li><strong>Customizability:</strong> 6 inbuilt themes</li><li><strong>Misc.:</strong> A searchable Command Palette for easy access to keyboard shortcuts for all possible commands that can be given to the editor and the text blocks.</li></ul><p>MarkText is your ideal choice if what you need is a no-fuss editor that gets the job done. Another advantage is that the DE-independent Electron interface works consistently in any OS, leaving you not to worry about visual inconsistencies.</p><h3 id="install-marktext-on-linux">Install MarkText on Linux</h3><p>MarkText is easy to install because it comes in both AppImage and Flatpak formats, which makes it available straight from the software store in certain distributions. <a href="https://github.com/marktext/marktext/blob/develop/docs/LINUX.md#arch-user-repository">AUR</a> contains the package for direct installation, too. If none of these option are suitable, the <a href="https://github.com/marktext/marktext/blob/develop/docs/LINUX.md#binary">binary file</a> is available on the GitHub page as well.</p><h2 id="2-marknote">2. Marknote</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/marknote-interface.png" class="kg-image" alt="Can&apos;t Recall the Syntax? Try These WYSIWYG Markdown Editors on Linux" loading="lazy" width="1192" height="780" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/marknote-interface.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/marknote-interface.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/marknote-interface.png 1192w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>A part of the KDE software ensemble, <a href="https://apps.kde.org/marknote/">Marknote</a> is a great option if you&apos;re on a KDE distribution. It comes with a structure where you can create multiple notebooks and notes within them for better organization.</p><ul><li><strong>Interface:</strong> Qt graphic kit, KDE style.</li><li><strong>Highlight features:</strong> Easily accessible bottom panel for quickly formatting text and adding blocks.</li><li><strong>Navigation:</strong> The notes are organized in notebooks, which shows on a sidebar. Focus Mode that hides all navigation options except for the note being edited, for a cleaner view.</li><li><strong>Exports to:</strong> HTML, ODT, PDF</li><li><strong>Customizability:</strong> Inbuilt Qt Breeze themes</li><li><strong>Misc.:</strong> A Command Bar that gives easy access to some general operations such as making/deleting notes, etc.</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-red"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F6A7;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">Marknote seems to support a limited set of Markdown code, such as headings, italics, bold, lists etc. There is a lack of support for code-blocks and quotations and so on. Some inspection is required to check if it might fit your needs or not.</div></div><p>Marknote should be your go-to option if you want to get straight to work with all options within very easy grasp. It is worth noting that it is not as customizable as KDE software usually is. Another important reminder is that it might not look great or very native on a DE like GNOME or Cinnamon.</p><h3 id="install-marknote-on-linux">Install Marknote on Linux</h3><p>Installing Marknote is easier through either Flatpak or the Snapstore. There are binaries available, too, which can be found on the <a href="https://apps.kde.org/marknote/">product page</a> under releases.</p><h2 id="3-markflowy">3. MarkFlowy</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/MarkFlowy.png" class="kg-image" alt="Can&apos;t Recall the Syntax? Try These WYSIWYG Markdown Editors on Linux" loading="lazy" width="1201" height="816" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/MarkFlowy.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/MarkFlowy.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/MarkFlowy.png 1201w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p><a href="https://github.com/drl990114/MarkFlowy">MarkFlowy</a> is a modern, rising Markdown editor that flaunts a slick interface and AI capabilities.</p><ul><li><strong>Interface:</strong> Custom independent design with a very clean look.</li><li><strong>Highlight features:</strong> There is an easy access toolbar on top for various formatting and code-block options. There are Source Code and WYSIWYG modes both available, and an AI input feature in the side panel.</li><li><strong>Navigation:</strong> Optional, toggle-able file tree on the left and table of contents on the right.</li><li><strong>Exports to:</strong> HTML, JPG</li><li><strong>Customizability:</strong> A bright and a dark inbuilt theme with the option for custom CSS themes.</li><li><strong>Misc.:</strong> There are customizable keybindings, and the AI interface settings can be configured as well. There is an optional autosave feature, that might come in handy for a lot of users.</li></ul><p>While MarkFlowy is still in the beta stage at the time of writing this, the application shows a lot of promise and is quite stable and lightweight as it is.</p><h3 id="install-markflowy-on-linux">Install MarkFlowy on Linux</h3><p>MarkFlowy is available in DEB, RPM and AppImage formats, available on the <a href="https://github.com/drl990114/MarkFlowy/releases">release page</a>. I had some issues with AppImage but the RPM package worked flawlessly on Fedora.</p><h2 id="4-notesnook">4. Notesnook</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/Notesnook.png" class="kg-image" alt="Can&apos;t Recall the Syntax? Try These WYSIWYG Markdown Editors on Linux" loading="lazy" width="1200" height="820" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/Notesnook.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/Notesnook.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/Notesnook.png 1200w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p><a href="https://notesnook.com/">Notesnook</a> is foremost a note-taking app that looks more like a document editor than a note-making app, which might be more comfortable for certain users. It is great in terms of organization of ideas.</p><ul><li><strong>Interface:</strong> The interface is designed like a notebook with all formatting and code-block options on the menu on top.</li><li><strong>Highlight features:</strong> Multiple notebooks can be made, with the possibility to make an account and syncing them across devices. There is a Focus mode that hides the everything apart from the active note.</li><li><strong>Navigation:</strong> There is a categorical notebook panel on the left, with notes within it in the panel in the middle. The notes can be opened in multiple tabs like a browser.</li><li><strong>Exports to:</strong> HTML, Text, but only all notes at once.</li><li><strong>Customizability:</strong> There are light and dark modes built in for multiple theme styles by default, and more can be added over that.</li><li><strong>Misc.:</strong> End-to-end encryption of notes is available for synced notes, with bidirectional note linking, and an app lock is available as well.</li></ul><p>There are paid tiers available as well for the app which provide more features and storage for the online storage, such as an unlimited amount of notebooks as opposed to the free tier&apos;s 20 limit.</p><h3 id="install-notesnook-on-linux">Install Notesnook on Linux</h3><p>Notesnook is available as Flatpak, AppImage as well as on the Snapstore on the <a href="https://notesnook.com/downloads/">official website</a>.</p><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x270B;</div><div class="kg-callout-text"><b><strong style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Non-FOSS Warning!</strong></b> Some of the applications mentioned here are not open source. They have been included in the context of Linux usage.</div></div><h2 id="5-znote-not-foss">5. Znote (not FOSS)</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/Znote.png" class="kg-image" alt="Can&apos;t Recall the Syntax? Try These WYSIWYG Markdown Editors on Linux" loading="lazy" width="1121" height="749" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/Znote.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/Znote.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/Znote.png 1121w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p><a href="https://znote.io/">Znote</a> is another up-and-coming freemium-type model Markdown note making app that puts emphasis on AI and organization. WYSIWYG is one of the available options with a Source Code Mode, or a panned view as well. I liked it for the fact that is the effort of a lone developer.</p><ul><li><strong>Interface:</strong> The interface is modern and peppy with important options well within the view of the note itself. It is easily accessible and editable, with the AI asking option on the bottom of the window.</li><li><strong>Highlight features:</strong> Apart from the usual note-making, there is a unique option of audio recording. The notes can be synced with an internal Znote account across devices. Keybinding menu can be accessed very easily using a button on the bottom.</li><li><strong>Navigation:</strong> A collapsible menu on the left shows a file tree as well as bookmarks. The notes appear in a tabbed view.</li><li><strong>Exports to:</strong> HTML, PDF, TXT</li><li><strong>Customizability:</strong> There are several options for the light and dark themes separately within the application.</li><li><strong>Misc.:</strong> AI features like copying responses and summarizing notes is available. You can even run code for certain languages within the app itself. Many of these features come with the paid version, though.</li></ul><p>While there are paid versions that provide more features, the free plan gets the job done as well, and that too, quite smoothly.</p><h3 id="install-znote-on-linux">Install Znote on Linux</h3><p>The app is only available as an AppImage on Linux, right on the <a href="https://znote.io/download-lab.html#linux">official website</a>.</p><h2 id="6-typora-not-foss">6. Typora (not FOSS)</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/Typora.png" class="kg-image" alt="Can&apos;t Recall the Syntax? Try These WYSIWYG Markdown Editors on Linux" loading="lazy" width="1120" height="722" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/Typora.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/Typora.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/Typora.png 1120w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p><a href="https://typora.io/">Typora</a>, albeit not FOSS, is one of the most popular Markdown editors that has been around for a while. It is designed to be very simple, elegant and feature-rich. That&apos;s one of the reasons why I included in this list.</p><ul><li><strong>Interface:</strong> Fairly streamlined interface with a top menu and a status bar.</li><li><strong>Highlight features:</strong> There are Focus and Typewriter modes for more efficient workflow.</li><li><strong>Navigation:</strong> Optional, toggle-able side bar with a file tree and outline menu.</li><li><strong>Exports to:</strong> HTML, ODT, PDF, DOCX, LaTeX, ePub, etc.</li><li><strong>Customizability:</strong> 5 inbuilt themes, all with very different looks, fonts and feel. Other than that, a plethora of themes are available on the website.</li><li><strong>Misc.:</strong></li></ul><p>Typora has a free trial of 15 days, after which a license needs to be bought, which is a major drawback.</p><h3 id="install-typora-on-linux">Install Typora on Linux</h3><p>There is a Flatpak available, which is the simplest option. Other than that, the <a href="https://typora.io/#linux">install page</a> provides an option to add a repository on Debain based distributions, a DEB file for direct installation, as well as binary files.</p><h2 id="7-octarine-not-foss">7. Octarine (not FOSS)</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/Octarine.png" class="kg-image" alt="Can&apos;t Recall the Syntax? Try These WYSIWYG Markdown Editors on Linux" loading="lazy" width="1185" height="757" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/Octarine.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/Octarine.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/Octarine.png 1185w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>Another non-FOSS entry but <a href="https://octarine.app/">Octarine</a> is a really loaded Markdown editor with interesting features left and right. It has a free tier plan that has most of the necessary features.</p><ul><li><strong>Interface:</strong> Clean interface but with all the extra options within easy reach for the users.</li><li><strong>Highlight features:</strong> Multiple workspaces, easily searchable keyboard shortcuts.</li><li><strong>Navigation:</strong> The file is opened in a tabbed view, with a file tree on a panel on the left, with collapsible code blocks in the file itself.</li><li><strong>Exports to:</strong> No export options, the text remains within the app.</li><li><strong>Customizability:</strong> 3 inbuilt themes for the free version, with 40 more with the paid one.</li><li><strong>Misc.:</strong> There are a lot of extra features, such as syncing with a Git repository, a Graph View (similar to Obsidian), Writing Assistant, Calendar Planner, Command Bar as well as tagging to stitch notes together, but many of these features are for paid versions only.</li></ul><p>The free tier of Octarine is enough to get a lot of work done. You can sync the notes across with Git. There are many more features available with the app that can be explored on the website.</p><h3 id="install-octarine-on-linux">Install Octarine on Linux</h3><p>Octarine provides an AppImage and also DEB, RPM as well as binary files to install on Linux, on <a href="https://octarine.app/releases">their official website</a>.</p><h2 id="embeddable-wysiwyg-markdown-editors-for-web-developers">Embeddable WYSIWYG Markdown Editors for Web Developers</h2><p>In place of a desktop application to write Markdown documents, if you&apos;re looking for something you can embed within a web-based project to easily upload and manage formatted text, or even demonstrate the usage of Markdown, you can utilize one of these applications:</p><ul><li><strong>Toast UI Editor:</strong> <a href="https://github.com/nhn/tui.editor">Toast UI Editor</a> is a ready-to-use JavaScript Markdown editor that can be embedded as a React/Vue wrapper. It boasts a simple workflow with both source code and WYSIWYG options. TUI focuses on an extensible approach with a lot of plugins to access different kinds of features such as UML rendering, colored syntax highlighting etc.</li><li><strong>Milkdown:</strong> <a href="https://github.com/Milkdown/milkdown">Milkdown</a> is an editor engine built on ProseMirror which lets you build your own Markdown editor, with bindings for React and Vue. It is inspired by Typora, and is also very plugin-driven, for things like modifying the syntax, UI, themes, embedding math, etc.</li><li><strong>MDXEditor:</strong> <a href="https://mdxeditor.dev/">MDXEditor</a> is a React component that works on simplicity and consistent output across all use cases and devices. The code blocks have syntax highlighting and autocomplete among other practical features listed on the website.</li></ul><h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2><p>The ease of usage of Markdown has brought about several options in the market, each offering something that it does better than the others. While I hope that this post has helped you narrow down the choices, I would still encourage trying the applications out yourself.</p><p>Which one do you think is the best contender on the list? Did we miss the one that you favor? Let us know in the comments below. Cheers!</p><p>I also feel a little guilty for including some non-open source apps here but those are popular and good and I could not find more open source WYSIWYG Markdown editors. Perhaps you can help me out by suggesting a few? Please mind the WYSIWYG feature. That&apos;s what we are looking for here.</p><p>Article submitted by community member Pulkit Chandak.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management]]></title><description><![CDATA[Integrating Git with Obsidian is a great way of syncing your notes in the cloud without additional cost.]]></description><link>https://itsfoss.com/git-with-obsidian/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68db51d88435e10001f98a63</guid><category><![CDATA[Tips 💡]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sreenath]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 05 Oct 2025 07:22:20 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/obsidian-git.png" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/obsidian-git.png" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management"><p>Git is a powerful tool that helps you keep track of changes in your files over time. While it is highly popular among the developer community, you can use Git as a note storage vault.</p><p>In this case, the source files are <a href="https://obsidian.md/">Obsidian</a> markdown files.</p><p>When you <a href="https://itsfoss.com/obsidian-tips/" rel="noreferrer">use Obsidian for note-taking</a>, Git can be very useful to manage different versions of your notes. You can easily go back to previous versions, undo mistakes, and even collaborate with others.</p><p>In this tutorial, I&apos;ll share how I set up Git with Obsidian on a Linux system, connect it with GitHub or GitLab, and use the Obsidian Git plugin to make version control simple and accessible right inside your notes app.</p><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x270B;</div><div class="kg-callout-text"><b><strong style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Non-FOSS Warning!</strong></b> Obsidian is not open source software. Although it is hugely popular among Linux users and that&apos;s why we have covered it here. If you want a similar open source application, <a href="https://itsfoss.com/logseq/" rel="noreferrer">try Logseq</a>.</div></div><p>This is all at the beginner level, where all you are doing is setting up Git for your knowledge base version management.</p><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-red"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F6A7;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">I am assuming you are taking simpler markdown notes, where individual note and file sizes are less. If you are using large notes, you may want to try GitHub Large File Storage, which is out of scope of this article.</div></div><h2 id="step-1-create-a-remote-repository">Step 1: Create a remote repository</h2><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F4CB;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">I am going to use GitHub in the examples here. If you use a <a href="https://itsfoss.com/github-alternatives/" rel="noreferrer">GitHub alternative repository</a> like GitLab, similar steps should also be valid.</div></div><p>Go to the GitHub official webpage and log in to your account. Now, on the profiles page, click on the &quot;Create repository&quot; button.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/create-a-new-repo-button-github.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="1015" height="661" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/create-a-new-repo-button-github.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/create-a-new-repo-button-github.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/create-a-new-repo-button-github.png 1015w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Create a new repository</span></figcaption></figure><p>Provide all the details. <strong>Make sure you have set the repository to private</strong>. Once you&apos;ve entered the necessary details, click on the <strong>Create Repository</strong> button.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/create-a-new-private-repo-with-details.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="915" height="895" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/create-a-new-private-repo-with-details.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/create-a-new-private-repo-with-details.png 915w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Enter Details and Create</span></figcaption></figure><p>That&apos;s it. You have a new private repository, which only you can access.</p><h2 id="step-2-create-a-simple-readme">Step 2: Create a simple README</h2><p>You need to create a simple README file in the newly created repo. For this, click on the <strong>Create a new file</strong> button.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/create-an-new-file-readme.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="907" height="521" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/create-an-new-file-readme.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/create-an-new-file-readme.png 907w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Create a new file</span></figcaption></figure><p><br>On the next page, enter the name of the file and add placeholder text.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/enter-file-contents.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="907" height="361" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/enter-file-contents.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/enter-file-contents.png 907w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Enter file contents</span></figcaption></figure><p><br>Click on <strong>Commit changes</strong> and add a message when asked. Done! You have added a simple README to your repo.</p><h2 id="step-3-install-git-in-your-system">Step 3: Install Git in your system</h2><p>Now, let&apos;s install Git on your system. I also suggest installing the GitHub or GitLab CLI plugin. Since you are into version control, these CLI tools can greatly improve your experience.</p><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-green"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F4A1;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">With the GitHub or GitLab CLI tool, you can commit and push changes to GitHub/GitLab from the terminal also, in case there is a failure in the Obsidian GUI.</div></div><p>In Ubuntu, you can install both Git and the GitHub CLI using the command:</p><pre><code>sudo apt install git gh
  226. </code></pre><p>For Fedora, use:</p><pre><code>sudo dnf install git gh
  227. </code></pre><p>For Arch Linux, the package name is a bit different.</p><pre><code>sudo pacman -S git github-cli
  228. </code></pre><p>If you are using GitLab instead of GitHub, instead of the <code>gh/github-cli</code> package, install <code>glab</code> package. The name is the same on all three of the above Linux distributions.</p><h2 id="step-4-authenticate-github">Step 4: Authenticate GitHub</h2><p>Once you have Git and the GitHub tool installed, you need to authenticate it with user credentials.</p><p>First, you need to make sure the GitHub credentials are properly saved. For this, you can use <code>libsecret</code>.</p><pre><code>git config --global credential.helper libsecret
  229. </code></pre><p>Now, let&apos;s set the username and email so that Git can understand who is committing changes. Open a terminal and run:</p><pre><code>git config --global user.name &quot;your username&quot;
  230. git config --global user.email &quot;your email&quot;
  231. </code></pre><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/add-username-and-email.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="994" height="190" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/add-username-and-email.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/add-username-and-email.png 994w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Add username and email</span></figcaption></figure><p>Run the GitHub CLI:</p><pre><code>gh auth login
  232. </code></pre><p>If you are using GitLab, use:</p><pre><code>glab auth login
  233. </code></pre><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-red"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F6A7;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">For the rest, I am using GitHub. So. GitLab users should follow their on-screen instructions.</div></div><p>It will ask some questions, and you can select a choice and press enter. This is shown in the screenshot below:</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/login-1-github.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="900" height="309" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/login-1-github.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/login-1-github.png 900w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Initial choices</span></figcaption></figure><p>When you press enter, it will open in the browser. You will be prompted to continue as the logged in account.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/login-2-github-page.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="862" height="499" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/login-2-github-page.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/login-2-github-page.png 862w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Continue website login</span></figcaption></figure><p>On the next page, enter the code you are provided in the terminal.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/login-3-enter-code.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="760" height="622" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/login-3-enter-code.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/login-3-enter-code.png 760w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Enter the code</span></figcaption></figure><p>This will ask you to verify the details before proceeding. Check once again and press <strong>Authorize github</strong>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/login-4-confirm-login.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="737" height="791" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/login-4-confirm-login.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/login-4-confirm-login.png 737w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Confirm login</span></figcaption></figure><p>That&apos;s it. Your device is connected. Close the browser. You can view the terminal got updated with the successful login message.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/login-6-connection-success.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="888" height="391" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/login-6-connection-success.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/login-6-connection-success.png 888w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Device connection success</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="step-5-clone-the-repository">Step 5: Clone the repository</h2><p>Now that you have set up GitHub, it&apos;s time to clone the private notes repo to somewhere convenient for you. I am cloning the repo on my <code>~/Documents</code> directory.</p><pre><code>cd ~/Documents
  234. git clone git clone https://your-git-remote-repo-link.git
  235. </code></pre><p>You will get a message that you have cloned into an empty repo. This is what we need.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/clone-notes-repo-new.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="845" height="263" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/clone-notes-repo-new.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/clone-notes-repo-new.png 845w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Cloned the repository</span></figcaption></figure><p>You can open it in file manager to see that the only content in the cloned directory is a <code>.git</code> directory and a README file.</p><h2 id="step-6-copy-contents">Step 6: Copy contents</h2><p>Now, you have to copy your markdown notes from the earlier location to this new vault location. You can do this using your file manager.</p><p>While copying, <strong>make sure that you copy the <code>.obsidian</code> folder as well</strong>. Because your rest of plugins and settings are in the <code>.obsidian</code> directory.</p><p>The folder is hidden, so use <code>CTRL+H</code> to <a href="https://itsfoss.com/show-hidden-files-linux/" rel="noreferrer">enable the hidden items</a> and then select all.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/copy-all-contents.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="915" height="468" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/copy-all-contents.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/copy-all-contents.png 915w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Copy all contents from existing vault</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="step-7-create-a-gitignore">Step 7: Create a .gitignore</h2><p>Once you copy all the contents to the new section, you will notice that you have a <code>.obsidian</code> folder that contains all the plugins and cache files.</p><p>Usually, this does not need to be pushed to GitHub. So, we will create a <code>.gitignore</code> file in the root vault location.</p><p>Inside this file, add the content:</p><pre><code># to exclude Obsidian&apos;s settings (including plugin and hotkey configurations)
  236. .obsidian/
  237.  
  238. # to only exclude plugin configuration. Might be useful to prevent some plugin from exposing sensitive data
  239. .obsidian/plugins
  240.  
  241. # OR only to exclude workspace cache
  242. .obsidian/workspace.json
  243.  
  244. # to exclude workspace cache specific to mobile devices
  245. .obsidian/workspace-mobile.json
  246.  
  247. # Add below lines to exclude OS settings and caches
  248. .trash/
  249. .DS_Store
  250. </code></pre><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F4CB;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">The above <code spellcheck="false" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">gitignore</code> code is directly taken from the git plugin documentation.</div></div><h2 id="step-8-open-a-new-vault-in-obsidian">Step 8: Open a new vault in Obsidian</h2><p>Open Obsidian and click on your vault name in the bottom and select <strong>Manage Vaults</strong>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/click-on-vault-and-select-manage.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="925" height="525" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/click-on-vault-and-select-manage.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/click-on-vault-and-select-manage.png 925w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Select Manage</span></figcaption></figure><p>From the new window, select the <strong>open</strong> button adjacent to &quot;Open a folder as vault&quot;.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/select-open-a-existing-vault.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="840" height="528" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/select-open-a-existing-vault.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/select-open-a-existing-vault.png 840w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Open an existing vault</span></figcaption></figure><p>In the file chooser, select the directory you have cloned recently. A new Obsidian is opened with notes in the new location, which is empty as of now.</p><p>You will be asked to trust the author. This is because you have copied all the contents, including plugins, from previous notes. So, in order for the plugin to work, you need to enable the community plugins, and that needs user permission.</p><p>Accept that you trust the plugins and continue.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/trust-author-and-enable-plugin.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="620" height="360" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/trust-author-and-enable-plugin.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/trust-author-and-enable-plugin.png 620w"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Trust author</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="step-9-install-the-obsidian-git-plugin">Step 9: Install the Obsidian Git Plugin</h2><p>We need to <a href="https://itsfoss.com/obsidian-use-plugin/" rel="noreferrer">get plugins in Obsidian</a> for Git version control. Click on the settings button in Obsidian.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/click-on-settings-obsidian.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="828" height="435" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/click-on-settings-obsidian.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/click-on-settings-obsidian.png 828w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Click on the settings button.</span></figcaption></figure><p>Go to <strong>Community plugins</strong>. Click on browse. Here, search for the Git plugin and install it.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/search-and-install-git.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="874" height="403" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/search-and-install-git.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/search-and-install-git.png 874w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Search and Install Git</span></figcaption></figure><p>Once installed, enable it.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/enable-git-plugin.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="877" height="399" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/enable-git-plugin.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/enable-git-plugin.png 877w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Enable Git Plugin</span></figcaption></figure><p>You have set the basics of Git with Obsidian. Click on the Git button in Obsidian to see the Git status.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/obsidian-with-gitignore.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="1038" height="564" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/obsidian-with-gitignore.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/obsidian-with-gitignore.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/obsidian-with-gitignore.png 1038w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Obsidian Git Status</span></figcaption></figure><p>As you can see, there is a <code>.gitignore</code> file under changes.</p><h2 id="step-10-stage-changes">Step 10: Stage changes</h2><p>I suggest you stage changes in batches and commit. To stage a file, you can either press the <code>+</code> button adjacent to that file or use the <code>+</code> button on the top menu to stage all.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/stage-changes.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="1098" height="624" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/stage-changes.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/stage-changes.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/stage-changes.png 1098w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Stage Changes</span></figcaption></figure><p>Everything is under staged now for me:</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/everything-is-under-staged.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="1043" height="619" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/everything-is-under-staged.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/everything-is-under-staged.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/everything-is-under-staged.png 1043w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Stage everything</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="step-11-commit-and-push">Step 11: Commit and Push</h2><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-red"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F6A7;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">I am assuming you are the only one managing the notes, and there is no other collaborator.</div></div><p>If you are a solo user of your personal notes, then you can commit the changes and push them to the remote repository. For this, once all changes are staged, use the commit button.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/commit-all-staged.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="1043" height="619" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/commit-all-staged.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/commit-all-staged.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/commit-all-staged.png 1043w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Commit all staged changes</span></figcaption></figure><p><br>When commit is finished, use the Push button.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/push-change.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="978" height="557" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/push-change.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/push-change.png 978w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Push Changes</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="step-12-pull-changes">Step 12: Pull Changes</h2><p>Let&apos;s say you have edited the notes in another system and pushed the changes to GitHub from there. In this case, when you start on the original system, you should pull the item first from GitHub.</p><p>Use the Pull button in the Obsidian Git control panel.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/pulled-files-from-repo.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management" loading="lazy" width="1149" height="702" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/pulled-files-from-repo.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/pulled-files-from-repo.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/pulled-files-from-repo.png 1149w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Pulled files from remote</span></figcaption></figure><p>Now that your local copy is in sync with the main, you can work effortlessly.</p><h2 id="wrapping-up">Wrapping Up</h2><p>The Git plugin also allows you to automatically commit/pull/push at pre-defined times. But I prefer keeping things under my control and thus prefer following the manual method of handpicking my files.</p><p>But it&apos;s up to you how you want to go about it. Integrating Git with Obsidian is a great way of syncing your notes in the cloud without additional cost.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff]]></title><description><![CDATA[Gear up for more releases in October.]]></description><link>https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-25-40/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68da17f58435e10001f987b6</guid><category><![CDATA[Newsletter ✉️]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Abhishek Prakash]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 02 Oct 2025 04:43:03 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/foss-weekly.png" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/foss-weekly.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff"><p>Last month, <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/austrian-forces-ditch-microsoft-office/" rel="noreferrer">Austria&apos;s armed forces ditched Microsoft Office for LibreOffice</a>. This is surely positive news, but it also makes us think about something crucial. The move to switch to open source is often driven by monetary benefits. Since these organizations often save a hefty amount, should they not contribute some part of their savings back to the open source project they are relying on? What do you think?</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://news.itsfoss.com/austrian-forces-ditch-microsoft-office/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Austria&#x2019;s Armed Forces Gets Rid of Microsoft Office (Mostly) for LibreOffice</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">The Austrian military prioritizes independence over convenience.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-674.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS News</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Sourav Rudra</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/austrian-army-switches-to-libreoffice.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p><strong>&#x1F4AC; Let&apos;s see what you get in this edition:</strong></p><ul><li>ZimaOS adding a paid tier.</li><li>A new Linux kernel release.</li><li>GUI apps in terminal.</li><li>Fedora floating a proposal on AI.</li><li>Revamped Proton Mail mobile apps.</li><li>And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes!</li></ul><h2 id="%F0%9F%93%B0-linux-and-open-source-news">&#x1F4F0; Linux and Open Source News</h2><ul><li>Calibre eBook reader <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/ai-comes-to-calibre/">has introduced its first AI feature</a>.</li><li><a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/kali-linux-2025-3-release/">Kali Linux 2025.3</a> is a packed release with many new tools.</li><li>The mobile apps for Proton Mail <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/proton-mail-android-ios-app-revamp/">have received a major revamp</a>.</li><li>Austria&apos;s armed forces <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/austrian-forces-ditch-microsoft-office/">have moved away</a> from Microsoft Office.</li><li><a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/linux-kernel-6-17/">Linux 6.17</a> has landed with many performance and reliability buffs.</li><li>Homelab focused ZimaOS 1.5 <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/zimaos-1-5-release/">adds a paid tier</a> while keeping the core features untouched.</li><li>The Fedora Project <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/fedora-ai-guidelines/">is looking for feedback</a> on its policy for AI-assisted contributions.</li></ul><p>Fedora 43 is due soon. Here are the <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/fedora-43-features/">new features</a> arriving with it:</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://news.itsfoss.com/fedora-43-features/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Fedora 43 Release Date and New Features</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">A close look at the new features coming in Fedora 43.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-668.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS News</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Sourav Rudra</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/fedora-43-features-banner.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="%F0%9F%A7%A0-what-we%E2%80%99re-thinking-about">&#x1F9E0; What We&#x2019;re Thinking About</h2><p>FOSS is <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/creatives-need-foss-now/">an important consideration</a> for creatives in 2025.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://news.itsfoss.com/creatives-need-foss-now/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">From Disillusionment to Freedom: Why Creatives Need FOSS Now More Than Ever</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">More than ever, creative professionals need to exert control over their digital footprint. Big tech will not give us control&#x2014;we have to take it. Free and Open Source (FOSS) software gives us a path forward. The path isn&#x2019;t easy, but I argue nothing worthwhile is.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-670.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS News</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Theena Kumaragurunathan</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/Why-Creatives-Need-FOSS.webp" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p>Ruby&apos;s ecosystem <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/corporate-takeover-of-ruby/">is under threat</a> from corporations.</p><h2 id="%F0%9F%A7%AE-linux-tips-tutorials-and-learnings">&#x1F9EE; Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings</h2><p>Explore <a href="https://itsfoss.com/linux-terminal-shortcuts/">terminal shortcuts</a> to enhance your efficiency. I have shared it in the past too but it&apos;s worth a reshare.</p><p>Speaking of enhancing efficiency, here are a <a href="https://itsfoss.com/productivity-tips-ubuntu/">few tips Linux users can use to be more productive</a>. </p><p>I understand that not everyone is a keyboard shortcut maestro, so here are a few tips to <a href="https://itsfoss.com/three-finger-swipe-gnome/" rel="noreferrer">master the finger swipe gesture in GNOME desktop environment</a>.</p><h2 id="%F0%9F%91%B7-ai-homelab-and-hardware-corner">&#x1F477; AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner</h2><p>These <a href="https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-3d-printed-case/">3D-printed cases</a> for the Raspberry Pi will not disappoint.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-3d-printed-case/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">So what if I don&#x2019;t have a 3D printer to print these cases. I can at least appreciate the creativity.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-672.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Abhishek Kumar</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/3d-printed-raspberry-pi-cases-1.webp" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p>Raspberry Pi has <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-500-plus/">quietly launched the 500+</a>, a blingy, faster version of the original 500 model.</p><p>WebScreen is <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/webscreen/">a crowdfunded secondary display</a> for gamers and creators.</p><p>The <a href="https://itsfoss.com/retropie-setup/">Raspberry Pi can be used for retro gaming</a>, you know. The other Abhishek shows it with his latest work.</p><h2 id="%E2%9C%A8-project-highlights">&#x2728; Project Highlights</h2><p>I recently discovered <a href="https://github.com/Sync-in">Sync-in</a>, an open source platform that facilitates file sharing, sync, and collaboration.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://github.com/Sync-in"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Sync-in</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">The secure, open-source platform for file storage, sharing, collaboration, and syncing. - Sync-in</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/pinned-octocat-093da3e6fa40-16.svg" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">GitHub</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/132061080" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p>Another interesting tool I discovered is <a href="https://github.com/mmulet/term.everything">term.everything</a> which allows you to run &apos;any&apos; GUI app in the terminal. I am still exploring it and will be doing a full review soon.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://github.com/mmulet/term.everything"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">GitHub - mmulet/term.everything: Run any GUI app in the terminal&#x2757;</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Run any GUI app in the terminal&#x2757;. Contribute to mmulet/term.everything development by creating an account on GitHub.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/pinned-octocat-093da3e6fa40-17.svg" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">GitHub</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">mmulet</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/term.everything" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="%F0%9F%9B%8D%EF%B8%8F-deal-worth-a-look">&#x1F6CD;&#xFE0F; Deal worth a look</h2><p>This <a href="https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/19Ar76">ebook bundle from No Starch</a> is a curated collection of titles to help you explore embedded electronics with Raspberry Pi and Arduino. Plus, your purchase supports the Electronic Frontier Foundation.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/19Ar76"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Humble Tech Book Bundle: Electronics for the Curious by No Starch</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Pay what you want to deepen your knowledge of video games and technology with our latest Tech Book Bundle: Electronics for the Curious.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/03df0490a53d595fd930f9fff52038366d60a05d-8.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">Humble Bundle</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/1a965a7f6863a4ba8b51ddbbfa050f79f75b675d.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="%F0%9F%93%BD%EF%B8%8F-videos-i-am-creating-for-you">&#x1F4FD;&#xFE0F; Videos I Am Creating for You</h2><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij20lY5fUZM">Zorin OS 18 is coming up with new features</a> specially planned for new Linux users who are migrating from Windows 10. I discuss those features in the latest video.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ij20lY5fUZM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="I Tried Zorin OS 18 Beta And It Might Be Their Best Release Yet"></iframe></figure><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Subscribe to It&apos;s FOSS YouTube Channel</a></div>
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  271. <h2 id="%F0%9F%92%A1-quick-handy-tip">&#x1F4A1; Quick Handy Tip</h2><p>In Firefox, you can forget about one site, by erasing its browsing history, download history, cookies, login, etc. First, go to <em>Menu</em> &#x2192; <em>History</em> &#x2192; <em>Manage History</em>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-gallery-card kg-width-wide"><div class="kg-gallery-container"><div class="kg-gallery-row"><div class="kg-gallery-image"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/forget-about-a-site-firefox.png" width="841" height="479" loading="lazy" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/forget-about-a-site-firefox.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/forget-about-a-site-firefox.png 841w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></div><div class="kg-gallery-image"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/confirm-forget.png" width="680" height="354" loading="lazy" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/confirm-forget.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/confirm-forget.png 680w"></div></div></div></figure><p>Here, locate the website you want to forget about (<em>one of those spicy ones, perhaps?), right</em>-click on the website, and then select &quot;<em>Forget About This Site...</em>&quot; When asked, click on &quot;Clear data&quot; to clear any data related to that website. </p><p>Following this method means that the website will be gone forever from your history, unless you visit it again.</p><h2 id="%F0%9F%8E%8B-fun-in-the-fossverse">&#x1F38B; Fun in the FOSSverse</h2><p><strong>S</strong>eeing Halloween is close, are you in the mood to <a href="https://itsfoss.com/quiz/daemon-hunter/">hunt a Daemon</a> in our latest crossword?</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://itsfoss.com/quiz/daemon-hunter/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Daemon Hunter: Crossword Edition</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Background processes, foreground fun! Can you summon all the daemons and solve this Linux crossword?</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-671.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Abhishek Prakash</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/daemon-hunter-crossword.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p><strong>&#x1F923; Meme of the Week</strong>: One of the worst crimes in the world of Linux.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/meme2.png" class="kg-image" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff" loading="lazy" width="1080" height="1080" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/meme2.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/meme2.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/meme2.png 1080w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p><strong>&#x1F5D3;&#xFE0F; Tech Trivia</strong>: On October 2, 1955, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ENIAC">ENIAC</a>, <strong>the world&#x2019;s first general-purpose electronic computer, was retired</strong>. Built by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mauchly">John Mauchly</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Presper_Eckert">J. Presper Eckert</a>, it could perform 5,000 operations per second.</p><p><strong>&#x1F9D1;&#x200D;&#x1F91D;&#x200D;&#x1F9D1; From the Community</strong>: Pro FOSSer Neville asked <a href="https://itsfoss.community/t/why-do-people-come-to-this-forum-feedback-please/14866">a really important question</a> in the forum a few days ago, and the replies on that so far have been wonderful.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://itsfoss.community/t/why-do-people-come-to-this-forum-feedback-please/14866"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Why do people come to this forum? Feedback please</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Lets see if we can find out what aspects of this forum are most appreciated by our members. I will start it off. What I mostly appreciate from this forum is some mental challenge helping to solve computing issues inspiration&#x2026; the flow of new ideas Can each of you attempt to summarize what you see as important or rewarding in our forum.?</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/f274f9749e3fd8b4d6fbae1cf90c5c186d2f699c_2_180x180-71.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS Community</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">nevj</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/f274f9749e3fd8b4d6fbae1cf90c5c186d2f699c-61.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43  Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p>Fellow Pro FOSSer Xander started a thread, <a href="https://itsfoss.community/t/lets-collect-ideas-for-the-most-unusable-de/14862">asking for ideas to make the most unusable desktop environment</a>.</p><h2 id="%E2%9D%A4%EF%B8%8F-with-love">&#x2764;&#xFE0F; With love</h2><p><strong>Please share it with your Linux-using friends</strong>&#xA0;and encourage them to subscribe (hint:&#xA0;<a href="https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/">it&apos;s here</a>).</p><p>Share the articles in Linux Subreddits and community forums.</p><p><a href="https://news.google.com/publications/CAAiENHoh-T8yP9Q8Qywor2dwGkqFAgKIhDR6Ifk_Mj_UPEMsKK9ncBp?ref=itsfoss.com">Follow us on Google News</a>&#xA0;and stay updated in your News feed.</p><p>Opt for&#xA0;<a href="https://itsfoss.com/membership">It&apos;s FOSS Plus membership</a>&#xA0;and support us &#x1F64F;</p><p>Enjoy FOSS &#x1F604;</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie]]></title><description><![CDATA[Relive the 80s and 90s by setting up retro gaming on your Raspberry Pi.]]></description><link>https://itsfoss.com/retropie-setup/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66d695e8d5246ec71cfb07fd</guid><category><![CDATA[Raspberry Pi]]></category><category><![CDATA[Gaming 🎮]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Abhishek Kumar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 01 Oct 2025 05:59:24 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/retro-pie-raspberry-pi-setup.png" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/retro-pie-raspberry-pi-setup.png" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie"><p>Do you remember the thrill of powering up your old console, the satisfying clunk of the cartridge clicking into place, and the vibrant, pixelated characters that transported you to another realm?</p><p>Whether you were a Mario fanatic (like me), a Sonic speedster, or a Pok&#xE9;mon trainer, those retro games hold a special place in our hearts.</p><p>Thanks to <a href="https://retropie.org.uk" rel="noreferrer">RetroPie</a>, you can dive back into your favorite classic games. This is one of the easier <a href="https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-projects/" rel="noreferrer">projects you can build with Raspberry Pi</a>.</p><p>Since I use Pi 5 for my homelab setup, I thought of utilizing my older Raspberry Pi 4 for the retro gaming project. In this guide, I will show you how I set up RetroPie on my Raspberry Pi 4. I&apos;ll also share some tips for that authentic retro gaming experience.</p><h2 id="what-is-retropie-again">What is RetroPie, again?</h2><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-red"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F6A7;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">RetroPie only works till Raspberry Pi 4 and has not seen a new release since 2022. It still works fine with Pi 4.</div></div><p>Before I share the setup, let&apos;s talk about what RetroPie is. It&#x2019;s a collection of emulators that enables you to play games from a wide range of classic consoles such as GameBoy, Game Cube, SNES, and PlayStation 1 &amp; 2. You can even play some Microsoft DOS games as well.</p><p>Think of it as a pre-built package that turns your Pi into a retro gaming console with minimal setup.</p><p>But there are a few things to understand here. You won&apos;t just get access to hundreds of retro games. You&apos;ll have to get the game ROMs (digital file of the old classic games) and then upload them to the appropriate emulator folder inside the RetroPie. </p><p>There are websites that let you download the retro games of your choice. The problem is that downloading ROMs could be illegal in your country. That&apos;s the thing about corporate greed. Even if they have not been selling those games and devices for years, they won&apos;t let you enjoy that little piece of your childhood.</p><p>The pure legal way is that if you have those old game cartridges, you can build ROMs on your own. There are <a href="https://stoneagegamer.com/retrode-2.html?afmc=hv">specialized devices that let you create ROMs from old cartridges</a>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://stoneagegamer.com/retrode-2.html?afmc=hv"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Retrode 2</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description"></div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/favicon-10.png" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">Stone Age Gamer</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Posted by Aaron Wilson on Nov 25th 2024</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/20190322_171513__54256.1661790047.500.750.jpg" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p>For more details on retro game ROMs, watch the video below.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cdxS6N0N6Oo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="Retro Game ROMs &amp; BIOS - Where? How?"></iframe></figure><p>Ready to get started? Here&#x2019;s how to set up RetroPie on your Raspberry Pi.</p><p><strong>What you&#x2019;ll need:</strong></p><ul><li>A Raspberry Pi (ideally a Pi 3 or 4 for better performance but could work with Zero as well)</li><li>A microSD card (at least 16 GB recommended)</li><li>Official power supply for the Raspberry Pi</li><li>Monitor &amp; HDMI cable (or composite video cable for CRT TVs)</li><li>Keyboard and mouse</li><li>Controller or joysticks (Optional)</li><li>An internet connection (Optional) </li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x270B;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">The official RetroPie image for the Raspberry Pi 5 isn&#x2019;t available yet, but you can use <a href="https://batocera.org/" rel="noreferrer">Batocera</a> (tutorial coming soon).</div></div><h2 id="retropie-installation">RetroPie installation</h2><p>There are two ways of getting RetroPie on a Raspberry Pi:</p><ul><li>You can install RetroPie from a standalone image by flashing it onto your microSD card.</li><li>If you&#x2019;re already running an operating system like Raspberry Pi OS, you can install RetroPie right on top of it.</li></ul><h3 id="method-1-installing-from-pre-built-retropie-image">Method 1: Installing from pre-built RetroPie image</h3><p>I have already downloaded the image on my system from the RetroPie&apos;s <a href="https://retropie.org.uk/download/" rel="noreferrer">downloads page</a>. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-downloads-page.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="1153" height="894" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-downloads-page.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2024/09/retropie-downloads-page.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-downloads-page.png 1153w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">RetroPie pre-built image downloads page</span></figcaption></figure><p>Next, burn it in a microSD card. I am using <a href="https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/" rel="noreferrer">Raspberry Pi Imager</a> tool but you can use <a href="https://etcher.balena.io" rel="noreferrer">Balena Etcher</a> or even <a href="https://rufus.ie/en/" rel="noreferrer">Rufus</a> (if you are on Windows).</p><p><strong>Select your device</strong> (as shown in the image below):</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/rpi-imager-selecting-device.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="668" height="471" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/rpi-imager-selecting-device.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/rpi-imager-selecting-device.png 668w"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I have selected &apos;No filtering&apos; for my Pi 3</span></figcaption></figure><p>Select your &quot;Custom Image&quot;:</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/rpi-imager-custom-retropie-image.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="671" height="471" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/rpi-imager-custom-retropie-image.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/rpi-imager-custom-retropie-image.png 671w"></figure><p>Browse to the downloaded RetroPie image:</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/rpi-imager-selecting-image.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="684" height="486" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/rpi-imager-selecting-image.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/rpi-imager-selecting-image.png 684w"></figure><p>Choose the installation medium (microSD card):</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/rpi-imager-select-storage.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="669" height="485" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/rpi-imager-select-storage.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/rpi-imager-select-storage.png 669w"></figure><p>Hit &quot;<strong>Next</strong>&quot;</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/rpi-imager-hit-next.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="672" height="482" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/rpi-imager-hit-next.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/rpi-imager-hit-next.png 672w"></figure><p>That&apos;s it. Wait for the process to complete and then take out the SD card.</p><h3 id="method-2-installing-retropie-on-top-of-existing-raspberry-pi-os">Method 2: Installing RetroPie on top of existing Raspberry Pi OS </h3><p>Updating Raspberry Pi OS is the most basic thing you should do first:</p><pre><code class="language-bash">sudo apt update &amp;&amp; sudo apt upgrade -y</code></pre><h4 id="installing-necessary-packages">Installing necessary packages</h4><p>With your Raspberry Pi&#x2019;s OS updated, it&apos;s time to install a couple of essential packages for RetroPie.</p><p>First, you&apos;ll need the &#x201C;dialog&#x201D; package, which the RetroPie setup script uses to create dialog boxes in the terminal. Next, the &#x201C;git&#x201D; package is crucial as it allows us to clone the setup script repository directly to the Raspberry Pi.</p><p>You can install both packages by running the following command:</p><pre><code class="language-bash">sudo apt install -y git dialog</code></pre><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-install-packages.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="662" height="444" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-install-packages.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-install-packages.png 662w"></figure><h4 id="cloning-the-retropie-setup-script">Cloning the RetroPie setup script</h4><p>Now that we&#x2019;ve got the required packages, let&apos;s move on to cloning the RetroPie setup script. This script will install RetroPie on your Raspberry Pi.</p><p>Switch to your home directory:</p><pre><code>cd</code></pre><p>Now, use the commands below to clone the RetroPie setup script into your home directory:</p><pre><code class="language-bash">git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup.git</code></pre><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-git-repo-clone.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="652" height="420" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-git-repo-clone.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-git-repo-clone.png 652w"></figure><h4 id="running-the-retropie-setup-script">Running the RetroPie setup script</h4><p>Next, navigate to the &#x201C;RetroPie-Setup&#x201D; directory that was created when you cloned the repository. </p><pre><code>cd RetroPie-Setup</code></pre><p>Once inside the directory, you can start the setup script.</p><p>This script will handle the installation of all the necessary packages for a few basic emulators.</p><pre><code class="language-bash">sudo ./retropie_setup.sh</code></pre><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-install-script.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="685" height="483" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-install-script.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-install-script.png 685w"></figure><h4 id="starting-the-installation-process">Starting the installation process</h4><p>You should now see the RetroPie setup dialog on your screen. Just press OK.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-cli-prompt-1.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="683" height="485" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-cli-prompt-1.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-cli-prompt-1.png 683w"></figure><p>The next menu offers several options, but for now, focus on the &#x201C;Basic Install&#x201D; option. This will install the core and main packages needed to get RetroPie up and running.</p><p>Navigate to &#x201C;Basic Install&#x201D; using the arrow keys, and press Enter to select it.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-setup-script-basic-install.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="811" height="515" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-setup-script-basic-install.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-setup-script-basic-install.png 811w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><h4 id="confirming-the-installation">Confirming the installation</h4><p>You&apos;ll be prompted to confirm whether you want to install the &#x201C;Core&#x201D; and &#x201C;Main&#x201D; components of RetroPie. Select &#x201C;Yes&#x201D; to proceed. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-basic-install-confirmation.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="810" height="512" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-basic-install-confirmation.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-basic-install-confirmation.png 810w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F4CB;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">Keep in mind that this step might take a while since the Raspberry Pi needs to download and install numerous packages.</div></div><p>Once the installation is complete, you&#x2019;ll return to the main menu of the RetroPie setup script.</p><h4 id="final-steps-rebooting">Final Steps: Rebooting</h4><p>Finally, to ensure everything is working correctly, reboot your Raspberry Pi.</p><p>In the main menu, select the &#x201C;Perform reboot&#x201D; option.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-script-reboot.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="809" height="511" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-script-reboot.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-script-reboot.png 809w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-green"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F4A1;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">To have EmulationStation start automatically with your Raspberry Pi, head to the &#x201C;Configuration / Tools&#x201D; menu in RetroPie, find the &#x201C;autostart&#x201D; option, and select &#x201C;Start Emulation Station at boot.&#x201D; This way, it&#x2019;ll launch on its own every time you power up!</div></div><h2 id="adding-games-roms-to-retropie">Adding Games (ROM&apos;s) to RetroPie</h2><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-red"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F6A7;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">This guide is for educational purposes only. We&#x2019;re not liable for any legal issues or promoting piracy. Because it seems that <a href="https://www.howtogeek.com/262758/is-downloading-retro-video-game-roms-ever-legal/" rel="noreferrer">downloading classic game ROMs is illegal</a> even if these games are no longer being sold anywhere. It is up to you to decide if you want to download and use ROMs.</div></div><p>So, you&apos;ve set up RetroPie on your Raspberry Pi, and now you&apos;re ready for the fun part- adding games, aka ROMs! </p><h3 id="what-are-roms">What are ROMs?</h3><p>ROMs are essentially digital copies of games from old consoles.</p><p>They allow you to play your favorite classics on modern hardware, like our little friend Pi here.</p><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F4CB;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">A quick reminder again - Only download and use ROMs for games you legally own.</div></div><h3 id="how-to-add-game-roms-to-retropie">How to add game ROMs to RetroPie</h3><p>Adding ROMs to your RetroPie setup is easier than you might think. Here&apos;s how you can do it:</p><h4 id="method-1-transferring-roms-via-usb-drive">Method 1: Transferring ROM&apos;s via USB Drive</h4><p>This is the most straightforward method. Just format a USB drive to FAT32. I&apos;m doing a Quick format in Windows:</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-windows-format.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="295" height="564"></figure><p>In Linux, you can use &apos;GNOME Disks&apos; utility or a Command line tool like this:</p><pre><code class="language-bash">sudo mkfs -t vfat /dev/sda1</code></pre><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-linux-format-disk.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="600" height="181" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-linux-format-disk.png 600w"></figure><ul><li><code>mkfs</code> is a command use to format block storage devices.</li><li><code>-t</code> ensures the type of file system </li><li><code>/dev/sda1</code> is the location of my storage device.</li></ul><p>Create a folder, I named it as &quot;retropie&quot; and plug it into your Pi.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-folder-creation.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="780" height="300" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-folder-creation.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-folder-creation.png 780w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>RetroPie will automatically create sub-folders for each console.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-folders.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="1920" height="743" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-folders.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2024/09/retropie-folders.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1600/2024/09/retropie-folders.png 1600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-folders.png 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>Next, copy your ROM files into the appropriate folders and plug the USB back into your Pi, and RetroPie will handle the rest.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-roms-transfer.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="1134" height="484" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-roms-transfer.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2024/09/retropie-roms-transfer.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-roms-transfer.png 1134w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>Here is the unzipped version of the ROM:</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-rom-unzip.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="1098" height="628" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-rom-unzip.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2024/09/retropie-rom-unzip.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-rom-unzip.png 1098w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><h4 id="method-2-transferring-roms-via-network-transfer">Method 2: Transferring ROMs via network transfer</h4><p>If your Raspberry Pi is connected to your home network, you can transfer ROMs directly over WiFi using Samba, SFTP, etc.</p><p>Here I&apos;m using WinSCP to transfer my ROMs using SFTP:</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-winscp-login-pane-1.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="783" height="530" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-winscp-login-pane-1.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-winscp-login-pane-1.png 783w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>After login, just go to the RetroPie directory or where you want to save your games.</p><p>I&apos;m saving my ROMs in this directory: <code>/home/user/RetroPie/roms/n64</code>:</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-winscp-share.png" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="1348" height="852" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-winscp-share.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2024/09/retropie-winscp-share.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-winscp-share.png 1348w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>That&apos;s it! Now that your ROMs are added, you&apos;re ready to boot up and start gaming.</p><h2 id="first-boot-of-retropie">First boot of RetroPie</h2><p>You&apos;ll see the RetroPie splash screen on the first boot, followed by EmulationStation&apos;s welcome message.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-first-boot-es-1.jpeg" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="1349" height="873" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-first-boot-es-1.jpeg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2024/09/retropie-first-boot-es-1.jpeg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-first-boot-es-1.jpeg 1349w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-es-welcome-1.jpeg" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="1096" height="550" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-es-welcome-1.jpeg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2024/09/retropie-es-welcome-1.jpeg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-es-welcome-1.jpeg 1096w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><i><em class="italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Sorry for the image quality as I don&apos;t have a HDMI capture device</em></i></figcaption></figure><p>Next, you will be prompted to configure your controller. This only takes a minute, and once it&apos;s done, you&apos;ll have full control over the system.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-keyboard-config-1.jpeg" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="1027" height="715" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-keyboard-config-1.jpeg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2024/09/retropie-keyboard-config-1.jpeg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-keyboard-config-1.jpeg 1027w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>Once your controller is set up, you&apos;ll be taken to the main EmulationStation menu.</p><p>Here, you&apos;ll see a list of all the systems for which you&apos;ve added ROMs. In my case, it&apos;s for Nintendo 64:</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-n64-home.jpeg" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="1059" height="617" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-n64-home.jpeg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2024/09/retropie-n64-home.jpeg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-n64-home.jpeg 1059w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>The interface is clean and easy to navigate. You can use your controller to scroll through the different consoles, select a game, and dive straight into the action.</p><p>Here I have added the Super Mario 64, a true classic that never gets old. It&apos;s showing 2 copies because I&apos;ve added one compressed and the other one direct.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-select-game.jpeg" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="1096" height="580" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-select-game.jpeg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2024/09/retropie-select-game.jpeg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-select-game.jpeg 1096w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>When we select it from the menu, you&apos;ll see the familiar startup screen:</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-supermario.jpeg" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="1165" height="764" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-supermario.jpeg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2024/09/retropie-supermario.jpeg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-supermario.jpeg 1165w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>and there he is - Mario himself, ready for action!</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-mario-ingame.jpeg" class="kg-image" alt="Utilizing My Raspberry Pi 4 for Retro Gaming With RetroPie" loading="lazy" width="927" height="657" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2024/09/retropie-mario-ingame.jpeg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/09/retropie-mario-ingame.jpeg 927w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>The game loads a bit slow but manageable, and with just a press of a button, you are back in the colorful world of Mario.</p><h2 id="final-thoughts">Final Thoughts:</h2><p>While RetroPie is an amazing way to bring back the nostalgia of classic gaming, it&apos;s not without its quirks, especially if you are using older Pi models like Pi 3. If you are aiming for a smooth, lag-free experience, I&apos;d highly recommend using a Raspberry Pi 4. </p><p>RetroPie may not have seen a new release in the last few years but it still works.</p><p>I&apos;m curious. What does your retro gaming setup look like? What games are you playing? Share your setups and experiences in the comments below.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across]]></title><description><![CDATA[So what if I don't have a 3D printer to print these cases. I can at least appreciate the creativity.]]></description><link>https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-3d-printed-case/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68380396cc21b22968b56b7e</guid><category><![CDATA[Raspberry Pi]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Abhishek Kumar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 27 Sep 2025 11:22:07 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/3d-printed-raspberry-pi-cases.webp" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/3d-printed-raspberry-pi-cases.webp" alt="13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across"><p>There are plenty of cool cases you can buy for your Raspberry Pi. But here&apos;s the thing. Mass-produce products often restrict creativity. And I am glad to live in a connected creative internet where people share their creations with each other.</p><p>I am going to share some of my favorite 3D printed Raspberry Pi cases I have come across. You may not necessarily purchase them but most of them share their models and files. This gives you an opportunity to test your and your 3D printer&apos;s DIY skills.</p><h2 id="1-industrial-design-pi-case">1. Industrial design Pi case</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/industrial-angular-case.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across" loading="lazy" width="1280" height="720" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/05/industrial-angular-case.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/05/industrial-angular-case.jpg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/industrial-angular-case.jpg 1280w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Source:&#xA0;</span><a href="https://www.printables.com/model/367187-raspberry-pi-4-case/comments/1109224" target="_blank" rel=" noopener"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">musicalbigfoot via Printables</span></a></figcaption></figure><p>This case feels like it belongs on the bridge of a spaceship. With its sharp, geometric edges and rugged profile, it looks both futuristic and industrial without going over the top.</p><p>It&#x2019;s practical, too: built to snap together cleanly and handle a 40 mm fan without fuss.</p><p><strong>Features:</strong></p><ul><li>Ventilation-ready with fan support</li><li>Printed in five pieces, no supports needed</li><li>Removable sections for ribbon cable access</li><li>Held together with screws and heat-set inserts for extra strength</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://www.printables.com/model/367187-raspberry-pi-4-case" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Printables</a></div><h2 id="2-desktop-powerhouse-with-ups">2. Desktop powerhouse with UPS</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/desktop-case-with-ups.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across" loading="lazy" width="720" height="480" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/05/desktop-case-with-ups.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/desktop-case-with-ups.jpg 720w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Source:&#xA0;</span><a href="https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-raspberry-pi-4b-desktop-case-with-ups-186368" target="_blank" rel=" noopener"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">dafa1 via MyMiniFactory</span></a></figcaption></figure><p>Is it a mini PC? Is it a Raspberry Pi? This case says: <strong>why not both</strong>. </p><p>Designed to mimic a high-end gaming rig, it comes complete with a see-through side panel and enough room to tuck in a UPS module for portable or critical-use builds.</p><p><strong>Features:</strong></p><ul><li>Acrylic side panel for showcase-worthy builds</li><li>Space for UPS backup battery</li><li>Optional OLED display integration</li><li>PC-style heatsink support for serious cooling</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-raspberry-pi-4b-desktop-case-with-ups-186368" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">MyMiniFactory</a></div><p>Although, you can purchase a <a href="https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-5-tower-cases/" rel="noreferrer">tower case like this for your Pi</a>.</p><div class="kg-card kg-product-card">
  272.            <div class="kg-product-card-container">
  273.                <img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/06/pironman-5.webp" width="700" height="700" class="kg-product-card-image" loading="lazy" alt="13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across">
  274.                <div class="kg-product-card-title-container">
  275.                    <h4 class="kg-product-card-title"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Pironman 5 Case With Tower Cooler and Fan</span></h4>
  276.                </div>
  277.                
  278.  
  279.                <div class="kg-product-card-description"><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This dope Raspberry Pi 5 case has a tower cooler and dual RGB fans to keep the device cool. It also extends your Pi 5 with M.2 SSD slot and 2 standard HDMI ports. </span></p></div>
  280.                
  281.                    <a href="https://www.sunfounder.com/products/pironman-5-nvme-m-2-ssd-pcie-mini-pc-case-for-raspberry-pi-5?ref=itsfoss" class="kg-product-card-button kg-product-card-btn-accent" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span>Explore Pironman 5</span></a>
  282.                
  283.            </div>
  284.        </div><h2 id="3-mini-tower-with-neon-vibes">3. Mini tower with neon vibes</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/mini-desktop-ice-tower-cooler.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="562" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/05/mini-desktop-ice-tower-cooler.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/mini-desktop-ice-tower-cooler.jpg 1000w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Source:&#xA0;</span><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4249203" target="_blank" rel=" noopener"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">JISpal01 via Thingiverse</span></a></figcaption></figure><p>This one&#x2019;s for people who believe tiny tech deserves big style. Designed to house a real heatsink and twin fans, this tower case lights up with neon flair that looks straight out of a cyberpunk anime.</p><p><strong>Features:</strong></p><ul><li>Dual-fan duct system with efficient airflow</li><li>Designed to reduce filament waste</li><li>Easy to assemble with YouTube video support</li><li>Built to house a functional Ice Tower cooler</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4249203" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Thingiverse</a></div><h2 id="4-the-black-pi-hole">4. The Black (Pi) hole</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/black-pi-hole.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="660" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/05/black-pi-hole.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/05/black-pi-hole.jpg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/black-pi-hole.jpg 1024w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Source:&#xA0;</span><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4245046" target="_blank" rel=" noopener"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">OutpostKodelia via Thingiverse</span></a></figcaption></figure><p>This might be the most mysterious Pi case ever made. A black hole case for <a href="https://itsfoss.com/setup-pi-hole/" rel="noreferrer">Pi-hole</a>.</p><p>It&apos;s not sleek that can be seen, a bit compact, and definitely complex. And it&apos;s not for the faint of heart. </p><p>Think of it as a black box from space: powerful, but you&#x2019;ll need some build skills and patience to unlock its potential. </p><p><strong>Features:</strong></p><ul><li>Requires thermal insert installation</li><li>Detailed build guide included</li><li>Great for intermediate to advanced users</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4245046" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Thingiverse</a></div><h2 id="5-sci-fi-case">5. Sci-fi case</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/flux-case.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across" loading="lazy" width="1280" height="720" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/05/flux-case.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/05/flux-case.jpg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/flux-case.jpg 1280w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Source:&#xA0;</span><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/make:794190" target="_blank" rel=" noopener"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">aggie6801 via Thingiverse</span></a></figcaption></figure><p>Part sculpture, part science experiment, this design is packed with personality. </p><p>It looks like it teleported in from a parallel timeline where art and engineering are best friends. Best of all? It&#x2019;s easy to print and assemble.</p><p><strong>Features:</strong></p><ul><li>Stylish and functional blend</li><li>Revised to fit larger heatsinks</li><li>Requires just six screws</li><li>Bold look with practical cooling</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3741953" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Thingiverse</a></div><h2 id="6-art-deco-retro-shell">6. Art Deco retro shell</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/art-deco-retro.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across" loading="lazy" width="1080" height="566" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/05/art-deco-retro.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/05/art-deco-retro.jpg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/art-deco-retro.jpg 1080w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Source:&#xA0;</span><a href="https://www.printables.com/model/705427-retro-raspberry-pi-5-case-snap-fit" target="_blank" rel=" noopener"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">theprintedcow via Printables</span></a></figcaption></figure><p>This one brings back the glamour of early tech design. Inspired by Art Deco, it combines sweeping lines with modern geometry and works perfectly with dual-color filament to make the design pop.</p><p><strong>Features:</strong></p><ul><li>Supports Raspberry Pi 5</li><li>Snap-fit lid, no screws or supports required</li><li>Works with the official cooling fan</li><li>GPIO access preserved</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://www.printables.com/model/705427-retro-raspberry-pi-5-case-snap-fit" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Printables</a></div><h2 id="7-folding-case">7. Folding case</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/folding-case.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across" loading="lazy" width="1280" height="720" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/05/folding-case.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/05/folding-case.jpg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/folding-case.jpg 1280w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Source:&#xA0;</span><a href="https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/tool/folding-raspberry-pi-case" target="_blank" rel=" noopener"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">WalterHsiao via Cults</span></a></figcaption></figure><p>Minimal without being boring, this folding case is perfect for people who move their Pi around a lot. It prints flat and folds into shape, like origami for hardware lovers or like the old-fashioned cigarette cases we see in classic detective shows and movies.</p><p><strong>Features:</strong></p><ul><li>Prints flat, wraps around board</li><li>No support material needed</li><li>Great for swapping SD cards or quick access</li><li>Available for multiple Pi models</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/tool/folding-raspberry-pi-case" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Cults</a></div><h2 id="8-spaceship-dock">8. Spaceship dock</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/spaceship.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across" loading="lazy" width="1080" height="566" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/05/spaceship.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/05/spaceship.jpg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/spaceship.jpg 1080w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Source:&#xA0;</span><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6400805" target="_blank" rel=" noopener"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">tipam via Thingiverse</span></a></figcaption></figure><p>This one&#x2019;s pure sci-fi goodness. Shaped like a spacecraft, it brings a galactic charm to your Raspberry Pi setup. It&#x2019;s relatively easy to print, despite its detailed shape.</p><p><strong>Features:</strong></p><ul><li>Compatible with Raspberry Pi 3, 4, and 5</li><li>Printed with flat bottom for support-free setup</li><li>Requires minimal hardware to assemble</li><li>Looks fantastic with a metallic filament</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://www.printables.com/model/704232-raspberry-pi-5-spaceship-case" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Printables</a></div><h2 id="9-pac-man-ghost-duo">9. Pac-Man &amp; Ghost Duo</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/pacman.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="662" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/05/pacman.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/pacman.jpg 1000w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Source:&#xA0;</span><a href="https://www.myminifactory.com/prints/3d-print-3774" target="_blank" rel=" noopener"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">tomvdb via MyMiniFactory</span></a></figcaption></figure><p>Nostalgia incoming! These two are straight out of the arcade era, one shaped like Pac-Man, the other like his ghostly nemesis. </p><p>They&#x2019;re fun, loud, and absolutely not trying to blend in.</p><p><strong>Features:</strong></p><ul><li>Built-in vents for passive cooling</li><li>Perfect for gaming emulator setups</li><li>Supports Raspberry Pi 3</li><li>Just add paint or stickers for the finishing touch</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://www.myminifactory.com/object/pacman-raspberry-pi-enclosure-case-43040" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">MyMiniFactory</a></div><h2 id="10-playingstation-5">10. PlayingStation 5</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/playingstation.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across" loading="lazy" width="1080" height="566" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/05/playingstation.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/05/playingstation.jpg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/playingstation.jpg 1080w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Source:&#xA0;</span><a href="https://www.printables.com/model/135017-playingstation-5-raspberry-pi-case" target="_blank" rel=" noopener"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Ubermeisters via Printables</span></a></figcaption></figure><p>This isn&apos;t just a Raspberry Pi case, it&#x2019;s a mini console with serious flair. </p><p>Styled after the PS5, this case is ideal for turning your Pi into a dedicated gaming station.</p><p><strong>Features:</strong></p><ul><li>Full &quot;console&quot; enclosure with detailed styling</li><li>Designed for Raspberry Pi 4 and 5</li><li>Includes magnet slots for satisfying case snap</li><li>Comes with STEP file for mods and upgrades</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://www.printables.com/model/135017-playingstation-5-raspberry-pi-case" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Printables</a></div><h2 id="11-pi-64">11. Pi 64</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/nintendo-64-pi.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="682" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/05/nintendo-64-pi.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/05/nintendo-64-pi.jpg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/nintendo-64-pi.jpg 1024w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Source:&#xA0;</span><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2101165" target="_blank" rel=" noopener"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">elhuff via Thingiverse</span></a></figcaption></figure><p>Built to mimic the iconic Nintendo 64, this case hits all the right notes for retro gaming fans. </p><p>The design even includes suggested colors and detailed assembly instructions. Just add RetroPie and prepare to time travel.</p><p><strong>Features:</strong></p><ul><li>N64-inspired design with SD card access</li><li>Designed for Raspberry Pi 3 and 4</li><li>Includes color suggestions for full nostalgia effect</li><li>Widely loved with thousands of downloads</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2101165" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Thingiverse</a></div><h2 id="12-mini-nes">12. Mini NES</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/mini-nes-1.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across" loading="lazy" width="1280" height="720" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/05/mini-nes-1.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/05/mini-nes-1.jpg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/mini-nes-1.jpg 1280w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Source:&#xA0;</span><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/make:711456" target="_blank" rel=" noopener"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">serzi via Thingiverse</span></a></figcaption></figure><p>If you missed the NES Classic Edition craze, no worries, this 3D printed case lets you build your own. </p><p>Designed to hold a Raspberry Pi 3, it&#x2019;s perfect for an emulation setup and can be color-customized to your heart&#x2019;s content.</p><p><strong>Features:</strong></p><ul><li>NES-inspired enclosure</li><li>Prints easily, no supports required</li><li>Works great with RetroPie</li><li>Personalize it with your own paint scheme</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2272252" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Thingiverse</a></div><p>Although you can <a href="https://www.sunfounder.com/collections/accessory/products/sunfounder-case-for-raspberry-pi-5-retro-shell-gaming-box?ref=itsfoss">buy a similar case for just $11 from SunFounder</a>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://www.sunfounder.com/collections/accessory/products/sunfounder-case-for-raspberry-pi-5-retro-shell-gaming-box?ref=itsfoss"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">SunFounder Retrogame Case for Raspberry Pi 5</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Features * Retro Design: Classic design replicating traditional gaming consoles, providing protection and a nostalgic gaming experience.* High-Quality Materials: Durable ABS material with meticulous craftsmanship ensures sturdiness and protection for your Raspberry Pi 5.* Easy Port Access: Provides easy access to all R</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/logo2_88e63a14-d758-4866-8135-8596b1337d33_96x96-7.png" alt="13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">SunFounder</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">SunFounder</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/23.jpg" alt="13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="13-appleberry-g5">13. Appleberry G5</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/appleberry-3.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across" loading="lazy" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/05/appleberry-3.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/05/appleberry-3.jpg 960w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Source:&#xA0;</span><a href="https://www.printables.com/model/508997-appleberry-g5-raspberry-pi-3b-4b-in-apple-power-ma" target="_blank" rel=" noopener"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">MroznyHipis via Printables</span></a></figcaption></figure><p>This one&#x2019;s a cheeky blend of Apple&#x2019;s G5 design and Raspberry Pi smarts. </p><p>Styled after the &quot;cheese grater&quot; Mac Pro, it&#x2019;s compact and has a clever drawer-slide system for mounting the Pi inside.</p><p><strong>Features:</strong></p><ul><li>Snap-in internal drawer design</li><li>Uses just four M2 screws</li><li>Magnet slots for secure slide-in action</li><li>Looks sleek on any desk</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://www.printables.com/model/508997-appleberry-g5-raspberry-pi-3b-4b-in-apple-power-ma/comments" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Printables</a></div><h2 id="final-thoughts">Final Thoughts</h2><p>This is definitely not an exhaustive list. There are plenty more interesting Raspberry Pi cases you can 3D print. Look at the case below that my outie loves.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tgmrIxMRvAQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="3D Printing the Severance MDR Computer"></iframe></figure><p>I know what you might be thinking, these cases aren&#x2019;t all about practicality, or keeping the Pi small and discreet. But that&#x2019;s not the point of this article.</p><p>This was about exploration. About expression. About finding joy in a tiny computer that can wear whatever outfit we imagine for it. And honestly, I find these projects absolutely delightful.</p><p>What you just saw are some of the most imaginative, playful, and downright fascinating Raspberry Pi cases out there. The creativity of the community never fails to surprise and inspire me.</p><p>I&#x2019;m sure I&#x2019;ve missed a few fan favorites, o if you&#x2019;ve designed or printed your own custom Pi cases, I&#x2019;d love to see them. <strong>Share your creations with us!</strong></p><p>We&#x2019;ll be back with more fascinating Raspberry Pi projects soon. <strong>Stay tuned.</strong></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[FOSS Weekly #25.39: Kill Switch Phones, LMDE 7, Zorin OS 18 Beta, Polybar, Apt History and More Linux Stuff]]></title><description><![CDATA[Activate the kill switch]]></description><link>https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-25-39/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68d1114e821b41000120474b</guid><category><![CDATA[Newsletter ✉️]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Abhishek Prakash]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 25 Sep 2025 04:40:13 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/foss-weekly-2-.png" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/foss-weekly-2-.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.39: Kill Switch Phones, LMDE 7, Zorin OS 18 Beta, Polybar, Apt History and More Linux Stuff"><p>There were two smartphone launches recently, both with hardware kill switches. One is the <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/murena-powered-hiroh-phone/">Murena-powered HIROH Phone</a>, and the other is the <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/furi-labs-flx1s/">Furi Labs FLX1s</a>. FLX1s uses a Debian based operating system.</p><p>Now, these are not necessarily for everyone, and they sure are not cheap. I mean, they might not be as expensive as iPhones or Samsung Galaxy S series, but they are surely in the mid-range.</p><p>These are more suited for journalists and activists who have to protect sensitive data and hence the kill switch. That doesn&apos;t mean a privacy aware regular Joe (or Jane) cannot opt for them. It&apos;s just that lack of some mainstream features could cause frustration. What do you think?</p><p><strong>&#x1F4AC; Let&apos;s see what you get in this edition:</strong></p><ul><li>Apt receiving a much-needed upgrade.</li><li>Lots happening in the open source space.</li><li>An early look at LMDE 7 and Zorin OS 18.</li><li>And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes!</li></ul><h2 id="%F0%9F%93%B0-linux-and-open-source-news">&#x1F4F0; Linux and Open Source News</h2><ul><li><a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/obs-studio-32-release/">OBS Studio 32.0</a> introduces a new plugin manager.</li><li>Apt is finally getting support for <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/apt-upcoming-history-features/">a history command</a>.</li><li>The eBPF Foundation has <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/ebpf-awards-research-grants/">awarded $100K in research grants</a>.</li><li>Git 3.0 <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/git-3-rust/">might make Rust mandatory</a>, though this is not yet final.</li><li><a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/lmde-7-beta/">LMDE 7 beta</a> is here with a Debian 13 base and lots of new bits.</li><li><a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/zorin-os-18-beta/">Zorin OS 18 beta</a> is here with a fresh design and many new features.</li><li>A <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/linux-multikernel-proposal/">new proposal</a> has been floated to make Linux multi-kernel friendly.</li></ul><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://news.itsfoss.com/linux-multikernel-proposal/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">New Proposal Looks to Make Linux Multi-Kernel Friendly</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">If approved, Linux could one day run multiple kernels simultaneously.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-660.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.39: Kill Switch Phones, LMDE 7, Zorin OS 18 Beta, Polybar, Apt History and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS News</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Sourav Rudra</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/multikernel-linux-proposal.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.39: Kill Switch Phones, LMDE 7, Zorin OS 18 Beta, Polybar, Apt History and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="%F0%9F%A7%A0-what-we%E2%80%99re-thinking-about">&#x1F9E0; What We&#x2019;re Thinking About</h2><p>A coalition of open source organizations <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/open-source-infrastructure-is-breaking-down/">has called out predatory practices</a>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://news.itsfoss.com/open-source-infrastructure-is-breaking-down/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Open Source Infrastructure is Breaking Down Due to Corporate Freeloading</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">An unprecedented threat looms over open source.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-659.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.39: Kill Switch Phones, LMDE 7, Zorin OS 18 Beta, Polybar, Apt History and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS News</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Sourav Rudra</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/openssf-letter-to-big-corporations.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.39: Kill Switch Phones, LMDE 7, Zorin OS 18 Beta, Polybar, Apt History and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p>If you are around South Korea, then you should definitely attend this year&apos;s <a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/open-source-summit-korea-2025/">Open Source Summit Korea</a>!</p><h2 id="%F0%9F%A7%AE-linux-tips-tutorials-and-learnings">&#x1F9EE; Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings</h2><ul><li>Learn how to make <a href="https://itsfoss.com/configuring-polybar-linux/">the best out of Polybar in Xfce</a>.</li><li>If you have ever wondered <a href="https://itsfoss.com/immutable-distro/">what an immutable distro is</a>, then we have got you covered.</li><li>These distros and tools <a href="https://itsfoss.com/hyprland-distros/">offer Hyprland preconfigured</a>.</li></ul><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://itsfoss.com/hyprland-distros/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Hyprland Made Easy: Preconfigured Beautiful Distros</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Here are the projects that lower the entry barrier by providing a preconfigured Hyprland option.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-661.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.39: Kill Switch Phones, LMDE 7, Zorin OS 18 Beta, Polybar, Apt History and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Sourav Rudra</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/customize-hyprland-in-linux-2.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.39: Kill Switch Phones, LMDE 7, Zorin OS 18 Beta, Polybar, Apt History and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="%F0%9F%91%B7-ai-homelab-and-hardware-corner">&#x1F477; AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner</h2><p>Cool down your <a href="https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-5-tower-cases/">Raspberry Pi in style with these mini PC cases</a>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-5-tower-cases/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Raspberry Pi 5 Tower Cases to Give it Desktop Gaming Rig Look</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Pi 5 is a remarkable device and it deserves an awesome case. Transform your Raspberry Pi 5 into a miniature desktop tower PC with these cases.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-664.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.39: Kill Switch Phones, LMDE 7, Zorin OS 18 Beta, Polybar, Apt History and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Abhishek Prakash</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/best-raspberry-pi-5-tower-cases-1.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.39: Kill Switch Phones, LMDE 7, Zorin OS 18 Beta, Polybar, Apt History and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p>Also explore some <a href="https://itsfoss.com/ollama-commands/">must know Ollama commands</a> to manage local AI models.</p><h2 id="%E2%9C%A8-project-highlight">&#x2728; Project Highlight</h2><p><a href="https://github.com/elelabdev/net-commander">Net Commander</a> is a new project from Elelab that brings network troubleshooting, Wi-Fi surveys, SSH jumping, CIDR calculations, and more into VS Code. </p><p>The author had reached out to us, but we haven&apos;t tested the plugin extensively yet.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://github.com/elelabdev/net-commander"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">GitHub - elelabdev/net-commander: Net Commander supercharges Visual Studio Code for Network Engineers, DevOps Engineers and Solution Architects streamlining everyday workflows and accelerating data-driven root-cause analysis.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Net Commander supercharges Visual Studio Code for Network Engineers, DevOps Engineers and Solution Architects streamlining everyday workflows and accelerating data-driven root-cause analysis. - ele&#x2026;</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/pinned-octocat-093da3e6fa40-15.svg" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.39: Kill Switch Phones, LMDE 7, Zorin OS 18 Beta, Polybar, Apt History and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">GitHub</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">elelabdev</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/90e56d00-35ac-466c-98ad-c91efbe1e65e" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.39: Kill Switch Phones, LMDE 7, Zorin OS 18 Beta, Polybar, Apt History and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="%F0%9F%93%BD%EF%B8%8F-videos-i-am-creating-for-you">&#x1F4FD;&#xFE0F; Videos I Am Creating for You</h2><p>Explore <a href="https://youtu.be/eii-YmVVv5M">DuckDuckGo&apos;s lesser known features in our latest video</a>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eii-YmVVv5M?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="Search Smarter: DuckDuckGo&#x2019;s Secret Superpowers &#x1F525;"></iframe></figure><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Subscribe to It&apos;s FOSS YouTube Channel</a></div>
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  293.                            <p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Desktop Linux is mostly neglected by the industry but loved by the community. For the past 13 years, It&apos;s FOSS has been helping people use Linux on their personal computers. And we are now facing the existential threat from AI models stealing our content. </span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">If you like what we do and would love to support our work, please become It&apos;s FOSS Plus member. It costs $24 a year (less than the cost of a McDonald&apos;s burger a month), and you get an ad-free reading experience with the satisfaction of helping the desktop Linux community.</span></p>
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  305. <h2 id="%F0%9F%92%A1-quick-handy-tip">&#x1F4A1; Quick Handy Tip</h2><p>In GNOME&apos;s Nautilus file manager, you can drag and drop a tab from one window to another Nautilus window, just like browsers. Or, drag it out to open it as a new window.</p><p>See below to learn how. &#x1F447;</p><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1121529061?app_id=122963" width="390" height="240" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" title="GNOME Nautilus (Files) Drag/Drop Tabs Quick Tip"></iframe></figure><h2 id="%F0%9F%8E%8B-fun-in-the-fossverse">&#x1F38B; Fun in the FOSSverse</h2><p><strong>&#x1F9E9; Quiz Time</strong>: Open source is full of forks; <a href="https://itsfoss.com/quiz/community-strikes-back/">can you match the projects</a> with their community-based forks/alternatives?</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://itsfoss.com/quiz/community-strikes-back/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Community Strikes Back [Puzzle]</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Forked it!</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-663.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.39: Kill Switch Phones, LMDE 7, Zorin OS 18 Beta, Polybar, Apt History and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Abhishek Prakash</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/empire-strikes-back-puzzle.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.39: Kill Switch Phones, LMDE 7, Zorin OS 18 Beta, Polybar, Apt History and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p><strong>&#x1F923; Meme of the Week</strong>: The contempt is real, people. &#x2620;&#xFE0F;</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/meme-1.png" class="kg-image" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.39: Kill Switch Phones, LMDE 7, Zorin OS 18 Beta, Polybar, Apt History and More Linux Stuff" loading="lazy" width="1080" height="1080" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/meme-1.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/meme-1.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/meme-1.png 1080w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p><strong>&#x1F5D3;&#xFE0F; Tech Trivia</strong>: On September 22, 1986, <strong>a U.S. federal judge ruled that computer code could be copyrighted</strong>, giving software the same legal protections as books and other written works.</p><p><strong>&#x1F9D1;&#x200D;&#x1F91D;&#x200D;&#x1F9D1; From the Community</strong>: One of our regular FOSSers <a href="https://itsfoss.community/t/terminal-what-app-do-you-to-see-a-log-file-through-pagination-and-with-colors/14845">has a question about terminals</a>. Can you help?</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://itsfoss.community/t/terminal-what-app-do-you-to-see-a-log-file-through-pagination-and-with-colors/14845"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Terminal: What app do you to see a .log file through pagination and with colors?</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Hello Friends In a Terminal: What app do you to see a .log file through pagination and with colors? I did do a quick research in the web and I found https://lnav.org/ (not tested yet) But just being curious if you have your own recommendation. It to be used with https://logback.qos.ch where is used the following Logger Levels: trace,debug,info,warn,error If I use Visual Studio Code for long files (20MB-50MB) it consumes ram as a wolf, it even worst for many .log files opened at the same tim&#x2026;</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/f274f9749e3fd8b4d6fbae1cf90c5c186d2f699c_2_180x180-70.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.39: Kill Switch Phones, LMDE 7, Zorin OS 18 Beta, Polybar, Apt History and More Linux Stuff"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS Community</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Manuel_Jordan</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/f274f9749e3fd8b4d6fbae1cf90c5c186d2f699c-60.png" alt="FOSS Weekly #25.39: Kill Switch Phones, LMDE 7, Zorin OS 18 Beta, Polybar, Apt History and More Linux Stuff" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="%E2%9D%A4%EF%B8%8F-with-love">&#x2764;&#xFE0F; With love</h2><p><strong>Please share it with your Linux-using friends</strong>&#xA0;and encourage them to subscribe (hint:&#xA0;<a href="https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/">it&apos;s here</a>).</p><p>Share the articles in Linux Subreddits and community forums.</p><p><a href="https://news.google.com/publications/CAAiENHoh-T8yP9Q8Qywor2dwGkqFAgKIhDR6Ifk_Mj_UPEMsKK9ncBp?ref=itsfoss.com">Follow us on Google News</a>&#xA0;and stay updated in your News feed.</p><p>Opt for&#xA0;<a href="https://itsfoss.com/membership">It&apos;s FOSS Plus membership</a>&#xA0;and support us &#x1F64F;</p><p>Enjoy FOSS &#x1F604;</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[How I Configure Polybar to Customize My Linux Desktop]]></title><description><![CDATA[Let me share how I am customizing my desktop Linux with the awesome Polybar. This could work as a beginner's guide to understanding Polybar configuration.]]></description><link>https://itsfoss.com/configuring-polybar-linux/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68876c1ba9be0b073f0eb466</guid><category><![CDATA[Customization ⚙️]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sreenath]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 22 Sep 2025 11:33:58 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/customizing-polybar.png" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/customizing-polybar.png" alt="How I Configure Polybar to Customize My Linux Desktop"><p>Most major Linux desktop environments like GNOME, KDE Plasma, and Xfce come with their own built-in panels for launching apps, switching workspaces, and keeping track of what&#x2019;s happening on your system. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/xfce-top-panel-1.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I Configure Polybar to Customize My Linux Desktop" loading="lazy" width="1912" height="354" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/xfce-top-panel-1.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/xfce-top-panel-1.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1600/2025/09/xfce-top-panel-1.png 1600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/xfce-top-panel-1.png 1912w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Example of top panel in Xfce</span></figcaption></figure><p>One of the best things about Linux is the freedom to customize, and there are plenty of alternatives out there if you want something more flexible or visually appealing for your panel.</p><p><a href="https://polybar.github.io/">Polybar</a> is a standout choice among these alternatives. It&#x2019;s a fast, highly customizable status bar that not only looks great but is also easy to configure. </p><p>If you&#x2019;re running an X11-based setup, such as the i3 window manager or even Xfce, Polybar can really elevate the look of your desktop, help you keep essential info at your fingertips, and make better use of your screen space.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/xfce-polybar-panel-1.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I Configure Polybar to Customize My Linux Desktop" loading="lazy" width="1840" height="402" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/xfce-polybar-panel-1.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/xfce-polybar-panel-1.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1600/2025/09/xfce-polybar-panel-1.png 1600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/xfce-polybar-panel-1.png 1840w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Example of Polybar in Xfce</span></figcaption></figure><p>We used Polybar in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw4dLnMNecE">our Xfce customization video</a> and this is from where we got the idea to do a detailed tutorial on it.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fw4dLnMNecE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="The Stunning Xfce Customization and How You Can Do the Same"></iframe></figure><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Subscribe to It&apos;s FOSS YouTube Channel</a></div><p>In this guide, we&#x2019;ll build a sleek Polybar panel just like the one featured in our Xfce customization video above. Along the way, you&#x2019;ll get a solid introduction to the basics of Polybar customization to help you tailor the panel to your own style and workflow.</p><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-red"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F6A7;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">This article is not trying to take over the place of <a href="https://github.com/polybar/polybar/wiki/" rel="noreferrer">Polybar Wiki</a>. You can and should read the wiki while customizing Polybar. This article tries to act as a helper companion for beginners to get started.</div></div><h2 id="installing-polybar">Installing Polybar</h2><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-green"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F4A1;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">Most tweaks here are done through the config file at user level. If you get easily overwhelmed and don&apos;t like to troubleshoot and fix much, you should probably create a new user account. Or, you could try these things in a fresh system on a VM or on a spare machine. This way, you won&apos;t impact your main system. Just a suggestion.</div></div><p>Polybar is a popular project and is available in the official repositories of most major Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Debian, Arch Linux, Fedora, etc.</p><p>If you are a Debian/Ubuntu user, use:</p><pre><code class="language-bash">sudo apt install polybar
  306. </code></pre><p>For Arch Linux users,</p><pre><code class="language-bash">sudo pacman -S polybar
  307. </code></pre><p>In Fedora Linux, use the command:</p><pre><code class="language-bash">sudo dnf install polybar
  308. </code></pre><p>Once you install Polybar, you can actually use it with the default config by using the command:</p><pre><code class="language-bash">polybar
  309. </code></pre><p><a href="https://itsfoss.com/manage-startup-applications-ubuntu/">Add it to the list of autostart applications</a> to make the bar automatically start at system login.</p><h2 id="initial-configuration-setups">Initial configuration setups</h2><p>Let&apos;s say you don&apos;t want the default config and you want to start from scratch.</p><p>First, make a directory called <code>polybar</code> in your <code>~/.config</code> directory. </p><pre><code>mkdir -p ~/.config/polybar</code></pre><p>And then create a config file called <code>config.ini</code> for Polybar in this location.</p><pre><code class="language-bash">touch config.ini
  310. </code></pre><p>Now, you have an empty config file. It&apos;s time to &apos;code&apos;.</p><h3 id="config-file-structure">Config file structure</h3><p>Polybar config file has a structure that makes things works easier and cleaner.</p><p>The whole config can be divided broadly intro four parts.</p><ul><li><strong>Colors</strong>: Define the colors to use across polybar</li><li><strong>Bar</strong>: Define the properties of the whole bar.</li><li><strong>Modules</strong>: Individual bar modules are defined here.</li><li><strong>Scripts</strong>: This is not inside the config, but external shell and other scripts that enhance the Polybar functionality.</li></ul><h2 id="define-the-colors">Define the colors</h2><p>Let me share how I am customizing my desktop Linux with the awesome Polybar. This could work as a beginner&apos;s guide to understanding Polybar configuration.It is not convinient to write all the colors in hex code separately. While this is good during rough coding, it will create headaches later on, when you want to change colors in bulk.</p><p>You can define a set of general colors in the beginning to make things easier.</p><p>See an example here:</p><pre><code>[colors]
  311. background = #282A2E
  312. window-background = #DE282A2E
  313. background-alt = #373B41
  314. border-color = #0027A1B9
  315. foreground = #C5C8C6
  316. primary = #88c0d0
  317. secondary = #8ABEB7
  318. alert = #A54242
  319. disabled = #707880
  320. aurora-blue = #27A1B9
  321. aurora-orange = #FF9535
  322. aurora-yellow = #FFFDBB
  323. aurora-green = #53E8D4
  324. aurora-violet = #8921C2
  325. nord-background = #4c566a
  326. </code></pre><p>The common definition syntax is explained above. Now, to refer to any color in the list, you can use:</p><pre><code>key = ${colors.colorvariable}
  327. </code></pre><p>For example, if you want to set the foreground color in a module, you will use:</p><pre><code>foreground = ${colors.foreground}
  328. </code></pre><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-green"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F4A1;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">If you intend to change the entire color palette of the bar, all you have to do is create a new color palette and paste it in the config. No need to change individual colors of all modules and sub-items.</div></div><h2 id="setting-the-bar">Setting the bar</h2><p>In simple words, this is the panel appearing in the bar. The one that contains all other modules.</p><p>Polybar allows you to have multiple bars. Perhaps that&apos;s the reason why it is called &apos;polybar&apos;. These bars can be named separately in the config file, with their own set of modules.</p><p>The bar is placed, defined with the syntax:</p><pre><code>[bar/&lt;barname&gt;]
  329. option = value
  330. option = value
  331.  
  332.  
  333. [bar/&lt;barname2&gt;]
  334. option = value
  335. option = value
  336. </code></pre><p>Let&#x2019;s say I am creating a top bar and a bottom bar, my simple syntax will be:</p><pre><code>[bar/mytopbar]
  337. options = values
  338.  
  339. [bar/mybottombar]
  340. options = value
  341. </code></pre><p>There will be plenty of options and values to use that you will see later in this tutorial.</p><p>Now, if you want to open only the top bar, use:</p><pre><code>polybar mytopbar
  342. </code></pre><h3 id="configure-the-bar">Configure the bar</h3><p>You have seen the general syntax of the bar that mentions options and values. Now, let&#x2019;s see some options. </p><p>I am giving you a code block below, and will explain with the help of that.</p><pre><code class="language-ini">monitor = HDMI-1
  343. width = 100%
  344. height = 20pt
  345. radius = 5
  346. fixed-center = true
  347. background = ${colors.window-background}
  348. foreground = ${colors.foreground}
  349. line-size = 3pt
  350. border-size = 2.5pt
  351. border-color = ${colors.border-color}
  352. padding-left = 0
  353. padding-right = 0
  354. module-margin = 1
  355. separator = &quot;|&quot;
  356. separator-foreground = ${colors.disabled}
  357. font-0 = &quot;JetBrains Mono:size=10;3&quot;
  358. font-1 = monospace;2
  359. font-2 = &quot;FiraCode Nerd Font:size=11;2&quot;
  360. font-3 = &quot;Symbols Nerd Font:size=20;4&quot;
  361. modules-left = mymenu ewmh
  362. modules-center = date temperature pacupdate
  363. modules-right = pulseaudio memory cpu eth magic-click sessionLogout
  364. enable-ipc = true
  365. </code></pre><p>The main options that you may take a closer look are:</p><ul><li><strong>monitor</strong>: As the name suggests, this decides on which monitor you want the Polybar. Use the <code>xrandr</code> command to get the name of the display. If you are using a multi-monitor setup, you can define a second bar, placing it on the second monitor and so on.</li><li><strong>separator</strong>: This is the separator used to separate the modules appearing in Polybar. You can use any item here, including Nerd font items (given the nerd font is installed on the system.).</li><li><strong>font-n</strong>: These are fonts to be used in the bar. The number corresponding refers to fallback fonts. That is, if the one mentioned first is not available, the other is used. Take special care to the <strong>Nerd fonts</strong> we have set at <code>font-2</code> and <code>font-3</code>. This will be explained in a later section.</li><li><strong>modules-left, modules-center, modules-right</strong>: Keys used to arrange the modules in the bar. Place the module names on any of this section, then that appears in that part of the bar.</li><li><strong>enable-ipc</strong>: Enable Inter-process communication. This allows scripts or external apps to send commands (like module updates or bar reloads) to Polybar in real time.</li></ul><p>The above-mentioned options are enough for a working bar. The rest are mostly self-explanatory. You can read more about other options and more help from the <a href="https://github.com/polybar/polybar/wiki/Configuration">official wiki of Polybar</a>.</p><h2 id="modules">Modules</h2><p>Now that you have placed the bar, it&apos;s time to start adding the items.</p><p>If you have looked at the above piece of script, you would have noticed that there are some entries in the <code>modules-left</code>, <code>modules-center</code>, and <code>modules-right</code> keys. They are <code>mymenu ewmh</code>, <code>date temperature pacupdate</code>, and <code>pulseaudio memory cpu eth magic-click sessionLogout</code> respectively.</p><p>These are calling modules to the bar and placing them in the required position.</p><p>In order to call them to the bar, they need to be defined; like what to display at that position. So, our next part is defining the modules.</p><p>The general syntax for a module will be</p><pre><code>[module/MY_MODULE_NAME]
  366. type = MODULE_TYPE
  367. option1 = value1
  368. option2 = value2
  369. ...
  370. </code></pre><p>Here, <code>MY_MODULE_NAME</code> can be found on the Polybar Wiki, that explains modules. For example, refer to the <a href="https://github.com/polybar/polybar/wiki/Module:-cpu">CPU module wiki in Polybar</a>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/07/module-name-in-wiki.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I Configure Polybar to Customize My Linux Desktop" loading="lazy" width="735" height="356" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/07/module-name-in-wiki.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/07/module-name-in-wiki.png 735w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Getting Module Name</span></figcaption></figure><p>The <code>type</code> here will be:</p><pre><code>type = internal/cpu
  371. </code></pre><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-red"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F6A7;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">I will be using several modules here, that will create a fine panel for a beginner. You should read the wiki for more modules and customizations as required for your needs.</div></div><h3 id="add-workspaces">Add Workspaces</h3><p>Workspaces is a great way to increase productivity by avoiding cluttered windows in front of you. In Polybar, we will be using the <code>emwh</code> module to get workspaces in the panel.</p><p>Let&apos;s see a sample config:</p><pre><code class="language-ini">[module/ewmh]
  372. type = internal/xworkspaces
  373. icon-0 = 1;&#xE745;
  374. icon-1 = 2;&#xF06A2;
  375. icon-2 = 3;&#xEBCA;
  376. icon-3 = 4;&#xEC15;
  377. icon-4 = 5;&#xEB50;
  378. icon-5 = 6;&#xF7B6;
  379. icon-6 = 7;&#xF0C3;
  380. icon-7 = 8;&#xF4D8;
  381. icon-8 = 9;&#xF11C;
  382. icon-9 = 10;&#xF233;
  383. format = &lt;label-state&gt;
  384. format-font = 2
  385. #group-by-monitor = false
  386. #pin-workspaces = false
  387. label-active = %icon%
  388. label-active-background = ${colors.background-alt}
  389. label-active-forground = #00000000
  390. label-active-padding = 2
  391. label-occupied = %icon%
  392. label-occupied-padding = 1
  393. label-urgent = %icon%
  394. label-urgent-background = ${colors.primary}
  395. label-urgent-padding = 1
  396. label-empty = %icon%
  397. label-empty-foreground = ${colors.disabled}
  398. label-empty-padding = 1
  399. </code></pre><p>We have already seen what <code>type</code> is in the previous section.</p><p>In <code>workspaces</code>, you should be able to see icons/numbers for each workspace. These icons are defined in the <code>icon-n</code> key. The <code>n</code> here corresponds to the workspace number.</p><p>For desktops like Xfce, the number of workspaces available is managed by the desktop. So, if you are adding icons for 5 workspaces, make sure you have created 5 workspaces in the system settings.</p><p>For example, in Xfce, you can search for <code>Virtual Desktops</code> in the menu and set the number of workspaces available in the system.</p><p>The <code>format</code> options tells the bar what to show for which workspace. We have set it as <code>label-state</code>. This means, we will define some states (active, empty, occupied, urgent) for the workspaces and the display will be according to that.</p><p>The <code>format-font = 3</code> tells the polybar to use which font. Here, I have specified <code>3</code>, that will refer to <code>font-3</code> defined in the bar section. That is <code>Symbols Nerd Font:size=20;4</code>. Since I have pasted the nerd font logo from nerd fonts, this will be better to display them properly.</p><p>Look at the code below:</p><pre><code>label-active = %icon%
  400. label-active-background = ${colors.background-alt}
  401. label-active-forground = #00000000
  402. label-active-padding = 2
  403. </code></pre><p>This sets the value <code>%icon%</code> when the workspace is active. When Polybar sees the <code>%icon%</code>, it will swap this with the icons defined above. That is <code>icon-N</code>. The rest options are visual changes for each of the state, like background color, foreground color, etc.</p><p>If you are using nerd fonts for this, these fonts will change their color according to the set foreground color.</p><p>Similar is done as needed for other states like empty, urgent, etc. It is up to your creativity to assign what values to these states to make it visually pleasing.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-video-card kg-width-regular kg-card-hascaption" data-kg-thumbnail="https://itsfoss.com/content/media/2025/07/switch-workspaces_thumb.jpg" data-kg-custom-thumbnail>
  404.            <div class="kg-video-container">
  405.                <video src="https://itsfoss.com/content/media/2025/07/switch-workspaces.mp4" poster="https://img.spacergif.org/v1/740x418/0a/spacer.png" width="740" height="418" loop autoplay muted playsinline preload="metadata" style="background: transparent url(&apos;https://itsfoss.com/content/media/2025/07/switch-workspaces_thumb.jpg&apos;) 50% 50% / cover no-repeat;"></video>
  406.                <div class="kg-video-overlay">
  407.                    <button class="kg-video-large-play-icon" aria-label="Play video">
  408.                        <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  409.                            <path d="M23.14 10.608 2.253.164A1.559 1.559 0 0 0 0 1.557v20.887a1.558 1.558 0 0 0 2.253 1.392L23.14 13.393a1.557 1.557 0 0 0 0-2.785Z"/>
  410.                        </svg>
  411.                    </button>
  412.                </div>
  413.                <div class="kg-video-player-container kg-video-hide">
  414.                    <div class="kg-video-player">
  415.                        <button class="kg-video-play-icon" aria-label="Play video">
  416.                            <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  417.                                <path d="M23.14 10.608 2.253.164A1.559 1.559 0 0 0 0 1.557v20.887a1.558 1.558 0 0 0 2.253 1.392L23.14 13.393a1.557 1.557 0 0 0 0-2.785Z"/>
  418.                            </svg>
  419.                        </button>
  420.                        <button class="kg-video-pause-icon kg-video-hide" aria-label="Pause video">
  421.                            <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  422.                                <rect x="3" y="1" width="7" height="22" rx="1.5" ry="1.5"/>
  423.                                <rect x="14" y="1" width="7" height="22" rx="1.5" ry="1.5"/>
  424.                            </svg>
  425.                        </button>
  426.                        <span class="kg-video-current-time">0:00</span>
  427.                        <div class="kg-video-time">
  428.                            /<span class="kg-video-duration">0:06</span>
  429.                        </div>
  430.                        <input type="range" class="kg-video-seek-slider" max="100" value="0">
  431.                        <button class="kg-video-playback-rate" aria-label="Adjust playback speed">1&#xD7;</button>
  432.                        <button class="kg-video-unmute-icon" aria-label="Unmute">
  433.                            <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  434.                                <path d="M15.189 2.021a9.728 9.728 0 0 0-7.924 4.85.249.249 0 0 1-.221.133H5.25a3 3 0 0 0-3 3v2a3 3 0 0 0 3 3h1.794a.249.249 0 0 1 .221.133 9.73 9.73 0 0 0 7.924 4.85h.06a1 1 0 0 0 1-1V3.02a1 1 0 0 0-1.06-.998Z"/>
  435.                            </svg>
  436.                        </button>
  437.                        <button class="kg-video-mute-icon kg-video-hide" aria-label="Mute">
  438.                            <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  439.                                <path d="M16.177 4.3a.248.248 0 0 0 .073-.176v-1.1a1 1 0 0 0-1.061-1 9.728 9.728 0 0 0-7.924 4.85.249.249 0 0 1-.221.133H5.25a3 3 0 0 0-3 3v2a3 3 0 0 0 3 3h.114a.251.251 0 0 0 .177-.073ZM23.707 1.706A1 1 0 0 0 22.293.292l-22 22a1 1 0 0 0 0 1.414l.009.009a1 1 0 0 0 1.405-.009l6.63-6.631A.251.251 0 0 1 8.515 17a.245.245 0 0 1 .177.075 10.081 10.081 0 0 0 6.5 2.92 1 1 0 0 0 1.061-1V9.266a.247.247 0 0 1 .073-.176Z"/>
  440.                            </svg>
  441.                        </button>
  442.                        <input type="range" class="kg-video-volume-slider" max="100" value="100">
  443.                    </div>
  444.                </div>
  445.            </div>
  446.            <figcaption><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Switch Workspaces in Polybar</span></p></figcaption>
  447.        </figure><h3 id="what-is-the-time-now">What is the time now?</h3><p>A panel without a date is useless! Let&apos;s add a date block to Polybar.</p><p>The type we use for a <a href="https://github.com/polybar/polybar/wiki/Module:-date" rel="noreferrer">date module</a> is:</p><pre><code>type = internal/date
  448. </code></pre><p>We need to format it, so that it looks better. So, take a look at the sample code below:</p><pre><code>[module/date]
  449. type = internal/date
  450. interval = 1.0
  451. time = %I:%M %p
  452. date = %d-%m-%Y
  453. date-alt = &quot;%{F#FF9535}%Y-%m-%d %I:%M:%S %p%{F-}&quot;
  454. label = %date% %time%
  455. label-font = 5
  456. label-foreground = ${colors.aurora-yellow}
  457. format = &#xF1442; &lt;label&gt;
  458. format-prefix-font = 2
  459. </code></pre><p>First is the refresh rate. We set the click to refresh every second with the <code>interval = 1.0</code>. The value is in seconds.</p><p>Next, define what to show with the <code>time</code> key. It has to be in a format <code>strftime</code>. You can read the full format specification in the <a href="https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man3/strftime.3.html">man page here</a>.</p><p>For now, we are using the format <code>%I:%M %p</code>, that will show the time as <code>12:30 PM</code>.</p><p>We are going a bit further to show you that there are more with <code>date</code> module.</p><p>Use the <code>date</code> key to set the date format. I am using the format <code>%d-%m-%Y</code>, which will output <code>25-07-2025</code>.</p><p>The <code>date-alt</code> key can be used to show another date format when you click on the date module in the bar.</p><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-green"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F4A1;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">You can remember like this; if there is an&#xA0;<code spellcheck="false" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">alt</code>&#xA0;in the name of a key, then it define an action that is available upon clicking that module.</div></div><p>The syntax <code>%{F#RRGGBB}</code> in Polybar is used to set the foreground color dynamically within the module&#x2019;s label or format string. This is like <code>&lt;span&gt;</code> tag in the HTML codes.</p><p>So this will tell Polybar &#x201C;from here on, use this foreground (text) color,&#x201D; and once the <code>%{F-}</code> is spotted, reset it to general flow, or what was before.</p><p>So, according to the code, when we click on the date module, it will show the detailed date format as <code>%Y-%m-%d %I:%M:%S %p</code>, which in real world, <code>2025-07-25 12:30:25 PM</code>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-video-card kg-width-regular kg-card-hascaption" data-kg-thumbnail="https://itsfoss.com/content/media/2025/07/date-module_thumb.jpg" data-kg-custom-thumbnail>
  460.            <div class="kg-video-container">
  461.                <video src="https://itsfoss.com/content/media/2025/07/date-module.mp4" poster="https://img.spacergif.org/v1/956x188/0a/spacer.png" width="956" height="188" loop autoplay muted playsinline preload="metadata" style="background: transparent url(&apos;https://itsfoss.com/content/media/2025/07/date-module_thumb.jpg&apos;) 50% 50% / cover no-repeat;"></video>
  462.                <div class="kg-video-overlay">
  463.                    <button class="kg-video-large-play-icon" aria-label="Play video">
  464.                        <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  465.                            <path d="M23.14 10.608 2.253.164A1.559 1.559 0 0 0 0 1.557v20.887a1.558 1.558 0 0 0 2.253 1.392L23.14 13.393a1.557 1.557 0 0 0 0-2.785Z"/>
  466.                        </svg>
  467.                    </button>
  468.                </div>
  469.                <div class="kg-video-player-container kg-video-hide">
  470.                    <div class="kg-video-player">
  471.                        <button class="kg-video-play-icon" aria-label="Play video">
  472.                            <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  473.                                <path d="M23.14 10.608 2.253.164A1.559 1.559 0 0 0 0 1.557v20.887a1.558 1.558 0 0 0 2.253 1.392L23.14 13.393a1.557 1.557 0 0 0 0-2.785Z"/>
  474.                            </svg>
  475.                        </button>
  476.                        <button class="kg-video-pause-icon kg-video-hide" aria-label="Pause video">
  477.                            <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  478.                                <rect x="3" y="1" width="7" height="22" rx="1.5" ry="1.5"/>
  479.                                <rect x="14" y="1" width="7" height="22" rx="1.5" ry="1.5"/>
  480.                            </svg>
  481.                        </button>
  482.                        <span class="kg-video-current-time">0:00</span>
  483.                        <div class="kg-video-time">
  484.                            /<span class="kg-video-duration">0:07</span>
  485.                        </div>
  486.                        <input type="range" class="kg-video-seek-slider" max="100" value="0">
  487.                        <button class="kg-video-playback-rate" aria-label="Adjust playback speed">1&#xD7;</button>
  488.                        <button class="kg-video-unmute-icon" aria-label="Unmute">
  489.                            <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  490.                                <path d="M15.189 2.021a9.728 9.728 0 0 0-7.924 4.85.249.249 0 0 1-.221.133H5.25a3 3 0 0 0-3 3v2a3 3 0 0 0 3 3h1.794a.249.249 0 0 1 .221.133 9.73 9.73 0 0 0 7.924 4.85h.06a1 1 0 0 0 1-1V3.02a1 1 0 0 0-1.06-.998Z"/>
  491.                            </svg>
  492.                        </button>
  493.                        <button class="kg-video-mute-icon kg-video-hide" aria-label="Mute">
  494.                            <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  495.                                <path d="M16.177 4.3a.248.248 0 0 0 .073-.176v-1.1a1 1 0 0 0-1.061-1 9.728 9.728 0 0 0-7.924 4.85.249.249 0 0 1-.221.133H5.25a3 3 0 0 0-3 3v2a3 3 0 0 0 3 3h.114a.251.251 0 0 0 .177-.073ZM23.707 1.706A1 1 0 0 0 22.293.292l-22 22a1 1 0 0 0 0 1.414l.009.009a1 1 0 0 0 1.405-.009l6.63-6.631A.251.251 0 0 1 8.515 17a.245.245 0 0 1 .177.075 10.081 10.081 0 0 0 6.5 2.92 1 1 0 0 0 1.061-1V9.266a.247.247 0 0 1 .073-.176Z"/>
  496.                            </svg>
  497.                        </button>
  498.                        <input type="range" class="kg-video-volume-slider" max="100" value="100">
  499.                    </div>
  500.                </div>
  501.            </div>
  502.            <figcaption><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Showing date in Polybar with an alternate format</span></p></figcaption>
  503.        </figure><p>The <code>label = %date% %time%</code>, make sure the bar will show date and time properly.</p><p>The <code>format = &#xF1442; &lt;label&gt;</code> will show the date with a preceding nerd font icon.</p><p>It is in the <code>format</code> key, you add icons/glyphs to appear on the bar most of the time.</p><h3 id="how-do-i-change-the-volume">How do I change the volume?</h3><p>Most common way to change the volume in most system is to scroll on the volume button on panel. This is possible with Polybar as well.</p><p>Let&apos;s see a code for the module:</p><pre><code>[module/pulseaudio]
  504. type = internal/pulseaudio
  505. format-volume-prefix-foreground = ${colors.primary}
  506. format-volume = &lt;label-volume&gt; &lt;ramp-volume&gt;
  507. label-volume = %percentage%%
  508. use-ui-max = false
  509. click-right = pavucontrol
  510. label-muted = &quot; Mute&quot;
  511. label-muted-foreground = ${colors.disabled}
  512. format-muted = &lt;label-muted&gt;
  513. format-muted-prefix = &#xF075F;
  514. format-muted-prefix-font = 2
  515. format-muted-padding = 1
  516.  
  517. ; Ramp settings using &lt;ramp-volume&gt; used for Pulseaudio
  518. ramp-volume-0 = &#xF075F;
  519. ramp-volume-1 = &#x2581;
  520. ramp-volume-2 = &#x2582;
  521. ramp-volume-3 = &#x2583;
  522. ramp-volume-4 = &#x2584;
  523. ramp-volume-5 = &#x2585;
  524. ramp-volume-6 = &#x2586;
  525. ramp-volume-7 = &#x2587;
  526. ramp-volume-8 = &#x2588;
  527. ramp-volume-font = 2
  528. </code></pre><p>As you expected, <code>type = internal/pulseaudio</code> is the module type.</p><p>The next entry to look is <code>format-volume</code>. Here, we see a new item called <code>&lt;ramp-volume&gt;</code>. And if you look further down the code, you can see I have defined 9 levels (0 to 8) of ramp.</p><p>This <code>ramp-&lt;item&gt;</code> is available in some other module also. So, understanding it here is better to use them as required. For example, the <a href="https://github.com/polybar/polybar/wiki/Module:-cpu"><strong>cpu</strong></a> module give a <code>ramp-coreload</code>, <a href="https://github.com/polybar/polybar/wiki/Module:-memory"><strong>memory</strong></a> module gives <code>ramp-used</code> and <code>ramp-free</code>, etc.</p><p>It shows a visual volume indicator (like volume bars or icons) depending on the number of ramp levels. For example, in the above volume, the 100% volume level is divided into 9 equal ranges. So, when the volume is increased, an appropriate bar is shown.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-video-card kg-width-regular kg-card-hascaption" data-kg-thumbnail="https://itsfoss.com/content/media/2025/07/pulse-audio_thumb.jpg" data-kg-custom-thumbnail>
  529.            <div class="kg-video-container">
  530.                <video src="https://itsfoss.com/content/media/2025/07/pulse-audio.mp4" poster="https://img.spacergif.org/v1/708x228/0a/spacer.png" width="708" height="228" loop autoplay muted playsinline preload="metadata" style="background: transparent url(&apos;https://itsfoss.com/content/media/2025/07/pulse-audio_thumb.jpg&apos;) 50% 50% / cover no-repeat;"></video>
  531.                <div class="kg-video-overlay">
  532.                    <button class="kg-video-large-play-icon" aria-label="Play video">
  533.                        <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  534.                            <path d="M23.14 10.608 2.253.164A1.559 1.559 0 0 0 0 1.557v20.887a1.558 1.558 0 0 0 2.253 1.392L23.14 13.393a1.557 1.557 0 0 0 0-2.785Z"/>
  535.                        </svg>
  536.                    </button>
  537.                </div>
  538.                <div class="kg-video-player-container kg-video-hide">
  539.                    <div class="kg-video-player">
  540.                        <button class="kg-video-play-icon" aria-label="Play video">
  541.                            <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  542.                                <path d="M23.14 10.608 2.253.164A1.559 1.559 0 0 0 0 1.557v20.887a1.558 1.558 0 0 0 2.253 1.392L23.14 13.393a1.557 1.557 0 0 0 0-2.785Z"/>
  543.                            </svg>
  544.                        </button>
  545.                        <button class="kg-video-pause-icon kg-video-hide" aria-label="Pause video">
  546.                            <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  547.                                <rect x="3" y="1" width="7" height="22" rx="1.5" ry="1.5"/>
  548.                                <rect x="14" y="1" width="7" height="22" rx="1.5" ry="1.5"/>
  549.                            </svg>
  550.                        </button>
  551.                        <span class="kg-video-current-time">0:00</span>
  552.                        <div class="kg-video-time">
  553.                            /<span class="kg-video-duration">0:10</span>
  554.                        </div>
  555.                        <input type="range" class="kg-video-seek-slider" max="100" value="0">
  556.                        <button class="kg-video-playback-rate" aria-label="Adjust playback speed">1&#xD7;</button>
  557.                        <button class="kg-video-unmute-icon" aria-label="Unmute">
  558.                            <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  559.                                <path d="M15.189 2.021a9.728 9.728 0 0 0-7.924 4.85.249.249 0 0 1-.221.133H5.25a3 3 0 0 0-3 3v2a3 3 0 0 0 3 3h1.794a.249.249 0 0 1 .221.133 9.73 9.73 0 0 0 7.924 4.85h.06a1 1 0 0 0 1-1V3.02a1 1 0 0 0-1.06-.998Z"/>
  560.                            </svg>
  561.                        </button>
  562.                        <button class="kg-video-mute-icon kg-video-hide" aria-label="Mute">
  563.                            <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  564.                                <path d="M16.177 4.3a.248.248 0 0 0 .073-.176v-1.1a1 1 0 0 0-1.061-1 9.728 9.728 0 0 0-7.924 4.85.249.249 0 0 1-.221.133H5.25a3 3 0 0 0-3 3v2a3 3 0 0 0 3 3h.114a.251.251 0 0 0 .177-.073ZM23.707 1.706A1 1 0 0 0 22.293.292l-22 22a1 1 0 0 0 0 1.414l.009.009a1 1 0 0 0 1.405-.009l6.63-6.631A.251.251 0 0 1 8.515 17a.245.245 0 0 1 .177.075 10.081 10.081 0 0 0 6.5 2.92 1 1 0 0 0 1.061-1V9.266a.247.247 0 0 1 .073-.176Z"/>
  565.                            </svg>
  566.                        </button>
  567.                        <input type="range" class="kg-video-volume-slider" max="100" value="100">
  568.                    </div>
  569.                </div>
  570.            </div>
  571.            <figcaption><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Change the volume with ramps</span></p></figcaption>
  572.        </figure><p>Another useful options are the mouse-click items. Generally, you have three of them available:</p><ul><li>click-left</li><li>click-middle</li><li>click-right</li></ul><p>It is not limited to pulseaudio, you can use it in some other modules also. For that, refer to the wiki page.</p><h3 id="tray">Tray</h3><p>Many apps needs an active tray module to work. Discord, Spotify, Ksnip, Flameshot, all provides a close to tray option as well.</p><p>In Polybar, you will be using the <code>tray</code> module for this purpose.</p><pre><code>[module/tray]
  573. type = internal/tray
  574.  
  575. format-margin = 8px
  576. tray-spacing = 8px
  577. </code></pre><p>It has several option you can try, in the official wiki. Rewriting them here is not an efficient way, since a bare module serves most purposes.</p><div class="kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-red"><div class="kg-callout-emoji">&#x1F6A7;</div><div class="kg-callout-text">In Linux systems, only one panel can take the tray. So, you only needed to add it in one tray. Similarly, in Xfce and other distros, which by default offers a panel with tray, using the&#xA0;<code spellcheck="false" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">tray</code>&#xA0;module will not work properly.</div></div><h2 id="scripts-and-custom-module">Scripts and Custom Module</h2><p>This is not the scope of this article to explain bash shell scripts/ python scripts. But we will see custom modules in Polybar, that you can use to extend the function to next level.</p><p>But, with Polybar, you can create shell scripts and then use it at places in modules. For example, take a look at the code below, that defines a custom module to show any package update available in Arch Linux:</p><pre><code>[module/pacupdate]
  578. type = custom/script
  579. exec = /home/$USER/.config/polybar/pacupdates.sh
  580. interval = 1000
  581. label = %output%
  582. format-font = 3
  583. click-left = notify-send &quot;Updates:&quot; &quot;$(checkupdates)&quot;
  584. </code></pre><p>As you can see, I got the <code>type</code> as <code>custom/script</code> from the <a href="https://github.com/polybar/polybar/wiki/Module:-script">wiki for scripts</a>.</p><p>Check the <code>exec</code> field. It points what to execute in the module. This can either be a simple command or point to the path to a script. Here, I pointed it to a script called <code>pacupdates</code> located on my <code>~/.config/polybar/</code> directory.</p><p>The contents of the script is available in our GitHub repo. What it does is check and tell whether any package update is available.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-video-card kg-width-regular kg-card-hascaption" data-kg-thumbnail="https://itsfoss.com/content/media/2025/07/pacupdates_thumb.jpg" data-kg-custom-thumbnail>
  585.            <div class="kg-video-container">
  586.                <video src="https://itsfoss.com/content/media/2025/07/pacupdates.mp4" poster="https://img.spacergif.org/v1/1050x320/0a/spacer.png" width="1050" height="320" loop autoplay muted playsinline preload="metadata" style="background: transparent url(&apos;https://itsfoss.com/content/media/2025/07/pacupdates_thumb.jpg&apos;) 50% 50% / cover no-repeat;"></video>
  587.                <div class="kg-video-overlay">
  588.                    <button class="kg-video-large-play-icon" aria-label="Play video">
  589.                        <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  590.                            <path d="M23.14 10.608 2.253.164A1.559 1.559 0 0 0 0 1.557v20.887a1.558 1.558 0 0 0 2.253 1.392L23.14 13.393a1.557 1.557 0 0 0 0-2.785Z"/>
  591.                        </svg>
  592.                    </button>
  593.                </div>
  594.                <div class="kg-video-player-container kg-video-hide">
  595.                    <div class="kg-video-player">
  596.                        <button class="kg-video-play-icon" aria-label="Play video">
  597.                            <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  598.                                <path d="M23.14 10.608 2.253.164A1.559 1.559 0 0 0 0 1.557v20.887a1.558 1.558 0 0 0 2.253 1.392L23.14 13.393a1.557 1.557 0 0 0 0-2.785Z"/>
  599.                            </svg>
  600.                        </button>
  601.                        <button class="kg-video-pause-icon kg-video-hide" aria-label="Pause video">
  602.                            <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  603.                                <rect x="3" y="1" width="7" height="22" rx="1.5" ry="1.5"/>
  604.                                <rect x="14" y="1" width="7" height="22" rx="1.5" ry="1.5"/>
  605.                            </svg>
  606.                        </button>
  607.                        <span class="kg-video-current-time">0:00</span>
  608.                        <div class="kg-video-time">
  609.                            /<span class="kg-video-duration">0:06</span>
  610.                        </div>
  611.                        <input type="range" class="kg-video-seek-slider" max="100" value="0">
  612.                        <button class="kg-video-playback-rate" aria-label="Adjust playback speed">1&#xD7;</button>
  613.                        <button class="kg-video-unmute-icon" aria-label="Unmute">
  614.                            <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  615.                                <path d="M15.189 2.021a9.728 9.728 0 0 0-7.924 4.85.249.249 0 0 1-.221.133H5.25a3 3 0 0 0-3 3v2a3 3 0 0 0 3 3h1.794a.249.249 0 0 1 .221.133 9.73 9.73 0 0 0 7.924 4.85h.06a1 1 0 0 0 1-1V3.02a1 1 0 0 0-1.06-.998Z"/>
  616.                            </svg>
  617.                        </button>
  618.                        <button class="kg-video-mute-icon kg-video-hide" aria-label="Mute">
  619.                            <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24">
  620.                                <path d="M16.177 4.3a.248.248 0 0 0 .073-.176v-1.1a1 1 0 0 0-1.061-1 9.728 9.728 0 0 0-7.924 4.85.249.249 0 0 1-.221.133H5.25a3 3 0 0 0-3 3v2a3 3 0 0 0 3 3h.114a.251.251 0 0 0 .177-.073ZM23.707 1.706A1 1 0 0 0 22.293.292l-22 22a1 1 0 0 0 0 1.414l.009.009a1 1 0 0 0 1.405-.009l6.63-6.631A.251.251 0 0 1 8.515 17a.245.245 0 0 1 .177.075 10.081 10.081 0 0 0 6.5 2.92 1 1 0 0 0 1.061-1V9.266a.247.247 0 0 1 .073-.176Z"/>
  621.                            </svg>
  622.                        </button>
  623.                        <input type="range" class="kg-video-volume-slider" max="100" value="100">
  624.                    </div>
  625.                </div>
  626.            </div>
  627.            <figcaption><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A custom script that will print what updates is available in the system when clicked on it</span></p></figcaption>
  628.        </figure><p>This is not an in-built module in Polybar. We have created it. With that, let&apos;s see a general syntax for custom modules:</p><pre><code>[module/MODULE_NAME]
  629. type = custom/script
  630. exec = COMMAND_OR_SCRIPT_PATH
  631. interval = SECONDS
  632. label = %output%
  633. format = &lt;label&gt;
  634. format-prefix = &quot;ICON_OR_TEXT &quot;
  635. format-prefix-font = FONT_INDEX
  636. click-left = COMMAND_ON_LEFT_CLICK
  637. click-right = COMMAND_ON_RIGHT_CLICK
  638. click-middle = COMMAND_ON_MIDDLE_CLICK
  639. </code></pre><p>The <code>%output%</code> value to the label (if you remember, you have seen <code>%icon%</code> earlier) refers to the output of the exec field.</p><p>We have seen other values in various other sections above.</p><p>Before we finish, take a look at one more custom module example, which when clicked opens rofi:</p><pre><code>[module/mymenu]
  640. type = custom/text
  641. format = &lt;label&gt;
  642. format-padding = 2
  643. label = &quot;%{F#1A1B26}&#xE27F;  Menu%{F-}&quot;
  644. click-left = /home/sreenathv/.config/polybar/rofi.sh
  645. format-background = ${colors.aurora-blue}
  646. </code></pre><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/07/mymenu-module.png" class="kg-image" alt="How I Configure Polybar to Customize My Linux Desktop" loading="lazy" width="1485" height="765" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/07/mymenu-module.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/07/mymenu-module.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/07/mymenu-module.png 1485w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Menu Button (Click to enlarge the image)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Do not forget to add these to the tray after defined otherwise they won&apos;t appear.</p><h2 id="wrapping-up">Wrapping Up</h2><p>Apart from the modules we discussed, there are many other modules that you can use. We have provided <a href="https://github.com/itsfoss/text-script-files/tree/master/config/polybar" rel="noreferrer">a ready to use Polybar config with several scripts in out GitHub page</a>.</p><p>Take a look at the lines on code in that files and get a better grasp of Polybar config.</p><p>I hope you liked this detailed guide to Polybar customization. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment and I&apos;ll be happy to answer them.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hyprland Made Easy: Preconfigured Beautiful Distros]]></title><description><![CDATA[Here are the projects that lower the entry barrier by providing a preconfigured Hyprland option.]]></description><link>https://itsfoss.com/hyprland-distros/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68ca9a3221a84100015c4aac</guid><category><![CDATA[List 📋]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sourav Rudra]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 19 Sep 2025 06:43:45 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/customize-hyprland-in-linux.png" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/customize-hyprland-in-linux.png" alt="Hyprland Made Easy: Preconfigured Beautiful Distros"><p><a href="https://hypr.land">Hyprland</a> is a dynamic tiling Wayland compositor that has been gaining traction in the Linux community due to its modern aesthetics, smooth animations, and extensive configurability. </p><p>Unlike <a href="https://itsfoss.com/best-window-managers/">traditional X11 window managers</a>, Hyprland leverages Wayland&apos;s capabilities to provide a more fluid and visually appealing desktop experience. Its growing popularity is evident in discussions across forums and communities, where people have been praising its performance and customization options.</p><p>But if you <a href="https://itsfoss.com/hyprland/">look at our Hyprland tutorial series</a>, you&apos;ll realize that setting up Hyprland can be a huge challenge. And that&apos;s why I am listing a few options that lower the entry barrier by providing a preconfigured Hyprland option. Let&apos;s see them.</p><h2 id="1-garuda-linux">1. Garuda Linux</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/garuda-linux-hyprland.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Hyprland Made Easy: Preconfigured Beautiful Distros" loading="lazy" width="1440" height="900" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/garuda-linux-hyprland.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/garuda-linux-hyprland.jpg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/garuda-linux-hyprland.jpg 1440w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>Garuda Linux offers a dedicated Hyprland edition, preconfigured with themes, wallpapers, and essential applications. It is designed <strong>for users who want a visually appealing and ready-to-use desktop</strong> without manually configuring Hyprland.</p><p>The distribution includes performance-oriented buffs such as the <a href="https://github.com/zen-kernel/zen-kernel">Zen kernel</a>, Btrfs snapshots, and optimized compositor settings. Users can enjoy a responsive system with minimal tweaking needed post-install.</p><p>Garuda&#x2019;s tools, like &quot;<em>Rani</em>,&quot; simplify maintenance and system management. This ensures even users new to Linux can manage updates, drivers, and desktop settings efficiently.</p><p><strong>&#x2B50; Key Features</strong></p><ul><li>Preinstalled tools for system management.</li><li>Ready-to-use desktop layout with Hyprland.</li><li>Rolling release updates via Arch Linux repos.</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://garudalinux.org/editions" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Garuda Linux</a></div><h2 id="2-archriot">2. ArchRiot</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qrraIOvAcdg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="I Tried ArchRiot Linux &#x2013; Hyprland Has Never Been Easier"></iframe></figure><p><a href="https://archriot.org">ArchRiot</a> is a community-driven, Arch-based distribution that comes with Hyprland preinstalled. It <strong>includes essential applications and cool themes</strong> for a ready-to-use desktop experience.</p><p>The distribution provides a Go-based installer that automates setup and includes rollback support, reducing setup errors. Plus, the distro follows a <a href="https://itsfoss.com/rolling-release/">rolling release</a> model, allowing users to stay up to date with the latest packages and Hyprland features.</p><p>Initially started as a fork of Omarchy (discussed later), it has evolved into a distinct project with custom developed tools.</p><p><strong>&#x2B50; Key Features</strong></p><ul><li>Go-based installer with rollback support.</li><li>Dependable community support for new users.</li><li>Preconfigured Hyprland with curated apps and themes.</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://archriot.org" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">ArchRiot</a></div><h2 id="3-cachyos">3. CachyOS</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iFbYf9dL0I4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="CachyOS Overview: Blazingly Fast &amp; Customizable New Linux Distribution"></iframe></figure><p><a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/cachyos/">CachyOS</a> is an Arch-based distribution focused on speed and ease of use. It <strong>offers a Hyprland option during installation</strong>, letting users start with a functional, preconfigured desktop.</p><p>It includes a simple installer, and the post-install tools are helpful to manage packages, settings, and desktop customization without extra complexity. This is a suitable option for both beginners and experienced users who want a fast Arch-based system with Hyprland ready to go.</p><p><strong>&#x2B50; Key Features</strong></p><ul><li>GUI and CLI installation options.</li><li>Tools for hardware detection and system customization.</li><li>Optimized kernel with BORE scheduler for better performance.</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://cachyos.org/download/" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">CachyOS</a></div><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://news.itsfoss.com/cachyos/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">CachyOS: Arch-based Distro for Speed and Ease of Use</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">A performance-focused Arch-based distro for newbies and experts.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-654.png" alt="Hyprland Made Easy: Preconfigured Beautiful Distros"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS News</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Ankush Das</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/CachyOS.jpg" alt="Hyprland Made Easy: Preconfigured Beautiful Distros" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id></h2><h2 id="4-omarchy-a-script-for-arch-linux">4. Omarchy (<em>A Script for Arch Linux</em>)</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/omarchy-hyprland.png" class="kg-image" alt="Hyprland Made Easy: Preconfigured Beautiful Distros" loading="lazy" width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/omarchy-hyprland.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/omarchy-hyprland.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1600/2025/09/omarchy-hyprland.png 1600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/omarchy-hyprland.png 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p><a href="https://news.itsfoss.com/omarchy/">Omarchy</a> is a script for Arch Linux that automates the installation and configuration of Hyprland. It sets up themes, layouts, keybinds, and essential applications.</p><p>The script <strong>reduces manual setup effort</strong>, allowing users to get a functional desktop with a single command. It supports optional packages for productivity and multimedia, letting users tailor the environment to their needs.</p><p>Omarchy is ideal for users who want the flexibility of Arch Linux without configuring every component manually.</p><p><strong>&#x2B50; Key Features</strong></p><ul><li>Many preinstalled themes.</li><li>Automated Hyprland setup in one command.</li><li>Optional productivity and multimedia integrations.</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://omarchy.org/" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">Omarchy</a></div><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://news.itsfoss.com/omarchy/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">This One Command Turned My Arch Install Into a Beautiful Hyprland Setup</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">This script turned my boring Arch install into something special.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-655.png" alt="Hyprland Made Easy: Preconfigured Beautiful Distros"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS News</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Sourav Rudra</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/omarchy-banner-1.png" alt="Hyprland Made Easy: Preconfigured Beautiful Distros" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><h2 id="5-kools-archhyprland-another-script-for-arch-linux">5. KooL&apos;s Arch - Hyprland (<em>Another Script for Arch Linux</em>)</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wQ70lo7P6vA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="KooL Hyprland Install Script improvements and KooL&apos;s Hyprland Dots new features"></iframe></figure><p>KooL&apos;s Arch - Hyprland is an automated installation script that sets up a complete Hyprland desktop environment on minimal Arch Linux systems. The script installs Hyprland along with a curated collection of themes, applications, and preconfigured dotfiles from a centralized repository, creating a polished and functional desktop experience out of the box.</p><p>While <strong>the setup is relatively opinionated</strong> and comes with various configurations, users still need to be comfortable with terminal usage and basic configuration file editing for system maintenance and minor adjustments.</p><p><strong>&#x2B50; Key Features</strong></p><ul><li>One-script setup with complete Hyprland environment installation.</li><li>Curated preconfigured dotfiles from an actively maintained repository.</li><li>Flexible display manager options, including GDM and SDDM support.</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://github.com/JaKooLit/Arch-Hyprland" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">KooL&apos;s Arch - Hyprland</a></div><h2 id="6-ml4w-dotfiles-for-hyprland">6. ML4W (Dotfiles for Hyprland)</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/my-linux-for-work.png" class="kg-image" alt="Hyprland Made Easy: Preconfigured Beautiful Distros" loading="lazy" width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/my-linux-for-work.png 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/my-linux-for-work.png 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1600/2025/10/my-linux-for-work.png 1600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/my-linux-for-work.png 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p><a href="https://mylinuxforwork.github.io/dotfiles/">ML4W</a>, short for My Linux for Work, <strong>is not a standalone Linux distribution but a set of dotfiles and scripts</strong> designed to provide a complete Hyprland desktop environment on top of an existing Linux system. It primarily supports Arch Linux, Fedora, and openSUSE, making it accessible to users across popular distributions without requiring a full reinstall.</p><p>The setup includes a structured installer that handles dependencies, applies theming, and sets up a curated set of applications for daily use. This makes it easier for users who want a polished Hyprland environment without spending hours configuring it from scratch.</p><p><strong>&#x2B50; Key Features</strong></p><ul><li>Ships graphical tools for adjusting themes and settings.</li><li>Provides regular updates and documentation for maintaining the setup.</li><li>Comes with preconfigured menus, notification systems, and terminal tweaks.</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://mylinuxforwork.github.io/dotfiles/" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">ML4W</a></div><h2 id="7-pikaos">7. PikaOS</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/pikaos-hyprland.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Hyprland Made Easy: Preconfigured Beautiful Distros" loading="lazy" width="1919" height="1080" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/pikaos-hyprland.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/pikaos-hyprland.jpg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1600/2025/10/pikaos-hyprland.jpg 1600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/pikaos-hyprland.jpg 1919w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p><a href="https://wiki.pika-os.com/en/home">PikaOS</a> is <strong>a rolling distribution based on Debian Sid</strong> that focuses on delivering newer packages than standard Debian. While it is still relatively niche, it has support for Wayland compositors, including Hyprland, giving users access to a more modern tiling workflow.</p><p>Unlike Arch-based alternatives, PikaOS balances Debian&#x2019;s wide repository ecosystem with experimental additions like Hyprland, though it may not always be as seamless or stable as more mature offerings. Still, it represents a noteworthy option for those who prefer Debian but want to explore Hyprland without building everything from scratch.</p><p><strong>&#x2B50; Key Features</strong></p><ul><li>Provides its own package repositories with up-to-date kernels and drivers.</li><li>Offers two ISO images, a standard edition and an NVIDIA-optimized edition.</li><li>Focus on gaming performance, with tools like Proton GE and Wine packaged.</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://wiki.pika-os.com/en/home" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">PikaOS</a></div><h2 id="8-end4s-hyprland-dotfiles">8. end_4&apos;s Hyprland dotfiles</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/end-4-hyprland-dotfiles.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Hyprland Made Easy: Preconfigured Beautiful Distros" loading="lazy" width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/end-4-hyprland-dotfiles.jpg 600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/end-4-hyprland-dotfiles.jpg 1000w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1600/2025/10/end-4-hyprland-dotfiles.jpg 1600w, https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/end-4-hyprland-dotfiles.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>end_4&#x2019;s <a href="https://end-4.github.io/dots-hyprland-wiki/en/">Hyprland dotfiles</a> delivers a ready-to-use Hyprland configuration layer that can be applied to an existing distribution. Unlike a full distro, it is purely a set of dotfiles, but it goes beyond simple theming by integrating workflow enhancements, usability tweaks, and consistent design choices.</p><p>The dotfiles cover multiple aspects of the desktop, from animations and notification handling to workspace interaction. This makes it an appealing option for users who enjoy experimenting but want a strong baseline to start from instead of configuring everything manually.</p><p><strong>&#x2B50; Key Features</strong></p><ul><li>Implements Material Design 3 styling and animations.</li><li>Provides a clear wiki for installation and customization guidance.</li><li>Includes workspace drag-and-drop functionality and grouped notifications.</li></ul><div class="kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center"><a href="https://end-4.github.io/dots-hyprland-wiki/en/" class="kg-btn kg-btn-accent">end_4&apos;s Hyprland dotfiles</a></div><h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2><p>If you want a distribution that boots directly into Hyprland with minimal setup, Garuda Linux (<em>Hyprland edition</em>), CachyOS, and ArchRiot are the best candidates. They provide preconfigured desktops, themes, and essential tools without requiring you to fiddle with anything.</p><p><strong>For Arch enthusiasts</strong> who want to stay close to vanilla, Omarchy with Arch Linux or Arch Linux combined with JaKooLit&#x2019;s script (<em>number 5</em>) are strong alternatives. These do not qualify as full &quot;<em>Hyprland distros</em>,&quot; but they automate the setup process and deliver a comparable experience.</p><p>And don&apos;t forget that there are several enthusiasts who have specific Hyprland setups that can be achieved with <a href="https://github.com/msmafra/dotfiles">their dot files</a>.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://github.com/msmafra/dotfiles"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">GitHub - msmafra/dotfiles: My Hyprland environment (dotfiles)</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">My Hyprland environment (dotfiles). Contribute to msmafra/dotfiles development by creating an account on GitHub.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/pinned-octocat-093da3e6fa40-14.svg" alt="Hyprland Made Easy: Preconfigured Beautiful Distros"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">GitHub</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">msmafra</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://opengraph.githubassets.com/3e5706414d99012dc4e9b402ea4ff2555b81f29c990d8f0bbb08afa9e8935ee9/msmafra/dotfiles" alt="Hyprland Made Easy: Preconfigured Beautiful Distros" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure><p><strong>Suggested Read &#x1F4D6;</strong></p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://itsfoss.com/hyprland/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Getting Started With Hyprland</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Let&#x2019;s get on the &#x201C;hyp&#x201D; wagon with Hyprland</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-653.png" alt="Hyprland Made Easy: Preconfigured Beautiful Distros"><span class="kg-bookmark-author">It&apos;s FOSS</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Abhishek Prakash</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/install-hyprland-in-linux-1-1.png" alt="Hyprland Made Easy: Preconfigured Beautiful Distros" onerror="this.style.display = &apos;none&apos;"></div></a></figure>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>

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