Over the past few years, Huawei has risen to become one of the world’s top smartphone makers in terms of market share. But the Chinese electronics company faces something of an existential threat due to US trade restrictions which block hardware and software companies from working with Huawei. So the company is reducing its reliance […]
Tag: operating systems
Google’s Fuchsia OS is an open source project that now accepts community code contributions
Google already has two popular operating systems: Android for phones and tablets, and Chrome OS for laptops, desktops, and… some other tablets. But for the past few years the company has also been working on a new operating system called Fuchsia. Development has been semi-public, with Google publishing the source code online. But now Google […]
Ubuntu Web Remix is a Linux distro that puts Firefox front and center (Chrome OS alternative)
Global Chromebook shipments are on the rise as folks around the world are stuck working, studying, and binge watching from home. They tend to be affordable, reasonably responsive, and fairly simple to learn to use. But a key selling point for some is a turnoff for others – Chromebooks put Google’s Chrome browser front and […]
Linuxfx: an Ubuntu-based operating system that looks like Windows 10
One of the things that keeps GNU/Linux-based distributions interesting is the fact that you can often customize the look and feel of the operating system by changing desktop environments or themes. You can even make a Linux distribution that looks like Windows. And I don’t think I’ve seen one that does that quite as well […]
Mobian is a Linux-based smartphone OS based on Debian
Now that there are a handful of smartphones designed to run GNU/Linux distributions, there are a growing number of developers creating phone-friendly operating systems. One of the latest is called Mobian, and while it’s not exactly a brand new distribution, it is a set of software that makes it possible to run the popular Debian operating […]
Haiku R1/beta 2 released (open source BeOS-compatible operating system)
Haiku is an open source operating system that’s been under development for almost two decades as an effort to pick up where the discontinued BeOS left off. But it’s been slow going. Today the Haiku team released Haiku R1/beta 2. It comes close to two years after the first beta release and more than a […]
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS released
The latest version of Ubuntu Linux is out today, and it’s a long term support release, which means that it’ll receive 5 years of official support from Canonical. Ubuntu 20.04 LTS will be supported through April, 2025. As such, there’s more of a focus on stability and performance than flashy new features — especially if […]
Intel’s Clear Linux to gain better support for third-party, proprietary software (like Chrome and Steam)
Clear Linux OS is a desktop and server operating system optimized for computers with Intel processors — and since it’s developed by Intel, it’s not surprising that Intel-powered systems running Clear Linux score higher in benchmarks than those with just about any other GNU/Linux distribution. It also runs well on systems with AMD processors. One […]
Run Android 9 Pie on your PC with Android-x86 9.0
Google’s Android operating system may be designed for smartphones, tablets, and TVs. But the folks at the Android-x86 project have been packaging up the open source version this mobile OS and turning it into a desktop operating system for years. Today the latest stable release is out — Android-x86 9.0 is designed to let you […]
“Windows 12 Lite” is not what you think (unless you’re thinking Linux-based Windows 10 knockoff)
Microsoft has embraced Linux and open source software in recent years. The company acquired github, turned its Calculator app into an open source project, added an optional Linux terminal to Windows 10, and even developed its own Linux kernel. But you know what the company’s probably not going to do? Release anew operating system called […]
Linux Mint 19.3 released (better HiDPI support + new apps and features)
Linux Mint 19.3 is available for download. The latest version of the popular Linux distribution is a Long Term Support release based on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, which means it’ll be supported through April, 2023. And it’s a point release, which means it’s a relatively minor update — but there are still a bunch of new […]
Volla Phone is a privacy-centered phone with an AOSP-based OS (or Linux)
There are a handful of companies working to bring GNU/Linux smartphones to market. The Volla Phone is a little different. The folks behind the phone have launched a Kickstarter campaign in hopes of building a privacy-focused smartphone that ships with a Google-free version of Android. But if the team reaches a stretch goal, the Volla […]