GalliumOS 4.0 - Githubissues

reynhout commented 4 years ago

Planning and preparations for GalliumOS 4.0.

Our presumptive upstream distribution is Ubuntu 20.04, which released yesterday.

TODO

[ ] Set minimum hardware support
[ ] Review new versions of Desktop Environments
[ ] Evaluate Snaps in context of minimum hardware
[ ] Name the release Element names starting with "F" are Fluorine F 9, Francium Fr 87, Fermium Fm 100, Flerovium Fl 114
[ ] Port kernel patches to 5.4 LTS and/or 5.6+
[ ] Review included packages
[ ] Include new Desktop art!
[ ] Update website
[ ] Spin ISOs (unified if practical, multiple if not)
[ ] Update migration tool? 3to4 (and maybe 2to3 for good measure?)
[ ] ...

AriIoffe commented 3 years ago

I would also like to help in any way I can. ( I can't program particularly well, but anything outside of those boundaries is fine for me).

Hurricos commented 3 years ago

The part I was [trying to] take up was bringing the kernel forward and testing it.

To be done:

[ ] Add a Makefile recipe here to isorespin the GalliumOS 3.1 ISO with a new kernel .deb. (I have in my notes a Tim McNulty who hacked together a scripts to do this but never had a chance to review them)
[ ] Rework the GalliumOS builder to make it a bit easier.
- It could be more useful to create a .gitlab-ci.yml which can build the .iso based on a kernel package from a particular git repo @ commit/revision.

All that having been said. The future of GalliumOS isn't that great -- older Chromebooks are getting their patches mainlined, newer Chromebooks are hard to flash.

donaldsmith2060 commented 3 years ago

The samsung chromebook pro is particularly difficult, because upstream ubuntu doesn't support the pen or skylake sound, and it's been out for a while, so it's not like the patches aren't available. I think it uses it's own firmware file with the same name. Anyway for that laptop, gallium is almost essential.

On Sun, Feb 14, 2021 at 5:30 PM Martin Kennedy notifications@github.com wrote:

The part I was [trying to] take up was bringing the kernel forward and testing it.

To be done:

-

Add a Makefile recipe here https://github.com/Hurricos/galliumos-builder to isorespin the GalliumOS 3.1 ISO with a new kernel .deb. (I have in my notes a Tim McNulty who hacked together a scripts to do this but never had a chance to review them)

Rework the GalliumOS builder https://github.com/Hurricos/galliumos-builder to make it a bit easier.

It could be more useful to create a .gitlab-ci.yml which can build the .iso based on a kernel package from a particular git repo @ commit/revision.

All that having been said. The future of GalliumOS isn't that great -- older Chromebooks are getting their patches mainlined, newer Chromebooks are hard to flash.

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satmandu commented 3 years ago

It might make sense to try to use the newer 5.10 kernel tree if at all possible for those of you with broken functionality on older kernels: https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/third_party/kernel/+/refs/heads/chromeos-5.10

See the bit about newer kernels better-supporting intel sound chipsets via patches to 5.7: https://gist.github.com/crojewsk/4e6382bfb0dbfaaf60513174211f29cb

donaldsmith2060 commented 3 years ago

I'm on the 5.8 kernel and it looks like it still doesn't work correctly. The modules seem to exist, but modprobe doesn't seem to get them working properly.

On Mon, Feb 15, 2021 at 8:30 AM satmandu notifications@github.com wrote:

It might make sense to try to use the newer 5.10 kernel tree if at all possible for those of you with broken functionality on older kernels: https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/third_party/kernel/+/refs/heads/chromeos-5.10

See the bit about newer kernels better-supporting intel sound chipsets via patches to 5.7: https://gist.github.com/crojewsk/4e6382bfb0dbfaaf60513174211f29cb

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tymophy commented 3 years ago

I've tested Debian on 5.9 and Arch on 5.10 (HP Chromebook 13G1) and neither one would work for me. Although the 4.19 kernel still works just fine.

newgall commented 3 years ago

I've tested Debian on 5.9 and Arch on 5.10 (HP Chromebook 13G1) and neither one would work for me. Although the 4.19 kernel still works just fine.

I tried kernels 5.9 and 5.10 with no success in mint i think. What distro did 4.19 work for? That would be amazing. Is there a Link? Just to clarify, your speakers work? Wow.

tymophy commented 3 years ago

Yes, 4.19 on Debian Buster it works just fine if you copy over the firmware for the audio and the alsa config files. Not sure about headphones, I don't own a pair of headphones that aren't USB or Bluetooth, so never been able to test, but the actual speakers work great. Been using it with Debian for ~18 months now. However if I put a 5.0+ kernel on, everthing stops working.

peepo commented 3 years ago

apologies,

did development stall? not finding link to alpha

tx

have been using GalliumOS on ASUS C200M as main browser/email for many years

parrenin commented 3 years ago

I tested again KDE after >15 years of using Gnome. I think Plasma is the best DE at the moment. If it is light weight, I would suggest to switch to it instead of XFCE, we would get a far more modern DE. XFCE is not bad, but it feels rustic sometimes and the translation is sometimes missing.

NewGalliumuser commented 3 years ago

OK so I am a new GalliumOS user and have a few comments after reading this thread. The name has to be GalliumOS v4, no way to rename and communicate the change effectively. The name works do not change it. Second, I would be willing to be a test user for things like the install for the new release. I have an old lightweight HP and my install experiece was almost unusable, I considered bailing to another distro based on that. Don't make any significant changes to the user experience maybe just look at ways to simplify the use of other options for things like the user interface. Remember your target audience is typically non-Linux users and for many this may be their first introduction to Linux. Keep it simple!

crystalcommunication commented 3 years ago

The name has to be GalliumOS v4, no way to rename and communicate the change effectively.

There was never any intent to change the distribution's name. The release names being discussed above refer to the codename for release 4.x specifically that is used internally.

jerrimus commented 3 years ago

Part of this issue came up in the IRC channel when someone noticed that modern XFCE and KDE desktops are roughly equivalent in terms of resource consumption in 2020. If this is true, it means that we need to pay close attention to our definition of and criteria for a "lightweight" desktop interface. We may have been paying attention to the wrong thing for a while, now!

In a year and a half of chromebooking, I've settled on a GTK desktop that's mostly MATE, but using thunar rather than caja. MATE is the only DE I've tested that allows my "win-button then type" workflow with the search key. Every other DE wants a 2key combo to start searching menu.

MATE also hits a nice second ground with GNOME-level features, but still GNOME 2 level resource usage. With a dock, it looks much the same as GNOME 3 and would be familiar to win 11/OSX users instantly.

parrenin commented 3 years ago

MATE is the only DE I've tested that allows my "win-button then type" workflow with the search key.

This works perfectly also with KDE.

ghost commented 3 years ago

Suggestions/Requests for Next Release.

[Add Additional included Software/packages in GalliumOS]:

GUFW (Graphical Uncomplicated Firewall), ~~TimeShift, ~~Docker, AppArmor, and KeePassXC.

-Replace Chromium Browser with a better Privacy respecting Browser like Brave or Ungoogled Chromium. or Mozilla Firefox.

[Add some Kernel Hardening/Patches]

-like from https://github.com/anthraxx/linux-hardened/

-(maybe) kloak: Keystroke-level online anonymization kernel https://github.com/vmonaco/kloak

[Harden the defaults of /etc/sysctl.conf and have then come set as default.]

kernel.kptr_restrict=2 kernel.dmesg_restrict=1 kernel.printk=3 3 3 3 kernel.unprivileged_bpf_disabled=1 net.core.bpf_jit_harden=2 dev.tty.ldisc_autoload=0 vm.unprivileged_userfaultfd=0 kernel.kexec_load_disabled=1 kernel.sysrq=4 user.max_user_namespaces=0 kernel.perf_event_paranoid=2 net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies=1 net.ipv4.tcp_rfc1337=1 net.ipv4.conf.all.rp_filter=1 net.ipv4.conf.default.rp_filter=1 net.ipv4.conf.all.accept_redirects=0 net.ipv4.conf.default.accept_redirects=0 net.ipv4.conf.all.secure_redirects=0 net.ipv4.conf.default.secure_redirects=0 net.ipv6.conf.all.accept_redirects=0 net.ipv6.conf.default.accept_redirects=0 net.ipv4.conf.all.send_redirects=0 net.ipv4.conf.default.send_redirects=0 net.ipv4.icmp_echo_ignore_all=1 net.ipv4.conf.all.accept_source_route=0 net.ipv4.conf.default.accept_source_route=0 net.ipv6.conf.all.accept_source_route=0 net.ipv6.conf.default.accept_source_route=0 net.ipv6.conf.all.accept_ra=0 net.ipv6.conf.default.accept_ra=0 net.ipv4.tcp_sack=0 net.ipv4.tcp_dsack=0 net.ipv4.tcp_fack=0 kernel.yama.ptrace_scope=2 fs.protected_symlinks=1 fs.protected_hardlinks=1

[Harden GRUB]

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash tpm_tis.interrupts=0 acpi_osi=Linux slub_debug=FZP page_poison=1 page_alloc.shuffle=1 pti=on vsyscall=none debugfs=off quiet loglevel=0 random.trust_cpu=off intel_iommu=on efi=disable_early_pci_dma"

(have tried these GRUB Parameters they work fine)

ghost commented 3 years ago

~~TimeShift, Docker~~

crystalcommunication commented 3 years ago

@CyberPunkInterface None of that makes sense to me. GalliumOS has never been built with the intention of security or privacy being a top priority. If you're looking for a hardened distribution you should be looking at Kali Linux, Tails, Qubes OS, or even just sticking with Chrome OS. Chromium was originally chosen because of it's compatibility with Google's sync service, which works nicely for users switching from Chrome OS. In my opinion there is no benefit to switching to yet another Chromium-based browser that doesn't support that feature. If the browser is gonna be changed, it should be changed to Firefox. Everything else you mentioned sounds like bloatware, which you are welcome to install on your own system but shouldn't be included.

colpanek commented 3 years ago

I'm writing on my olde Pixel [Link] with Kubuntu and plenty of other apps. It has plenty of memory and speed so I outgrew Gallium, but there are plenty of low end machines that should stick with the basics and stock Gallium is great for that, as is. It's easy enough to load them up with things you need/want. But I do like KDE and it's fairly light these days.

Jim Sent from my Linux PC

jerrimus commented 3 years ago

How large is KDE? Starting with Ubuntu Mate I can remove bloat and get MATE down to 4 GB, which is smaller on my N23 than the Gallium OS install.

Space is the biggest issue here IMO, My two Chromebooks make great Linux machines with most distros, but are held back by the 16gb EMMC more than CPU or any other limiting factor.

If we move on from XFCE, it should be because we found something with the same or more features in a few GB less.

On Fri, Nov 19, 2021 at 8:05 AM Parrenin Frédéric @.***> wrote:

MATE is the only DE I've tested that allows my "win-button then type" workflow with the search key.

This works perfectly also with KDE.

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colpanek commented 3 years ago

One person's bloat is another person's utilities and tools. My Pixel usually is bumping against the 32 GB SSD and I have a 32 GB SD card for extra stuff. But I have a lot of apps. For cheap Chromebooks better stick with XFCE which is very customizable and versatile.

Jim

On Sat, Nov 20, 2021 at 12:20 PM jerrimus @.***> wrote:

How large is KDE? Starting with Ubuntu Mate I can remove bloat and get MATE down to 4 GB, which is smaller on my N23 than the Gallium OS install.

Space is the biggest issue here IMO, My two Chromebooks make great Linux machines with most distros, but are held back by the 16gb EMMC more than CPU or any other limiting factor.

If we move on from XFCE, it should be because we found something with the same or more features in a few GB less.

On Fri, Nov 19, 2021 at 8:05 AM Parrenin Frédéric @.***> wrote:

MATE is the only DE I've tested that allows my "win-button then type" workflow with the search key.

This works perfectly also with KDE.

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crystalcommunication commented 3 years ago

Reminder that the lowest common denominator is 2 GB RAM and 8 GB disk (this is a typical chrx setup on a 2/16 model), we should aim to keep the OS under 3-4 GB if possible to leave as much space as possible for user files.

ghost commented 3 years ago

@CrystalCommunication

Most People aren't gonna buy a old chromebook or use a chromebook that has 2GB RAM and 8GB disk space tbh. The sad thing about most chromebooks the disk space is usually 16GB or under or 32GB on the new ones from what I understand.

never been built with the intention of security or privacy

MrChromeBox Firmware is based on Coreboot.

you should be looking at Kali Linux

Kali linux is for Pen Testing mainly and even there defaults are not that hardened last time I checked Like IPv6 but I'm not talking about disabling IPv6 in the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT= or in /etc/sysctl.conf

Most people that go out of there way to flash a custom firmware and switch completely away from ChromeOS are probably trying to get away from the google ecosystem(De-Googling) the best they can IMHO.

It would be cool if GalliumOS was like the GrapheneOS, CalyxOS, or LineageOS of chromebooks.

Also that GalliumOS works out issues like sound and other things that cause problems when trying to install other distros on a chromebook. Including Install size as you mentioned.

I think Gallium Should have some Security Patches and Defaults. I wonder how many GalliumOS users are using Google's sync service Honestly though?

Brave Browser, ~TimeShift~, ~Docker~ could be considered bloat.

I don't think GUFW and KeepassXC are Bloatware.

Lastly XFCE should Be the desktop environment.

crystalcommunication commented 3 years ago

Most People aren't gonna buy a old chromebook or use a chromebook that has 2GB RAM and 8GB disk space tbh. The sad thing about most chromebooks the disk space is usually 16GB or under or 32GB on the new ones from what I understand.

There aren't any devices with 8 GB of NAND afaik, the 8 GB figure comes from the typical dual-boot setup with both Chrome OS and GalliumOS on the same 16 GB NAND. It doesn't matter if "Most people aren't gonna buy", because buying a modern Chromebook with the express intention of running Linux is not recommended, even by the GalliumOS team. Moreover, the GalliumOS team has evidence for this being a common configuration and it has been the established baseline for GalliumOS since the beginning.

never been built with the intention of security or privacy

MrChromeBox Firmware is based on Coreboot.

So? Coreboot is a popular open-source firmware and the GalliumOS team has partnered with MrChromebox to ensure optimum compatibility, but they're not the same project.

you should be looking at Kali Linux

Kali linux is for Pen Testing mainly and even there defaults are not that hardened last time I checked Like IPv6 but I'm not talking about disabling IPv6 in the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT= or in /etc/sysctl.conf

OK? I was just throwing around some names, this is off-topic for this tracker.

Most people that go out of there way to flash a custom firmware and switch completely away from ChromeOS are probably trying to get away from the google ecosystem(De-Googling) the best they can IMHO.

That's incredibly presumptuous. As a matter of fact, many users turn to GalliumOS after their device is no longer supported by Google, those people's intentions have nothing to do with "de-Googling"

It would be cool if GalliumOS was like the GrapheneOS, CalyxOS, or LineageOS of chromebooks.

LineageOS (and derivatives thereof) are custom Android distributions providing aftermarket updates to smartphones. They each have different goals and priorities, just as each Linux distribution has different goals and priorities. I don't understand what you're suggesting at all. FWIW, we do provide aftermarket updates to Chrome OS devices that have been dropped by Google, so that box is already checked.

Also that GalliumOS works out issues like sound and other things that cause problems when trying to install other distros on a chromebook. Including Install size as you mentioned.

Yes, those are our priorities.

I think Gallium Should have some Security Patches and Defaults. I wonder how many GalliumOS users are using Google's sync service Honestly though?

Those are not our priorities, I'll concede that AppArmor might be worthwhile, but we need not go to any effort to make it any more hardened than any other average dekstop Linux distribution. Once again, it's extremely presumptuous to assert that people don't use Google's sync service. I don't believe the GalliumOS team has any interest in collecting metrics for things like that, but as previously stated, using GalliumOS for aftermarket updates is a common configuration, and those people likely still want to access the data stored in their Google Account.

Brave Browser, ~TimeShift~, ~Docker~ could be considered bloat.

Yes, very much so.

I don't think GUFW and KeepassXC are Bloatware.

Yes they are. Most end-users don't even know what a firewall is, let alone wanting a GUI to configure it. The browser has an integrated password manager, if you want Keepass, it's a simple apt install away.

ghost commented 3 years ago

@CrystalCommunication

buying a modern Chromebook with the express intention of running Linux is not recommended.

I meant buying old used Chromebook models because you can pick them up quite cheap for a backup computer. Or having an old chromebook sitting around to breath life back into it.

As a matter of fact, many users turn to GalliumOS after their device is no longer supported by Google

Then whats the point of dual-booting if ChromeOS is no longer gonna receive updates which I would assume are security updates. Wouldn't it make more sense for you to full install Gallium? I'm confused? Also if someone has a dual-boot setup and they accidently press Esc+F3(refresh)+Power and boot into "Recovery Mode" they are Screwed/Bricked Device from what I understand.

I think Gallium Should have some Security Patches

What I also meant was updating to the latest linux kernel as many known/reported vulnerability's and exploits are patched.

I'll concede that AppArmor might be worthwhile, but we need not go to any effort to make it any more hardened than any other average dekstop Linux distribution.

Yeah AppArmor would be a good idea. As far as other distros primarly as the security oriented ones mentioned. I lastly was just trying to say it would be cool to add some security stuff, that wouldn't increase the install size/space of GalliumOS If possible. Therefore I think security things can fit in small packages hence Tails which does have some unnecessary Bloat Software IMO.

jerrimus commented 3 years ago

One person's bloat is another person's utilities and tools. My Pixel usually is bumping against the 32 GB SSD and I have a 32 GB SD card for extra stuff. But I have a lot of apps. For cheap Chromebooks better stick with XFCE which is very customizable and versatile. Jim … On Sat, Nov 20, 2021 at 12:20 PM jerrimus @.> wrote: How large is KDE? Starting with Ubuntu Mate I can remove bloat and get MATE down to 4 GB, which is smaller on my N23 than the Gallium OS install. Space is the biggest issue here IMO, My two Chromebooks make great Linux machines with most distros, but are held back by the 16gb EMMC more than CPU or any other limiting factor. If we move on from XFCE, it should be because we found something with the same or more features in a few GB less. On Fri, Nov 19, 2021 at 8:05 AM Parrenin Frédéric @.> wrote: > MATE is the only DE I've tested that allows my "win-button then type" > workflow with the search key. > > This works perfectly also with KDE. > > — > You are receiving this because you commented. > Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub > < #566 (comment) >, > or unsubscribe > < https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAZECF4PE5D2NTEN4C2UMM3UMZKSPANCNFSM4MQQFQAA > > . > Triage notifications on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS > < https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1477376905?ct=notification-email&mt=8&pt=524675 > > or Android > < https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.android&referrer=utm_campaign%3Dnotification-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgithub >. > > — You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#566 (comment)>, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AD6BIXWLO4EKK2UHPQ3Z6S3UM7KELANCNFSM4MQQFQAA . Triage notifications on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1477376905?ct=notification-email&mt=8&pt=524675 or Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.android&referrer=utm_campaign%3Dnotification-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgithub.

My issue with XFCE is drive space. Starting with XFCE Core, trimming as much bloat as I can, and adding a browser. I can not achieve 10GB free on my 16gb drive with a 118MB EFI partition.

Elementary OS leaves more room once culled, as does MATE. GTK LXDE would be the obvious choice, if only there was a MATE-Menu or Whisker Menu port.

And the things I remove from XFCE Core are other languages and printer support, so that isn't viable in the real world.

satmandu commented 3 years ago

One option to save space might be to use upx to compress binaries after dpkg installs a package, using a DPkg::Post-Invoke script, e.g. https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/debian-ubuntu-linux-hook-a-script-command-to-apt-get-upgrade-command/ .

In Chromebrew we are currently using upx to compress packages during packaging, which appears to save a great deal of space for some binaries.

crystalcommunication commented 3 years ago

I meant buying old used Chromebook models because you can pick them up quite cheap for a backup computer. Or having an old chromebook sitting around to breath life back into it.

Rather presumptuous to assume these devices will have more than 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage. I see these pop up on Wish/eBay all the time. I would of course advise anyone looking to buy one to look for a 4/32 model, but my hardline stance against e-waste means that all of those devices deserve a shot at becoming useful again, and GalliumOS can help with that. I do not see any reason to increase the minimum target specs.

As a matter of fact, many users turn to GalliumOS after their device is no longer supported by Google

Then whats the point of dual-booting if ChromeOS is no longer gonna receive updates which I would assume are security updates. Wouldn't it make more sense for you to full install Gallium? I'm confused?

It seems like you're missing the point of the 2 GB RAM, 8 GB disk figures. Those are the absolute minimum specs that are targeted, the lowest common denominator. For some use-cases, it makes more sense to wipe the entire NAND and install GalliumOS, for other use-cases, it makes more sense to install chrx and dual-boot. GalliumOS appeals to all of these cases, so it needs to be optimized to support the most restrictive situation possible. Users are free to expand upon it from there if their device has the specs to support it.

Also if someone has a dual-boot setup and they accidently press Esc+F3(refresh)+Power and boot into "Recovery Mode" they are Screwed/Bricked Device from what I understand.

No. That's just false. Worst case scenario, they may need to boot into Chrome OS to fix their crossystem flags. There is certainly no possibility to "brick" their device. Single-booting GalliumOS without installing full UEFI firmware is arguably more dangerous because you can't boot into Chrome OS anymore if your flags get reset, meaning the only way to recover is to re-install Chrome OS (destroying all data on your NAND) or running a "fixflags" recovery image from https://galliumos.org/fixflags/

I think Gallium Should have some Security Patches

What I also meant was updating to the latest linux kernel as many known/reported vulnerability's and exploits are patched.

The team does intend to update the kernel before the next release.

I'll concede that AppArmor might be worthwhile, but we need not go to any effort to make it any more hardened than any other average dekstop Linux distribution.

Yeah AppArmor would be a good idea. As far as other distros primarly as the security oriented ones mentioned. I lastly was just trying to say it would be cool to add some security stuff, that wouldn't increase the install size/space of GalliumOS If possible. Therefore I think security things can fit in small packages hence Tails which does have some unnecessary Bloat Software IMO.

I said "average" Linux distribution, meaning something like Debian or Ubuntu; not security hardened distros. The main reason I conceded on AppArmor is because it's included in Debian Bullseye and doesn't require much fiddly configuration. Adding additional security hardening to the default configuration just requires additional labor (there is already a severe shortage, btw) to build, maintain, and test the distribution. Those things could also have unintended side-effects that could make the operating system behave badly for end-users trying to install certain types of applications. If you want a security-hardened version of GalliumOS that badly, you're absolutely free to fork the repositories and make your own distro, it simply is not a primary priority for the GalliumOS team.

reynhout commented 3 years ago

I'd characterize the design goals of GalliumOS as follows, in rough order of priority:

Compatible with as many ChromeOS models as possible
Functional as a general-purpose platform for most people
Minimal resource consumption to provide a good experience on low-end devices
Reliable without unnecessary package churn or active administration
Extendable for specific use cases via popular package repositories
Attractive where possible, with a bias toward simplicity

This is the basis for the historical choice of Ubuntu/Xfce as the base. We sometimes say GalliumOS is based on Xubuntu, but that's a bit imprecise. It's really Ubuntu-minimal + parts of Xfce.

We've toyed with the idea of raising the minimum hardware requirements. 2GB/8GB is constraining! But I am not convinced that would be the right choice for the base distro. The whole world of Linux software is just an apt install away. I know people evaluate distros based on the default install, but I'm not sure that's important to us. It could be useful to build some metapackages to pull in common sets of "more stuff", if someone had strong feelings about package inventory and organization.

I think it's a steep climb to justify the inclusion of new packages in the base install. Every candidate would have to be reviewed for: installed on-disk size (plus all dependencies), RAM consumption (especially if there's an autolaunched background process!), specialized user interest, security history, complex administration required.

That said, suggestions are very welcome! It's not possible for us to keep up with all the new and updated stuff out there. Just please understand the constraints. We include a bunch of near misses in the wiki under "Additional Software".

peepo commented 3 years ago

the first box I had c.1996 was a Dell laptop with 8 colours & Windows 3.1

I installed linux OS that was 4Mb iirc at that time.

Browser feature creep is a real problem....

xx

On 24/11/2021 05:41, reynhout wrote:

I'd characterize the design goals of GalliumOS as follows, in rough order of priority:

Compatible with as many ChromeOS models as possible

Functional as a general-purpose platform for most people

Minimal resource consumption to provide a good experience on low-end devices

Reliable without unnecessary package churn or active administration

Extendable for specific use cases via popular package repositories

Attractive where possible, with a bias toward simplicity

This is the basis for the historical choice of Ubuntu/Xfce as the base. We sometimes say GalliumOS is based on Xubuntu, but that's a bit imprecise. It's really Ubuntu-minimal + parts of Xfce.

We've toyed with the idea of raising the minimum hardware requirements. 2GB/8GB is constraining! But I am not convinced that would be the right choice for the base distro. The whole world of Linux software is just an |apt install| away. I know people evaluate distros based on the default install, but I'm not sure that's important to us. It could be useful to build some metapackages to pull in common sets of "more stuff", if someone had strong feelings about package inventory and organization.

I think it's a steep climb to justify the inclusion of new packages in the base install. Every candidate would have to be reviewed for: installed on-disk size (plus all dependencies), RAM consumption (especially if there's an autolaunched background process!), specialized user interest, security history, complex administration required.

That said, suggestions are very welcome! It's not possible for us to keep up with all the new and updated stuff out there. Just please understand the constraints. We include a bunch of near misses in the wiki under "Additional Software".

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ricardoch1 commented 2 years ago

Just my maybe-not-too-important two cents

I love Gallium as It allows me to do all I need today extending the life of high and low grade, new and old computers.

I value functionality and interface as it is, as it allows me to do everything I need on a daily basis. Would hate to trash my working lightweight and useful Chromebook just for only some unneeded enhancement requiring more power or memory.

Let user decide to add bells and whistles as an option and keep the low resources requirement, will be, in my opinion, the best choice.

And by the way, incredibly great job Thanks

Jozzle-yuna commented 2 years ago

I'm sick of Microsoft since they stopped support for XP but when support for Windows 7 ended I'm determined to never look back. I specifically purchased a very capable Braswell Acer Chromebook 15 C910 core i5, 256Gb SSD upgrade w/ MrChromeBox Firmware update. I dumped ChromeOS initially with Linux mint but couldnt get the Wireless working and problems with display resolution. Then I went for Gallium 3.1 and with the exception of random lockups I havent yet resolved it just works fine and I'd love to keep support to the next LTS. I have an identical spare and would be willing to test on it for the next rollout. I really just use it for internet (firefox) and open office suite. My 2 cents would be to keep it simple, XFCE is fine, though I personally dont care for chrome browser or google anything for security (privacy) reasons. I am an entry level linux user, with a modest ability to navigate in the Terminal but I am pursuing the learning curve. Thanks for all your efforts to empower users to get the most out of thier computers.