Also sick of hearing about it. Not because I want to play it, but because I don’t care about it, at all.

Congratulations, you added to that kind of noise. For no reason, too.

Stable vs Unstable does not mean anything to do with bugginess or prone to breakage

It would be great if that’s how the words were actually used, but in most discussions I’ve seen it is certainly not the case. Also, when talking to new users, they are supposed to magically understand and know the word is used in a niche way in this context? It certainly won’t be what they take from it when hearing or reading it.

Unstable means packages update frequently including major versions

That’s what we have rolling or bleeding edge for. Sure, unstable can mean that when used within the same project/context. So having different releases be stable and unstable for the same thing, but across projects/distros that’s just confusing, especially for new people. Yes I’m aware of the historic reasons and the roots in software development, but I’d argue it isn’t helpful to convey the practical reality of the differences.

I didn’t claim anything is bad, anywhere.

Also I didn’t “try to use Debian in a way it wasn’t inteded to be used”. I am using debian on 90% of my servers/vms/containers to this day. Have been for literally decades. To give a specific example: I was running a nextcloud, which required PHP, and wanted to update that. The newer version reuqired a higher PHP version, because the currently installed PHP version was EoL and not supported anymore (by PHP maintainers or Nextcloud). So updating required removing the debian-provided PHP version and installing one from other sources (external repo or compile from source), which honestly defeats the point of a “stable” distribution if the software provided is EoL, doesn’t it?

And to be clear this is just one example I can specifically remember. The “issues” I encouter when using debian are usually of that general type. And to be clear, that’s mostly the point of using it on a server, where I use it, but even there it sometimes goes a bit too far.

And finally: I was originally arguing the semantics of calling debian stable and arch UNstable, which it is not. It is rolling, it might be bleeding edge. It’s also isn’t the same as having a stable and unstable release branch (within the same distro) when applying the label to the most stable release of different distros.

I didn’t say “it suddenly breaks”. I said I have more issues with it, which is decided different from “it just works”, which has been my experience on CachyOS. Specifically I mean issues with installing (up to date) software, or using software that has requirements that I just can’t install the required version cause the repo has a version from 3+ years ago. Not everything has to be “bleeding edge”, but being so stable that everything is utterly outdated is also a kind of unstable.

Sometimes this goes so far that the “stable” version shipped by debian is already unsupported upstream with all the security implications that entails (I had that once with PHP, I think).

Thank you. Yes, it was indeed a genuine question.

Compare the other extreme Debian, which is very stable.

In the sense that is unchanging, sure. But that’s one hell of a bad word to describe that in this context. In my experience the incompatibilities caused by only ancient versions of things available in the repo of even a newly released Debian are not helpful. Stable wouldn’t be the word I choose to describe the situation, or the fiddling and tinkering that results from that. Often having to go outside of the repo to solve, defeating the whole point of said repo.

Arch in my limited experience is much more stable, in the sense of “just works” and always having up to date software. If I want to use something, I can just install it (from the repo), the chance of it not being the current release are slim.

Similar to NetGuard there is Tracker Control. It also uses the VPN “slot” but it can additionally run a wireguard tunnel itself now. So you can combine access control, adblocking on DNS level and actual vpn.

Edit: added link

I have no idea what people keep talking about when they say Arch/CachyOS is “unstable”. I have had so many more issues with running Debian (usually on servers) over the years. Since I swapped my desktop to CachyOS over a year ago, I have basically no issues at all. Just one very minor thing that fixed itself after a few days (bug in kde on new version released). For like 15 months of use, that’s spectacular compared to any other system I’ve ever used (especially including Debian and of course Windows, obviously).

What exactly is the goal? How do you make “no issues” and “it just works” more stable?

My go-to is LocalSend for this, but sure, why not.

Wasn’t there some issues with telemetry data flowing to Russia or something? I never looked into it as I didn’t need an audio editor since I’ve read that. Is that still an issue (she was it ever one to begin with)?

Yes, it is. But it doesn’t change anything in practice: we don’t play the same games. One has far more than the other (and more recent purchases). Enabling it just allows each of us to play the games we’re not interested in anyway, so what’s the point. It still leaves the ones we are is interested just sprinkled in between.

Is not about not being able to play these games, but having no interest in them either. If they are playable or not makes zero difference. They are still in the way and just clutter.

I’m remoting into my work machine with RDP in a similar way, also using multiple (local) screens. I happen to be on CachyOS (Arch), but I would assume this works on any distro.

I just call xfreerdp3 directly with the appropriate command line options to span my local monitors which I want to use. I only use 2 of the 3 I have, as the 3rd remains for my local stuff.

Zero issues. Just works once setup.

A lot of people keep suggesting Remmina, but I couldn’t get that to work even slightly. Let alone with fine grained control over monitors.

Possibly, but if it isn’t enabled (like in my case) is a sea of useless, unplayable games with the playable ones hard to find in between. Truly annoying.

One serious downside of mirror accounts is that the installed games in the library aren’t filtered to the current account (at least they weren’t last I checked). So if the accounts have different levels of purchasing activity, it’ll be a sea of not-your-games with some of yours sprinkled in between.

You can somewhat mitigate that with different sorting options, but afaik there is no option at all to hide games unavailable or unowned on the current account.

Functionally it works very well though.

Which is kind of ironic as the only phones supported by them were Google phones, as they were the only ones meeting their security requirements. More specifically their security principals is what those requirements are based on. Kind of telling that Google now no longer meet them either…

Fortunately, Windows is also optional.

How would the terminal multiplexer even affect this? Don’t you just sudo or su to switch user?

No they aren’t slowed down for “human factors” or safety. They are in cages or behind barricades (at least in Europe). If you open them (like a door or cross a laser barrier), the whole line or at least the cell cell just stops and all of the red lights come on. You can believe what you want, but you can’t speed anything up significantly without massive investment or work. Or they would be running faster, cause money.

Source: I work in the industry and have been in running car plants.

I understand what you’re trying to say, and even agree with it, but the car factory example is just wrong. Those have a design speed that is generally limited by cycle times for individual steps. Like a robot has to place say 10 spot welds. You can’t speed that up. To stick with this example: in theory you could add a robot so both place 5 spots, but that rework takes probably a year and costs millions. Plus you don’t have one bottleneck like this, but a lot of them with similar speed (hence the “design speed” of the whole factory).

You can slow the whole factory down to run under capacity (or not run it during night shift), and then you have room to speed it up. But if you’re running at capacity, there is very little you can do.

It’s physically impossible to speed up the factory to 1.5x, let alone 10x.

Mine looks exactly like it did when it came out of the box. Technically I’ve added a screen protector/diffusor, as I hate glare on screens, but you can’t really tell it’s even there. I also swapped the nvme to a buffet one, but obviously that isn’t visible either.

Needless to say, I don’t care about the looks of my financial things.