Amazing minimalist install - q4os.

[buster]

The most recent release of q4os is the last before a major release. Its base is Debian Buster, which if we evaluate our estimates on name alone, will be the best ever produced in Linux. The group is trying to find any bugs before final release day. I never found any. My install is virtual in vmware. I upped the ram to 2 gig, and gave it one core.

#1. The install is pretty clear and simple, and really quick. For the desktop you can choose KDE or a bare Trinity, which I got, although it's not worded well.  You do get some software - Konqeror, which gives you a file manager as well. Wifi worked. Everything lightning fast.

#2. You need a mental or written list of what you want as software. First get from the popular programs listed the useful Synaptic. And codecs and updates are listed there too, so update and download these - a matter of minutes. I downloaded Clementine, VLC, qbittorrrent, Firefox, open-vm-tools and open-vm-tools-desktop. Also Spectacle. If something is needed figure out what you like and download it. All this uses surprisingly little time, and you end up with a lean and mean little machine.

#3. Trinity is not as flashy as most full (bloated?) desktops. But I got to like it, and its speed.

So without learning how to install Gentoo, or Arch, you can make a tailored distro, and so far it's terrific in virtual.

[fox]

I found a review of Q4OS [urlhttps://www.linuxinsider.com/story/85951.html]here[/url]. It is pretty positive, but notes that you can’t (or couldn’t at the time of the review) use it as a portable OS running from a USB stick.

[Jason]

Trinity is a fork of KDE 3, I believe. Hence, the name.

So without learning how to install Gentoo, or Arch, you can make a tailored distro, and so far it's terrific in virtual.

I don't think it's anywhere near the level of tailoring you get with Gentoo and Arch. But it looks great.

[buster]

" the level of tailoring"

Not quite sure what this means. Makes me think of fancy dress balls. My distros in virtual need work-boots and old clothes. And they have to get their work done without grumbling.

It has a very easy, quick stall, an easy desktop to work with, and every piece of software that Debian has in the repositories is available. It can be made to look pretty if needed. Icons can be placed in a variety of places for quick access to software. It apparently tells you that updates are available.

I guess a 'no nonsense' sort of distro that I appreciate in virtual, and with little baggage floating around off screen.

[Jason]

What I mean is that there is a difference between building a distro from a small core that has no boot manager or gui and one that is ready to use except for the extra desktop programs you might need to install. If you look at the choices even with a Arch install which can be completed in an hour with a gui in their installation wiki, you get a lot more choices than you'd face with installing a distro and then customizing it.

Therefore, they're not at all the same thing but it may be hard to see this without trying an arch install. I know you're not likely to do that but you might want to reserve comparing q4os to gentoo or arch until you've actually tried either of them. I just don't think it's a very fair comparison at all.

But I'm not saying that Q4OS isn't grand, just thatArch and Gentoo are aimed at different audiences, kind of more the crowd of tinkerers when Linux first started out and you actually had to put in effort to get things working. I appreciate that people don't like putting in effort anymore, but there is a lot still to be gained from doing so.

I used Q4OS a few years ago and immediately felt nostalgic for using KDE in its earlier days. I used to use Konqueror as my web browser, file manager, and FTP client. That software was great (maybe still is). I thought is was quite fun to use Q4OS and might give it another try sometime.

[Jason]

Curious - what did you mean about "with little baggage floating around off screen"?

[buster]

"What I mean is that there is a difference between building a distro from a small core that has no boot manager or gui and one that is ready to use except for the extra desktop programs you might need to install."

I agree totally, except there was no software that does actual work. No music, no bittorent, no movie player - except for Konqueror, which does a lot in an astonishing way. It is nostalgic but highly functional, especially as a file manager.

I don't want to be concerned with boot managers, gui, wifi, tools, etc. I want a basic system that just works. And I want it quickly and easily.

Stuff floating around i would think might come from having too much software included that wants to be 'on alert', or encouraging connections. No idea if this actually occurs, but discussions at the club sometimes talked of removing unwanted programs.

And of course we have to take into account my guiding principle as Linux and I mature together: If you can't do it with just a mouse, find a different distro.

[buster]

An interesting contradiction on the web site for q4os, at least in my mind. When I figured out how to get the os to do what I wanted, I used the traditional poke and hope system with my mouse. So far no problems. It's all there on the desktop and in the menu.

Out of interest I went to the manuals page. All procedures used the terminal! Every single help step!

I'm not sure if it even comes with a terminal. At least I never noticed it anywhere. Easy to get of course with Synaptic. (Just checked. It's there.)

[Jason]

You can't have Linux without a terminal. Even if there isn't a terminal page you can usually press a series of keys to get to a full-screen terminal, something like Ctrl-Alt-F1. The Desktop environment actually is bound to one of these, often Ctrl-Alt-F6 or Ctrl-Alt-F10. On Kubuntu, it appears to be bound to Ctrl-Alt-F1.

[buster]

"You can't have Linux without a terminal."

So far that is true. Don't some tablets have an os that is Linux? Do they have a terminal? Never actually looked.

And we had an auto at our house that could be started with a hand crank if the battery was on the fritz, a 1949 Austen. And I used that crank more than once. A very basic tool.

But cars don't have that anymore. Some distros might dispense with it in the future.

[Jason]

Yes, Android is based on Linux. And yes, it has a terminal. There isn't a button that leads to it but can download an app that will let you see the terminal on screen. But most people who use it are just going to connect via USB and then log into from their PC/Mac. But even when you can't see it, it's still there. It's in the background and in Linux and in Android, the boot up process until you see a graphical screen involved the terminal.

I'm going to pretend you didn't make those other comments about the terminal other than to say, "Thou shall not mock that which thou don't understandeth".

[buster]

Todday DistroWatch gave a very positive review of Q4OS! Special note was directed at Trinity, which I've come to like. Not enough of the review was devoted to virtual installations, where Trinity Q4OS shines. It's quick to load, use, and shut down. Works well for guest/host stuff.

Responded to the icon for updates, but the connection couldn't be held. Went to their webpage, and couldn't even get in. Suspect people all over world are going to try it on old machines, 32 or 64 bit, and the traffic shut them down.

https://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20190812#q4os

[fox]

Yes, I read that review. It was quite positive, and I think Jesse gave it high marks for some of the different things it does, including Trinity, ability to run both Trinity and Plasma in the same installation, and speed.

[Jason]

Think you could demonstrate Q4OS/Trinity to us at a future meeting, Harry?