I am looking to set up a computer for someone switching from win10 that wants to remain dual boot for a couple niche apps.

I want to set them up on something that is debian based, and likely semi-annual release schedule so it's frequent updates but not rolling release bleeding edge. My initial thought was kubuntu. I can disable snap or educate them about package management, so the snap ecosystem controversy isn't too concerning to me.

They will be using this system for "normal" computer stuff... libre office, web browsing, instant messengers, and some gaming (mostly Steam). Currently using an nvidia RTX 2060... but this could change in the future. They've tried live usb of several WM's and want to try KDE (plus they have a steam deck and want to learn how the desktop mode functions better).

My questions are these:

1. Are there other distros to consider that would fit the description that might be better than *buntu these days that meet the above requirements?

2. The plan was to have two separate SSD with their own EFI on each and using the uefi interface to be the boot loader. I have heard that some debian based systems, particularly *buntu, have a bad habit of trying to grab whatever it thinks is the primary EFI and write to that regardless of what you tell it to do during install or on updates. Definitely want to avoid that because rebuilding GRUB or fixing boot issues is just barely in my wheelhouse and definitely outside their wheelhouse. Is this still an issue? Are there fixes to prevent this? Looking at other distros was partly because of this but I don't know how pervasive a problem it is.

Thanks in advance. :)

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/20773013

Only for reading, easily available in EU, low budget: which e-ink device/distro?

I'm looking for something to read books on, copied over from a local collection (mostly .epub). Networking is not desired, a fast USB connection is. A good battery or exchangeable battery would be nice.

Not too large - maximum DIN A5 for the whole device.

I remember from years ago that some devices were deemed unhackable, some much more suitable to install Linux on.

I'd prefer to buy used, so something that was sold a lot in Europe is preferable.

I will not spend much more than €100.

In other words, some old commercial e-reader that was known for being hackable, I guess.

Please do not recommend the new PineNote, it's (slightly) too large and way too expensive and I don't think I need that much computing power.

Thanks in advance.

Who will protect the juice?

Copper wire thefts have increased in Los Angeles and other cities, but with thieves looking outside of street lights for cables to cut, drivers expecting to use EV chargers are sometimes caught off-guard.

With a significant number of the cut cables and smashed charging units being harvested for copper wire now, companies, governments and EV advocates are proposing everything from greater enforcement and penalties to cables that cover a vandal with ink—similar to the measures employed against bank robbers. Such a system has also been discussed in the UK, according to a BBC story from April.

I was quite busy the past couple of days, but I finally managed to finish my mail-server migration.

And since I decided to also upgrade my old backup solution from the ancient times, I also wrote a guide for my new borgmatic based solution, which I now want to share with you guys.

I hope it helps some of you with your server backups.

The Techno Union guild and Trade Federation influence in the Senate is a purposeful choice of the senate governance.

Nearly 42 million people in danger as federal government shutdown continues and Snap funding to end 1 November

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/44706118

Australia and New Zealand have issued support for the Pacific Islands Forum after China called in Pacific ambassadors to complain about their decision to include Taiwan at the summit last month.

Beijing had pushed to exclude the island from the regional gathering.

[...]

Both New Zealand and Australia are showing increasingly public signs of frustration about the way China has heaped pressure on Pacific nations over Taiwan, arguing that it risked splintering PIF unity, and distracting the region from critical development challenges.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters took a thinly veiled swipe at China when Solomon Islands decided to exclude all partners from this year's PIF leaders meeting, saying "outsiders" were determining who the Pacific could invite as guests.

A spokesperson for New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade would not say exactly when or where China lodged its complaints over this year's communique, but suggested Beijing had no right to remonstrate with Pacific nations over Taiwan.

[...]

A spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also did not provide any details about the diplomatic complaints China had lodged.

But they also delivered a clear message to Beijing, saying Australia "encourages China to engage with the PIF and its members in a manner that promotes regional unity".

"This includes working through and respecting regional institutions and norms, including the PIF's decisions with respect to engaging Taiwan," they said.

"Australia has made its position clear, including directly to China."

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/44706118

Australia and New Zealand have issued support for the Pacific Islands Forum after China called in Pacific ambassadors to complain about their decision to include Taiwan at the summit last month.

Beijing had pushed to exclude the island from the regional gathering.

[...]

Both New Zealand and Australia are showing increasingly public signs of frustration about the way China has heaped pressure on Pacific nations over Taiwan, arguing that it risked splintering PIF unity, and distracting the region from critical development challenges.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters took a thinly veiled swipe at China when Solomon Islands decided to exclude all partners from this year's PIF leaders meeting, saying "outsiders" were determining who the Pacific could invite as guests.

A spokesperson for New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade would not say exactly when or where China lodged its complaints over this year's communique, but suggested Beijing had no right to remonstrate with Pacific nations over Taiwan.

[...]

A spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also did not provide any details about the diplomatic complaints China had lodged.

But they also delivered a clear message to Beijing, saying Australia "encourages China to engage with the PIF and its members in a manner that promotes regional unity".

"This includes working through and respecting regional institutions and norms, including the PIF's decisions with respect to engaging Taiwan," they said.

"Australia has made its position clear, including directly to China."

[...]

Australia and New Zealand have issued support for the Pacific Islands Forum after China called in Pacific ambassadors to complain about their decision to include Taiwan at the summit last month.

Beijing had pushed to exclude the island from the regional gathering.

[...]

Both New Zealand and Australia are showing increasingly public signs of frustration about the way China has heaped pressure on Pacific nations over Taiwan, arguing that it risked splintering PIF unity, and distracting the region from critical development challenges.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters took a thinly veiled swipe at China when Solomon Islands decided to exclude all partners from this year's PIF leaders meeting, saying "outsiders" were determining who the Pacific could invite as guests.

A spokesperson for New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade would not say exactly when or where China lodged its complaints over this year's communique, but suggested Beijing had no right to remonstrate with Pacific nations over Taiwan.

[...]

A spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also did not provide any details about the diplomatic complaints China had lodged.

But they also delivered a clear message to Beijing, saying Australia "encourages China to engage with the PIF and its members in a manner that promotes regional unity".

"This includes working through and respecting regional institutions and norms, including the PIF's decisions with respect to engaging Taiwan," they said.

"Australia has made its position clear, including directly to China."

[...]

For each day an individual spends time on Hexbear, the larger their average comment size becomes, until they're writing essays to accompany their dense theory reading sessions

cross-posted from: https://lemmings.world/post/36014604

A South Dakota company is recalling more than 2.2 million pounds (998,000 kilograms) of Korean barbecue pork jerky sold at Costco and Sam's Club stores because the product may be contaminated with pieces of metal, federal health officials said Friday.

LSI, Inc., of Alpena, voluntarily pulled the product after customers complained about finding pieces of wiry metal in the jerky, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department. Company officials said the metal came from a conveyor belt used in production. No confirmed injuries have been reported,

The recall includes 14.-5-ounce (410-gram) and 16-ounce (450-gram) plastic pouches of meat jerky labeled "Golden Island fire-grilled pork jerky Korean barbecue recipe." Roughly four dozen lots of jerky are affected. The products have a one-year shelf life with best-by dates ranging from Oct. 23, 2025, to Sept. 23, 2026. The packages contain the establishment number M279A inside the USDA mark of inspection.

Allegations of espionage against the Alternative for Germany (AfD) have been raised by the interior minister of the state of Thuringia. In an interview with Handelsblatt, Social Democrat (SPD) Georg Maier expressed concern that the AfD is abusing its parliamentary powers to gather information about Germany's transport infrastructure, water supply, digital infrastructure and energy supply.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A massive methamphetamine drug haul worth approximately $63 million was seized in the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa on Saturday, and six Iranian nationals were taken into custody by authorities.

The Kenyan Navy intercepted the consignment some 630 kilometers (391 miles) off the coast of Mombasa in the Indian Ocean and escorted the vessel safely to port under armed guard.

I am flooded with news I don’t even know where to begin first the US and AUS made a deal about their rare earth minerals second Venezuela’s about to go to war and third the government is still in shut down? And to top it all off theres an ai bubble thats about to burst I don’t even know what’s going on anymore half time the world goes back to a semblance of sanity and the next some of the goofiest shit happens I can’t tell if Trump will succeed by some divine miracle or if the incompetence of his own cabinet and himself will derail him

It's crazy that Apple is producing hardware that I would want now. Where's the equivalent thinkpad??