All posts tagged: switched

I switched from GNOME to KDE Plasma 6 and I’m not going back to Ubuntu defaults

I switched from GNOME to KDE Plasma 6 and I’m not going back to Ubuntu defaults

Published by Miika Tikkanen

When I installed and booted into Ubuntu GNOME, I stuck to the defaults, and that was fine for a while. Even though GNOME is a clean, minimal, and modern setup, it was far from perfect. Certain extensions broke, and even something as basic as waking from sleep often felt sluggish. I didn’t expect much better from KDE Plasma 6 when I switched. So it was really exciting to see defaults like panel customization, drag-and-drop that actually worked, and shell stability — features I had begged for in GNOME. KDE Plasma 6 was intuitive and, unexpectedly, fun. My experience with the desktop environment makes me feel that this is officially the year of the KDE Linux desktop. GNOME forced me to rely on extensions KDE Plasma 6 includes what GNOME makes you beg for The GNOME desktop environment is simplistic. This means key features are missing by default, and the only workaround is to patch them with extensions. I started using Dash-to-Panel, DING, and Arc Menu to make it more functional, but each of these solutions …

After years of using GNOME, this is the desktop I switched to instead

After years of using GNOME, this is the desktop I switched to instead

Published by Miika Tikkanen

I did not switch from GNOME because I woke up one morning craving change. I switched because I was tired of babysitting my desktop. For years, GNOME was home. Clean layout, strong opinions, and minimal clutter. I liked that it did not try to look like Windows with a different wallpaper. I liked that it assumed I would adapt instead of offering fifty toggles. That restraint felt refreshing. Until it didn’t. As my setup grew more complex, GNOME started feeling less like a focused tool and more like something I had to work around. Two monitors became permanent, with writing on one and research on the other. Messaging apps are isolated so they would not leak into focus time. I wanted tighter control over where windows opened, how panels behaved, and how workspaces stayed separated. None of that is exotic, and GNOME did not make it easy. GNOME was elegant until it became rigid Its simplicity started limiting how I worked Out of the box, GNOME is beautiful in its restraint. The Activities Overview is …

I switched to this command-line backup tool because it encrypts everything by default

I switched to this command-line backup tool because it encrypts everything by default

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Data loss is one of those disasters that can torpedo a productive day, or an entire month, if things get really ugly. Whether it is ransomware, a dying hard drive, or a clumsy deletion, losing important files can stall your entire workflow. I recently came across a backup tool that didn’t compromise on security or simplicity: Restic—a fast, efficient, and secure command-line backup tool. If you need a beginner’s guide to the command prompt because the idea of using a CLI makes you nervous, I completely understand. A blinking cursor can be intimidating. But Restic is human-readable. After switching, I realized that typing a few words is often much faster than clicking through endless menus in a slow, overloaded app. OS Linux, Windows, macOS Price model Free Restic is a modern backup program. It is free, open sources, and effortless to use. It is a command line utility that works seamlessly across platforms. Restic encrypts your backups, giving you peace of mind Trust no one, not even the server you pay for A nice thing …