LINUX Unplugged

565: Mistakes That Made Us Love Linux

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The facepalm moments that make us question our sanity—and swear off sudo for a week.Sponsored By:Core Contributor Membership: Take $1 a month of you...

564: The Goldilocks Build

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're following one simple rule to build a Linux desktop so stable it could outlive us.Sponsored By:Tailscale: Tailscale is a programmable networking ...

563: Nix's People Problem

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After months of debate, the Nix community might be coming to a resolution. We'll examine what happened, what's changing.Sponsored By:Tailscale: Tailsc...

562: Red Hat Knows How to Party

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Three revelations from Red Hat Summit. Our on-the-ground report will separate fact from hype.Sponsored By:Tailscale: Tailscale is a programmable netwo...

561: Folders as a Service

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A few of our go-to tools for one-liner web servers, sharing media directly from folders, and a much needed live Arch server update, and more!Sponsored...

560: Linux Festivus For the Rest of Us

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The first LinuxFest is back and better than ever. We share stories and friends from one of the best Linux gatherings of the year: LinuxFest Northwest....

559: Linux is Bigger in Texas

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're back from Austin, with interviews and stories to share. Plus, it's Gentoo week and we take our first look at Fedora 40.Sponsored By:Tailscale: T...

558: Top 5 Essential Apps

14 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We asked, and you answered: Your top 5 Linux app essentials and post-install rituals. Plus, some news to better cope with "extreme file-system damage....

557: Crouching kexec, Hidden Linux

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're building a completely hidden Linux OS inside an existing system—with no trace left behind.Sponsored By:Tailscale: Tailscale is a programmable ...

556: The xz Backdoor Exposed 🚨

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're breaking down the attack: how it works, how it was hidden, and why time was running out for the attacker.Sponsored By:Tailscale: Tailscale is a ...

555: Glide like a Goose, Honk like a Moose

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We test the Linux-first, all-AMD Sirius 16 laptop, discuss the new Hyprland release, and share a few stories from our recent trip.Sponsored By:Tailsca...

554: SCaLEing Nix

18 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're on the ground live at NixCon and SCaLE. We catch up with old friends, and discover how Nix is devouring the Linux world one function at a time.S...

553: Portably Predictable Productivity

11 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We each bring surprise topics, a mix of hardware and software, as we prepare to hit the road for NixCon and SCaLE.

552: Plasma's Perfect Play

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Plasma 6 is out, and we've been giving it a go. What's new, our thoughts, and the lessons other desktops should learn.

551: AI Under Your Control

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Corporate AI is a hot mess, but open-source alternatives can be open-ended chaos. We’ll test some of the best ways to get local AI tools under your ...

550: Ready Player Linux

19 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Chris spends the week in a VR desktop, revealing the glitches, gains, and VR's open-source future.

549: Will it Nixcloud?

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Deploying Nextcloud the Nix way promises a paradise of reproducibility and simplicity. But is it just a painful trek through configuration hell? We bu...

548: Uncomfortable Linux Truths

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Some uncomfortable truths about using Linux, and then we introduce a new segment: Will it Nix?

547: Behind the Shelves

28 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Data-hoard with purpose and manage your audiobooks and podcasts with one application, plus the lone Linux box that remains on Mars.

546: What You’re Missing about NixOS

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Trying NixOS can be fraught with complexity, half-completed guides, and boring videos. Even if you never plan to switch to NixOS, we invite you to com...

545: 3,062 Days Later

15 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kent Overstreet, the creator of bcachefs, helps us understand where his new filesystem fits, what it's like to upstream a new filesystem, and how they...

544: Half the Bits, Double the Pain

08 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This challenge gets ugly as we slowly realize we've just become zombie slayers. We load Linux on three barely alive systems, and it takes a turn we d...

543: Profoundly Prophetic Prognostications

31 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We make our big Linux predictions for 2024, but first, we score how we did for 2023. Special Guest: Michael Tunnell.

542: 2023 Tuxies

24 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the fourth annual Unplugged Tuxies; our community votes on the best projects, distros, and desktops of 2023.

541: Out with a Bang

17 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The stories that kept us talking all year, and are only getting hotter! Plus the big flops we're still sore about. Special Guest: Kenji Berthold.

540: Uncensored AI on Linux

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We test two popular methods to run local language models on your Linux box. Then, we push the limits to see which language models will toe the line an...

539: Rollback Required

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, our embarrassment is your entertainment. Then, we check the age and health of all our disks with one app.

538: Surprisingly Smooth Transition

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

PipeWire hits 1.0, and Wim Taymans joins us to reflect on the smooth success of PipeWire. Plus the details on the first NixCon North America, and more...

537: This Makes Us Unemployable

19 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Can we save an old Arch install? We'll attempt a live rescue, then get into our tips for keeping your old Linux install running great.

536: Plasma Power-Ups

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The problem with GNOME's great news, plus our first look at Plasma 6. Then, the surprising place NixOS is getting adopted.

535: Hit the Turbo

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A special guest joins us, and we each give Fedora 39 a try. What’s new, what we liked, and what didn’t make the cut! Special Guest: Drew DeVore.

534: We Nixed Proxmox

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We did Proxmox dirty last week, so we try to explain our thinking. But first, a few things have gone down that you should know about.

533: LinuxFest North Jeff

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We try and pull off one too many projects, but you can't argue with the results. We report on our week of rebuilds and rescues and having a blast at L...

532: We Like Snaps Now

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Has Canonical finally nailed snaps? Why it looks like Ubuntu has turned a new corner; our thoughts on the latest release. Plus, a special guest and mo...

531: The Windows Challenge

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We ran Windows for the week with three seemingly simple objectives. How we did, our take on what's gotten a lot better about Windows, and what still n...

530: Leave the Pi in the Oven

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why the Raspberry Pi 5 doesn't meet our expectations, and the x86 boxes you should consider instead.

529: Changing the Game

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Even if you don't game, the data is in, and the impact of the Steam Deck on Linux is massive. We'll go into details and then share our long-term revie...

528: Where's Your Data?

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today's theme is data sovereignty, and we'll check in with two crucial projects that are giving you more options. Special Guest: Noah Chelliah.

527: Framing Brent

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Brent's new Framework laptop has been torn apart and put back together again. We'll find out if it's up to his standards. Plus, we're kicking off a ne...

526: Canonical Wins by Default

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While chaos is brewing in SUSE and Red Hat land, Canonical stays the course and doubles down on the Linux desktop. Plus, our thoughts on the kernel te...

525: Beating Apple to the Sauce

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We daily drive Asahi Linux on a MacBook, chat about how the team beat Apple to a major GPU milestone, and an easy way to self-host open-source ChatGPT...

524: How Our Server Got It's Groove Back

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Can we build an indestructible server that stands up to the test of giving out root login to the Internet?

523: Ride the Rhino

13 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We're trying out Rhino Linux—a unique take on rolling Ubuntu with AUR-like powers and other surprises.

522: Practical Privacy

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why Linux reigns for privacy; our recommendations for secure tools from chat to DNS.

521: Rethinking GNOME

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Two important news stories, plus our thoughts on GNOME’s new windowing proposal and the Framework 16.

520: To Infinity and Berlin

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Do they build them better in Germany? We try out the next-generation InfinityBook Pro 14 and dig into TUXEDO OS.

519: The Clone Grift Wars

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have Oracle and SUSE lost their minds? Plus, we dig into Fedora's proposal to add telemetry collection to Workstation.

518: Race To Immutability

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Can Ubuntu make a great immutable desktop? We're trying the brand-new "Everything is a Snap" Ubuntu Core Desktop.

517: Caught Red-Hatted

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Just about every take on the Red Hat news seems to have missed the mark. Special Guest: Carl George.

516: The Fixer-Upper

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chris tears into two old PCs, and builds a surprisingly powerful multi-monitor Wayland workstation. Plus, Wes has a new device, and Brent wants answer...

515: Ham Sandwich

18 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is Ham Radio a natural hobby for Linux users? An old friend joins us to explain where the two overlap. Special Guest: Noah Chelliah.

514: Connection Established

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We get the inside scoop on SouthEast LinuxFest, and share a few stories from the early days of the Linux community. Special Guest: Noah Chelliah.

513: There Is No Distro

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We attempt to swap Linux distributions live on our production server, to prove that new tooling makes the Linux distro model obsolete.

512: The Sound of Rust

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We take a "Rust-only tools" challenge for a week and admit what worked, and what sucked. Plus, a surprise guest.

511: Accepting the Future

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How we found peace with the Linux community’s perpetual debates; and our tricks for finding the signal from the noise.

510: Thinking in Decades

14 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The push for free software takes years, maybe even generations. Brent gets the inside story from the Free Software Foundation Europe. Special Guest: M...

509: The Next Gen Desktop

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The first new desktop environment in a while that has caught our attention, and it promises to unlock the full power of cutting-edge Linux. Why we thi...

508: The Worst Distro Ever

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Two listeners race to set up a web server on Suicide Linux. One slip-up and it's all gone. Who will survive?

507: Full Wobble

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why Fedora 38 might Sway you to try it; and how it runs on the MacBook M1 Max.

506: Three Wild and Crazy Topics

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We surprise each other with three secret topics, with one big catch.

505: Keep Your Darn Secrets

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We try out the most secure messaging app in the world, and Wes’ new note system that's so great you’ll want to abandon your current one.

504: It's a Trap!

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why using the iPhone makes it harder to run Linux; Chris follows up on his four-month-long challenge to ditch iOS for GrapheneOS. Plus, Brent's exten...

503: Berlin with Brent

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Brent dives deep into Nextcloud's new release from inside their offices, and takes an unexpected dip in the local lake with a listener.

502: Docker Shocker

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The story of an open-source hero who became a villain. Special Guest: Alex Kretzschmar.

501: Fat Stacks for Flatpaks

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Robert McQueen shares the inside scoop on Flathub’s ambitious plans to create a universal app store for all distros—and we ask the hard questions....

500: Our Biggest Announcement Yet

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We're celebrating 500 episodes with the biggest announcement yet. Special Guest: Listener Jeff.

499: 'velopers Choose Snap

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ubuntu makes its anti-Flatpak stance official, while KDE and GNOME team up to turn Flathub into a universal Linux app store. Plus, we try the Intel Ar...

498: Rolling Papercuts

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes running the latest and greatest means you have to pave your own path. This week two examples from living on the edge.

497: More Features? More Problems.

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How Chris wasted three months tracking down a Wi-Fi problem, plus we debate if immutable distros need to be simplified.

496: Tux in the Hen House

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chris attempts to get Fedora 37 on his M1 Max MacBook Pro, while Wes and Brent try the "every distro at once" desktop.

495: The Moment of Truth

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are the free software alternatives good enough? The conclusion to our 60-day challenge to drop Google, Apple, and the iPhone.

494: Updating Our Fiddly Bits

23 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are finally taking on a project months in the making, and we're switching to an entirely new generation of Linux tech in the process.

493: Network Nirvana

16 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chris' sticky upgrade situation, and we chat with the developer behind an impressive mesh VPN with new tricks. Special Guest: Ryan Huber.

492: A New Challenge Approaches

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join us on a journey to true software freedom. We embark on our 30-day challenge and discover a whole new philosophy that will change the way you thin...

491: 2023 Spoilers

01 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We assemble to predict what will happen in 2023 and score how our 2022 predictions turned out.

490: 2022 Tuxies

25 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's the third annual Unplugged Tuxies; our community votes on the best projects, distros, desktops, and services of 2022.

489: Brent's Secret Emails

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Brent's been hiding your emails; we confront him and expose what he's been keeping from the show.

488: Revenge of the Lizard People

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We complete a year-long journey and discover some unspoken truths about a great Linux distro. Plus one small, and one major update on our GrapheneOS a...

487: The Debian Debate

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After nearly half a year of woe, Brent is ready to give Linux the go. Join us as we compare and contrast two Linux distros and end up with one going o...

486: Goodbye, Google

28 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Chris ditches the iPhone and switches to GrapheneOS, a security and privacy-focused project that lets you take control back from Google.

485: Mystery Box

21 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We dig into Shufflecake, a tool that lets Linux users hide data with plausible deniability, then let our live stream SSH into our server and see if th...

484: Fedora Falls Flat

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Why this latest release of Fedora misses the mark, and Ubuntu's quiet backing away from ZFS.

483: Chris Is Done With Raspberry Pi

07 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We surprise each other with three different topics, and Chris has a big update on the ODROID H3+.

482: Legacy Gets the Boot

31 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Are the long-timers holding Linux back? Lennart Poettering argues we are and proposes a new Microsoft-blessed way to secure Linux. Plus, our thoughts ...

481: Just a Prompt Away

24 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Internet is going crazy with AI-generated media. What's the open-source story, and is Linux being left out? Plus, we try out the new Ubuntu releas...

480: Taming the Beast

17 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Linus Tech Tips blows it again, and we clean up. Plus, we push System76's updated Thelio Workstation to the breaking point.

479: Good Software, Bad Blood

10 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What the heck is going on? Fedora is dropping features, GNOME is getting Iced, and the mistake we'll never make again. We've got a lot to sort out.

478: The Best of Both Worlds

03 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We go hands-on at NASA's JPL and learn why Linux is the best OS for Earth and Mars. Special Guest: Tim Canham.

477: The Feeling of Fast

25 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We finally give Brent his new laptop and get his reaction. Plus our best pick for replacing stock Android with something private.

476: Canary in the Photo Mine

19 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We've gone deep to find our perfect Google Photos replacement. This week we'll share our setup that we think works great, is easy to use, and is fully...

475: Brent's Bug Battle

12 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Brent has been on a bug-finding marathon. We review what he's discovered and share some hard-learned lessons.

474: Linux's Malware Inevitability

05 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Can Linux do better? Apple is scrambling to build always-on malware protection into the next macOS as its market share grows. A precautionary tale for...

473: End of the Road

29 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We've reached the end of the road in our immutable Linux series, and an old friend stops by to give us the inside scoop on Endless OS. Plus, we announ...

472: 5 Problems With NixOS

22 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The five most common problems when trying out an immutable Linux distro like NixOS. Plus, why one Linux dev says just target WINE.

471: The Cottonwood Disaster

15 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our garage Linux server has died, and this time we’re looking at data loss. We attempt to revive our zombie box and reflect on what went wrong. Spec...

470: Let's Call It an Upgrade

08 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We present a buffet of budget Linux boxes. From $40 to $400 you'll be surprised by what we found. Then we attempt to find the perfect distro for them....

469: Tough Linux Love

31 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is the Linux desktop hard to love? A long-time user experience developer argues it is, and we respond to his criticisms.

468: The Read Only Scenario

25 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A fundamental change is coming to desktop Linux, and Silverblue might be our hint at where things are going.

467: All Hands on Deck

18 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We try and bust a common Linux distro myth. Then what surprised Chris about his new Steam Deck.

466: The Night of a Thousand Errors

11 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We were fixing servers all night, but at least we have a great story. A special guest joins us to help make a big show announcement. Special Guest: Ti...