Origin of what?

Good I’m on Tumbleweed then. 😁

Seriously, I will test it in a virtual machine.

Good point. Which distros handle it well?

Pixar sees these put up all over their offices.

(For those not yet in the know, this IGN report reveals trouble within Pixar.)

You can. That’s what I meant with folders. But I cannot position these icons and folders freely on a grid like the Win10 Start menu allows. Still, Gnome comes quite close.

Thank you. I might just have to switch to KDE for that. Will install KDE on my current GNOME environment. Will give it a test drive.

Thanks for the suggestion. I looked at it. It is basically a simplified Windows 7 menu. Decent, but it doesn’t go far enough for me.

Gnome itself is actually not bad. It has a full screen menu and arrangeable application icons and folders, but I cannot group them the way I want, let alone resize them. I wish there was something for Gnome, but I don’t see it.

Perhaps I am asking for an edge case. Even Microsoft has dumbed down its Start menu in 11 to essentially a mobile launcher. Too few people seem to want that.

This looks great.

Suggestion: a step-by-step “howto” with an example or three to make it more useful for beginners.

At least they’re moo-ving.

In fact, we need MORE CO2!

Wake up, sheeple!

– https://clintel.org/

Big Oil puppet.

Can’t help but feel sorry. Not his fault that he was raised in a Neanderthal cave.

Clearly you’re part of the problem.

Enjoy your ignorance while the planet burns!

Climate change is a hoax!

Not all heroes wear capes.

This. So much this.

Balancing multiple interests and projects is not easy. Seems to me you need some balance.

Just some ideas that help me get stuff done.

Prioritizing. Identify which project or task is most urgent or important to you right now. Focus on that one first before moving on to the next.

Realistic Goals. Break down your larger projects into smaller, manageable tasks. This can make them feel less daunting and help you make more steady progress instead of leaving them entirely. Also be realistic in how many projects you can handle.

Scheduling. Allocate/schedule specific time blocks for each activity. For example, dedicate certain hours of the day to game development, writing, and leisure activities. This keeps one organised and helps progress on all fronts.

Limit Distractions. If you’re easily distracted, fix that. Minimize interruptions during your dedicated work times. Stay focused.

Otherwise take regular breaks, don’t expect perfection of yourself and share your tasks with someone to help you stay balanced.

If it’s extreme, consider getting professional support. No shame in that. Quite the opposite.

Edit: spelling

So what sets COSMIC apart from the rest of the gang?

Thank you. Fantastic write-up. Saved for future use. :-)

I generally agree with these assessments. One point I would like to add some nuance to, though. This might not be the most popular take, but saying that Ubuntu should be avoided at all cost is a bit extreme. IMO.

If I may, here some counter-arguments to the criticisms of Ubuntu:

It is easy to use and accessible. It has a user-friendly interface and is installed with ease, making it an excellent choice for beginners. The large user base and extensive documentation also provide a wealth of resources for troubleshooting and learning.

Snap packages are convenient as they bundle all dependencies. Flatpaks do something similar, of course. But just because Canonical controls Snap and it is closed source doesn’t automatically make it evil.

The fact that Canonical has successfully commercialised Linux doesn’t always sit well with some people in the spirit of FOSS Linux, but they have also done a great deal to widen the distribution and appeal of Linux. Ubuntu has a large and active community that can be incredibly helpful to new users. The community support, forums and official documentation are most useful. I don’t currently use Ubuntu, but use their resources frequently. Their work also makes the work of distros like Mint, Elementary and Pop! OS easier.

Ultimately, the choice of Linux distribution depends on individual needs and preferences - even for beginners. Although I am not a Ubuntu fan, I wanted to provide a counterpoint with this post. Ubuntu certainly has its flaws, but are we really doing the world of Linux a favour by promoting complete avoidance and thus damaging Ubuntu?

Anyway, just my opinion. I know some of you will disagree with me, perhaps passionately and strongly. Some will agree. That is fine. My hope is that the Linux world remains as diverse as possible, with plenty of options for everyone, and enough resources for fast, high quality development.