Recently, I have been trying to take some time to come back to blogging, an activity that I really enjoyed and let me record all my learning in the world of FLOSS.
So, these are the new experiences I had:
1. Zen Browser
I do not remember how, probably it was thanks to a Reddit post, but I came across Zen Browser. Or maybe it was a YouTube video? In any case, the author, a long time Firefox user, described a new browser that was very strange at first, but that that author ended loving.
Since Firefox has always been my browser of choice, I grew curious about this new software that was, in fact, very unusual: its features did not seem to make a lot of sense to me (just as the author described when first using the browser). Tabs arranged in a vertical fashion? Multiple spaces? Design whose main purpose was not to be intrusive but that did not sacrifice functionality? Privacy-oriented?
I have to admit that I could not resist and visited the Zen Browser site to download this new way to surf the Web. I got the Linux version, decompressed it, and gave it a try. True, the design was attractive, but the idea of the spaces to organize the vertical tabs was not resonating with me... until I remembered experiencing something similar the first time I used the four desktops in Mandriva, back in 2009. The idea of switching workspaces seemed confusing to me. Yes, the Compiz cube was cool, but what was the point of having your windows scattered in four different isolated spaces?
Then it dawned on me.
And then, the four workspaces became completely essential for my productivity.
This was exactly the same experience when KDE introduced activities. First, bewilderment sprinkled with anger, then disbelief, and finally understanding and total acceptance.
Thus, I created two spaces in Zen to test them... and I loved the concept!
I loved it even more when I discovered that it is based on Firefox and, therefore, not only do I get to import my bookmarks into the new browser, but I can also sync it using my Mozilla account!
The installation in my portable Mageia 9 desktop was easy: I only unzipped the file and then ran this command as root: curl -fsSL https://github.com/zen-browser/updates-server/raw/refs/heads/main/install.sh | $SHELL
Somehow, that was it. I got Zen in my menu and pinned it to Favorites.
However, when I tried to replicate the process in Mageia 10, I never got the menu entry. So, I had to follow the indications in the Bluebird Documentation page:
1. I went to /usr/share/applications
2. I opened kwrite, opened a new file, and pasted this info (substituting <your-name> by my home folder:
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Zen Browser
Exec=/home/<your-name>/zen/zen
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Icon=/home/<your-name>/zen/browser/chrome/icons/default/default128.png
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
StartupNotify=true
And that was it! I am actually writing this from home, using Zen Browser on my new Mageia 10 desktop install.
Which takes me to my second adventure...
2. Mageia 10
After a long wait, and according to DistroWatch.com, my favorite distro released version 10. After all this time, I have not had any major issue with Mageia 9, which explains, however partially, why I have not blogged regularly. Yet, I wanted to see the new Mageia...only that I wanted to be careful. That's why I decided to install the new release to a USB drive.
After downloading the classic install ISO, creating a USB with it, I tried to put this 10th version into a pen drive but, alas! I have become rusty!
Yes, I made a n00b mistake: Instead of placing the GRUB2 in the EFI partition of the USB drive, I inadvertently put it into the EFI partition of my home desktop computer. So, when I attempted to boot from the pen drive, all I got was a black screen with a J and a blinking cursor next to it.
Of course, I thought that the problem was limited to a dysfunctional USB install. After removing the pen drive, I booted the desktop. To my horror, I saw the splash of Mageia 10 replacing the splash of my Mageia 9 computer!
And then... NOTHING!
Realizing that I had ruined two machines in one install, I plugged the pen drive again and restarted the desktop. My idea was to change the booting device, but I was not quick enough and the wayward machine booted from its EFI partition...this time into my renewed desktop environment (Luckily, I did not format the /home partition!).
In addition to the stupid mistake with GRUB2, I had also installed the / partition into the pen drive and created a two-factor verification computer... Good grief!
I had to reinstall my / partition and fix the GRUB2.
And that's how I forcefully migrated my home computer to Mageia 10.
Concerning performance, everything seems to be working, just as expected. While several technical reviews claim Mageia 10 is a lackluster release, I am grateful EVERYTHING WORKS.
Those of us who do not belong to the bleeding-edge, dangerously-living, excited-to-tinker tribe are happy with a distro that looks renewed but keeps thing in place, maybe a bit too familiar, but reliable when work demands keep piling up, hehe.
