I am currently running Xubuntu on all my systems but there are so many things that feel rather unstable/buggy - I am sure it is not all Xubuntus/Xfce's fault, but my knowledge is limited so I just attribute it to that.

Therefore, I am currently considering switching to Fedora. I feel like it is time trying out a new desktop (KDE) and a more up to date kernel. I am not entirely sure what I am hoping from this post, but maybe a "yea, it is worth it" would ease my mind a bit.

Also, I am a bit unsure how to easily move between them (programs and data).

To name a few of the bugs I encountered in the past:

• When connecting screens, quite often the created profile is ignored, screens get disabled, overlapped, ... By applying the profile multiple times eventually you can overcome this issue
• Dell specific: Webcam does not work, system sometimes freezes after closing the laptop lid even if sleep mode is deactivated
• Certain shortcuts are bugged (WIN+Left works, WIN+Right doesn't. When you reset WIN+Right, it works until the next restart)

Heyho,

I am an absolutely beginner when it comes to Smart Homes, but have some knowledge when it comes to coding, Linux, Docker and Co.

So, I decided to make my home smart and bought some stuff and hopefully I am now able to connect it somehow, but I am missing a good explanation/tutorial.

If I understand correctly then I should install some software on my minipc, connect it to my ZBT-2 which then form a Matter Controller which then can be somehow connected to the Matter lightbulbs. Is that general notion correct or am I already off? If it is correct, does anyone know a good tutorial for it? When I try to google Matter Controller I often find ready made ones and nothing on how to set it up on my own.

I bought the MiniPC because I want to set up a small home server, too, but that is largely unrelated.

Heyho, I wonder whether it would be interesting to create a mega thread where people can spotlight their own research (even if it hasn't been published yet).

I sometimes come across super interesting comments in threads where scientists add great detail to topics. For example when someone asked about sweeteners and a scientist in that field explained how they cause DNA damage for animals (and why the impact on humans is likely less; I can't accurately retell their explanation so you have to look it up yourself if you are interested).

Science communication is a difficult area and I would love to see what you are working on! Maybe this community is not the right place, but I thought it would be a good start.

Heyho,

as I will soon move into my first "own" apartment (have lived in shared apartments so far), I would like to set up some smart home devices. Primarily lights, but I am open to other ideas.

Looking into the topic I noticed that basically all cloudless setups need a server - often they use a Raspberry Pie, a low energy protocol - like Zigbee or Thread, and a managing software like Home Assistant or openHAB.

Currently, I think about using the Raspberry Pie 5 (should also be helpful for other projects such as Immich) together with some kind of USB to connect to the Thread network (guess there is something similar like conbee2 for Zigbee) and openHAB as the software for greater customization. While openHAB is probably overkill, as a computer scientist I think I might enjoy the greater customization options.

So my question: Are there any good tutorials for this setup? While I knew of Zigbee before this project, I wasn't aware of Thread and am just looking into it. I don't feel comfortable yet to double down on it without learning more on possible ways to connect Thread to openHAB on a Raspberry Pie.

Thanks in advance!

Alright: For now I have bought:

• Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2, Zigbee 3.0/Thread/Matter USB-Adapter
• Soyo MiniPC M4

Instead of choosing openHAB, I will start with Home Assistant. While some people argued that they use Zigbee without issues, I still feel like Matter/Thread is the more interesting standard. Given that you can only use one standard with a ZBT-2, I will try to find all my devices in the Matter/Thread ecosystem.

Not sure if it fits here, but I found no community that distinctly focuses on phone repair/data extraction. I hope this is fine.

Recently, my phone's display died. I am trying to save the data.

I bought a more advanced OTG hub that should allow connecting the mouse and an external display. It also has a USB-C power input so the phone doesn’t have to power everything itself. The phone is connected to the hub via USB-C as well.

However, I haven’t even managed to get that setup working with my current phone (CMF Phone 2 Pro). I enabled the “Improve OTG Compatibility” option, but the hub still doesn’t appear to work, even though it’s advertised as being compatible with smartphones and other OTG devices: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GD7G9HS9

At this point I’m unsure whether the problem is me, the adapter, or possibly an issue with the display I’m trying to use (though the display works fine with other devices).

Any ideas? If OTG is not the right way, I am open for other suggestions. I am not really interested in repairing the phone, I just need the data.

EDIT Why Otg?: I thought of OTG for data extraction, because attaching a display and a mouse should enable me to use the phone again assuming that it is just the display that is broken. In order to verify my correct OTG setup, I attempted it first with my working phone which did not work.

My father considers buying an Android TV box. Initially, I thought that's a bad choice as a mini pc has much greater capabilities and control.

However, he does have a point that Android TV boxes are cheaper (~60) and work with tv cable which most mini PCs don't have a connector for.

What are your thoughts on this?

In the past I didn't really catch that the people were rebelling against the government and suddenly there is great violence against protestors.

I think I missed this completely. I am aware that the beginning was spiralling costs. Is this connected to international sanctions?

I recently saw someone creating a bingo chart for 2025 so I decided to create one for 2026 (image of this post). What are your predictions for 2026?

Initially, I looked for an open source smartwatch that is sold with an opensource OS preinstalled. However, this was not really feasible.

• PineTime had some really bad first hand reviews in addition to them being quite expensive in the EU.
• Pebbles warranty is too low and it is rather expensive.

So as a second attempt I looked for operating systems that you can flash onto watches. I found Open-SmartWatch with OSW-OS and AsteroidOS. While I think that building your smart watch from scratch is cool, AsteroidOS looked more accessible and mature (just based on easy navigation and the feature list).

Sadly, the most supported watch is no longer available: TicWatch Pro 2018

So I thought I just mindlessly ask whether you have a different OS you would recommend or if you have a watch recommendation that is still available.

Tbh. I thought for a second that pinetime was it for me. Price bit more expensive than I hoped for but maybe reasonable idk. Then I looked at the US price and now I am stunned.

Are they sold from the US so tariffs apply? I can't support that.

I do not really have a body for this. I was not aware that this is a thing and still feel like this is bs, but maybe there is an actual explanation for HDMI Forum's decision that I am missing.