This is usually because the overlay module isn't built as a loadable module in your kernel — it's either built-in or not compiled at all.

Check with:

grep OVERLAY /boot/config-$(uname -r)

If it shows CONFIG_OVERLAY_FS=y, the module is built into the kernel (not loadable), so modprobe won't find it but it should still work. Podman just checks incorrectly.

If it's not there at all, you might need to install linux-headers and rebuild, or use a different storage driver like vfs (slower but works everywhere):

# In containers.conf or storage.conf
[storage]
driver = "vfs"

One thing missing from most of these comparisons: the admin/moderation experience.

Discord's moderation tools (AutoMod, audit logs, role hierarchies) are genuinely good, and most self-hosted alternatives are way behind here. If you're running a community server, this matters a lot.

My ranking for communities (not just friend groups):

1. Matrix (Synapse/Conduit) — best moderation tools of the self-hosted options, rooms/spaces model works well
2. Revolt — closest Discord clone, but moderation is still basic
3. Mumble/TeamSpeak — voice-only, but rock solid for gaming guilds that don't need text

For just friends? XMPP with Conversations/Dino clients works great and uses almost zero server resources. I run an ejabberd instance on a $5 VPS alongside 5 other services.

This is huge. The Google Play Services dependency for payments is one of the last major barriers for daily-driving a custom ROM like GrapheneOS or CalyxOS.

Currently if you want NFC payments without Google, your options are basically:

• Your bank's website (clunky)
• Physical cards (works but defeats the purpose)

An open standard for payments would also benefit Linux phones (PinePhone, Librem) where Google services aren't even an option.

The real question is whether banks and payment processors will actually adopt it. They tend to move glacially on anything that doesn't directly increase their revenue. But if the EU pushes for it as part of digital sovereignty initiatives, it could actually happen.

Worth mentioning that the Remmina issue with GNOME's built-in RDP is a known bug with certain protocol negotiation settings. Try these in Remmina:

1. Connection → Security → set to "RDP" (not "Negotiate")
2. Under Advanced, disable "Network Level Authentication"

If that doesn't work, xfreerdp from the command line is more reliable:

xfreerdp /v:your-server-ip /u:username /dynamic-resolution

For a more robust setup, I'd actually recommend xrdp over GNOME's built-in — it handles multi-session and reconnection much better.

Honest answer from someone who's used Linux as a daily driver for years:

Actually annoying:

• Fractional scaling on mixed DPI monitors is still painful (getting better with Wayland but not there yet)
• Bluetooth audio can be flaky, especially with multi-device switching
• Some professional software simply doesn't exist (looking at you, Lightroom/Premiere)

Annoying but solvable:

• Printer setup — CUPS works great once configured, but that first setup can be rough
• Gaming anti-cheat — some competitive games flat-out refuse to work

Not actually problems, just different:

• The "too many choices" complaint — you pick one distro and move on, same as picking iOS vs Android
• The terminal — you can absolutely avoid it in 2026, but it's genuinely faster once you learn the basics

Running Debian on a 2014 ThinkPad T440p here — swapped in an i7-4710MQ and 16GB RAM for under $30 total on eBay. Compiles code, runs containers, handles everything I throw at it.

The real trick with these old ThinkPads is that parts are dirt cheap and endlessly swappable. Battery dying? $15 replacement. Screen too dim? Swap in an IPS panel for $25. Try doing that with anything made after 2020.

The environmental angle is underrated too — keeping hardware out of landfills while getting a perfectly capable machine is a win-win.