Linux Kamarada

2026 FIFA World Cup: how to sync fixtures and scores to GNOME Calendar

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 20:40:00 +0000

What about having the 2026 FIFA World Cup fixtures and scores right on your Linux desktop? You can add all the games to the calendar so that you can organize your routine not to miss a fixture you really want to watch. Today you are going to see how to do that.

Googling for publicly available World Cup calendars, I found this one by FotMob. It is an ICS file, which can be synced by apps such as GNOME’s Calendar, present on Linux Kamarada.

To open the GNOME Calendar, open the Activities menu, by the upper-left corner of the screen, start typing calendar and click the application icon:

Open the Calendars menu and then click the Manage Calendars option:

Click Add Calendar:

Copy the following link. To do so, right-click it and then click Copy link on the context menu (or the similarly named option provided by your browser):

Link to the ICS file

Paste it into the New Calendar dialog box, on the text field below Connect to an Online Calendar, and click the Add Calendar button:

Back to the previous screen, note that the calendar is now listed, and the matches are now appearing:

By clicking the name of the calendar, you can give it a new name and color:

When finished, go back (by clicking the arrow by the upper-left corner) and close this dialog to return to the Calendar main screen.

You can now easily show or hide the match schedule from the Calendars menu:

Hover over a game, or click it, to see more info about it:

The way we did it (by copying and pasting that link into the Calendar app), the app regularly looks for updates to the match schedule and syncs them.

An alternative would be to download the ICS file to the computer and import it into the app, but then updates made by the website would not be synced.

That’s it! With this, you will be able to check the schedules and scores of all of the 104 matches of the biggest soccer tournament in the world easily right from the Calendar app on your Linux computer.

I hope you liked and enjoyed this tip. If you have any questions or suggestions, please, don’t hesitate to comment!

Flatpak: everything you need to know about the distro-agnostic package manager

Sun, 31 May 2026 23:19:00 +0000

Until recently, different Linux distros used different package formats, often incompatible with each other. For example, Debian and Ubuntu use DEB packages; Red Hat, Fedora and openSUSE use RPM packages; Arch Linux, Manjaro and Linux Kamarada use pkg.tar.zst packages. These traditional packaging formats presented some inconveniences for everyone – users, software developers, and distro and package maintainers:

Duplicated work packaging apps: as developers had to package the same application in different formats for different distributions, it was common to choose just one or a few distributions to support, while ignoring all the others;
That takes us to the second point, user limited to distributions that have the apps: only a few distributions had a wide range of applications natively packaged and available for easy installation and use, so the distributions that could be considered for everyday use were limited;
User limited to apps that are packaged already: not all applications are natively available in every Linux distribution, if the user needs a program that is not packaged for their distribution, they will need to download it, and often compile it manually;
Old and outdated packages: distributions whose lifecycle is organized into versions, which are supported for a long time (LTS, Long Term Support), often have very old versions of applications. This is a problem mainly in distributions like openSUSE Leap or Debian, not so much in distributions with frequent updates (rolling release) like openSUSE Tumbleweed or Arch Linux; and
Difficulty to support: as each distribution packages applications in a different way, and each distribution has different versions of programs and their dependencies, developers have little control over what is on the user’s computer, making it difficult to troubleshoot bugs (or even to reduce the chance that they will occur, in the first place).

Striving to solve these problems, some alternative package formats emerged, such as Snap, Flatpak and AppImage. Today, we are going to talk about Flatpak.

Flatpak is a distribution-agnostic package manager. It brought a simpler alternative to install programs on different distros: as long as Flatpak is installed on the system, the same Flatpak package can be installed on any distro. A Flatpak package contains not only the application, but also most of the libraries needed to run it. Applications are run by Flatpak in a sandbox environment that isolates applications from one another and from the system, increasing security as a whole.

Flatpak was originally created by Alexander Larsson while working on container technologies at Red Hat. Although it has received many contributions from Red Hat and GNOME developers, Flatpak is not tied to either this distribution or this desktop, having been developed as an independent free software project from the beginning. Formerly called xdg-app, it was first released in March 2015 and then renamed to Flatpak in May 2016. The following month, the competitor Snap, which until then supported Ubuntu only, was ported to other distributions.

Flatpak is currently supported by at least 38 major distributions.

Just as distributions have the concept of repositories, Flatpak also lets you get packages from one or more repositories, the main one being Flathub at flathub.org. In Flatpak terminology, repositories are called remotes, very similarly to Git remotes.

Here’s how to install and configure Flatpak on your system, how to use it to install apps, and other information that may be helpful.

How to install and enable Flatpak

Both Manjaro and the new Manjaro-based Linux Kamarada come with Flatpak already installed out-of-the-box. Flathub is also pre-configured. If you use one of these distros, all you need to do is enable Flatpak support in Pamac, which is similar to enabling AUR support, as discussed in the previous article.

Open Pamac (Add/Remove Software, as shown in the Pamac tutorial), open the menu by clicking the 3 dots in the upper-right corner of the screen, and then click Preferences:

Switch to the Third Party tab and enable the following options:

Enable Flatpak support; and
Check for updates.

Back to the main Pamac screen, open the menu and click Refresh databases:

Pamac will retrieve the list of packages available in the official Manjaro repositories (and in the AUR, if enabled), as well as the list of packages available in the Flatpak repositories. After that, you will be able to search and install Flatpak packages.

If you use another Linux distro, see how to install Flatpak on the Flatpak website.

From now on, I’m going to focus on Manjaro and Linux Kamarada.

How to install apps with Flatpak

Now you have everything you need to install Flatpak apps on Linux Kamarada. And you can do this using the Pamac graphical interface or the flatpak command in the terminal.

1) Using the Pamac graphical interface

You can search for and install Flatpak apps using the Pamac graphical interface. To do this, open Pamac, search and install the app as you normally would. Notice the indications that it is a Flatpak package from the Flathub repository:

2) Using the flatpak command in the terminal

Are you used to using the pamac command to install programs? To install Flatpak packages, you need to use the flatpak command.

To search for an app, use flatpak search. For example:

$ flatpak search shotcut

Search will return any apps matching the search terms. Each search result includes the Application ID, which is used for Flatpak operations. In this example, In this example, org.shotcut.Shotcut.

To install the application, use flatpak install. For example:

$ flatpak install org.shotcut.Shotcut

A good tip is to use the Flathub website to search for the app and copy the installation command:

How to start a Flatpak app

Once installed, the app can be started from the Activities menu as usual.

You can also start a Flatpak app from the terminal, using the flatpak run command. For example:

$ flatpak run com.spotify.Client

How to update Flatpak apps

Flatpak packages that are installed on your computer can be updated the same way as other packages, via the Updates tab in the Pamac graphical interface. We will talk about updating the system later.

You can also update all installed Flatpak packages from the terminal by running:

$ flatpak update

If you want to update just one app, provide its ID to flatpak update. For example:

$ flatpak update de.haeckerfelix.Shortwave

How to uninstall a Flatpak app

You can uninstall a Flatpak app using the Pamac graphical interface. To do that, search for the app and mark it for removal by clicking the corresponding button on the right:

Or you can click it in the list and, on the next screen, which shows more information about it, click the Remove button:

You can also uninstall a Flatpak app from the terminal, using the flatpak uninstall command. For example:

$ flatpak uninstall com.obsproject.Studio

Limitations

Not to say that I only said great things about Flatpak, I list some of its issues below. When using Flatpak, be aware of them:

Flatpak was not designed to be used on servers, only on Linux desktops;
As a Flatpak package bundles the application and all of its dependencies, it consumes more disk space than traditional packages; and
As Flatpak apps run on isolated environments, this can limit some features of some apps. For example, Flatpak apps may appear with the default GNOME theme instead of your custom GTK theme, or they may have access only to certain folders such as Documents and Downloads.

Conclusion

I believe that the practicality, the ease of using Flatpak and the convenience provided by the large number of apps available on Flathub more than outweigh its limitations. The balance is positive and Flatpak expands the possibilities for Linux Kamarada users.

I suggest using Flatpak the same way I do: I prefer to install applications from the distribution’s own repositories. But if an app isn’t in those repositories, or it is but I need a newer version that is available on Flathub, then I install that app using Flatpak.

I hope this guide has been helpful to you. Comment if you have any doubts or suggestions.

See you!

References

This article is an updated Manjaro version of the article originally published in January 2022, when Linux Kamarada was based on openSUSE Leap.

AUR: what it is, how to enable it, and how to install software from it on Manjaro

Mon, 18 May 2026 10:40:00 +0000

One of the strengths of Arch Linux (and derivative distributions such as Manjaro and, by extension, Linux Kamarada) is the Arch User Repository (better known by the acronym AUR). If you have used, or are currently using, any of these distributions, you have probably heard about the AUR: maybe you searched for how to install a specific program and came across someone suggesting to “install it from the AUR.” But what exactly is the AUR, and how do you install software from it?

The AUR is a community-driven software repository for Arch Linux that provides user-produced installation recipes (scripts) for programs. Instead of providing built ready-to-install packages, the AUR provides scripts called PKGBUILD that teach your computer how to locally build and install packages by itself.

This makes it easier to install proprietary software on Arch Linux and its derivatives. For instance, no Linux distribution can provide the Google Chrome package in its repositories because it must be downloaded and installed from its official website. However, the AUR has the google-chrome “package”, which is actually just a PKGBUILD script that teaches your system how to download and install Google Chrome.

Besides proprietary software, the AUR contains thousands of packages that, for one reason or another, are not available in the official Arch Linux repositories, including beta or development versions, lesser-known programs, themes, fonts, utilities, and alternative versions of packages.

The AUR is the gateway for new packages into Arch Linux and its derivatives: many packages that are now in the official repositories were once in the AUR. Arch Linux users can contribute their own PKGBUILD scripts to the AUR, as well as vote for packages in there. If a package becomes popular enough, it may eventually be moved into the distribution’s official repository – provided it has a compatible license and its script is well written.

Warning: we must always remember that the AUR is maintained by the user community, not by the official Arch Linux team. This means that anyone can create or update packages. Although the community usually detects problems quickly, and cases of malicious scripts are relatively rare – making the AUR quite safe in practice – there have already been real security incidents, including recently. Therefore, the ideal approach is to always review the PKGBUILD script before installing or updating packages from the AUR.

For this reason, installing software from the AUR comes disabled by default on Manjaro and Linux Kamarada. However, both enabling the AUR and installing apps from it are easy and can be done using the same Pamac graphical interface or the pamac command that we covered in previous articles.

Enabling AUR support

On Manjaro (and derivative distributions such as Linux Kamarada), AUR support can be enabled through the Pamac package manager graphical interface.

Open Pamac (Add/Remove Software, as shown in the Pamac tutorial), open the menu by clicking the 3 dots in the upper-right corner of the screen, and then click Preferences:

Switch to the Third Party tab and enable the following options:

Enable AUR support;
Check for updates; and
Check for development packages updates.

Back to the main Pamac screen, open the menu and click Refresh databases:

Pamac will retrieve the list of packages available in the official Manjaro repositories, as well as the list of “packages” available in the AUR. After that, you will be able to search and install AUR “packages”.

Installing packages from the AUR

Once AUR support has been enabled, installing programs from the AUR can be done in the same way as installing any other program.

In practice, the result is the same: at the end, you will have a working program installed on your computer. The difference, as we have seen, is that packages coming from the AUR will be built on your computer, whereas packages from the official repositories were already built beforehand by the distribution maintainers.

Keep in mind that installing programs from the AUR usually takes longer because of the extra compilation step.

Using the Pamac graphical interface

To demonstrate, I’m going to show how you can use the Pamac graphical interface to install Google Chrome. The world’s most used browser needs no introduction.

Search for the program you want to install as you normally would. Notice the indicators showing that the package comes from the AUR:

If you want to review the PKGBUILD script before installing, switch to the Build files tab:

Notice that in the case of AUR packages, there is no Install button, but a Build button instead. To build and install Google Chrome, click Build.

If you want to review or even modify something in the PKGBUILD script before installing, click Edit build files:

When you are ready to install, click Apply.

Pamac will notify you when the installation is finished and you will be able to launch and use the app you just installed.

Using the pamac command

As an example, I’m going to show how you can use the pamac command to install Dropbox. In case you don’t know it yet, Dropbox is a cloud file storage service. It provides a client application (which is what we are going to install) that creates a folder named Dropbox on your computer and syncs the files in that folder with the files stored in the cloud. Dropbox’s free plan offers 2GB of storage, and if you sign up using my referral link, you get an extra 500MB.

When using the pamac search command, notice that it indicates the package comes from the AUR:

When using the pamac install command, notice another difference when the package comes from the AUR: you can review or even modify something in the PKGBUILD script (the Edit build files option, by pressing e).

To proceed with the installation as usual, type y and then hit Enter.

The pamac command will tell you when the installation is complete.

Conclusion

The AUR is one of the reasons why I liked Manjaro and moved to it. As you explore the AUR content, you will notice that it contains everything from famous programs (such as Google Chrome and Dropbox, as we just saw) to unlikely ones, such as the Jump ‘n Bump game, and you will understand why the AUR is so popular. It makes life easier for Arch and derivatives users by making it easy to install all kinds of software – including many proprietary ones. If you use Arch Linux (or Manjaro, or Linux Kamarada), you will find that almost everything you need is available either in the official repos or in the AUR. Rarely will you need to resort to Flatpak or other ways of installing software.

VPN: 5 services to try on Linux

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 20:30:00 +0000

Search for VPNs has recently increased in Brazil, according to data from Google Trends. We’ve already explained what a VPN is and why someone would want to use one in another article, in which we introduced the Tor Network (a well-known free VPN) and the Tor Browser. We’ve also shown how to tunnel other apps through the Tor Network, such as Telegram. Given the recent resurgence of interest in the topic, I want to suggest 5 VPNs for you to try on Linux.

Disclaimer

The information provided here is for informational and educational purposes only and is not exhaustive. Readers are advised to conduct their own research and seek additional information before using a VPN. The author is not responsible for any actions, decisions, or consequences arising from the use of the information provided herein, including, but not limited to, illegal activities, violation of terms of service, or improper use of privacy tools. By using these tools, the reader assumes full responsibility for their actions and compliance with the law.

Proton VPN

Proton VPN is a VPN service offered by Proton (the same company behind Proton Mail), which aims to protect browsing by hiding your IP address, encrypting traffic, and preventing third-party tracking. Based in Switzerland – a country with strict data protection laws – the service does not log user activity (no-logs policy) and offers additional features such as ad blocking. Furthermore, its apps are open-source and independently audited. Proton VPN can be used for free on a device without ads and with unlimited data, making it a commonly recommended option by digital security and privacy guides such as Security-in-a-Box and PrivacyTools.io. Paid plans are also available.

On Manjaro and Linux Kamarada, it’s easy to install the Proton VPN client, which can be retrieved from the official Manjaro repositories:

$ pamac install proton-vpn-gtk-app

If you need help installing programs on these Linux distros, take a look at:

NordVPN

NordVPN is a widely used VPN service that combines security, speed and advanced features to protect online browsing by encrypting traffic and hiding the user’s IP address. It stands out for its use of strong encryption, a large global network of servers, and features such as double VPN, Onion Over VPN and obfuscated servers, which help bypass censorship and surveillance. It maintains a no-logs policy, already verified by independent audits, and is headquartered in Panama, a privacy-friendly jurisdiction with no data retention requirements. These elements make the service a popular option for those seeking more private, secure, and unrestricted internet access. NordVPN offers plans starting at US$ 3.09/month.

On Manjaro and Linux Kamarada, you can download the NordVPN client from the AUR (Arch User Repository). After enabling the AUR, install the nordvpn-bin and nordvpn-gui packages. For more information, consult the Arch Linux wiki.

RiseupVPN

RiseupVPN is a free VPN service offered by the Riseup collective, a non-profit organization funded by donations. Its focus is on privacy, anonymity, and supporting activists, journalists, and users in contexts of censorship. It encrypts traffic and hides IP addresses to protect against surveillance by providers and networks, adopts a no-logs policy and completely dispenses with registration (no email or password), using ephemeral authentication to prevent tracking between sessions. With open and auditable apps, it prioritizes simplicity and basic security over advanced features, making it an accessible and reliable option for secure communication, especially in environments with risk or restricted Internet access.

On Manjaro and Linux Kamarada, you can retrieve the RiseupVPN client from the AUR. After enabling the AUR, install the riseup-vpn package.

Surfshark

Surfshark is a VPN service known for offering a combination of low cost, ease of use, and advanced security features. It protects browsing by encrypting traffic and hiding your IP address, in addition to adopting a strict no-logs policy, already verified by independent audits. The service supports modern protocols and includes features such as a kill switch, ad and tracker blocking, and multi-hop connections to increase anonymity. It also stands out for allowing unlimited simultaneous connections and for its good speed performance, making it a popular and affordable option for those seeking online privacy without sacrificing usability. It offers plans starting at €1.99/month.

On Manjaro and Linux Kamarada, it’s easy to install the Surfshark client, which can be downloaded from the official Manjaro repositories:

$ pamac install surfshark-client

Mullvad

Mullvad is a VPN service widely recognized for its extreme focus on privacy and anonymity. Unlike most competitors, it doesn’t ask for any personal info (not even your email) to create an account, using only a random number as identifier, which prevents association between users and their online activity. The service adopts a strict no-logs policy, independently audited, and operates with RAM-only servers (without permanent data storage). Furthermore, it offers open-source apps and anonymous payments with cash or cryptocurrency. Mullvad VPN costs €5/month.

On Manjaro and Linux Kamarada, it’s easy to install the Mullvad VPN client, which can be downloaded from the official Manjaro repositories:

$ pamac install mullvad-vpn

References and further information

The VPN services listed here were taken from the digital security and privacy guides Security-in-a-Box and PrivacyTools.io. For more information on VPNs, you can consult them, as well as the Surveillance Self-Defense (SSD) guide.

These aren’t the only VPN services out there. For a table that lists and compares various VPNs, see That One Privacy Site.

Do you use any VPNs on Linux that aren’t listed in this article? Please share them in the comments!

How to use two Bluetooth speakers at the same time on Linux

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 11:50:00 +0000

Have you ever tried using two Bluetooth speakers at the same time on Linux? The sound only comes out of one of them, without using anything beyond what comes “out of the box” with the system. But if the system uses PipeWire as the sound server, as is the case with Manjaro and the new Linux Kamarada, you can use a patchbay app to make the same sound come out of both speakers.

A patchbay in real life is used to connect musical instruments and sound equipment. A patchbay app allows you to connect applications and devices for sound playback and recording.

Recently, I threw a party and used two Bluetooth speakers of mine, a JBL GO (indoors) and a Frahm CM 300 BT (outdoors), to play music from my laptop. Below, I’m going to show you how I did that.

The PipeWire sound server

Before we begin, let me introduce PipeWire. Perhaps, like me, you’ve heard of ALSA, PulseAudio or JACK already, but not PipeWire.

PipeWire is a sound server developed to greatly improve handling of audio and video under Linux, with support for newer technologies such as Wayland and Flatpak. It is designed for low-latency audio and video routing and processing, and is capable of connecting multiple multimedia streams to multiple clients.

Fedora Magazine presents a bit of the PipeWire history, which helps us understand exactly where it fits into Linux:

The evolution of the Linux sound subsystem happened in layers. The lowest layer is the hardware layer with various audio devices. To interact with hardware drivers, Linux has a standardized API called Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA). Another layer above ALSA, a sound server, should handle interactions with userspace applications. Initially, that layer was Pulseaudio and Jack, but it was recently replaced by Pipewire.

PipeWire offers built-in seamless support for PulseAudio, JACK and ALSA applications, so they continue to work whether you are using those technologies or PipeWire.

How do I know if my sound server is PipeWire?

To confirm that you are using PipeWire as your sound server, open the terminal and run the following command:

$ inxi -A

Its output should mention PipeWire (Server-1: PipeWire):

Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Raptor Lake High Definition Audio
    driver: sof-audio-pci-intel-tgl
  Device-2: NVIDIA AD106M High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel
  API: ALSA v: k6.16.8-1-MANJARO status: kernel-api
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.4.8 status: active

Another command you can use to test if PipeWire is being used:

$ pactl info

You should see something like Server Name: PulseAudio (on PipeWire 1.4.8) on its output:

Server String: /run/user/1000/pulse/native
Library Protocol Version: 35
Server Protocol Version: 35
Is Local: yes
Client Index: 94
Tile Size: 65472
User Name: linux
Host Name: kamarada-pc
Server Name: PulseAudio (on PipeWire 1.4.8)
Server Version: 15.0.0
Default Sample Specification: float32le 2ch 48000Hz
Default Channel Map: front-left,front-right
Default Sink: alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__Speaker__sink
Default Source: alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__Mic2__source
Cookie: 8d7d:2813

Pairing the two speakers

Now that PipeWire has been introduced, let’s look at the problem that motivates this tutorial.

Connect the first speaker and set it as the sound output, just as you would normally do when pairing a Bluetooth speaker:

Make sure sound is coming out of that speaker.

To do this, you can, for example, open your browser and play a song on YouTube. If you want suggestions, I like to test sound with Moro No Brasil by the Brazilian band Farofa Carioca or San Disco Reggaefornia by Jason Mraz. These are songs with noticeable percussion, highs and lows.

With the first speaker already working, connect the second one:

Note that the sound continues to come out only on the first one. We’ll fix that shortly.

Combining the sound of the speakers

To make the sound from the first speaker also come out of the second speaker, we’ll use a patchbay app for PipeWire. Options include qpwgraph (Qt-based) and Helvum (GTK-based). Since Linux Kamarada uses the GNOME desktop, I prefer to use Helvum, although the other app should work fine as well.

To install Helvum on Manjaro or Linux Kamarada, install the helvum package from the official Manjaro repositories. This can be done with:

$ pamac install helvum

If you need help installing programs on Manjaro, please refer to:

After installing Helvum, launch it:

This is the Helvum screen, showing which connections are made between apps and devices for both audio output and input:

In this example, we can see that the Firefox browser’s audio outputs (output_FL and output_FR) are connected to the JBL GO speaker’s audio inputs (playback_FL and playback_FR) and sending sound to be played. Try pausing the music in the browser and you’ll see this line become dashed, indicating that the connection exists but is not sending sound.

It’s possible that not all devices and apps will fit on the screen. In that case, you can scroll up or down, or zoom out so that more items fit on the screen:

Now it is possible to see the second speaker (BT-Frahm).

To make the JBL GO and BT-Frahm speakers play the same sound simultaneously, connect the sound outputs of the first (monitor_FL and monitor_FR) to the sound inputs of the second (playback_FL and playback_FR). To do this, you can drag one to the other and the app will draw the line:

Note that now the same sound comes out of both speakers at the same time.

You can drag and drop apps and devices on the screen and rearrange them as you prefer to improve your view:

Controlling the volume of the speakers

You may have noticed that the desktop volume control only affects the volume of the first speaker. To adjust the volume of both speakers, we’ll use another app, which is PulseAudio’s Volume Control. To install it, install the pavucontrol package:

$ pamac install pavucontrol

After installing Volume Control, launch it:

Switch to the Output Devices tab and adjust the volume of each speaker as desired:

Conclusion

When I had the idea of using two Bluetooth speakers at the same time and searched to see if it was possible, I couldn’t find any up-to-date how-tos. What saved me was Google’s AI Overview. Therefore, I decided to write this tutorial sharing how I did it. If you have any questions, suggestions on how to do it better, tips to add, or ideas for a future tutorial, please write in the comments. I hope it was helpful. See you!

Manjaro: how to install software from the terminal with the pamac command

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 19:30:00 +0000

We’ve seen how to install software on Manjaro using the Pamac graphical interface, but it also has a command-line interface. Therefore, you can install programs on Manjaro using the terminal and the pamac command, either because you prefer to use the terminal, or a graphical interface isn’t available (e.g. you’re maintaining a server or your desktop system is broken).

On Linux Kamarada, you can easily launch the terminal; it’s one of the apps pinned to the dock (more precisely, the app called Console):

In this article, I’m going to assume you know how to use the terminal.

For instance, I’ll show you how you could use pamac to install Telegram. In case you don’t know it yet, Telegram is a messaging app available for computers, smartphones, and tablets. It’s WhatsApp’s closest competitor in terms of features and popularity. Just like in the previous tutorial, here Telegram is also just an example; you don’t need to actually install it if you won’t use it.

To search for an app or package, you can use the pamac search command. For example, to search the repositories for packages containing the word telegram:

$ pamac search telegram

After identifying the packages you want to install, you can install them using the pamac install command. In this example, we see that the Telegram app is provided on Manjaro by the telegram-desktop package. To install it, we can use:

$ pamac install telegram-desktop

Note that the recommendation is to run pamac as a regular user, without sudo. pamac requests elevated privileges only when needed.

To search for packages, pamac did not ask for a password, but it is now asking to install packages. Enter your password and press Enter to continue.

To confirm the installation, type y and then hit Enter.

pamac starts to download and install the packages, which may take more or less time depending on the speed of your Internet connection and your computer:

pamac will tell you when the installation is complete:

Done: now you can use the program you just installed.

Manjaro: how to install apps using the Pamac package manager

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 20:20:00 +0000

“How to install apps” is the first question everyone trying out a new Linux distribution asks themselves, just as I did when I started using Manjaro. And the answer is: it’s possible to install software in several ways, just like it is on Windows, for example. But it can be as simple as installing apps from the Play Store (or the App Store, or the Microsoft Store) for those who are used to Android (or iOS or Windows). Manjaro has the Pamac package manager.

Programs can be installed on Manjaro using Pamac, Manjaro’s own package manager. In the Linux world, packages can be understood as “pieces” of software that make up the system. When you want to add a feature to the system, you usually look for the corresponding package and install it. There are packages for programs (such as the gimp package), but there are also packages for fonts (e.g. noto-fonts), icons (papirus-icon-theme), and so on.

The Pamac package manager can be used via both the graphical interface and the command line, and can retrieve packages from the official Manjaro (and Linux Kamarada) repositories, as well as from the AUR and Flatpak.

But let’s take it step by step. Most of the time when you want to install an app on Manjaro (or Linux Kamarada), there will be a package for it in the official Manjaro repositories, and you can easily install it using Pamac on your desktop (graphical interface). Let’s see how to do it.

For instance, I’ll show you how you could use Pamac to install GIMP. In case you don’t know it yet, GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program. GIMP is a free and open-source image editor that can be seen as an alternative to Photoshop (which you’ve probably heard of).

I picked GIMP just as an example, you don’t really need to install it, if you don’t actually need it. What I’m doing here is just to show you how to install apps on Manjaro using Pamac. Learn how to do it and install install whatever apps you want this way.

To start Pamac, click Show Apps, on the bottom-left screen corner, and then click the Add/Remove Software icon:

This is the Pamac home screen, showing some suggestions of popular apps to install:

Click the search button, on the upper-left corner of the window, and type the name of the app you are looking for (following our example, gimp):

On this screen, you can check the package for installation by clicking the corresponding button by the right.

Or you can click its name (GNU Image Manipulation Program) to see more information about it and, on the next screen, click the Install button:

If you want, you can check more packages to be installed. When you are finished, click the Apply button at the bottom of the window:

There may be packages that add functionality to the app, but are not essential for it to work (what Pamac calls “optional dependencies”):

You can also check those packages to be installed, if you want (in doubt, select all, or none). When finished, click the Choose button.

Pamac displays a summary of what is going to be installed. Click Apply:

Pamac starts downloading and installing the packages, which may take more or less time depending on the speed of your internet connection and computer:

It will notify you when the installation is finished:

If you are not going to install any more packages, you can close Pamac now.

You can now launch and use the app you just installed:

Pro Tip: what about an even shorter way to install apps? Next time, try opening the apps list and searching for the app you haven’t installed yet but want to. The desktop itself will suggest it. Just click the desired app to open the Pamac package manager with all the information about it.

I’m going to use another application that does not come out-of-the-box on Linux Kamarada as an example: Inkscape. In case you didn’t know it yet, Inkscape is also a free and open-source image editor, but it works with a different kind of image: vector graphics. GIMP compares to Photoshop as well as Inkscape compares to CorelDRAW.

Look at this:

In upcoming articles, we’ll explore other ways you can install software on Manjaro. Follow us on social media so you don’t miss them!

Update (Jan 9, 2026):

Continue reading here:

Manjaro: how to install software from the terminal with the pamac command

Tip: command to list photos (just their numbers)

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 20:20:00 +0000

I moved many photos to a folder and needed to list them, but I needed only their numbers. The photos were named as they came out of the camera: IMG_7565.JPG, IMG_7568.JPG, IMG_7571.JPG… I needed just the numbers: 7565, 7568, 7571… They were just 30 photos; I could easily have typed the numbers one by one in a few minutes. But as a good Linux user who knows how powerful this system is, I spent a few minutes searching for a terminal command that could do this for me automatically, accurately, without the risk of typos. I found it and want to share it.

TL;DR: for those in a hurry, here’s the command I used in the photos folder:

find . -type f -name "*[0-9]*" | grep -o '[0-9]\+' | sort

How did I come up with that command? That was actually very simple. I already knew the find command, which allows one to search for files in folders. So I searched on Google:

linux find print just the number

The AI overview gave me some command suggestions, including:

To print only numbers from the output of the find command in Linux, you can combine find with other tools like grep, sed, or awk. This allows you to filter or extract numeric values from the file paths or other information provided by find.

1. Extracting numbers from filenames:

If filenames contain numbers and you want to extract them:
1
find . -type f -name "*[0-9]*" | grep -o '[0-9]\+'
find . -type f -name "*[0-9]*": This finds all regular files (-type f) in the current directory and its subdirectories that have at least one digit in their name (-name "*[0-9]*").

grep -o '[0-9]\+': This pipes the output of find to grep. The -o option tells grep to print only the matching parts of the lines, and '[0-9]\+' is a regular expression that matches one or more digits.

That was exactly what I needed. Using the Files app, I opened the folder containing the photos, then I opened that folder in Console (terminal), and ran the command suggested by Google’s AI. The result was almost perfect:

I realized the numbers were out of order. Luckily, I also knew the sort command, so I just added a pipe to it, arriving at the complete command I presented at the beginning:

find . -type f -name "*[0-9]*" | grep -o '[0-9]\+' | sort

Now the listing is perfect:

Linux can be a very powerful system if you know how to use it. Of course, nobody knows everything, just as I didn’t know about the combination of commands I ended up using to solve my problem. But today we have artificial intelligence that can help us discover what we don’t know yet; our limitation nowadays becomes knowing how to ask the right question. Therefore, it’s worthwhile to study, at least minimally, how to use the terminal and its main commands, so we can ask AI great questions and get great answers.

Have you ever solved a problem creatively using scripts or terminal commands? Please, share your story in the comments!

End of 10. Ten reasons to switch from Windows to Linux on your desktop

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 23:59:59 +0000

Today, Microsoft is ending official support for Windows 10. This leaves users who want to continue using the operating system with few alternatives – especially if they have an old PC that is not compatible with Windows 11’s demanding hardware requirements – other than buying a new PC.

If you’re tired of struggling with your operating system instead of getting work done, it might be time to reconsider your setup. Linux isn’t just for servers and developers; it’s also a viable alternative to Windows for desktop use. Whether you’re looking for better performance, greater privacy, or a more intuitive user experience, Linux is the answer.

Here are 10 reasons why switching to Linux is a good idea:

No Forced Updates. Windows often interrupts your work with updates and sometimes restarts your system without permission. With Linux, you have full control over when and how you update. No surprises. No more restarts during a Zoom call!
It’s Really Free. Linux costs zero in any currency. Most distributions are open source, meaning you can download, install and use them for free forever, with no licence fees or activation keys. There are also no “Pro” versions that hide features which are only available for a fee.
Speed and Performance. Linux is generally faster than Windows, particularly on older PCs. It starts up faster, uses less RAM, and does not slow down due to background processes. Your old PC will be given a new lease of life and will continue to function well for years to come.
Privacy Built In. Unlike Windows, Linux does not track users, collect data about your connection or send your data to the cloud for “diagnostics”. What you do on your PC stays on your PC – as it should be with all operating systems.
No Useless Software. Windows comes with pre-installed software that you never asked for, such as games, shopping apps and trial versions. Microsoft also suggests Edge as if it were the only browser available. In contrast, Linux distributions allow you to choose exactly what to install, based on your needs.
Security Without Issues. Linux is less targeted by malware because it has more robust user authorisation systems, meaning that an antivirus is not always required. It is more secure from the outset, especially for experienced users.
You Own Your System. Linux enables you to customise every aspect of your desktop, from the user interface to the kernel. Windows locks you into its ecosystem, whereas Linux puts you in control.
Easy Application Management. Linux uses package managers that enable you to install and update apps from trusted sources with a single command. This makes it much cleaner, safer and faster than Windows.
Freedom of Choice. The fact that not all Linux systems are the same is a good thing, as it allows you to choose the distribution that best suits your needs. While Windows offers a single version, Linux offers dozens.
Community Matters and Helps. Linux boasts a global community of passionate users who love to help others. Stuck on something? Chances are someone has already solved your problem. The support is genuine and is often superior to that offered by Microsoft’s official channels.

In conclusion, Linux isn’t perfect. No operating system is perfect, but Linux is an interesting choice for users who want speed, privacy, control, and freedom from Big Tech’s impositions. It has come a long way since its days as a system for geeks, and is now more intuitive than ever.

If you’re ready to step outside your Windows comfort zone, Linux is certainly worth considering.

Note from Linux Kamarada:

This is a copy of the article originally written by Italo Vignoli and published at the LibreOffice blog on October 14, 2025 under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

Linux Kamarada is moving to Manjaro

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 03:15:00 +0000

Last week, openSUSE Leap 16.0 was released. I didn’t give it the attention it deserved, in part because I’m also working on another project, that I want to share today: there will be no “Linux Kamarada 16.0”. Instead, Linux Kamarada is moving its base from openSUSE Leap to Manjaro.

Based on the wallpaper by PharaohSD/DeviantArt

Manjaro is a Linux distribution based on Arch Linux, which is known for its rolling release (continuous updates), minimalistic, and flexible design. However, Manjaro is designed to be easier to use and more stable than pure Arch Linux, making it more accessible to a wider audience, ideal for those who want the power of Arch without the complexity of configuring it from scratch. Developed in Austria, France, and Germany, Manjaro is suitable for both newcomers as well as experienced Linux users.

Just as openSUSE Leap provides binary packages in the rpm format, both Manjaro and Arch Linux provide binary packages in the pkg.tar.zst format. In addition to their official binary package repositories, they also have the Arch User Repository (AUR), a community repository of build scripts called PKGBUILDs. Instead of providing ready-to-use binary packages, the AUR provides instructions that the system follows to build and install packages locally. You can install everything from the most popular to the most unlikely programs from the AUR.

Software can be installed on Manjaro using Pamac, Manjaro’s own package manager, which has both graphical and command line interfaces, and can retrieve packages from the official repositories, but also from the AUR and Flatpak.

Pamac: Manjaro's package manager

One of Manjaro’s distinguishing features is its Manjaro Hardware Detection (MHWD), which is especially useful for those who need to manage hybrid graphics cards on newer desktops and laptops.

Manjaro Settings Manager (analogous to YaST) allows you to adjust various system-wide settings, such as language, kernels and drivers, user accounts, date and time, and keyboard layout.

Manjaro Settings Manager

How I met Manjaro

I started using openSUSE in April 2012. Back then, there was no distinction between Leap and Tumbleweed (nor the many other openSUSE flavors that exist today); it was just “openSUSE.” To test the distribution upgrade, I installed version 11.4 and then immediately upgraded to 12.1 (upgrading from one version to another was something I couldn’t do with the distribution I used before, Ubuntu. This is easy on Debian, which I also used for a while, especially when working with servers).

The colleague who introduced me to openSUSE soon switched to Arch Linux, but I didn’t feel like trying it. From what he told me at the time, it seemed a bit “Spartan”. But every now and then, googling how to solve a Linux problem, I’d come across the Arch wiki, a valuable source of information. Half a dozen articles on this site cite the Arch wiki, the most recent of which, from March, is about WSL.

Years later, another colleague spoke highly of Manjaro, but it wasn’t my turn to try it yet. I first met Manjaro while experimenting with the Raspberry Pi and PinePhone. Manjaro was one of the first Linux distributions to fully support both devices, surpassing openSUSE Tumbleweed.

As time passed by, I gradually became annoyed with some aspects of openSUSE Leap. For instance, this website is built with Jekyll, which depends on Ruby and other libraries. From openSUSE Leap 15.5 to 15.6, Ruby was not updated. But Jekyll and its dependencies are constantly updated. At one point, I couldn’t keep up with these updates because of the obsolete Ruby version, and I had to stick with that version of Jekyll. Updating Ruby wasn’t an option because of YaST, an essential system tool that also depended on Ruby.

When using regular releases distros, like openSUSE Leap and Debian, at some point you start having to tweak your system configuration and worry about which version of which software works with which version of other software – a hassle you wouldn’t have if you simply used the latest version of everything. There comes a time when you can no longer update the tools you need because your operating system’s core does not allow it. And then their very concept of “stability” becomes questionable. Because for those distros, “stable software” often mean “old software”, but newer versions also bring security fixes and performance improvements.

I don’t like that feeling of “fighting the computer”, I like things that “just work.” openSUSE used to be like that, but it’s not anymore. I could have tried openSUSE Tumbleweed, but remembering my experiences with the Raspberry Pi and PinePhone, I decided to give Manjaro a try.

And I liked it; it was a no return path. I installed Manjaro on my previous laptop, an Acer Aspire E15, initially besides openSUSE Leap. As that didn’t work, I ended up removing openSUSE and leaving only Manjaro. I had Bluetooth issues too, but I had the same issues when I installed openSUSE on that laptop, so I blame the computer, not the distros. That was August last year.

In November, almost a year ago, I changed my laptop. Today I have an Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, which has a hybrid Intel and NVIDIA graphics card, and configuring the graphics card was made much easier by Manjaro Settings Manager. This new laptop didn’t know openSUSE; just Manjaro.

openSUSE Leap versus Manjaro

Summarizing the differences between openSUSE Leap and Manjaro that caught my attention the most and made me migrate from the first to the second:

Software repositories: in addition to the official repositories, and Flatpak, which is supported by both distributions, Manjaro has the AUR and openSUSE Leap has the OBS. However, it is much easier to find packages in the official Manjaro repos and in the AUR than in the official openSUSE Leap repos and in the OBS. Therefore, in Manjaro, most programs can be installed in a way that’s more natural to the system, and Flatpak is a last resort. The variety of software available in the AUR is truly impressive.
Newer software: this is due to the different nature of the two distros – openSUSE Leap releases regular versions (usually one new version per year), while Manjaro is a rolling release, meaning there are no different versions of Manjaro, but just the latest version. In this aspect, Manjaro is similar to openSUSE Tumbleweed, which is also rolling release. For those like me who come from a history of regular release distros (Debian, Ubuntu, openSUSE Leap), the idea of using a rolling release distro may seem daunting at first, but these distros are now mature enough so that the frequent updates don’t usually break the system.
Live images: in my opinion, live images are one of the main features that distinguish Linux from other operating systems such as Windows and macOS. They allow you to use Linux without having to install it on your computer. This can be useful for those who want to test the system and/or learn how to use it before installing it, or for troubleshooting issues with the installed system when it is not able to boot, among other use cases. In this sense, Manjaro is more similar to other distributions like Ubuntu: they have always offered live images for download on their official websites. In the case of openSUSE, this has always been a back-and-forth: until openSUSE 13.2, live images could be downloaded from the distro’s official website. With the launch of openSUSE Leap, they stopped making live images (that’s when I started Linux Kamarada, to fill that gap). Then, they went back to making live images and making them available for download on the website. With Leap 15.6, the links to the live images were removed from the website, but they could still be found on OBS. Now, with Leap 16.0, they’ve apparently stopped making them again. Linux Kamarada has always been more similar to Manjaro, Ubuntu, and other Linux distributions at this point.
Hardware support: as already demonstrated with the Raspberry Pi and PinePhone examples, Manjaro appears to take less time than openSUSE to offer support to new devices. Desktops and laptops with NVIDIA graphics cards are another example: Manjaro has included NVIDIA’s proprietary drivers in its ISO images since at least 2019, simplifying and improving the experience for their users from the very first contact with the system. Even before that, since at least 2013, installing those drivers has been facilitated by MHWD. In openSUSE, installing these drivers has always been a manual procedure.
Bigger community: I have the impression, from what I see on news websites, forums and groups, that Manjaro has received more attention than openSUSE Leap. (This is just my impression; I don’t have statistics to support this perception.)
Git-only development: here’s a more technical breakdown of how things work behind the scenes. openSUSE development takes place primarily on OBS, while it is possible to integrate it with GitLab (or GitHub, or other Git hosts). Manjaro development, on the other hand, takes place primarily on Git. The Manjaro ISO image is built using GitHub Actions. The AUR is a Git host, with each “package” having its own Git repository. I understand that when OBS was created, there was no such thing as GitHub Actions, and in that respect it has its merits. But using Git to manage source code and GitHub Actions to build it makes development much more fluid. Even openSUSE is migrating from OBS to Git, but it’s “late to the party”.

Of course, this is just my humble opinion, based on my own experience using both Linux distros. Don’t take this comparison as a verdict or a scientific fact. You may disagree and think that openSUSE Leap is better than Manjaro, and that’s fine.

Goodbye, openSUSE

So, I used openSUSE for 12 years, from April 2012 to August 2024. I allowed myself to use and test Manjaro for a year to make sure it was what I wanted. I released another openSUSE Leap based version of Linux Kamarada, even though I was using Manjaro already, to say goodbye to openSUSE Leap with a current and supported version. With the openSUSE Leap 16.0 release, this is no longer the current version, so I think it’s fair to announce that there will be no “Linux Kamarada 16.0”. Since openSUSE has decided to make major changes in the new Leap release (for example, discontinuing YaST), I thought it would be an opportune time to also make major changes to Linux Kamarada. Following the same philosophy that led me to create Linux Kamarada – to show people “Linux as I see it” – since now I use and recommend Manjaro, from now on Linux Kamarada will be based on Manjaro.

I thank the openSUSE Project for all the good things it has given me over those years, especially the excellent distribution, and the infrastructure and knowledge I needed to build my own Linux distro. But now I’ve decided to go in a different direction.

Manjaro: the future of Linux Kamarada

From now on, articles on the website will use Manjaro as the reference Linux distribution. I may occasionally talk about openSUSE, but that won’t be the focus.

I plan to release a Manjaro-based version of Linux Kamarada by the end of the year. For now, I’ve updated the Download page with an ISO image that you can download and test to get a preview of what you’ll find in the final release. This version is not ready for daily use yet; it’s still in development phase, at a very early stage, I would call it alpha.

GRUB theme

Plymouth theme

openSUSE Leap 15.6 will receive updates and support until April 2026. Therefore, Linux Kamarada 15.6, which is based on openSUSE Leap 15.6, will receive updates and support for the same period. Until then, Linux Kamarada 15.6 users will have to choose one of two possible paths:

stay on the openSUSE Leap base, and upgrade from Linux Kamarada 15.6 to openSUSE Leap 16.0; or
if you want to continue following Linux Kamarada, which will change the base to Manjaro (incompatible with openSUSE Leap), you will need to format your Linux Kamarada 15.6 partition to install the new Manjaro-based Linux Kamarada when its final version is released.

Please note that Linux Kamarada 15.6 is free (libre) software and its source code is available on GitLab and on the openSUSE Build Service. There’s a tutorial on how to build the ISO image yourself on your own computer, as well as a whole series of tutorials on how to build an openSUSE-based Linux distribution. Anyone who wants to fork Linux Kamarada 15.6, upgrade it to openSUSE Leap 16.0, and continue working on it, is welcome. Of course, I ask to change the name and the artwork.

The Linux Kamarada infrastructure is also going to change. I’m migrating the Git repositories back to GitHub. Even though I personally prefer GitLab’s interface, this is a market decision: GitHub has more users than GitLab (150 million versus 50 million, respectively, according to estimates from both) and this should give the project more visibility and facilitate potential contributions. Of course, if self-hosting is ever considered concretely, GitLab would be a good option.

Packages for the new Manjaro-based Linux Kamarada are currently hosted at kamarada.github.io/repo, but I plan to move them to somewhere like repo.linuxkamarada.com. When that happens, I’ll let you know.

You can get the source code for any package typically by accessing the GitHub repository with the same name as the package. For example, the source code for the kamarada-gnome-settings package can be found in the kamarada-gnome-settings repo on the Linux Kamarada GitHub.

That’s all for now. And what great news! To stay up-to-date on upcoming Linux Kamarada news, follow the project on social media. See you next time!

Specs

To allow comparing Linux Kamarada snapshots, here is a summary of the software contained on Linux Kamarada 25.10 Alpha:

Linux kernel 6.16.8
X.Org display server 21.1.18 (with Wayland 1.24.0 enabled by default)
GNOME desktop 48.5 including its core apps, such as Files (previously Nautilus), Calculator, Terminal, Text editor (gedit) and others
LibreOffice office suite 25.2.6
Mozilla Firefox 143.0.3 (default web browser)
Chromium 141 web browser (alternative web browser)
VLC media player 3.0.21
Evolution email client 3.56.2
Brasero 3.12.3
CUPS 2.4.14
Drawing 1.0.2
GParted 1.7.0
HPLIP 3.25.6
Java (OpenJDK) 21.0.8
KeePassXC 2.7.10
PDFsam Basic 5.3.2
Pidgin 2.14.14
Python 3.13.7
Samba 4.23.0
Tor 0.4.8.18
Transmission 4.0.6
Vim 9.1.1734
Wine 10.15
Calamares installer 3.4.0
Flatpak 1.16.1
games: AisleRiot (Solitaire), Chess, Mahjongg, Mines (Minesweeper), Nibbles (Snake), Quadrapassel (Tetris), Reversi, Sudoku

That list is not exhaustive, but it gives a notion of what can be found in the distribution. Please note that Linux Kamarada is now a rolling release distribution, meaning there are no different versions of Linux Kamarada, only the latest version. The number “25.10” does not indicate a version; it’s just a reference, and means “October 2025”.