this post was submitted on 28 Sep 2023
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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I kind of moved on to other devices or older models, depending on what is needed. If you just need a low power computer that can run Linux for simple tasks and projects, there's now lots of alternatives. So far I've tried a Banana Pi BPI-M5 and a Le Potato and they're both promising.
There's a few instances where an original Raspberry Pi is still needed. For example, it's super easy to install Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi while not really supported on other experimental boards. Same with GPIO tinkering with some hit and miss implementation on alternative boards.
The only negative thing that I've began not to like about the Raspberry Pi was/is the power management and consumption on the version 4. The fact that I had to use a "dumb" USB-C charger and that everyone on forums and in comments were always "screaming" that you needed a beefier or more powerful power supply kind of killed the enthusiasm for me. Like, I can charge my laptop using a power bank and PD, while the Raspberry Pi 4 complains that it doesn't get enough power from the same bank. I'm sure they fixed their power issues and PD negotiation in the version 5 but apparently, it will also necessitate a pretty "good" power supply because it can pump up to 25 watts. Personally I don't need that much power for most of my projects and it's even annoying because it significantly reduced/reduces the number of ways that I can power the board.
Still, I'll certainly try it if I can get my hands on one. They are very nice devices and their popularity makes them very standard and compatible. But I'm not in any rush because I've since tried alternatives and some will also do just fine too, or even better.