Looking for best Pi Linux OS for IndiLib

[SkyHiker]

When I decided to install INDI on my Pi with Raspbian (Jessie release) I found that I need to upgrade from Jessie to Stretch to Buster. The IndiLib pages recommend Ubuntu because it lets you simply upgrade to the latest IndiLib release.

So I install Ubuntu with the MATE gui. Looks good, takes longer to boot than Raspbian but, OK. What I did not like was that the VNC server requires me to install a separate desktop GUI such as xcfe4 (which looks crappy but is workable). For whatever reason the default desktop GUI is not available, I would have to install it first. As I tried to turn this into a headless server to reduce startup overhead if I just want to access it through VNC, I eventually found that you have to be logged in as a user directly before the IP address is known so VNC can connect. Also, several well known configuration files seem to have been abandoned by Ubuntu in favor of all kinds of new fangled ways that are unknown to me and just look wrong. For instance, to simply prevent the desktop GUI from being started I have to change it to a multi-user configuration using sysctl. What the heck? And why do I need to log in first before I can connect from a different machine? So I'm done with Ubuntu.

Then I moved to Fedora, which also allows IndiLib updates. For the Pi they have several GUIs available just not the default Gnome one that I like, but OK I tried xcfe. As I tried to install a VNC server with "yum install vncserver" as root it told me I had to wait for some dnf command to complete. So I waited then tried again. No luck, it can't find vncserver or tightvncserver. Turns out, dnf is a new replacement for yum and at every reboot or every attempt to use it, it grabs nearly 100% CPU for 5 minutes or so and nothing works no matter what. Not being able to install packages is a non-starter. What happened to my trusty Fedora? Or is it just the Pi release, because I was able to run a laptop for WIndows 64 bit just perfectly from a new Fedora release on a USB stick.

This is the most dismal experience I ever had installing Linux. Is it the somewhat ancient 32 bit Pi 2 B release that has problems? If anyone has advice about what non-Raspbian Linux release works best, please respond.

[Star Dad]

I feel your pain Skyhiker. I started with Linux back in the old days when you had to know, for instance, the refresh rate of your monitor. Over the years I've switched between various flavors of Linux. (Suse, Red Hat, etc) I've been thinking of doing something similar to your plan. In our home we have 4 active machines. Two run windblows 7 dual booted with Linux. My main machine is Ubuntu, currently with Mate GUI. My AP machine also dual boots with Ubuntu/KDE. The wifey runs strictly Xubuntu with some unknown GUI - she has no idea apparently - but it's probably Gnome, and on an old laptop - an old version of GNOME that I refuse to update since it works quite well. Every upgrade is done with great trepidation. For instance currently Firefox on the latest Ubuntu/Mate is crashing every day. I cannot use it for youtube (extreme stutters), instead I'm forced into using the chromium browser for videos. And now instead of concurrently downloading and reading email in thunderbird I have to sit and wait while it grabs the whole machine until it finishes. That is just bizarre. Makes me wonder what they are teaching kids these days about fast, clean computer programming. It also makes me not want to upgrade.

I have heard good things about Arch: https://www.archlinux.org

Another option might be CentOS https://www.centos.org. I believe one of the members of my club uses it in the Pi. But I won't swear to it.

I've also tried xfce - but as a GUI it pretty well sucks. It's hard to find anything using the xfce GUI. Maybe just remove the GUI and stick to a shell? I've also tried enlightenment http://www.enlightenment.org/ but found it not to be ready for prime time for my use.

Good luck obe-won!

[SkyHiker]

Thanks StarDad! Moral support is what I need, I will work through it and if I can't find a decent Linux then I will just use Raspbian and accept that upgrading will be harder. I found another light weight Ubuntu 20 server but, following instructions did not work. What else is new. I bet that 32 bits is not a good place to be. So maybe Raspbian then, they should have some loyalty to the Pi 2.

Ok well I got outside last night and when I connected the controller nothing worked. I started working on the software, reinstalling drivers etcetera. This morning I checked the voltage of the battery, it was 7 V instead of 12 V. Stupidity is endless but after charging there is a good chance it will work.

[Star Dad]

I think my two laptops (both Dells - one is at least 15 years year old - the other is 6) are running 32 bit OSes, though I could run 64 bit in the newer one. I *might* still have the disks for some of them (ie SUSE) I could send them to you if you want - if so PM me with your address. But they are well past being supported. I may have tossed them just recently when I went on a cleaning binge, but I'd be willing to check. OTOH I'm sure that there are some esoteric flavors on Linux that are still 32 bit. The interweb is your friend.

[The Happy Parrot]

I'm surprised plain Debian is not an option considering Ubuntu and Raspbian forked from there. That leaves you which Arch Linux and Gentoo as remaining options according to the INDI website. I haven't used either but I doubt they are easier to wrangle with than Ubuntu or Raspbian.

[SkyHiker]

I think my two laptops (both Dells - one is at least 15 years year old - the other is 6) are running 32 bit OSes, though I could run 64 bit in the newer one. I *might* still have the disks for some of them (ie SUSE) I could send them to you if you want - if so PM me with your address. But they are well past being supported. I may have tossed them just recently when I went on a cleaning binge, but I'd be willing to check. OTOH I'm sure that there are some esoteric flavors on Linux that are still 32 bit. The interweb is your friend.

Thanks but I don't want a laptop, I want a box that runs on 1 W to 2 W max. I have a bunch of old laptops, maybe I should put PHD2 on it and use them until someone steals it. But in that case I don't need Linux.

[SkyHiker]

I'm surprised plain Debian is not an option considering Ubuntu and Raspbian forked from there. That leaves you which Arch Linux and Gentoo as remaining options according to the INDI website. I haven't used either but I doubt they are easier to wrangle with than Ubuntu or Raspbian.

I wish the Linux crowd was a bit more unified than they are. No wonder they never get any traction. Without the internet and the command line it's impossible to get anything that deviates a little bit, up and running.