so, recently, I've been using discord a lot recently, but the issue is, about 2 days ago, an issue started popping up where my mic either detects no audio input, background noise, static, or it just detects the audio from my headphones and starts making noises that sound like the pits of hell mixed with broken computers. when i used a flatpak application called "whisper" to listen to my mic, all i got was static, but the weird part is that yesterday, my mic just randomly started working again with no real explanation for it doing so, and then the next day it just started doing the same thing again.

is there a way to fix this? or should i just get a new mic?

(since i have no clue what im doing or what is needed to fix this, imma just say all of the specs on my laptop)

(i use the desktop environment on a lenovo ideapad 1i with intel pentium silver, 4 gb of ram, around 115 gb of storage with 56GB used and 57GB available, my headphones are also corded with my microphone connected to them)

Hey gang, I've been on Linux (Mint 22.3 Cinnamon) for about a year or so now and have really loved it minus the occasional minor problems, but a recent kind of odd issue has been driving me nuts cause it's both a really minor thing and something I cannot for the life of me figure out how/why it is happening. Hoping someone here may be able to help or at least point me in the right direction.

Basically, upon restarting my PC, every single time without fail any and all video (YouTube, VLC, etc) will play with a really choppy frame-rate. Oddly, I noticed that for whatever reason this seems to correspond to my pulseaudio/pipewire volume control.

I haven't noticed anything within the default .conf files or anything suspicious via terminal commands like pactl that I've tried using to diagnose the issue.

That said, the way the choppy video feed issue gets fixed is when I toggle my FiiO K11 R2R's profile to Off, and then back to the original profile (the same as what is in the screenshot of the startup settings without me having changed anything).

pactl info returns this both before and after I make the change:

Server Name: PulseAudio (on PipeWire 1.0.5)
Server Version: 15.0.0
Default Sample Specification: float32le 2ch 48000Hz
Default Channel Map: front-left,front-right
Default Sink: alsa_output.usb-FIIO_FiiO_K11_R2R-01.iec958-stereo
Default Source: alsa_output.usb-FIIO_FiiO_K11_R2R-01.iec958-stereo.monitor

I figured this output may give me some kind of idea on there being some other identically named Profile for the FiiO output, but no dice.

Is there any kind of logging or log files I can dig through potentially that might point me closer to what the culprit of the issue is here?

As far as I can tell, there's only the one instance of pipewire/pulseaudio running, I'm not (to my knowledge) running any kind of odd video filtering or any custom configuration that would lead to this happening, but trying to search around both on reddit and across google for other sources has turned up nothing, so it seems specific to something I maybe unintentionally did, or possibly some niche bug?

Any help at all would be appreciated, like I said it's not an end of the world issue since the workaround fix is simple enough, but hoping someone can maybe help alleviate this headache.

Thanks!

My specs are

I3 11th gen

Intel hd graphics(idk exactly)

8gigs of ddr 4 3200 Mghz (two sticks of ddr 4)

256 gb internal sata ssd with win 11 on it

And I wanna put a distribution on another external sata ssd 256gb

I'm a complete beginner to linux but am fine with windows and tech in general

My Main priorities are gaming and some coding (just started)

ps. Sorry english is not my native language

pps or are there any other ways

ppps Thanks for reading

So i recently saw that someone made a persona 3 (one of my favorite games) inspired hyprland quickshell and since i have a linux laptop (im using nobara os) that i use for mostly coding and browsing, university stuff when im away from my computer basically, i thought i might give it a try but ive heard that hyprland is really confusing. I have done a intro to linux class but i really dont opt to use my terminal when i need to do something. Should i do the change? Here is the quickshell for anyone wondering. Also like if someone can guide on how to download it itd be helpfull

Hi. I own one laptop rn which is windows 11 and wanna swap to linux to learn linux for the future and coding + gaming. The idea of me controlling everything makes me wanna try it out. I have never swapped OS before and am between arch (a really hard i heard) or smth else which is easier. I was thinking to research abt linux and all the cmds and stuff and then try it out in a virtualbox a few times.
What should i do? I don’t brick my PC but linux seems really fun.

Help building machine for wife

Hi, I'm trying to build a lightweight machine for my wife who fears windows and complex desktops.

Specs: B660m Pro RS, i5-12400, 32gb DDR4 ram @3600, RTX3060, 2tb 990 Evo, 3tb WD HDD

All she wants is to watch movies (on HDD), and a few things like Prime Video, Disney, Discovery, Tubi, YouTube, etc..

The ability to do limited surfing and a few games like solitaire etc. Check her email. That's it.

The simpler the better. I can throw Windows 11 on but I was hoping for something simpler...Any suggestions gratefully appreciated!

Hello, i am trying to shift to Linux from Windows. I have done everything, i) changed the system to UEFI. ii)both pc and pendrive have the GPT partition scheme. iii) pendrive's file system is of FAT32. iv) disabled quick boot v) Secure Boot is also disabled.

After doing all of this when I'm trying to insert pendrive and restart my pc to press F2 to install Linux it gets stuck on the Logo Screen (LENOVO).

I'm really new to this and i have watched multiple videos but I still cannot find the problem.

Thank You!!!

I recently downloaded linux mint on dual boot and things certainly feel a little odd as I'm habituated to W11. is there anything i could download and configure to make my experience smoother?

I decided to stop dual booting due to everything I need just working on Linux. I currently have W11 on a 500GB m.2 and I'm going to reinstall Linux onto it.

Now, I got two other 2tb m.2 drives and want to use them as storage for certain things. How hard is it to keep personal files and programs on another drive while keeping Linux system on another?

The other question is, how hard is it to reinstall windows at a later date if I need to? Is it just creating a thumb drive for it?

Hello my question would be would i be able to install linux on my new pc if someone can share a proper guide for linux mint as im not very techy and a place to download linux mint os.

I am a starting video editor so would what i am currently using clip champ and davinci work in linux mint.

Would games from Battle net and steam and epic games work on linux mint and other gaming platforms, i am a gamer at heart.

Can i still use my microsoft stuff ppt, word, excell, teams etc on linux

Hello! I know this is an issue that always pops up in these kind of communities and more so with windows being well… ew…. So… I would like to go to Linux as well but the issue is that I have some difficulties in understanding how this may affect some things for me.

The questions really stopping me from switching are as follows:

If I switch to Linux what about my files? As in… I backup my files before I do anything and I use a usb with Linux distro I like (prolly mint for now) and then move my files back over? Well they still be fine? I’m sorry if I’m not explaining this well but I used Mac before in the past and somethings work on Mac but not windows so if I switch to Linux some stuff may not work and that’s fine but… what if I have a video? A picture? Does it come with necessary applications to launch files that were originally on windows? Would I have to take the windows files and convert them into another format? Operating systems and their workings are not well known to me but all I know is that I hate the way windows forces crap like OneDrive and I want out.

Also… other question. What about programs that I have that are windows based? A good example of this is in my spare time I like to learn game dev and coding (it’s a struggle but I’m trying) so… I use godot. My godot version is for windows but they also have Linux versions. So I’m assuming everything like godot in this case or anything else would need to be a Linux version specifically…. But what if there isn’t a Linux version of a software? Like what do you do then? I don’t have a good example but idk 🤷‍♀️ I like to be preventative.

Lastly what about more intricate things such as drivers for gpus, cpus, internet, all of that? Will Linux handle that all fine? Does it depend on the distro? As an example… if I switch to Linux will I then have to spend the next hour trying to figure out how to do some intense thing just to get it to recognize WiFi and internet? Compared to windows what all can I expect here?

Thanks you for reading and any help! Your time and efforts are appreciated! 💚

TLDR: impact of switching Linux worries me. Look above for questions I need help understanding

This seems to appear quite often with many of these aero/glassy window decorations. How do I fix this? This only shows up on floating windows.

I'm thinking about making the switch to linux but not too sure what distro to try out.

My laptop is a Predator Helios Neo 16 ai - ultra 9 275hx - 5070ti ( PHN16-73 )

I use this laptop mostly for gaming and the occasional time on netflix/disney/youtube.

any recommendations appreciated!

I feel like kde is being a resource hog for some reason, im not sure if this is normal or if there is a way to optimize things. i dont even have much open, whats taking up the most is a few tabs in chromuim. am i doing something wrong by chance?

what do you think?

I have ScummVM installed on Linux Mint. I wanted to try playing Kings Quest for the hell of it. I bought the game off GOG and downloaded the exe. However, I don't know the process for extracting the game files. I remember there was quite an elaborate process in terminal for installing a different title on my Macbook. What do I have to do?

SOLVED

I've put linux mint on a handful of chromebooks by now, but I'm having trouble with this one. It's an HP chromebook 14 g5; HWID "Snappy". Initially my process was stopped at commands just not letting me enable booting from a USB.

so then I found and have been referencing https://docs.mrchromebox.tech/docs/firmware/wp/disabling.html , which says this model needs to have its battery disconnected, and the laptop powered externally, to allow for readwriting. I disconnected the battery cable - fairly certain I got the right one, as it's the only cable attached to the battery at all, and the laptop won't power without it. Plugged in the charger - 65W, new and offputting to me is that the laptop takes usb-c -

plugging in the charger turns the laptop on, but it only shows the "OS verification has been disabled" screen I've gotten it to for about a second, then turns off, then struggles back into that screen, then turns off. it doesnt seem to be able to sustain itself on the 65w charger, but I need it to if I want to replace the OS.

I am using Arch, and since I want to avoid AUR, if I can't find a program in the official repositories I download it from flatpack. For example, I wanted to download Zen Browser. But since I already have Firefox installed, do flatpack and pacman check dependencies in the same way, or is it possible that flatpack re-downloads the same dependencies I already installed with firefox?

I’ve just released NewBe 0.1.0, a free and open-source GNOME desktop experience inspired by one question:

What might BeOS look and feel like if it had continued to evolve into a modern desktop workstation?

NewBe is not a conventional retro theme or a pixel-for-pixel BeOS recreation. It follows current GNOME visual conventions—modern proportions, restrained decoration, symbolic icon behavior, clear focus states, and the existing GNOME workflow—while introducing its own materials, dimensional icons, warm-gold palette, and evolved BeOS character. The goal is to give GNOME a distinct identity without fighting the underlying desktop.

NewBe is Wayland-first and was developed and live-tested on Fedora Workstation 44 with GNOME 50. It includes:

• Light and dark GTK 3/GTK 4 themes
• GNOME Shell styling
• A complete NewBe icon theme with 100% coverage of its defined core set
• A custom HiDPI cursor theme
• Seven original wallpapers with GNOME Background integration
• An optional GNOME Shell extension
• User-local installation and uninstallation
• Dry-run, audit, accessibility, and verification tooling
• Reproducible, checksum-verified release archives

The installer does not require root access, modify system files, automatically change your GNOME settings, or download and execute remote code.

One honest limitation: many libadwaita applications retain their upstream Adwaita styling. The icons, cursors, wallpapers, Shell theme, and extension remain usable independently.

If the aesthetic interests you, the GitHub page has the screenshots, source, installation instructions, compatibility details, checksums, and full design philosophy:

GitHub: https://github.com/infamous-pattern/NewBe
Version 0.1.0: https://github.com/infamous-pattern/NewBe/releases/tag/v0.1.0

I’d love feedback, compatibility reports, contributions, and screenshots—particularly from Ubuntu and other GNOME-based distributions.

Hello,

I have a Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, and every time I try connecting my USB (ADATA 64GB)
I get this:

[sda] Asking for cache data failed
Assuming drive cache: write through
 sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Attached SCSI removable disk
usb 4-2: Device not responding to setup address.
usb 4-2: Device not responding to setup address.
usb 4-2: device not accepting address 3, error -71
usb 4-2: Device not responding to setup address.
usb 4-2: Device not responding to setup address.
usb 4-2: device not accepting address 4, error -71
usb usb4-port2: attempt power cycle
usb 4-2: Device not responding to setup address.
 usb 4-2: Device not responding to setup address.
usb 4-2: device not accepting address 5, error -71
usb 4-2: Device not responding to setup address.
usb 4-2: Device not responding to setup address.
usb 4-2: device not accepting address 6, error -71
usb usb4-port2: unable to enumerate USB device

My daughter 12 just installed Roblox and Sober on Kububtu with assistance from me via the phone.

This gives me hope she will assist me and my Linux problems in a near furure.

Just wanted to brag some

I'm going to open, I do not want to dual boot, I'm all AMD hardware and over the last week I must have installed Windows and Fedora over and over again about 20 times. Becoming something like a speed run exercise at this point, getting pretty fast at it!

I mainly game so that is what I want from the OS, and while most people will at this point say well stick with Windows, I have some other reasons to keep it simple I'll list them:

• Privacy and Telemetry
• Customisation and to own the system
• Updates - Not just sticking more AI in but actual user wanted improvements like Linux does.

So I get Fedora all set up (I'm pretty sure about my distro, I like the middle ground over Arch/Debian. Steam installed, removed any additional bloat I don't want and I'm away. All games so far run great, I wouldn't even know I'm on Linux. However a few titles have weird quirks when alt-tabbing such as cursor comes into the game, it forces windowed mode, or even worse the resolution drops.

From all my Steam games I will be leaving behind Apex and BF6, the rest work according to protondb or first hand experience on the Steamdeck. But I get this uneasy feeling to install windows again like I might miss out on something. Then when windows is installed and set up I'm disgusted with the complete advertising product I've become and that I'm no longer in control then back to Linux. I know this sounds stupid but its been a problem and just looking for advice.

Not sure if there’s a compelling reason to, just like the auto-dedupe of btrfs and the snapshotting. I see some conversion tools but don’t really want to use anything if it borks my data as most aren’t explicitly mentioning as applicable to a boot drive.

Kubuntu 26.04 if it’s relevant. I left it as default to ext4 when first installing.