History
The rise of GNU/Linux and the Free Software Movement starts more than 60 years ago, to an hacked together rebuild of a failed project, and 2 guys scavenging a computer to, among other things, play a video game for cheap.
This would eventually lead to the most influential operating system family in history, one you are likely using if you are viewing this on a mobile phone, either Android(Linux), iOS(XNU), and likewise for the case of Desktop Linux and macOS.
The story of Unix, and the other open-source projects it helped directly or indirectly propel is vast and funny(at one point, a baby crocodile scaring an accountant is involved), but what has been constant in this saga has been a constant struggle for information to be free itself against the tyranny of corporate rule and ownership, from taking a completely unrelated display manager from other free project(X), using an cobbled together kernel in the lack of the planned one(Linux vs HURD), BSD's struggling to replaced AT&T's proprietary code with open-source one, to GNU's adamance in making a fully deblobed, and totally free and open-source one, made by a loving and volunteer hacker community.
But while code has been practically fully liberated, corporate interests and money are bogging down and trying to subordinate open-source to themselves, making people wonder if open-source is still viable, or if it's resistance will soon gave way to a false liberty.
Today, that changes.
The next, and likely final step in that journey has started.
Introducing TROMjaro.
TROMjaro is TROM Magazine's Linux distribution, a publication that epitomises the dedication to volunteering and refusing to engage in the practices of the current monetary system.
And it's operating system is the living embodiment of that.
While most distributions are free, only TROMjaro managed to go further, applying it's Trade-Free philosophy(one with which we personally resonate) to computing.
That means that they ask for nothing in return, be it your money, you data, your attention, or even recognition.
It just gives it freely and without expecting any sort of compensation.
And it's not just about superior ideologically, it was praised on it's technical merits by the Linux community.
LinuxInsider consistently praised it in it's two articles for being debloated, user-friendly, customizable and all around great as a consumer OS.
This isn't just that random indie distro that puts on a flashy wallpaper and a flat theme, and calls it a day, as we have seen so many times. They have really poured heart and soul into it.
Like it's namesake, Manjaro, TROMjaro is built upon the advanced oriented Arch Linux distro, except with a much more user-friendly frontend.
When it comes to it's ecosystem, the TROM team has once again done a fine job.
The operating system is kept up to date via a quasi-rolling release model, while the default apps have been stripped to a bare minimum, while allowing the users to choose to install whatever fthey want rom Manjaro's famously open repos.
For ones that wish a more controlled and curated section of apps, or one that is strictly Trade-Free, the OS also allows installation of apps directly from their website:
https://www.tromjaro.com/apps/
And due to a design decision that prioritizes backups, as well as the fact that Arch has a tendency to break sometimes, an automated back-up system is in place.
Look and feel
As a default desktop environment, they have chosen a heavily modified(for the better) GNOME 3 interface.
Conclusion:
All in all, a great distribution, one that is both easy to use, technically superior, and helps normalize a better world where money and commerce is a thing of the past.
Try it now from the following link:
https://www.tromjaro.com/ro/install/
Note: I'm having a problem uploading pictures, so i can't upload screenshots or a download button, to make this wall of text easier on the eyes.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at http://jacque-fresco-edu.net/blog/9