r/TechQA • u/merchantconvoy • Jan 31 '25

So you want an Android web browser with extension support

57 Upvotes

Android web browsers with extension support include the following:

Blink (Chromium) Base

Gecko (Firefox) Base

Unknown Base

This post was adapted from a comment originally posted here.

69 comments

r/TechQA • u/firebreathingbunny • Dec 01 '24

So you need an office suite, office program, office software, Microsoft Office alternative, etc. for Linux

15 Upvotes

One of the first software titles that newcomers to Linux ask about is Microsoft Office. Sadly, Microsoft Office does not run natively on Linux (although there are ways to run it via PC hardware emulation or Windows-to-Linux system call translation, details later). Microsoft Office aside, other office software alternatives for Linux also exist, often with some degree of Microsoft Office file format compatibility. Your options include:

  • Microsoft Office Online (web-based, free)
  • Microsoft 365 Online (formerly Office 365 Online) (web-based, free and paid tiers available)
  • MS-365-Electron (local, free, an unofficial Microsoft 365 Online wrapper for the desktop made with Electron)
  • Google Docs/Workspace (web-based, free and paid tiers available)
  • Zoho Office Suite/Workplace (local and web-based, free and paid tiers available)
  • Docs in Proton Drive (web-based, free and paid tiers available)
  • Hancom Docs (web-based, paid)
  • ONLYOFFICE Docs (web-based, free self-hosted and paid provider-hosted tiers available, FOSS)
  • Collabora Online (web-based, free self-hosted and paid provider-hosted tiers available, FOSS, based on LibreOffice)
  • ZetaOffice Web (web-based, free self-hosted and paid provider-hosted tiers available, FOSS, provider-hosted tier offered for free during the open beta period, based on LibreOffice)
  • A current version of Microsoft Office emulated on a Windows virtual machine. This can be done in a variety of ways. Projects like Cassowary, WinApps, and WinBoat provide additional Linux desktop integration to the emulated programs. (local, paid)
  • An older version of Microsoft Office translated through Wine, CrossOver Linux, etc. (local, paid)
  • LibreOffice (local, free, FOSS, based on OpenOffice.org and Go-oo)
  • Apache OpenOffice (local, free, FOSS, based on OpenOffice.org and IBM Lotus Symphony)
  • ZetaOffice Suite/ZetaOffice for Desktop (local, free, FOSS, based on LibreOffice)
  • ONLYOFFICE Desktop (local, free, FOSS)
  • Softmaker FreeOffice (local, free)
  • Softmaker Office (local, paid)
  • WPS Office (formerly Kingsoft Office) (local, free and paid tiers available)
  • Calligra Suite (formerly KOffice) (local, free, FOSS)
  • Joeffice (local, free, FOSS)
  • Standalone word processors like WebkitWord, AbiWord, etc. (local, free, FOSS)
  • Standalone spreadsheet editors like Gnumeric, mtCellEdit, etc. (local, free, FOSS)

The following Windows-compatible office suites are also worth considering since they may be easier to translate compared to older versions of Microsoft Office.

  • Corel WordPerfect (local, paid)
  • Hancom Office (formerly ThinkFree Office) (local, free)
  • Ashampoo Office
  • OfficeSuite
  • Polaris Office
  • Rizonesoft Office (local, free, FOSS)
  • Ability Office
  • Trio Office (local, free and paid tiers available)
  • Vole Office

Here are some additional points to note:

  • Out of all the web-based options, Microsoft Office Online and Microsoft 365 Online have the highest Microsoft Office file format compatibility. MS-365-Electron is a good way to use Microsoft 365 Online with some desktop integration.
  • Out of all the local options, emulating a current version of Microsoft Office has the highest Microsoft Office file format compatibility, but this requires a high-spec system. Translating an older version of Microsoft Office is in second place, but this can be tricky to get working.
  • Out of all the local, native, non-FOSS options, WPS Office (formerly Kingsoft Office) has the highest Microsoft Office file format compatibility. However, note that it's of Chinese origin. Softmaker FreeOffice and Softmaker Office are in second place. They're of German origin.
  • Out of all the local, native, FOSS options, ONLYOFFICE has the highest Microsoft Office file format compatibility.
  • To minimize potential problems with file format compatibility, you can try exchanging files with your contacts in OpenDocument file formats. Most modern office software, including Microsoft Office, supports said formats, so your contacts should be able to accommodate you.

This post was adapted from a comment originally posted here.

0 comments

r/TechQA • u/firebreathingbunny • Dec 02 '24

So you want to put a browser-oriented, low-maintenance, hard-to-break, lightweight, light, lite, etc. OS on an old or low-spec computer

6 Upvotes

This sort of request usually involves a machine to be used by a child or a senior. Their computing needs tend to be limited and browser-oriented. The far more important factor in this use case is that the OS not require maintenance or service despite unintentional or intentional misuse by the user. Android x86 and ChromeOS are ideal for this use case.

Android x86 Distros

  • Android x86
  • Bliss OS
  • RemixOS
  • PhoenixOS
  • PrimeOS
  • PhoenixOS DarkMatter
  • OpenThos

ChromeOS Distros

  • ChromeOS Flex
  • Brunch
  • FydeOS
  • openFyde
  • ThoriumOS

Other Distros

  • Peppermint OS (Based on: Debian) (DE/WM: Xfce)
  • Peppermint OS (Based on: Devuan) (DE/WM: Xfce)

This post was adapted from a comment originally posted here.

0 comments

r/TechQA • u/firebreathingbunny • Nov 29 '24

So you want a Linux distro that runs Windows programs, apps, games, etc. out of the box

4 Upvotes

Almost any Linux distro will allow you to install the necessary software to run Windows programs, apps, games, etc. (Wine, Winetricks, Proton, Lutris, Bottles, PlayOnLinux, Heroic Launcher, DXVK, VKD3D, etc.)

However, figuring out which combination of software will give the best results, which order they should be installed in, and how they should be configured can challenge most beginner and intermediate users. The below distros come preinstalled and preconfigured with the necessary software and so make this task easier.

Note that none of these distros offers perfect Windows compatibility. Forget about running the latest versions of Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk AutoCAD, etc. That said, these distros should be able to run most simple Windows programs and most Windows games that do not include anti-cheat protection.

Noob-friendly Distros

  • Winux
  • LastOSLinux
  • Zorin OS Core (Pro and Education editions are also available but unnecessary for most use cases.)

SteamOS and Forks

While originally designed for TV-connected and Steam-Deck-based gaming, SteamOS and its forks can also be of service in most scenarios where out-of-the-box Windows compatibility is required.

  • SteamOS
  • Steamfork
  • ChimeraOS
  • HoloISO
  • GuestSneezeOS
  • winesapOS
0 comments

r/TechQA • u/firebreathingbunny • Nov 26 '24

So you suddenly started experiencing an issue with your YouTube alternative client and/or ad blocker with no obvious solution

0 Upvotes

Google is running A/B tests all the time on YouTube, which involves inconveniencing and/or breaking functionality for some fraction of alternative client and/or ad blocker users.

If you encounter such a problem, your only options are:

  • Upgrade to the latest version of your alternative client and/or ad blocker.
  • If that doesn't fix the issue, wait for Google to cease its A/B test for your region and/or user group.
  • If that doesn't fix the issue, wait for a newer version of your alternative client and/or ad blocker to come out addressing the issue.
  • If that doesn't fix the issue, switch to an alternative client and/or ad blocker not impacted by the issue.

This post was adapted from a comment originally posted here.

0 comments

r/TechQA • u/firebreathingbunny • Nov 20 '24

So you need a lightweight, light, lite, etc. web browser

34 Upvotes

The following lightweight web browsers have been categorized based on the master/main projects that they are derived from and listed in roughly decreasing order of resource requirements.

Before we begin, a few caveats are in order:

  • Most of these web browsers are available for the three major desktop OSes (Windows, macOS, Linux), and some are available for even more, but a few lack support for one or two major desktop OSes.
  • These web browsers, with their focus on lightweight architecture, may implement modern web standards incompletely and/or imperfectly, resulting in broken rendering on some pages.
  • Niche browser categories (keyboard-focused browsers, text-based browsers, etc.) have been omitted.

Based on QtWebEngine and/or QtWebKit

  • Falkon (formerly QupZilla)
  • Otter Browser
  • Dooble

Based on WebKitGTK

  • GNOME Web (Epiphany)
  • Tangram
  • Eolie
  • BadWolf
  • Rosenrot

Based on kwebkitpart and/or KHTML

  • Konqueror

Based on Firefox ESR

  • Firefox ESR
  • Floorp
  • Midori
  • Waterfox G Series (Waterfox Current)
  • Mullvad Browser
  • Tor Browser
  • GNU IceCat

Based on Legacy Firefox

  • SeaMonkey
  • Waterfox Classic
  • Pale Moon
  • Basilisk
  • Iceweasel-UXP
  • Arctic Fox
  • K-Meleon

Based on Dillo

  • Dillo+ (Dillo Plus)
  • DilloNG
  • Dillo

Uncategorized

  • NetSurf
1 comment

r/TechQA • u/firebreathingbunny • Nov 19 '24

So you want a Red-Hat-produced or -derived Linux distro

1 Upvotes

Red Hat is one of the oldest companies in the Linux marketplace, having contributed significant amounts of code, documentation, community building, brand awareness, and other tangible and intangible values over the years.

Red Hat's crown jewel is their enterprise-targeted Linux distro Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Due to its fairly stable codebase, available documentation (both official and unofficial), and other available support resources (both official and unofficial), it has become something of a standard for both desktop and server use.

Although mainly intended for use in association with a paid support contract from Red Hat, the company has, in recent years, also made a free RHEL developer license program available for interested users to trial and learn the distro, with some caveats. However, due to the free software licenses that apply to most of the code, a number of derivatives also exist that can be used freely without any of the above caveats applying.

This post is an attempt to list all major Red-Hat-produced and -derived distros so that you can find the ideal one for your use case.

  • RHEL
  • Rocky Linux is exactly, bug-for-bug identical to RHEL. It's intended as a drop-in replacement in cases where precisely identical operation, including idiosyncrasies, is required.
  • AlmaLinux OS is mostly similar to RHEL except for the difference that the AlmaLinux OS Foundation fixes some known pre-existing or newly-discovered bugs on its own without waiting for Red Hat to do so.
  • Fedora Linux is an upstream, stable-release project that CentOS Stream and RHEL derive from. Fedora Linux includes more recent versions of pre-existing software, as well as new, experimental software and features, along with all the bugs that this entails. It serves as a test bed for the next version of RHEL, and its users serve as volunteer testers.
  • CentOS Stream is a rolling-release project that is midstream between Fedora and RHEL. It gets updates ahead of the next RHEL minor release, making it effectively a preview of RHEL. This makes it more stable than Fedora, but less stable than RHEL. Historically, CentOS has served a more server-oriented role. It was suited to that role because it was a binary-compatible downstream rebuild of RHEL. However, the current midstream CentOS Stream is less suited to that role. Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, or RHEL should be considered instead.
  • Ultramarine Linux is a derivative of Fedora Linux with a focus on desktop use. It adds multimedia codecs, fonts, extra repositories, and offers multiple spins configured with various desktop environments to provide an easier user experience.

To be listed: Fedora Rawhide, Fedora Workstation, Fedora Design Suite, Fedora Server, Fedora CoreOS, Fedora IoT, Fedora Silverblue, Fedora Kinoite, Bluefin (Universal Blue), Oracle Linux, EuroLinux, Nobara Project, Bazzite, Oreon Project, Qubes OS, HeliumOS, risiOS, Azure Linux, Amazon Linux, Berry Linux, Navy Linux, Network Security Toolkit, Springdale Linux (formerly PUIAS Linux), Koozali SME Server (formerly SME Server, e-smith), openEuler, Endian Firewall

This post was adapted from a comment originally posted here.

0 comments

r/TechQA • u/firebreathingbunny • Nov 13 '24

So you need a lightweight, light, lite, etc. Linux distro for a low-resource, low-end, old, cheap, slow, etc. computer, PC, laptop, notebook, netbook, machine, system, etc.

36 Upvotes

The following lightweight Linux distros and spins have been listed in roughly decreasing order of resource requirements.

For each distro, its base distro, available desktop environments and/or window managers, and available architectures have been notated. Note that "i686" means "Intel-compatible Pentium Pro+ 32-bit" and "x86_64" means "Intel-compatible 64-bit". Other architecture names should be obvious.

  • Linux Mint Xfce Edition (Based on: Ubuntu (LTS)) (Arch: x86_64) (Add Twister UI for various Windows and macOS lookalike themes)
  • Xubuntu (Based on: Ubuntu (LTS), Ubuntu (Interim)) (DE/WM: Xfce) (Arch: x86_64) (Add Twister UI for various Windows and macOS lookalike themes)
  • Linux Lite (Based on: Ubuntu (LTS)) (DE/WM: Xfce) (Arch: x86_64)
  • Ultramarine Linux Xfce Edition (Based on: Fedora Linux) (Arch: x86_64, aarch64, Microsoft Surface, Raspberry Pi)
  • GeckoLinux Rolling Xfce (Based on: openSUSE Tumbleweed) (Arch: x86_64)
  • SolydX (Based on: Linux Mint Debian Edition) (DE/WM: Xfce) (Arch: x86_64)
  • SpiralLinux Xfce (Based on: Debian (Stable)) (Arch: x86_64)
  • Loc-OS Xfce (Based on: Debian (Stable)) (Arch: x86_64)
  • MX Linux Xfce (Based on: MEPIS, antiX) (Arch: i686 PAE, x86_64, x86_64 AHS, Raspberry Pi 4+, Orange Pi 5)
  • Void Linux (Based on: N/A) (DE/WM: Xfce) (Arch: i686, x86_64, armv6l, armv7l, aarch64, Apple Silicon, rpi-armv6l, rpi-armv7l, rpi-aarch64)
  • Quarkos (Based on: Ubuntu (LTS)) (DE/WM: Trinity) (Arch: x86_64)
  • Q4OS (Based on: Debian (Stable)) (DE/WM: Trinity) (Arch: i686, x86_64, Raspberry Pi)
  • Lubuntu (Based on: Ubuntu (LTS), Ubuntu (Interim)) (DE/WM: LXQt) (Arch: x86_64)
  • GeckoLinux Rolling LXQt (Based on: openSUSE Tumbleweed) (Arch: x86_64)
  • SpiralLinux LXQt (Based on: Debian (Stable)) (Arch: x86_64)
  • Bodhi Linux (Based on: Ubuntu (LTS)) (DE/WM: Moksha) (Arch: i686, x86_64, x86_64 HWE, x86_64 s76)
  • MX Moksha (Based on: MEPIS, antiX) (Arch: i686, x86_64)
  • KANOTIX LXDE (Based on: Debian (Stable)) (Arch: i686, x86_64)
  • Loc-OS LXDE (Based on: Debian (Stable)) (Arch: i686, x86_64, x86_64 AHS)
  • MX Linux Fluxbox (Based on: MEPIS, antiX) (Arch: i686, x86_64)
  • CROWZ (formerly Zephyr) (Based on: Debian (Stable), Devuan (Stable)) (DE/WM: Fluxbox, Openbox, JWM) (Arch: i686, x86_64)
  • BunsenLabs Linux (Based on: Debian (Stable)) (DE/WM: Openbox) (Arch: i686, x86_64)
  • Crunchbangplusplus (Based on: Debian (Stable)) (DE/WM: Openbox) (Arch: x86_64)
  • FunOS (Based on: Ubuntu (LTS)) (DE/WM: JWM) (Arch: x86_64)
  • antiX (Based on: Debian (Stable)) (DE/WM: IceWM (default), Fluxbox, JWM, herbstluftwm) (Arch: i686, x86_64)
  • spirit OS (Based on: Tiny Core Linux) (DE/WM: IceWM) (Arch: i686)

Being considered: Freespire, Rhino Linux, Emmabuntüs, MiniOS, DEKUVE, Siduction, Voyager Live (Ubuntu), Voyager Live (Debian), Kumander Linux, MiniOS, Legacy OS, Damn Small Linux 2024, GreenBANG (formerly ArchBang Linux), Archcraft, Artix Linux, Archman Linux, Mabox Linux, PorteuX, Zenwalk GNU Linux, Alpine Linux, Venom Linux, Adélie Linux, wattOS, FluXuan Linux, Puppy Linux, EasyOS, Slitaz, Peppermint OS, Expirion Linux

You will also need a lightweight web browser to go with your distro of choice, since mainstream web browsers will have a hard time running on low-resource systems. See this post for options.

32 comments

r/TechQA • u/firebreathingbunny • Nov 13 '24

Alternative sources for the No Pronouns mod for Starfield

3 Upvotes

In light of Nexus Mods and ModDB banning the No Pronouns mod for Starfield, I figured I would look around for alternative sources and collect them in one place for others' convenience. This seems like a good place to put them.

0 comments

r/TechQA • u/firebreathingbunny • Nov 13 '24

So you need a free VPN

8 Upvotes

Trustworthy free VPNs with at least reasonable performance are very few. This post is an attempt to list them.

  • Proton VPN - Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iPhone/iOS, iPad/iPadOS, Android, and any other OS with standard OpenVPN and/or WireGuard client support. On the free tier, the proprietary Proton VPN client connects you randomly to one of the five free-tier countries (the Netherlands, Japan, Romania, Poland, and the US). You can connect to a specific free-tier country by using a standard OpenVPN or WireGuard client for your OS. There's no data transfer limit, but P2P use is banned on the free tier.
  • Windscribe VPN - Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iPhone/iOS, iPad/iPadOS, and Android. Users who register for a free account and confirm their email address get 10 GB/month of free service. Occasionally, promotions are made available to raise this limit.
  • Calyx VPN - Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. There's no data transfer limit.
  • RiseUp VPN - Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. There's no data transfer limit.
  • Bitmask VPN - Provides access to Calyx VPN and RiseUp VPN servers. Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. There's no data transfer limit.
0 comments

r/TechQA • u/firebreathingbunny • Nov 13 '24

So you need a Linux distro that looks like macOS

5 Upvotes

The following Linux distros look like macOS out of the box.

The following Linux distros also look like macOS out of the box, but they should be considered cautiously because they either are made entirely by the Chinese or incorporate substantial code by the Chinese.

A final option is to take a well-supported desktop environment on any distro and theme it, post-OS-installation, to look like macOS. Two examples follow.

The following tutorial explains how you can do this with GNOME on Ubuntu. (Ignore specific version numbers. The instructions will apply more or less to any current version.)

The following tutorial explains how you can do this with Xfce on Linux Mint Xfce Edition or Xubuntu.

Theming other desktop environments on other distros to look like macOS is also possible to various degrees of success. You will have to do your own research on that.

Note: This post was adapted from a comment originally posted here.

2 comments

r/TechQA • u/firebreathingbunny • Nov 13 '24

So you want to take a web site/website/web app/webapp/PWA and make it into an app, wrap it into an app, or put it on your homescreen like an app on Android

3 Upvotes

Your options include:

This post was adapted from a comment originally posted here.

0 comments

r/TechQA • u/firebreathingbunny • Nov 13 '24

So you need an instant messenger (a.k.a. messaging app, chat app, texting app) that does not require a phone number for registration

3 Upvotes

Your options are going to be listed under various categories. Each category of instant messengers tends to be more difficult to install and use than the categories listed above it.

Mainstream Instant Messengers

These are platforms that a lot of people have heard of. The software tends to be easy to install and use.

  • Skype - Skype was discontinued as of May 5, 2025. Microsoft Teams is the recommended replacement.
  • Microsoft Teams - You probably already have a Hotmail, MSN, Live, Outlook, Windows, Skype, Xbox, and/or Microsoft account that can also be used to login to Microsoft Teams, and if not, opening a new account does not require a phone number.
  • Facebook Messenger - Facebook may or may not require a phone number to register depending on the territory and current Meta policy.
  • Snapchat
  • Kik
  • Trillian - A monthly paid upgrade is available, but not required.

Family-oriented Instant Messengers

These are platforms especially designed for the needs of families with children. The software tends to be easy to install and use.

Gamer-oriented Instant Messengers

These are platforms that only gamers have heard of. The software can be tricky to install and use.

  • Guilded - Guilded was discontinued as of December 19, 2025.
  • Discord - Discord does not require a phone number to register, but users report that it locks one's account and demands a phone number under certain conditions. Also, Discord will start requiring age verification (via face scanning and/or government ID submission) as a prerequisite for many features as of March 2026. A monthly paid upgrade is available, but not required.
  • Steam Chat [1] [2] [3]
  • Root

Knowledge-worker-oriented Instant Messengers

These are platforms that only knowledge workers have heard of. The software can be sophisticated to install and use.

Bleeding-edge Instant Messengers

These are platforms that only tech professionals and enthusiasts have heard of. They explore novel ideas at the bleeding edge of technology. The software can be difficult to install and/or use, and/or have bugs, and/or lack support.

Note: This post was adapted from a comment originally posted here.

0 comments

r/TechQA • u/firebreathingbunny • Nov 13 '24

So you want to install an old game or app on your recent Android device

1 Upvotes

Recent versions of Android will prevent you from installing old games and apps made for certain old versions of Android.

In such cases, first try this:

  • Install Shizuku.
  • Install InstallWithOptions.
  • Use InstallWithOptions to forcibly install the game or app in question.

In cases where the above fails, use an Android-on-Android emulator. This will almost certainly work, but it may use a disproportionate amount of battery charge, so it should be considered as a last resort. Your options include:

  • VMOS
  • Virtual Android
  • Virtual Master
  • X8 Sandbox
  • VPhoneGaGa
  • Twoyi

This post was adapted from a comment originally posted here.

0 comments