this post was submitted on 28 Mar 2024
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Linux

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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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[–] Cyber@feddit.uk 55 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Er. Am I the only one to comment that this is a refreshing change to all the displays in shops, airports, etc that show the many ways that Windows errors and BSODs?

Linux on the desktop? Hell no, it's on 80' billboards.

(It's not Arch btw)

[–] erwan@lemmy.ml 17 points 1 year ago

Since the Raspberry Pi has been released it's pretty common.

[–] Trainguyrom@reddthat.com 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Running Windows for digital signage always struck me as an absolute waste of computing power. Just shove some low power Linux SBC into it and forget about it for about a decade or so

[–] dan@upvote.au 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

A lot of the time, the whole company that runs the signage uses Windows, and the signage just uses one of their standard PCs with their standard Windows image. They probably already have a bunch of spares. Makes it easier for IT if they don't have to support another configuration.

[–] fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I just said "You know when Linux has taken over the world? When you don't see blue screens on billboards."

[–] Morphit@feddit.uk 9 points 1 year ago

I mean, we have systemd-bsod now...

Not that I've ever seen it of course.

[–] Sunny@slrpnk.net 7 points 1 year ago

Same here, was at the airport just last week and saw two screens running windows, absolute joke.

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[–] Floshie@lemmy.blahaj.zone 41 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] lurch@sh.itjust.works 79 points 1 year ago (8 children)

that is the exact opposite of systemd: sysvinit

you can recognize it by the iconic makefile line in the output, which indicates the setting CONCURRENCY=makefile has been chosen.

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[–] the16bitgamer@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It booted into a GUI afterwards, and had grub installed.

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

You would have seen Grub way before this screen.

[–] the16bitgamer@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago

It did and it went by so fast I couldn't take a pic.

[–] sir_pronoun@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Maybe he did, and took a picture later.

You time travel like a wizard.

[–] pastermil@sh.itjust.works 38 points 1 year ago

Not necessarily Debian

But systemd for sure!

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 30 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Hardly the wilds: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Gw2aiyPXBCL8jJhV8

Wow, did the place change in two years. That blue building just SHOT up there.

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[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I refuse to believe that Nova Scotia is a real place

[–] caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 year ago

It's in Canada. Which is on Earth! Which is in Canada.

[–] GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml 20 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Linux is also used on billboards now? Nice

[–] qaz@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think I saw Windows on billboards and projectors a few times in my country. Don't remember seeing Linux much

[–] xordos@lonestarlemmy.mooo.com 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Maybe because Linux rarely die?

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[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 year ago

It's been for a while. It's cheap and easily-embeddable with a proper network stack for remote management. It's a decade at least, but I can only gauge since I first saw a net guy in an adjacent desk fighting with a parks n rec guy over one not working.

(it wasn't DNS: it was fucking radios/wireless)

[–] brax@sh.itjust.works 20 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I was gonna say that it looks like every Linux install I've ever booted... But then I realized 90% of them have been Debian or Debian-based 😅

[–] gentooer@programming.dev 9 points 1 year ago

Every systemd-based distro should look like that indeed

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[–] communism@lemmy.ml 19 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I wonder if this being a digital billboard is actually cheaper than just hiring some workers to swap out the printed advertisement every, I dunno how often they normally change, week or so?

[–] Cort@lemmy.world 33 points 1 year ago (3 children)

The benefit is being able to display 3+ different ads on rotation that change every minute or two. That, and labor is cheaper when they're not 50ft off the ground

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[–] gentooer@programming.dev 11 points 1 year ago

Labour is expensive

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[–] MossyFeathers@pawb.social 17 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I like the security camera pointed at the billboard, like someone's gonna steal it.

[–] kcuf@lemmy.world 28 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Probably for spray paint or other damage. Or maybe for identifying when it fails

[–] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 year ago

Or maybe for identifying when it fails

That's it exactly.

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looks like it's starting cron? I'm assuming that's debian/ubuntu then.

Could be anything else, but if i had to posit a likely guess that would be mine.

[–] Corngood@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

the wilds of Nova Scotia

Walking across the Windsor Street exchange is wild for sure.

[–] the16bitgamer@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

They have a cross walk now, I feel so safe now.

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Nova Scotia is looking a bit ROUGH though.

[–] CanadianCabbage@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Reminds me of the garbage can that keeps crashing at the Tim Horton's downtown

[–] Thade780@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

That looks like a network issue.

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[–] delirious_owl@discuss.online 7 points 1 year ago

Guess the screen is too small to see the error on the bottom? Geez, they need a bigger screen?

[–] Davel23@fedia.io 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)
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[–] IsoKiero@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Why billboard system would have sane installed? I don't think Debian or derivatives install it by default. Vnstat is also a bit odd, but maybe that's just me. I assume they have multiple of these displays around and for them it would make more sense to use something more centralized, like zabbix, to monitor the whole network (obviously they could do that too).

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

assume they have multiple of these displays around and for them it would make more sense to use something more centralized, like zabbix

The one I saw a decade ago yielded SNMP to solarwinds (I know I know) rather well, but they mainly used PING on it to see when the radio link died.

Fancy that -- when the parks n rec sites were converted to e-billboards, they had power but no net line, and "radio's fine". Show me an old linux billboard host and I'll show you a canvas my inner child can't wait to e-graffiti.

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