diff --git a/source/clear-linux/FAQ/faq.rst b/source/clear-linux/FAQ/faq.rst new file mode 100644 index 00000000..bc1de24d --- /dev/null +++ b/source/clear-linux/FAQ/faq.rst @@ -0,0 +1,189 @@ +.. _faq: + +Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) +################################ + +Below is a list of commonly asked questions with answers sourced from the +|CL-ATTR| team and `Clear Linux community forums`_. + +.. contents:: :local: + :depth: 2 + + +General +******* + +Why did you make another distro? +================================ + +The |CL| team felt that performance was left on the table with Linux software. +|CL| takes a holistic approach to improving performance across the stack. We +also wanted to take more modern approaches with OS updates and tooling. + +| + +Can other distros copy |CL| improvements? +========================================= + +Yes, we absolutely love open source reuse and upstreaming improvements. + +| + +How often do you update? +======================== + +The |CL| team puts out multiple releases a week, often releasing 2 or more +times a day. This rolling release approach allows |CL| to remain agile to +upstream changes and security patches. + +| + +Is telemetry required? +====================== + +The telemetry solution provided by |CL| is entirely optional and customizable. +It is disabled by default. If you do choose to enable telemetry, the data +helps the |CL| team proactively identify and resolve bugs. See the +:ref:`telemetry ` page for more information. + +| + +What is the default firewall? +============================= + +|CL| packages :command:`iptables` as a bundle, however, there are no default +firewall rules. All network traffic is allowed by default. + +| + +Where are the files that I usually see under /etc like fstab? +============================================================= + +|CL| has a stateless design that maintains a separation between system files +and user files. Default values are stored under :file:`/usr/share/defaults/`. +Files under :file:`/etc/` are not created unless you create one. + +A blog post explaining how this is accomplished with :file:`/etc/fstab/` +specifically is available here: +https://clearlinux.org/news-blogs/where-etcfstab-clear-linux + +| + +Software packages +***************** + +How is software installed and updated? +====================================== + +|CL| provides software in the form of :ref:`bundles ` and +updates software with :ref:`swupd `. + +:ref:`FlatPak\* ` is an application virtualization solution that allows +more software to be available to |CL| users by augmenting the software |CL| +packages natively with software available through FlatPak. + +Our goal is to have software packaged natively and made available through +bundles whenever possible. + +| + +Does |CL| use RPMs like other distros? +====================================== + +|CL| provides software in the form of :ref:`bundles `. The RPM +format is used as an intermediary step for packaging and determining software +dependencies at OS build time. + +Individual RPMs can sometimes be manually installed on a |CL| system with the +right tools, but that is not the intended use case. + +| + +Can I install a software package from another OS on |CL|? +========================================================= + +Software that is packaged in other formats for other Linux distributions is +not guaranteed to work on |CL| and may be impacted by |CL| updates. + +If the software you're seeking is open source, please submit a request to add +it to |CL|. Submit requests on GitHub\* here: +https://github.com/clearlinux/distribution/issues + +| + +Software availability +********************* + +What software is available on |CL|? +=================================== + +Available software can be found in the `Software Store`_, through the GNOME\* +Software application on the desktop, or by using :ref:`swupd search `. + +| + +Is Google\* Chrome\* available? +=============================== + +The Google Chrome web browser is not distributed as a bundle in |CL| due to +copyright and licensing complexities. + +A discussion on manually installing and maintaining Google Chrome can be found +on GitHub: https://github.com/clearlinux/distribution/issues/422 + +| + +Is FFmpeg available? +==================== + +`FFmpeg`_ is a multimedia software suite, which is commonly used for +various media encoding/decoding, streaming, and playback. + +|CL| does not distribute FFmpeg due to well-known licensing and legal +complexities (See https://www.ffmpeg.org/legal.html and +http://blog.pkh.me/p/13-the-ffmpeg-libav-situation.html). + +Read more in the |CL| repository, including discussion of an alternative +hardware-based solution: +https://github.com/clearlinux/distribution/issues/429. + +While |CL| cannot distribute FFmpeg, a manual solution to build and install +FFmpeg under :file:`/usr/local` has been shared on the community forums: +https://community.clearlinux.org/t/how-to-h264-etc-support-for-firefox-including-ffmpeg-install. + +| + +Is ZFS\* available? +=================== + +ZFS is not available with |CL| because of copyright and licensing +complexities. BTRFS is an alternative filesystem that is available in |CL| +natively. + +A user on GitHub notes that the ZFS kernel module can be compiled, built, and +installed manually: https://github.com/clearlinux/distribution/issues/631 + +| + +Can you add a driver that I need? +================================= + +If a kernel module is available as part of the Linux kernel source tree but +not enabled in the |CL| kernels, in many cases the |CL| team will enable it +upon request. Submit requests on GitHub here: +https://github.com/clearlinux/distribution/issues + +The |CL| team does not typically add out-of-tree kernel modules as a matter of +practice because of the maintenance overhead. If the driver was unable to be +merged upstream, there is a good chance we may be unable to merge it for +similar reasons. + +Kernel modules can be individually built and installed on |CL|. See the +:ref:`kernel modules ` page for more information. + +| + + +.. _`Clear Linux community forums`: https://community.clearlinux.org +.. _`Software Store`: https://clearlinux.org/software +.. _`FFmpeg`: https://ffmpeg.org/ diff --git a/source/clear-linux/clear-linux.rst b/source/clear-linux/clear-linux.rst index 74496d0d..0101a604 100644 --- a/source/clear-linux/clear-linux.rst +++ b/source/clear-linux/clear-linux.rst @@ -3,13 +3,13 @@ |CL-PRJ| ############################################# -Welcome to the |CL-ATTR| documentation pages, the source for |CL| documentation. -Our documentation is divided into the following sections: +Welcome to the |CL-ATTR| documentation pages, the source for |CL| +documentation. Our documentation is divided into the following sections: * :ref:`get-started` - If you are new to |CL|, get started fast with tutorials for installing |CL| on - bare metal, in a virtual environment, or as a live image on a USB stick. + If you are new to |CL|, get started fast with tutorials for installing |CL| + on bare metal, in a virtual environment, or as a live image on a USB stick. * :ref:`concepts` @@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ Our documentation is divided into the following sections: Find the detailed information you need to enable your configuration or task in our |CL| reference section. +* :ref:`faq` + + Refer to our FAQ section to read commonly asked questions and answers. + + .. toctree:: :maxdepth: 2 :hidden: @@ -41,3 +46,4 @@ Our documentation is divided into the following sections: guides/guides tutorials/tutorials reference/reference + FAQ/faq