Manjaro trouble, Germany mandates open formats, Google destroys sideloading - Linux Weekly News

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Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:41 Sponsor: Proton Mail
01:40 Manjaro community wants to split from company
04:51 Android dev verification is a nightmare
07:17 Google made the worst sideloading UX possible
09:23 Germany mandates the ODF format
11:08 Orion browser has a public beta
12:52 CachyOS is the most used gaming distro right now?
14:32 Firefox talks about their upcoming new features
16:43 GNOME 50 is released, and it's a massive update
18:13 Thunderbird shares their roadmaps
20:10 Playstation 5 runs Linux now
21:28 DLSS 5 gets massively bad reactions
24:58 Sponsor: Tuxedo Computers

Links:

Manjaro community wants to split from company
https://forum.manjaro.org/t/manjaro-2-0-manifesto/186171/28

Android dev verification is a nightmare
https://itsfoss.com/news/android-developer-verification/

Google made the worst sideloading UX possible
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/google-details-new-24-hour-process-to-sideload-unverified-android-apps/

Germany mandates the ODF format
https://linuxiac.com/germany-mandates-odf-for-public-administration/

Orion browser has a public beta
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/03/orion-for-linux-beta-release

CachyOS is the most used gaming distro right now?
https://www.xda-developers.com/cachyos-dethrones-arch-as-the-top-desktop-distro-for-linux-gamers-on-protondb/

Firefox talks about their upcoming new features
https://blog.mozilla.org/en/firefox/firefox-148-149-new-features/
https://blog.mozilla.org/en/firefox/meet-kit/

GNOME 50 is released, and it's a massive update
https://youtu.be/lrLlQlvHV1Q

Thunderbird shares their roadmaps
https://blog.thunderbird.net/2026/03/introducing-our-public-roadmaps/

Playstation 5 runs Linux now
https://www.phoronix.com/news/Mesa-AMDGPU-PS5-Patches
https://x.com/theflow0/status/2030011206040256841

DLSS 5 gets massively bad reactions
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/03/gamers-react-with-overwhelming-disgust-to-dlss-5s-generative-ai-glow-ups/

#linuxdesktop #linuxdistro #linuxnews

leanderlindahl

Please don't use the term "sideload" for installing software. That only serves Google's purposes of making it sound like you're doing something weird and unusual when in fact you're just installing software on your own device.

Blort™ 🐀Ⓥ🥋☣️

@thelinuxexperiment

Personally, I suspect that Manjaro forking and going to a non-profit with community governance would actually be the best case scenario, as long as they can also secure some funding.

I wonder how Google's protectionist schemes will impact downstream ROMs like GrapheneOS, who will presumably alter the OS to allow installing from anywhere.

Still you can only install apps that exist, and Google's plans would likely hugely limit the range and popularity of independent non-Google apps, by limiting the audience.

Seems to me like we really need to focus as a community on getting at least one Linux phone fully daily driveable with reliable calls, texts, mobile data, camera etc.

#Manjaro #Google #Android #LinuxMobile #MobileLinux #Privacy #GrapheneOS

Pacman

I have never liked Manjaro<br />I always stick to community distros

𝙻𝙴𝚅𝙸 :v_bi: :tux:

@thelinuxexperiment we should also consider that Google's response and ALL of their future moves and responses are written by #ai