Going immutable on macOS, using Nix-Darwin

https://carette.xyz/posts/going_immutable_macos/

#HackerNews #Going #immutable #on #macOS #Nix-Darwin #macOSDevelopment #ImmutableSystems #DevOps

How Immutable Linux Could Save Libraries Thousands

In our small public library, where I volunteer weekly, we have several ten-year-old all-in-one desktops with i5 CPUs and 8 GB of RAM. They’re currently running Windows 10, and the library needs to upgrade to Windows 11, according to the IT folks at the library system. Those of us who are regular Linux users know that there is almost no such thing as a computer too old for Linux. Why should these libraries be forced to purchase new computers, especially now that memory prices are skyrocketing, when a different operating system could keep the computers secure, extend their lifetime, and save these libraries thousands of dollars?

The search for a solution led me to consider Fedora Silverblue, which is an immutable Linux desktop. I’ve been reading about immutable Linux distributions for a couple of years, but I hadn’t explored them until today. Immutable Linux distributions use a read-only root filesystem. That means it cannot be changed the way a typical Linux filesystem can. This means that every installation is identical to every other installation of the same version.

Immutable systems like Silverblue can be configured for kiosk mode in libraries and other public spaces that allow patrons to use them for internet access and other uses but do not allow those patrons to change the core system in any way.

I downloaded Silverblue and gave it a try. I set it up in VirtualBox, and after it was installed, I started it up. It ran well, and I looked at other Atomic Desktops on the Fedora Project website. Cosmic Atomic caught my eye as I have been running Cosmic from System76 on my laptop for a couple of weeks. I downloaded the ISO, created a bootable USB drive, and installed it on my Dell Latitude 7410.

The laptop has a quad-core Intel Core i7-10610U processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a 512 GB SSD. It’s about four years old. I purchased it recently for projects like testing distributions. I connected the USB drive to the laptop, pressed the power button, then pressed F12 to boot from USB and started the install, which took some time. I was prompted to choose an install location and provide a username and password. Once the installation was complete and the computer restarted, I logged in to Cosmic Atomic for the first time. The initial login looked identical to my experience with Cosmic on Pop!_OS, but then I noticed some changes from my past experiences with traditional Linux distributions. LibreOffice was not installed by default. Firefox was installed by default, so I had access to a browser. I learned from reading that immutable distributions like this one use Flatpak to install other programs, such as the Brave browser, Chrome, LibreOffice, Visual Studio Code, and more.

I opened a terminal to use inxi and discovered that it was not installed by default. I tried using dnf to install inxi, but that doesn’t work on an immutable system. Some research and reading showed me that to install utilities like that, I needed to use a new command to change the immutable system.

$ rpm-ostree install inxi

Follow that command with systemctl restart, and I was in business to look at my system. I can see advantages to immutable systems. There are distinct advantages to immutable systems. They are reliable and easy to maintain. The core system is locked down so it cannot be compromised by malware. Applications are easily installed from the ‘Cosmic Store’ for Cosmic Atomic. Click the application you want to install, and in short order, it is added and ready to use. No need to remember to use

$ sudo dnf install application

Once the application is installed, it appears as it should in your library. The applications seemed to run faster on their Flatpak installs, but that might be an illusion. In any event I am impressed at how easy application installation is and how well the ‘Cosmic Store’ is appointed.

Exploring Fedora Silverblue and Cosmic Atomic reminded me that aging hardware doesn’t have to be a burden—especially for places like public libraries, where every dollar matters. Immutable Linux desktops offer a modern, secure, and low‑maintenance alternative that can extend the life of capable machines while reducing costs and complexity. After installing and testing Cosmic Atomic on a four‑year‑old laptop, it’s clear that these systems deliver a smooth, reliable experience without demanding new hardware or constant tinkering. As libraries face pressure to upgrade to Windows 11, it’s worth asking whether the real solution lies not in replacing computers, but in rethinking the operating systems we rely on. Embracing Linux could empower libraries to stay secure, stay functional, and stay within budget—a win for staff, volunteers, and the communities they serve.

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#elixir #39C3 #functional #declarative #immutable #concurrent #easy

Immer – A library of persistent and immutable data structures written in C++

https://github.com/arximboldi/immer

#HackerNews #Immer #C++ #persistent #data #structures #immutable #programming #GitHub

Wenn du in Java programmierst, wirst du früher oder später auf den Begriff Immutability stoßen. Wörtlich übersetzt bedeutet das „Unveränderlichkeit“. Eine *immutable* Klasse ist also eine Klasse, deren Objekte nach ihrer Erstellung nicht mehr verändert werden können.

https://magicmarcy.de/immutability-–-warum-unveraenderlichkeit-so-wichtig-ist

#Immutable #Immutability #Unveränderlichkeit #thread-safe #Mutable #Synchronisierung #Stabilität #Programming #Java

Trong Python, chuỗi (String) là **immutable** – không thể thay đổi trực tiếp. Khi dùng `+=`, `upper()`, `replace()`… Python tạo một đối tượng mới và gán lại biến, trong khi biến cũ vẫn giữ giá trị ban đầu. Ngược lại, list, dict, set là **mutable**, thay đổi tại chỗ và mọi tham chiếu tới chúng đều thấy sự thay đổi. Hiểu rõ “stone vs whiteboard” giúp tránh lỗi khi chia sẻ tham chiếu.

#Python #LậpTrình #Immutable #Mutable #Strings #Lists #Programming #PythonVietnam 🇻🇳

https://dev.to/aaron_ros

The more I use Zirconium on my laptop, the more I want @postmarketOS Duranium to be a thing

https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Duranium_(Immutable_postmarketOS)

#linux #mobile #immutable

今朝のIT/OSSニュース 公開されてます、あなたのお耳にプラグインイン♪

#Linux カーネルに #Rust 本格導入!? 伝説のブラウザ #Netscape の遺産 開発環境は #Immutable へ 12月15日(月) #News #kernel

https://youtu.be/kOUnODDKYi0

今朝のIT/OSSニュース 公開されてます、あなたのお耳にプラグインイン♪

#Linux カーネルに #Rust 本格導入!? 伝説のブラウザ #Netscape の遺産 開発環境は #Immutable へ 12月15日(月) #News #kernel

https://youtu.be/kOUnODDKYi0