Do we need a separate, dedicated software center application for Flatpaks? I don't know and I don't want to go in this debate anymore. For now, I am going to share this new marketplace that I have come across and found intriguing.

Bazaar is a modern Flatpak app store designed with GNOME styles. It focuses on discovering and installing Flatpak apps, especially from Flathub. In can se you did not know already, bazaar means market or marketplace. A suitable name, I would say.

Bazaar: More than just a front end for Flathub

As you'll see in the later sections, Bazaar is not perfect. But then nothing is perfect in this world. There are scopes for improvement but overall, it provides a good experience if you are someone who frequently and heavily use Flatpaks on GNOME desktop. There is a third-party KRunner plugin for KDE Plasma users.

Let's explore this Bazaar and see what features it offers. If you prefer videos, you can watch its features in our YouTube video.

Apps organized into categories

Like GNOME software, several app categories are available in Bazaar. You can find them on the homepage itself. If you are just exploring new apps of your interest, this helps a little.

Search and install an app

Of course, you can search for an application, too. Not only you can search with its name, you can also search for its type. See, Flathub allows tagging apps and this helps 'categorizing' apps in a way. So if you search for text editor, it will show the applications tagged with text editor.

When you hit the install button, you can see a progress bar on the top-right. Click on it to open the entire progress bar as a sidebar.

It shows what items and runtimes are being installed. You can scroll down the page of the package to get more details, screenshots of the project, and more.

Accent colors

The progress bar you saw above can be customized a little. Click the hamburger menu to access preferences and then go to the Progress Bar section. You'll find the options to choose a theme for the progress bar. These themes are accent colors represent LGBTQ and their sub-catrgories.

You can see an Aromantic Flag applied for the progress bar in the screenshot below.

Show only open source apps

Flathub has both open source and proprietary software available. The licensing information is displayed on an individual application page.

Now, some people don't want to install proprietary software. For them, there is the option to only show open source software in Bazaar.

You can access this option by going to preferences from the hamburger menu and toggle on the button, "Show only free software".

Refresh the content using the shortcut CTRL + R and you should not see proprietary software anymore.

Application download statistics

In an app page, you can click on the Monthly Downloads section to get a chart view and a map view.

The map view shows the download per region of that app.

The chart view gives you an overview of the download stats.

Other than that, if you click on the download size of an application in the app page:

You can see a funny download size table, comparing the size of the Flatpak applications with some facts.

Easily manage addons

Some apps, like OBS Studio, have optional add-on packages. Bazaar indicates the availability of add-ons in the Installed view. Of course, the add-ons have to be in Flatpak format. This feature comes from Flathub.

When you click the add-ons option, it will show the add-ons available for installation.

Removing installed Flatpak apps

You can easily remove installed Flatpak apps from the Installed view.

This view shows all the installed Flatpak packages on your system, even the ones you did not install via Bazaar.

More than just Flathub

By default, Bazaar includes applications from Flathub repository. But if you have added additional remote Flatpak repositories to your system, Bazaar will include them as well.

It's possible that an application is available in more than one remote Flatpak repositories. You can choose which one you want to use from the application page.

Although, I would like to have the ability to filter applications by repositories. This is something that can be added in the future versions.

Installing Bazaar on Linux

No prizes for guessing that Bazaar is available as a Flatpak application from Flathub. Presuming that you have already added Flathub remote repo to your system, you can install it quickly with this command:

flatpak install flathub io.github.kolunmi.Bazaar

If you are using Fedora or Linux Mint, you can install Bazaar from the software center of respective distributions as well.

Wrapping Up

Overall, this is a decent application for Flatpak lovers. There is also a 'curated' option available for distributors. Which means if some new distros want to package Bazaar as ist software center, they can have a curated list of applications for specific purpose.

Is it worth using it? That is debatable and really up to you. Fedora and Mint already provide Flatpak apps from their default software center. This could, however, be a good fit for obscure window managers and DEs. That's just my opinion and I would like to know yours. Please share yours in the comment section.

Halloween is here. Some people carve pumpkins, I crafted a special set up for my Arch Linux 🎃

In this tutorial, I'll share with you all the steps I took to give a Halloween-inspired dark, spooky makeover with Hyprland. Since it is Hyprland, you can relatively easily replicate the setup by getting the dot files from our GitHub repository.

If videos are your thing, you can watch all the steps in action in this video on our YouTube channel.

Step 1: Install Hyprland and necessary packages

First, install all the essential Hyprland packages to get the system up and running:

sudo pacman -S hyprland xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland hyprpolkitagent kitty

The above will install Hyprland and necessary packages. Now, install other utility packages.

sudo pacman -S hyprpaper hyprpicker hyprlock waybar wofi dunst fastfetch bat eza starship nautilus

What do these packages do? Well, here are some info:

• hyprpaper: Hyprland Wallpaper utility
• hyprpicker: Color picker
• hyprlock: Lock screen utility
• waybar: Waybar is a Wayland panel
• wofi: Rofi launcher alternative, but for Wayland. Rofi can be used. In fact, we have some preset config for Rofi in our GitHub repository. But Wofi was selected for this video.
• dunst: Notification daemon.
• fastfetch: fastfetch is a system information display utility.
• bat: Modern alternative for cat command.
• eza: Modern ls command alternative
• starship: Starship is a prompt customization tool.
• nautilus: Nautilus is the file manager from GNOME.

Step 2: Install and enable display manager

You need a display manager to login to the system. We use SDDM display manager. GDM also works fine with Hyprland.

sudo pacman -S sddm

Once SDDM package is installed, enable the display manager on boot time.

sudo systemctl enable sddm.service

Now, reboot the system. When login prompt appears, login to the system.

Step 3: Install other utility packages

Once essential Hyprland packages are installed and you are logged in, open a terminal in Hyprland using Super + Q. Now install Firefox browser using:

sudo pacman -S firefox

It's time to install theme packages. Hyprland is not a desktop environment in the sense of what GNOME or KDE is. Yet you may still use some apps developed for GNOME (GTK apps) or Qt apps.

To theme, you need to install theme managers for respective system:

• nwg-look: To apply theme to GTK apps.
• qt5ct: To apply theme to Qt5 apps.

Install these packages using the command:

sudo pacman -S qt5ct nwg-look

Step 4: Change the monitor settings

In most cases, Hyprland should recognize the monitor and load accordingly. But in case you are running it in a VM, it will not set the display size properly.

Even though we give full configuration at a later stage, if you want to fix the monitor, use the command:

monitor=<Monitor-name>,1920x1080,auto,auto

It is important to get the name of the monitor. Use this command:

hyprctl monitors

Remember the name of your monitor.

Step 5: Download our custom Hyprland dot files

Go to It's FOSS GitHub page and download the text-script-files repository.

You can also clone the repo, if you want using the command:

git clone https://github.com/itsfoss/text-script-files.git

But the above needs git installed.

If you have downloaded the zip file, extract the archive file. Inside that, you will find a directory config/halloween-hyprland. This is what we need in this article.

Step 6: Copy wallpaper to directory

Copy the images in the wallpapers folder to a directory called ~/Pictures/Wallpapers. Create it if it does not exist, of course.

mkdir -p ~/Pictures/Wallpapers

Step 7: Download GTK theme, icons and fonts

Download the Everforest GTK theme dark borderless macOS buttons.

Download Dominus Funeral icon theme dark style.

Download the "Creepster" font from Google Fonts website.

Next, create ~/.themes, ~/.icons, and ~/.fonts respectively:

mkdir -p ~/.themes ~/.icons ~/.fonts

And we need to paste theme, icon, and font files in their respective locations:

• Extract the "Creepster" font file and place it at ~/.fonts.
• Extract the theme file and paste it at ~/.themes.
• Extract the icon file and paste it at ~/.icons

Step 8: Install other nerd fonts

Install Nerd fonts like:

• Firacode Mono Nerd Font and Caskaydia Nerd font: Download from Nerd Fonts website.
• Font awesome free desktop fonts
• JetBrains Mono

If you are in Arch Linux, open a terminal and run the command:

sudo pacman -S ttf-firacode-nerd ttf-cascadia-code-nerd ttf-cascadia-mono-nerd woff2-font-awesome ttf-jetbrains-mono

Step 9: Verify Waybar and Hyprland config

Open the config.jsonc file on the downloaded directory and replace any occurrence of Virtual-1 with your monitor name.

For GNOME Box VM, it is Virtual-1. On my main system, I have two monitors connected. So, the names for my monitors are HDMI-A-1 and HDMI-A-2. Note the name of the monitors as we saw in Step 4:

hyprctl monitors

Now in the Waybar config, change the monitor name from Virtual-1 to the name of your monitor. Change all such occurrences.

Also, take a look at the panel item. If you see any item that is not needed in the panel, you can remove it from the [modules-<position>] part.

👉 Similarly, open the hyprland config in the downloaded directory. Change all reference to Virtual-1 to your monitor name. Similarly, replace monitor name in the hyprlock and hyprpaper config files.

Step 10: Copy and paste config files

Copy the following directories (in the downloaded GitHub files) and paste it to the ~/.config folder.

• waybar: Waybar panel configs and styles.
• wofi: Application launcher config
• dunst: Customized dunst notification system.
• starship.toml: Customized starship prompt.

If you are using a GUI file manager, copy all file/folders except hypr, wallpaper, and README.

Step 11: Replace Hyprland config

We did not copy hypr folder, because there is already a folder called hypr in every Hyprland system, which contains the minimal config.

I don't want to make it vanish. Instead, keep it as a backup.

cp ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf.bak

Now, exchange the content of the hyprland.conf in your system with the customized content. Luckily, the mv command has a convenient option called -exchange.

mv --exchange ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf /path/to/new/hyprland/config

Step 12: Paste hyprlock and hyprpaper configs

Now, copy the hyprlock.conf and hyprpaper.conf file to ~/.config/hypr directory.

Step 13: Change themes

Open the NWG-Look app and set the GTK theme and font (Creepster font) for GTK apps:

Now, change icon theme:

This app automatically adds necessary file links in the ~/.config/gtk-4.0. Thanks to this feature, you don't need to apply theme manually to the GTK4 apps.

Open the Qt5ct app and change the theme to darker.

Now, apply icon theme:

And change the normal font to "Creepster":

Step 14: Set Starship and aliases

First, paste some cool command aliases for the normal ls and cat command, using the modern alternatives eza and bat respectively. This is optional, of course.

Open ~/.bashrc in any editor and paste these lines at the bottom of this file:

alias ls='eza -lG --color always --icons'
alias la='eza -alG --color always --icons'
alias cat='bat --color always --theme="Dracula"'

Now, to enable Starship prompt, paste the starship eval line to the ~/.bashrc and source the config.

eval "$(starship init bash)"

source ~/.bashrc

Once all this is done, restart the system, and log back in to see the Halloween themed Hyprland.

Enjoy the spooky Hyprland set up. Happy Halloween 🎃

It's Halloween so time to talk spooky stuff 👻

If solving Linux mysteries sounds thrilling, SadServers will be your new haunted playground. I came across this online platform that gives you real, misconfigured servers to fix and real-world inspired situations to deal with. This is perfect for sharpening your troubleshooting skills, specially in the Halloween season 🎃

What LeetCode? I Found This Platform to Practice Linux Troubleshooting Skills

Move over theory and practice your Linux and DevOps skills by solving various challenges on this innovative platform. A good way to prepare for job interviews.

It's FOSS NewsAbhishek Prakash

💬 Let's see what else you get in this edition:

• A new KDE Plasma and Fedora 43 release.
• An Austrian ministry kicking out Microsoft.
• Ubuntu 25.10 users encountering another bug.
• App that gives you Pomodoro with task management.
• And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes!
• This edition of FOSS Weekly is supported by Proton Mail.

Ghosts aren’t the only ones watching 👀 — Big Tech is too. Protect your inbox from creepy trackers and invisible eyes with Proton Mail, the privacy-first, end-to-end encrypted email trusted by millions. Make the switch today and exorcize your inbox demons. 🕸️💌

Switch to Proton Mail

📰 Linux and Open Source News

• KDE Plasma 6.5 has been released with some neat upgrades.
• Ubuntu Unity maintainers have sounded the alarm for their survival.
• Canonical Academy is here to make you an Ubuntu-certified Linux user.
• Google Safe Browsing has managed to flag Immich URLs as dangerous.
• Ubuntu 25.10 briefly introduced a bug that broke the automatic upgrade system.
• Fedora 43 is finally out after a brief delay. It packs in many useful refinements.

Fedora 43 is Out with Wayland-Only Desktop, GNOME 49, and Linux 6.17

RPM 6.0 security upgrades, X11 removal from Workstation, and many other changes.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

🧠 What We’re Thinking About

Austria's BMWET has moved away from Microsoft in a well-organized migration to Nextcloud.

Good News! Austrian Ministry Kicks Out Microsoft in Favor of Nextcloud

The BMWET migrates 1,200 employees to sovereign cloud in just four months.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings

Ghostty is loaded with functionality; join me as I explore some of them.

Forks happen when freedom matters more than control.

Community Strikes Back: 12 Open Source Projects Born from Resistance

From BSL license changes to abandoned codebases, see how the open source community struck back with powerful forks and fresh alternatives.

It's FOSSPulkit Chandak

Don't forget to utilize templates feature in LibreOffice and save some time.

Comparing two of the best open source but mainstream password managers.

Bitwarden vs. Proton Pass: What’s The Best Password Manager?

What is your favorite open-source password manager?

It's FOSSAnkush Das

👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner

Discover what’s next for tinkerers in the post-Qualcomm world.

Arduino Alternative Microcontroller Boards for Your DIY Projects in the Post-Qualcomm Era

If Arduino being acquired puts a bad taste in your mouth, or even if you just want to explore what the alternatives offer, this article is for you.

It's FOSSPulkit Chandak

TerraMaster has launched two flagship-class hybrid NAS devices that pack a punch.

🛍️ Deals You Should Not Miss

The 16-book library also includes just-released editions of The Official Raspberry Pi Handbook 2026, Book of Making 2026, and much more! Whether you’re just getting into coding or want to deepen your knowledge about something more specific, this pay-what-you-want bundle has everything you need. And you support Raspberry Pi Foundation North America with your purchase!

Humble Tech Book Bundle: All Things Raspberry Pi by Raspberry Pi Press

Learn the ins and outs of computer coding with this library from Raspberry Pi! Pay what you want and support the charity of your choice!

Humble Bundle

✨ Project Highlights

An in-depth look at a super cool Pomodoro app for Linux.

Pomodoro With Super Powers: This Linux App Will Boost Your Productivity

Pomodoro combined with task management and website blocking. This is an excellent tool for productivity seekers but there are some quirks worth noticing.

It's FOSSRoland Taylor

📽️ Videos I Am Creating for You

Giving a dark, menacing but fun Halloween makeover to my Arch Linux system.

💡 Quick Handy Tip

In GNOME desktop, you can use the ArcMenu extension for a heavily customizable panel app menu. For instance, you can get 20+ menu layouts by going to Menu → Menu Layout → Pick a layout of your choice.

🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse

We have got a spooky crossword this time around. Can you identify all the FOSS ghosts?

Ghosts of Open Source [Halloween Special Crossword]

A spooky crossword challenge for true FOSS enthusiasts!

It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash

Actually, there is a whole bunch of Halloween themed puzzles and quizzes for you to enjoy 😄🎃

• Cyber boogeymen crossword
• Spooky Linux Commands Quiz
• Linux Halloween Quest
• Pick up the Pieces of Halloween Tux

🤣 Meme of the Week: Yeah, my Windows partition feels left out.

🗓️ Tech Trivia: On October 30, 2000, the last Multics system was shut down at the Canadian Department of National Defence in Halifax. Multics was a groundbreaking time-sharing operating system that inspired Unix and introduced ideas like hierarchical file systems, dynamic linking, and security rings that shaped modern computing.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community: Pro FOSSer Neville has shared a fascinating take on arithmetic.

Arithmetic and our Sharing Culture

We al learn to do division “If there are 6 cakes and 3 children, how many cakes does each child get” Division is about sharing But it does not always work “It there are 2 sharks and 8 people in a pool, how many people does each shark get?” Division can not answer that question. Because that example is not about sharing , it is about competition Whether division works depends on what are called the “Rules of Engagement” We all learnt to multiply “If 10 children each bring 2 apples, how m…

It's FOSS Communitynevj

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