Re: readers running debian

[Bret Busby <bret@busby.net>]

On 3/7/25 17:10, Bret Busby wrote:
> On 3/7/25 15:08, Alexander V. Makartsev wrote:
> > On 03.07.2025 09:35, tomas@tuxteam.de wrote:
> > > On Thu, Jul 03, 2025 at 08:25:27AM +0500, Alexander V. Makartsev wrote:
> > > > On 03.07.2025 04:47,fxkl47BF@protonmail.com  wrote:
> > > > > i'm looking for a reader for pdf's and other media
> > > > > are there any running debian or other linux based distributions
> > > > "okular", "evince", "viewnior" to name a few.
> > > And xpdf.
> > >
> > >    apt search "pdf.*reader"
> > >
> > > yields (among a few false positives) a few possible hits I never heard
> > > of.
> > >
> > > Cheers
> > I've re-read original poster's message and now I think we all 
> > mis-interpreted their request.
> > I think they asked for a suggestion about hardware, like a tablet 
> > computer, or a handheld book reader capable of viewing PDFs and other 
> > media formats, with Debian or another Linux distro under the hood.
> > Probably these devices originally will run on Android or on some 
> > proprietary OS with locked bootloader and encrypted firmware, so the 
> > end user couldn't fight planned obsolescence.
> > Speaking from my little experience, making custom firmware will be 
> > incredibly difficult, also according to: https://wiki.debian.org/Mobile
> >
> > --
> >
> >   With kindest regards, Alexander.
> >
> >   Debian - The universal operating system
> >   https://www.debian.org
>
> Yes, I quite agree with the last post above; in reading the Subject 
> field of the thread, and, the text cited above, from the original 
> device, the original poster appears to be seeking something like a 
> kindle device - note - device, not software application - that will run 
> the Debian operating system -"readers running debian" - not "PDF viewers 
> running on Debian".
>
> And,
> "
>  >>>> i'm looking for a reader for pdf's and other media
>  >>>> are there any running debian or other linux based distributions
> "
>
>
> "
> "So once you do know what the question actually is,
>   you'll know what the answer means."
> - Deep Thought,
>    Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
>    "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
>    A Trilogy In Four Parts",
>    written by Douglas Adams,
>    published by Pan Books, 1992
> "


I believe that the problem is in the nature of ICT users' mailing lists 
- the need to balance tolerance of varying levels of competency in the 
English language, with often bad grammar, and thence, wrongly expressed 
descriptions ("I have Debian <version> running on <software application 
name>"), with the need for accuracy, including, especially, of problem 
descriptions.

Computers and software, including operating systems, are pedantic (other 
than AI, which produces too much garbage); humans are notsomuch, and, 
often lax in communication skills.

So, many misinterpretations and misconstructions occur, needing accuracy 
in communications, to try to minimise wrongful outcomes.

Otherwise, things can occur, like I observed, many years ago in a UNIX 
class, where a student entered the command
chmod .
.

The consequences  were not what was wanted.

..
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
(UTC+0800)
..............