Never owned a Surface, so can’t comment on that, but I’m very happy with my One by Wacom (not to mix with Wacom One :p). It’s fairly cheap as far as these types of tablets go, it’s very responsive (I have 144Hz displays and it’s so nice to use), has a nice sueface roughness, it’s plug-and-play on Linux and has 0 maintenance (no batteries to swap).

What I like with my setup is that, contrary to traditional writing on paper, I can sit properly, looking forward, avoiding some bad neck and back pain I usually get otherwise.

Yeah Xournal++ is probably the best hand-written note taking and PDF annotation program available on Linux, it’s pretty well known. The system settings permission is to honor some global settings you might have enabled, and the file system access is so you can save and open stuff from anywhere, I assume.

While it’s not on the main F-Droid repo, they distribute it in their own repository: https://app.futo.org/fdroid/repo

I have the exact same issue on my Pixel 4a. Tried a bunch of stuff, even installing their gallery app (with network and everything in XPrivacyLua blocked), to no avail. It just crashes when using the shortcut.

My “solution” was to place a shortcut to the normal gallery app on the home screen and train myself to quickly switch to it.

What does Windows do? Genuine question, I’ve not used it since the 7 days. Regarding Linux, that’s true for stuff installed through regular package managers and whatnot, but Flatpak is pushing a more sandboxed and permission oriented system, akin to Android.

This has nothing to do with the mobile app, which also has password/biometric unlocking, it’s about the desktop electron app.

I carry my things in the front pockets of my jeans: on the right, just my bare Pixel 4a; on the left, my keychain (with 3 keys and 2 small tools, no car keys), my small leather wallet I bought at an artisan market many years ago and occasionally my trusty Edifier X3 earbuds.
Then, in case I make purchases and people hand me tickets (which I’ve been getting into the habit of refusing in advance, no need to waste paper), I stash them in one of my back pockets, typically the right one.

The layout for my left front pocket is almost always the wallet to my right, the keychain to the left and the earbud case on top of the wallet.

Additionally, I typically wear my analog wristwatch (smallish, very simple and non-flashy, matte grey metal core with lightish leather band) in my left arm and, in sunny days, wear my aviator-style glasses.

In winter, I may use a scarf and/or gloves, but it’s often not necessary where I live.

Cool! Thought they weren’t common across the Atlantic.

Yeah, distros should, at most, change the default accent color and some pannel icon, but no more than that.

Damn, in what region? Never spotted anything like that!