SDcards
Updated 03-Aug-2025 SDcards, especially MicroSD cards, can also be connected via USB, so those speeds are also important. Notes and For any USB interface, Type 3.2 when possible. and
SAK Swiss Army Knives
Updated 03-Aug-2025 I spent a half-day or so looking for improvements to my current Swiss Army Knife collection (two), the Compact and the Jetsetter (3). Both are extremely compact and versatile (a bit redundant when discussing Swiss Army Knives / Victorinox). The outcome of this research is twofold: I have the most optimal (for me) ... Read more
Manga, et al
Updated 03-Aug-2025 Manga being a Japanese word, there are several other words (in other languages) for this kind of thing: Japanese: Manga Korean: Manhwa Chinese: Manhua English (US, CA, UK, etc.): Comics, Graphic Novels French: Bande dessinée Note the main differences between Manga, Manhwa, and Manhua. In Japan, the light novel -- akin to YA ... Read more
Git and Git-related
Updated 03-Aug-2025 Git is great, and even better as a core part of a full development / deployment toolchain. These days there are choices as to which more robust Git platform to use. First, those not to use: Github (owned by Microsoft), proprietary Gitlab (owned publicly traded company), open core Both of these are worrisome ... Read more
Chromium browser and related
Updated 18-Aug-2025 This is meant to help with selecting and installing a chrome-based browser, with minimal tracking and other cruft. Ungoogled Chromium for Debian Actually there are a variety of OS builds for ungoogled Chromium, many of which lag behind. There does not seem to be an up-to-date apt repository anywhere. Therefore manual installations are ... Read more
Mobian – Debian on Mobile
Updated 03-Aug-2025 I have not played with Mobian (yet), but it, and two other projects (Termux and UserLAnd), are quite promising. The biggest issue seems to be hardware at this point, as there are only Pine Phone and Tab, and Purism Librum, as well as one or two other devices are supported. That said, the ... Read more
Font Copyright Patent Trademark
Updated 03-Aug-2025 Intellectual property protections for typefaces and fonts are questionable at best, though there are a few areas in which protections do hold, including Copyright, Design Rights (and Patents), and Trademark.1 Copyright Originally in the US and other jurisdictions, the idea of a typefaces is one which is pure utility (that is, smacking ink ... Read more
Cost Effective Computing 2024
Updated 03-Aug-2025 Current cost-effective computing is focused on small, mobile, and Linux + Windows + Android. The Windows is for general familiarity and games for the children Current Devices Linux c214 - Ampton (ASUS C214MA) chromebook with Debian 12 (Bookworm) and Breath 4gb / 32gb + 256gb microsd n8 - NUC8i3BEH (Intel NUC) Debian 12 ... Read more
Virus reemergence
Updated 03-Aug-2025 This phenomena is such that virii which are present in our bodies, but dormant, can reemerge. Scientists want to understand the immune system. To do it, they're looking to fake space. Skin Viral Infections: Host Antiviral Innate Immunity and Viral Immune Evasion 5 Viruses That Can Cause Complications Later
Termux
Updated 03-Aug-2025 Termux is an Android application (and plugins) which provides a Linux environment as a terminal emulator. Actually the Termux terminal doesn't need to be used, as it is possible to access various elements via API. The main support is various programming languages. Access to repositories via Git. And using Rclone, one can mount ... Read more
LineageOS on Xiaomi
Updated 03-Aug-2025 Major update to this post as of April 2024, nearly 4 years later The below is woefully out of date. Trying to do the same thing with the same product (but different device) results in tears, mainly around Xiaomi OEM unlocking. The unlock tools simply don't work on the Linux and Windows devices ... Read more
Debian Chromebook
Updated 03-Aug-2025 Because ChromeOS is simply ridiculous in terms of resource requirements (on devices meant for it), the only proper approach is to install or boot from a USB drive running Debian Linux (in this case, Debian Stable). Note: there is GalliumOS but it seems to have stalled development. There are various steps involved in ... Read more
Chromebooks in 2024
Updated 03-Aug-2025 There are low-end and high-end Chromebooks. This is about relatively low-end devices, specifically an ASUS C214MA which is a cheap, somewhat small, ruggedized device meant for the schooling market. It has an 11.6" HD+ screen and a 4gb/32gb RAM/ROM configuration. In our household we've run up against the limits of this device in ... Read more
Linode and Linux
Updated 03-Aug-2025 I've used Linode for the past three years, and before that, another two years (with 3 years of AWS in between). There has been a (reasonable) increase in prices, and not much else since the acquisition by Akamai. Before Linode I used Servint which had more tools but also was much higher in ... Read more
Hardware Spec Minimums 2024
Updated 03-Aug-2025 These specs are meant to help with acquisition decisions. More is usually better, and certainly for future-proofing purchases. Note that these are not adequate for modern games such as Starfield. Desktop and Laptop For processors, there is more leeway, but one should get the latest generation of whichever processor line is needed (e.g, ... Read more
Pokemon Go tactics
Updated 03-Aug-2025 Some basic (very basic) Pokemon Go tactics: Buddy system Most efficient approach to hearts for Buddies: Only feed buddies berries once per day Start with play (rub the head of the Pokemon, for some like Regigas without any obvious head then torso). Then take photo Then feed berries Then engage in battle with: ... Read more
Smart Control (drive health app)
Updated 03-Aug-2025 smartctl is a tool for testing hard drives. There is a graphical interface called gsmartcontrol which oddly cannot be found in the standard Debian testing repository but is otherwise available.
Grub Customizer
Updated 03-Aug-2025 This is a fantastic tool: sudo apt install grub-customizer grub-customizer A nice little GUI.
LMDE to Xfce desktop environment
Updated 03-Aug-2025 I've been having trouble with the sleep cycle of a new monitor, such that causes problems with the LXDE lxpanel app. Basically the panel unloads when the monitor sleeps (or awakes). Since lxpanel is more or less frozen, I've looked to other desktop distributions to remedy this. Though I am generally satisfied with ... Read more
Removable Disk Volume Name
Updated 03-Aug-2025 To change the volume name of a removable disk (USB / SD), in Debian (or other Linux): Open up > Accessories > Disks Click on device Click on gears icon (Additional partition options) Edit Filesystem Enter partition name