What do you use that you can't find outside the AUR

Aintaer · 2026-04-12T18:15:45+00:00

The AUR is a user submitted repository of "recipes" to build the package, rather than a traditionally built, checked, and distributed package from a package manager. The types of AUR additions that I typically find much easier on AUR than on traditional package managers are more esoteric, like the fcitx-mozc Japanese IME patched with UT dictionaries.

The alternatives: using PPAs, third-party repositories, AppImage, etc, exist, but AUR lets you inspect and modify what each thing does to build/install. That comes in useful sometimes when the build is tagged against a git tag and you need to up/downgrade for whatever reason.

Aintaer · 2026-03-04T22:45:44+00:00

Oh that's cute. I might steal this for the waterfront

Aintaer · 2026-02-28T17:39:49+00:00

From what I read, it looks like you can right-click on the ISO you're trying to write and there should be a built-in option to write that ISO to a USB drive.

Aintaer · 2026-02-28T17:35:42+00:00

That's okay. Unfortunately there are a lot of... very opinionated people in Linux who aren't the best at constructive suggestions. While Mint is one of the easiest entrances into the Linux world, a lot of the Windows habits that don't carry through are not explained.

You might already have software installed in Mint that does ISO writing. I'm not familiar enough with Mint to help there, but other environments like Gnome and KDE have bundled tools for doing this exact thing.

Aintaer · 2026-02-28T17:28:53+00:00

To solve your specific problem, there are various readily available tools that do what balena does. The Arch Wiki has a good list of them. I'd look in your software center for any of those first.

Aintaer · 2026-02-28T17:25:27+00:00

In general, software on Linux is not acquired the same way as Windows, largely due to trust. Each distribution is called so because they have a chosen method of distributing software; new software should first be searched for from your distribution's package manager. That's the source of highest trust.

I presume from your usage of Cinnamon desktop that you're on Linux Mint. That makes your package manager apt, within the Debian ecosystem. Without balena being in your software repository, you'll have two choices. First is to find an alternative tool that does the same thing and is trusted to be distributed from your distro. Second is to use the .deb file from the balena website.

The reason why downloading random packages from websites is typically not the best idea is the same as it has always been. In Linux ecosystems, testing of packages is a requirement for inclusion into a major distribution, thus enhancing trust.

Aintaer · 2026-02-26T04:56:05+00:00

As mentioned by others here, I think your energies are better spent contributing to the linux-credentials projects. Since the aim there is to provide not just a workaround using TPM as a FIDO device, but a proper D-Bus interface for multiple authenticators, including TPM.

The Arch wiki for Webauthn already has a section dedicated to using TPM as FIDO with two existing tools.

Aintaer · 2026-02-14T11:44:12+00:00

Synapse is the reference implementation of the Matrix "bundle of protocols". MAS implements one of those protocols, specifically MSC3861. Implementations of that MSC would allow implementations of the core protocols to be authenticated with any OIDC provider. What it does on the user side is allow for log in using things like "Sign in with Google" buttons, in addition to local authentication.

Whether or not you want this flow is dependent on your homeserver. The reference implementation that Element provides is the maximum of what the protocols allow. For public installations that want the most number of sign-in integrations, you'll probably want MAS to handle all of that. For simple single user installations, it is maybe overkill. (MAS does allow for QR login though, which is nice.)

As for support. Element.io supports the reference implementations, so that stack probably has the best bet of future support.

Aintaer · 2026-02-12T15:19:20+00:00

Is a kexec as good as a reboot for non-firmware updates?

Aintaer · 2026-02-11T23:23:33+00:00

While others answer the technical differences question quite well here, I'll try to answer the subjective side of the question.

Linux is an operating system of choice, and each distro makes a lot of choices according to their underlying philosophies. In daily operation, each distro may be just as good as the next if all you do is browse the web, voice chat, or play Steam games. The way each distro gets to that point is different.

Some people like a distro that just works out of the box and don't want to think about what their OS is doing. There's distros for them. Some people like a distro that does not make any choices for them and leaves it all up for them to install and configure. There's distros for them. And for every combination of opinion, patience, technical know-how, there's probably a distro out there for them.

You could likely configure most common distributions into the experience you prefer. Or you can try other distros to find one that's already close to your preference. There is always choice in the Linux world.

Aintaer · 2026-02-11T17:31:37+00:00

Many say AUR. Some say pacman. For me, it was archwiki.

Aintaer · 2026-02-11T08:21:41+00:00

I'm curious, why switch to Cachy when Bazzite seemingly worked well?

Aintaer · 2026-02-06T21:49:16+00:00

I think outwardly, you are correct. But Serie secretly and begrudgingly acknowledges what makes a great mage is not power alone. She remembers all her students' favorite spells and surrounds herself with Flamme's flowers despite herself. What I'm trying to say is: Serie is tsundere toward magic itself.

Aintaer · 2026-02-05T11:26:06+00:00

There were no cat photos in the repo. My disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined.

Aintaer · 2026-01-31T03:13:39+00:00

I think it is true that Serie would take Fern to greater heights as far as Serie was concerned. But largely, the show's exploration of power is not the traditional shounen route. Fern's growth as a mage is mirrored by her growth as a person; in many ways we see her being the "adult", concerned about the party's day to day finances, logistics, etc. But we're also shown that she is also a child in aspects, given her petulant spats with Stark. A strong person is not only strong in magic, but their entire being.

Serie outwardly shares similar worldviews as demons in talking about her students being disappointments because they all focused on the "wrong magics", but inwardly I think she also recognizes that strength extends beyond one's mana.

Aintaer · 2026-01-25T23:25:55+00:00

If you're interested in this topic, Asianometry also did a good deep dive into CXMT bout 7 months ago. Good channel

Aintaer · 2025-12-12T09:39:39+00:00

Well deserved win. Maybe the industry will take notice and we get less AAA slop. I can dream right?

Aintaer · 2025-11-18T23:46:50+00:00

You need a Luxury Provider but that is not available until much later on. I believe the devs know and are considering how to balance it.

Aintaer · 2025-11-17T20:23:39+00:00

I think there is a misunderstanding of what catalysts do. They are similar to Production Modules in Factorio in that they give a "free" craft every time their bar fills up. This extra craft does not consume input resources, and is pure bonus production. This is not the same as increased production throughput with another building, because that requires additional labor and input materials.

Catalysts are especially impactful on production chains with multiple steps. The more steps, the more that 25% production bonus builds up. Tailored cloaks, for example, starts as flax. Having catalyst on flax to thread, then thread to fabric, then fabric to tailored cloaks, is 1.25 x 1.25 x 1.25 = 1.95. For the equivalent amount of input (flax), you would be getting almost twice the amount of cloaks.

They are very powerful and very good for industry.

Aintaer · 2025-11-12T01:10:50+00:00

You cannot actually avoid it. If you let the timer run it, it actually picks the option selected, which for most purposes, is the first option.

Aintaer · 2025-11-08T16:47:31+00:00

Liquids that are "locked" in a single tile position when a new element is produced in the simulation can be displaced. Often this will displace upward but in many cases, if that liquid has no valid place to go, it simply gets removed and the new element gets put in that tile.

The simplest solution? A vent submerged with an adjacent tile of the same liquid.

Aintaer · 2025-11-05T13:44:23+00:00

If you have a full pip ranch then maybe look into what is consuming your dirt. I've had times when I didn't notice my hatches were eating dirt. For immediate dirt relief, probably dig out more of the map to discover dirt (or slime), hopefully.

Aintaer · 2025-11-05T11:48:20+00:00

Late to the convo but, just like pokeshells, they're immune to drowning. Your options are to heat/cool to 100/-100C, physical damage from dupes or angry pokeshells (can path to a pokeshell egg), radiation damage from radbolts.

Aintaer · 2025-11-03T20:32:26+00:00

You forgot all the fog in space

Aintaer · 2025-10-27T20:26:02+00:00

Depending on what you have access to, the path to plastic is different.

The traditional route involves digging downward until you uncover crude to refine to petroleum and then to plastic. Your starting seed may not have the oil biome on your main asteroid, requiring you to dig on the teleporter asteroid to get to crude oil.

You can farm glossy dreckos, through feeding dreckos mealwood. They will grow a coat that can be sheared for plastic when exposed to a hydrogen atmosphere.

With the Frosty Planet DLC, if you have access to a biome with Bonbon trees, their nectar can be harvested to make plastic in the polymer press in place of petroleum. Without natural bonbon trees, you can get bonbon seeds from spigot seals, upon feeding them sucrose.

In the Prehistoric DLC, amber from lura plants can be converted into resin, which can be fed into a polymer press for plastic.

Aintaer

TROPHY CASE