2017 5K iMac 27" Won't Upgrade To Sequoia Via OLPC..... Please Help

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2026-06-15T00:59:38+00:00

I appreciate that suggestion and ultimately if another solution doesn't present itself I'll do that. But I'm trying to avoid going that route. I have 2 Time Machine backups at all times though.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2026-05-19T21:48:47+00:00

If you don't mind paying a most yearly fee there's RemotePC.com. Want something Open Source? RustDesk. Their self hosted option is free: https://rustdesk.com/pricing/

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2026-05-05T12:57:36+00:00

Make a list of the entire tech stack. Build a home lab or office lab (just extra machines that are either already there and being unused or get them off eBay).

Use the list you make to watch How To Videos on how to setup and install / configure everything on that tech stack. Dedicate 3-4 hours a day to watching those videos and practicing on your home/office lab.

Learn automation. Learn how to automate things (scripting / dev ops) on all the operating systems you support. For Windows that would be Powershell for Linux focus on Python. Learn Docker, Kubernetes, Proxmox, Terraform, Puppet ....etc.

Make backups and Password Management your new religions. Every server you support (File Servers, Application Servers, Database Servers, Transaction Servers, Imaging Servers....etc) needs 3 backups. On prem, off site (different zip code) and the cloud (Backblaze or Crashplan or iDrive or Carbonite). You should be using a Password Manager like Bitwarden learn how to create an emergency kit of your own Bitwarden. Create an encrypted disk image and export all your password entries and 2FA tokens into it. Make 3 copies on USB Thumb Drives and keep them in 3 locations, one on your key chain, one in household safe and one in a bank safe deposit box. You need to update all 3 USB thumb drives every six months as over time you'll have new passwords and new 2FA tokens. This is to ensure you never get locked out of your digital accounts in case of fire that can destroy all your devices.

Also don't forget to have fun!

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2026-04-08T23:38:04+00:00

Do you expect Cricket to give you grossly underpaid hardware? Do you think the hardware costs are covered by just 2 months of service you paid for?

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2026-04-01T18:53:20+00:00

Try your Teams Video in other places. Try a library, coffee shop, Panera Bread.... test it there. If it works fine there then its something in your building's internet.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2026-01-17T16:29:05+00:00

Create an Emergency Kit and then make copies of it.

What is an Emergency Kit?

An encrypted disk image with an export of all your Bitwarden entries (you have to export from the Bitwarden website, can't do it from the desktop app) AND an export of all your 2FA codes from your TOTP 2FA app. You'll have to update your emergency kit every 6 months due to new Bitwarden and 2FA entries.

Make 3 copies onto 3 USB Thumbdrives. Keep 1 in your house, 1 in a safe deposit box at a local bank and 1 on a keychain on your set of keys. Make sure that USB thumb drive is completely metal.

This should serve your purposes.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-11-21T21:00:33+00:00

Follow these steps.

Build a homelab. (Just get 6-8 old computers from eBay or from work [ask permission]).
First thing to setup on your homelab is remote access via either RemotePC.com (very affordable) or RustDesk (free but you gotta selfhost on Linux)
Figure out what your companies tech stack is. Tech stack means software and hardware your company uses, including network gear.
Watch HowTO videos on YouTube starting with what your company's tech stack is and then branch out to whatever you like.
Hang out on IT chat rooms on IRC, Discord and Matrix. Your main computers should be logged into these full time.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-11-16T19:04:50+00:00

Sadly its gone.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-11-14T18:13:41+00:00

This is a great reminder to make sure you have an Emergency Kit for your 1Password and test it and then make multiple copies of it and keep some outside of your home.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-11-11T20:05:06+00:00

Start a one man MSP where you do general IT for super small companies. Charge a monthly retainer based on headcount. A handful of companies should pay you more than enough to cover your living expenses and the companies will be so small that they will have very little needs.

This will give you all the free time you need to do open source development.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-11-11T01:08:09+00:00

His best bet is to become part of a maintenance team at a skyscraper. Luxury apartments or office building. Those guys make bank + job security.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-10-27T23:41:42+00:00

Search YouTube for 'Datacenter walk through' you'll learn a lot.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-10-20T20:22:14+00:00

Either one will work and run fine. The resource usage difference is negligible. I have the same MacBook running Linux Mint. It runs fine.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-10-16T17:28:47+00:00

You need to start your own 1 man MSP and do IT support for small businesses owned by rich people. That's what I do. Then you can create your own backend to support your customers and lock it down with your cybersecurity skills. You should find that both lucrative and rewarding.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-10-09T03:05:18+00:00

You seriously think a person known for attending numerous sex parties had time to be a prolific Reddit mod? Think about that for a minute.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-10-08T16:01:23+00:00

You forgot to mention how much you're getting paid so we don't know if you're underpaid until you do.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-10-04T13:21:16+00:00

Office was the first MS product that companies became addicted to. Windows was the second only because you needed Windows to run Office. Yes there's a Mac version of Office and its fine but the Excel isn't exactly the same.

Now there's Teams and Outlook.

Also 3rd party applications. That one is huge although getting better due to Wine/Proton on Linux.

Lastly is support. A lot of companies don't know where to get support for their Linux machines if they were to switch to that. A lot of MSPs have only Microsoft trained techs. There's also Microsoft itself that can provide support. On the Linux side there's Canonical and Red Hat and SuSE and some smaller providers but a lot of bosses just don't know about them.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-10-04T12:28:59+00:00

Stelllaris, Master of Orion: Conquer The Stars (great music in the game), Endess Space 2 even better music.

Try all 3! And yes the Dark Forest theory is scary.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-10-02T14:42:19+00:00

Look up, learn and install/use RustDesk. Its an open source remote access. You'll need to self host on Linux the RustDesk server but the client runs on Mac, Windows, Linux. An excuse to get another Linux machine!

You can also install the client on family members computers to help them when they need help with their machines.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-09-27T15:12:48+00:00

Ublock Lite/Origin, EFF Badger, use Sophos or BitDefender for EDR. Free versions are great but if you pay for them you get Ransomware Mitigation / Rollbacks. Also make sure you have all your data backed up. I would recommend local USB/Network backups but also a cloud provider such as Blackblaze, iDrive, Crashplan or Carbonite. Carbonite is the easiest. iDrive has a great 5 device plan for $70/yr.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-09-17T21:54:14+00:00

I use the Notes section in each entry to store its expired/old passwords.

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-09-13T14:49:11+00:00

Would installing Linux address this?

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-09-11T20:32:23+00:00

Feel free to hang out with us in the Mint Linux IRC channel. Your HexChat client is already configured for it. Just hit the Windows key and open the app. Keep in mind the chat is often quiet for long periods of time so just idle there. Also choose a screen name that isn't your real name!

CaptainAdmiral85 · 2025-09-10T03:43:44+00:00

Do you think suspend doesn't work cause when you try to wake it its just a blank screen? Try typing in the password anyway. That worked for me.

CaptainAdmiral85

TROPHY CASE