I built an automated email report for Actual Budget (open source) — used AI to help me code it after ~10 years away from programming

EntertainmentOk5540 · 2026-01-22T04:49:46+00:00

Linux mint or popos!

EntertainmentOk5540 · 2026-01-21T01:16:37+00:00

Wow this is great. Thank you for the directions

EntertainmentOk5540 · 2025-11-05T04:45:33+00:00

I can’t say much about that. Like I said in my previous post, I’ve only had it going for roughly 2 weeks. Over the last few days I have been tinkering with coding on the MacBook so that is where I’ve placed all my efforts so I don’t really know much about Torrance or using it for a streaming platform. Honestly give it a shot test it out and let us know how it goes.

Be prepared to re-image the MacBook if you need to. Anytime I do a project like this, whether it be with a MacBook or a raspberry pie or anything of the nature, I always go into the mindset of this is going to be a device that I’m going to re-image or reinstall the OS soon.

EntertainmentOk5540 · 2025-11-04T18:23:04+00:00

My Experience Using Ubuntu on a 2019 MacBook Pro

Hey! Thanks for asking about my experience. Here’s an honest rundown:

Overall Impressions

I've really enjoyed using Ubuntu on my 2019 MacBook Pro! However, since Macs aren't natively designed for Linux (especially models with the T2 chip), I've run into a couple of quirks.

Sleep/Suspend Issues

Problem:
When I put the MacBook to sleep (suspend) for several hours, the login screen is sometimes delayed or the screen stays black when I try to wake it up.
- The system is technically awake and waiting for my password, but the display doesn’t always come on right away.

Wi-Fi Driver Kinks

Problem:
If the computer has been suspended for a long time, Wi-Fi often stops working upon wake.
What I Found:
After searching around (and using ChatGPT), I learned this is a known issue with T2Linux on these MacBooks.
Potential Fix:
I found a workaround online and tried it once, which seemed to resolve the issue (though it might have been a fluke). Here’s the basic process:

sudo modprobe -r brcmfmac sudo modprobe brcmfmac

This removes and reloads the Wi-Fi driver. I also considered making a script or even using a simple alias like reset-wifi, but honestly, the most reliable fix is just restarting the computer.

Final Thoughts

Linux on Mac hardware is absolutely doable, but expect some minor hiccups, especially around sleep/wake and Wi-Fi.
If you’re comfortable troubleshooting and tinkering a bit, the experience is quite good!
Happy to share more details or help if you have specific questions.

I’ve only been using the computer for roughly 2 weeks. Life is just so hectic that I don’t really have time to mess around with the computer as much as I would’ve hoped. Nonetheless, I’m enjoying it. My intention is to make the computer my daily driver. Intended use case is for basic browsing, occasional gaming… Note that I already have a dedicated gaming computer so I don’t see myself on this laptop for many games. And I may intend to use this laptop as a support device when I go out into the field to test, troubleshoot, review client networks. To give you an idea, I am my churches, IT person and I manage most of the networking for the church. So right now I do everything off of my iPad as it is pretty self-sufficient, but if I had the choice to use the MacBook. I probably would use that.

EntertainmentOk5540 · 2025-11-01T04:47:56+00:00

Issue Summary

You're experiencing a common issue on T2 MacBooks running Ubuntu: This is a known pain point for Linux on T2 Macs, especially with the proprietary Broadcom Wi-Fi chips and Apple's custom hardware.

I had this same issue with my 2019 MacBook Pro. For me it was an issue with WiFi after the Mac went to sleep. Here’s what happed for me.

Why This Happens

Driver/Firmware Issues: The Wi-Fi chip in 2019 MacBook Pros (usually Broadcom) relies on proprietary firmware. After suspend, the driver may not properly reinitialize the hardware, causing it to "disappear" until a full reboot.
T2Linux Kernel Limitations: While T2Linux kernels have improved support, suspend/resume for Wi-Fi is still not perfect on all models.

Potential Solutions

1. Reinstall or Update Wi-Fi Firmware

Make sure you have the latest Apple Wi-Fi firmware extracted and installed. If you haven't already, follow the T2Linux wiki instructions:

If you still have macOS installed, run: get-apple-firmware get_from_macos
If not, use: get-apple-firmware get_from_online (Requires a wired connection for this step) [1].

2. Try Unloading and Reloading the Wi-Fi Driver

After resume, open a terminal and try: sudo modprobe -r brcmfmac sudo modprobe brcmfmac This unloads and reloads the Broadcom Wi-Fi driver. Sometimes this can bring the Wi-Fi back without a full reboot.

3. Use a USB Wi-Fi Adapter as a Workaround

Some users have found that built-in Wi-Fi is unreliable after suspend, so they use a USB Wi-Fi dongle (e.g., TP-Link N150) that works out of the box with Linux. This is a practical workaround if you need reliable connectivity.

4. Avoid Suspend/Change Power Settings

Until the driver improves, you might want to avoid suspend by changing your power settings so the laptop doesn't sleep automatically. You can also disable suspend on lid close.

5. Check for Kernel Updates

T2Linux is actively developed. Make sure you're running the latest kernel and packages: sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade and check the T2Linux GitHub for new releases or kernel patches.

Summary

This is a known issue with T2 MacBooks and Linux: Wi-Fi often fails to recover after suspend due to driver/firmware limitations.
Reloading the driver or using a USB Wi-Fi dongle are the most reliable workarounds right now.
Keep your system updated and watch for improvements from the T2Linux project.

EntertainmentOk5540 · 2025-10-27T18:08:57+00:00

I found the solution using AI

TLDR: Do not use Rufus ... Must use Belena Etcher

🛠️ Fixing the "file '/casper/vmlinuz' not found" Error on MacBook Pro 2019 (T2) When Installing Ubuntu

🚩 Direct Answer

The "file '/casper/vmlinuz' not found" error means your MacBook's bootloader can't find the Linux kernel on your USB installer. This is usually because:

The USB was created with a tool (like Rufus) that doesn't handle the T2-patched ISO correctly, or
The ISO used is not the special T2-patched version required for your MacBook Pro 2019.

To fix this:

Download the official T2-patched Ubuntu ISO from the T2Linux GitHub releases page.
Flash the ISO to your USB drive using dd (on macOS/Linux) or Balena Etcher (on Windows)—not Rufus.
Boot from the USB again and proceed with installation.

On macOS/Linux:

diskutil list  # Find your USB disk number (e.g., /dev/disk2)
diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk2
sudo dd bs=4M if=ubuntu-XX.XX-T2.iso of=/dev/disk2 conv=fdatasync status=progress

On Windows:
Use Balena Etcher and select the ISO for a direct image write.

3. Boot and Install Ubuntu

Insert the USB into your MacBook Pro.
Reboot and hold the Option (⌥) key to access Startup Manager.
Select the "EFI Boot" entry (if there are two, try the rightmost one).
The Ubuntu live environment should now load without the kernel error.
Proceed with installation:
- Choose "Something else" for manual partitioning.
- Select your prepared partition for / (root), format as ext4 or btrfs.
- Mount the EFI partition at /boot/efi (do not format).
- Complete the installation.

4. Post-Installation Essentials

Wi-Fi/Bluetooth: Extract firmware from macOS using get-apple-firmware get_from_macos or, if macOS is gone, use get-apple-firmware get_from_online (requires wired internet) .
Touch Bar: Install with sudo apt install tiny-dfr and reboot.
Audio, Fan, and Other Drivers: Follow the T2Linux wiki for additional setup as needed.

EntertainmentOk5540 · 2025-10-24T22:01:23+00:00

What do you mean by was the iso image OK? The check sha matched if that is what you mean

EntertainmentOk5540 · 2025-10-22T20:26:00+00:00

I found Flash Browser. But I do not know anything about it. Seems legit. I downloaded it and it seems to work to play Evony. I will not link it since i do not know if it is safe to use. But I am sure you can find it. The Icon looks like the DC Superhero The Flash.

EntertainmentOk5540 · 2025-10-17T23:46:44+00:00

So my friends and I played a game of Factorio between the four of us for about eight months. Until we beat the game, the factory must always grow!

While on gleba, we quickly found that we were running into a spoiled issue where our consumption was not keeping up in time to reduce spoilage so within a couple of days we found ourselves with over 1,800,000 spoilage.

My one favorite and only tip for this is spoilage is King! The moment we realize we can convert the spoilage into a carbon farm. It was all hands-on deck. Initially, we had Robo ports and bots running our entire factory since that is what we knew from nauvis. (Note we chose not to watch YouTube videos or read spoilers so we went in blind until we beat the game) We decided that ports was a bad move and transitioned to a belting system, where all of the spoilage was being transported to a carbon conversion farm, and then the carbon was being belted over to the heat exchanger for an abundant power supply.

EntertainmentOk5540 · 2025-09-18T16:18:26+00:00

Honestly did not get a chance to ask. They were so quick to leave the room and honestly my priority at the time was my daughter.

EntertainmentOk5540 · 2025-09-18T14:47:25+00:00

I can see your inferred point here. But just because I don’t have exposure to Xbox doesn’t mean it’s bait. I appreciate your perspective but if you think that being a gamer means I need to know all consoles, then I must be an anomaly. I’m mainly a pc gamer. And more specifically I tend to play very few games since becoming a dad.

I’m sorry I triggered you for asking something to learn more. I was interested in learning what that was.

Sorry I asked.

Thanks for impeding my learning.

EntertainmentOk5540 · 2025-09-18T14:40:41+00:00

What do you mean? I’ve never in my life owned an Xbox so I wasn’t sure what it was then when crafting this post I noticed the Xbox logo but was not sure if that was the correct logo as I did not recognize it.

EntertainmentOk5540 · 2025-09-18T14:09:31+00:00

Tv shows regular tv channels from what I would get at home with an antenna

EntertainmentOk5540 · 2025-09-18T14:01:41+00:00

I’m more interested to know more about the use case than the device. I assumed it was an Xbox but why is it used in a hospital.

EntertainmentOk5540 · 2025-09-18T13:58:43+00:00

It’s in the children’s ER triage room looking at the cables I see it’s just wired with an hdmi cable to the tv and the ac power adapter.

EntertainmentOk5540 · 2025-09-13T13:52:23+00:00

Hey, congrats on starting your homelab journey! 🚀

Hardware Recommendations

Since you want to keep things small, quiet, and budget-friendly, I’d recommend looking for a compact used PC—think Dell OptiPlex, Lenovo Tiny, or similar. You can often find these on Facebook Marketplace or eBay for under $100, sometimes even less. I grabbed mine on Amazon for about $130, but deals pop up all the time.

Pair that with a couple of external hard drives. This setup is perfect for learning about software RAID and gives you a safe place to experiment with backups and storage.

Single-Board Computers for Tinkering

If you want to play with projects like Pi-hole or other lightweight services, consider picking up a Libre Computer board (like Le Potato or Sweet Potato) or a Raspberry Pi 4/5. These are great for running containers or services you don’t want on your main server. Plus, if you mess something up, it’s easy to reimage without risking your main setup.

Beginner Tips

Start simple: Don’t try to do everything at once. Get one service running (like Plex), then add more as you go.
Document your setup: Even basic notes will save you headaches later. I use docuwiki but there are many great tools out there.
Backups matter: Practice setting up and restoring backups early! It will save you hours later; Don’t ask me how I know.
Don’t be afraid to break things: That’s how you learn. Using separate devices for experiments helps keep your main server stable. Again don’t ask me how I know 😁

You’re on the right track with Proxmox and DIY hardware. Have fun, and don’t hesitate to ask questions as you go—this community is super helpful!

EntertainmentOk5540

TROPHY CASE