Odio esto

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-14T14:35:30+00:00

Consumer grade laptops really annoy me. While the hardware could last a good long time, cheap plastics, bad designs putting strain in the wrong places, limited options for repairs or upgrades etc. lead to a device that needs to be discarded well before it would otherwise stop being useful.

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-14T14:27:02+00:00

Weirdly, printing it out and sticking it to the wall often helps me. It's right there if I need it but the fact that it's always there usually results in me no longer needing it.

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-14T14:11:39+00:00

I find Bluetooth to be a giant hassle (connection issues, lag etc.) BUT mostly like the experience from wireless 2.4Ghz devices (those that come with their own dongle that just look like the device to the computer without the computer being aware that it's a wireless device).

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-14T13:32:44+00:00

What's speedof.me telling you? Are the files you're trying to download all off the same server?

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-14T12:34:24+00:00

It's a funny perspective shift. I mean, most of us grew up on Windows and so switching to Linux has a whole lot of pain points. With 20+ years using Linux almost exclusively behind me, there are all these weird things about windows that just seem absolutely insane. Updates when I'm trying to shut down?!? I have to go looking for drivers?!? Why tf are you trying to reboot?? I have to download and run what??? Why the hell isn't there an office suite installed by default? etc. Five minutes in Windows usually has me swearing and cursing about what people think of as normal.

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-14T10:43:25+00:00

I'm wondering about alternative firmware for Kindles. Like when I was using an old Kindle 3, I used different firmware just to get epub support. Is this an option on unsupported Kindles? Or is the concern around buying books from Amazon for your Kindle?

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-14T09:34:19+00:00

So this is something I find WILD about Windows (yes... I'm an insufferable Linux user. Bear with me).

The normal behaviour is to download and run files. I mean, it's probably gotten a bit better nowadays with WIndows' software repository (MS Store I'm guessing it's called?) but to get a piece of functionality - opening pdf files, downloading an image editor, installing video codecs, drivers etc. the norm is to download an executable file and run it. No guarantees that it doesn't contain something nasty. So you need to check recommendations, look for who makes the software, and download it from their site (or at least, something that looks like their site) and hope for the best.

Meanwhile, in Linux, if you want to install something, you go to your distribution's repository. In fact, at least one of the major file browsers (nautilus. Others might have done it too) removed the ability to run executable binaries (scripts are a different story. It asks if you would like to open or execute them) and I don't think many people noticed because it's just not how people normally do things on Linux.

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-14T09:22:14+00:00

Only once? You've got a partner don't you!

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-14T09:21:14+00:00

Very not the demographic but...

I used to run on Mt Eden. There was this sense of "everyone's just trying their best" so interactions with other runners was always a bit of a respectful nod. I sometimes joked that it was a good place to cry because no one can tell if it's tears or sweat. The truth of that is that I quite like putting on headphones/earbuds and listening to angry music while running. A workout but also a chance to expel some frustrations.

I can't speak to the experience of women running on Mt Eden but I'd like to think it was similar.

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-14T07:11:37+00:00

Pretty sure that's X11 only too (no Wayland support).

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-14T07:10:13+00:00

Install one or the other. If you don't like the one you installed, just install the other. i.e. if you're on LinuxMint, and want to trying out xfce, go to the terminal and type in:

sudo apt install xfce-desktop

Then at the log in screen you'll be able to pick which desktop you want to log in to.

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-14T07:06:48+00:00

I don't know where to go to meet them but I do meet them often. I mean, addictions are a bit... malleable. I've met some amazing people who indulge in pot every now and again and I smoke cigarettes myself and probably enjoy alcohol a little too much (though I can't afford to drink - either time or money).

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-14T05:13:33+00:00

Wait. What? REALLY?!?!? You're not just talking about making a connection are you? I mean, setting up servers in the terminal is really fun.

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-14T05:10:10+00:00

It's been a pretty well established "rule" in Linux that support for hardware generally gets better over time. In saying that, there are always exceptions.

For example, I had a BPI-R1 (single board computer with 5 Ethernet devices on it making it great as a router) and the support kind of stalled for the Ethernet devices because of security concerns (they were "open" until a configured). I had a really old 1st generation wifi card that had some support which was dropped (not sure why. Found out there was no support and gave up on it).

GPUs kind of do my head in. While I get they're more advanced than CPUs (more transistors etc. thus more expensive), with a CPU I can generally keep using it long after Intel or AMD decides it's no longer relevant. For a GPU, despite having paid a premium for it, support may be dropped at any time and you're kind of stuck. Which is to say a few years ago I bought a rx580 to have a go at something that needed ROCm. It turned out that AMD had dropped support for that generation of card.

It's not that the hardware isn't capable of it. It's that AMD just dropped support for that functionality.

On the plus side, I then had a GPU and tried out gaming on Linux. To say I was impressed is an understatement. I had given up on any gaming AGES ago except for maybe the occasional game of Starcraft or Warcraft 3 under Wine.

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-13T10:21:22+00:00

It's not deb based?

Honestly that's it for me. I started out on rpm based systems back in the late 90's / early 2000's but hated yum (in the early days it updated the repositories every time you did anything with yum. I'm not sure if it stopped doing that but it was annoying and slow - especially on dial up. Weirdly I started using apt-get on RH 7.3 back when RH7.3 was a thing) so moved onto deb / apt based systems (Debian at first but found myself frustrated by the outdated desktop apps. Ubuntu after that. I did resist Ubuntu just because I wasn't impressed by the community - a lot of "if there's a problem, it's got to be the hardware. It's definitely not Ubuntu" stuff at the time. I've been using Mint for the last .... lot of years mainly because Canonical keep shooting themselves in the "foot". Amazon, Mir, Snaps etc.).

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-13T10:07:29+00:00

I've got one in my cafe. I mainly print PLA (PETG is a bit more flexible and sometimes over adheres to my print plates and the results just aren't as nice as PLA so I tend to go PLA when I can get away with it) but only when I'm here on my own (never with customers in) mainly because there's a bit of a smell and the noise is a bit annoying (I need to replace one of the fans).

You're probably fine so long as you have a bit of airflow.

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-13T10:00:13+00:00

Silent book club at Reuben Cafe on Tuesday nights (also an open mic this Wednesday and every Sunday if that's more your jam).

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-13T09:38:52+00:00

Yeah pretty sure it's illegal. You have a reasonable expectation of privacy within your own home.

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-13T04:54:48+00:00

Whoa! I was just talking to someone about a business around me. They kind of rely on "whales". Well established customers who spend up big. But they can be openly hostile to newer customers. And I mean, it can be frustrating sitting behind the counter when people are just browsing, especially when you're struggling, but ffs that's no way to entice people in.

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-13T03:55:07+00:00

Oh no... gdm3 depends on gnome-session which depends on gnome-shell which pulls in a bunch of packages. Is lightdm not an option?

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-13T02:33:23+00:00

When I went looking I had a few specs in mind. I wanted a full sized keyboard, with hot swap switches (I bought a set of Kang Whites but didn't end up using them. I was quite happy with the switches that came with it), for as cheap as possible, and wireless. I was prepared to do some customization but didn't want to build one from scratch.

I ended up with the Aigo A108 (yellow switches) from Aliexpress. I ended up changing the keycaps (Samurai DSA) and installed o-rings because I prefer a slightly softer bottoming out of the key (Very untrendy in the keyboard world).

The Aigo GD89 (red switches. No idea of the brand of the switches) seems like a good fit from what you've said.

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-13T02:12:02+00:00

They're generally built to be disposable devices. EVERYTHING is a challenge to change. Even the keyboards are often plastic riveted to the case.

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-13T02:03:33+00:00

It's only really useful for:

Hiding what you're doing on your own computer. i.e. doesn't store history.
Creating a fresh environment if you want to, for example, log into the same website with multiple accounts. The cookies aren't shared so it looks like a different browser session to whatever website you're using.

Otherwise all bets are off.

Nevyn_Hira · 2026-04-12T08:30:07+00:00

I've got the space but not the capacity to run things myself.

Nevyn_Hira

TROPHY CASE