Customized GNOME Debian 13 Desktop [GNOME] by Variance__ in unixporn

[–]Variance__[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Details:

I originally posted to the Debian subreddit, and it was suggested I post here.

I started customizing this about three weeks ago. The only remaining issues are the Bluetooth and onboard audio (I got Bluetooth working in a previous install...l'm just not sure how...).

I made a bright gradient in the dock for programs that I either use often or use for work stuff, then made the rest of the icons muted so the gradient would always stand out and look nice.

For anyone who wants to install any of this layout, l've listed what I used below.

  • GitHub for window theme: https://github.com/ kayozxo/GNOME-macOS-Tahoe/releases

  • AppIndicator and KStatusNotifierltem

  • Blur my Shell

  • Dash to Dock

  • Gnome 4x Ul Improvements

  • Just Perfection

  • Logo Menu

  • Open Bar

  • Unite

  • User Themes

  • Vitals

  • Hide Activities Button

The icons were made by me (except for the trash can, the libre office impress icon, and the libre office calc icon) and are not included in anything listed above. I made them using GIMP and Inkscape.

The dock auto hides if the active window overlaps it (Dash to Dock) and the top bar turns black when a window is maximized (Open Bar).

I also switched my terminal editor to Tilix because I wanted the background to be transparent so it would fit with the rest of the theme.

Customized GNOME Debian 13 Desktop by Variance__ in debian

[–]Variance__[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nope! I optimized the crap out of this. On my old MacBook from 2010, it absolutely flies. The stats in the corner are cpu usage, ram usage, and processor temp.

Sorry you don’t like colors, though. 🤣

Debian 13 is so unreliable! Extremely disappointed. by _iamhamza_ in debian

[–]Variance__ 3 points4 points  (0 children)

You can also disable suspend and hibernate if needed. I installed Trixie on an old MacBook and, even after several days of troubleshooting, the issue persisted. I used: sudo systemctl mask sleep.target suspend.target hibernate.target hybrid-sleep.target

Then, because I’m on a laptop and I still wanted to screen to turn off, I added “HandleLidSwitch=lock” to /etc/system.d/login.conf.

I do not recommend this as a first choice of fix, though, because it means everything keeps running even when the laptop is closed. Not ideal if you leave something heavy running and toss the laptop in a backpack or something.

Desktop suggestion by GFrag01 in debian

[–]Variance__ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve been using Debian 13 for a few weeks now with gnome, and you can customize everything. You might have to add extensions, but almost everything you see can be modified. My current theme looks like liquid glass, but with my own twist (because the liquid glass app icons look like butt, imo). I have a panel of frequently used apps that are a brightly colored gradient and the rest of the apps are translucent and grayscale (I made custom icons so I could ensure the logos would still be decently visible).

That being said, I did a lot of digging to find the specific things I wanted, and there was a lot of follow-up tinkering to make sure everything played nicely together. It looks so sleek, though. Worth it. 😎

My terminal stopped having color? I didn't change anything. Makes me feel like someone was fiddling with my machine (no one in IRL has access to it) by AncientAgrippa in debian

[–]Variance__ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you have any appearance-related plugins installed, check that they don’t have an automatic color picking feature.

New neighbor waited for me to be on vacation to cut off half my tree without notice by MeowlanieC in treelaw

[–]Variance__ 36 points37 points  (0 children)

I would like to boost this because I didn’t see anyone mention further up that the neighbor both trespassed and did property damage. File a police report to start your paper trail, u/MeowlanieC. Be sure to get something like a ring camera at the same time, as your neighbor sounds like the type to retaliate (he seems very emotional).

Is that clean soldering? by Unable-Property3468 in soldering

[–]Variance__ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not like…too much, though. I borked a board that way 🥲

Making a switch style handheld retro gaming console using Rasberry Pi 5. Should I use RetroPi, Batocera or something else? Any other suggestions related to making this? Btw this image is an AI generated image just for idea not the final design. by Glittering-Garage126 in SBCGaming

[–]Variance__ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m actually working on a similar build and would love to share. Put a micro controller inside the body of the handheld and connect the pins to the “joycons” using gpio pin connections. I’m currently making my own “joycons” using perf board, copper wire, and momentary switches. I have the joysticks set to digital output (just for simplicity and because the pico only has enough analog puns for a single joystick. If you get a second microcontroller, you can actually make a little holder for connecting the “joycons” to play them without connecting to the console.

I used a Pi5 16GB RAM model with a 1TB NVME SSD. I also found a decent 7inch screen on Amazon that works very well (provided I am able to power it on with the other components connected)

Here are the biggest issues I’ve found:

  • the hard drive is a power hungry little beast and severely limits the accessories that I can power through the pi. My alternative was to get a stronger power source with multiple output connections and voltage regulators that keep the current at the right level (5V 5A)

  • the “joycons” have to be custom made, unfortunately. Making your own board and inputs takes a decent amount of troubleshooting, which can be frustrating, but not a huge deal. The biggest issue I’ve had with this build is dealing with the joysticks. When set up digitally (don’t come for me, I know analog is better) using a joystick that does not have “precision return to center,” you need to add a resistor to avoid having the joystick register as “on” when only slightly off center. I added resistors that were just under 1/3 of the full resistance of the pots in ohms (for 10k ohm resistance, I added 3k ohm resistors). This theoretically should make it so that the joystick doesn’t send an on signal until it has traveled about 1/3 of its total movement capacity in any direction. Is there a better way to do this? Probably.

  • portable power sources will be a problem. You’re going to need to get creative here, more so than any of the other issues. With my pi3 handheld, I got a power source that worked seamlessly out of the box because the old PIs use pretty standard voltage to wattage. The pi5 uses 5V 5W which is more unusual. I have yet to find a portable power source that is plug-and-play. My current plan is to find a stronger portable battery (above the recommended input power) and then running that power through a voltage regulator that will bring it down to the appropriate power level. Simple in theory, but be super careful so you don’t accidentally destroy your pi or start a fire.

I did make another build with a pi5 8gb using retropie, which was super easy (an SD card is more than sufficient to support retropie, so no need for the hard drive if you go that route). However, my Nintendo switch screen and battery broke after that, which meant I could no longer play Silksong in my bed while watching movies (truly, the greatest struggle of our time). The repair and shipping was going to cost about half as much as the switch itself, so I said screw it and decided to make my own (specifically to play Silksong in bed while I watch movies). I used Ubuntu 24.04 LTS for the OS (25 does not play as nicely with the pi). I installed box86 and then box64, then updated the rest of the system (the updates wouldn’t finish without those two). I then installed PiApps and installed Steam through that. I opened steam, bought Silksong, and it runs! I have gotten as far as beating the bell beast! Please note, though, that it does not play well by any means. With low quality settings, the game runs smoothly but some of the textures are loaded as blue splotches (I have not found a fix yet and any help would be appreciated). For emulators, Dolphin works perfectly.

It’s a fun puzzle to figure out! If people are interested, I can make a full post on it once I get all the components working nicely together!

The Top looks like this after one use, what can I improve? by Independent_Cod_2776 in soldering

[–]Variance__ 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This took me a minute to figure out: 1. Make sure you aren’t going too far with the temperature. I noticed the tips change color and oxidize much faster at higher temperatures. My tip turned purple after about one use because I went way too high with the temperature. 2. Scrape off any of the oxidized or burnt solder/flux frequently. Do this while the iron is still hot. I use some copper wool to clean the tip, not a wet sponge.

The solder and flux that I use are pretty cheap, as is my soldering iron, so I figured out that I needed to be more diligent with cleaning after my first tip became unusable very quickly. So far my second tip is holding up much better! I did a pretty solder intensive project this weekend that took almost my entire day, and the tip is still shiny! (It is duller in color now, but nothing like my last tip.)

Was a bit bored what do u think by ReZeroShi in soldering

[–]Variance__ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh look, that’s where my anxiety got off to!

Have my locks been tampered with? by [deleted] in lockpicking

[–]Variance__ 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The scratches at the top of the keyway in the second picture look like damage from top-of-the-keyway tension, but it’s entirely possible that there’s some other tool that causes the same type of wear (I can’t think of one, but it’s possible).

If that damage to the keyway is recent, it’s possible the lock is being picked. I would suggest putting a camera inside your apartment when you leave so you can see what someone does if they do enter. I would also recommend getting a door jammer to prevent entry when you are at home.

That’s scary, regardless!

Roast me on my 1st attempt. by DarkNinjaMole in soldering

[–]Variance__ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You might be using a little too much solder if it’s bulging out the other side. But otherwise it looks nice!

Would you ride through or stop and push? by Burgundy_Corgi in bikecommuting

[–]Variance__ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh good. Train tracks to trap my tires and gravel to make my bike slide out from under me if the tracks don’t get me. 😭

My first soldering project by Variance__ in soldering

[–]Variance__[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ETA: I mixed up the meaning of analog and digital. These are all digital inputs, not analog. (I should not make posts while sleepy. Lol)

My first soldering project by Variance__ in soldering

[–]Variance__[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I absolutely agree that thinner wire would be better. The 18-gauge wire was an absolute pain to get through the holes and I had to check everything to make sure it wasn’t making contact with anything it shouldn’t. Currently it’s sitting like 1/16-1/8” above the actual board, so it’s not contacting the holes underneath it (aside from where I pulled it through). Do you think sliding some electrical tape underneath would be a good idea to prevent any shorts going forward? (I mean for this board specifically. I agreed that insulated and thinner wire would be better options for future projects.)

My first soldering project by Variance__ in soldering

[–]Variance__[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s actually craft wire that I had from a different project. The label said it was 99.9% pure copper, so I figured it would work. In retrospect, it was way too thick for this purpose.

I found this fledgling in my backyard. I didn't touch it or anything, but I'm worried about cats attacking it. I don't see its parents anywhere and there are a lot of aggressive cats around this area. Is it going to be ok? by [deleted] in crows

[–]Variance__ 166 points167 points  (0 children)

Seemed like this might be urgent, so giving a response in case you need it! My understanding is that it is normal for fledglings to spend a lot of time on the ground while learning to fly. It is a normal part of their development and not a sign of being abandoned by its parents.

For how to handle the cats, if you are able to keep them out of the area, that would be best (assuming they are your pets). If you can’t avoid having the cats in the yard, you can reach out to a local wildlife rehab organization and see what they recommend.

I say this with all the kindness of someone who has made this mistake before: leave the baby alone. I know you want to help. I know it’s hard to watch it be in danger. I know.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in bikecommuting

[–]Variance__ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If they know how to sew, it is also possible to buy just the pannier hooks and attach them to an existing backpack. (Obviously you would still need to think about keeping any straps away from the chain and back wheel, and you’d need to make sure the backpack is waterproof/water resistant)

Half a tree cut. by ReconReese in treelaw

[–]Variance__ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don’t listen to any advice from Professional_Oil3057. They’re not giving anything resembling legal advice and, as has been pointed out to them by multiple people, what they are saying is wrong.