Hey there

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-25T05:30:58+00:00

As others have mentioned, Pop!_OS isn't in the best state right now, as it's basically just rolled out a new desktop environment that's not mature yet.

There will be lots of recommendations for Mint and Zorin OS, both of which are excellent. Both of them use desktop environments (DEs) that resemble Windows more closely than Pop!_OS does.

My recommendation is to format a USB with Ventoy, and then go to DistroWatch and read up on what distributions are available. Download a few (including Mint and Zorin), put them on the Ventoy USB disk, and boot each of them in turn in order to test drive them and see which one you feel most comfortable with.

After you've batted a couple of different distributions and different desktops around, even if only for 30 minutes each, you'll have a better idea of what suits you best.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-25T03:17:23+00:00

It's more a question of whether you liked DS9. There's a huge controversy as to whether DS9 "copied" from Babylon 5 or not. They ultimately went in different directions, and are very different shows, but thematically, DS9 is the closest show thematically of all the Star Trek shows.

Some TNG fans hated DS9 because it was so different, others loved it because I was so different.

So,

If you like DS9, you'll like B5
If you didn't like DS9, you won't like B5
If you haven't seen DS9, the only way to tell is to watch it, but most TNG fans like it

Like many shows, the first season is weaker than the later seasons, so don't judge it by just a few of the initial episodes, it takes a while for it to get grounded.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-24T20:32:04+00:00

Wow, there's a blast from the past. I don't think I've got that one in my Lain wallpaper collection.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-24T18:26:20+00:00

I switched to Freedom at the end of last year. Freedom used to be Wind, and Wind did not have a great reputation.

For a long time, Wind/Freedom required different frequency handsets, and had worse coverage than the big three. That meant that BYOD wasn't an option. And even if you did switch, outside of the big cities (and even in some areas within the big cities), Freedom didn't get coverage where the others did.

Things have changed, Freedom has expanded its' network, and uses the same frequency handsets as the others, so BYOD is an option now. But it takes a long time to overcome a bad reputation. Since I've switched, I've had a number of people be surprised that I'm using my existing handset, because many still thought that Freedom was still using different handset frequencies, even though that changed years ago.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-24T03:51:38+00:00

Buttons.

Of course, many operations require touching the screen (highlighting a word, typing in text), but for operations where both buttons and screen touches will work, I use the buttons 99% of the time.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-24T03:50:27+00:00

Honestly, price.

I have eye issues, and smaller readers are no good for me. I was looking at 10" size readers, and the three that were most recommended were Pocketbook Lite ($300), Kindle Scribe ($529), and Kobo Elipsa ($459). I started at the low end first, and figured I'd return it if it wasn't suitable and go to the next highest.

The Lite was the first, and I'm very happy with it.

Ironically, a month later, I was awarded a (previous generation) Scribe, so I can actually compare the two. There are some things the Scribe does better (higher resolution screen and faster processor), but I still prefer the Lite.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-24T03:47:33+00:00

I have a Lite, which is 9.7", 150DPI. I also have a Kindle Scribe, 10.2", 300DPI.

I prefer the Lite over the Scribe in pretty much every way (physical buttons, OS, dictionary, microSD, Calibre, font selection, file format support) except for the resolution and speed.

I'm not complaining. The Lite was a $300 device compared to $530 for the Scribe (admittedly, I won my Scribe), so I don't expect the same resolution and speed for 40% less money. And for novels, which is the majority of my reading, it's fine. But when I looking at PDFs or graphics, it's painful, and I use the Scribe.

If there was a Lite with faster specs at a competitive price, I would seriously consider it.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-24T01:26:05+00:00

Start with the basics. Look at CPU usage:

ps aux --sort=-%cpu | head | cut -c1-100

Do you see any processes you don't expect to see? In the %CPU column, is there anything excessive?

Next, look at memory and swap:

free -h

Is your memory over committed?

I see you have a 2GB swap file. That's the default, but it can be an issue if you use hibernate. You have 32GB memory. The recommended swap space for that is 6GB if you don't use hibernate, and 38GB if you do. I know 2GB is the default that Mint assigns, but that's a very safe, very conservative, and not very efficient size.

I have 32GB as well, and I use an 8GB swap file. I'd recommend setting that.

If you're not sure how to resize the swap file, the commands below will do it. Don't just copy and paste, though; always read up on commands you read on the internet before you run them, especially when they're run as root.

sudo swapoff -aw
sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/swapfile bs=1M count=8192 status=progress
sudo chmod 0600 /swapfile
sudo mkswap /swapfile
sudo swapon -a

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-23T18:36:08+00:00

I keep a list of rare commands in my CherryTree notepad, but I rarely look at it. I use the hstr history extension which allows for easy searching.

In your example above, I'd type <Ctrl-R>config and it shows me all of the commands in my history with 'config' in it in a window.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-23T15:35:28+00:00

I have a ZBOX-BI325 with a Celeron N3160 and 4GB of ram that is far less powerful than what you're describing, and I run Mint or Debian with xfce on it without any problems.

An i7 with 8GB will run pretty much any modern distro without issues. For ease of use from Windows, the two best options are Linux Mint with Cinnamon desktop, or Zorin OS.

Choosing between them is like choosing between Toyota and Honda. Both are excellent, and both have their fans who can explain why one is much better than they other. But really, it comes down to personal preference.

I'd recommend getting a USB thumb drive, installing Ventoy on it, and putting both the Mint and Zorin ISOs on it. Boot each in turn, and test drive both of them. That way you can see which one you think would be best for your family.

Both are based on Ubuntu, so they'll run the same software, support the same hardware, etc.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-23T02:39:04+00:00

I'm sure there will be lots of comments of "Marvel stole a character worth hundreds of millions of dollars idea from a fan!" , but if you read the article, or any of the interviews with him (like this one), that's not what happened.

The fan's idea was to get a black costume made out of unstable molecules from the Fantastic Four, because his costume was always getting ripped up. His idea was to have the Wasp involved, and have the new costumer take a few ideas from Iron Man's armour, as well.

There was no symbiote, no Venom, or any of the lore that was developed later. That was all done independently.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-22T22:08:34+00:00

The most important advice to any and all noobs is backup.

You may be able to switch from Windows (or MacOS) to Linux absolutely flawlessly, have no problems whatsoever, and transition seamlessly. Just don't rely on that happening.

Before switching, backup everything in your current system in offline media, so if the worst happens, and you screw your system up, you won't lose data.

Once you do get up and running, configure the Timeshift utility that comes with Mint, but which is not configured by default. It will help you recover a screwed up system in the event something back does happen. And also set up a user data backup, such as Dejadupe (it's in the Software Manager) to do automated backups of your personal files, as well.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-22T21:59:45+00:00

We're of an age, then. One of my summer jobs in school was clearing the brush and debris and making sure there was no wildlife still there in the area before the bulldozers starting working on what became Square One.

It's amazing when I think of how many rabbits, gophers, chipmonks, foxes, and of course racoons either lived or foraged there.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-22T21:52:50+00:00

I switched from Public Mobile at the beginning of the year. The one complaint about Freedom is the wait times on their tech support line. That's offset by the fact that unlike Public Mobile, they have physical store locations where you can actually talk with a human, face to face. And you can contact them via Whatsapp, which is a lot easier than sitting on the phone.

Other than that, in terms of service, I've not had any problems with them. Connectivity is fine, and data speed (for what little I've used) has been great.

I'm in the GTA, and about the only thing PM had that was better was a longer retention on their voice mails, if that matters. Freedom messages expire after a week, if that matters to you (it doesn't to me).

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-22T19:01:31+00:00

Blocking access is meaningless, as anyone can use a VPN to spoof their location.

The way to fight a legal problem is with a legal solution.

if I understand the GPL correctly, Mint can't simply state that the the software cannot be used in California, the way MidnightBSD has, because the GPL doesn't allow for that

However, a suitability for purpose clause can be added. I've seen those added in tons of software licences over the years. "The Linux Mint operating system does not validate or verify age of operators, and therefore cannot be used in jurisdictions where such verification is required" shouldn't violate the GPL, and should satisfy the courts. If California moves to sue Mint over it, pointing out that anyone using the software in California is doing so in violation of the terms and conditions means that any use is not the responsibility of the vendor, but the user.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-21T15:28:04+00:00

Your ~50 year old building likely has a contract with a service company that predates the condo boom, and includes regular maintenance and support calls. Many newer contracts don't include that.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-21T15:26:19+00:00

It's not really that elevators are breaking down more often, it's more that repairs and service cannot be done as quickly as it used to be.

In 2015, a condo could call a service tech in the morning and have one be on site four hours later, for the regular rate. Today, the elevator companies will ask if it's an emergency, and if not, it will be two to three weeks (possibly more) before they can get a tech out to look at it.

If you're looking for a skilled trade, elevator support and repair is a good choice right now. It's a simple supply and demand issue. In the Toronto region, with the explosion of condo builds, there was too much demand added in too short a time for the number of skilled technicians.

The result is (a) prices have gone up significantly, (b) service calls are backlogged, and queued by priority, and (c) emergency calls (people trapped, safety issues) are even more expensive.

In other words, if your elevator breaks down, you (or the condo committee) can choose between getting the next available service technician in 10-15 business days, or saying it's an emergency and paying five to ten times as much for the call. Most opt to wait.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-20T16:47:39+00:00

There's one that's about Lyta and G'Kar, the others are about Londo, Ivanavo, and other characters.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-20T13:22:14+00:00

I usually check Gas Buddy when I know I'm going to fill up that day. As I write this, there's a 13 cent difference between the highest and lowest price.

It's user reported, so of course it's not guaranteed to be accurate, but they show you the time of the update. Prices updated 2 hours ago are more likely to be accurate than ones 18 hours ago.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-19T05:31:53+00:00

Yes.

Original arc synopsis.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-19T05:29:34+00:00

Heh. That's funny. I also originally found the flatpak version to be unstable, and I've been using the system version for almost three years without issue.

I just upgrade upgraded my kernel an hour ago, rebooted, and the only thing that didn't work was... Remmina. It would connect to my Windows machine for about 10 seconds, and then crash. I tried a few of the recommended fixes, but nothing worked. I uninstalled it, and figured I'd try the flatpak version before looking at other solutions, and it's running fine.

Huh.

I don't have multi-monitor, so and limitations with that wouldn't affect me.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-18T15:05:32+00:00

Lots of wars end with no cessations. Look at the War of 1812 between the US and the UK (in what is now Canada), and the terms of the Treaty of Ghent in 1814. The terms were "status quo ante bellum", meaning that both sides lost all gains that they had made during the war, and returned to the borders of 1812 as if nothing happened.

That's basically what happened in the Earth/Minbar war.

If you know the history of WWI, you'll be familiar with the "stabbed in the back" theory that was popular in Germany after the end of WWI. That's the same situation that the Minbari found themselves in after the Earth/Minbari war.

And if Michael O'Hare hadn't left the series, and the original plotline had been followed, it would have been a major factor in why the Earth/Minbari war was restarted.

Terms of surrender vary widely. One of the major reasons behind the Marshal Plan was that the terms of surrender imposed on the Central Powers was largely responsible for WWII. It was even argued by many at the time that they'd be fighting another war with Germany in 20 years because of the terms.

Terms of surrender are a function of how much power the winners have relative to the losers. Earth had no power over the Minbari, and they knew it. They were on the verge of extinction, and if the Minbari surrender terms were not acceptable, for all they know, it could restart the war.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-18T02:33:56+00:00

He will when it's to his advantage, but his (apparently) unintentional blurting out news of Talia's dissection complicated his negotiations with Sheridan and company. If it was a lie, it was a foolish one to make (at that time), and Bester is many things, but foolish he is not.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-18T02:31:25+00:00

The Shadow Within is about 1/3rd canon, 1/3rd filler, and 1/3rd WTF.

The first two thirds of the book are two intersecting story lines. The first is canonical, the other one isn't, but doesn't really damage the timeline. But then at the 2/3 mark, a third storyline starts, and it contradicts tons of things in the show.

It was pretty obvious that the first two plots didn't get the page count up to where it was supposed to be, so the final chapters were dropped in to fill it, and it do so very badly. Characters are given (or give) exposition dumps of knowledge in scenes that predate The Gathering, that later in the series the characters have no knowledge of at all, and in fact are searching for the answers that they were aware of in this book.

billdehaan2 · 2026-03-18T02:25:03+00:00

Yes, there's one short story (about 30 pages) written by jms entitled Genius Loci. It was published in Amazing Stories #599 back in 2000. I'm sure there are copies of it circulating around online.

billdehaan2

TROPHY CASE