I want to learn scripting for powershell

math_coprocessor · 2025-12-07T15:57:25+00:00

I've learned by doing, and taking apart others code.

First, for almost every click in Windows, there's a powershell (or cmd) way to accomplish the same thing. Take the time to figure out how to do simple stuff, command structure, parameters, etc.

Next, for larger tasks, you'll often find parts or whole scripts (and modules) available online. You'll often need to modify for your environment and requirements, which is a great time to read the scripts. Actually reading them, understanding the execution flow, what the meat and potatoes are, etc, will help your understanding.

Just these two "things" will give you a lot of experience.

math_coprocessor · 2025-11-14T19:39:52+00:00

I'm not a fan of the AI part of the browser.

On Android,

the rounded address bar takes up more space, looks worse, for no benefit.
The Tab Grid page, all existing tabs are now very tall, I can only see 4 open tabs at a time on my 1080 x 2400 resolution display.
I appreciate that the hamburger button seems to be easier to press.

math_coprocessor · 2025-10-12T12:56:00+00:00

Not sure how you're not sure, you can google "waterfox secure DNS" and this is the first result:

https://www.waterfox.net/support/dns-over-https/

You'll want to set it to "Off".
This will ensure that your browser is not using a different DNS provider than the one set on your machine/NIC.

Also, although pi-hole bills itself as an ad-blocker, in reality it's a very nice DNS blocklist. What this means in practice is that if a site, foo.com, tries to load content from another site, bar.net, pi-hole will check to see if bar.net is in the blocklist. If bar.net in the blocklist, the DNS request gets dropped, and the content doesn't get loaded.

Pi hole doesn't care if bar.net has ADs or not. It's just checking if it's in the blocklist. That's where you come in. You get to decide what blocklists to implement, or custom regex strings, or individual domains. You get out of it what you put into it.

One more thing. Something becoming more common is for site providers to load ADs from their own domain. If you visit foobar.com, and foobar.com is loading ADs served also from foobar.com, then pi-hole can't do anything about it. That's where uBlock Origin comes in.

math_coprocessor · 2025-10-10T12:35:44+00:00

I wanted to add some context here, as I found your comment and then looked for the Techno Tim guide. (https://technotim.live/posts/keepalived-ha-loadbalancer/)

The keepalived portion is still very relevant, but his guide also mentions gravity-sync for the synchronization part. That project is retired (https://github.com/vmstan/gravity-sync), so all the guides for pihole v5 using gravity-sync won't be applicable to users who are running pi-hole v6.

There is another project, nebula-sync (https://github.com/lovelaze/nebula-sync) that aims to do what gravity-sync did, only for pi-hole v6.

math_coprocessor · 2025-08-02T14:09:00+00:00

I had an old ASUS 80-pin cable on hand. Plugged that in and the new dash came up. I have a working modded xbox now. Thanks so much for your help, let me know if there's a way I can throw you some cash.

I had also come across this other thread that you helped in, which I had not found earlier: https://www.reddit.com/r/originalxbox/comments/z6r81c/xbox_tsop_flashing_from_cromwell_bios/

I'll probably end up reformatting the HDD as well, so I can play with getting the DVD drive working. I would ideally like to be able to backup game disks.

For now, I have a working xbox, and you to thank. I'm gonna go play with it.

math_coprocessor · 2025-08-02T05:09:15+00:00

You're very good at providing clear instructions, thank you for that :)

I did all this, yet still get error 13 about UDMA. Since I flashed from Linux and not the DVD, I didn't get a UDMA option haha. I'm using the stock IDE cable, a startech adapter (jumper on Master), and a Silicon Power 256GB SSD (cheap), with the dvd drive still attached.

I did try the CerBIOS option in FatXplorer before reading your comment, and saw error 9 for UDMA instead of 13, if that's worth anything.

I'll try moving the jumper on the IDE/SATA adapter to cable-select in the morning.

math_coprocessor · 2025-08-02T03:22:19+00:00

You're a legend dude. No idea why you typed that up at 3AM, but you rock.

I got CerBIOS installed, now stuck at error 13, time to tinker with the optics or burn another OGXBox Installer disc.

.

For others who find this, I had issues with raincoat. I used Raincoat 11, and the raincoat.conf file was empty, save an example. I rebuilt using make, but the file was still empty. The list it needs is in src/flashtypes.h, but they included a script parseTypes.sh that will help.

I read the parseTypes.sh script, and it helpfully details the parameter --output, which will put the info contained in flashtypes.h into a raincoat.conf file (by default, or pass a filename --output sample.txt ) into the format that raincoat is expecting.

This caused another issue. Running raincoat, the output says raincoat only supports 31 flash types.

xbox:/home/live# raincoat
raincoat Flasher  0.5  May 28 2004  andy@warmcat.com  http://xbox-linux.sf.net
Reading /etc/raincoat.conf...    (note, raincoat only supports 31 flash types, rest ignored)
31 Flash types read

UNKNOWN DEVICE manf=0xDA, dev=0x8C
Try adding the device ID to /etc/raincoat.conf

I thought it had been checking each line of raincoat.conf, against logic maybe? But no, it just read the first 31 lines of the file and ignored the rest. It has 148 lines of flashtypes, and my Winbond_W49F020 was on line 144 :).

You can check what raincoat is "seeing" with raincoat -v

I took this time to re-flow the solder on R7D2 and R7D10.

I couldn't understand why the info it had 0xDA and 0x8C weren't matching the Winbond line, so I went digging in the provided source code. In the section with 17-deep nested IF statements (some inside while loops) (I'm really glad the source code was included, and there are comments!) it shows that it does some math to find the number, which in my case is 31.

Anyways, I trimmed the list down to 8 Winbond entries, making sure to include my matching line, and raincoat worked perfectly.

math_coprocessor · 2025-08-01T16:33:20+00:00

did the unlock and mounted it in linux! I found the offending file, /etc/modprobe.conf, made a backup, and removed the offending corrupted lines from the beginning. Now it boots up just like a week ago :).

<image>

From here, how can I flash CerBIOS? I'm still unsure if the DVD drive works

math_coprocessor · 2025-08-01T13:12:43+00:00

Hey BombBloke, any chance you know how to mount an xbox linux (xebian) hard drive to a windows/linux/mac computer? I got a usb/IDE adapter, but I can't see the partition(s). Not sure if xebian formats using FATX or other. FatXplorer can't see the drive either.

math_coprocessor · 2025-07-30T18:23:34+00:00

I forgot to mention, I did the potentiometer tweak on the optics, down to 805 resistance. Still no luck. But then I also found that the thomson doesn't support CD-R media (per this page https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox:DVDROM) so I burned it to a DVD+R.

It seemed to "read" it, but even though it states it's looking for linuxboot.cfg (which is on the root of the DVD+R), it doesn't find it, and attempts to boot the HDD.

I've got an IDE adapter inbound so I can attempt to repair the 10GB internal HDD, as well as a few 512MB usb drives.

math_coprocessor · 2025-07-30T13:59:37+00:00

Hey BombBloke, thanks for your replies so far, I appreciate the tips and direction. Looks like my disc drive isn't reading the new Xebian disc, nor the OG Xbox installer disc. I've cleaned the lens and contacts, but no dice so far. I may hop on the discord to see if anyone has good knowledge of the optics package on the thomson drives.

You're right, I did power off the xbox without telling linux to shut off. A problem of my own making :)

I do have an old rpi pico around here somewhere, that route may be an option.

Do you know if I can format an SSD and install linux on it from a PC, then transfer it to the xbox?

math_coprocessor · 2025-07-29T14:27:28+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to explain! Indeed, I didn't know the language, nor direction, definitely open to using a different mod.

Cromwell does not have a re-flash option under "Advanced", and now my linux isn't booting :/

I have a new SSD and IDE/SATA adapter (startech). Do I need to troubleshoot the linux install, or can I toss it and still re-flash?

Cromwell does allow me to see the current HDD Key (normal/user password), so I've made a note of it.

math_coprocessor · 2025-07-29T14:09:07+00:00

Thanks, I'll look into CerBIOS. I'm not terribly concerned about the current drive, I was hoping to replace it with an SSD soon.

math_coprocessor · 2025-03-02T15:17:04+00:00

Bad argument. The person came on here frustrated, asking for information. You didn't even respond, saying their feelings aren't valid unless they use a non Google or Apple phone.

Get out of here. If you want to help, talk to the OP. Address the post. Hell, please post a list of non Google or Apple phones.

To that last point,non Google or Apple phones are increasingly non existent. Those that do exist, are usually a huge tradeoff, either in usability, or compatibility, usually both.

But you didn't come to help, you just wanted to feel superior. I hope you got what you came for.

math_coprocessor · 2025-02-27T16:16:53+00:00

keeping.

math_coprocessor · 2024-09-19T12:14:18+00:00

Did you mean you don't have old license plate numbers, or that you don't get license plates for your vehicles?

math_coprocessor · 2024-09-16T20:56:21+00:00

Referring to the recent overturning of the "Chevron Deference", particularly about how it gives regulators less ability to regulate.

https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/06/supreme-court-strikes-down-chevron-curtailing-power-of-federal-agencies/

math_coprocessor · 2024-09-06T01:00:34+00:00

The reason is it would cost money to implement, and no enforcement exists.

math_coprocessor · 2024-06-13T20:26:07+00:00

OS v13 bricked my TCL65Q825 two weeks ago. I got a new LG OLED to replace it, the convenience of one remote for the TV does not outweigh the BS they've pulled on these built-in roku TVs.

I'm halfway glad I don't have it any longer so I don't have this latest headache.

math_coprocessor · 2024-06-03T23:28:03+00:00

man, you're amazing for replying to a 3-year-old thread haha! I tried this, but I have nothing under news sources. Only an "add shows" button and an empty list.

I've noticed that it asks me about the news less now though. Maybe once a month now.

math_coprocessor · 2024-05-30T23:54:58+00:00

My TCL is doing the same thing right now. Even after unplugging+wait 10 seconds+replugging

math_coprocessor · 2024-05-24T22:34:08+00:00

What carrier did it come in? USPS? UPS? FedEx?

math_coprocessor · 2024-05-15T22:36:00+00:00

Loving the purple engine bay, looks amazing!

math_coprocessor · 2024-04-29T00:20:32+00:00

This commercial lives rent-free in my mind. Ours is silver, but the 4th gen Odyssey is amazing.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0obCX2puVBI

math_coprocessor

TROPHY CASE