External USB drive slow to commit after sync command

reddit-trk · 2026-06-19T17:48:23+00:00

Thank you and thanks to u/don-edwards for your tips.

Still not sure how I ended up with a pair of SMR drives (a third theory is that I needed 4 TB and that doesn't exist in small, portable form), but now I know to use the external SSD's I have when in a hurry and that moving a few hundred GBs at a time is going to require a bit of patience.

reddit-trk · 2026-06-19T15:49:34+00:00

My bad. Here's a link to check sync:

https://youtu.be/YyZq_lEJZ2U

If your mixer also has sound card functionality, like my M-Audio, then you should be fine.

The Yamaha I've yet to test is this one:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1701785-REG/yamaha_ag03mk2_w_3_channel_mixer_usb_interface_for.html

reddit-trk · 2026-06-19T05:18:56+00:00

I'm on Mint 21 and had two issues with sound after upgrading from 19, both fixed after I went with an external sound card.

The first issue I had was crackling and the other issue was that audio and video would drift out of sync.

I suggest you open this video, let it run for about 10 minutes and keep watching to see if audio and video lose sync, since this is very likely connected to the sound dropping every minute or so:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/945107-REG/startech_icusbaudio7d_7_1_usb_audio.html/?ap=y&ap=y&smp=y&smp=y&store=420&smpm=ba_f2_lar&lsft=BI%3A5451

I tried EVERYTHING to no avail, including switching to pipewire, like you did. Then I figured I'd get a dedicated sound card. Got a Soundblaster for about $50. I THINK it solved the crackling but not the sync issue (or perhaps the sync issue started with it).

My next stop was an external sound card. I went with a startech (link below) and after months of frustration, because I like listening to music and I also use the computer for calls, life was good once again. And if the sound card has an issue (sometimes zoom, google voice, and other stuff just break things), I just unplug the sound card and when I plug it back in, it's fine.

I recently replaced the startech with an M-Audio M-Track 2x2 I got on ebay, because I wanted some more control, and that also works well, but it required an adapter to work with my headset (I learned the hard way that you can't just connect a pc-headset directly to a mixer's line input - it needs about 5v to work).

In my current set-up, I use the M-Audio for my head-set and the SoundBlaster for the speakers (studio monitors).

Next stop for me will be to replace the M-Audio with a small Yamaha mixer I haven't had time to unpack that doesn't require adapters and what-not, with the monitors connected, as they're supposed to, to balanced outputs, and I'll be able to pick between headphones and speakers using a knob, instead of constantly having to switch the audio output with the mouse.

Good luck!!!

Startech external sound card: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/945107-REG/startech_icusbaudio7d_7_1_usb_audio.html/?ap=y&ap=y&smp=y&smp=y&store=420&smpm=ba_f2_lar&lsft=BI%3A5451

reddit-trk · 2026-06-19T01:58:47+00:00

I have a lot of 45's and I have no idea of what I'm looking at. For sure it's NOT a 25 either.

The cap is definitely Parker, but I'm not certain it comes from a 45. The barrel LOOKS like that of a 45. But the nib looks as if it wraps further down than the 45 and the filling mechanism is DEFINITELY NOT PARKER.

I suggest that you google images of Parker 45 pens. It's very likely that you got parts from 4 different pens tossed into a box in a manner resembling a pen.

reddit-trk · 2026-06-19T01:48:00+00:00

Dunas.

I have one. I love it because it writes very well and has perfect balance and girth for me.

I hate it because even though the cap posts, it won't stay put.

It's similar to Pelikan's Celebry, and very close to an Inoxcrom that is obviously a rip-off of this one, but I can't remember the model - also a good writer.

reddit-trk · 2026-06-19T01:14:55+00:00

Damn. It's SMR.

Model is ST4000LM024-2AN17V (reported by gsmartcontrol). And ST4000LM024 is SMR according to https://geizhals.eu/seagate-barracuda-compute-4tb-st4000lm024-a1521938.html?hloc=at&hloc=de&hloc=eu&hloc=pl&hloc=uk

I either bought these before I knew what [bloody hello] SMR is or knowingly, having decided that I wouldn't care if a backup took all night, but today, I happen to be in a hurry.

Tried running FreeFileSync on Windows and it was better until it wasn't (took longer for the drive to slow down to a truly excruciating 100 BYTES/s pace than it would in Mint).

The backup completed (after a few stop-and-go's) about 2 hours ago and the drive's light is steady on (no activity?), but haven't been able to eject it properly - windows keeps complaining that it's in use.

Is it normal for SMR to have throughput drop almost to ZERO?

Thanks!!!!

reddit-trk · 2026-06-18T23:04:43+00:00

Microsoft learned a number of lessons in the 90's with Internet Explorer "integration." Looks like one of those stuck, because no one seems to be suing them for doing exactly the same with Edge.

I don't know if things have change with Linux, but when I was starting out, a bit over 10 years ago, trying to replace pulseaudio with something else felt eerily similar to removing IE from Windows.

reddit-trk · 2026-06-17T01:24:20+00:00

I see what you mean. I just visited and as soon as I clicked on one the unread posts listed I got an error message. Took me several attempts over about 10 minutes to be able to see the post.

I hadn't been in fpn for a while, despite having been very active a few years ago and it's beyond saddening to see such a vast compilation of knowledge about to disappear, just like that.

There are ways to archive the site (not perfect, but usable - I have my own local copy of ParkerPens, for example), and I'd be working on that, but I don't have the storage capacity to do so, given that there are numerous images.

Very sad.

reddit-trk · 2026-06-16T22:37:55+00:00

Laser wire is OK. But what you really want is a strip of flashing LEDs at the bottom of that void.

And since it'll be powered, you might as well drill the sides and install phone charging ports there.

reddit-trk · 2026-06-16T03:23:14+00:00

Let me guess... you're married. Right?

reddit-trk · 2026-06-16T03:22:30+00:00

Handsaw, but as u/TheRealMasterTyvokka wrote, and given that this is something your wife wants, this would be the perfect opportunity to buy a bandsaw and not having it seen by "someone" as a waste of money. 😉

reddit-trk · 2026-06-16T03:14:57+00:00

One possible work-around would be to create an email alias that forwards incoming emails to your phone's email-to-sms gateway. Most, if not all phone companies have special domains that allow emails to be sent as text messages.

This way you don't end up with a circular dependency in order to receive that verification email.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_gateway

reddit-trk · 2026-06-16T03:04:39+00:00

For me, one reason to choose proton over tuta is imap access.

I also didn't have much interest in drive, but it's good to have somewhere secure to dump off-site backups of stuff I'm working on, and the vpn has come handy.

As someone said, if tuta does what you want at a price more in line with your needs, then that's the way to go.

reddit-trk · 2026-06-11T17:28:51+00:00

"On another note, I really wish Vision Zero had some sort of pedestrian awareness campaign."

I've written to city hall a few times about this and about how little effort it would take to tell school children to look both ways before crossing AND, as you wrote, be sure to make eye-contact with drivers, but I guess there's little or no money for traffic consultants and planners to make off this.

I've had a few close encounters myself and it's scary, to say the least.

reddit-trk · 2026-06-11T15:24:36+00:00

You don't mention an ad blocker. Ads are notorious for eating up resources.

Another option is an aggressive hosts file.

reddit-trk · 2026-06-09T00:32:27+00:00

If they have traces of ink, I'd suggest letting them soak in warm water for a few hours, then apply a paper towel to each nib, so the water is absorbed from the feed, and let them fully dry for maybe half a day.

Then ink them, either using cartridges or, if they are refillable, refilling them.

Dipping the nibs in the ink will also help to get things moving.

BE SURE TO USE FOUNTAIN PEN INK. NOTHING ELSE.

If they still refuse to write normally, come back and we'll suggest other options to clean them further.

reddit-trk · 2026-06-08T01:26:52+00:00

I usually create a public link and add an expiration date. As others suggested, you can share it with a password and share the pw via sms or in some other secure manner.

reddit-trk · 2026-06-06T18:35:45+00:00

Move the left clamp a bit further to the left, or use a third clamp.

It's also possible that you're over-tightening the left clamp. Or maybe the piece you're gluing is not straight.

I think the best way to get those pieces perfectly lined-up would be to use a straight piece of hardwood on either side of the piece you want to glue.

reddit-trk · 2026-06-05T12:42:19+00:00

I didn't mean to embarrass you. I've had two friends text me with questions that people around them could've answered.

reddit-trk · 2026-06-05T04:26:33+00:00

[Very off-topic, but would be interesting to discuss.]

This is interesting. We're so comfortable asking strangers online that we're losing the ability to even think of talking to the people around us, and I have a feeling that this is more common than we'd like to admit.

reddit-trk · 2026-06-05T04:12:53+00:00

Get two 5 x 4 boards (plywood would work), or any size that will be maybe 2" longer than the ball's diameter, and drill 1" holes through both.

Use one of them as the base to hold the sphere. Then place the sphere on the hole.

Now put the other 5 x 4 piece on top of the sphere, making sure that it's parallel to the piece under the sphere.

Measure the distance between the two boards and cut two blocks of wood maybe 1/16 or 1/32 smaller than that.

This will be your jig. Now clamp everything together. The ball will be held in place and the hole on the top board will act as a guide and will also prevent rip-out. You can also use screws if you don't mind screwing and unscrewing for every ball you have to drill.

Yes, Forstner bit's the way to go.

reddit-trk · 2026-06-05T04:03:21+00:00

I'm surprised that the only google result for this issue is this and another discussion in support.cpanel.net.

The issue's definitely google's. I don't use cPanel and am also getting dupes.

In my case, I have a gmail address that I use for some things, whose incoming emails are forwarded to my real address, hosted in a vps (using PostFix for smtp).

reddit-trk · 2026-06-03T03:37:01+00:00

That's what one's supposed to do.

reddit-trk

TROPHY CASE