In a discussion thread on the MX Linux forum someone made the comment “flatpaks are magically bloated in size.” Kids today! Statements like this require a lengthy response. Despite what Twitter and “news media” have conditioned you to believe, life is not a soundbite. Being a very old geek who started out on Commodore Super PET then moved to PDP-11/70 running RSTS/E . . . having written some geek books that won an award or two, … Flatpaks are Magically Bloated in SizeRead more
Linux
Posted inInformation Technology
Linux Mint Grub Won’t Update
Linux Mint gets the most complaints about Grub not updating but it is not really a Mint problem. The volume of complaints is due to the fact Mint is the most popular flavor of Linux. The other reason is so many people install Linux on older hardware. This is another example of why Agile is not now, nor will it ever be Software Engineering. Your Jenkins automated testing doesn’t test squat. Here is the real … Linux Mint Grub Won’t UpdateRead more
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Ubuntu Disappearing Wifi
If it hasn’t happened to you yet, you must have a wired network connection because posts about Ubuntu’s disappearing wifi are all over the Internet. This has gotten remarkably worse with 24.04 LTS. Normally I hardware all of my desktops to the network. Since I’m working on another novel I brought an old HP Elite 8300 with i5-3470 into the house and set it up in the basement. Nights are still cold here and I … Ubuntu Disappearing WifiRead more
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Why Reddit Sucks
I try to stay off social media because social media is human poison. From time to time I will go to Reddit for technical discussions. You would think that, given Reddit’s income, they would hire actual developers and have a physical QA test team, wouldn’t you? Guess not. In case you cannot see the featured image I have posted on Reddit before. I spent 3 hours creating a very detailed response to this question. Tried … Why Reddit SucksRead more
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That Debian Multi-Arch Packaging Thing
Of my roughly 40 year career in IT, the past decade has been spent in the world of embedded systems cross compiling via Multi-Arch packages. Some systems require building inside of Docker containers which is not that good but allows more of the never-went-to-college crowd into embedded systems as low wage workers. I’ve done a lot of Debian (and some RPM) packaging over the years. There was a time when all of the SOM/SOC vendors … That Debian Multi-Arch Packaging ThingRead more