Category: linux

Fun with Linux

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Pic of the initial boot screen after a fresh install

Ok, gonna show some of my tech nerdy side. I work with computers all day so you would think, “Gee, how can you find playing around with computers fun when you work with them all day?” I would have to agree with you at first blush. I fully expected this to be a boring affair and was just doing it to earn a certification. But what really got me feeling the fun and joy in this project was the fact that while I am able to recreate my daily workflow on this laptop (the same workflow I would have on my desktop) there are enough differences that force me to do some research and extra steps that get my nerdy juices flowing. For example, the Bambu studio software I use for the 3d printer. On Windows, it’s a simple matter of downloading the software and then clicking on it to start the installation process. A few clicks later and I’m up and running.

For most people that’s all you really want. But for someone like me who does this every day, it does get tedious and mind numbing. Enter the installation process on Ubuntu. Ok, go to the site, download the software and click on it to start the installation. A prompt pops up and I click yes. After a few seconds? Nothing. Do it again. Same result. Third time, same thing. Ok, off to google. A few minutes later and on a reddit post I discover I need something called flathub to be able to flatpak copies of Bambu studio. Huh? What? I tried to read up on it but there’s a ton of info. Ok, let’s just look up how to install it. Find a walkthrough and follow the directions. Hit a few snags and had to look up the errors to figure out what’s happening and how to fix it. An hour later and voila! It’s installed.

Now again, for most people that would not be an ideal situation. It’s probably why more people don’t mess around with Linux; it’s 80% there but why mess with 80 when you can get 100 (ok 95% because it’s Windows and it has it’s own issues) out of the most commonly used OS out there? Ah, but I have that different use case! And the troubleshooting is actually stimulating parts of my work brain that rarely if ever get stimulated without the pressure of deadlines. The kicker is the fact that I was able to get pretty much everything I can do on my desktop to work on this laptop with Ubuntu. That’s the part that really got me. When I messed around with Linux even 5 years ago, I couldn’t get 50% of my daily workflow to work on it. Now? I can do everything (so far) I’ve been driving on this thing for a week now and while everything works generally, the laptop shows it’s age as applications take longer to open and they occasionally freeze here and there. But I could see myself buying another budget laptop that’s maybe 3 years old and absolutely screaming through things.

Pharoah: A New Era loading…

The real challenge happened this past weekend. While I had installed Steam on this laptop, my initial attempt at playing on this thing really taxed the system. I tried playing Dungeons 3 on it but I guess the game was too much for the laptop as it was really choppy. I gave up on that, satisfied that it was still capable of doing the other things I do. But I had some time this weekend so I took another shot at it. I queued up Pharoah: A New Era on it and the opening movie chopped badly. But once it got to the game, everything loaded up and played pretty well. Still a lot slower than my desktop but hey, it was playable! On a 6 year old laptop!

I was also able to install VirtualBox and started to build up my lab for my Linux+ studies. This is the most important aspect of this project and it went really well. VirtualBox installed with no issues, and works exactly the same way as it does on Windows. I got a copy of Rocky Linux as well as Ubuntu Server and got the VMs of each working. They even run concurrently without killing the CPU too badly. I had both running while watching the Udemy course which is probably the most common scenario and everything just worked. Perfect. What I’m really looking forward to is bringing this thing along on our outings and seeing how it compares to when it was in it’s prime. I used to bring this around with me to the mall where I would find a nice comfortable spot to sit and connect to the mall Wi-Fi and do stuff. There were many a weekend I spent with this thing and I do look forward to doing so again.

Happy belated New Year!

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I started this blog, oh about a month ago, just prior to Christmas. At the time I was missing home (I just relocated to a new state about 15 or so months ago) along with dealing with some heavy issues. So I decided to start a blog to document my journey to rediscover what makes me happy. The funny thing is I was fully on board with the idea and actually had a few things lined up to post. I might still go through with a few of them but as is typical with the way I am, passion projects and hobbies took a back seat to what’s going on right now. So now that things on the outside have finally slowed down, I’m able to start going back to projects like this.

#Retro

Don’t get me wrong though, unlike in the past I did stick with a few hobbies with what little free time I had. I bought myself a retro handheld (the Anbernic RG CUBE XX) on which I was able to download a few of the Pokémon games and have been steadily working through Pokémon Blue from the Gameboy. That has absolutely been a blast. I’ve clocked in almost 68 total hours in game just levelling up the Pokémon I have so far to level 30 (just caught a Nidoran that needs to be levelled up; the current Pokémon project lol) while slowly making my way around. I must shamefully report that I have had to resort to using a walkthrough to figure out where to go next because I was totally clueless what to do after defeating the Sarge. This might pop up a bit more on this blog as there are a ton of games I’ve already downloaded that are just waiting in the wings as well. I guess I’ll tag them with #retro if you want to follow that thread.

#CardCollecting

Another thing I’ve started getting back into from the past is collecting cards. I used to collect sports cards as a kid and had a ton of boxes. I lost them all when my moms house was foreclosed and we were evicted with only 2 days to pack and move. So maybe subconsciously I related this hobby with that moment. But as I’ve started to rediscover what’s brought me joy, this and video games were at the top of my list. My first card collecting project is to collect the Collectors Edge 1996 Superbowl Dallas Cowboys signature series. From the greatest football team on the planet and the greatest Superbowl win ever. EVER! I’m looking for one more card. So if you have or know who has Michael Irvin DCA-24 and is willing to part with it, let me know! I also used to play Magic the Gathering and Pokemon as well, but I’ve shied away so far. That requires a time commitment that I might be ready to dedicate myself to. But it’s still on the list. That and my son is a huge Pokemon TCG player so it might prove to be a great way to spend more time with him. For now, I’m sticking with sportscards. I’ll tag posts with #cardcollecting if you want to follow that thread.

#Linux

Third thing I’ve started playing around with is something that originally off as a work related thing but is starting to evolve into something I’m actually enjoying. A back story will best explain why. Back during COVID, when we were all cooped up in our homes, I had to buy laptops for my kids who before then didn’t have a need for them but with school moving online they suddenly needed computers. My youngest daughter was only 10 at the time so she didn’t really need a high powered laptop. So I picked up a knock off branded motile 14″ laptop for her. Once they started going back to school physically, her need for that laptop disappeared and I ended up using it as a throw away laptop. Since it was so cheap (I think I got it for $175) I brought it with me everywhere. It served as my go to whenever I knew I was going to be somewhere for longer than an hour but potentially may forget it and possibly leave it behind. Plus it was way more portable than my primary laptop! I carried this thing around with me until I moved in 2024 and just recently found it again 2 months back in the closet. I booted it up but it was slow and unwieldy. Ok, maybe it just needs some updates and things should work better. So I tried to update it only to find out that Windows 11 requires TPM and this doesn’t have it unfortunately. Oh well.

I was about to put it up on eBay when I remembered that I was going to try to earn my Linux+ certification in 2026. So I thought to myself, maybe I can install Linux on this and use it as my study machine. Then I could sell it once I’m done and send it off properly, having been useful again to me one last time. Well, I just installed Ubuntu on it and… it works amazingly. It’s as if it’s got a second life. Things open quickly again, and work like a charm. Chrome tabs? Check. Email? Check. Virtualbox plus a few VMs running at the same time, I have 3 open and running with a little sluggishness here and there (which was pretty much it’s limit with Windows too so no complaints) Heck, for giggles I installed Steam and so far I’ve played one game on it. Granted, I don’t play super intense games but this is from 2020! The fact that I could play a game released last year at all, and on Linux as well, is amazing to me. I’ve spent the last week playing around with this laptop again, and I have found it fun learning how to recreate my workflows in Ubuntu. So far, with a little extra work occasionally, I’ve been able to recreate everything sufficiently that I think this might actually become my carry-around again. One thing I’m currently trying to get working is another new passion of mine. For those who can guess, it has to do with installing Bambu Studio and getting it to work. For those who want to know what it is, read on! I’ll tag any related posts with #linux if you want to read that thread.

#3dprinting

So the thing that has me most excited about 2026 is definitely 3d printing. I just picked up a Bambu A1 printer from Microcenter on a semi whim and I have not regretted the choice. I had been looking at this for a few months now, but space constraints (I live in a small apartment) and cost (while not the most expensive hobby, I had a few other pots stirring but I made room for one more somehow) were barriers to entry. Well, I was projecting my #joybudget (another idea I have for this blog; stay tuned) for February and I looked up the cost of the Bambu A1 printer on their website. I had that in mind when I happened to receive an email ad from Microcenter and wouldn’t you know it, they have the Bambu A1 in stock for the same price as the company does. Ok, compelling. So I headed out to my local store to see it in person. I saw it, saw a few printed figures and fell in love. But I always have a self imposed rule of going home and coming back the next day to make a major purchase. It’s saved me the headache because I avoid buyers regret (most times; it still isn’t a perfect science) as I usually get over that initial rush of excitement and by the next day I either forget about it or decide it isn’t necessary.

That wasn’t the case with the printer. The next morning I dragged my wife along to play devils advocate and try to talk me out of buying it. We get there and she sees a little figurine that she absolutely adores. She asks the salesman if I’m able to print it on the A1 and he says absolutely. But she could also take the figurine because they make those for funsies. We both walked out with a brand new 3d printer, an attachment that allows us to print in 4 colors, and a starter pack of filament. I’ve since gone back and bought 5 more rolls of different colored filament for different printing projects. I’ll tag those posts with #3dprinting if you want to follow that thread.

What’s next

So hopefully with a lot of passion projects that bring me joy, I can add regularly blogging to the list. I think one of the most important things about joy is to share it with others so I hope to humbly share it with you. I would also welcome your feedback as I’m sure there are things I’m doing or not doing that you might know would make my experience even better. and hey, if you end up picking up one of these hobbies because of me, let me know! I want to share in your joy as well. On that note, have a great day and stay joyful. -Gerald