Category: Technology
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Twitter is Dead
And has been since it changed ownership. You can find me on Mastodon.
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KDE help: ‘KDE lost my widget!’
Recently I was arranging widgets on my dual screens when I tried to drag one from one monitor to the other. I dropped it where I wanted it to go, and was surprised to see it wasn’t there. No matter, I thought. I opened the widget panel to add it again and was confused to…
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Missing firmware errors during kernel updates
During my recent Debian updates (via the command line), I’ve been seeing this error: update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.9-1-amd64 W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168g-1.fw for module r8169 W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8106e-1.fw for module r8169 W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8411-1.fw for module r8169 W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8402-1.fw for module r8169 W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168f-2.fw for…
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HostGator – The Privacy Saga Continues
HostGator: A friend after all? As I wrote yesterday, HostGator locked me out of my brand-new account because of “suspicious” activity. I called back to push them further on it. Do I really need to email them my personal data—scanned copies of my passport or driver’s license, as well as my credit card—to prove I’m not a…
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HostGator – The Privacy-Intrusive Web Host
To proceed with this transaction, we require additional pieces from you. After spending quite a bit of time exploring an alternative web host, I chose HostGator. The reviews were kind, the price was reasonable, and they were having a sale. Seemed like a good time to start migrating my 10 domains (soon to be 11)…
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My Favourite Linux Commands
As a child of the DOS era, I’ve always been comfortable communicating with a computer without a mouse. Most of my use of Linux is via a desktop environment (KDE and Xfce are my favourites), but I still like to be able to do certain tasks in a terminal window. Here’s a list of commands…
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KDE help: ‘The screen is being locked’ notification
I love the state of KDE (currently 4.9.5) on my main laptop. Mostly. One annoying behaviour is that when I close the lid and re-open it at a later time, there is a notification waiting in the panel that says “The screen is being locked”. It’s about as useless as my car telling me “The…
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Apple II Emulation with MESS
As a child of the 70s, the Apple II was the system that introduced me to the microcomputer. Because I am primarily a Linux user, finding a decent emulator was a bit of a challenge. Fortunately, the cross-platform system known as MESS (Multi Emulator Super System), the sister project of MAME, emulates the Apple II series…
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Cool Kids Use Old Devices
I’m not what you would call an environmentalist, but I’m trying. I’m also frugal and pragmatic, so my life choices are sometimes guided by less noble ideals than protecting the earth. That said, I’ve recycled for all of my adult life… since university graduation at least. I’ve been buying all my clothes (except socks and…