Hello! I'm Daniel. I love free/libre software and hardware and think a good book paired with a cup of coffee is a little piece of Heaven.
Public Key
npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Profile Code
nprofile1qqs8a5k8dsaq474jhnnt3s5jjytp5wr369hkl9hwg4jlngh4jt8xr9qpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dsw4mp6h
Show more details
Published at
2026-08-18T15:31:13Z Event JSON
{
"id": "fcdf59830e98218f523e9e0a441136282db62630d1a27c87c71e7a69fba50435" ,
"pubkey": "7ed2c76c3a0afab2bce6b8c29291161a3871d16f6f96ee4565f9a2f592ce6194" ,
"created_at": 1787067073 ,
"kind": 0 ,
"tags": [
[
"proxy",
"https://fosstodon.org/users/dwarmstrong",
"activitypub"
],
[
"client",
"Mostr",
"31990:6be38f8c63df7dbf84db7ec4a6e6fbbd8d19dca3b980efad18585c46f04b26f9:mostr",
"wss://relay.ditto.pub"
]
],
"content": "{\"name\":\"Daniel Wayne Armstrong\",\"about\":\"Hello! I'm Daniel.\\n\\nI love free/libre software and hardware and think a good book paired with a cup of coffee is a little piece of Heaven.\",\"picture\":\"https://cdn.fosstodon.org/accounts/avatars/109/860/465/494/023/450/original/eb2faa9c8053bd7a.jpg\",\"banner\":\"https://cdn.fosstodon.org/accounts/headers/109/860/465/494/023/450/original/37e9d96b188ba7db.png\",\"nip05\":\"[email protected] \",\"fields\":[[\"Blog\",\"https://www.dwarmstrong.org\"],[\"Location\",\"1 AU\"]]}" ,
"sig": "e38e2443653a5864b4aca37e05fdf7a3af783c0600a62b73c0470076330dcdbde4a0acd48216a01cba46b292ceacb93b049e23c1a70e914d968ba207de904ffb"
}
Last Notes npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…j5rj I haven't tried Artix but I like their pursuit of init diversity. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Neat program of the day: bat "A cat(1) clone with wings." https://github.com/sharkdp/bat Adds the built-in ability to colorize and format terminal output with a number of options. Multi-line output uses `less`. For the fish shell... To setup colorized man pages with a percent displayed/total lines indicator, I added to my `config.fish`: # Strip terminal backspaces before piping to bat set -gx MANPAGER "sh -c 'col -bx | bat -l man -p'" set -gx LESS "-M +Gg" #FishShell #RunBSD #Linux npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Whenever I'm exploring a new graphical environment on #Linux and #BSD, early on I like to run a "timedate test", i.e how easy is it to change the desktop clock to a non-standard format? I like the format `%j-%d-%H%M`: Results so far: * WMs and their taskbars: easy * #Cinnamon : easy * #GNOME : requires extension * #KDE : no easy way to add the `%j` that I discovered * #Xfce : easy My working hypothesis is that if custom timedate is easy... harder things will be easier. And vice-versa. 🙂 npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Last night I finished "The Rise of Endymion" by Dan Simmons... the final book in his "Hyperion Cantos". Its incredible (even if I didn't like the very last bit). A vision of a possible future for humanity in space the likes of which I've never read anywhere else. Even a future Dalai Lama is a character! Buddhism is a strong element in the book and the ideas it raises are so intriguing that I just picked up "Buddhism: A Journey Through History" by Donald S. Lopez Jr. #Books #SciFi #Buddhism https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/607/318/863/681/653/original/87bebabb9187c3ad.jpg npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…7zka Home is in the Hyperion Cantos! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Installed Foot terminal this week along with the Sway wayland compositor and love the key-combo "Open URL mode" where all the URLS are underlined and assigned a letter code, which upon entry opens the URL in the browser. Cool! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong I'm thinking of re-installing FreeBSD on my Thinkpad T480s (Intel iGPU) and exploring Sway as my Wayland compositor. What is the state of Wayland support in FreeBSD? #AskFedi #FreeBSD #Wayland #Sway npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong I explored the immutable Bluefin Linux on my mini pc for a week. Very solid project! Even more so than a Linux aimed at developers, I could see it being a great *first* Linux for someone with the pre-installed Flatpak software centre, automatic updates, atomic read-only system images, and rollbacks if things go wonky. But I'll be putting Chimera back on the box. I guess I'm just a mutable "read-write" kind of guy. 🙂 #Bluefin #Linux npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong A detailed read about zswap and zram "myths". I will be rethinking how I setup swap memory in future Linux installs. Very useful! https://chrisdown.name/2026/03/24/zswap-vs-zram-when-to-use-what.html #Linux npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…y6zh Not that I'm aware. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Updated post! For my NetBSD install I wanted to include disk encryption to protect personal data in case the device is lost or stolen. Its not really enough to simply encrypt home directories. Passphrases and sensitive data can linger and be extracted from locations such as system logs and swap memory. There is a trade-off to be made between how much to encrypt, the convenience of operating the system, and the ability for the system to boot. https://www.dwarmstrong.org/netbsd-encrypt-install/ #NetBSD #RunBSD npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Finished reading _Smilla's Sense of Snow_ by Peter Høeg. Loved it. Not only a whodunnit but an even stronger whydoit? Right until the end I was left wondering "What is in Greenland?!" Smilla is the character up to the task for finding out. #Books #Mystery #Denmark #Greenland https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/336/921/204/373/772/original/f1ef4a7673fe4b8f.jpg npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Chimera Linux does things differently: the distro is built from scratch, musl instead of glibc, init is dinit, FreeBSD userland, ... Fresh install on my Thinkpad using OpenZFS and ZFSBootMenu. Curious to explore further. I'm thinking of a setup where Chimera is my desktop and FreeBSD on a home server. #ChimeraLinux #musl #dinit #FreeBSD #ZFS #ZFSBootMenu https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/326/025/849/891/357/original/e5ed093aa7acf7bd.png npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Updated post for FreeBSD 15.0-RELEASE. After the first boot of my new FreeBSD installation, these are some extra steps I like to make right away to get a system off to a good start! https://www.dwarmstrong.org/freebsd-after-install/ #FreeBSD #RunBSD npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…jknr I'm editing that post right now in the terminal. 🙂 npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Updated post for FreeBSD 15.0-RELEASE. After performing a few FreeBSD installs, these are my personal notes of steps taken and choices made. A “short and sweet” version of the FreeBSD Handbook. :freebsd: https://www.dwarmstrong.org/freebsd-install/ #FreeBSD #RunBSD npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…42mr Good stuff!You've given me lots to think about. And I need to pull out my copy of Tuchman's _The March of Folly_ for a refresher. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…ytzy Good to hear! Its like a box of Linux Lego. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Gentoo Linux on my mini PC: Encrypted root + BTRFS with subvolumes + OpenRC + Limine bootloader. Its a start! ✅ Distro-hopping now on pause. Month of March is all about Gentoo. Plan is to take this base system and build it up to a lightweight desktop with Wayland + TBD window manager. Next up: Learn more about Portage/emerge. #Gentoo #Linux #BTRFS #OpenRC #Limine https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/171/612/882/698/700/original/8193d5a6850ee0b9.png npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong I was going to swap out OpenRC for SystemD for my Gentoo install, but Alpine introduced me to OpenRC and I think I'm going to run with it a bit. #Gentoo #Linux #OpenRC #SystemD npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong I've been having so much fun exploring Gentoo Linux these past few days! :gentoo: I now having a working configuration of Gentoo (in a VM) with a combination of root encryption + BTRFS + OpenRC + Limine bootloader. ✅ Next up is bare metal install. Onward! #Gentoo #Linux #BTRFS #OpenRC #Limine npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Third install attempt was the charm! #Gentoo #Linux https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/155/567/435/658/744/original/951d87afa1d12977.png npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…vf35 Always forward. I wish you both a return to better days! 🌞 npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Starting to Read The Fine Manual. :gentoo: https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:AMD64 #Gentoo #Linux npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong New blog post! Using the Arch Linux installation image and working my way through the excellent installation guide, I show the choices I make to create an encrypted, minimal Linux system with “just enough” to provide a solid foundation to build upon further: whether that be setting up a desktop, laptop, or server: https://www.dwarmstrong.org/archlinux-install/ #ArchLinux #Linux #LUKS #BTRFS npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…ytzy Hooray! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…ytzy See: https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Zram https://github.com/chimera-linux/dinit-chimera#zram-support https://chimera-linux.org/docs/configuration/services https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/admin-guide/blockdev/zram.html npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…ytzy Relevant files: * `/lib/dinit.d/zram-device` * `/usr/lib/dinit.d/early/scripts/zram.sh` * `/usr/lib/dinit.d/early/helpers/zram npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…ytzy From my notes when I setup on Chimera: Load module: doas modprobe zram Create a configuration file for the `zram0` device: cat << EOF | doas tee /etc/dinit-zram.conf > /dev/null [zram0] size = 4G algorithm = lz4 format = mkswap -U clear %0 EOF Add swap to `fstab`: echo "/dev/zram0 none swap defaults 0 0" | doas tee -a /etc/fstab > /dev/null Enable the service: doas dinitctl enable zram-device@zram0 npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…wh6t That's good to know! I currently have it installed in 'sys' mode because its on a desktop with an NVMe drive, but I could see how 'diskless' would be great for an sdcard. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong New blog post! Alpine Linux is a lightweight and delightful community-driven Linux distribution that does things a bit differently than the standard defaults (musl vs glibc for C library, openrc vs systemd for init). I use an Alpine installation image to create an encrypted, console-only minimal system that provides a solid foundation while I explore building it up bit by bit to a workstation, laptop, and server configuration: https://www.dwarmstrong.org/minimal-alpine-linux/ #AlpineLinux #Linux npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…gjz8 I will. I'm taking notes as I go. 🙂 npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong I've been exploring Alpine Linux this weekend and really like what I've seen so far! In its latest Iteration in virt-manager I have Alpine installed with a custom partition layout with LUKS encryption and zram swap. Next up: Minimal install on bare metal and explore building it up bit by bit to a workstation configuration. Onward! #AlpineLinux #Linux https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/115/996/267/910/162/356/original/f667e920b429c219.png npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong "[William Blake] knew what we all eventually realize, if we are awake and courageous enough: that the best way — and the only effective way — to complain about the way things are is to make new and better things, untested and unexampled things, things that spring from the gravity of creative conviction and drag the status quo like a tide toward some new horizon." Source: https://www.themarginalian.org/2026/01/28/william-blake-vs-the-world/ #quote npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…fr69 Happy learning! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…3kjp Thanks! I am! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Big fat snowflakes outside. Inside its a mug of hot chocolate and a manual, minimal install of Arch Linux. Its been a few years since the last install. Too long! ❄️ :cupofcoffee: :arch: :linux: #archlinux #linux npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong "Luminous" by Silvia Park is a fantastic read. Set in a near-future reunified Korea where robots are ubiquitous and the line dividing human and machine is increasingly hazy. This book is going to disturb me (in the good reflective way!) for some time. #Robots #SF #Books https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/115/877/042/518/406/099/original/a710ea8098fb6734.jpg npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…4lqc And not just Americans. Up here in Canada too. There is no negotiating with these gangsters. "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act." -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong I haven't tried Distrobox yet, but I've bookmarked this great review by @nprofile…7vxp for when I do: https://lwn.net/Articles/1049423/ #Distrobox #Linux npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…jqam Preach it! 🙂 npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…0tmw Thank you! Indeed a good idea for a continuation of the project if I pick it up again. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…3u5w Sounds good! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…3u5w Successfully installed Nixbook/NixOS 25.05 in a VM using the Nixbook test installer. Onward! . . . NOTE FYI... First tried installing Nixbook on 25.11 using the NixOS iso for the initial install, then following the steps post-install in the Nixbook README. Upon reboot, it presents the command line login (no Cinnamon desktop). https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/115/675/600/362/936/094/original/81af19beafe70393.png npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong There is a lot to love here with this project of giving new life to old laptops. Courtesy of a custom configuration of NixOS by @nprofile…3u5w ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NKd3JAzMdI Perhaps this will replace my default choice of LMDE for family and friends? It even includes Cinnamon as its desktop. I've never tried NixOS before... Going to give it a whirl! #Nixbook #NixOS #Linux npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…dp44 Indeed! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…fytc Yes... LUKS with ZFS on top is certainly a possibility. As for data loss concerns using ZFS native encryption... Maybe someone who is more knowledgeable about ZFS can chime in... But my understanding is that prior concerns had centred around a very specific use case of send/recv ZFS snapshots, and even that has apparently been fixed. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong I think Chimera Linux is an intriguing mix of components: Linux kernel, FreeBSD userland, apk package manager, (non-systemd) dinit. I checked it out briefly last year. Now I want to take a second, closer look. Installed Chimera Linux with Root-on-ZFS with ZFS native encryption and ZFSBootMenu as bootloader on a VM. Time to explore! #ChimeraLinux #Linux #FreeBSD #apk #dinit #ZFS #ZFSBootMenu https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/115/640/760/731/630/924/original/a1e83f8f61526654.png npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…emek Thanks for the reply... I will check prices with my local bookstore. It sounds like a terrific read! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…emek The cost of shipping to Canada ($47.34US) is more than the cost of the book?! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…4sw2 Thanks... I will check it out! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…4sw2 Which of their desktops are you using? npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…kz2r Thank you for the kind words. I'm happy it proved useful for you. Great catch for the # in section 7.2. Fixed! Thanks! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Updated post! I like to create encrypted storage space to hold the contents of my home directory that is separate from the space that contains the root filesystem. This makes it easier if I decide to re-install Linux on the target system while preserving user data. With the release of LMDE 7 aka "Gigi" I use the "expert-mode" installer to create a custom 3 partition layout: EFI partition, root partition, and LUKS encrypted home partition: https://www.dwarmstrong.org/lmde-install-expert-mode/ Onward! #LMDE #Debian #Linux npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong As of Debian 13 Trixie, support for automatically discovering and mounting encrypted filesystems has been moved into the new `systemd-cryptsetup` package. LMDE 7 - installed via `expert-install-mode` with manually created LUKS partitions - was missing this package. Entries in `crypttab` were not being loaded at boot. Installing the package before first boot resolved the issue. LIFE LESSON: Always read the release notes. 🙂 See: https://www.debian.org/releases/trixie/release-notes/issues.en.html#encrypted-filesystems-need-systemd-cryptsetup-package #LMDE #Debian #Linux #Systemd npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong It's official... Linux Mint Debian Edition 7 "Gigi" :linuxmintalt: :debian: has been released: https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=4924 Fire up the torrents! #LMDE #Debian #Linux https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/115/372/511/941/754/227/original/619c7fa8ad697f97.png npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong To display line numbers and percentage for a man page, pre-pend `LESS='-M +Gg'` to the man command: LESS='-M +Gg' man less I set this as an abbreviation in my `fish` shell: abbr -a man LESS="'-M +Gg'" man (Note the double quotes around the single quotes). Works good! #FishShell #NetBSD #FreeBSD npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Sixty-eight years ago today we entered the Space Age... "You will now hear the voice of the Russian moon"... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It42TsD7_sI #Sputnik #Space #Music npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…ndyj Nice! I have it set for my root filesystem along with 'noatime': NAME=root / ffs rw,log,noatime 1 1 Thanks for the pointer to the relevant manpage. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/115/311/935/020/759/988/original/3b276b7d5307cee3.png npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong NetBSD is (re-)installed on the Thinkpad X230 and digging into the NetBSD Guide this weekend. Onward! :netbsd: https://www.netbsd.org/docs/guide/en/ #NetBSD #RunBSD #Thinkpad npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…ccul Its a nice bit of fun to run when you open a new terminal. 🙂 npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…t4qe Sorry to hear about her passing. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…z9jx @nprofile…e78h @nprofile…t4qe @nprofile…0zny @nprofile…ly3k I'm using the Android port version 1.27.3, which I now see hasn't been updated since May, 2024. Now that I'm aware of the Syncthing-Fork I will check it out! Thanks for the info. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Updated post! I like to customize the NetBSD login with a different "last login" notification and a "Daily Dose of Wisdom" delivered courtesy of `fortune` piped to `cowsay`... https://www.dwarmstrong.org/customize-login-netbsd/ #NetBSD #RunBSD npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong "Inside China Business" is a YT channel produced by an American businessman (Kevin Walmsley) living in China for the past decade+: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak-PErMasFM He posts frequent <10 minute videos that highlight the "stories behind the stories" focused on technology and trade issues. Many Westerners truly have no idea about the intensity and magnitude of change happening in China, and the re-arrangement underway in the global order. Highly recommended! #China #Trade #Tariffs npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Updated post! Disable password logins on the BSD or Linux SERVER in favour of using SSH keys for authentication. Create the necessary SSH keys on a NetBSD CLIENT that will be used to secure access to remote devices... https://www.dwarmstrong.org/netbsd-ssh-keys/ #NetBSD #RunBSD #SSH npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Updated post! The first time I installed NetBSD I used `sysinst`, a menu-based program that runs in the console. It has a concise layout and I was quickly up-and-running on my new BSD system. For my next install I wanted to include disk encryption to protect personal data in case the device is lost or stolen. There is a trade-off to be made between how much to encrypt, the convenience of operating the system, and the ability for the system to boot... https://www.dwarmstrong.org/netbsd-encrypt-install/ #NetBSD #RunBSD npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…cpkx Happy it was useful! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong 2/2 "... Ask yourself daily, 'How does my life support the positive evolution of the human future?' Whenever possible, think of yourself as being on a spaceship moving through the universe at a high rate of speed rather than a stationary platform around which the universe revolves." - Frank White, The Overview Effect #quote #books #space https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/114/970/978/525/809/789/original/a92c8a9c9d9ffe02.jpg npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong 1/2 "If the Earth is a natural spaceship, then everyone on it is either a passenger or a crew member... The role you play is not as important as the awareness that you are 'aboard ship' and can spend the entire journey asleep in a lounge chair or wake up and participate in a voyage. [It] does not require you to change jobs, move to a new city, join the astronaut corps, or live on Mars. It does require becoming conscious of yourself and your place in the universe..." npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…puw6 As Tron might say, I trust Mint to "fight for the users". 🙂 Coming from Debian, I gravitated towards LMDE. If I had been an Ubuntu user, I might have gone for the flagship Mint. The Mint folks do a fantastic job on both. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…43aa Personal preference. I've used Debian for servers and lightweight desktop and liked it, so when I went looking for a more full-featured Linux desktop for family and friends I tried out a few and liked the combination of stable Debian + updated Cinnamon desktop offered by Linux Mint. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Updated post! A friend of mine is willing to give Linux a try, so I'm going to set her up with Linux Mint (Debian Edition). :linuxmintnew: :debian: In preparation for this new install, I cleaned up my HOWTO on using the LMDE installer in "expert-mode" to create encrypted root + home partitions, and ran through an install on my old 'n trusty Thinkpad T430s. https://www.dwarmstrong.org/lmde-install-expert-mode/ #LMDE #Debian #Linux #Thinkpad npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong All beings have feelings... Source: https://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2025/jul/31/green-aliens-manila-maori-warrior-photos-of-the-day-thursday #Vegan https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/114/948/257/236/792/837/original/016400dad4b61618.webp npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong "The Afterlife Project" by Tim Weed What a great *unsettling* story. I think I had a scattershot dream about this book last night. In 2068 climate change and a pandemic has pushed humanity to the brink of extinction. Using technology originally designed for interstellar travel, a scientist is sent 10,000 years into the future to seek out human survivors, and the story moves back and forth between our century and the far future. #SF #Books https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/114/936/841/621/694/088/original/e7e0a9fc1238f981.jpg npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…x7m7 Ouch. Yes... the installer auto-configured: rc_configured=YES in /etc/rc.conf. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong New post! The NetBSD Guide has an extensive chapter on installing NetBSD that covers a wide range of scenarios. Its an invaluable resource maintained by volunteer contributors. After performing a few installs, these are my personal notes of steps taken and choices made. My short and sweet version. 🙂 https://www.dwarmstrong.org/netbsd-install/ #NetBSD #RunBSD npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…9vmp Thank you! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…x7m7 Thanks... You too! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…9vmp Thanks! If its straightforward to add the sets later, I'm inclined to not install the X11 set unless its needed. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…x7m7 No I haven't. This weekend the focus will be in the console. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong In anticipation of installing NetBSD on a remote VPS next week, I've installed NetBSD today on a local device to poke around a bit! #NetBSD #RunBSD https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/114/919/943/222/949/961/original/35f7f4ce3e2e98c3.png npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…9vmp This is something I was wondering about... If I install NetBSD on a remote VPS, should I do the "Full installation" option including the X11 sets? npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong I finished reading "HHhH" by Laurent Binet and liked it very much (as much as one can like a book about Nazis). Its a novel that revolves around the assassination of the very real-life Reinhard Heydrich, a high-ranking Nazi SS officer and principal architect of the Final Solution. The book itself is a curious format where the author writes about writing the novel, interwoven with the story itself. Recommended! #Books #WarCrimes #War https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/114/916/580/365/625/029/original/7963166efe5890bf.jpg npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong For sharing a common Fish shell configuration between multiple operating systems, the `switch` command is useful. Using `switch` I can execute different blocks of code depending on the OS reported by `uname`. Example: ``` switch (uname) case FreeBSD abbr -a l ls -aFhl --color=always case NetBSD abbr -a l colorls -aFGl end ``` #FishShell #FreeBSD #NetBSD npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…sr9k That's incredibly encouraging! I've downloaded the NetBSD image and first I'm going to install it to a local machine to poke around. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong I have an idea for a new project blog, and discovering useful information about how to set one up with a cheap VPS running NetBSD courtesy of this post from @nprofile…sr9k ... https://it-notes.dragas.net/2025/04/22/make-your-own-internet-presence-with-netbsd-and-a-1-euro-vps-part-1-your-blog/ #NetBSD #RunBSD #SelfHosting #VPS npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…3e0r @nprofile…sr9k As I type this on my machine running FreeBSD as an everyday new BSD user, I can testify to the truth of this! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…7nq4 I love that the whole website is running on solar...So many interesting articles to check out! (And perhaps to build?) 🤔 npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong In a nod to Slackware's 32nd (!) birthday, I ran through a Slackware install on a Thinkpad for old time's sake. 🙂 #Slackware #Linux #Thinkpad https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/114/875/717/521/645/776/original/a3beef39401337b0.png npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…htmr Good to know... Thanks! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…htmr Thanks for the tip. I'll probably install stable/release on an old Thinkpad and poke around a bit, before taking a look at -current. I imagine if you've been using -current the whole time its proven to be stable in daily use? npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong Just downloaded the Slackware64 15.0 install iso. The download speeds are certainly faster than they were in 2000! 🙂 https://mirrors.slackware.com/slackware/slackware-iso/slackware64-15.0-iso/ #Slackware #Linux npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…uvhj Wow. Hats off and a deep bow to everyone who keeps Slackware rolling along! Twenty-five years ago Slackware was my first experience of Linux. I've had a Linux machine running under my roof ever since. Nostalgia has got me in its tight embrace. I think a Slackware install this weekend is in order. :slackware: npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…setd No I haven't. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…4fe8 Thank you for the feedback! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…aeqe Have fun! npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…29ma I'm happy with newsboat. npub10mfvwmp6ptat908xhrpf9ygkrgu8r5t0d7twu3t9lx30tykwvx2qju0gkd Daniel Wayne Armstrong @nprofile…4fe8 I'm interested in trying a split keyboard. Would you recommend that Kinesis Freestyle2 keyboard in the photo?