Daniel Wayne Armstrong

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.

Blog: https://www.dwarmstrong.org
Location: 1 AU

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npub1l5has25tt9xu5dfa2qcxtjk60v6rg9cedhgyq3arktpn57rgrpzskj79na

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[email protected]

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nprofile1qqs06t7c9294jnw2x574qvr9etd8kdp5zuvkm5zqg73m9se60p5ps3gpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dsglvyal

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nostr.mom

nos.lol

relay.damus.io

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npub1l5has25tt9xu5dfa2qcxtjk60v6rg9cedhgyq3arktpn57rgrpzskj79na

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Last Notes

2026-10-27 23:04:28 GMT

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I have suspend/resume working with NetBSD on my T480s with Intel graphics.

2026-09-29 18:15:46 GMT

Day 23
After exploring NetBSD on spare hardware, I've moved Linux (LMDE with Cinnamon desktop) off my main desktop (ThinkCentre M720q) and replaced it with NetBSD and Openbox.
I think its a keeper!
#X11 #Openbox #40DaysOfNetBSD #NetBSD #RunBSD
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/117/355/667/817/610/732/original/3a14a59465d6a8d8.png

2026-09-09 00:07:53 GMT

"The World of Retro Computing Expo 2026 has been confirmed as a two day event this September 12-13, 2026 in the "IDEAs Clinic Room 1427" at the Pearl Sullivan Engineering Building at the University of Waterloo."
https://www.worldofretrocomputing.com/2026-worc-expo
#Retrocomputing #Waterloo #Canada

2026-09-06 15:10:55 GMT

Day 6
Getting acquainted with the 'vi' editor, which on NetBSD is the 'nvi' version. I created a '~/.exrc' file with a few options for more comfortable use:
$ cat .exrc
set showmode ruler
set number
set searchincr iclower
set tabstop=4
set shiftwidth=4
set expandtab
https://www.netbsd.org/docs/guide/en/chap-edit.html
#40DaysOfNetBSD #NetBSD #RunBSD

2026-09-01 13:28:37 GMT

Day 1
With the release of NetBSD 11.0, and reading about the neat things people are doing with it (particularly on minimal hardware such as @npub1ef5…gcpc and the #littlefedi project), I want to explore this BSD in more detail. Hence "40 Days of NetBSD", where the plan is to poke around the system a bit each day for the next 40 days to gain a deeper appreciation for the OS and Unix tools.
NetBSD now installed on my Thinkpad T480s. Let's go!
https://www.dwarmstrong.org/netbsd-encrypt-install/
#40DaysOfNetBSD #NetBSD #RunBSD
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/117/196/009/366/194/873/original/21ad09c77c4060c8.png

2026-08-29 15:48:19 GMT

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I have an idea for a project and already secured the .com domain, but I think I will also register the .ca and use that instead because of... things. 🇨🇦

2026-08-19 17:45:43 GMT

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Bravo. You kept the discussion chill, and you didn't need an AC to do it. 🙂
You might even have planted a few seeds of self-reflection.

2026-08-11 17:03:53 GMT

UPDATE
Decided to stick with 15.1-RELEASE for my home server.
Looking to try the Sylve virtualization manager, and noticed:
"Although we list support for FreeBSD 15.0-RELEASE, we strongly recommend using -STABLE with pkgbase... That said, if your use case requires maximum stability and you do not need the latest features or bug fixes, 15.0-RELEASE should work perfectly fine."
https://sylve.io/getting-started/
Perhaps switching to -STABLE will be OK?
Hmm...
https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/cutting-edge/#stable
#Sylve #FreeBSD

2026-08-10 19:29:57 GMT

Its been some time since I've setup a home server, and even then I only used it to store backups from devices on the LAN.
Never hosted anything that is reachable from the internet (besides SSH). I want to learn how to self-host a few services, starting with a Google Photos replacement; and littleFedi by @npub1ef5…gcpc .
Thought of using a old laptop, but decided to step up to a ThinkCentre M720q. I've installed FreeBSD as the host OS.
Onward!
#SelfHosting #MiniPC #FreeBSD #RunBSD #littleFedi
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/117/072/855/040/288/045/original/299b2c9eb3f32eb5.png

2026-07-20 20:03:44 GMT

Guix goes on the Thinkpad.
The graphical (TUI) install process is clear and concise. If you don't like the suggested disk partitioning scheme its straightforward to customize. I didn't feel the need to switch to a console to do a manual install.
Disk layout is a small ESP partition, with the rest going to a LUKS encrypted root partition. Kernel 'linux-libre' supports the Intel ethernet without binary blobs, and I've ordered a AR9271 USB wifi adapter to keep things libre.
Onward!
#Guix #Linux
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/954/020/235/989/331/original/563c7a31767bec0b.png

2026-06-02 15:58:46 GMT

:freebsd: + :xfce: = ❤️
Bouncing between Sway and Gnome and KDE and now on Xfce (on FreeBSD 15.1-RC2). Due to their modular nature (a plus in itself), I've used Xfce components in the past in window managers but never spent much time before in the actual desktop.
Solid foundation, easy to customize... It makes for a happy Thinkpad and user! When FreeBSD 15.1 RELEASE arrives this month it along with Xfce are going on the desktop as well.
#FreeBSD #Xfce #RunBSD
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/681/313/906/422/514/original/54e651be3b81e3a0.png

2026-04-09 01:20:31 GMT

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How cool is that?!

2026-03-31 21:59:29 GMT

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

2026-02-10 15:21:47 GMT

This excellent video and link to the configs by @npub13w4…9w2p has me wanting to install and explore i3wm:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xrUVjFKD6E
I have this notion of configuring my Xorg desktop on Alpine Linux to have a single desktop with all windows as tabs, and i3wm has a built-in tab mode.
#i3wm #WindowManager #Xorg #AlpineLinux #Linux

2025-06-11 17:49:42 GMT

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Thanks. I had to explicitly instruct pkg to look for upgrades from FreeBSD-kmods.
Just needed to run this command:
# pkg upgrade -r FreeBSD-kmods

2025-06-11 15:38:05 GMT

[ SOLVED - SEE COMMENTS ]
!! Word of caution if anyone is thinking of upgrading FreeBSD 14.2->14.3 on a desktop machine !!
First time upgrading FreeBSD. Everything seemed OK but upon reboot no longer have working Intel graphic card support:
$ dmesg | grep drm
KLD drm.ko: depends on dmabuf - not available or version mismatch
[...]
Quick search leads me to think I might need to build some packages from ports (another first).
An opportunity for troubleshooting! 🙂
#FreeBSD #RunBSD

2025-05-05 14:41:02 GMT

Day 05 of #31DaysOfFreeBSD :freebsd:
The default user login on FreeBSD can be a wee bit busy. I like to customize it with a different "last login" notification and a "Daily Dose of Wisdom" delivered courtesy of `fortune` piped to `cowsay`. My notes:
https://www.dwarmstrong.org/customize-login-freebsd/
#FreeBSD #RunBSD #Shell

2025-05-01 16:20:49 GMT

Day 01 of #31DaysOfFreeBSD :freebsd:
The plan is to:
* Set aside a bit of time every day this month to explore FreeBSD.
* Set up and evaluate FreeBSD as a desktop OS.
Start Here: Installed FreeBSD 14.2 on my Thinkpad T480s with Root-on-ZFS and encryption.
#FreeBSD #RunBSD #ZFS #Thinkpad
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/114/433/478/159/769/442/original/b34949267affec3c.png

2025-04-16 15:26:14 GMT

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.
This is how I do it...
https://www.dwarmstrong.org/netbsd-encrypt-install/
#NetBSD #RunBSD

2025-04-05 17:17:01 GMT

I've run various Linux distros, but with little exposure to other Unix-like operating systems. I want to explore different ways of doing things on a computer, and I'm curious about the BSDs. I've briefly looked at FreeBSD and NetBSD.
Now I'm giving OpenBSD a go with beginner's mind.
I use the OpenBSD install image to create an encrypted, console-only base configuration that can be customized further for various tasks.
This is how I do it...
https://www.dwarmstrong.org/openbsd-install/
#OpenBSD #RunBSD #Shoshin

2025-03-03 15:38:33 GMT

A CanSat is a simulated satellite design where all its major components (power, communications, payload) are designed to fit within the volume and shape of a regular pop can. Being inexpensive to build and something that can be taken from design to launch (into the air) in less than a year, it has a particular appeal to students (and me!) to try their hand at hacking on space technology. There are various CanSat competitions around the world:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CanSat
#CanSat #Satellite #Space
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/114/099/223/203/850/901/original/fbc3a14de1bc3464.jpg

2025-02-02 14:25:26 GMT

Libre Space Foundation is a non-profit, community-driven effort to create FOSS space technologies. Starting with SatNOGS - a global network of DIY satellite ground stations - projects include creating and deploying the world's first FOSS satellite, develop machine learning for satellites, and more. I especially like the idea of installing SatNOGS on a Raspberry Pi (or perhaps an old laptop?) to create your very own ground station at home!
https://libre.space/
#LibreSpace #SatNOGS #Space
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/113/934/742/398/840/779/original/f851a246636b4e14.png

2025-01-31 14:00:26 GMT

I'm starting a new series on my blog: "FOSS IN SPACE"
Every Friday I will highlight four resources from the world of free/libre software, hardware, and ideals that are building the next Space Age:
https://www.dwarmstrong.org/foss-in-space-1/
Onward!
#FOSS #Space #LibreSpace #Python #NetBSD

2024-08-26 16:04:12 GMT

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Seeding! Thanks for sharing!
Its like being inside a dream. I loved watching this so much. ❤️

2024-08-09 00:36:39 GMT

Remember SETI@home?
@npub154d…gctc jogged my memory by recently highlighting the community "distributed supercomputer" dedicated to science: BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing):
https://boinc.berkeley.edu/
Now my computer is using its idle cycles to crunch data from gravitational-wave detectors courtesy of Einstein@Home:
https://einsteinathome.org/about
#BOINC #DistributedComputing #VolunteerComputing #GravitationalWaves #NeutronStars #Physics #Space #Linux
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/112/929/237/581/163/999/original/c05040357543496a.png

2024-08-04 15:33:55 GMT

Syncthing is a real-time file synchronization program for keeping files synced between multiple devices in real time.
I've been using it as a drop-in replacement for some custom bash scripts and after several days of use have come to LOVE it. Home folders are kept in sync between my Linux computers. Photos are seamlessly transferred from my phone. A photo album is synced to a tablet made into a digital photo frame:
https://www.dwarmstrong.org/syncthing/
#Syncthing #LMDE #Debian #Linux #Blog

2024-08-03 20:19:47 GMT

Today unboxing a Kobo LIbra Colour ereader I received as a gift.
Two things I immediately like:
* it mounts via USB as a plain storage device (formatted FAT32) under Linux (LMDE) and epub files can be simply copied to the device in the console
* its a simple matter to add a one-liner to the plaintext config file stored on the device to disable the need to register and setup an account (user has options)
Kudos Kobo!
#Kobo #Ereader #LMDE #Linux