Edge of the World

I'm using Ubuntu 18.04 on my Dell XPS 13

I have moved to historic West End Dallas, Texas.  I've been through the Tech Wars, VHS vs. BetaMax, Palm Pilot, Apple II computers, Pebble Watch.  Got on the Internet in 1991 on UNIX.  Life has changed.  I will give the blog a rebirth.  I still use no Microsoft or Apple proprietary software or hardware.

XFCE 4.10 was released about two weeks ago, too late to be included in Xubuntu 12.04 LTS Precise Pangolin. But you can install the latest XFCE 4.10 in Xubuntu 12.04 using a PPA. XFCE 4.10 comes with many improvements which include a new application finder, a new vertical display mode for the panel: "deskbar", multiple rows support for the panel, the window manager supports tiling windows when dragging them to the screen edges, thumbnail rendering support for Xfdesktop, the mouse and touchpad dialog is capable of handling basic Synaptics and Wacom properties in the GUI, and more. For more info, check out the XFCE 4.10 tour @ http://www.xfce.org/about/tour Install / upgrade to XFCE 4.10 in Xubuntu 12.04 via PPA Lionel Le Folgoc, a Xubuntu contributor, has set up a PPA to make it easy to install the latest XFCE 4.10 in Xubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin. To add the PPA and upgrade to XFCE 4.10, use the commands below: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xubuntu-dev/xfce-4.10 sudo ...

For Pi Day (3.14), I ordered two Larsen NNO-K antenna mounts for the Honda Element.   Goal is to install two meter VHF and a 220 band amateur radios.  I will run 8 AWG power from the 12V battery to power this equipment.  On the HF scene, I am ready to bolt my Yaesu FT-897D and LDG AT-897+ together.  Looking at a Kent SP-1 single paddle code key for CW "morse code".  This is a side swipper "Cootie" key ;)

It’s about time for a 2012 blog update, still of big fan of Linux and Android. I have been an Ubuntu fan since around 2005 but bloat and the Unity desktop has got me pretty devoted to Linux Mint. I have Linux Mint Debian on my Dell OptiPlex and Linux Mint 12 on the Dell 2400.  I usually use an Xfce desktop but Gnome isn’t bad with Mint. I just like Xfce, I know how it works and I just love the little mouse. I was even a KDE fan for years but I gave up for a while after the KDE 2.4 confusion, I downloaded Linux Mint KDE 12 the other night and might even give it a try again, been hearing KDE is getting more stable lately. My trusty Dell Mini 9 has run Peppermint Two Linux for some time but instead of the typical OpenBox desktop, I use Xfce 4.8 and I am quite pleased with performance. This is my favorite web surfing, Google+ box. A new Acer Iconia A100 tablet has been in the etech inventory, it’s fun for very mobile web use, gmail and Twitter. I had to root it after about a week ...

Being one of the original nerds, a bit to the right of Attila the Hun. a crazy electronics tech, General Class Radio Op, US Army veteran and an Xfce computer geek. I traded the 2008 Honda Fit and got a 2011 Honda Element EX before Honda stopped production of the Elements. I love the Element so far, it feels so much more solid than the Fit. I do plan on on drilling a 3/4" home in the center of the roof later for a Larsen NMO antenna mount. Need a new Yaesu dual band FT-7900R (2-meter/70-cm) VHF/UHF radio then add the Larsen NMO2/70B antenna. Billy, etech18 @ Twitter

Being a Linux monkey and ham radio operator, I just got my "spare" WRT54GL router setup with as a HSMM-MESH node, N5EVD-1.  I find HSMM-MESH interesting since it combines my loves of ham radio, networking and Linux computing.  Already thinking about a Mini-ITX Ubuntu server in a NEMA box with my node ;)  I would like experiment with fixed and mobile Mesh networking for use in future public service and emergency response events.   Also looking at Freifunk Firmware used to build citywide wireless intranets by meshing with layer-3  OLSR routing. Check out http://www.hsmm-mesh.org/ http://wiki.freifunk.net/Freifunk_Firmware_(English)