Posts by Steve Graham

Re: A reminder

The standard Ubuntu setup, inherited or copied by other distributions, is that logging in as root is disabled, but sudo grants the logged-in user root access to all commands (on submission of their own password). This is why many tutorials on system administration put "sudo" at the front of all commands.

It seems wrong, but I can't put my finger on exactly why.

Re: "Pop!_OS still does not play nicely with dual boot"

GRUB tries to cope with many, many scenarios, which makes it quite large and complex, whereas extlinux can only boot a Linux kernel running with an unencrypted ext4 root partition*. Since that is exactly what I need, I opt for that simplicity. It has meant that I needed to write a custom script to replace the usual one started by "make install" in a kernel build, but, excellently, the kernel developers have put in the hooks to enable you to do just that.

*(Actually, I think it might work with more partition formats, but I've never used anything else. Oh, it supports an initrd too, but I've eliminated that.)

Re: PiDP maybe?

Uni OS course assignment (1980s) where I used the console switches to load a bootstrap by hand

Me too. Edinburgh, 1977.

Re: ninjed me!!!

Giving the default user full root access to everything is a Ubuntu thing. (Inherited in derived distros.) Many other Linux distros stick to the traditional Unix-y permissions regime. So, if I need to do system admin, I log in as root. That's the way I've always done it, and that's the way I like it.

I also managed to mis-spell "excalibur" when I tried to upgrade. Maybe it's dementia creeping in.

Re: Password rules make for weaker passwords

A short maximum password length is a red flag. It suggests that they are storing the password, not a hash.

Re: If only...

My current phone and its predecssor are Pixel devices from the Evil Empire. Unlocking the bootloader is a standard option on them.

Re: Eh

Yes, I think this article jumps to the conclusion that the setting turns back on by itself, and that isn't what the Microsoft description says.

I imagine that users turning it on and off repeatedly would burn a lot of AI calories, which is why Microsoft restricts it.

Re: Android is dead to me.

The vast majority of Android devices have "non-Google ROM images", from Samsung, Xiaomi, Fairphone and so on. And yet they all work with banking and goverment apps. Enough of the FUD, please. I've been using LineageOS/microG for several years and never had a problem.

Re: Systemd

"it doesn't conform to my idea of the way Linux should be" in that it aspires to become an operating system, and that's what we have Linux for.

The initial code runs on the GPU, not CPU. If I've understood correctly, this is beacuse RAM isn't available on power-on, but the GPU has onboard cache where it can run code. Enough to enable RAM and hand off to the CPU, which can load an operating system.

Re: Gotta love the sarcasm

The core function of systemd is to act as a service manager... which is why it is factually inaccurate to describe it as an "init system".

I've been using Linux exclusively on my own machines, and then exclusively-exclusively when I retired, for almost 25 years. And I have never had an essential system process that crashed and needed to be restarted. OK, I'm just a home user, but none of my machines need a "service manager".

Although a long-time Debian and eventually Devuan user, I've started trying out Alpine on low-spec machines. From doing "ps -ax" I see that it seems to have a "service manager". I'll bet that its codebase is a tiny fraction of systemd's.

Re: Love Wayland

"X11 never used to work with my multiple monitors with different refresh rates."

You're doing it wrong.

Re: They keep removing features. When was the last time they added one?

I don't know when it happened, but ALSA support is back. I previously used Chromium for streaming radio on my "music server" (a Pi 4) but after an update, sound was dropping out regularly. I installed Firefox ESR and it works perfectly.

(I use Vivaldi on the desktop PC for everyday browsing, Librewolf in a virtual machine for banking, and Chromium with previous data wiped when a site won't work with ads and scripts blocked.)

Re: I remember

I have a Pixel 5a running LineageOS/microG. Monthly updates download and install painlessly. When the Android main version changes, you have to install the update manually, but I've done that five times now (currently on 13) and nothing has broken.

LineageOS is available for the Pixel 7 Pro, so you could easily get your previous phone working again.

Re: A good example of when new is not better

Plus, on RHD cars you have to do touch-screen with your left hand, and 80% of drivers are right-handed.

I think Weigelt is even less likely to stick with something than the average solo forker. His "unusual" opinions suggest that he might just get angry about something else and go off at a tangent.

I assume that the current IP stack on phones doesn't send IMEI in the headers or whatever, given that IP was standardized aeons before anybody thought of mobile phones?

Of course, Google might include it anyway because they love to fingerprint an individual device.

Re: Alarmist?

Your problem isn't that Linux doesn't work. Your problem is that you don't know enough to get it to work. But as a Reg reader you must be far better informed than the average Windows punter. That's why I don't see a mass movement to any form of Linux after Windows 10 becomes unsupported.