My 40th Thread...Linux Life

[target2019]

Digital Image Captures 4

The built-in HP Webcam produces a better picture. The shot below (I'm modeling home-made protective mask v2.0) is reduced 75% in size.

During this part of the educational excursion I found Linux commands to identify device tech specs:

• xinput list
• xinput list-props "HP Webcam: HP Webcam"
• usb-devices
• lsusb

I'll spare you the other output examples, except for xinput list screen shot below. That is useful in understanding the built-in devices as well as the externals.

Of course, the modern world has moved forward from the ancient cameras written about here. For example, I had a telemed session last Friday with the cardiologist. His health group only supports the MyChart app running on phone or tablet. My Pixel 3 phone camera records video at 1080p full HD resolution, so the session went very well. He received a picture similar to the HP capture below.

 

[target2019]

I like mint 16.3 and have all laptops and desktops of personal computers but one running it. No idea if mint will ever work on tablets but would move them too if I could although I guess they are running a type of linux anyway. The only problem for me is I was a bit more savy with old windows with batch files and stuff, while Linux coding is still a bit strange and different if I go to terminal. (sort of like windows command prompt)

I am finding that I need to look up almost everything Linux, and not retaining commands for use an hour later. There was a day and time when I could do that.

I mentioned using an outline tool for the organization and writing of posts. I'm keeping enough notes that I can retrace my steps and hopefully make sense.

Below is capture that shows where I'm storing often-used commands in the same outline. Something similar may be of use to you.

I've used outline tools as far back as I can recall. I'm relying more on the tool as time passes.

 

[zinger1457]

I am finding that I need to look up almost everything Linux, and not retaining commands for use an hour later. There was a day and time when I could do that.

I worked with Unix (Sun Solaris) during my working days, once you become proficient at writing scripts it becomes an extremely powerful OS but it's definitely a 'use it or lose it' skill. It's not really surprising why Linux has never made serious inroads in the OS market.

 

[ERD50]

..... It's not really surprising why Linux has never made serious inroads in the OS market.

But this misstates it, I think. You don't often need to get into the terminal in Linux. It's an option in most cases, just like it is in Win/Mac.

My wife gets on my computer and uses it just like her Mac. Browser, Office suite (I have LibreOffice on all our machines), email. No real difference.

I had to do some trouble shooting on her MacBook Pro a while back. For some things that I do very simply on Linux from the GUI, I had to get into the command line to do these on the Mac. Apple decided to hide some things from the user - no GUI. IIRC, one example was just turning on/off "display hidden files" in the Finder. And it took a restart of the Finder for it to take effect. In Linux, to show/hide hidden files, it's right there in the "View" drop down, and a convenient "CONTOL-H" toggles it, with an immediate update.


edit/add: I'd say the real reason Linux hasn't gone mains stream is the average person won't see it offered preinstalled . They would need to search them out, or install it themselves. Installation is not hard at all in most cases, but how many people would even think about it?

-ERD50

 

[donheff]

I agree with ERD. Getting back to Linux after 10 years I was pleased with the ease of updating, adding packages, and doing routine stuff. I have been amused at the command line antics on this thread but I have been fooling around with it as well. It was always a bit of a PITA but I forgot that it's also fun.

Still, if a routine user got Linux pre-installed on a laptop or desktop they could function fine out of the box and never have to call up a terminal.

 

[ERD50]

...

Still, if a routine user got Linux pre-installed on a laptop or desktop they could function fine out of the box and never have to call up a terminal.

I just realized, this is demonstrated every single day, millions of times a day.

Android phones, tablets, and Chromebooks are Linux. People use them everyday w/o touching the command line! But you can still find the geeks who get in and 'root' them, and do all sorts of stuff. That doesn't mean you need to!

-ERD50

 

[target2019]

I worked with Unix (Sun Solaris) during my working days, once you become proficient at writing scripts it becomes an extremely powerful OS but it's definitely a 'use it or lose it' skill. It's not really surprising why Linux has never made serious inroads in the OS market.

Yes, desktop Linux share is low, while mobile Linux (Android) is high.

Statcounter Global Stats
Mobile Operating System Market Share Worldwide - February 2020
Android 73.3%
iOS 25.89%
KaiOS 0.23%
Samsung 0.18%
Unknown 0.13%
Windows 0.12%

Netmarketshare.com
Desktop OS
Windows 88.14%
Mac OS 9.42%
Linux 1.85%
Chrome OS 0.42%
Unknown 0.16%
BSD 0.01%

“Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.”

But this misstates it, I think. You don't often need to get into the terminal in Linux. It's an option in most cases, just like it is in Win/Mac.

My wife gets on my computer and uses it just like her Mac. Browser, Office suite (I have LibreOffice on all our machines), email. No real difference.

I had to do some trouble shooting on her MacBook Pro a while back. For some things that I do very simply on Linux from the GUI, I had to get into the command line to do these on the Mac. Apple decided to hide some things from the user - no GUI. IIRC, one example was just turning on/off "display hidden files" in the Finder. And it took a restart of the Finder for it to take effect. In Linux, to show/hide hidden files, it's right there in the "View" drop down, and a convenient "CONTOL-H" toggles it, with an immediate update.

edit/add: I'd say the real reason Linux hasn't gone mains stream is the average person won't see it offered preinstalled . They would need to search them out, or install it themselves. Installation is not hard at all in most cases, but how many people would even think about it?

Different classes of users would have a variety of experiences with Linux desktop, I guess. The already-held knowledge (like Windows) interferes with finding your way through Linux. That's not true for you, but I think we're discussing the general public.

When you say “no difference” about Libre Office, that is true in your home. But many users I've met would absolutely freeze at the visual differences. I have a user forced onto Libre Office here. Now that she can RDP to work desktop, she's very happy to be back with desktop Outlook, Word, Excel.

I agree with ERD. Getting back to Linux after 10 years I was pleased with the ease of updating, adding packages, and doing routine stuff. I have been amused at the command line antics on this thread but I have been fooling around with it as well. It was always a bit of a PITA but I forgot that it's also fun.

Still, if a routine user got Linux pre-installed on a laptop or desktop they could function fine out of the box and never have to call up a terminal.

I'm sure that will happen in the future. Chrome OS might have a better chance, as the hardware is locked for the most part.

I just realized, this is demonstrated every single day, millions of times a day.

Android phones, tablets, and Chromebooks are Linux. People use them everyday w/o touching the command line! But you can still find the geeks who get in and 'root' them, and do all sorts of stuff. That doesn't mean you need to!

Like other discussions we end up chasing statistics, and it matters what region you compute in. Linux + Chrme desktop share is 2.5% or some other smaller number. The force which matters over long periods is capturing some market share, and having people believe.

I see Linux as something that satisfies my curiosity, and extends the life of a 10-year old notebook that has usefulness. It contrasts well with the original commercial Windows OS. What an extraordinary effort by Linus Torvalds and many who work on the various forks.

 

[Sunset]

Because most folks purchase a computer with a Windows or Mac system installed, they have Zero motivation to even try Linux.

That's how it was for me on my last 3 or 4 computers.

I didn't bother in the last few decades until I built my own machine, so before spending $120 on Windows, I figured I'd try Unbuntu.

My problem is DW has a Win10 machine, and I want her on Ubuntu, so I can streamline her backups by using my scripts. But she is not interested.

 

[target2019]

Digital Image Captures 5

Android IP Webcam

How are we handling the social isolation? The first photo captures the separation feeling. I needed to un-tether from the notebook, and look for interesting views around the house and yard. This answers the question, “What do you do with a 5-year old LG Ultimate 2 Android phone?”

Easy, download the the free version version of IP Webcam, which ran flawlessly on KitKat 4.4 (that's as far as the phone goes. It was fortuitous that the Android OS (aka mobile Linux) is frozen in 5-year limbo, as comments in the play store suggested newer phones and OS might have problems.

Next activity was to modify a heavy pedestal that could hold the phone. It gives the strapped-in phone an extra 11-inches of height, Can clearly see over obstacles like table chairs and window shades. Photo number 2 shows the backyard, as viewed through Kitchen window.

Connecting to the camera is very easy, through any web browser. You go to 192.168.1.X (the phone on your LAN network) and use 8080 or other port you specify on the phone. Then start the phone server, browse, and land on the a web interface with access to more controls than you actually need. IP Webcam is described in the following article. You can tweak everything, which isn't bad for a free app.
https://ergonotes.com/your-phone-is-your-web-camera-ip-webcam-review/

Variety is possible now, as you see from backyard shot number two. The colors are very muted, as the sun is behind me, out front and rising.

I've been noticing how each of us is reacting during the crisis. She has a job, and the forced telecommuting is just not enough socializing. So, off to the office in Center City this morning. Usually it's a train ride over the Ben Franklin Bridge, leaving her a one-block walk to the hospital. But driving the car is a level of extra protection, even if the trains are sanitized. Once-a-week travel to the city will work well for her.

After work, she'll drop off a few dozen masks at the senior care center where both parents lived out their remaining years. As you can tell, her social drive requires mixing with others, even if it must be done at a distance.

I'm somewhere on the opposite side of the physical socialization scale. Picture numero dos from early this morning proves it. I can think about that throughout the day, and in fact use it to spawn writing ideas.

 

[ERD50]

Yes, desktop Linux share is low, while mobile Linux (Android) is high.
...

It's interesting to me that Linux has a higher share on the desktop than Windows has on the mobile sector. Might be 'fun' to dig up some quotes from Steve Balmer about his predictions for Microsoft Phone (and , what was it "Zune"?).

Also interesting that on the desktop, there is one Linux desktop for every 5 Mac OS machines? Is that right? I wonder how they define "desktop"? And is a tablet "mobile" (I'd guess not, or Microsoft would have a decent share of tablets, I'd think)?

... When you say “no difference” about Libre Office, that is true in your home. But many users I've met would absolutely freeze at the visual differences.

Clarification: I was talking about LibreOffice on Mac versus LibreOffice on Linux (or Windows for that matter). Yes, there are differences between LibreOffice and Excel, but pretty minor for most users (not all).

... “What do you do with a 5-year old LG Ultimate 2 Android phone?” ....

I need to look into programming for old Android phones again. These things get tossed side, but they still have powerful processors, a touchscreen, microphone, speaker, camera(s), battery/power supply - that's a lot of capability. I investigated it a bit a few years ago, but the "easy" programming languages (BASIC, Python) I found didn't seem to give much access to the hardware, other than display and touchscreen. I want to control something or monitor something with them. Maybe there is something available today for that?

-ERD50

 

[Sunset]

Android IP Webcam

How are we handling the social isolation? The first photo captures the separation feeling. I needed to un-tether from the notebook, and look for interesting views around the house and yard. This answers the question, “What do you do with a 5-year old LG Ultimate 2 Android phone?”

Easy, download the the free version version of IP Webcam, which ran flawlessly on KitKat 4.4 (that's as far as the phone goes. It was fortuitous that the Android OS (aka mobile Linux) is frozen in 5-year limbo, as comments in the play store suggested newer phones and OS might have problems.

Next activity was to modify a heavy pedestal that could hold the phone. It gives the strapped-in phone an extra 11-inches of height, Can clearly see over obstacles like table chairs and window shades. Photo number 2 shows the backyard, as viewed through Kitchen window.

Connecting to the camera is very easy, through any web browser. You go to 192.168.1.X (the phone on your LAN network) and use 8080 or other port you specify on the phone. Then start the phone server, browse, and land on the a web interface with access to more controls than you actually need. IP Webcam is described in the following article. You can tweak everything, which isn't bad for a free app.
https://ergonotes.com/your-phone-is-your-web-camera-ip-webcam-review/

Variety is possible now, as you see from backyard shot number two. The colors are very muted, as the sun is behind me, out front and rising.

I've been noticing how each of us is reacting during the crisis. She has a job, and the forced telecommuting is just not enough socializing. So, off to the office in Center City this morning. Usually it's a train ride over the Ben Franklin Bridge, leaving her a one-block walk to the hospital. But driving the car is a level of extra protection, even if the trains are sanitized. Once-a-week travel to the city will work well for her.

After work, she'll drop off a few dozen masks at the senior care center where both parents lived out their remaining years. As you can tell, her social drive requires mixing with others, even if it must be done at a distance.

I'm somewhere on the opposite side of the physical socialization scale. Picture numero dos from early this morning proves it. I can think about that throughout the day, and in fact use it to spawn writing ideas.

Nice summary, it makes me want to find my old LG and see if it can do this.

 

[jim584672]

I don't consider Android to be Linux. It sits on top of Linux.

 

[ERD50]

I don't consider Android to be Linux. It sits on top of Linux.

Does that distinction matter?

I run Xubuntu, so isn't that XFCE sitting on top of Linux? Does that mean it isn't Linux? I don't get your point.

-ERD50

 

[jim584672]

Does that distinction matter?

I run Xubuntu, so isn't that XFCE sitting on top of Linux? Does that mean it isn't Linux? I don't get your point.

-ERD50

It uses the Kernel, that is about it. It can't run a Linux executable. It uses none of the surrounding Linux ecosystem, like standard C libraries or compilers. It can't run XFCE, Gnome, KDE, Mate or any of the desktops for Linux. It is locked down for the average user. It is a straight jacket against freedom, hijacking hardware on devices against user wishes a lot of the time. It doesn't behave like Linux and is not a good example of Linux.

 

[target2019]

I need to look into programming for old Android phones again. These things get tossed side, but they still have powerful processors, a touchscreen, microphone, speaker, camera(s), battery/power supply - that's a lot of capability. I investigated it a bit a few years ago, but the "easy" programming languages (BASIC, Python) I found didn't seem to give much access to the hardware, other than display and touchscreen. I want to control something or monitor something with them. Maybe there is something available today for that?

I found the phone had a 5MP camera, and good enough for now. Funny how much more resolution in that than the other cams I've mentioned.

KDE Connect looks of interest. It sets a communication path between phone and PC.

KDE Connect is a project that enables all your devices to communicate with each other. Here are a few things KDE Connect can do:

• Receive your phone notifications on your desktop computer and reply to messages
• Control music playing on your desktop from your phone
• Use your phone as a remote control for your desktop
• Run predefined commands on your PC from connected devices. See the list of example commands for more details.
• Check your phones battery level from the desktop
• Ring your phone to help finding it
• Share files and links between devices
• Browse your phone from the desktop
• Control the desktop's volume from the phone

 

[ERD50]

It uses the Kernel, that is about it. It can't run a Linux executable. It uses none of the surrounding Linux ecosystem, like standard C libraries or compilers. It can't run XFCE, Gnome, KDE, Mate or any of the desktops for Linux. It is locked down for the average user. It is a straight jacket against freedom, hijacking hardware on devices against user wishes a lot of the time. It doesn't behave like Linux and is not a good example of Linux.

OK, I see. Thanks. -ERD50

 

[target2019]

Tenacious and Artful

In this post the emphasis is on Life, rather than Linux.

Mid-week I began thinking of past mentors and how each influenced my career. After watching a few videos about the subject I understood that for me there were mentor-to-mentor relationships rather than a formal example.

In the intervening days it became apparent that my #1 mentor actually has lived with me for 45 years or more. The thought was triggered by a photo sent to us, by a nurse at local hospital who is modelling one of the masks manufactured by my spouse. I've modified the photo as you can see below. These are in use in the ER as well as labor & delivery. It gives them an alternative to wearing the same mask all day. The nurses themselves have added two buttons to their headbands, making for more comfortable wearing.

We're all the product of interesting chromosome mixing over the long haul. This is how it came to be for wife, in a nutshell.

One x chromosome came from Scotland/Northern England. In 1830 the birth location was Texas. Future descendants stayed in the region, until DW mother left in the 1950s. I call this chromosome tenacious x. The inheritor will do anything to protect her family, and take on challenges others may avoid. For example, my M-I-L went to the Wilkes Barre Flood in 1972. Yes, she was a nurse, and carried out her duty.

The other x chromosome I have recorded as early as 1860, or 5 generations. Some children crossed the Atlantic in 1902, sailing from Le Havre France to Philadelphia. These immigrants were Ashkenazim fleeing the latest wave of pogroms. After arriving in the U.S. many of the women worked as seamstresses privately and in city factories. The skills brought with them proved to be successful in the expanding garment industry in the new country. I call this the artful x.

There you have it. An ode to the perfect mentor, her tenacious and artful abilities coming together during a historic event. Every picture tells a story, don't it?

 

[target2019]

Nothing but the Weather

On the weekend, I wanted the weather forecast, and did not want to lift my hands from the keyboard. It took awhile to find ansiweather which is low overhead. I read about different applets, desklets and programs to do this, but decided to stick with the geek solution.

AnsiWeather is a Shell script for displaying the current weather conditions in your terminal, with support for ANSI colors and Unicode symbols.

Why bother with installing and configuring? I could look at my phone. I could look at one of my PC browser windows. But I found a Shell script to output just the raw numbers. See below for the output. Unimpressive to most who read the post, but oddly fulfilling to someone who explored ways to create ASCII artwork images from scans and photos in the '90s.

This link has all you need to know about ansiweather.
https://github.com/fcambus/ansiweather

I've completed a handful of office tasks, too:

• Filed US 1040 (accepted in record time)
• Printed the State 1040 and wrote a check (to be mailed in the near future)
• Reset two old iPhones and placed in electronics recycling box. Local collection is cancelled, so will wait until the next one in November.

On the physical front, I finished weeding the stone path on side of garage. There has always been an infinite amount of yard work since we have no grass, and plenty of trees. Yes, that was a feature of the house which convinced us to buy. Of course you still have 25 years of maintenance and cleanup.

Here is an example of what the old Mac LawnMower Man screensaver looked like. You need to wait 30 seconds or so while the weeds and grass grow, then LawnMower Man appears. Pretty damn annoying, just like the neighborhood landscapers!
https://www.youtube.com/UxCnFlICmOw

 

[jayanu]

Wow, I am not in the situation of having my own data center but I have many cables, 3 windows laptops, one old mac with no power adapter, two tablets, two phones and one desktop with dual monitor and 1 TB SSD drive. I got rid of one laptop that was working but the screen was hanging with a broken hinge.

I am having a hard time getting rid of any of them. I think one desktop, one windows laptop, one iPad, and two phones should be the target between two of us.

I am hanging onto other laptops hoping to find time to convert them into Chromebook or Linux. But I think I might have to throw in the towel and donate them to NGO or school and declutter my like. Better start on decluttering my digital files on these machines and online! Now that will be areal time consuming and somewhat emotional!

How do you use the Mint box that is shown by another poster? But then do I want to learn Linux now? Maybe!

 

[target2019]

Wow, I am not in the situation of having my own data center but I have many cables, 3 windows laptops, one old mac with no power adapter, two tablets, two phones and one desktop with dual monitor and 1 TB SSD drive. I got rid of one laptop that was working but the screen was hanging with a broken hinge.

I am having a hard time getting rid of any of them. I think one desktop, one windows laptop, one iPad, and two phones should be the target between two of us.

I am hanging onto other laptops hoping to find time to convert them into Chromebook or Linux. But I think I might have to throw in the towel and donate them to NGO or school and declutter my like. Better start on decluttering my digital files on these machines and online! Now that will be areal time consuming and somewhat emotional!

How do you use the Mint box that is shown by another poster? But then do I want to learn Linux now? Maybe!

jayanu, the picture earlier in this thread shows Mint Box 2.0. There is a subjective review here:
https://www.zdnet.com/article/compulab-releases-mintbox-mini-2-pc-with-linux-mint-19-pre-installed/

The article shows a better picture of Mint Box 2, indicating the true size. The version for $350 (if you can find it) is a better buy, I think. You would add a keyboard and mouse, as well as a monitor. After the boot you'd get a series of questions, like about your Internet wireless (if you have a direct connection to the router with a cable, it just works).

For a laptop you may have, You can download the ISO and burn to media (DVD or USB stick), then start up the old notebook with this media. That would be best since there is no cost, and you'd have a quick idea if it (Linux) is for you. This is called "live" version.

 

[Peter]

How do you use the Mint box that is shown by another poster? But then do I want to learn Linux now? Maybe!

Target gives a good summary above. With the Mint UI, there's really not that much to learn; it's a GUI that resembles Windows 7 in some respects. For routine use, there's no need to go to the command line; everything's done via mouse clicks.

 

[target2019]

Energy Use

For home electrical use, we usually rank with efficient homes, meaning the best 20%. But I see that March usage is up from the previous year.

• Mar 2019 418 kWh (42° F avg)
• Mar 2020 469 kWh (49° F avg)

Twelve (12) percent more used, but should have been less due to average temperature increase in March 2020. Since we have both been home for the entire month, the heater is running more, and we use extra power for cooking , dishwashing, etc.

The bottom line is that March 2020 stay-at-home mode has cost additional utility energy dollars (but offset by savings in train travel and auto use.)

The notebook is surely using additional power too, but how much?

Looked into power monitoring apps in Linux, but the best way to measure power use is with the Kill-A-Watt meter. This gets inserted to an AC outlet, and then the notebook power adapter plugs into the front of Kil-A-Watt (seen below).

There are five readouts on the meter display: Volt, Amp, Watt, Hz, and KWH. For example, I know the notebook is drawing 20W at this moment, but will increase when there are videos playing.

The kWh readout measures usage since the meter was first plugged in. After 48 hours of use (some of that suspended), .80 kWh has been used. Extrapolating to a year's use, the cost should be less than $40 (at .16/kWh average cost in NJ).

Wireless radio is off, and system sleep kicks in after 2 hours of inactivity. During sleep the notebook pulls just 1W. I expect the notebook will be active for no more than twelve (12) hours each day.

I've had the original notebook battery back in for last few years. Never run on battery, though. Last week the battery stopped charging. Next task is to order a replacement battery.

I found various Linux programs and commands for more detail about power use. But knowing the overall energy draw and cost is sufficient for my general understanding. And I'll dig no deeper.

 

[jimbee]

For home electrical use, we usually rank with efficient homes, meaning the best 20%. But I see that March usage is up from the previous year.

• Mar 2019 418 kWh (42° F avg)
• Mar 2020 469 kWh (49° F avg)

Twelve (12) percent more used, but should have been less due to average temperature increase in March 2020. Since we have both been home for the entire month, the heater is running more, and we use extra power for cooking , dishwashing, etc.

The bottom line is that March 2020 stay-at-home mode has cost additional utility energy dollars (but offset by savings in train travel and auto use.)

Make sure both 2019 and 2020 billing periods have the same number of billing days for comparison. Your bill may have a kWh per day value within the billing period, you might want to compare that.

 

[easysurfer]

I have a kill-a-watt EZ which is a more simplified version of the kill-a-watt.

I use only for measuring the watts of some items, not for measuring how much I can save based by my electric bill (though that can be done with the device).

I placed a label as a reminder on the device as the watt menu is several levels down.

 

[target2019]

Make sure both 2019 and 2020 billing periods have the same number of billing days for comparison. Your bill may have a kWh per day value within the billing period, you might want to compare that.

We don't get a kWh per day on the bill, just total kWh. The energy company has a web app, and I'll look into that.

There were 29 days in 2019 and 2020 billing period, so the comparison is relatively good.