https://www.dedoimedo.com A place to Learn a Lot About a Lot! https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/windows-11-june-2025-update-results.html <![CDATA[Here's something nice. And by that, I mean, not. This is my periodic review of Windows 11 following June 2024 patching, including a long and messy update process with failed updates and version 24H2 installation and setup, privacy baseline, new unwanted uninstallable apps, removal of said apps from a Linux session, AI components, optional components, numerous issues in the Administrator account like messed up visuals, missing save dialog windows and right-click functionality, unsuccessful system repair attempt, blocked drivers, some other observations, and more. Take a look, if you like.]]> 20250606.910 Fri, 6 Jun 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/bing-search-no-ai.html <![CDATA[Purifying the Internet, one page at a time. Le tutorial, showing how to remove AI summaries from Bing search results, including Copilot toggle that does not work, deprecated Bing API, removal of AI panels using the combination of Firefox and UBlock Origin adblocking extension element picker mode, some other observations, and more. Enjoy.]]> 20250604.909 Wed, 4 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/plasma-menu-missing-icons.html <![CDATA[I've written a short tutorial on how to fix the missing icons issue in the Plasma desktop system menu, including specific manifestation of the problem, manual program icon selection, manual icon cache rebuild, and more. Have fun.]]> 20250530.908 Fri, 30 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/google-search-no-ai-overview.html <![CDATA[AI ... You keep using that word. Now, here's a guide showing how to use Google without AI Overview via specific search parameters, how to create a custom search engine entry in Firefox, and a bit more. For a slightly less awful Internet.]]> 20250528.907 Wed, 28 May 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/fedora-42-gnome.html <![CDATA[Here we go. I've written a rather long, thorough review of Fedora Workstation 42 Gnome edition, tested in a dual-boot configuration on a laptop with Ryzen 5 processor, AMD graphics, and NVMe storage, covering live session, installation and post-install usage, including look and feel, font clarity, better but still bad dark theme, ergnomic and speed considerations of Gnome and Gnome Classic desktops, necessary customization with Gnome Tweaks, extensions and icons, new installer wizard and associated problems, failed first installation attempt, anti-user choice of Wayland-only session and practical showstoppers, average performance and responsiveness, slow boot times, everyday use, software and updates, third-party repository and sources management, music playback, Samba share connectivity, hardware support and issues - screen dimming on boot and broken battery indicator, battery life, ergonomic choices and limitations, numerous visual glitches and bugs, some other observations, and more. Enjoy.]]> 20250523.906 Fri, 23 May 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/windows-wireless-network-connectivity.html <![CDATA[Funky Wednesday, too! I have another obscure article for ye. To wit, I present this tutorial showing how to work around the issue of occasional Wireless network problems in multi-network Windows setups due to low signal or intermittent Internet connectivity, covering network-related soft disconnect and simultaneous connections group policies, active probe registry key, Wireless router channel pinning, and more. Have fun.]]> 20250521.905 Wed, 21 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/veracrypt-truecrypt-kernel-conflict.html <![CDATA[Funky Friday. Behold, a rather unique and bizarre tutorial showing how to work around the severe issue of kernel panic when trying to copy files from externally mounted NTFS-formatted TrueCrypt or VeraCrypt containers to any other location on Linux systems using LUKS-cryptsetup encryption, including specific conditions that trigger the issue, affected program versions, mount problems and associated errors, external device behavior and safe removal problems, workaround by using the nokernelcrypto mount option, some other details, and more. This ought to be niche and weird yet rather interesting.]]> 20250516.904 Fri, 16 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/slimbook-titan-report-6.html <![CDATA[Happy, shiny Dedo writing. Here's long-term usage review and report 6 of my Slimbook Titan laptop, with Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics and Kubuntu 22.04 LTS as the operating system, including solid, stable, fast baseline, fantastic looks, everyday use with encryption, multiple browsers, office work, 3D modelling and virtualization, hardware compatibility, Steam Proton gaming compaitibility and outstanding unsupported titles, some regressions and immediate fixes in a number of WINE-run programs, several small new problems, overall fun factor and usability level, and more. Very nice, I like!]]> 20250513.903 Tue, 13 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://books2read.com/ap/RJj23E/Igor-Ljubuncic <![CDATA[Here's something neat and sweet. From May 15 till May 31, I'm offering my entire Draft2Digital book catalog at 50% discount, through all the available stores. That means Smashwords, Apple, Kobo, Everand, Vivlio, Fable, and others. DRM-free books, too, no strings attached. Should this pique your interest, the following titles are at your disposal: the four volumes in The Lost Words fantasy series, my mythological novel I Shall Slay the Dragon!, and the recently published How to Make Your Career Suck Less, your one-stop shop to reduced work-related suffering. Furthermore, The Betrayed, the first book in the Lost Words series, happens to be entirely free. Well, 50% of zero is still zero. Hopefully, you will take advantage of this wee offer, or at the very least, share among your friends and colleagues. Lastly, if you want to explore yet more of my books, please check the namesake section in the site's menu, or head over to my Amazon page. Enjoy and party on.]]> 20250512.902 Mon, 12 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/kompozer-linux-hd-uhd-screens.html <![CDATA[Old gold. Also, a tutorial showing how to improve performance and responsiveness of the KompoZer WYSIWYG HTML editor running under WINE in modern Linux with HD or UHD displays, including separate prefix with 96DPI resolution, 32-bit prefix, beta version testing, virtual desktop with nested X11 session and VNC, some other tricks, and more. Coincidentally, another reason why X11 wins. Have fun.]]> 20250509.901 Fri, 9 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/sketchup-2017-iertutil-error.html <![CDATA[I've written a short tutorial on how to resolve an incompatible DLL issue running SketchUp Make 2017 in Linux through WINE by adding a manual library override for iertutil. Enjoy.]]> 20250507.900 Wed, 7 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/life/passwords-passkeys.html <![CDATA[I hate buzzwords, but you know that. Here's my article discussing the aggressive push for passkeys as an alternative to passwords, including numerous problems associated with passkeys like big companies agenda, complicated proprietary implementations, vendor lock-in requirements and dependency on smartphones, dubious value for ordinary users, and misplaced purpose and value, hype and security, lax IT practices and constant private data leaks, psychological reasons why modern Web and email are interactive and phishing-prone due to profit-driven design, wrongness of clickable links, practice of information-only communication, severe implications for privacy and freedom in so-called modern solutions, some other observations, and more. Take a look.]]> 20250503.899 Sat, 3 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/brave-browser.html <![CDATA[Here comes my review of Brave, a Chromium-based browser, including look and feel, numerous privacy-related options like Shields and support for Manifest V2 extensions, cosmetic tweaks for Web pages, Web3 functionality, built-in AI assistant, Dashboard, day-to-day use, performance, stability, some small quirks, other observations, and more. Have fun.]]> 20250502.898 Fri, 2 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/kubuntu-22-04-after-april-2025.html <![CDATA[Three or five or more? I've written an article explaining the system update and security implications for Kubuntu 22.04 LTS past the April 2025 three-year support date, including inaccurate upgrade notification popup, apt architecture overview, third-party repositories, snaps, other software sources, Expanded Security Maintenance pro offering, essential differences between Ubuntu and Kubuntu, practical examples from previous releases, some other tips and tricks, and more. Enjoy.]]> 20250430.897 Wed, 30 Apr 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/duckduckgo-app-tracking-protection.html <![CDATA[The modern Web sucks. Maybe we can make it suck less. I've smithed a review of DuckDuckGo App Tracking Protection, a privacy-focused feature built into the DuckDuckGo Browser, including VPN-like behavior, inclusion and exclusion lists, effectiveness, battery life impact, overall usage considerations, and more. Take a look.]]> 20250425.896 Fri, 25 Apr 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/life/user-trust.html <![CDATA[The third law of thermodynamics, as it applies to humans. To wit, an article and mild rant about the importance of user choice in the technology and software ecosystems, with examples from Google and Microsoft products, action-reaction mechanism, short-term greed versus long-term mistrust, alternatives, and more. Have fun. Or something.]]> 20250423.895 Wed, 23 Apr 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/games/linux-games-any-resolution.html <![CDATA[This ought to be interesting. Behold, a lovely jubbly tutorial showing how to run any old resolution-and-scaling-limited game or program on modern Linux systems with HD displays using Xephyr nested X sessions, VNC server with scaling and separate virtual desktop displays, including setup and prerequsities, multiple resolution and scaling scenarios, VNC viewer encoding and color depth configuration, fullscreen mode, local and remote connectivity option, multiple games in parallel, testing of several Windows-only games through WINE, a few other tips and tricks, and more. The power of X11 compels you, AKA why X11 must never die. Old games forever. Enjoy.]]> 20250418.894 Fri, 18 Apr 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/zorin-os-17-3.html <![CDATA[Zorin ain't just a Bond villain. 'Tis a nice distro. To wit, here's a pretty long, thorough review of Zorin OS 17.3 Core, tested in a dual-boot configuration on a laptop with AMD processor and integrated graphics and NMVe storage, covering live session, installation and post-install use, including look and feel, customization, ergonomics, desktop effects, surprisingly decent dark theme, partitioning, language locale annoyances, tour and first-boot setup, problematic software management - sluggish UI, limited preferences, ambiguous search and mixed first- and third-party sources, and unverified packages, system updates, default and extra applications, performance and responsiveness with animations turned on and off, broken battery indicator, various other bugs and cross-Ubuntu-family inconsistencies, paid options considerations, other observations, and more. Take a look.]]> 20250416.893 Wed, 16 Apr 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/ghostbsd-25.html <![CDATA[We shall have ourselves an unusual Friday. A UNIX Friday! Here's a review of GhostBSD 25, a FreeBSD-based UNIX-like operating system with the MATE desktop environment, covering live session, installation and post-install usage, including look and feel, display scaling, UI customization, menu and dock configuration, ZFS disk configuration, software management and updates, default and extra applications like LibreOffice and Steam and associated issues, SSHD configuration and associated issues, MP3 playback, audio stutter, logarithmic volume scale, some usability problems due to hardened security posture, general suitability for everyday use, other observations, and more. Have fun.]]> 20250411.892 Fri, 11 Apr 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/windows-autopilot-slow-logon.html <![CDATA[Modern technology, at your disservice. A short tutorial on how to resolve slow Windows 10 local user logons due to Autopilot service errors by disabling the the Account Sign-in Assistant service. Y'know, a service for online accounts and such. Wunderbar.]]> 20250409.891 Wed, 9 Apr 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/linux-fun-productivity.html <![CDATA[Today is gonna be all good vibes. Here's a fun, happy article showcasing the value of the Linux desktop for common, everyday purposes, including gaming - DOS-era titles on 4K displays and Windows-only titles via Steam Proton compatibility layer and WINE, offline music sync to iPhone with VLC and KDE Connect, offline, no-cloud upscaling of photos with Upscayl and ImageMagick, writing of complex history book using LibreOffice, reuse of old hardware by running frugal distros, audio and video creation and editing using KDEnlive and ffmpeg, other cool activities and usecases, and more. Enjoy.]]> 20250404.890 Fri, 4 Apr 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/gimp-3-review.html <![CDATA[How about a nice, detailed review of GIMP 3 free, open-source, cross-platform image manipulation suite, including Linux AppImage setup on a laptop with 4K screen and hybrid Intel and Nvidia graphics, look and feel, workflow changes and productivity improvements in the latest version, common usage and editing, better image metadata privacy, on start session restore, performance and responsiveness, some small niggles, and more. Take a look.]]> 20250402.889 Wed, 2 Apr 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/games/lutris-2025-review.html <![CDATA[Here's something nice and audacious. I have for ye a fresh review of Lutris, an open-source gaming platform for Linux, covering setup on a laptop with 4K screen and Intel-Nvidia hybrid graphics, look and feel, Plasma desktop visual integration, support for multiple runners like DOS, WINE, Steam, various emulators, and other engines, support for multiple gaming store and platform accounts, game installation wizards and scripts, testing of old Windows-only titles - Caesar III, Pharaoh and Max Payne with mixed results, some other observations, and more. Have fun.]]> 20250328.888 Fri, 28 Mar 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/plasma-dolphin-rar-unrar.html <![CDATA[I've written a short tutorial on how to handle the available space error in the Dolphin file manager on rar archive format extraction, including misleading error message, installation of rar and unrar packages, and more. Enjoy.]]> 20250326.887 Wed, 26 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/games/wreckfest-fatal-error-b.html <![CDATA[OK, so, let's have a short, weird tutorial on how to resolve the fatal error B issue in Wreckfest, which results in multiplayer game crashes on server connect, including overview of the initial conditions that led to the error - remote router networking problem, subsequent crashes, attempted remedy via reboot, integrity check and singleplayer custom event and campaign games, successful fix via tournament game, and more. Take a look.]]> 20250321.886 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/life/schadenfreude.html <![CDATA[My name is Maximus. Cynicus Maximus. Here's a wonderful article discussing the aggressive anti-consumer behavior by large companies and what the common user can do to protect their dignity and privacy, covering topics like so-called AI, intrusive ads, arbitrary hardware limitations, greedy terms of use, and software installations without user consent, tips and tricks on how to resist this nonsense, avoidance of disrespectful retailers, purchase frugality, local shopping, use of analog solutions and options, the philosophical concept of Schadenfreude, and more. Savor it.]]> 20250319.885 Wed, 19 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/history-book-linux-foss-other.html <![CDATA[I think you will like this. For real. A long, detailed article on my use of mostly Linux and free, open-source software to write a large, complex, nonfiction military history book with 100K words and lots of images, tables and citations, covering various software, utilities and practices, efficiency and productivity factors, use of styles, navigation, quotation, annotation, highlighting and sharing tools, pros and cons of LibreOffice, Okular, GIMP, GwenView, Kate, and Octave, Android phone reading through Readera app, notes syncing via KDE Connect, Plasma desktop environment in Kubuntu - session save and stability, Firefox translation capabilities, online search engines - quality, accuracy, generic versus specialized queries, image search, and summaries, some problems and niggles, other observations, and more. Enjoy.]]> 20250314.884 Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/games/reviving/max-payne-linux-4k.html <![CDATA[Can a quarter-of-a-century-old computer game run well on a modern Linux system with a 4K display, more or less out of the box? Well, yes! This be a short, happy article showing how to play the 2001 Max Payne third-person shooter in Linux on a machine with hybrid Intel and Nvidia graphics and 4K display, including simple WINE setup and scaling, launcher options and resolutions, flawless playback, reuse of old game save files, and more. Have fun!]]> 20250312.883 Wed, 12 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/plasma-6-3-review.html <![CDATA[Le Friday delight! Here's a detailed review of the Plasma 6.3 desktop environment, tested as part of the KDE neon User Edition distribution on a laptop with AMD processor, integrated graphics and NVMe storage, including upgrade from 6.2 to 6.3, look and feel, customization, visual and functional glitches, system monitor, help pages, Wayland vs X11 functionality, performance and responsiveness, various KDE neon-specific problems like outdated ISO image, buggy installer, package management issues with missing services, missing 32-bit libraries, broken dependencies, and deb-to-snap transition annoyances, some other observations, and more. Take a look.]]> 20250307.882 Fri, 7 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/lenovo-g50-ssd-kubuntu.html <![CDATA[Today, we're gonna do fun stuff! Presenting, a happy, enthusiastic article showcasing an SSD upgrade on a 10-year-old Lenovo G50 laptop with i3 processor, integrated graphics and 8 GB of RAM, including overview of the existing eight-boot setup on HDD, numerous ergonomic and functional reasons for the operating system choice - Kubuntu 24.04, first installation on mechanical storage for comparison purposes, second installation on SSD with encryption, various problems and annoyances with the Calamares wizard, new Plasma session look and feel, reuse of data and browser profile, associated bugs and issues with the Firefox snap, overall performance and responsiveness, new boot times, Samba connectivity latency and usability, software usage, other observations, and more. Enjoy!]]> 20250305.881 Wed, 5 Mar 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/android-safetycore.html <![CDATA[Peasants beaware, the morality brigades are after ye. Behold, an article about the severe privacy implications of the new Android System SafetyCore framework, pushed without consent onto users' devices, including silent installation, vague description, limited search visibility, lack of transparency, unnecessary bundling of security and would-be safety features, control, tech-imposed morality note, the future of mobile computing, and more. Enjoy, but I doubt you will.]]> 20250301.880 Sat, 1 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/games/reviving/pharaoh-cleopatra-hd.html <![CDATA[I honestly believe you will enjoy today's article, immensely. This is a sweet, sweet, clever tutorial showing how to play the old Windows 98 era Pharaoh and Cleopatra RTS games on modern Linux systems with HD and UHD displays, covering game installation via WINE in a separate prefix, 96 DPI virtual desktop configuration, Xephyr nested X session matched to game resolution on a separate virtual display, x11vnc server scaled up to system's native resolution, Pharaoh startup in the Xephyr session on the separate display, VNC viewer configuration including encoding and color depth, fullscreen playback, old game saves, and more. Do take a look.]]> 20250228.879 Fri, 28 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/games/reviving/caesar-iii-gog.html <![CDATA[Time travel, into the good old days. This lovely little article shows how to set up and run the GOG version of Caesar III city-building real time strategy game in Linux using WINE and Julius HD reimplementation. Have fun!]]> 20250226.878 Wed, 26 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/gmail-sms-qr-code.html <![CDATA[It's the end of the Web as we know it, and I feel not fine. Here's an article discussing the recently announcement plan by Google to remove SMS as 2FA option for Gmail and replace it with a QR-code-based system, covering media hype, risks of SMS solutions like SIM swaps, greed and man-in-the-middle attacks and social engineering, benefits of SMS solutions like simplicity, reliability and no data usage, numerous problems with QR codes as a security method, potential ostracization of poor and old people without smartphones, possible privacy implications, and more. Take a look.]]> 20250225.877 Tue, 25 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/fedora-flathub-story.html <![CDATA[Let's spice it up for the weekend. I give thee an article discussing Linux software management problems, inspired by the recent Fedora OBS Studio Flatpak incident, highlighting numerous problems with usability and security, covering topics like distribution-owned repositories and community sources, official and unoofficial packages, chain of trust, control, centric versus distributed models, monetary incentives, numerous self-defeating paradoxes, and more. Enjoy.]]> 20250221.876 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/slimbook-executive-report-8.html <![CDATA[For Tux we must. Here's the long-term usage review and report no.8 of my Slimbook Executive laptop, with Kubuntu 22.04 LTS as the operating system, covering several update-related problems, hardware compatibility and power management after kernel fixes, some application crashes, everyday fun and productivity, KDE Connect and iPhone 11 usage, other observations, and more. Have fun.]]> 20250218.875 Tue, 18 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/greatest_sites.html <![CDATA[Have you run out of good Internet? Worry not. I got a fresh supply. First, on the Kultur front. Do you walk the walk? Do you talk the talk? Well, unless you've had an occasional visit to Urban Dictionary, I've got some bad news for you. Dear Internetian, you might not be as well versed in everyday street lingo as you think. And by street, I mean the Web. Worry not, there's still time to redeem yourself. Hop over to Urban Dictionary, and educate yourself. Now, on the gaming front. DOS? DOS! Who in the name of the command line still uses DOS? Well, it turns out, quite a lot of people. Whether you're a diehard romantic and you pine for the good ole days, whether you like ancient games and feel like playing them now and then, whether you're a DOSBox user, or just curious about old stuff, Vogons is there to help you. But with more flair and less bureaucracy than you'd expect..]]> 20250215.874 Fri, 14 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/slimbook-titan-report-5.html <![CDATA[Upside down, Tux you turn me, inside out, round and round. This is my long-term usage review and report no.5 of the Slimbook Titan laptop, with Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics and Kubuntu 22.04 LTS as the operating system, including latest round of updates and problems with PackageKit, manual repair, good post-update performance and responsiveness, gaming compatibility, hardware compatibility, battery life, everyday use, some small niggles, other observations, and more. Emotional forecast? Today, favorable winds.]]> 20250207.873 Fri, 7 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/windows-7-review-2025-perspective.html <![CDATA[New isn't always better. Far from it. Here's a short review of Windows 7 with a 2025 perspective, including setup and installation, system updates and associated tweaks, security posture with up-to-date browser, standard user and EMET, available programs, look and feel, speed, ergonomics, privacy, comparison to more modern versions of Windows, relevance, nostalgia factor, other observations, and more. Take a look.]]> 20250205.872 Wed, 5 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/plasma-task-manager-icons-only-selective-grouping.html <![CDATA[Something rather neat today. A tutorial showing how to maximize productivity and use of available panel space by utilizing selective grouping option for the icons-only task manager in the extremely flexible and customizable Plasma desktop environment. Have fun!]]> 20250131.871 Fri, 31 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/kubuntu-24-04-third.html <![CDATA[Here's a third follow-up, mostly positive review of Kubuntu 24.04 LTS, tested on a 10-year-old laptop with hybrid Intel and Nvidia graphics and recent SSD upgrade, covering system updates and associated problems, old and new bugs, improved boot speed, improved system responsiveness and performance, everyday use, modern and latest software, battery life, some other observations, and more. Enjoy.]]> 20250129.870 Wed, 29 Jan 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/davinci-resolve-ubuntu-24-04.html <![CDATA[I've written a tutorial showing how to install and configure the DaVinci Resolve color grading and video editing application in Ubuntu 24.04, including missing packages, packages check skip, shared library mismatch, CUDA and OpenCL setup override, desktop scaling factor, other tweaks, and more. Take a look.]]> 20250124.869 Fri, 24 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/samsung-a54-report-7.html <![CDATA[Oh, look, it's Mr. Grumpy again! And what does he have for us? A fresh review and report no.7 of his Samsung A54 mid-range smartphone long-term usage, including new findings and annoyances, Theft Protection and reduced battery life, Message Bubbles nonsense, aggressive Play Store permissions, Game Hub reactivating itself, pointless and intrusive system search, display brightness issues, overall battery life, improved low-light-level camera shots, some other observations, and more. Enjoy. Maybe.]]> 20250122.868 Wed, 22 Jan 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/linux-hardware-conundrum.html <![CDATA[I think you will find this article both interesting and infuriating. It discusses various hardware-related issues when running Linux, covering numerous usage scenarios - 32-bit and 64-bit hardware and operating systems, Intel- and AMD-based processors, Intel, AMD and Nvidia graphics, network adapters from multiple vendors, Arch, Debian, Red Hat, and SUSE distributions, data and results from fifteen years worth of problems with connectivity, display, mouse, suspend and resume, power management and other issues on about as many laptop models, comparison to Windows, bug reporting and resolution mechanisms, and more. Have fun.]]> 20250117.867 Fri, 17 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/windows-11-december-2024-update-results.html <![CDATA[Let's enjoy ourselves. Or rather, not. To wit, a short review of Windows 11 following December 2024 patching, including fast updates, unchanged privacy configuration, extremely slow Windows Explorer with no option to disable the modern interface, numerous ergonomic and aesthetic problems, declining market share of the operating system, contraditions and non sequiturs in TPM requirements, various quicks, other observations, and more. Take a look, or perhaps, not.]]> 20250115.866 Wed, 15 Jan 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/heic-linux.html <![CDATA[I've written a short tutorial showing how to use HEIC images made by iPhone in Linux, covering potential snags and workarounds, including iPhone format settings, default viewing behavior in Kubuntu 22.04 and 24.04, GwenView and Okular programs, libraries and packages that behave differently in various scenarios, ffmpeg conversion attempt, heif-examples conversion to JPEG, some other tricks, and more. Enjoy.]]> 20250110.865 Fri, 10 Jan 2025 11:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/opensuse-tumbleweed-kde.html <![CDATA[What does the gecko say? Okay, so, here we are, a review of openSUSE Tumbleweed rolling release distribution, Plasma edition, tested in a multi-boot setup on an AMD-processor laptop with Windows and Linux, covering installation and post-install usage, including smart partitioning defaults, noisy and slow boot process, good look and feel, small customization, average font quality, complicated software management - missing icons, problems with verified and unverified third-party applications, mix of RPM packages and Flatpaks, chain of trust concept, issues installing downloaded packages, duplication of sources, duplication of functionality in Discover and YaST, no option to buy software, no real application store, and regressions in comparison to Linux packaging from ten years ago, additional YaST limitations, everyday use, hardware compatibility, stability, battery life, various bugs and quirks, and more. Take a look.]]> 20250109.864 Thu, 9 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/iphone-11-five-years.html <![CDATA[Peasant ascending. You gonna like this. Let's kick the new year off with a long-term review of a five-year-old iPhone 11, covering usability factors and market constraints, value for money, durability, hardware-related wear and tear, user setup, privacy tweaks, upgrade to iOS 18, day-to-day use with Lockdown Mode, Safari with adblocking, and offline music playback via VLC and KDE Connect, App Store and associated problems, ergonomic annoyances, overall impression, and more. Have fun.]]> 20250103.863 Fri, 3 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT