Steven Rosenberg

Journalist, picker, grinner. Husband, father, hole digger, cat herder, bird tender, tinkerer. Linux user and NetBSD apprentice. Getting into Nextcloud and out of Google.

Public Key

npub10k0lq35p75kzxqnsrlha06q6vgy6em6yrhcc2z53azkgm3xmuelq2yhluy

NIP-05 Address

passthejoe@ruby-social.mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs8m8lsg6ql2tprqfcplm7haqdxyzdvaazpmuv9p2g73tydcnd7vlspz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds5t9sa2

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

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Last Notes

2026-10-30 00:57:20 UTC

The #NetBSD documentation on vi is pretty good. You could learn it from this.
https://www.netbsd.org/docs/guide/en/chap-edit.html#chap-edit-configuring-vi-exrc
It's not full Vim, though the #vi in the BSDs is still a great editor. I tend to go for full #Vim, but I do switch between the two.

2026-10-28 01:05:53 UTC

Being able to run sysinst at any time is a #NetBSD super power

2026-10-26 18:40:30 UTC

I did a bare-metal install of #NetBSD today on my 2017 HP Pavilion (Intel/Nvidia) laptop using a USB-connected 500 GB HDD.
It took a couple passes before I figured out that I had to manually remove the MBR on the target drive for the installation to boot.
Then it was easy because I've done a bunch of practice installs.
On this laptop, everything works:
WiFi
X11
Sound (and volume buttons)
Brightness buttons
YouTube video plays great
On par with #OpenBSD, better than #FreeBSD on this hardware

2026-10-25 19:48:28 UTC

The way I got comfortable with #Debian was to do many dozen installs. I did the same with #OpenBSD and am just getting started with #NetBSD and #FreeBSD.

2026-10-25 07:22:46 UTC

The #NetBSD Project offers a live image for AMD64 that includes X11 and features persistence.
Why does nobody ever talk about this?
I put this image on a USB drive, booted it, logged in as root (no password needed), created a user account, started X, configured the network, and i everything was still there after a reboot.
https://cdn.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/images/11.0/NetBSD-11.0-amd64-live.img.gz

2026-10-20 21:24:38 UTC

I now have a #NetBSD 11 VPS on TierHive that only costs $5 a year. Thanks @nprofile…7ych for the tip.
I'm looking forward to learning.
https://btxx.org/posts/cheap-openbsd-vps/
https://tierhive.com/

2026-10-14 20:57:18 UTC

I'm doing a new #FreeBSD install on the Acer Aspire E15 (13-ish-year-old laptop).
This time I'm going slow, and I will see if I can figure out Xorg.
So far I have a working CLI system with networking on the internal Atheros WiFi module.

2026-10-13 15:07:29 UTC

NetBSD may have found a new role: The AI-free FOSS OS https://www.theregister.com/os-platforms/2026/10/13/netbsd-may-have-found-a-new-role-the-ai-free-foss-os/5302818
#ai #llm #bsd #netbsd

2026-10-11 18:20:32 UTC

From the NYT:
"In Maine, the cost to fill a standard heating-oil tank as of Wednesday was $1,650, up roughly 80 percent from a year earlier, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, which represents state governments in securing federal money for heating bills."
50% of homes in Maine use heating oil, says the article, which is about the state's US Senate race.
Gift link: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/08/us/maine-senate-collins-jackson-oil.html?unlocked_article_code=1.H1E.6N1d.D_tTtsSNA2qR&smid=nytcore-android-share

2026-08-19 17:50:47 UTC

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@nprofile…vf35 Hoping this is an isolated case, and not every millennial is such a delight.

2026-06-16 20:07:52 UTC

I've been playing around with #snac2 as a user for the past few months. There are some rough edges on the web interface, though they pretty much melt away with client software. I'd like the ability to reply to my own posts from my user page, for instance. I do like the lack of Javascript, which does make it less smooth at times.
For a Fediverse user on the web, #Mastodon does offer a lot of conveniences (unless you're the one installing and running it).
So I'm using some Mastodon, some snac2.

2026-06-16 15:11:13 UTC

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@nprofile…hj6n Very nice.

2026-05-05 17:58:26 UTC

Today I synced my Nextcloud calendar with Thunderbird. Just like with the OneCalendar Android app, I generated an "app password" in Nextcloud at the bottom of `Settings -> Security`. Worked instantly.
Now I have a not-Google calendar in Thunderbird on the desktop and OneCalendar for mobile.
I'm not 100% happy with OneCalendar and will be shopping around for more mobile apps.

2026-02-12 17:43:34 UTC

Did Mastodon's web interface **add Markdown** and not *tell me*?
`Or did it have it all along?`

2026-02-04 18:01:26 UTC

@nprofile…vf35 I just signed up for a bsd.cafe account, and I'm interested in getting on the snac2 server. My username is passthejoe. Thanks
I also have a question for you -- have you ever run FreeBSD in the Oracle cloud?

2026-02-04 16:38:31 UTC

I have a USB optical drive, and I recently set it up in #Bluefin to rip CDs. I just did a few.
I'm trying to clean up and beef up my local music collection.
I tried three Flatpaks:
* Asunder didn't recognize the drive
* fre:ac was fastest by far but crashed regularly
* Sound Juicer was slower but got the file-naming format correct OOTB and doesn't crash
Key to the working ones is choosing the "right" optical drive out of the two in the menu.

2026-02-03 03:21:11 UTC

Fed up with #Ubuntu? Why #Debian should be your daily driver
https://www.howtogeek.com/hate-ubuntu-debian-might-be-the-linux-distro-you-actually-want/

2026-01-29 02:21:11 UTC

4 reasons I prefer screen over tmux on Linux | Adam Conway/XDA
https://www.xda-developers.com/reasons-prefer-screen-over-tmux/

2026-01-24 19:10:36 UTC

Why I recommend these 5 Linux file managers over GUI - and they're all free | Jack Walken/ZDNET
https://www.zdnet.com/article/my-favorite-terminal-based-linux-file-managers/

2025-12-15 17:09:42 UTC

I use Déjà Dup via Flatpak for backups of my Linux desktop (with secondary backup using rsync) https://welcome.gnome.org/app/DejaDup/
#GNOME #Aeon #Flatpak #backup #DejaDup

2025-12-08 02:58:08 UTC

I learned about a dozen things from this @nprofile…998y talk
#nevent1q…msmn

2025-12-05 19:00:41 UTC

My new SATA SSD arrives today. Time to start some new OS tests.
I'll probably start with Debian 13. I'm already running it on a desktop, but I need to check in with it on this laptop.
#Debian

2025-11-26 22:13:11 UTC

Here's a tip for all my fellow fake sysadmins:
Check your servers for crontab entries that you no longer need.
I had a server with a full disk, and it wouldn't update. I deleted a bunch of backups I no longer needed, and it's back in business.
And I went to another server, found a backup script that has been in my crontab, unneeded, for months. I pounded it out, and now it won't run and fill up the backup server.

2025-11-15 18:11:43 UTC

I'm trying an in-place upgrade on the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B from Bookworm to Trixie using this guide. There's nothing too critical on this Pi if it blows up https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-os-bookworm-to-trixie/
#RaspberryPi #Debian

2025-11-12 22:21:07 UTC

I just added LibreOffice to my newish OpenBSD laptop. It runs great. I had originally gone with Abiword and Gnumeric, but I wanted to work with encrypted documents, and Abiword also crashed upon trying to open any ODT file.
#OpenBSD #LibreOffice

2025-11-11 19:34:41 UTC

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@nprofile…x4wz I I broke my heel in June. I hope Julie's recovery goes well.

2025-10-12 18:10:01 UTC

#OpenBSD users: Should I use got or git?

2025-10-11 15:46:29 UTC

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@nprofile…lyez Not so new. I recently ran a system with Xfce for a couple years after a long time away from OpenBSD. When my last disk died (a SATA SSD), I took the opportunity to start over from scratch.
Once I have a system set up, I tend to forget how I got there.

2025-10-11 02:23:23 UTC

I'm having fun with my new #OpenBSD system. Keeping it simple so far -- all I added so far was Firefox, and I'm sticking with Fvwm.
I just remembered to turn on apm for power management, and I think the laptop is suspending when I close the lid.
I probably will add more packages. I'm not planning to sync the 200+GB I have on my Linux system.
The drive I'm using is old and small -- a 160 GB that shipped in the machine I bought two laptops ago. I might not need anything bigger.

2025-10-02 15:40:00 UTC

I did turn off my #GoToSocial instance. It was on an Oracle VPS, and other than the oligarchic situation that poses, it was time for the experiment to end.
I didn't think it would last two years.
GtS was the first fediverse system I was able to get running. I tried others but could never get them to work.
It ran great, though I was very surprised at how much disk space I needed for a one-user instance, which in my case was 80 GB.

2025-06-19 20:34:39 UTC

I want to try this now
#OpenCloud is the lightweight Nextcloud alternative I'm using that runs on anything https://www.xda-developers.com/opencloud-lightweight-nextcloud-alternative/

2025-06-18 20:03:57 UTC

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@nprofile…t4qe Once you get them working, these systems are hella stable.

2025-06-18 03:03:46 UTC

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@nprofile…sr9k Beautiful post

2025-06-14 17:59:24 UTC

I made the mistake of always spinning down my NAS drives — Don't be me I made the mistake of always spinning down my NAS drives — Don't be me https://share.google/ObXuTiu9JaQ74HmRI

2025-05-21 22:00:53 UTC

Thanks to @nprofile…3vtk and all involved in https://ruby.social for running this Mastodon instance.
I've been here a long time, and it's a solid service.

2025-05-11 21:15:00 UTC

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@nprofile…sr9k @nprofile…xcze do you have/know a good beginner's tutorial for ZFS?

2025-05-11 21:10:14 UTC

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@nprofile…args how do you block sites from search?

2025-04-22 23:46:26 UTC

Just checking in to report that Fedora Silverblue 42 with GNOME 48 is running very smoothly.
Both Fedora and GNOME seem to be getting better and quicker, even though my 2017 hardware stays the same.
#Fedora #GNOME #Linux

2025-04-22 23:42:46 UTC

I tend to put "large appliance repair" in my bio. And it's something I actually do.
Over the course of the past two days, I have been repairing our 1990s Maytag made-in-Iowa clothes dryer.
It was making a very loud racket for months.
Eventually I figured out that it needed a new blower wheel -- they are plastic and get stripped out and stop turning with the motor.
Once I replaced that, something I did caused the belt to break.
So today I replaced the belt, and it's quiet and working.

2025-04-19 21:31:33 UTC

While admitting that most of the Zero Retries amateur radio newsletter is way over my head — and I'm a General Class license holder — I was able to pull out of the most recent issue that THIS IS THE RADIO TO GET (and to beat):
https://www.hfsignals.com/index.php/zbitx/
https://www.zeroretries.org/p/zero-retries-0198?open=false#%C2%A7my-new-perspective-sdr-technology-is-the-imperative-for-us-amateur-radio
#amateur_radio #hamradio #zeroretries #zbitx #sdr

2025-04-18 02:11:53 UTC

As far as I know, Lubuntu is the only LXQt distro with a real community. That and the system's overall high quality makes this the best LXQt spin out there.
I tested the daily builds a couple of times, and I'm eager to try this new release.
https://lubuntu.me/plucky-released/
#Lubuntu #LXQt #Qt #Ubuntu

2025-04-15 18:05:56 UTC

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@nprofile…u232 @nprofile…r4vw The proactive stance on security is exactly what I want in an EL distro.

2025-04-15 18:02:54 UTC

AlmaLinux 2024 recap https://almalinux.org/blog/2025-04-09-2024-recap/
Thank you @nprofile…u232 and everyone in the @nprofile…r4vw community
#AlmaLinux #Linux

2025-04-12 21:35:44 UTC

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@nprofile…t4qe I have had a laptop running OpenBSD with Xfce from 7.3 through 7.6, and it has been a fun and informative experience.
The setup and tweaking kind of reminds me of Linux back in the 2008-12 era -- not as much is automatic, but it's all doable.
I have notes on everything, but I'm reluctant to wipe the drive, though I very much want to try a FreeBSD desktop on this hardware (2017 HP Envy all Intel).

2025-04-12 03:44:06 UTC

Use the Debian-powered Linux terminal on your Android phone https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-use-the-new-linux-terminal-on-android/
#Android #Debian #Linux

2025-04-07 00:53:08 UTC

Debian on three chips - Hackster.io https://www.hackster.io/news/three-chips-should-be-enough-for-anyone-d2be5b1bce83
#Debian

2025-03-31 18:02:36 UTC

I have been using the Falkon browser for a couple of weeks, and it is pretty good. http://falkon.org
#falkon #kde #plasma

2025-03-20 00:13:40 UTC

I'm now trying the Falkon browser.
Is this what happens when you use KDE Plasma for the first time (i.e. trying all the K things)?
#KDE #Plasma #Falkon

2025-03-02 20:42:56 UTC

The KDE Plasma auditions:
Both Debian Bookworm and Testing/Trixie have nice Plasma desktops. I tried both in the live environments -- and am making this post in Testing.
#Debian #KDE #Plasma

2025-03-01 22:10:01 UTC

Is your Fedora system doing a lot of crashing/freezing lately?
It could be Linux kernel 6.13, which is affecting Flatpak and FUSE apps.
My Fedora Kinoite system was definitely suffering, especially with Flatpak browsers, until I rolled back to the 2/24 deployment.
This file tells you everything you need to know:
https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/bug-in-kernel-6-13-crashing-flatpak-and-fuse-apps/146201
Thanks @nprofile…jd74
#Fedora #LinuxKernel #Silverblue #Kinoite #Flatpak

2024-12-13 15:21:13 UTC

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@nprofile…h9qy I have a lot of "stock" right now, but I'm still changing gauges and brands to see what I like. Haven't been playing much lately, so everything is lasting longer.
I need to bite the bullet and get all the guitars in for repair/maintenance. I never do it, and it is past time.
Look at this story about the Dylan movie guitars -- they need dead strings to get the right sound:
https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/acoustic-guitars/gibson-timothee-chalamet-complete-unknown-collection

2024-12-05 03:28:00 UTC

My bio says "large appliance tinkerer," and I do.
Right now I'm attempting to diagnose a noisy clothes dryer.
I'm thinking it's either the idler pulley wheel, or the felt seals. Might be the roller wheels.
It could maybe also use a new belt.

2024-11-23 17:17:42 UTC

Apple iMac M4 review: who is this for, exactly? - The Verge https://www.theverge.com/24303351/apple-imac-m4-review-expensive-beautiful-niche
#apple #mac #m4

2024-11-22 01:46:07 UTC

Very detailed:
FreeBSD 14 on the Desktop/Cullum Smith https://www.sacredheartsc.com/blog/freebsd-14-on-the-desktop/
#freebsd

2024-11-19 17:59:18 UTC

Does everything need VC money to exist?
#bluesky

2024-11-19 17:58:05 UTC

I'm thinking that upgrading my Unix/Linux systems every six months (Fedora OpenBSD) is almost more of a "stable" path than doing so every 2 or 5 years (Debian, Ubuntu).
Less can go wrong that can't be fixed in 6 months -- that's the idea, anyway.
#Linux #Fedora #Debian #Ubuntu #OpenBSD

2024-11-18 01:04:11 UTC

A glaring omission from Threads
As Bluesky surges, Threads begins testing custom feeds | TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/15/as-bluesky-surges-threads-begins-testing-custom-feeds/
#threads #bluesky

2024-11-16 18:27:07 UTC

Scientists tracked these mountain lions in Los Angeles for seven years – now they've discovered something crucial https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mountain-lions-los-angeles
#mountainlions #wildlife #losangeles

2024-11-09 22:28:03 UTC

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@npub18yv…xxyn I was thinking about this topic yesterday, but more along the lines of whether enterprises are moving from Oracle and SAP to PostgreSQL.

2024-11-09 21:00:35 UTC

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@npub1w65…6kyw No emoji in this one

2024-06-05 01:49:12 UTC

Windows Recall demands an extraordinary level of trust that Microsoft hasn’t earned | Ars Technica opinion https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/06/windows-recall-demands-an-extraordinary-level-of-trust-that-microsoft-hasnt-earned/

2024-05-23 02:27:17 UTC

#AlmaLinux forms engineering steering committee | @npub1pzn…y2as for LWN.net https://lwn.net/Articles/974488/

2023-08-14 17:32:20 UTC

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@npub18yv…xxyn I'm looking at a hardtail Strat https://www.fender.com/en-US/electric-guitars/stratocaster/robert-cray-stratocaster/0139100300.html

2023-08-14 16:22:41 UTC

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@npub18yv…xxyn I'm not a whammy bar person. I like things to stay in tune and for string changes to be easy.

2023-07-15 23:17:16 UTC

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@npub19st…u9g9 I moved out of Twitter and into the ActivityPub world.

2023-07-15 19:42:44 UTC