* Posts by rfrazier

50 publicly visible posts • joined 3 Aug 2016

Why are PC webcams crap? Lenovo says it knows the reason

rfrazier

I'm using a Flint Lx capture device, which takes the HDMI output of the camera and makes it available over USB3 as a UVC compatible signal. So, no special drivers needed, and gphoto not needed. (Using the Flint capture device is one reason the setup is expensive.)

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

Re: Important selfies

"Yes, I'd say desktop PCs don't get dropped, stolen, lost, or have their keyboards fail or batteries die nearly as often, necessitating fewer replacements."

Not to speak of the "ship of Theseus" potential (replace everthing over time -- same ship?). The spring before last, I built a new main computer for the first time since 2011. (Intel Sandy Bridge -> AMD AM4). Over those 10 years, I replaced almost everything. I put the replaced parts from my main computer in my secondary computer (shed/garden office), Over time, (almost) all the parts got moved. Is the one in the shed identical with my old main computer?

In my experience, old desktops seldom die, they just fade away.

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

Or OBS Studio?

Bob

rfrazier

When I had to teach remotely (university / tutorials), I wanted a decent picture. I tried a number cameras/webcams, but ended up using a Panasonic HC-V180 camcorder with a Flint Lx capture device. Decent lens, and, especially useful, physical zoom (for framing). One downside is that is was expensive. Another is that, because of the size, I don't think it would have worked without a pretty static, studio type setting. However, really good for my use.

Best wishes,

Bob

Laugh all you want. There will be a year of the Linux desktop

rfrazier

Re: cloud pc (Postscript)

Just wanted to add that it is a linux (debian testing) desktop local computer.

RLF

rfrazier

Re: cloud pc

Peripherals! That's why we might want a local computer. Here are mine.

1. Keyboard / mouse

2. Graphics tablet

3. SDR dongle. (Software Defined Radio).

4. Microphone 1 voice / PreSonus PD-70

5. Microphone 2 specialized wristwatch

6. SSL Digital Interface. (for 4 and 5 and standard audio, e.g., music)

7. Camera 1 - webcam - Panasonic HC-V180 camcorder and Flint Lx capture device

8. Camera 2 - document camera - DIY from webcam

9 Camera 3 - digital microscope - used for watchmaking

10. Main monitor

11. Watchmaking monitor

12. Printer

13. Scanner

I probably missed something.

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

Re: No. Stop it.

I've been using GIMP for a long time (20+ years), and have edited thousands of pictures with it. They do change the interface sometimes. ;) I cropped and altered levels for 25 images yesterday. No problems with the interface.

Never tried Photoshop. I probably would find its interface weird, given what I'm used to. Did use Bibble for a while when Pentax RAW files weren't well supported and I was mostly using a Pentax K10D. I thought that Bibble had a weird interface, but got used to it.

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

Re: #@$Drivers

For scanners. try VueScan. It supports a whole lot of scanners. It isn't free, however. My wife uses the Windows (pro) version, and I use the native linux (pro) version. I've used it for years, including with a rather industrial SCSI scanner (Epson?) and with a Canon LiDE cheapo scanner. I now use it for my reasonably modern Epson V700.

Best wishes,

Bob

IceWM reaches version 3 after a mere 25 years

rfrazier

Or using icewm on a desktop running an AMD Ryzen 5 3400G, with 32GB RAM and dual monitors, one 1440p and one 1080p.. :)

As an aside, what I like about it is that it has a nice set of text based configuration files, including ones assigning programs to particular virtual desktops (I love virtual desktops!), autostarting programs, setting options for programs, setting the menu, etc. I've tried other systems for doing this, but they don't have the fine grained control and simplicity.

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

Still using it.

I think that I started using icewm when it first came out in 1997. Still using it (desktops and laptops). Never thought that I would live to see version 3.

Best wishes.

Bob

Tetchy trainee turned the lights down low to teach turgid lecturer a lesson

rfrazier

Hand written notes.

i remember reading some research, perhaps done at the USAF Academy, which indicated that taking notes by hand resulted in much better retention of the material. I've always recommended taking notes by hand to my students, but leave the final choice up to them, providing handouts when appropriate, or requested. (University level philosophy.)

Best wishes,

Bob

LG makes a TV roughly the size of a queen-sized bed

rfrazier

Re: Not to derail this, but

That's what we do. We don't watch TV often, and only FreeView then. So, I have a (retired from home office) mini-itx computer + TV USB dongle + LG 32" 1080p monitor + Edifier speakers. All controlled by KODI. It has been working flawlessly for years.

I can hardly even imagine where we would put a larger screen. We would have to get rid of some bookcases, which, given my wife's predilections, is not going to happen. Ever.

Best wishes,

Bob

PanWriter: Cross-platform writing tool runs on anything and outputs to anything

rfrazier

Re: A markdown editor

Funny that. I just looked, and vim with latex-suite shows \textbf{text} with "text" in bold, and \textit{text} shows "text" in italics. Not that I care, of course. I was just curious.

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

Re: A markdown editor

Ah, morse code. I was a US Coast Guard radioman from 1974-1978. We used morse code. For SAR and all of that. Do I miss it? If everything else failed, it usually could be got to work, even if relays were needed. My phone ring is my morse handle. But, generally, it is better to text or talk.

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

Re: Ed is the standard

And troff as a pretty printer.

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

Markdown

I don't know about PanWriter, but I find Markdown useful.

I create a local static version of my website then sync my hosting service website to it. I use webgen/ruby to create the local static website. It allows one to use Markdown. So, for very light pages, I use Markdown. For slightly more complicated pages I use HTML. For complicated documents LaTeX -> HTML. The editor stays the same. Vim. ;)

The Nextcloud notes Android app also uses Markdown. I think it good to have a very lightweight markup language.

Best wishes,

Bob

We were promised integrated packages. Instead we got disintegrated apps

rfrazier

I was thinking a bit more about this. There is one area, PIM, where I prefer an integrated app: Thunderbird, with email, calendar, tasks and contacts.

A few years ago, I tried going back to mutt, my favourite email program, but it didn't work out. Operator error, no doubt.

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

Re: Cloud access?

Although it doesn't solve your problem of needing a separate app to sync, I've been using DAVx (for syncing) and OpenTasks for tasks. I also use DavX to sync my (Nextcloud) calendar and contacts. I've been using them for years without problems. I get them from f-droid (free).

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

One program to edit/format/print?

Never. I like a bit of friction in my life. So, I too like the idea of stringing specialised tools together.

For documents: vi/vim -> LaTeX -> view .dvi/.pdf -> print

I've been doing it this way (or pretty close) since the late 1980s . Of course, much of it has become scripted using the faculties of vim latex-suite or gnuit (gnu interactive tools).

One nice thing about it is that the individual elements can change, but the overall pattern stays the same. For example, the viewer has changed many times (console -> X11), and I now usually print from the viewer instead of using lpr. Qpdfview is nice because it automatically displays the new document when I make changes and reformat.

Best wishes,

Bob

Epson says ink pad saturation behind 'end of service life' warning on inkjet printers

rfrazier

Re: John Spartan

Since I'm on a quotation jag in this thread, here's one that spoke to me ever since I first read it as an undergraduate some 40+ years ago. Indeed, it might be that it also shaped my career and life.

----- cut here -----

Immanuel Kant

Two things fill the mind with ever-increasing wonder and awe, the more often and the more intensely the mind is drawn to them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.

----- cut here -----

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

Re: Brother

One might splurge and print photographs onto photography paper rather than plain paper.

Also, about needs.

----- cut here -----

KING LEAR

O, reason not the need: our basest beggars

Are in the poorest thing superfluous:

Allow not nature more than nature needs,

Man's life's as cheap as beast's

----- cut here -----

Best wishes,

Bob

Intel hands over nearly 5,000 patents in deal with IP management outfit

rfrazier

In another thread, I saw a comment saying that when a tech company turned ("pivoted"?) to IP '"management" that was a good sign that they had lost the plot and were, perhaps, on a long road to failure. I thought the comment interesting. Is this what is being seen here, or is is really just tidying the furniture?

Best wishes,

Bob

Our software is perfect. If something has gone wrong, it must be YOUR fault

rfrazier

Re: "Just be like me"

My last post on the topic.

Printer: Canon A3 Photoprinter: IP8750

Ink: High quality (on my view) non-OEM.

Cartridges: Canon XL OEM modified to be refillable.

Ancillary: Cartridge resetter. (resets cartridge to reporting full)

Photopaper: A3, plenty of matt, plenty of satin, but a bit low on gloss.

A4, plenty of everything.

Cartridge paper: Plenty of everything. This is what I use for fun, colour, day to day printing.

The Canon XL color cartridges take about 11ml. The non-OEM bottles come with 110ml of ink. I've used about 20ml, so plenty of ink. The set of non-OEM bottles cost a bit more than a set of OEM inks.

The process from raw film to printed output is colour managed.

This reflects what I have fun doing. It is all already paid for.

Oh, and it "just works". For example, put some A4 cartridge paper in the printer, choose cartridge paper as the medium, and it prints the output colour adjusted for that ink and that paper.

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

Re: "Just be like me"

Sure. Lots. My wife only uses our laserjet. Some people I know don't print at all.

My photography work flow is MF/5x4 film camera -> scanner -> computer -> inkjet. Many people I know use nothing but their phone's camera.

Fair enough, I say!

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

Re: "Just be like me"

For printing A3 photographs?

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

Re: "Just be like me"

Can you image a use case different than yours?

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

Re: "Just be like me"

I've recently been thinking just how ubiquitous this attitude has become.

Having inkjet printer problems? Don't use inkjets. Use laserjets like me. No, I don't need to print. Nor should you!

Trouble with IOS? Use Android. Trouble with Android? Use IOS.

Blah, blah.

I remember the old days was when we tried a bit to help others to achieve their goals. Not continually try to turn them into clones.

I try to tell stories about what works for me. Knowing I'm reasonably excentric. If my story isn't liked, make up your own. Experiments in living, and all of that (J. S. Mill).

Best wishes,

Bob

'I wonder what this cable does': How to tell thicknet from a thickhead

rfrazier

My first computer was a KayPro II. Luggable? Perhaps. Still, pleased to have it.

Best wishes,

Bob

Claims of AI sentience branded 'pure clickbait'

rfrazier

Re: Definition

The difficulty is accessing the first person point of view (What is it like to be a bat? ) from the third person point of view (public, scientific point of view).

As an aside, once during admissions interviews (philosophy), I asked "How can you tell that I'm not an android with feigned consciousness?" The best answer started with "I can't. I suspect that you are". A good discussion about evidence followed.

Enough with the notifications! Focus Assist will shut them u… 'But I'm too important!'

rfrazier

Re: * Have schedules for time.

Apologies. Not a very good description. It is simply that you can have Do Not Disturb start at a certain time, and end at a certain time. For example, I have my phone automatically go into Do Not Disturb from 2200 - 0800.

I assume that this is a feature had by all phone OSs.

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

Re: It's not just the OS...

It sounds like you want Lineage OS on your phone.

Do Not Disturb

* Select apps which can override.

* Select people which can override.

* Decide whether calendar events can override.

* Decide whether alarms can override. (A bit weird, that one.)

* Have schedules for time.

* Have schedules for events (e.g., calendar event marked as busy).

Best wishes,

Bob

The many derivatives of the CP/M operating system

rfrazier

My first computer was a KayPro II. It started out with CP/M. However, as soon as it became available I switched to ZCPR, a much more powerful CP/M derivative. I thought it was the cat's meow, and used it until about 1990. By that time, the KayPro had gone from 64K to 128K with bank switching (for printer spool and the like), and double sided floppies.

Best wishes,

Bob

GitLab plans to delete dormant projects in free accounts

rfrazier

Almost every day I use a program which hasn't changed since 2009. It is gnuit (GNU Interactive Tools), a console file manager (plus other goodies). I wouldn't be surprised if there are no more changes to it. Perfect? Probably not. Good thing it isn't hosted on GitLab. (Not that I often download it. Just when installing a new system.)

Best wishes,

Bob

I paid for it, that makes it mine. Doesn’t it? No – and it never did

rfrazier

Re: freestanding!

I had something like the same thought when I was writing my dissertation (Philosophy) in the late 1980s. I was worried that it wouldn't be available to future generations. (Not so worried about that now.) So I spent weeks worrying about the format, mostly looking at SGML. In the end, since I was using it for everything anyway, I just went for TeX/LaTex. Last time I tried, 2010, it formatted the same as it did in 1990. So, that worked out okay.

Best wishes,

Bob

Inkscape adds multi-page support with v1.2 update

rfrazier

Re: Inkscape for watch dials

Cheers! The smallest screwdriver in regular use is 0.5mm, for things like attaching the hairspring to the balance.

Best wishes.

Bob

rfrazier

Inkscape for watch dials

As a hobby, I sometimes refurbish old mechanical wrist watches, or build them from parts.[1] This sometimes includes making new dials from scratch and printing the dial with a pad printer.[2] I've been using Inkscape to design the dials for the past 15 or so years. It does what I want.

[1] E.g., combining parts from non-working movements of the same calibre.

[2] No replicas or fakes. The dials are original designs.

Best wishes,

Bob

Version 7 of WINE is better than ever at running Windows apps where they shouldn't

rfrazier

Have Windows in a VM, but use Wine instead.

I have been using a nifty bit of software for a very long time[1] It is Windows only, and I now have Windows 10 in a VM, but I haven't been even remotely inclined to switch from running the software in Wine to the Windows 10 VM. If something works well, best not to fiddle with it I say. And, I am happier relying on linux+wine than Windows.

[1] Graham Baxter's escapement analyser for mechanical watches. Very useful in repairing watches.

http://www.delphelectronics.co.uk/products.html

Best wishes,

Bob

Linux Mint 20.3 appears – now with more Mozilla flavor: Why this distro switched Firefox defaults back to Google

rfrazier

Debian + icewm since 1998

Posting now on a Panasonic Toughbook CF-MX4 (replacement for a Samsung Tab S).

Touch screen works, tablet mode works, stylus works. It just works.

Of course I've tried other setups, for example Gnome; KDE; XFCE; Enlightenment; and, recently, Pop! OS. The integration of various settings things is nice, but soon becomes a problem, if you want something tricky. So, in the end, I always come back to plain Debian, and icewm.

Best wishes,

Bob

Fans of original gangster editors, look away now: It's Tilde, a text editor that doesn't work like it's 1976

rfrazier

Re: In the bad old days of WordStar, WordPerfect, DisplayWrite, MultiMate

There was another early text editor which was reasonably good, but didn't last. Pluperfect Writer. It came with my KayPro II in 1982. It was the first non-mainframe, non "ed" type editor I used. Cat's meow!

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

Hard to beat vim + latex-suite. Sure, they are old. But after using vi/vim and latex for 30+ years, why change?

Best wishes,

Bob

Customers of Brit ISP Virgin Media have downloaded an extra 325GB since March, though we can't think why

rfrazier

As a description it may sometimes fit. Not a handle, however. In any case, I would prefer "Maximum Bob".

Best wishes,

Bob

rfrazier

I think it is more like 10%. We had 100 down and 10 up. In April I switched to 200 down and 20 up. Not for the download speed, as 100 is plenty for us, but the upload so that two of us could have video meetings at the same time with a bit of overhead. The last speed test I did gave us about 22 up.

Best wishes,

Bob

The time that Sales braved the white hot heat of the data centre to save the day

rfrazier

Re: The quiet hero almost never gets the beer.

I have quite a bit of time for some IBM people. Years ago I bought one of their thin clients on eBay and was trying to get linux running on it. I was having trouble getting it loaded. I thought I would take a punt and email the IBM service folks. I actually told them that I got it second hand, and was just playing around with it, so it wasn't critical. After being asked some questions about the problem, I was given an email address to which I was supposed to send detailed information, which I did. It turns out it was the person who wrote the bootloader for it. I got it running.

A fine host for a Raspberry Pi: The Register rakes a talon over the NexDock 2

rfrazier

Re: Why some people keep on reinventing the ill-fated Palm Foleo?

This what I've just done. RPI 4, no-name portable monitor (1080p 11.6"), wireless keyboard with trackpad, and Imuto 30W, 20000mAh power bank. Although I've just put it together, initial test suggests that it will get at least 8hrs from that power bank. It is heavy at 1.5kg for the whole thing. And, it was nearly £200. But, I like the modularity, which always adds to (initial) cost and weight.

LG announces bold new plan for financial salvation: Trying to actually make phones people want to buy

rfrazier

LG G5

I'm still using an LG G5. Decent SOC. Decent camera. Replaceable battery (on third), with fast charging. Headphone jack. Micro SD (256GB). LineageOS (Android 9, no Google apps, built and signed locally). I even have a spare for parts, if I ever need them.

Could an AI android live forever? What, like your other IT devices?

rfrazier

C. Robert Cargill's SciFi book, *Sea of Rust*, describes a world in which androids will go quite some distance (physical and moral) to get spare parts.

Best wishes,

Bob

Turn me up some: Smart speaker outfit Sonos blasted in complaint to UK privacy watchdog

rfrazier

Re: I hope this guy wins

I used to use LMS/Squeezelite. I moved to MPD/snapcast. It also plays sync'd. It can also play to phones and tablets (Android). Nice opensource control programs (F-droid). So I use old tablets to control and play (to old active speakers) in the shed and workshop. I run the server (snapserver) on my ODROID-HC1 NAS, and snapcast on x86 computers (linux / amp and speakers), RPI (integrated amp and old speakers), tablets, and phones. It is nice to be able to re-purpose old gear.

Best wishes,

Bob

Samsung Note 7: Probably the best phone in the world. Yeah – you heard right

rfrazier

Re: Still using my Note 2

Hmm. My Note 2 seems to be running Cyanogenmod 13 (Android 6.0.1). Indeed, it seems that it is the only Note phone (as opposed to tablet) for which CM13 is available.

Best wishes,

Bob