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Keyboard meetup, July 11
by Evan Leibovitch 01 Jul '26

01 Jul '26

Given the recent threads I thought this might be of interest to GTALUGers. https://www.camkmeetup.ca/ Toronto Reference Library July 11, 13:00-17:00 One thing that may keep people away is that tickets are $25 (more than $30 when taxes and transaction fees are added)... -- Evan Leibovitch, Toronto Canada @evanleibovitch / @el56

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Thin clients with Raspberry Pi
by Colin McGregor 29 Jun '26

29 Jun '26

Thin clients, machines where the client computer, the one a typical end user might use one that has some (very modest) smarts, while a server does all the heavy lifting has always struck me as one of those interesting, BUT, BUT, BUT type technologies. The buts include okay, the client machines can be very light, but the server has to be very loaded with RAM, hard drive, etc., so the cost savings may not be great. The time / effort to set up one of these systems can be significant. Still it is an ... interesting ... technology. Here is a little video about doing thin clients, where the server is an 8 GB RAM Raspberry Pi 5 Model B, with clients consisting of a Raspberry Pi 4 B, a Pi 3 B+, and a Pi Zero 2W. https://youtu.be/poMLbCtGg_M?si=Peqpf9nDNSB12y8t As a way to play with the technology this could be neat. If you have one of the (few) cases where this technology might make sense, well here is a start point. The two types of situations that I could see making sense include point of sale systems for largee'ish stores (ie: make sure each POS terminal is locked down), or home systems where you want to (try to) make sure little children can't access ... naughty ... material (with the word naughty being defined however you like...). Basically places where you want the client machines tightly locked down.

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Anyone heard of this: linuxassociation.ca?
by Nick Accad 28 Jun '26

28 Jun '26

Came across it on Lemmy https://linuxassociation.ca/index.php Apparently they have a job board, regional chapters… Just wondering what are your thoughts -Nick

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Re: Linux on a phone
by D. Hugh Redelmeier 27 Jun '26

27 Jun '26

I am a bit confused by This post. It attributes the quote to me, but only the last line is from me. Karen, you seem to be asking which jurisdictions still support 3G. They are other countries, so are probably of no interest to you. In Canada, I think Telus still supports 3G for a little while longer. I think that they've added a surcharge to chivvy you along. And it won't be for long. No, you cannot get a 3G plan in another country and expect to roam with it here. 3G covers the hop from your handset to the tower, so it is pretty local. I'm no expert so you should do your own research. > From: Karen Lewellen <klewellen(a)shellworld.net> > To: D. Hugh Redelmeier via Talk <talk(a)lists.gtalug.org> > Cc: D. Hugh Redelmeier <hugh(a)mimosa.com> > Date: Fri, 2 Jan 2026 15:01:11 -0500 (EST) > Subject: Re: [GTALUG] Re: Linux on a phone > > On Thu, 11 Dec 2025, D. Hugh Redelmeier via Talk wrote: > >> for the calls.?? Also, there's not much point in talking about 2G or even > >> 3G > >> these days.?? There is also Voice over New Radio (VoNR) on 5G, which is > >> pretty > >> much the same as VoLTE at the phone but significantly different on > >> connecting > >> to the cell network. > > (I think that 3g works in many other jurisdictions.) > Where? > Is there a list? > Speaking personally, my 4g experiences are setting cellphone use > back..decades. > Might be worth getting a plan in one of those locations and including Canada, > investment wise at least. > > Kare

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war story: KVM switch misfeature
by D. Hugh Redelmeier 24 Jun '26

24 Jun '26

Context: I have four little PCs doing always-on things, mostly routing. I don't want four monitors, keyboards, mice -- too much clutter and space. So I connect each computer to a single set of peripherals through a KVM switch. The problem: one day, none of the computers could use the display. Clue: journalctl showed that the computers complained: "EDID has corrupt header" Solution: remove power from the KVM briefly. This probably reset it and caused it to re-fetch its copy of EDID information from the monitor. Things worked after this. What I think is going on: - EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) is provided by each monitor to the computer so that the computer knows what the monitor can do. For example, resolutions and refresh rates - a good KVM fetches the EDID information once from the monitor and makes it available to each attached computer, even the ones not currently selected. If it doesn't do this, unselected computers would incorrectly "understand" the monitor. - there was a power flicker in my house. Short enough that not all devices were reset. Perhaps the KVM was partially reset (i.e. got into a bad state)

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A keyboard renaissance?
by Evan Leibovitch 19 Jun '26

19 Jun '26

Hi all, I don't know if this is of interest to anyone but myself, but I thought it might be worth mentioning. Since the keyboard is something we interact with all the time -- more than any individual piece of software -- it seems that having the most comfortable and useful one is worthy of some effort. For the longest time it seems that you had to go to one of two extremes - Mushy, low-travel keys that are a seeming necessity in laptops but also seem to predominate among the low-value, plasticky stock that ships with most desktops. Relatively light, built mostly out of thin plastic. Quite inexpensive and easy to find, for all I know Dollarama may have one. (Even if they do, don't get it.) - Loud, clacky, spring-resistant, built like tanks -- the kind I grew up with (evolved from the IBM Model M that is still being produced today) <https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/NEW_M> that became the early mainstay of gamers and power users. They were big, heavy and expensive, but very reliable -- the Cooler Master QuickFire unit that I've been using is old enough to have shipped with a PS/2 adapter. Mostly found in computer retailers and expensive (>$125). But over the last year or two I've been seeing a whole new crop of keyboards that challenge the feel, build quality and even layouts of the tried and true; certainly they change the value proposal. I've bought two and switched to one as my daily driver. These new keyboards have many common characteristics: - Decent build quality - Less than C$100, sometimes way less - Online from Amazon or Aliexpress, sometimes need to go to Amazon US - Can do wired, dongle AND bluetooth - Have LEDs under the keys - Hot-swappable switches and keycaps - Programmable, often using the VIA standard <https://caniusevia.com/> - Offer reduced formats (lower footprint if you don't need the keypad). - Brands you've never heard of, often goofy names, that only do keyboards - A "creamy" feel/sound that's somewhere between squishy and clacky There is also a thriving marketplace of custom switches and keycaps because of good standards to which most makers adhere. ("Cherry", which used to be the benchmark for switches, isn't even in anyone's top 10 list these days.) I'm very happy with the two keyboards I've bought: - ElecFox Linky87 <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GCMKMN4F> - Bought from Amazon US, CAD$77 including shipping to Canada and HST. It's the perfect layout for me, giving me new desktop space. Sounds and feels wonderful. I bought the black version which is not to all tastes because the key labels are on the side of the keys and use the LEDs to shine through. - The Kisnt KN85 <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DBZGH5XM> - Also bought from Amazon US last year for about the same price. This seems to be the darling of the reviewers; it's certainly well made, and the sound and feel are excellent. But the software is non-standard and awful , and the layout is an odd one that I've never quite felt comfortable with. It's on Amazon Canada but last the price there was ridiculous, cheaper to buy at Amazon US and pay the shipping I invite anyone reading this that might be interested to have a look at one or two of the Youtube channels that obsess with the subject, HipyoTech <https://www.youtube.com/@HipyoTech> and SwitchAndClick <https://www.youtube.com/@SwitchandClickOfficial> are the two I follow. I'd be interested to know about anyone else's journey through this realm, and/or if anyone thinks it would be a good topic for future GTALUG talk. Cheers for making it this far. - Evan

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Keyboard: followup and meeting idea
by Evan Leibovitch 19 Jun '26

19 Jun '26

Hi all, I found last week's discussion very useful and informative, It also prodded me to learn about "keyboard culture", arguably going far deeper down that rabbit hole than I expected. In the process I did discover a GTA-area keyboard specialty store, though it does not have a storefront. Mino Keys <https://minokeys.com/> is mainly an online store but you can pick up orders near Clark & Dufferin in Thornhill (about 1.5km north of Steeles). What's also interesting is that they operate a Discord server <https://discord.gg/vwacqzsmP> and the owners responded to questions of mine quickly. Prices are decent; I just ordered a set of "Gateron Zero Degree <https://minokeys.com/products/gateron-zero-degree-silent-linear-switches>", apparently some of the best silent switches available, for 50 cents each (less expensive than Amazon *or* Aliexpress). Anyway ... Some people liked the idea of having a GTALUG meeting on the topic ... not just a virtual one, but an in-person location where people bring their own keyboards so that others can try and hear the difference between the various options. I have five myself that I could bring. And we haven't had a physical meeting in a while. Does this idea attract any interest? We still have access to the previous meeting room at TMU downtown. Or maybe we could partner with other orgs who might be interested in the issue as well.... Unix Unanimous? Hacklab? Someone else? If there's enough interest we might even be able to get the interest of a computer store (or Mino) to lend some samples. I was thinking that the best time is to do this in September or October since summer availability is so spotty, pluslus it gives us time to plan.. Thoughts? -- Evan Leibovitch, Toronto Canada @evanleibovitch / @el56

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The Arch Apocalypse of June 2026
by Evan Leibovitch 13 Jun '26

13 Jun '26

Well... maybe it's not quite apocalypse, but it's damned serious. Every user of Arch and Linux distributions based on it (CachyOS, Manjaro, Endeavour, etc) needs to know that a major poisoning of the AUR (Arch User Repository) has taken place. At the time I ran a script yesterday to determine if my system had been infected (it wasn't), 1,617 AUR packages had been identified as "updated" with versions containing credential snatchers. (To people not using Arch, the AUR is roughly analogous to Ubuntu PPAs and Fedora RPM Fusion. It is a location for user-maintained packages that are not part of the official vetted repository. The AUR currently lists more than 114,000 packages. The attacker(s) identified packages that were being used but no longer maintained, exploiting existing AUR policy to request and gain maintainer access. No hacking or policy-breaking was done. *If you have Arch or an Arch-based distro, you use AUR packages (many people don't) and you updated them this week, run this ASAP to see if you've installed one of the affected packages:* Bash: bash <(curl -s https://cscs.pastes.sh/raw/aurvulntest20260611.sh) Fish: bash <(curl -s https://cscs.pastes.sh/raw/aurvulntest20260611.sh | psub) More info is at this page <https://www.reddit.com/r/cachyos/comments/1u4dm5j/how_to_check_if_your_syst…> , -- Evan Leibovitch, Toronto Canada @evanleibovitch / @el56

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`ncdu` and `df` disagree
by Giles Orr 13 Jun '26

13 Jun '26

I have a system with Debian 13 installed. I was installing something on the machine and ran out of space on the root partition (big Docker image). After it aborted the install, here's the output of `df`: # df -h Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on ... /dev/mapper/brick_lvm-os2 24G 21G 2.6G 90% / ... Here's the output of `ncdu -x /`: 8.4 GiB [#############] /usr 3.2 GiB [#### ] /var 296.6 MiB [ ] /boot 99.5 MiB [ ] /root 19.4 MiB [ ] /etc 16.0 KiB [ ] /media 16.0 KiB [ ] /opt e 16.0 KiB [ ] /lost+found 12.0 KiB [ ] /mnt ... *Total disk usage: 11.9 GiB Apparent size: 11.6 GiB Items: 344362 You see the problem? `ncdu` thinks 12G is used, but `df` thinks that 21G is used. That's one hell of a discrepancy. A web search yielded the idea of running `lsof | grep deleted` which turned up Firefox as a major offender ... but killing FF got rid of its hundreds of "deleted" items while not changing what `df` thought at all. I remember you can hide disk usage under mount points. But that was an old trick one hundred years ago on multi-user systems. One that I'd be unlikely to play on myself as this isn't a multi-user system. Other things I checked: no, there isn't a giant swap file sitting in the root. No, this problem doesn't exist on my main machine (or, I think, any of my others). The one unusual thing about this system is that ZFS is installed and there are two other mirrored drives. Root is hosted on a separate drive, so I don't think ZFS would be quietly eating huge chunks of this non-ZFS drive? (I am not a ZFS expert.) This is an LVM system and I have spare space that I can throw at the problem - but I'd really really like to understand what's going on! Anybody seen anything like this? Any ideas what would cause this discrepancy or how to track it down? Thanks. -- Giles https://www.gilesorr.com/ gilesorr(a)gmail.com

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GNOME lost middle mouse button paste
by D. Hugh Redelmeier 10 Jun '26

10 Jun '26

For four decades, I've been copying text by selecting it and then pasting by clicking the middle mouse button. It suddenly stopped working, with no announcement that I saw, when I updated from Fedora 43 to Fedora 44. It was very frustrating. That this was intentional is quite rude. There are actually two paste buffers: the ^C / ^V one and the mouse select / middle button click one. It turns out that this is a GNOME "improvement". Here's an OK write-up. <https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/can-we-revert-downstream-the-disabli…> See also <https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=313089> Fix 1: dconf write /org/gnome/desktop/interface/gtk-enable-primary-paste true That only affects the current user. Variants of that command can have system-wide effects (I try not to understand dconf). Fix 2: Use GNOME Tweaks: Mouses & Touchpad: Mouse: Middle Click Paste This only affects the current user/

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