Category: Uncategorized

So this is a boy of a rant.
Our corporate computer overlords are really studying to make me unhappy. A couple years ago the Wif, who had a five year old to shelf Apple desktop, had it start giving us problems. First, the video card took a dive because she was playing a seven year old game. Then we find out that updates are done. Then the drive fails, and here we are with a desktop that has proprietary hardware (I’m looking at you $200 video card for something that I can buy for $35), no more updates, no more over priced Genius Bar.
So next we get her a laptop, so she can study on the go, with Windows 8, which we disliked but it worked, and that was fine. Sure, Lenovo pre-installed with more bloat and spyware then a follower of Nurgle, but whatever. Microsoft decides that everyone is upgrading to Windows 10. Whatever. After they pushed me a step to far, no more Windows for me, I went back to Linux, knowing full well that there ate fewer development tools, fewer games and fewer drivers. But, I wasn’t being pushed into am upgrade I didn’t want. Windows 7 is still the best Windows I’ve over used.
But this is about the Wif’s Windows 8 laptop. So we do the upgrade to 10, because anything is better than 8 amiright? Hell, Windows ME want even that bad. This was a good move. We had a start menu, we had things that worked, shit like that.
That was right until the last update. Her computer took a dive, nothing. I need to make a recover disk. Microsoft can’t fit a Twitter disk in less than 4.4GB. I need to make it bootable the way that secure boot wants. I can’t even enter safe mode without power cycling until it gets the idea. Once I get a USB disk booting under secure boot, every time I tried to repair the installation, it would reboot, switch the USB to no longer be the primary boot media. Finally I find the right combination. I have a fresh Windows 10 install, I find the right menu options to do a fresh install. I move her old files to the new locations. I install the dictate she needs and we’re go.
But why did I have to all this.
So now, once we no longer having to deal with the day to day paperwork of whatever teacher or clinical site, the Wif is starting to think, why not Open Source.
It’s shower and a beer time for me.

It strikes again. The Wif’s computer isn’t booting. I think it might be a jacked update, bit I’m not sure.
So.
Can’t find rescue USB.
The external DVD drive she has uses a jacked plug (it’s two USB plugs to get up to the 1 amp it wants I’m presuming).
Microsoft said, wow, safe mode is way too standardized. I know we’ll kill F8, and you can power cycle until we say so.
Finally get to the rescue tools, is not helping.
All of the disk come back fine.
And Microsoft said wow! 3.9gb is way too little, let’s make the rescue iso 4.4gb, so now I need to go find another USB drive, and hope that doing a reinstall over the top a) brings everything back b) leaves the data there.

I guess I should get better about managing her system, but really Microsoft.

Well that was… disappointing. Enough about real life, let’s get Shan to copper standoffs.
I got my last shipment from Arrow, a stack of smd 555s and red LEDs. The 555s came in a tube, so that surprised me. I also got my free Pi 3 sho that was a happy little bind as well. Fun bit, this box was skipped to my Receiving Department! Totes wanted to grab one of the cats and take a picture showing the label, maybe I still should. Might be a hella cute picture. Next, I need to get done copper and get circuit making for my new components.
As an aside, I meant to post this idea earlier, but do a embroidery project thing, Martian surface, Martian night sky with twinklies, and the caption of the science quote from the Martian.
Also, my Excel Fu was studying yesterday. I figured out how to get 99% of what I needed done without having to use any cheap hacks. I even was able to get rid of the cheap hacks I did use. Who knew, there is a difference between joining things with a + versus a &? It was fairly redeeming when I was poking at stackoverflow for why something want working the way I expected, that people that were answering these questions were also complaining about the jacked way Excel works.

Thinking about my day, thinking about how I suck at Kerball. Thinking about…oh hello there. That’s how I can do my logging in Excel. Originally I was thinking of a row per file, when I should have a row per order, a number of pieces in the order, two columns per file, a status, and a filename…mane it three, I should have a quantity.
Earlier today I got talking about whatever stupid idea I had, my coworkers ribbed me about “do I write then down”. As you, my gentle reader knows, yes I do.
But yeah. I have a hate for Excel, not because it’s a bad program, but because it’s used badly. By me.
Update: replace status with timestamp, and add a field or two for operator.
Of course, I’m sure that this is all an exercise in futility. (By futility, I mean the enthalpy of bureaucracy)

Is Excel Macro induced carpal tunnel of my spine a thing? It’d be nice if someday I did legit stuff at work where I didn’t have to live with what I’ve got, and instead got to use what I should use. Pro-hint, Excel shouldn’t be used these ways I keep on pushing it.

Got Raspbian instances on an SD card. Starred up the Pi, doing good. Installed the first virtual keyboard I found. I had no dice, so I stopped that and tried xvkbd instead. That worked. Next I started on getting the TFT working. Well that was a bust. Following the detailed instructions (which I think we’re not do detailed) it only came up with a solid white screen. I filled the next step and I manned to break my console as well. Asher that I tried doing a fresh image straight out of Adafruit and that’s where things went way worse.
So I’ve now reformatted the SD card. Threw NOOBS on there,  and am installing Raspbian that way. Next, I’ll try running the easy install script from Adafruit, and see what that gives me.

It was weird. Asher fucking the Wif into bed tonight, I did my nightly first diem to the Den to game. I didn’t though. Well, for a couple minutes, but not to, you know, game. Just enough to mane a plan of action.
So I was getting to get the Pi for free, which, while I had shady done a different order through them to get it to begin with, but did the order…
Sidebar. If I’m at a bar, and they being me the wrong drink, and they’re like still give this one to you for free, I still insist on tipping as of I got the right drink (plus usually 50% of the drink price), assuming it’s something drinkable and everyone is chill. Mistakes Hagen, and no one needs to be a dick.
So I’m not going to pay only shipping. I’m going to buy stuff, explore services, and then, get the Pi for free. That’s the way I roll. Now I want to get doing surface mount soldering and stuff, up my game kinda things. Thinking of that I decide to get a stack of 555 chips, which I’ll pair with a bigger stack of LEDs. Now if you have LEDs, you need resistors, so I get a pays thing of those add the Pi, checkout… nope. Turns out there is a maximum dollar value for the cart for the promotion, so I have to remove the resistors top get under the dollar amount. Confused the daylights out of me. A maximum value? Whatever, placed the order.
While prepping the coffee pot for the morning I realize the dollar amount is a couple under two Pi’s.
As in, someone figured out how to game the website and that’s why they did what they did. Clever solution.
But back to adulthood.
While I was looking up promo codes, I see that GOG has a sale going on right now. I didn’t but anything. I thought about it, but didn’t. Thus, adulthood? Or maybe I’m just on a manic kick, because that’s never happened before.

So I totally missed the boat on the free Raspberry Pi 3, but I figured, heck, I want it, I bought it.
Just got an email with a code for a free Pi 3. Thanks Arrow! As long as I’m doing another order though, I should do another order for reals. I think I have everything I need for my phone, so that means it’s learning to surface mount. So… I should probably find a stack of parts that I could use all over the placeand order a hundred or so each. Then it’s time to learn how to make my own PCBs. I’m leaning towards photo resist, as I’ve done that silkscreening before. But I’m still on the fence if you will.

That didn’t happen for me. New me didn’t want to wait Amy liner so I ordered stuff last night. For the phone that is. So I should have a couple shipments over the next two weeks, and I’ll get going on this again.
In the meantime, I think its time to get the Den of Inequity cleaned. I need a better workspace for doing this and other stuff. The Wif is already talking about cat tree improvements, so I’ll need to start planning out those as well.
So. Today while she’s at clinical, it’s time for me to work on cleaning the Den. One that cleaned, it’ll be time to start making space better again. I’ve been thinking for a while now that I want to move my book case for feet or so from the external wall. This isn’t a small undertaking. This is potentially on the short list though.maybe I should build a work table for the center instead. I’m really not sure yet.

Do I order a FONA in the belief that there’s something going off with the RePhone or a burner to make sure the SIM is working. If I get a burner then Asher I verify the SIM, it’s, well, burned as I need a featureless phone about as much add I need a chin on my elbow. If I order FONA, it’s about three times as expensive and I’ll want to buy other things as well. On the other hand if I get the FONA and then get the RePhone working right at a later date, I could totes turn out into a smart watch or something similar. The audio and LCD work fine, so I’m assuming it’s either the antenna or the SIM. Barring that, I could make a dope as shit watch. I should check the BLE. If that works, then… well I’d still need to make some hasty guesses. I’ll order FONA. Of course, Arrow has a horribly timed deal tomorrow. I’ll want to make a decision before then.
This is also when I want to get 3d printing at the same time. I want to do all the things, but I don’t want to spend that much at once.
I do need a phone. That’s a given. This pos is inching away at shucking free it’s inductive coil if you will. The screen has more cracks then Washington DC. More errors than the late season Mariners.
The things I want to print though, I think might outweigh that. I’ve worked with POS’s before. The last time I really broke a phone, I went all old-school and that phone lasted me until I had the scratch to spare.
The major push for the 3d printer is shoes, and the Wif picked me up a spare pair for my birthday.
So, is it a push? Should I do both and screw the consequences? I don’t want to all other people’s opinion, as that never goes right.
So, I should sleep on it. I’ll get all…

Derp. Forgot to post.
(Multiple hours have passed.)
Screw it. Doing the phone. Doing it now (or in the AM as free stuff is free). With that being said…
I talked to the Wif, and while talking to get I realized something. One of the reasons why I like building stuff is the knowledge I gain from building it, which allows me to make improved on the stuff I use, build more, wash, rinse, repeat. It’s not boot strapping as a person.
I want to build a 3d printer, so I have a 3d printer that’s optimized for my purposes. Hint: 12x4x2 is plenty build volume which is totally not standard. An 8x8x8 cube might work, but it works require a lot of supports. So the main costs of a printer are: 75+ dollars of stepper motors, one hot end, whatever mechanical supports, and in what I was planning, roughly 135 in an all-in-one phenomenal controller. I don’t need all it’s features though. I don’t need both USB and Ethernet. I really don’t need an SD card. I’m sure there’s some other parts I don’t need. I’d like one power supply coming in.
So why don’t I build my own.
I’d have to design and produce circuit boards.
I’d probably need to learn to do surface-mount soldering.
I’d have to plan shit out.
Doing this.