Hacker News Reader

0xabeon I replaced Windows with Linux and everything's going great

I wanted to setup a family gaming PC in the living room for Christmas and went with CachyOS. It gave me a one click gaming installation option that just worked. I’m not interested in the FPS games with constant anti cheat mechanisms right now. It has worked with every game I’ve tried so far. Examples include: Crazy Machines 3, Cygni, Gradius, and Bejeweled (all on Steam.)

I have a PC with Windows 10 and so does my dad that I’ll be converting to some kind of Linux soon. Windows 11 isn’t even an option due to the TPM chip requirement. The computers are still quite good and it makes no sense to abandon them. With Linux their performance will probably improve.

0xabeon The 'big church move': Swedish town begins to roll historic building 5km

Related documentary here: https://youtu.be/iqDMnwc434E

0xabeon The bewildering phenomenon of declining quality

I’m tired of having to replace whole LED light fixtures instead of being able to replace a bulb. I am currently waiting on a special order to arrive with 2 fluorescent light fixtures. I refuse to put up more LED fixtures that will go bad in another 2 years.

0xabeon Unity’s new pricing: A wake-up call on the importance of open source

This was my impression: running out of ammo leads to death leads to paying for continue credits.

0xabeon Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't have to work?

Have you seen Rebelle?

https://www.escapemotions.com/products/rebelle/about

0xabeon Ask HN: How do you install not the latest iOS version?

I was just wishing today to install an old version of Garage Band that could run on an older Mac. But I don’t have it on a disc, and can’t see how to download old versions.

0xabeon macOS 13 Ventura review

Right, the argument is that the hardware is still functional, but due to the walled garden nature of the ecosystem, it can no longer be used. They are more like appliances and less like general purpose computing devices.

0xabeon Textual TUI framework for Python adds CSS renderer

Looks neat. Is there a way for this to be used with C++? Seems like a nice improvement on ncurses.

0xabeon Ubisoft+Bungie Scrambling to Evacuate Players Games from Capsizing Google Stadia

Latency isn’t the only issue. Bandwidth is another. MetalJesusRocks has an interesting video[0] on it.

[0] https://youtu.be/01ZTOyx-q7s

0xabeon Facts about State Machines

Game Programming Patterns by Robert Nystrom has a chapter on state machines. It’s both freely available online or for purchase if you really like it and want to support him.

http://gameprogrammingpatterns.com/state.html

0xabeon Why Books Donʼt Work (2019)

Having the information necessarily comes before having the understanding. Books relay information, not understanding.

Reminds me of the saying, “I can tell it to you, but I can’t understand it for you.”

0xabeon What has kept you going during a personal crisis?

https://livingwaters.com/movie/exit-the-appeal-of-suicide/

For millions who suffer from deep sadness and despair, “EXIT” points to a better way. This compelling movie shines a powerful light in the darkness and offers true hope to those who think they have none.

0xabeon HP Saturn

I was always amazed that a game like Phoenix was possible on it. Really enjoyed that game.

Didn’t know about Diamonds. Something to look up. Thanks!

0xabeon ErgodoxE EZ – an ergonomic keyboard with open source firmware

Have you tried using the extra 2 layers? Multiplies the number of keys. Also, print your layout while you learn it to remember where things are.

0xabeon Ask HN: Longevity for your parents, what to do?

Autophagy is the process by which the cells clean up and recycle. It is promoted by intermittent fasting. Stay healthy my friend!

0xabeon New MacBook Air with M2

In my grad school AI class I turned in a paper that I ran through a script (that I wrote) that jumbled the letters like this. The topic was related to the power of the human brain. The professor didn’t catch the double meaning and made me resubmit it normally.

0xabeon Pronunciation Guide for Unix

This also in the US, and < > as elbow brackets.

0xabeon Watercolor Basics

I always enjoy the water color artwork by Bill Watterson in Calvin and Hobbes. Would be fun to watch him paint.

0xabeon Tell HN: The loneliness of a pretty good developer

It sounds like you’re good at what you do, and that it comes relatively easily. Be thankful for that. Many people don’t have that. It sounds like your performance has made you a bit of a superstar. Be thankful for that. Many people work in obscurity. Don’t let it make you feel lonely. Quite the opposite, it sounds like you’re popular. Use your “status” to create the network you want. Stay humble and remind yourself to be happy. You’re in a good place.

0xabeon Ask HN: What’s a good laptop for software development at around $2k?

You forgot a 0 ;)

0xabeon Ask HN: What do you do when competition signs up for your service?

Ask

0xabeon A non-standard book list for software developers

We were just talking about this over lunch yesterday (software engineers at a medical device company). I won’t dismiss calculus, but it was generally agreed that linear algebra and statistics were most important, at least for what we’re doing.

0xabeon Inspecting Web Views in macOS

Qt Designer[0] (for widget-based interfaces) is still a thing, and they have added Qt Quick[1] and Qt Quick Controls (for QML-based interfaces).

Recently they’ve been integrated into the IDE but with a right click on a file (within the IDE file browser or project browser panes) you can open a .ui file in the external Designer.

[0]: https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qtdesigner-manual.html [1]: https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qtquick-index.html

0xabeon What's the problem with old but excellent Mac apps?

And deprecating is not the same thing as breaking or removing. It does signal the preparation to remove. However, Objective-C (last I checked) still works very well.

0xabeon What kind of Apple Mac did Arthur Dent have?

I had a professor who pronounced char as in “char-broiled”. At least it rhymed when she constantly repeated “char star”, referring to char pointers (char*).

0xabeon MAME Turns 25

How many times will you play and not continue? Might as well continue.

0xabeon Ask HN: How can I make a “kid's computer” today as good as an Apple II?

Virtual II[0] is paid software and requires a Mac, but it’s probably the best. One of the neat things about sticking with the Apple II is the community that still organizes around it at KansasFest[1].

[0] http://virtualii.com/ [1] https://www.kansasfest.org/

0xabeon Ask HN: How do you take care of yourself?

As others have said, eat well and exercise (sweat) which for me usually leads to good sleep which is also key.

Is it possible that part of your “burnout” is actually dissatisfaction with never finishing? If you expect you won’t finish then motivation to start may diminish. Pick something (one thing) and focus to finish. Learn to live with imperfection. Read about the idea of minimum viable products (MVP), and apply this concept to your projects. You will find satisfaction in finishing, and then motivation to start (and finish) the next. Yes finishing is hard, but then you will have a record of accomplishments and trust in yourself that you CAN finish. Slow down and work on one thing at a time. And finish.

0xabeon Art Bell Back in Time

Life is a death sentence

0xabeon Famicom Party: Making NES Games in Assembly

If you enjoyed this, check out this (older) podcast. The homebrew community has gone through some major changes in the last couple years.

https://soundcloud.com/nesassemblyline