Recent posts

#31

Support / Can I have one computer on my ...

Last post by buster - July 24, 2025, 02:16:20 PM

There should be a fairly easy solution to this with a few mouse clicks, but I haven't found it yet.

My desktop Win10 computer that is connected to the TV is used by us to run movies or whatever that I've acquired. These movies are stored on a Win11 computer in a different room. So this old but good computer is perfect for the job it does, but cannot be upgraaded to Win 11.

I can remove email programs and browsers without serious inconvenience. Most threats would come I would think through these two pieces of software. So here are the two questions.

1. Can I easily prevent my TV computer from interacting with the Internet?

2. Would this make using a Win 10 computer connected only to the home network relatively safe to continue using?

I know we have a number of readers who understand networking far better than I do. And using Linux in this situation, connecting to a Windows machine, has always, for me, been an extremely unpleasant task.

#32

Meetings / Re: PLUG Mug Monday 2 pm July ...

Last post by ssfc72 - July 24, 2025, 08:13:15 AM

Very good, Kal. I will try for another PLUG Mug meetup early August.

#33

Meetings / Re: PLUG Mug Monday 2 pm July ...

Last post by kalabaster - July 23, 2025, 02:55:45 PM

 I have been made aware of the effort to meet in person again. Glen G. and myself, Kal,
have pledged to keep an eye on the forum to acknowledge a meet and greet at either Tim's or
 Landsdowne Mall. Send out the call for next month and we'll make an honest effort.

  Cheers,
           Kal of Oshawa and environs !

#34

General Discussion / Re: The Really Unpleasant Comp...

Last post by buster - July 20, 2025, 09:40:21 AM

Love the word "apocaloptimist".

#35

General Discussion / Re: The Really Unpleasant Comp...

Last post by Jason - July 19, 2025, 09:57:21 PM

This type of exploitation would be much easier to comprehend if we all lived on one small island. The earth is an island of course. And we can't simply pack up and move somewhere else.

It's because no generation thinks of the next. Indigenous people have this concept of thinking seven generations ahead. The best we seem to be able to do is to think of our children (if that). That's why it's so hard to deal with huge issues like climate change, besides the mammoth task of getting every country to do it, is that we're just thinking of our generation. It's easier for governments to kick the can down the road than do something. Look at Carney; we had a consumer price on carbon. Gone for political expediency.

Shush with your apocalypse talk, Buster. I have at least another couple of decades ahead. I'm an apocaloptimist. I know everything is going to shit but I think it'll work out anyway.

#36

General Discussion / Re: The Really Unpleasant Comp...

Last post by Jason - July 19, 2025, 09:51:22 PM

Sort of reminds me of the ominous Skynet from the Terminator movies.

All these bots on the present-day internet, wasting enormous amounts of electricity doing useless searches.

Now replaced with AI!

#37

Linux Applications & Android apps / Re: Handbrake for making a MP4...

Last post by Jason - July 19, 2025, 09:49:46 PM

I think it's a legal issue, possibly. They can provide the file online, but including it with the install can get them in hot water. I don't think any Linux distributor has gotten in trouble but I guess some are more wary than others.

#38

Linux Applications & Android apps / Handbrake for making a MP4 dig...

Last post by ssfc72 - July 17, 2025, 08:53:58 PM

I have used Handbrake, quite awhile ago, to convert one of my bought DVD movies to an MP4 movie file, so that I can watch the movie from a thumb drive, plugged into my smart TV.

You also have to install on your Distro the libdvdcss files, to allow Handbrake to decode the movie dvd.

Today, I tried to use Handbrake to make an MP4 movie file, from a movie DVD, but Handbrake would not work.
The notebook computer I am using has the Mint Distro, but the version I am using is no longer supported, so maybe that may be the problem?

However, I then went to my other notebook which is running an up to date version of MXLinux, and I ran into the same problem of Handbrake not being able to decode the movie DVD.

I went and re-installed the libdvdcss file and then Handbrake worked, decoding the movie dvd and creating an mp4 movie file. :-)

Strange, that I had to re install the libdvdcss on an MXLinux, that was fully updated.

Link to libdvdcss           https://www.videolan.org/developers/libdvdcss.html

#39

General Discussion / Re: The Really Unpleasant Comp...

Last post by buster - July 17, 2025, 06:05:09 PM

Our whole economy seems to be built on waste and expansion. Well the apocalypse should solve much of this.

This type of exploitation would be much easier to comprehend if we all lived on one small island. The earth is an island of course. And we can't simply pack up and move somewhere else.

#40

Distributions / Re: CachyOS ranked 2nd on Dist...

Last post by ssfc72 - July 17, 2025, 04:07:42 AM

The Distrowatch website is my daily goto to get the latest info on Linux Distros.

I know the page hit Rankings are not directly a list of the most used Distros but it still gives a very good indication, since The big boys, Mint, Ubuntu etc, are all at the top of the list.