lynxy's recent activity
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
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Comment on Patient police in New Zealand say they have recovered Fabergé pendant from man accused of swallowing it in ~news
lynxy LinkTalk about a golden goose- literally producing golden eggs. I suppose the cops only had to give the suspect something to go on, until they had something to go on?Talk about a golden goose- literally producing golden eggs.
I suppose the cops only had to give the suspect something to go on, until they had something to go on?
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
lynxy LinkI have grabbed, before the prices jump too high, an Intel Pro B50 to replace the B580 in my server machine (which will likely end up in the VR machine in the lounge), so that I may play with...I have grabbed, before the prices jump too high, an Intel Pro B50 to replace the B580 in my server machine (which will likely end up in the VR machine in the lounge), so that I may play with SR-IOV in the Linux 6.18 kernel! I might finally justify a Proxmox installation, then- something I've been putting off because a lot of what runs on the server machine is GPU accelerated anyway, so near-everything would have ended up in the same virtual device, rendering any benefits moot.
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Comment on Netflix kills casting from phones in ~tech
lynxy LinkYou will consume the media you pay for in exactly the ways in which we let you. You own nothing.- Exemplary
You will consume the media you pay for in exactly the ways in which we let you. You own nothing.
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Comment on Are there any current Kagi extended trial codes? in ~tech
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
lynxy LinkDoubleposting- but I have found something pretty cool! Yesterday morning I had to fix the boot process of my primary computing device (long story- basically, mkinitcpio v40 has disabled the...Doubleposting- but I have found something pretty cool!
Yesterday morning I had to fix the boot process of my primary computing device (long story- basically, mkinitcpio v40 has disabled the default fallback initrd generation, which would stop my systemd-boot entries working because they expected two initrd stubs), but I didn't want to create yet another external boot media which I would lose (where is the latest USB stick I bought, you ask- good question).
It turns out, with a rooted Android device, you can create sparse images which can be served as mass storage devices using Magisk modules such as MSD for mass storage emulation. This does not interfere with ADB, MTP, or normal USB functionality, and it means I can dd an Arch ISO to a ~4GiB external media that is emulated on my phone, and fix the OS using that! I could even serve a running OS this way- if I can find a solution for mounting directories inside the sparse image locally on the phone, as well.
This does require that the device uses configfs, and also that the mass storage USB gadget is enabled in the kernel- this is yet another win for the Sony team who appear to have enabled most kernel modules that might be useful (this, and the Wireguard module) on the stock kernel of this device!
This is what makes mobile devices so cool, and it's such a damned shame that Google's locked down walled-garden approach to personal devices makes it a non-starter for most Android platforms.
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Comment on Are there any current Kagi extended trial codes? in ~tech
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
lynxy (edited )Link ParentUnfortunately, I don't think it is agnostic enough. Drasl is very much designed around the authentication protocol that Mojang developed, and the scripts I'm writing for fetching game files...Unfortunately, I don't think it is agnostic enough.
Drasl is very much designed around the authentication protocol that Mojang developed, and the scripts I'm writing for fetching game files utilise the manifests provided by Mojang over the web,
and the resource endpoints, which don't require any form of authentication.It does look like Valheim has dedicated server software, though as you've mentioned, the files are distributed through Steam. You can actually automate fetching of such files, especially in the case of dedicated server tools, using SteamCMD or similar (for assets which don't require purchase, you can even fetch them anonymously). It might be worth looking into how projects like the Valheim server docker image fetch the server files?
Edit: My bad- I apologise- I did not realise that Valheim also appears to authenticate through Steam too. In that case, you'd likely need a mod which injects a new authorisation URL into the game. For Minecraft, I use authinjector, but the server itself also needs to be pointed at the third-party authorisation service. Luckily, for recent versions of Minecraft, cmdline arguments can do that, but I doubt the same can be said for Valheim?
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Comment on iiSU, a new front-end for emulation on Android, announces its plans in ~games
lynxy Link ParentI'm a little concerned by how poorly they communicated how much of it was a mock-up- and having worked on video game UI, I'm entirely sure 98% of that was just previewed in their UI design tool of...I'm a little concerned by how poorly they communicated how much of it was a mock-up- and having worked on video game UI, I'm entirely sure 98% of that was just previewed in their UI design tool of choice. The focus on the group as a whole was largely on the designers. They have some very pretty designs, too, but they've also picked a couple of very technical challenges which will require some experienced developers.
The YouTube comments are full of people salivating over it, not realising that none of this functionality exists yet.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
lynxy LinkI took a day or two away from studying to build a minimal Python script which fetches the entire game files for different Minecraft versions using the manifest- so that I don't have to fuss around...I took a day or two away from studying to build a minimal Python script which fetches the entire game files for different Minecraft versions using the manifest- so that I don't have to fuss around with Microsoft's add-laden launcher, and then I experimented until I got game launching working with an even simpler script.
Now I'm experimenting with Drasl, a Yggdrasil (the Minecraft auth stack) compatible third-party authentication backend for Minecraft- which works fine with builds of Paper (the server).
I've owned a Minecraft account since early beta- at this point, roughly half my life ago- and I'm really not certain I enjoy Microsoft as a corporation. Now I have a solution which excises Microsoft from the equation- to an extent. They still develop the game, of course.
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Comment on GPT-5 has come a long way in mathematics in ~tech
lynxy Link ParentI think the following quite is an interesting point, and likely where the future of education (or at least self-guided exercises) in this new context lies; Personally, I have been using ChatGPT 5...I think the following quite is an interesting point, and likely where the future of education (or at least self-guided exercises) in this new context lies;
If different students pick different AI “vibes” and get different types of explanations, hints, and levels of hand-holding, we will need to think carefully about equity, scaffolding, and what we count as independent work. The same underlying model might behave like a patient tutor for one student and an efficiency-obsessed problem solver for another.
Personally, I have been using ChatGPT 5 to work through exercise sheets on theoretical computer science (Turing machines, finite automata, register machines, Rice's theorem, and much more)- largely because the material that I have been provided with is in a language I do not yet speak well (German), as well as consisting of slides which, in many cases, are enough to prompt a lecturer but without said lecturer do not provide the entire picture- and the amount of time it takes for the LLM to insist on providing you with its own, fully-fleshed out answer to any problem stated is infuriatingly short. And this is without any form of vibes manipulation; this is standard behaviour.
It has been an incredibly useful tool in translation (once I have transcribed the slides- it still struggles mightily with the unusual layouts and mathematical formulae), and when trying to understand a concept and produce (my own) notes for it. I can see it becoming a standard in learning contexts, especially when it helps level the playing-field for people with issues such as language barriers, but there is a marked difference in utility between using the tool to further your understanding, and asking it to simply solve the problems for you. Which of these it does seems to ultimately be left up to the honesty of the student, or at the least understanding that having the answers given to you will not aid you later on in your curriculum.
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Comment on Android Quick Share can now work with iOS’s AirDrop in ~tech
lynxy LinkIs this limited only to devices running the full Google stack, or is this a part of AOSP? I'm guessing, by the priory / early access for Pixel devices, that it's the former.Is this limited only to devices running the full Google stack, or is this a part of AOSP? I'm guessing, by the priory / early access for Pixel devices, that it's the former.
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Comment on The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping | Official teaser in ~movies
lynxy LinkHaving rewatched the trilogy relatively recently for the first-time since release, they hold up reasonably well! They hit the story beats from the books well, they're well cast, and the production...Having rewatched the trilogy relatively recently for the first-time since release, they hold up reasonably well! They hit the story beats from the books well, they're well cast, and the production holds up.
Unfortunately, what was one of my main criticisms of the stories overall is only magnified in 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' in that they're start well, they carry the story fine, and then they just sort of.. fall apart into chaos. When I was a lot younger and I read the books, trying to recall the ending felt like a jumbled dream in my mind.
Potential spoilers for TBOSBAS
I loved the introduction of Snow's character, and the actor did a good job of seeming sympathetic, of displaying a growing unease with the concept of the games as he befriended the tribute he was to mentor; but it felt like it would be difficult to instigate the complete about-face that Snow must do in order to become the ruthless character in the original trilogy, and I guess the writers agreed because they didn't even bother? I remember something about Snow messing up a communication and then.. he loses his fuckboi haircut and ends up chasing his tribute through a foggy forest for what felt like an hour? I don't know, I sort of lost interest.
I hope the new film does not continue this pattern but I will probably watch it regardless. They have a lot of redeeming factors, and I'm certain that Ralph Fiennes will be one of them.
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Comment on The spy who came in from the WiFi: Beware of radio network surveillance! in ~comp
lynxy Link ParentI have been wondering about the utility of this mechanic in a smart home for more comprehensive presence sensing (we've been having issues with the Aqara FP2..).I have been wondering about the utility of this mechanic in a smart home for more comprehensive presence sensing (we've been having issues with the Aqara FP2..).
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Comment on V for Vendetta - 20th anniversary | Announcement trailer in ~movies
lynxy LinkAdapted by the Wachowskis (of Matrix fame) from Alan Moore's 1982/1983 graphic novel, V for Vendetta warns of a near-future totalitarian regime- a police state in the year 2020, reeling from a...Adapted by the Wachowskis (of Matrix fame) from Alan Moore's 1982/1983 graphic novel, V for Vendetta warns of a near-future totalitarian regime- a police state in the year 2020, reeling from a world-wide virus (prescient?) which has left most of America dead, and which relies on surveillance and violence to crush protest and dissent.
On the 20-year anniversary of the film's release, on the 5th of November (remember, remember), it has been announced that on the same date in 2026 the film will re-enter theatres. Perhaps, given the current UK government's approach to political protest and the growing paradigm of distrust, combined with an exponential growth in surveillance and a rightward swing in the politics of the UK, the EU, the Americas, and further afield, it is even more relevant today than it was on release?
Either way, it's a rather enjoyable film with a great cast including Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, Stephen Rea, Roger Allam, Stephen Fry, and John Hurt (rest in peace). If I can, I'd love to catch it in the cinemas and watch it on the big screen.
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V for Vendetta - 20th anniversary | Announcement trailer
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
lynxy Link ParentIf the only operation the server will perform is file storage, I'm sure a Pi will work just fine- you can grab an 8/16 GB Pi 5 and a small-but-fast SD card and it will run most storage solutions...If the only operation the server will perform is file storage, I'm sure a Pi will work just fine- you can grab an 8/16 GB Pi 5 and a small-but-fast SD card and it will run most storage solutions reasonably well.
I do heavily recommend storing the files on an external HDD, though, as you mentioned. SD cards don't have a great reputation for robustness, and I myself have lost data after an SD card was bumped and a hairline crack rendered it inoperable.
If, however, you want to host media on Plex or Jellyfin, I'm not certain the Pi will suffice. Maybe if you never transcode the media on the fly, as the GPU is underpowered for this use-case.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
lynxy LinkI'm slowly moving some of my projects from plain-old "bare" git repositories on my server machine, cloned over SSH, to a personal Forgejo instance I spent a couple of hours spinning up and...I'm slowly moving some of my projects from plain-old "bare" git repositories on my server machine, cloned over SSH, to a personal Forgejo instance I spent a couple of hours spinning up and configuring. Most of the projects will stay private / hidden, but there are one or two which I might host publicly, and for these I've been looking into and debating different permissive licenses- and diving into the complexities of the git rebase functionality.
I've somewhat got a handle on how to interactively rebase an entire project from the root commit, rewording and squashing commits, as well as flattening certain files so that the state looks consistent through the project history*. Another clean-up step which took me some time to figure out was the claiming of all commits in a project history (re-authoring) without resetting the authored / committed dates.
*This allows me to retroactively license code which has yet to be published- I know retroactive re-licensing is a touchy subject, but for code which is entirely written by me, and not-yet publicly accessible, it feels reasonable, and it will hopefully reduce confusion re:licensing of specific tags / versions, etc.
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Comment on You don't need Anubis in ~comp
lynxy Link ParentYes! The idea of providing instructions to set the verification cookie to noscript users, who are more likely to be technically-knowledgeable enough to perform said steps, did cross my mind and it...Yes! The idea of providing instructions to set the verification cookie to noscript users, who are more likely to be technically-knowledgeable enough to perform said steps, did cross my mind and it seems a reasonable solution to me.
As for search engine scrapers- I imagine you could just pick scrapers who are well behaved / publish the IP ranges that they scrape from (I'd rather Google not scrape my sites, to be honest), and carve out some exceptions to this scheme. I believe Kagi publish enough data for this.
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Comment on You don't need Anubis in ~comp
lynxy LinkThis is a tempting solution- I'm sure the same operation in Nginx (my reverse proxy / web-server of choice) is just as simple to implement- but I do worry about the effect this will have on users...This is a tempting solution- I'm sure the same operation in Nginx (my reverse proxy / web-server of choice) is just as simple to implement- but I do worry about the effect this will have on users of noscript-type add-ons (also clearly an issue when using Anubis).
But then, blocking all scripts is a rather extreme approach, and if you do this then maybe you should expect swathes of the web to be inaccessible to you. I entirely understand the dislike of large third-party hosted frameworks, and the concerns about the possibilities of malicious JS, but I am all for minimalist same-site custom JS solutions. Vanilla JS has become quite powerful over the years, and can do some pretty cool things.
Just as a started sending out more applications for a part-time job, linking to my locally hosted Forgejo instance, the LSI HBA in my server machine decided to start failing, with constant ZFS read/write errors despite smart checks completing without issue- I guess it has been running a bit hot as it hasn't had any direct airflow, only what's passed straight through the case from front-to-back (the general opinion on the net was that this would be acceptable for this generation and I never thought to check the actual temperatures!).
So I have managed to copy enough off of the ZFS array so that I can continue to host the git and other services, and I have been waiting for a new (better) HBA to arrive. This I have just collected from a drop-off box, and I'll emplace it this evening.
I really hope I get a response from one of the places I sent off an application to specifically, though my experience differs from the job description and I'm on a student residency at the moment which might count against me if there's competition.. I'm struggling very much with imposter syndrome, and always have.