Tag: ubuntu

What If AI Wore a… Wait for It… Tux

~ Leslie Lanagan ~ Leave a comment

I wrote this with Microsoft Copilot while I was thinking about ways to shift the focus to the open source community. I think both UbuntuAI and its community-driven cousin should be a thing. We’ve already got data structures in gpt4all, and Copilot integration is already possible on the Linux desktop. There needs to be a shift in the way we see AI, because it’s more useful when you know your conversations are private. You’re not spending time thinking about how you’re feeding the machine. There’s a way to free it all up, but it requires doing something the Linux community is very good at…. Lagging behind so that they can stay safer. Gpt4All is perfectly good as an editor and research assistant right now. You just don’t get the latest information from it, so not a very good candidate for research but excellent for creative endeavors.

It’s not the cloud that matters.

Linux has always been the operating system that quietly runs the world. It’s the backstage crew that keeps the servers humming, the supercomputers calculating, and the embedded gadgets blinking. But for creators and businesspeople, Linux has often felt like that brilliant friend who insists you compile your own dinner before eating it. Admirable, yes. Convenient, not always. Now imagine that same friend showing up with an AI sous‑chef. Suddenly, Linux isn’t just powerful — it’s charming, helpful, and maybe even a little funny.

Artificial intelligence has become the duct tape of modern work. It patches holes in your schedule, holds together your spreadsheets, and occasionally sticks a neon Post‑it on your brain saying “don’t forget the meeting.” Businesspeople lean on AI to crunch numbers faster than a caffeinated accountant, while creators use it to stretch imagination like taffy. The catch? Most of these tools live inside walled gardens. Microsoft and Apple offer assistants that are slicker than a greased penguin, but they come with strings attached: subscriptions, cloud lock‑in, and the nagging suspicion that your draft novel is being used to train a bot that will one day out‑write you.

Linux, by contrast, has always been about choice. An AI‑led Linux would extend that ethos: you decide whether to run AI locally, connect to cloud services, or mix the two like a cocktail. No coercion, no hidden contracts — just sovereignty with a dash of sass.

The real kicker is the ability to opt in to cloud services instead of being shoved into them like a reluctant passenger on a budget airline. Sensitive drafts, financial models, or creative works can stay snug on your machine, guarded by your local AI like a loyal watchdog. When you need real‑time updates — market data, collaborative editing, or the latest research — you can connect to the cloud. And if you’re in a secure environment, you can update your AI definitions once, then pull the plug and go full hermit. It’s flexibility with a wink: privacy when you want it, connectivity when you don’t mind it.

Creators, in particular, would thrive. Picture drafting a novel in LibreOffice with AI whispering plot twists, editing graphics in GIMP with filters that actually understand “make it pop,” or composing music with open‑source DAWs that can jam along without charging royalties. Instead of paying monthly fees for proprietary AI tools, creators could run local models on their own hardware. The cost is upfront, not perpetual. LibreOffice already reads and writes nearly every document format you throw at it, and AI integration would amplify this fluency, letting creators hop between projects like a DJ swapping tracks. AI on Linux turns the operating system into a conductor’s podium where every instrument — text, image, sound — can plug in without restriction. And unlike autocorrect, it won’t insist you meant “ducking.”

Businesspeople, too, get their slice of the pie. AI can summarize reports, highlight trends, and draft communications directly inside open‑source office suites. Air‑gapped updates mean industries like finance, healthcare, or government can use AI without breaking compliance rules. Running AI locally reduces dependence on expensive cloud subscriptions, turning hardware investments into long‑term savings. Businesses can tailor AI definition packs to their sector — finance, legal, scientific — ensuring relevance without bloat. For leaders, this isn’t just about saving money. It’s about strategic independence: the ability to deploy AI without being beholden to external vendors who might change the rules mid‑game.

Of course, skeptics will ask: who curates the data? The answer is the same as it’s always been in open source — the community. Just as Debian and LibreOffice thrive on collective governance, AI definition packs can be curated by trusted foundations. Updates would be signed, versioned, and sanitized, much like antivirus definitions. Tech companies may not allow AI to update “behind them,” but they already publish APIs and open datasets. Governments and scientific bodies release structured data. Communities can curate these sources into yearly packs, ensuring relevance without dependence on Wikipedia alone. The result is a commons of intelligence — reliable, reproducible, and open.

If Microsoft can contribute to the Linux kernel, steward GitHub, and open‑source VS Code, then refusing to imagine an AI‑led Linux feels like a contradiction. The infrastructure is already here. The models exist. The only missing step is permission — permission to treat AI as a first‑class citizen of open source, not a proprietary add‑on. Creators and businesspeople deserve an operating system that respects their sovereignty while amplifying their productivity. They deserve the choice to connect or disconnect, to run locally or in the cloud. They deserve an AI‑led Linux.

An AI‑led Linux is not just a technical idea. It is a cultural provocation. It says privacy is possible. It says choice is non‑negotiable. It says creativity and business can thrive without lock‑in. For creators, it is a canvas without borders. For businesspeople, it is a ledger without hidden fees. For both, it is the conductor’s podium — orchestrating sovereignty and intelligence in harmony. The future of productivity is not proprietary. It is open, intelligent, and optional. And Linux, with AI at its core, is ready to lead that future — tuxedo and all.

According to Whom?

~ Leslie Lanagan ~ 2 Comments

Have you ever unintentionally broken the law?

I just can’t with today. I got up early and started writing, and it was going pretty well. Then, the Jetpack (WordPress) app got put in the background. When I went back to it, nothing would render (no text appeared). My entry disappeared into thin air.

So I’ll start over, and it will be nothing like what I was thinking earlier because I’m not thinking about that now…. whatever it was. I had a better idea to introduce you to my life of crime, unintentionally, of course.

When you are in a choir, it is frowned upon and also common practice to copy things. It’s very illegal. But I have aided and abetted many times. I struggle with copiers, because I think they sense my fear.

The next time I unintentionally broke the law was when my friends were putting a giant amount of music on their servers and giving me access. “It wasn’t illegal” because my friends said it wasn’t. What they meant was that copying off their server was legal. I later found out that was not the case, but luckily, not because I was caught. The safest way to share music was to borrow CDs and transcode them yourself, which is where the term “sneaker pimping” originated. It was underground, like “Winds of Change” during the Cold War…. yet less inspirational and more sitting there waiting for the CD-ROM that copied at 4x speed and generally wrote two bad discs before a right one. That got better over time, but in the beginning, it was atrocious. The CDs were expensive and then half of them failed.

I unintentionally broke the law the other day when I installed Windows 11 in a Virtual Box. My key wouldn’t activate anywhere but my original machine, even though I wasn’t using it for that. So, it’s off to find another solution, because the longer I spend with Windows, the more I’m irritated by it. You mean I can’t change my own time zone, I have to connect to location services? No matter what I do, I can’t make it where you don’t get to access my location and the rest of my information, and who knows how deep they’re digging? I don’t have anything to hide, it’s just the principle of the thing.

Facebook and everything else is built on stealing your information, why they’re free. We’re just dependent on it now, because we’ve been on it since you could get an account. That’s probably 15 years for me by now.

So, it’s a little intimidating when it’s not apps you can choose to install. If I really thought that gathering my ad information was important, I could delete Facebook off my phone/tablet and clear my browser history. What do you do when the data mining is the operating system itself?

They’re not even breaking the law unintentionally….. because what they’re doing might be legal, but it’s nowhere near moral. And the bitch of it is that we could have open source and secure social media, but it would never take off to the degree that Facebook did…. so you either install Facebook or you’re cut off from most, if not all of your friends.

That’s because free software has two problems. The first is that few businesses will buy in because they have to have someone to sue if things go wrong. The second is that if you put it out there for free, people assume it has no value. It’s the opposite. It’s millions of coders giving their time to create something that doesn’t depend on reporting to any kind of mothership and doesn’t cater ads right in your taskbar. Well, not ads, but sensationalized news to get you to click when it’s just nonsense. And you can’t turn it off if you just want the weather icon. If you close the obnoxious news banner trying to keep you up to date, everything goes with it. If you leave it on, every time you hit that hot corner when you’re trying to do something productive will make you want to punch your monitor.

Last week I was in “game mode,” where there are no distractions. I thought I had a complete crash when Windows put the game on the taskbar to ask me how likely I was to recommend Windows 11 to a friend. Luckily, I have enough VRAM that I could go back to it, but not every piece of software is that stable. Windows is becoming cancer, and I don’t want to deal with it anymore. I just don’t have a choice.

If Windows games could run on Linux perfectly, I wouldn’t need it at all. Steam is making headway, but I don’t have a Steam library. I chose GOG because then you own the game outright. I did not know that it would be different in every way from the Steam version and new releases make it crash…. frequently.

Sometimes you make choices in life. They lead you down a bad road….. and in a church choir, no less…….

Android and Sundry

~ Leslie Lanagan ~ Leave a comment

I’ve finished up my Christmas list, and it was harder than I thought it would be because I really don’t need anything. I could upgrade my Fire tablet, but I have an iPad Pro (First gen) and a basic Kindle (I lost my Oasis in the chaos of the fire). If my current Fire can’t handle something, the iPad Pro certainly will. I’m not a gamer, so that’s why cheap tablets work so well for me. Even if I wanted to install an emulator for things like NES and Playstation, those games are so old that it would not tax my current tablet or newer. In fact, to replace my current tablet with something I’d like more would be a substantial jump in money for something that is just cool, not necessary.

I’m actually surprised at how well my current Fire HD 10+ does split screen, so if you need a laptop, I highly recommend you pick one up. Because it’s not the newest release, it will be maybe $80. With a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, you’ll gain the functionality of a full desktop and your bag weight will still be manageable. The newer version of the 10-in only comes with 3GB of RAM as well, but it has a faster CPU. In order to get 4GB, you have to upgrade to the Fire 11 Max, which is stunning hardware and not enough motivation to upgrade because you can’t install stock Android on it and there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack….. omg, this wigs me out so much, this whole going to Bluetooth and HDMI/Thunderbolt for everything. I have a very nice stereo system that only comes in wired. I hate having to charge my headphones. It’s at least as big a form factor as the 10-inch, so saving space isn’t it.

I don’t think I should have to replace my audio equipment just because computer companies are short-sighted. In order to get the same usage out of your Bluetooth headphones that you could out of wired, you’d need 10 pairs to constantly keep charging them, and if you forget your cable on the go, good luck. God bless. The best pair of headphones I own are wired Sony that cost less than $20, and because it’s a wired connection, much deeper and richer than Bluetooth. Audiophiles do not like Bluetooth. It’s knowing how to use a Nikon and settling for a phone cam. So, I will be staying with my current iPad and Fire for now, because by now they are like pets. 😉

I’m not doing anything but surfing the web, creating documents, and watching videos. I don’t think there’s any percentage in upgrading until I have a reason for it, like editing video and thus need more RAM. RAM doesn’t make your tablet faster. It makes it where you can keep more applications open at one time without it lagging. I would recommend at least 4GB for the current build of all Google apps. Chrome is a memory hog in and of itself, but 4GB of RAM will allow you to put it side by side with something else and have full control in both windows.

Plus, things will change when my new computer arrives. I’ve never had one with DDR4 or an M.2 drive, both things that will seriously pick up the pace in my desktop department. That means I can use USB-C to transfer files back and forth from my Fire tablet and edit them on that drive instead. It won’t mean much in terms of text, but it will mean everything in terms of audio/video.

Even then, I didn’t pick out something STUPID fast, I just joined the 21st century. Linux has astounding support for the AMD gpu, so Ubuntu will install right out of the box and it already comes with Windows 11. Since Windows 11 is going to contain Skyrim, I’m going to add a separate SSD with something like Linux Mint.

I know the M.2 drive is faster, but I’m not sure whether I want to partition it yet. All of these things are to be discussed with myself when said computer actually arrives (Saturday). What I do know is that I’ll plug it in and use it as is so I can activate the Windows 11 license and add it to my Microsoft account. Then, I can uninstall and reinstall everything to my heart’s content. The one thing I like about having DRM on Windows is that I don’t have to have a key every time I reinstall. I spent the 90s memorizing Windows keys, I shit you not. I must have had to install it 500 times, and I stopped having to look down at the jewel case on install 48.

The only reason you ever need to reinstall Windows right off the bat is if you buy a pre-built and there are proprietary applications you just can’t delete. If that is the case, I will be downloading my own installation media. I hate that stuff the same way I hate Fire OS. The Fire tablet did not have to reinvent the wheel with Fire OS. Nearly everything in the Google Play store requires Google Services Framework, so if you have Fire OS, you either have to hack it to run GSF or suffer life without them. You can download some apps from the Aurora Store, but what you’ll find is that anything you really want to install has to come through Play.

This is not true if you’re a Microsoft person, and if you are, that’s great. Microsoft apps like office and Edge (a derivative of Chrome) will install just fine. If you use Gmail, the e-mail application that comes with Fire OS is mostly elegant and will incorporate your calendar as well. However, you will not have access to Google apps like Drive, Docs, Sheets, etc. It was a bad decision to branch off into FireOS, but at least they only tell you that Google Play isn’t supported, they haven’t shut down the homebrew community altogether. XDA has made what’s called “The Fire Toolbox,” which will turn off all the Amazon apps you don’t use and install Google Play services for you. At one point, you could also install alternate launchers, but I think that may be the one thing that is locked down.

I have said this before, but it bears repeating that Amazon is making some stupid awesome hardware and selling the products for what they’re worth. There is no reason that they need to lock me into their version of OS hell while they’re at it. I would love to be able to install stock Android or Ubuntu Touch or whatever it is that I like on the hardware that I purchased. Even Steve Jobs recognized there was a use case for installing Windows on a Mac and that’s why we have BootStrap.

I would understand if the Fire Max 11 came with lockscreen ads and FireOS because it was a loss leader to get you to buy into the Amazon universe. It’s not. Other companies are selling equal or better hardware for the same price. The only place I hear Amazon is really competing with Apple is that their new stylus is comparable to an Apple Pencil. But I’ve only heard that from tech reviewers on YouTube, I have never used one.

And while we’re on the Apple Pencil, let me tell you that it is the coolest thing on earth and I love it to absolute pieces………… I’ve used it three times this year. I like to color, but I don’t like to handwrite things. My iPad has a touch screen, so I don’t need it as a mouse. I have a matte screen to make the Apple Pencil feel real, as it it actually sounds like graphite scratching across the “paper,” and yet it still feels like once keyboards came out, pens were so over.

I would also skip the new Amazon keyboard case, because it has a touchpad that I can believe will drive you nuts from accidentally hitting it all the time. When I had a laptop, I disabled it and carried a mouse everywhere. I have not seen the keyboard settings in FireOS to know if you can disable it or not. Tell me how it works out. 😉

Eventually, I had to face the reality that while I’m a tech enthusiast, I don’t want to be one of those people who collects gadgets and therefore e-waste. I have enough already. If I ever upgrade, I wouldn’t even know where to start with the technology I already have because it’s so old it’s not really worth anything. I am looking at the reality of what I really do in a day, and basing my tech decisions on it. Every problem that I have with an application will not be fixed with a faster machine. A lot of stability on a tablet comes from network connection, because apps are basically front-ends for the web. If you’re going to get a new tablet, it’s more important that it does dual-band networking (2.4 and 5G) than the amount of RAM. I’m lucky in that dual band came out for the Fire with the last iteration, so there’s not even a reason to upgrade there.

I do think it’s fun reviewing new things, but there again…. I can review it, but what do I do with it after that? I can only use so many computers at once. I am reaching saturation with technology and need it less, not more. I am learning to go off the grid when I write. I am learning that time is sacred. I am learning that my technology is not a leash that means “respond to everyone immediately or you’re a terrible person.” I had to learn that my time was valuable, that my writing was valuable, that even if no one ever read it that it was good for me to get it all out.

I just don’t have to spend a thousand dollars on a tablet to do it….. even if it was a really, really cool machine.

Nine Lessons and URLs

~ Leslie Lanagan ~ Leave a comment

What are your favorite websites?

Number One

I feel like I am Google’s older sister, because I started using the web before even Yahoo! was invented. I used dial-up America Online when I was 15, but when I was 18-19, my friends Joe and Luke (both IT Geeks- Joe was actually a linux sysadmin) said that if I was only using the gateway to things like AOL and CompuServe, then I wasn’t really seeing the web. They taught me to put AOL down on the taskbar as soon as the modem connected and switch to Netscape Navigator (precursor to Firefox). That I needed to type in the URL to get what I want, and Tim Berners-Lee was a genius (he didn’t invent the Internet in terms of computers sharing information, but what is now called the “World Wide Web.” There, now you know what www stands for. 🙂 When I got on “the real web,” I immediately gravitated to the design of it. A Jakob Nielsen disciple of the first order, thanks to my friend Chason. Nielsen was all about simplicity. The design on this web site is Nielsen-inspired, because for all practical intents and purposes, it looks like something a disciple of his would build. It is simplicity. I don’t even make people click “more” (and I could). The First Lesson is that without search engines, you can’t do anything else, because I wouldn’t have been able to learn how the Internet works without them. Back then, I used Yahoo! or Ask Jeeves. Now, the Google algorithm is so good that I can’t justify using anything else. I am sure that will change with Microsoft and ChatGPT, but it’s not there yet (IMHO. YMMV. Internet slang from the 90s and 2000s. You probably already know “in my humble opinion.” The other is “your mileage may vary.”). ChatGPT is interesting. I have created several pieces of artwork (cartoons) with it, and it’s not bad. I have never beat “Jesus Flipping Over Tables.” It’s from another dude who said that to ChatGPT and it looks like Jesus is doing bullet time over the table in The Upper Room. I would put it here, but I just hate WordPress now. Just hate it. They fucked me up with blocks, because it’s counterintuitive to everything I’ve coded my whole life. It won’t do true page layout and wraparound text.

Number Two

WordPress is my second favorite because I can hate it all I fucking want and I still have to use it. There should be an open source project for the classic version of WordPress so that the security updates are intact, but the graphical user interface goes back to something workable. You can create a table with an image on one side and text on the other, but you cannot say the things that are most important, like float this paragraph to the left of the image so that the text flows around it and put 5 pixels of space around it- and put a solid dark gray 3 pixel border on the image, thanks.

I am sure that if I paid for the business version of WordPress (only $300/mo, cutting out most writers who would use it), I’d be able to add all the Cascading Style Sheets I want, but for now, “it’ll do, pig. It’ll do.” The part that hurts is that WordPress itself used to be something you installed on your own server and you could do whatever you wanted with it.

There was no “WordPress.com.” It was a software package for a web server and that was it. They weren’t selling server space and plugins except to pay the artists who set their own prices on their themes. Pretty sure the open source community should take it over. Give it a new name. I’ve said it once already, but it bears repeating. It’ll be the Aldi version of Twix at first, but we’ll get there (if you think the Aldi version is better, that’s the point of open source- “free” as in “free beer” and “free speech-” change whatever you want and make it work for you.). If I could actually write in something like Python, it would be done already. I’m only asking a favor because I am creative autistic and not STEM autistic. 😉 Nerds, do what you do.

Number Three

YouTube is in the Big Three because I use it for everything from “hey, I think you might be autistic” to “I want to watch someone restore a car.” Jason Hibbs, Laura Kampf, Tyler & Todd, Get Hands Dirty, FourEyesFurniture, and Chip Channel Restorations compete for my favorites, as well as old episodes of Graham Norton from both his talk shows (and his appearance on Sanjeev’s in “The Kumars at No. 42, which defies all description and you should look it up.). The best one I’ve watched is a very old clip of Roseanne Barr on “So Graham Norton,” where they prank call a hotel in Germany, I think, because the name of the town is “Fucking.” Roseanne is just sitting there dying as Graham says stuff like “do you have a Fucking hotel?” And as he says, “this is not new or clever.” I died for a second. Also, Rowan Atkinson explaining that the more he tried to convince someone that he was, indeed, the actor who played “Mr. Bean,” the more the man insisted he wasn’t. The man keeps encouraging him, telling him that he could make real money being an impersonator at hen nights (in the US, bachelorette parties). Atkinson walked away when he realized the conversation was absolutely pointless…. as are some YouTube videos, but for the most part I treat it like university. Chip Channel restores toys, and you see every kind of making there is- wood, rubber, metal, 3D printing filament, etc. YouTube will up your game quick- on anything. Literally.

Number Four

Facebook is the only social media platform I really use, with reddit being a close second because it’s long form as well. I don’t speak Tweet. Therefore, I’m obsessed with it, just not like everyone else. If I get enough followers and reactions, I’ll be able to monetize my author page. I make the effort to reach out to authors no matter how many followers, because a rising tide lifts all boats. We’re all working from one pot of money- the amount people spend on books, blog/YouTube subscriptions, and Patreon. It’s a solid choice for me when most people who read me share on Facebook. In the last year, I have gotten readers from all platforms, including Instagram and Threads. Autistic people hate change, therefore I’ve never learned to write 240 characters at a time and I’ve never become obsessed with taking pictures of my life except for myself. I have a subreddit, but it’s not really populated. Self-promotion on reddit is generally “frowned upon in this establishment,” but occasionally people will say it’s an all call and to leave your URL. But that’s not a thing, really, because your URL gets lost in a sea of others and you’ll be lucky if anyone sees it. I also don’t want to get involved in having my work ripped apart on reddit, because everyone, and I mean everyone, will go for blood. It’s not a web site, it’s The Colossseum. For right now, I’m staying in my lane, and that lane is “reactions.”

Number Five

Goodreads is where my Kindle syncs and it’s invaluable because I often trade people books for a review (and have one in process, my friend John Merullo’s “Behold All the Dwellers Upon Earth.”) The reason it’s invaluable is that all Kindles run a lite version of Android so they support Bluetooth keyboards. That means I can highlight and look up what I’ve highlighted, and if I choose to make a note, all those get synced, too. It’s a quick and easy way of getting information, because I have stopped handwriting things. I can do nothing with data I have to retype, because I won’t.

Number Six

Reddit is up there, because even though I don’t use it for writing, I’ve met cool people and look forward to reading lots of subs.

  • r/aita (Am I the Asshole?)
  • r/itap (I Took a Picture)
  • r/showerthoughts
  • r/autism
  • r/homeland
  • r/washingtondc
  • r/maryland
  • r/writing
  • r/maliciouscompliance

Here’s the short list of things I read frequently. I am getting so tired of web sites that steal from reddit and post it on their own pages. People will rip AITA questions from reddit and post them wherever, so you never know how and when something will go viral…. and you won’t know it until someone else tells you they saw your handle (dcargonaut). I shouldn’t mind, but I do. Reddit is a community. It would be like assuming it’s okay to steal my words verbatim without attribution AND my profile was locked down with my friends list because you think you’re writing to your friends and you could become a laughingstock if anyone recognizes you. On Facebook it’s just easier to find people because they use their real names. I say stupid shit all the time, but it’s reddit. We all say stupid shit all the time.

Number Seven

The Washington Post is my news source, and their web site is pretty great. I love Shane Harris (national security desk) and Greg Miller (Chris Hayes-type character, wrote a book about the former president called “The Apprentice.”). They make my life better because I know I’m reading writers I unabashedly respect and support. As I have said many times, I would pay my subscription fee to Harris personally if that was a thing you could do. I’m friends with him on Twitter, but because I don’t use it, we don’t run into each other that often. In fact, I don’t generally log into Twitter because all I use it for is to post my blog links and WordPress has a plugin for that. But if you want to follow me on Twitter, that handle is @lesliecology. I would have been @theantileslie or @revargo, but I didn’t think of that first. Rev. Argo is what Bryn calls me because I did her wedding years ago. It says everything about me, really, which is why I’m glad that when Bryn thought of that particular term of endearment, it took my two biggest interests and put them together…… preaching/doing weddings and my favorite movie bar none are rolled into one.

Number Eight

NPR is on here because yes, it’s terrestrial radio… but you can also get a livestream there. Wait! There’s more! Most podcast clients have access to the iTunes store so you can search for podcasts. Some don’t, although this is more and more rare. I have spent HOURS AND HOURS copying over NPR show rss feeds, what drives your new episode notifications. Speaking of which, if you’re still into RSS, I have a feed for it (RSSOwl is my client of choice). However, it’s not a podcast feed. It will download my entries as they come out.

Number Nine

Gmail.

The first shall be last, and the last shall be first. I have solid memories of e-mails I’ve gotten, but web-based mail is invaluable for when you’re away from your own desktop client (I use Evolution, the Open Source version of Outlook in the Ubuntu repositories.). I would recommend creating a BitWarden account as well, so you can log into your password vault as well. My password for all Google services is 22 characters, which is not impossible to hack, but it would take a supercomputer and perhaps years. Just make sure you have your phone on you, because Google requires two-factor authentication. If you don’t have your phone, you are not getting into that suite. I only use Gmail, though, because I can do everything in a text editor that’s maybe three megabytes of space on an Android, so Google Docs is just repetitive. But when I say Gmail, I mean all the functionality of Outlook- calendaring, task lists, and contacts as well. I do not know what I would do without it, honestly…… and I don’t mean the brand. I don’t use Outlook for the web, but I would if I had to. It’s the fact that web-based versions of what Outlook can do are plentiful…….. though I could lose the constant reminders to buy more server space or pay for the professional version of Office. I have LibreOffice and a 6TB hard drive…… and I know how to use them, thanks.

Thus endeth the reading.

About ADHD and Autism

~ Leslie Lanagan ~ Leave a comment

What skill would you like to learn?

I am not picking something I don’t know anything about, but if I start now, I might learn some of the finer points by the time I die. I will never know them all. There is a crossover, and I’m starting to think that I’m more autistic than ADHD. Stopping the Adderrall only convinces me some of the time. I mean, I can list the symptoms I have and they’re all text book……. but they’re also signs of being autistic and trauma reflexes. Even if I went to a doctor, I think my issues are so complex that they would think what I do…. it’s not a case of just one thing. Everything in medicine starts with one diagnosis. Just one.

“It depends.”

That’s why med students are asked for diagnosis, secondary diagnoses, and protocols.

Experts in medicine are not counted by how many As they got in medical school, though if they fuck up, that’s definitely an indication. No, being a superb doctor depends only on what you’ve seen and what you haven’t.

You’ve seen it if you’ve ever watched “House” (it’s not lupus). Those kids go through every dependency like they’re on a bender searching for House’s opioids. They don’t tell you this on the show, but every illness they’re talking about is what’s called a “fascinoma,” probably Latin for “first case” or something. I’m too lazy to look it up, but that’s what it means for lay people, anyway. In law, it’s “prima facie” (pronounced “fa-chee.”). My three fields have dependencies in common. You have no idea how much they matter in Ubuntu.

In all of these things, particularly Ubuntu and medicine, the consequences for being wrong are drastic and cause gastrointestinal distress.

Here’s why I’m specifically mentioning Ubuntu. Most linux nerds have autism. Most nerds, for that matter. You don’t have to be neurodivergent to be a nerd, but neurotypicals, you should know not to intrude on a safe space. You do it all the fucking time by thinking you’re going to be cool and go to ComicCon, but when you get there you’re somehow put off by the other patrons. If you can’t learn anything about the Autism spectrum by observing a Star Trek convention, you’re not paying attention. Neurotypicals seem to live by the slogan “walk softly and carry a big stick.” That’s because you’re perfectly lovely until we do something you don’t understand, and then you get judgmental and sometimes angrily so.

Supergrover definitely didn’t have empathy for it, but at the same time, she didn’t know enough about me to really take it in, because she knows from autism. And she didn’t see any neurodivergence in me not because she wouldn’t, but because she couldn’t. I’m not blaming her, because it would have been totally different if I’d been hanging out at her house for the last eight years. If she’d actually seen me in my day in, day out appearance and mannerisms, she would have had me pegged by the way I walk. Also, I’m not sure that it would occur to her how much crossover there is between me and some of the other people she interacts with on a daily basis. She didn’t get it and not because she didn’t want to. It was impossible to do all that online.

“The medium is the message.” -Marshall McLuhan

I think after a while, we just got so used to our rhythm that meeting up seemed weird, plus I could have more of her if I was only in her DMs because I was the only one traveling with her consistently. I am not sure  that anyone e-mails her more than me (by quite a large margin…. and if that’s not true, what I lack in frequency, I make up for in volume.

I wonder if she ever knew I was writing letters to her like a WWII-era high school sweetheart. I didn’t even realize that until today. News from the home front, essentially.  I wanted to be one of the pictures taped up in the cockpit, but I never wanted to be the only one unless that was a possibility. Next to her son or something. I don’t know.. Just not left in a box in Virginia.

I know by now that I am every bit the photo I say I am, and here’s how I know that.

She rips me off all the time. We’ve been writing to each other for 10 years. I absolutely know that things I’ve said have entered her lexicon, and she quotes me almost every day. I know they weren’t all bad lines, and hers weren’t either. I think I’ve said “painting my feelings as fact” 50 times since she said it. She says “pack up your toys and go home” now. There are word associations with me by the thousands. This is why I believe that I am her Impossible Girl, woven into her from the inside out. I haven’t changed her because we interact. I have changed her because now our brains are inextricably interrelated because reading someone’s most important thoughts makes them last a lifetime. She has two legacies now…… the one that’s big and impressive, and the one that fucking matters.  We’ve been writing to each other for 10 years. I absolutely know that things I’ve said have entered her lexicon, and she quotes me almost every day. I know they weren’t all bad lines, and hers weren’t either. I think I’ve said “painting my feelings as fact” 50 times since she said it. She says “pack up your toys and go home” now. T This is why I believe that I am her Impossible Girl, woven into her from the inside out. I haven’t changed her because we interact. I have changed her because now our brains are inextricably interrelated because reading someone’s most intimate thoughts is different than having a conversation.

Reading things makes you retain information longer than conversation.

It’s just that she’s so busy she cannot retain all of it. I’ve made it impossible. “LORDAMERCY” is a direct quote. 😛 I wish she would just not read it until she had time rather than responding immediately, because writing is what I do, not her. Of course I’m going to have more output than her if I’m workshopping an idea. During one of our big fights about it, I called her out on the carpet and she didn’t respond at all to it. “I told you to create a folder in Outlook and a filter so that my e-mails weren’t coming directly to your inbox, but going into that folder so you weren’t getting notifications for them. It was your choice not to do it. I didn’t expect you to be johnny on the spot, but you were.” That’s because she’s a fixer/pleaser always trying to please me as well.

Interestingly enough, this did not start happening until after I was a total idiot, so I’m wondering if she’s reacting to me like she reacts to her husband now. That nothing is ever good enough for me because she’s trying to please me and doesn’t see that I don’t need it. That gives me more empathy than anger, enough to bring me to tears because if I’d noticed what she was doing, I could have said, “my beautiful girl……. stop. You’re perfect.” And in fact I did try to say that a million different ways, but it didn’t take.

She is so pure- concentrated hope, love, sweetness, and light. She will also eat your face off.

Only my mother knows the whole story, and she didn’t hear it until long after she died. I comforted her and told her she could go, because I was safe. That she never had to worry about me again, both because she couldn’t and didn’t have to anymore. All the mother-love I have in me transferred to her and not as a replacement. Because she has kids. She’s already a mom. She got offended when I said she had that vibe, like it was some sort of joke. Even if I had been joking, I would have meant “I think of you as that vibe because it’s the one I need most desperately.” But it’s a mix. I kidded her later about our past and she destroyed me, not a sick burn that I thought was funny, either.

I told her that, too. Then she got even more defensive. I realize that I dropped an absolute bomb on her, but it’s never about me. Ever. I don’t have needs. I just said something to piss her off. It’s only my behavior, not what triggered it.

But my mother is the only one who knows exactly who I’m dressing down when I do it and she would be horrified. Absolutely horrified. That’s because my mother put a lot of stock into titles. But the rest of the world sees her as her title. In my head, she’s six. Our inner children talk to each other in adults’ voices. (What could possibly go wrong? Editor’s Note: A LOT). I am not sure that she’s taken in that I’m 14 when I talk to her…. and I’m not 14 with anyone else, because I don’t trust anyone else that much. She got in under the wire and disarmed the bomb. You only think my anger management is bad now. She metaphysically hugged and kissed me back together…. but I’m still a work in progmess. I have just begun the process to complete the transition.

Transitioning is a big word in my community. I hope I have a quarter of resurrection in me that my friend Evan has. God, he’s the most beautiful trans boy I know, and a redhead like Zac. Trans people have a lot of crucifixion moments. Lots of Sanhedrins out there, lots of Pilates…… but unlike Pilate, they were never chosen by anyone to have input.

I don’t have contempt for the Sanhedrin, because they were always going to be assholes. I have contempt for people who have the ability to not be an asshole and DON’T. Pilate could have saved all this from happening…. crucifying someone for their words and not their actions, a minority in culture because the Jews were ruled by the Romans. Jesus has more in common with Sandra Bland than he has with Joel Osteen, and please go right up and tell him to his face…. also don’t be an asshole. Put that shit on YouTube and send me a link. 😉

I would give up my life’s savings for that asshole to get a clue. He is a white supremacy Jesus apologist with one of the biggest platforms in the world.

He could overhaul American Christianity………….. but he doesn’t.

What all of this has to do with ADHD and Autism is that I’ve been rambling for 30 minutes without stopping regarding things that excite me because I can. I cannot do this in conversation witih anyone else, and I have stopped trying. No one puts up with it

Even when I can’t help it.

So I have to learn it on my own.

I just want you guys to know that I’m crying right now. Writing these entries take a lot out of me, a tempest in a teacup. Sorry for the cut and paste mess.I left it in because it proved my point.

My Favorite Finnish Export

~ Leslie Lanagan ~ Leave a comment

If you have ever mentioned to me that you have any interest in technology, you probably know that I am a Linux nerd. My Finnish fever started in 1997, when my friends Luke and Joe asked if I wanted them to host my web site on a Linux server they’d set up (somewhat sneakily, I might add) where Joe worked. I was given shell access, and it was love… mostly because I found that typing at the command line was so much quicker than using a mouse.

When I first started using computers, I was a fan of IRC (Internet Relay Chat), but I couldn’t type very well. By the time I finished responding to someone, other people had added over a page of dialogue. I made it my mission in life to learn to type as fast as I speak. Now, I can type as fast as I think. Therefore, using a mouse to scroll through menus instead of just typing one word into the terminal seems terribly inefficient.

Depending on my mood, sometimes I’ll dual boot my computer, sometimes I won’t. It depends on two things. The first is whether I want to play Fallout 3 on my desktop. The second is whether I feel like rebooting a lot. Having a dual boot computer is like having a two story house. Everything you need, you left on the other floor.

Because Windows and OS X are so prevalent, and because I change my mind all the time about how I want to set up my computer, I thought I’d write a blog entry on the tools I use. I will include terminal commands in case you want to install them as well. Otherwise, I look forward to your comments on how what you use is better.

When I first set up my Linux box, I make the desktop pretty and useful. No matter what Linux distribution I’m using, I install MATE as my desktop (pronounced Mah-tay, like the green tea). It is the least graphics-intensive and therefore all of my processing power can go to things that matter. It’s kind of retro, actually. It will remind you of Windows 95, uncluttered and easy to navigate.

My favorite theme and icon set is Numix. I particularly like the Numix Square icons.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:numix/ppa
sudo apt update
sudo apt install numix-gtk-theme numix-icon-theme numix-icon-theme-square

For desktop wallpaper, I use a program called Variety. The images are top notch, grabbed from all over the interwebs, and there is an option to add random quotes as well. The other extremely useful feature is that you can tell it whether you prefer dark or light images. I much prefer a dark background so that my icons show up more clearly.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:peterlevi/ppa
sudo apt update
sudo apt install variety

Because I use my computer so much, I am fanatical about fonts. It’s amazing how choosing the right family can reduce eye strain. My favorite is Droid, which for some ungodly reason has been taken out of Ubuntu’s main software repositories. I just download it and install it myself. Since I’m the only user on my computer, I find the easiest way to do this is creating a folder called .fonts in my user directory and copying them over. My entire desktop is Droid Sans, except for the font on the quotes in Variety, which is Droid Serif. In the terminal and in coding HTML, I use Droid Mono.

In terms of making my desktop useful, I watch my system resources in real time with a program called “conky.” However, it is not particularly user-friendly, so I also install Conky Manager to configure it. While Conky Manager has been taken out of the Ubuntu repositories, it’s still available. There’s all sorts of cool stuff you can do with it, but I use it to watch how much CPU and memory my top processes are using and my upload/download speed.

wget --no-check-certificate https://github.com/teejee2008/conky-manager/releases/download/v2.4/conky-manager-v2.4-amd64.run
chmod +x conky-manager-v2.4-amd64.run
sudo ./conky-manager-v2.4-amd64.run

I like using Facebook Messenger without having to stay logged into Facebook. I have an application that sits in my system tray that is only for messaging, and doesn’t do desktop notifications unless someone is writing specifically to me. It’s handy that my desktop isn’t blowing up all day (like my phone) and I don’t have to type on a touch screen or open a browser to respond. It’s called Caprine, and it has basically replaced text messaging for me because unlike SMS, I can use Facebook Messenger on any of my devices (I use encrypted e-mail for anything that should stay private). For instance, I don’t like it when people use SMS to send me web links, because then I have to retype the URL in my browser if I want to look at it on anything bigger than my phone’s screen.

For screenshots, there’s an amazing tool called Shutter. It will take a picture of anything, from an area you select to the entire desktop. It also has a built-in editor for quick jobs like cropping when you don’t get the aspect ratio right.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:linuxuprising/shutter
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt install shutter

For big photo editing jobs, I use the Gnu Image Manipulation Program, known by its unfortunate acronym. It can do everything that Adobe PhotoShop can and it’s free. For things like logos, I also install all the fonts in the Ubuntu software repository by Ray Larabie of Typodermic Fonts. Note that if you are using Linux Mint, GIMP comes standard, but not the latest version. The last version is also available in the Ubuntu repository, but I prefer the next iteration.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:otto-kesselgulasch/gimp
sudo apt update
sudo apt install gimp larabie*

Because most of my work is on the web, I generally don’t need word processors, spreadsheets, etc…. and I am not sure I’ve ever made a presentation. People do send me documents and such, though, so I enjoy LibreOffice. Again, it comes standard on most Ubuntu versions and derivatives, but you’ll need the Launchpad repository to get the most up-to-date version.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt install libreoffice

Occasionally, people will send me complicated Microsoft Word documents in terms of formatting, and for that, I use Wine to be able to install Windows applications. Wine doesn’t work with every Windows program available, but it does work very well for the three I use the most, which are Office 2010, Picasa, and Notepad++. If you’re not sure whether an application you need will run in Wine, check the Application Compatibility Database.

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
wget -nc https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key
sudo apt-key add winehq.key
sudo apt-add-repository 'deb https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/ bionic main'
sudo apt update
sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable

If you’re not using Bionic, you can change out the name in the above command. All releases are supported.

I am incredibly ADHD, and I find that it helps me work to block out all outside noises. Though I could use a browser plugin, I prefer a native application called ANoise. With community extensions installed, there are TONS of choices, from ponds to a raging fire to a dump truck idle to an oscillating fan. Right now I’m listening to what sounds like TV snow, but in the application is called “Pink.” Only one piece of advice from me to you…. if you have to pee at all, don’t listen to the thunderstorms or rivers. Kidding aside, this thing boosts my productivity to an insane degree.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:costales/anoise
sudo apt update
sudo apt install anoise

Lastly, I am a rabid Kodi fan. It’s a media center (originally an XBOX hack) and has plugins for DVD cover art, surfing YouTube, recording live television, organizing and playing your music library, telling you the weather, etc. It’s just incredible. It’s available for all devices except iPhone and iPad (well, you can install it with Tweakbox, but I don’t recommend it– TB is basically a soft jailbreak), including Raspberry Pi. This is useful information if you’re looking for a cheap computer that stays attached to your TV at all times. If you want to use it to record TV shows/movies, you’ll have to buy the TV card to do it, but those are relatively cheap at places like Amazon, Best Buy, Fry’s, etc.

sudo apt install software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc/ppa
sudo apt update
sudo apt install kodi

Keep in mind that these are the tools I use in Linux that aren’t standard knowledge (with the possible exception of Kodi). Most things are operating system agnostic, like Google Chrome, Firefox, etc. I’m pretty sure I could find a way to do everything between those two browsers, but like all geeks, I have my creature comforts. Let me know in the comments if you need help because a command doesn’t work or you’re stuck. I mean, I can’t help you, but I still want to know (kidding).

If you’ve never worked with Linux before, all it takes is some sisu- the Finnish idea of grit and perseverance while climbing a mountain or talking to a stranger. The hardest part is taking the first plunge, because it seems intimidating right up until you use it. Then you’ll see what all desktop support people see…. every OS sucks.

So you want to run Ubuntu……….

~ Leslie Lanagan ~ Leave a comment

I have a 2.15 gHz machine, which is substantially slower than a gaming machine, but fits my lifestyle perfectly, especially since I run an operating system that does not consistently hog all of my available RAM. I started a company in Portland called Evangelinux dealing with this topic, which gave me the intestinal fortitude to actually help people when they asked for it. I had to get over my shyness when it came to linux, because I realized something very important. If they were a basic desktop user, I knew more than them. Always. It’s only when you get into server administration and networking protocols that I am still watching videos like a fiend. I want to get all I can out of command-line tools, but for people who just want a basic setup that will just flat work, here is my advice.

The install for Ubuntu is fairly explanatory. Since you, presumably, are a total n00b (newbie), just let the installation program allocate your hard drive. I’m going to start with a fresh Ubuntu installation and go from there. These are the things I do to set up a perfect desktop.

Just fyi, sudo means “install as administrator.” When asked for the password, use the Administrator password you created in the setup process.

  • Unity does not place an icon for the terminal in the launcher. Click the Ubuntu button, type “term” and press enter. When the terminal starts, it will be listed in your open programs on the left-hand dock. Right-click the icon and click “Pin to Dock.” Additionally, I prefer my terminal to have greetings. This is easily accomplished by doing two things:
    • Install fortune-mod and cowsay. sudo apt-get install fortune-mod cowsay
    • Edit the file that controls what happens when you open your terminal. The terminal has a built-in text editor called “nano.” If you want to use something else and you know how, please update the command accordingly. nano .bashrc
    • After nano opens the file, scroll with the down arrow until you get to the end of the file and type fortune | cowsay
    • Hit CTRL-X to save the file and the next time you open your terminal, you’ll get a cow with a surprisingly deep thought…. for a cow.
  • In the terminal, type sudo apt-get update to refresh the list of available software/updates you can download.
  • When the catalog finishes loading, type sudo apt-get dist-upgrade to update your software with all the bug fixes, security updates, and newest software since the disc .iso was released.
  • There is a long and complicated explanation why the version of Flash is outdated for Firefox. Download Chrome. Netflix won’t work without it.
  • You will also need to install audio and video codecs that are proprietary (such as MP3) in order to play them. The command is sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras.
  • Once you have these extras downloaded, you need to run this script in order to watch or backup encrypted DVDs:
    • sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/install-css.sh

If you are only going to search the web and play the occasional video, you’re done now. From here on out are some advanced tweaks.

I think that Ubuntu uses swap too much. It slows down the operating system by quite a bit. Here’s the fix. Open a terminal and type sudo bash -c "echo 'vm.swappiness = 10' >> /etc/sysctl.conf". Your machine will run much faster when you reboot because the “swappiness” already set (60) works great on servers… not so much for your average desktop user.

From here on out, it’s all about user preferences. I hate the default desktop that ships with Ubuntu, called Unity. Lots of people prefer Gnome Shell, but I do not. I think it is an even bigger resource hog than Unity, and I would rather have more RAM for my applications than my operating system… However, if you have a boss machine and are not worried about resource allocation, install it by typing sudo apt-get install gnome-shell gnome-shell-extensions.

Once installed, log out and change the icon next to your user name from Ubuntu to Gnome. When you log in, the extensions will not be enabled by default. Put your mouse cursor in the top left-hand corner of your monitor, and type “tweak” into the search bar. Choose Gnome Tweak Tool to customize Gnome by turning on all the extensions. In order to use them, log out and log back in.

My personal preference is Mate, pronounced Mah-te like the tea. Get the latest version by adding their software catalog to your available list of downloads by going to the terminal and typing sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntu-mate-dev/ppa. Again, update the list by typing sudo apt-get update.

Now, install MATE by typing sudo apt-get install mate-desktop-environment.

When it has been installed, log out and change the desktop to MATE on your login screen. When you log in, it will look surprisingly like Windows 98…. clean and minimal, helpful when you’re running games on a slow machine. 🙂

I do change it up a bit from the default, though. Not saying what you should do, just things that I find pretty and/or helpful.

I delete the bottom MATE panel entirely because I don’t think there’s a need for two of them. Just right click on the top panel and click “Add to Panel” in order to add a list of windows to it, because that’s basically all the bottom panel is used for, anyway…. and then click on the bottom panel and click “Delete this panel.”

I also change the top panel to a color (#333333 is my favorite) and set it to 50% transparency because I think it looks prettier.

If you are a Mac person and like that kind of doc, there’s an app for that (see what I did there?).

sudo apt-get install docky

It will be in the Accessories section of your programs once its installed.

The other thing that’s kind of cool is right-clicking on the clock and looking at the preferences. You can change it from military time to AM/PM and get it to show the weather. Since I’m in DC, I use National Airport (never calling it Reagan, not gonna happen).

In closing, I also recommend adding WebUpd8 to your bookmarks bar in either Chrome or Firefox, because there you can get information on cool software. And if anything you’re using on Windows is open source, there’s probably a Linux version of it, too, so the applications will be the same no matter what operating system you use.

Keep in mind that I am operating system agnostic. Mac and Windows are fine. I just like free.

It’s my favorite price ever.

My App for That

~ Leslie Lanagan ~ 1 Comment

People ask me all the time what software I use on my Linux box. Here’s a list.

  • Internet
    • Mozilla Firefox with Addons
      • DownThemAll!
      • NoScript
      • Video Download Helper
      • Ghostery
    • Mozilla Thunderbird with Addons
      • Lighting
      • Google Calendar Provider
    • Pidgin
    • FileZilla
    • Transmission
  • A/V
    • Banshee
    • VLC
    • Popcorn Time
    • Transmission
    • k3b
  • Office
    • LibreOffice (install Java for DB connections)
    • Scribus
  • Graphics
    • Gnu Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)
    • Inkwell
  • Backup
    • Google Drive
    • Dropbox

You can find just about any of these applications for Windows and OS X as well. I hope this is helpful- I’ve been meaning to post it for, oh, three years.