+54
src/website/data/posts/mystcraft-ages-alpha-1.dj
+54
src/website/data/posts/mystcraft-ages-alpha-1.dj
···
1
+
---
2
+
title = "Mystcraft: Ages"
3
+
author = "Naomi Roberts"
4
+
date = 2023-09-30
5
+
summary = "A modern reimagining of the original [Mystcraft](https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/mc-mods/mystcraft) mod!"
6
+
---
7
+
8
+
{#alpha-1}
9
+
# Alpha 1
10
+
11
+
This is an alpha release, the mod is nowhere near complete and some bugs
12
+
may exist. If you do find any bugs please report them on [the bug
13
+
tracker](https://codeberg.org/naomi/mystcraft-ages/issues)
14
+
15
+
{#developer-notes}
16
+
## Developer Notes
17
+
18
+
It\'s been a while since I said I was gonna start this project and after
19
+
over 60 hours of work 😅 you now have a semi-functioning
20
+
proof-of-concept! I\'m very efficient I know 😔
21
+
22
+
Jokes aside, the (albeit limited) content list/changelog is below!
23
+
24
+
{#changelog}
25
+
## Changelog
26
+
27
+
1. Linking Books
28
+
29
+
- These are the main attraction of this alpha, and using one can link it
30
+
so wherever you are standing. There are a few known bugs with these so
31
+
please check before reporting.
32
+
33
+
2. Book Receptacle
34
+
35
+
- These are small, lectern-like blocks that you can place Linked Books
36
+
into. (Currently) they allow multiple people to use the same book, but
37
+
the book will not travel with you.
38
+
39
+
3. Writing Stand
40
+
41
+
- This is where most of the development time has gone and is the place
42
+
where you can create your Linking Books. It requires you to provide it
43
+
with an ink supply.
44
+
45
+
4. Ink Vials
46
+
47
+
- A slightly more efficient ink than regular ink sacs.
48
+
49
+
{#links}
50
+
## Links
51
+
52
+
-
53
+
[CurseForge](https://legacy.curseforge.com/minecraft/mc-mods/mystcraft-ages)
54
+
- [Modrinth](https://modrinth.com/mod/ages)
-28
src/website/data/posts/mystcraft-ages-alpha-1.md
-28
src/website/data/posts/mystcraft-ages-alpha-1.md
···
1
-
---
2
-
title = "Mystcraft: Ages"
3
-
author = "Naomi Roberts"
4
-
date = 2023-09-30
5
-
summary = "A modern reimagining of the original [Mystcraft](https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/mc-mods/mystcraft) mod!"
6
-
---
7
-
# Alpha 1
8
-
This is an alpha release, the mod is nowhere near complete and some bugs may exist.
9
-
If you do find any bugs please report them on [the bug tracker](https://codeberg.org/naomi/mystcraft-ages/issues)
10
-
11
-
## Developer Notes
12
-
It's been a while since I said I was gonna start this project and after over 60 hours of work 😅 you now have a semi-functioning proof-of-concept! I'm very efficient I know 😔
13
-
14
-
Jokes aside, the (albeit limited) content list/changelog is below!
15
-
16
-
## Changelog
17
-
1. Linking Books
18
-
- These are the main attraction of this alpha, and using one can link it so wherever you are standing. There are a few known bugs with these so please check before reporting.
19
-
2. Book Receptacle
20
-
- These are small, lectern-like blocks that you can place Linked Books into. (Currently) they allow multiple people to use the same book, but the book will not travel with you.
21
-
3. Writing Stand
22
-
- This is where most of the development time has gone and is the place where you can create your Linking Books. It requires you to provide it with an ink supply.
23
-
4. Ink Vials
24
-
- A slightly more efficient ink than regular ink sacs.
25
-
26
-
## Links
27
-
- [CurseForge](https://legacy.curseforge.com/minecraft/mc-mods/mystcraft-ages)
28
-
- [Modrinth](https://modrinth.com/mod/ages)
+54
src/website/data/posts/mystcraft-ages-alpha-2.dj
+54
src/website/data/posts/mystcraft-ages-alpha-2.dj
···
1
+
---
2
+
title = "UPDATE: Mystcraft: Ages"
3
+
author = "Naomi Roberts"
4
+
date = 2023-11-30
5
+
summary = "A modern reimagining of the original [Mystcraft](https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/mc-mods/mystcraft) mod!"
6
+
---
7
+
8
+
{#alpha-2}
9
+
# Alpha 2
10
+
11
+
This is an alpha release, the mod is nowhere near complete and some bugs
12
+
may exist. If you do find any bugs please report them on [the bug
13
+
tracker](https://codeberg.org/naomi/mystcraft-ages/issues)
14
+
15
+
{#developer-notes}
16
+
## Developer Notes
17
+
18
+
I hate entities.
19
+
20
+
{#changelog}
21
+
## Changelog
22
+
23
+
1. Linking Books
24
+
[\[MA26\]](https://codeberg.org/naomi/mystcraft-ages/issues/26)
25
+
26
+
- They no longer directly teleport you, they will summon a Book entity
27
+
on the ground
28
+
29
+
2. Book Entities
30
+
[\[MA26\]](https://codeberg.org/naomi/mystcraft-ages/issues/26)
31
+
32
+
- These are entities (wow) that are books (wow!!). They replace the
33
+
teleportation function that the previous iteration of Linking Books
34
+
has, to see the contained book, Crouch + Interact, to teleport just
35
+
Interact. _THERE IS CURRENTLY NO WAY TO PICK THEM UP_
36
+
37
+
3. Writing Stand Recipes
38
+
[\[MA31\]](https://codeberg.org/naomi/mystcraft-ages/issues/31)
39
+
40
+
- The recipes in the writing stand have been updated, now requireing an
41
+
additional item. Unlinked Books require an enderpearl.
42
+
43
+
4. Book Receptacle
44
+
[\[MA21\]](https://codeberg.org/naomi/mystcraft-ages/issues/21)
45
+
46
+
- The book now renders correctly. I\'m so cool.
47
+
48
+
{#links}
49
+
## Links
50
+
51
+
-
52
+
[CurseForge](https://legacy.curseforge.com/minecraft/mc-mods/mystcraft-ages)
53
+
- [Modrinth](https://modrinth.com/mod/ages)
54
+
- [Source Code](https://modrinth.com/mod/ages)
-26
src/website/data/posts/mystcraft-ages-alpha-2.md
-26
src/website/data/posts/mystcraft-ages-alpha-2.md
···
1
-
---
2
-
title = "UPDATE: Mystcraft: Ages"
3
-
author = "Naomi Roberts"
4
-
date = 2023-11-30
5
-
summary = "A modern reimagining of the original [Mystcraft](https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/mc-mods/mystcraft) mod!"
6
-
---
7
-
# Alpha 2
8
-
This is an alpha release, the mod is nowhere near complete and some bugs may exist. If you do find any bugs please report them on [the bug tracker](https://codeberg.org/naomi/mystcraft-ages/issues)
9
-
10
-
## Developer Notes
11
-
I hate entities.
12
-
13
-
## Changelog
14
-
1. Linking Books [\[MA26\]](https://codeberg.org/naomi/mystcraft-ages/issues/26)
15
-
- They no longer directly teleport you, they will summon a Book entity on the ground
16
-
2. Book Entities [\[MA26\]](https://codeberg.org/naomi/mystcraft-ages/issues/26)
17
-
- These are entities (wow) that are books (wow!!). They replace the teleportation function that the previous iteration of Linking Books has, to see the contained book, Crouch + Interact, to teleport just Interact. _THERE IS CURRENTLY NO WAY TO PICK THEM UP_
18
-
3. Writing Stand Recipes [\[MA31\]](https://codeberg.org/naomi/mystcraft-ages/issues/31)
19
-
- The recipes in the writing stand have been updated, now requireing an additional item. Unlinked Books require an enderpearl.
20
-
4. Book Receptacle [\[MA21\]](https://codeberg.org/naomi/mystcraft-ages/issues/21)
21
-
- The book now renders correctly. I'm so cool.
22
-
23
-
## Links
24
-
- [CurseForge](https://legacy.curseforge.com/minecraft/mc-mods/mystcraft-ages)
25
-
- [Modrinth](https://modrinth.com/mod/ages)
26
-
- [Source Code](https://modrinth.com/mod/ages)
+18
-2
src/website/data/posts/nanel-a-wayland-panel.md
src/website/data/posts/nanel-a-wayland-panel.dj
+18
-2
src/website/data/posts/nanel-a-wayland-panel.md
src/website/data/posts/nanel-a-wayland-panel.dj
···
4
4
date = 2025-03-02
5
5
summary = "An opinionated panel for Wayland made with iced.rs"
6
6
---
7
-
An opinionated panel for Wayland made with iced.rs
7
+
8
+
An opinionated panel for Wayland made with iced.rs
8
9
[https://codeberg.org/naomi/nanel](https://codeberg.org/naomi/nanel)
9
10
11
+
{#what-the-hell-is-a-panel}
10
12
# What the hell is a panel?
13
+
11
14
For anyone unfamiliar with the lingo, panels are the bits typically found at the edge of your screen - Windows calls this the taskbar. There are many alternative panels for people to use, be it the ones that ship in desktop environments like KDE, GNOME or COSMIC, or independent ones like Waybar, Sfwbar or Yambar (and Nanel!).
12
15
16
+
{#why-make-another-one}
13
17
# Why make another one?
18
+
14
19
I'm making Nanel as I personally don't think any other panel (that I know of at least) suits my needs. The panel I use at the moment of writing is `xfce4-panel`, but I still have grievances with it's behaviour, as well as it crashing fairly frequently. I also wanted to make a panel with a default config as close to a Windows-like experience as I can get, to make it easier for anyone migrating away from it.
15
20
21
+
{#why-rust-and-iced-rs}
16
22
# Why Rust and iced.rs?
23
+
17
24
While I'm not the biggest fan of Rust, I still prefer it over writing C and C++, and I didn't want to use Qt or GTK or handroll my own system. iced.rs also uses the Elm architecture, which I am a big fan of, and has made iterating on Nanel very fast and easy.
18
25
26
+
{#config-language}
19
27
# Config language
20
-
I originally was using TOML as the config language, using the format below, which I was generally happy with.
28
+
29
+
I originally was using TOML as the config language, using the format below, which I was generally happy with.
30
+
21
31
```toml
22
32
position = "Top"
23
33
monitor = "All"
···
29
39
[[modules.left]]
30
40
name = "workspaces"
31
41
```
42
+
32
43
However I wasn't happy with how I had implemented it and the way that the modules were configured. After a while I decided to switch the configuration language to [Ron](https://github.com/ron-rs/ron), which has greatly improved the ergonomics of working with the config, and I think it's actually just a better format for this!
44
+
33
45
```ron
34
46
(
35
47
position: Top,
···
46
58
)
47
59
```
48
60
61
+
{#why-can-i-do-x-but-not-y}
49
62
# Why can I do X but not Y?
63
+
50
64
As mentioned in the summary for this post, Nanel is an *opinionated* panel, meaning it will impose restrictions in places that not everyone will like. However, this doesn't mean that can't change - if you find something that you feel should be configurable, or the default behaviour should be different, [open an issue](https://codeberg.org/naomi/nanel/issues) with your reasoning!
51
65
66
+
{#when-is-v1}
52
67
# When is v1?
68
+
53
69
I'm hoping to get v1 released by April, or at least a usable beta. This date could end up being later, as I do have other priorities that could overshadow this depending on what comes up. I will make another blog post when v1 does come out detailing Nanel's capabilities more.
+210
src/website/data/posts/what-i-use-2024.dj
+210
src/website/data/posts/what-i-use-2024.dj
···
1
+
---
2
+
title = "What I Use: 2024"
3
+
author = "Naomi Roberts"
4
+
date = 2024-12-29
5
+
summary = "An overview of the tech I used in 2024!"
6
+
---
7
+
8
+
{#workstations}
9
+
# Workstation(s)
10
+
11
+
I have three machines I use. Two aren\'t development devices, but I have
12
+
used them for that (this post was written on my least-used one!). I name
13
+
all my devices after Gundams from the various Gundam animes, typically
14
+
the \"cooler\"-sounding ones, in my opinion!
15
+
16
+
{#calibarn---gundam-the-witch-from-mercury}
17
+
## Calibarn - Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
18
+
19
+
This is my main computer, which I bought about 2 or 3 years ago. It\'s
20
+
held up pretty well, but it\'s already starting to struggle with certain
21
+
tasks because of the ridiculous spec requirements for some games!
22
+
23
+
- *CPU:* i5 12400f
24
+
- *GPU:* RTX 3060 12gb
25
+
- *RAM:* 32gb@3200mhz DDR4
26
+
- *OS:* Arch Linux (btw) with the `linux-lts` kernel
27
+
28
+
Along with this computer, I use a dual-monitor setup, one being a new
29
+
Dell G2724D - a 1440p 165hz monitor I picked up for £200 back in
30
+
September, and a 1920x1200 monitor that I have had for 9 or so years
31
+
that I can\'t remember the part number of at the moment.
32
+
33
+
I switched to Linux full-time around July, when the NVidia 555 drivers
34
+
came out, as they seemed to solve every issue I had encountered when
35
+
trying to switch before. I originally was on
36
+
[Nobara](https://nobaraproject.org/), a fork of Fedora made by
37
+
GloriousEggroll, using KDE. This was serving me well, and I chose this
38
+
because of the simple setup at the time I just wanted to get off Windows
39
+
as fast as possible (can you blame me?)! While I was using Nobara, I
40
+
started to use Hyprland as my window manager instead of KDE. Why
41
+
Hyprland over other WMs like Sway, i3, River or any of the others?
42
+
43
+
1. I wanted Wayland, which works better with NVidia from my experience
44
+
2. It was the only one that worked in any reasonable capacity without a
45
+
lot of tweaks (still quite a few though!)
46
+
47
+
After a month or so of using Hyprland, I switched over to Arch Linux,
48
+
which has always been my favourite distro. Since then, I have had
49
+
problems - one of which is the reason I use `linux-lts` over just
50
+
`linux`, though that \"fix\" has stopped working recently as well. Most
51
+
of my current problems seem to stem from the Hyprland compositor, rather
52
+
than NVidia - even though they are NVidia specific, as they do not seem
53
+
to occur in other compositors like `wlroots` or `kwin`. I haven\'t been
54
+
able to figure out the root cause of one of these bugs, and they have
55
+
pretty badly hampered what I do. I have two major problems - flickering
56
+
inside Minecraft (\"solved\") and *terrible* screen tearing in OBS
57
+
recordings and Discord screenshares.
58
+
59
+
I managed to \"solve\" the Minecraft flickering by disabling explicit
60
+
sync in my Hyprland config, which is not ideal in the slightest - and
61
+
using the `linux-lts` kernel (or anything below 6.10) seemed to fix the
62
+
tearing, but it has started again recently, possibly due to a `linux`
63
+
patch that made its way into `linux-lts`. I am not smart enough to
64
+
`git bisect` the kernel to find the root cause, so I\'m not sure what my
65
+
current solution is other than \"cope lmao\".
66
+
67
+
{#aerial---gundam-the-witch-from-mercury}
68
+
## Aerial - Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
69
+
70
+
This is my ROG Ally that I bought 2nd hand from a CEX a while back.
71
+
It\'s been really great to have for travelling between my parent\'s
72
+
house and my flat for university, and brilliant to ignore my sister when
73
+
I am *at* my parent\'s house!
74
+
75
+
I\'m currently still running Windows on it, as I use it for the rare few
76
+
Windows-only games that I still play, or the programs I was unable to
77
+
get working through Wine. I\'ve recently completed my first-ever
78
+
playthrough of Dark Souls and of Cyberpunk 2077 on this little
79
+
powerhouse, and have started Dark Souls 2 (it\'s painful).
80
+
81
+
Worth picking up a handheld gaming device if you have long, frequent
82
+
commutes like me!
83
+
84
+
{#barbatos---gundam-iron-blooded-orphans}
85
+
## Barbatos - Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
86
+
87
+
Barbatos is my shitty HP laptop I bought 6 years ago for £300, it\'s
88
+
served me well but has started to quite literally fall apart - the
89
+
spring-based ethernet connector (you know the one, they\'re dreadful)
90
+
has snapped off so I can\'t connect it using ethernet (maybe I\'ll use
91
+
this as my first 3d-printing experiment!?).
92
+
93
+
- *CPU:* Ryzen 3 2200u
94
+
- *GPU:* Radeon Vega 3
95
+
- *RAM:* 8gb@2400mhz DDR4
96
+
- *OS:* Windows 10 22H2 with the Atlas playbook
97
+
98
+
Still using Windows on this piece of shit as it has a weird problem with
99
+
linux - the integrated display flickers, even in a TTY.
100
+
101
+
As far as I can tell, it\'s probably the display\'s voltage or something
102
+
similar being incorrectly reported to the kernel, as the problem will
103
+
change frequency depending on the battery\'s charge or if the laptop is
104
+
on/off charge. There is also a \"sweet spot\" (unsweet really) where it
105
+
will happen whether it is plugged in or not, but will stop for a few
106
+
seconds when plugging in or out the cable.
107
+
108
+
I\'m not sure what the fix is and I can\'t be bothered to search
109
+
anymore, so I use Windows 10 as it doesn\'t have this problem. I hate
110
+
using this device for basically anything (this is being written while
111
+
using it, so sad) but at least it\'s a laptop that can run code
112
+
sometimes. I cannot do my Minecraft modding work on it, however, because
113
+
Java is Java and IntelliJ IDEA is IntelliJ IDEA and those two things on
114
+
a shitbox just don\'t work.
115
+
116
+
{#software}
117
+
# Software
118
+
119
+
I\'ve used quite a bit of different software this year, different
120
+
operating systems and window managers as explained earlier, different
121
+
editors, terminals, file managers etc. Below is a non-comprehensive list
122
+
of software I use fairly regularly, plus any that I have something to
123
+
say about.
124
+
125
+
{#editors}
126
+
## Editors
127
+
128
+
- VSCodium (open source binaries of VSCode)
129
+
- Zed (occasionally use it, mainly for Gleam dev)
130
+
- Helix (my main terminal-based editor, I prefer Helix\'s
131
+
`Select>Action` over Vim\'s `Action>Select`)
132
+
- IntelliJ IDEA (only used for Java/Kotlin as those languages basically
133
+
*need* this editor)
134
+
135
+
{#terminals}
136
+
## Terminals
137
+
138
+
- Alacritty (I love this terminal, it\'s fast, cross-platform and has a
139
+
simple config)
140
+
- Ghostty (I only got access recently, a few weeks before it went public
141
+
- I don\'t like it at all, I might make a separate post about my
142
+
thoughts on it)
143
+
144
+
{#operating-systems}
145
+
## Operating Systems
146
+
147
+
- Nobara (super easy to set up, has nice pre-installed software)
148
+
- Arch Linux (small footprint, rolling release, the AUR is awesome)
149
+
- NixOS (the concept of Nix interests me, but dear god the Nix language
150
+
is obtuse - it\'s been the main barrier for me from switching to Nix.
151
+
I\'m keeping my eye on a project called
152
+
[Glistix](https://github.com/Glistix/glistix), a Gleam-\>Nix compiler)
153
+
- Windows 10 (modern Windows sucks, but at least this is usable)
154
+
- Windows 11 (awful, I only use it on my Ally because that\'s what it
155
+
came with)
156
+
157
+
{#programming-languages}
158
+
## Programming Languages
159
+
160
+
I dipped my toes in a lot of these this year, whether by choice or for
161
+
school work.
162
+
163
+
- Gleam (I have fallen in love with Gleam! This website is made using
164
+
it!)
165
+
- Rust (honestly, not my favourite. I did more with it last year, but I
166
+
just can\'t enjoy using it)
167
+
- Zig (very interesting language to me, I think I would enjoy it more if
168
+
the tooling was better)
169
+
- C# (forced to use it by my uni - it\'s just worse Java with better
170
+
tooling)
171
+
- Java (use it for Minecraft modding, better C# but you have to use
172
+
gradle instead because fuck you)
173
+
- Kotlin (Minecraft modding, cool language but it feels held back by
174
+
Java tooling - I hate Gradle)
175
+
- Odin (only used this in the last month or so, I thought I wouldn\'t
176
+
like it but I find it quite enjoyable!)
177
+
178
+
{#browser}
179
+
## Browser
180
+
181
+
I jumped around a bit here, and have a few gripes, but Zen is here to
182
+
stay!
183
+
184
+
- Arc Browser (used the Windows beta, but it kept getting on my nerves
185
+
with all the bugs - now they\'ve abandoned it)
186
+
- Vivaldi (used for a bit when I switched to linux as it had 90% of the
187
+
features I wanted)
188
+
- Zen Browser (Arc but Firefox and open-source and not abandoned -
189
+
switched to it immediately)
190
+
191
+
I have a bit more to say about Zen here. While it\'s been mostly good,
192
+
as it\'s been in alpha (now in beta at the time of writing), there have
193
+
been quite a few bugs and large changes that have been very painful.
194
+
There was one regarding the pinned tabs a while back where
195
+
occasionally\.. they would just change to `about:blank` pins and you
196
+
would lose your pinned tabs. Not fun.
197
+
198
+
An *ongoing* bug I have has to do with WebGL, performance is just not
199
+
there, and I had to set `webgl.force-enabled` to `true` in my
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`about:config` page. This is not great for the end user, and even after
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force enabling it, it still heavily underperforms stock Firefox and
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other Firefox forks. When I [reported this
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issue](https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/issues/332), they
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basically said \"works on my machine\" and closed it.
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Another problem is Zen doesn\'t have a Widevine license, so on Windows
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and MacOS, you cannot play DRM-protected content, such as Netflix or
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Disney+ shows. You can see their (valid) reasoning
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[here](https://docs.zen-browser.app/faq#why-cant-zen-browser-play-drm-protected-content).
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Just thought I should mention this.
-102
src/website/data/posts/what-i-use-2024.md
-102
src/website/data/posts/what-i-use-2024.md
···
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---
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title = "What I Use: 2024"
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author = "Naomi Roberts"
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date = 2024-12-29
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summary = "An overview of the tech I used in 2024!"
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---
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# Workstation(s)
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I have three machines I use. Two aren't development devices, but I have used them for that (this post was written on my least-used one!). I name all my devices after Gundams from the various Gundam animes, typically the "cooler"-sounding ones, in my opinion!
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## Calibarn - Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
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This is my main computer, which I bought about 2 or 3 years ago. It's held up pretty well, but it's already starting to struggle with certain tasks because of the ridiculous spec requirements for some games!
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- **CPU:** i5 12400f
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- **GPU:** RTX 3060 12gb
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- **RAM:** 32gb@3200mhz DDR4
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- **OS:** Arch Linux (btw) with the `linux-lts` kernel
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Along with this computer, I use a dual-monitor setup, one being a new Dell G2724D - a 1440p 165hz monitor I picked up for £200 back in September, and a 1920x1200 monitor that I have had for 9 or so years that I can't remember the part number of at the moment.
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I switched to Linux full-time around July, when the NVidia 555 drivers came out, as they seemed to solve every issue I had encountered when trying to switch before. I originally was on [Nobara](https://nobaraproject.org/), a fork of Fedora made by GloriousEggroll, using KDE. This was serving me well, and I chose this because of the simple setup at the time I just wanted to get off Windows as fast as possible (can you blame me?)! While I was using Nobara, I started to use Hyprland as my window manager instead of KDE. Why Hyprland over other WMs like Sway, i3, River or any of the others?
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1. I wanted Wayland, which works better with NVidia from my experience
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2. It was the only one that worked in any reasonable capacity without a lot of tweaks (still quite a few though!)
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After a month or so of using Hyprland, I switched over to Arch Linux, which has always been my favourite distro. Since then, I have had problems - one of which is the reason I use `linux-lts` over just `linux`, though that "fix" has stopped working recently as well. Most of my current problems seem to stem from the Hyprland compositor, rather than NVidia - even though they are NVidia specific, as they do not seem to occur in other compositors like `wlroots` or `kwin`. I haven't been able to figure out the root cause of one of these bugs, and they have pretty badly hampered what I do. I have two major problems - flickering inside Minecraft ("solved") and **terrible** screen tearing in OBS recordings and Discord screenshares.
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I managed to "solve" the Minecraft flickering by disabling explicit sync in my Hyprland config, which is not ideal in the slightest - and using the `linux-lts` kernel (or anything below 6.10) seemed to fix the tearing, but it has started again recently, possibly due to a `linux` patch that made its way into `linux-lts`. I am not smart enough to `git bisect` the kernel to find the root cause, so I'm not sure what my current solution is other than "cope lmao".
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## Aerial - Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
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This is my ROG Ally that I bought 2nd hand from a CEX a while back. It's been really great to have for travelling between my parent's house and my flat for university, and brilliant to ignore my sister when I am **at** my parent's house!
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I'm currently still running Windows on it, as I use it for the rare few Windows-only games that I still play, or the programs I was unable to get working through Wine. I've recently completed my first-ever playthrough of Dark Souls and of Cyberpunk 2077 on this little powerhouse, and have started Dark Souls 2 (it's painful).
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Worth picking up a handheld gaming device if you have long, frequent commutes like me!
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## Barbatos - Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
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Barbatos is my shitty HP laptop I bought 6 years ago for £300, it's served me well but has started to quite literally fall apart - the spring-based ethernet connector (you know the one, they're dreadful) has snapped off so I can't connect it using ethernet (maybe I'll use this as my first 3d-printing experiment!?).
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- **CPU:** Ryzen 3 2200u
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- **GPU:** Radeon Vega 3
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- **RAM:** 8gb@2400mhz DDR4
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- **OS:** Windows 10 22H2 with the Atlas playbook
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Still using Windows on this piece of shit as it has a weird problem with linux - the integrated display flickers, even in a TTY.
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As far as I can tell, it's probably the display's voltage or something similar being incorrectly reported to the kernel, as the problem will change frequency depending on the battery's charge or if the laptop is on/off charge. There is also a "sweet spot" (unsweet really) where it will happen whether it is plugged in or not, but will stop for a few seconds when plugging in or out the cable.
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I'm not sure what the fix is and I can't be bothered to search anymore, so I use Windows 10 as it doesn't have this problem. I hate using this device for basically anything (this is being written while using it, so sad) but at least it's a laptop that can run code sometimes. I cannot do my Minecraft modding work on it, however, because Java is Java and IntelliJ IDEA is IntelliJ IDEA and those two things on a shitbox just don't work.
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# Software
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I've used quite a bit of different software this year, different operating systems and window managers as explained earlier, different editors, terminals, file managers etc. Below is a non-comprehensive list of software I use fairly regularly, plus any that I have something to say about.
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## Editors
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- VSCodium (open source binaries of VSCode)
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- Zed (occasionally use it, mainly for Gleam dev)
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- Helix (my main terminal-based editor, I prefer Helix's `Select>Action` over Vim's `Action>Select`)
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- IntelliJ IDEA (only used for Java/Kotlin as those languages basically **need** this editor)
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## Terminals
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- Alacritty (I love this terminal, it's fast, cross-platform and has a simple config)
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- Ghostty (I only got access recently, a few weeks before it went public - I don't like it at all, I might make a separate post about my thoughts on it)
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## Operating Systems
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- Nobara (super easy to set up, has nice pre-installed software)
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- Arch Linux (small footprint, rolling release, the AUR is awesome)
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- NixOS (the concept of Nix interests me, but dear god the Nix language is obtuse - it's been the main barrier for me from switching to Nix. I'm keeping my eye on a project called [Glistix](https://github.com/Glistix/glistix), a Gleam->Nix compiler)
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- Windows 10 (modern Windows sucks, but at least this is usable)
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- Windows 11 (awful, I only use it on my Ally because that's what it came with)
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## Programming Languages
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I dipped my toes in a lot of these this year, whether by choice or for school work.
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- Gleam (I have fallen in love with Gleam! This website is made using it!)
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- Rust (honestly, not my favourite. I did more with it last year, but I just can't enjoy using it)
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- Zig (very interesting language to me, I think I would enjoy it more if the tooling was better)
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- C# (forced to use it by my uni - it's just worse Java with better tooling)
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- Java (use it for Minecraft modding, better C# but you have to use gradle instead because fuck you)
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- Kotlin (Minecraft modding, cool language but it feels held back by Java tooling - I hate Gradle)
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- Odin (only used this in the last month or so, I thought I wouldn't like it but I find it quite enjoyable!)
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## Browser
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I jumped around a bit here, and have a few gripes, but Zen is here to stay!
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- Arc Browser (used the Windows beta, but it kept getting on my nerves with all the bugs - now they've abandoned it)
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- Vivaldi (used for a bit when I switched to linux as it had 90% of the features I wanted)
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- Zen Browser (Arc but Firefox and open-source and not abandoned - switched to it immediately)
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I have a bit more to say about Zen here. While it's been mostly good, as it's been in alpha (now in beta at the time of writing), there have been quite a few bugs and large changes that have been very painful. There was one regarding the pinned tabs a while back where occasionally.. they would just change to `about:blank` pins and you would lose your pinned tabs. Not fun.
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An **ongoing** bug I have has to do with WebGL, performance is just not there, and I had to set `webgl.force-enabled` to `true` in my `about:config` page. This is not great for the end user, and even after force enabling it, it still heavily underperforms stock Firefox and other Firefox forks. When I [reported this issue](https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/issues/332), they basically said "works on my machine" and closed it.
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Another problem is Zen doesn't have a Widevine license, so on Windows and MacOS, you cannot play DRM-protected content, such as Netflix or Disney+ shows. You can see their (valid) reasoning [here](https://docs.zen-browser.app/faq#why-cant-zen-browser-play-drm-protected-content). Just thought I should mention this.