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monovergent

@ monovergent @lemmy.ml

Posts
73
Comments
764
Joined
2 yr. ago

  • Any Android alternatives working on a Samsung A02s?

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  • As with most Samsung A-series devices, you can install a Generic System Image (GSI), although there's no support from bigger groups and projects and no guarantee on what will work correctly out of the box. Most notoriously for Samsung devices, support for the cellular modem on third-party ROMs is hit-or-miss.

    See: https://github.com/TadiT7/treble_experimentations_wiki/blob/master/Samsung-Galaxy-A02s.md

    You can also ask me more questions about the process of installing a GSI on a Samsung device, if you want to pursue this option. I had one hell of a time getting a GSI working on my Samsung Tab A7 Lite.

    Edit: Make sure it's not carrier locked, else you won't be able to unlock the bootloader and will be stuck on the stock OS.

  • Deleted

    [solved] Does Linux have an equivalent to "Compress contents to save disk space" from Windows? I don't need it to save space, just please read the full post before commenting.

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  • F2FS seems to do what you want, it'll reserve the original size of your file but compress what's actually written. Performance numbers might be massively inflated if your writes don't saturate the cache in RAM.

    I've used BTRFS on SD cards before and it's mostly fine, but it will struggle massively if over 90% full, or if you have a < 1 GB volume and are, say, frequently updating a handful of files that together take up more than half its capacity. Mostly due to the CoW mechanism, it needs some headroom to make a copy of whatever files are being modified.

  • Is it possible to not know who a famous person is?

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  • Very, I am completely clueless when people ramble on about celebrities.

  • How can I avoid proprietary software on school & company computers?

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  • That's the point of school and company computers. To keep all the nasty software you need for your work away from your personal laptop, which you'll want to buy yourself.

    No amount of privacy-friendly software you install on top of Windows thoroughly compromised with corporate MDM is going to save you.

    If you must use your personal machine during work hours, tether it to your phone's data connection or use VPN if it is allowed.

  • Have you ever had a meltdown because of age verification ?

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  • Not really but it does anguish me to think about it and has forced me to reconsider how I'm going to use the internet going forward. That open access to it can be taken away at any moment and now is the time to start downloading what I can.

    We already see certain countries where websites require you to create an account linked to your ID in order to post, or even scroll further than a page down. It can happen here too. Of course, it's not going to change how I'm going to do my banking or work since anything I do for those is already attached to my real name. But it could be the end of my forum activity and browsing of "unfavorable topics" as I know it.

  • Should cash stay alive to enable "private" transactions?

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  • For sure, even if it's not perfect. Ready-to-use without electricity or internet, no payment processor shenanigans, and not nearly as comprehensive a system of tracking even if you account for serial numbers.

  • Is advertising getting worse on websites?

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  • Haven't noticed anything unusual as a uBlock + Librewolf user, but I wouldn't be surprised. What exactly happens when you don't use strict mode? Are some ads still getting through?

    It's all a vicious cycle fuelled by greed I'd say. I probably wouldn't be using a full-fledged ad-blocker if the web were still simple HTML pages with a couple narrow columns of static (maybe GIF at the top and bottom banners) ads on either side. A pop-up blocker would suffice. But pages got heavier, more bandwidth was needed, more profit was desired, more visitors blocked ads outright, and so on.

    The other day I was playing around in Chromium without ublock and happened upon a pcworld . com link. The site was so bloated and putrefied that my computer came to a crawl in a matter of seconds. I don't understand how anyone is supposed to go through their site without an adblocker.

  • The locking-down of Android: why I had to 'hack' a banking app just to get it running

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  • It is bad. We should fight against the corporations and agencies that want to strip us of our privacy, and avoid using services that insist on invasive measures whenever possible. But the way things are going, especially living in the US, does not exactly inspire my optimism and my mind wants some certainty against all the what-if scenarios. Perhaps I should frame the separate device solution as my stopgap if we reach "rock bottom"?

    I won't pretend to be an expert on how much isolation a separate device provides over a user profile, but it does give me peace of mind in the case of my work phone, which I only have powered up at the workplace and never connect to the same network as my other devices. Not everyone has the privilege, but I repurposed my old phone which otherwise would have sat idle for this purpose.

  • The locking-down of Android: why I had to 'hack' a banking app just to get it running

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  • Never thought to consider that an app can know what keyboard is in use! I can imagine that not going well if someone is using a niche input method for accessibility.

    I'd agree, the day my bank stops offering basic functions through the browser is the day I switch banks.

  • The locking-down of Android: why I had to 'hack' a banking app just to get it running

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  • The kinds of thoughts that keep me up as well. Glad you found a way to make the app happy for now.

    It's no doubt good to campaign and put pressure on banks, corporations, institutions, etc. but at the end of the day, my mind looks for the ultimate fail-safe. And it keeps coming back to having to use a separate device for such apps. At least I'm used to wearing cargo pants for the day I will need to carry 3 phones.

  • With people increasingly expecting constant stimulation, are we culturally heading toward a point where silence and pauses in all media become intolerable?

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  • As much as I have ideals for my technology use, I will admit that

    • I have some audio in the background playing half of my waking hours
    • If I'm tired of words, I'll put on music, vice versa
    • If there's an unanticipated pause, I first check if it's still playing correctly
    • Yes I am afraid of being stuck with my own thoughts when I go to bed
    • I think of the time spent waiting in line as nothing but wasted unless I use it as an opportunity, perhaps to read a saved tab on my phone
    • All of this might not be the cause of it, but it definitely doesn't help my mental fog and fatigue

  • CalixOS or AOSP on Fairphone 5 ?

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  • AOSP even without Google Play will still ping Google servers every now and then. Unless you're being targeted or installing apps of unknown provenance, the chance of being hacked due to the Calyx hiatus is still very low. But I think you'll need to reinstall from scratch once Calyx updates resume since their bootloader keys will be generated anew at that point. I'm biased towards fewer pings to Google over the latest in security, but that's just my own threat model.

    Apologies if you've already seen it, here's the big table I consulted: https://eylenburg.github.io/android_comparison.htm

  • Looking for alternative SMS app

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  • I've been using Fossify Messages. Pretty bare-bones, but does the job since I don't use SMS too much. I'm glad that it can intercept the Class 0 messages that my carrier uses for billing so it doesn't occupy my whole screen every time I call or text.

  • Do you get sick when travel via plane?

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  • I don't, but there's always someone else in my family who's getting sick whenever we fly together. I've worn masks to the airport ever since the pandemic. Also tend to fall asleep shortly after takeoff, so I'm well-rested upon arrival.

  • How big is your bookmark list in browser? Do you check them out regularly or too scared to revisit the pile?

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  • Excessive. Spread across several devices and countless bookmarks.html exports from old system installs. I am too busy to revisit or even curate them.

    In my mind, I assume that I will be given notice of the day that the internet will be closed off, when Youtube ads will be completely unblockable, and I will rush to download every last article and video in those bookmarks, then live happily ever after off-grid.

  • If there were a Lemmy.i2p instance, would you use it?

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  • I would be too lazy to, unless I eventually encounter my 'gateway drug' to i2p.

  • Laptop Hardening advice for Windows?

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  • In any case, minimize the number of parties that will have their hands on your data. Uninstall anything that's unnecessary, compartmentalize personal work in a privacy-respecting browser and office suite, and avoid unofficial Windows ISOs.

    If your school is going to install monitoring software on it, consider the laptop compromised. Only do coursework, accessing things licensed through the school, exams, the bare necessities, on the Windows laptop. Start saving up for a (refurbished) laptop to learn and use Linux without risk to your work laptop.

    If now is not the time to buy another laptop, consider installing Linux on a second SSD, if a slot is available, or even a USB 3.0 drive, if you're allowed to boot from one. Just back up and if possible remove the Windows SSD before installing so it's not overwritten by accident.

    Be judicious with debloat scripts as they can interfere with some more invasive programs (e.g. Adobe suite, Autodesk) you may need for your studies. Consider making full disk backups before doing anything drastic. Anyway, if you can't or won't use LTSC, the yearly Windows updates can and will undo your hard work debloating and ticking privacy checkboxes.

    At the end of the day, Windows is closed-source and we can't be completely sure what it's doing behind our back. It's fine for a dedicated work device, but the time spent on taming it for personal privacy could also be spent getting another machine and getting to know Linux.

  • Does this explain why there are no bullet trains in the USA?

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  • How odd (and maybe disheartening) to consider that it can be cheaper to fly and expend all the energy need to lift a big metal tube up into the air and back down, than it is to travel along the rails.

  • After 90 days we may not see Session on our app stores again

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  • Pardon my ignorance, why would those be suspicious?

  • Unpopular Opinion @lemmy.world
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    I love having a thick glass of water after letting psyllium husk powder sit in it

  • Privacy @lemmy.ml
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    Should I subscribe to a data removal service (DeleteMe, Incogni, etc.)?

  • Asklemmy @lemmy.ml
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    Anyone else notice that middle click is the first thing to fail on their mice?

  • Linux @lemmy.ml
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    Where to start finding what makes unattended-upgrades behave inconsistently on Debian?

  • ThinkPad @lemmy.ml
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    Quick-and-dirty Libreboot for the T470

  • Linux @lemmy.ml
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    Recommendations for GPU with good Linux support, 8GB or more VRAM, and ~150W TDP or less?

  • ThinkPad @lemmy.ml
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    Lessons learned on making BIOS backups + restoring stock BIOS after flashing Coreboot/Skulls with 1vyrain without a backup

  • Privacy @lemmy.ml
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    Advice, myths, and reality regarding privacy when travelling to China?

  • Linux @lemmy.ml
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    Uses for a 2 GB internal USB flash module?

  • ThinkPad @lemmy.ml
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    A quick-and-dirty comparison of dual- vs quad-core CPU power consumption on the X230

  • Privacy @lemmy.ml
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    Advice on deciding what goes on a personally-identifiable portfolio and what stays pseudonymous?

  • Linux @lemmy.ml
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    Running a command only when resuming from the hibernation part of suspend-then-hibernate?

  • DeGoogle Yourself @lemmy.ml
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    The sorry state of Honor / Huawei bootloader unlocking and some analysis of brute-force methods

  • Asklemmy @lemmy.ml
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    Is there a "healthy" amount of dandruff?

  • Privacy @lemmy.ml
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    Look ma, no proprietary apps!

  • Linux @lemmy.ml
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    Proper way to setup fstab and crypttab for encrypted /boot partition?

  • Asklemmy @lemmy.ml
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    Thoughts on becoming self-employed and making a living off my passions?

  • Asklemmy @lemmy.ml
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    Does anyone else randomly get a stale, rubbery smell on their hands?

  • ThinkPad @lemmy.ml
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    X230 Users: how's your battery life and any suggested optimizations?

  • Lemmy Support @lemmy.ml
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