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If you're happy with OpenBSD, probably any computer is good enough

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Re: If you're happy with OpenBSD, probably any computer is good enough

#301

Post by lelag »

horsawlarway wrote: post #289
lelag wrote: post #279

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Replacing really obsolete machines used as servers by RPI does certainly makes sense power-wise (as long as you don't need storage), so not arguing with the point you make about that. However, I agree with with the OP comment that computer should not be replaced simply because newer, more energy efficient alternatives exist: at least not for anything made after 2010. When comparing whether it is worse it or not to ex…

> Replacing really obsolete machines used as servers by RPI does certainly makes sense power-wise (as long as you don't need storage) You do need storage, but you need it for all of them anyways. I certainly won't trust the original spinning disk HDD that comes with hand me down machines with anything more than an OS image. Everything else goes on the NAS. > However, I agree with with the OP comment that computer sho…

My post was mainly answering to the OP comment and your follow-up.

> It still makes sense to use a decade-old computer. >> I don't really think it does, at least not some of them.

I totally agree with you regarding the homelab topic (although personally, I started using low-powered refurbished x64 thin-clients (using about 10W) in place of a RPI cluster, mainly to get real sata ports on them.)

My point is that, environmentally, continuing to use a 10y computer rather than buying a new one is generally a sound advice (assuming it does still what you want it to do).

Since I didn't have data for a 10y old computer, I used what I could find: the 2016 vs the 2021 Macbooks Lifecycle assessments from Apple. The same point would probably stand between a 2010 computer and a 2023 computer. Even if the old one is less energy efficient, the 150 to 300kg+ of CO2 you save not building a new device goes a long way.

And instead of consumer devices or RPi, if you are talking about datacenter-class servers, then you save even more CO2 by prolonging your device life since a new server's manufacturing footprint is more like 1500 - 3000 kg CO2eq.

Re: If you're happy with OpenBSD, probably any computer is good enough

#302

Post by chaxor »

harel wrote: post #168
ezconnect wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We now have 1TB microSD cards.

I still finding it hard to trust 1TB worth of important data stored in that medium. I'm half joking but still, only half joking. The other half is dead serious.

You can raid 1 it and backup right?

Re: If you're happy with OpenBSD, probably any computer is good enough

#303

Post by chaxor »

abricot wrote: post #4

If you are happy not surfing most of the Web, any computer is good enough. It's usually browsers and web pages that brings these older PCs down.

Isn't like 99% of the reason/bloat on today's computers due to the massive amount of surveillance, telemetry, and phoning home with analytics of everything we do to a huge list of companies? I should imagine that removing simply that would make a lot more possible on older hardware, especially when it comes to base operating systems. Removing much of the unnecessary visuals that the web has today by using something like lynx may get much of the browsing experience desired as well.

Re: If you're happy with OpenBSD, probably any computer is good enough

#304

Post by anthk »

8n4vidtmkvmk wrote: post #243
emodendroket wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not wanting to acknowledge they exist, or not wanting to do them because they find them less proeuctive? Different issues.

Less productive. I started with C++, did that for about 5 years, then got sucked into web where I've been for about 20 years. In a funny turn of events, my company has adopted C++ and now I'm writing C++ again. I don't hate it, but 15 minutes to compile/boot a server or 5 minutes to run some tests is kind of unpleasant. And the occasionally UB bug or dangling pointer. It's just really outdated. Enough so that I don't…

You don't have to. You can write a UI in QML.

Re: If you're happy with OpenBSD, probably any computer is good enough

#305

Post by vfclists »

8n4vidtmkvmk wrote: post #243
emodendroket wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not wanting to acknowledge they exist, or not wanting to do them because they find them less proeuctive? Different issues.

Less productive. I started with C++, did that for about 5 years, then got sucked into web where I've been for about 20 years. In a funny turn of events, my company has adopted C++ and now I'm writing C++ again. I don't hate it, but 15 minutes to compile/boot a server or 5 minutes to run some tests is kind of unpleasant. And the occasionally UB bug or dangling pointer. It's just really outdated. Enough so that I don't…

Use Lazarus IDE and Freepascal and report your findings.

Re: If you're happy with OpenBSD, probably any computer is good enough

#306

Post by GeorgeWBasic »

anthk wrote: post #134
hochmartinez wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

... Add Linux with a 6.1 kernel with MGLRU , enable ext4 fast_commit, stop unnecessary services. Switch Chrome by Brave. Add a tab suspender. If you have 4GB or more, set the browser cache to RAM (a tmpfs directory). You'll be surprised of how speedy and usable is your old Celeron computer. And this CPU is very power efficient, so no heat and no fan. Silence. My 2016 Lenovo laptop was almost unusable with windows 10…

Avoid brave. It' s spyware. If any, Chromium-Ungoogle with the settings from: git clone git://bitreich.org/privacy-haters Copy the file in the chromium subdir to /etc/profile.d/chromium.sh. Chmod +x it. Change CHROMIUM_FLAGS to UNGOOGLED_CHROMIUM_FLAGS or whatever flag shows up in /usr/bin/ungoogled-chromium script. That and UBlock Origin with the country specific ad blocking rules will cut down a good bunch of crap.

Bullshit, it's not spyware. It seems it's no longer possible to discuss it here without the trolls coming out.

Re: If you're happy with OpenBSD, probably any computer is good enough

#307

Post by chaxor »

nortonham wrote: post #203
bandrami wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I'm on lynx I find I don't miss the rest of the Web. Reading documents without people constantly trying to sell me crap is kind of refreshing.

I agree with what you're saying but firefox with ublock origin and reader mode is definitely useful

Is there a good way to automatically *always* have reader mode on?

Better yet, are there any ways to *not even load the other junk*, just load the text only for the reader mode.

As far as I understand, Firefox still loads everything, does the parsing for everything, loads all those ads etc (and no, uBO does not get all of them), and then - *if you click the reader button in the URL box* - it will switch to reader mode. Seems quite backwards to the point of not really a workable solution for the automation junkie programmers of HN.

Would be nice to have a solution with better defaults to give reader mode automatically, default use uMatrix (much better than noscript btw) for control native to the browser, etc for a more snappy and controllable (with paths to private and secure) browsing experience. Having a tui would be icing on the cake.

Lynx just works though, and sidesteps all the js junk.

Re: If you're happy with OpenBSD, probably any computer is good enough

#308

Post by vfclists »

ZephyrBlu wrote: post #202
Gigachad wrote: post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a hard time believing that companies like Discord are using Electron simply because they do not know what they are doing.

I completely agree with you. It would be extremely odd for a company like Discord, who has done things like using nightly Rust in production, to naively choose Electron because they "don't know what they're doing" with native apps. Many people on HN either don't understand or don't care for trading off runtime performance and other technical qualities for other things like e.g. development speed, DX, easier hiring, e…

Discord was developed as a messaging system for gamers who usually have the latest and greatest hardware.

Electron would be okay for them and their users on account of that.

Re: If you're happy with OpenBSD, probably any computer is good enough

#309

Post by mypalmike »

mtlmtlmtlmtl wrote: post #254
deelowe wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

MicroSDs and even thumb drives are INSANE. I remember how difficult it used to be to move large amounts of data reliably. Superdisks, Zip drives, CD-R/RW, and on and on. Portable storage solutions were an absolute nightmare for ages.

I was thinking back on this the other day and I remembered my iPod Classic with the 1.8" HDD in it. Boggles the mind how that thing didn't just immediately die. The number of 2.5" drives I've lost in laptops and external drives over the years...

IIRC, the 1.8 inch drives were designed to take a beating. I think they had circuitry that would actively protect the platters from the drive heads when jostled(?)

Re: If you're happy with OpenBSD, probably any computer is good enough

#310

Post by OkayPhysicist »

JohnFen wrote: post #295
piva00 wrote: post #283

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If something happens to TSMC there will be a global effort to lift all that knowledge back into stable, developed countries to continue production as fast as humanly possible. Just like the lifting of Nazi rocket scientists, it's a technology that is directly intertwined with the existence of contemporary advanced economies/societies, if TSMC ceases to exist there will be a concerted effort from major economies to re…

> 3-5 years until production restarts somewhere else. If you're talking about production of modern chips here, it will take a lot longer than 3-5 years.

The entire Manhattan project ran less than 5 years. If it's top priority for national security (which it absolutely would be), the heavens and the earth can be moved.
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