Well, let’s see. The last time I updated things was 8 months ago. Hmm, it’s probably time for a little update.

Don’t get me wrong, I have been working on a lot of stuff since the beginning of the year. Mostly, I’ve been involved in various projects at work related to new projects and utilizing my awesome CISSP certification. However, things have also been quite eventful at home. Let’s dive into it.

GrapheneOS

In January, I made the switch to GrapheneOS on my Pixel 6 and have been using it ever since. My only issue at the moment is my reliance on Google Fi. If you have Google Fi and want to use GrapheneOS, you’ll need to install the sandboxed Play Store and the Google Fi app; otherwise, you can say goodbye to receiving any text messages. Although I’ve managed to convince most of my family to switch to Signal, I still receive some text messages, especially since I also removed Facebook Messenger from my phone.

Overall, trying to embrace mostly FOSS (Free and Open-Source Software) and privacy-oriented programs and functions on a phone has been quite an interesting experience. It’s nice to have control over what gets access to the network with GrapheneOS’s features, and the more frequent security updates are great too.

However, I wouldn’t recommend using it for a business or work phone. Work and business phones usually require running stock Android and being locked down with some sort of Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution. Personally, I prefer having two separate phones: one for personal use and one for work. It helps keep my digital life separate, and there are no complications if, for example, I have to wipe the work phone.

Less Distro Hopping

I swear to God I am done with distro hopping (for now). The two distributions I’m very happy with (for the most part) are Manjaro KDE and openSUSE Tumbleweed.

First, for those who read this post and turned their brains off as soon as they read “Manjaro,” I understand. Manjaro as a project has its issues. The forums can sometimes be unhelpful or openly hostile, the project’s management is questionable, packages take a while to be promoted to the community repositories, and using the Arch User Repository requires careful attention (honestly, you should always read those build notes if you’re using the Arch User Repository). However, it is probably one of the best distributions if you want to run KDE. It has given me no trouble, I don’t abuse the AUR, and my systems running it have been stable. I also appreciate its Day 1 experience. You do a fresh install, and it’s basically ready to go. I know some people prefer starting with the bare minimum, but that’s not my style. I like to get going right away and piece things together as I go along. My only complaint at the moment is the time it takes for one package (Tailscale) to get updated.

openSUSE Tumbleweed has been great on my laptop. It’s also a rolling release, and its support for KDE is excellent. It checks many of the same boxes I mentioned with Manjaro but is managed by actual SUSE developers. I appreciate its support for BTRFS, the ability to quickly get the most recent software updates, and the control it offers over some of the little quirks in YAST. Additionally, with KDE, I have access to the full KDE Discover store, which I don’t use for updates, but its nice. Probably the only downside of OpenSuse Tumbleweed is software support. However, with Distrobox, Flatpaks, and AppImages, this isn’t that big of a deal.

I will probably end up taking my main desktop to OpenSuse Tumbleweed at some point. If not I may look again at KDE Neon again if the software support issue becomes a problem. But for right now, those two are my main runs on workstations. Servers its Rocky Linux and Debian.

Nextcloud

If you’re considering switching to GrapheneOS, Nextcloud is a must-have. It’s also essential if you want to self-host your files and services. Need to save files? Nextcloud. Want to sync bookmarks? Nextcloud. Looking for notes for Obsidian? Syncthing works well, but Nextcloud is also a viable option that helps save battery life.

I initially set up Nextcloud to address two problems: contact backup and picture backup on my GrapheneOS phone. However, it has since evolved into a comprehensive solution for file storage, RSS news feeds, and bookmark syncing across my web browsers. Currently, I’m using NextCloudPi’s Docker container, but with the recent changes to that project, I’ll have to migrate to NextCloud All-In-One by the end of the summer. It will likely be a weekend project, but I don’t expect it to take up much time.

Overall, I’m pleased with my Nextcloud server. I believe that once I transition to the main Docker image and resolve some SSL certificate and Tailscale issues (since I don’t have inbound ports and rely on VPN for everything), I’ll be able to expand my usage even further.

The Oven

When I moved into my home, it came with an oven from the late 70s. After using it on a Sunday and realizing it was still radiating heat on Tuesday despite being turned off, I decided it was time for an upgrade. I installed a double-decker twin oven into the cabinet that previously housed the original oven and a 70s-era microwave. It’s incredible to be able to cook two things at once. My mother, girlfriend, and coworkers are already planning how to make the most of it.

Pinetime

I recently purchased a Pinetime watch. There isn’t much to say about it except for a few pointers:

1. Follow the subreddit r/pinetime for useful information and better notifications of releases.
2. Use WatchMate for updates and GadgetBridge to establish a connection between your phone and the watch.
3. Keep in mind that it’s a $30 smartwatch, so keep your expectations in check, but you might be pleasantly surprised.

Wrap Up

This summer, my goal is to publish an article here every month. I have some topics in mind that I believe will be beneficial to readers or, at the very least, serve as a record of my notes and thoughts for those 2 am calls when I’m trying to remember how I fixed something.

Wishing you a great Memorial Day, and 73’s.