Category Archives: Desktop

Recording FM radio with RetroPie

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Note: This works on just about any Linux install. I just wanted the excuse to set up a RetroPie.

Installing and Configuring RetroPie

RetroPie recommends at least a Pi 3. I went with a Pi 4 8GB in order to future proof my setup. Since I plan on leaving it constantly on and hooked up to my home theater I wanted a passively cooled case. The Flirc Pi 4 case fit my needs and looks good as well. Installing the Pi in the case was easy and straightforward. Attach the thermal pad, place the Pi in the case and screw it together. That’s it.

Installing RetroPie is just as easy. Download the RetroPie image, extract it and install it onto a MicroSD card. By default the pi runs samba which allows you to copy your roms over the network to the pi. This is great for ease of use but I don’t want to have to worry about losing my roms if the MicroSD card fails. Instead we’ll be serving the roms over the network.

I originally configured my rom share on my TrueNAS (formerly FreeNAS) server for NFS. That way I could set it to read only with mapall permissions for easy connection. However, NFS doesn’t use a set port and I have my home theater firewalled off because it’s connected via Powerline. NFS can be configured to run on a specific port but that has to happen per client and it’s much easier to just switch to SMB.

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First Impressions of the Steam Link

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The Steam Link is a counterpoint to the Steam Machines that were announced previously. Unlike a Steam Machine, HTPC running Steam, or a PC running SteamOS, Steam Link will not run any games. Instead, it leverages your existing desktop through Steam In-Home Streaming. This allows the Steam Link to be small, low power, and low cost.

steam link

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Dual booting Windows 8 and encrypted Arch Linux

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Now that I have Windows 8 installed on my desktop, I will be installing encrypted Arch Linux and dual booting between the two.  I have added more memory to the machine and am reusing the SSD from my original encrypted install.  Because I am dual booting and this machine supports UEFI I am electing to reinstall from scratch.  The new specs are as follows.

  • Intel i7-3770
  • Asus Sabertooth Z77
  • 2 x Corsair Vengeance 8GB
  • EVGA GTX 770 SC
  • Corsair HX 850
  • Corsair Obsidian 650D
  • Western Digital Black 1TB 3.5″ HDD
  • Kingston SVP100S2B 512GB SSD

Much of the install will be similar.  I will clarify the differences as they come up.  The first step in the process is to securely wipe the drive.  My preferred tool for this is Darik’s Boot And Nuke.  While DBAN does not guarantee SSD data removal, it does implement the US DoD 5220.22-M standard.  According to this paper that results in less than a 4.1% chance of recovering any data.  But in this case I am using dm-crypt to erase the drive by creating an encrypted container and filling it.  This provides the benefit of obscuring the upcoming usage patterns of the drive.  Either option is a lengthy process and best run overnight.

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Using Steam In-Home Streaming with Windows 8

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I recently acquired a new desktop and before I started loading Linux on it I decided to check out Windows 8 and retry Steam In-Home Streaming.  The machine has the following specs.  It idles around 70W at the Windows login screen.

  • Intel i7-3770
  • Asus Sabertooth Z77
  • Corsair Vengeance 8GB
  • EVGA GTX 770 SC
  • Corsair HX 850
  • Corsair Obsidian 650D
  • Western Digital Black 1TB 3.5″ HDD

Surprisingly, Windows recognized all of my hardware.  Unfortunately, it did take several hours to download and install all of the updates.  Once the updates were finished I was able to install Steam and quickly download several games.

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Installing SteamOS and using Steam In-Home Streaming

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I’ve been using Steam for some time now.  While it is a form of DRM, it actually provides benefits to the end user unlike most DRM.  Since I had a spare machine I decided to give SteamOS a try.

I am using the same machine that I have installed Arch on.  I swapped the SSD for a 500GB hard drive.

  • AMD FX-6300
  • GA-78LMT-USB3
  • 2 x 8GB DDR3 1333
  • WD Blue 500GB 2.5″ HDD
  • Radeon HD 4350

I am unable to use the regular SteamOS installer as my machine does not support UEFI.  Fortunately, Valve provides a SteamOS iso that supports BIOS.  Unfortunately, the first installation did not complete.  The installer gave me an error message that simply said the base system could not be installed.  Upon further research, I determined that SteamOS only contained the latest video drivers.  My HD 4350 was not supported.

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Installing and configuring Xfce in Arch Linux

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When we last left our Arch Linux install we had a lovely command prompt.

login-prompt

This is fine for a server, but as this is a desktop, it would be nice to have a GUI.  We will be installing Xfce.  I started using Xfce when looking for a lighter weight GUI than KDE or Gnome.  Openbox and Fluxbox are certainly lighter but require more configuration and setup than I prefer.  Xfce was a nice compromise.  Light enough for my needs while still remaining a full desktop environment.

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Installing encrypted Arch Linux on an SSD

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This article will document the decisions and process of my building an Arch Linux desktop. Arch Linux is a rolling release distro. There are no specific releases as there are with Fedora, Ubuntu, etc. Due to this I will not be posting a step by step procedure. That is covered very thoroughly in the Beginners’ guide located on the Arch wiki. I will be discussing the choices that I make and why I make them.

I am re-purposing some hardware that I had laying around for this build.

  • AMD FX-6300
  • GA-78LMT-USB3
  • 2 x 8GB DDR3 1333
  • Kingston SVP100S2B 512GB SSD

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