An introduction to Linux? And stuff (mostly discussing security issues)

Preramble

I am now convinced that these - ... I need a word for that. For now it's just "blips" in my mind - though I mean Characters. So, these "Blars" - or 'figments', phantoms ... whatever - they're like NPCs in that I have some database of "Generic" Characters and my mind uses them to slap a face onto some "blip" - so, a blar (blip char).
I mean - so, there's this one Blar that's totally good with computers and stuff and I don't feel like I have to worry. Then the very same blar has absolutely no clue about computers and it confuses me.

And sure. I suppose it's the burden of a lonely mind. These blars eventually take up space in my mind - and they also obscure thought somewhat. Like - instead of thinking logically about what I have - I'm looking at the blars and what they have to say.
And it works. I mean - it's ... like a lot of other things ... to be appreciated from a distance. Or with distance. And yea - it's a function of independence. And independence doesn't mean that you're cut loose from any and all dependencies. That's ... possibly impossible. It's just that whatever is going on - you can then still find your way "back to yourself" - as it were.


So ... Linux. Is it important and if so: Why and how to deal with it?
So ... I'm sure you've figured that out already. It's technically not too too important, but technically you can also jump off a cliff - safely or not - and yea. It's important when and where. But so ... I don't really know how to parse this feeling. Is it worry? Is it concern? Is it ... Love? Is it ... compassion? Is it ... "seeing the big picture"? It might be all of that.

And there's possibly something to say about all of that.
And the thing is - it took some work to convince me to give Linux a chance. I mean, not too too much. At the time I didn't even have a machine to run it on. It's just that in the place we had a spare computer I could play around with, until I eventually had the money to buy me a Netbook. And back in those days ... it wasn't easy to get steam to run on Linux, so I basically never bothered. Anyway was I playing WoW and Starcraft 2, later some Minecraft and Street Fighter 4 - and so this slant towards windows, to at least have it installed alongside Linux, is possibly some natural occurrence with a few side-effects. Like - Windows is simple where Linux isn't. And yea - this would make for an entry "example" into another topic I haven't really ... touched upon. I mean, here and there a few words maybe - but it's not like I have much of an understanding there. The topic would be: "The Power of Words" - or something like that. The nature of thought perhaps. Technically two separate topics, but around some instances they are essentially intertwined. I mean, Words provoke thoughts. And that would be their power. If I wrote about Linux and Windows - and use only negative words to describe Linux and only positive ones to describe Windows - that might leave a corresponding impression; Even if content-wise I only write negatively about Windows and positively about Linux.
Now - one reason why I "don't like" this topic is because I believe we have to ignore it.
I mean - it's manipulation.
And rather than "using manipulation the right way" - I follow the motto "don't let yourself be manipulated". And yea - we know manipulation exists - and I suppose by talking about manipulation tactics I could instill a feeling of security in the listener that would ... somewhat enthrall them to me - even if nothing I talk about even affects them. I mean, I believe this is definitely something that's happening in some places.

And yea. I want to convince you to use Linux also. Which is weird because ... outside of arguing, as a kid, with my parents over stuff I wanted, I generally don't try to convince people of anything outside of a first pitch or so. If they don't want it - fine! Ultimately I also have better things to do.
But I don't want to convince you to shoot yourself in the foot or worse. So, if you don't have your own machine or you only have one and it's important that certain things run on it - sure. This is a spectrum however. The thing is that once you have "bootstick" (there are some distributions that basically exist as "Bootstick Distros" I'd call them. Distros specifically designed to be portable. Knoppix is one of them I believe) - and you don't delete/destroy it - and your computer isn't one of those "Lincense Machines" - you're set. Your computer will be fine! And unless you work for Microsoft or on something Microsoft specific - there's probably nothing that Linux doesn't have. Technically Linux also has Windows.


So, this guy, Henry - he talked about it on and off and that's how he got me. Well, he didn't have to try HARD I might add. But I suppose ... over the years ... he supplied me with a lot of information that ... went along well with my personal endeavors. And yea, I'm just not "that type of person" - like, were it not for him and his occasional need to share I'd be a complete dunce on this subject. Wow ... Zenwalk actually still exists. It's the first Linux Distro I stuck with. But it was so far out of the 'common' Linux distros - I needed something else.

And ... I suppose that takes me to the next segment

Gnosticism

Hmm. So, when I say Gnosticism I mean "Neo Gnosticism" of course, which also is mostly just to say "Authentic Home-Grown Christian Philosophy". Which could possibly also be defined a little better. Like, now that I think of it, the concept of "But what comes out of the mouth defileth man" and the attached concept of "The Body is the Temple of God" and "keeping it clean" takes a very prominent role there. First of all this isn't about things that go into the mouth that some would argue "defile the Temple". But no. If some alcohol means you've got a slanted walk - who cares? But if your mind and thoughts corrupt all and everything that God would say to you - it's not a nice Body to be in I assume.

But whenever a US republican speaks for instance, it's a good reason to tune out. Basically.

And so - DETOX - is like ... PRIME reason number one HERE to go for Linux. Or in other words: To get out of the Microsoft/Corporate ecosystem.

And it's not just that. I mean - it is a lot bigger than you might think. I mean, what I mean by that. I mean ... the Antichristian Ecosystem? It may be too bold an accusation to just leave like that, but ... it's something along those lines. Like, people trying to convince you to use Windows - you don't need them! Outside of those previously discussed fringe cases - but, at that point I might also talk about Aliens.

And I suppose I'll get to write some more about that when we get to things like 'Security'. But - I suppose first and foremost this is WAR.
And the REAL Wars aren't about Winning or Losing, Resources or shit like that - they're about the things worth dying for! But since that saying often don't means what it means - maybe a different phrasing is required. But yea, I mean: LITERAL DEATH. But yea, in this War we're not fighting with Weapons that can Kill - though technically they can/could (sudo apt get gminigun-remote-qt.tar.gz) - so, I stand corrected. "Worth dying for" doesn't apply here. Worth Fighting For however does. Or I guess in this instance: Worth fighting AGAINST.


My "Spidey" Senses are telling me that the average ignorance of people on matters of Technology is a growing problem. And things are getting critical. And that's a Gnostic concern of mine. And yea, so maybe this is the segment on Security after all.
So, more to the point: What do we mean when we say "Security"?

I mean, the way I see it I can talk about Security - and the only word you'll understand about the whole thing is the word "Security". Like, so, there's 10 Reasons why XsosoY is Better because of "Security" - but how would you know what's missing from the picture? Or whether what's missing from the picture is important or not? I mean, you having no clue about IT - how would you tell right from wrong?
Trust in Community? Listen to the Experts? Well - yea ... who's the Experts? Whos' the Community?

My problem would be that I don't know all that much about Security either. But like - my 6+ Senses are telling me ... that the argument that "it's harder to hack Windows" are like ... Bullshit. Even if it were harder to Hack Windows - it doesn't mean anything without context. I for once don't know how to hack. But I do know that Windows is more vulnerable to Viruses than Linux is. It's easier to get Trojan Horsed on Windows. And it's much more likely that Windows comes with Trojan Horses pre-installed/hardcoded.
They might even sell it to you as a feature.

So, if the security features I "have" don't protect me against whom I want to be protected against ... it's worthless.

Now, Windows has gotten better at protecting its own files; And I believe that NTFS is even capable of managing user ID and access rights - like a Linux filesystem - but everything about how Microsoft handles that aspect of its products is a Red Flag. Which is another way we could talk about this issue.

Like, using Windows is inherently anti-Linux. But using Linux isn't inherently anti-Windows. Justifications for Windows fall squarely into the Capitalist Sector - which boils down to: I don't care.
This isn't a happy world because Windows doesn't play ball.

I mean, here's a solution: The same way how a Linux user would "OWN" their Windows partitions - to say: Root access - Windows would have to take root authority over ext filesystems. To be nice, Windows could just say ... OK ... Windows "User Root" defaults to ... UID=GID=6660. That's just basic IT. Also would Windows have it's own Root being Root - so it would know to protect a Linux Root also. And if some rando user accidentally were to delete a linux root filesystem - that person isn't a "normal" user - and after a certain number of security layers, one is usually enough, it's also difficult to justify it as an 'accident' in the sense that matters here.


So, if we're talking about e-mail, online-banking, etc. - well. Sure, Windows has an Obligation. That obligation is to themselves regarding PR and such - to not become known as an El-Dorado for Computational Hijinx, but alas ... that's what it is!

On the other hand - in Linux you can technically inspect the source-code of what you're installing. You can look into it and produce an alternative if you so desire; Given you have the ability and the know-how. Open Source here doesn't mean that everyone can look into your system. Though ... sure. Technically every Program you installed can be looked into - looking at the code. Like I can look into You by looking at some ... what's that ... you know, the Human Anatomy thing ... .

How secure that REALLY is depends on how many people there are that have the skills to detect such nonsense - and how likely they are to stumble upon it. I'm also not sure just how software propagates through the Linux world. But in the Linux world you have a large amount of Sources - like, servers all accross the world, multiple per country sometimes - so, it's not like 'easy' to corrupt that. Linux is like a Hydra in that sense.
And Windows is one of those giant Balls that you may have encountered in Elden Ring.
But sure - if the source is corrupted - all copies of it are also. But as a package would move from one distro to the other ... you're at risk of being found out. Which would be a strong argument for Debian I think. But I don't know enough to be certain. My understanding however leads me to that assumption.

Further do I not know how easy it is (relatively speaking) to make you connect to a fake server, or to like: Wrap you into a box. To maybe scan what you're downloading - and replace certain stuff with other stuff. So, this is however perhaps Science Fiction. At least ... for now. Perhaps. I mean, I think about it and I'm getting an image into my head - so, maybe that's God telling me - and it translates into: Well, at some point you'd have to manipulate the laws of physics to do such things.
I mean - there's that ... Stargate Atlantis episode ... somewhere at the start of Season 2 where they return to Atlantis on board the Daedalus, where the Daedalus is being infected by some Wraith Virus. Similarly whenever the Replicators are involved. Those phenomena act like code because in essence they are supposed to be - but they do things that code sitting inside of the Hardware couldn't do. So, that Wrait Virus is a little bit Bogus because it is written like it runs the Hardware. But say ... using Nanobots that can flip bits in your ram could accomplish a level of control that defies whatever protective measures are written into a system.
One of the issues is that ... for this to work, sometimes, there would have to be decision making involved. It would have to notice whether or not it has to hide. Because that's the next step. You checked - there's nothing - but "what if"?

So that's where we are. Sci-Fi.
And I don't want to dismiss it outright. I mean ... after like a century of computing ... what is and isn't possible ... isn't as easy to figure out. I mean, I'm acting on Logic, Philosophy and "First Principles". That means ... a lot is "technically possible" - and there's people, I'm sure, that there are people with know-how that had a lot more time to think about these things than I did. For the one or the other reason.

Anyway ... these were issues that bothered me while being in Windows and downloading the .iso. So, I went through that process of verifying the iso, but all Windows would need is to know which .dll to replace with which - and now it'll tell you that the geuine fake iso is the genuine non-fake iso. And then the iso would work just fine ... except that pacman would connect with Microsoft or whatever. So, how likely is it that "Microsoft" maintains hacks for every Linux distribution? And how could the cycle be broken?


And uhm, I don't think AI is the answer to that!


I mean ... when it comes to that (not AI) ... Bloat is a red flag. If something is bigger than it has to be ... and the dependency hell of Linux is a different thing ... maybe there's something inside you don't know about.
Like so, you may have heard about "Daemons". Pronounced "Demon" - if you like. They're called that because ... they're like that. I mean, if I told you about invisible programs running in the back of your system - it might scare you. That's why they're called that in Linux. Now, in Windows you can hit Ctrl+Alt+Del and see in your task manager how many background processes are running - they're just not called Daemons here.
Any clue what they're doing?
In Linux I type 'systemctl --type=service' - I think; And then can choose to disable those that I don't like. "In Theory". At least it's also telling me what it's doing. At long last I can try to google it.

The Perfect Machine

... so ... this is like ... the fourth attempt on this headline. Maybe the headline sucks - I don't know. I wanted to write this like 4 days ago ... have already made two or three attempts here ... say, 2 and a half ... and I guess I should leave everything out of this but what I'm envisioning. I mean, the idea behind the topic is a question - looking at the different choices that different companies have made regarding their products. So, terms like "consumer friendly" or "anti-consumer practices" come to mind. And in all that I'm forgetting the normal person.

I mean ... if the thing you bought does what you bought it for ... it doesn't matter what Operating System it is using. And chances are ... increasingly ... that you'd have to jailbreak your system to even change anything about it. And that's a thing you can look at from different positions. Like ... if it is easy to change the operating system on your computer, it's also easy to "hack" it.
And the thing is ... I may actually be screwed here.

So, I had to reset my BIOS password to install Linux. I first tried the hardware solution - and I've tried as far as I was comfortable and then tried another way. Which was to type the wrong password three times, enter the number that showed up into some form on some webpage, it'd spit out a password and with it I could get back into my BIOS. So, it could be that someone just did that ... entered a new password ... and I then thought I forgot it.
And the problem ... you may have realized ... is that with access to my bios they can enable boot from USB - and that way have backdoor access to my computer. I mean, that's why I'd set a BIOS passworrd. And if it ever were gone ... I'd know someone got in. Except, I kind of forgot that they could just enter a new one and make me assume I forgot mine.

I mean, seeing things for what they are isn't always easy.

I definitely forgot mine - ... or did I? Well, eventually I did.

And so is the double edged sword. Like, if you so will: Everyone "crying" over "anti-consumer practices" only wants your system to be "less secure". Oh, there's that word again. I mean, if all someone had to do to access my phone was to insert a USB stick ... well. It would actually be more difficult than if just having your phone number were enough.

And that's like ... the thing. I suppose 'projection' is the word. Though maybe we have to be more specific: "weaponized projection". Like ... it's almost comedic how true it is, speaking of US Republicans, that every accusation is a confession. I suppose we're at that point in the lifecycle of that "trick" where the cat's out of the bag. I mean - you know what I mean. There's some secret thing that nobody knows about and it's cool and stuff - but then everyone all of a sudden knows about it and it's not cool anymore. I mean, they're projecting so much - they can't even answer questions without just accusing others of anything, even if it has nothing to do with it. It's "the power of the word". Every question they're asked is like an opportunity to just say stuff.
And at some point it is a REALLY good question to ask: OK, why even bother asking them? And that point ... is in the past.

I mean - you have heard the words: "I can't imagine he's capable of such a thing. He was always such a nice guy, nice to be around and bla bla bla" - we've heard it ... in one context ... almost exclusively. And that's ... that someone has done something horrible. And so, the words "He's a nice guy to be around" ... is actually a red flag.

I mean, I suppose they love-bombed you, didn't outright kill you - and constantly said things like ... how horrible child-molestation is. I mean, if bad people were compelled to act how they think ... the world would be different.

And I'd say there are like two types of curtain that you're not supposed to see behind. The ones made for you to look behind - and the ones you definitely should check but ... you're led to think differently. OK, the third type is merely ceremonial (like a gift wrapping, theatre, that sort of thing) and doesn't matter here because eventually you are supposed to see behind it.

In the world of Software tho ... why am I bringing this up?
Because ... well, some Blars led me to think that this is definitely happening. Say, the more serious of an issue this here realyl is, the more viciously "they" will fight against it. And vicious doesn't mean "physical". And so, when all of this politics is happening - I'm somehow implicated as well. I mean - I suppose it's my job. A part of it. And so - am I cool being a Windows user while all this anti-consumer nonsense is going on? Certainly NOT! But so I'm ... as a Linux user ... at the very least required to respond to that. And I'm afraid it's just Bullshit followed by Bullshit until everyone is confused enough to be back where we started.

I don't know WHERE such things would happen. But possibly it's just an aggregate impression that when cleaned up takes me to the right-ish issues to look at.

But ultimately the thing is this: These days ... you can still buy computers you can do with what you want. If that weren't the case anymore, because "finally" we have "security" - well, you may be living in a world where "the thing" does what you need it to do; But ... is that enough? I mean - we're already there if that's what you want. And these "secure" systems - they like ... are hackable by design. Well, you know. Because "security". You might be a terrorist - so of course the Government should have the right to hack your phone. Easily. Well - but if you can't trust them - that knowledge is no longer TOP TOP secret - just TOP secret; Which means ... you might not even know what to protect yourself against.

It's like what I would call a "Burns Vault". So, from one Simpsons episode in which Mr. Burns and Smithers go through a series of high security doors and gates to enter a Vault which then turns out to be a wooden shed with a semi-broken door. It's also the opposite to a Pill Box. Or how you write it. It's ... low security where you are - but high security where the enemy is. As opposed to high sec where you are - and low sec for the enemy. Where - if you really want to be tight because you got family or such, try encrypted archives.

But yea. I'm not a hacker - hence I don't know what to look for. When it comes to passwords - like to your PayPal - you'll have to make your own bets. I mean, I once got a notification because someone ordered like a 500 dollar watch on my account somehow ... and at the time I wasn't using Linux. They probably got in through my phone. And that's like ... a data point. Where ... for things to look at as a non-hacker ... this is a non-speculative way to approach this. Is Android safe? No. Is Windows safe? No. Is iOS safe? apparently. Is Linux safe? Well, it seems that way.

I mean ... arguably Linux is as safe as can be. The only thing more secure would be a closed source project managed by righteous people. And they'd probably also do Linux somehow.
I mean ... I'd say it's difficult to be a Compterphile and not like Linux. So - one good argument for Linux is this: You're doing your computer a favor! ^^

TLDR;

Fair. So, all this Tinfoil-hatting aside - because we're living "in the Future" - there's a new player in town we have to be concerned about: Integrated Software. Or ... computational cirquits? I don't know how they'd call it - but integrated software is like ... the low level version. Which is - software on a piece of hardware you can't change or access. At least not without the right hardware. The next step - though technically that's also the very very first step - is hardware with software like "etched" into it. So, hardware that is like also its own software.
The thing is this: If you so installed Arch Linux let's say ... and all you did was follow the Installation manual without installing any extras ... your computer can't really do much. You could however start programming in C I suppose - and make your way up from there. But ... that's "tedious".
But like ... you can in some instances literally SEE that your computer can't do shit without the right software. You are however always free to assume that your computer has some integrated hardware that can still do all it needs to allow someone remote access to your sotrage devices. I mean ... I don't know what to make of it: But as I'm booting into the Arch Installation medium ... the Kernel is spitting out errors. They are annoying as they just flood the screen and make the commandline unreadable. So, I tried to google how to turn that off and that way learned that these are Kernel messages. OK. Later I was struggling to get Networking up and running - and during that endeavor learned the "id" of my Network chip or card or whatever - and then learned that the Kernel errors were related to that.
And that's just automatic. I mean, if I don't do anything they show up. If I speedrun mounting my root and arch-chrooting into it - they eventually don't show up. So - possibly because my root has the right drivers installed. And I have no clue what's going on there. Like, a lot of weird shit can happen just because someone meant well. So, something meant to be convenient is however extra work that the standard wouldn't necessarily be compatible with - or the convenience trick is some niche thing that most people wouldn't care about and so it's defunct and causes such issues. I don't know. But assuming that Arch doesn't try to connect to the internet on its own - it's got to be the networking hardware that wants something from the Kernel that it doesn't have.

But so - if it doesn't have it ... that's like ... good. So now I should be concerned about where those messages went. Hmm ...

I mean ... 'logically' the answer would be this: The Kernel of the Installation Medium is Universal. It is on the iso and has to work on all computers the stick is inserted to. Hence hardware compatibility isn't always there. It's also not Arch's design philosophy to have self-configuring Installation Environment. That would be something a Desktop medium would want for its presentation to not suck. During the installation process then - for once when installing the Kernel through either pacstrap or pacman ... or then when recompiling it at some later point ... it is specific to your system in as far as the configurations allow. Hence: The final installation is more stable than the installation medium.

So - chances are ... it's the Network thingy just trying to tell the Kernel that it has found internet. And now the System could say, hey ... let me use that. Because in Linux there's a single package that then takes care of all of what happens networking wise ... give or take a.k.a. "I assume" a.k.a. I'm no expert on this matter ... you can assume that if in that package all is accounted for and 'OK' ... you're safe.
I haven't really done much diving into the code - so, I don't know how complex iwd for instance is. Or how many people regularly work on it - how many different entities regularly work on it - so: How much of the code has high exposure - but I assume that some function that connects to some weird server for no reason might stick out somehow. Like, it has to be in the "core routine" somewhere. If it's there.

But sure. I don't have the knowledge to make assumptions on whether or not that's the case. But right now I also don't have the need to really figure that out.
And if the compilers can't be trusted - there is no safe option and we should do all we can do lean against the forces that be. Heavily. To then create space to like ... start over. Give or take.

With integrated software then ... this would no longer be ... this simple. Like, it wouldn't send messages that a Linux Kernel would pick up on. The Linux Kernel wouldn't know where to look for it. Like ... the designer of said nonsense would probably want that system to be perfectly isolated. It might produce errors ... or conflicts ... but they would appear as a bug or some inconsistency that can't really be pinpointed to integrated software. Might as well have been some ... cosmic radiation hitting your memory in a funny way.

Like that one famous Super Mario 64 Speedrun glitch that hasn't ever been replicated.

And yes ... this makes for a great starting point to segue into like ... an actual introduction to Linux.
The thing being: I made some attempt here that led to some level of 'demystification'. Like ... let's look at iwd. Like ... not knowing anything of the system, all of the system might as well - for all you care - be connected to the internet. Each and every pixel on your screen might have its own internet connection some shadow figure in the background could hack in through. I have then provided a narrative that isolates this impression down to one package. And sure. Once you're connected to the web - the programs you got can choose to be funny with it. That's then ... like ... "second degree" insecurity. Like, somehow it's common sense that programs and websites just do that. Like ... "duh". You have to jump through more and more hoops to say that you actually don't want it - so, eventually you actually really (wink wink) do want it. You know?!

Well, sure - that's about cookies ... but ... yea, "suure it's just that". P)

But that's the thing. Looking away won't solve this issue. So - Linux at large is kind of like that. It all makes sense ... but without the right context clues you have no idea what to be looking for. But to really bring it back home:

The first step is to escape this ecosystem. And to that end ... there's more than just one way to look at Linux. You could for instance also see it as Therapy. Or Meditational Computing. Like, real, proper, Zen Computing. Which means: To set yourself apart with Human Nature and other, maybe even deeper existential issues. To not only hone your mind but also your heart. To first of all so close the lid on it so huge corporations can't easily use it as a toilet anymore.

To say: You are not a Toilet! You don't have to eat shit! But the first step to healing is to acknowledge, to yourself, that you have to abandon what is familiar to you; All the Abuse and Shit; And dare to step into the discomfort of the unfamiliar to find liberation from those chains.

As a Survivor I can tell you that I feel a lot better now that I don't have a Windows installed on my system - and my self-abusive tendencies have waned. I was reluctant to accept that interpretation of my condition; And still am given that my hooha is still the same as before; But I have also always been bothered by "something" that didn't feel right. Something I couldn't point to because ... it like vanishes in the noise. So yea ... decouple yourself from the abuse and turn your Burns Vault into a Pill Box. Or fortress.

Linux 101?

So, where to begin? Well - I'll skip on what I think should be on the Wikipedia. The problem is ... I'm like a Programmer ... and have been very tech savvy since a very young age. And maybe there's more - like - what's the deal when some things just make intuitively sense to someone? Is it talent? If so, talent is like a 6th sense. So, when software doesn't behave there's like two different endings for that. The one is a facepalm because it turns out the problem is perfectly logical - or it's not that. Which to me means: Nope! a.k.a. "I heavily [disagree] with the design" or whatever. The focus here - in this section at least - is on the former.


Although many Linux users might try to slip a line to you that follows the theme of "Linux is just like Windows" - probably in an attempt to address the arguments that you've brought up for sticking to Windows, saying that it shows that you're woefully ignorant about the truth of the matter - it does a shitty job at preparing you for the fact that Linux is kind of nothing like Windows.

I mean. Unless we look at ... "normal Distributions" that aim at providing a good out of the box experience. Here the peculiarities that distinguish Linux from Windows are ... mostly shifted into the background. But ... so is there a pitfall: Going into Linux expecting it to be Windows ... will have you encounter those peculiarities from a bad angle. Usually because you can't do what you would assume you could based on your previous experiences.

But yea. Now I'm somehow dragged back to the beginning here - the matter with the Blars or specifically the Linux related Blars - and I'm led to assume that I don't have to be super specific about these things. After all ... if you sink your teeth into it - you'll encounter problems and find solutions. On and off you might have to do some actual problem solving, either software or personality related, ... sooo ... how should I ... go about this?

Well, let's talk about "performative [computing]". Like ... you bought a computer because something got upon you - and now you have the thing and you don't know what to do with it - but you still want to justify the money you just spent. So ... you make an effort of getting use out of it, whether it actually means something or not. So, you try to prove to yourself that the thing does have use - and on occasion you have an actual use for it - and that's how you get used to this weird situation in which ... you stare at the thing, sometimes, wondering: "What am I even doing here?"

Now, that doesn't work in Linux - I would say - because the Forces that be lean against it. Nobody cares about your Linux installation doing what a Windows does. "Sure it does!" - "but you want to use Windows, don't you?". So, it's like a personal glitch I'd argue ... that you've been conditioned into a performative lifestyle, so that when you use Linux you try performative computing and then end up falling down some rabbit hole - which is where you've had your share, you've made "the experience", and then you're back at that point, wondering: "What am I even doing here?".
And then you maybe return to windows. That didn't solve anything, but at least ... you don't have to think about it anymore. Eyes closed.


Is that fair to say?
The thing is - I keep flipping back and forth on this. Probably yet again because ... to some people a Chromebook is perfectly sufficient. You can have that experience by installing some Distro and then forgetting that you can add anything to it. OK, maybe install Chrome if it doesn't have that.

Like - Arch Linux (or NixOS): Install: Thunar/Nemo/Nautilus and Chrome. Well, ontop of having networking and a Desktop/Window manager. Like, between Gnome, KDE and Cinnamon ... I'd say you're already better off than on a Chrome ... so, go for Openbox perhaps. I mean, it sounds like a Joke but Openbox ... is actually ... like, next to XFCE one of those ... would "evergreen" be the right term? Like, its super minimalistic on purpose - so - the challenge were to make them even more simple. So yea, maybe pick a slackware based distribution. I don't know what's unique about it or why to go for it specifically; But it has the word 'slack' in there and hence introduces itself as slim and minimalistic and all that ... so, that's why.


Sure - it's a bit of a joke, but sometimes positives are confirmed through negatives. And sure, I have to wonder: What are the odds that you'd actually need more? Well - if so, ... sudo apt get kde-multimedia-meta or whatever.

And yea - it might feel wrong to do that. Like - how is all that for free? Why would you pay like hundreds of dollars for some adobe thing if you can have it all ... just like that. The whole thing. And that's just a fragment of it.
Well - wouldn't we want to live in a world where people can just make good software for fun?

Sure - it all seems nonsensical if not flat out insane to promote such thinking in a capitalistic hellscape; But not if the goal is to actually get out of it.

And that's what I want to promote here. Part of it.

But if the swap from "We have ChromeOS at home" to "We have Adobe at home" is like, overwhelming to the point where you're put off by having too much; Well, maybe it's worth ... leaning back, taking a deep breath, and pondering about it. Like "what do you want to do?" - or "what CAN you do?". Now that ... you just have to point into a direction and you can get there. Do you want to do art? Programming? Sure - it's not ... that simple. Like, if you wanted to do art you'd be doing art - or is that also ... not that simple?
But this is a good point, therefore, to spend a moments thought on.

Like ... well. To lead this with the important bit: You only have limited time. Like, I started my project 20 years ago feeling like I had all the time in the world. And all of a sudden I'm like 40 ... and sure, I've spent my time well I'd say. Like, Linux might seem like a waste of your time. Like ... give it a year and you might still feel like a noob. I mean - me, 15 years into the Linux journey, I just recently learned about journalctl. Which ... isn't important, give or take, but it is one of those Linux features that's like ... a core aspect of its design in a way - that's just there and nobody tells you about it because you don't really need it. Like, type journalctl (--no-pager (press q to exit if you don't use this option)) and try to parse what's there. I'm ... at a loss.
For those who can't do that right now: It's a log of every kernel message and such. If I tried to use it for troubleshooting - I'd probably end up on ten wrong tracks and then find a solution some completely different way. So, not important.
But I feel like some people might care about this.
Anyway - time flies - eventually. And what is and isn't worth spending/wasting time and money on ... well, isn't that a question for the sages?

But so, what would the alternative then be? Social Media and TikTok?
Hmm ... well. I might be confusing things - like ... people who only use Apple stuff, except for their Personal Computers because they don't need such things, so it's like ... OK, that's beside the scope of this topic. Sort of. And so far the only bad thing about Apple is like ... the price tag. So - yea. Sure, let's say ... this is all just to dunk on Microsoft. Works for me. One step at a time.

But you want an argument? A really good one? Well - the VERY BEST: Play!

It is the VERY BEST argument - as from a Christian perspective the issue is: Unless you're like a Child you can in no way enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

So - say you have Linux at your disposal and all that it has to offer. So, in as far as computers are concerned, you can whatever you could possibly do with one such thing. There's no restriction. So, you're free to play around with it - and you don't have to give up an arm and a kidney for it.
And yea. Right NOW you might not know what to do with ... all the stuff. But in a year or two? Maybe you found something more profound than ... mind-numbing idiocracy.


And sure. Then Uncle Norman comes around the corner and tells you that you also have everything on Windows. Like ... "We have Linux at home!".
Yea, this joke flies under the radar of the ignorant and the uninitiated.
But yea - are we pro or anti piracy now?

It's like the "Gateway Drug" argument. Like, Linux is a gateway drug to piracy P) ... while in actuality ... in Windows it's pretty much second nature to do so.
Like ... if you're not using pirated software on Windows ... are you even doing it right? (Sorry, this was a bad joke!)
But if you're on Linux and you're looking to pirate software ... well, either you're a "Gamer" and you should probably use Windows for that ... or you've gone down the wrong track. But no. The joke is actually a popularity issue. Of course pirates will produce cracks for where they are needed.


But talking about jokes: In this writing I am covering the "WHOLE" spectrum - from deeply serious to totally just kidding. I mean, there's ... what we might call "Jokingly Serious Issues". Like ... philosophies that seem too far fetched to be true and yet the conclusion is oddly compelling. "You just can't prove it".
Like ... "Humanity is Sick". True? Wrong? Serious? Kidding?

It's like that point in Matrix Revolutions where Neo and Bane-Smith are fighting - and Bane-Smith is telling Neo to see the truth that's staring at him. Like, if true, what can we do? It's so fucked up - in so many ways - it's easier to just "switch off".

Like, we can get super upset when some dude looks at a minor wrong - cool. But where's that energy ... when it's not just that. Like, it's proportionally impossible to have a fair response - so, what do we do? We switch off?
Like, while [some guy] suspects such things are going on in some weird Pizza place ... they'll go and shoot it up. When it's happeing in broad daylight, right in front of their face ... "switch: off". Abd that's ... kind of what I was writing about here. I mean - not really, but ... it follows a similar tune.
The conspiracy is ... that. It's in the head. It's like ... the part on performative computing. So, you're used to a way of things, like, making things out in your head while being driven insane by the injustices you're MADE upset about. You're fed shit until it spills from all of your pores - and then you essentially do what you were programmed to do. But nobody was programming you to actually go after the people who deserved it. Case and Point: It's in the news.

So, Astair ... was a word I used to somehow describe it.

And now that I've broken with the abuser - I can more handily point to this feeling that's like "shit flowing through your veins". It's a feeling - sometimes it seems like curiosity, other times it feels like love or excitement - but it isn't really either of those things. It's just ... an unexplainable addiction to shit.
Like ... you're conditioned to have it, it feels familiar, ... and finally ... it feels ... like SOMETHING. Like ... some people hurt themselves to feel something.

Well, it certainly doesn't feel 'positive'. And when you're affected by it ... well ... you'll even scoff at the term 'positive'. Like it's ... a bad thing. At first it's like ... "for pussies". "Uncool". Then it's like ... "boring" - so, the social pressure has gone and now it's a genuine belief. Until eventually you look at it with burning tears in your eyes and you call it a deception. But chances are: Yes - it is a deception! What you learned to see as positive ... is a lie ... because that what is actually positive ... you discarded as worthless. And a bit further down that road - you want everyone else feel what you feel.

Is Linux the solution to this?
It can be. I mean - for all intents and purposes it can be a hobby. Something to spent time on that stimulates more than just the shit-gland. A distraction. Something ... that's not restrictive by design but restrictive by appearance. A more reputable term for that would be "Occupational Therapy". I mean ... there's like two aspects to this. The one is like rehabilitation - from what the english Wiki seems to be talking about - while the german article on it puts a focus on a more "Wholistic" understanding of it. I mean, it's in the wording:

English: "Occupational therapy is a health profession(?) that helps people take part in the everyday activities, or occupations, that are important for daily life. [...] Occupational therapists work with people who experience illness, injury, disability, or age-related changes that limit their ability to function independently. They assess a person's needs, set goals and use everyday activities as therapeutic tools".

German: "Ergotherapy is a form of therapy that supports and accompanies people of all ages, to maintain or improve their everyday Living and Working skills in spite of illness, injury or handicap related impairments. It follows a wholistic approach to lift the quality of life of the therapees. Thereby it considers motoric, cognitive, sensory and every-day abilities and also deals with mental health."

I mean ... to be fair ... the german article goes on to say: Overlaps exist with "Occupational therapy" (sometimes used synonymously), Art therapy, Work therapy, psychotherapy, music therapy and physiotherapy. Occupational therapy doesn't get its own entry. Changing the language from German to English leads to the occupational therapy article - where it is stated: Occupational therapy (OT), also known as ergotherapy, is a healthcare profession(?).


So yea ... we kind of are living in like ... parallel worlds at this point.


And occasionally I thank God that I was born in Germany.
Not that it wouldn't have worked out elsewhere. But ... the way ... the odds ... . I mean ... I get that had I grown up in the USA - I'd either be Special Forces or Homeless. Like, there's no in-between. So, to make the cut into a gender transition ... I'd have to be a somewhat obnoxiously self-determined individual - ugh ... I digress.
It is the way it is - possibly for good reason. [Drawing a cross, hands into prayer gesture, kiss to the sky].

So, of course I'm talking about the German version here.
I mean - I've noticed that not watching the news is good for me. Yesterday I watched a news segment of sorts ... which I haven't done in a while. I mean, usually I'd like ... listen to the first few seconds and then feel like I don't need to hear any of that. I mean ... at best ... the whole thing is like watching a light-bulb go on in slow motion. It's like ... shit-gland induced amnesia that's ... kicking in ever so often ... . And the face of Asmongold on top of it is just ... perfection. Is that like ... the promotional shot for the next season?
I mean, I'd probably get to hear some super smart rant of how the German version of OT is idiotic and never works because it's socialism or whatever - that's at least the ... general impression I'm having.


Anyway. Wanna spend a moment on thinking about how actually serious this is?
I mean - is the German version "too mushy" or is the "American" version trying to take something from you?

And this isn't the first article like that that I've stumbled upon. I mean, I've written about this before. Was it ... about what 'esoteric' means? Or 'arcane'? I mean, it's maybe niche and fringe - but ... still important. Like ... it's like the American version is trying to sell you a fairy tale. Like ... a capitalistic one. it's propaganda if not brainwashing.
Like ... you can be more than just the function of your body? Whaaaaat?


What does it mean to enjoy life if not to betray other people for some personal gain? Like, if you can't feel superior over others by being a piece of shit, are you even alive?
And it's weird. Like - this is jokingly serious. Like ... abso-fucking-lutely hillarious ... in a way that isn't even a little bit funny. It's just funny when you have to think that people actually believe this nonsense. Which is ... bad because ... it's bad! I mean, the mind resists the assumption because it's insane ... but is it?

I mean - there's a certain look ... . Like ... I recently noticed about someone "Wow, she's really really attractive! But that in this american way that I find utterly despicable". And if that's like ... an american norm ... yea, they are the Bad Guys!


Yea ... like "no shit".

And there goes another reason for Linux: To break with the consumerism. Like - ignore the wild promises of the endless possibilities you have with Linux ... and just lean into the negativity of it that you've been fed - and see for yourself ... if you actually need more. I mean ... "embrace the jank" ... and to top it off install some 16 bit icon theme. Or ... XD. Hmm ... This is also a type of aesthetic that's ... somewhat ... special.

I mean, for the complete "going off grid" experience. Sure, not 'off grid' - but ... still like ... living in the jungle.
But to make one thing clear: I'm not asking you to get comfortable with vim.
That's a different level of depravity. I mean, it's a fetish. It must be.

But seriously

If you need an authoritative trigger - would it help if I commanded you?

I mean ... isn't that what I would have to do "if all the stuff I just wrote about were real"? And yea - if that's where you're at ... I command you to!

To be continued ... possibly.