Booting Old Gadgets with Ubuntu

I have old gadgets with lot of old data including my favorite films.

For about three weeks I was trying to install Debian 11 and Emmabantus while keeping old data.

I could not.

I tried copying to a SATA external disk but transfer rate was snail pace and it abruptly stopped for no reason.

There was no problem installing Ubuntu along with data.

But due to frugal and commercial Ubuntu ploys, I could not open most of my files including films.

There was no VML utility.

I tried Debian and Emmabantus first but they won't boot after installing on the Immation and Apallo disk with no ESP partition, to boot.

Finally, I decided to install Ubuntu last, after Debian or Emmabantus install, on one Immation 500GB and the other, one terabyte disk.

It worked and Ubuntu read and installed the GRUB, the Grand Universal Boot Record.

By the way, ESP or EFI partition can reside on any sector, not necessarily starting from the first sector of the hard disk.

That was a relief and if the first sector becomes corrupt or unusable the whole disk cannot be used.

I have a USB stick which I installed a bizarre script and it cannot be formatted.

It has become a read only stick.

USBs are supposed to be erasable and reusable, unless of cause a copyright firmware is installed by OEM guys.

Thanks Ubuntu your GRUB search is excellent.

Both hard disks had only 3 year warranty and I erased all Windows utilities.

The Windows won't let me install Linux distributions.

They are solid after forty years of use.

Thanks Immation the workmanship of your hardware is excellent.

They are solid sealed disk containers.

Keeping them in the box was absolute waste.

They were the with two, OLD, Type 2 USB slots, one for reading and one for writing.

They work as new and I decided to pack the SATA external disks into their original boxes and give them a little respite.

Do not throw old hard disks simply because you have new gadgets.

I can take them with me as mobile units and watch my old films and re-edit my book files.

I had forgotten the data were recorded in one of the disks.

I do not have to redo files and my PC is free of junk files.

Recordings stuff on USBs without a label on top is annoying.

I have erased data on all USBs and use them as bootable Linux USBs leaving some space for storing and keeping the ISO images.

Mageia 8 is out

I was a fan of Mandrake and Mandriva and it went into dormancy and Mageia Linux kept it afloat from France.

It was the first commercial portable OS and Globe Trotter was its innovation.
Soon after Globe Trotter it went bust.
Since then, I have not used Mageia as a regular installation and lost interest in Mageia.

According to reviews it's version 8 is pretty good.

However Download speed of Ceylon is currently at snail pace and I need at least two days to download almost 5GB Iso.

I have download it and installed it on hard disk and an external drive.

It brings back nostalgia of Mandrive with a blue desktop.

I have to say something nice about it.

It has more utilities than Ubuntu 21.10 frugal edition.

It takes over the entire hard disk.

All the utilities work well Mageia Control Center has a partition tool which allows one to resize the home partition, which I did to save free space to install Debian and Emmabantus.

It has No ESP (Debian and Emmabantus, too do not have ESP at boot time) and won't allow dual booting.

Finally when Ubuntu was I stalled with its ESP partition, all other distributions were identified as bootable with the GRUG 2 utility.
Ubuntu does difficult things easily and luckily I never use it but have a copy in an external disk to trouble shoot.
Funny thing about Debian is once installed it never fails and no need of updating software.
In my latest book on Rebirth, I am going to state that Linus probably has had rebirth connection to me like our dog who inspired me be a Linux addict.
Now that I am off alcohol, I need annother addiction to be tagged onto.
Fortunately, for me our download speed in Ceylon is hopeless that it takes 4 days for a 4GB image to download.
They are



Currently downloading FreeBSD.

It took nearly two hours to download.

I had to configure the Transmission utility to speed up the download speed.

Mageia installation bit messy.
It did not install on the free space and did not configure the boot loader.
It only allowed plasma desktop but was not as flashy as with Debian 11.

It needs 50GB for root and took the entire disk for home partition.
I resized the home partition.
I am using Ubuntu to do the honors and keep four distributions in the hard disk with over 700GB left for Data.

I downloaded FreeBSD and tried to install it on an external disk and failed.

It is over 4.8GB and could not be written on a DVD to test it live on a DVD.

When I find a Big 10GB DVD I will try it as a live session.

USB image is 1.1GB.

Partitioning Tools

This is not an expose of all tools available but quick recipe for the newbies.

I have been using partition tools from the time of Windows 95.

I accidentally found a tool called Partition Magic which I had to install on Win-98 and resize FAT partition and install Redhat 8 dual booting with Windows.

I could never lay my hands on Redhat 7 series but managed to find 6, or 7 CDs of Debian 6.

There was no return to Windows and I was an avid advocate of Linux full-time.

Partition Magic was bought by an agency and it has changed it's name to Qparted and I never used it again or bought a paid copy.

I was hooked to Gparted and suffice to say, I did not find any problem with it, in 32 bit days.

It has a PAE and a 64 bit version of which I have multiple copies mounted on USBs, using MultiSystem CD.

Lately I have been using Disk utility of Debian which is very handy to mount 32 bit USBs and format them to FAT and reuse them as bootable Linux such as Ubuntu.

Then there is FDISK utility on command line which I used sparingly on early Caldera Linux book days, that came with 3 CDs.

There are no books on Linux nowadays but thanks to those pioneers who wrote books, if not for them, I would have never entered the Linux World.

It ended up, me writing few books on Linux as a precursor for the LINUX Freedom in a Capitalistic World.

I have Linux Bible and UNIX, the master book of Linux commands.

I have never used LateX but have a copy of it in one of my Linux versions.
It is the best Word Processor and can be used in command form.

Linux World is a never ending Stream.

There is also GNU partition tool.

So do not try to be a pundit in YouTube boasting about 10 Linux commands but try to learn Python 3.

You never finish Python in your entire life.

It is 70 years old and still ruling the Linux World.

But my favorite is ViM.

Ubuntu is the King of ESP Protocol

Let me be forthright.
Coronavirus has affected all the Linux Developers, including Debian Base.

Only Ubuntu 2110, has been able to keep it's head above water.

It has pruned its application base, but has enough applications left for the workspace.

It looks like Ubuntu has gone commercial and paucity of applications on base install is the end result.
Downloading additional applications is a pain.
In that sense I prefer Endless OS which has an endless source of applications.
I was never an Ubuntu fan and no hard feelings.
It's GRIP with ESP partition is commendable.

It's new Desktop does not have a Debian name and an equivalent desktop to compare with but has kept its uniqueness, quite evident.

I love it's hippos face-lift.

For Debian has kept all its desktops afloat with 2700 applications to boast about but it takes at least two hours to install.

The problem is installation, I will come to that in a moment.

If you need a fully functional OP, go for Emmabantus but it also fails to have a ESP partition at the end of installation.

Remember I DO NOT give any room for a Microsoft partition to lay resident in my PC with all it's assortment of Viruses.

Only boot partition is 528 ESP and that's it.

The crunch point is NO more boot partition of the old.
One has to master the ESP boot partition which is the replacement for Windows UEFI.

My old computer PC which is 64 bits has NO UEFI front but only the Legacy BIOS to boot on.

After installing the base Debian and Emmabantus struggle to write the Grub boot loader.

My PC's main boot partition of 120 SSD has no ESP or Master Boot Record.
It has been upgraded to Debian 11 but boots by default to its Debian fully fledged desktops.

I cannot boot an operating system installed on the IDE disk.

I do not have lot of Data and Films to be saved in my PC's Free Space.

Each OP takes about 100GB and if I have three OPs installed I have 700GB or more FREE Space in a one terabyte internal or external Hard Disks left idling.

Solved it by removing the one terabyte SATA disk from my laptop and installed Endless OS on a 120 SATA disk.

Endless.OS takes only 4GB.

Formated it for future use.

Then I found another one terabyte Seagate hard disk.

Both are in Original Sealed casing and cannot be removed.

Then I removed two other ancient SATA disks  that I paid a handsome amount of money in 1980s when tiny (IDE hard disks are heavy and I wanted portable disks for music and film files which included GOD Father) disks were coming to the market by air travel agents or the correct name the smugglers of banned electronic items of Ceylon.

I was stupid to buy three external cases for, one new SATA hard disk and two ancient (30 years old) hard disks (of no use at all).

The last two could not be formatted for current use and the other had working Endless OS mounted on an external case.

I have two spare external cases but no spare hard disks.

All of them in proper use.

My AXIOM of more than 10 years Old and they are electronic junk of no use anyone.

Do not give it to your old aunt Aubry.

Hard disk was a banned item then.

Me going to Singapore at a cost of less than Rs. 7,500/= and paying three times the air fare of Rs. 25,000/= to buy a hard disk was shamefully stupid.

The laptops were bulky and they had only Windows installed, which I HATED.

I was not stupid to buy a laptop when I had over 14 PCs in my home network all second hand IBM machines booting an assortment of Linux starting from PC Linux, Redhat,  Peppermint, Ubuntu and Suse Linux and many more which I forget the names.

I bought one laptop for Rs. 35,000/= and it worked for a decade and suddenly went dysfunctional.

Now I know Windows guys write a secret code so that it won't boot at all, so that the next generation of OEMs with jacked up price are available on the market to fool the innocent young guys.

It is Branded  Money Swindling by Microsoft and Apple Guys.

Finally I bought a Windows laptop in 2009 and after three years of use erased Windows using TrueOS and installed Debian 9 or 10.

All these preamble is not to bore you but even with that background, I found it difficult to figure out how ESP works.

The bottom line is old hardware one has to discard including SATA.

How I figured it?

Only Ubuntu at partition time could use ESP.
Debian and Emmabantus Debian based could not.

The ploy is simple.

1. I install first  Ubuntu on the external SATA.

2. Then use Gparted to delete all the Ubuntu partitions except ESP.

3. Install Debian and Emmabantus.

4. Do not touch ESP.

5. Install Ubuntu last of all.

6. Presto Ubuntu figures out what is best  for you and install the GRUB bootloader on the ESP partition of any internal or external drive.

7. Press F2 or Del and chose which partition to boot.

Thank you Ubuntu and it took 10 days of my time  of trial and error to figure it out.

I scheme out my options and partition the hard disk according to my need and that was what I was doing for over 30 years.

It is second nature for me to understand my mistakes and I read  all the Warnings on display and follow the instructions to the last letter.

NO shortcuts.

Books on Linux are not on the market and I do not intend to write one for a foreseeable time.

Enjoy Linux!

My Favorite Linux Distributions

1. PUPPY Linux comes first.
I hate bloated Operating Systems.
With 100MB Puppy large collection of utilities.
It has save options.
FatPup supports 64 bit computers and all Puppy Linux in the past were 32 bit.
4 to 8GB USB is more than enough.

2. Knoppix comes second and last version was way back in early 2021.
Its desktop effects are fantastic and application list is enormous.
It can be booted with a persistent  volume and one should use 32GB USB.

3. Ubuntu 21.10 is only 3.1GB and bootable from a USB of 4GB. It has curtailed basic stuff in this volume but once installed it has enormous applications to install from Debian store.
It has AbiWord.

4. Number 4 is Emmabuntus which support old 32  bit computers.
It can be booted on a 64  bit computer and it's application supports children utilities and its application base is enormous.

It has AbiWord my favorite word processor.

5. Debian 11 is my workhorse and it does not support AbiWord.
It's disk tool is useful and I do not need Gparted for partitioning.

6. Number 6 is Gparted PAE and 64 bit versions booted on a USB.

7. Number 7 is MultiSystem OP which is Ubuntu based and one can boot multiple image on a USB.

8. Number 8 is Endless OS.
It takes over the HD and no dual booting options.

9. Number 9 is PinguOs.

10. Number 10 PCLinux which has fallen out of my liking and it does not support dual booting.

11. I have installed Ubuntu, Emma bantus and Debian on a external terabyte disk and I have 700GB left for data.
Emmabantus need 30GB for root partition and Debian 25GB.
Ubuntu needs only 3.1GB.

The 240GB is used for Home and Var partitions for data.

The operating system consumes the least resources.

Debian takes about 2 hours to install and configure 2700 packages.

Once installed booting is smooth and brisk.
It's fsckd takes a few minutes to check file system integrity at boot  time, although one can halt this process it is prudent to let it do it's house keeping job at it's leisure pace.

By the way, I am wrong about Debian cannot be booted on a USB.

All what one has to do is to download the ISO and use image writer from Debian, to write it to any bootable media external or internal.

In a flash it boots an image without an ESP partition (boots from a 2MB boot partition) and rest of the media is available for data.

All these are coming with kernel 5 and USB Mouse is very sensitive to slightest of hand movements.

I forgot about Peppermint but since it wants Microsoft words to be installed I have given up using it from version 10.

It took 20 minutes of fiddling to get torrents files for Debian and Knoppix 9.1 images.

It was a good exercise for my age  and clumsy hands.

With DVDs and CDs disappearing from the open market, it makes sensed to buy few USBs.

I have a big collection.

Both Debian 11 and Ubuntu 21.10 Need ESP Partition

My PC with 120 SSD Hard disk is set up with Legacy BIOS and the new  Debian 11 was installed without a problem.

My Home partition is never formated so all my old data are saved.

I tried installing Debian and Ubuntu on one terabyte Seagate External Disk with Fat partition as the first boot partition and I could not boot it after installing Debian.

I ignored the Debian flashing at boot time, it is now supporting UEFI.

UEFI is a ploy by Microsoft to scuttle dual booting Linux in your PC.

The ploy I used overcome this problem was to go back to Legacy BIOS.

UEFI stands for Universal Extensible Firmware Interface.

Linux does not use the term UEFI but has renamed, it as ESP.

For a long time Ubuntu and Debian could not overcome this problem of UEFI but now they have their own solutions to this problem.

Back a few years ago, when I had this problem with my Windows Laptop which I erased everything and I used True OS to erase and mount an ESP partition and boot Debian subsequently.

TRUE OS is No more and it's follower FREE-NAS has no desktop.

Attempt of using Debian ESP was a failure.

Then I used Endless OS to erase everything.

Unfortunately Endless OS does not let you dual boot and using one terabyte SATA disk for Endless OS was an absolute waste of resources.

I removed the one terabyte disk and put a 120GB SATA and reinstalled Endless OS.

I have another problem and there are no DVDs in this city to write an ISO image. Debian 11 does not support bootable USB but Ubuntu does.

I have lot of USBs and all have bootable OSes.

The only USB that did not boot a graphic desktop was BSD.

I formated it.

Downloaded Ubuntu 21.10.

Made a bootle ISO image on a 4GB USB stick, using the Debian PC.

Mounted Ubuntu and installed Ubuntu on the External Disk without a ESP partition.

While I was doing this I got a message saying that it won't boot without ESP partition.

I reinstalled Ubuntu with ESP partition.

Presto it is booting.

ESP partition is only 300MB.

I am currently booting Debian and expecting it to write the boot loader in the ESP partition.

I have 800 GB free space left in my external disk.

Perhaps I will boot Emmabuntus on this free space, on a later date.

I have to download Emmabuntus first.

Knoppix 9 Update

I believe Knoppix is the only Linux Distribution with enormous number of applications that can be booted from a USB and does not fear or care whether Microsoft Windows exists at boot time.

Of course it can be installed on a hard drive but with a persistent volume in a 64 GB USB that need does not arise.

It is a fully fledged mobile OS.

I can do all my jobs with only one USB stick but I have all the volumes from version 7.

Being a Linux guy I keep Debian in my PC but it needs a windows partition to boot.

It won't boot from a Ext-4 partition.
This subservience to Windows is an unwelcome ploy.

Since Linux can stand on its own in the cloud, why one needs a windows boot partition?

This is true also, if one boots from a SATA disk with SSD.

I do not like carrying a Laptop on travel.

It is a big hassle on the plane.

If I cannot take my Operating System in a external disk and boot it at the airport, all the achievements of Linux is lost due to Microsoft's UEFI hegemony.

I still use legacy BIOS and usually carry a USB stick prepared from Multisystem USB on travel.

Problem with Multisystem USB stick is one cannot save data.

I hope Endless OS look into this problem in future.

The latest Endless OS DVD won't let me create a USB stick and also won't install on my laptop with a small SATA disk.

I used the old version of Endless OS to Install a new copy.
It is running smoothly and I believe it does not need updating but I would only update the applications.

Thank You, Debian 11 Plus, You have solved all my Linux problems

I have been using Debian intermittently for decades and  solely for the last five years.

Suffice to say Debian did not support AbiWord but I used Puppy Linux and other Linux distributions, including Peppermint and Ubuntu for making light weight AbiWorb, Word and Pdf files, print ready for book format.

1. Latest LibreOffice can now load and read my numerous Abiword files.
This thanks belongs to LibreOffice and Debian for  supporting LibreOffice.

2. I had problem with my digital speaker device which Debian did not configure at boot time.
It does configure it now at boot time.

3. For visually handicapped the every movement of the mouse movement is verbalized and is great for them.

It is annoying for me but I can live with it by lowering the volume of the speakers.
A mute button was not visible on desktop.
They could add it on a future date.

4. I cannot still boot fully fledged Debian on a USB stick but I reinstalled Debian on a external SATA disk.

5. I have saved the Debian 10 and 11 ISO images on a 16GB MicroSD.
That is cool thing of my own thinking.
I hate carrying loads in my possession to teach a Linux newbee.
Preparing a bootable disk is one of them.

I now pretend not to know Linux to save my free time.

One word of caution.
I once press the off button of the computer while Debian was updating its files and it did not finish fschk file and it did not boot   again and I had to reinstall Debian  11.

One should keeps hands off when  Debian is checking its files including the files in external disks.

Debian automatically check files at boot time.

Let it do its house keeping job on boot time.

Few lines about Endless OS.

First Thank You for erasing all the contents of Microsoft boot files from my Laptop.
It takes over the entire disk and no dual booting options.
I removed the 1 terabyte hard disk with Endless OS and stuck a 120GB SATA disk and installed Endless OS on it.
I have over 100 GB left for additional applications.

Using one terabyte for an OS is absolutely waste of resources.

My Debian 11 is on a 100 GB SSD disk for ages and never give problems.

I have Debian 10, Peppermint 10 and Ubuntu 21 on an old IDE disk in my PC for use when I am bored.

It has been serving me over 5, years, now.

The idea was to erase the 1 terabyte disk with Endless OS.

Since endless OS does not allow one to make a bootable USB once it is installed on a hard disk, on second thought, I decided to keep it as as an External Boot Disk with ton of applications already installed that gulped all prepaid data in one night of installation.

The end result is I have one terabyte FREE external disk and two USB sticks of 32 GB with FREE capacity.

I do not need a 3 terabyte external disk for saving data.

Since I do not save films now and all my files are saved in 3 USB sticks with high capacity, I do not need any more space in spite of price of SSDs coming down drastically during the pandemic.

The bottom line is Linux does not corrupt the hardware and system unlike costly Microsoft.

Linux learning curve may be steep but once the basics are mastered it is smooth sailing.

Thank you Linux developers and I can sleep long hours, now.

On a different note for Linux gamers, Steam Deck and Dock are coming soon in this year for you to enjoy games.
Proton utility is there to play Windows games.
This year is good for all Linux users.

Endless OS and Debian 11

I downloaded Endless OS version 4.1 and tried to make a bootable USB on my Linux Box.

I could not.

Then I explored it's website and realized that USB booting is only supported on Windows machines and has a windows exe boot file.

As a last resort I copied them to a USB but it won't boot.

Ironically it takes over the hard drive and won't dual boot.

I have Endless OS on my laptop and I cannot upgrade to version 4.

I would NOT try it.

If I do that I have to reinstall all the applications I have already downloaded.

Instead the OS, I updated the software and it took almost 24 hours (VERY Slow) and some applications could not be updated.

This OS is not for the weak hearted.

Its plus point is it has many Android applications which a Linux guy like me cannot install on Debian base.

By the way, Debian 11 is fabulous!

Why Leaders (International) Lie

1. State to State Lies
2. Inner State lies or Fear Mongering
3. Strategic Cover up Lies
4. Mythical Lies or National Lies
5. Liberal lies

Liés and Scientific Research Lies

I have summarized five precept of  Scientific lies.
It is very simple.
1. Lies
2. More Lies
3. Damn Lies
4. Statistical Lies
5. Fifth has synonyms
Head CDC =Fausi Lies

Catching an Eagle in Flight

It is very difficult to catch an eagle in a film.

It is very difficult, especially when there are clouds.

Moment it spots a human being or a crow it floats above the clouds.

I believe it can see through the clouds.

It is very clever and makes a queer sound and turn around  abruptly at 90% degrees to confuse the target.

Not only vision it uses sound to lure the prey.

Today I tried half an hour to spot it in the sky (not to film it) but it evaded  me in style.

There is a nasty teen in my neighbourhood.

He had a whistle and imitated it's sound.

I gave up and it vanished.

Reason of its surveillance is to see any prey in a nearby coconut tree.

This coconut tree was felled and the guy who did it pruned the coconut leaves first.

I am pretty sure a grey with young squirrels was in it's sight.

May be a few giant multipedes were there,too.

While I was trying to spot it a giant butterfly  landed on a violet flower of one of my water plants.

It was huge and very beautiful.

Pitch black, with white spots and  a tinge of blue at the edges.

A very beautiful specimen and it vanished in a flash.

I know it will come back but I won't try catching it on my camera.

It's beauty is firmly registered in my brain.

New Kid in Town

 17-09-2021

New Kid (Bird) in Town

I never so this bird again.

It is not actually biped kid in town but a pair of birds, I had never seen in my life.

The pair in my assessment getting ready to breed somewhere in our neighbourhood but by felling few trees for a guy to park his Old Hiace has made a mockery of tree  planting campaign of Ra Ja Raja, in this country.

Ra Ja Regime felled eight jack trees in one year  before 2005, and he has gone to Italy to get jack fruit "madulu" in cans on a loan from Italy.

This bird the female is smaller than the Mynah with a short tail and short break and snout.

Its appetite was voracious and swallowed at least five seeds in no time like our squirrels (the difference the squirrel take the outer shell and drops the seeds and vandalize the place).

Then it decided to groom it's feathers and have a sun bath.

Mind you it came last after other birds.

Big surprise was a pair of cranes (who come for water crabs) landed with a thud and gobbled lot of seeds.

Even the Kingfisher did come for a sun bath but never venture into fruits or seeds.

The Kerala the one which has the colour of a parrot but ugly beak like of s kingfisher was absent for long time.

A pair visited after a long time.
It is secretive and avoid all human contact.

Even two pairs of Ceylon oriole did visit today.

It is most likely heavy rain elsewhere and scarcity of food that made them to visit the palm seeds.

I am pretty sure this palm not a local one has tasty seed coating.

Attracting cranes was a mystery.

King fisher never comes to the tree but his nest dug in a mud wall nearby (cleared up  for the water pumping plant of the teacher training college).

The land is gone into wilderness and there are few but tall mulberry trees, there.

It gobbles the left over chicken bones and marrow of our Christian neighbours.

There are no crabs and the well where crabs were hiding was filled up for a Hiace parking.

My estimate is the palm bunch has about 400 seeds and it will last only a week with this food scarcity for birds with the inclement weather.

The Mulberry tree has no fruits at all.

I am praying for sunshine so that my aches and pains in the back would disappear with blood flowing to my aching spine.

Coming to the new kid the male bird who was huge waited for at least half an hour till the female had its share.

This male dominant Muslim religion and Thaliban should learn, a great lesson, if they watch this pair of birds (five times a day) before their prayers.

This applies to Japanese patriarchs, too.

Male was huge bigger than a Mynah and Babbler.

He had only a few seeds, less than five and that is why I maintain that the lady bird is getting ready for laying eggs.

Where they make their nest, I won't check.

By default they cannot breed on our garden and the young brood will be finished by one cobra or a rat snake.

We do not have rattle snakes in our neighbourhood.

The male Chameleon was spotted today and they come annually for breeding.

They dig holes in the soil and I think they dig holes in my pots made soft by watering.

I rarely see a young one.

I think the ghekos kill them.

The skunk also come for breeding  on the roof of our annex not occupied for 5 years.

With Coronavirus no visitors allowed.

They have released large number  of criminals and I decided to pit a padlock for the gate.

Pretty crimes are mounting at a very alarming rate.

Tribute to Sir Clive Sinclair

Sir Clive is only a decade ahead of me.
He was the one who made me to dive and drive into computer science and electronics.

AMSTRAD computer also came around at that time but I did not fancy both of them but hooked to American Atari ( or did it come from British Hong Kong) in no time.
Many moons later in New Zealand I bought a Atari Console for my kids and I still have it in its original box ( of course it is in the attic).

I do not know how I migrated to Linux with 4MB RAM.

Sinclair has only few KB of memory and how they cramped up that memory was to record games in audio cassettes.

I tried to make a address book and it took so many hours and I gave that to one of my friends who was a mathematician (who is no more) so that his only son learns computing.

After the father's death he went into a core but never successful in academics.
I now know Linux is the only operating system that can add power to low memory from fridge to freezer to baby dolls.
That is why it is successful.

It has 28 million lines in its Kernel 15 and STEAM Dock and Drive will be soon on the market.

My ultimate aim was to make few Linux games.

Linux was devoid of games of top class then until Steam application came into existence to emulate Windows games and it is now called I think Proton.

R.I.P. to R.I.I.

Yes Recovery Is Impossible for Our Economy.

Rest In Piece for those who advocate Printing Money to overcome our Cash Flow Deficit.

I am digitally and virtually dead till I get my foreign assets frozen by CB Governor and Acting Finance Minister.

My worry is FM is trying to artificially bring down Rupee Depreciation but on the long run I will gain since Rupee will go down rapidly and uncontrollably when artificial framework start cracking.

Food prices in the coming weeks before and after the budget will indicate where we are heading.

Why?

We take a loan to settle a loan.

The second loan is at a higher rate.

We are economically *Down the Pallan*.

In Linux of Course R.I.P is a distribution to recover lost Data.

In Linux one never lose Data anyway.

In economy we deliberately erase data to avoid persecution.

New Governors job is to erase the data and muddy the water and take all the irregular emoluments (the post is vested with) for which he does not deserve a red cent and he will elope blaming the Coronavirus.

The Coronavirus is there to take these fraudulent guys to the grave.

The vaccination may mitigate it temporarily.

The recovery is impossible with makeshift cash flow adjustments but the economic downturn Coronavirus has brought in will last more than 20 years and then only will some signs of recovery will surface.

The Coronavirus in my estimate peter out in about 20 years.

These pseudo-experts will escape like rats when the "economy ship" starts sinking.

Make hay when the sun shines is their Moto!

Joplin Open Source Note

My First Joplin Note


This is open source application I found in Endless OS.
Pretty Good.

First successful attempt of using open source note uploaded to my blog post.
Other Note applications Freezes when uploaded.
No asking of money or subscription.

Ted Dexter my Favourite English Captain

 Ted Dexter

Indian murdering English in Cricket Commentary.

INDIA,  fourtir fours fors fours Wickets!

Thandurkar doing gardening!

Many more I forget.

I hope somebody, play back those commentaries in a Social Media for public consumption.

Aravindha Style Strokes Maker but 10 times stronger (the forward drive was his master class) and  twice as big as our little Aravindha, is gone at 86.

R.I.P.

He lived his life full and the present day, Bumpy Indian cricketers and cricketers turned journalists will wet their pants, the sight of this colossal cricketer of yesteryear, in the dressing room.

Cricket's greats do not talk but play the game according to the rules and walk out when he knows he is out.

Can any present day cricketer do that like Mahela?

Ted Dexter did it then.

Walks out like a gentleman.

Why wait for Third Umpire and Reviews?

Cricket is a spoilt game NOW and lot of greedy money.

That is why I do not watch cricket.

Full-stop!

I have created a Hall ((hole) of Shame of Indians

This in no way should  make one eyed Nawaurd of Pataudi, the great Indian (they are the ones included in the Hall of Fame) opener from British Era, rise from grave in pain but these greats, followed the footsteps of British Cricket in pristine form, nimble footed and classic in style.

I hope Goeff Boycott makes the final phrase in current "Saga of Foul Mouths Indians".

No reprieve for them.

Bash them with what we call "BuWalla" or the Octopus skin to squash the Evil Spirits in Cricket.

Their names are put by me in Google's Alphabetical Order to be shamed until the current series is over.

I will neither watch the matches nor look at the statistics.

The Indian antics are nauseating, to say the least.

Australian and English consider Cricket Boards  should downgrade the current bizarre ranking elements (at least Withhold the Ranking until the current pandemic is over to respect the young and the old who left us in agony).

This in not time for celebration but laying Reeath for Cricket.

Survival is not Inbuilt but a careful strategy

I had many survival strategies in my childhood.

Thankfully I had timid mother and totally out of sort father.

I was born the youngest but was not a family pet.

I was not a pushover and never became a family slave.

I gradually raised to the top in the family by sometimes brute force.

I never gave any credence to the seniority and challenged guys twice my size with brute force.

When a leadership role was thrown at me I grabbed it and threw away that role onve bored.

I did not fear Priests, Principles and Caining Masters.

I was never proactive and always counteractive when freedom and fairness was challenged.
We had a great burgher sports master.

I treated our Tamil brothers equal and my best friend was Jaffna Tamil coming from an educated family.
I can remember crying when he left us.
He wanted to become a medical student but failed in three attempts and migrated ton Australia and he probably failed there too in academic activities and abruptly stop corresponding  with me.
His name is Donald Williams and if he reads this piece please make a comment below and make a direct contact.

Fortunately I never had a Muslim friend.

There were no muslims in my class.

Late Development is a boom and prevents individuals becoming surrogattes

I support late development to pishing them over.
There are many reasons.
Mostly psychological and not intellectual.
I saw a program in Youtube with a kid under flash point.

It was obvious the smart kid was reticent.

But the channel has made many inroads to ruin this kids life..

I will list a few of the global figures who demised before fifty.

1. Elvis Presley at 42.
2. Debian Developer Ian at 40
3. Bob Marley under 40
4. Jim Reeves 45
5. Carpenters below 40
6. Micheal Jackson 42
7. Pink Floid

I want all of them rest in piece and wish not to open can of worms.

They could have lived well past 55 but the people who saw the money potential including psychiatrists betrayed them.

I was one who had unusual potential in physics and mathematics and I deliberately went for biology to hide my potential.

If I went into physics I would have been dead at 35 with no friends in isolation.

I mean what I say and if unusually talented are pushed too early their steam blows away in no time.

Reflection, I did it My Way

I proudly say, I wish not be reborn in Ceylon or in the Asian Subcontinent is all related to my survival of all odds, in life, work and adverse situations.

One got to be ready, to kick the bucket when the time is right and hanging on by artificial parts is not my design.

These need be recorded now and I do not want a third party to confabulate.

I wish to be remembered as a notorious guy.

Let me discect this word first.

It comes with the base of notary or noteworthy.

A notaris (vernacular Sinhala) or notary is the guy who verify or makes deeds or contracts to be certified by the courts of law of this country.

Over the years this post is vested on notorious guys and girls, namely bad people who takes underhand bribes to submit illegal documents for certification.

That is how our legal system has come down such low level that innocent people are in prison and criminals are in the parliament.

The word of high esteem by origin has gone down the drain and is currently used in sour sense.

It is used to describe the celebrates like Royal Princes and associates of Jeffry Epstein.

In that sense this word is appropriate that Jim Will Fix It (paedophile in UK), is also a royal consorting conglomerate (front end of nice business for backend shoddy deals including now legal (UK) homosexuality of priests and royals).

I have all in me, the good, the bad and the ugly in me for completely different conundrum but I am remembered for a very few bad outbursts when in all my life I aspired to be a decent guy.

This country of Ceylon is known for destroying images of very decent guys while politicians with so many bad traits are white washed daily for political consumption.

In my death or demise the record is not put straight and hence I wish not to be born in India, Ceylon or Pakistan and particularly not in Afghanistan.

This apply to India and Indian Cricket and that is what makes, the mentality of Asians, and Indians in particular.

They are basically jealous.

They try to destroy you by all means and if failing in that attempt they go to their man made gods.

If the gods do not curse you by their request, they end up poisoning YOU including your cats, dogs, parrots and pets.

Mangala Samarawera's puppies were poisoned.

They are vicious and our policies and politics are based on these underhand methodologies.

They expend to sports and sport is basically an everyman's domain of gamble.

Cricket is especially bedded with this malady and fair play is not an ingredient.

Winning by any means is their goal and rules do not count and they are ruining the game and the administration, in which, Sunil Gavaskar or Thandukar cannot stand up to the political and to the people's pressure.

The rules are bent and they take a nosedive.

The British and Wisdom System should not include any current player in when awards are made.

Only Joe Root and James Anderson are worthy of their manly contributions.

England's resolve should be to meet them in bat, ball and discipline.

Enough is enough and traditional cricket should win and Australia should give a helping hand to the British.

Few guys should be banned for few games and cricketers like Chandimal and Kussal Pereara were tasked badly in the past.

WHY?

The Indians  are divided with deep seated Cruelty and Caste System.

They created the Untouchables on this planet and they can never play level cricket in India.

Politically and economically the untouchables are down trodden people for centuries.

These same trends are rooted in Ceylon in Tamils and Sinhala subsets (artificial division and genetically 99% identical) which the British used to divide and rule (British never created it) principle for ultimate subjugation.

Now Muslims are using these divisive tactics for the Thaliban to take over control in India and Ceylon effortlessly.

It is a vicious system in evolution.

It need to be nipped in the bud.

Watch for the Next Phase.

They created the Super Gods and do created untold hardships in the past and in the present for inhabitants, through that God Created Inheritance and Inequality.

These Indian Gods are Monsters and were never democratic in their power of exertion.

Our politicians go and worship them on yearly basis but Buddha never placed god's in high places.

It is like one is using banks credit balance until it is finished and the good merits are exhausted in heaven "in one go", one goes to and they descent to lower realms eventually.

No similarity to Christian Gods of fair play.

It is not seen in Indian Gods.

No escape in this life or next life from these gods or demigods.

The belief that Coronavirus would level off inequality is a misconception and in reality it is worsening the divide.

Coming to my life I was poisoned twice before I was 35 years of age.

I was never (attempted) poisoned abroad except in one incident an African Nursing Sister put a full dose of salt in my morning coffee which I pass as that she was Drunk on Duty.

By the way. British drinks the worse coffee in this world.

Just taste a cup of coffee at a railway station for proof..

My first poisoning was counteracted by simple saline drip and IV dose of frusemide and leaving the country within an year was my escape route.

The second poisoning was by the Private Hospital Matron (I was not instrumental in appointing her but was actively involved in summarily dismissing her after a proper investigation).

Third poisoning left a family member down with rollicking Pancreatitis.

I directly confronted the woman in thirds incident and said I will destroy her and never see  eye to eye in this life.

I have not seen her again.

This woman is related to my brother's consort and that upcountry family is known for embeselling as many as five generations.

The second poisoning was muscle poison that effected me over the next five years and the first two years I recouped  in New Zealand.

Now my current myocarditis related Moderna Vaccine may aggravate and negate the almost full recovery, I made after the second poisoning.

There was a nurse who killed babies in UK and she is in prison for life.

Nurses who did me are still living and working in Ceylon.

So not thinking of reborn again in Ceylon is ingrained in my genes..

I am glad to get out of this country of mess, only the current family committments keep me here but not for long.

Air India, British Airways, Cricket India, British Cricket and the Melting Pot

This is written with young sportsmen and women in mind.
The pandemic is causing havoc worldwide and there is no sign of it abating in the near future.

I had a different view for Olympics due to variety of reasons.
They do not apply now and I do not want to see a youthful sportsman or woman dying prematurely.

The only way is to stop the spread of infection is to ban all competitive and international for TWO SOLID years.

India has not shown any progress spread and containment in any provincial capital.

In fact it is spreading very fast and they stopped reporting accurately for political reasons and cricket in particular.

In UK case load has not diminished in spite of vigorous vaccination attempt.

It is failing in UK especially Scotland.
They are more interested in reviving British Airway's stake in the industry while new variants are coming in faster than predicted.
The ministers are no wiser but are interested in shadow economic dealings.
If Labour was in power the strategy would have been different.
UK is a small country and it is becoming the melting pot is real.

The Coronavirus will spread relentlessly with or without vaccine.

Belief in vaccination is a big red herring.

Time will tell us the true story.

With Internet in full gear the global economy can survive but if there are no workers to hire that money has no potential value and would go into AI and technology by default.

Unfortunately we do not have philosophers to guide us the next 5 years.

India is killing cricket and Kholi is the latest manifestation.

I do not watch cricket now.

India with IPL started killing it but now Kholi is doing it for Indians.

His name should NEVER come to wisdom book of cricket.

He has to pay dearly and that is the correct outcome.

Statistics does not matter when Foul Mouth creates unpleasantness.

Debian 11.0.0 is Out

I am currently installing Debian 11 and it is smooth and sleek.
The colour has got a little soothing greenish and installation set up is the same as 10 but very smooth.

It is about 20 MB less but it looks like it has added about 100 more utilities.

It is 64 bit and it recognized my PC hardware quickly.

Installation takes about 45 minutes since I use all desktops.

I think Plama Desktop will have big spring in its steos.

Yes, August 15th Sunday and Debian 11.0.0 torrent file is out.

I am downloading it using Transmission and never direct download to avoid file corruption.

One can test file integrity but nowadays my trust is so much I never do that.
Hopefully in about  3 hours it will finish provided my WiFi Wincle has enough data.
I downloaded Manjaro and installed it but it lacks in basic applications.
I could not configure Packman and it was a pain.
I have never used Arch but I thought Manjaro would make it easy but it was pain and I eased it.
This Endless OS takes over the hard disk and claims to have over 100 application (I used its 3GiB Image not the 1.8 Image I have.
It is in my Laptop with 130 GiB hard disk it has used only about 90 GiB and about about 40 application that amounts to less than 4 MB for an application.

Only browsers with cookies consume over 250 MB and others are tiny but it took hell of a trouble to install them bit got AbiWord my favourite installed.

Having erased Endless OS and Manjaro, I installed Ubuntu 21.4, Peppermint 10 and Emmabanrus in less than 80 GiB space in my 1 terrabyte turntable diskin less than an hour with 4 GiB RAM.

I still have over 700 GiB of free space even after installing Deabian 10/and 11 images.

This is all because I do not use Microsoft's UEFI by default and use GRUB boot loader.

It is a matter of few seconds of fiddling with the BIOS and setting for legacy setup.

Microsoft is a bloated image and even with 60,000 odd applications of Linux won't take that amount of space in your hard drive.

Only one Desktop in Windows and I have at least six beautiful but different desktops.

You are missing a lot if you get hitched to a bloated commercial OS and have to pay and install applications several times.

Linux has all the applications in the first time round and no additions necessary with different desktops using different assortment of applications.

I love Plasma Desktop and Debian 11 has one of the best and new Plasma Desktop.

Go download and enjoy Linux Freedom.

I generally update my desktop by September but all done before September and I have 4 months of free time up to Christmas and Linux guys did not incarcerate with Coronavirus but were elegantly productive.

For some reason I do not like Zorin OS and Elementary  OS and even 4M Linux is going down the money pathway those two derivatives.

If the OS does not have a torrent file do not use them since you cannot check file integrity before installing.

All good Linux distributions tests file integrity before.

O have only one DVD which is corrupt files.

The image writer was at fault in this instant and I use only Brasserio.

That is the bottom line in Ceylon each MB costs one Ruppee.

Messing Up with the Laptop and Hard Disks

Yes I have made a hash of everything possible with my Laptop and spare hard disks..
One hard disk with 160 GiB mounted on a  USB 2 did not boot or my PC did not read the contents.
They were 32 bits files, I believe.
Most likely it was removed from old Media Hard disk.
The second one 320 Media hard disk.
The hard disk on the Laptop was 1 terra bite  and Endless OS used the entire hard disk for mere 88 GiB with  work space.
A collosal waste and I wanted to erase it having taken out of the Laptop.
I wanted to install BSD on the 160 GiB hard disk.

I mounted it and booted and installed BSD.
Installation on ZFS file system was fine but it did not have a desktop but booted on terminal like a server.

Not knowing much of BSD I could not even exit from the setting.

It boots without waiting for USB or DVd ROM.
I could not erase it.

However BSD did a nice thing It erased the Microsoft's annoying NO boot Media script.

Then I removed the hard disk and put the 320 GiB and and tried  to install True OS but it did not finish the installation saying fatal error but left a bootable ESP partition.

I am currently installing Debian 10.9.1 and hopefully Emmabantus Debian 11 edition.
I did not want to try Ubuntu since it does not make a fresh ESP bootable partition of about 100 MB.

Worse scenario was to put the hard disk with Endless OS.

I feel defeated and tomorrow I go put and purchase two external mounts for the two hard disk if available in the market.

I was getting bored and more problems to.solve it is better for my brain.

I have Endless OS in my PC with few more applications to download and one Rupee for every one MB downloaded.

Snails, allolergens and Water Moss or Grand Algae

I categorically state that snails do not damage the young or healthy leaves and that include water snails.

They are scavengers and keep the aquarium environment healthy and clean.
I had three variety of snails one a very tiny one I could not find them. They remaining two with a twisted shell I could not find two to be found in spite of enough of rotten Algae.

The second one was hanging to the edge of the fresh and rotten margin..

They eat leaves without fresh allergens.
The toxic algae is not due to clams and shells but due to allolergens produce by the Algae to survive.

Algae does a great job of mopping up carbon dioxide and I do not consider them toxic or weedy water plants.

They are the first in the food chain and the water Moss is the outdoor variety above the  water surface.

Better term for them is water ferns.

By the way, without any encouragement we have assortment of ferns.

I carefully uprooted the rarest variety and transferred it to HiFi or  5 star location where difficult to grow plants are nursed.

One is Japanese tomato which has no fleshy fruits but very tasty leaves.

Already has one in a pot and studying it and it needs lot of water.

By chance I get a thirds one.

There is a theory that mother plant looks after the daughter plants and I am trying to see that theory is right on two seedy edible plants.

All my outdoor fish tanks have overflowed yesterday and it was raining cats and dogs and a lot of snails and some unfortunate guppy fish must have got overflowen.

So I decided to make water moss  barrier so that fish might not get washed overboard.

I have done this barrier method in small containers and it covers the ugly plastic ring at the edge and it makes a lovely hanging fringe.

Carefully mobilised the extra fringe at the edge and made moss barrier today.

The other fish tank does not get enough sunlight and growing water garden and encouraging lilies to bloom was a total failure (lack of sunshine) but water was clear and fish who were left are healthy and no tadpoles at all.

The frogs and toads come every year clockwise manner but no problem with tadpoles

Why?

One of the water plants not algae produce enough alloergens to inhibit tadpoles.

Tadpoles need absolutely clear and fresh water.

If tadpoles are there you can be sure that your outdoor pond is healthy.
If discourage frogs since snakes sneak in and I had three or four alarming encounters and mongoose family I have not seen for while.

There are lot of dogs both domestic and stray.

Cost of Download is One Rupee per One MB

Yes Cost. of  download is one Rupee per one MB.
I download in GiBs and an average Linux Image is 2 to 3 GiB.

I spent Rs.5000/= and downloaded BSD and Emmabantus, Gparted, Ubuntu 21-04 in 8 hours in the night using Transmission and went to sleep.

Absolutely fast download.
Now it is different.

Endless OS took 10 days to download and Rs.3000/=.

Of course I installed Endless OS on my old PC and downloaded another 80 applications and it stopped with another 10 or so applications missing.

I do not use Chrome browser and use only Firefox and got Firefox 91 downloaded and it is beautiful.

My usual browser is Ducky Duck or Tor browser.

I wanted to download Elementary OS and it stopped at 500 MB of 2500 MB  image.

I have no data and here after I would calculate the exact MB and upload money.

I need only PCLinux just for testing and I won't bother to download Ubuntu 21-10.

I do not think I would be able to download Steam OS 3 but prefer buying Steam Deck but it will be well beyond 2024.
All the Units are prebooked.

Endless OS Update

I have no regrets of installing Endless OS in my Laptop and PC for many reasons.

Once the base system is installed one does not have to pay for each application one request for downloading, unlike in the case of Elementary OS (ask for donation for downloading free software having installed bare minimum).

I would have preferred USB install to show other guys and girls.

I have a spare SATA disk which I will use once I get a external case.

I use Debian 10 for stability but it does not have AbiWord which is my favourite.

Other favourite is Firefox and O downloaded 91 believe version.

All this ultimately boils down to if a distribution does not have AbiWord I would not use.

Only exception is Debian and Knoppix.

All the Puppy derivatives except FatPup had AbiWord.

Me discarding FatPup (good distribution by all counts) FatPup was due supporting only LibreOffice.

AbiWord is excellent application and light weight with good formatting of pages.

Androids does not support AbiWord and has no words application.

I hope Android version 12 incorporate it but I have my doubts since Google is promoting its own documents.

That is why I have suggested NoKia cellphone, installs it as a default application.

Yes it is a Linux distribution based on Debian and its file system is Ext4 but similarity just ends there.

If it takes over the hard disk remove the hard disk and stick it to a external case and format it and use it again.

I won't do that in my case and the only spare SATA I have is 160 GiB.

It erased the BIOS interference Microsoft was doing long after I erased Windows for good.

Currently I copying all the films I have downloaded from an external hard disk of 360  GiB.

It is enough for me and the craze of new NVMe expansion SSD to copy every game one plays is industrial ploy and our brain can distinguish at best 36 frames per second and done long time ago by film industry with films rolling at the cinema.

1. It has no Desktop.
2. No home partition
3. No file system hierarchy
4. It has administrative control
5. But kids also can log in.
6. Multiuser platform
7. It has no distribution bias
8. Any native Linux application can run in it.
9. It has a tree like structure but no branches.

10. It is like a tall stack of boxes one on top of the other but the stacks (slots) the boxes are placed  can be changed at will.

11. It has no Windows applications.
12. It has enormous collection of applications.
13. It does not need any previous knowledge of computer know how once it is installed.
14. It is kids friendly.
15. It can be used in a class room.

16. It is a mix of PC desktop and a cellphone.

17. Yes it is an Android on a PC.

What a marvelous idea?

I checked and it takes about 48 GiB of space after installing about 60 more applications in a 1 GiGa Bytes hard disk .

Total waste and that is why I consider removing it eventually after sticking in 160 GiB spare hard disk.

That is the only way to overcome the deficit  of not allowing dual booting.

Having tested Endless OS on my Laptop over two months I decided to install on my PC'%s second hard disk.

The original idea was to install it into external 32 GiB USB but I does not allow that scenario and bootable OS.

Problem was I had to wait about 10 days to download 3 GiB image.

Finally close to 7 A.M. today, the torrent download at less than 50 KBs rate finish it painstakingly.

So I finished my morning daily chores and sat with the DVD 3 GiB and installed it.
It takes over the hard disk and no partitioning and dual booting.

Installation was brief.

It days it has overv100 applications but I counted less than fifty on the first installation.

It did not have my favourite Firefox.

So I started downloading one by one and my data in the Dialog Wincle finished.

I had lot of data in my mobile WiFi but my Linux did not configure it when I had Debian 9 in my PC.

But today I stuck both WiFi and the Windows dedicated Dongle (no Linux Dongle in this country) in two separate USB ports but it did not detect the WiFi single.

Then I pulled out the USB speaker and stuck the two in adjacent USB ports and presto the signal was on.

But at less than 50 KBs per second.

What a productivity speed that it is?

I blame myself for pulling out the faulty Ethernet Wire.

But there is no hurry for me and I am getting used to slowing down.

The Endless OS front is like a cellphone.

Its icons are in the order of installing.

However they can be moved with the mouse to an alternate order.

It is like Elementary OS but no docking panel.

Elementary OS front is like an Apple deck at face value. It's order of applications are in alphabetical order.

How to find a Leech?

It is not easy to find a leech once it has taken it meal.
It hides for a year for the next meal.
This one of course has a habit of coming in three months intervals.
I collected the rubbish for burning.
Due to rain I did not go out and bag full of rubbish.
Then I noticed a huge Habarala flower and took a little time to admire it.
Then reached for my three month paddy harvest and made it to a bunch and decided to photograph the bunch with all my assortment of cellphones and cameras and completely forgot about the leech who was having a good meal.

Then suddenly noticed a patch of blood and the web between the toe and second toe was shocked with blood.

Unlike mosquitoes leech knows how to anaesthetise the victim until it finishes it meal and one get a soothing feeling unlike a Coronavirus needle site.

It is still hurting even on the fourth day after the jab.

But leech was no where near my foot when I noticed the flowing blood.

Because of my photo event I had forgotten my routine and went into a panic mode fearing it is in my bed with dark blue sheet covering it where I kept the assortment of cellphones.

The blood marks were only in one place and there were no trace path of blood for forensic examination.

Surveyed the footsteps and no luck.
Then next option was to the steps to the rooftop garden.

No luck and after few minutes of casual survey I found it on wall leading to the bedroom.

I did not know where to catch it

Finally decided from the base but it slipped from my fingers and caught I it in the middle and made bloody mess and finally caught him from the front end, so it has at least little blood for its survival.

Not a full meal unfortunately.

It probably got caught between the top of my foot and the sleeper strap and had to let go the sucking grip.

Finally it ended up in the place where it is safe from vehicle tyres.

So our outdoor garden is healthy for even the leeches due to the South West monsoon spell which is coming to an end.

My Paddy Harvest

Can you count the number of pods?
No help.