u/MrHockeyJournalist

I've been in the IT industry for almost 6 years total and 3 years as a SOC Analyst. Recently both people I know that are Software Developers and people I know that don't work in tech were surprised to find out I mostly use Linux Mint as my daily. I started with Ubuntu in the late 2000s but after a few years of working in the trades, I went back to college for IT/Cybersecurity and basically just stuck with Linux Mint to complete my course work. I have an old HP Elitebook 8470p that I used throughout college that I installed Linux Mint and that's how I cut my teeth. I have had a few other junk laptops that I installed Debian, Ubuntu and few others on. But always found Linux Mint to be the perfect happy medium. It's easy to use and it's both Linux enough and Windows enough to use as a daily driver.

My main computer for Linux these days is a Fujistu Lifebook u757 with Linux Mint installed on it. When I do travel I tend to use take this computer and basically use it for everything save for gaming. I have Kali and Parrot virtual machines on it for learning pentesting/ethical hacking, I use it for web browsing, word processing, downloading/data hoarding. It's my daily driver.

I am experimenting with Fedora (KDE) which I recently installed that on a Asus Rog Strix laptop because I am learning the Fedora Security Lab and learning to use the GPU for password cracking. But I tend to only use to for that and still use my PC with Mint for everything else.

I think my software developer friends tend to like Debian or Arch to tinker a lot. Then while most of my non-tech friends tend to just use Mac (some Windows) even they knew that Mint had a rep for being a "beginner Linux" and were surprised years later it's my go-to.

I have an Asus ROG Strix Gl703 with Fedora installed as a daily distro. I have both a Kali Vm and Ubuntu VM installed on GNOME Boxes and both work fine. However, I can't get Parrot to install as either an ISO or .qcow2 file. However, it installed no issue as an ISO in VirtualBox. Not a big deal in the long run. I guess I'll just use it in VirtualBox but find it odd it doesn't seem to like GNOME Boxes.

The .qcow2 file won't load. The iso just hangs on the blue parrot logo screen and sits there for 30+ minutes until I have to force end the virtual machine.

As where with VirtualBox it full installed in minutes.

Anyone else have the same issue?

Ive heard this for the last several years. That for what ever reason or another typically the motherboards and BIOs fo the Asus Tuf & Rog, MSI Raiders, Vectors, etc and Acer Nitros tend to struggle with not only running Debian Based distros but sometimes they flat out won't install.

However, the one exception seems to be Fedora really works well with Asus. I can confirm as I recently got Fedora up and running on an 8 year old Asus ROG Strix GL703. It's running flawlessly!

It even recognizes the NVIDIA GPU after some configuring in the Konsole. Not planning on using it for Gaming though. It will be my daily "hacktop" for homelabs with GNOME Box.

I work as a SOC Anyalst and have been in IT for a few years now. It's kind of almost excepted in the industry that gaming PCs are awful for Linux. The one exception seems to be the Lenovo Ideapad Gamings (I have a Gamibg 3 dual booted with W11 and Ubuntu). Though I have been told that the Ideapad Gamings aren't true Gaming Laptops like the Legions. They are business Laptops with better GPUs.

Why is this?

Not 100% new to Linux. I have a T480 with Ubuntu, an HP Elitebook with Mint and I use Kali via WSL on a Ideapad Gaming 3. Recently I acquired an 8 year old Asus ROG Strix GL703 from a friend for next to nothing. I want to turn it into a full time Fedora machine. So I earlier today I made a Fedora Live Boot USB to test it out. It loads perfectly. Speeds seem fine. Weird thing is, the Live boot can find and connect to my Blue Tooth devices such as my TV and Monitor with no issue. However, it can't seem to find my wifi. The GNOME doesn't seem to have a Wifi setting under settings (only Bluetooth and Network). While in the Terminal trying nmcli d, it lists ethernet but no wifi device. nmcli device wifi lists just starts another line and doesn't give me a device.

lspci does list my wifi card. Intel Wireless-AC 9560.

Then I've tried nmcli device wifi connect "myrouter" password "password" and I get error: No Wifi Device Found.

Is this a boot disc error? Perhaps an ASUS motherboard issue/BIOS? I know some people report issues with ASUS and Linux. But I'm following the asus-linx website. I want to see if it can connect to wifi before I go baremetal.

Update: Had to make an Admin BIOS password in the ASUS bios. This let me access the secure boot menu. I disabled Secure Boot Control and was able to connect to WIFI.

I found a Manufactured Home in Upstate New York within my budget. House is on 1/2 Acre. It's attached to public utilities (both city water and sewer system). Also has a garage on the property. The house itself has also had a front deck and a back screen room added on.

However, when I inquired about the house, apparently in 1999, the owners had it purchased and placed their for cash. Meaning they never got a title and only a bill of sale. New York law requires manufactured homes built 1995 and later to have a title. But I guess if you pay cash you can get around this?

Does anyone know if it would be possible to get a title as a buyer or get approval for FHA/USDA financing without a title?

I can understand if the sellers themselves are only interested in cash (I don't know yet). I found a similar house built in 2007 awhile back, similar price range (also on 1/2 acre) but the sellers were only entertaining cash offers and I believe they got one.

I ask because I remember 10 or so years ago, most of O'Reilly's tools were GM Performance Parts Tools with GM part numbers. They had a GM branding to them. Their current Power Torque tools still have a GM Part Number similar to actual GM parts.

Then unlike the other auto parts chains, O'Reilly carries ACDelco/GM Geniue parts. So as an owner of an old school Chevy Camaro, I tend to go to O'Reilly's for that reason.

I'm sure some of it is marketing purposes, but I always wondered does GM have some sort of stake in ownership?

I have my eye strongly on a house in a semi-rural part of Warren County not far from Glens Falls. I wanted to ask about what utility costs are like in the area. I partly ask because my cousin lives just outside of Albany and he says that both his electric and water are insanely high. He says he averages close to $150 a month for water.

I would prefer a house on a well/septic but I keep getting beat by cash offers on those and found one that's on public water/sewer. Now my cousin's house is close to 2000 sq ft and he has a family of 4. I am a house hold of 1 and the house I'm looking at is closer to 800 sq ft.

My family in Nassau says they average close to just over $80 for water but their electric (and those Long Island property taxes) are very high.

I know NYS is unique that everything is super localized. That two people could live in the same size house be just a couple of miles away from each other and have two completely different costs in terms of utilities and property taxes. It's NYS's blessing and curse.

Also let's say in the far future, is it possible to get a well septic/well installed from public? Or is that an expensive uphill battle?

I ask because I know a lot of times gaming laptops, the BIOS/Motherboards often don't like Linux and users tend to have issues. Especially the Asus, MSI and Acer gaming laptops. Usually Lenovo Thinkpads or HP Elitebooks are the recommended PCs for dedicated Linux. I ask about this Y520 specifically because it's my cousin's computer. He's owned new since circa 2018 and has retired it after building a desktop. He told me he can sell it to me for dirt cheap. I mean dirt cheap. The machine is in perfect condition and very well maintained. Plus the close family discount makes it intriguing.

My plan was to replace both harddrives. I ahve a spare 860 Evo 2.5 lying around with like 99% life left and I would replace the HDD with that. Then replace the 2280 with another Samsung 1tb 2280 NMVE 970. Then install either Ubuntu or Mint on one drive and dual boot it with Kali.

I'm a current SOC Analyst that wants to learn more Pentesting. My professional background is 90% Azure and I want to learn more Linux. I want a dedicated Linux Machine. I use both Ubuntu and Kali VMs on my Windows 11 gaming PC but want a dedicated Linux machine and want to know if for the price, this a good buy? If not I'll source out a cheap Thinkpad.

I'll try to keep this brief. I'm a Cybersecurity/IT Professional that is a huge muscle car guy (I own an 86 IROC Z). In a past life I was an auto mechanic and even wrote articles for a well known muscle car magazine.

I'm a huge Cyberpunk fan and a huge fan of the Nomads. I'm also getting into Cyberpunk 2020 recently (even got the Neo-Tribes sourcebook). I want to build a Cyberdeck that looks very industrial and looks like it belongs in a Retro-Future Muscle Car. It belongs in my Camaro or one of the Quadra cars from 2077.

Any ideas? My brother in-law has a 3d Printer, so the case will be printed via that. Just looking for ideas.

Like Buzz plants hidden codes in Melvins songs and that's why the lyrics are well the lyrics to Melvins songs? Almost kind of like MF Doom or even more so that episode of Atlanta where Paper Boi, starts really paying attention to the lyrics of his favorite rapper (that just passed) and finds it's a code that takes him across Atlanta and leads him to said Rapper's funeral. Like does Buzz have something like that planed but in Seattle? (For the record I hope Buzz lives long and continues to tour for years to come.

Or recently, I learned about Numbers Stations. What are Numbers Stations? Well they have never been officially confirmed but during the Cold War both NATO and Eastern Block countries set up these mysterious Shortwave Radio Stations that would basically just broadcast nonsense 24/7. Often a series of repeating numbers pronounced in different ways. The numbers are supposed to be a hidden code for Secret Agents deep in the field. Only they know what it means and it gives them their secret orders. Other numbers stations repeat random words or phrases over and over. Others even play music. Some mix all of the above.

Learning about this for some reason instantly made me think of Melvins and their lyrics. What if Buzz's lyrics have all been secret CIA codes?

Seriously tell me "Two of you sold my wallet One of you stole my tie Didn't you say that you’re watchin’? Denied

Venomous stole in me Three of you standin’ by Two of you said you got it Watch me eye"

Isn't a code. But in all seriousness, just thought this idea was kind of funny and wanted to share. Since I really don't have anyone in real life to share Melvins humor with.

I've been a chorus user for a long time. I have both an old Danelectro Chorus and a TC Electronic Echobrain Chorus that honestly is a really underrated pedal.

I'm very spartan with my pedals. I prefer the natural sound of an amp. I'm using an Orange Rocker 15 and I use the Sabbra Cadabra pedal as a Treble Boost (I just turn up the Vol. 4 nob, leave the gain on low and the other knobs at noon), a Tube Screamer as a lead boost and an EQ. (Some say EQ is only good for recording but I can get a lot of cool sounds just playing. I think EQ pedals are underrated for playing).

But I usually found the Chorus great for thickening up riffs. Recently, i was told by a few people in real life to give Delay a try and it will make your riffs even thicker and it's better than chorus. I got a Boss Delay used for cheap.

However, maybe I'm just not dialing in right. But even with a very short delay, the riffs don't really sound thicker. It can sound cool but I almost prefer to use it when playing my classic rock/classic metal stuff and not my doom playing. I can get great Van Halen, Judas Priest, Blue Oyster Cult (delay is awesome for Reaper), Metallica (especially for AJFA era) etc tones with it.

My main theory is, most of the people who gave me the advice are not doom players. I don't really know any doom players in real life. I'm wondering for the fuzzy riffs, chorus just works better with the fuzz over clean distortion and it does a better job of creating a thick wall of sound? As where delay works better with traditional clean distortion for thickening?

My other theory is, I got so used to the chorus over the last few years that delay just sounds different and I'm not sure I like it yet?

Hey part of guitar is experimenting and dialing things in.

For me it's probably

1. Sonic Excess in Its Purest Form - I'm probably preaching to the choir with this one. I think among most Crowbar fans this is typical considered their peak and when they became none heavier (no seriously, look at the booklet of the album. They really became none heavier). The riffs are great. Of course The Lasting Dose and To Build a Mountain are classics. Thru the Ashes and Repulsive in Its Splendid Beauty are also top Crowbar tracks for me.

2. Odd Fellows Rest - Odd Fellows Rest is an odd ball in Crowbar fandom. It's not overrated by any means but I feel like it's become sort of overrated by the Crowbar fandom that it's underrated. What I mean, I Odd Fellows Rest is universally known as the album that contains Planets Collide. I often feel in real life (and when I saw Crowbar back in 2023) that's all this album seems to be remembered for. But honestly, while not as strong as Sonic. The riffs, tone and writing is great. Scattered Pieces Lay, To Carry the Load and 1000 Year Internal War are all amazing tracks. For me personal Scattered Pieces Lay ranks up there with Planets for how good it is. It's a top 5 song for me. Then on the splatter vinyl they released a few years ago, their cover of Iron Maiden's Remember Tomorrow is great and ranks up there with No Quarter for a great cover.

3. Time Heals Nothing - I have to thank the Gen Z/Tik Tok Crowbar fans for this one. I feel like back in the 2000s and 2010s, this album kind of got lost in the shuffle. I heard it but really didn't know it. Part of that two is that even up as recently as 2023, Kirk rarely played any songs from this album live. Embracing Emptiness has become the internet's favorite Crowbar song even over Planets Collide in recent years and I have to agree that it's a top 5 song. It's amazing. Also The Only Factor, Time Heals Nothing and Lack of Tolerance are great. The other thing that grew on me with this album is that Kirk's 80s Hardcore Punk influences are strongly on display here. A lot of the riffs and break downs really remind me of "Slip it In" era Black Flag and Minor Threat. I say this is Crowbar's album that embraces the Hardcore/punk side of sludge more than the doom/Sabbath influence of sludge and I think that's why for so many years within the fandom, this album was kind of underrated.

4. Crowbar - This is where Crowbar became Crowbar and really give us the iconic riffs and pioneered Sludge metal. All of us love All I Had (I Gave), Existence Is Punishment, Negative Pollution and High Rate Extinction. Of course Crowbar's cover of No Quarter is probably their most famous cover. I always tell people the cover is if No Quarter ended up on Vol. 4 or Sabatoge instead of Houses of the Holy.

5. Symmetry in Black - I don't think anyone hates Symmetry in Black, most people love it. I think by many though, it's considered a "new Crowbar" album and isn't considered part of the classic era from Crowbar - Sonic. But when it was released back in 2014, it was a big deal and rebrought Crowbar back into the forefront of the metal world and got a lot of metalheads that were more into Black metal, death metal and metalcore to check out Crowbar. Walk with Knowledge Wisely is a top 5 favorite for me and one of the best riffs Kirk ever wrote. Out of all of the albums from Lifesblood through Zero, it's my favorite for sure.

Honorable Mentions - Broken Glass. Broken Glass is a great album but for me personally, I think Symmetry just tops it. Not but much but it does. Broken Glass is still classic Crowbar during their classic era. Equilibrium I think most fans agree, it's the weakest of the Crowbar-Sonic era. But still good. I Feel the Burning Sun has remained a live staple along with Planets for a reason. Usually it's the show opener at most Crowbar shows.

Kirk, the riff beast, riff lord, beard of doom must have one hell of a guitar collection. Ive been watching tons of old live videos recently and I didnt realize how many different guitars and types of guitars Kirk has owned and played.

From Gibson Explorers to Gibson Les Pauls to ESP Vipers to Ibanez Destroyers to even an Ibanez Iceman and believe or not a few superstrats in the 90s. Also at one point what appears to be an Ibanez Double Cut in the very early 2000s. Even a black beauty Les Paul Custom as well.

But for me, I mostly associate him with his ESP/LTD Vipers and his Ibanez Destroyer as well as his Gibson Explorer. I think his Ibanez Destroyers though are the guitars I picture him playing in my head. Probably has to do with getting into Crowbar in the very late 2000s and those were the guitars he was seen playing in holding in videos and photos at the time. Along with his purple Viper.

I think he loves all kinds of guitars but always loved the Explorer shape the most. Hence his personal design for his Solar guitars.

I know Kirk has down many rig rundowns over the years but I hope one day he does a tour of his full collection.