Martin
The plan:
- AI-free
- Offline first
- Running software locally on salvaged hardware
- Intermittent connectivity with self-hosted services
- Retrofitted for style & comfort
Mar 17 at 9:59pmWeb
Show threadMartinMar 23

I remember using MS Office on Windows 3.1 with 4mb of RAM. It feels ridiculous that 4gb is now considered insufficient to run a modern desktop and apps.

http://toastytech.com/guis/win313.html

Show threadMartinMar 24
Show threadMartinMar 25
Almost disappointed because this was supposed to be an ascetic endeavour and all the apps I need and used on my Mac run without issue. I expected way more TUI and compromises.
Show threadMartinMar 25

I feel quite lonely trying to mod my computer to make it less powerful

https://zephray.me/post/x61_cpu_upgrade/

Upgrading the CPU in ThinkPad X61 — Wenting's Web Page

Show threadMartinMar 26
Last night I disassembled the laptop completely to put new thermal paste on the CPU and clean up and lubricate the fan (thanks @joachim for giving me sewing machine oil!). Temps are now 5-10°C lower and the fan does not kick off during normal use. The wonders never cease.
Show threadMartinMar 26
The only real obstacle I ran into is that VA-API from Intel does not support my poor old GPU, which means no hardware acceleration for some GUI apps. It’s a shame because it’s a purely software issue.
Show threadMartinMar 26
I tried to output video to a HDMI monitor through an adapter, fully expecting hours of headaches, but it just worked. This might be an unpopular opinion but Wayland has been nothing but great for my use case.
Show threadMartinMar 26

I find it amusing that I ended up using a desktop stack that is more often associated with ricing and überhackers running arch on led-lit desktop rigs

https://medium.com/@deadgirl2133/waybar-wofi-kitty-eww-the-holy-tetragrammaton-of-modern-ricing-9965ce77d6c8

Waybar, Wofi, Kitty, EWW: The Holy Tetragrammaton Of Modern Ricing

There is a moment in a Linux user’s life when you stop asking how to customize your system and start asking how far the rabbit hole goes…

Medium
Show threadMartinMar 29

Currently installing Windows Vista on a spare drive in order to update the BIOS to a hacked version ("Middleton BIOS"). It's required to support the IPS, LED-backlit, higher-res screen I received yesterday.

It's been a PAIN just to get the installer to boot and Vista is as much of a mess as everyone remembers.

Show threadMartinMar 29
It's wild that a current version of Linux runs so much better on this laptop that the officially supported OS it shipped with
Show threadMartinMar 29
Two hours of careful tinkering later, it works! SXGA+, great viewing angles, bright enough to work in the sun, and 1-2W less power drain.
Show threadMartinMar 29
This is a redemption story for me because I had tried to perform the same mod in 2009 and had failed miserably, trashing an (at the time) pretty expensive screen in the process. The memory of this failure was on my mind the whole time this morning and probably helped me to take it slow and avoid small mistakes.
Show threadMartinMar 30
I got power consumption down to 6W at idle, don’t know if I can get any lower than that. Battery life is 5-6h, can push it to 8 if it’s just offline writing. Not great but certainly good enough.
Show threadMartinApr 16
Show threadMartinApr 17

Yes, I could have installed Void Linux with a minimal desktop on my Mac. A car *can* go 10km/h, but how often does it do that? How do you feel when you get stuck behind one of those pesky cyclists?

Tools shape practice too.

Show threadMartinApr 17
Show threadMartinApr 22
Mockup done
Show threadMartinApr 29
Intégration terminée, merci au mage @joachim pour ses arcanes
Show threadMartinApr 29
Fig. A: might be a bicycle
Fig. B: definitely not a bicycle
Show threadMartinMay 16

Why do I need a computer?
- Writing & layout
- Image processing
- Creating slides & websites
- Research

What do I use my computer for?

Show threadJoachimApr 29
@martin 🧙‍♂️ 🔮
Show threadAbieApr 22
@martin C'est joli, c'est dessiné sous quoi ?
(Équivalent technologique de : vous travaillez à la plume ou au pinceau ?)
Show threadLux Apr 22
@temptoetiam @martin gélaref
Show threadMartinApr 22
@temptoetiam c'est du vectoriel, le seul que j'ai fait c'est le chargeur, le reste est extrait du manuel de l'ordinateur et est vraisemblablement généré à partir de rendus 3D !
Show threadMartinApr 22
@temptoetiam il y a un mode isométrique dans Affinity qui est bien pratique si ça te dit d'essayer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZh9q6wEUHM
Affinity Designer - Isometric design and grid setup

YouTube
Show threadSylvain MiermontApr 16

@martin les antennes cellulaires intégrées sont réutilisables pour faire du Lora ?
As tu trouvé un module mono-radio au format M2 ou miniPCIe ?

Et est-ce qu'il y a un "5v standby" sur un slot interne ? Ca pourrait permettre de mettre un communicateur genre meshtastic ou autre capable de recevoir et relayer du trafic même PC "éteint".
L'idéal serait d'avoir comme pour les cartes réseau PCI : un 5v standby et une pin qui permet de rallumer le PC s'il est éteint (utilisé pour le Wake-on-LAN).

Show threadSylvain MiermontApr 16
@martin une sorte de "wake-on-mesh" quoi ;)
Show threadMartinApr 16
@miermont je n’ai pas les antennes WWAN donc en attendant je veux bricoler un truc en montant un connecteur SMA à la place du port RJ11, avec une carte LoRa à la place de la carte WWAN (avec un adaptateur mPCIe vers USB). Je pense que ce serait possible d’alimenter une carte LoRa ordi éteint, mais seulement via les ports USB externes. Il faudrait que je vérifie, je ne sais pas comment la ligne USB du port mPCIe est considérée / configurable
Show threadDennis GuseApr 23
@martin a really great update is to get either a USB-C charging cable with the round Thinkpad plug or actually replace the socket with USB-C. Sadly the socket didn't fit in my X60, so I went with the cable solution.
Works like charm with 65W charger 
Show threadJulianoëMar 30
@martin I did that once. Laptop screen out of their cases are incredibly fragile. I still have the converter/adapter card lying around somehere..
Show threadFeth 🎉Mar 29

@martin impressive!

You're showing the way

Show threadMartinMar 29
@ffeth thanks! It’s a well-documented mod but I was still a bit wary to try it myself
Show threadvi✴Apr 16
@martin do you feel the diff regarding your battery life ? (I understand no power units so 1-2W means nothing to me :()
Show threadMartinApr 16
@vi when I bought it the computer got very hot to the touch and battery life was about 3-4h (with a brand new battery). Now I get 6h with WiFi on and it stays much cooler. Decreasing power draw when idling has been a big part of the progress, so each W gained provides a marked improvement.
Show threadBenoit PetitMay 17
I night have missed it in the thread but how did you lower the power draw of the screen ? Very interesting thread, thanks !
Show threadMartinMay 28
@bpetit sorry, I had missed your question. The new screen is led-backlit instead of using a CCFL tube, it's a well-documented mod. I did not perform it myself, it was already modded when I bought it.
Show threadBenoit PetitMay 28
Thanks !
Show threadBenoit Petit4d ago
Thanks !
Show threadUn BourguignonMar 29
@martin
I'm not surprised.
Show threadvi✴Apr 16
@martin do you mean with X and xrandr you had issues ? or just that ppl said that with wayland you were sure to have issues and in reality u did not ?
Show threadMartinApr 16
@vi I just thought that outputting hd video through a VGA to HDMI adapter from a 19 year old laptop would require at least some configuration, but it did not. As for Wayland in general, I did not expect it to be so much faster and easier to understand than X11, given how vocal its detractors are.
Show thread5mouflMar 24
@martin 🦆
Show threadMartinMar 24
@5moufl ?
Show thread5mouflMar 24
@martin le wifi (je crois) 🤦
Show threadMartinMar 24
@5moufl ah oui effectivement !
Show threadBenjaminMar 26
@martin oh qu'il est beau !
Show threadOmer PesquerApr 3
@martin Bravo Martin 🙂