Author: edafe

Geflüchtete aus der Ukraine und Syrien: Unterschiedlich willkommen in Deutschland?

“Auch dieses Foto ist ein aktuelles Bild aus einem Krieg, den Putin gerade führt. Aber es wurde nicht in der Ukraine aufgenommen, sondern in Idlib in Syrien. Ein Krieg, den wir gerade zu vergessen scheinen, obwohl auch von dort zehntausende nach Deutschland geflohen sind aus Angst vor den Bomben Putins. Und, so groß die Hilfsbereitschaft für ukrainische Kriegsgeflohene gerade ist, so schwer macht es Deutschland den Geflüchteten aus Syrien, in diesem Land anzukommen. Die Menschenwürde ist unteilbar, sagt das Grundgesetz, und doch machen wir Unterschiede.”
Georg Restle

They are ‘civilised’ and ‘look like us’: the racist coverage of Ukraine

“What all these petty, superficial differences – from owning cars and clothes to having Netflix and Instagram accounts – add up to is not real human solidarity for an oppressed people. In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s tribalism. These comments point to a pernicious racism that permeates today’s war coverage and seeps into its fabric like a stain that won’t go away.” Moustafa Bayoumi asks that we offer help and solidarity to innocent people who need protection, irrespective of geographical proximity or skin color.
www.theguardian.com

COVID-19: endemic doesn’t mean harmless

“Thinking that endemicity is both mild and inevitable is more than wrong, it is dangerous: it sets humanity up for many more years of disease, including unpredictable waves of outbreaks.” Aris Katzourakis would like to keep the focus on how bad things could get if we were to give in to misplaced optimism.
www.nature.com

Cannondale Hooligan

Cannondale Hooligan 1 2008, Shimano HB-RM65 front hub, Shimano BR-M486 brakes, Schwalbe Big Apple tyres, Truvativ Stylo cranks, Crankbrothers Egg Beater 3 pedals, Race Face Deus XC Low Riser bar, Procraft 110 mm 40° stem, Fabric Scoop Race flat saddle, Shimano SG-S501 Alfine 8 gear hub, Archer Components D1x Trail electronic shifter with Micro-Adjust Remote, Sprint Power Supply and D1x Cage Mount, Topeak CageMount

10 things to do after installing Debian 11

Configure daily update checks

If you would like to be notified of available updates the day they become available, open the Software & Updates application and set the following options:

Are you unable to get a list of updates?

You may run into the following error message when checking for updates for the first time:

Unable to get list of updates:
Failed to update metadata for lvfs: checksum failure: failed to verify data, expected yJcztsgVmmvtkn9na5YyQVdyqFNIXlzYUgrACKX

Run the following command to fix the issue:

$ fwupdmgr --force refresh

Enable unattended upgrades

If you would like to enable the automatic and unattended downloading and installation of security upgrades, run the follwoing command:

$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure unattended-upgrades
Configuring unattended-upgrades

Automatically download and install stable updates? Yes

Install TLP

If you have installed Debian 11 on a laptop, consider installing TLP to further optimise battery life.

$ sudo apt-get install tlp

Enable Network Manager to manage all interfaces

Network manager detects and configures network interfaces to automatically connect your system to available networks. By default, however, it will only recongnise network interfaces not declared in /etc/network/interfaces.

Use the following command to open /etc/network/interfaces:

$ sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces

Delete or comment out any configuration details for the primary network interface.

Use the following command to open /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf:

$ sudo nano /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf

Make the following change:

[ifupdown]
managed=true

Restart NetworkManager with the following command:

$ sudo service NetworkManager restart

Install Syncthing for continuous file synchronisation

Syncthing reliably synchronises files between two or more computers. Its usefulness cannot be overestimated. Add the release key with the following command: 

$ sudo curl -s -o /usr/share/keyrings/syncthing-archive-keyring.gpg https://syncthing.net/release-key.gpg

Add the syncthing repository with the following command:

$ sudo echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/syncthing-archive-keyring.gpg] https://apt.syncthing.net/ syncthing stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/syncthing.list

Install syncthing on your system with the following command:

$ sudo -- bash -c 'apt update && apt install syncthing'

Enable syncthing for the local user bullseye:

$ sudo -- bash -c 'systemctl enable syncthing@bullseye.service && systemctl start syncthing@bullseye.service && systemctl status syncthing@bullseye.service'

Access the Syncthing configuration page by using your browser to navigate to the following address:

https://localhost:8384

Use the following command to enable port forwarding on your local machine:

$ sudo ufw allow syncthing

Install neofetch

Neofetch is a command-line tool that displays information about your system next to an operating system logo.

$ sudo apt-get install neofetch

If you would like neofetch to display every time you open a new terminal, open .bashrc with the following command:

$ nano ~/.bashrc

Add the following text at the end of the file:

# use Neofetch to display information about the system
if [ -f /usr/bin/neofetch ]; then
    clear && neofetch;
fi

Apply the changes with the following command:

$ source ~/.bashrc

Hide the snap directory

The snap directory in your home folder is not supposed to be accessed manually. Use the following command to hide it from view:

$ echo snap >> ~/.hidden

Hide the Desktop directory

The Desktop feature was disabled in GNOME 3.28. While this decision was not universally popular, developers pointed to the fact that, as an unmaintained feature, it stood the way of other improvements. Use the following command to hide the associated Desktop folder from view:

$ echo Desktop >> ~/.hidden

Install Virtual Machine Manager

If you would like run virtual machines from your desktop, start with the following command:

$ grep -E --color 'svm|vmx' /proc/cpuinfo

If the output shows svm or vmx in red, then the virtualization extensions are enabled and you are good to go.

Proceed to install virt-manager with the following command:

$ sudo apt-get install virt-manager libguestfs-tools python3-guestfs

With only members of the group libvirt allowed to run virt-manager, add the local user bullseye to the group:

$ sudo adduser bullseye libvirt

Install Google Chrome

Google Chrome is available neither as a snap nor flatpak. This ties in with what Martin Wimpress had to say in a recent episode of the LINUX Unplugged podcast.

If, after listening to Martin, you would still like to use Google Chrome, download the official Google Chrome for Linux installer with the following command:

$ wget -P ~/Downloads --show-progress https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

Install Google Chrome with the following command:

$ sudo dpkg -i ~/Downloads/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

When you launch Google Chrome for the first time, it will ask you to:

[ ] make Google Chrome the default browser
[ ] Automatically send usage statistics and crash reports to Google

OK

Disable both these options. If required, you can always re-enable them later.

With reference to Joey Sneddon and OMG!Ubuntu!

How to install Debian 11 Bullseye with a GNOME desktop

Debian GNU/Linux was first released way back in 1993 and has been under active developement ever since. Today, the Debian Project unites thousands of contributors from across the globe with the aim of producing “an operating system distribution that is composed entirely of free software”.
www.debian.org

These instructions offer a straightforward path to a GNOME 3.38 desktop running on amd64 hardware. You need a reasonably fast connection to the Internet, an Ethernet connection to your router and a Debian CD image, written to a bootable USB stick. Consider using the unofficial firmware-11.3.0-amd64-netinst.iso, which “includes non-free firmware for extra support for some awkward hardware”.

If your laptop does not have an Ethernet port, you might consider using the Plugable USB 3.0 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter as an alternative.

Debian GNU/Linux will be the only operating system installed on your computer. Ensure that all of your data is safely backed up elsewhere because formatting your storage device will lead to the loss of all data. Before you begin, decide on an encryption passphrase to encrypt your storage device and a user password to secure your user account. In addition to Debian packages, Flatpaks and Snaps will be enabled as well.

Installing the base system

Step 1

After booting the system from the USB stick that you have prepared, continue by selecting the text based installer.

Step 2

Keep English as the language for the installation.

[!!] Select a language

Language: English

Step 3

Select United States as the location for your system. This will also set United States as the default locale for the system environment. You will have an opportunity to set additional locales and adjust time zones at a later point during the installation.

[!!] Select your location

Country, territory or area: United States

Step 4

Use the keymap that is the correct one for your particular keyboard.

[!!] Configure the keyboard

Keymap to use: your keyboard

Step 5

If your system has multiple network interfaces, set your Ethernet interface as the primary interface to use during the installation.

[!!] Configure the network

Primary network interface: choose your Ethernet interface for installation

Set the hostname for your system. In this example, we use debian as the hostname.

[!] Configure the network

Hostname: debian

Continue

Set the domain name for your system. If you are setting up on a home network, you can use home.arpa as the domain name.

[!] Configure the network

Domain name: home.arpa

Continue

Step 6

If you leave the root password empty, the standard user account will automatically be configured with sudo privileges.

[!!] Set up users and passwords

Root password: leave empty

Continue

Confirm the empty password.

[!!] Set up users and passwords

Re-enter password to verify: leave empty

Continue

Create the standard user. In this example, we use Bullseye as the full name for the standard user.

[!!] Set up users and passwords

Full name for the new user: Bullseye

Continue

Your username should start with a lower-case letter. In this example, bullseye is a reasonable choice for the user with the full name Bullseye.

[!!] Set up users and passwords

Username for your account: bullseye

Continue

Set a password for the new user.

[!!] Set up users and passwords

Choose a password for the new user: your user password

Continue

Confirm the password for the new user.

[!!] Set up users and passwords

Re-enter password to verify: your user password

Continue

Keep Eastern as the time zone for now.

[!] Configure the clock

Select your time zone: Eastern

Step 7

Choose to partition your disk with LVM and protect your data with a 256 bit AES key.

[!!] Partition disks

Partitioning method: Guided - use entire disk and set up encrypted LVM

Be careful to select the correct target device for your system.

[!!] Partition disks

Select disk to partition: your target disk for installation

Choose to keep all files in one partition.

[!!] Partition disks

Partitioning scheme: All files in one partition (recommended for new users)

Now write the changes to disk.

[!!] Partition disks

Write the changes to disk and configure LVM?

Yes

You may skip the overwriting of the disk with random data by selecting Cancel. Please be aware, however, that skipping this step will cause a reduction to the quality of the encryption.

Step 8

Enter your encryption passphrase.

[!!] Partition disks

Encryption passphrase: your encryption passphrase

Continue

Confirm your encryption passphrase.

[!!] Partition disks

Re-enter passphrase to verify: your encryption passphrase

Continue

You probably want to use the maximum available space for partitioning the disk.

[!!] Partition disks

Amount of volume group to use for guided partitioning: max

Continue

Step 9

Write the changes to disk.

[!!] Partition disks

Finish partitioning and write changes to disk

Confirm writing the chages to disk.

[!!] Partition disks

Write the changes to disks?

Yes

Step 10

Do not scan additional installation media.

[!] Configure the package manager

Scan extra installation media?

No

Select your archive mirror country from the list.

[!] Configure the package manager

Debian  archive mirror country: your country

Select the archive mirror from the list. For the fastest downloads, use the site that is closest to you.

[!] Configure the package manager

Debian archive mirror: mirror closest to you

You probably won’t need to configure an HTTP proxy:

[!] Configure the package manager

HTTP proxy information (blank for none): leave empty

Continue

Step 11

The Debian Popularity Contest attempts to map the overall usage of Debian packages with information from installed systems, such as yours.

[!] Configuring popularity-contest

Participate in the package usage survey?

Yes

Step 12

Choose standard system utilities from the list of predefined software collections and deselect all other entries.

[!] Software selection

Choose software to install:
[ ] Debian desktop environment
[ ] GNOME
[*] standard system utilities

Continue

Step 13

Remove the installation media before booting into your new system.

[!!] Finish the installation

Installation complete

Continue

Installing the GNOME desktop

You have now successfully installed Debian GNU/Linux on your computer. As yet, there is no graphical user interface.

Step 14

Enter your encryption passphrase to boot into the system for the first time. In this example, the encrypted disk is labelled sda3_crypt.

Please unlock disk sda3_crypt: your encryption passphrase

Log into the system with your username and user password.

Debian 11 GNU/Linux 11 debian tty1

debian login: bullseye
Password: your user password

Step 15

Install a minimal GNOME desktop by entering the following command. You will be asked for your user password to gain sudo privileges:

$ sudo apt-get install --assume-yes gnome-core

If you are installing into a virtual machine, use the following command to enable copy and paste between host and the guest:

$ sudo apt-get install --assume-yes spice-vdagent

Step 16

Restart your system.

$ sudo reboot

Step 17

Enter your encryption passphrase to boot into the system.

Please unlock disk vda3_crypt: your encryption passphrase

Log into the GNOME desktop environment.

Step 18

From within the GNOME desktop, open Firefox ESR from the Activities menu and re-open these instructions at edafe.org/debian-howto.

Step 19

GNOME power options by default are unfavourable. Open the Settings application from Show Applications under the Activities menu and adjust the power options.

Power Saving

Settings > Power > Power Saving > Automatic Suspend

Suspend & Power Button

Settings > Power > Power Button Behaviour: Power Off

Step 20

Continue by setting the following keyboard shortcuts:

File manager

Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts > Home folder
Shortcut: [Super + f]

Web browser

Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts > Launch web browser
Shortcut: [Super + b]

Maximising windows vertically

Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts > Maximize window vertically
Shortcut: [Ctrl + Super + ↑]

Terminal application

Define a custom shortcut for launching the terminal by scrolling to the bottom of the list and clicking the + sign.

Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts > +
Name: Launch Terminal

Command: gnome-terminal

Shortcut: [Super + t]

Step 21

Open a terminal with [Super + t] and, where applicable, use copy and paste to enter the commands set out on this page. Be careful not to miss any punctuation.

Set the time zone for your area.

$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure tzdata
Configuring tzdata

Geographic area: your area

Ok

Configure locales for all the languages that your system is going to be used with. Use UTF-8 locales wherever possible.

$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure locales

In this example, German and Japanese locales are generated in addition to the default locale for the system environment.

Configuring locales

Locales to be generated:

[*] de_DE.UTF-8 UTF-8
[*] en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8
[*] ja_JP.UTF-8 UTF-8

OK

Keep en_US.UTF-8 as the default locale for the system environment.

Configuring locales

Default locale for the system environment:

en_US.UTF-8

OK

Step 22

Add the non-free and contrib repositories to enable the selection of packages that do not meet the Debian Free Software Guidelines or otherwise depend on such packages for their operation.

$ sudo -- bash -c 'apt-add-repository non-free && apt-add-repository contrib && apt-get update'

Step 23

Install additonal Debian packages to provide you with a functional GNOME desktop.

$ sudo apt-get install --show-progress --assume-yes aptitude cheese cups curl deja-dup file-roller firmware-iwlwifi firmware-linux gnome-clocks gnome-color-manager gnome-maps gnome-screenshot gnome-shell-extension-bluetooth-quick-connect gnome-shell-extension-dashtodock gnome-shell-extension-no-annoyance gnome-shell-extension-shortcuts gnome-software-plugin-flatpak gnome-software-plugin-snap gnome-sound-recorder gnome-tweaks gstreamer1.0-vaapi libavcodec-extra mpv printer-driver-cups-pdf rhythmbox-plugin-alternative-toolbar seahorse shotwell synaptic transmission-gtk ttf-mscorefonts-installer ttf-ubuntu-font-family ufw yubioath-desktop

Step 24

Enable the firewall on your new Debian system.

$ sudo ufw enable

Step 25

Install applications from the Snap Store with the following command:

$ sudo snap install bitwarden chromium firefox foliate libreoffice

Firefox ESR vs Firefox Web Browser

By default, Debian installs the Extended Support Release (ESR) version of Firefox. The Extended Support Release is updated with major security or stability fixes. The Snap package, on the other hand, installs the Rapid Release version of Firefox. In contrast to the ESR, the Rapid Release receives major updates at least every four weeks. Both versions can be used concurrently and are availble on your desktop as Firefox ESR and Firefox Web Browser, respectively.

Step 26

Enable the installation of applications from Flathub with the following command:

$ sudo -- bash -c 'flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo'

Step 27

Add to the capabilities of the Network Manager by installing the components required for IPSec and OpenVPN protocols.

$ sudo -- bash -c 'apt-get install --assume-yes --show-progress network-manager-vpnc-gnome network-manager-openvpn-gnome network-manager-config-connectivity-debian'

Step 28

After restarting the system and loggin back into the GNOME desktop, launch Firefox ESR to re-open these instructions at edafe.org/debian-howto.

$ sudo reboot

Step 28

Open a terminal with [Super + t] and install applications from Flathub.

$ sudo flatpak install --assumeyes flathub com.system76.Popsicle org.cryptomator.Cryptomator nl.hjdskes.gcolor3 org.gnome.gitlab.somas.Apostrophe

All done!

Prevent yourself from accidentally breaking Debian by reading about some of the most commonly made mistakes.

I advise everyone to get it: UK Covid patients tell of regrets over refusing jab

“The side-effects are mild … Listen to doctors who work in intensive care, because we are heartbroken every day and don’t want you to end up here.” Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden wants people to come off the fence and get the jab.
www.theguardian.com

Fitness enthusiast John Eyres, 42, who refused to get vaccinated, has died of COVID-19. His twin sister, Jenny McCann, is publicising her loss to “drive people to get a vaccine”. #getvaccinatednow

Echoes of war

David Swanson joined the Marines of Echo Company in April 2004 as an embedded photographer for The Philadelphia Inquirer. He was widely recognised for the image of Private Eric Ayon. Echoes of war is Swanson’s account of his time spent with Echo Company in Ramadi, one of the most dangerous places in Iraq at the time. Swanson published this video some years after it had disappeared from the pages of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

#allesdichtmachen​: Gelaber statt Debatte

“Ich schlage vor, lasst uns einfach Mal tauschen: Jan-Josef Liefers wird Corona-Spezialist und Christian Drosten und Melanie Brinkmann bilden das neue Ermittler-Duo im Tatort. Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, was dann passiert: die Infektionszahlen explodieren und der Tatot wird besser.”

Hammerhead Karoo 2 has landed

I pre-ordered the Hammerhead Karoo 2 during the last quarter of 2020, fully aware that I might be getting a device that would still require a significant amount of “continuous enhancements”. In other words, I bought into the promise of Hammerhead delivering “the world’s finest cycling computer” through software updates. Eventually.

In many ways, the Karoo 2 already is a good bike computer. In other ways, however, the Karoo 2 is far behind its competition and most definitely a work in progress. I never considered returning the device. Instead, I look forward to seeing the improvements that Hammerhead will be introducing over time. My other cycling computer is a Wahoo Elemnt Roam.
hammerhead.io

Limited battery capacity and USB-C cable

After about 3 hours of riding, I would expect the battery of my Karoo 2 to be half-empty. On at least two occasions, however, the Karoo 2 died on me with an empty battery after just over 4 hours of use. Unless you turn off the very features which, in all likelihood, made you buy the device in the first place, charging becomes an absolute necessity on longer rides. This is easier said than done, because charging the Karoo 2 while in its mount is impossible with the cable supplied in the box. There just isn’t enough space between the base of the unit and the handlebar for a conventional USB-C plug to fit into. I use a UGREEN Right Angle USB-C to -A Cable and connect the Karoo 2 to a Zendure SuperMini 5K power bank during rides.

Despite its IP67 rating, charging the Karoo 2 in wet conditions may yet damage your device.

Since the release of the Karoo 2, a number of reviews similar to this one have been published on the Internet:

“Usually on rides I’ve found it lasts around 10–11 hours with all my power meter and heart rate sensors connected up, a route loaded, and flicking between screens. Riding without a route loaded (but still with sensors) massively increases the life per charge, to around 13 hours.”
Anna Marie Hughes

After about 10 months of using the Karoo 2, I have come to the conclusion that something must be off with either my Karoo 2 or the running times reported elsewhere…

I am going to leave it there.

Komoot limited to 50 planned tours, use Ride with GPS

The Hammerhead Dashboard is supposed to facilitate the integration of the Karoo 2 with services such as Strava, Ride with GPS, Komoot and others. Unfortunately, synchronisation of available routes with any of these services does not take place automatically and requires the use of either a computer or a smart phone.

With Komoot, there is an added limitation in that it is only possible to “sync your 50 most recent planned tours”. Having used other bike computers in the past, I am stunned that this should even be an issue. Komoot users with more than 50 routes to choose from end up in a loop of having to continuously mess about just to get individual routes to show up on the Karoo 2…

The solution to the problem is to ditch Komoot entirely and use Ride with GPS.

The Dashboard itself is of limited functionality. Route planning is rudimentary at best and there are next to no tools for post-ride analysis of your data. While not necessarily a disadvantage, this needs to be spelled out clearly. Integration with third party services should be flawless. Hammerhead’s focus, meanwhile, appears to lie elsewhere.

Missing auto-lap functionality

The Karoo 2 does not offer auto-lap functionality. Currently, there is no way to set reminders of any kind. Hammerhead merely say that they are “working on adding more towards the lap functionality“. This appears to be a long-standing issue with users of the Karoo 1 as well. The auto-lap feature has reportedly spent more than a year in the “development pipeline”, yet Hammerhead are not committing to a “dedicated timeline for its implementation“.

Hammerhead have introduced auto-lap as a feature in Karoo Software Build Version 1.251.1117.

Useless live tracking links

With Software Build Version 1.187.987, Hammerhead appear to be pleased that they “fixed an issue that prevented users from viewing a Live Tracking link if they weren’t logged in ahead of clicking the link.” They are missing the point. What is preventing users from viewing any link is having to register and then authenticate every time they want to access the link. Until such time that Hammerhead get rid of these short-sighted requirements, actual owners of the Karoo 2 won’t be sharing anything.

In the meantime, getting a SIM and data plan for your Karoo 2 does not appear to make a lot of sense. Unless, that is, you’re planning on inflicting Live Tracking links on friends and family…

Hammerhead no longer require registration to view Live Tracking links. This is a welcome improvement and, in conjunction with a dedicated SIM, appears to be working well.

Die beste Instanz

“Wir führen diese Debatte über Rassismus auf einer total primitiven Ebene. Es handelt sich um ein Menschenrecht. Schutz vor Diskriminierung ist ein Menschenrecht.”
Natasha A. Kelly

“Ich würde mir wünschen, dass wir wegkommen davon diese Ereignisse, wie sie jetzt auch im WDR passiert sind, immer als Einzelfälle zu diskutieren. Und es ist ja heute immer wieder aufgekommen, daß es sich um strukturelle Probleme handelt, die nach ’45 nicht einfach aufgehört haben. Und ich glaube es gibt ‘ne Situation, in der man sich in Deutschland sehr, sehr stark wünscht, daß nach ’45 ein besseres Deutschland entstanden ist [sic]. Aber der Wunsch alleine erzeugt noch nicht die Realität. Und da brauchen strukturelle Probleme strukturelle Lösungen.”
Max Czollek

Gemeinsam mit ihren Gästen formuliert Enissa Amani eine bemerkenswerte Antwort auf die vom WDR am 09.11.2020 erstmalig ausgestrahlte Sendung “Die letzte Instanz“, deren Umgang mit dem Thema Rassismus bestenfalls als naiv zu bezeichnen ist.

They stormed the Capitol. Their apps tracked them.

“The location-tracking industry exists because those in power allow it to exist. Plenty of Americans remain oblivious to this collection through no fault of their own. But many others understand what’s happening and allow it anyway. They feel powerless to stop it or were simply seduced by the conveniences afforded in the trade-off. The dark truth is that, despite genuine concern from those paying attention, there’s little appetite to meaningfully dismantle this advertising infrastructure that undergirds unchecked corporate data collection.” Charlie Warzel and Stuart A. Thompson show the ease with which supposedly anonymised data from your smartphone is re-identified. From nothing to hide to nowhere to hide—we are all Americans now.
www.nytimes.com

Boeing employees mocked FAA and clowns who designed 737 Max

“This airplane is designed by clowns, who are in turn supervised by monkeys,” one Boeing employee wrote, before the 737 Max accidents JT610 and ET302 killed 346 people. “I still haven’t been forgiven by God for the covering up I did last year,” regrets another. Natalie Kitroeff reports on what Boeing employees were really thinking about the 737 Max.
nytimes.com