From d4ed7d7df524e397fbcdae5e25e1e13b4f10b4a3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Yuchen Pei Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2022 19:40:10 +1100 Subject: added some microposts --- microposts/big-nonfree-gotcha.org | 26 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ microposts/google-analytics.org | 11 +++++++++++ microposts/lineage-os.org | 31 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ microposts/mumble-mute-cue.org | 7 +++++++ 4 files changed, 75 insertions(+) create mode 100644 microposts/big-nonfree-gotcha.org create mode 100644 microposts/google-analytics.org create mode 100644 microposts/lineage-os.org create mode 100644 microposts/mumble-mute-cue.org diff --git a/microposts/big-nonfree-gotcha.org b/microposts/big-nonfree-gotcha.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..10c07f9 --- /dev/null +++ b/microposts/big-nonfree-gotcha.org @@ -0,0 +1,26 @@ +#+title: Big nonfree gotcha +#+date: <2022-02-10> + +I just came across my first big nonfree gotcha in formal verification. + +[[https://compcert.org/][CompCert]], the verified C compiler, is nonfree. + +And I learned there are no free alternatives. + +And opam (the ocaml package manager) installed it without any warning, +possibly as a dep of VST, used in [[https://softwarefoundations.cis.upenn.edu/vc-current/index.html][Vol 5 of Software Foundations, +Verifiable C]]. + +But I also learned that the part of CompCert required for the study of +Verifiable C is free. Someone should definitely extract out the free +part which I hope can be distributed on opam as say "compcert-free". + +On a side note, I feel the GNU Project is missing some essential +functional packages, which could result in the proglang / formal +verification community having less aspirations for free software. I +am not faulting the GNU Project for this, of course. But by contrast, +all Emacs packages, be it independent or part of the GNU ELPA, are by +default licensed under GPLv3+, which could be caused by the GNU +Project having a strong foothold in Emacs. + +H/t Kiran G and pgiarrusso. diff --git a/microposts/google-analytics.org b/microposts/google-analytics.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..eaf8c9e --- /dev/null +++ b/microposts/google-analytics.org @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +#+title: Google analytics alternatives +#+date: <2022-02-15> + +[[https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/12/austrian-dpa-schrems-ii/][Austrian]] and [[https://www.politico.eu/article/french-privacy-regulator-rules-against-use-of-google-analytics/][French]] regulators ruled against Google Analytics based on +GDPR and data privacy. Another big problem with Google Analytics is +that it is nonfree. There are free alternatives like [[https://matomo.org/][Matomo]] (GPLv3+) +and [[https://plausible.io/][Plausible]] (AGPLv3+). I used to self host Matomo and it was quite +decent, but I would like to try out self-hosted version of Plausible +soon due to its simplicity and lightweight. + +H/t Michael McMahon diff --git a/microposts/lineage-os.org b/microposts/lineage-os.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..75ea3d6 --- /dev/null +++ b/microposts/lineage-os.org @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +#+title: Lineage OS helps you degoogle your phone +#+date: <2022-02-10> + +Compared to [[https://replicant.us/][Replicant]], [[https://lineageos.org/][Lineage OS]] is not fully free, as it contains +kernel blobs and nonfree drivers. But if you are using stock android, +switching to Lineage OS will be a massive improvement. + +The best part: there will be no more proprietary Google apps and +services spying on you. No google play, google maps, gmail, chrome, +... You can ensure that all apps are free software by installing them +from [[https://f-droid.org][F-droid]]. + +The stock apps that come with Lineage OS are nice too. There's the +caffeine mode toggle switch in the status bar, which keep the screen +on for 5, 10, 30 minutes, or indefinitely. I find this feature very +useful when say I need to check the phone while cooking and I don't +want it to go to lock screen. The bundled browser comes with an +option to have all javascript disabled, fixing the Javascript Trap +with a sledgehammer. By extension, apps with internal browsers like +[[https://f-droid.org/en/packages/io.github.hidroh.materialistic/][Materialistic Hacker news client]] will also not accidentally execute +any Javascript. + +It also seems like the phone battery lasts longer, which could be due +to a more lightweight system. + +The only things I'm missing are in the I/O department: glide typing +and a Simplified Chinese input method. I used the proprietary Google +keyboard on stock android that came with these features, but the input +methods available on F-droid are missing them. I find myself typing +less after moving to Lineage OS because I can't type as fast as I used +to. diff --git a/microposts/mumble-mute-cue.org b/microposts/mumble-mute-cue.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bafc770 --- /dev/null +++ b/microposts/mumble-mute-cue.org @@ -0,0 +1,7 @@ +#+title: Mumble chirping when muted? Try toggling mute cue +#+date: <2022-02-10> + +Recently when I connect to a mumble server and mute myself, I hear a +periodic chirp / beep once every two seconds or so. It turns out that +I needed to deselect "mute cue" in settings, which seems to be doing +the opposite of what it is supposed to do. -- cgit v1.2.3