It's a bit warm and sticky here today so I have turned on my desk fan. https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/7feb6b45a4ae35428a750627df46dca034b3629e7e6e156ff19defd2775bb255.webp

I have just installed an image of Kali Linux in VirtualBox and got GVM running after only about 1 hour of swearing.

Must be a record.

Saturday 'me time':

Change m.2 SSD in laptop & install Fedora to replace Win 10 (current one can't be repartitioned due to driver BIOS mode + I want to keep Win 10 as a backup).

OR

Recompile #Meshtastic code for Seeed-NRF board so it works as a drop in on dev board currently using the ESP32 type.

Another bloody late night delivery from Amazon.

Another late night bloody delivery from Amazon.

/No body in the driveway and the van has gone.

//Opened carefully and hands washed immediately. https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/b280632eb73f50a5317d917a2b68a81304117b42a377832309639569b24b7527.webp

The Seeed Xiao NRF kit has arrived.

Another #Meshtastic toy to play with. https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/2005fd7859cbc518f25b89bc1a3e61d87a3e69e95bdf7672a00cd928513ae6ed.webp

Unmangled link if you want it..

https://geoffg.net/terminal.html

Another #Meshtastic lash up. Rx through a VGA / composite serial terminal adapter made using a PIC32MX250 (https://geoffg.net/terminal.html).

Sadly I could not send as I don't have a PS/2 keyboard to hand & my Cherry keyboard wouldn't work using the USB adapter.

Could this be the next all-in-one node!? https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/2ec4a868630471a75167d008960f61c0752cdc24a6667ccb2e27b66394e42164.webp https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/ec2a5e7761b1e968d151c3d364b715894235627c0ea30f9b6db54f61923caa06.webp

After the fun of sending and receiving messages over #Meshtastic using a Commodore 64 and an SC126 CP/M board, I was wondering whether to try with one of the following:

ZX Spectrum.

BBC:microbit.

Acorn System One.

Today I learned that Zilog was making microprocessors in 1943.

It's often the case that wartime technology remains top secret for decades.

/Fact https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/36e4088f4acbc24fcb7be5dc026651f8b234b1c9d316334338a4ee287c87bf4d.webp

While I had my #Meshtastic node on the workbench I thought I might as well hook it up to a CP/M board, so here's me sending and receiving using an SC126 designed for the #RC2014 ecosystem.

https://smallcomputercentral.com/rcbus/sc100-series/sc126-z180-motherboard-rc2014/ https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/c9e50e978d5c5887f27922b7baf5b199b0f2d8a8d46ffadf769bc5702caabb26.webp https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/e4962f07090177a765d085094f8daf472d6b0081f4d5661d731296dcffc1b5ae.webp https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/f4a3a08a1b42f10cdc7fe45369eafe52c8f0e441cff8cc40f580c58f1718145d.webp https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/1b508a95d8e98a1b7aa4d7b7b7b9968f9fd3a4d3b263299b1fcb317f0168f187.webp

Sending and receiving #Meshtastic messages on my Commodore 64! https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/7d980080d328c626a653d02200bf4227801b54b4efa5664bd6fccf01b116c283.webp https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/28a4435e9f5ad3e93535a87d36df30ff394e8f9f41e425e829736488ca858753.webp https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/e5c1c1f4137d9e17d431adbdc73de0711cf5272fec612e361efe2d82a631ec86.webp

Time for a bacon-filled toasted hot cross bun methinks. Happy Easter. https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/4c36b7612992764e5113177803b33e31b958af949091095e7b0810debfd6e6bc.webp

Would any of my Commodore 64 friends with a PI-1541 based on a PI Zero let me know which disk copy program they have working for copying .d64 images to a real floppy drive. I've tried various downloads and versions of Fast Hack'em and Maverick without success.

Copying a Commodore 64 disk image mounted on the PI1541 to a real floppy in the 1541-Ii. I'd forgotten how noisy the floppy drives were when they hit the end stop! The copy might be done..any m I n u t e..n o w. https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/e3b301098f9f4868e508cf8b9818e8a596c7cee16716c1ba82f9d0191734e5f2.webp https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/8b1372a80294c167135c55e977cf3b421721181e193a1b5d647aadb639e2413b.webp

My life is now more floppy thanks to @commodorelad.uk

Now I just need a bigger desk! https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/bc472cfc700c8053a324f1847972e26a101ffea3eb02dbdee6e69ced38d9fd4f.webp

Took a few mins to work out why I couldn't open the Syncthing GUI on the home server from a laptop downstairs - browser errors. Turns out, if you have a hardware VPN to a remote office & the laptop also has a Wireguard VPN open to the office, your packets get dizzy & you divide by zero or something.

When "Colleague" or "Valued Consulting Partner" is just too amenable and personable. https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/11f73515fdb28ee6ea891768c94d7cdc67e6e76e4a3891b5a1faa082099a41b7.webp

Needed a new small server for my home automation system.

Raspberry Pi 5 4GB £57.30

Case £9.30

512GB SSD kit £52.80

Or (Second hand PC, new SSD)

Lenovo M900 Tiny i5 4GB £40.00

512GB SSD £31.00

Sorry Pi

atop follow-up:

https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/27/atop_panic_averted/

Say what you want about AI, but ChatGPT plays an amusing game of Mornington Crescent.

Mind you, when I got it to try One Song to the Tune of Another, it started spurting Bohemian Rhapsody lyrics and then stopped itself for copyright reasons! https://cdn.nostrcheck.me/0c9e326b79ab7a99143aedfad7816891f7af4703cc3b5fa33f6632d70428d9af/24397c288c12aaa9345c9dc0bd06fad4012e79fb30e065a6e9749fe73fa67e99.webp