Multiannual Linux SxS List Bump

[Jay Nugent]

Greetings fellow Calderians,

On Thu, 5 Mar 2020, James McDonald via Linux-users wrote:

> How many people are still on this list?

    Still here, retired, and still running nothing but Linux.  More and 
more I'm using Raspberry-Pi computers because they are cheap (like me), 
fast (unlike me), and they run on 12-volts D.C. with just a little $4 
regulator.  More and more of my house runs off of a 12 VDC Solar power 
system.  A couple PV panels on the roof and a large bank of deep-cycle 
batteries is enough for *most* of my needs - lighting, fans, Ham radios, 
scanners, weather alert radios, alarm system, cellphone and tablet and 
Fit-Bit rechargers, etc.  And in a pinch I can pump and filter my own 
water supply using 12vdc.

    Now that my garage roof has been re-shingled, we will be putting up 16 
290-watt PV panels on the South facing roof.  One or two will be dedicated 
to the 12 VDC system with the rest of the panels using Enphase inverters 
backfeeding the Grid.  Next year we will upgrade our gas furnace to 
Geo-Thermal and hope that we generate enough Solar power to offset the 
cost of running the geo-thermal compressor.  The house is all paid for, so 
now we want to reduce our ongoing monthly electric/fuel costs, which will 
be great in retirement! :)

    Wrote a 'Primer' about the Solar project, but it's a couple years (and 
many additional projects) out of date:  http://www.nuge.com/solar


> Anything noteworthy to talk about?

    Linux related....I'll be heading up to Lansing (actually Diamondale) to 
our State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) to upgrade a Dell PC to 
RedHat Fedora Workstation.  The current workstation's browser is too old 
and won't support the State's "MI-CIMS / WebEOC" web-based event tracking 
tool.  So I've been 'volunteered' by our AUXCOMM leader to perform the 
upgrade and to also re-install a Packet Radio networking program called 
"JNOS", and perform some other 'radio' related repairs.  So we're just 
waiting to set a date amd time to get this all done.


> Is everybody OK regarding Coronavirus? Here in Australia people are 
> hoarding toilet paper of all things.

    Being a "Prepper" (solar, water, communications, medical, etc.) we are 
prepared for any long-term quarantine that may become required....or if we 
decide to self quarantine just to stay AWAY from other people to reduce 
our exposure.  If we had to, my wife and I would not need to leave the 
house for a year or more.  Now DON'T show up...but if you do, we can 
always use more fertilizer for the garden (wink)  Oh, the tomatoes are 
REALLY good this year!  DOH!

    We've been following the "JohnS Hopkins Coronavirus Dashboard".  They 
update the figures from all around the world at 4pm Eastern time, with 
several periodic updates during the day.  It's good to see the large 
numbers of people who have "recovered" without incident.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/publichealth/84698?fbclid=IwAR1lfYAlwYd9fFoLJzSAz5fnQ1Q9R6NlgoT4aQNUNd9BA940Q48RlL1Wodw

    My wife works at Mott Hospital, part of the University of Michigan 
Hospital complex, and gets daily updates regarding the virus situation. 
Michigan has no current cases and has had several suspect cases that were 
confirmed as NOT being Covid-19.  So we do the wash hands, don't touch 
face, routine, and have a goodly supply of Hydrogen Peroxide on hand.

    We have limited our outside travels a bit, but we will go into Hermit 
mode *IF* there is any increase in cases in our part of Michigan.  There 
are four Tier-4 hospitals equipped to handle Covid-19 cases here in 
Michigan -- two in Grand Rapids and 2 in the Detroit area.  But I expect 
UofM can handle anything critical that might crop up.  As long as cases 
are identified early and the CDC tracks down that persons contacts for the 
prior several days, I trust that the 'system' will work fine and no large 
scale Pandemic will result.


    Now for something really scary...go stream the movie "Contagion". 
You'll better understand the incredible work the CDC does in tracking down 
patients, their contacts, and getting them all isolated and tested. 
You'll never touch another door knob or crash-bar without thinking about 
all the germs/virii you just picked up!  Creapy!!!


    Enjoy!
       --- Jay Nugent  WB8TKL
           Ypsilanti, Michigan