Yep Linux is the easiest way to get games :) don’t even need to worry about viruses.

I had a good time.

I use puppy from time to time. Works well.

I created a distro once for class that just had diaspora installed on a live CD. It was only used for demos a looong time ago. DiasporaTest.

I can’t think of any windows specific games I’ve payed for the last two years.

Flash drives and periodic transfers.

Htop or top

Portmaster is amazing.

I have an old mac mini that was a server for a good 4-ish years.

The good:

1. They are pretty good at sticking in a closet and forgetting about them.
2. Specs are always on the decent side and some of the older models are easy to upgrade.
3. Power is ok. It sips power
4. It can run for years without issues. I still have two mac minis I used for CI/CD jobs, thin clients, etc…
5. Its a cheap mac. If you need mac for something, like building custom mac specific applications, then its a decent little machine.

The bad:

1. CPU is usually lacking compared to any computer of the same price range.
2. MAC OS. Its good at desktop but as a server, it just doesn’t have the same options/ease of use as a good linux box. You can get around that by dual booting, but its just another headache. Docker/VMs are also an option, but the RAM/CPU usage would take a hit.
3. The newer the model, the harder it is to upgrade.

I would use it as a specialty server if you have something you do automatically only macs can do. Or as a thin client/vm box.

I used to use it as a CI/CD box before github actions was a thing. If you happen to have one, sure set it up for fun. If you dont and are looking at buying one, I would suggest a cheap dell desktop or (depending on what you want to host) a pi 5 or thin client and throw linux on it.

That’s a very good point. Only the pixel line realistically gets updated years after buying the phone. Wish the fair phone was available for a decent price.

I like the way the Steam Deck uses it. Just pops you back into the game. Multiplayer games will kick you but its game specific.

The demo was a lot of fun. My wife and I played a bit. Plays more like smash brothers with grabs than the first game. It feels a tiny bit slower, which is fine. They have a mode where you can see replays in detail, frames/hitboxes/etc… The roster of characters are a bit small, but the first game started that way too.

Might also be a reaction to the younger crowd getting dumb phones instead of the next smart phone. Or at least some of them. Met a couple and its wild. Cant imagine without a smart phone, but its apparently a thing.

I can also play over a decades worth of games from my library that saved my saves. And there’s no monthly cost.

True.

Honestly with the invent of flash drives, Networked drives, and other such solutions, it makes less sense to have a dedicated home partition. I usually blow it away with a new system as an excuse to get rid of all the old documents I dont need anymore. Although back in the day, I got rid of an entire bitcoin once…not recoverable. Ouch.

If you tend to distro hop or want to change fundamentals of your system, having the home partition can be a boon. You can re-install your entire system without changing the home partition, keeping all your documents/files/etc… Thats typically why people do that. Personally, I just have a network drive for that sort of stuff and keep everything important there, but it can save you time.

The biggest issue with Analogue is they only make a small amount of these devices then they are gone.

I know right. Those are my complaints too. But I just jump back on after a while with a new run.

Heres some actual gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqO2xU6D65k

I think that its kinda wonky to actually use. And the installation can be difficult depending on your set up. Still cool though.