Resetting /etc/machine-id every boot

Original post: https://ianlecorbeau.github.io/blog/resetting-machineid-every-boot.html The /etc/machine-id and /var/lib/dbus/machine-id files can potentially be used to fingerprint a system over the long term. Of course, some will argue that this is merely FUD, but it really isn't. The key word here is *potentially*. There may not be any indications that this file is actively being used in a …

Using Diff and Patch to Manage Certain Config Files

Something I've been meaning to try out for the past couple of months, that is, using patches to maintain and apply customizations to certain config files. The primary motivation here is my custom xenodm theme on OpenBSD, as well as my custom Debian live iso with dwm (which modifies a few system files). Using diffs …

Linux, Bacon and Deadlifts, part 7: Have a Purpose and Set Some Goal

Many of us are guilty of starting something only to give up halfway through. It's not always deliberate, of course. Sometimes, we just lose interest and move on. Other times, we lack the patience required. Nowadays, lots of folk are looking for instant gratification, and turn around once they realize that you need to do …

OpenBSD’s CWM: An Underrated Window Manager (Plus a Comfy Config)

June 2023: an updated version of this post is available on my new site: https://ianlecorbeau.github.io/blog/openbsd-cwm.html The first time I tried OpenBSD's Calm Window Manager, I thought it was really good, but at that point I was merely curious as to what it looked like and didn't explore all its functionalities. I've always been more than …

Linux, Bacon and Deadlifts, Part 6: From Beginner to Advanced (don’t overthink)

- The general recommendation for someone looking to switch to Linux is to start with a beginner friendly distribution such as Ubuntu, or one of its derivative (especially Linux Mint). They're usually told to steer clear of the more advanced distros such as Gentoo, Arch, or a Debian netinstall. This is obviously good advice. If …

My Custom Build of Suckless’ Dwm (and st, and dmenu)

I realized not long ago that I have never made a post about my personal build of dwm. I did mention it in my Suckless install guide, but that was well over a year ago and the build changed a bit since then. Considering that pretty much anything I'm talking about when it comes to …

Using Xrandr for Multi Monitor Setups (plus some useful scripts)

If you're a window manager user, one of the things you might be looking for is a quick and easy way of setting up multiple monitors. There's a few GUI programs that achieve that goal, but they're rather unnecessary when you can just use xrandr to achieve that goal. ## Prerequisite Just make sure xrandr …

(Unofficial) Debian Live Iso with Dwm

Original post date: February 11, 2021Updated: December 08, 2021September 18, 2022 update: the iso in this post is deprecated. For the new iso, see: https://github.com/RagnarokOS/iso/releases/ Recently, I made a post about how to quickly build a custom Debian live iso, and included a bunch of links to my debian-live-build repo where I keep the files …

The Basics of NoScript

It's always good to remember one thing: don't turn your web browser into a freakin' Christmas tree with tons of useless addons. The reality is that there are only a handful of them that are truly useful. One such useful addon is NoScript. I often hear about how "complicated" and "inconvenient" NoScript is, which makes …

Linux, Bacon & Deadlifts, Part 3: Source Based Linux Distros, Food Studies & Calisthenics

- I’ve been toying with Gentoo for a little while now (and it’s damn good, by the way), and one of the questions that has popped up often during my research is whether or not running Gentoo (or any other source based distro) is worth it. This is easily answered by simply answering another question: …