@JenJen@mastodon.art @feff@comicscamp.club ​let's put it this way, there was Feff and about 40 IT nerds in chat. Idk about others, but I've been on Linux for 18 years, in Linux IT for 12, worked at Red Hat for 6, worked with the systemd devs reading C and finding bugs for 5 of that, and I had NO CLUE WTF was going on with that grub installation. It gave the most generic error message. And while I'm not saying I solved it, a bunch of folks there are definitely smarter than me and couldn't solve it either. Because at the end of the day Feff ran into something that almost never happens which is a corrupted USB INSTALLER.

I think I've hit that once maybe twice in 18+ years, installing Linux literally hundreds of times. Yes there's a check when you run the USB on boot, but no one does because this almost never happens.

This was NOT a Jenjen issue. This was NOT a Feff issue. The laptop was VERY nonstandard, which threw everyone off and made us think it was the laptop. It wasn't.

Feff you did AMAZING and we all learned a lot from your experience. Thank you for sharing. Especially thank you for sharing the difficulty it took.

And thank you Jenjen for having to deal with people like "just learn how it works". Because NO ONE knows it all. I can't draw for shit. Linus Torvalds doesn't know all of Linux.

Knowing how to troubleshoot and figure things out is far more important. And knowing when to ask for help is also important and something a LOT of people, especially in Linux, don't know how to do.

@eltheanine@the.teabag.ninja ​No worries. I run Novara, which is GloriousEggroll's distro. The GloriousEggroll of Proton-GE. So it's definitely a gaming related distro. But with everything in computing sometimes there's just a toggle you need. 😄

@eltheanine@the.teabag.ninja pretty sure it's a wayland issue. At least I think it is?​

Writing this for my FUTURE SELF when I need it. But anyone else, please pitch in a suggestion.

So! Just got Ashes of Creation and joined a Discord group. But Push to Talk doesn't work in Discord from what I can tell. I'm on Nobara with Flatpak Discord.

After too much searching, what I did is the following:

Created 2 custom keyboard shortcuts:

• PTT Down mapped to BACKSLASH

• pactl set-source-mute alsa_input.usb-Insta360_Insta360_Link-02.mono-fallback false

• PTT Up mapped to FORWARDSLASH

• pactl set-source-mute alsa_input.usb-Insta360_Insta360_Link-02.mono-fallback true

THEN in Input Mapper I mapped GRAVE to:

• k(KEY_BACKSLASH).h().k(KEY_SLASH)

That way when I hold GRAVE it pushes the BACKSLASH which runs the Mute FALSE and when I release it pushes KEY_SLASH which enables MUTE TRUE.

There HAS to be a better way right?!?

Good day all! Upcoming episode of Fireside Fedi!

The #livestream will be on: stream.firesidefedi.live

Special Guest: @carmenlisandrette@mastodon.social

"Cat lover, lesbian, free software activist, golden retriever in a dress. I'm responsible for Mission:Libre, social.missionlibre.org/@mis... In Auckland, New Zealand."

So don't miss it!

It will happen on 12 January 2026 at 16:00 US Eastern Time ( UTC-5 )

If by any ungodly chance you miss the show:

#PeerTube ( #VOD ): tubefree/@firesidefedi

Or, even on #YouTube: youtube.com/@btfree_org

#firesidefedi #fediverse #fedi #interview #freesoftware #opensource #userfreedom #freedom #resistance

@JenJen@mastodon.art as you've pointed out, no one has time to learn everything. That's why we have an international economic system. I don't have a clue how to make a CPU processor. I pay for it. I don't have a clue how to speak another language, but I'm nice enough to ask others for help when I need it.

Yes you can argue that you won't be doing any of what I just said daily and electronics are more a part of modern day life, but I don't know how to fix a car anymore. I used to know. I don't have a clue how to run my work laptop with Windows. And I won't learn.

I thank you for being so open trying these new things, and know you have a community of folks to help you. I'd also say, as you saw last night, sometime this shit just doesn't work how we all expect. So even KNOWING Linux I couldn't have helped fixing those issues.​

@peter@thepit.social ​holy shit it's so much worse than I would have imagined and my family literally told me I'm a conspiracy theorist. That's HORRIFIC.

@deadtom@dice.camp speaking of good original MTV, have you caught tv.theindiebeat.fm/

@nigel@unsociable.lowkey.party ​talking to you from it now and honestly I think it's incredible. But I'm biased. 😁 I love trying new Fedi tech.

If you want to see a livestream of me rambling and installing #Bonfire and explaining it you can now check it out:

tubefree.org/w/3pATRDsqiBu99...

Watching @feff@comicscamp.club @feff@mastodon.art and @JenJen@mastodon.art install #Linux right now on #Owncast AND #Twitch .

live.jenniegyllblad.com

@andypiper@macaw.social @Floppy@mastodon.me.uk @jtonline@mastodon.me.uk @alister@hachyderm.io ​

THIS is why I love Andy! "nerdstalgia" LOL I learn so many new words. 😁

@JenJen@mastodon.art @feff@comicscamp.club ​

ONE OF US! ONE OF US!

😄

I <3 Linux as well as the Fediverse! Jenjen is getting all kinds of free in 2026! Next up, your phone! Muahahahahahahahaha!

@operationpuppet@mastodon.content.town Been there. Except I punched myself in the face and gave myself a bloody nose. Get better soon! 😄 ​

@Mrfunkedude@mastodon.social @jandi@mastodon.social @lps@mograph.social @eloquer@social.tchncs.de ​I'll say, I do not think going with FediHost is a bad idea at all. But yeah, I have to do a lot of admin work for TubeFree and have needed a lot of help. Managed hosting is definitely going to be different. Changing your car's oil vs taking it to the shop and pay someone to change it.

@jandi@mastodon.social @apps@toot.fedilab.app I have not had them on Fireside Fedi yet. I'll have to reach out. Took a few weeks off for the holidays. I have on call next week, but going to try to start scheduling more episodes for the future. Thank you for watching. 😄 ​

Hey @mayel@bonfire.cafe . i followed you and @Bonfire@bonfire.cafe but sitting at Requested. I've seen this randomly. I know some folks need to approve follows. Didn't know if this was the case or there's a bug.

Happy New Year!