CLOSED: [2014-08-09 Sat 17:35] SCHEDULED: <2014-08-09 Sat> :PROPERTIES: :CREATED: [2014-08-09 Sat 11:18] :ID: 2014-08-09-personal-setup :END: :LOGBOOK: - State "DONE" from "DONE" [2023-04-08 Sat 18:40] - State "DONE" from "DONE" [2022-03-06 Sun 14:57] - State "DONE" from "DONE" [2021-07-02 Fri 15:35] - State "DONE" from "DONE" [2020-02-09 Sun 16:06] - State "DONE" from "DONE" [2018-05-17 Thu 18:12] - State "DONE" from "NEXT" [2014-08-09 Sat 17:35] :END: - Updates: - 2018-05-17: Updated my setup description that was outdated and covered the situation of 2014. Meanwhile, I maintain [[id:apps-I-am-using][a comprehensive list of software I use]]. Therefore, I removed most references to software from this page. - 2020-02-09: Updated my setup: - 5TB HDD → 8TB HDD - Dell P2418D, 23.8", WQHD 2560×1440 (instead of Dell UltraSharp U3014 30" with WQXGA 2560×1600) - Business hardware - 2021-07-02: general update of all sections: 2nd TFT, USB switch, sound setup, home LAN, tablet, D6000, ... - 2022-03-06: second 24"; Brix GB-BRR7H-4800 instead of intel NUC; 16 TB HDD - 2023-04-08: new DIY-computer replacing Brix GB-BRR7H-4800; new Turris router On this page, I summarize my IT set-up according to the last update time-stamp above. *** At home At home, I am working on an DIY computer I built early 2023 because my previous computer had severe hardware issues that ended up in 2-10 randomly distributed hardware freezing events per month. This troubling computer was a Brix GB-BRR7H-4800 (powered by a AMD RYZEN R7-4800U; 32GB RAM; Samsung 980 500GB SSD MZ-V8V500BW for the OS) running [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xubuntu][Xubuntu]] LTS GNU/Linux (I couldn't make Debian stable boot on the UEFI) with a [[http://www.xfce.org/][Xfce desktop manager]]. It got replaced by a computer built according to [[https://www.heise.de/ratgeber/Projektseite-Der-Optimale-PC-2023-7349205.html][the hardware setup from the computer magazine heise c't end of 2022]] (around 950€): - CPU: Intel Core i5-13500, 6C+8c/20T, 2.50-4.80GHz - Impressive power to performance ratio with a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_design_power][TDP]] of only 65 Watts. - CPU cooler: Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.C - What a beast - I never saw something like this before (but I rarely see large CPU coolers) - RAM: 2× Kingston ValueRAM DIMM 16GB, DDR4-3200, CL22-22-22 - Much more cost-efficient than the new DDR5 RAM my board is able to digest. - Power supply: Seasonic Focus PX 550W ATX 2.4 - Semi-passive mode as long as I don't exceed 55W → so more or less always passive. - Motherboard: GIGABYTE B660M Gaming X DDR4 - The version without on-board WiFi. - Case: Fractal Design Define 7 Mini Black Solid - This case is truly amazing! - SSD: Samsung SSD 980 PRO 2TB, M.2 (MZ-V8P2T0BW) - The largest Samsung Pro I could get and it's blazing fast. - my old 16TB HDD: Toshiba Enterprise Capacity MG08ACA - For large but seldomly used data. - GNU/Linux Debian 12 (bookworm) - Currently, it is Debian testing, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debian_version_history][soon becoming the new Debian stable]]. The neat thing about that configuration is that it is absolutely silent. Although not entirely passive, I can not hear any sound coming from that device except when the HDD is working. I could reduce this to a minimum after moving all the frequently used data to the large SSD. I really do love this machine: it's absolutely silent, consumes around 20 Watts in idle mode, is rock stable and performs faster than I need. I guess I'll never switch back to a small form-factor computer with its small fans, producing high-pitch sounds, driving me crazy. I type on [[id:2021-03-21-advantage2-plans][a pimped Kinesis Advantage2 keyboard]] using [[http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/gists/03517c889bd6a6bafbba00554c4e8b76][a customized US international QMK layout]]. I've used [[id:2021-01-30-keyboards][other keyboards]] as well. You can learn about the software I'm using [[id:apps-I-am-using][on this page]]. I'm using a [[https://geizhals.at/kensington-orbit-scroll-ring-trackball-k72337eu-a467253.html][Kensington Orbit Trackball]] and I do prefer over a mouse. In 2019, I switched from my [[http://www.dell.com/ed/business/p/dell-u3014/pd][Dell UltraSharp U3014 30" display]] with its enourmous screen estate at 2560×1600 (100 ppi) to a smaller 23.8" Dell P2418D with a high-density resolution (WQHD 2560×1440, 123 ppi). In 2021, I extended with a 24" Dell P2421DC at the same resolution. Both TFTs are mounted on a Logilink Dual BP0041. One is landscape, one is in portrait mode. My sound is processed via a Nobsound Mini Bluetooth 5.0 Digital Power Amplifier which I'm using via its USB interface (not Bluetooth). This ultra-small amplifier drives a pair of Paradigm Studio ADP-590 speakers. I can not express how cool this sound setup is: cheap (except the speakers) and really good quality. My microphone is a Blue Yeti Pro (USB) on a Rode Microphones PSA1 stand. When being away from home, I do have a lenovo X260 notebook running [[https://xubuntu.org/][Xubuntu]] LTS. For [[id:2015-04-01-digitizing-paper][scanning documents]], I am using a Konica Minolta Bizhub C224e copy machine as well as my old [[http://www.fujitsu.com/emea/products/scanners/scansnap/s1500m-gig4.html][Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500m]] via VueScan. My main router is a Turris MOX Classic running its up-to-date version of [[http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/tp-link/tl-wr1043nd][OpenWRT]]. The initial setup assistent is really good but its web UI shows many bugs. I prefer the [[https://github.com/openwrt/luci/wiki][LuCI]] web-UI. It provides an Internet gateway, firewalling services, additional ad-blocking, local DNS and DHCP. This main router connects to a TP-Link TL-SG2424 24-port-Switch and I do have two TP-Link TL-WA901ND running OpenWRT in bridge mode to provide a decent WiFi network in the house. I provide WiFi to the outside of our house using a TP-Link Pharos Serie CPE210 Outdoor WLAN Access Point running OpenWRT. My digital camera is my Google Pixel 4a. I stopped using dedicated digital compact cameras years ago because even my old OnePlus5 produced significant better images compared to my Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ31 or a Lumix TZ80 of a friend of mine. I own a [[https://onyxboox.com/boox_noteair][BOOX Onyx Note Air]] 10.3" [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_paper][e-ink]] Android Tablet. It is perfect for active reading (highlighting, adding notes and drawings) and reading e-books and PDF of all kind in general. I use it also to read my news feeds via the [[https://newsblur.com/][NewsBlur]] app. It has a battery life in weeks and an optional background light for reading in bed. In the living-room, there is a Epson EH-TW6600 V11H651040 projector for watching movies. Content is provided by an older Raspberry Pi running [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenELEC][OpenELEC]] and [[https://kodi.tv/][KODI]]. *** Business My business notebook is a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ThinkPad_T_series][lenovo T490]] (i7-8665U, FHD 1920×1080, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD). It is running [[https://xubuntu.org/][Xubuntu]] 22.04 LTS. Since I'm working in home office, I use my two 24" TFTs via a [[id:lenovo-dell-TB-docks][Lenovo Thunderbolt 3 Dock]]. Keyboard, mouse, microphone and amplifier are plugged in to a NIERBO USB Switch Hub 3.0. This hub connects to my personal computer as well as to the Thunderbolt dock. This way, I can switch between the two machines by pressing the button on the switch and manually changing inputs on my two TFTs. That's a poor man's [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KVM_switch][KVM switch]] which [[https://github.com/haimgel/display-switch][may be optimized even further]] but so far, I didn't care. *** Future plans Currently, I am still very satisfied with my overall setup. With my current job, I don't need to use Microsoft Windows any more except an installation for working with MS Office 365 within a virtual environment. Back in the days, when I was using OS X on my Mac Mini 2009, I was not satisfied with OS X: plugging in my FW800 backup disk corrupted my FW800 3TB disk fifty percent of the time. Apple did not give me an update path from 10.5 to a supported system. I was losing support for tools like the OS itself, Chrome, Flash, and so forth. Current Apple OS X versions I do not like either because of strategic decisions such as the heavy use of cloud-based services I want to avoid to protect my privacy. *** What about you? I really enjoy listening to other peoples setup. There is so much to learn from other users' stories. And there are [[id:2014-08-09-what-do-people-use][great sources of stories out there]]. Further more, I happily attend show-and-tell sessions at events like the [[http://linuxtage.at][Grazer Linuxtage]] and/or [[https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=karl+voit][give talks about my setup]]. If you want to share your setup with me and/or this blog, please drop me a line (email below or comment below). - 2021-07-04: [[https://plaindrops.de/][DrOps]] [[https://chaos.social/@Drops/106523779792077880][sent me]] a link to [[https://plaindrops.de/blog/2021/MyHardware/][his HW setup description]] with nice photos and interesting special purpose keyboards.