2 is usually install, using a live version of Linux kinda sucks.

So you’re saying you don’t like the choice in Linux? On a given distro, there’s usually one right way and maybe 2 other ways. Learn the right way for your setup and you’re good.

If you’re using Network Manager, do it the Network Manager way. If you’re using Debian as a server, do it the Debian way (`/etc/network/interfaces). If you’re using SUSE, do it the SUSE way (YaST).

If you don’t want to deal with it, use DHCP (usually default) and set the static lease on your router using the MAC address. That’s better anyway because you can change all of your static leases in one spot if you ever need to.

How you set it can vary depending on what you’re running. Linux is all about choice, and choice means multiple ways to do a thing. Places to look:

• raspi-config - catchall CLI tool on Raspbian, not sure if it covers both of the following, but it’s a good option to start with
• /etc/network/interfaces - the Debian way to do things
• Network Manager - usually used for desktops, but can be used by servers; if the first two don’t work, try this

But you could also have installed something different. If you post your OS and version and what you’re running on it, I can give better advice.

That said, normal networking rules apply:

• don’t set a static lease in your DHCP range, or you could get conflicts, which can look like it’s not working
• consider using DHCP and setting the static lease through your router; use the MAC address and you’ll never need to mess with network settings on the Pi
• if you set on the pi, make sure everything is correct (netmask, gateway, interface)

At least set it outside your DHCP range.

I have my DHCP set to use from .100 and up, and my static addressee are in the .1-99 range.

I still set it through my router so I have a place to look up which one is which (they’re piling up), but they’re all in that range.

I recommend setting up whatever your alternative is a little before committing to ease the transition a bit. It’s different, and it’s good to fall back to something else for a bit if you get frustrated.

On my phone, I have two games:

• PySolFC - FOSS collection of a bunch of solitaire-like games, with varying levels of attention required
• Lichess - FOSS chess game, with puzzles, bots, and MP

The first is available on F-Droid, not sure about other stores, and the second is probably available everywhere (I got it on Google Play).

I, too, got tired of sifting through ad-riddled BS and just didn’t play games on my phone for years.

Exactly. A DIY router is fine, don’t DIY the AP.

Yeah, flash memory doesn’t store well, hence the recommendation to keep checking on it. This article claims 10 years, but I think checking on it every year or two is a good idea.

And yeah, M-Disk looks like a good option, especially if you never need to read from it. I would make multiple copies though, because disks break, get lost, etc. And get an extra drive so your successors don’t need to go find one; people are lazy and you want as few obstacles to them using it as possible.

I personally don’t like using optical media because players can be finicky and storage can be annoying. But it’s probably a good solution for your stated needs.

i don’t know much about custom fonts, but there are two main options for self-hosted “word” replacements:

• Collabora CODE - LibreOffice wrapped up as a web application
• OnlyOffice

I use Collabora with Nextcloud (hence the link).

I use Collabora CODE, which is an online version of LibreOffice. I don’t know a ton about the technical details, but I’m pretty sure it does server side rendering.

Here’s a guide to configure it with Nextcloud.

Balatro was decently fun, but I don’t get the hype. I played for a couple hours and enjoyed it, but it didn’t grip me like Slay the Spire did. I’ll probably play it some more when the update drops, but I doubt I’ll play more than 10 hours total.

I haven’t used Netflix on my Pi for a few years, but at least in the past it worked fine by pulling the DRM lib from Android. I used Netflix and Disney Plus on Kodi (with a plugin) for a couple years until we stopped watching on that TV (in the bedroom).

Sure, but they used AAC to rocket to success, not MP3. In fact, it was annoying back in the day because everything non-apple used MP3.

I’m not talking about USB sticks, I’m talking about USB drives, like a HDD or SSD. If you want to go with flash memory, I recommend SD cards because they’re small and cheap, so keeping a few copies isn’t particularly burdensome.

I wouldn’t trust any of these options to last a long time on a shelf though. Check them every year or two and replace every 5-10 years, maybe a little longer if you buy higher quality.

So I might use a pair of mirrored hard drives with SATA->USB cable, then include instructions along the lines of “plug into my linux laptop to access, or take to a computer repair show if you can’t work it out”.

That’s basically what I’m planning too. But my use case is disaster recovery, basically as a cheaper alternative to paying for hosted backup for important, but recoverable information (e.g. ripped media). Everything truly important (pictures and documents) goes to hosted backup as well.

I’m largely relying on documents explaining how to access the backups. If I pass, I expect my survivors to either figure it out themselves or hire someone who can figure it out from my documentation.

Then I’d go with FAT on a USB, which should be plenty portable into the future. You’ll want to replace it every 5-10 years, and check on it every other year or so.

That’s about as easy to use as I can think of. Decades down the road, physical media like DVDs and tapes may be difficult to find readers for, but USB is versatile enough that someone is bound to have access. Micro SD cards may also be a good option, as long as you keep a couple USB readers around.

I doubt all of them are on X.

How can I tell if individual files get corrupted?

Checksums. A good filesystem will do this for you, but you can do it yourself if you want.

If you sync a drive with rsync or something periodically, it’ll replace files with different checksums, fixing any corruption as you go. Then smart tests should tell you if there’s any corruption the drive is aware of. I’m sure automated backup tools have options for this.

Exactly. I have a document for my SO that describes what to do if I pass (where the money is, how the WiFi is set up, various important accounts, etc). It’s not a will (nothing about who gets what, though that’s assumed by the state to be my SO, or my kids equally if we pass together), just a document that explains the stuff I handle.

But I will because it won’t work the next time I take it home to sync. The chance that it’ll fail during the few months between a sync and an emergency is incredibly low.

I wouldn’t leave it on a shelf for years, just a few months at a time (approximately quarterly).

Yup, it’s my backup if I need a chromium browser for something. I just don’t engage with the BAT nonsense and it’s about as good as a chromium browser can get IMO.

Firefox w/ uBlock Origin is my main though, mostly because I want to support independent browser engines.