I tried Mint three or four years ago, and had issues with getting my games to work. As for the AppImages, the issue was that I would double-click on them, and nothing would happen. No error message, just nothing. To say the least, that doesn’t lend itself to troubleshooting.
That it is useful, and a civilization would be diminished if it doesn’t use technology. GLM 5.2, as of now, is able to almost perfectly copy Pac-Man. While this is a model that has a 700gb footprint for a Q6, we can expect future models of this ability to be usable on gamer hardware within a decade. My guess is that DDR6 RAM is roughly where we get to the turning point for local models.
What this means in practice, is that it would be much easier for non-programmers such as artists to have an local AI handle the parts of game development that they can’t do. Same goes for programmers who can’t draw worth a damn - I watched a video of Touhou EDM music, and the character depictions by an AI were quite nice looking. Individuals, provided they have the hardware, will become able to see many ideas and desires to fruition, as they don’t have to rely on acquiring other humans or venture capital.
Depending on how the cards play out, this could go a great way towards destroying capitalism as we know it. A burger flipper wouldn’t be able to pay a living salary to another person to create things - but an AI can be a much smaller investment. That same burger flipper might be able to create media or other AI assisted projects, that would otherwise be impossible on their budget or time.
Many humans claim to have imagination, but the luddites of our day seem to lack it.
It is certainly true that AI is in a bubble, alongside the (false) economy. I just have a feeling that people are deluding themselves into thinking AI is useless and undesirable to society, and by doing so, are robbing themselves and the better parts of society the opportunity to steer the future.
Your measured approach is an appropriate response. Familiarity with the technology gives you genuine agency about how you interact with it in the future.
IMO, this is just the older generations thinking badly of the young. Be it rock n’ roll, D&D, internet, smartphones, or AI, the older generations will not understand the priorities, workflows, and conditions of their younger peers.
Opposing AI is like rejecting the bicycle, sickle, or calculator. The thing that people should contemplate isn’t whether to use AI, but rather how to use it. Do we want only wealthy elites to have access to AI, or should everyone be able to use it? Should we use AI to teach people, and if so, what subjects? How do we prevent people from falling into poverty? And so forth.
Outright rejection of AI is foolish, and simply means that the peoples who adapt to a world with AI, will come ahead of those who have isolated themselves.
Alibaba. You can potentially buy DDR5 RDIMM at a couple hundred bucks a stick. You typically have to buy them with a minimum order of 10 pieces, and many of the sellers seem shady. I recommend going with a seller that has been around for at least a couple years, a return guarantee, and comparing the screenshot of a listing against the specs. If the RAM depicted isn’t a dupe of another seller, not blurred, and has the right things on it, then it is probably a legit source.
Also, watch out for shipping fees, and some sellers might cancel orders if they don’t reel in a big enough order to justify their bottom line.
Ebay is also an option, with similar caveats.
Here is a POTENTIAL source for RDIMMs, with a minimum order of 5 pieces for $141, +$20 shipping. The pics match up with the listing, though no unique photography is in use. If my Ebay order fails, I might give this a shot.
64GB DDR5-5600 PC5-5600B ECC Registered RDIMM 2Rx4 Smart Memory Module for ProLiant Servers
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I bought 32gb of DDR5 RDIMM for about $600 from Ebay. Mind, it hasn’t shipped, so we will see in a week whether the seller is good. Also bought a used Threadripper Pro 7000 for $1500. Again, whether it is valid is a question that will be answered within a month for me.
Assuming things go smoothly for me, my goal for the next year or so is to build up a warchest for the AI bubble popping. My TRX50 AI TOP can accept up to 8 RAM sticks, provided it has a Threadripper Pro. With any luck, I would be able to fill it out for $2,000 or thereabouts when the pop happens.
As a gamer and in most things, I want AI. It is the results that matter to me, not the method. Be it sewn by hand or the loom, the final product has to be good enough to justify my time and money.
The problems come from who and why, which boils down to the feckless elite wanting to exploit and boss around people. As we have seen countless times in the past, corporations never needed AI to be cruel to people.
I give up. This year ain’t Linux for me. There are too many problems, such as AppImages not consistently launching and not telling me why. I decided to RUFUS up a Windows 11, and will be using ShutUp10 to fix up privacy concerns.
It sucks, but the frustrations with ZorinOS piled up. Hopefully Linux will be good enough for a power-casual in three or four years, but for now, it isn’t fitting what I want nor need.
When installing Snap apps, how the heck do I find the working directory? I got DevilutionX installed, but can’t figure out where my .mpq files are supposed to go.
This has been my biggest pain point in this latest attempt to escape Microsoft’s grasp. The GUI just doesn’t tell me where things end up, and search with Dolphin hasn’t helped. 🫤
At this point, selecting random people off the street would result in a healthier democracy. Politicians have room to be dumb and evil, because they inherited money and social connections. A rando would have to be actually skilled if they want to obtain such things.
Hold on to your britches, the economy is going down like a rollercoaster. After the SpaceX and other AI company IPOs, odds are that a bubble much larger than the Dotcom iteration will explode.
I could do with less interesting times.
Britain should just follow Doggerland’s example. Aside from spotted dick, nothing of value would be lost.
/s.
Wish I could talk bullshit and be paid for it…
If you are on iPhone, you can use Kagi’s Orion - it is based on Webkit, which is what Safari uses. I have uBlock Origin installed on that browser.
“Dronizard, use your kamikaze attack!” - Team Epstein member, Kegsbreath.
Considering the FIFA peace prize, I suspect that Omar is lucky to not attend the shit show. If I wanted to look like an evil overlord, this is the kind of imagery I would use.
Chinese emperors often consumed mercury in pursuit of eternity. Zuck and friends want to print themselves onto silicon. Coincidence?
Feudalism v3.0, the fences to keep humans as livestock are going up. Can’t leave town without corporate’s permission.
Hopefully, Mexico will actually achieve the American Dream, rather than being dragged into a nightmare by their capitalists.
In ZorinOS, you use the properties tab to set whether something is an executable. ZorinOS tries to be a midway point between Linux and Windows, so a fair chunk of things can be done without relying on the terminal. The issue with AppImages comes from previously working as intended, then silently failing.
In any case, Linux needs more time in the oven before it is suitable for the everyday person. It simply lacks the reliability and intuitiveness that is needed for someone used to Windows. Hopefully, SteamOS is what brings Linux to where it needs to be.