Into This Shadow

I've now been on Linux Mint only for 2 months! I deleted Windows 11 off entirely January 9, 2026 and even though I was a little worried I'd come to regret it, so far I have not! I haven't needed Windows for anything. I'm so happy with Linux Mint!

Even the two apps I was sorry to lose with Windows, Paprika Recipe Manager and Scrivener, I managed to get working once I discovered Lutris ✨ Those two are the only Windows apps I'm stil using, and not that much. Paprika also has an Android version which I have on my phone so that's great.

In other great news, I actually managed to install the otwarchive software (the software that is developed for and runs A03) on Mint. It was not any easier now than back in 2017 or so when I tried the first time. Let me tell you, it was an exercise in frustration! I followed the otw's Docker Desktop installation instructions, had trouble getting my head around Docker but once I did, I mostly figured it out and got the otwsoftware up and running. Except the default installation come with a controller, css and database error, and not being familiar with ruby/rails/whatever, I could figure it out myself. But suddenly it dawned on me to ask AI, and so to Gemini I went. It solved the controller problem in 1 minute, css in another (I had been banging my head on the wall otwarchive wall for 2 weeks by then!), and then the database problem as well and low and behold, I had a otwarchive up and running without any errors! Yay!

... And no yay. 3 times out 4, everytime I'd start otwarchive, docker would come up with an error: ghost container/image and the otwarcheve would not load at all. So, back to Gemini to troubleshoot. And we did, for three days. Nothing worked, always the ghost thingy and always full reinstall. Until after I asked Gemini, is Docker Desktop necessary to run it because that seems to be the problem, can Docker be run from terminal. At that point, Gemini told me that there's native Linux docker engine and it might work better in my system given I've been having such problem with the Desktop version. So with Gemini's instructions on how to remove Docker Desktop fully, then how to install the Linux docker native engine and finally otwarchive itself. And... IT WORKS!!!! 🥳✨

This docker raw engine version is SO MUCH faster than the Desktop was, and not a single ghost container/image/whatever since then. Or any other problems - otwarchive's on my laptop been working like a dream with the native engine! And it's very easy to start and shutdown. I made some aliases and bash script to make it easy. The reason I wanted to try and get the otwarchive on my laptop is because I'm curious, and because it'd be easier to develop site skins that way. Gemini also helped me create a python script to automatically update the site skin css I'm working on, so now I don't have to save it, copy, go to AO3/my otwarchive, find the skin and open it, paste the css, save. The script does all that automatically for me while it's running! So cool 🥳

Home > Season 1 > 1.04 Seven Screencaps

There's a problem on all of my sites: zip files have disappeared from the server. My host is looking into it. In the meanwhile, the FocusWriter theme and other zips will give an error while trying to download them.

I've decided to cap A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms as well. The first episode caps 1.01 The Hedge Knight are up now!

So, I think I'm switching to Linux Mint for good!

I installed it in this (new) laptop back in October, and have needed to boot to Windows 11 only twice since and HATED both times. I did the only the mandatory things there and booted back to Linux as quickly as I could and felt SO relieved to be back in Linux. I'm so terribly tempted to remove Windows entirely, I don't want to keep it anymore - it just gets on my nerves.

I put Linux Mint on Mom's old laptop something like a decade ago maybe (which originally ran the notorious Vista and was slow from the start), and she liked it so much I had her on it for like 6-8 years until even with Linux the laptop became quite slow (it was 14 years old at that point). Mom bought a new laptop in 2021 but when I tried to install Linux Mint in that because she wished it so, it seemed to go okay but when I tried to boot to Linux Mint, got errors. I didn't have werewithal at the time to figure it out and Mom was okay with Windows 10/11 which still worked fine. But we got to talking about it again in October; Mom still misses Linux Mint/Ubuntu and I did love it, so I decided to try it out again and I instantly in LOVE with it so much again!

The last time I still needed Windows because there were a few Windows only programs I needed because of my fansites, but now I don't really do fansites anymore and in the about 3 months I've now been using Linux Mint, I've either figured how to do everything I need or don't actually need them anymore! Because I don't do fansites anymore as extensively as I used to.

Mom said that she's totally okay if I put only Linux Mint on her laptop again - if I can figure out the errors - and get rid of Windows. So now I'm putting Linux Mint on my old laptop so I can give it to her for the time being - I'll have to bring her laptop home with me, so I can troubleshoot it in peace and see what I can figure out. I already have some ideas what it could be, having done more in-depth research to make sure I can install Linux Mint to dual boot with Windows 11. But it'll likely take some days at the minimum to get it all ready, so Mom and her SO need a laptop for the duration.

My answers to today's questions at thefridayfive@DW

1. Do you mostly drink tap, filtered, or bottled water?

Only tap water. 

2. Is it safe/recommended to drink tap water where you live? If not, why?

It's safe. The quality of tap water here in such that it's a given - nobody born here even thinks about it. 

3. What does the tap water taste/smell like where you live?

Nothing, IMO.

4. Do you collect rainwater? If so, what do you use it for?

Nope.

5. Do you/have you ever had restrictions on water use where you live? What did you have to change about your lifestyle?

The only times tap water isn't safe to drink is when there is a temporary, local problem with some local plumbing/water supply/water treatment plant. These happen occasionally but I've never had it happen to me in my 51 years.

People still have summer cottages that are old and basic enough that they don't get municipal running water, or the running water comes from their own well in which case bottled water is needed for drinking. My Mom and her SO had a place like that for a couple of years, spent only summers there and had to haul in water for the stays. They had their own well and running water, but it could not be used for drinking or cooking, just for showering and gardening and such.

The only thing was that when I visited that Mom's and SO's summer place, I had to remember never to drink water from any faucet. And while showering, not letting water in my mouth.