Observations on the world and its inhabitants
This post is my notes shared with those who know what a ‘Style’ is in MS Word (or Word in O365), or those people who want to spend time acquiring knowledge and skill. And you should be a person who knows what a macro is and how to set it up. If you’re not that ...
OpenWebUI has been active in updating its software. Each upgrade makes for a snappier more reliable setup in Docker (as I tested and found on my W11 computer). This guide is notes-to-self on upgrading OpenWebUI when it runs as a single Docker container on Windows 11 using PowerShell. It assumes the following setup: OpenWebUI stores ...
It is not uncommon that people receive a PDF text document that they cannot copy text from. They tend to spend on software that can do the job, or use online services. However, the quality of text output is largely a function of the cost. Cheap services and software are generally poor quality. Good quality ...
MCP — the Model Context Protocol — is a standard that lets AI models interact directly with external services. Instead of copying and pasting between a chat window and an application, the AI reaches into the application itself. It can read data, create content, update settings, and extract information — all through natural conversation. WordPress ...
The solution cuts right through modern Windows abstraction layers. Rather than letting Windows guess over broadcast protocols or relying on heavy vendor wrapper apps, pinning the print engine straight to a raw TCP port gives the rock-solid reliability network printing. 1. The Core Problem Following an operating system reinstallation (Windows 11), a legacy network-attached All-In-One ...
Section 1: The Challenge of Interpretive Texts Policy documents, legal texts, and regulatory instruments share a common feature: they are dense, layered, and conditional. A single provision may depend on a definition found elsewhere. That definition may itself contain exceptions or cross-references. The result is a text that is difficult to hold in working memory ...
Meld is a free, open-source comparison tool. It runs on Windows, Linux and Mac. Its job is simple to state: put two versions of a document side by side and show you exactly where they differ. Programmers have used it for years to compare code. But nothing about it is limited to code. Any plain ...
Do I care if you or 99% of people don’t know anything about this, or couldn’t care less? I do not! Open WebUI offered me version 0.10.2 this morning. I was on 0.9.6. A small number, a small hop, or so it looks. It isn’t. I have been burned before. An earlier upgrade almost wiped ...
My Downloads folder has a reputation. It starts each day as a convenient holding pen for files I need briefly. By the end of the week, it becomes a digital landfill of installers, PDFs, screenshots, ZIP files, videos, and documents I meant to file but never did. Clicking through hundreds of files trying to remember ...
BigLinux is one of the most powerful Linux distributions out there. It originates in Brazil – where unbeknownst to most – there is a huge culture of software development. The Linux world is exploding and Microsoft is worried but keeping a straight face. So having gone into Linux, I chose BigLinux over Zorin – I ...
A major Linux kernel and driver upgrade cycle provides an excellent opportunity to align system configurations with hardware capabilities. Operating system defaults are typically engineered for broad compatibility, which often leaves significant performance and efficiency on the table. Following a major platform transition—such as upgrading to the Linux 7.0 kernel and installing updated graphics drivers—a ...
QR codes are particularly valuable in documents where traditional hyperlinks cannot be made clickable or directly exposed, such as printed materials, posters, handouts, slides or certain electronic files intended for distribution. A QR code, or Quick Response code, is a two-dimensional barcode capable of storing a hyperlink or other information. When scanned by a smartphone ...
Introduction This document is a complete, honest account of a technical project to connect the Claude Desktop application to a self-hosted WordPress site using the Model Context Protocol (MCP). It records what was attempted, what failed, what was discovered, and what finally worked. It is written for anyone — technical or otherwise — who wants ...
This is a record of installing WinBoat on BigLinux as a proof of concept for running Windows applications natively within a Linux environment. The goal was to understand the process well enough to repeat it on another Linux machine. Snagit (Techsmith) which usually is constrained to Windows was used as the test subject app. System: ...
Recently I moved to Espanso both on Windows and BigLinux for a free and easy way to create shortcuts for key phrases used. There are now several articles on this site about the learning. That means something. Espanso on Windows is easier to setup. It can output images, text, and a whole lot more – ...
We’ve had a busy month in the business of measuring “Humanity.” Between the release of Humanity’s Last Exam (HLE) and the interactive bloodbath that was ARC-AGI-3, it’s becoming clear that we aren’t exactly building a new mind. We’re building a $600 billion filing cabinet that’s learned how to speak with a slight academic sneer. The ...
The Objective This was to create a secure, dual-user environment on a single BigLinux machine where the primary user (CW) and a secondary user (User2) maintain complete session isolation. The secondary user requires access to their mobile hotspot (UX1) without viewing the primary user’s files or possessing administrative (root) privileges. The Core Bottlenecks & Hardware ...
We have all been there. You are halfway through typing “I hope this email finds you well” for the fourteenth time since breakfast, and for a split second, you actually forget how to spell “well.” Like wut! It happens to people. Or perhaps you are staring at a blinking cursor, trying to remember if your ...
Most of us spend our lives fighting with our keyboards. We have these thoughts—medical observations, legal arguments, complex lines of code—but the physical act of typing it out over and over feels like a tax on our time. When I first looked at Espanso, I almost closed the window. It looked like a wall of ...
This post documents the transition from TextBlaze to Espanso on a BigLinux system, detailing the technical hurdles overcome and the final configuration logic. The plan is then to run Espanso on W11. 1. Espanso vs. TextBlaze: Key Differences While both tools serve the same goal, the philosophy of use is different: 2. The Critical First ...
What happened was that I created a System Restore point before 590 Nvidia. System Restore failed even after switching off Virus Shield. This meant I’d have to do a fresh re-install of the 577 driver. The best path forward was to ensure that 590 was totally cleaned out. Of course, not everybody knows: Absolute Cleanup: ...
Yes – it’s true. I don’t need to know how to write code for Macros, when I have paid geniuses who can do the work. BTW some people don’t even know what a ‘macro’ is and they’ll be thinking of microscopes. If you’re one of those types, you should save your time for Instagram or ...
As a new user of Linux (BigLinux), I was occupied with getting set up in my dual boot system. When on Windows, I’ve not been hacked or infiltrated by malicious code (viruses) for the last 15 years at least. That’s because I use the best of the best AV software shields and crazily complex passwords. ...
Date: 8 February 2026. System: Scan 3XS Laptop (Clevo X56xWNx Architecture), Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (Arrow Lake), RAM: 64GB DDR5 RAM, DRIVES: 3TB NVME, Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU (Blackwell). In simple terms, this just means no-nonsense very high end. Luddites will be deterred by all the ‘jargon’ in here. ...
If you’ve spent the last decade or two using Windows, your brain has been subtly “programmed”. You don’t just use a computer; you use it the Microsoft way. You know where the “Start” button is, you know that a .exe file is something you double-click, and you know that when things go wrong, you probably ...
The transition to a Linux-based dual-boot system is often marketed as a streamlined experience. However, when high-performance hardware meets specialised networking requirements, the path quickly shifts from a standard installation to a deep-dive into kernel modules and system architecture. This is a technical post-mortem of a transition involving an RTX 3080, an Archer TXE70UH Wi-Fi ...
I looked back at what I wrote in 2015 and realised the digital landscape has shifted, but the fundamental mess remains. We’ve moved from small hard drives to massive cloud storage, yet the clutter has only scaled up with the capacity. It is funny how we thought more space would solve the problem. Instead, it ...
I’m not going into why Authors may want to use AI. It’s big business out there. And no – it’s not about letting AI write books! FFS. But wait – it’s not only authors who may be interested in running an AI locally on their computers. AI can present tools for many use case scenarios. ...
For the better part of three decades, “personal computing” was synonymous with Windows. It wasn’t just an operating system; it was the foundation of digital life. Blue Screens of Death and endless updates were tolerated because, frankly, there were few alternatives. Apple was expensive and maintained by a cult. Linux was perceived as an obscure ...
As some may not be aware, I’ve been developing my own software to convert text into high quality electronic speech. That development continued for several hours today. As I will remind myself – as if I need to – £490 for 1.6 hours for human narration vs AI-driven production estimated at ~£1.51 for 100 minutes ...
Captain Walker
Captain Walker
