Lost another computer.

This was a good one and I'm unable to fix or find out why but my main guess is that power got dirty to wreck 2 PC's in less than 6 months, it may have been my 16-yr-old UPS but can't be sure.

I'm downsizing, if I can't maintain it properly I won't have it. Looking into RPi kits to keep working with Arduino, by next month I may be up again. Right now I'm happy to have a library nearby.

Not having a computer, I started writing notes about where I was and want to take things and figured something new (to me) out.

I can take my multi-MCU serial ring idea, put a keyword match on each MCU with function to make every MCU that matches a passed-around-the-ring message run the named function. To add a board with some new capability just link it into the ring and set up other (brain chip ferinstance) to message that board to run. Boards could be made without knowing what they're to fit.

Gotta go, time's almost up!
GFS

start a gofundme, you can get pcs for about 300...

GoForSmoke:
This was a good one and I'm unable to fix or find out why but my main guess is that power got dirty to wreck 2 PC's in less than 6 months, it may have been my 16-yr-old UPS but can't be sure.

Use a laptop. They have their own UPS.

...R

Qdeathstar:
start a gofundme, you can get pcs for about 300...

I'd throw a couple bones on getting Smoke a new PC.

It's helped me get the downsize ball rolling and the RPi is as much as I need for what I miss most. I'll have to get a TV now unless my HDMI to VGA cable that didn't work for the PINE does for the RPi.

Looking at : Amazon.com

Not knowing or being able to troubleshoot this was a bit of a shock to me, forced to review my view so to speak. If I can't maintain it, I don't want to rely on it. Let's see how I do with a toy for a while, to program my other toys.

Using the library PC to unzip the official RPi ZIP download that Raspian can't unzip. OTOH I did get to play with the LibreELEC choice, KODI plays all my video files so far.

After I post this I need to find how to run Arduino IDE from RPi and can I make & use a RAM drive for the temp file folder or better yet, can I load & run the IDE on a USB HD on an RPi 3+? The 32-bit Linux IDE is not working on Raspian.

GFS

Paid measly $400 for a laptop from Neweggs. i5, 8GB RAM, 15" display. Good enough for internet and Arduino. Sort of OK for gaming and complex CAD.

GoForSmoke:
This was a good one and I'm unable to fix or find out why but my main guess is that power got dirty to wreck 2 PC's in less than 6 months, it may have been my 16-yr-old UPS but can't be sure.

When did you last change the batteries, do you regularly test it?
If it has SLA batteries, change them every 3 years maximum.
Laptop is best solution, but I just had HD die on my Home Laptop, Win7, I just bought a new battery and keyboard for it, bugger.
Tom.... :slight_smile:

TomGeorge:
but I just had HD die on my Home Laptop, Win7,

I don't keep anything important on the HD inside the laptop. Then I can just replace it if it fails.

...R

I have an old laptop that seems to be dying. The system was saying the battery only had 20% capacity which was not an issue because I normally run on mains anyway. Then the battery dropped to 16% and the screen has started to sort of flicker. I can still run the laptop but it is not really usable.

Maybe the battery issue is causing the screen issue? The problem is I don't want to go the hassle/cost of replacing the battery only to find that the screen is still shot.

I have a Compaq Mini notebook that I bought a replacement battery for. I don't recall any problems with it when it was on mains power immediately before I replaced the battery. I don't use it much now and when I do I usually have to plug it in before it will start - i.e. the battery spends most of its time discharged. But it will run for a few hours when fully charged so the replacement battery is not yet worn out.

TL:DR - I would be suspicious of the state of health of your screen or of the connections to it.

...R

Robin2:
I don't keep anything important on the HD inside the laptop. Then I can just replace it if it fails.

...R

I have a 1TB harddrive beside it, do a backup every couple of days.
The compressed install files are also stored there, using work Laptop at the moment, looking at a new ACER.

Tom... :slight_smile:

The UPS went to recycle.

By next week I'll have a cell phone with 15G/mo hot spot. Then I can get apps besides Arduino IDE using apt-get. Lucky me that the Arduino IDE does have a download.

I have a version of my serial keyword match routine (sketch sends chars 1 at a time, as they arrive on serial) that links the keyword list in EEPROM instead of like the 2016 version where you run one sketch with your new word list to generate source for the sketch that uses the word list. This one is easier but the list is limited to 1020 chars where the older one can be many K --- but both are limited to 255 words max.

I've got the initial check links and link as needed part done, very happy that's through. The example will be a user interpreter, it's good for that. Next is the serial ring base code, each chip will read and maybe pass messages on and act on those it has matching words for, there's a months old thread where I posted the idea, I think that it will make splitting cooperative tasks across chips.

ardly:
I have an old laptop that seems to be dying. The system was saying the battery only had 20% capacity which was not an issue because I normally run on mains anyway. Then the battery dropped to 16% and the screen has started to sort of flicker. I can still run the laptop but it is not really usable.

Maybe the battery issue is causing the screen issue? The problem is I don't want to go the hassle/cost of replacing the battery only to find that the screen is still shot.

Does the screen still flicker if you run the laptop on the charger with the battery removed? If it does, the fault is not because of the battery.

Henry_Best:
Does the screen still flicker if you run the laptop on the charger with the battery removed? If it does, the fault is not because of the battery.

That was I really good idea, I had not thought of that.
It did not work though, still flickers :cry:

As of now I have a smartphone-hotspot working with the rpi, perhaps tethering would be faster?

Just ducked in, gotta do a bit of sudo get-apt'ing.

GFS

GoForSmoke:
As of now I have a smartphone-hotspot working with the rpi, perhaps tethering would be faster?

I use a hotspot all the time. This is coming to you through it.

...R

you can get pcs for about 300

You can get a reasonably capable (i5, 4GB Ram, W8 or W10) desktop computer for about $100, (off-lease (used) and refurbished) from pretty well-trusted sources like Arrowdirect.com or Dellrefurbished.com
(sometimes you have to wait for a coupon)
"Off-lease" is what happens when a company has something like a 2-year "lifetime" for their computers (keeps everything current and easier to maintain), and the "old" computers get turned back in after 20months or so. (at least, that's how it worked when I was at a company that did that.) So you get a midrange system that was current 2 years ago, and probably spent its first life gently used on some non-technical corporate desktop.
These systems are frequently cheaper than you can buy a legal copy of windows :frowning:

westfw:
These systems are frequently cheaper than you can buy a legal copy of windows :frowning:

But not Linux :slight_smile:

...R