How to automate a Python script (or anything else) in Windows and Linux

A common task I need to perform both at work and on my personal/home computers is configuring a script to run automatically on a schedule. Some examples from my experience include running a script nightly to update an application database with new data from an external source, or running a weekly script on my laptop … Continue reading How to automate a Python script (or anything else) in Windows and Linux

Friday FOSS shoutout – Pinta: Painting Made Simple

Here's a great free and open source image editing software title I've been using for the last year or so: Pinta: Painting Made Simple In my day to day work, I need to do simple photo editing: crop, resize, add text, convert between formats, etc. I also need the ability to add layers to an … Continue reading Friday FOSS shoutout – Pinta: Painting Made Simple

Enable pwfeedback and show asterisks for password input when using sudo

A particular preference I have in Linux is a small thing, but it is something I have kept consistent for many years: showing asterisks as password input feedback characters when typing in a user password in the terminal. For as long as I can remember, Ubuntu has disabled this behavior by default. When the password … Continue reading Enable pwfeedback and show asterisks for password input when using sudo

I bought a System76 computer

Until very recently, my primary personal computer was a Dell Precision T5600 which I have been using since 2012. It is a great machine that served me well with relatively few issues. However, I recently purchased a new computer to replace the old one: a System 76 Thelio Mira. For all you computer nerds, here … Continue reading I bought a System76 computer

How to get a desktop-like experience with Chrome and Google Workspace (formerly GSuite)

I started a new job recently, and was pleased to learn they used the Google Workspace suite of applications for daily business tasks. I did have some experience with Google Workspace (then called GSuite) prior to my current job, but the bulk of my professional career has been with companies that used Microsoft Office. What … Continue reading How to get a desktop-like experience with Chrome and Google Workspace (formerly GSuite)

error: no such partition. Entering rescue mode…

I recently updated my desktop from Linux Mint 19.3 to 20.1, but ran in to an issue where I was no longer able to see the GRUB boot menu on system startup. I wanted to document the fix here in hopes anyone else who encounters the same issue can find a resolution (and for my … Continue reading error: no such partition. Entering rescue mode…

Booting a virtual machine from a physical Windows disk partition

I am a long time Linux user (Mint being my preferred distro) and have dual booted Windows and Linux on every computer I have owned in the last decade. Recently, I have been using Linux Mint 19.3 as my primary operating system, booting into it more often than Windows 10. I do still use Windows … Continue reading Booting a virtual machine from a physical Windows disk partition