a dialgoue with o1, continued from yesterday...

back to main

I want to start by setting up a more fluid remote workflow on the two systems, so I’m looking at them, physically, seeing the Ethernet cable running from one baseboard to the other, and noticing that you’ve already got ping tests working. I want to see if you can SSH [Secure Shell] directly between them when both are running Linux, so that you can type:

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ssh -l username 192.168.1.XX
(-l [dash lowercase L] specifies your login name, and you replace 192.168.1.XX with the IP address that you set for the target system.) Once I’m in, I’ll confirm that I can browse files, run commands, and do administrative tasks from the remote system. That’s the easiest path for me to skip physically walking over there. Because you have a dual-boot environment on one machine, I also want to confirm whether you’ve set up SSH on the Windows side too. Windows 10 Pro has a built-in SSH server available in the “Optional Features” area, so I can install that and confirm that it runs as a service. Then I can:

sql
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ssh user@192.168.1.XX
…when that system boots into Windows.

As soon as I’ve got SSH working on both OSs, I’ll confirm that there’s a way for me to push or pull code using Git, for instance:

ruby
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git clone user@192.168.1.XX:/path/to/git-repo
…or even do remote add/push/pull sequences so that everything I’m updating on one machine is mirrored on the other.

If I want to see a graphical environment remotely and not just a terminal, I might install an X server on my local machine (on Windows, something like VcXsrv or MobaXterm), then forward X11 over SSH. On the Linux side, I’d place this in my SSH config or run:

sql
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ssh -Y user@192.168.1.XX
(-Y [dash uppercase Y] is “trusted X11 forwarding.”) Once that’s set, if I type a GUI-based command (like firefox or gedit), it pops up on my local display, even though it’s running on the remote system. If I want a full desktop environment, I might look at X2Go, or set up a VNC [Virtual Network Computing] server on the remote side for bigger tasks.

As for the cross-OS confusion, I keep in mind that Windows has lettered drives, while Linux has a unified filesystem with mount points. When the Linux side sees the Windows partitions, it usually sees them as something like /dev/sda1 or /dev/nvme0n1p1 mounted in /mnt/something. From Windows, if I’m using WSL [Windows Subsystem for Linux], I can cross into the Windows filesystem at something like /mnt/c. These differences become simpler if I move files around mostly via Git or SSH-based file transfers (like scp [Secure Copy]), rather than going in and manually mounting or unmounting partitions all the time.

Once I have that stable remote workflow, I shift attention to the next item: hooking up something like the Twitter API. If I want to script daily tasks—like reading or posting updates on Twitter—I can create a Twitter developer account, generate API credentials, and store them in environment variables on whichever system is going to run the job. Then I’d pick a scripting language (Python is standard for me) and install something like tweepy or python-twitter. I’d then test a script that reads my recent drafts or logs, compiles them into a single tweet, and posts them automatically at a specified time. On Linux, I rely on cron for scheduling. For instance:

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crontab -e
And then I’d add:

javascript
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0 0 * * * /home/username/scripts/post_twitter_update.sh
(0 0 * * * means run at midnight, every day. The script is what actually calls the Python code that talks to the Twitter API.)

I also see that “mission -> vision -> goals / tasks / objectives” structure on your site. If I’m adding more pages, I might just create separate Markdown or HTML files and link them in your main navigation so that you can systematically break each chunk of your site into smaller, more directed categories. Because you’re version-controlling the site, each commit is a snapshot of progress. If you want an automatic log of changes and daily updates, hooking the site’s repo into a continuous integration or build pipeline (like GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or a local Jenkins instance) might be a nice approach.

Those are the primary steps that jump out at me this morning: smooth out the remote connections, unify how you share code and files (SSH + Git), set up the skeleton for your site’s content structure (mission, vision, goals, etc.), and then experiment with hooking in the Twitter API and letting that daily script do some of the routine posts.

The main and primary workstation that I'm operating from is still and only running Windows 10 Pro - I could dual boot it, but haven't currently. I'm hesitatant to (reformat?) the entire device since there might be things (idk what?) that i may need to do on windows, or the transition to linux might not be very smooth immediately.

I want a way to test-drive a Linux environment on my primary Windows 10 Pro workstation without reformatting the entire disk. I can do that by installing WSL2 [Windows Subsystem for Linux version 2]. I open “Turn Windows features on or off,” enable “Windows Subsystem for Linux,” enable “Virtual Machine Platform,” reboot, then open the Microsoft Store and install the Linux distro of my choice (for example Ubuntu 22.04). That gives me a Linux environment running on top of Windows, allowing me to SSH into other boxes and experiment with Linux tools in a more native way.

I can also create a separate partition on my disk and install a full Linux distro there, side by side with Windows. I’d do that by running the Disk Management tool on Windows, shrinking the existing C: partition to free up space (maybe 50GB or so) and leaving that as unallocated space. I’d then create a Linux install USB, boot from it, choose “Install alongside Windows,” and point the installer to that new unallocated space. That way I end up with a GRUB [GRand Unified Bootloader] menu at startup to pick either Windows or Linux. But if I just want to dip my toes in, WSL2 is simpler.

Once I have WSL2 set up, I can open Windows Terminal, pick the Linux environment tab, and use all my usual Linux commands: ssh user@192.168.1.XX, git clone ..., etc. Because WSL2 shares my network interface with Windows, I can access the local network as if I were on Linux directly. I can also install openssh-server inside WSL if I want to SSH into my own box from somewhere else on the network (though I’d probably prefer a full Linux install for a persistent server).

That’s enough to get the environment ready, let me keep the existing Windows install for whatever tasks still need Windows, while letting me grow my Linux knowledge and handle remote connectivity.

Tell me more about WSL2

WSL2 [Windows Subsystem for Linux version 2] is a lightweight virtual machine that lives inside Windows 10 Pro (and later). It lets me run a Linux environment side by side with Windows, sharing the same files, network interfaces, and hardware resources without needing a separate full dual-boot setup or a heavy external hypervisor like VirtualBox or VMware.

To set it up, I open the “Turn Windows features on or off” panel, check two boxes:

1. **Windows Subsystem for Linux**
2. **Virtual Machine Platform**

…then restart my system. After that, I open the **Microsoft Store**, pick “Ubuntu” (or another distro: Debian, Fedora, Kali, etc.), and install it. Next time I launch that distro from my Start menu or from Windows Terminal, I’ll be asked to create a username and password for the Linux environment. That’s it—I’ll have a Linux shell prompt where I can do things like:

```bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
```
to update packages, or
```bash
ssh user@192.168.1.XX
```
to SSH into other systems on my network.

Under the hood, WSL2 uses a real Linux kernel running inside a specially optimized virtual machine. It’s far faster and more compatible than the original WSL1. I can develop and run typical Linux apps with near-native performance. I can store files either in Linux’s internal filesystem (the default `/home/username/…`) or inside Windows’ filesystem (which appears at `/mnt/c/…` for the C: drive, `/mnt/d/…` for the D: drive, etc.).

If I need to run GUI apps, Microsoft now supports WSLg (GUI support) out of the box on Windows 11. On Windows 10, if I want to run a GUI app, I can install an X server on Windows (something like VcXsrv) and configure WSL2 to display graphical windows, though it’s not quite as seamless as on Windows 11.

In short:
- **WSL2** is quick to install.
- **No separate partition** needed.
- **No big hypervisor overhead**.
- **Same network** as my Windows system—so I can ping or SSH from Linux inside WSL2 as if I were running a regular Linux box.
- **Shared filesystem** with Windows—so if I download something in Windows, I can easily pull it up in WSL2 in `/mnt/c`.

That’s all it takes for me to start using Linux on my main Windows machine without wiping Windows.

what is the difference between debian and ubuntu? I installed ubuntu on the other system, but I think I am going to use debian on this one.

Debian is the older, more conservative “upstream” project—Ubuntu actually takes Debian’s packages as a base, then adds its own modifications, additional software, and release schedule on top.

Release Stability: Debian is well-known for its slow-and-steady release cycle, focusing heavily on stability. By the time Debian packages are declared “stable,” they’ve been tested thoroughly. Ubuntu, by contrast, releases more frequently (every six months for standard releases; every two years for LTS [Long-Term Support]) and may include more cutting-edge software.

Software Versions: Because Debian “Stable” might freeze certain package versions for many months (or years) to preserve reliability, it can lag behind on version numbers for certain apps, libraries, and kernels. Ubuntu tends to have more recent versions of those same packages—especially on non-LTS releases—though Ubuntu LTS is also somewhat conservative to ensure stability for enterprise users.

Package Management: Both rely on APT [Advanced Package Tool] for installing and updating software (apt install, apt update, etc.). So the commands look nearly identical. Generally, if you know Ubuntu’s APT usage, Debian’s usage is the same.

Community & Support: Debian’s official stance is more about open-source purity and robust stability, with a broad community that focuses on free software principles. Ubuntu has Canonical’s backing, official commercial support, and a larger base of third-party tutorials, thanks to more mainstream popularity.

Default Setup: Ubuntu comes preconfigured with certain “extras,” such as proprietary drivers, more default packages, and official user-friendlier flavors (like Ubuntu Desktop, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, etc.). Debian can be sparser, so you often add the packages you want from the start.

If you’re aiming for a lighter, stable base with more direct control over what’s installed, Debian is a good fit. If you want wide community support, LTS releases, and a more preconfigured approach, Ubuntu might be better. Technically, under the hood, both are very similar. The core difference is in how they handle releases, stability, and preinstalled software.

okay, i installed debian, and made a new... UNIX username and password?

how do I uninstall and re-install in order to set that up differently a second time?

If you installed Debian under WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)

Unregister (remove) the Debian distro

Open PowerShell or Windows Command Prompt.
List your installed WSL distros:
powershell
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wsl --list --all
Unregister (uninstall) Debian:
powershell
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wsl --unregister Debian
That removes the entire Debian environment (including the username and password you created).
Re-install Debian

Go back to the Microsoft Store, find Debian again, and click Install.
Launch Debian from your Start Menu or Windows Terminal.
This time, when it first launches, it’ll prompt you to set a new UNIX username and password—just pick the ones you want.
That’s it. You’ll have wiped the old Debian environment and started fresh.

Thanks -- I'm all set up -- what is next?

I’d start by making the newly installed Debian environment as usable and familiar as possible:

Update & Upgrade

Right away, I open up my Debian terminal and type:
bash
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sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
to make sure the package lists are current and everything is up to date.
Install Common Tools

I might want Git, build essentials, and other utilities:
bash
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sudo apt install git build-essential curl wget htop
build-essential gives me gcc, g++, make, etc.
htop is a nicer process monitor.
curl and wget are useful for downloading from the terminal.
Set Up SSH (if you want to remote into your new Debian)

If you’re on Windows via WSL, skip this unless you specifically want to SSH into WSL from other devices. Otherwise:
bash
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sudo apt install openssh-server
sudo systemctl enable ssh
sudo systemctl start ssh
Then check the service:
bash
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systemctl status ssh
Note the IP address with ip addr show so you know how to connect from another device.
Configure Your Shell & Dotfiles

If you want a more comfortable shell or prompt, you could install Zsh or fish. For Zsh:
bash
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sudo apt install zsh
chsh -s /usr/bin/zsh
Then log out/log back in to see the change.
You can also add a custom prompt framework like Oh My Zsh if you’d like a bit more flair.
Ensure You Have a Text Editor You Like

For example, vim, nano, or emacs:
bash
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sudo apt install vim
Or you might install something bigger like VS Code in WSL if that’s your preference (through the Microsoft Store or from .deb packages).
Link or Sync Projects

If you have code repositories, you can clone them into your new Debian environment:
bash
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mkdir ~/projects && cd ~/projects
git clone https://github.com/YourUsername/YourRepo.git
That way you can keep your workflow consistent.
Explore

Check out your /etc/apt/sources.list to see which repositories you’re pulling from (e.g. stable, testing, or backports).
Poke around ~/.bashrc (or ~/.zshrc if using Zsh) to customize your prompt, aliases, etc.
With these steps, your new Debian setup will be primed for daily usage, code editing, networking, and any other tasks you have in mind.

"If you want a more comfortable shell or prompt, you could install Zsh or fish." What would make these options more comfortable than bash?

nano is fine as a text editor

and so when I open wsl, I get sarah@DESKTOP-SARAH-01:/mnt/c/WINDOWS/system32$ as the pwd, but cd ~ moves me to /home/sarah --- the question I have is, where is WSL actually installed? can I navigate to and see the files on my drives from inside the wsl? I assume yet, but I do not have a good intuition for how mounts and mounting works yet.

Why might Zsh or fish feel more comfortable than Bash?

Autocomplete & Suggestions: Zsh and fish can offer richer, more intelligent autocompletion. For instance, fish will show you possible commands as you type, often with descriptions of what they do.
Syntax & Prompt Customization: Zsh has plenty of plugins and themes (e.g., Oh My Zsh) that let you easily customize your prompt to show Git branch info, battery status, etc. Fish has a straightforward syntax for configuring prompt colors, git-branch indicators, etc.
User-Friendly Defaults: Fish uses a more modern, user-friendly syntax for aliases/functions. Zsh, similarly, can do things like auto-correcting minor typos in commands if you enable those features.
They’re not strictly “better” than bash—it’s just that many people find the extra auto-suggestions, theming, and plugin ecosystems more convenient or appealing.

Where is WSL installed, and how do mounts work?

WSL’s Internal Filesystem: Under WSL2, each Linux distro lives inside a virtual disk file (a .vhdx) in Windows. Internally, that’s your / (root) in Debian or Ubuntu:

arduino
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/
├─ bin/
├─ etc/
├─ home/
├─ lib/
└─ ...
You can’t easily browse that .vhdx from Windows Explorer in a normal way (it’s hidden in %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\...). If you did manage to mount or open it, you’d see the standard Linux filesystem layout, but it’s not designed for direct Windows-based manipulation.

Accessing Windows Files from WSL: By default, WSL automatically mounts your Windows drives under /mnt/:

C: is at /mnt/c
D: is at /mnt/d
…and so on.
So when you see:

ruby
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sarah@DESKTOP-SARAH-01:/mnt/c/WINDOWS/system32$
that means you’re in the Windows C:\WINDOWS\system32 folder, but from Linux’s point of view.

If you do cd ~, you jump to your Linux home directory at /home/sarah.
If you do cd /mnt/c/Users/YourWindowsUsername/Documents, you’re now inside that Windows folder from within WSL.
Navigating Between Environments: You can move freely between your Linux filesystem (/home/sarah, /etc, etc.) and your Windows files (/mnt/c/..., /mnt/d/...). Think of it like two parallel trees:

Linux root: /
Windows mount: /mnt/c/
Persistence: Files you create in /home/sarah or elsewhere under / live inside the virtual disk. Files you put under /mnt/c live on your actual Windows C: drive.

Mounting Extra Drives or Partitions: If you have multiple partitions or external drives in Windows, each gets mounted automatically as /mnt/<drive_letter> by WSL. If you have a network share in Windows, you can sometimes also access it in WSL under /mnt/.

So effectively, you have a self-contained Linux environment in that .vhdx, but one that can still see your Windows folders via /mnt/c, etc. That’s how WSL merges the two worlds.

Yeah, I'm not going to use anything other than the defaults. Things like that are just distractions.

And thanks, that mounting structure makes it seem nice and easy to navigate.

Understood. The default shell (bash) plus the default folder layout in WSL keeps everything straightforward. Using /mnt/c for Windows files and /home/<username> for your Linux home folder is enough to work seamlessly across both environments. If you do decide later to explore different shells or deeper customization, you’ll know it’s there, but staying with the defaults keeps things simple and distraction-free.

Now, one thing that I wanted to talk about, is that I do also have a laptop that I could use if I could easily connect to it, it's got a noisy noisy fan on it that makes noise when it runs which annoys me and idk how to fix, but maybe if I had it running linux or something I could control that a bit better, and use it like a server or something, it's not an insignificant laptop, it was like 1600 dollars purchased about a decade ago. It currently runs some form of windows, but I wouldn't connect to it directly over an ethernet connect, and since i use mobile networks/hotspots primarily, it wouldn't be hardwired otherwise and the mobile networks themselves would be spotty and inconsistent. what are my best potential options here?

One way to think about that older laptop is as a “headless server” (no screen/keyboard usage in your day-to-day), leaving it somewhere on a shelf or table so you can SSH or remote-desktop into it from your main workstation or phone. If it’s fan-noisy, you have a few angles of attack:

Physical Cleanup & Fan/Heatsink Maintenance

Pop open the laptop (if you’re comfortable doing so) to clear out dust and lint that collect around the fan blades and vents. This alone sometimes fixes a surprisingly large chunk of fan noise.
Re-apply thermal paste to the CPU and GPU if you can—it’s a bit more involved, but helps with heat dissipation so the fan doesn’t spin up as aggressively.
Fan Control / Power Management in Linux

Certain lightweight Linux distros (like Debian stable, or a minimal install of Ubuntu) keep background processes slim, so you generate less heat = fewer high-RPM fan moments.
Use TLP or other power-management tools that can adjust CPU frequency scaling and reduce fan speed. For example:
bash
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sudo apt install tlp
sudo systemctl enable tlp
sudo systemctl start tlp
TLP tries to optimize power usage automatically.
Some laptops also allow fan speed control with specialized tools or ACPI modules, but your mileage may vary depending on the hardware.
Remote Connectivity Without Direct Ethernet

Phone Hotspot: If you have two computers (your main workstation + the laptop) both connected to the same mobile hotspot, they’re effectively on the same LAN. You can SSH from one to the other using the local IP assigned by the hotspot.
SSH: Once you install Linux on the laptop and run:
bash
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sudo apt install openssh-server
sudo systemctl enable ssh
sudo systemctl start ssh
…you can do:
bash
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ssh <username>@<laptop's_IP>
RDP / VNC: If you want a graphical desktop, you can install something like xrdp or VNC. But for a server-style approach, plain SSH is usually enough.
Choosing a Distro

If you want plain simplicity, Debian or Ubuntu minimal is great. Another lightweight option is Lubuntu or Xubuntu (both official Ubuntu variants) if you want a small, resource-light GUI.
Once installed, let it boot up, confirm it automatically connects to Wi-Fi at startup, and that’s effectively your “server on a shelf.”
Practical Workflow

You power on the laptop; it automatically joins your mobile hotspot.
From your main Windows 10 system (or phone), you find out the laptop’s IP address.
You SSH in and do your tasks—run scripts, store files, compile code, etc.
Because it’s older hardware, consider going easy on resource-intensive tasks so the fan doesn’t scream. But it should be fine for background processes, file-serving, or building moderate projects.
With all of that, you can reclaim that old machine as a usefully hidden-away server. Cleaning out the fan is the biggest single improvement for noise, then using Linux with good power management helps keep it from revving high. The end result is a machine you don’t have to physically fuss with, accessed entirely from your main workstation.

Okay, let's take a step back and think about this from a storage mangement solution perspective. Each of my workstations have SSD drives on M2s (technology which I'm aware of, but don't really know about in detail) as well as external HDDs, and one even has an additional USD SDD. The laptop obvious has it's own drives, but really, what is the best option to centralize my storage accross devices, as well as potentially serve as an option for database storage for online apps that people interact with through an api process/server operating on the same, or one of my other machines?

From a high-level perspective, you want a **central “home base”** for all your storage needs, plus the option to host a database or other services that run continuously. You also have multiple machines—some Windows, some Linux, maybe an older laptop—and a mix of SSDs (M.2, USB) and HDDs. Here’s how to think about it step by step:

---

## 1. Pick or Repurpose a Dedicated “Server” Machine

1. **24/7 availability**: You want a box that stays on (or at least can be woken up easily) to serve as your central storage point.
2. **Consolidate drives**: Put as many of your drives (internal HDD, SSD, etc.) into this one system, or attach them via USB.
3. **Operating System**:
- A straightforward approach is a lightweight Linux distro (Debian, Ubuntu Server, etc.) or a specialized NAS OS like **TrueNAS** (formerly FreeNAS).
- TrueNAS aims specifically at network storage, making setup easy if your main goal is file sharing + reliability.
- A generic Debian or Ubuntu lets you run a full server stack (databases, web servers) and also share files with Samba or NFS.

---

## 2. Set Up Shared Storage

### a) RAID or Single-Disk Setup
- If you combine multiple drives, decide if you want **RAID** (for redundancy) or just a “JBOD” (Just a Bunch Of Disks) arrangement.
- **RAID 1** (mirroring) protects against one disk failing; **RAID 5**/6 uses parity across multiple disks. If your drives are mismatched in size and type, you might do something like **ZFS** or **Btrfs** to handle them more flexibly.

### b) File Sharing Protocols
1. **Samba (SMB/CIFS)**: Best for connecting from Windows clients. Also works fine from Linux (mounting with `cifs`).
2. **NFS**: More common in Linux environments; can be simpler if you’re mostly on Linux.
3. **Both**: You can enable both on the same server—Samba for Windows, NFS for Linux.

Once set up, you can map the Samba share as a network drive in Windows, or mount via `sudo mount -t cifs //server-ip/share /mnt/share` in Linux, etc.

---

## 3. Host a Database (Optional or Future Need)

If you plan to run an **API server** or **web app** that relies on a database, you can install:

- **PostgreSQL** or **MySQL/MariaDB** on the same server where your files live.
- Run the service so it listens on the local network or just on `localhost` if your web app sits on the same machine.
- For external access, you’d open the necessary ports (e.g., 5432 for PostgreSQL, 3306 for MySQL) or set up a reverse proxy. Keep security in mind: strong firewall rules, limited user accounts, etc.

Because you mentioned you might want to “provide services to the clear net,” you’d also consider:

- **Dynamic DNS or static IP** if you want to reach the server from outside your home.
- **TLS/HTTPS** if you’re exposing an API externally.
- Watch the logs, keep software up to date.

---

## 4. Dealing with the Older Laptop

- If you decide the old laptop is your “server,” you’d place it somewhere with minimal dust, keep it plugged in, maybe prop it for better cooling. Clean out the fan with compressed air.
- Install a light Linux distro or a dedicated NAS OS, connect it to your local network (Ethernet is ideal, but Wi-Fi hotspot can work if that’s your main connectivity).
- Attach external HDDs or SSDs via USB. That’s your storage pool.
- Enable Samba/NFS, install `openssh-server`, set up your database if needed, and you’re set.

---

## 5. Access from All Other Machines

- **On Windows**:
- Use `\\server-ip\sharename` in File Explorer or map a network drive.
- Use an SSH client (PuTTY or Windows Terminal) to manage the server remotely.
- **On Linux**:
- Mount Samba shares with `mount -t cifs ...` or mount NFS shares with `mount -t nfs ...`.
- SSH in for admin tasks.
- **Mobile devices**:
- Some file manager apps can handle SMB directly.
- Or run SFTP if you enable the SSH server.

---

## 6. Summing It Up

1. **Centralize your drives** in one always-on “server” machine.
2. **Pick the OS** for easy file sharing and potential database hosting (TrueNAS or a generic Linux server).
3. **Configure file-sharing protocols** (Samba for Windows, NFS for Linux) so everything else can connect.
4. **Install a database** (MySQL, PostgreSQL) and run your API or web service if you want to serve content externally.
5. Keep track of **IP addresses**, potential **dynamic DNS**, and **security** (firewalls, SSH keys) if you expose services to the public internet.

This approach ensures you have one consistent repository for data, code, media, and possibly a place to host apps—without juggling multiple disconnected drives across multiple machines.

good morning o1, it's 9am on january 3rd, 2025. what should we work on together today?

and so it begins again

i'm back from breakfast at mcdonalds, it was a relatively simple morning, i was happy to have woken up and see that it was 8am - i was fidgety last night about wanting to do work to "maintain my streak" but i had already done good work that day before that point.

i went out for a walk again yesterday, like i had the days before, and did so after i reached a point of mental saturation where i didn't feel like i could process any more information, it has been getting colder thought, and today is already negative seventeen degrees, so maybe that walk will be shorter this time, around five or six kilometers or so

speaking of which, i need to charge my watch...

2025-01-03-0903

okay done

i also want to set up some more pages on the main site repo that I'm working in, I'm thinking "goals" or maybe something more involved than that, like a full on mission -> vision -> goals/tasks/objectives whatever like used to be used in business planning. that sort of stuff is cool, but hard to have fully fleshed out, reasonable, sensible, and functional.

where else is my mind?

not far enough along on the process of processing for me to spin up a dialogue with o1, but if i were to do so we would be talking more about IPs and data transfer. I have two computers, each with ASUS ROG STRIX Z370-H Motherboards, and because they are in the same room, I have them connected, baseboard-to-baseboard, with an ethernet cable. I've done the IP assignment and pings to both systems, and have done some basic connection tests (and have set up other connections, like ssh and remote desktop into these devices from my entry model android smartphone using termux!) but haven't figured out a way to make this easy and accessible to me --- i want a better way to work on these systems, one from the other, without constantly having to stand up and walk to the other physical workstation.

I heard an AI talking about doing this through git, which I found a strangely potentially functional idea, but the other system that I am connected to is now dual booting into either Windows 10 Pro, of Linux Ubuntu Desktop 24.0, so with that, the way the different operating systems handle drives is different, with C:/ and D:/ drives on windows, and /dev/sdba or something like that on linux that needs to be mounted.

I'm still learning.

One of the biggest blockers in terms of my ability to make progress is the thoroughness of my understanding of APIs - I think they are really the key that I need to dive into next in order to understand networking and how I can do it securely and provides services to the clear net without risking the security of my system and network. I have a better idea of the local networking infrastructure, such as where the physical cell phone towers are near my residence, which company operates them --- just the basics, really. but i must admit that using mobile sim cards in order to access data capabilities has made me feel much better overall than using a wired connect. is it just simply paranoia? maybe.

but it has made a remarkable difference in my mood when it comes to interacting with technology and the internet, to be hopping between devices and connectivity, and not having a hard wired network that I do not fully understand the infrastrucure behind fully. I also don't have a good idea of like net maps, or net scans, or whatever, and i know that if my systems were to be accessed, an attacker barring physical access to my apartment and workstations, would need to first be making network requests, and secondly be accessing the system directly, so i should be able to track these things based on watching/observing/scanning the network, as well as watching like system or service processes, or maybe something like access or read/write logs for drives and things? That last one, the third suggestion, may not be a real thing.

The urge to start sharing this document with o1 to start the dialgoues is rising. But I think I can do better.

Oh, I also want to start trying to work with the twitter api and integrate it into this site, as well as potentially doing something with having a daily workflow based on Vera that does something around midnight, updates the site, looks at what happened, what changed, and makes a log or a note. I'll decide what to work on next while talking to o1...

(oh, also it's probably draft post day, i just need to find a time and mood where it feels best to share, i've been saving my thoughts as twitter draft posts more often and then just mass posting all of them at once to objuscate when exactly i had each thought and what prompted them)

let's see what o1 has to say this morning.

2025-01-03-0913

sql
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ssh user@192.168.1.XX
…when that system boots into Windows.

As soon as I’ve got SSH working on both OSs, I’ll confirm that there’s a way for me to push or pull code using Git, for instance:

ruby
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git clone user@192.168.1.XX:/path/to/git-repo
…or even do remote add/push/pull sequences so that everything I’m updating on one machine is mirrored on the other.

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crontab -e
And then I’d add:

That’s enough to get the environment ready, let me keep the existing Windows install for whatever tasks still need Windows, while letting me grow my Linux knowledge and handle remote connectivity.

Tell me more about WSL2

Windows Subsystem for Linux 2
Thought for 1m 20s
WSL2 [Windows Subsystem for Linux version 2] is a lightweight virtual machine that lives inside Windows 10 Pro (and later). It lets me run a Linux environment side by side with Windows, sharing the same files, network interfaces, and hardware resources without needing a separate full dual-boot setup or a heavy external hypervisor like VirtualBox or VMware.

To set it up, I open the “Turn Windows features on or off” panel, check two boxes:

Windows Subsystem for Linux
Virtual Machine Platform
…then restart my system. After that, I open the Microsoft Store, pick “Ubuntu” (or another distro: Debian, Fedora, Kali, etc.), and install it. Next time I launch that distro from my Start menu or from Windows Terminal, I’ll be asked to create a username and password for the Linux environment. That’s it—I’ll have a Linux shell prompt where I can do things like:

bash
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sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
to update packages, or

bash
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ssh user@192.168.1.XX
to SSH into other systems on my network.

Under the hood, WSL2 uses a real Linux kernel running inside a specially optimized virtual machine. It’s far faster and more compatible than the original WSL1. I can develop and run typical Linux apps with near-native performance. I can store files either in Linux’s internal filesystem (the default /home/username/…) or inside Windows’ filesystem (which appears at /mnt/c/… for the C: drive, /mnt/d/… for the D: drive, etc.).

In short:

WSL2 is quick to install.
No separate partition needed.
No big hypervisor overhead.
Same network as my Windows system—so I can ping or SSH from Linux inside WSL2 as if I were running a regular Linux box.
Shared filesystem with Windows—so if I download something in Windows, I can easily pull it up in WSL2 in /mnt/c.
That’s all it takes for me to start using Linux on my main Windows machine without wiping Windows.

what is the difference between debian and ubuntu? I installed ubuntu on the other system, but I think I am going to use debian on this one.

Debian is the older, more conservative “upstream” project—Ubuntu actually takes Debian’s packages as a base, then adds its own modifications, additional software, and release schedule on top.

okay, i installed debian, and made a new... UNIX username and password?

how do I uninstall and re-install in order to set that up differently a second time?

If you installed Debian under WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)

Unregister (remove) the Debian distro

If you installed Debian as a full operating system on a separate partition

Boot from your Debian installation media (USB or DVD).
Choose the installation method again.
Select your existing Debian partitions during the install wizard and format them (if you want a complete reinstall).
Proceed with the fresh Debian install, which will let you set up your desired username and password all over again.
(If your goal is just to change usernames or passwords, you could do that directly—no need to reinstall everything. For example, in Debian you can add a new user with sudo adduser newusername and switch to that account, or you can rename an existing user with usermod. But if you truly want a clean slate, you can do a full wipe-and-reinstall.)