Ventoy is a fairly new open source tool to create bootable USB drives using Linux or Microsoft Windows ISO files. You install this tool to a USB drive, then simply copy some ISO files to the USB drive and you can boot from it with no other changes (so without having to reformat the USB drive every time you want to create a bootable USB drive, and without having to extract the ISO file contents).
We’ve used Etcher several times, mostly to make a bootable SD card for a Raspberry Pi or to put a bootable image of a Linux distribution onto a USB thumb drive. But we’re rethinking that now because we’ve read some concerns about privacy when using Etcher, or balenaEtcher as it is now called. … All we wanted to point out is that if you do have any concerns about using Etcher or balenaEtcher, there are alternatives, depending on which operating system you are using:
peco (pronounced peh-koh) is a CLI utility that filters text interactively. The tool is written in the Go programming language.
Source: Excellent Utilities: peco – interactive filtering tool – LinuxLinks
One of the problems with the Raspberry Pi has always been that it uses an ARM-based processor, which means that some software and many operating systems don’t run (or don’t run as well) as they would on a device with an Intel or AMD processor. There have been boards that use non-ATM based processors in the past, but they have all been quite expensive compared to the $35 Raspberry Pi, which has more or less become the device against which all other small single board computers are measured these days. While the Raspberry Pi still has its place, especially where size is a major consideration, the new “Atomic Pi” in many ways appears to offer superior performance at about the same price point. This video gives more details:
Here are links to the manufacturer’s page on the Atomic Pi and the Frequently Asked Questions page. The manufacturer’s specifications for the device at the time of this post are as follows:
An Amazon purchaser “Heron” posted a great review of the Atomic Pi. Just in case it becomes inaccessible for some reason, here is what he said (spelling errors have been corrected, but no other changes made):
Customer Review
Heron
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great little board, incredible price
May 4, 2019
Verified PurchaseWhat I love:
* The price: other x86 SBCs with the same CPU cost $100. Other mini PCs from China cost at least $80. This board is a bargain.
* USB3.0, real gigabit Ethernet (it really reaches than 900mbps) and low power consumption make this board the best $35 NAS solution.
* x86_64 architecture, 2GB RAM and full Windows and Android x86 compatibility make this board the cheapest way to get a half decent PC fully capable of handling office tasks.
* The ability to choose your own WiFi antennas, exposed GPIOs, Linux and Android compatibility, the presence of a eMMC, onboard Bluetooth and WiFi, make this board quite versatile.
* The big heatsink didn’t allow the CPU to reach more than 55°C in my tests.Now that it’s out of stock I’m regretting buying only one.
What I don’t like:
* The absence of a DC barrel jack. But this board can still be powered easily with breadboard jumpers.
* A 16GB eMMC is too small for Windows 10 (but it’s more than enough for Linux)
* I would have expected to find at least some cheap PCB WiFi antennas included in the box. Without them WiFi is basically useless and now I have to wait to get some from Aliexpress.
* There is no audio jack. You can either use audio over HDMI, or use a cheap USB sound card. Or use the big external expansion board (not yet available from Amazon).Raspberry Pi comparison:
* The Atomic Pi is a little bigger than two Raspberry Pi.
* The Atomic Pi is much much faster than a Raspberry Pi.
* The Atomic Pi can display 1080p videos from VLC and even from YouTube (with Firefox). With the Raspberry Pi you have to use its own player and just forget about streaming a HD video from a browser without stuttering.
* The Atomic Pi requires a slightly more powerful power supply than the Raspberry Pi.
* The Atomic Pi doesn’t require a SD to work.
* The Atomic Pi, as a server, is just better in any way than the Raspberry Pi (storage speed, network speed, software compatibility).
* The Raspberry Pi, as a TV media center, can be controlled with your TV remote with HDMI-CEC. The Atomic Pi cannot.
* The Raspberry Pi has a more flexible and better community supported GPIO interface.
* Unlike the Raspberry, the Atomic Pi is already properly cooled out of the box. I didn’t found a way to overclock it, but I could easily change the frequency governor.How I use it:
I soldered a power connector, from a barrel plug and a common breadboard pin strip. Then I disabled the PXE boot, I booted a Linux live pen drive and flashed the provided Debian Buster minimal image to the eMMC (instructions provided).
Then I installed a desktop environment (with the command taskel), so now I have a little Linux desktop. I also installed a Samba server, so it doubles as a quite fast NAS.
Finally I 3D printed a plastic case from Thingiverse and it’s now complete.
As of mid-May, 2019 the Atomic Pi is once again available to order on Amazon, or it can be purchased from ameriDroid (be sure to check the estimated shipping dates). If you live in the USA you may be able to buy one direct from the manufacturer’s site if they have any currently in stock.
The one glaring omission on this device is that there is no standard power input jack – what were they thinking when they left this off of the main board?! That missing power jack is the thing that has prevented them from having a 5-star rating on Amazon. This document explains how to get power to the unit (one of the options is to purchase a “baby breakout” board that has a power jack for an additional $3). Note that a power supply that produces 5V and at least 2.4A is required, and you will need a bit more power (higher Amperage) if you plan to power anything from one of the USB connections. There’s a discussion on Reddit titled MEGATHREAD: Powering your Atomic Pi: Ask all your power questions here! and also a Powering Your Atomic Pi Megathread in the Atomic Pi Reddit forum. These threads might be helpful if you are trying to figure out how to power an Atomic Pi.
Also the manufacturer doesn’t appear to offer an enclosure of any kind. If you have access to a 3D printer you can print one yourself (for example, see here (this appears to be the enclosure shown in Heron’s review), here, or here), otherwise I’m sure that sooner or later someone will offer enclosures for the Atomic Pi.
Here are some additional articles covering the Atomic Pi:
Linux-powered Atomic Pi Is A Bite-sized PC With Intel CPU (Fossbytes)
Atomic Pi Brings Intel to Single-Board Computers (Tom’s Hardware)
Atom-powered $34 Atomic Pi: A music-friendly SBC for creators that runs Windows 10 (TechRepublic)
$35 Atomic Pi dev board with Intel Cherry Trail now available from Amazon (Liliputing)
$35 Atomic Pi Cherry Trail Linux SBC is now available worldwide (CNXSoft – Embedded Systems News)
Atomic Pi SBC is back with pre-orders on Amazon and Ameridroid (CNXSoft – Embedded Systems News)
Looking to take your Python code from the world of command lines and into the convenience of a GUI? Have a Raspberry Pi with a touchscreen that’s going to waste because you don’t have the time to learn a GUI SDK? Look no further, you’ve found your GUI package.
Source: PySimpleGUI (Github)
Note: Scroll down the page for instructions and sample usage. This really does seem like an easy way for Python users to add GUI interfaces to their Python scripts. The author has said in a Reddit post that “It’s based only on tkinter. Zero package dependencies. And it’s a single .py file. That means not much can go wrong.” And that it “Works in Windows, Linux, Mac. Running on my Pi board that has 3.4 installed on it.”
Previously we covered KeePassXC password manager which is also free application. Here comes another password manager called Enpass, it is free and cross-platform available for Linux, Windows, Mac, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone and iOS.
Source: Enpass Is The Free Cross-Platform Password Manager (NoobsLab)
When you want to send an instant message to someone else that’s on the same local network as you are, whether that be another family member or a co-worker in your office, why use an offsite chat server that leaves your messages open to interception by the company running the chat server or some other third party? This software will allow you to keep your local IM’s in your local network, and for added safety it also encrypts them! Plus, it supports multiple operating systems, unlike the proprietary chat client that might have come with your computer. It’s NOT for chatting with people elsewhere on the internet; if you need to set up secure connections with offsite chat clients then you may need to set up a private Prosody IM server. But for secure IM chats with people on your local network, this looks like just the thing!
What is BeeBEEP?
BeeBEEP is an open source, peer to peer, lan messenger developed by Marco Mastroddi. You can talk and share files with all the people inside your local area network such of an office, home or internet cafe. You don’t need a server, just download, unzip and start it. Simple, fast and secure.
Main Features:
Free: BeeBEEP is free and always will be. Multiple OS: there are releases for Windows, MacOSX, Linux, OS/2 and eComStation. Easy to use: BeeBEEP is a serverless application. Download, unzip and start. Secure: encryption based on Rijndael Algorithm (AES). Instant Messaging: chat with all people connected, group or single user. Groups: create your favorite group of people. P2P: send or share your files and folders (also by drag and drop). Offline messages: messages will be delivered to offline users when they will be online. Message History: all messages can be saved.
Source: BeeBEEP (Secure Lan Messenger)
Windows: A Sharper Scaling is a single-purpose app that increases the size of an image while preserving an impressive amount of detail. Compared to conventional image upscaling methods, A Sharper Scaling almost pulls off a magic trick.
Source: ‘A Sharper Scaling’ Upscales Images Better Than Photoshop (Lifehacker)
If you want to set up a basic computer to run little more than a web browser, perhaps to repurpose an old slow machine, Windows is probably your first choice. That’s the case for most people. Why Windows? Because it’s been around for 30 years and everyone knows how to use it.
Source: A Clone Of Windows. Free And Open Source. Seriously. | Gizmo’s Freeware
FFmpeg is a powerful command line tool for manipulating your media files. Here are some of the FFmpeg commands you should know for media conversions.
Source: 10 FFmpeg Commands You Should Know for Media File Conversions – Make Tech Easier
Recent Comments