DeskNet Restarted
Home lab surfaces again
I first described DeskNet at the start of March, with no way to know I was going to lose my residence to black mold within the month. DeskNet Revisited was what happened in my new space, until the start of beach picnic season meant the loss of my second folding table desk.
I just left the second desk stuff in a pile, because I didn’t have much to do. That is now changing, so I brought in a replacement 4’ folding table, and am restoring the home lab layout to support new work.
There are a few notable changes here.
Tentatively have a Google Pixel inbound so I can explore GrapheneOS.
Tiny Orange Pi was just too much work, it’s retired.
Second 8GB Pi 5 is departing for other duties.
My desk is going to sprout a two port KVM and some sort of Linux/Qubes.
If you peer closely at the diagram you’ll see Pi7 is set up specifically to monitor WiFi device activity on TestNet. That will get to a stable configuration and then stay put.
Future:
There are a queue of changes I’d like to make if revenue supports such things.
Titan gets a twin, so Qubes and Windows are both available.
Two port KVM for my desk, Qubes belongs over here anyway.
Brain, a 16GB MacBook Pro, gives way to a 32GB model.
Pinky gives way to Brain on the TestNet.
32” QHD “fishbowl” gives way to proper 4k monitor.
Pi7 gets new 16GB mainboard, 8GB board goes into aluminum travel armor case.
This is all contingent on money magically appearing, but that does seem like it’s going to come to pass. As soon as it became known that I was going to be in good enough condition to work full time, things began happening. There are a couple complimentary opportunities shaping up - one in Europe, one here. They need similar skills and tooling, but they do not compete with each other in any way.
Either of them working out would be fine by me, but if both do … well … I could see my first grownup sized paycheck in many years. Even one of those is life changing given my current conditions, but if it becomes a stream?
I can’t imagine I’d ever stop living like every payment will be the last money I’ll ever see; eighteen years is a LONG time to constantly struggle, and I have reached that age where wants and needs have converged …
… but there will be little luxuries … like replacing the pair of Asolo Landscape GV that are really showing their age, having seen me through 2,200 miles of urban adventures since I got them. And maybe a carbon fiber replacement for my stolen aluminum folding bike? And then a yoga studio membership … and maybe meet an empty nester my age who doesn’t mind my peculiar origin story?
Well … let’s not get ahead of ourselves here …