Joe Brockmeier (@jzb)

Longtime open source user, advocate, and contributor. I’ve been working with and writing about Linux and open source since 1999, now writing for LWN.net. Become a subscriber here! https://lwn.net/subscribe/

I post about Linux, free and open source software (FOSS), music, cats, politics, writing, and anything else that comes to mind.

"When a man loves cats, I am his friend and comrade, without further introduction." Mark Twain

Blog: https://dissociatedpress.net/
About Me: https://joebrockmeier.com/
Bandcamp Profile: https://bandcamp.com/jzb
LWN: https://lwn.net/

Public Key

npub1tgdyuf5rftgukkeqwl32xasff6l8pjshz4xj5xmcnzzxhllhtc6qfksw7q

NIP-05 Address

jzb_at_mastodon.social@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs95xjwy6p545wttvs80c4rwcy5a0nsegt32nf2rduf3prtllm4udqpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dspmc4t2

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1tgdyuf5rftgukkeqwl32xasff6l8pjshz4xj5xmcnzzxhllhtc6qfksw7q

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Last Notes

2025-09-25 18:05:59 UTC

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I haven't. Is now a good time to watch it, or will it just amplify feelings of unease?

2025-09-25 15:04:53 UTC

From the "don't threaten me with a good time" department... Apple threatens to not ship to EU for some products if they don't repeal anti-monopoly laws.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/25/apple-calls-for-changes-to-anti-monopoly-laws-and-says-it-may-stop-shipping-to-the-eu

2025-09-23 14:33:27 UTC

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did... did you chop off part of a finger?

2025-09-20 03:12:18 UTC

Radar was in the cat bed again today and Sir Wobbles was not going to be deterred. “Move over, dog. This is my spot.” #caturday #CatsOfMastodon
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/234/433/535/856/683/original/aecb7a2c04252df8.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/234/434/109/213/970/original/2e8ceee2d7c5afd4.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/234/434/449/371/856/original/ba6fc1da606941a3.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/234/434/834/027/465/original/afe5cc8ecc5f540a.jpeg

2025-09-06 13:22:10 UTC

Sir Wobbles and Sam are not afraid to embrace cat stereotypes. Sir hopped into the Chewy box almost as soon as it touched the floor. Sam had to check it out after in case he was missing out.
Bonus Willow picture. She really loves her cat bed. #caturday #CatsOfMastodon #Tortitude
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/157/559/954/075/108/original/dcfca232e37eb969.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/157/560/256/691/075/original/e44cf5cd306dd936.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/157/560/598/043/499/original/ebbfff269ecc32cb.jpeg

2025-08-28 13:24:15 UTC

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Go ahead and petition Google, I guess. It might, temporarily, work. Or read the writing on the wall--the uneasy relationship between Google/Android and people who want general computing capabilities on their phone is not sustainable. If people want computing devices and operating systems they control, and that they can trust, and that are sustainable, it will have to be done by a non-profit entity that only exists to serve users and is funded by users.

2025-08-28 13:20:04 UTC

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A bunch of hardware is now losing maintainers because Intel is laying people off because of its financial woes. Fewer people are being paid to package software as priorities change with other vendors. Half of Red Hat's QA team moved to other things, and there's at least a temporary gap in Fedora testing due to it. Etc.
The corollary to the random person in Nebraska is the person employed by $bigco that eventually retires, quits, or is laid off and another hole needs to be filled.

2025-08-28 13:16:38 UTC

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It is, of course, easy for me to say all this because saying it is the easy part. Doing it is another. But I've seen example after example after example of the problems with hoping that big companies will "do the right thing" or lobbying them to do the right thing, or just hoping that things will stay status quo.
For example, Sun carried a lot of the a11y work for the Linux desktop, until it was devoured by Oracle. That was nice, but it was a failure waiting to happen.

2025-08-28 13:12:41 UTC

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We need financial entities that hire people to do the things volunteers don't want to do, to maintain software, to support hardware, to write documentation, etc.
We need to source hardware and sell hardware, and people need to deal with the fact that it won't be as convenient or full-featured as what big tech can provide -- at least not right away. And it will be more expensive because it's not subsidized by preying on the users.
Lobbying big tech to pretty please play nice doesn't work.

2025-08-28 13:09:29 UTC

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I don't know if that's possible, it's certainly a hard problem to solve. But reliance on big tech to remain non-hostile to the needs of the FOSS community -- or even just the needs of people who want control of their devices -- is foolish.
What that really means is that we need to solve the business problems ourselves, which is something that the FOSS community has generally avoided. By that I mean, we need to dig into our pockets and pay for goods and services. 2/?

2025-08-28 13:04:43 UTC

I see there's now a petition asking Google not to block sideloading apps on Android. I'm not optimistic that's going to work, especially since Google is so close to its apparent end goal of preventing people from circumventing its Play store. (I wonder if the timing has something to do with the rumors I'm seeing that Amazon is going to go stock Android.)
We need a mobile OS that is not controlled by a single entity. Not an Android fork, something 100% not controlled by big tech.

2025-08-28 12:35:41 UTC

Reminder: there's no such thing as "shark-infested waters." That's where sharks live. It's their home. If anything, it's human-infested waters.
One of my remaining "bucket list" items is to do the shark cage thing and hopefully come face to face (with a healthy barrier) with some great whites. I've been fascinated by them since my mom took me to see Jaws in 1975.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/great-white-sharks-are-swarming-maine-beaches/

2025-08-25 14:54:26 UTC

Sigh. Another person complaining about "Linux doesn't support laptops," which is completely, 1000%, backwards. This irks me to no end.
If your laptop doesn't work well with Linux, point the finger at the laptop vendor -- not "Linux". I get that it's frustrating to want to use Linux and find that this or that piece of hardware doesn't work.
You know why it works w/Windows and not Linux? *Because the _vendor_ hasn't gone to the trouble of supporting Linux.*

2025-08-24 21:30:13 UTC

Curious if anyone with the #Framework 12” laptop has found a stylus that works with the machine on Linux? I tried a generic one with USI 2.0 support, but no response. Not sure if that’s a stylus issue, mismatch, missing driver… any recommendations? #Lazyweb #linux

2025-08-16 00:17:43 UTC

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it’s an amazing book. She’s got an incredible gift. I need to read it again, I’m sure there’s much more I’ll get out of it on the second read.

2025-07-29 13:37:50 UTC

I don't know what my last words will be, but the last thing I type will probably be
<Esc> :wq
Granted, it will probably not actually be in Vim... but by force of habit/muscle memory, I tend to type that into almost any text window if I'm not careful.

2025-07-27 22:33:09 UTC

This is not a serious dog. #dogsofmastodon
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/927/572/437/787/223/original/be02a78f52d4f008.jpeg

2025-07-12 20:05:52 UTC

We should stop calling them “ad blockers”. If a site serves up a few banner ads as images like the old days, that’s fine. I don’t object to a site paying the bills, or seeing a banner ad.
They’re malware blockers and privacy protections. I don’t want a site popping up bullshit and trying to track me across the net. If that’s what a site is serving, it’s more than an ad, and I absolutely want to block it.

2025-07-03 00:31:47 UTC

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“Babel” by R.F. Kuang would have my vote. @npub1ny7…uv57

2025-06-30 12:57:00 UTC

One of our neighbors has a beautiful wildflower garden in front of their house, and they put these flowers from it out yesterday. What a really nice thing to do. I hope to run into them when walking Radar soon. #kindness
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/772/424/080/289/249/original/43b2500f8ac28521.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/772/424/546/807/084/original/2d2fa225b695378d.jpeg

2025-06-17 14:42:52 UTC

Stepping away from the computer a bit to go pick up our new family member. I got to visit him Saturday, for a bit, and he seems like a super-sweet doggo.
He was turned in to the shelter by a family who had lost their housing. I really hate that they were unable to keep him, but super-appreciative they did the right thing to help him get rehomed. We are going to try to give him the best home we can.
Current name "Tater," but we're going to try "Radar" (as in Radar O'Reilly).
#dogsofmastodon
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/699/217/921/198/565/original/14686006687fdd18.jpeg

2025-06-10 12:34:17 UTC

Neutrality is, and always has been, a trap. Journalism is inherently biased: done right, it's a public service that is performed to tell people what they need (not want!) to know. That almost always puts journos at odds with power structures, business interests, and anyone trying to bilk the public.
Journalists do not owe "balance" or neutrality to those they report on, they only owe them truthful and fair reporting. They don't even owe them a right to comment.
https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:hss3j2uwxdxklj6f3bx7ch5y/post/3lravbbyemk2f

2025-05-12 14:28:48 UTC

Happy birthday to Bubby. According to his microchip, he's 20 years old today! IMO he doesn't look a day over ten.
We got him at 14 years old from a shelter. He was not considered adoptable due to his age and having diabetes. Since I already had one diabetic cat, how hard could it be to handle two?
He's a prince, one of the sweetest cats you'd ever meet. Likes everybody. He just wants a soft place to sleep, regular meals, and some attention. #CatsOfMastodon #Blackcat #SeniorCat
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/495/324/259/578/774/original/9b13f35273ccede9.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/495/326/213/627/046/original/00d5fdc45dfaade4.jpeg

2025-05-09 16:00:32 UTC

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I want someone to do this for Vigor. https://vigor.sourceforge.net/screenshots/

2025-04-23 13:22:02 UTC

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100% agree that the minute a device is out of support the vendor should have to unlock it and - at the least - make it possible to run other software on the device. (Even better -- must provide an open-source SDK or something to help bootstrap community efforts.)
Can you imagine if all those old iPhones, Androids, Kindles, Rokus, etc., could be community supported and turned into low-power computing devices?

2025-04-21 14:42:18 UTC

Enjoyed writing this one. Appreciate Owen's willingness to be interviewed, and it's always fun to comb through the archives and write about the history of how we got here.
Hope folks enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
https://fosstodon.org/@LWN/114376332607675068

2025-04-18 14:54:11 UTC

Surely nothing will go wrong with this... nothing dystopian or privacy harming about this at all.
If your open source project is using Discord as its real-time chat, support, and/or development communication platform *please* reconsider:
https://gizmodo.com/discord-begins-testing-facial-scans-for-age-verification-2000590188

2025-04-17 23:52:07 UTC

I have a Synology NAS. I won’t be buying another. https://infosec.exchange/@st1nger/114355791801889581

2025-04-10 17:59:03 UTC

Today's SMBC really speaks to me... #OpenSource
https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/last-rights
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/314/950/807/869/440/original/f3adf4dee755b3f7.webp

2025-04-09 20:39:44 UTC

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I mean, the tariffs aren't the point -- the destabilization is. Anybody watching Trump and thinking "gee, he sure is bad at this" is missing the point. He's great at what he's trying to do -- destabilize the U.S. and world economy for the benefit of Musk and those like him and doing Putin's dirty work.
Doing an about-face is perfect -- causes chaos without overly upsetting his base. They'll go back to sleep now until this bites them in the posterior.

2025-03-27 20:27:41 UTC

Forgive me wallet, for I have sinned. Again. Bought a Framework mainboard and case for a desktop system. Because I don't have enough computers already...
Is there a 12-step program for people who buy too many computers? I feel like there should be. Hi, I'm jzb, and it's been 0 days since I bought new hardware....

2025-03-27 17:06:36 UTC

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If you're willing to use a Chromium-based browser (which AIUI Brave is) then why not Ungoogled Chromium? Cromite? There's also Iridium, but they don't supply binary packages which may be a blocker for many...

2025-03-27 15:58:08 UTC

"We didn't like Firefox's recent privacy change so we chose Brave instead" is a kind of mind-boggling choice.

2025-03-25 22:32:02 UTC

This post from @npub1xhw…9evl is well worth reading, "don't bring slop to a slop fight".
"Using AI to detect and filter AI content just means that there'll be even more generative AI in use, not less. This isn't the signal we want to send to the venture capitalists who are deciding whether to offer these companies more investment money. We want that "monthly active user" (MAU) graph to be flattening or decreasing."
https://sethmlarson.dev/dont-bring-slop-to-a-slop-fight

2025-03-13 20:01:52 UTC

I've been thinking a *lot* about Musk's recent comment that empathy is a weakness in Western civilization. More time than I care to give Musk (which is "any") but it is just so telling and terrifying at the same time.
Empathy is one of the defining characteristics, one of the saving graces, of humanity. Empathy is something we should be learning to double down on, and try to champion, not stamp out.
We need to be more like Mr. Rogers, not like Musk and the MAGA crowd.
https://infosec.exchange/@codinghorror/114156756132327530

2025-03-04 16:45:33 UTC

Went to a protest today in downtown Asheville, met some great people, and plan to go to a town hall next week to give the local rep a piece of my mind for going along with Trump's agenda.
Speak up now because we're rapidly approaching a time when you won't be able to. Whatever you can do - do it. It's time to throw as much sand in the gears of Trump's machine as we can lay hands on. The longer people wait, the harder it is to stop. It's already going to be hard.
https://mas.to/@kityates/114104690403619700

2025-02-17 16:48:48 UTC

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I hadn't quite gotten around to deleting my account on Twitter, so I figure I'll see if I can get them to ban me. I'd encourage anybody else who hasn't deleted their account yet to do the same...
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/020/243/130/301/022/original/e2f70030334f7164.png

2025-02-03 13:17:51 UTC

Slept like 3.5 hours and am fighting a cold (and losing). That, my friends, is just how good the FOSDEM videos were -- I didn't even need to attend to get sick, just watched some of the livestreams.

2025-01-26 22:17:50 UTC

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What made me think of this -- I'm currently packing and have three functional e-readers on my desk, and a few more gathering dust elsewhere.
My first e-ink device was the original Kindle. Bought that in early 2008, IIRC. I read tons on that thing, handed it down to my father's wife, and she used it until it gave up the ghost close to 10 years after I bought it.

2025-01-26 22:15:07 UTC

Curious -- how many dedicated e-readers have folks owned since e-ink devices started being a thing? (Not full-blown tablets that have ebook apps, just dedicated e-readers.)
Please boost and feel free to reply with more like what was the first device you bought, what you have now, best one... whatever.

2024-12-13 17:16:11 UTC

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The problem with DNF was always that it was a "please don't do this" and not a technical barrier to doing whatever tracking the user was trying to opt out of.
It was obvious from day one that it wouldn't be honored. Asking the same industry that has conducted a decades-long campaign to thwart every actual barrier to preventing pop-ups and trackers "pretty please don't track" is silly.
I wrote about it at the time they proposed it, but I can no longer find the article.

2024-12-13 16:36:52 UTC

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DNT was a bad idea from the start. Surprised it took this long to throw in the towel.

2024-12-09 14:01:01 UTC

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Wow, has it been *that* long? It seems more recent than that.
I like what @npub15f7…m7wr is doing these days with upgradeable and repairable laptops. They're not quite the tanks that ThinkPads used to be, nor are their keyboards as nice, but overall - happy with my Framework system I purchased earlier this year.
I like them enough to recommend to my younger brother, who would _definitely_ complain to me if he wasn't happy with it...

2024-11-30 15:30:14 UTC

Pondering a move to a different instance or perhaps even self-hosting* — for folks who’ve migrated, how’s that gone for you, which host(s) would you recommend, and any tips?
*via Masto.host or similar.
#migration #lazyweb

2024-11-10 12:50:52 UTC

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the rooms vary from cold AF to boiling hot, try to wear layers you can shed or pile on as needed.
It gets extremely crowded in the halls between devrooms. Allow 2x as much time as you think you’ll need to get from A to B. More if you’re going from building to building.
FOSDEM Flu is no joke, even before COVID: consider masking for the event.
IIRC the food trucks don’t take credit, so have cash on hand.
It’s been a long time since I’ve gone. Hope it’s a great experience for you.

2024-11-05 20:55:34 UTC

Now playing #music #REM #90s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03gauuHIgME

2024-11-05 17:42:56 UTC

Continuing public service cat pictures. This is a twofer - two shots of the Wonder Twins, Sir Wobbles (orange cat) and his sister Cupcake. (black and white cat). #CatsOfMastodon
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/431/567/516/987/095/original/d3d80ea1cb860e7b.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/431/567/526/901/030/original/a1ad61f8e64f0b32.png

2024-10-26 14:11:26 UTC

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not too long ago! https://lwn.net/Articles/984638/

2024-10-25 20:36:16 UTC

Well, this is handy... https://paper.wf/binarycat/bookmark-keywords

2024-10-11 13:35:13 UTC

Noticed a nifty little feature of Konsole I've never bumped into before: if you hover the mouse pointer over a hex color (e.g., #a64b2a) it will pop up a little color preview with a small square of that color.
That's pretty spiffy. Not sure if others do that -- but it's a nice little feature.

2024-10-04 14:14:37 UTC

If you're sick of the "Log in with Google" pop-up (I am) and use UBlock Origin on Firefox, you can nuke it by adding this to your filters:
accounts.google.com/gsi/*
At least, it's worked so far.
Some days I think every "advance" in web technologies after 1998 was a mistake...

2024-09-23 17:31:21 UTC

Authenticating to a website, 2010: Type in username and password
Authenticating to a website, 2024:
- Type in username
- Look up 20-character password in password keeper
- wait
- Prompt for 2FA token
- Dig out phone
- Unlock phone
- Scroll through 50 services to find 2FA token for website
- Type in 2FA token
- Success
- Receive email alerting you to the fact you've logged in
- Six weeks later: receive email telling you service had been compromised eight weeks ago and you must change password.

2024-09-11 03:28:33 UTC

I *really* do not love how @npub1shf…7zml sites grab Ctrl-f for "search this page" and turn it into "search this topic" or whatever.
Your website does not need special behavior for universal functions. I will absolutely never want my browser shortcuts hijacked, I don't care how special or amazing you think your replacement feature is. It's not. It's an annoyance. It no longer does what I expected it to do.
(Yes, I spend a lot of time searching Discourse sites & this always bites me.)

2024-09-11 01:45:42 UTC

Palate cleanser for anybody watching the debate. Everybody needs disco kitty. https://imgur.com/gallery/cw48TrP

2024-08-25 17:51:32 UTC

Have been tinkering with aerc a bit this evening. Definitely like it - the combination of TUI with tabs for emails is great.
Probably going to need to tweak some of the keybindings, and need to fiddle with using multiple accounts, but definitely like it. #aerc #email #opensource #Linux

2024-07-03 13:02:49 UTC

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I like Pop!_OS and respect the work that's gone into it, but trying to get people to adhere to branding like that is an uphill battle. Perhaps Quixotic, even.
Something as simple as "Red Hat" gets turned into Redhat and RedHat even in publications that in theory should be doing better. To say nothing of social media...
I have spent more time than I care to think about on this issue as a writer, editor, contributor, etc. Projects could save a lot of grief with more standard naming.