Beko Pharm

I dabble in programming, administration, linux, gaming, historical european martial arts, reenactment, live action role play, e-mobility, carhacking, simpits and… parenting?

Blog: [beko.famkos.net](https://beko.famkos.net/ )
Profile: [beko.famkos.net](https://beko.famkos.net/author/beko/ )
Simulated Home Cockpit: [SimPit.dev](https://SimPit.dev )

Last Notes

2026-07-28 10:01:46 UTC

- reply

“everything for the gains” I guess 🤷

2026-07-27 14:06:08 UTC

##
I’d not buy a LG monitorThere is a [video by Gamers Nexus ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9uefFYe6bM )making the rounds that makes me really angry. It reports about LG’s latest practise to add blatant spyware to a monitor. Or to be precise to the *software* application associated with that monitor. The icing is that Windows apparently automatically downloads this software by default and this thing starts – without consent – to display ads. It’s ToS also explicitly allows “wiretapping” and “eavesdropping” and it’s the user’s responsibility to obtain consent from anyone in the room.
It seems to also affect the “somewhat” expensive UltraGear model line but apparently also older models.
It also does only affect Windows PC users.
As a Linux PC user I’m still hopping mad at this behaviour and after you watch that video you’ll probably be very angry too. That’s right. I’m **not affected** by this **at all** because we do not even get a fancy app on top. Guess I dodged another bullet in 2026 by simply not having Windows.
I do own the 45gx950a-b UltraGear for my flight and space sim desires. It is an awesome display. The best I ever had. Having this thing sitting on my table for half a year now and so far no burn in effect or any issues even with heavy use as work machine for coding. It’s built in audio sucks but who cares, using headphones most of the time anyway.
[](https://beko.famkos.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/new_monitor.jpg )Still, that thing costs some money. Like a lot. And even if it wouldn’t: In what timeline is this acceptable behaviour by a fucking monitor to tell it’s manufacturer what [naughty] video you’re currently watching?
To add insult to injury I opened their official website today to check again on it’s specs. I was curious if the website would mention this new “feature”. I was greeted with an ad. An ad asking me to gamble with a wheel of fortune to roll me a nice discount. What kind of bullshit is that? It’s also “on sale”. As in “clearance sale”.
And this, people, is the reason I was [looking for a *dumb* TV](https://beko.famkos.net/2022/11/27/on-non-smart-tvs/ ) in 2002.
I’d not buy a LG monitor again. And you shouldn’t too.
https://beko.famkos.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/lg-website-asking-to-wheel-of-fortune.png
https://beko.famkos.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/new_monitor.jpg

2025-03-12 13:31:31 UTC

Showing off new features for my home cockpit: Priority alerts, sounds and more status indicators
This uses my X4-SimPit extension for X4: Foundations, that sends ship telemetry via a socket to my node-red plumbing pipeline, which in turn forwards data to Websockets, SocketIO and MQTT. Various subscriber listen on the new messages to run blinken lights and my HUD app. I’m using the well known message format also used by Elite Dangerous so it’s compatible with that game as well.
Pick your poison: https://makertube.net/w/nUoG2ZPeAW1QhT3A2BXRrM / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp1PkVhH9cc
Oh yeah… and on Linux PC 🤓
Let me know what you think!
X4-SimPit code (pending changes) is here: https://github.com/bekopharm/x4-simpit
The cockpit panel has a dedicated project page here: https://simpit.dev/
https://beko.famkos.net/2025/03/12/showing-off-new-features-for-my-home-cockpit-priority-alerts-sounds-and-more-status-indicators/
#arwes #BattleStarGalactica #BSG #DIY #EliteDangerous #gaming #gamingonlinux #homeCockpit #linux #linuxgaming #macross #PewPew #Robotech #simpit #Space #VF1 #VF1 #Viper #x4foundations
https://beko.famkos.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/x4-demo-new-hud-functions2-f000293-compressed-1024x576.jpg

2025-01-31 01:06:33 UTC

Demo: FreeSpace 2 Open with head tracking from Viture Pro XR glasses IMU data – on Linux PC
Until now I used OpenTrack with my DIY IR tracker or the Neuralnet tracker. I knew that my XR glasses feature IMU data though and the xr_driver of the Breezy Desktop project allows to access the data via IPC on Linux PC. So I did what Linux user do: I wrote a script to access the IMU data and forwarded it via UDP to OpenTrack:
Pick your poison to watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njuumLUvqrM / https://makertube.net/w/2bNyxJhdyydTeFq17onikv
This reminded me that I also wrote a proof of concept to implement the FaceTrackNoIR (or OpenTrack) protocol into FreeSpace 2 Open on Linux PC ( https://makertube.net/w/7VtfAjW7EiAUS5aiPwG7if ) so I gave it a spin to test the data bridge. That was smooth sailing!
The mod is Diaspora: Shattered Armistice, still awesome today: http://diaspora.hard-light.net/ (Warning: This may fuel a desire to re-watch the BSG series again 😀).
The bridge code can be found at https://github.com/bekopharm/xr_to_opentrack (pending changes).
It works with the Breezy GNOME xr_driver: https://github.com/wheaney/breezy-desktop (but the Vulkan one works probably too but that’s untested). It should also be compatible with other glasses that have IMU for Breezy available.
https://beko.famkos.net/2025/01/31/demo-freespace-2-open-with-head-tracking-from-viture-pro-xr-glasses-imu-data-on-linux-pc/
#AR #BattleStarGalactica #Breezy #BSG #diaspora #FreeSpace #FreeSpace2 #gaming #gamingonlinux #headtracker #Headtracking #linux #linuxgaming #opentrack #Viture #ViturePro #VR #XR
https://beko.famkos.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/diaspora-xr-glasses-opentrack-proof-of-concept-f012404-compressed-1024x576.jpg

2024-11-12 10:55:19 UTC

This one flew under my radar so far (haha, sorry):
> Rescue the civilians, race the clock, and raze the enemy in MH-Zombie, the world’s only helicopter arcade simulator! Three flight physics modes, three difficulty modes, and a tutorial mode provide a stepped learning curve and wider accessibility to realistic helicopter flight.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1429350/MHZombie
The reason this came to my attention is because it’s one of the few games that [just] implemented #headTracking via UDP e.g. available by #OpenTrack (and various others). This is great because it doesn’t force people to jump the hoops of #TrackIR, which is only supported for Windows and officially limited to their proprietary devices. See this in action at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMGFdO7VXiY
Apparently it’s written for mobile games but runs on PC as well – that seems to include Linux PC which even makes this a #LinuxGaming title! 🤓
I don’t know about you but for 3 bucks I’ll totally get this for the occasional pew pew fun. Game seems to be a labour of love so sharing is highly appreciated.
https://beko.famkos.net/2024/11/12/mh-zombie/
#flightsim #gaming #gamingonlinux #Headtracking #helicopter #indiegame #linuxgaming #mhzombie #opentrack #TrackIR
https://beko.famkos.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/mh-zombie.jpg

2024-11-05 01:44:18 UTC

This video is how I gutted my already modified old Thrustmaster F-16 FLCS joystick of my ViperPit and made it work again with the help of an Arduino Pro Micro. This flight stick (and also the other peripherals) do belong in a museum but where’s the fun in that? I modified it and now it’s a generic USB joystick that works on any recent system. I focus mostly on the 5×5 button matrix since this is the hardest part to understand. In the end are a few minutes of playing X4 Foundations with it to give it a good test run. Now it just needs some oil for the creaking 😅
https://makertube.net/w/qrqqZLr2QvJFjCwyNzzAmp / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYiPFDpHwmc
https://beko.famkos.net/2024/11/05/reviving-an-old-f-16-flcs-joystick-for-my-viperpit/
#Arduino #DIY #F16 #FLCS #gaming #gamingonlinux #homeCockpit #joystick #linuxgaming #simpit #Thrustmaster #ViperPit #x4foundations
https://beko.famkos.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/f-16-flcs-to-usb-arduini-micro-f009212-1024x576.jpg

2023-07-25 10:23:41 UTC

##
Blocksizes in the wildWho bought a bunch of used Seagate Constellation SAS drives and didn’t check for their block-size of 520 not supported by the old hardware raid controller?
Yes, me.
Who got a dirty cheap LSI SAS 9200-8E controller with pass-through just to fix that?
Yes, also me.
That’ll take a while 🤪
[](https://beko.famkos.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/gnome-shell-screenshot-bgw4hr.png )
https://beko.famkos.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/gnome-shell-screenshot-bgw4hr.png