Bill and Eric wax philosophical about technology and it’s users. They get into Ad blocking, anti-virus, and the like. The nature of “free” software comes up. Gaming on Linux, Wine, virtualization, etc. They get into the concept of a software repository, and the associated package manager. The layers of effort that goes into every distribution. All of this and more!

Eric makes his triumphant return where we start off talking about some recent pc builds Bill had been working on during his time off. We get into some of the vagaries of hardware issues and what we’ve done in the past to deal with them. Majid talks about recent laptop purchases. Eric gets into some issues he experienced while using multiple versions of Handbrake. These topics and more!

In this lively episode of Linux OTC, we kick off with some unexpected technical hiccups when Majid’s audio takes a turn for the bizarre, sparking a spirited debate about the causes. As we navigate through the audio chaos, the conversation shifts to the fascinating evolution of smartphones, exploring how they’ve transformed our daily lives.

Later, we dive into the intricacies of Arch Linux and debate the merits and pitfalls of using the AUR (Arch User Repository). Battery life also makes a brief appearance as we share tips and experiences to help listeners maximize their device’s endurance.

Amidst the tech talk, one amusing cultural meme—“67”—keeps making its way back into the conversation, adding a humorous twist to our discussions. Join us for a blend of tech insights, friendly banter, and plenty of laughs!

One hardware failure after another for these guys. Bill’s video card woes, Majid’s server issues. We even had a complete SATA controller failure on one of the most important machines. We get through it. We get into distro hopping, as well as a little conversation about Cosmic, verses Gnome.