In theory I could have posted this over to ERE forum as it
deals with frugality, but I figure sdf gets dibs on
computer talk.
I last wrote about the computer in question in the piece
"new old computer" on this phlog. It turns out that the
machine didn't get much use where it was tucked away in the
garage in a spot that it hard to get to, so I thought to
myself "gee, that'd make a great computer at school."
Though the start of the school year is very important and
reqiures my full attention, at least the appearence of such,
as the sixth graders get used to of the great transitions in
their life -- from one institutional setting and pariadigm
to another, this "middle" school -- there comes a time of
the year that they settle in and become disaffected youth.
In those times, most particularly in the lull before breaks,
it best to give them space. This turns my job into a
slacker one, and that can get boring.
Enter using my new old computer to entertain myself. This
has the added benefit of being easy to disguise what I am
doing. In particular, freesweep is a minesweeper analogue
that works in terminal. Therefore, it will look like I am
typing when I am playing and hiding it and going to a to-do
list is a keystroke command.
I dusted off -- literally, since I do a lot of sawing in
the garage -- the computer and sat down to install free
games to it, but then I realized I had forgotten the damn
password . . . So I worked for a while on trying to figure
the password out, realized I could just install a new
operating system over, weighed that as harder than figuring
out the password, trying some more, getting really
frustrated, and then breaking down and doing the
installation (Linux Mint -- I don't care all that much for
challenges).
Writing over the disks meant I needed to send back my Music
and documents, much of which had been downloaded by the new
old computer in the first place.
Then, in order to give myself the option of playing the
music without leaving terminal, I installed sox.
Next came all the games. Freesweep, for sure, as it is the
best way to kill a few minutes while trapped at work. Also,
I installed the terminal implementation of Tetris: Tint.
Then, since life isn't all in the terminal, I downloaded a
few more games. I went with Gnu Backgammon (sudo apt
install gnubg), pychess, and gnugo. Between these I should
have the potentional to fill several several lifetimes
with games that provide ever more to learn. My favorite of
the bunch is backgammon, and I may write about why that is
some other day.
But for now, I've got my sweet gaming rig set up. It cost
me some time and $7.50 for a new mouse.
--
This work is hereby in the public domain.
Do what you want with it.
