do GSI roms still contain google binaries (play store, play services, etc…) or is it similar to a AOSP rom where its just a bare android image

Yes. That’s to say they can be either depending on how the ROM was built. All of the GSI ROM builders I’ve worked with usually have multiple releases of the same build with different configurations: root, no root, with Google services (often MicroG), without Google services, combinations of both, etc.

To my understanding, GSI ROMs are basically just the “userland” portion of a full ROM. Basically they use the stock/existing kernel, drivers, etc but replace the rest of the system that runs on top of it. If memory serves, they’re possible due to Project Treble. Sadly, they still require an unlocked bootloader to install, so they’re not a total fix-all.

They’re also very generic generic images (hence the “G” in the term). They’re not optimized for any specific device and can be hit-or-miss feature wise depending on the device. If you’re already reading about a specific device on XDA forums, then you’ll probably be able to see what works and what doesn’t.

TL;DR: Running a GSI ROM is like upgrading to a newer Linux distro but without upgrading the kernel.

“Does it piss you off when Google/whatever does [blank]? Yeah, me too. So I run my own versions to not have to deal with that crap. Would you like me to set you up an account on my stuff?”

A database can be used to plug into any number of applications that run on top of it as well as be easily shared by multiple people and centrally backed up. Auditing, logging, and row and table level access controls, and other measures can be easily added.

Excel files (or even MS Access files) as “databases” are often just people emailing around a file or accessing it from a shared drive. You end up with a split-brain situation at best and at worst you’re dealing with constant file corruption from multiple people thinking they can access it from a shared drive at the same time.

Then you get vendor lock in and are forced to keep MS Office professional licenses because Shawn created some stupid Access “app” 10 years ago which is “THE DATABASE” and no one understands how it works.

My X1 Carbon does now. But it used to drain to empty after a day or two even if it was turned all the way off. Drove me crazy.

The problem ended up being the always-on USB setting in the BIOS. For some reason, even with nothing connected, that would drain the battery until it was completely flat. Once I turned that off, it’ll sleep for weeks like you said.

OP, maybe check the BIOS settings for “Always on USB” or similar and disable that?

This is c/DadJokes though…

I think the point of 11h is to achieve that kind of range without directional antennas. Basically as a higher-bandwidth version of LoRa.

Took me a second to get that. Gross. But also lol

Literally me for decades. My astigmatism wasn’t diagnosed until 2-3 years ago despite yearly (or semi-yearly) visits to the optometrist. Thought that was just how lights looked in the dark lol.

The regular R4 is about $250 right now so I’d guess at least that much. A little pricey and probably over-powered for my use cases, but probably a bargain if you need the horsepower.

Ooh, I haven’t tried RTL-SDR on it yet, but I think I’m nearing capacity on what it can do at once lol.

Here’s the block diagram for it (in spoiler below). Everything’s up and running except the Bluetooth Receiver -> Snapcast (it works on the bench but I don’t have the scripting/automation done yet). I’m also adding an SMA connector for an external antenna, but the new base part is still printing. Photo shows it “as is” of this writing.

SSL for the web apps was a PITA since I wanted real certs. Had to make a wildcard domain under my main hobby domain, so all my apps are like “https://{APP_NAME}.mobile.mydomain.xyz/”

As soon as I can get the Bluetooth + Pulseaudio scripting done, I’m gonna try to do a write up and maybe a show/tell post.

I would love to have a small Wikipedia browser that can survive the apocalypse.

I’ve got the full 120 GB Wikipedia dump running in Kiwix on a Raspberry Pi Zero. Works great (surprisingly)

E-ink display, mini keyboard

Have been using a Minimal Phone for a few months now which has both of those. Can connect to the Pi easily.

multiple ways/ports to transfer info,

Add a USB-C hub (or add a hub to the Pi) and you’re set

All wrapped up in a heavy duty equipment case that’s able to survive a building collapses and burns in an earthquake, that’s shielded from EMP.

And that’s where I’m limited - My 3D printer can only do so much lol. 😆

I’ve been working on a side project this week with a Orange Pi Zero 2W (Pi Zero “clone” but with better specs). It’s got the Kiwix+Wikipedia like my older Pi (described above) plus a bunch of other neat stuff. It’s kind of a combination travel router, portable web app server, party box, and extremely over-engineered bluetooth speaker all-in-one. Hoping to put together a show-and-tell post about it when I get the last of it squared away.

What kind of mad person shuffles their whole collection?

Me! lol

The musical whiplash is strong. It’ll go Pantera, Slipknot, Lady Gaga, Children of Bodom, the theme from Three’s Company, Spice Girls, Waylon Jennings, N’Sync, Foo Fighters, STP, Britney Spears, etc. You never know what’s next.

The sad thing is I have a fully functional MPD + Snapcast setup I could use (including a TUI MPD client), but this is just what I’ve always done. Old habits and such lol.

It’s very likely I’m mis-remembering the BTS stuff, but I always thought the whole reason they wrote her out in S4 was to feature her in ST: Academy. I’m assuming now that was either never correct or something majorly changed.

Bryan Cranston kind-of? He had some minor movie roles before television and then larger movie roles after.

Will Ferrell, technically. Plus most of the other SNL actors who started there and did films later (though many of those were based on SNL skits). Tina Fey, though, plays it straight. She started as a writer, joined the cast of SNL, and did TV and movies later. Granted, I wouldn’t call any of them “movie stars”.

GoTG: Vol 2

“Poor”

Oh, I’m sorry to hear that!

“No, I mean pour.”

He should at least get a cameo or a guest spot. Continuity-wise, Stamets is right there. And Tig Notaro is gonna be there, and Reno was the perfect foil for him.

I do wonder what the refresh rate is like on these. I’ve been daily driving a Minimal Phone for a few months now. While I like it, it definitely took some getting used to. While it’s actually quite snappy, it feels abysmally slow even compared to the Cat S22 Flip it replaced (which is a low-end Android smartphone in a flip phone form factor).

I also wonder why they bothered with a camera on it. The camera on the Minimal is extremely “meh”, but the thing that makes it mostly useless is the refresh rate of the e-ink. You never know if you got a blurry mess of a picture or what. The firmware will put the screen into “fast refresh / low fidelity” mode to try to improve it, but it’s still a roll of the dice when trying to take any kind of photo. About the only thing it’s good for is scanning QR codes.

I think that’s what I’m going to try.