September 26, 2025: Featured is my new "Mac Stack" consisting of two old Mac Mini 2014 computers, one running macOS Monterey and one running MX Linux Libretto.
Tom - If you’re going to base emergency communications around a repeater, GMRS in this case, that requires making the repeater reliable, especially with good backup power. This is especially true in community scenarios where the repeater might be the only radio system in a community building. Also, licenses ARE an issue. No Amateur Radio testing / knowledge is required - just apply and pay.
These days, as cheap and efficient as solar is, I would run that as the primary power. Backup power doesn't always seem to work when you need it, unless you are devoutly religious about testing it weekly. I've learned this with my many years in datacenter & hosting. Make mains power the backup in case something happens to the solar power.
Thank you, I'm always happy to try a new tool. This one doesn't yet work well for me. I running an ARM-based Windows laptop and got several errors during the installation of NoMachine. NM installed on the macOS machine and I can see my Windows desktop from the Mac, but I can't authenticate from the Windows instance to the Mac. For the MX Linux machine, I had to reboot a few times (not uncommon with Linux), but the Win machine sees it perfectly.
I've allow NM through the macOS firewall but that didn't help with connecting. I did have to add NM to my Linux firewall to be able to connect to that machine.
I'll try deleting the macOS machine and redoing it.
It appears Pine lives on as Alpine. I don't know if PIco (text editor) is part of the Alpine package. UPDATE: After checking with "apt search alpine" I see that alpine-pico is still available to install via apt.
Tom - If you’re going to base emergency communications around a repeater, GMRS in this case, that requires making the repeater reliable, especially with good backup power. This is especially true in community scenarios where the repeater might be the only radio system in a community building. Also, licenses ARE an issue. No Amateur Radio testing / knowledge is required - just apply and pay.
Affirmative on all points!
These days, as cheap and efficient as solar is, I would run that as the primary power. Backup power doesn't always seem to work when you need it, unless you are devoutly religious about testing it weekly. I've learned this with my many years in datacenter & hosting. Make mains power the backup in case something happens to the solar power.
Take a look at "NoMachine" software for remote desktop. It has duplex audio transfer.
Thank you, I'm always happy to try a new tool. This one doesn't yet work well for me. I running an ARM-based Windows laptop and got several errors during the installation of NoMachine. NM installed on the macOS machine and I can see my Windows desktop from the Mac, but I can't authenticate from the Windows instance to the Mac. For the MX Linux machine, I had to reboot a few times (not uncommon with Linux), but the Win machine sees it perfectly.
I've allow NM through the macOS firewall but that didn't help with connecting. I did have to add NM to my Linux firewall to be able to connect to that machine.
I'll try deleting the macOS machine and redoing it.
I've been using nano for so long that all my .cshrc files alisas pico to nano!
I use to use joe, which is a classic CP/M-DOS era WordStar clone.
-Joe w7com
Joe, I'm dating both of us when I say I remember CPM/DOS and WordStar!!!
I miss Pine…
It appears Pine lives on as Alpine. I don't know if PIco (text editor) is part of the Alpine package. UPDATE: After checking with "apt search alpine" I see that alpine-pico is still available to install via apt.
I still use pine to read root email on my BSD boxen.
But it's no elm.