overview for CalcProgrammer1

14

OpenRGB Lemmy moving to https://lemmy.today/c/OpenRGB (lemmy.today)

submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml to c/openrgb@lemmy.ml

4 comments fedilink

I've decided to move the official home of OpenRGB on Lemmy to a different instance. I started on lemmy.ml because it was hosted by the Lemmy developers, but this instance has a certain (rather negative) reputation across the greater Threadiverse. I also prefer the mlmym (old Reddit style) instance and lemmy.today has this (https://old.lemmy.today/c/OpenRGB).

I will be over there on my lemmy.today account. Please join this new community to continue our OpenRGB presence on Lemmy!

Edit: !OpenRGB@lemmy.today

16

OpenRGB Flatpak updated to 1.0rc2 (flathub.org)

submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml to c/openrgb@lemmy.ml

2 comments fedilink

I was hesitant to update the Flatpak build to a release candidate, but 1.0rc2 is the build we're recommending on openrgb.org and a bunch of distros have packaged it. To be fair, if there were more digits between 0.9 and 1.0 these rcs would've been proper releases. With a lot of users having success with 1.0rc2 on other platforms, 1.0 still being a ways out do to some backend reworks and cleanups, and 0.9 being ancient now, I've gone ahead and updated the Flatpak release to 1.0rc2. You will still have to setup udev rules outside of Flatpak, as that is a limitation of Flatpak itself.

26

OpenRGB Release Candidate 1.0rc2 has been tagged! (gitlab.com)

submitted 5 months ago by CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml to c/openrgb@lemmy.ml

1 comments fedilink

I've tagged the second Release Candidate build for OpenRGB 1.0. This build has quite a few user interface improvements over the previous 1.0rc1 release candidate build as well as some new device support and bug fixes. However, the main reason for this release candidate is that Microsoft has started flagging the WinRing0 driver we use for low-level IO (SMBus, Super-IO, etc) as vulnerable and Windows Defender is now tampering with OpenRGB installations, deleting this driver and breaking access to RAM and motherboard RGB controls. We have been working to replace WinRing0 with a new driver called PawnIO (https://pawnio.eu/) which is more secure as it keeps all of the SMBus controller accessing code kernel-side in signed Pawn modules. Now that we've resolved all of the bugs with PawnIO, I've decided to make a release candidate both to sunset the old WinRing0 support as well as introduce the new PawnIO support. For this reason there are two 1.0rc2 versions for Windows - 1.0rc2wr0 (with WinRing0) and 1.0rc2 (with PawnIO). PawnIO has two major caveats compared to WinRing0 which is why I wanted to publish a final WinRing0 build - it doesn't support 32-bit and it requires Administrator access all the time. If you have a use case where you need a 32-bit OpenRGB build that can access SMBus, you're stuck with WinRing0. Going forward, the OpenRGB Windows Installer gives you the option to install OpenRGB as a system service, which gets around the Administrator requirement by running the OpenRGB backend as a service. The GUI can then be used as a normal user, it just connects to the service using the SDK protocol instead of connecting directly to hardware. However, there are some UI inconveniences that running as a service still has (settings changes only affect the local copy, not the service, so configuring manually added devices, disabling devices, etc. requires manual config tweaking for the service's copy of the settings files).

I still want to do one major rework before 1.0 final. This will focus on some plugin API changes and SDK protocol changes to hopefully make using OpenRGB in client/server mode a better experience.

I have also tagged 1.0rc2 builds for the OpenRGB plugins. These rc2 builds of the plugins will work with OpenRGB 1.0rc1 and 1.0rc2.

1

OpenRGB Release Candidate 1.0rc1 is out! (gitlab.com)

submitted 1 year ago by CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml to c/openrgb@lemmy.ml

1 comments fedilink

OpenRGB 1.0rc1 is the first release candidate build before the upcoming official 1.0 release. This build should be considered stable, but we're looking to track down any major last-minute bugs before release. The plugin API has been updated, so if you're upgrading from 0.9 you will need to upgrade your plugins to the latest pipeline versions.

Builds for 1.0rc1 have been posted on https://openrgb.org/ as well.

3

Looks like you'll be able to control AMD GPU RGB on Linux soon! (www.phoronix.com)

submitted 1 year ago by CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml to c/openrgb@lemmy.ml

0 comments fedilink

AMDGPU driver maintainer Alex Deucher posted patches for enabling the OEM I2C interface on AMD GPUs on Linux. This interface is necessary for OpenRGB to be able to communicate with and control RGB devices on the graphics card PCB and to this point has only been available to Windows users of OpenRGB. No changes should be necessary to OpenRGB itself, once you install an updated kernel with these changes then your supported AMD GPU should be detected! I have tested Alex's development branch and was able to control my ASUS TUF RX7800XT and Sapphire Nitro+ RX580 lighting.

'I had my fun' says hacker who used Call of Duty anti-cheat exploit to ban 'thousands upon thousands' of innocent players by CalcProgrammer1 in c/pcgaming@lemmy.ca

[-] CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml 134 points 1 year ago

Honestly, not even mad. Sucks for the victims, but we need hackers poking holes in kernel anticheats. Show the game companies that kernel anticheat is a waste of effort and maybe this horrific plague of gaming will die off.

The most promising Disco Elysium successor studio says workers must unite to topple Valve's 'digital fiefdom' of Steam by CalcProgrammer1 in c/pcgaming@lemmy.ca

[-] CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml 86 points 1 year ago

Until any competing store releases a Linux client, I can't really argue against Steam. They are a gatekeeper and almost a monopoly, but they're also the most benevolent and pro-consumer gatekeeper that we have in the PC gaming distribution space. As long as all the competition continue to be Windows-only and, in some cases, actively work against Linux users, I don't want Valve's digital fiefdom to fall.

REPORT: Arm is sensationally canceling the license that allowed Qualcomm to make Snapdragon chips which power everything from Microsoft's Copilot+ PCs to Samsung's Galaxy smartphones and tablets by CalcProgrammer1 in c/technology@lemmy.world

[-] CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml 243 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Hopefully Qualcomm takes the hint and takes this opportunity to develop a high performance RISC V core. Don't just give the extortionists more money, break free and use an open standard. Instruction sets shouldn't even require licensing to begin with if APIs aren't copyrightable. Why is it OK to make your own implentation of any software API (see Oracle vs. Google on the Java API, Wine implementing the Windows API, etc) but not OK to do the same thing with an instruction set (which is just a hardware API). Why is writing an ARM or x86 emulator fine but not making your own chip? Why are FPGA emulator systems legal if instruction sets are protected? It makes no sense.

The other acceptable outcome here is a Qualcomm vs. ARM lawsuit that sets a precedence that instruction sets are not protected. If they want to copyright their own cores and sell the core design fine, but Qualcomm is making their own in house designs here.

1

[VIDEO] Steam Gaming on postmarketOS using FEX Emulator and Distrobox (www.youtube.com)

submitted 1 year ago by CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml to c/postmarketos@lemmy.ml

0 comments fedilink

I did a video tutorial and demonstration showing the Steam, FEX Emulator, and Distrobox setup I documented on the postmarketOS wiki here:

https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Steam

I go through the setup process for the Ubuntu container, FEX emulator, Steam, and then install and test two games - Half Life 2: Lost Coast and Tomb Raider (2013) to demonstrate gaming performance on an ARM device (in this case a Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro with Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chip).

1

[GUIDE] Installing Steam on postmarketOS using FEX Emulator and Distrobox (wiki.postmarketos.org)

submitted 1 year ago by CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml to c/postmarketos@lemmy.ml

0 comments fedilink

I managed to get Steam installed on my OnePlus 6T and Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro, both running postmarketOS, using Distrobox to create an Ubuntu 24.04 container and then installing FEX-Emu inside of it. I wrote up a guide on the postmarketOS wiki on how to do it, some issues I ran into, some tips on how to get around those issues, and a list of games I've tested. Feel free to expand upon this list if you try it out. Older games such as Half Life 2 are quite playable, especially if your device supports keyboard and mouse input. I have not yet tested using a controller.

1

OpenRGB Plugins Now Available in ArchLinux AUR (lemmy.ml)

submitted 2 years ago by CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml to c/openrgb@lemmy.ml

0 comments fedilink

I have added support for system-wide plugin installations in Linux for the upcoming 1.0 release. The plugin files can be installed system-wide to the /usr/lib/openrgb/plugins path, which allows them to be provided by distribution packages rather than manually downloading them.

I have created AUR packages for the following plugins and they have been picked up by the Chaotic AUR repository if you want binary builds.

openrgb-plugin-e131-receiver-git
openrgb-plugin-effects-git
openrgb-plugin-hardware-sync-git
openrgb-plugin-visual-map-git

I plan to update the rest of the plugins on https://gitlab.com/OpenRGBDevelopers and get them into the AUR as well before 1.0 releases. Until that happens, you will need to use the openrgb-git AUR package to utilize these new plugin packages. The current 0.9 release in the main repository does not support system-wide plugin installation.

Microsoft looking to restrict kernel level access after CrowdStrike incident might help us with our current Anti-Cheat dilemma by CalcProgrammer1 in c/linux_gaming@lemmy.ml

[-] CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml 142 points 2 years ago

Please, get this garbage out of the kernel. If it isn't there to talk to hardware, third party code has no place in the kernel. The same shit that Crowdstrike did could easily happen with any of these useless anticheats.

1

OpenRGB Desk Fan (youtube.com)

submitted 2 years ago by CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml to c/openrgb@lemmy.ml

0 comments fedilink

I made a 3D printed, Arduino-powered desk fan based around a 120mm Corsair QL120 ARGB fan after seeing Noctua's desk fan. I wanted something similar but with RGB. It is based around CorsairLightingProtocol so it syncs with OpenRGB but also has a knob to adjust fan speed and LED brightness directly. I made a video showing it off but if you prefer to read about it, I have project documentation and files (code, assembly instructions, and 3D models) on GitLab here:

https://gitlab.com/CalcProgrammer1/OpenRGBDeskFan

The 3D models are also on Thingiverse:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6655697

Billy, yes!! by CalcProgrammer1 in c/piracy@lemmy.dbzer0.com

[-] CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml 469 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

The only mistake Billy made is giving anything to AdBlock Plus, the people who have sided WITH the ads, instead of uBlock Origin, the true MVPs of the ad blocking world. I guess uBlock doesn't accept donations unfortunately, but still, ABP is shady and I would not support them.

Microsoft wipes out evidence of real ads in Windows 11 Start menu by CalcProgrammer1 in c/technology@lemmy.ml

[-] CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml 137 points 2 years ago

Recommendations and App Promotions sound an awful lot like ads to me. Showing me things I didn't ask for that you wish to sell me....that's called advertising and I don't care what dumb name you call it, they're still ads. Show me only what I actually want to see - the stuff I explicitly choose to pin to my personalized Start menu.

Riot official response about League of Legends on Linux for Vanguard anti cheat by CalcProgrammer1 in c/linux_gaming@lemmy.world

[-] CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml 110 points 2 years ago

Fuck Riot. Never playing their games again. If you're going to have a shitty anticheat at least give people the option to play in anticheat disabled lobbies. Besides, they should be doing anticheat at the server level not spying on the boot sequence of client PCs. That shit is unnecessary for a fucking banking app let alone a goddamn game. It's just a game, let us enjoy it rather than making such a ridiculously over the top response to cheating.

JUST TODAY I was going to buy WinRar. I've used the software forever, for free, and I just thought... I appreciate this, they've never given me grief, and I'm going to pay them. by CalcProgrammer1 in c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

[-] CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml 140 points 2 years ago

Why support closed source software that hassles you when 7-zip is open source and works great?

Anti Piracy VP Says "Any Device" That Can Be Used To Infringe IP Should Be Made Illegal by CalcProgrammer1 in c/piracy@lemmy.dbzer0.com

[-] CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml 105 points 2 years ago

By that logic pencils are banned since you can plagiarize copyrighted text with them. Can't teach kids to write, because writing is a tool of piracy.

Steam Deck VS rivals by CalcProgrammer1 in c/gaming@beehaw.org

[-] CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml 82 points 2 years ago

I have a ROG Ally and a Steam Deck. The Steam Deck experience is miles ahead. Windows is such a limitation on these handheld devices (and dare I say PC gaming in general). SteamOS is the real MVP behind the Steam Deck, it makes everything feel seamless.

The Ally feels like a crappy ASUS launcher stapled on top of an unoptimized Windows desktop, since that's exactly what it is.

Also, the ASUS ROG Ally controls are nowhere near as nice as the Deck's. The Deck sticks feel better. The touchpads allow for mouse control.

Get the Deck.

Blood moon rises again by CalcProgrammer1 in c/memes@lemmy.ml

[-] CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml 91 points 2 years ago

In Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, a "blood moon" happens every 3 or so in-game days. This is a cutscene where the sky turns red and the blood moon comes out. When this happens, all monsters you have killed in the world come back to life.

What discontinued feature do you miss from phones or other technologies? by CalcProgrammer1 in c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

[-] CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml 202 points 2 years ago

Unlockable bootloader, removable battery, headphone jack, being assembled with SCREWS rather than GLUE.

3

OpenPleb: My thoughts on the initiative as the creator of OpenRGB (www.youtube.com)

submitted 2 years ago by CalcProgrammer1@lemmy.ml to c/hardware@lemmy.ml

0 comments fedilink

I made this video discussing my thoughts on the OpenPleb initiative by Wendell of Level1Techs and Steve of Gamers Nexus. As the developer of OpenRGB, the OpenPleb initiative, which aims to work with hardware vendors to open up documentation for proprietary protocols used for consumer PC hardware, could be a massive boon for OpenRGB development as at the moment almost everything we add is reverse engineered. Having access to protocol documentation would improve the quality of our code and the efficiency in which we can release it.

For reference, I'd recommend watching Steve's original video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKOtvOqa_vM&t=0s

I posted this on /r/hardware because Steve's video got a lot of traction there, but I wasn't necessarily happy about posting on Reddit, so here it is for Lemmy.