Closed Tabs, Open Entries
Remember seeing this cat in the early 00’s at many places. Always was a party. The days of packetnews/xdcc, #vcdq, and MD. Highly influenced by acclaimed local artists like Bootsy, James Brown, Roger, Zapp, and others including Parliament, George Clinton… Funkadelic.
A true talent. Funktastic, the late 90’s, early 00’s. Great to see he is still going strong. The ‘Nati!
Allow me to start with something very important. This processor/setup DOES NOT support the AV1 codec. Furthermore, hardware cannot be upgraded to support the AV1 codec. Software decoding must be used to handle the “heavy lifting” with such files. The best (micro/card sized), and most budget friendly set up, to handle this file type is the Radxa X4, equipped with an N100 cpu. Good luck finding one. If you do, good luck getting it at the original $60 price tag.
A few options on the 2017 Dell OptiPlex 5050 Micro (mini)
Budget Buys?
Upgrade?
Whatever choice you made above, you are going to AT LEAST need two additional items.
Because RAM is getting very expensive, Option 1 and 2 seem much more attractive.
Why is this worth it? First, form factor. Approximately 7 x 7″ and very capable of running Linux systems, as well as performing as a frontend htpc. Second, price (especially in current economy). It is not a gaming pc, nor a graphics designing/video editing juggernaut. It is what it is, doesn’t pretend to be anything else.
Where to begin (assuming you went option 1, go to next step for option 2).
-Upgrade the CPU to an i7-7700T by following these steps.
Next, we are going to install an M.2 SATA drive, follow this wonderful gentleman’s tutorial. He’s as enthusiastic as I am!
Wow, love that dude. We speak the same language! “NEVER TOUCH THE GOLD CONNECTOR PINS!”
We are up and running!
What’s next? How about an OS (x86_64)?
Libreelec
Gentoo
CachyOS
LinuxMint
Ubuntu
Fedora
ArchLinux
Use your favorite disk imaging tool to create a bootable USB. Boot, install system as directed by your chosen OS. All should run fairly well, without unreasonable expectations.
Have Fun! I know I will.
Updated 07/21/26: Added pictures and clarified a few statements. Do not want to jinx it, but this little (outdated) PC is running wonderfully right now. Small, cool, quiet, efficient.
Planning on updating this site, within the next week, with a refurb/rebuild I’m working on (love doing this stuff). But in the meantime, thought I’d talk about my good bud. My other love.
My first chow lived to 13 yrs. old. Lived in 4 different cities, traveled everywhere with me. My second caught cancer at age 4. We took her to three different vets and redesigned a crate to improve her life/extend her days on earth, comfort… her struggles/health issues. She could not survive away from an IV, and constant liquid infusion. And we had to let her go.
My third chow was probably the most comical and fun. He did somersaults while chasing a ball. Wore a birthday hat on his birthdays. And was the “star of the show” when anyone came by to visit. He grew up with the second chow, who often put him in his place. Of course, she died when he was just two years old. He lived to almost 11 yrs old.
Which brings us to the fourth. Dogs bark at him, he doesn’t pay attention. People comment about his fur, his bear like appearance, his attitude. He’d rather keep walking. I’ve been told “he’s the nicest chow they’ve ever met”. but also “I’d never trust that dog”. To each their own, I guess. I’ve had enough experience to handle and raise these dogs. And I love this breed for life.
And on that note, this girl has talent!
Regarding the Odroid M1S and xbmc/kodi:
As I was doing further testing, realized this OS is probably not ready for the masses. Testing is looking good, and very promising. However, I was doing my initial testing over cat5, a keyboard, and mouse. No adapters or awkward components were tested yet. Video played fine through a few streaming services (add ons) while checking things out.
And that’s what stage this OS is in. Testing.
Looks promising and hopefully some snags will be fixed soon. Again, to the developers, thank you for your dedication. You guys are awesome!
Updated 7/12/26
There has been a lot of talk about the discounted insulin from Walmart. Feeling a little rebellious (you get that way after having T1 for over 40 yrs, 24/7, 365), I decided to give it a try. Disclaimer: Those diagnosed with the disease over the past 20 yrs PLEASE CONSULT A DOCTOR BEFORE EVEN ENTERTAINING THE IDEA. It’s different insulin, peaks at different times, and WILL BE more confusing/dangerous than sticking to the formula you are used to. Note: You will need to schedule your time/meals accordingly, you will be on a completely different time table (insulin effects/meals/planning).
Given that I grew up on R(egular) and N(PH), it was a little less of a challenge. And I went solo, because I was getting a little frustrated with insurance and the amount of doctor appointments necessary to keep up. You CANNOT use this medication in a pump, probably will be taking at least 4 injections a day (2R + 2N), possibly less if you choose the 70/30 route. AND, I also stopped using a CGM…testing my levels with blood samples. Totally OLD SCHOOL. (yes, I could have taken it even further with vials/syr)
How did it go?
In the beginning, fairly well. The A1C was consistent with previous results. The major problems arose when I changed my diet from low carb to more countrified home cooked meals. Carbs, carbs, and more carbs. However, these meal changes will affect anyone (on any insulin) negatively if adjustments are not made…which is why you should regulate with a doctor.
Is it doable (to take this insulin regularly)? Well, two of the Walmart pharmacists I spoke with stated that they thought the insulins were more “emergency” products than anything else. Yet, given that I was on this exact stuff for well over a decade, I would say it’s definitely doable. And you can buy it without prescription OR insurance. Is the discount worth the trouble?
The newer insulins are faster acting making them much more efficient. Even without a pump, 24hr/3-4hr insulins provide a more targeted approach to regulating your levels. And a pump/CGM provide (near) real time monitoring with subtle adjustment/corrections throughout the day. It may be challenging/very expensive to get this all set up though. The “accepted” sensors. CGM. Pump. Monitor. And the “accepted” insulins.
What am I doing now? I’m currently pumping again. So far, so good.
As previously noted/anticipated, switched to a “dumb” computer monitor for the majority of my TV viewing time. The challenge was local news, and without a tuner card, seemed nearly impossible. XBMC (now kodi) offers several add-on’s, one named “Local Now” (you may be familiar with it).
Local Now, offers local newscasts from ocean to ocean in the US, plus more. And it’s great that it runs on xbmc/kodi, because it removes the need to set up a networked antenna, utilizing a networked tuner card. Or to be logged into an account.
Great commercial/advertising skipping, at times, also.
So what are we dealing with here (from an old backup, custom built computer)?
This is wonderful. For a while I was missing my morning news with my coffee. Not any more.
**Updated links to reflect the correct products.
I’ve never been a big frozen pizza fan. Matter of fact, would rather make a pizza (as well as any other food) with as few “prepared” ingredients as possible. However, I’ve learned to enjoy a few (frozen pizza brands) after a buddy brought pies over several times. And recently, was substituted the wrong pizzas in an order I placed.
Before cooking, I made a concoction to include the correct ingredients. Onions, green peppers, ground beef, mushrooms. After preparing, had some of that mixture left over.
Ingredients needed for the following open sandwich recipe:
Let’s first make a great tasting tarter sauce. Ingredients: REAL Mayonnaise (3 table spoons), DILL Relish (3/4 table spoon), AND HORSERADISH (1 teaspoon).
Cover (one side) halves of dense white bread with sauce…I used french bread, but italian, or general white bread is fine.
Place a layer of SWISS cheese over saucey side of bread. And then add the “philly” mix prepared earlier. Ground beef, onions, green peppers, mushrooms
Cook for about 5 min at 400 in oven, or 4 min at 400 in air fryer.
Magnifico!!