ChimeraOS black screen when idling

 It's a common scenario that folks left ChimeraOS (Steam OS-ish Linux bistro) idle while waiting for games to download. However, one might have encountered that it went black screen when you check in 15-30 mins, and downloads wasn't going.

The reason is that Gnome decided to suspend your system. This cannot be set from the Steam interface, and needs to be done on the Desktop environment. Just go to Settings -> Power and disable "Automatic Suspend". 

Related link: https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/gnome-suspends-after-15-minutes-of-user-inactivity-even-on-ac-power/79801

(P.S. This one had me scratching my head until I see that "Gnome is suspending the system" pop up while Steam was downloading games.)

So-called GMT watches vs real GMT watches

 I've been scrolling on the internet to find a proper quartz GMT watches that won't fetch as much as an automatic ones (ummm... Grand Seiko.... ). 

I found the MWC and Luminox (Bear Grylls series) which claimed to be a GMT/dual-time watch.

They do have a fourth hand pointing to 24-hour marking, but it's far from the truth in usage.

For a dual-time travel GMT watch (e.g. Rolex Explorer II or GMT Master-II) which I call them "real", you adjust the 24-hour hand by the second detent and it will move together with the 12-hour hand when adjusting. And the first detent allows you to move just the 12-hour hand hour-by-hour alongside the date. Hence when you travel, you just need to adjust that without messing with the minute hand.

For the MWC and Luminox "GMT" watches, you also adjust the 24-hour hand by second detent in the same way. However, the first detent will adjust the date when scrolling up, and _smoothly_ adjust the 24-hour hand without any notches. That is a big problem because a slight misalignment can make that 24-hour hand useless as it doesn't sync with the 12-hour hand. It would be possible to adjust that on an o'clock or maybe half-hour but not anywhere else where you risk misrepresenting the time on 24-hour hand. That alone is the deal breaker as it requires one to adjust the current time to a full hour, adjust the 24-hour hand and then readjust the current time. 

Enough rent. If I have time, I might post a video for a comparison.

Windows 11 Local Account during setup

People said that Apple has done it for a long time...

The problem with Microsoft Account in Windows is that it brought a lot of bloatware with it - Microsoft Teams for my gaming PC, really? And keep nagging me for installing some "shiny new feature" that I don't want... The account association from MacOS is less intrusive at least, and prevent thefts from happening that often (you can remotely wipe or lock activation). The Microsoft one probably can do that too but it doesn't seem to be as effective...

Here are 2 ways to skip that.

During the stage where you are asked to connect to internet:

1. Shift-F10

2. In the command prompt, type OOBE\BypassNRO.cmd (you can use tab for auto-complete)

This will reboot the setup and then you have the option to select not to connect to internet and use local account again.

Since early Jan, 2024, it seems like the latest Windows 11 installation doesn't allow Shift-F10 anymore (cough.... Lenovo....). Here's a still-working way to bypass that (likely used by Software QA in MSFT):

1. Connect to internet

2. Enter this account: 1@1.com; Password: test

3. It will say "there's something wrong..." and allow you to proceed with local account

Lenovo laptop quirks

Legion Pro 7i Gen 8 

This generation doesn't support VMD in the BIOS. Even though the option can be unlocked by SREP, there's no way to disable or manage the array since the UEFI setup utility doesn't have that section at all. You will end up with VMD enabled but working in JBOD mode, which is useless. Oh, you cannot disable VMD after enabled as that option will disappear, and the "Load Default Setting" won't touch VMD/Intel RST configuration either. 

Thinkpad P1 Gen 6

This generation would support 96GB (48GBx2) of RAM if you bought it from Lenovo as they use different chips. The ones from Crucial will NOT work if you force-shutdown or blue-screened. The "memory calibration" will simply not end and the laptop won't boot. The only way out is to install a supported module (e.g. 32GB or 16GB modules) to boot, and then change it back to 96GB after that. 64GB will work though. (Ref: https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-P-and-W-Series-Mobile-Workstations/P1-Gen6-with-96GB-RAM-2x48GB-SODIMMS-Dead-after-BSOD/m-p/5257870)

Do not choose OLED if your eyes are sensitive to PWM light intensity modulation. All Lenovo laptop uses OLED panels that adjust brightness via PWM.  

Thinkpad P15 Gen 2 and P53

This is likely the last generation that supports 3x M2 NVMe with a top-end graphics card (A5000 was the top available). P53 is likely the last generation that supports 3x M2 NVMe + 2.5" SATA.

Installing Roon on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Server

Just a quick dump of what I did, from fresh install of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Server. 

cd ~

wget https://download.roonlabs.net/builds/roonserver-installer-linuxx64.sh 

chmod +x ./*.sh

sudo apt update 

sudo apt install lbzip2 sudo apt install lbzip2 libasound2 ffmpeg cifs-utils 

sudo ./roonserver-installer-linuxx64.sh

If you want to copy files from a SMB share (or commonly known as "network share") on a NAS/server

sudo apt update

sudo apt install smbclient

# This lists out all shares available on the NAS

smbclient -L --user=<username on NAS> //<NAS name>

# 1-time setup to create a mount point

sudo mkdir /mnt/network_mount

# To mount the smb share

sudo mount -t cifs -o username=<username on NAS> //<NAS name>/<Share name> /mnt/network_mount

A 14-day Japan Trip (Tokyo -> Chubu -> Kansai)

Mind you, this trip is not about cost-efficiency. Some might even call this "luxurious" due to the way I spend for a trip for 1 person only.

The key points are

1. Since I enjoy driving, the first half of the trip involves ... driving a lot
2. I also enjoy onsen a lot, so the first half of the trip is all about onsen ryokan (溫泉旅館)
1. (Edit: If you want to book Onsen Ryokan, try www.jalan.net. It has English interface which is okay to use and the prices are the same as Japanese version but less choice and detail. You can always go back to Japanese site and try to do a cross-reference)
3. I know a bit of Japanese and a lot of places I visited outside tourist area requires some basic interaction (including fueling up) and reading menu that is Japanese only and mostly hand-written (Google Translate won't work). However, it's those places that gave out the actual charm what Japan is really like outside the big cities.

Places traveled

Google Mapping of places I visited in this trip

The whole trip starts during mid-late March. In brief, the places I traveled (in this order):

1. Tokyo (1 night)
2. Yaizu (lunch)



Yaizu Fish Center



You can make your own don!

3. Hamanako (onsen) 

   

   Hamanako

   
   

   

   Kaiseki Dinner at Onsen Ryokan

   
   

   

   Sashimi

4. Kyoto (buy stuff) 
   
   
   
   
5. Osaka (kobe beef dinner, 1 night)

   

   Osaka

   
   

   

   Kobe beef

   
   

   

   Super delicious!

6. Kyoto (Fushimi Inari Taisha)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Ise (Futamiokitawa, onsen) 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. Mishima (Sky walk)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. Shizuoka (Shimizu-ku, 1 night)
   
   
   

   

   Dinner at JR Shizuoka Station

   
   

   

   Morning

10. Oishi Park (Fujiyama photo)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
11. Izu (onsen)
    
    
    
    
    
    

    

    From the private onsen window

12. Hakone (onsen)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
13. Tokyo (return car, 1 night)
14. Hiroshima (via Shinkansen, 2 nights)
    
    
    

    

    Dinner!

    
    

    

    From hotel room (Hiroshima Gransmere)



1. Kure (Yamato Museum)
   
   
   

   

   IJN Yamato model

   
   
   
2. Mazda Museum (need pre-booking)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Itsukushima (Floating Torii Gate)
   
   
   
   
4. A-bomb Dome
   
15. Tokyo (via Shinkansen, 3 nights)
1. Kudanminami (for Sakura)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Shopping in Shinjuku and meeting friends 

   

   Sunset of the last day in Tokyo

   
   

   

   Shibuya

   
   

   

   Yakiniku

   
   

   

   Omakase

3. Tsukiji Outer Market (morning)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Photo Album

Please check out later as I'm still sifting through my hundreds of photos and videos, and retouch them...

Modes of transportation

• From Narita to Tokyo central area
• Narita is very far away. If you can choose, try JAL which you can land in Haneda. 
• You can take either NEX or Skyliner
• Skyliner is what I chose this time. It's faster but the stations where you disembark are not very convenient (as I stay in Shinjuku). Ueno and Nippori. Nippori is a better choice since you don't need to walk a long way to change to JR/Metro from Keisei Ueno

  

  Skyliner side

  
  

  

  Skyliner inside

• NEX is run by JR and has more choices for stations. A bit slower but more convenient if you are not living in Ueno or Nippori.
• Driving
• The first half of the trip I reserved for an SP1 class rental (Toyota 86) in Toyota-rent-a-car with ETC card picked up in Shinjuku 3-chome. Mind you this is not cheap at all (~1K USD for rental, 400 USD for toll and 300 USD for gas) but if you are traveling in group it might make sense. The hachiroku trunk didn't fit my luggage (89L Rimowa Sports Trunk, but it's a squarish luggage) though I had to throw it at the back seat.

  

  Toyota 86

• During Hiroshima because of time constraints (going to Kure, JR line schedule is very sparse) I also rented a vehicle (HV1 class). 
  
• JR and Metro
• You can get JR Pass especially if you want to ride the Shinkansen (normal class is included). However, it is a bit troublesome to use in rush hour in big stations (Shinjuku for example) as the gate is usually stuck with a bunch of folks.
• Metro in Tokyo is very convenient, and can complement with JR lines very well. You can get up to 72 hours of Tokyo Metro Pass. Metro is usually run by the city/municipal so they don't interchange!
• Suica - I got this for the first half of the trip when I was getting around Tokyo and Osaka because it's much easier than putting coins in ticket kiosks to get ticket. If you have iPhone 8 or above (sadly for iPhone 7 you need a Japanese version), you can set the locale to Japan and put your Suica into Apple Wallet.
  
• For routing, you can either use Google Map or use 乗換案内
• Shinkansen
• Think of this as alternative to domestic planes, except without the crazy air security check (maybe coming soon) and the extra wait time at the gate. 
  
• The only downside is luggage space for international multi-day traveler (me!)
• Make sure to book your ticket early on to reserve your seat. If you have JR Pass depends on your pass at least normal class is included. 
• Consider Green Car if you have large luggage with you, try to reserve the last row seat because there's a gap behind it for your luggage. (You still need to consult the crew first, but if you sit at the last row that's usually not a problem)
  
  
  
  
• Some Shinkansen are not included in the pass (Nozomi for example). If you are like me going from Tokyo to Hiroshima you'll need to change train once. Pay attention to the time for changing train (usually on the same platform) as the train will NOT wait for you.

  

  Side

  
  

  

  I forgot, this probably is Nozomi

• Of course, buy the bento box at the station. You can also buy on the train but those are usually more expensive...
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• HyperDia is your friend for scheduling

Communication

• Google Fi has very cheap Global Roaming rate; Or you can use AT&T's plan which are ridiculously expensive and limited
• You can also buy a Data-only SIM in Japan and stick it into a Wifi box or a spare phone
• For voice call, EasyGo is the easiest one you can get. They can mail the card either to your hotel or to airport post office. For 14 days it costs less than 60USD. I have an old iPhone 6S to use this.

References

Hotel/Ryokan I stayed in this trip

BESPOKE HOTEL Shinjuku

浜名湖グランドホテルさざなみ館

Hotel Monterey Grasmere Osaka, Osaka ホテルモントレ グラスミア大阪

和亭　朝日館

Hotel Route-Inn Shimizu Inter ホテルルートイン清水インター

今　ふたたびの　ときめきへ　　粋松亭

仙郷楼

Hotel Wing International Premium Tokyo Yotsuya ホテルウィングインターナショナルプレミアム

Hotel Granvia Hiroshima, Hiroshima 【札幌グランドホテル】札幌 宿泊・ホテル

Hyatt Regency Tokyo ハイアットリージェンシー 東京