That’s exactly why I always enable the Compose key. It’s the fastest and easiest way to just type a variety of Unicode glyphs. The key combinations trend to be intuitive as well.

There’s a good chance the default config file will have a pretty decent selection. Although I have edited the config in the past, I haven’t done it under KDE. The KDE article on setting up the compose key seems to say that KDE uses a different config file anyways.

Turning on the Compose key is pretty straightforward as I recall, just another setting under Keyboard settings. Finding that config file is still useful if you can’t guess the right combo for your desired glyph.

Very useful for using character common in math and science.

Not exactly what you may be looking for, but one of the first things I set up in Linux is the “Compose” key. Sun keyboards in the 90’s had a dedicated Compose key, and you can enable the functionality still. I usually set it to Right Alt.

The Compose key is kind of like an extended shift key, so ‘Compose’ + “c” + “/” for example will give you “¢”.

The key combinations and characters can be edited in a config file (can’t remember off the top of my head).

Not as versatile and an “Emoji picker”, but allows quick insertion of Unicode glyphs into text. Useful for ¢£€¥™×° type characters.

For sure. In the right hands you could do so much. Even without a plot as such, or much lore, just imagine the material for a “Game Theory” video. Why is the “Mad Forest” now a dumping ground for evil? What was it like before the vampire? Does the Astral Stair connect to the Tiny Bridge? What is the Legacy of Moonspell? Where is the fried chicken?

Pretty much the default for Steam Deck keyboard+mouse.

Works surprisingly well, just bind some keyboard shortcuts to the various other buttons and such.

Downside is that my right track pad is polished a little smooth in the middle. I blame the Master of Magic remake.

HODL! (For Steam sale or Humble Bundle)

My Steam Deck has largely replaced my laptop, so there is some overlap, but I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment. If you are carrying a keyboard & external screen to work on spreadsheets with you Steam Deck, you would be happier with a laptop.

I have a 60% Bluetooth keyboard and a relatively compact mouse that I can carry with me, but by that point a compact laptop would be more portable with a larger screen.

Using the on screen keyboard and built-in screen to edit spreadsheets would constitute a crime against humanity. Don’t do it, there’s so much more to live for.

The reason it’s replaced my laptop is that I mostly use my laptop for gaming, and the Steam Deck excels at that. Most places I would use a laptop for something else, I have ready access to surplus keyboards and mice. At my parents there is an old TV with HDMI, and I stashed a basic USB mouse and keyboard there over a decade ago. My Steam Deck and a small hub is all I need.

Because of the need of external devices, I kind of consider the Steam Deck a combination of a handheld and a really portable desktop tower.

Yeah, I remember Wubi! That was 20-ish years ago now. It kind of got made irrelevant by VM’s I guess. I wonder if it’s still around.

Over two years with mine, battery aging isn’t noticeable. I’m pretty sure when plugged in and fully charged, the Deck runs off of external power. I don’t know if it shunts around the battery or not, but it certainly isn’t cycling the battery.

I mostly use my deck in a few fixed locations, so it’s mostly plugged in.

I’ve got some “fancy” $20 headphones right now. I used to use $10 headphones from Miniso, but they only last a year before one ear bud will go dead.

I’ve had expensive headphones, and have a nice pair of Sennheisers, but really it’s cheap in ear headphones most of the time for me.

They are small, and I keep them rolled up in a little pouch with a USB drive that’s pretty much always in my pocket. They never need to be charged. The audio quality is good enough that unless I start listening to FLACC files on my SD, I’m never going to notice. Their wired, so no lag or syncing issues ever. If something happens to them, I have another $10 pair tucked in a drawer, plus I can always buy more.

The Steam Deck is portable, can’t beat wired earbuds for portability and reliability.

Also, the mic is fine. The mic is on a wire, close to my mouth. It’s simple, but it makes the audio about as good as my Sennheisers. Or at least I’ve never noticed.

Yes, but Valve just evoked a cyberdeck, OP took it the rest of the way.

I’ve got a 60% mechanical keyboard I use with my SD a lot, some street if combined carry case would be cool.

One of the first ones I thought of as well. Lots of indie games that are lots of fun that I’ve gotten for less than $10. I’ll add Stardew Valley and Slay the Spire, but they might be more than $10.

Google soft-forked Linux for Android (maintained in parallel IIRC) but re-merged into the mainline, presumably because why maintain a whole operating system?

In theory the Linux Foundation would keep Google, Microsoft, AMD, whoever playing nice with each other for mutual benefit and maintenance of Linux, but like you said, and the source of my worry, is who else would have Linus’ combination of prestige, principles, and perseverance?

I’m sure there are others who could fill the role, but even Linus is still bullying Nvidia with only partial success. The most vital role Linus probably has had for some time now is leadership. But even someone who might have superior soft-skills wouldn’t have the history, which certainly contributes to his authority.

Glad someone finally mentioned Bus Factor.

On topic, I wonder if Linux technically has a bus factor problem. In theory, anyone could fork, take all the source give and start making Johnix, Tomix, or Whosix. Everything is documented and all the code is available.

In the real world, you have multiple teams and individuals submitting code from all over the world. Sure you’ve got the Linux Foundation, but who would have the respect and authority to keep everyone contributing instead of forking off?

Stop Russia in Ukraine today or in Warsaw tomorrow I guess.

I know there are several seminal works locked in archives or even just lost.

I couldn’t think of any specific examples off the top of my head, but I was considering the fate of Microprose, Sierra On-Line, and other studios that were gobbled up, disbanded, broken up, etc.

Your Mechwarrior example is a good example of licensing, where you might have defunct TTRPG studios (FASA) licensing a property to a have company it studio that has also gone though several mergers.

There should be a “use it or lose it” provision in copyright law, kind of like back in the day with what happened to “It’s A Wonderful Life”. The only reason IAWL became a Christmas classic isbecause it became public domain.

You probably could really help gaming by setting up an incubator fund to help indie developers.

Other ways a little bit of money could go a long way is by contributing to open source development of projects like Godot.

Finally, contribute to games preservation. This could take a couple of different forms, but just a fund to back something like the Free Software Foundation or Archive.org, maybe to set up an Abandonware project.

The guy is a mega-billionaire. He could accomplish some very positive gamer related things for a fraction of a fraction of a percent of his wealth.

And this is the real cost. Sorry Mario Brothers will pretty much always be available as long as Nintendo is around, but obscure games or classics with disputed Copyright will disappear.

Who is out there even trying to stream the old Sierra games? At least they are on GoG, but I know even GoG has tried to track down current copyright holders for old classics and the are plenty of orphan games where after several mergers and divestments, there is some uncertainty, and it’s not worth it for any of the potential copyright holders to sort it out and license it, and unfortunately it’s not worth it for GoG to publish it to find out if they’ll sue GoG.

This is why Abandonware is such an important concept.

I used the old Stardock/Impulse/GameStop game platform as well! I’d mostly switched to GoG (and Steam) by the time it shut down, but there are certainly some games that were lost to the platform shutting down.

I don’t think I even signed up for Steam until 2010 or so. Certainly it was pretty clear that Steam had “won” by the time I made an account

Didn’t think Knoppix was obscure, but that was my gateway to Linux first on all my personal PCs.

I guess the years have passed it by.

I remember when 128 but SSL Encryption was export restricted in the mid 90’s. When I first opened an online banking account, the Bank sent a CD with a customized version of Netscape Navigator with 128 bit SSL, and the bank logo in place of the Netscape N.