Martin Wimpress

Coding in My Pants Martin has a fancy GitHub profile, Alan is busy with maintenance, and Mark retired a project.

Episode 61 of Linux Matters: Coding in My Pants 🐧️🎙️

Martin has a fancy GitHub profile, Alan is busy with maintenance, and Mark retired a project.

Frankenstein's Ubuntu Server Framework Martin overrides default browser behaviour, Alan automates GitHub using gh, and Mark creates a monster using Ubuntu Server and his Framework laptop!

Episode 60 of Linux Matters: Frankenstein's Ubuntu Server Framework 🐧️🎙️

Martin overrides default browser behaviour, Alan automates GitHub using gh, and Mark creates a monster using Ubuntu Server and his Framework laptop!

Old Man Yells at GMail Alan continues his Nerdy cloud-native journey, Mark fulfills his years-long dream of buying a new laptop, and Martin moves GMail to the junk folder.

Episode 59 of Linux Matters: Old Man Yells at GMail 🐧️🎙️

Alan continues his Nerdy cloud-native journey, Mark fulfills his years-long dream of buying a new laptop, and Martin moves GMail to the junk folder.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Martin gets his Linux all rusty, Alan continues day trippin’, and Mark makes a timelapse.

Episode 58 of Linux Matters: The Very Hungry Caterpillar 🐧️🎙️

Martin gets his Linux all rusty, Alan continues day trippin’, and Mark makes a timelapse.

Nerdy Day Trips Martin heists disk space from GitHub. Alan reboots a very nerdy website. Mark has been punishing his Steam Deck.

Episode 57 of Linux Matters: Nerdy Day Trips 🐧️🎙️

Martin heists disk space from GitHub. Alan reboots a very nerdy website. Mark has been punishing his Steam Deck.

Drop the faff, dodge the judgment. Another bloody AI commit generator, but this one stays local 🦙 https://github.com/wimpysworld/faff

Stop staring at diffs like they owe you money 💸

faff - another bloody AI commit generator (yes, we definitely needed one more!) after GitKraken's AI ate my credits but refused to write conventional commits 😡

wimpysworld.com/posts/faff-o...

Drop the faff, dodge the judgment, get back to coding 🦙

As screenshot of the Nerdy Day Trips website, showing a map and some pins

A screenshot of the form used to add venues

Do you like to go on nerdy day trips?
Great! This free website is for you!
If your favourite venue is missing, share it!
nerdydaytrips.org

Python A-Go-Go Alan uses all the models, Mark switches Bookshelf Buddy from Go to Python, and Martin completes his GotoSocial migration.

Episode 56 of Linux Matters: Python A-Go-Go 🐧️🎙️

Alan uses all the models, Mark switches Bookshelf Buddy from Go to Python, and Martin completes his GotoSocial migration.

Nobody 2 is coming.

Ultra violence. The only genre that matter 🎬

The Great GitHub Nix Space Heist 🪓❄️ I've just released **Nothing but Nix**, a GitHub Action that transforms cramped 20GB GitHub runners into 130GB Nix powerhouses! If you've ever hit the dreaded `no space left on device` error when building NixOS configs in CI, this one's for you. This action: - Creates a large BTRFS volume from free space on `/mnt` - Ruthlessly eliminates unnecessary packages in the background - Dynamically expands your Nix store as space becomes available The results? All my configurations now build successfully in CI: - My home servers (media, LLMs, etc.) - Workstations with dual GPUs - Laptops and testing VMs Best of all, when I update systems, everything comes from `cache.flakehub.com` with zero local compilation time. Updates that used to require coffee breaks now happen in seconds! Check out the full technical details on my blog: https://wimpysworld.com/posts/nothing-but-nix-github-actions/ GitHub: https://github.com/wimpysworld/nothing-but-nix Being both cheap and stubborn pays off sometimes 😉 #Nix #NixOS #DevOps #GitHubActions #BTRFS #Linux #FlakeHub

Tired of "no space left on device" errors when building #NixOS configs in GitHub Actions? ️❄️

I've created Nothing but Nix, a GitHub Action that ruthlessly reclaims disk space 🪓 Get up to 130GB for your #Nix store instead of the measly 20GB default!

Learn more 👇
wimpysworld.com/posts/nothin...

Changelog: introducing lazy trees This long-awaited feature makes Nix and flakes dramatically more efficient in a wide range of scenarios

Lazy trees have landed in Determinate #Nix 3.5! This is possibly the most consequential thing we've shipped yet. Evaluation times down by 3x and reductions in disk usage of 20x—or more. The result: a snappier Nix across the board (especially in large repos).

determinate.systems/posts/change...

Nothing but Nix - GitHub Marketplace Removes all the cruft 🪓 from a GitHub Actions runner to make the most space possible for Nix ️❄️

Get a 𝟏𝟑𝟎𝐆𝐁 /𝑛𝑖𝑥 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞-𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐫 #𝐆𝐢𝐭𝐇𝐮𝐛 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 ️❄️ with the 𝑁𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑁𝑖𝑥 GitHub action 🐙

- Purges unnecessary software from GitHub Actions runners 😈
- Creates an optimised /𝚗𝚒𝚡 volume from multiple partitions 🗄️

Learn more 👇 #nix #nixos
- github.com/marketplace/...

Thoccing Heavy Mark builds his first Bookshelf Buddy, Alan makes bots that pretend not to be bots, and Martin builds a very heavy keyboard.

Episode 55 of Linux Matters: Thoccing Heavy 🐧️🎙️

Mark builds his first Bookshelf Buddy, Alan makes bots that pretend not to be bots, and Martin builds a very heavy keyboard.

Is there a sysadmin on the plane? 🧑‍💻✈️

This email is legit 😁

Good morning,

We have had a request for anyone in the building within the IT field who would be able to offer some very quick onsite guidance with a laptop login/reset issue.

Please contact reception if you can help with this.

Sepia photo of Han Solo saying his most famous line.

May the 4th be with you!

The horror! 😱

It's what every ZX Spectrum owner always wanted, the Speccy layout on a Commodore 64 quality keyboard 😂

High Precision Solid Metal Balls Martin embraces an alternative lifestyle. Alan refines his contribution workflow to Savannah. Mark self hosts an office suite.

Episode 54 of Linux Matters: High Precision Solid Metal Balls 🐧️🎙️

Martin embraces an alternative lifestyle. Alan refines his contribution workflow to Savannah. Mark self hosts an office suite.

📣 Just released Shöve v1.0.6!

Sometimes LESS is MORE - we saw up to 20% faster rendering on Steam Deck-like hardware by removing "clever" optimizations. Paradoxical? Check out our blog for the full performance story and benchmark results! #LÖVE2D #gamedev #LuaJIT

oval-tutu.com/blogs/shove-...

Crafting Bookshelf Buddy Alan talks about Luddites at Monki Gras 2025, Mark continutes working on (and names) Bookshelf Buddy, and Martin keeps an eye on resources.

Episode 53 of Linux Matters: Crafting Bookshelf Buddy 🐧️🎙️

Alan talks about Luddites at Monki Gras 2025, Mark continutes working on (and names) Bookshelf Buddy, and Martin keeps an eye on resources.

An overhead view of a mechanical keyboard with a turquoise and gray color scheme. The keyboard features a custom stormtrooper keycap and is placed on a surface with a design of stormtroopers in the background.

The second keyboard is built. Also a Crush 80 modified from US ANSI 🇺🇸 FR4 switch plate to UK ISO 🇬🇧 PP switch plate with Akko Roseword switches and GMK Hammerhead Light keycaps ⌨️

Much Thocc 🧱

Thanks to Determinate Systems for sponsoring this video!https://determinate.systems/Check out FlakeHub: https://flakehub.com/Determinate Nix: https://determi... The NixOS Trap That Caught Every Beginner | Fixed by Determinate Nix

Vimjoyer's April Fools video memed a Determinate Nix feature into existence:

Yep, it has been salvaged 👍

A colorful keyboard with pink and gray keycaps, featuring an axolotl figure on the keys. A small Darth Vader keycap is also visible, along with a utility knife in the background. The keyboard is illuminated with red backlighting.

The finished build. Crush 80 converted to UK ISO 🇬🇧 Replaced the FR4 switch plate with a PP switch plate and swapped the Kailh Cocoa switches for Akko Rosewood to bring the "Thocc" 🧱 Keycaps are Cherry profile GMK 8008 🍒

A partially assembled mechanical keyboard is displayed on a wooden table. It features a white plate with pink keyboard switches installed, alongside additional switches and keycaps in various colors scattered around. In the background, other keyboards and components are visible.

I had one switch more than the keyboard needed, and yes, I bent the pins on one switch 😰

I suspose I should test the switches and make sure everything works 🤞⌨️

An assortment of keyboard components is displayed on a desk. A disassembled keyboard base with some key switches installed sits in the center, while various colored keycaps and switches are arranged nearby. Additional tools are present for assembling the keyboard.

The US ANSI 🇺🇸 FR4 switch plate has been removed and the stabilisers mounted on a UK ISO 🇬🇧 PP switch plate ready for filling with Akko Rosewood switches ⌨️

My last keyboard refresh was about 8 years ago. So mechincal "gamer" keyboards of the era which I have modified.

But custom keyboards cost ~= one mortgage back then. Things are a bit more reasonable now, so I have 3 custom keyboards to build and modify 🤓 Details on a @linuxmatters.sh soon 🙂

A dismantled mechanical keyboard is displayed on a table, surrounded by various key switches, keycaps, and tools for assembly. There are two keyboards in the background, one with blue keycaps and one that is partially disassembled.

I don't know how this happened but I appear to have fallen head first in to the custom keyboard ⌨️ rabbit hole 🕳️🐇

Send help 🛟 And a decent switch remover 😧

Great Scott, 1.21 Jiggabits! Mark has a new project, Alan hasn’t switched note-taking solutions, and Martin has more bandwidth.

Episode 52 of Linux Matters: Great Scott, 1.21 Jiggabits! 🐧️🎙️

Mark has a new project, Alan hasn’t switched note-taking solutions, and Martin has more bandwidth.

Moodling Myself Silly Martin continues to avoid writing a video game. Mark has been Moodling himself silly. Alan has been grappling with Django.

Episode 51 of Linux Matters: Moodling Myself Silly 🐧️🎙️

Martin continues to avoid writing a video game. Mark has been Moodling himself silly. Alan has been grappling with Django.