Linux Out Loud - Episodes Tagged with “Smart Home”

221: Old Hardware, New Penguins: Installing Linux on All the Things | Linux Out Loud 123

Linux Out Loud — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0600

In this spring‑cleaned episode of Linux Out Loud, Wendy, Bill, and Nate dust off their homelabs and see just how far Linux can push “retired” hardware. Bill talks about guiding a Linux‑first startup, Fyra Stack, as they build a colo and VPS business in downtown Chicago, wiring it all together with Proxmox, PostgreSQL, Snipe‑IT, and osTicket—plus a few cursed Zigbee light bulbs along the way. Nate dives into one of his favorite pastimes: installing openSUSE Tumbleweed on everything from a 2007 white MacBook to a 2015 MacBook Air and a pair of well‑worn Surface Pros, comparing battery life, sleep quirks, and how “modern” Plasma feels on ancient gear. Wendy rounds things out with creative test‑taking workarounds using ChromeOS Flex and a quick look at VDO.Ninja for remote recording, before the trio wraps up the cleaning spree.

Show Links:
Fyra Stack – Linux‑focused startup (colo and VPS) – https://fyrastack.com/
Proxmox VE – virtual environment and homelab hypervisor – https://www.proxmox.com/en/proxmox-ve
PostgreSQL – open‑source relational database – https://www.postgresql.org/
Snipe‑IT – open‑source IT asset management – https://snipeitapp.com/
osTicket – open‑source support ticket system – https://osticket.com/
openSUSE Tumbleweed – rolling release Linux – https://get.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/
MX Linux – lightweight Linux for older hardware – https://mxlinux.org/
Arch Linux – general‑purpose rolling Linux distribution – https://archlinux.org/
ChromeOS Flex – ChromeOS for older PCs and Macs – https://chromeenterprise.google/os/chromeos-flex/
iFixit – repair guides (example: Surface Pro 7 battery replacement) – https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Microsoft+Surface+Pro+7+Battery+Replacement/144417
Framework Laptop 12 – modular, repairable laptop – https://frame.work/laptop12
StarLabs Starlite – Linux laptop – https://us.starlabs.systems/products/starlite
VDO.Ninja – peer‑to‑peer live video – https://vdo.ninja/

Special Guest: Bill.

216: Legacy Lights & Password Nights | Linux Out Loud 118

Linux Out Loud — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 05:00:00 -0700

In this cozy holiday episode of Linux Out Loud, Wendy, Nate, and Bill juggle Christmas chaos, retro joy, and serious tech lessons. Nate shares the excitement of finally getting his Commodore 64 Ultimate under the tree and rebuilding vintage Christmas trains, while Bill tells a powerful story about stepping into a network left behind after a colleague’s passing—and why planning password and account access for loved ones matters more than any gadget.

From Synology NAS upgrades and “you can never have too much storage” energy, to Fedora gaming projects, Bazite and Nobara, and the realities of traveling as a digital nomad, the crew covers a lot of nerd ground. They also dig into Home Assistant dashboards, smart bulbs and Christmas displays, securing IoT networks, and why Linux printing is still a little spicy even as it improves. Whether you’re here for legacy planning, blinking LEDs, or just some winter-flavored banter, this episode wraps it all up with community love and future-topic teases.

Find the rest of the show notes at: https://tuxdigital.com/podcasts/linux-out-loud/lol-118/

Visit the Tux Digital Merch Store: https://store.tuxdigital.com/

Connect with the Hosts:
Contact Form: https://tuxdigital.com/contact
Matt – @MattTDN on Twitter
Wendy – @WendyDLN on Mastodon
Nate – CubicleNate.com
Bill – @ctlinux

Special Guest: Bill.

201: Backup or Bust | Linux Out Loud 103

Linux Out Loud — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 09:30:00 -0700

In Linux Out Loud episode 103, the hosts dive into backups and archiving, sharing tips on keeping your data safe with tools like Deja-Dup and rsync. From data security and printer repairs to smart tech and a Thunderbolt 4 dock debate, this episode is packed with practical advice, humor, and techy tales.

Find the rest of the show notes at https://tuxdigital.com/podcasts/linux-out-loud/lol-103/

Contact info
Matt (Twitter @MattTDN)
Wendy (Mastodon @WendyDLN)
Nate (Website CubicleNate.com)
Bill (Discord: ctlinux, Mastodon @ctlinux)

Special Guest: Bill.

83: Linux of the Future | DLN Xtend

Linux Out Loud — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 05:00:00 -0700

On this episode of DLN Xtend we discuss the next generation of Linux users.

Welcome to episode 83 of DLN Xtend. DLN Xtend is a community powered podcast. We take conversations from the DLN Community from places like the DLN Discourse Forums, Telegram group, Discord server and more. We also take topics from other shows around the network to give our takes.

00:00 Introduction
11:51 Topic - Linux of the Future
37:19 Host Related Interest
52:09 Wrap Up

Wendy

Phone Search

Matt

Game Sword and Fairy 7
- https://store.steampowered.com/app/1543030/Sword_and_Fairy_7/
Charity Event
- https://discourse.destinationlinux.network/t/12-13-21-24-hour-charity-stream-for-st-jude-children-hospital/4416

Nate

Virtual 3-way switch

Contact info
Matt (Twitter @MattDLN)
Wendy (Mastodon @WendyDLN)
Nate (Website CubicleNate.com)

79: Shut Up and Take My Money | DLN Xtend

Linux Out Loud — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0600

On this episode of DLN Xtend we discuss the big news from Pine64.

Welcome to episode 79 of DLN Xtend. DLN Xtend is a community powered podcast. We take conversations from the DLN Community from places like the DLN Discourse Forums, Telegram group, Discord server and more. We also take topics from other shows around the network to give our takes.

00:00 Introduction
06:30 Topic - Pine64 PinePhone Pro
33:20 Host Related Interest
39:49 Wrap Up

Main Topic Link

https://youtu.be/itP1DWkIp0o

Wendy

Unbound: Worlds Apart
- https://store.steampowered.com/app/814680/Unbound_Worlds_Apart/

Contact info
Matt (Twitter @MattDLN)
Wendy (Mastodon @WendyDLN)
Nate (Website CubicleNate.com)