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Welcome to the blog of Janek Fischer. On this page you can see the latest blog updates. For further articles, please use the search bar or navigate through the blue tags.

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2024-03-24: I love my Framework Laptop

One and a half years ago, I ordered one of the first Framework laptops and never regretted the move from my old bulky HP Pavilion, despite initially thinking the display would be too small for me. The aesthetics, the portability, the flexibility are on a whole new level. To this day I have not added a single sticker to my framework because I felt it would ruin it despite having had prepared a dedicated bag of stickers for my new laptop. I also want it to be recognizable - just like the Fairphone, it affirms my identity as somebody valueing sustainability and multiple times made people ask me whether I would recommend it - My answer is a resounding YES, and that is why I also finally wrote this post now.

The ability to have an HDMI jack as part of the laptop on the go or as many USB-Ports as I want, exchanging memory and disks as I was always used to and in the future upgrade from an Intel to AMD CPU (only Intel was available at the time of purchase) without abandoning all the other components has proven handy already.

The small size became a big plus for me. Unlike my previous laptop with double the weight, I hardly ever think twice about whether to carry my Framework. It slides into every little backpack and swiftly back out even when I only have a few minutes on commute weighing little more than a water bottle. When the screen estate does not suffice (such as when gaming, or doing advanced programming) external monitors are quickly attached via USB-C, and by now there are even plenty of affordable portable displays. This way I can now decide whether to pack the whole workstation or the minimalistic variant - either because the usecase does not need more (such as writing a blog entry) or because I know I can easily hook up at my destination.

I do have a few complaints, but they do little to hamper my enthusiasm:

But with Framework 16 released, with flexible keyboard/speaker modules and the potential to have an inbuilt spare battery, all those can easily fade.

2024-03-24: Writing Good Technical Documentation

I love writing, even technical. And I am a perfectionist. This leads to me regularly hitting edit while reading through a README file or the like because adjustments jump at me. In this post, I want to share some of my lessons and recommendations from doing this in the last years.

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2024-03-16: Kenyan Recommendations

Now that I am in Kenya the second time, it is time to recap what I have learned so far. First of all, like with all explorative journeys, I recommend to use https://wikivoyage.org , the collaborative encyclopedia (like Wikipedia) for travel guidance which has detailed articles on many topics touched in this article, some of which with contributions by me. Also, learn some basic Swahili words to amuse the locals and make a less touristic and more genuinely explorative impression :)

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2024-03-06: Die Südeuropäischen Inseln

Im Februar 2022 war ich auf Lanzarote, mein erster Flug in vielen Jahren, und dann im März 2023, vor nunmehr einem Jahr, auf Teneriffa - beide den spanischen kanarischen Inseln zugehörig. Daran schloss sich letzten November noch ein Besuch der separaten portugiesischen Insel Madeira - immer jeweils ein bis zwei Wochen. Dazwischen war ich noch in Israel, Irland, und Kenya, doch hier möchte ich mich auf die europäischen Inseln fokussieren, da diese unkompliziert und kostengünstig Sonnenbaden und Erkundungstouren versprechen. Dazu kommen noch die etwas weiter Richtung Amerika gelegenen ebenfalls portugiesischen Azoren, auf denen ich noch nicht war, aber aufgrund eines guten Reiseführers schon einen Eindruck gewinnen konnte.

Für Unentschlossene empfehle ich gleich vorweg Teneriffa: Es hat grünes Hochland, schöne Strände, einen Regenwald, den Vulkan El Teide und generell viel Diversität. Lanzarote, und von dem was ich gehört habe, auch das benachbarte Fuerteventura, sind auch sonnig und haben ein paar interessante Tunnelsysteme, sind aber ansonsten eher karg. Ein Argument für Madeira sind die ganzjährig milderen Temperaturen - diese schwanken auf den anderen Inseln stärker, sodass man im Winter eine Jacke braucht und es im Sommer wohl wirklich heiß wird.

Ein paar interessante Fakten zu den Inseln:

2024-02-22: Ideas for Making Technology more of a Friend and Helper

Today in talking with my mentor I once again realized the insufficiency of our digital tools. Even as a proper nerd using Linux and experimenting with all kinds of Software, in the end my tasks end up in notebooks, scraps of paper, on post-its or buried in messengers.

So I had some more or less novel ideas that would make use of idle technological space.

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2023-12-19: Automating VM Setup with cloud-init on TrueNAS Scale

I hate repeated manual labor. So I set out to use my experience gained with cloud-init in experimenting with Harvester to automate the setup of Virtual Machines with the help of https://blog.robertorosario.com/setting-up-a-vm-on-truenas-scale-using-cloud-init/.

A few notable things to mention:

The section "BOTH" contains a few variable definitions that should be provided before every of the other commands. The "LOCAL" section exists because the cloud-image-utils package is needed and TrueNAS Scale does not allow you to easily install packages. It will presume you provided a suitable cloud-init config in <VM-Name>-seed.qcow.yaml and then convert and copy it over to the TrueNAS Scale server (which I shorthanded as nas in my ssh config). All other variables should be self-explanatory. I did not extract the size of the disks into variables because we usually just go with lavish defaults due to our setup having plenty of space (>100TB).

Here are the commands in a compacted fashion, for easy copying out: 

# LOCAL

${EDITOR:-nano} $SEEDFILE.yaml
cloud-localds --verbose $SEEDFILE $SEEDFILE.yaml
scp $SEEDFILE nas:${IMAGE_PATH}

# BOTH

VM_NAME=nostr
IMAGE_PATH=/mnt/b/media/iso/servers/
SEEDFILE=${VM_NAME}-seed.qcow2

# REMOTE

VM_PATH=eagle/vm/${VM_NAME}
 # do not use genericcloud here as it is missing CDROM drivers
VM_IMAGE=http://cloud.debian.org/images/cloud/bookworm/latest/debian-12-generic-amd64.qcow2
 # extra data volume, comment out to omit
VM_DATA=b/vm/${VM_NAME}-data
VM_MEMORY=$(expr 8 \* 1024)
VM_PASSWORD=password

sudo zfs create -V 40G "${VM_PATH}"
test -n "${VM_DATA}" && sudo zfs create -V 150G "${VM_DATA}"
cd "${IMAGE_PATH}"
test -e "$(basename ${VM_IMAGE})" || wget "${VM_IMAGE}"
case "${VM_IMAGE}" in
(*.raw) sudo dd if=$(basename ${VM_IMAGE}) of=/dev/zvol/${VM_PATH} status=progress bs=1M;;
(*) sudo qemu-img convert -O raw $(basename ${VM_IMAGE}) /dev/zvol/${VM_PATH};;
esac

# Create the VM
RESULT=`midclt call vm.create '{"name": "'${VM_NAME}'", "cpu_mode": "HOST-MODEL", "bootloader": "UEFI_CSM", "cores": 2, "threads": 2, "memory": '${VM_MEMORY}'}'`
VM_ID=`echo ${RESULT} | jq '.id'`
# Add the display
midclt call vm.device.create '{"vm": "'${VM_ID}'", "dtype": "DISPLAY", "order": 1004, "attributes": {"web": true, "type": "VNC", "bind": "0.0.0.0", "password": "'${VM_PASSWORD}'", "wait": false}}'
# Obtain a random MAC address
MAC_ADDRESS=`midclt call vm.random_mac`
# Add the NIC
midclt call vm.device.create '{"vm": "'${VM_ID}'", "dtype": "NIC", "order": 1010, "attributes": {"type": "VIRTIO", "nic_attach": "br0", "mac": "'${MAC_ADDRESS}'"}}'
# Add the root disk
midclt call vm.device.create '{"vm": "'${VM_ID}'", "dtype": "DISK", "order": 1001, "attributes": {"path": "/dev/zvol/'${VM_PATH}'","type": "VIRTIO"}}'
# Add a data disk
midclt call vm.device.create '{"vm": "'${VM_ID}'", "dtype": "DISK", "order": 1002, "attributes": {"path": "/dev/zvol/'${VM_DATA}'","type": "VIRTIO"}}'
# Add the CDROM
midclt call vm.device.create '{"vm": "'${VM_ID}'", "dtype": "CDROM", "order": 1005, "attributes": {"path":"'${IMAGE_PATH}${SEEDFILE}'"}}'

2023-12-18: Getting Started in nostr

Nostr is a simple protocol for microblogging and more. This is the best summary of it I have seen so far: https://sebastix.nl/blog/why-nostr-resonates/

Read the whole article ...

2023-10-29: Language Learning with the Learning Sciences

Back in secondary school I extensively used the Leitner flashcard system to learn vocabularies and declensions and conjugations for the Latin language. Despite the effectiveness at the time, the lack of practical use or combination with other techniques and the abandoning of the flashcard box years ago has led most of that to be buried under new boxes in my memory "storage warehouse".

One distinct lesson from the book "So lernt man lernen" by Sebastion Leitner that I did not apply at the time is the importance of putting things into motion. When learning a language, various options exist to bring static vocabularies to life, allowing us to tap into more powerful memory structures. The most powerful is performing the meaning - his example is going to the window as you say the phrase "I go to the window" in the target language. Researching this I found that James Asher formalized this method as "Total physical response", inspired by the way children learn from parents. If the learning environment or material does not allow for that, looking to the related object (letting your eyes wander to the window) or at least letting your eyes flicker back and forth between the vocabulary and its translation will already bring positive effects.

The book also mentioned the universal application of the half second: From average reaction time to Pavlov's conditioning, half a second is the unit of time we live in and make associations within. Leitner concluded that a teacher writing the vocabularies on the blackboard, or making a theatrical pause before providing the translation, actually hinders learning as the gap between the elements to be associated is too large. That is why he proposes to set the material in motion yourself as mentioned above.

The Interview with Benny Lewis by Barbara Oakley (https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn/lecture/L4yKh/optional-interview-with-benny-the-irish-polyglot-about-learning-languages) provided further valuable insights:

Though learning human languages is not a main focus of my journey this semester, some of these techniques may be applied to other things I am learning, and I do want to learn additional languages in the future.

2023-10-23: Reflecting on the Van Again

Last night I had the opportunity to sleep in a prospective van offer. At the inspection I realized that while having conveniences like shower and toilet and gas stove and fridge like in that model could be nice, I doubt whether they are worth the care they need.

Our roadtrip to Italy was probably a good test drive of that: Just a car with matresses in the back, we slept in it with three people, not needing any of that, supplying well on non-cooked foods and responsibly using nature or motorway service areas for basic hygiene.

The only issue there and last night was that the first nights of camping tend to be restless, me consciously waking up multiple times throughout the night, and I should find out what the cause is - if it is the comfort, maybe putting in a proper mattress would be right. Or is it the new environment, and once I get used to it it will not be an issue.

After all, the main purpose of the van will still be sleep, even if I do plan to work in it on the go as well from time to time. But I am erring towards preferrably using our office in Bayreuth and associates or my uni in Berlin when there. Which kind of obsoletes the idea of taking my big computer along, hm...

Also I wonder about how much difference the height makes in terms of consumption - I have little reason to stand in the van since I would rather go outside, and when it is really cold drive to the south or find a friend to stay with.

2023-10-22: Capturing Everyday Lessons

I often listen to courses, videos and podcasts on the side while doing something else, thus not giving them my full attention. But simple measures can greatly improve retention by breaking down what is in it for me.

I started cultivating the 30-second-recall (Scott, 2014): Taking half a minute after a conversation or finishing a resource to note down important points. This triggers reconsolidation of memory, preparing it for long-term storage.

As mentioned in the TEDx talk "The first 20 hours" (Kaufman, 2013), it is important to remove barriers. So I always carry a pocket-sized Levenger notebook with exchangeable pages with me to note down the nuggets of the day. This also solidifies the ideas by using handwriting as recommended by Barbara. In the rare absence of that notebook, I usually have my phone with me. If I have nothing on hand, simply taking the time to think about it and take a mental note, such as creating an absurd composite image, as well as verbalizing it, will have to suffice.

I will take about half an hour each week to revisit my notes on these resources, by

The weekly review may also include older book and video notes, revisiting my notes from starting the module in 2021, as well as checking my experiences against lessons from the course and applying course corrections. Monday or Saturday morning might be a good fit for this.

Read the whole article ...

2023-10-20: My Headphone Journey

Like everybody I started with cheap headphones, but grew a little collection and some over time. I think I got the big soft red open headphones from a competition, and discovered they served me well for DJing, being able to hear the room over the music depending on the volume.

For gaming I got the classic HyperX Cloud II Headset. In my time in Berlin I stumbled upon headphones by Degauss Labs, soon ordered the Bluetooth Vice and later their flagship Twelve Drivers at a discount. Their modularity enticed me, and they served me well over the years. While the MMCX connector is not suitable for switching between different cables frequently, it does allow you to exchange just the cable when it is broken, keeping the expensive earpieces.

After the cheap Amazon bluetooth MMCX adapter broke, I bought the not-too-cheap DR-30 that I use most of the time now, and I am impressed: Because it is not true wireless, I can tuck the cable under my clothes, shielding most of the noise and wind, even while biking through stormy Berlin or in a noisy car. The main noise people tend to complain about is rustling plastic or tap water.

All the while I also happened upon a set of the JBL E65BTNC, noise-cancelling bluetooth over-ear headphones that served as a welcome addition for longer listening on the go, sometimes even when running. Unfortunately they fell into the sea once and broke, so I have been considering getting another used pair or a more repairable variant like the Fairbuds XL or Shiftsound BNO. But for now, my other pairs supply me just fine. Just missing a pair of cable In-Ears for In-Ear-Monitoring on stage.

EDIT March 2024:

Recently I ended up purchasing the Fairbuds XL after comparisons saying they are comparable to Shiftsound but at better repairability. Just two little complaints:

Sound and handling are otherwise very good.

2023-10-15: Learning Haskell with the Learning Sciences

This semester, I will continue my Haskell journey that I started two years ago but had to put on hold due to other commitments. My goal by the semester's end is to develop an open-source comparison platform using the web framework IHP and gain a deep understanding of its generated code, enabling me to make modifications. To achieve this, I will apply various lessons I learned about effective learning.

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2023-10-10: My Reading Habit

For years, starting with my studies in 2018, I have cultivated a rarely broken habit of reading every single evening. Even when I come back at 3 in the night, I read a few verses in the bible before going to sleep. On other days I go to bed at 21, and then read for 2 hours in three different books, an academic english one like "Thinking, Fast and Slow", a lighter one in my native tongue or some magazine and then some fiction before finally going to sleep. Thanks to this habit, I get through a few books each month.

I used to be one to always read books fully, but as my reading list grew I realized there are too many good books. So rather than bringing my books along on journeys, I now ask my host for recommendations whenever I stay somewhere as guest, because everybody has something interesting to read at home. This way I have picked up multiple great reads and learned to read fast: As the book is only available throughout the stay, I usually have no more than a few hours to distill the essence and evaluate whether to acquire the book for myself. So I read the cover texts, the table of contents and then either start at the beginning and see where I land, or scroll through the pages until something catches my eye.

2023-10-09: Maybe I am the Problem

Recently while cycling I listened to Adam Ragusea talking about never arriving in life and wondered once again about one common aspect for me: Not finding a proper task management solution and thus not getting back on top of the basics as I once were.

In the past I used Todoist, Notion and Taskwarrior before abandoning them again, and never managed to establish a working setup of org-agenda. As a team we tried Nextcloud and Vikunja, but did not follow through with either yet after originally having had a working Wekan setup,

However, I am realizing that the tools might not be at fault after all. Yes I have qualms with all of them, but will that ever not be the case?

My current pain point is quick entry. When I really use org-agenda, where do I throw an incoming task, especially in case I am on the phone? I remember a friend noting that as one of his remaining issues years ago as well.

Furthermore, I have no clear line between work and leisure, so I need my tasks from different duties integrated because I want to choose the fitting one for the current time and mindset rather than following a fixed schedule. Most importantly I need to be aware of important tasks to do when my brain is less alert, because the missing alertness also hampers my abilities to choose a proper task. This however seems better combatted by weekly plans, wherein I outline the commitments for the upcoming week.

So in the end it seems not the tool, but the routine are decisive. Unfortunately every routine I made so far got buried in life sooner or later, which is why I keep thinking about the concept of Antifragile Productivity: Harnessing disorder organically. But it seems this still needs some basic order: When I have a clean task list at hand, I can easily utilize unexpected situations like this night.

2023-09-24: Reforming to a Jesus-Centric Faith

I grew up, as I suspect many Christians especially in Free Chuches do, with a fundamentalistic faith: The Bible as pure word of God, with every single word counting equally. If you see a conflict, you simply have not found the right resolution yet.

Read the whole article ...

2023-09-18: Proposing "Optimal Failure" - A Method for Entrepreneurial Evaluation

In our efforts I have repeatedly seen a pattern where shiny new projects are tackled while stagnating ones are forgotten. This way we always feel productive but remain in an overall stagnation, where no project receives enough effort to truly succeed. Instead, many loose ends trail the path.

This also concerns cooperations and internships. By not taking time to delegate and follow-up on the appropriate level, people are annoyed and overwhelmed.

So let us set boundaries when tackling bigger projects. Optimal Failure refines SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals by more granularly breaking down Relevance and Timeframe.

With the goal already set, outline the optimum: Until which date could it be completed, and what would be the result, the benefit of it?

Then define the limit: What date is the latest acceptable for completion? What is the consequence if it does not work out, and which alternatives are available then?

This prevents silent overrun, makes failure explicit and enables you to handle and learn from it, as well as detecting shortcuts along the way. I am convinced these simple steps could have saved us plenty of conflicts and frustration.

2023-09-17: Recovering Corrupted Files in Btrfs

I have not published posts in the last two weeks, despite having had quite a few queued up. The reason was a very unexpected data loss, robbing me a lot of energy and hours of time. Thankfully I was able to recover most of my work, and here is how.

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2023-08-31: What I Learned Today about Starting my Day

I tend to overthink life. I like to efficiently combine things I do yet I also like to be spontaneous. In hindsight this leads to odd behaviour like declining to meet with somebody I know and value only to then end up spending that time with somebody who had no lasting impact on my life so far.

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2023-08-30: Circumventing Wayland External Display Disconnection Blackout

I don't know why, but usually when I disconnect an external monitor from my framework laptop running Manjaro Sway, the system crashes fully. The device stays on, but neither SysRq sequences nor tty switching works. Not even previously started shutdown timers act anymore. Only a hard reset makes it usable again. I suspect a relation to Wayland.

Thus there seem to be two ways around it, things to do before disconnecting to avoid the issue:

This does not solve it, but at least saves me from rebooting my computer regularly until I can investigate a proper solution.

2023-06-27: Unsettled Faith

Passages in the New Testament that mention the Word are often premised to refer to the whole Bible, such that the Bible itself raises a truth claim. But I doubt that any of the writers at the time was writing with an awareness of inclusion in God's Word, so I find this quite far-fetched. Didn't they just refer to the Old Testament, and Jesus as the Word manifesting in man?

How come so many so-called Christians do not seem to live differently from the world, in acts of love as the bible says? How is there so much disunity in our churches? Why are there miracles by people like Bruno Gröning who do not focus on Jesus yet still seem to bring people to God?

Read the whole article ...

2023-06-13: Riding the Dinosaur

Through the immense advance of technology in the recent decades it seems we have jumped atop and are trying to ride a dinosaur, without first having tamed it. We stride along but do not actually advance in any direction as technology does not obey us.

Bitcoin is a great example: The original idea, decentralizing currency and thus power, is great, but the particular breed we chose was not optimal. It has become a haven for speculation and money multiplication, in addition to consuming more energy than whole countries. We are on a dinosaur that takes us nowhere and seems tough to tame, yet many people still try to stay on it rather than moving to the more manageable breeds which can take us to our destination more effectively.

As a technical native, I am often seen as blessed with great powers. Sometimes I can feel that, other times I become frustrated because I feel like it is on me to choose and tame the breeds that would actually support us humans. This monstrous responsibility from time to time drives me to consider the wholly opposite path of simply forgoing the dinosaurs and walking my path by myself. Sure, I might not proceed as fast, but after all - the journey is its own reward.

So I am torn between taming dinosaurs (making technology useful) for all of humanity and doing what has been done for millenia in the unconnected world: Finding ones own path.

2023-06-12: Handy Android Discoveries

Recently I was browsing the settings of my Lineage 19 Fairphone, and found a few helpful settings to make my and maybe also your life easier. These apply equally to Android 12 and may differ in later versions.

The first is Gesture Navigation. I first experienced this on Apple devices and I was totally confused. Rather than the three buttons back, home, app switcher at the bottom, you have a little bar reminding you to use gestures. After looking them up and experimenting a while, I found them a lot more handy than the buttons, as I have more screen space but also more potential interactions with the gestures. A feature which is not immediately obvious but I enjoy most now is the ability to swipe up slightly and then sideways to switch back and forth between apps, something I do very often. Now I just need to find out why apps like Firefox and OsmAnd keep reloading upon switching.

The second feature are System Profiles. With System Profiles, you can use triggers like Wifi, Bluetooth and NFC to change most system settings. So I set it up to adjust my configuration and most importantly disable screen lock when I am connected to the car via bluetooth.

The third is less shiny - I wanted my buttons back to turn Wifi and Mobile Data off and on with one click. The new combined "Internet" widget is too clunky for me. So I rearranged the quick tiles and in the process found more curious features available as quick access now, including native screen recording. And I promoted Coffee, the app which keeps my screen on, for example when using it for piano sheet music.

2023-06-11: Navigation ohne Google

Immer wieder stellen Leute zu meiner Entzückung fest, dass ich kein Google Maps benutze. Ja, es geht auch ohne Google, und zwar ziemlich gut. Hier möchte ich ein paar Tipps dazu geben.

Read the whole article ...

2023-06-10: Was Bleibt?

"Was bleibt, sind Glaube, Hoffnung und Liebe." -- 1.Kor 13, 13

Als jemand, der öfter umgezogen als es Jahre alt ist, merke ich manchmal schmerzlich das Fehlen einer Verwurzelung. Gleichzeitig bin ich natürlich nicht der Einzige, der sich fragt, was im Leben wirklich zählt, woran man Halt findet.

Der einleitende Bibelvers ging mir die letzten Wochen immer wieder durch den Kopf, und nun ist mir erst bewusst geworden, wie wahr er in meinem Leben ist. Wie auch viele Apostel damals kann ich mich nicht an einer Heimat festhalten. Stattdessen stütze ich mich auf diese drei: Meinen christlichen Glauben, meine Hoffnung auf eine bessere Welt, und Beziehungen zu anderen Menschen.

Ich glaube an Jesus Christus als auferstandenen Retter, mit dem ich als Freund jederzeit und überall reden kann. An einen liebenden, gerechten, allmächtigen Gott, der noch heute Wunder tut.

Ich hoffe auf und strebe nach einer Welt, in der Menschen einander wieder herzlich in Liebe begegnen, Familien in mehreren Generationen nicht nur an Weihnachten Gemeinschaft haben, wo Menschen als Individuen respektiert werden statt sie in irgendwelche Kategorien einzuteilen. Das möchte ich in einer Lebensgemeinschaft auch praktisch umsetzen, vielleicht ein kleines Dorf, wo täglich Gemeinschaft in Glauben, Musik, Gesprächen und vielem mehr gelebt wird. Außerdem habe ich noch immer Hoffnung, dass sich die großen kontrollsüchtigen Unternehmen nicht halten werden. Dass Open-Source Software siegt und die Technik dem Menschen dient, statt zu dessen Ausbeutung missbraucht zu werden.

Und schließlich stütze ich mich auf die Liebe zu Freunden und Familie, auch wenn es besonders mit Letzteren nicht immer einfach ist, so geben sie mir doch immer wieder Kraft. Und auch wenn ich unseren sogenannten Fortschritt gerne kritisiere, so muss ich doch sagen, dass ich die Möglichkeit, über ein Telefonat einen Spaziergang mit einer weit entfernten Person teilen zu können, sehr genieße.

2023-06-09: Back on Track

Due to a combination of sickness, travel and lots of bugs to fix, I did not get to blog in the last weeks. But do not worry, this is not unusual.

Creative expression occurs in phases, and at times there is no flow. Yes, it can be tamed and put into a schedule, like I do with programming, which is also a creative act, but my capacity to do so is limited.

Thus I write when inspiration strikes, which can be quite inconvenient. Recently I was sitting in a bus, with an alert mind and plenty of time on my hands, but somehow I was unable to produce writing, despite an endless list of inspirations and ideas. On the other hand, at times I am in bed or on the go, and whole paragraphs form in my mind, forcing me to deliberate whether to interrupt and capture it if that is even possible at the moment, or let it go.

Still, I want to take the time this summer to put down thoughts and conversations into this blog, enabling me to refer people to it rather than explaining complex topics individually again and again.