OpenZFS 2.1 performance improvements

Posted on | by Martin Matuška | Leave a Comment on OpenZFS 2.1 performance improvements

The version 2.1 of OpenZFS is going to be released soon supporting Linux kernels from 3.10 to 5.13 and FreeBSD 12+. This will be the first long term release (LTS) version of OpenZFS.

Alexander Motin and other OpenZFS developers are currently working on various micro-optimizations in areas like atomics, counters, scalability and memory usage. Most of the optimizations are already part of the upcoming release. Release candidate testers already report improved performance compared to OpenZFS 2.0 and previous releases.

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Problems with Ubuntu Linux on notebooks with AMD Ryzen APUs

Posted on | by Martin Matuška | 2 Comments on Problems with Ubuntu Linux on notebooks with AMD Ryzen APUs

End of last year I have replaced my aging ASUS Zenbook UX32LN with a Ryzen-based UM431DA. After installing Ubuntu 20.04 focal with kernel 5.4 I have noticed four annoying problems:

  1. Initializing X.Org and getting to the login screen may not work
  2. Suspend does not work (system freezes)
  3. There is disturbing tearing when moving windows or playing movies
  4. Sound is very loud and volume control does not work properly
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Installing Android 9 Pie on a Xiaomi Mi5

Posted on | by Martin Matuška | Leave a Comment on Installing Android 9 Pie on a Xiaomi Mi5

The Xiaomi Mi5 was introduced in February 2016 as a flagship phone with a Snapdragon 820 processor, 3 GB RAM (Pro edition 4GB) and 32GB (standard), 64GB (Prime) or128GB (Pro) of internal storage. Three years later the phone still offers a decent mid-range performance. The phone was initially released with Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

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mfslinux – minimalist in-memory Linux distribution

Posted on | by Martin Matuška | 1 Comment on mfslinux – minimalist in-memory Linux distribution

After many successful years developing mfsBSD for FreeBSD systems I started to work on a small memory-only diskless distribution for Linux. It comes in handy if you want to run a diskless system, have a recovery partition with a rescue system or simply want to modify your primary hard drive layout.

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Customizing a Red Hat or CentOS Linux bootable ISO

Posted on | by Martin Matuška | Leave a Comment on Customizing a Red Hat or CentOS Linux bootable ISO

RHEL and CentOS ship bootable CDs or DVDs in the ISO file format. It is possible to modify these ISO files with various types of customizations, e.g by adding additional boot menu items or an automated kickstart installation. This article contains a step-by-step guide how to customize and repackage a bootable CentOS ISO.

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Upgrading an ASUS UX32LN notebook Wi-Fi to 802.11ac Wave 2

Posted on | by Martin Matuška | Leave a Comment on Upgrading an ASUS UX32LN notebook Wi-Fi to 802.11ac Wave 2

In my previous posting I mentioned Qualcomm Atheros QCA6174A-5 based half-size MiniPCI cards with 2×2 IPEX MHF4 antenna connectors as an 802.11ac wave2 upgrade for the ASUS UX31A. There are finally similar cards with 2×2 U.FL connectors available that make this upgrade an option for notebooks like my ASUS UX32LN or any newer ones.

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SparkLAN WPEQ-261ACN(BT) as a 802.11ac replacement for Intel 6235

Posted on | by Martin Matuška | Leave a Comment on SparkLAN WPEQ-261ACN(BT) as a 802.11ac replacement for Intel 6235

Many of the 2012-2013 notebooks like ASUS UX31A, ASUS UX32VD, Dell XPS 13 or HP Elitebook 9470m have been shipped with Intel 6235 ANHMW. It is a 802.11a/b/g/n half-size minipci wireless card with IPEX MHF4 antenna connectors. Unfortunately, the industry has switched to U.FL connectors. Continue reading →