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Linux on the Alienware

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So my Alienware 17R3 is old. Over 10 years old. But I’ve invested a lot of money into keeping it running and upgrading it. It has 32 Gigs of RAM and 3 TB’s of Solid State Drives, 2 NMVE’s and one SSD… So this old machine is as fast as it’s ever going to be. This limited factor is the GPU. An old NVIDIA card that is capable of playing Skyrim at Ultra settings… But nothing a day newer.

I’ve used it to test drive a number of different Linux distributions on it. Here’s the breakdown:

CachyOS – Currently using on my Alienware, and now my Daily Driver on that machine.
Mint – Daily Driver on my MS Surface. On the Alienware it had Sound issues.
Pop!_OS – Had issues.
ZorinOS – Had fewer issues I could have fixed.
EndeavourOS – Liked it. A lot.
Fedora 44 – Updating the OS locked it up due to my old hardware.
Ubuntu – Meh.
Bazzite – Fun but sluggish on my Alienware.
Arch – Liked it, but complicated and not for a Newbie.
Kali – Life is too short, unless your a Hacker.
MiniOS – Meh.
Gentoo – Meh.
KaOS – Meh.
Tiny Core – Potential for older machines.
PearOS – Meh.
Neptune – Meh Mac OS flavored distro.
HeliumOS – Had issues, but it should mature into a great Distro in time.
Ultramarine – Like it, but not as snappy as I wanted.
Nitrux – Potential, but lacks flair.

CachyOS is delivering the best performance, by a good margin. The Alienware feels a LOT faster than it used to be Windows 11 or the original Windows 10 that was first installed on it. Of my 94 game titles in my STEAM library, it plays almost all of them. And the ones it doesn’t play, are because the graphics requirements are too high for my Potato and couldn’t play before… (Cyberpunk) Or required 3rd Party software that is wants too much access or something. Or it just doesn’t want to play along… For example, Ghost Recon Breakpoint’s launcher. The launcher isn’t launching. Oh well. All my other games not only run just fine, but they actually run BETTER. Gaming on Linux is a blast.
Most everything I do has software that is Linux native or compatible, or is Web Based, so the platform doesn’t matter.

As mentioned before I also use my little MS Surface Tablet. With the attached Keyboard, it’s basically a small portable Laptop, and I use it as such. That’s running Linux Mint, and it’s PERFECT for what I do with it.

So my divorce from Microsoft is complete in my private life. For work, Windows 11 remains a requirement… as is using MS EDGE for my work browser. But for personal use, I’m 100 Linux now. And it feels GREAT.

Weapons

HK’s new VP9CC

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It feels like H&K is getting desperate to break the ice in the Concealed Carry Market. A place where they really never cared to be in all that much . They just released the VP9CC, a subcompact micro 9mm pistol that comes with a flush magazine and an extended capacity magazine.

If this sounds like deja vu, it’s because they had just previously released the CC9 last year, which is a subcompact micro 9mm pistol that comes with a flush magazine and an extended capacity magazine.

And before that they had the VP9SK, which is a subcompact 9mm which comes with a flush magazine and an extended capacity magazine…

All three pistols are different enough from each other that all three will require their own holsters and most likely magazines, given the fact that the CC9 uses a push-button magazine release and the others use the flappy paddle release. The SK has interchangeable backstraps, like the other two, but it also has interchangeable side panels so you can customize that grip feel to fit your hand better. And while the VP9SK and CC both say “VP9”, the slides are very different. To be honest, the VP9CC isn’t nearly as good looking as the SK. But that’s just me.

I find the strategy of competing against each other for the same market share to be a curious route to take. When other companies do it, it’s usually because the different offerings are offering something different. This seems like each team is looking over the shoulders of the other teams and copying their homework with slight edits so they don’t look like blatant xerox copies.

I’ve got the VP9SK, and not only do I carry it regularly… but it’s on my hip as I type this. It’s riding in an excellent Vedder hybrid type rig and is super comfortable. Going to one of the others doesn’t feel like any advantage. It’s like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, S24, S25, and, and now the S26… Supposedly, they are updates, but they leave me with no enthusiasm or rational justification to make a switch.

Now… there is something else that just dropped that does have me raise one wizardly eyebrow… but that’s a different topic for a different time…

Weapons

The Unloved SIG 224

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Back in the days before the SIG 365, SIG wanted to make a dedicated CCW gun that could wear big boy pants. They took the 229/228 and said, “We can make this smaller”. And they did. They called it the P224. And it was fantastic.

The 224 was available in 3 calibers. 9mm of course, and also .40 and .357 SIG. Making for a very versatile platform. I know police officers that carried a 224 as a Backup Gun for a good long while. The 224’s only sin was that of bad timing. As the 224 was scrambling for traction in the Market, Consumer Tastes shifted to Polymer framed guns for reduced weight. Also, the 224 never got the full production numbers to really get them out into the market. It was almost like an Experimental piece. Today it’s a Collector Piece. And one that I would very much like to acquire myself, if anyone is willing to make a trade. For the DA/SA Decocker version… not the DAO version.

Weapons

HK USP

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When the HK USP came out, I was an early adopter. So much so that holsters were hard to find. I did patrol work at the time and I needed a Low Ride – Jacket Slot rig. And at the time, no such rig existed for the USP. So I had to use a holster from one company, and the drop shank from another manufacturer (Safariland) and fit them together. It worked perfectly for about 8 months before a commercial offering was available. The USP was a total pussycat to shoot, and extremely accurate. The trigger wasn’t the best, but it was perfectly adequate due to it being very consistent. After I relocated about 2800 miles away, I sold the pistol to my eventual great regret. I’ve never replaced it with another one… and I probably never will… But I would like to, one day.

Gear

Linux Mint on MS Surface

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For the last 12 years I’ve been running MAC OS and Windows. I’ll be honest, I hated MAC OS, but I did see why some people like. I just wasn’t one of those persons. I’ve been running Windows because primarily I liked to Game and PC gaming meant Windows by default. These days I don’t game nearly as much as I used to… But once in awhile I will still play for a few minutes… So I’ve been stuck in the MS Eco System, just because of Games. And that was fine… for awhile. But with every Update, Windows became more and more uncomfortable. I noticed it when I went from Windows 10, to Windows 11 on my Alienware laptop (Rest in Peace) and all my games instantly started lagging. Updating Drivers and changing setting didn’t help much. Win 11 was a Resource Hog like we’ve just never seen before. This brings me to my MS Surface.

Because my Alienware was just too freaking big and heavy, it wasn’t mobile at all. I couldn’t take it anywhere. So I went on a bit of a journey to find a Portable content generation solution. Chromebooks and various Netbooks and Micro Laptops… None of them felt worth while and all of them irritated me beyond my capacity for tolerance. This is where the MS Surface came in. I decided to give it a shot, and it worked well… Until later Windows Updates butted heads with my full Silvershot Manuscript and suddenly I was typing full sentences before the characters appeared on the screen. Windows 11 was no longer working for me and my Surface Pro 7+ was no longer being used at all, for anything. Something had to be done.

After playing around with a number of Linux Distros, I decided Linux Mint was the way to go. It’s Ubuntu based, which itself is based on Debian, so it’s a rock solid foundation. Mint has a desktop environment called “Cinnamon”, which is simple and doesn’t guzzle resources. And it’s easily customizable to operate just how you want it to operate. Now, when I was living in Utah, I was running Linux as my daily driver and it worked great. Imagine to my surprise all the advances Linux has made between then and now. STEAM is now readily available for Linux and most games seem to work just fine on it. Multi-Player games with 3rd Party Anti-Cheat software do not work at all, but I don’t play League of Legends anyway.

Installing Linux Mint and getting all the hardware drivers to work was a process, but not too difficult as all the resources are available online. So in less time than it takes to install Windows 11 and Configure it, my MS Surface was already up and running. And running very well indeed. It no longer struggles to do the simple tasks like it used to. In fact, it’s running better than it did when it was brand new. Limited Hardware Resources are where Linux absolutely shines compared to Windows. The main differences is that Microsoft thinks your system exists just to run Windows so MS can feed you Advertisements. Linux isn’t like that at all. Linux sets your computer free.

Weapons

Harpoon or Flatout?

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The Becker BK 18 Becker Harpoon vs the Kronos Knives Flat Out. Similar quality in the blade steel. Similar pricing currently. The BK 18 is about an inch larger. But I hated – HATED – the coating. So I had to remove the scales, use a stripper, and then scrape the coating all off the blade. The plastic scales were atrocious, so 35 bucks for micarta replacements. After all that… I’m happy with the knife, and it feels good in the hand.

The Kronos came out of the box in a condition that I like, and it feels good in the hand too. Both blades have a good belly, and a sharp tip. But both also needed just a bit of stone work to have a hair shaving edge. Being smaller doesn’t hamper this knife at all. It has that “Just Right” feeling in the hand, no matter how you grip it. The BK 18 came with a standard KaBar type scabbard, made of nylon and injection molded plastic. It works just fine, but only allows tip down carry with a belt through the loop, low like a cowboy. If you like you could fashion other methods, but I’ve not done that yet. The Kronos comes with a Kydex sheath that is way too tight and drawing the knife is far too difficult, and there is no thumbshelf or such to help push out from that deathgrip. But it does come with the BladeTech attachment that allows you to carry it however you like. Being slightly smaller, it carries very well horizontally.

Both knives are winners, but I do like the Becker’s sheath better, simply because it doesn’t fight me. But the Kronos is just begging for a leather sheath. Maybe in a saddle brown, with a distressed finish.

Weapons

Kronos Flatout

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PSA’s line of knives, “KRONOS KNIVES” have hit another home run, with the knife they call the “Flatout”.

Blade Length: 3.8”
Blade Material: 1095 High Carbon Steel 58-59 HRC
Blade Finish: Acid-etched and Rock-Tumbled
Blade Thickness: 0.156″
Handle Material: G10
Handle Color: Black
Overall Length: 8.25”
Sheath: Kydex 
Knife Weight: 5.3 oz
Country of Origin: USA

I’ll write a proper review of it when I get the chance to put it to some use for awhile.

Weapons

Kronos Crossfade

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For those unaware, Palmetto State Armory has an in-house Knife Brand… Kronos Knives. Now, I’ve bought a few to give away as gifts… But today something different happened. A friend sent one of them to me! I’m absolutely delighted with this blade, called the Crossfade.

From the Website:
Introducing the Crossfade by Kronos Knives, a premium fixed blade knife designed for performance and durability. With an overall length of 7.3″, a 3.75″ drop point blade made from 154CM steel, and a stone-washed finish, this knife ensures superior sharpness and strength with a hardness of 60-61HRC. The black canvas Micarta handle offers a secure, ergonomic grip, while the flat grind enhances cutting efficiency. Weighing just 3.5 oz, it comes with a versatile Kydex sheath for universal carry. Proudly crafted in the USA, the semi-custom Crossfade knife is perfect for both outdoor enthusiasts and professionals.

The knife is rather small in overall size, so it carries well horizontally on the belt. I think I like it up front. I’ll get to know the knife a little more before I update this with more of a review.

Weapons

Rock Island Arsenal

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New horse in the Stable: I was given a Gift this evening, and it is very appreciated. I will enjoy this! This is a Rock Island M1911, Double Stack. 14+1 rounds of God’s Caliber .45 Auto.

It’s essentially a GI 1911, but “Dummy Thicc”. Slide is heavy, but smooth. The trigger is heavy, but very crisp. The gun is all steel, heavy, but well-balanced when loaded. It’s not tricked out in any way… It’s just refreshingly honest about what it is, and what it isn’t. I like that. R.I.A. has fancier guns, with more expensive finishes, but they are not actually made any better. The slide is tight, but there is no binding and no play. The barrel is fit tight as well, with no play in the bushing or breach at all. In manipulating the slide, there are no hang-ups in the action at all. Inside, the machining is exceptionally well done. Every bit as fine as in a Kimber that would cost roughly 4 times as much. This is even better than my previous R.I.A. 1911 that went about 1400 rounds without a failure, amongst numerous shooters who wanted to try it out. Only difference is that this one is machined better, the muzzle is target crowned slightly, and it uses Para P14 magazines. Remember Para? Yeah, before STI/Staccato, Para Ordinance pioneered the Thicc 1911 style. And I bet a Para holster would fit it perfectly.
I’ll report more on this when I get it out to shoot.

Weapons

James Bond should…

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James Bond should be rocking the FN REFLEX. It’s about the same size as the Walther PPK, holds more ammo, lighter, and in a more potent caliber… Much more potent than James’ .32 caliber Walther.

I’ve carried mine for about a year now, as my main Concealed Carry weapon, and I’ve shot it enough to solidify my opinion of it. It’s a Winner. The gun is reliable, accurate, not difficult to shoot, and thanks to the good sights and great trigger, not difficult to shoot well with. I’ve had no problems with it using 115 grain range ammo and 124 grain and 147 grain defensive loads. Currently loaded with 124 grain Sierra JHPs, it groups well without a hint of issue. Using a Vedder IWB hybrid type rig, it conceals extremely well. Like I said… It’s become my main CCW piece. The alternate carry gun I use is my HK VP9SK, which is also excellent, but doesn’t hide as well. And since I travel into less than permissive environments, printing would cause unwanted drama, legal or not. As winter approaches, I’ll carry it more and other larger guns for fun and variety… But everywhere else, the little Reflex is my Go-To.

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