Tag: computing

Categories
Computing Electronics Technology

USB3 Extension Box

Newer computer cases often have all the USB connections on the back. That’s fine for some, but I have a very crowded lab, and it’s a pain to reach back there and fumble around trying to plug/unplug equipment. So I created this USB 3.1 capable extender box.

I started with a search of Tiger Direct, Amazon, eBay, and several other of the usual suspects. I was looking for a relatively high density way to mount female USB jacks. They had to be mounted in something with some mass to it, so it won’t skitter around when I try to plug things in, and it needs non-skid rubber feet too. Ultimately, I took the guts out of an old 2400 baud modem. Remember those? You’re dating yourself. That provided the box to mount the USB jacks into. A little aluminum plate, some machining with a drill, punch, and file, and some specialty USB jacks, and Bob’s yer uncle.

Back of that old modem
An old 2400 baud modem
Shuck the modem of its guts…
Leaving a usable case.

BATIGE Dual Ports Square USB 3.0 Panel Flush Mount Extension Cable

These are what the panel-mount USB cables look like; Amazon has them in both 3 and 6 foot lengths.

This is what I used:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078LXX3MD.

After considerable machining (by hand) of some scrap aluminum…

The final product looks like the photos below.

Categories
Computing Linux Technology

Linux

About Linux: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux

Linux is an operating system, like Windows is an operating system, but they are not the same.

  • Windows is a for-profit product of Microsoft
  • Linux is Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) https://itsfoss.com/what-is-foss which is available for download at no cost. However, people and companies can and do charge for support contracts and other services, for those who feel they need it.
  • Windows is proprietary. The code/programming used to create it is (by and large) a closely guarded secret, and even if it did get out, it’s protected by copyright/patents/other legal guards.
  • Linux is open-source, which means that the code for it can be examined by anyone. This has a number of implications. Linux is known not to contain nefarious phone-home, tattle on the user, security-challenged features, because anyone can take it apart line-by-line and determine exactly what each line of code does.
  • Windows is known to “phone home” and report on what you’re doing, etc.
  • Windows, starting with Windows 10, forces users to accept all updates from Microsoft, even if it breaks things.
  • Linux leaves updates and version upgrades to the user, though performing them is very easy.
  • Windows requires an ever-increasing amount of hardware horsepower to run.
  • Linux makes excellent use of high-powered CPUs, memory, and other components, but also runs well on lower-powered equipment. It can often breath new life into older PCs and laptops that would otherwise hit the scrap heap.

Stay tuned for future posts on Linux and other FOSS technology.