Open Hardware/Modding and Mobile Stories (Linux Focus)

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Apr 22, 2025

HowTo Geek ☛ Why I Run 2 Pi-Hole Instances (and How I Keep Them Synced)

If you run a Pi-Hole server, you probably, like me, have experienced downtime when updating or rebooting the server. To fix this, I started running two Pi-Hole instances. Here's how I did it, and how I keep them in sync, too.

Why Run Two Pi-Hole Instances?

I first tried Pi-Hole a few years ago, and it was nice as a content blocker and DNS manager. However, whenever I had to do maintenance to the machine it was on, my entire network would go down. Pi-Hole was my only DNS provider, and, without that, my computers didn't know how to access the internet.

So, I gave up on the Pi-Hole journey for that time. A few years after that, I saw someone running two Pi-Hole instances, and it got me intrigued as to why. The answer is simple, and the solution to my earlier problem: redundancy.

• Linux Gizmos ☛ MicroPython v1.25.0 Released with ROMFS, RISC-V Assembler, and Expanded Board Support

  One of the most notable additions is ROMFS, a read-only, memory-mappable, extensible file system that enables direct execution of bytecode from flash memory. This allows for faster imports and reduced RAM usage, especially useful for constrained embedded environments. While ROMFS is currently available only on select boards, such as PYBD-SFx and STM32-based Arduino boards, it can be manually enabled for others.

• Linux Gizmos ☛ ASUS NUC 15 Pro Cyber Canyon Highlights Compact Design and Intel Ultra CPUs

  The ASUS NUC 15 Pro, also known as Cyber Canyon, is a compact mini PC built for professional computing needs. Available in Slim and Tall versions, it features Intel Core Ultra processors and Intel Arc Graphics, offering strong performance and flexible connectivity.

• Arduino ☛ This custom flight joystick provides force feedback with stepper motors

  The motors are responsible for applying a varied amount of force that is constantly trying to realign the joystick to the center. An Arduino Micro was selected since it could act as a native USB human interface device (HID) to relay the positions being sensed by the magnetic encoders to the host machine. This data was also used to instruct the motors on how far to move in each axis.

• Alex Haydock ☛ This blog is hosted on a Nintendo Wii

  For a long time, I’ve enjoyed the idea of running general-purpose operating systems on decidedly not-general-purpose hardware.

  There’s been a few good examples of this over the years, including a few which were officially sanctioned by the OEM. Back in the day, my PS3 ran Yellow Dog Linux, and I’ve been searching for a (decently priced) copy of PS2 Linux for 10+ years at this point.

• Tom's Hardware ☛ 3D printing is about to get more expensive, if you can get it at all

  The era of cheap 3D printing appears to be coming to a screeching halt in the US. A perfect storm of newly imposed tariffs is quickly driving costs upward as tariffs on Chinese-made goods, which include popular 3D printers from Bambu Lab, Creality, Elegoo, and Anycubic, have hit a record high of 145%.

• University of Michigan ☛ Remote repairs: discovering the longevity of 3D-printed metal parts

  The problem is guaranteeing longevity. Military parts undergo stringent testing, and usually the manufacturing process is so uniform that samples of one part made by a particular machine reliably represent how all such parts made by that machine will fare. This is not the case for LPBF, in which defects in the material structure are more common and more random.

  In LPBF, a bed of metal powder is hit with lasers so that it solidifies into a cross-section of the desired shape. Then, more powder is added and the lasers fuse the next layer to the first from below. This continues until the part is complete.

• PC World ☛ Framework Laptop 13 (2025) review: A steep price for smart upgrades

  This upgradeability may make the Framework Laptop 13 a compelling option for certain types of users who pursue performance upgrades but want consistency otherwise. But for those who need a reliable system today and enjoy occasional changes, many of our favorite laptops are available at lower prices. Even if upgrades in the future are more expensive, you can try to defray those future costs with the sale of your old machine or simply enjoy the second life it can have in the hands of a friend or family member.

• Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

  • Google removes memory usage limits for Linux Terminal in Android 16

    The latest Android 16 Beta 4 update brings significant improvements to the Linux Terminal app available on Pixel smartphones, Android Authority reports. The app allows you to run a virtual machine running the Debian operating system, opening up the possibility of using popular Linux desktop applications alongside Android apps.

    Previously, the virtual machine was limited to 16 GB of disk space, which limited its functionality. However, users can now resize the disk, using almost all of the available space on the device, leaving 1 GB for stable system operation. For example, on the Pixel 9 Pro, the volume was increased to 42.3 GB, which significantly expands the storage capabilities.

  • Extreme Tech ☛ Google Lifts Storage Limit for Linux Terminal on Pixel Phones: 16 GB to Infinity Minus 1GB

    Google Pixel users will soon be able to run a full Debian Linux environment using the Linux Terminal app. The Android 16 Beta 4 update removes the previous 16GB storage cap for the Linux virtual machine, which was first introduced in the March 2025 update. Now, it lets users allocate nearly all of their phone’s available storage to the VM—except for 1GB, which is kept free for system stability.

    In Android 16 Beta 4, this adjustment is managed through a disk resize slider in the app’s settings. Google says that in a future release, the slider will be replaced by a storage ballooning system, letting the Linux VM’s storage grow or shrink automatically based on the phone’s available space.