Category Archives: Guides

Amateur Radio Challenge Course

One of the first things I wanted to do with arcOS was to provide a module for use as a training tool. When Jason and I started working on putting together the Amateur Radio Challenge Course, I knew it was the perfect match. Check out Jason’s video about the Challenge Course to get a quick overview.

If you want to host your own Challenge Course, everything you need to be up and running is available as a module built for arcOS.

Installing arcOS on a USB drive is easy! Just follow the documentation in the Quick Start Guide. Once you’ve installed arcOS, you can have your Amateur Radio Challenge Course on the air in under 3 minutes.

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Archiving Helpful Videos

Sometimes, YouTube tutorials are helpful for topics you are just beginning to learn about. Personally, I prefer text based documentation as it is easier to maintain for offline reference. However, the abundance of video content is hard to overlook. Consider your reliance on an internet connection to watch/re-watch a video. Also, consider your bandwidth usage, especially if you are on a metered data plan. If you found yourself without internet (or sufficient data for watching multiple videos), and therefore without access to some particular video, would you be able to remember the steps or commands from the tutorial? Let’s discuss a tool to help you save those helpful videos for offline use.

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Installing Linux

I have many reasons I use Linux as my operating system of choice. You likely have your own reasons for giving Linux a try. Maybe you just like to experiment. Or, maybe you’ve grown tired of the “planned obsolescence” strategy employed by Microsoft and Apple. Whatever your reasons are, I’m glad you’re willing to explore an “alternative” operating system. By installing and learning to use Linux, you can take control of your computing experience and extract yourself from the “computing-as-a-service” world. Read on if you’re ready to jump in!

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Kiwix: Offline Knowledge

Many of us take internet access for granted. Being a few keystrokes away from answering any question has become the norm. However, there are times when even the most reliable connections go down. There are also times when we intentionally venture beyond the bounds of civilization. For those times when the internet isn’t reachable, voluntarily or involuntarily, having knowledge available locally can be extremely valuable.

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VirtualBox on Linux

So, you’re interested in trying Linux on your machine? Maybe, you’ve already installed a Linux distribution, but you find yourself constantly breaking things and nearly throwing your keyboard/laptop out a window. If Linux is a new adventure for you, it can sometimes be frustrating and intimidating. This is perfectly normal and expected with anything you haven’t tried before. My goal in this post is to help new (or seasoned) Linux users build a safe place to learn and experiment without the intimidation and fear of rendering their daily operating system unusable.

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