Potato Energy Tech Blog

🎮 Why this matters Running games via Steam on Linux often feels like “dancing with a tambourine”: different engines need different flags, AMD and NVIDIA require different environment variables, and tools like Gamescope and MangoHud must be manually inserted into launch commands. Solution: steamscope.sh - a wrapper script that: ✅ Auto-detects GPU (AMD/NVIDIA) and applies appropriate optimizations ✅ Supports engine-specific flags: Source, Unreal, Unity ✅ Integrates Gamescope, Gamemode, MangoHud, FSR in one command ✅ Works as %command% in Steam launch options ✅ Doesn’t break standard launch - everything is optional 💡 The script doesn’t replace Proton or Steam - it makes their work predictable and configurable. ...

Imagine: you’re hiking, at a dacha, in an area with poor signal - or you just want to communicate without carriers, clouds, and surveillance. Solution: decentralized LoRa network - low-power radio with range up to several kilometers. 💡 This isn’t an internet replacement. It’s “internet for emergencies, privacy, and experiments”. Who this series is for: ✅ Friends and relatives who want to understand “why do I need this” ✅ Beginners in radio/electronics (no soldering required!) ✅ Anyone who values privacy and infrastructure independence 📡 LoRa and mesh networks (in simple terms) LoRa (Long Range) Parameter Value Range 1–10 km urban, 50+ km line-of-sight Power ~100 mA transmit, ~10 mA idle Speed 0.3–50 kbps (text, coordinates, small data only) Frequency 433 MHz (RU), 868 MHz (EU), 915 MHz (US) Simple analogy: ...

The Problem After switching to HyperOS (POCO, Xiaomi), links from apps (Telegram, WhatsApp, etc.) open in the cloned Chrome account instead of the main one - even when the main Chrome is set as default browser. Symptoms: Click link → Chrome opens in second space Default browser settings show main Chrome Resetting settings doesn’t help Cause: HyperOS prioritizes cloned apps when handling intents, ignoring user preference. 💡 Issue reproduces on MIUI 14 / HyperOS 1.0+ with “Dual Apps” / “Second Space” enabled. ...

Obtainium is an Android update manager that downloads apps directly from developer repositories (GitHub, GitLab, Codeberg, F-Droid), bypassing third-party stores. Why you need it: Get updates faster than Google Play / F-Droid Avoid trackers and ads from third-party stores Control which versions are installed (stable, beta, pre-release) Automate updates without manual confirmation 💡 Obtainium doesn’t host apps - it only points where to download them. You always know the source. ...

Shizuku is a service that gives apps access to Android system APIs without root. It works via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), using shell privileges. Why you need it: Install apps without confirmation (Obtainium, SAI) Freeze/unfreeze apps (Ice Box, Hail) Manage permissions (AppOps, Permission Pilot) Change system settings (DarQ, Naptime) Remove system apps (Canta, AppManager) 💡 Shizuku doesn’t grant full root - only limited access to system functions. Safer than root, but more powerful than a regular app. ...

Sometimes you need to run an app on NixOS that’s only available for Ubuntu/Debian or ships as .deb/.iso. Distrobox lets you run it in a container with host integration - like a native app. 💡 Works on any distro with Nix installed. 📦 Create container # Create container with necessary volume mounts nix shell nixpkgs#distrobox --command distrobox create \ --image ubuntu:20.04 \ --name <container-name> \ --volume "<volume_pts>:/dev/pts" \ --volume "<volume_journal>:/var/log/journal" \ --home "$HOME/<container-name>-home" Parameters: ...

Docker Desktop on Windows uses WSL2 with dynamic VHDX files. They grow when adding images/containers but don’t shrink automatically when deleting them. Result: C: drive fills up, even though docker system df shows free space. 💡 Solution: manual VHDX optimization via PowerShell + Docker utility. 📦 Cleanup script Create file # File: $HOME\Scripts\docker-clear-wsl.ps1 $script = @' $LOCAL = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Docker\wsl" $VHD1 = Join-Path $LOCAL "disk\docker_data.vhdx" $VHD2 = Join-Path $LOCAL "main\ext4.vhdx" # 1. Docker cleanup docker system prune -f # 2. Reclaim space via official tool docker run --rm --privileged --pid=host docker/desktop-reclaim-space docker rmi docker/desktop-reclaim-space -f # 3. Stop Docker Desktop Get-Process -Name "Docker Desktop","com.docker.backend","com.docker.build" ` -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Stop-Process -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue # 4. Shutdown WSL wsl --shutdown # 5. Optimize VHDX files (compact) if (Test-Path $VHD1) { Optimize-VHD -Path $VHD1 -Mode Full } if (Test-Path $VHD2) { Optimize-VHD -Path $VHD2 -Mode Full } # 6. Restart Docker Desktop Start-Sleep -Seconds 2 Start-Process -FilePath "$env:ProgramFiles\Docker\Docker\Docker Desktop.exe" ` -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue '@ $script | Out-File -FilePath "$HOME\Scripts\docker-clear-wsl.ps1" -Encoding UTF8 Run # As Administrator (required for Optimize-VHD) powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "$HOME\Scripts\docker-clear-wsl.ps1" 🔍 How it works Step Command What it does 1 docker system prune -f Removes stopped containers, unused images, build cache 2 docker/desktop-reclaim-space Official Docker tool to reclaim space in WSL2 3 Stop-Process Gracefully stops Docker Desktop (otherwise VHDX is locked) 4 wsl --shutdown Fully shuts down WSL, freeing files for optimization 5 Optimize-VHD -Mode Full Compacts VHDX files, returning space to host 6 Start-Process Restarts Docker Desktop Why this way: ...