Got inspired by @microwerx installing MacOS 7.6.x in Basilisk II (emulator for 68k macs)... I decided to sit down tonight and setup my Microsoft Surface Go laptop as a dedicated 68k Mac emu machine.
Since I will be using the Surface go as a purely MacOS laptop... I decided to run a little experiment to see which "Host OS" provides a better experience: Linux (Debian) or Windows 10.
I'm not really a "Windows Guy", but I was curious which OS would handle running Basilisk II (the emulator) better. Speed, stability, features, and battery usage.
So I installed Windows 10 on the Surface Go (was previously a pretty dorked up Fedora installation) and tossed on a copy of Basilisk II.
Emulating a 68040 Mac with 64 MB of RAM. Two HFS drive images.
Running MacOS 8.1. Which is the last 68k MacOS.
You'll note a "This PC" icon on the desktop. That lets me have direct access to the entire "C: drive" of the Windows host. The same feature is available on the Linux version of Basilisk II... but they call it "UNIX Root" instead of "This PC". Same idea... full host file system access. Makes moving files back and forth easy.
So far the speed of the emulated 68040 Mac on the Surface Go is smooth as butter. Fast and responsive. I'm going to put on a few benchmarking tools and run some battery life tests.
Then, maybe later this weekend, I'll back up the Basilisk II drive images... install Debian on the Surface Go (or maybe Ubuntu or Fedora)... and run the exact same tests.
Which ever host works better... that's what I'll go with. Host will boot up, auto log in, and launch Basilisk. Making this, essentially, a Mac laptop. Sorta. At least that's how it'll hopefully feel.
If both Windows and Linux work roughly the same (which is what I am somewhat expecting) I'll just go with Linux. Just cuz.
The GNOME Foundation is using claimed financial support of LibXML2 as a reason people should donate to GNOME. Only one problem: The LibXML2 dev was forced to abandon the project due to lack of support from GNOME.
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Following his criticism of their lawsuit against Vizio, the Linux creator says the Software Freedom Conservancy "is trying to further an agenda", & "is a racket, plain and simple".
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After receiving an Al generated email, the programming legend (known for his work on Go, Plan 9, UNIX, & UTF-8) says, "F**k you people. Raping the planet."
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Ads are filling the entirety of the Web -- websites, podcasts, YouTube videos, etc. -- at an increasing rate. Prices for those ad placements are plummeting. Consumers are desperate to use ad-blockers to make the web palatable. Google (and others) are desperate to break and block ad-blockers. All of which results in... more ads and lower pay for creators.
It's a fascinatingly annoying cycle. And there's only one viable way out of it.
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Those in power with openSUSE make it clear they will not allow me anywhere near anything related to the openSUSE project. Ever. For any reason.
Well, that settles that, then! Guess I won't be contributing to openSUSE! 🤣
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Stewart Cheifet Obituary December 28, 2025 - Goldsteins Funeral
https://obits.goldsteinsfuneral.com/stewart-cheifet
SamTime's 2025 list of top mobile tech fails.
https://odysee.com/@samtime:14/the-biggest-tech-fails-of-2025:3
The “$89 Lifetime Subs, 50% Off Monthly/Yearly Subs” deal ends at the stroke of Midnight on New Years Eve.
When the calendar ticks over to 2026, a little over a day from now, subscription prices for The Lunduke Journal go back to normal.
https://lunduke.substack.com/p/89-lifetime-subs-50-off-monthly-all
Woah!
The end of December is almost here!
That means the “$89 Lifetime Lunduke Journal Subscription” deal is about to end!
When the ball drops on New Years Eve, and the calendar clocks over to 2026, the Lifetime Subscription price goes back to normal.
So, you know, grab one before that darn ball drops! (Then check out all of the Lunduke Journal Subscriber Perks.)
Because that deal is re-DONK-u-lous.
-Lunduke
Two quick tidbits on this glorious Sunday:
Lifetime Subscriptions to The Lunduke Journal are currently discounted to $89. For life. Which is… insane. That’s less than 1/3rd of the regular price.
Monthly and Yearly subscriptions are 50% off. Which is also pretty darned snazzy.
On Tuesday I will be recording a long-overdue episode of “Lunduke’s Nerdy Q&A”.
Got questions you’d like asked in the show? No guarantees, but I’ll get to as many as I can!
Retro computing. Current computer news. Ridiculous hypotheticals. Any question is fair game... just make sure it’s good and nerdy.
To make it simple for me, there are two ways you can submit questions for this week’s Q&A:
Add a comment to this thread on Forum.Lunduke.com.
Reply to this thread over on X.
Ok. I lied. There are three ways. You can also reply to this post, right here, on Locals.
Note: Only Lunduke Journal subscribers can access to Forum.Lunduke.com. All of the details on how to gain access are on the Lunduke Journal Subscriber Perks page.
-Lunduke
Time for some Fun Lunduke Journal Facts of Fact-ly-ness!
The “per-month” cost of a Lifetime Subscription to The Lunduke Journal is an asymptotic line. The longer you have that subscription, the closer it gets to $0.00.
The Lifetime Subscription was first introduced 3 1/2 years ago… and is still going strong.
The price of a Lifetime Subscription is currently discounted to $89. For life. That’s less than 1/3rd the normal price.
The earlier you pick one up, the quicker that asymptotic line begins approaching zero. Which is fun.
If you think you might ever want a Lifetime Subscription, now is the time.
Imagine missing this discounted price and missing out on months of, mathematically certain, asymptotic line fun. This is one of those scenarios where Future You (tm) would want to travel back in time to tell Present You (tm) to snag a Lifetime Subscription.
Go. Grab the Lifetime Subscription for $89. That deal is good all December long.
There’s a video of me yammering about it too. Just for good measure.
You’re welcome.
-Lunduke
