Windows for development

Windows for development

I set up Windows 11 as a cross-platform development machine (Linux, macOS, and Windows), not Microsoft-only. Starting from a clean English install, tuned lightly (optionally after a dualboot). The post starts with the CLI and WSL2 and ends with the tools and programming languages. …

August 25, 2024 · 36 min
A Decent Windows (Obsolete)

A Decent Windows (Obsolete)

In this post I explain how I configure a Windows 11 that I’m going to use for software development, testing or demos. I don’t need frills since it won’t have sensitive data, I want its essence, bare-bones, with few applications, some browsing and that’s it. In the end it became a technical exercise – removing everything I can, ads, Edge, extras, installing minimal drivers, a local account, having it boot and be available as soon as possible. Note: a year later I decided to create a new decent Windows 11 (2025). …

August 24, 2024 · 17 min
Dualboot Linux Windows

Dualboot Linux Windows

Dualboot: two operating systems on the same machine, picking one at each boot. The usual path is to install Windows first and Linux second, but here I start from the opposite case — Ubuntu 24.04 already running and filling a 4 TB disk — and walk through adding Windows 11 Pro: resizing the partition, installing Windows, and customizing the GRUB boot menu. …

August 23, 2024 · 8 min
Linux for Development

Linux for Development

In this post I describe my configuration log for setting up a Linux (Ubuntu) machine as a development workstation. I install several graphical and command-line applications that are essential for my workflow. Starting from a fresh Ubuntu installation, the installation order can be varied, but I recommend (if your Ubuntu is freshly installed) that you follow the same order to see the same results. …

July 25, 2024 · 7 min
Home PBX

Home PBX

Asterisk is a free software program (under GPL license) that provides PBX (Private Branch Exchange) functionality. You can connect phones to make calls between them within your home (or office) and even access external communications, to the PSTN (like Movistar) or by connecting to a VoIP provider or ISDN links (basic or primary). …

July 13, 2024 · 10 min
Software KVM

Software KVM

In environments where you need to operate multiple computers simultaneously, efficiency is key. There are several products that mimic the functionality of a KVM switch (Keyboard, Video, Mouse), which historically allowed you to use a single keyboard and mouse to control multiple computers by physically turning a dial. In this post I describe how I install and use Barrier, a software KVM solution, without the need for additional hardware. My use case involves controlling three computers with a single keyboard and mouse. Two of them are desktops – a Mac and a Windows PC. The third is a Windows/Linux laptop. The difficulty lies with the Mac, where I encountered a curious and nearly insurmountable challenge. …

June 13, 2024 · 5 min