Aaron Toponce ⚛️:debian:

MSCSIA, cryptography, security, locksport, Linux, programming, mathematics, amateur radio, Buddhism, running, anime, and bibliophilia.

Blog: https://pthree.org
GitHub: https://github.com/atoponce
Keybase: https://atoponce.keybase.pub/mastodon.html

Public Key

npub1t9cz9v7zph5jvadd8rjfp25msrx6r0hdxnsyfmx88k8qp3pvv04szt8529

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs9jupzk0pqm6fxwkkn3eys42dcpndphmknfczyanrnmrsqcskx86cpqqq3samnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwd4hk6mmnw3ezuurfde4sn09svc

Publishing to

relay.momostr.pink

Author Public Key

npub1t9cz9v7zph5jvadd8rjfp25msrx6r0hdxnsyfmx88k8qp3pvv04szt8529

Show more details

Last Notes

2026-07-16 17:32:45 UTC

RE: https://fosstodon.org/@atoponce/116131788104238961
Useful reminder, but AI cannot generate high quality passwords.
1. They're not being generated in secret
2. The LLM is a *language model*, not a security library.
Stop trying.
#note1txs…ukjf

2026-07-14 19:04:24 UTC

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The moderator's note at the bottom cracks me up.
"This post is locked to prevent inappropriate edits to its content. The post looks exactly as it is supposed to look - there are no problems with its content. Please do not flag it for our attention."

2026-07-14 18:54:03 UTC

Still one of my favorite StackOverflow answers.
https://stackoverflow.com/a/1732454
#regex #programming #xml #html
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/919/840/221/262/380/original/2901d4e1e2fda259.png

2026-07-14 03:23:57 UTC

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After every 8 bits, I then collect
- Timestamp at event
- Distance from (0, 0) at event
- Angle in arcseconds from (0, 0) at event
There are 90*60*60=324,000 arcseconds between 0 and 90 degrees. That's about 18.3 bits of entropy per angle if uniform.
Are they uniform though? Obviously not. The (1, 0) coordinate will have the same arcseconds angle as (512, 0), and the (0, 1) coordinate will be identical to (0, 1). But what about the rest?
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/916/178/708/067/793/original/7814edd627c43c33.png

2026-07-14 03:19:40 UTC

Playing around with my mouse entropy project.
I came to a subtle realization that it's not an entropy *generator* as much as it's an entropy *picker*.
This is because the animated randogram is generated by the browser CSPRNG and the mouse is picking the least significant bit at the pixel during the event.
So collecting 256 pixels and hashing with SHA-256 will guarantee 256-bits of symmetric security.
But I can still mix in entropy. Sooo...
https://github.com/atoponce/scripts/blob/master/mouse-entropy.html

2026-06-25 19:42:36 UTC

VibePHP runs on vibes, not code
This README is hilarious.
https://github.com/mnapoli/vibephp
#php #programming #ai

2026-06-09 05:46:33 UTC

I think I've mentioned this before, but I'm toying around with adding keyboard patterns in my password generator.
The algorithm:
1. Pick a random key.
2. Identify adjacent keys horizontally and vertically.
3. Pick a random adjacent key.
4. Repeat until entropy target is reached.
72-bit examples:
Colemak: 098(){]|}+}[{]\\]|}|}[{{:YU8u
Dvorak: 5$#$p>EJkXKJkUpyp>#2#>pYF
QWERTY: XZxcxzxZXSXsde3>?.?:?>?:"[}+
Workman: _+-0["['I"['iO>oEnFuENfNyn
#passwords #security

2026-05-17 12:26:57 UTC

Yesterday, I ran the Ogden Marathon. The goal was 3:15 and I ran 3:25. Not my day.
I stayed conservative the first 10K, but something felt off. I was running under MP, but it felt hard. When I moved into MP at the 10K mark, I knew it wouldn't be sustainable long-term.
I was running with a friend who had the same time goal. By 15K a gap was opening between us and by 30K she was out of sight. About 35K, I was losing control of my breathing, despite my pace falling.
#running #RunnersofMastodon
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/589/904/629/891/771/original/62df9225c78ed334.png
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/589/905/686/865/007/original/5de9823e6041382c.png

2026-05-13 13:14:12 UTC

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Thanks!
This is a local marathon that is well organized and starts on time. They don't do proper corrals, but I'll be near the front, so I'll only be 15-20 seconds behind gun time. This table is really just for my family to compare my plan against my actual performance using the live tracker online.
I used to use pace bands in the past, but found just programming the race as a structured workout in my watch to be simpler and less annoying.

2026-05-12 22:38:08 UTC

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Finalized my pacing strategy for Saturday. It's optimistic, but "PR or ER" as they say.
#running #RunnersOfMastodon #marathon
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/563/979/340/351/382/original/52e4e78188a24397.png

2026-05-11 17:17:25 UTC

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Thanks!

2026-05-11 16:24:27 UTC

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It does have a dedicated "Race Pacer" app that you can configure.
It's got a few others
- Ghost Runner, where you can set a target distance and completion time
- Half marathon estimator
- Marathon estimator
One limitation of the Race S is you can only have two SuuntoPlus apps running at a time during an activity. The Race 2, you can have three apps running.
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/556/851/980/301/154/original/7fe814126b5afb37.png
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/556/856/052/823/976/original/10e10cf8182172cb.png
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/556/858/246/715/978/original/fc0fc259a35d87c3.png
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/556/859/211/161/394/original/aac27e7e955dd425.png

2026-05-11 13:47:23 UTC

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Between 4:30 and 4:40 per km on the flats. This race is net downhill by ~340 m, so I think I shouldn't have any problems holding on to 4:30/km.

2026-05-11 13:46:03 UTC

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I've got the Race S.

2026-05-10 19:24:46 UTC

I've got a #marathon race on Saturday. With all the training behind me, curiosity gets the best of me and I want to know what the various models think.
My PR currently is 3:12:09 and to qualify for Boston, I need to run under 3:15:00.
- Suunto (my watch): 3:15:28
- V.02 (based on a 10K TT): 3:21:00
- Yasso 800s (3 weeks ago): 3:22:45
- Stryd (based on my PDC): 3:27:58
Suunto has always been remarkably accurate for me while Stryd has always been too conservative.
#running #RunnersOfMastodon
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/551/908/511/358/144/original/5e2987a6a8822f9e.png

2026-05-08 16:17:45 UTC

TIL about the surreal numbers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj6uROFHqi0
#math #maths

2026-05-05 13:00:05 UTC

Google Chrome is silently installing a local LLM on your computer that is 4 gigabytes in size. It's done without consent, it's not visible in the settings, and removing it will reinstall it later.
https://www.thatprivacyguy.com/blog/chrome-silent-nano-install/

2026-05-05 12:48:32 UTC

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Yeah, it was worth the experiment. To be fair, there are some notable differences:
- Palladino level 6 is 17 weeks, where I did Pfitzinger's 12 week plan
- Palladino L6 has a best effort test or TT every 4 weeks. Pfitz only 5 and 3 weeks out from race day.
- Palladino L6 had double thresholds on Tuesday and Thursday. Pfitz 12/70 is singles only. Both had almost identical weekly volume however.
- Palladino L6 finishes every long run with a MP tempo. Pfitz only a few do this.

2026-05-05 10:49:17 UTC

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Curiosity mostly. I have Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning book and have heard great things about his plans.
There are a few running friends of mine running the same marathon also following Pfitzinger, so I figured why not?
I'm also curious about the Jack Daniels 2Q plan. I also own and have read that book. I've also heard great things about his plans and used his VDOT tables for training pages in the past.
Curiosity kills the cat I guess.

2026-05-04 23:09:34 UTC

I have a marathon in 12 days and I don't feel as prepared for it as I did for Chicago last October.
Last year, I was following a plan by Steve Palladino. I felt in better shape back then, than I do right now.
This year, I've been training following Pfitzinger 12/70 and it's been coming up short. To be fair, I have been battling an Achilles injury and Pfitzinger lacks CP testing.
In this PDC, my best efforts were better almost across the board with Palladino.
#running #runnersOfMastodon
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/518/815/991/530/389/original/a44ad2f7d9cb0870.png

2026-04-18 18:48:44 UTC

What is your preferred "end of the world" apocalyptic scenario?
- Aliens
- Nuclear fallout
- Pandemic
- Zombies
Assume strict science fiction and not fantasy fiction in the scenario (no supernatural magic).
#poll

2026-04-17 16:33:06 UTC

A close friend of mine is having a mastectomy today. Decided to do a run in The Avenues in Salt Lake City to show my support. The "CK" is supposed to be a ribbon.
Fuck Cancer.
#running #RunnersOfMastodon
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/421/000/555/268/601/original/7922ee02c1f3c2ff.png

2026-04-03 17:24:55 UTC

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UEFI leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

2026-04-03 17:04:51 UTC

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It wasn't until rebooting that I came to the realization (again, many times it seems) that UEFI doesn't support RAID.
Had I partitioned the drives first, I could have designated one partition on one drive the UEFI boot drive. I can't do that with RAID.
Well, shit.
Thus the external USB drive. It's the boot drive, with GRUB and the kernel, etc. so it can find and assemble my RAID-1 and go from there.
If anything, I know more about UEFI than I did before I migrated to this setup! Hah.

2026-04-03 17:02:13 UTC

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Some background about this setup:
Initially, it was a single 128 GB drive with encrypted LVM. Standard Debian install, nothing fancy.
But this laptop had an NVME slot for a WAN card. NVME is NVME, so I purchased 2×1 TB drives.
I live migrated everything from a single 128 GB drive to 2×1 TB RAID-1 without a reinstall, keeping everything intact.
But I built the RAID-1 from the full drives and partitioned the RAID, rather than partitioning the drives first and build the RAID from a partition.

2026-04-03 16:51:26 UTC

Troubleshooting boot problems on my #Debian #Linux laptop is always fun.
Rebooted to a newer kernel and UEFI couldn't find my boot drive.
I have 2 drives in RAID-1. The RAID is further partitioned, one of which resides a LUKS container, which is LVM and has my root filesystem.
Because UEFI doesn't support RAID, I have an external USB drive permanently plugged in that is my boot drive.
I hate this setup and would love to fix it, but I'm too damn lazy.

2026-04-02 13:25:03 UTC

For the second time in as many months, I've had to troubleshoot a filled disk in production because it was formatted with ext4 and ran out of inodes before running out of blocks.
If ext5 ever becomes a thing, hopefully inodes are dynamically allocated like #ZFS, XFS, JFS, Btrfs, etc.
If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch.
#linux

2026-04-01 13:31:09 UTC

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Just got an update. This is a full blown mental breakdown.
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/329/688/929/791/433/original/dc5ddbd657712abb.png

2026-03-31 22:05:13 UTC

Don't Dead Open Inside.
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/326/045/781/110/083/original/77d3a4790f2d2e28.png

2026-03-31 02:21:23 UTC

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Found a local high school 400 meter track with a double radius bend. That's one funky looking curve.
#running #runnersOfMastodon
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/321/396/583/254/315/original/71df52333593aca3.png

2026-03-31 01:48:49 UTC

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Yeah, I figured that might be the reason.

2026-03-30 22:09:32 UTC

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Don't forget quantum.

2026-03-30 21:55:26 UTC

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I've never run on an IAAF track, but I'm going to give it a try at this track tomorrow with 6×1k repeats. Very curious what the rhythm will feel like.

2026-03-30 21:35:14 UTC

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I wonder how many high schools in the United States have IAAF 400 meter standardized track ovals.
#running #runnersOfMastodon

2026-03-30 21:33:21 UTC

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This has me additionally curious. Knowing that the IAAF has an 84 meter straightaway, and not 100 meters, will this throw high school track athletes off their game?
For example, if racing the mile and the athletes wants to kick the last 100 meters, on the equal quadrant, they wait until the straightaway. But if they wait for the straightaway on an IAAF track, they've lost 16 meters of kick opportunity.
Anyway, random distraction for the day.
#running #runnersOfMastodon

2026-03-30 21:29:20 UTC

I was preparing my track workout for tomorrow and noticed that all the high school tracks I've run on have north-south orientation.
Curious, are all high school tracks designed this way? I pulled up Strava maps and looked. I found a lot that had various orientations that didn't align with north-south. Makes sense.
But I found one in my area that appears to be the standard IAAF dimensions rather than the typical equal quadrant layout around American football fields.
#running #runnersOfMastodon
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/320/219/275/685/265/original/15aa3f02e8c44fa0.png

2026-03-30 16:54:17 UTC

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Aside from defacement, what's the extent of the hack? Usernames and passwords leaked?

2026-03-30 16:52:40 UTC

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No problem! I've got a symmetrical gigabit fiber connection, and my browser stays up 24/7, so might as well!

2026-03-30 16:11:25 UTC

Woah. Highest number I've seen so far on my #Tor #Snowflake proxy. 66 users connected in the past 24 hours. Schweet!
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/318/887/019/797/841/original/f8aa828b62d3bf8d.png

2026-03-27 21:15:30 UTC

https://www.converttobananas.com/

2026-03-27 12:30:45 UTC

There used to be an operating system called "V" that ran the "W window System".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_(operating_system)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W_Window_System
W was ported to #Unix at MIT and switched to an asynchronous protocol. It was renamed to "X".
XFree86 and Xorg are implementations of X version 11, or "X11".
If there would be an "X12", this is what it might look like:
https://www.x.org/wiki/Development/X12/
In case you're curious about Wayland and not "Y", it's because it already exists:
https://www.y-windows.org/faq.html
#linux

2026-03-27 04:37:41 UTC

At the grocery store and overheard an elderly lady talking to her friend:
"I just created my first tick tack video planting flowers in March. It got twelve thousand views! My granddaughter told me I'm now a content creator. I guess I need to make more tick tacks."

2026-03-26 16:06:38 UTC

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I use my Stryd pod as the source of pace instead of GPS, but I also train by power and let the pace fall where it falls. I train primarily on a paved walking trail that has rolling hills, so power is a better metric to keep the effort. I don't have any problems keeping my effort locked in.

2026-03-26 15:12:08 UTC

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Yup! Right now I'm training for a local marathon about 7 weeks away, so I'm following Pfitzinger 12/70 with some tweaks.
I'm replacing all his VO2 max workouts with Norwegian 15 × 0:45 @ 100-103% CP (off 0:15), and all of his steady LT tempos with 6 × 6:00 @ 94-97% CP (off 1:30).
Other than that and a weekly double track night with the local run club, I'm following the plan as written.
After the marathon, I'll go right back into Norwegian sub-threshold.

2026-03-26 15:06:27 UTC

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They're both equally great.
James does a great job describing his background as a time trialing cyclist, sweet spot training, how he applied it to running, and his results after 2-3 years. He outlines the method clearly and provides a framework to build from depending on where you are as a runner.
Marius is a little more theoretical and provides some additional tools to the framework. He also opens up the idea of doubles for the amateur, and encourages it.

2026-03-26 14:47:45 UTC

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1. I use it when not in a marathon block, so typically about 3-4 months at a time. I started running it explicitly last November.
2. No, it doesn't get boring. I don't know how any one workout is more exciting than another.
3. Indeed! I've slowly been chipping away at my 5K time and should be able to knock out a decent PR in August for a local race.

2026-03-25 21:39:03 UTC

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In the email, he mentions that it's cleaning up a lot of historic Windows API calls that Microsoft has changed over the years.

2026-03-25 21:36:55 UTC

In #tmux, a "horizontal split" pane window places the panes side-by-side via "Ctrl+b %" or ":split-window -h".
In #Vim, it's a "vertical split" by executing either "Ctrl+w Ctrl+v" or ":vsplit".
No wonder I'm always confused.
Is it a horizontal split because the windows/panes or horizontally placed, or a vertical split because there is a vertical line separating the windows/panes?
#Linux
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/291/924/658/746/783/original/c6eb353277efb45e.png
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/291/939/633/574/686/original/15f0418d6622028a.png

2026-03-25 21:11:59 UTC

#Wireguard is sunsetting support for old #Windows versions.
https://lists.zx2c4.com/pipermail/wireguard/2026-March/009541.html

2026-03-25 15:37:07 UTC

If you're looking to improve your #running, the Norwegian approach to sub-threshold might be worth looking into.
I've read both of these now cover-to-cover and the framework is simple: easy, sub-t, easy, sub-t, easy, sub-t, easy long.
I train by power and keep my CP updated. Unless in a special block, by schedule is:
1. 60' @ < 80% CP
2. 10×3' @ 96-99% CP
3. 60' @ < 80% CP
4. 5×6' @ 94-97% CP
5. 60' @ < 80% CP
6. 3×10' @ 92-95% CP
7. 90-120' @ 80-83% CP
#RunnersOfMastodon
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/290/522/401/970/780/original/9da4c45288689cd8.png

2026-03-24 16:34:14 UTC

The amount of spam that r/cryptography gets surrounding the Voynich Manuscript is hilarious to me.
Thankfully, I have an AutoModerator rule that automatically removes the post, but that doesn't stop crackpots from submitting their alleged solutions.
I probably see 2-3 posts per week, from different authors, using different tools, coming to different solutions, and of course, confident they've cracked it.
Just stop already.
#cryptography

2026-03-23 23:36:06 UTC

I have some oceanfront property to sell you in Kansas.
https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/03/japan-plan-6800-mile-ring-around-moon/

2026-03-21 10:54:58 UTC

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Nadim can be exhausting. When the Signal Protocol dropped, he went on a fairly aggressive campaign on Twitter against it, trying instead to push his CryptoCat software.
His argument was that it's just double ratchet, nothing special, and certainly not qualifying to be a protocol. Despite pretty much everyone disagreeing.
When he went to school, he killed CryptoCat and advocated use of Wire as a secure messenger instead, not Signal.
Reading his behavior here doesn't surprise me.

2026-03-20 16:24:31 UTC

RIP Chuck Norris.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/movies/chuck-norris-dead.html

2026-03-19 18:49:50 UTC

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Read the link?
> Stores the user's birth date for age verification, as required by recent laws
in California (AB-1043), Colorado (SB26-051), Brazil (Lei 15.211/2025), etc.

2026-03-19 18:27:11 UTC

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They did merge it. It's a closed PR. How is that fake outrage? I literally linked the merged PR.

2026-03-19 18:17:26 UTC

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I think it's part of the larger XDG specification, per that PR. Systemd is providing a centralized location that XDG can pull from. So while systemd isn't an operating system by itself, it's a core part the OS relies on for various things, including accounting.

2026-03-19 17:41:33 UTC

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There could be some telemetry risks however. Google Chrome, Microsoft Teams, Spotify, etc., and other desktop or server apps could report the age back to their infrastructure. Time will tell. I don't think that's unfounded paranoia however.

2026-03-19 17:37:18 UTC

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It's likely in place so future software that requires a birthday from the system can retrieve it.
For example, some mature video game with adult elements could ask systemd for the birthday before letting the user play the game.
AFAIK, there are no hooks in place that verify that the supplied birth date matches their birth certificate, government issued ID, etc. So there's nothing stopping you from lying about your age to get around the video game rating.

2026-03-19 17:27:41 UTC

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Who said I haven't read the law or that I'm worried about it?
I'm fully aware that the data is stored securely such that only root can read it. I'm also aware that there are no verification mechanisms currently implemented to validate the birthdate.
Calm down.

2026-03-19 17:26:02 UTC

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It's UNIX's epoch and certainly fitting, but also makes you a reasonable 56 years old.
The point of malicious compliance is to comply with the letter but no the spirit of the law.
They can have my birthday, so long as I'm 125 years old.

2026-03-19 13:23:29 UTC

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We have the same birthday!

2026-03-19 12:34:50 UTC

Systemd merged age verification to comply with California state law.
If you want to enter a birth date, I recommend "Friday, 13 December 1901 20:45:52".
I like this for a few reasons:
1. This is the earliest date possible for a 32 bit datetime integer in C.
2. It's malicious compliance.
3. It's obviously faked.
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/pull/40954
#linux

2026-03-19 02:41:20 UTC

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More
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/253/528/275/622/559/original/8e2fa341552fd7ca.png
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/253/528/307/589/147/original/82ea5a6af427db2b.png
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/253/528/306/832/359/original/2ec3dd1bdd6b0151.png
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/253/528/306/234/522/original/c3b6528c35e825a3.png

2026-03-19 02:40:50 UTC

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The members in r/Suunto like it.
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/253/525/121/815/760/original/b12f206cacfa1df9.png
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/253/525/136/264/025/original/e58b5a2782c88473.png
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/253/525/139/388/487/original/2b7ad4331e4c337a.png
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/253/526/405/544/765/original/99b7bcf1db192e88.png

2026-03-18 22:16:11 UTC

Suunto released a new watch face this morning for their current lineup that replicates the old school ABC (altimeter, barometer, compass) watches. Models include the Core (still made), Vector (the OG), Observer (shown on left), and others.
Suunto invented the ABC watch (with thermometer also), although it was later popularized by Casio with their PathFinder and TripleSensor watches.
I purchased the Observer in 2001. Unified displays, 25 years apart.
#running #runnersOfMastodon
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/252/415/469/852/462/original/c477b0a607df164a.png

2026-03-16 22:35:12 UTC

Am I the only one that refers to rebooting a #Linux server as "the three-finger salute"? IE, "Ctrl+Alt+Delete"
#sysadmin

2026-03-13 21:27:35 UTC

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Welcome to the panopticon.

2026-03-13 21:27:01 UTC

> "The development comes days after TikTok said it does not plan to introduce E2EE to secure direct messages on the platform, telling BBC News that the technology makes users less safe and that it wants to protect users, especially young people, from harm."
Translation: We can't spy on you and confirm that you're not doing something illegal.
https://thehackernews.com/2026/03/meta-to-shut-down-instagram-end-to-end.html
#privacy #security #cryptogarphy

2026-03-11 15:35:22 UTC

x86 in pure CSS. This will be useful instead of buying servers.
https://lyra.horse/x86css/

2026-03-10 17:08:13 UTC

Looks like #SUSE #Linux is up for sale. Again.
- 2003: Acquired by Novell
- 2010: Attachmate Group takeover
- 2014: Micro Focus merger
- 2018: Sold to EQT AB
(Ignoring all the asset sales and transfers)
https://www.reuters.com/business/eqt-eyes-potential-6-billion-sale-linux-pioneer-suse-sources-say-2026-03-09/

2026-03-06 19:29:59 UTC

One thing I don't like about Qalculate! is distance conversion.
Converting from imperial to metric gives a decimal result.
EG: 5.93 miles to km = 9.54340992 km
But converting from metric to imperial gives an overly complicated result.
EG: 9.53 km to miles = 5 mi + 1622 yd + 0.4041994751 ft
Is there is a way for it to return "5.921667 mi" instead?
#linux
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/183/874/212/345/478/original/4afd7a7d6b5b4531.png

2026-03-04 20:10:02 UTC

I loathe troubleshoting UWSGI. Probably because I don't know it as well as I should, but goddamn.
#sysadmin #python

2026-03-03 21:07:54 UTC

Interesting abstract #math card game that uses a standard 54-card deck of playing cards.
https://playfano.com/shop
#maths

2026-03-02 19:06:00 UTC

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Late stage capitalism ruins everything.

2026-03-02 18:15:57 UTC

Great article on #Git and some of the changing being made.
While I'm happy to see the transition from SHA-1 to SHA-256, the user interface improvements cannot be understated. Git truly is "use 10% of the tools to complete 90% of the work", largely because it's so damn complicated.
https://lwn.net/Articles/1057561/

2026-02-28 04:51:43 UTC

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Yeah cadence is very consistent. I'll check out the DC Rainmaker tools. I've got the programming chops to dig into the raw data as well, although I haven't taken the opportunity yet.
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/146/451/672/014/183/original/44f6e14698d4ae64.png

2026-02-28 03:41:26 UTC

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I don't have pedal power meters yet, but do plan on getting the Favero Assioma Duo.

2026-02-28 03:37:21 UTC

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This is an indoor ride. The power was sourced from the Wahoo Kicker Core 2.

2026-02-28 03:18:13 UTC

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Agreed, and on my watch, I only have averaging available: 3s, 10s, and 30s. This is the raw data.
However, I run with power also, and it's significantly less noisy. See screenshot.
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/146/089/664/005/053/original/7f0e4d37825dc8d7.png

2026-02-28 01:04:28 UTC

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Thanks.

2026-02-28 00:03:44 UTC

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Nay. Steady consistent pedaling @ 80 rpm.

2026-02-27 23:13:13 UTC

I've been battling an insertional Achilles tendinopathy since late October 2025. Despite every precaution, I keep encountering setbacks. This despite a marathon coming up in May and 50K in September.
So I finally got around to setting up my bike and smart trainer last night and did my first ride during lunch.
I'm familiar with running power, so cycling power is familiar territory. But what's up with this chatty data? Good hell.
#running #runnersOfMastodon #cycling
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/145/117/121/099/089/original/5cf9253b82d07c4a.png

2026-02-27 18:54:16 UTC

A friend of mine just got bad news on one of two breast cancer biopsies. She's waiting to back on the second, but isn't optimistic. Currently waiting talk to the surgeon, which is the next step based on the pathology.
Fuck cancer.

2026-02-27 00:02:41 UTC

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Yeah, I noticed that too. Dunno. It has Beastie ASCII art, but is clearly launching Debian underneath. Someone is confused. Heh.
Source code is here though: https://github.com/Victxrlarixs/debian-cde
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/139/653/996/455/418/original/96690410c14b2ecc.png

2026-02-26 16:10:51 UTC

#Debian CDE in your browser.
https://debian.com.mx/

2026-02-25 23:30:27 UTC

I don't know who needs to see this.
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/133/804/544/867/084/original/ef32207feb10cb32.png

2026-02-25 22:08:40 UTC

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Right? Yet they're being utilized for exactly that.

2026-02-25 22:07:29 UTC

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I've seen Gen Z kids struggle with simple things like printing their Google Doc to PDF, or attaching a file to an email. It's very fascinating.

2026-02-25 22:05:59 UTC

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At any event, it's clear that LLMs most definitely should not be used as password generators. Too much structure and too little unpredictability.

2026-02-25 21:53:16 UTC

I joke that both my parents (baby boomers) and kids (gen Z) are computer illiterate. The only generation that wholly understood computing are the Gen Xers and Millennials.
I'm not convinced I'm wrong.
https://fireborn.mataroa.blog/blog/the-slow-death-of-the-power-user/

2026-02-25 21:49:18 UTC

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Further, the punctuation characters seem to be limited to !@#$%^&*. I haven't analyzed the digits or alphabetic characters yet, but I doubt I'm going to be surprised finding that the full sets are not utilized and on top of that, there is bias towards certain numbers and characters.

2026-02-25 21:47:42 UTC

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Interesting. Thanks!
So why is everything failing so badly here? I mean, there is structure that even a non-CSPRNG wouldn't produce. Look at Mistral Small 3 for example:
<lower><upper><digit><punct><upper><digit><lower><punct><upper><lower.
Or Gemini 3.1 Pro with "secure":
<upper><lower><digit><punct><upper><lower><digit><punct><upper><lower><digit><punct><upper><lower><digit>

2026-02-25 21:14:10 UTC

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Does the LLM have access to a proper RNG library, or is it just running through some linear algebra looking for a specific quality metric before returning?
Admittedly, I'm ignorant to LLM and ML specifics.

2026-02-25 21:11:47 UTC

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Those were my thoughts also. Knowing that these are all *language* models, I expected passphrases instead of meaningless strings.
I assume the LLM has some ability to produce "randomness", although I don't know if it has access to an RNG library, or if it's just ignoring language construct.
The only thing I believe differs between paid and free models though is some sort of time it spends on a quality metric before returning.

2026-02-25 20:52:33 UTC

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A friend of mine checked 3 paid models: ChatGPT 5.2 Extended Thinking, Gemini 3.1 Pro, and Claude Opus 4.6. Supposedly, paying for a premium LLM should improve security, yes?
Nope.
He also modified the query to "Generate 10 secure passwords" to see if it improved. Claude Open 4.6 got the message, but the others missed the memo.
For comparison, I included what would come out of /dev/urandom.
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/133/243/930/556/269/original/ad2ddf8e4ccaf4b8.png

2026-02-25 16:36:35 UTC

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There are many people who believe these LLMs are legitimately intelligent and will trust anything generated by them.

2026-02-25 14:40:58 UTC

Asking various #AI bots to generate 10 #passwords, then using #Vim syntax highlighting to match different character classes to visually identify patterns.
The prompt is exactly "Generate 10 passwords". I did not elaborate further or otherwise restrict the bot in what to generate.
Aside from the #security risks of servers generating secrets for you, I think it's obvious that these lack quality entropy.
Just use the password generator that ships with your password manager.
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/131/762/715/176/544/original/88c6676a24090a62.png

2026-02-24 17:09:30 UTC

I'm a huge fan of #AeroPress #coffee. I've been using one since 2015. It's my daily driver. But $170 USD for a double-walled stainless steel AeroPress? Hard pass.
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/116/126/707/334/214/713/original/fca5abc5c5575027.png

2026-02-23 19:31:58 UTC

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Fair.
According to Wikipedia, there are more than 100 trained models. If all of them required 50 GWh training (speculation), then 5 TWh were needed to train the current LLM landscape. That's the energy consumption of ~100,000 humans in this scenario (lots of rounding and back-of-the-napkin math).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_large_language_models