Linux goes slowly

As a side effect of my building both a streaming device from a Raspberry Pi, as well as building a Plex server from a Raspberry Pi, I got reacquainted with Linux. I haven't done anything with Linux in years, but did tinker around a few years back.

I haven't progressed much on this, even though it's something I want to do. The reason is that I'm working a project at work that involves a Linux server, and that is totally unrelated to what I'm looking to do at home. In fact, working on the Linux server project at work is what helped me decide to proceed with a home project as well. However, as I'm playing catchup on Linux, I don't want to have my work goals and home goals to interfere with each other.

If I was researching an issue for work, and ran across something that I could apply at home but not at work, I don't want to take work time away from work. Yes, overall, I would increase my Linux knowledge, but I want to ensure that it's targeted where it needs to go.

What's actually holding me up is locating a full-time Linux laptop. I have a desktop I could use for that, and the KVM switch would make it easy to hop from Windows to Linux. I don't want to dual boot either my MacBook or my Surface, but rather, I want a standalone Linux desktop. And I have a computer set aside for that. I'm refurbishing an older retired MacBook Pro, but it needs some work. Replacing the keyboard, the hard drive (it's older, so an SSD will be in), and battery is slow going, mostly because I'm taking my time, trying to do one thing at a time. Plus, MacBooks are notorious for being difficult to work on. And it is. They keyboard is slow. My eyes aren't as good as they once were, and the inside of a MacBook Pro is for the young.

Still, the project is proceeding, and I'm trying to do it as cheaply as I can. The expense of an SSD is not what I want to do, but I want to keep the old drive intact in case the whole project is a bust. I'll at least have an older but working MacBook Pro running Mac OS, if I keep the old hard drive.

I did install Ubuntu Linux on an old Dell laptop, but the graphics on the device is really inferior, and the device is heavy. It was an older, cheaper Dell Inspiron 15, but it works. But I want the MacBook converted, as the superior trackpad will make using it a whole lot easier.

This doesn't really impact my Streaming Life, but my Streaming Life did lead me to this. So, I'll see where this journey takes me. As, as frustrations arise, at least I'll be able to take a steaming break and get my mind of the silliness. By watching different silliness.