[sf-lug] SF-LUG Jit.se Meeting.

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Bobbie Sellers (bliss-sf4ever at dslextreme.com):

> Hi LUGers,

Cheers, Bobbie!

> I advised John that he should try out the MX-Linux advanced hardware
> support I know that he started to download it and intended to get it on
> a Flash Drive but whether or not he followed up on that I dunno.

the MX Linux AHS (Advanced Hardware support) spin differs from the
distro's regular ISO in having a more-cutting-edge kernel, Xorg
software, firmware files, Mesa 3D libraries, and other parts of the
graphics stack.  The aim is to help users with cutting-edge hardware
that's not well enough supported in the standard ISO, and needs an
up-revved graphics stack for best results.

John's actual problem is that he has a high-resolution display --
technically called a HiDPI (High Dots Per Inch) display -- and all
but cutting-edge distro releases fail to compensate for the extremely
high bit density by scaling up the sizes of fonts, icons, etc., so they
can be legible.

Newest distro releases recognise those displays, and have compensatory
scaling built in.  More about that here:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/HiDPI
https://mxlinux.org/wiki/hardware/high-resolution-displays/

You don't _technically_ need an all-new graphics stack to fix the sizes
of fonts and icons, but it's reportedly a real pain in the neck to fix 
manually, and, hey, it's obviously nicer for the problem to just get
solved automagically.


> Rick M. informed us of the importance of voting.  I totally agree
> with Rick on the importance of voting as early as possible and to
> be certain of the ballot getting to the office concerned with
> elections hand deliver it.   Keep down the load on the Post Office.

I've rethought that -just- a little, but different voters' situations 
obviously may differ from mine.

The obvious problem with early voting (if you mean, say, casting a
ballot a month before Election Day) is there's always a small chance
things might change, and you lose the chance to adjust your choices.

So, everyone in my family _currently_ plans to drive to the main county
election office about four days before the election (during business
hours), go _inside_ the office, and feed our ballots directly into the
tabulating machine (if possible).  Going before Election Day will help
avoid crowds.

In our case, the Elections Office is at 40 Tower Road, San Mateo
highlands near the junction of I-280 and CA-92.  There's also a dropbox 
just outside the office one can use if nervous about enclosed interior
spaces.

IMO, the main points are:

1.  It's best to avoid returning one's ballot by mail, but rather
delivering it to Elections Dept. or a Voting Center.

2.  It's _really_ important this time to follow the ballot directions,
including signing in the correct place, using the form of your name 
in the voter roles, and try to make sure your signature matches the 
one they have on file.  

3.  If in doubt about whether you might have spoiled your ballot (which
includes messing up the envelope), _or_ if you haven't received a ballot
in the mail, any voting center can [re-]print your ballot for you.  (And
then you can vote right there and then, if you wish.) 

There's going to be a _huge_ problem with slow delivery and counting of
mailed-in ballots.  Close races probably won't be decidable until
mid-November.  We voters can help by submitting our ballots _not_ via
the mails, and preferably a bit before Election Day.  Having the counts
be properly definitive _early_ will help reduce the post-Nov. 3rd chaos
that is predicted -- which is less likely in California than, say,
Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, but every help towards early definitive
results helps.