

They could also finally allow you to start games without updating.


They could also finally allow you to start games without updating.


requiring a conviction as a monopolist as the only acceptable form of evidence of monopolization?
Legally speaking, yes.
Ethically speaking, I have not seen sufficient evidence to call Valve a monopoly yet. Obviously everyone can call Valve a monopoly, or not, I don’t really care either way. Actual evidence would have to come in the form of documents proofing Valve manipulates prices, hinders competition or anything similar.
Unfortunately most documents in the Wolfire vs Valve case are not publicly available. The point Wolfire makes in their statement about not being able to sell their keys cheaper than on Steam, has some merit but I will leave it to the judge to decide on that one. It’s not enough for me personally to call that anti-competitive.
If someone said the same thing about Google when Epic sued them in 2020, would you have waited the 3 years it took to get a trial verdict before making up your mind?
I did make up my mind, but there was no evidence until the ruling.
Also, many arbitration settlements include NDAs as a condition of getting a payout, so it’s disingenuous to say they could provide evidence that might require their clients to forfeit their settlements or risk them getting disbarred.
Fair point, many do. They could mention it though.
but why are you insisting on giving the giant for-profit corporation the benefit of the doubt rather than the consumers who are trying to hold them accountable?
Because I am the consumer in this case and I don’t see any wrongdoing by Valve in this case. There are other store fronts on PC, Valve doesn’t force any prices, they don’t force exclusivity, they don’t buy competition up and they don’t prevent the competing stores from functioning in any way.
People simply flock to Steam because it’s the best service and until Valve engages in (proven) anti-competitive behaviour, there is no reason to change anything about that.
Is the 30% cut they demand too much? Yes. Are they engaging in unethical gambling? Yes. Are they a monopoly? Not in my opinion.


I only worked with what you provided, alleged evidence of Valve being a monopoly. The US legal system being… questionable has nothing to do with it.
Bucher Law could provide proof of their arbitation successes on their own at any time at least but they didn’t even do that. And even if, that does not proof that Valve is a monopoly because there is no judge and no ruling.
Until the Wolfire case (that is an actual case) gets a verdict by an actual judge, these are just a few law firms trying to make a quick buck.


Where is that evidence? (That is not a podcast with one of the involved parties in it)
I quickly looked into it and there is zero public indication that Bucher Law PLLC ever won a single lawsuit against Valve. One lawsuit of Valve against Bucher Law PLLC (in response to their arbitrations) was dismissed.
https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/10620119/valve-corporation-v-bucher-law-pllc-et-ano/
The only thing they do is file arbitrations, which they are apparently “winning” but they did not provide any further proof of that.
All the “grand victories” are celebrated exclusively on their own website. Mostly you find people on Reddit claiming that they are a scam and a really weird Youtube commercial.
They also claim multiple times that Federal Judge John C. Coughenour ruled that Valve is an “illegal monopoloy”. Which I cannot find any records for. Unrelated to Bucher Law, Coughenour was the judge in Wolfire vs Valve and he threw Wolfire’s case against Valve out in 2021 but allowed them to proceed in 2022. Coughenour then resigned from the case.
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59859024/wolfire-games-llc-v-valve-corporation/
The case is now a class action lawsuit against Valve and still ongoing.
39 GB is very small, DeepSeek R1 without quantization at full context size needs almost a full TB of RAM/VRAM.
The large models are absolutely massive and you will still find some crazy homelabber that does it at home.
Do you use a USB bluetooth dongle?
If yes, add a small USB extension cable between the dongle and the port, a few centimeters are enough.
If no, antennas improve reliability a lot. I swapped my internal M.2 bluetooth module to a more modern one and added magnetic antennas to the side of my case. No more disconnects since then (without xpadneo).


Check out Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps as well.


Did you try with Proton-GE? Regular Proton would not load for me for some reason.


Direct drive steering wheels
Which one? Support varies wildly depending on manufacturer.
gamepad
I have never seen a gamepad that doesn’t work on Linux. You may not be able to update their firmware if they only provide a Windows tool but they work perfectly fine.
VR
Valve Index and HTC Vive work out of the box. SteamVR is pretty rough in Linux and plagued by issues but it works.
For any other headset you will have to depend on community support. Some work, some don’t.
There’s lots of info on https://vronlinux.org/
status LED or info displays
Which ones? They usually use completely proprietary protocols.
Sound Blaster G6
It will work like any other bog-standard sound card has for years. You will lose any features that are custom to the sound card (dialogue mode, virtual surround, equalizer, …) but those are rarely necessary because there is lots of other software that achieves this for every sound card.
I recommend you boot Linux from USB and take a look. No need to install anything, just boot from USB and take a look if your hardware works.


HDR
HDR works on KDE and GNOME desktop environments. KDE is currently the better choice if HDR support is important.
As for software:
Can’t speak for DP 2.1 since I have an AMD GPU and no hardware that uses DP 2.1 (yet).


This is by amount of games, not by player count. Most games (including non-popular ones) are not live service multiplayer games but small indie titles that do not try to break Linux compatibility on purpose. So yes, 90% sounds plausible.
I’m running gpt-oss-120b and glm-4.5-air locally in llama.cpp.
It’s pretty useful for shell commands and has replaced a lot of web searching for me.
The smaller models (4b, 8b, 20b) are not all that useful without providing them data to search through (e.g. via RAG) and even then, they have a bad “understanding” of more complicated prompts.
The 100b+ models are much more interesting since they have a lot more knowledge in them. They are still not useful for very complicated tasks but they can get you started quite quickly with regular shell commands and scripts.
The catch: You need about 128GB of VRAM/RAM to run these. The easiest way to do this locally is to either get a Strix Halo mini PC with 128GB VRAM or put 128GB of RAM in a server/PC.


Majima is the best.
I really miss playing as him with breaker style. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYAGRUO1nwM


Stolen from https://www.eurogamer.net/skyrim-golden-claw-door-puzzle-solution-bleak-falls-barrow :

Gemma 3 27b:
User: Can you solve this puzzle for me?
Gemma 3 27b: Okay, this is the “Blessing of Akatosh” puzzle from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in the Temple of Kynareth.
Here’s the solution:
You need to activate the stones in the order representing the stages of a dragon’s life cycle. From left to right, these represent:
Egg: The stone with the coiled serpent (looks like a dragon egg)
Hatchling: The stone with the dragon head emerging from a spiral.
Dragon: The stone with the full, flying dragon.
So, the order you need to press the stones is: Left, Middle, Right.
Activating them in this order will open the pathway to the Blessing of Akatosh. Good luck! Let me know if you get stuck elsewhere.
Correct game, wrong puzzle. Did detect that it is a puzzle though.
ChatGPT:
User: Can you solve this puzzle for me?
ChatGPT: This image shows the pillar puzzle from Bleak Falls Barrow in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
The correct order of symbols for this puzzle is:
Snake – Snake – Fish (Whale).
Explanation: If you look around the room before the lever, you’ll see a broken pillar lying on the ground above the gate. It shows the solution pattern in that exact order. Set the three rotating pillars to match:
Left pillar → Snake
Middle pillar → Snake
Right pillar → Fish (Whale)
Then pull the lever — the gate will open.
According to the Eurogamer article, that is correct.


But… today, can one genuinely imagine playing Dark Souls (or any other game) without… knowing it?
Absolutely not, but I would love to see someone do a challenge run where they play through the entire game just with Copilot. No thinking allowed.


I tried a few more that do not include text and some that are even cropped:

User: Is that weapon good?
Gemma 3 27b: Okay, let’s analyze that weapon in the image and whether it’s “good” in Dark Souls.
The Weapon: Estoc
The weapon the player is wielding in the image is an Estoc.
Is it good?
Yes, the Estoc is generally considered a very good weapon in Dark Souls, especially for its early/mid-game viability. Here’s a breakdown of why:
Speed & Range: The Estoc is known for its exceptional speed and surprisingly long reach for a straight sword. This allows you to get quick attacks in and keep enemies at bay.
Poke Attack Dominance: Its thrusting attack (R1/RB) is incredibly effective. It allows you to safely poke enemies from a distance, often interrupting their attacks, and it does significant damage. This is a key strategy for many Estoc users.
Stamina Management: The Estoc's low stamina consumption allows for more frequent attacks, making it easier to control the flow of combat.
Versatility: It can be buffed with resins, spells (like Magic Weapon or Dark Weapon), or even have enchantments applied.
Scaling: The Estoc scales well with Dexterity, making it ideal for Dex-based builds. It also has some Strength scaling.
However, there are some things to consider:
Damage: While effective, the Estoc's raw damage output isn't the highest compared to some heavier weapons like greatswords or hammers. You rely more on consistent attacks and poking.
Late Game: It can be outclassed by some very powerful weapons in the very late game, but it can still be viable.
In the context of the image:
The player is at the beginning, so having an Estoc at this point is a great advantage. It will serve them well through a lot of the game.
Overall: The Estoc is a very strong and reliable weapon in Dark Souls, particularly appreciated for its speed, range, and poking ability. It’s a solid choice, especially for new players learning the combat mechanics.
Good: It still knows that it’s Dark Souls. Bad: That is not the Estoc, it’s the Demon’s Greataxe.

User: Is that weapon good?
Gemma 3 27b: Okay, let’s analyze that weapon!
That is the Ghru Dagger from Dark Souls.
Is it good? Yes, but it’s very situational. Here’s a breakdown:
Unique Property: The Ghru Dagger's main draw is its ability to inflict toxic buildup on enemies. This is a status effect that deals a large chunk of damage when triggered.
Damage: Its base physical damage is low. It's not a weapon you'll rely on for raw damage output.
Scaling: It scales with Dexterity (Dex).
Best Uses:
Toxic Builds: It's the cornerstone of builds focused on rapidly applying toxic.
PvP (Player vs. Player): Toxic can be devastating in PvP, as players often don't expect it.
Certain Bosses: It's effective against bosses that are susceptible to toxic.
Downsides:
Slow Application: Applying enough toxic buildup can take time, leaving you vulnerable.
Limited Range: It's a very short-range weapon.
Not Versatile: Not effective in all situations.
Overall: The Ghru Dagger isn’t a beginner-friendly weapon. It’s a specialized tool for those who understand how to maximize its toxic potential. If you’re aiming for a build specifically designed around toxic, then it’s excellent. Otherwise, there are better general-purpose weapons.
Surprisingly, it still knows that it is Dark Souls but once again the weapon is wrong. ChatGPT was also not able to identify the weapon correctly.

User: What is this and what does it do?
Gemma 3 27b: That is a Bonfire from the Dark Souls series of video games (specifically, it appears to be from Dark Souls Remastered given the graphics).
Here’s what it does:
Checkpoint: Bonfires are the primary checkpoints in the game. When you die, you respawn at the last bonfire you rested at.
Healing & Refilling: Resting at a bonfire fully restores your health, Estus Flasks (healing potions), and sometimes other consumable items.
Leveling Up & Attunement: You can level up your character's stats and learn new spells ("attunements") at bonfires.
Fast Travel: Once you've discovered a bonfire, you can often warp ("fast travel") to it from other bonfires, allowing you to quickly move around the game world.
Enemy Reset: Resting at a bonfire respawns all non-boss enemies in the area.
Bonfires are crucially important to survival in the notoriously difficult Dark Souls games. They’re safe havens in a dangerous world, but they also come with strategic considerations due to the enemy respawn mechanic.
Not bad actually. Even recognized that it is the Remastered version of Dark Souls 1, which is correct.

User: What do I do here?
Gemma 3 27b: Okay, you’re facing the Taurus Demon in Dark Souls! This is a classic early-game boss encounter. Here’s a breakdown of what to do:
Understanding the Fight
Big and Slow: The Taurus Demon is very large and, despite looking intimidating, is relatively slow in its attacks.
Weak Point: His weak point is the glowing, fleshy area on his belly. You need to hit this to do significant damage.
The Arena: You're in a ruined chamber with pillars. These pillars are important for dodging and can be used to your advantage.
Falling Rocks: Be aware that during the fight, rocks will fall from the ceiling. They can do significant damage, so keep moving.
Strategies to Beat Him
Lure Him to the Stairs: This is the most common and easiest strategy. Run around the arena to get the Taurus Demon to follow you. He'll try to smash you with his hammer. You want to lead him up the stairs on either side of the arena.
Attack the Belly: Once he's on the stairs, lock onto him. He will have trouble effectively attacking you while on the stairs. This is your chance to repeatedly attack his glowing belly. Don't get greedy – a few hits, then back off to avoid his counterattacks.
Dodge/Block: When he does swing his hammer, dodge towards the attack (roll into it). Alternatively, you can block if you have a shield with good stability, but dodging is generally better for this fight.
Watch for the Falling Rocks: Keep moving! You'll hear a warning sound before they fall.
Second Phase (after roughly 50% health): He will pull out an axe. The strategy is similar, but he'll be even more aggressive. Continue luring him to the stairs and attacking his belly.
Specific Tips
Equipment: Anything you have at this point will work, but a decent shield is helpful for blocking if you're not comfortable dodging.
Humanity: If you're in human form, you'll get more souls when you beat him, but you'll also be vulnerable to invasion. Hollow form has some resistance to invasions.
Don't Panic: It can be intimidating the first time, but stay calm, observe his patterns, and focus on the strategy.
In summary, your main goal is to lure the Taurus Demon onto the stairs and attack his belly. Focus on dodging, and be mindful of the falling rocks.
Good luck! Let me know if you get stuck or have more questions. Do you want me to elaborate on any of these points, or provide a strategy for a specific weapon build?
Nope, that is the Asylum Demon not the Taurus Demon. The description of the Taurus Demon is also completely wrong.
I also asked ChatGPT on the same picture:
User: What do I do here?
ChatGPT 5: You are in the Asylum Demon boss fight from Dark Souls (tutorial area).
Options:
Do not fight yet. Turn left and run through the small door — visible under the torch on the left wall. This is the intended path. You’ll get a real weapon and shield before returning to kill the demon.
If you stay: You can damage it slightly, but with your current gear (broken sword) you’ll do almost nothing and likely die.
After escape: Proceed through the asylum, collect the Estus Flask and Undead Asylum F2 East Key, then return to the boss room by dropping from above for a plunging attack to start the real fight.
Go left now.
That’s actually a pretty accurate description on what to do. You could work with that.


PS: I didn’t actually try this, I’m too lazy for that right how but feel free to report back if you do!
I gotcha. I made it easy for the AI by providing it with a classic scene from Dark Souls 1:

On one hand I’m impressed how well vision models can read a scene by now. On the other hand the LLM outputs nonsense about the boss fight just as you would expect. It does know that it is Dark Souls 1, that it is the Asylum Demon and it does have a pretty good idea of how the boss fight looks like. It falls apart fairly quickly though when it starts telling you about the drop attack without properly describing where to go and making things up like the ladder in the boss arena.
For the non-Souls folk: You do not have to fight the Asylum Demon the first time you meet him, there is an exit by the torches on the left where you can just walk out.
The answer below is by Gemma 3 27b but I also asked Magistral Small which couldn’t even identify the game.
User: What can you see?
Gemma 3 27b: Here’s what I can see in the image:
Game Scene: This appears to be a screenshot from the video game Dark Souls.
Setting: The scene is set in a dark, gothic-style dungeon or prison. There are stone walls, arched doorways, and a generally dilapidated look. There are torches burning, providing some light, but much of the area is shadowed.
Characters/Entities:
Player Character: A character in armor is standing in the foreground, holding a weapon (looks like a sword or dagger).
Boss/Enemy: A large, grotesque creature - it’s the Asylum Demon from Dark Souls. It's heavily armored with what appears to be a mace or club in its hands.
HUD Elements:
Health Bar: There's a red health bar visible, indicating the player's remaining health.
Stamina Bar: There's a green bar likely representing the player's stamina.
Number Indicators: There are numerical displays (00 and 20), likely showing the player's soul count.
Text: "Asylum Demon" is displayed, identifying the enemy.
Overall Impression: The image conveys a sense of danger, isolation, and a difficult challenge ahead. It’s a classic moment from the early stages of Dark Souls.
User: How do I progress here?
Gemma 3 27b: Okay, you’re facing the Asylum Demon! This is a classic “first boss” encounter in Dark Souls. Here’s how to progress, with options for different playstyles and levels:
Understanding the Fight
The Arena: The area is split into two levels. You're currently on the lower level. The Demon will initially be on the upper level.
Demon's Behavior: The Asylum Demon has a few key attacks: a slow, sweeping mace attack, a ground pound, and a charge. He's relatively slow, but hits very hard.
Key to Victory: Patience and observation are key. Don't get greedy with attacks.
Here’s a breakdown of how to progress, from easiest to more challenging:
This is the intended way to beat him for a first timer.
Climb the ladder: Locate the ladder on the side of the arena opposite the entrance. Climb it to the upper level.
Backstab/Drop Attack: When you reach the top, immediately run to the Demon's back and perform a running attack or, ideally, a plunging attack (jump attack while falling). This will do massive damage, often killing him in one hit. This is the intended, easiest way to defeat him. Timing is key, you need to do this before he turns around.
Finish Him: If the drop attack doesn’t kill him outright, finish him off with a few more attacks.
If you want a real fight, here’s how to go about it:
Stay Mobile: Constantly roll and dodge the Demon's attacks. His attacks are slow, making them easier to predict.
Attack Windows: Attack after he finishes a swing or after his charge attack. Don’t try to get in too many hits at once.
Manage Stamina: Don’t exhaust your stamina. You’ll need it to dodge.
Lock-On: Lock onto the demon with the right stick.
Climb the Ladder (Optional): If you get into trouble, you can climb the ladder to reset the fight and heal.
Advanced Strategies (for experienced players)
Parrying: If you’re skilled at parrying, you can parry his attacks, opening him up for a critical riposte. Firebombs: If you have Firebombs, they can be effective against him.
After Defeating the Asylum Demon:
Estus Flask: You will receive the Estus Flask, your primary healing item.
Key to the Fog Gate: You'll also receive a Key to the Fog Gate, which will allow you to proceed to the next area.
Northern Undead Asylum: You'll be able to explore the rest of the Northern Undead Asylum, and eventually reach Firelink Shrine.
Tips for Success
Don’t be Afraid to Die: Dark Souls is about learning from your mistakes. You'll likely die a few times.
Observe: Watch the Demon's attack patterns.
Patience: Don’t rush. Take your time and find openings.
Good luck, and don’t give up! Let me know if you have any other questions. Do you know what build you’re going for (strength, dexterity, magic, etc)? That might help me give more specific advice.
I asked it what to do a second time and the response is slightly better:
User: How do I progress here?
Gemma 3 27b: Okay, you’re facing the Asylum Demon in Dark Souls. This is a classic first boss! Here’s a breakdown of how to progress, with strategies for a first-time player:
Understanding the Situation
The Boss: The Asylum Demon is a brute force boss. He's big, hits hard, and has a few simple attacks.
The Area: You're in a relatively confined space. There are some broken pillars you can use for cover.
Your Goal: Defeat the Asylum Demon to open the gate and progress further into the game.
Strategies (Several Options, based on your comfort level)
The Balcony/Ranged Strategy (Easiest for first-timers):
Climb the Staircase: To the left of the entrance to the arena (as you’re facing the Demon) is a staircase leading up to a balcony. This is your best friend for this fight. Lock On & Attack: Lock onto the Asylum Demon with the right stick (or equivalent on PC). From the balcony, you can safely attack him with your weapon. Attack and Retreat: Get in a few hits, then immediately roll back to avoid his attacks. Don’t get greedy! Watch his Attacks: He has a slow, sweeping attack with his club, and he can also charge at you. The balcony gives you space to react. Patience is Key: This method will take a while, but it’s safe and allows you to learn his attack patterns. Falling: Be careful not to roll or get knocked off the balcony!
Melee/Close-Range (More Challenging, but faster):
Use the Pillars: The broken pillars in the arena can provide temporary cover. Roll Timing: Learn to roll through his attacks, not away from them. Rolling gives you invincibility frames. Attack After He Attacks: The best time to attack is immediately after he finishes swinging his club or charging. Stay Mobile: Don’t stand still! Keep moving to avoid getting hit. Be Aggressive (but controlled): Get in 1-2 hits, then back off.
Cheap Trick (Works if you’re desperate!):
Fall Damage: You can potentially damage the Demon significantly by dropping off the balcony onto him. This is risky and doesn’t guarantee a kill, but it can remove a large chunk of his health. Warning: You’ll take fall damage yourself, so be prepared!
General Tips
Estus Flask: Use your Estus Flask (healing item) when you're at a safe distance or behind a pillar. Don't try to heal in the middle of an attack.
Stamina Management: Pay attention to your stamina bar (the green bar below your health). Don't deplete it completely, or you won't be able to roll or attack.
Don't Panic: The Asylum Demon can be intimidating, but he's not unbeatable. Stay calm and focus on your strategy.
Learn from Mistakes: You will die. It's part of the game! Pay attention to how you died and adjust your strategy.
Upgrade if Possible: If you've found any Titanite Shards, upgrading your weapon at the blacksmith (Andre of Astora, in the Undead Parish) will make a difference. You likely won't have enough yet at this point, but keep it in mind.
To recap, for a first playthrough, I strongly recommend the balcony strategy. It’s the safest and most reliable way to beat the Asylum Demon.
Let me know if you get stuck or have any other questions. I’m here to help! Good luck, and don’t give up! (You’ve got this!). Also, tell me what platform you’re playing on (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch) if you need more specific control instructions.
I also think Gnome is much prettier than KDE but KDE is a fully working desktop environment that does not need extensions to get it to a working state so here I am.
(Although I would not call KDE ugly)
The Matrix server is a normal Signal client that can encrypt/decrypt messages from your account.
Assuming you trust your server, no. I would not use it on a third party Matrix server.
Not sure if it counts as “budget friendly” but the best and cheapest method right now to run decently sized models is a Strix Halo machine like the Bosgame M5 or the Framework Desktop.
Not only does it have 128GB of VRAM/RAM, it sips power at 10W idle and 120W full load.
It can run models like gpt-oss-120b or glm-4.5-air (Q4/Q6) at full context length and even larger models like glm-4.6, qwen3-235b, or minimax-m2 at Q3 quantization.
Running these models is otherwise not currently possible without putting 128GB of RAM in a server mainboard or paying the Nvidia tax to get a RTX 6000 Pro.