ATOPNUC Mini PC, OS, and Password Manager Updates

Yesterday was a fairly smooth workday with the new ATOPNUC Mini PC. I was able to do everything I needed to do, and the machine seemed to run faster and more smoothly than the Rapsberry Pi 4B. Which, by the way, it cost only about 2/3 as much as.

So, now it's Friday, which is my "Saturday" in terms of work week, so I have more time to mess around.

At first blush, I did not like the Lubuntu operating system as well as the preinstalled Ubuntu 20.04.5 LTS. The only reason I installed Lubuntu was that I needed to have some other OS to go to after messing up GRUB and not being able to boot into anything except, repetitively, BIOS.

This morning (after wrapping up the morning edition of RRND), I went to work on Lubuntu to see if I could make it faster, friendlier, and more appealing. That turned out to be fairly easy.

I installed Chrome.

I turned off multiple "desktops."

I solved an audio problem which I also have in the other version of Ubuntu -- my sound output settings weren't sticking through reboots.

I set up the task bar to my liking. One thing I don't like about the other Ubuntu version is that it doesn't seem to want to let me put everything -- launcher, statuses, controls, clock --  on the bottom and insists on keeping certain things up top, wasting screen space.

I uninstalled a bunch of software that I do not use and don't ever plan to use.

The result: I think I like Lubuntu better than non-L-Ubuntu now. Everything is running at least as fast as in 20.04.5 LTS, and according to psensor my CPU temperatures are lower and I'm using less CPU and RAM as well. Which probably means I'm also drawing fewer watts (haven't checked that yet). And the desktop looks/feels like what I had been getting quite used to with Manjaro Linux on the Pi.

Still not quite a $100 8Gb Chromebox, but getting there.

I'm on my third password manager try-out now: Zoho Vault. Main features I like about it:

1. Unlimited passwords on the free version.
2. Unlimited devices on the free version.
3. Runs from a browser extension without having to install an app on the computer (that's what I don't like about NordPass).

Outside of passwords, it's not as robust (it won't store credit card info, etc.), but that's fine. I wanted a password manager. It's a password manager.