i just use repurposed PCs. cost (or lack of, rather) is the prime factor.

the main playback ‘device’ is currently a 6th gen laptop that runs lid down (doesn’t support turbo boost, so heat isn’t an issue at all), and an old wireless kb/trackpad for a ‘remote’.

storage is a hodgepodge of usb hdd, 2.5in hdd, and desktop systems. usually only one of which is being used (powered on) at a time.

i just use a text dump out of ‘everything’ for my ‘catalog’ and have numerous vlc playlists saved. i looked into things like jellyfin but the work involved in normalizing directory structures and filenames would be nightmarish.

i hadn’t used kde (on my own systems) in over twenty years. i downloaded a bunch of ISOs over the last month or so, mainly looking to see what installs easiest and runs best on some old systems here. among them were several with plasma 6.

one of those kinda ‘stuck’ in my head and i had to go back through several until i ‘found’ it again. been messing around with it now for a couple weeks trying to figure out what i’d want for a ‘working’ setup. might just end up switching one of my ‘working’ desktops over.

if the goal is simply to ‘de-google’, then mxroute itself is enough. 3rd party. decent policies. good track record. reasonable price (especially their promos).

their original registered mark was strictly, and very specifically, for “Downloadable computer application software for mobile phones, smart devices, and computers, namely, software for the management of E-commerce shopping carts”. they have a brand new (jan 15, 2025) application that adds your functionality to it. meaning, when you released your app, you weren’t violating their mark… you still aren’t because their new application hasn’t even assigned to an examiner yet, and your use in that market predates their application.

they might just be fishing for an easy settlement or your domain name(s).

ianal and you could use one. so, consult an attorney that handles ip and trademarks, let them respond (don’t communicate with the other party yourself). actions might include a real threat of a counter-claim, challenging their new trademark application, or just tellin’ em to pound sand…

so, you want something like spamhero standard (in/out relay and spam filtering for one domain)?

(i don’t use them, just the first one i found. i had used similar years ago, but just have email hosted at two of our providers now instead).

iirc, cloudflare domains are literally at cost.

if that ever happens, i’d cross the bridge then. but i’d probably shut everything down. if i’m in ‘vacay’ mode and not at home, i wouldn’t care about connecting to stuff at home. if i’m in ‘work’ mode, i’m taking shit with me i might need or putting it on space at the office before i leave.

i don’t have what some would consider ‘vital’ services running. like alert notifications systems for various ‘detectors’ (co, power, flood, fire, etc), security cam recordings, and what not.

stuff on ulv soc hardware i just leave on 24/7. those are < 10w or so each with a load, so nbd.

anything i want to be able to get at remotely also stays on, obviously, as does anything required for the internet access and routing to get to it.

everything else is stuff that even gets shut down at bedtime unless it’s “doing something”.

everything gets shutdown and unplugged if i am going out of town for more than a weekend and have no need for anything to be on. which has happened a whole one time in the last 25 years.

it can do it!

… just not today

got a ripping and converting pc that ain’t any better. it’s all it does, so speed don’t matter any. hb has queue, so nbd. i just let it go… and go… and go…

looks like you bricked it.