Ask Noah Show Ask Noah Show 452 | Open Sauce 2025
This week Noah heads to Open Sauce in San Fransisco to explore the world's biggest celebration of makers, creators, and inventors. Steve takes us through his hardware troubleshooting steps, and we give you an update on some of the projects we're working on.
-- During The Show --
00:00 Intro
- Noah and Steve discuss VLAN trunking challenges with Cisco switches and Linux servers.
- Cockpit as a persistent solution for Linux VLAN and bridge configuration.
- Lessons learned: understanding how sub-interfaces filter VLANs from trunk ports and a look at network configuration troubleshooting.
07:22 Linux and Open Source News
- Linux reaches 5% desktop market share in the U.S. per StatCounter; U.S. federal analytics report over 6%.
- Calibre 8.7, Blender 4.5 LTS, Relandroid 7.7, Sparky Linux 7.8 released.
- Intel officially shuts down Clear Linux OS.
- Swiss manufacturer launches Grit 98M, an open source blade for wind turbine material science.
- AWS announces Bedrock Agent Core for open source enterprise AI agents and launches Kiro, an AI-powered spec-driven IDE.
- Google introduces Gemini CLI, an open source AI agent.
08:49 Open Sauce Event
- Noah attends Open Sauce, founded by YouTuber William Osman.
- Highlights include hands-on electronic badges, the world's largest Alienware laptop, Orbit Panels for open automation, 66 Stream Decks setup, electric violin prototype, rocket-building panel discussions, ad-blocking VR goggles, and more.
- Framework presents its laptops and desktops; details and first impressions on modular devices.
- Robotics exhibits, including the hexapod and Unitree G1 humanoid robot, draw attention.
- Community spirit: a “Are you smarter than a sixth grader?” trivia won by a fourth grader.
- Reflections on how Open Sauce encourages interest in science, math, and technology, especially for youth.
- All talks and presentations will be available post-event on the Open Sauce+ streaming platform for a fee or as a limited-time perk for attendees.
27:07 Tech Troubles & Hardware Tales
- Steve recounts troubleshooting a desktop with wake-from-sleep issues, discovering the culprit as a failing NVMe drive.
- Emphasizes importance of checking hardware (layer one) before blaming the software stack.
- Recap of persistent Wi-Fi issues at home with Unifi APs—replacement with older hardware and cable reruns, limited improvement.
- Debated switching to OpenWrt or trying other solutions; budget and “spousal approval” are key limiting factors.
41:00 Gadget & Accessory Exchange
- Stories about leaving gear at each other's houses, swapping USB-C chargers (RAVPower vs. Anker), and the virtues of a favorite travel chair.
- Experiences with Amazon product availability, review practices, and hardware quirks.
43:00 Graphics Cards & Containerized Projects
- Steve's son planning a gaming PC upgrade on a budget—debates on buying modern vs. older GPUs.
- Steve upgrades from a decade-old Quadro to a 5060TI for AI and GPU work; compatibility surprises with projects like Whisper.
- Container builds: Docker and GPU dependency challenges, container rebuild strategies, importance of understanding project internals.
48:50 Home Automation & Home Assistant
- Transitioning home automation to make Home Assistant more central, with a strong focus on reliability for family use.
- Housewide clean-up of Home Assistant entities—removal of 18,000+ orphaned Unifi device entries.
- Noticeable improvement in system responsiveness after the purge.
- Both hosts reaffirm their support for Home Assistant, with subscriptions to Nebuchadnezzar to support the project.
-- The Extra Credit Section --
https://opensauce.com/badge-25/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiJAq53knwc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O9E8xRazTc
https://github.com/manufacturedmotion/hexapod
For links to the articles and material referenced in this week's episode check out this week's page from our podcast dashboard!
This Episode's Podcast Dashboard
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