Personal, Gaming and Technology

Behind the Scenes: New Tech, New Challenges (A Linux Mint Post)

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Hi everyone,

Swagnilla Ice here with an update on my switch to Linux Mint. I want to share my experience so far, the technical hiccups I’ve run into and solved, and what it means for the video quality of your favorite content over the next couple of weeks as I learn to use new editing software.

I made the switch to Linux Mint last Friday after getting tired of Windows 10’s updates affecting my internet connection—the last one even forced me onto Wi-Fi. The installation was smooth until I ran into a major issue with my dual monitor setup.

When I installed the recommended Nvidia driver, I lost one of my two monitors. After downgrading didn’t work, I switched to the open-source Nouveau driver, which solved the issue. While some may say this could affect gaming or other GPU-intensive tasks, I’ve noticed my gameplay is just as good as it was on Windows 10. If it means my new video editor renders videos more slowly, I’m okay with that, as having two monitors is more important to me than speed.

Speaking of rendering videos, I’ll have to learn new video editing software, and this is what will affect the quality of my videos for the next few weeks. Since Filmora is Windows-only, I’ve switched to Lightworks, an alternative recommended by Gemini after I decided Kdenlive wasn’t for me. While Lightworks is not designed for beginners, it’s still new software I have to learn. The good news is this change only affects my editing; the quality of my video recordings with OBS on Linux Mint will remain the same.

I’m happy to say my dual monitor setup, USB camera, and microphone are all working perfectly. This means the core video and sound quality of my recordings should be just fine (unless my OBS settings are off). The real learning curve is in the editing process: things like adjusting background music volume, adding text screens and transitions are all different in Lightworks, so I’ll be learning how to do all of that from scratch.

f you have any tips for me, feel free to share them in the comments below. If you’re not yet a member, you can register and then share your advice with the community. Until my next post, take care and God bless all of you!

Podcast

Episode 55: St. John of Damascus

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Ever wondered about the saint who defended icons and experienced a miraculous healing? This week on ‘A Few Moments with God’, we explore St. John of Damascus, a renowned theologian and polymath. Born in Damascus, he became known for his eloquent sermons and writings defending the use of icons during the Iconoclastic Controversy. His miraculous healing and profound impact on Christian thought make his story one to remember.

Videos

Swag Plays Banished S2 E44: The Saga Concludes

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In the thrilling finale of Swag Plays Banished, the resilient citizens of Otterview face their toughest challenge yet: surviving without tools as their population swells to 72 by early spring of year 20. This episode marks the end of the season under one of the three independent conditions set at the start. While we successfully built all other structures in the settlement, we fell short of constructing three key buildings: the town hall, the marketplace, and the eastern tunnel to resources. Not reaching 100 citizens and not completing three structures is a bit disappointing, but it’s all part of the journey. Join me next time as we embark on a new gaming adventure! See you soon!

Videos

Swag Plays Banished S2 E43: Iron Shortage, Tunnel Progress

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In this thrilling episode of “Swag Plays Banished,” Otterview presses on towards the ultimate goal – year 20. With tools running low and a dwindling supply of iron, the challenge to sustain production until the end is daunting. The team adds more builders to the mix, constructing two new homes to accommodate the growing population while steadily advancing the tunnel. Will their efforts be enough to complete the tunnel by the year 20 deadline? Stay tuned for the final episode of this season and series to find out the thrilling conclusion!

Videos

Swag Plays Banished S2 E42: The Beginning of the End

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The citizens of Otterview are tough, but the end is near! In this episode of Swag Plays Banished, we see how they survived yet another freezing winter. Despite their best efforts, the tunnel project is still a long way from being finished, and our population now stands at 63. How do you think the series will end? Let me know your predictions in the comments, and stay tuned for the final two episodes!

Site News, Gaming and Technology

Building for the Future: New Payments & A New Direction

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When I created Swagnilla Ice, I wanted to build a company that was accessible, forward-thinking, and ready to grow with my community. Today, I’m announcing two important changes that reflect that vision.

A New Way to Pay in the Swagnilla Ice Shop

I’m excited to introduce a new payment option for all digital goods and services in the Swagnilla Ice shop: cryptocurrency! I understand that not everyone uses or has access to traditional payment methods like PayPal. By offering a crypto payment option through my partner, Coinbase, I’m giving you more choice and making my shop more accessible to a global audience.

Here’s how it works:

  • When you choose to pay with crypto at checkout, the Coinbase system automatically handles the conversion. The price of your purchase, originally in Canadian Dollars (CAD), is automatically converted to the real-time equivalent in your chosen cryptocurrency.
  • I’ll accept any cryptocurrency that Coinbase supports.
  • All crypto payments are instantly and automatically converted to USDC, which keeps prices stable and protects Swagnilla Ice from market volatility.

A New Direction for Video Content

In my efforts to evolve and focus on the future, I’m making a change to my content strategy. I will no longer embed the “news and announcement” video series of the past on blog posts. Instead, I want to embed announcements directly into blog posts like this one to keep all of my news in a single, easy-to-find location. I’m still excited about creating future video content, but these will likely be singular posts rather than series based on a modpack. This will allow me to put more creative energy into other video projects for my future community.

Videos

Creative Engineering E28: Learning Integrated Dynamics From Scratch

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What happens when I decide to replace a core system in my world? After celebrating our latest subscriber milestone and adding our community site members to the sign, I make a huge decision. I’m taking out Refined Storage and learning Integrated Dynamics from the ground up, following the tutorial books. Will I be able to build a new system that works just as well? Watch to see my progress and how a new automation system takes shape.

Podcast

Episode 54: Should Christians Get Involved in Politics? A Biblical and Historical Perspective

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In this thought-provoking episode of ‘A Few Moments with God’, we tackle the question: Should Christians get involved in politics? Drawing from biblical examples and the teachings of the early Church Fathers, we explore the responsibilities and challenges of Christian engagement in the political arena. We also debunk common misconceptions about the separation of church and state and discuss the importance of being the salt and light of the world.

Join us as we delve into this timely and relevant topic, and discover how your faith can guide your involvement in politics. Don’t miss out on this insightful discussion that will inspire you to make a difference in your community and beyond.

Miscellaneous

Why You Should Join the Swagnilla Ice Community

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I started Swagnilla Ice to create a fun, engaging space for everyone who is above the age of thirteen (13). While you might be here for our shop or the creative content, becoming a member of our community gives you so much more.

Everyone who joins starts as a Free Member when you sign up via BuddyPress. This tier is completely free and gives you basic access to our site, which includes comment posting and basic forum privileges. This tier is supported by ads. It’s important to know that these aren’t third-party ads. The ads displayed on Swagnilla Ice are paid for by other members of the community and are controlled by the same staff that produces our content and moderates the community. From there, you can choose to upgrade to a paid tier at any time to unlock more features and support what I’m building.

I believe in the power of public discussion. By keeping all conversations in our community forums and in the comments, I have created a secure and transparent space for everyone to connect and share ideas. This approach is especially important for protecting our younger members. No one can hide behind a private message, because there are no private messages.

Upgrade Your Experience

  • Tip Jar Member: For just $1 a month, you can become a Tip Jar member. You’ll still have ads, but you get to show your support for me and the community. As a thank you, I’ll place a sign with your name or username in my public Minecraft worlds!
  • Full Member: For $5 a month, you’ll get the full Swagnilla Ice experience. This tier removes all ads from your Browse, gives you full access to all exclusive content, and includes a sign in my public Minecraft worlds.

Beyond the Tiers

As a member, you’ll also get access to other valuable features, including our shop, where you can buy exclusive merchandise and impressions packages to advertise your own projects. Additionally, if you’re a member in good standing, you could be selected for the extremely rare and prestigious Northern Lights Tier. This is a free, invitation-only tier I hand out once a year to 0-2 members on June 1st to recognize their outstanding contributions to the community.

Becoming a member is the best way to get the most out of Swagnilla Ice. Whether you’re here to browse, support me, or advertise your own content, it all starts with a free membership.

Register today to get started on your journey with us!

Your Portal to Personal Takes, Modpacks, And All Things Fun!

Swagnilla Ice

Your Portal to Personal Takes, Modpacks, And All Things Fun!

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