New Desktop Computer - Part 9 Continued

[Lady Fitzgerald]

This thread is continued from viewtopic.php?t=414720.

I haven't been getting much of anything done, let alone work on finishing up the computer so I can start using it for my daily driver lately thanks mostly to my miserable, misbegotten, no-good-for-nothing, cotton pickin', stinkin', rotten, stupid idiotic allergies. Thanks to the frequent rains we have been getting (which is great overall since we needed them), all the bloomin' desert and mountain flora has been blooming causing pollen and other allergen counts to go sky high (and higher), driving my allergies and me nuckin' futz resulting my get-up-and-go having got-up-and-gone.

I've been working on getting my laptop's and desktop computer's systems and data organization revamped to simplify syncing data between the two via sneakernet (using backup drives to transmit data being sync). it was mostly a lot of little, nit picking details I've let sneak in that needed to be identified and corrected. Of course, each modification required other modifications elsewhere, such as relabeling backup drives to reduce the number of FreeFileSync profiles needed also meant revamping those profiles and the aliases I use for TRIMming the backup drives, etc.

I've also been revamping my backup procedures (and integrating them with dust filter cleaning) and profiles so both can use the same profiles in FreeFileSync. It's been a bit tedious, especially since my allergies have me a bit fuzzy brained much of the time. It would have been a lot easier if my allergies weren't messing with me so much since I can work on only small bits of stuff (in addition to dealing with what life throws at me). I keep telling myself that, much like gas, this too shall pass.

I think I finally have it down to needing to finalize the procedure for syncing data between drives and creating the necessary profiles in FreeFileSync before I can install the USB "hub" on my desk, connecting 13 more cables to the back of the computer, and cleaning up the cable management of those cables so I won't have a cable jungle I could hide lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!) in. However, it may be a bit before I get to it due to life happening (mostly dealing with other people's screw ups and getting minor, unimportant luxuries, like groceries).

[Lady Fitzgerald]

The past three days, I've been going nuckin' futz trying to get the logistics and workflow for syncing between my desktop and laptop computers worked out (and my *&^%$#@! allergies haven't been helping any). The trickiest part was setting up the FreeFileSync profiles needed for syncing, especially trying to get certain exclusions to work correctly.

Also, I ran into a situation where the first sync of a drive would result in massive deletions and rewriting of identical files on the same drive. After some tests and a lot of headaches, it appears that I will run into that for the first sync with a new profile (I don't remember running into that before, but, then again, I have a lousy memory; thank you, ADHD ). I also had to juggle around a lot of folders and files, including some culling, to simplify fixing problems after an initial sync before I ran the full syncs between the desktop computer and the laptop computer's main backup drives (I'm using the computers' main backup drives only for syncing between them; aka sneakernet).

I finally was able to run the syncs from the desktop's backup drives to the desktop's data drives today and, hopefully, cleaned up any problems. Since I'm a coward, I'll be running more test syncs between computers over the next few days to make sure the bugs have been worked out. I'll also need to update the NTFS backup drives I have (which will never be used for syncing between computers, which will simplify matters) which will also alert me to any files I may have lost in the process of setting up syncing.

I had make a change to the workflow when using the SATA hot swap bays in the new desktop computer. I found I can hot plug backup drives into the hot swap bays, quickly mount them using Disks, then run a data backup or data sync but unplugging them, even after waiting for a while to make sure all writing has finished before unmounting them, would crash the computer (mutter, mutter, mumble, mumble ). Add to that, I still had no way to know for sure all writing had finished before unmounting the drive, which made me a bit nervous. I now run Sync (I have a handy dandy little applet that does it with one click on an icon in the panel), shut down the computer, remove the drives from the hot swap bays, then reboot the computer. This computer shuts down and boots up quickly so it's a more or less acceptable procedure. I just hope (OK, dream) that the Mint developers will work on improving hot plugging in a future version.

Once I'm confident that everything is working correctly, I'm going to remove the Thunderbolt SSD dock I built and its Thunderbolt dock and PSU from my desk, install the USB "hub" I built to the desk, hook the audio and USB cables to the new computer, then replace the laptop with the new computer's keyboard and start using the new computer as my daily driver. Hopefully, I'll get around to it in a week or so.

Once I'm confident that everything is working correctly, I'll tear down the laptop, replace the TIM (Thermal Interface Material, aka paste), then reinstall Mint on it.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

My allergies are still driving me out of my mind but, somehow, it dawned on the one fuzzily functioning brain cell of the three I have left that, after the bent pins in the MOBO USB header fiasco, it might be a good idea to test the USB and card reader ports on the USB "hub" I built with the cables connected to the computer before I install the "hub" onto my desk (I'm still working out the kinks on syncing between computers but I'm slowly gaining on it).

This is my redneck engineered test setup.

After connecting all the cables to the computer, this is the resulting cable jungle (aka electrician's nightmare).

Methinks a little cable management will be in order. Once the "hub" has been installed on the desk and its "umbilical" cord has been routed, I can shift all that bird caging down the cable bundle to behind the desk. More on that when I install the "hub".

To keep dust out of the unused ports, I put silicone rubber dust plugs in them. These plugs, along with labels on the cables and ports, and a map I printed out, will make keeping track of where everything goes a lot easier.

Normally, I prefer to use plugs that have little handles on them to make removing them much easier but, here, the handles get in the way when plugging and unplugging cables so, since the plugs will be permanent for the foreseeable future, I went with these even though they are a PITA to remove. I've also ordered a dust plug for the unused HDMI port on the graphics card.

I plugged a Type A USB stick in all their ports, a Type C USB stick in their ports, and an SD and MicroSD card in their ports and everything worked fine. Whew!

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I somehow managed to bend the shell of a Type A USB plug on the "hub" while storing it so I broke out my needle nose pliers to fix it. This is what most people think are needle nose pliers.

Actually, the correct name for these are long nose pliers. The pliers at the bottom of this next photo are needle nose pliers.

It's nice when you have the right tools for certain jobs. I would have had a hard time trying to straighten the bent shell with out the needle nose pliers. The tips of the long nose pliers were just too thick.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I posted this earlier but...it evaporated? So, here 'tis again.

To keep dust out of the USB type A ports on the "hub", I used these plugs since they have handy dandy little handles on them, making them easy to install and remove, unlike the silicone rubber plugs I used on the back of the computer.

7.jpg (31.15 KiB) Viewed 228 times

Fortunately, I already had a bunch of them on hand since they are kinda hard to find nowadays.

I also needed some for the USB Type C ports. I searched the "interwebz" for over an hour before I finally settled for some on Amazon that have a little tab with a hole in it that may work as a handle (all the others I found were flat faced silicone ). If the tab is too small to easily grip, I could put a small split key ring in it to give me something I can grip.

I also needed plugs for the SD and MicroSD card slots in the card reader on top of the "hub". On my laptop, I removed the terminals from a dead SD card and plugged it into the SD card slot. It barely sticks out when pushed home but pops right out when I push it in a little further, making it easy to remove. However, on the "hub's" card reader, an SD card sticks out almost halfway, which would make it impossible to get to the MicroSD card above it. After more searching, I found some discontinued Samsung SD card dust plugs on Fleabay that I placed an offer on that should be the correct length.

I scraped the terminals off a dead MicroSD card and I'll use it as the dust plug for the MicroSD card slot on the card reader.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I've been getting little bits of things done when my dear, wonderfully delightful allergies (/sarcasm) and life will let me. One thing I've been doing is sleeving the cable bundles going to the back of the new computer so they won't look quite so messy.

I couldn't use regular braid type sleeving on the "umbilical" cord coming out of the desktop USB "hub" because it wouldn't fit over the connectors on the end so I had to use a spiral cable wrap to corral them. I plugged the cables back into the computer and redid the Velcro cable ties so the cable jungle at the back of the computer got moved to the back of the "hub".

Again, this is the cable jungle before I moved it (I would call it a rats' nest but the rats not only wouldn't live in it, they would sue me for defamation of character).

I didn't get a photo of what the back of the computer looks like after moving the jungle but this is what the umbilical cord looks like after moving and reducing the jungle but before I sleeved it.

This is how looks after I sleeved it.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

This is a closeup of the cable wrap I used.

Not as nice looking as a woven sleeve would have been but better than the naked umbilical cord. This is the bundled cable jungle.

Once the "hub" is installed on the desk, the jungle will be out of sight and out of mind behind the desk. BTW, I didn't do all the work I'm showing in these posts consecutively or from start to finish. I jumped around a lot. Also, installing the cable wrap was a time consuming, hand cramping PITA compared to using woven sleeving.

I was able to use woven sleeving for the two cables that get plugged into the USB DAC. I didn't take a picture of the cable before I sleeved it but it was just two cables bundled side by side with Velcro cable ties which was lumpy looking. This is the finished cable.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I also sleeved the three DisplayPort to HDMI cables that go from the graphics card to the HDMI splitters. This is how they looked before sleeving with cable wrap.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

This is how the cable wrap looks on it. I used electrical tape to secure the ends instead of heat shrink sleeves to make removing the cable wrap easier should I ever need to.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

At the HDMI end of the DisplayPort to HDMI cables, I need to route them up higher so I could fit a paper tray underneath them. I forgot to take a before picture but this is how they look after relocating them.

I salvaged this cable clip from the original case the computer came in. It just pokes into a little hole drilled in the tray the HDMI splitters sit on.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Speaking of the tray the HDMI splitters sit on, I needed to raise it up higher to clear this paper tray I bought to replace the one I've been using.

It will take up less usable desktop space here than the current one at the other end of my desk when I put it into use. It came unfinished so I sprayed a few coats of spray lacquer on it.

To raise up the tray, I grabbed a strip of 1/2" plywood from my scrap stash, cut it to length, drilled a couple of holes in it and turned them into slots with my band saw, then "painted" the edges with a jumbo black felt pen.

I removed the two 1/4"-20 x 1/2" screws holding the tray down, replaced one with a 1/4"-20 x 1" screw, lifted up the tray and slipped the plywood strip under it, started another 1" screw at the other end, then cinched down the screws. Now there is enough room for the paper tray to slide under the splitter tray (once the stuff on the desk is cleared away).

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I've been using an AudioQuest Dragonfly Red USB DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) connected to my laptop to get sound for my 2.1 speaker system. I've been wanting to get a spare in case the one I have ever went belly up but the Reds have been rather scarce lately with the only vendors having any being sketchy ones (apparently, counterfeits exist). Recently, the new improved Dragonfly Cobalts (nice but overkill for my system and more expensive than the Reds) went on sale for the price the Reds normally go for so I glommed onto one. I'll use it with the new computer since it's under warranty and keep the Red as a spare.

It comes in a fancy box nestled into a tray in the box.

Besides a cap for the USB connector when not in use, it also comes with a USB Type A to USB Type C adapter cable . I don't need the cable since I will be connecting to a USB 2.0 Type A extension cable connected to a USB 2.0 Type A port on the back of the computer. The provided adapter is only USB 2.0 so I won't be able to use it elsewhere (USB 2.0 is plenty for a DAC). I wish it came without the cable because the one AudioQuest sells separately is rather overpriced.

It also has a fancy dancy little leatherette sleeve to store the DAC in when not in use. Again, overkill.

The manual is geared towards Windows and Mac users so, although pretty, it's useless for Linux users. Fortunately, the DAC is plug and play.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

To connect the new DAC to the computer, I have a USB 2.0 Type A extension cable coming out of the back of the computer going down to the top of the night stand the computer and its riser sit on. Since the weight of the two cables that will exit the DAC will cause them to easily unplug themselves, the DAC and cables need to be secured to the top of the nightstand. I'm using these clips to secure them down.

This is a better view of the small clip.

I swear I didn't see any dust on the clips when I took the pictures. The flash from my camera picks up and greatly magnifies the tiniest specks of dust.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

These clips have adhesive foam pads used to secure them to surfaces but they either don't stick well to some surfaces (such as wood, even if it has a finish on it) or the foam tears apart. To avoid that problem, I peel off the pads, sand the bases both to flatten them and to rough them up a bit, then glue them down with E6000 adhesive (that stuff has serious sticking power). Here, the clips have been glued to the top of the nightstand and the DAC and USB extension cable are installed.

This is a better view of where the audio cables leaving the DAC will be secured.

Since the cable will be pulling sideways, the nails are there to reduce the amount of sideways strain on the clips. I don't have the audio cables installed yet since I'm still using them with my laptop.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

The little dust plugs I ordered for the USB C ports on the USB "hub" didn't work out so I went with Plan B. I ordered a couple of USB C male to USB A female adapters to use as dust plugs. I also cut the handles off a couple of USB A dust plugs to plug the unused ends of the adapter plugs for appearance and to keep dust out of them in case I ever decide to use them for their original purpose.

This shot shows the adapters, an unmodified plug, and a modified one.

This is a closer look of the plugs.

This is what they look like plugged into the "hub".

They are bulkier than I like but will do just fine unless I can find something better.

I'm still running tests to make sure the backup workflows and the workflow for syncing between the computers is working OK but it appears I have most of the bugs exterminated. I still need to make sure my NTFS backup drives will work out OK in the hot swap bays. Once over that hurdle, I should be able to start tearing down the SSD dock components on my desk and the cables going to the laptop, install USB "hub", connect the audio cables to the new computer's DAC, move the laptop off the desk, plug in a keyboard where the DAC used to be, then start using the new computer as my daily driver. How long it takes will depend on my stupid allergies (and, to a lesser degree, my back).

[MurphCID]

OMG Amazing work! Wow.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Thanks, Murph!