New Post: Oblivion using Lutris

Reviewed-on: #6

.forgejo/workflows/publish.yaml

@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
-on: [push]
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - master
+
 jobs:
   jekyll:
     runs-on: docker

_drafts/oblivion-full-dlc-playthrough.md

@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+### My Mod List
+
+My most recent mod list had a few objectives. First, I love [Better
+Cities](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/16513) and [Maskar's Oblivion
+Overhaul (MOO)](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/42780), and so I'll use
+them. Second, I'm not generally concerned with graphics improvements/overhauls.
+Lastly, despite the first point, I wanted to play with a "Vanilla Plus"
+emphasis.
+
+As before, I recommend reading through the [Oblivion Comprehensive Modding Guide
+by Dispensation](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49898). It covers how
+to use all the above installed tools, and walks through mod recommendations for
+every aspect of the game. The Unofficial Official Patches are essential and
+always recommended. The various bug and engine fixes may or may not help out;
+try them out and use the ones which do!
+
+My "vanilla plus" mod list weighs in rather light. _Better Cities_ and _MOO_ are
+the big ones. The remaining mods with significant changes are [Ultimate
+Leveling](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49134), to fix some of
+Oblivions leveling problems; [Combat
+Additions](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49939), to improve the combat
+aspects of the game; and [Supreme
+Magicka](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/12466), for some added magic.
+
+I use [Better Dungeons](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/40392), [Better
+Forts](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/51897), the various ["Add Some
+Flavor"](https://next.nexusmods.com/profile/gweow/mods) mods from gweow, [Lights
+of Cyrodiil](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46131), and [Legion
+Forester Outposts Revistited](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/51512) to
+spice up the world spaces a bit. A few of the _"Add Some Flavor"_ mods conflict
+in small ways with _Better Cities_.
+
+I add [Thieves Arsenal](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/9655), and
+[Bounty Quests Fixed and
+Polished](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48330) to add some additional
+quests and flavor.
+
+To avoid fast travelling, I use [Cyrodiil Travel
+Services](https://www.afkmods.com/index.php?/files/file/263-cyrodiil-travel-services/)
+to get around easier; and [Traveler's
+Tent](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/49654) for a mobile base of sorts.

_layouts/corrupt_now.html

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
       </header>
       <main>
           <article>
-              {{ content }}
+              <h1>Life In Progress, as of {{ page.pub }}</h1>
               <div class="author_info">
                 {{ page.author }}
                 <a href="https://unlicense.org/"
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
                 This is a <a href="https://nownownow.com/about" id="now">Now Page</a>
                 inspired by <a href="https://sive.rs/" id="now">Derek Sivers</a>.
               </div>
+              {{ content }}
           </article>
       </main>
       {% include cor_menu.html %}

_posts/2015-01-01-Ireland-Log.md

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
      tabtitle: Ireland Log
      title: A Log of My Travels in Ireland
-     topics: other
+     topics: [life]
      pub: "2015-01-01"
      short_desc: "Once upon a time, I traveled to Ireland. It was quite the
      experience. Me, my 3 friends Suf, Chris and Cary, Scion, shenanigans,

_posts/2015-07-09-A-Friends-Father.html

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
      tabtitle: A Good Friend's Father
      title: A Good Friend's Father
-     topics: [philosophy, other]
+     topics: [philosophy, life]
      pub: "2015-07-09"
      short_desc: "A good friend's father died. What can I learn from this?"
 ---

_posts/2020-06-03-post.md

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
      tabtitle: 'An Update'
      title: 'It has been a while.'
-     topics: [writing, other]
+     topics: [writing, life]
      pub: '2020-06-03'
      short_desc: "It has been a while. Here's an update, of sorts."
 ---

_posts/2024-08-19-life-in-progress-august.md

@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+---
+  tabtitle: "Life in Progress: August, 2024"
+  title: "Life in Progress: August, 2024"
+  topics: [life]
+  pub: 2024-08-19
+  short_desc: "Life In Progress update for August"
+---
+
+# Life In Progress, as of {{ page.pub }}
+
+- Learning [Stan Rogers'
+  _Bluenose_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZVpvJsqTMM) on mandolin and voice
+- Building a few games in the [TIC-80 fantasy console](https://tic80.com)
+- Deploying my own ["Pages" server](https://codeberg.org/Codeberg/pages-server/)
+- Building a Forgejo Action for deploying game builds to Itch.io using
+  [butler](https://itch.io/docs/butler/)
+- Building a custom WordPress Docker container that uses SQLite
+- Starting my own business
+
+## Music
+
+Adam and I continue our semi-weekly jam sessions! We've settled on [Stan Rogers'
+_Bluenose_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZVpvJsqTMM) for our first piece. I
+normally pick up lyrics pretty quick, but this song eludes me. We worked on the
+chord progression last week, and I've been actually practicing!
+
+## Game Dev
+
+Still having a blast with [TIC-80](https://tic80.com/).  I made a small farming
+experiment game, to learn [Fennel](https://fennel-lang.org)  some more and also
+nail-down some basic design principles. Some of the ideas in that experiment,
+namely generating the map with a loop and `mset` instead of using the built-in
+map designer, gave me some insight for solving my darkness troubles in
+Nightgolf. I'm still wrapping my head around it, but I think this will be a
+solution.
+
+The farming experiment game lives on
+[Itch.io](https://vagabondazulien.itch.io/farm-experiment-1) and the [TIC-80
+Webzone](https://tic80.com/play?cart=3965).
+
+## Tech Dev
+
+[Forgejo](https://forgejo.org/) continues to be rewarding, and I'm looking
+forward to expanding my deployment of it by deploying my own ["Pages"
+server](https://codeberg.org/Codeberg/pages-server/).  This will allow me to
+deploy my static sites on my own infrastructure. I'm also working on an "Action"
+for leveraging [butler](https://itch.io/docs/butler/) to publish games I publish
+the source code for from my Forge to Itch.io.
+
+In preparation for both my own use, and my business use, I need to learn more
+about Nextcloud. I'm also working on building a custom WordPress Docker
+container that relies on SQLite instead of MySQL.
+
+Hovering about all this is backups and monitoring, both of which I sprinkle into
+my learning voyage. I'm looking forward to writing up some documentation about
+my implementation.
+
+## Entrepreneurship
+
+I'm happy to report I was accepted into New York's Self-Employment Assistance
+Program, [SEAP](https://dol.ny.gov/SEAP). I will be starting a business offering
+managed online services, such as website design and deployment, personal cloud,
+and email. I would like to offer these services to local small businesses and
+not-for-profits. I think of it as "Silicon Valley experience" at reasonable,
+local prices. I'm excited to dive into the parts I'm not very familiar with,
+namely the business side of things. I have extensive technical experience and
+mastery, but I lack any significant business experience.
+
+## Gaming
+
+I've started a new playthrough of [Darkest
+Dungeon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darkest_Dungeon).  It's mildly
+frustrating, but mostly fun. I have fun yelling at the game; it's like stress
+relief. I've been generally successful, but the Crimson Court has been very
+rough to me. It is a game about challenges and loss, though, so nothing
+unexpected.
+
+I've continued my play-through of
+[Sundered](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundered), though have put it down for
+a bit. I'm playing it on my Steam Deck using [Lutris](https://lutris.net/), and
+it works very well. Lutris continues to impress me, and I want to try writing an
+installer for a game.

_posts/2024-09-24-life-in-progress-september.md

@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+---
+  tabtitle: "Life in Progress: September, 2024"
+  title: "Life in Progress: September, 2024"
+  topics: [life, gaming]
+  pub: 2024-09-24
+  short_desc: "Life In Progress update for September"
+---
+
+# Life In Progress, as of {{ page.pub }}
+
+- New hardware: laptop, phone, and NAS
+- **TWO** game jams!
+- Finishing up Morrowind
+- SEAP/Self-Employment Progress
+
+## New Hardware
+
+### Framework Laptop
+
+This new [Framework](https://frame.work) is great! I've only had it for a few
+weeks, but it is wonderful. I've been slowly sync'ing and migrating workflows
+from my various existing options to it.  Being able to work for multiple hours
+without worrying about battery life is nice.
+
+Previously, the Chromebook I have was my go-to remote personal macine.
+Considering its age, and the inherent limitations of a Chromebook, it served me
+better than I ever could have hoped. However, I knew it's time was drawing
+near, and the Dell I got as part of my work severance was not going to cut it.
+Considering I'm starting a business doing technology, I needed a reliable,
+"all-day" machine with Linux. The ARM-based Macs are incredibly tempting, but
+I am not a fan of Mac. I've been eyeing Framework for a bit now, and their
+newest 13-inch model with AMD components checked enough of the boxen for me to
+dive in.
+
+### Phone
+
+For a while I've been eyeing Mint Mobile. In the US, they have a plan offering
+unlimited text and talk, plus 5 GB of data, for $15 per month. I generally use
+less than 1 GB of streaming data, so this seemed like a clearly better option
+than the $30+ I was paying for Google Fi. When I decided to switch, they had an
+incredible deal offering a Google Pixel 9 plus a year's service for a great
+price, so I not only switched carrier, I also snagged a new phone! I had a
+Samsung S21, which was more than sufficient for my needs, so switching isn't
+quite as significant as with the laptop, but it's still a nice new experience.
+The OS and environment on the Pixel is much nicer than Samsung phones, so
+that's quite the plus!
+
+### NAS
+
+I bought a 2-bay Synology NAS from a friend a few months ago, and with the
+myriad other changes, decided to set it up proper. I setup
+[Navidrome](https://www.navidrome.org/) for audio, and [Jellyfin](
+https://jellyfin.org/) for video. I had previously used Navidrome, then
+switched to Jellyfin for both audio and video, but with the new phone comes a
+return to form. I like [Ultrasonic](https://gitlab.com/ultrasonic/ultrasonic),
+and Navidrome plays nicely with it.
+
+The other big additions with the NAS is more backup scripts, and also pulling
+down some YouTube series I like for local copies. More details in a full post.
+
+## Game Making
+
+Two game jams! One for the entire month of September, [Clone
+Jam](https://itch.io/jam/clone-jam-game-a-month), and a
+[Mini-Jam](https://itch.io/jam/mini-jam-167-cyber). For the Clone Jam, I was
+working on building a ray-casting-based dungeon scavenger, similar to "Legend
+of Grimrock", but with less combat. However, while I have made great progress
+understanding how ray-casting works, and how to implement it, I won't have time
+to finish such a game. That knowledge won't go to waste, though! There's a
+game-jam at the end of October where I intend to make use of it. Instead, I'll
+be touching-up and submitting a clone of Minesweeper I made:
+[TICsweeper](https://vagabondazulien.itch.io/ticsweeper).
+
+For the Mini-Jam, I decided to make a "runner" type game: you maneuver your
+sprite to collect and/or avoid certain projectiles. I also made this game in
+the [TIC-80](https://tic80.com). While I didn't pull any all-nighters, focusing
+on a single project for 72-hours with as little down-time as possible is still
+quite exhausting! My submission was called
+[RUNR](https://vagabondazulien.itch.io/runr). It ranked 48th out of 66
+submissions, which is honestly disappointing, but not enough to demotivate me
+from continuing my game-making journey!
+
+## Game Playing
+
+I finally finished my play-through of Morrowind, and one of its two expansions,
+Tribunal. (Note: before "DLC", new game content for existing games was
+distributed like the game itself, on a piece of data-storing media, such as a
+CD. These were called "expansion packs.") I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in
+The Elder Scrolls III, and I definitely understand why many claim it as their
+favorite. I will talk more about my experience in a full post, just like I did
+for my recent Fallout 3 replay (I mean, just like I _will_. I _WILL!_)
+
+## Business Time
+
+Alas, while game making and playing are great uses of my time, they do not get
+me the resources I need to pay my bills. I continue to work on starting my own
+business. I've met with two mentors, one business and one technology, to help
+get me started and provide guidance. In fact, this week marks what I would
+consider the proper beginning of my business. With some dedication, I'll have
+more exciting news to share about this next time!
+
+## That's All For Now!
+
+I think the original intention of a "Now" page is to be less verbose, but I
+find the monthly cadence of a somewhat comprehensive update to be more
+appealing! Until next month!

_posts/2025-01-03-life-update.md

@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+---
+  tabtitle: "Life in Progress: January, 2025"
+  title: "Life in Progress: January, 2025"
+  topics: [life]
+  pub: 2025-01-03
+  short_desc: "A retrospective of 2024, up to the beginning of 2025"
+---
+
+# Life in Progress: January, 2025
+
+My [now page](/now) is growing too verbose. Instead, I'll leave that page as a
+summary of what this/these page(s) will explore. I'll start with a retrospective
+of 2024, up to now, the beginning of 2025. Maybe a bit of ambitions too.
+
+## 2024 Retrospective
+
+2024 was a significant year. The most notable change being that I was laid off
+in April. The remaining 8 months were quite nice. Before April, the year doesn't
+feel much different or significant. From what I remember, I was stressed,
+unhappy, and overall dissatisfied with my situation. I was in the process of
+saving money to leave, when I was laid off and paid a generous (enough)
+severance. It's nice when the universe solves problems.
+
+Much of April and May was time spent decompressing. A bit too much drinking,
+from what I recall. I began receiving unemployment payments, and looking for
+jobs, though only half-heartedly. I was already decided I would start my own
+business. I also started my playthrough of **Fallout 3**.
+
+At the end of May, I entered into a game jam, and made my first video game,
+[L4-N-DER Training Simulator](https://vagabondazulien.itch.io/lander). One thing
+I do remember from the beginning of the year was speaking with some friends
+about trying to publish a video game on Itch. I made the game using
+[Fennel](https://fennel-lang.org/) and the [LÖVE 2D game
+engine](https://www.love2d.org/). It was incredibly rewarding, and a great
+learning experience. This game would be the first of 5 that I published on my
+Itch page this year.
+
+Much of the summer was spent procrastinating starting my own business, and
+golfing. At the beginning of summer, in June, my grandmother passed away. She
+was about 2 weeks from her birthday, and so we round up and say she lived to 98.
+I spent some time helping to clean and clear up her house too. In the beginning
+of July I traveled to New York City to see Rezz. I also started properly
+exploring WordPress, and working to understand better the business I was still
+going to start. Around August, I began playing **Morrowind** for the first time.
+
+In the fall is when I "got serious" about my business. I signed up for the New
+York State Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP), and through them signed up
+with SCORE to speak with a mentor and begin some small business training. I made
+my first WordPress site, for a relative (and for free). I also entered into 3
+more game jams during this period, publishing
+[TICSweeper](https://vagabondazulien.itch.io/ticsweeper) (a Minesweeper clone
+mde with the TIC-80); [RUNR](https://vagabondazulien.itch.io/runr) (another
+TIC-80 game); and [Escape The
+Crash](https://vagabondazulien.itch.io/escape-the-crash). _Escape_ was based on
+some work of mine over the summer to better understand and implement ray-casting
+in the TIC-80, which I then translated for use in Fennel and LÖVE. At the end of
+fall, my remaining grandmother severely injured herself, placing her in town
+through the end of the year. For the second year in a row, much of the holidays
+would be spent visiting a rehabilitation center (the same one as my first
+grandmother's). Since the pandemic, I don't think I've had a "normal" holiday
+season.
+
+At the end of the year, I formally started my business, [Niblock Technology
+Solutions](https://www.niblock.tech), and began working on websites for two
+additional clients. Exploring this new world has been exciting, and there are a
+lot of new challenges. I love working with others to solve problems, and I'm
+looking forward to it. I'm also beginning work on a second business idea for a
+game shop. I want to build a community space for people to play games, enjoy
+company, and relax. Rounding the year out was my first playthrough of **Deus
+Ex**.
+
+## Now: January, 2025
+
+Now. Plenty of plans and ambitions.
+
+Easiest: I started a playthrough of **Oblivion**. Similar to **Fallout 3** and
+**Morrowind**, my goal is to complete the main story and all DLC's. This time
+around, I explored a new modding setup, using [Lutris](https://lutris.net/) to
+install and manage the game (from GOG), and all the modding tools. For all three
+of these games I want to write up a brief retrospective about my experiences and
+any of the setup required for playing them on Linux. I already have two articles
+for Oblivion ([Part 1](/2021/11/20/oblivion-linux.html), [Part
+2](/2021/12/09/oblivion-linux-2.html)) detailing using Steam and Proton. I think
+the Lutris approach is a bit nicer.
+
+_Escape The Crash_ was fun to make, but it's not done yet. I want to add in a
+floor, sound effects, a skybox, and objectives. And an actual ending condition.
+
+Game-making in general I want to continue. I've started looking into the
+[DragonRuby game engine](https://dragonruby.org/). I also want to learn (more)
+Godot. I have no shortage of ideas, only my regular struggles with motivation
+and focus.
+
+I've fallen into a few bad habits, and my health is worse for them. Its absurdly
+easy for me to put on weight, and equally as difficult to lose it again. At my
+heaviest I was over 320 pounds, and I'm now at a much better 240. I want to
+bring that number down to 200, but I also want to remove as much significance
+from that number as I can. It should be a metric, not a grade.
+
+I've also set for myself several music goals. I want to get better at
+sight-reading, and so I have a goal to read a new piece of music each week. I
+also want to explore music production, and try making my own 45-60 minute mix.
+
+There are the business goals. I need to have an income that supports my
+lifestyle, which means more clients and (hopefully) more businesses!
+
+Finally, I want to write more. I think about writing, but rarely follow-through.
+As all my other ambitions develop, sharing them with the world will help me
+formally catalog my successes. Plus, if I have something useful and helpful to
+share, then I want to!

_posts/2025-01-09-oblivion-lutris.md

@@ -0,0 +1,307 @@
+---
+  tabtitle: "Oblivion on Linux: Lutris Edition"
+  title: "Oblivion on Linux: Lutris Edition"
+  topics: [gaming]
+  pub: 2025-01-09
+  short_desc: "Modding Oblivion on Linux using Lutris and Wine, without Steam."
+---
+
+# Oblivion on Linux: Lutris Edition
+
+I love Oblivion. I've written before about setting up Oblivion on Linux using
+the Steam version, Proton and a handful of aliases: [Part
+1](/2021/11/20/oblivion-linux.html) covers most of the tooling setup, and [Part
+2](/2021/12/09/oblivion-linux-2.html) covers some mods I liked. This setup
+works, though it is a bit of a hassle to manage. It requires running the tools
+individually through aliases from a terminal, which can be intimidating and
+unfriendly. It also requires the Steam version of Oblivion.
+
+When I recently decided to return to Cyrodiil and close some gates, I wanted to
+review my setup, and also my mod list. I discovered that Wrye Bash now does have
+a native Linux application (as does LOOT!). However, I opted to stick with using
+Wine and Windows versions of these applications due to a complication of modding
+Oblivion in general: the case-sensitive nature of the filesystem. On Linux, the
+filesystem is case-sensitive; on Windows, the filesystem is **not**
+case-sensitive. For modding, this means if you extract an archive with a
+`Data/meshes` folder, but your current setup has a `Data/Meshes` directory, on
+Linux you'll end up with two directories: `Data/Meshes` _and_ `Data/meshes`.
+There are solutions to this problem on Linux, namely using an EXT-4 filesystem.
+I don't feel like reformatting my disks, and so I'll let Wine handle it. It may
+mean a slight performance hit, but it's Oblivion - there are **always**
+performance hits. If there aren't performance hits, then you haven't modded the
+game enough yet.
+
+## Setup: Game
+
+I'll be using [Lutris](https://lutris.net) to handle installing and launching
+the game. No more terminal aliases! I'm also using the [GOG version of
+Oblivion](https://www.gog.com/en/game/elder_scrolls_iv_oblivion_game_of_the_year_edition_deluxe_the).
+Lutris allows you to link your GOG account, and easily install games using Wine
+(or native versions, if available!). In Lutris, I install the game to my
+preferred destination, using the default GOG Wine install script. After
+installation, I launch the game once to generate some initial configuration
+files, and verify things work as expected. Before the next steps, there is a
+significant change: the Wine version. In order to use the latest version of Wrye
+Bash through Lutris, I had to change the Wine version from my Lutris default,
+_wine-ge-8-26_, to my latest system version, 9.22. There seems to be a Windows
+API which Wrye Bash relies upon which isn't handled well in Wine versions
+previous to 9.
+
+Lutris can also install from downloaded GOG installers, without having to link
+accounts. Make sure to download all the parts (for Oblivion, there are 3: a
+small EXE, and two BIN files). When installing, make sure all the downloaded
+files are in the same directory. In Lutris, click the `+` button to add a new
+game, and select "Install a Windows game from an executable." Name the game as
+you wish, and add identifier
+`the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion-game-of-the-year-edition-deluxe` for the GOG
+version. It'll pull down nice looking images. On the next screen, click the
+`Install` button next to "Setup file", choose your desired directory, and then
+select the EXE downloaded from the three files above.  Lutris will create the
+Wine prefix, and load the GOG Installer. Make note of the directory you chose
+above for installation (default will be in the Lutris game library directory,
+`Lutris Hamburger Menu` -> `Preferences` -> `Storage` -> _Game Library_), and
+substitute it accordingly below.
+
+Assuming everything is setup and running, the last step here is to note where
+Lutris installed the game. The path to the directory will differ, but the
+directory structure should be similar to the below. The Lutris "Directory"
+(Right-Click -> Configure) value will bring you to the Wine directory (with
+`drive_c`), and from there will be the `GOG Games` directory (or possibly
+renamed; this can be changed during the GOG install process), and then the
+`Oblivion` directory.
+
+```
+Lutris
+ |-> gog
+  |-> the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion-game-of-the-year-edition-deluxe
+   |-> drive_c
+    |-> GOG Games
+     |-> Oblivion
+      |- Data
+      |- Oblivion.exe
+      |- ...
+```
+
+### xOBSE
+
+- [Project Link](https://github.com/llde/xOBSE)
+- [Nexus Links](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/37952)
+
+The Oblivion Script Extender is required for many mods, and should be considered
+essential for anything beyond a strict vanilla playthrough. Download the latest
+version, and extract it to the `Oblivion` directory. When you launch Wrye Bash
+(covered next), in the lower-left corner, on the icon bar, should be a green
+checkbox.  Hovering over it will notify you that OBSE is enabled. Clicking that
+box will toggle OBSE. Generally, make sure it is enabled (checked).
+
+At this point, before any other tools, when you double-click/Play Oblivion, it
+will launch the purely vanilla Oblivion that was installed above. To use OBSE,
+right-click Oblivion in Lutris, choose _Configure_, and on the "Game Options"
+tab, change the _Executable_ by clicking the button with three dots (labeled
+"Select a file") to `obse_loader.exe`. Save the changes, and re-launch.
+
+## Pre-Setup: Tools
+
+Before setting up the modding tools, it is required to run Oblivion once. This
+will generate the INI file.
+
+I also recommend adding the Wrye Bash `bash.ini` file detailed below before
+running Wrye Bash for the first time. By declaring where the executable for
+Oblivion is, Wrye Bash won't try to automatically find it, which can cause some
+troubles or confusion.
+
+## Setup: Tools
+
+I'll be using the following tools. When possible, download the stand-alone
+version of the tool. To make things easy, I use the `GOG Games` directory for
+all the tools.
+
+```
+drive_c
+ |-> GOG Games
+  |- BethINI
+  |- LOOT
+  |- Mods
+  |- Mopy
+  |- Oblivion
+  |- TES4Edit
+```
+
+### Wrye Bash
+
+- [Project Link](https://github.com/wrye-bash/wrye-bash)
+- [Homepage](https://wrye-bash.github.io/)
+- [Nexus Link](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/22368)
+
+Mod manager, and **everything else** launcher in this setup. One of the most
+exciting results of this setup is handling almost all modding management through
+the Wrye Bash UI. From the Project Link, download the stand-alone executable
+from the releases. I extract it to the `GOG Games` directory, which will create
+a `Mopy` directory. Within that will be the executable, `Wrye Bash.exe`. Next,
+in the `Mopy` directory, copy the `bash_default.ini` file to `bash.ini`. Make
+the following changes (or replace `bash.ini` with this information):
+
+```ini
+[General]
+; -- Path to mod directory.
+;    These are relative to the Oblivion directory.
+sOblivionMods=..\Mods
+sBashModData=..\Mods\Bash Mod Data
+sInstallersData=..\Mods\Bash Installers\Bash
+
+; -- Path to the Oblivion directory.
+;    "C:" here is drive_c on our filesystem.
+sOblivionPath=C:\GOG Games\Oblivion
+
+; -- User directory stuff.
+;    "C:" here is drive_c on our filesystem.
+;    Make sure to replace YOUR-USERNAME with your username
+sUserPath=C:\users\YOUR-USERNAME
+sPersonalPath=C:\users\YOUR-USERNAME\Documents
+sLocalAppDataPath=C:\users\YOUR-USERNAME\AppData\Local
+
+[Tool Options]
+; -- TES4Edit
+;    Path is relative to the Oblivion directory.
+sTes4EditPath=..\TES4Edit\TES4Edit.exe
+
+; -- TES4LODGen
+;    Path is relative to the Oblivion directory.
+sTes4LodGenPath=..\TES4LodGen\Tes4LODGen.exe
+
+; -- LOOT
+;    Path is relative to the Oblivion directory.
+sLOOT=..\LOOT\LOOT.exe
+```
+
+In this configuration, the relative paths are relative to the `Oblivion`
+directory (where the game executable is). For all remaining tool setup, modify
+the paths in this configuration to match the paths for the tool executable (or,
+rename the tool directories, which is what I prefer).
+
+This is where the magic happens: within Lutris, right-click Oblivion and choose
+_Configure_. On the "Game Options" tab, change the _Executable_ by clicking the
+button with three dots (labeled "Select a file"), and choose the `Wrye Bash.exe`
+executable in the `Mopy` directory. Save the configuration, and
+double-click/Play Oblivion. This time, Wrye Bash will start up (**Remember:**
+This will not work on versions of Wine older than 9!).
+
+At this point, when you want to play Oblivion, you will open Lutris, and launch
+"Oblivion." This will launch Wrye Bash. You can then click the Oblivion icon in
+the lower-left icon bar to launch the game. As additional tools are configured,
+they will appear in the lower-left icon bar (everything except BethINI). To use
+the tool, you'll run it from Wrye Bash.
+
+### LOOT
+
+- [Project Link](https://github.com/loot/loot)
+- [Homepage](https://loot.github.io/)
+
+LOOT handles mod load order. Another application with a native Linux version. I
+had previous run into some bugs, but everything looks to work as expected now.
+Despite that, I still download and use the stand-alone Windows version (the
+archive from the releases, not the EXE). I extract it to my `GOG Games`
+directory, and rename the directory (or edit the `bash.ini` file) so the
+executable is where my Wrye Bash configuration expects it.
+
+If setup properly, when you run Wrye Bash, in the lower-left corner will be a
+bar full of icons, one of which will be a little treasure chest. Clicking it
+will launch LOOT. From there, sort the order, and then close LOOT. Wrye Bash
+will refresh, and you can continue on. LOOT will also notify you of any "dirty"
+mods, which can be cleaned using TES4Edit (see below).
+
+### TES4Edit
+
+- [Project Link](https://github.com/TES5Edit/TES5Edit)
+- [Homepage](https://tes5edit.github.io/)
+- [Nexus Link](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/11536)
+
+I'm still not a mod creator, so my uses of TES4Edit are limited to "quick
+cleaning." From the project page or Nexus, download the latest version, and
+extract the archive to the `GOG Games` directory. Rename the directory or edit
+the `bash.ini` file so Wrye Bash can find it; restart Wrye Bash to verify. Wrye
+Bash doesn't include a dedicated short-cut for the "Quick Auto Clean" option,
+instead you have to right-click on the TES4Edit short-cut (or the TES4LodGen
+short-cut), and choose "Quick Auto Clean". Choose the mod to clean from the
+list, click OK, and let the program do its work.
+
+### TES4LODGen
+
+- [Project Link](https://github.com/TES5Edit/xLODGen)
+- [Homepage](https://tes5edit.github.io/docs/16-xLODGen.html)
+- [Nexus Link](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/15781?tab=description)
+
+This will generate LOD files ahead of time, allowing for more distant objects to
+be shown as you adventure around Cyrodiil. Download the archive, and extract it
+to where Wrye Bash expects it, either changing the directory name or updating
+the `bash.ini` file accordingly. After mod installation is complete, click the
+icon from the icon bar to generate the LOD files.
+
+### BethINI
+
+- [Nexus Link](https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46440)
+
+`BethINI` helps manage the "oblivion.ini" file, providing sane options and a
+wizard for configuration. This is the only tool that is not run from Wrye Bash.
+However, it's still pretty easy to work with. Download the stand-alone archive,
+extract it to the `GOG Games` directory.
+
+To run the tool, in Lutris single-click on Oblivion. A bar should appear with
+some additional details about Oblivion, including some buttons: one will say
+"Play", and one will look like a wine glass; each will have a small button with
+an up-facing arrow. Click the arrow button next to the wine glass button, and
+select "Run EXE inside Wine prefix." Navigate into `drive_c`, then `GOG Games`,
+and into the directory you just set up for BethINI, and select `BethINI.exe`.
+
+Wrye Bash does allow for custom application short-cuts, but it requires creating
+a Windows shortcut `.lnk` file, and I cannot figure out an easier way to do
+that than to just run it from Lutris.
+
+## Post-Setup: Tools
+
+Verify each tool runs as expected. Conveniently, all the Bethesda DLCs are
+"dirty," so LOOT will notify you, and then you can clean them. Run BethINI,
+generate LOD files, and run the game from Wrye Bash. Praise Todd.
+
+## Mods
+
+Wrye Bash on Windows can install mods from an archive, but with this setup that
+functionality is unreliable. Instead, I extract the mod archives manually before
+installing them with Wrye Bash. For each mod that I want to use, I'll create a
+directory in the `Mods -> Bash Installers` directory, and extract the mod
+archive into that directory. Then, within Wrye Bash, on the "Installers" tab, I
+can install mods as expected.
+
+For actually using Wrye Bash, I recommend [laulajatar's
+guide](https://www.shrine-of-kynareth.de/wrye-bash-for-beginners-part-1-installation-and-installers-tab).
+Obviously, you can skip the installation steps for both Wrye Bash and OBSE.
+There is also the [Wrye Bash
+Manual](https://wrye-bash.github.io/docs/Wrye%20Bash%20General%20Readme.html).
+
+## Lutris Setup: Problems
+
+The significant problem with this setup is no way to alt-tab away from the game.
+To make things even more inconvenient, playing in a windowed mode also doesn't
+work, and shows only a black screen with audio. I haven't done an exhaustive
+trial of options and mods yet to try and fix this, because it isn't a major
+problem to me.
+
+The second inconvenience is as I mentioned above, with Wrye Bash not installing
+mods directly from archives. Again, not a major problem to me.
+
+I suspect that both of the problems can be resolved with some Wine tweaks.
+
+## Lutris Setup: Benefits
+
+What this setup gets right is ease of use, and ease of replication. All tools
+(except BethINI, for now) and the game are run from Wrye Bash. No juggling
+multiple application entries, aliases, or special setups. Plus, all tools, mods,
+and the game itself are all within the Lutris directory, making multiple setups
+a breeze: just copy the directory. In Lutris, you can then duplicate the entry
+(Right-Click -> Duplicate), and edit the executable (Right-Click -> Configure ->
+"Game options" tab -> _Executable_) to point to the new directory.
+
+## Lutris Setup: Next-Steps
+
+The most useful next step would be automating this process, by building a Lutris
+install script. Also, resolving the alt-tab and windowed problems above.

_topics/life.html

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+    title: life
+    tabtitle: "Life Posts"
+---
+
+{% include topics.html %}

_topics/other.html

@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
----
-    title: other
-    tabtitle: "Other Posts"
----
-
-{% include topics.html %}

now.md

@@ -2,104 +2,20 @@
   layout: corrupt_now
   tabtitle: Now
   author: Bill Niblock
-  pub: 2024-09-24
+  pub: 2025-01-03
 ---
 
-# Life In Progress, as of {{ page.pub }}
+- The Holiday Spirit made me a bit too jolly! After many cookies and cocktails,
+  it's time to get active, and fix some bad food habits. Again.
 
-- New hardware: laptop, phone, and NAS
-- **TWO** game jams!
-- Finishing up Morrowind
-- SEAP/Self-Employment Progress
+- My business, [Niblock Technology Solutions](https://www.niblock.tech),
+  continues to move forward. I have a second client! Next, I want to work on
+  expanding my offerings, and improve my coverage.
 
-## New Hardware
+- I've begun a playthrough of one of my favorite games, **The Elder Scrolls IV:
+  Oblivion**. I'm very happy with the modding setup I've got this time around,
+  and look forward to writing up the details!
 
-### Framework Laptop
-
-This new [Framework](https://frame.work) is great! I've only had it for a few
-weeks, but it is wonderful. I've been slowly sync'ing and migrating workflows
-from my various existing options to it.  Being able to work for multiple hours
-without worrying about battery life is nice.
-
-Previously, the Chromebook I have was my go-to remote personal macine.
-Considering its age, and the inherent limitations of a Chromebook, it served me
-better than I ever could have hoped. However, I knew it's time was drawing
-near, and the Dell I got as part of my work severance was not going to cut it.
-Considering I'm starting a business doing technology, I needed a reliable,
-"all-day" machine with Linux. The ARM-based Macs are incredibly tempting, but
-I am not a fan of Mac. I've been eyeing Framework for a bit now, and their
-newest 13-inch model with AMD components checked enough of the boxen for me to
-dive in.
-
-### Phone
-
-For a while I've been eyeing Mint Mobile. In the US, they have a plan offering
-unlimited text and talk, plus 5 GB of data, for $15 per month. I generally use
-less than 1 GB of streaming data, so this seemed like a clearly better option
-than the $30+ I was paying for Google Fi. When I decided to switch, they had an
-incredible deal offering a Google Pixel 9 plus a year's service for a great
-price, so I not only switched carrier, I also snagged a new phone! I had a
-Samsung S21, which was more than sufficient for my needs, so switching isn't
-quite as significant as with the laptop, but it's still a nice new experience.
-The OS and environment on the Pixel is much nicer than Samsung phones, so
-that's quite the plus!
-
-### NAS
-
-I bought a 2-bay Synology NAS from a friend a few months ago, and with the
-myriad other changes, decided to set it up proper. I setup
-[Navidrome](https://www.navidrome.org/) for audio, and [Jellyfin](
-https://jellyfin.org/) for video. I had previously used Navidrome, then
-switched to Jellyfin for both audio and video, but with the new phone comes a
-return to form. I like [Ultrasonic](https://gitlab.com/ultrasonic/ultrasonic),
-and Navidrome plays nicely with it.
-
-The other big additions with the NAS is more backup scripts, and also pulling
-down some YouTube series I like for local copies. More details in a full post.
-
-## Game Making
-
-Two game jams! One for the entire month of September, [Clone
-Jam](https://itch.io/jam/clone-jam-game-a-month), and a
-[Mini-Jam](https://itch.io/jam/mini-jam-167-cyber). For the Clone Jam, I was
-working on building a ray-casting-based dungeon scavenger, similar to "Legend
-of Grimrock", but with less combat. However, while I have made great progress
-understanding how ray-casting works, and how to implement it, I won't have time
-to finish such a game. That knowledge won't go to waste, though! There's a
-game-jam at the end of October where I intend to make use of it. Instead, I'll
-be touching-up and submitting a clone of Minesweeper I made:
-[TICsweeper](https://vagabondazulien.itch.io/ticsweeper).
-
-For the Mini-Jam, I decided to make a "runner" type game: you maneuver your
-sprite to collect and/or avoid certain projectiles. I also made this game in
-the [TIC-80](https://tic80.com). While I didn't pull any all-nighters, focusing
-on a single project for 72-hours with as little down-time as possible is still
-quite exhausting! My submission was called
-[RUNR](https://vagabondazulien.itch.io/runr). It ranked 48th out of 66
-submissions, which is honestly disappointing, but not enough to demotivate me
-from continuing my game-making journey!
-
-## Game Playing
-
-I finally finished my play-through of Morrowind, and one of its two expansions,
-Tribunal. (Note: before "DLC", new game content for existing games was
-distributed like the game itself, on a piece of data-storing media, such as a
-CD. These were called "expansion packs.") I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in
-The Elder Scrolls III, and I definitely understand why many claim it as their
-favorite. I will talk more about my experience in a full post, just like I did
-for my recent Fallout 3 replay (I mean, just like I _will_. I _WILL!_)
-
-## Business Time
-
-Alas, while game making and playing are great uses of my time, they do not get
-me the resources I need to pay my bills. I continue to work on starting my own
-business. I've met with two mentors, one business and one technology, to help
-get me started and provide guidance. In fact, this week marks what I would
-consider the proper beginning of my business. With some dedication, I'll have
-more exciting news to share about this next time!
-
-## That's All For Now!
-
-I think the original intention of a "Now" page is to be less verbose, but I
-find the monthly cadence of a somewhat comprehensive update to be more
-appealing! Until next month!
+- I have a goal to improve my music sight-reading skill, and plan to do so by
+  reading a new piece of music each week. I've started off with some Bach, and
+  will likely continue with him for a bit.