Increasing the size of the system partition

I have a MINIX NEO Z83-4.  It's a great idea for a small cheap lightweight computer.  Not really got enough SSD to run Windows 10 properly however.  Only 29G.  The EFI System partition was only 64M.

I've always had problems updating Windows 10: basically it always tries and fails to update.  So I'm way behind on security.  Recently I got a scary notice after failing to update saying that my computer couldn't run Windows10 and that this version was being end of lifed in a couple of weeks.  So I thought I should do something about it.

The actual error I got this time from Windows Update was "Couldn't update System Reserve".  Googling around I found this which seems to match my problems:
http://www.minixforum.com/threads/couldnt-update-system-reserve.17218/
That links here as a way of fixing the problem
http://www.minixforum.com/threads/it-is-possible-to-install-windows-creator-update.16565/

I downloaded the partition tool that was suggested https://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html

I tried to follow the original instructions for resizing the partition, but I came across the same problem that others had: I had a 'Reserved Partition' that was unmovable so I couldn't expand the 'EFI System partition'. 

As you can see from the image I have compressed the main windows partition 'Data Partition' and created 386M free space to expand the 'EFI System partition' into, but the highlighted partition is fixed and cannot move.

Reading through the posts some people have deleted this reserved partition (as I was tempted to do) and the computer doesn't boot any more. I found I was able to effectively move the reserved partition using the windows tool 'diskpart' and this then allowed me to expand the EFI System partition.  Here's how:

1. Delete the 16M Reserved Partition that was preventing me from expanding the EFI System Partition (I recreate it later)
2. Now I expanded the EFI System Partition using the free partition wizard. Making sure to leave at least 16M free between the EFI System Partition and the Data Partition though because I needed to recreate the Reserved Partition there
3. Apply the changes you want to make by hitting the 'Apply' button
4. open a cmd window (hit the windows key, then type 'cmd' and it should highlight cmd, then press enter
5. I had a play about with diskpart to work out what to do. I just typed help for a list of instructions. To create the reserved partition I did this

1. list disk
2. select disk 0 (or the disk number you need to change)
3. list disk (you should see a '*' next to the disk you need to change)
4. create partition msr (This is the money shot. msr is 'microsoft reserved partition' and it will create it in the 16M space you have just created.)
5. Now refresh your partition wizard and you can see it's been created.

I still need to find some more space to actually install the update, but at least the system partition should be large enough now.

Installing free walking maps on Android with OruxMaps (app) and OpenAndroMaps (data)

Using the OruxMaps app and OpenAndroMaps worldwide map data, you get outstanding maps on your phone for free.

The downside is it's a bit fiddly to setup.  So here goes

Install OruxMaps
How hard can this be?  Well bizarrely, you can't just install it from the Google Play store because it 'violates the payments policy'.

• Google Search 'oruxmaps'
• Click on 'oruxmaps.com'
• scroll down to 'Current version (7.2.1)' or later
• Tap to download OruxMaps7.2.1.apk (.apk files are Application PacKage files used to install applications.  Google play usually deals with all this but you have to download it manually with Oruxmaps)
• 'This type of file can harm your device.  Do you want to keep it anyway?' click OK
• Click OK to open OruxMaps7.2.1.apk once downloaded.  (you can also access this from the 'downloads' app.
• Chrome Security 'Your phone is not allowed to install unknown apps from this source' select 'Settings'. 
• 'Install unknown apps', select 'Allow from this source' (we will revert it once Oruxmaps is installed to reinstate security).
• Hit back button 
• OruxMaps 'Do you want to install this application? It does not require any special access' select 'Install'
• Select 'Done' when app installed
• Now reinstate security (may be slightly different on your Android, but make sure you do this step): Settings, Apps & notifications, Advanced, Special app access, Install unknown apps, chrome, deselect to stop unknown apps being downloaded from Chrome.

Open OruxMaps

• Confirm you understand the software is as is 'OK'
• Allow access to files your device 'Allow'
• Confirm that you have noted some 'known problems' 'accept'
• Choose to donate if you want to (you can do this now or at a later stage when you realise how fantastic a tool that the community are creating here.
• Authorize access to files you need to do this to access the maps you download

Download and Install Rendertheme

This is where it gets a little unintuitive and is usually the bit where people give up.  Please stay with us :-) 

In addition to the raw map data, you need a 'rendertheme' that tells OruxMaps how to display the raw map data, and of course you need that raw map data.

• Google 'openandromaps' and go to www.openandromaps.org
• Sausage menu (3 lines top right), map downloads, countries and regions (Select the map region)
• Now look for the blue 'Install Rendertheme' bar, and click that.  (We'll come back to downloading the actual maps later)
• Scroll down to 'Elevate 4', Quick install in Android', 'OruxMaps'.  It should open OruxMaps and install the rendertheme :-)

Download and Install detailed country maps

Now actually install the maps

• Go to www.openandromaps.org
• Sausage menu (3 lines top right), map downloads, countries and regions (Select the map region)
• This time, look for the country/region's map you want, but DON'T download it.
• Hit the + buttone then hit 'Android Install on Oruxmaps'
• 'Map loaded OK' should appear shortly after.

Testing and Enable 'Elevate Rendertheme'

• Enable Airplane mode (ensures you aren't using the internet)
• Navigate map to the area you have downloaded.  
• You may need to change maps using the 'Switch Map' icon (second right on the top); select 'OFFLINE' and choose map.  You can see your downloaded map now (hopefully)

You won't see contour lines so you need to enable the 'Elevate Rendertheme'

• Sausage menu (3 lines top left), Mapsforge theme, Elevate.

Now you should have all the contours and paths you want.  Enjoy!

Basic OruxMaps Usage

• A very basic map of the world comes pre-installed
• 'Target' (top right) - turns GPS tracking on/off and locates you on the map
• Pan with 1 finger
• Zoom with 2 fingers
• Sometimes the 'Menu' bizarrely becomes invisible!  Touch the top of the screen and a magic menu appears.

RiscV Instruction Disassember

Debugging a RiscV processor in a waveform viewer?  You need to disassemble the instructions you see flowing down the pipelines.  To convert the 32bit encodings to sensible assembler instructions you can understand, use this:

RiscV instruction disassembler: updravt.com

Creating a virtual Linux machine on Windows

1. Download virtualbox 
• https://www.virtualbox.org/
• Download the latest version of the 'windows host' 'platform package'
2. Install VirtualBox
• Use the default settings
• 'Continue Anyway' on the windows logo warnings
3. Download Linux *.iso file.  If running 32bit windows download 32bit isoEither
• If running 32bit windows download 32bit iso
• Search Internet to find out if running 32bit windows
• If running 64bit windows download 64bit iso
• Download either
• Ubuntu: https://www.ubuntu.com/download/server , or
• CentOS: https://www.centos.org/download/
4. Run VirtualBox
5. Create Virtual Machine
• New / Name: / Type: Linux / ~Version (Ubuntu or RedHat, 32 or 64) / OK
• Use defaults for everything else
6. Use .iso for VM drive so it can boot from it
• Select VM
• probably selected already
• Settings/Storage/Click on 'cd/dvd' image on the 'Empty' line below 'Controller IDE'
• Attributes/Secondary IDE Master/ Click on CD image to the right
• Choose virtual optical disc file ... / point to *.iso file /OK
7. Press Start button to boot from *.iso

Adding Google Play store to an Amazon Fire tablet

https://www.howtogeek.com/232726/how-to-install-the-google-play-store-on-your-amazon-fire-tablet/

Option 1

Works perfectly for me :-)

13 reason's why M'era Luna's better than Glastonbury

1. Flushing Toilets
2. Cheaper: Glastonbury 2016 £229 (3 days), M'era Luna 2016 €94 (2 days)
3. Contemporary music.  Not just loads of has-beens pumping out the music that was great 20 years ago but less so now, and also the musicians themselves have lost the edge somewhat.
4. Better music.  OK this is obviously subjective, but I prefer the Mera Luna music.
5. Age diversity.  The full spectrum of ages attend, participate and enjoy it: 16-70.  (OK M'era Luna probably fails on all other types of diversity.)
6. Groups not couples.  Groups of friends can no longer attend Glastonbury tickets are sold in pairs and are basically a lottery, so only a few of a group of friends can attend.  Everyone walks around Glasto in pairs not groups :-(
7. Clothing.  EVERYONE makes an effort at M'era Luna.
8. Showers.  Yup Showers at M'era Luna
9. M'era Luna timetable published on your app weeks before the event, so you can plan it.
10. All acts start and stop on time.  So you can watch, and plan to watch two favourite bands that are on back to back on different stages.
11. Only 2 stages, right next to eachother, so no hours of traipsing through the mud against the flow of people to the next venue.
12. One of the stages is inside an old aircraft hangar.  Dry if it rains and atmospheric during the day.
13. No Litter.  €1 deposit on drinks containers. €5 deposit on an empty camping bin.
14. Everyone's lovely.  Well that's true of Glastonbury too though :-)

Buy a Chromebook from Amazon.com not Amazon.co.uk and save 40%

So I wanted to buy the cheap and cheerful Acer Chromebook CB3-111 for both of my big kids.  The spec seems OK for low usage i.e. just for them.  (We have 5 people always logged in with multiple tabs on our main 'kitchen' chromebooks so they need more poke.)

The price on amazon.co.uk is currently £179.99 + £0 Shipping ($273.17 today), whereas on  amazon.com it is currently $149.99 + $45.06 Shipping & Import Fees Deposit to United Kingdom ($195.05 or £128.48).

That is a staggering extra 40% to buy in the UK even after shipping and import fees!

So I bought two of them from the US.

These are the differences between the US and the UK Chromebooks I bought:

• US version has a us keyboard: no £ button, # and " moved around.  Also no 'Alt-Gr' which makes getting the £ & € symbols trickier.
• US version has a US power connector.  However the power supply works equally well the UK and the US.  I bought a US to UK power adapter like this one which works perfectly.  An alternative would be to buy a replacement power cable like this one. A white cable would look better.
• UK version cost 40% more than the US version after shipping and tax.
• US version took 2 weeks (14 days) from order to delivery.  It actually wasn't even shipped for the first week.

OK I'll get off my soapbox now.

If you want to know what Chromebooks are available and what there specs are.  I use this comparison website.