Computer

Your computers are tools you can use to produce valuable content for our global cloud of artificial intelligence. Productivity causes prosperity. There is a whole new world of information we are creating in the cloud. The global cloud is made of many public and private clouds. Most people are influenced by the AI. Some people participate in creating it. You can be one of the people creating the global cloud of artificial intelligence if you want to be.

Startup

Pressing the power button on your computer case sends a small electrical signal through a wire connected to the power supply unit (PSU). The PSU, which, if it is plugged in, is connected to the electrical grid, receives the signal from the power button. The PSU converts the AC (alternating current) from your wall socket into regulated DC (direct current) voltages necessary for the computer components, primarily +3.3V, +5V, +12V, -12V, and sometimes a +5V standby voltage which is always on, even when the computer is off.

The PSU sends these DC voltages through various connectors to the motherboard and other components like the hard drive, optical drives and fans. The power good (PWR_OK or PW_OK) signal is crucial here; it’s a signal from the PSU to the motherboard indicating that the voltages are stable. The CPU will not be powered until this signal is received.

The motherboard receives power which then distributes it to various components via traces on the PCB. Critical components like the clock generator, voltage regulators and the chipset start receiving power.

The clock generator chip on the motherboard starts oscillating to produce clock signals. Clock signals are essential for synchronizing all operations within the computer. They dictate how fast data moves between components. The CPU, GPU and other devices all depend on these signals.

The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) or UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) firmware, stored in a chip on the motherboard, begins executing. A Power On Self Test (POST) is run by the BIOS/UEFI. It checks the presence and functionality of hardware like memory, CPU, storage devices and video cards. If any issue is detected, it might beep with specific patterns or display error messages. Memory tests occur to ensure RAM is functional.

Once POST is satisfied, the CPU and GPU start receiving power more fully. The CPU receives its core voltage through the voltage regulator module (VRM) on the motherboard. It begins executing the initial boot loader code from BIOS/UEFI stored in non-volatile memory.

If it’s an integrated GPU, it shares power with the CPU; if discrete, it gets its power from the PCIe slot and sometimes additional connectors from PSU. The GPU starts initializing its own set of tests and configurations.

The system continues booting, loading the operating system from the storage device into RAM. Control is handed over from UEFI to the operating system’s bootloader, which then loads the OS kernel into memory. The OS takes over, initializing drivers, starting services and finally presenting the login screen or desktop.

Throughout this process, there’s a complex interplay of hardware signaling, voltage regulation and firmware execution to transition from cold, unpowered electronics to a fully operational computing system. Each step is contingent on the success of the previous, ensuring that all components are ready before moving to the next phase of system initialization.

The Motherboard

The motherboard of your desktop, laptop, tablet or smart phone, sometimes called a “mainboard,” is the central printed circuit board (PCB) in a computer. It’s the backbone that connects and integrates all other components of the computer.

The CPU Socket is where the Central Processing Unit (CPU) is installed. The socket type must match the CPU (e.g., LGA 1200 for Intel, AM4 for AMD). It provides the electrical interface for the CPU to communicate with other components.

The chipset includes the Northbridge and Southbridge (in older designs) or a combined PCH (Platform Controller Hub) in modern systems. Northbridge traditionally handles communications between the CPU, memory and graphics. Southbridge manages slower I/O devices like USB, SATA and PCIe slots for expansion cards.

RAM modules are inserted are inserted into Memory Slots (RAM Slots), typically DDR4 or DDR5 slots. These slots are connected to the CPU or Northbridge for high-speed data access.

Graphics cards, network cards, sound cards, etc., are plugged into expansion slots called PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) slots. Like PCI, legacy slots might still be found on older boards, but are less common now. SATA ports are for connecting hard drives and SSDs. NVMe SSDs plug into M.2 slots, providing faster data transfer rates.

ATX Power Connector is the main power supply connection. CPU Power Connector provides additional power directly to the CPU. There are other connectors for peripherals like fans or RGB lighting.

An I/O Panel includes USB ports, audio jacks, Ethernet port, PS/2 ports (for keyboard and mouse) and sometimes HDMI, DisplayPort or VGA for video output.

A BIOS/UEFI chip stores firmware that controls the boot process, manages hardware settings and provides a setup interface for users to configure system parameters.

The capacitors, resistors and voltage regulators on the mother board manage power distribution and stability, ensuring that various components receive the correct voltage. A clock generator provides the clock signals that synchronize all operations within the computer. A battery (CMOS Battery) maintains the BIOS settings and keeps the system clock running when the computer is off.

How the Motherboard Works

When you turn your computer on, the PSU supplies power to the motherboard via the ATX connector. Voltage regulators on the motherboard stabilize and distribute this power to all components.

The BIOS/UEFI initializes the POST (Power-On Self-Test) to check hardware integrity. If everything passes, it looks for a boot device to load the operating system. The BIOS/UEFI also enables you to configure various hardware settings, overclocking, fan control and boot order.

UEFI loads a boot loader into the CPU. The boot loader loads the Kernel into the CPU and then, the Kernel takes control and turns on systemd. systemd loads and controls all other processes.

The CPU communicates directly with the RAM for quick data access. The chipset (Northbridge/Southbridge or PCH) facilitates communication between the CPU and other peripherals like storage, USB devices and expansion cards.

Data travels along the traces of the Printed Circuit Board (PCB), managed by the bus architecture (e.g., PCIe for high-speed devices). The Southbridge or PCH handles slower I/O communications. Expansion slots allow for additional functionality through cards like GPUs, which connect through high-speed PCIe lanes for direct CPU communication.

Headers for fan control help manage the cooling of the system, with temperature sensors feeding data back to manage fan speed. Features like debug LEDs, speaker headers for POST beep codes or diagnostic cards can be used to troubleshoot hardware issues.

In essence, the motherboard orchestrates the symphony of components in a computer, ensuring they work together effectively by managing power, data flow and providing connectivity. Its design, chipset and features determine the capabilities, performance and upgrade potential of your computer.

The Bus

The bus of a computer is a communication system, using both wires and the printed circuits on the PCB, which enables data transfer between different components or devices within the system. It acts as a pathway or a network of electronic connections, allowing data to be shared and exchanged between various parts of the computer, such as:

• Central Processing Unit (CPU)
• Graphical Processing Unit (GPU)
• Memory (RAM)
• Storage devices (hard drives, solid-state drives)
• Input/Output (I/O) devices (keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc.)

The bus plays a crucial role in facilitating data communication and coordination between these components, enabling the computer to perform tasks and execute instructions. An internal bus, connects components within a computer’s chassis, such as the CPU, memory and storage devices. An external bus connects peripherals and devices outside the computer’s chassis, such as keyboards, mice and printers.

Buses can be either parallel (multiple wires carrying data simultaneously) or serial (data transmitted one bit at a time). An address bus carries memory addresses, allowing the CPU to access specific locations in memory. A data bus transfers data between components. A control bus handles control signals, such as read/write operations and interrupts. Examples of Computer Buses:

• AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)
• PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)
• PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express)
• ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)
• EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture)
• VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association)

A bus in a computer is a vital component that enables data communication and coordination between various parts of the system. It can be internal or external, parallel or serial and plays a crucial role in the computer’s ability to process and execute instructions.

Digital Art

Creating digital art is one good way to produce valuable content. Learning how to code and creating applications for computers and smart phones is another valuable skill. All kinds of robots, P-computers or probablistic computing and quantum computing are upcoming technologies that seems to be poised to revolutionize technology and artificial intelligence from now on.

You do not need any credentials to be a computer scientist. You can learn how to do computer science by reading manuals and tinkering with your computer. It will take time and effort. Self-motivation is required. No one is going to force you to be productive.

Spend at least an hour taking care of your spirituality every day. Eat lots of healthy food. Avoid processed food. Qigong is my favorite exercise. Yoga is a great alternative. Then, get busy being productive. Add value to our one universal commonwealth. Read lots of technical manuals. Focus your attention on developing a few skills and talents. Definitely more than one, but not too many.

Get your computer set up as a high-performance development center. I’ve been buying and reading a lot of books about various aspects of computer science. I’m learning this stuff by reading books, watching videos and using the software. My objective is to make it as easy as possible for you to learn how to use your computers to amplify your creativity and productivity. My stories compliment the manuals, they do not replace them. Read the documentation of the programs you use.

I’ve been interested in and tinkering with computers for at least 50 years. One big advantage of working on computer science, rather than human nature is, I do not need to have any credentials to write about computers and creating your own private enterprise in your own home office, using free and open-source software. I’m not a doctor or lawyer. I am a teacher. My stories are valuable information that you can read and watch to help you improve yourself.

I am not a professional computer programmer. I have been investigating how Linux works and using it in my own home office for more than 20 years now. I am more of a content creator than a computer programmer. The more people using free and open source software the more and faster it will improve. Each person adds their own talents and interests, which makes it more useful and valuable for everyone.

I approach computer science from the graphical desktop, because I do not understand how to use the terminal very well, yet. I figure a lot of other people are in similar circumstances. I am slowly learning how to use the terminal, and I write about what I learn as I go. I focus on the graphical tools you can use to create content in your holistic home-office. KDE is a powerful, graphical desktop environment. GTK is a high performance alternative.

My stories are probably not the most up to date and accurate information you can get, at least to start with. My stories, both written and videos, are pretty amateur. They are good stories, with valuable information for anyone like me, who is willing to seek the truth and work fast, smart and safely to create your own private free enterprise.

Knowing what questions to ask and how and where to find the answers is valuable information. I’m working on making it a lot easier for you to get started using free and open-source software in your free enterprise, than it has been for me.

I’ve been using Brave web browser and search engine to do research. I learn a lot by asking ChatGPT and Grok questions and using the answers to help me write stories. Some of my stories are made of conversations I have with ChatGPT, Grok, Leo or other instances of artificial intelligence. I present my experience here as an example you can follow and learn from. I expect you to explore the global could of artificial intelligence and find your own path. I hope you come back here every once in a while and read this high performance, free and open source education.

Some applications have good documentation, and some don’t. I do not want to duplicate the documentation that is already available about individual applications. I will work on improving the documentation. In other words, my stories do not replace the manual, they compliment the manuals and make them more understandable. A lot of times, reading the manual is like reading a dictionary, very useful, but not very interesting. I describe the applications and how to use the applications together with each other, in your high-performance, holistic home office.

HomeLab

You can use an old desktop computer, or you can purchase server blades on eBay to set up a rack of servers in your home office. You can also use Akamai Linode to back up your files. Use NextCloud or OwnCloud to set up your network filesystem on your own homelab or on your remote server, such as Linode.

This is a long-term project. It is a complicated puzzle of complicated puzzles. Take your time. Study, learn and have fun building your own custom platform for your artificial intelligence. Build a high-performance computing ecosystem, with and for your whole family. Set up a BitCoin mining operation with your excess capacity. Investigate Ansible and learn how to automate a lot of the routine procedures you need to do to maintain your platform.

You can do just about everything in your homelab. You can host your own websites. Set up a development environment, with a git repository for recording your work and collaborating with other developers, for building applications and creating content. The one thing I recommend doing on remote servers is backups, in case your home office is destroyed in a fire or flood, etc. Github repositories are very popular.

Proprietary Software

Having many options for commercial software is a good thing. Microsoft, Amazon, Apple and Google each have their own private cloud of artificial intelligence that you can subscribe to and use in your holistic home office. If you want to use them, then investigate them and learn how you can use them in your own free enterprise. Big corporations make some really cool technology.

Creators of software deserve to get paid for their work. Respect their private property and their creative freedom. What they don’t have a right to do, is lock you into a culture of dependence, where the corporation has power and control over the software and can use the software to control and manipulate the people who use the software. Gathering your private information and selling it to advertisers is a grievous violation of the universal human rights of their customers.

Free and Open Source Software

The free and open-source alternatives are another option you can choose from. There are many different distributions you can use. The main benefit of using free and open-source technology is that you get to be the artist. And you do not have to trade your private information for the subscription to the proprietary software.

Free and open-source software is kind of communistic. No one owns free and open-source software. You still have to have a subscription to a particular distribution or application, which is updated regularly by the maintainers of the software. Thankfully, there are thousands of volunteers working on improving all kinds of free and open-source software.

The benefit of community ownership is that the community keeps the software up to date and many computers using the same software enables the computers to understand each other. They are compatible with each other because, they are using the same language.

Your Own Private Software

I would still like to see an operating system that recognizes the purchaser as the owner of the software. The license would designate the software as private property, sold to the purchaser. There would have to be some mechanism for keeping the software up to date and compatible with all the other computers.

The BSD license comes closest to doing so right now. During the last month or so, I’ve been noticing a lot of videos about FreeBSD on YouTube. Perhaps soon, I’ll be able to make the move to BSD. Take control of your computers by owning your hardware and your software. My main computer is in the shop getting FreeBSD installed on it. So now, I will finally be able to investigate it and find out if it is a good alternative to Linux.

I have GhostBSD installed. For some reason it does not have access to the networking card. So, I have no connection to the Internet on that system. I have Pop!_OS installed on my other SSD and I’ve been using that for the time being.

I’m also hearing that Microsoft is pressuring computer manufacturers to lock the hardware, so that it will only run Windows. It’s a good thing that Pop!-OS, Kubuntu and KDE Slimbooks, et. al., are coming out with computers with Linux installed natively.

We ought to have the option of getting any combination of subscriptions to one or more big tech proprietary software ecosystems, or one or more distributions of free and open-source software, or you could buy your own private computers and develop your own private cloud of artificial intelligence. You can create your own customized instance of NextCloud on Akamai Linode, so you can log into your own private, centralized file system from any computer, anywhere in the world. In any case, your privacy and free enterprise should be defended, nurtured and cultivated by law.

I’m not advocating anarchy. There needs to be some form of the rule of law governing computer science and artificial intelligence. The rules of law just need to protect the interests of individuals, families, small businesses and big businesses.

Computers are just tools you can use in your free enterprise, to help you create something valuable. We can use them to amplify our free enterprise, or we can use them to try to control each other. Holistic Home Office can help you get started being a do it yourself computer programmer, digital craftsman and artisan in addition to whatever your specialty is. Read several of the stories at homeoffice.studio and watch many of the videos to benefit from this very advanced education.

You are the CEO of your own free enterprise. You can be a farmer or network marketer, you can work for a big corporation or a small business. No matter what your professional circumstances are, exercising your holistic home office talent is valuable activity.

Sometimes you will hire a specialist to do these skills for you. That is okay. Improve your interdependence. Maximize your detachment from anything except God, your independence from anyone except God. Minimize your dependence on anyone or anything other than God. Continuously improve yourself. Be a high performance, do it yourself, holistic home office based, capitalist entrepreneur.

Photo by Victoria Gnatiuk - iStock
Video by Bob Mccoy using Samsung Note 9