https://s20.postimg.io/bkmf1euff/DSC_0007.jpg

The laptop now just sits there humming away, all it is running is an SSH server and I am using it right now to store files, but I will also put a witness node on it, which as I progress with my steemportal app development, will dramatically accelerate how fast the interface works. I think that I will in fact try putting together a debian package for these two, and have it as an option to install it as well. With nearly zero network delay, and around 2Mbit connection currently (I will get a cat6e crossover cable to link between the two, which will increase the network to at least 100Mbit - I am not sure if the laptop has gigabit, or about 9MiB/s transfer rate. ), I can do things to the laptop, run servers, etc.

I have automated scripts on the fitlet (the little thing just to the right of the monitor) such that, I turn this machine on, and I have to unlock my secure home folder on it, and then I can log in, and I have scripts set up now that automatically replicates my home folder on the laptop, as my data has quite big value, to me, at least, and the various certificates and keys I have, cannot be lost. The laptop is now a passive servant. It just sits there and waits for me to remote control it.

I was going to make the laptop my main workstation, but no matter what I did, I couldn't get the damned vga output to put a full resolution display on the monitor. So I had to rethink my configuration a bit. The laptop screen I can't really use, I mean, I can, but I can't work with it on this monitor at the same time anyway. So it saves its more meagre memory resources from running a GUI, and I can run storage servers on it, that store data for me. SSH makes it really easy to do backups. I could be using Git or something, but I don't see the need to go that far with it just now. I already keep my software projects in a Git repo, so I can trace back changes if I need to. 

Anyway, as you may also be able to see, I have a dark theme set up for my steemit.com. The quick bar at the top still renders with white backgrounds though, I hope they will change that so it's completely controlled by CSS. I will probably submit a request at the steemit.com github.

**Edit**

I just thought about the need to be able to kill the laptop remotely too. Now one command and it shuts down. When I get my connectivity better organised, I will get a dynamic DNS and find an app for my phone and access and kill it remotely as well. I should think about some other security features too. Like perhaps if there is three failed logins on the text console, it shuts itself down.  I don't think that is hard to implement, but it would confound any efforts to get any information out of the device. I guess I will probably run maidsafe on it as well, and sync my home folder that way as well. Then I just need the key for that securely stored somewhere and I will be fully protected against loss of my data, while probably getting paid some for storing other people's data as well (or pay for storing my data it in effect by storing other data for others). 

But for now this is pretty danged secure. I don't need the laptop running when I'm not here anyway, for now, since I carry my internet connection with me. I just have to also log into the text console and it has a GUI installed and my home folder in there replicated. In fact because I have this bandwidth issue, now I can go find some places nearby where I can get bigger faster data to for example initial sync a witness node. I haven't got the replication going two way yet, but I will do that when I start doing this sort of thing. Then I will also have that data backed up on two machines in case I have to reinstall something (Or even, put it on another, upgraded machine).