Adventures In Small-Time Tech Tubing

Solving the case of a mysterious $300 PayPal deposit, taking a look at Epic's new vibe-coded Linux launcher, lusting over Axera's 16-core Arm DGX Spark competitor, checking out a homebrew ethernet audio interface built specifically for Linux, and a quick look at the weird product review offers currently chilling in my inbox.Head over to the Interfacing Linux forums to join the discussion.SUPPORTPatreon ▶ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/interfacinglinux⁠⁠Other ▶ ⁠https://interfacinglinux.com/sponsorships/⁠SOCIALXitter ▶⁠ ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/intlinux⁠⁠⁠Discord ▶ ⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/rW3hAV923Y⁠⁠⁠YouTube ▶ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@InterfacingLinux⁠⁠⁠Twitch ▶ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitch.tv/interfacinglinux⁠CONTACTEmail ▶ ⁠⁠https://interfacinglinux.com/contact/⁠⁠TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro00:05 A mysterious $300 PayPal deposit 01:33 Tracking down the sender 02:24 The bait and switch 03:45 Hello, and welcome back to another IntPOD! 05:05 Why are TechTubers experimenting with Linux?07:58 Epic’s vibe-coded Linux game launcher 15:09 Axera's 16-core Arm DGX Spark competitor16:26 Sipeed MaixBlade X422:05 Review offers from my inbox 26:05 Ethernet audio interface prototype eth6831:13 BiliBili vs YouTube  SHOW TOPICSEpic Game Launcher MK2https://interfacinglinux.com/community/linuxgaming/installing-official-epic-game-launcher-beta-on-linux/AX8860 AI SBCshttps://interfacinglinux.com/community/sbchardware/axera-anounces-a-dgx-spark-competitor-ax8860-ai/Ethernet audio interface https://naturalsystems.io/eth68

This episode covers a bit of everything: Chase away the “idea people,” what I’ve been up to with Interfacing Linux, doing sponsored videos, negotiating with hardware companies, and why getting free hardware isn’t quite the same thing as getting paid.I also get into the latest SBC and ARM nonsense, including new RISC-V boards, CIX 8180 hardware, Steam on ARM, Epic potentially bringing its launcher to Linux, and why having Fortnite on Linux could actually be a pretty big deal.And finally, a look at YouTube’s monetization requirements, the realities of growing a small tech channel, and why I’m still not watching Shorts.SUPPORTPatreon ▶ ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/interfacinglinux⁠⁠PayPal ▶ ⁠⁠https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=ZMNJFJULR8WJY⁠⁠Wishlist ▶ ⁠⁠https://throne.com/interfacinglinux⁠⁠One Time ▶ https://interfacinglinux.com/sponsorships/SOCIALX ▶ ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/intlinux⁠⁠Discord ▶ ⁠⁠https://discord.gg/rW3hAV923Y⁠⁠YouTube ▶ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@InterfacingLinux⁠⁠Twitch ▶ ⁠⁠https://www.twitch.tv/interfacinglinuxCONTACTEmail ▶ ⁠⁠https://interfacinglinux.com/contact/⁠⁠TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro00:17 Chasing off your audience03:30 Catching up and cookin 04:37 Banana Pi BPI R4 timeline 05:07 NVIDIA vs Rockchip 05:45 Thunderbolt eGPUs on Linux 06:25 Proxmox coming to ARM! 07:06 I got an NVIDIA SBC, not that one 08:04 Landing my first sponsored video 11:01 Multi-video projects 13:56 New RISC-V SBCs weren't that great 16:41 Raxda and the mini Orion O6 18:18 Steam released an ARM client for Linux20:18 Epic is working on a Linux client 21:53 Fortnite on Linux might happen 24:05 New YouTube monetization requirements

Do “Winbro proof” Linux reviews make sense in 2026? My native ARM port of Sonic Unleashed somehow turned into a high-frequency teenager repellent. The 2026 SBC drought, a looming US consumer router ban, and the Banana Pie R4 Pro going through my gauntlet of nope.SUPPORTPatreon ▶ ⁠https://www.patreon.com/interfacinglinux⁠PayPal ▶ ⁠https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=ZMNJFJULR8WJY⁠Wishlist ▶ ⁠https://throne.com/interfacinglinux⁠SOCIALXitter ▶ ⁠https://twitter.com/intlinux⁠Mastodon ▶ ⁠https://mast.interfacinglinux.com/@interfacinglinux⁠Discord ▶ ⁠https://discord.gg/rW3hAV923Y⁠YouTube ▶ ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@InterfacingLinux⁠Twitch ▶ ⁠https://www.twitch.tv/intlinux⁠CONTACTEmail ▶ ⁠https://interfacinglinux.com/contact/⁠TOPIC LINKSLTT Linus vs Linux ▶ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kluoZ9RhmVoSonic on ARM ▶ https://interfacinglinux.com/2026/03/26/sonic-unleashed-running-natively-on-arm-linux-is-wild/BPI-R4-Pro ▶ https://docs.banana-pi.org/en/BPI-R4_Pro/BananaPi_BPI-R4_ProCOMMENTSFeedback ▶ https://interfacinglinux.com/community/intpod/linux-2026-no-longer-for-weirdos/TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro00:01 The Linus Tech Tips Linux challenge 01:05 The problem with PopOS02:19 When your co-host known Linux03:09 The failures were pretty tame03:29 Problems with normies running Linux 04:51 Hello! And welcome back. 05:12 No new single board computers in 202606:55 Building a XBOX 360 game on ARM Linux 07:23 What is Sonic Unleashed Recomp 07:50 Two strange comments on my latest video08:19 I accidentally created a sonic weapon10:09 BPI-R4-Pro Router Board review unit arrived 10:30 The US just banned all foreign routers 11:30 The BPI-R4-Pro needs time to cook 12:07 First rule of OpenWRT club13:27 Comments! Smoke and FIRE! 14:17 Banana Pi PCB build quality 14:47 Have a witty retort?

When was the last time you visited a forum?A simple question about adding a front panel USB C hub to a motherboard without a Type E connector got me thinking about how differently we answer questions now. Discord replies are fast. Forum replies used to sit in your brain for a day or two while you worked out the best answer. Turns out that might be something we lost along the way.Also in this episodeFive months of Interfacing Linux projects including the Orange Pi 6, Dragon Q6A, a Ryzen AI mini PC, a goth hedgehog, and a FireWire ZIP drive.Behind the scenes reality of TechTube which mostly involves answering emails from marketing and PR departments.Upcoming hardware nonsense including the BPI R4 Pro router and a possibly terrible idea involving an AMD Xilinx Alveo MA35D media encoder and OBS.Plus an upcoming Linux LTO tape backup project and where I actually buy audio gear without paying new gear prices.If you would like to support my work on Interfacing Linux:Patreon ▶ https://www.patreon.com/interfacinglinuxPayPal ▶ https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=ZMNJFJULR8WJYWishlist ▶ https://throne.com/interfacinglinuxSOCIALXitter ▶ https://twitter.com/intlinuxMastodon ▶ https://mast.interfacinglinux.com/@interfacinglinuxYouTube ▶ https://www.youtube.com/@InterfacingLinuxTwitch ▶ https://www.twitch.tv/intlinuxCONTACTDiscord ▶ https://discord.gg/rW3hAV923YForums ▶ https://interfacinglinux.com/community/Email ▶ https://interfacinglinux.com/contact/TIMESTAMPS 00:00 A thought about thinking 02:55 It's only been what? Five months?04:20 Reviewing an insane ARM router 05:00 Asking AMD for enterprise video encoder07:22 Archival backups at home on Linux 09:04 Finding affordable recording equipment in 202612:00 Avoiding monitor reviews 12:26 Thanks for all the support over the past few months! 13:23 A place for upcoming Interfacing Linux projects 14:04 LTT vs Linux watch party next week, maybe?

Going live for the first time in 2025, TechTube view counts crashing due to ad blockers, bizarre PR email about a Raspberry Pi 5, a 1991 Radio Shack ad showing a recording setup in your pocket, and my NAS kit review sample literally exploded.Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/interfacinglinux⁠YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@InterfacingLinux⁠Website: ⁠https://interfacinglinux.com/Timestamps:00:00 Intro00:09 Going live for the first time in 202501:52 A decade of podcasting02:05 Rethinking streaming live setup and new gear 06:04 Welcome to episode 1 of IntPOD06:25 Tech-Tuber view counts hit by adblockers08:30 Why view count is super important 09:58 Story: Asking Intel for a GPU review sample11:26 A sketchy Raspberry Pi 5 review offer, scam?14:56 90’s Radio Shack ad has everything you need to get started 16:03 You don’t need to buy new equipment starting out 19:16 Publishing your content is the only way forward 21:09 What to do when the review sample EXPLODES 23:45 A Linux gaming PC headed my way for review24:26 Thoughts, hints, suggestions? Story Links:Tech-Tube crash: https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2025/digging-deeper-youtubes-view-count-discrepancy1991 Radio Shack: https://www.trendingbuffalo.com/life/uncle-steves-buffalo/everything-from-1991-radio-shack-ad-now/

In the first episode, I talk about working with companies as a small Tech Tuber, from honest gear offers to sketchy review demands. Then I chat about Valve’s Fremont appearing on Geekbench, modern digital effects pedals, and Framework’s upgradeable laptop GPU.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/interfacinglinuxYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InterfacingLinuxWebsite: https://interfacinglinux.com/Timestamps00:00 Intro00:08 About the podcast00:31 My background in media production01:10 Origins of Interfacing Linux 02:06 Why make a podcast?02:20 My history with YouTube content creation02:43 Trying to make a proper Tech Tube channel 02:59 You get a lot of free products 03:17 Documenting what goes on behind the scenes03:34 The two types of companies that offer review samples 03:53 The good 04:42 The bad04:55 Companies reach out to you 05:17 Free stuff for a video review05:25 They only want a review video06:43 Beware the second email 07:46 Advice for review emails 08:56 Finding a compromise with the company 11:00 Welcome to In Exchange For Review 11:31 Mr. Ting and the Mele mini PC 14:41 Willing to negotiate? 16:17 Some of the good from Ice Whale 16:37 ZimaBlade DIY NAS kit 18:32 I want some of a product 18:49 Hey, I need a NAS anyway 20:29 Tale of the mystery review sample 21:23 Careful with your personal information 24:36 Vintage digital effects pedals 26:35 BOSS effect pedal runs plugins 27:45 Challenges making a DIY effects pedal 28:33 Is Valve working on a living room gaming console?29:53 Valve Freemont appears on Geekbench30:53 Quest for the PC living room console 32:11 It's all about the price 32:34 Upgradable laptop GPU from Framework 34:44 Next week: Getting the computer-2 and dodgy Amazon sellers