Today’s learning covered creative computational techniques and practical system administration solutions.

Algorithmic Fantasy Map Generation

Generating fantasy maps explores sophisticated algorithms for creating realistic fantasy world maps programmatically.

Core Techniques:

Terrain Generation:

  • Heightmap generation: Using noise functions (Perlin, simplex) to create realistic elevation
  • Erosion simulation: Hydraulic and thermal erosion for natural-looking landscapes
  • Climate modeling: Temperature and precipitation based on latitude, elevation, and proximity to water
  • Biome placement: Logical distribution of forests, deserts, grasslands based on climate

Procedural Details:

  • River networks: Flow accumulation algorithms to create realistic river systems
  • Coastline generation: Fractal techniques for natural-looking shorelines
  • Mountain ranges: Plate tectonics simulation for believable geological features
  • Vegetation patterns: Ecological modeling for forest distribution

Applications:

  • Game development: Procedurally generated worlds for RPGs and strategy games
  • Worldbuilding: Tools for authors and tabletop RPG creators
  • Educational tools: Understanding geography and climate systems
  • Artistic projects: Generating maps for fictional stories and campaigns

Technical Implementation:

The algorithms combine mathematical models with artistic principles to create maps that feel both realistic and fantastical, suitable for fictional worlds while maintaining geographical plausibility.

Disabling Laptop Internal Keyboard

Ubuntu solution for disabling laptop’s internal keyboard provides multiple approaches for temporarily or permanently disabling the built-in keyboard.

Method 1: xinput (Temporary)

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# List input devices to find keyboard ID
xinput list

# Disable the internal keyboard (replace XX with actual ID)
xinput float XX

# Re-enable when needed
xinput reattach XX 3

Method 2: Blacklisting Kernel Module (Permanent)

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# Find the keyboard module
lsmod | grep keyboard

# Create blacklist file
sudo echo "blacklist atkbd" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-keyboard.conf

# Update initramfs and reboot
sudo update-initramfs -u

Method 3: udev Rules (Selective)

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# Create udev rule to ignore specific keyboard
sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/99-disable-internal-keyboard.rules

# Add rule content:
# SUBSYSTEM=="input", ATTRS{name}=="AT Translated Set 2 keyboard", ENV{DEVNAME}=="*event*", RUN+="/bin/sh -c 'echo remove > %S%p/uevent'"

Use Cases:

  • External keyboard preference: Using mechanical or ergonomic keyboards exclusively
  • Cleaning and maintenance: Preventing accidental input during laptop cleaning
  • Damaged keyboards: Temporary solution while awaiting repair
  • Kiosk deployments: Preventing unauthorized input in public terminals

These methods provide flexibility for different scenarios, from temporary disabling for maintenance to permanent solutions for dedicated workstation setups.