How to Log into a Frontier FiOS or Frontier Internet Router

howchoo   (467)

August 11, 2023

5 minutes

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• 
  Frontier Router Login
• 
  Change Frontier WiFi Password

Need to log into your Frontier FiOS or Frontier Internet router to change settings or apply updates? This guide will show you how to log into your router using the default IP address, username, and password.

1 – Connect to your Frontier network

Connect to your network using either a wired (LAN) or wireless (WiFi) connection.

2 – Open a browser and navigate to your router’s IP address

In your browser, navigate to http://192.168.1.1. This is the router gateway for your Frontier router.

A login screen should appear. If it doesn’t, then the IP address for your particular model might be different. If this is the case, look at the sticker on the back of the router to identify your model and use the corresponding IP address below:

3 – Enter username and password

Use your Frontier router credentials to log in. For most routers, the default administrator password is located on a sticker on the side of your router:

Username: admin
Password: (your password)

For some routers, the username and password will vary. Find your model below to find your Frontier router login info:

You’re logged in!

4 – Changing your Frontier router password

Now that you’re logged in, you might as well change the default password to something more secure.

If the default password is in use and written on the router, anyone with access to your house can gain access to your router configuration, which is far worse than gaining access to the network itself!

To change the default administrator password, click Change Admin Password in the left navigation.

How to Change Your Frontier WiFi Password

howchoo   (467)

November 25, 2023

RetroPie: Build Your Own Raspberry Pi Retro Gaming Rig

howchoo   (467)

August 11, 2023

32 minutes

What you’ll need

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Series

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B x 1

USB gamepad x 1

MicroSD card, 32GB x 1

Raspberry Pi 4 power supply x 1

Raspberry Pi 4 Flirc case x 1

HDMI cable x 1

Micro HDMI adapter x 1

MicroSD card reader x 1

Screwdriver, Phillips x 1

Howchoo is reader-supported. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no cost to you when you buy through our links.

Posted in these interests:

Raspberry Pi

pi • 92 guides

Retrogaming

retrogaming • 29 guides

RetroPie

retropie • 17 guides

• 
  RetroPie FAQ
• 
  RetroPie Splash Screens
• 
  RetroPie Setup
• 
  RetroPie ROMs
• 
  Adding ROMs
• 
  RetroPie Controllers
• 
  RetroPie Themes
• 
  RetroPie Scrapers
• 
  Saving Games

For around 50 bucks, you can build your very own vintage gaming rig that will hook up to any HDMI-enabled TV or monitor. This guide will show you everything you need to do to get playing.

For this build, we’re going to use RetroPie, an awesome software package that handles all your emulation needs.

What is RetroPie?

RetroPie is a software library used to emulate retro video games on the Raspberry Pi computer. It’s one of the most popular Raspberry Pi projects out there and the most popular emulation system for the Raspberry Pi. RetroPie features a user-friendly interface and an even friendlier setup process.

RetroPie runs Emulation Station and supports all major retro video game emulators, allowing you to play games from the NES, SNES, Genesis, Atari, and more on your Pi, thus becoming your own Raspberry Pi emulator. I always wondered why the developers called it RetroPie instead of RetroPi… but I digress.

Which Raspberry Pi should I use for RetroPie?

Any Raspberry Pi model can run RetroPie, but I recommend using the Raspberry Pi 4 since its more powerful GPU, CPU, and RAM capabilities will maximize the range of games you can play. I recommend the 2GB version of the Raspberry Pi 4; RAM doesn’t matter too much beyond a certain point for emulating retro games. In other words, at a certain point, the limitation is on CPU and GPU, not RAM.

1 – Place your Raspberry Pi into its case

The Raspberry Pi ships by itself, without a case. I recommend you buy a case to avoid damaging your Pi. Using a screwdriver, place your Raspberry Pi into its case. Some cases do not require the use of a screwdriver — however, I prefer cases that use screws to secure the Pi for extra stability.

If you’re using the Raspberry Pi 3 or 4, I recommend choosing a case with a built-in heatsink. I highly recommend this FLIRC case since it provides passive cooling for the Raspberry Pi 4. Basically, the entire case is a giant heatsink, keeping your Pi cool. There’s also a version for the Raspberry Pi 3.

If you don’t use a passive cooling case, you’ll want to pick up a case that comes with heatsinks. If you’re using a Raspberry Pi Zero, you can also use an NES cartridge as a case for your RetroPie gaming rig.

Pi Cart: a Raspberry Pi Retro Gaming Rig in an NES Cartridge

2 – Download the RetroPie SD-card image

RetroPie is a software package for the Raspberry Pi that is based on the Raspberry Pi OS, a Linux distribution. It combines a full suite of tools and utilities that will allow you to quickly and easily run retro game ROMs for various vintage gaming emulators.

We’re going to perform our RetroPie setup using an SD card image — essentially a snapshot of an entire working installation of RetroPie rather than doing a manual RetroPie install.

Because the Raspberry Pi doesn’t have an internal hard drive, it uses a microSD card for storage of the entire operating system and all files contained therein.

To set up RetroPie, Download and unzip the latest RetroPie SD-Card Image. There are two versions of the RetroPie SD-Card Image:

• One for the Raspberry Pi Zero, Zero W, A, B, A+ and B+
• One for the Raspberry Pi 2 and Raspberry Pi 3
• One for the Raspberry Pi 4

Select the appropriate image for your Pi.

3 – Format your SD card to work with Raspberry Pi

First, you’ll need to format the SD card as FAT. Insert the SD card into your SD card reader. Your SD card will now show up as a mounted drive on your computer.

Format Type

If your SD card is 32GB or smaller, we’ll format it as MS-DOS (FAT). If your SD card is 64GB or larger, we’ll format it as ExFAT.

Formatting on Windows

Open up Explorer, locate the SD card, right-click it, and select Format from the context menu. Select the desired format and click the Start button.

Formatting on Mac

Open Disk Utility by navigating to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility. Select your SD card in the left pane. Click the Erase button, select the desired format, give it a name, and click the Erase button. For OS X Yosemite and older, you’ll need to navigate to the Erase tab first.

4 – Install the RetroPie image

To install RetroPie, we’ll use a third-party utility called Etcher. Etcher works on both Windows and Mac.

Download and install Etcher, open it, and select your SD card drive and downloaded image to “flash” the image to your SD card.

5 – Put the SD card into your Raspberry Pi and connect your peripherals

Safely eject the SD card and slide it into your Raspberry Pi.

Next, connect your USB game controller and connect the HDMI cable to a monitor or TV. Finally, connect the MicroUSB power supply. Always connect the power supply after connecting your other peripherals so that your Pi will detect all of the peripherals properly on boot.

Your Pi will now boot!

6 – Connect your Pi to the Internet

I recommend connecting your Pi to the Internet to more easily add game ROMs and access additional features such as game rating and description scraping. Also, connecting the Pi to your network will allow you to access it remotely via SSH to perform remaining configuration without needing a keyboard.

If you have a Raspberry Pi Zero W, 3, or 4, you have built-in Wi-Fi!

To connect, simply select the RetroPie menu icon and then select WIFI.

Then, connect to your Pi remotely via SSH by opening Terminal (Mac) or Command Prompt (Windows) and then running:

How to Connect to a Raspberry Pi Remotely via SSH
The preferred (and most common) method of connecting to your Pi to run commands.

ssh pi@retropie
# default password: raspberry

Note: If you’re using an older Pi or one without built-in Wi-Fi, you can still transfer ROMs via USB. But if you still want to add Internet functionality to one of these older Pis, simply connect an Ethernet cable or USB Wi-Fi dongle.

How to Add ROMs to RetroPie Using a USB Drive

7- Expand your SD card to utilize all usable space

If your SD card is larger than 4GB, you must expand it before your Pi can use the remaining space. To do this, you’ll need to launch the Raspberry Pi configuration tool (raspi-config).

You can use the Retropie interface to do this. On the main screen, select the RetroPie menu icon and then select RASPI-CONFIG.

Then, choose either Expand Filesystem or expand_rootfs from the menu (this option will vary based on your Raspberry Pi model). You now need to restart your Pi. You may have noticed there’s no reset button (unless you’ve added one).

8 – Connect to your Pi

We now need to connect to your Raspberry Pi from your computer so that we can copy over game ROMs and easily edit configuration files.

Again, this step is optional as you can also transfer ROMs via USB and accessing your configuration and other additional features isn’t strictly required.

There are numerous ways to do this; my favorite method is via SSH/SFTP using an FTP client. As far as free FTP clients go, I recommend FileZilla since it’s very well documented and supported and is available for both Mac and Windows.

Download FileZilla from their downloads page and install it. I recommend you uncheck all the “additional components” that FileZilla will ask you to install, such as the Yahoo search page and toolbar crap.

**Note: As of the latest version of Raspberry Pi OS, SSH is disabled by default for security purposes; you will need to enable SSH on your Pi before proceeding. Thankfully, this process is super easy and painless.

Use the following credentials to connect to your Pi. The default Pi username and password are pi and raspberry, respectively.

Host:  (see below)
Username: pi
Password: raspberry
Port: 22

For security purposes, I highly recommend you change the default Raspberry Pi password to something else. It only takes a minute.

How to Change the Raspberry Pi Password

To find your Pi’s IP, open Terminal (Mac) or Command Prompt (Windows) and enter the following command to ping your Pi and return its network IP:

ping retropie

or, for older versions of RetroPie, use:

ping raspberrypi

It may take a few tries to get a response. If you see a “Request timeout” response when you run the ping command, then the command has failed. If you have a USB keyboard handy, you can boot up your Pi, press F4 to get to the shell, and run the following command:

 ifconfig

This alternate method will list your Pi’s IP immediately after inet addr: under eth0.

9 – Configuring your controller

You’ll now want to configure your USB gamepad to work with your Pi. I recommend the Buffalo Classic USB Gamepad since it’s inexpensive, highly compatible with the Pi, and comes in sweet Japanese packaging. You can find an Amazon link to that USB controller at the top of this guide.

You can use any type of USB controller — including a USB NES controller, though your games are more limited since it has fewer buttons than most newer games use.

Be sure to check out our guide to the best RetroPie controllers!

The Best RetroPie Controllers – Top 10 (2023)
Don’t skimp on your RetroPie controller—get the best!

To configure your controller to work with the menu system and games, boot up your Pi. Your Pi will automatically launch the RetroPie UI where you will be prompted to configure the controller. If you mess up, don’t worry — you can access this configuration menu again later by pressing Start in the RetroPie UI.

10 – Finding game ROMs

A ROM is an entire port of a particular video game. RetroPie contains a copy of EmulationStation, which both provides the user interface for your new retro gaming rig and interprets these ROM files appropriately. RetroPie comes with a few games preinstalled — such as Quake, Duke Nukem 3D, and Cave Story. These games are best played using a keyboard, however, since the gamepad doesn’t have enough keys to map the controls for some PC-ported games. You can emulate just about any console using the built-in RetroPie emulators.

A Legal Note

Most retro games are owned by a company (yes, even the very old ones!) and are protected by copyright laws. Thus, unfortunately, downloading ROMs for those games constitutes piracy.

While you can find tons of RetroPie ROMs on any Torrent site, keep in mind that you should not download any copyrighted titles.

Where to Find and Download RetroPie ROMs (Free and Legally)
Let’s find something to play!

Free ROMs

Luckily, there are some free ROMs out there that we can use for now! MAMEdev.org has a nice list of these free, legal ROMs. We’ll use these as examples and you can find more ROMs on your own.

Our list of the best of the video games from the year you were born contains links to some old arcade ROMs.

Let’s use Gridlee and Super Tank as examples. Download each ROM.

11 – Installing game ROMs

ROMs can be installed via SSH/SFTP (over your network) or by plugging a USB flash drive into your USB port. Additional methods for copying ROMs to RetroPie can be found on the RetroPie Wiki.

I wrote a separate guide on installing RetroPie ROMs using a USB drive. Or, if your Pi is connected to the internet, you can use the instructions below.

How to Add ROMs to RetroPie Using a USB Drive

Reconnect FileZilla and browse to the following directory:

/home/pi/RetroPie/roms

Unzip each game ROM and upload each game folder into its respective game system folder. For example, if you had a Super Mario Bros 3 ROM, you would upload the game’s folder into the “nes” directory.

Gridlee and Super Tank go in the “mame” directory since MAME handles the arcade emulation for most vintage arcade-style games that don’t belong to a specific home video game system such as the NES, SNES or Atari.

After you’ve copied these directories over, restart your Pi.

12 – You’re ready to play!

Your Pi will boot into RetroPie automatically. Bask in the glory of simple graphics, bolstered by highly addictive gameplay. Whether you’re playing on your couch or building a RetroPie arcade cabinet or bartop arcade, I hope this guide was helpful to you!

Looking for that perfect controller?

Want a great classic or contemporary controller to play those new RetroPie games? Check out our list of the best PC gaming controllers that will work with your new setup.

The 10 Best PC Gaming Controllers (2022)
Customize your PC gaming experience.

13 – Exiting an emulation (game)

To exit a game, press the START and SELECT buttons at the same time. This will bring you back to the RetroPie UI.

14 – Saving a game

Check out my other guide on saving games in RetroPie to learn how to save and load saved games!

How to Save and Load Saved Games in RetroPie
No more marathons. Unless you want to.

15 – Optional: Back up your Raspberry Pi’s SD card

Now that everything is configured and working splendidly, I recommend you back up your Raspberry Pi’s SD card image. This way, if you’re feeling adventurous and want to attempt some further Retropie customizations, you have a safe restore point.

I’ve written a short guide on how to back up your Raspberry Pi.

16 – Questions?

Post in the comments section below and I’ll be sure to help you out. Also, stay tuned for more guides on customizing your RetroPie installation.

Did you know you can play games on RetroPie with your friends? Check out our guide to learn how to set up multiplayer on RetroPie.

How to Run a Minecraft Server on the Raspberry Pi

howchoo   (467)

December 7, 2023

How To Install OptiFine in Minecraft

howchoo   (467)

August 11, 2023

8 minutes

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Have you ever wanted Minecraft trees to look less blocky, but don’t want to install multiple mods to do so? What about seeing the water animated and clear? Both are possible, courtesy of a mod called OptiFine! This optimization mod allows Minecraft to run faster and look better with full support for HD textures, and paired with shaders, can change how your Minecraft world feels.

Not only does OptiFine add leaf texture to trees, it also adds swaying movement to foliage and lanterns. Plus, it turns grass blocks dynamic, so you no longer need to see excessive dirt on the side of mountains due to the limitations of the vanilla grass block. Even a non-modded Minecraft world can use OptiFine! This guide will go through the steps and to installing OptiFine with the Minecraft launcher.

1 – Download OptiFine

To install OptiFine, you’ll need to download the OptiFine JAR file from their website. Make sure to choose the latest version of Optifine that matches your game version.

1. Click the Download button to the right of the OptiFine version you want.
2. On the next page, you may need to wait for the Skip Ad button to appear after five seconds.

1. Click the Download OptiFine link in the middle of the next page.
2. We recommend saving OptiFine somewhere you can find it later.
3. Depending on your browser, you may need to click Keep or Allow if a warning pops up stating that OptiFine might be dangerous. Which, as long as you’re downloading from OptiFine’s official website, it’s not.

2 – Find your Minecraft file path

Before moving into the actual installation of OptiFine, it’s important to know where your Minecraft game is installed. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Open the Minecraft Launcher.
2. Make sure the launch option is the game version you plan on using with OptiFine.
3. Go to the Installations tab at the top of the window.
4. Hover your mouse over the game version you want to find and click the folder icon to the right of the Play button. See the image below for help.

5. The file path that opens in a new window is where you’ll install OptiFine in the next step!
6. Once finished, close the Minecraft Launcher.

3 – Install OptiFine

Return to where you downloaded OptiFine onto your computer. Double-click to run the OptiFine setup file.

1. In the window that pops up, click the ... button and go to the file path you found in the previous step.
2. Click Install on the OptiFine Installer window.
3. A new window will pop-up to confirm OptiFine has been installed. Click the Okay button to close the installer.

If you can’t open OptiFine to install it, then you’ll need to download Java SE Development Kit 16. On this page, choose the installer for your operating system.

4 – Finish setting up the Minecraft Launcher

It’s time to make sure everything is working properly and configure the Minecraft Launcher with OptiFine.

1. Reopen the Minecraft Launcher.
2. Click the drop-down menu for Launcher Options at the bottom left of the window, as shown in the image above.
3. Choose OptiFine.

You’re now ready to begin playing Minecraft! Click Play and enjoy an upgraded version of Minecraft!

If you’re interested in adding more customization to your game, follow our guide on how to install shader packs to your Minecraft game as well!

Top 10 Enchantments in Minecraft

howchoo   (467)

March 25, 2024

How to Install Raspberry Pi OS on Your Raspberry Pi

howchoo   (467)

August 11, 2023

8 minutes

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The Raspberry Pi Foundation recently announced the release of Raspberry Pi OS—a new update and name change for the classic Raspberry Pi operating system Raspbian. Raspberry Pi OS is available for installation immediately and comes with everything you need to support the new Raspberry Pi 4 8 GB module. If you want to install the new OS, there are a couple of ways you can do it.

Be sure to back up your current Raspberry Pi image before you upgrade to the new OS—just in case something goes wrong. You can visit our guides on how to back up your Pi image on Windows or Mac for help with this process.

1 – Install using Raspberry Pi Imager

You can easily install Raspberry Pi OS using the Raspberry Pi Imager. This is an official imaging application that makes the microSD card flashing process much easier and more welcoming to new users. You can find a thorough overview of how to use the Raspberry Pi Imager here.

How to Use Raspberry Pi Imager
New official Raspberry Pi imaging software.

1. Download the Raspberry Pi Imager installer for your Operating System from the Raspberry Pi downloads page.
2. Run the installer and complete the setup by following the prompts.
3. Launch Raspberry Pi Imager and click Choose OS.
4. Select Raspberry Pi OS from the list.
5. Click Choose SD card and choose the microSD card you want to flash the new OS to and click Write.

When the imager is finished, you can connect your microSD card to the Pi and boot it up.

2 – Using third-party imaging software

You can also use third-party imaging software to write the Raspberry Pi OS image to a microSD card. Turn off the Raspberry Pi, remove the SD card, and connect it to your computer.

There are several options when it comes to imaging software, a popular application known to work well with Raspberry Pi images is Etcher. This program can be used to flash any compatible image to the microSD card for your Pi.

1. Download and install the imaging application of your choice.
2. Download the Raspberry Pi OS image from the Raspberry Pi downloads page.
3. Point the imager to the Raspberry Pi OS image file and set the microSD card to the one you want to use for your Pi.
4. When the image has been flashed, you can test it by connecting it to the Pi and trying to boot.

3 – Troubleshooting

There are a few issues you’re likely to run into while trying to set up the new Raspberry Pi OS.

OS Not Loading

If the Raspberry Pi OS image isn’t booting, format the SD card and try to image it again. If it still won’t boot properly, make sure the SD card is large enough. You may want to revert to Raspbian Buster to determine if the issue is with the OS or the Pi hardware.

Incompatible Software

You may find that some software is completely incompatible with the new OS. You can wait for the developers to update the program to work with the new changes or revert to an older edition like Raspbian Buster.

Imaging Issues

If you receive an error when trying to image the microSD card, research the error verbatim online to determine exactly what the problem is. If you can’t find anything specific to your issue, make sure the microSD card is big enough to support Raspberry Pi OS. You may need to try formatting the card before trying to reimage it.

Next: Learn how to install dropbox on Raspberry Pi.

How to Run a Minecraft Server on the Raspberry Pi

howchoo   (467)

December 7, 2023

How to Set a Completely Custom Slack Notification Sound

howchoo   (467)

August 11, 2023

8 minutes

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slack • 5 guides

The notification sounds in Slack leave much to be desired. From harsh thumps to the word “hummus” spoken out loud—these are some seriously grating audio bites to take in throughout the day. A bad notification sound can make a simple message a stressful reminder that your attention has been interrupted. That’s why we’re here to help! Improve your workflow by adding a custom notification sound.

Slack doesn’t officially support custom notification sounds. We can get around this by overwriting one of the existing Slack sound files. All you need is an mp3 file and about 5 minutes. In this guide, I’ll show you how to set a custom Slack notification sound for both Windows and macOS.

1 – Customize the Slack notification sound on macOS

First, open Applications. Right click on Slack and choose Show Package Contents.

Navigate to Contents > Resources. This location stores the notification files used by Slack.

Your replacement file needs to be an .mp3 with the exact same name as the file you want to replace. For example: knock_brush.mp3. Once you have your file ready prepared, place it in the Resources folder to override the existing file. Make sure to back up the original sound files so you can easily restore them if necessary.

If your file is not an mp3, visit this guide to learn how to convert any audio file to an mp3.

Restart the Slack desktop application.

2 – Customize the Slack notification sound on Windows

To replace the existing notification file, give your replacement sound file the exact same name as the one you want to replace. Make sure the replacement file is a .mp3 file. For example: knock_brush.mp3.

Place the custom audio file you want to use in the following folder:

C:Users[Username]AppDataLocalslackapp-3.4.3resources

Replace [Username] with your Windows username. Restart Slack.

3 – Set your custom notification sound in Slack

Open the Slack community you want to adjust notification audio for. Expand the drop-down menu in the upper left-hand corner. The menu is labeled with the name of your currently active Slack community.

Select Preferences > Notifications.

Scroll down to Sound & appearance. Choose the custom file you replaced in the Slack installation folder. Congratulations! You’ve got a custom slack notification sound.

4 – Where to find free notification sounds

You can find replacement audio files online for free. There are entire websites dedicated to providing free notification sound libraries. Here are a couple of sources to get you started.

Orange Free Sounds – This website hosts audio files that can be downloaded for free. You can find specific licensing information available for each file. They even have a category just for notification sounds.

Notification Sounds – This website is dedicated exclusively to notification audio. Everything is available for free.

5 – Back up your audio clip

Save a copy of your chosen .mp3 file, and keep it somewhere safe as you might need to repeat this process when you update Slack.

You’re all done! Now the next time your coworker leaves his computer unlocked, you can play a prank that he’ll never figure out how to undo. 😉 Unless he finds this guide, I guess.

How to Set Up Recurring Reminders in Slack

howchoo   (467)

September 14, 2023

Potion of Slow Falling in Minecraft – How to Make and Use it

howchoo   (467)

August 11, 2023

19 minutes

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Minecraft

minecraft • 66 guides

• 
  Potion of Healing
• 
  Potion of Strength
• 
  Potion of Leaping
• 
  Potion of Slowness
• 
  Potion of Swiftness
• 
  Potion of Slow Falling
• 
  Potion of the Turtle Master
• 
  Potion of Fire Resistance
• 
  Lingering Potion
• 
  Potion of Weakness
• 
  Potion of Regeneration
• 
  Potion of Water Breathing
• 
  Potion of Harming
• 
  Potion of Night Vision
• 
  Potion of Invisibility
• 
  Potion of Poison

The Potion of Slow Falling in Minecraft is a consumable item that grants players the Slow Falling status effect. This effect allows you to fall slower and prevents you from taking fall damage. A regular Potion of Slow Falling lasts for 1 minute and 30 seconds, but you can extend the duration of the effect to 4 minutes by adding Redstone Dust.

This potion can be used to float safely down from high altitudes, gain better mobility in air, and survive aerial attacks. Players typically use the Potion of Slow Falling in The End when battling the Ender Dragon. This deadly boss mob has an attack that can send you flying high enough to kill you when you fall down. Drinking the potion before the fight can save you from dying this way.

How to Brew a Regular Potion of Slow Falling in Minecraft?

To brew a regular Potion of Slow Falling in Minecraft, gather all the required ingredients and brewing tools, then follow the below recipe:

Ingredients required:

1 Water Bottle

1 Nether Wart

1 Phantom Membrane

Tools required for the brewing process:

Brewing Stand

Blaze Powder

1 – Craft a Glass Bottle

Find a Crafting Table and place 3 Glass Blocks in the 3×3 grid. This will give you 3 Glass Bottles.

You only need one bottle to make the potion, but you can also place up to three bottles in the Brewing Stand using the same ingredients, so plan ahead!

2 – Create a Water Bottle

To get a Water Bottle, equip a Glass Bottle and look for a water source to fill it up.

3 – Get Fuel for Brewing

Now, you need Blaze Powder to fuel your Brewing Stand. You can craft this from Blaze Rods which are dropped by Blazes found in Nether fortresses.

Once you have your Blaze Rod, use the Crafting Table to create Blaze Powder. 1 Blaze Powder is enough to make 20 batches of potions, so one is more than enough.

4 – Gather the Potion Modifier

Minecraft potions need a modifier so you can alter its properties. For this potion, we need a Nether Wart.

You can find Nether Warts growing on Soul Sand in the Nether, so while you’re looking for Blazes, be sure to grab some on the way!

5 – Brew an Awkward Potion

Before making the Potion of Slow Falling, you need to brew a base potion called an Awkward Potion. To get one, place the Water Bottle, Blaze Powder, and Nether Wart in the Brewing Stand as shown above.

6 – Brew a Potion of Slow Falling

For the final step, you need a Phantom Membrane, which you can get by defeating Phantoms. These mobs spawn at night when you spend three or more Minecraft days without sleeping or dying.

Leaving everything how it was from the last step, place the Phantom Membrane in the Brewing Stand. Wait for the brewing to finish, and you’ll get a Potion of Slow Falling that lasts for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

How to Extend the Duration of a Regular Potion of Slow Falling?

You can extend the duration of the regular Potion of Slow Falling from 90 seconds to 4 minutes by placing Redstone Dust in the base ingredient slot of your Brewing Stand.

How to Use the Potion of Slow Falling?

You can use a Potion of Slow Falling by drinking it. To do this, select the Potion of Slow Falling from the hotbar.

Then, drink the potion by using the following controls based on your Minecraft version:

• Java Edition: Right-click and hold.
• Bedrock Edition:
  • Keyboard & Mouse: Right-click and hold.
  • Controller: Press the LT/L2/ZL button and hold.
  • Mobile: Tap the screen and hold.
• Education Edition: Right-click and hold.

An empty Glass Bottle will be left after use. You will know the potion works when you see particle effects. You can also check this by opening the inventory menu to see your current status effects.

What are the Advantages of Using A Potion of Slow Falling?

Aside from using it against the Ender Dragon, The Potion of Slow Falling is useful for navigating high areas, gliding with an Elytra, and defending against Shulkers and  Wardens.

1. Scaling High Altitudes: Ravines and mountains can be tricky to navigate. Using a Potion of Slow Falling to slow your descent can save you from accidentally falling to your death.
2. Elytra Usage: Using an Elytra while affected by Slow Falling allows you to glide at a slower rate but with more efficiency. It also prevents you from taking fall damage while using it.
3. Fighting Shulkers: Shulkers have the to ability to continuously inflict the Levitation effect with their bullets, floating you upward when hit. Using a Potion of Slow Falling can prevent you from dying from fall damage if the bullets take you up too high.
4. Evading Wardens: The Warden is a powerful mob that can detect vibrations, smell, and touch, but it can be avoided by sneaking. The Potion of Slow Falling can be used to evade it as it softens your landing and muffles your steps.

What Are the Risks of Using A Potion of Slow Falling?

The Potion of Slow Falling has its advantages, but it also comes with possible risks such as difficulty with acquiring Phantom Membrane, inability to prevent Ender Pearl damage, and inefficiency of falling at a much slower rate. Here are things you may find helpful to know before investing in one:

1. Getting Phantom Membrane: Getting Phantom Membrane can be challenging since Phantoms only spawn after 3 or more days without the player sleeping or dying. Alternatively, you can get a cat which has a 3.22% chance of gifting you Phantom Membrane.
2. Ender Pearl Damage: Using this potion does not prevent damage from traveling using Ender Pearls. 
3. Falling Slowly: While this is the intended effect of the potion, it can be time-consuming to wait to reach the ground if the player is in a hurry.

What Are the Alternatives to Using A Potion of Slow Falling?

Instead of using a Potion of Slow Falling, you can use certain tools, items, and blocks from your environment to prevent fall damage. Here is a list of alternatives: 

1. Water: Fall into a water source to avoid fall damage completely.
2. Water Bucket: Use a Water Bucket right before hitting the ground to break your fall.
3. Beds: Land on a bed to reduce fall damage by 50%.
4. Hay Bales: Land on Hay Bales to reduce fall damage by 80%.
5. Sweet Berries: Fall on Sweet Berry bushes to nullify all fall damage. Unfortunately, this will not prevent you from taking damage from the Sweet Berries.
6. Feather Falling: Enchant your boots with Feather Falling. This effect does not change the rate at which you fall, but it does reduce fall damage when worn.
7. Cobwebs: Fall into a Cobweb to slow your descent and avoid fall damage.
8. Slime Blocks: Land on a Slime Block. This will cause you to bounce instead of taking fall damage.
9. Boats: Ride a Boat when exploring or falling from high areas to negate fall damage.

What are some variants of the Potion of Slow Falling?

The Potion of Slow Falling has two throwable variants called the Splash Potion of Slow Falling and the Lingering Potion of Slow Falling. We will explain below how to brew each of these.

How to Make a Splash Potion of Slow Falling

To make a Splash Potion of Slow Falling, add 1 Gunpowder to a Potion of Slow Falling (01:30) in your Brewing Stand. Once it finishes brewing, you can throw it at mobs or other players to give them the Slow Falling effect for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

If you want to extend the effects of a Splash Potion of Slow Falling to 4 minutes, use a Potion of Slow Falling (04:00) with the Gunpowder instead.

How to Make a Lingering Potion of Slow Falling

To make a Lingering Potion of Slow Falling, add 1 Dragon’s Breath to a Splash Potion of Slow Falling (01:30) in your Brewing Stand. Throwing a Lingering Potion of Slow Falling creates a cloud of Slow Falling. Mobs or players that pass through this cloud will get the Slow Falling effect for 22 seconds.

To extend the effects of a Lingering Potion of Slow Falling to 1 minute, use a Splash Potion of Slow Falling (04:00) with the Dragon’s Breath.

You can also make Arrows of Slow Falling that lasts for 11 seconds by combining 1 Lingering Potion of Slow Falling (0:22) and 8 Arrows in the Crafting Table. To make the Arrow of Slow Falling last for 30 seconds, use a Lingering Potion of Slow Falling (01:00) instead.

Where to find the Potion of Slow Falling in Creative Mode?

You can find the Potion of Slow Falling and its variants in the Creative Inventory menu. The location varies depending on the version of Minecraft you have.

• Java Edition: you can find it in Brewing or Food & Drinks.
• Bedrock Edition:  you can find it in Equipment or Brewing.
• Education Edition: you can find it Equipment.

Top 10 Enchantments in Minecraft

howchoo   (467)

March 25, 2024

How To Make an Empty Map in Minecraft

howchoo   (467)

August 11, 2023

15 minutes

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An Empty Map is a type of map in Minecraft that players use to record and view the areas they have explored. It can also show a player’s location and any marker you leave within the map’s scope using Banners. With how big Minecraft is, an Empty Map is useful to have in your inventory if you want to keep track of your exploration progress and avoid getting lost on the way home, or back to your bed if you’re just starting out. 

When Empty Maps are filled, they turn into Maps in your inventory. You can use these to decorate your base and let others know how to navigate the surrounding terrain.

To make an Empty Map in Minecraft, follow the recipe below.

Ingredients required:

8 Papers

1 Compass

Tool required:

Crafting Table

For Bedrock Edition, using these ingredients will give you an Empty Locator Map. To create an Empty Map in Bedrock Edition, you only need 9 Papers.

Let’s find out get these ingredients and make an Empty Map by following the steps in this guide.

1 – Make Paper

Harvest at least 9 Sugar Canes. Sugar Canes generate naturally beside bodies of water, so you can find them growing near rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Once you have the Sugar Canes, put three in a Crafting Table to make 3 Papers.

Do this 3 times to get the 9 Papers required for the Empty Map.

2 – Craft a Compass

A Compass requires 1 Redstone Dust and 4 Iron Ingots to craft. Both can be acquired by mining or looting.

To get Redstone Dust, you need an Iron Pickaxe or higher to mine a Redstone Ore or Deepslate Redstone Ore. You can also get Redstone Dust from looting.

To get Iron Ingots, you have to mine Iron Ores for some Raw Iron using a Stone Pickaxe or higher. Smelt the Raw Iron using a Furnace to get an Iron Ingot. You can also smelt Iron Ores or Deepslate Iron Ores, put 9 Iron Nuggets or a Block of Iron in a Crafting Table, or loot chests to get Iron Ingots.

Once you have Redstone Dust and Iron Ingots, combine them in a Crafting Table to make a Compass.

3 – Make an Empty Map

Prepare your Papers and Compass and combine them in a Crafting Table as shown below.

Take the result in the output slot and you have your Empty Map!

How to Use an Empty Map in Minecraft

An Empty Map can be filled out and turned into a Map. 

Maps can be displayed using an Item Frame and expanded when you run out of space. You can also add map markers to signify important locations, clone a filled Map, and lock it to prevent new details from being recorded. However, it needs to be filled first.

To fill an Empty Map, go to the area you want to record and equip the Empty Map through your hotbar or the off-hand slot in your inventory.

For the Java Edition, simply right-click to immediately record your surrounding terrain. For other editions, you can use the following controls:

• Bedrock Edition:
  • Keyboard & Mouse: Right-click and hold.
  • Controller: Press the LT/L2/ZL button and hold.
  • Mobile: Tap the screen and hold.
• Education Edition: Right-click and hold.

The Empty Map will then turn into a Map in your inventory.

A Map can be viewed on your hand once it’s filled. It will update and fill out automatically as you explore the world as long as you have it equipped.

A downside to this is you can’t undo what is already recorded, so use your Empty Maps wisely. If you have the resources, you can craft a few extras for emergencies. You can also expand the Map if you want it to record more terrain in the same area by combining the filled Map with Paper using a Cartography Table.

How to Get an Empty Map in Creative Mode

You can get an Empty Map using the Creative Inventory Menu in Creative Mode either by looking for it or searching for its name.

If you have access to console commands, you can also input the following in the chat window:

/give @p minecraft:map 1

• give: This is the main command. You can learn more about this command in the Minecraft Wiki.
• @p: This refers to the nearest player. You can also replace this with your username.
• minecraft:map: This is the item you want to have. In this case, this will give you an Empty Map.
• 1: This is the amount of the above item that you want to have.

What are Other Ways to Get an Empty Map in Minecraft?

Empty Maps have a chance of generating naturally in chests found in shipwrecks, strongholds, and villages. You can also get them by trading with cartographers in villages.

Where Do Empty Maps Work in Minecraft?

Empty Maps can only record areas and structures on the surface level. This means it cannot display underground or underwater details once used. It also does not work in the End.

Using Empty Maps in the Nether technically works, but they will not display the terrain. A workaround for this is leaving Banners behind, which will still show on the Map. However, it can still be difficult to navigate to them due to the unpredictability of the Nether.

What Are the Differences Between an Empty Map and an Empty Locator Map?

Both Java and Bedrock Editions have an Empty Map item, but only Bedrock has an Empty Locator Map. All Empty Maps in Java Edition require a Compass and 8 Papers. Meanwhile, Empty Maps in Bedrock Edition are created using only 9 Papers.

In Bedrock Edition, an Empty Map does not show player markers, but adding a Compass to create an Empty Locator Map allows it to show where players are once the map is filled.

Empty Maps in Java Edition automatically show the owner’s location. However, needing to craft a Compass to make one can be expensive for beginners. The advantage of being able to craft Empty Locator Maps in Bedrock Edition is that players have the option to only record terrain if they do not need to see player markers as well.

How to Make an Empty Locator Map in Bedrock Edition?

To create an Empty Locator Map in Bedrock Edition, you only need to combine an Empty Map with a Compass using either a Crafting Table or an Anvil. This also works with a Map that has already been filled out.

How to Show Other Players Using an Empty Map in Java Edition?

On its own, an Empty Map cannot show the location of other players. If you want to see other players’ location markers, you have to clone a filled Map and have each player carry a copy so their locations can appear on it.

You can clone a Map by combining it with an Empty Map using a Crafting Table or a Cartography Table.

Top 10 Enchantments in Minecraft

howchoo   (467)

March 25, 2024

How to Make the Background Transparent in Illustrator

howchoo   (467)

August 10, 2023

4 minutes

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  Make a Transparent Background
• 
  Embed Images

By default, Illustrator creates a solid white artboard in the background. This is helpful when creating artwork so you can see better, but you might not want it there when it’s time to save the file. This guide will cover what you need to do in order to have a transparent background in Illustrator.

1 – Start a new file in Illustrator

Start a new file in Illustrator by clicking Create new… on the main menu. Alternatively, you can open an existing file to edit in a transparent background. You can drag and drop the file onto the workspace or use the File > Open menu.

2 – Enable transparent background

To remove the default white artboard, enable the transparency grid. You can find this setting under the View tab at the top. Select Show Transparency Grid.

You will know it’s working when the background appears as a white and gray grid.

3 – Create an image

Now that you have a transparent background, you can create a design. The final result will have a transparent background if saved to an appropriate file type.

If you are editing an existing AI file, the transparent background should be visible where the artboard previously was.

4 – Save the file

When your design is complete, save the changes with an appropriate file type so the transparency stays in the final product. You can save the image using the File > Export As… menu.

There are several file types that retain transparency. A few used by Illustrator are:

• PNG
• SVG
• TIFF

If you need to create something that scales, like a logo or graphic, then you’ll want to make sure you use vectors. If you’re a developer, then we can even show you how to optimize the SVG file to make it smaller.

How to Resize an Image in InDesign

howchoo   (467)

December 7, 2023

How to Turn off iMessage and Disable Messages on Mac

howchoo   (467)

August 10, 2023

13 minutes

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iMessage is an instant messaging service exclusively made for Apple devices that can process both regular messages and iMessages. Regular messages (SMS or MMS) are those highlighted in green which can be sent and received via cellular networks. iMessages, on the other hand, are messages highlighted in blue which can only be sent and received between Apple devices with an internet connection.

Thanks to new macOS updates, you can now use iMessage to send and receive messages on Mac instead of your iPhone. However, users may find these new changes convenient or bothersome depending on their preferences. While this is certainly a novel feature, it can prove to be distracting as the feature is enabled by default, especially when you’re doing work on your Mac. Fortunately, you can disable these messages on your Apple devices without losing iMessage’s functionality.

Here are three ways you can disable messages on Mac without disabling it on your iPhone or other synced Apple devices.

1 – Disable Messages on Mac through iMessage Settings

Open the Messages App.

On your Mac computer:

• Open a Finder window.
• Go to Applications.
• Find your Messages app.

Conversely, you can use Spotlight search. Just search for “Messages.”

From the Messages app on your Mac, you can make adjustments to how your iMessages and messages function and interact between your iPhone and Mac.

Open the iMessage pane.

In the “Messages” screen, select iMessage from the menu bar.

Other things you can do in the iMessage screen is sign in and out of your Apple ID, change the phone number for your iMessages, choose to send read receipts for iMessages, and of course, disable iMessages completely.

🛈 On older versions of macOS or OS X, the tab is labeled “Accounts” instead.

Disable iMessage.

Under your Apple ID, uncheck “Enable Messages in iCloud”.

Finally, open the Notifications & Focus pane in System Preferences. Select Messages from the sidebar and toggle “Allow Notifications” to the off position.

That’s it! Now, you’ll no longer receive message and iMessage pop-ups on your computer. All your messages, however, will still show up on your iPhone or Apple Watch.

2 – Silence iMessage Notifications

You can opt to silence notifications from iMessage in your Mac settings. If you want to have the option to check Messages on your Mac at your own leisure but not be distracted by constant pings, you can do the following instead:

• Open the iMessage app > Messages > Settings. In the General tab, uncheck the ‘Play sound effects‘ setting. This will silence any pings when you receive new messages.

• Another thing you can do is to navigate to the Apple menu, then System Preferences. Choose Notifications & Focus > Messages. Then, toggle Allow Notifications off.

3 – Sign out of iMessage

You can also sign out of iMessage through the app itself. 

First, go to Messages and click on Settings. Go to the iMessage tab and look for the Sign Out button. This can be found next to your Apple ID. 

Once you’ve signed out, you will no longer receive messages through this app. That means you also cannot use it, so you can choose this option if you don’t intend to use the app at all in your Mac device.

How to Disable Messages for a Specific Number in Mac

If you want to stop notifications from a certain contact instead, you can:

• Right-click the person’s number in your Messages app.

• Select Get Info.
• Check Hide Alerts.

🛈 On older versions of macOS or OS X, you may need to select your account from the sidebar first.

How to Disable Messages on Mac Through Your iPhone

You can disable messages on Mac using your iPhone’s Messages settings. Follow the steps below to give it a try:

• Go to your iPhone Settings.
• Scroll down and tap on ‘Messages’.
• Tap on Text Message Forwarding.
• Look for the name of your Mac and turn it off. After this, new messages on your iPhone will no longer appear on your Mac device. You can also do this for other devices that are synced to your Messages.

If the Text Message Forwarding setting does not appear on your iPhone, here are some things you can do to fix it:

• Make sure you have good internet connection. Text Message Fowarding may not be working due to connection issues.
• Check that you are using the same AppleID for both devices and that your iCloud Messages are synced. If neither of these apply, you cannot use your iPhone to disable messages in your Mac.
• Toggle the iMessage setting. Go to your iPhone settings, click on Messages, and turn the iMessage toggle off and then on again. This refreshes the setting and allows it to appear in case it didn’t load correctly the first time.
• Restart or update your iPhone. This helps your phone identify or sync new changes during startup, or download a fix for it.

How to Disable Messages on Apple Devices Other Than Mac

Like Mac, you can also disable or turn off messages on other Apple devices such as your iPhone and your Apple Watch. However, note that Apple Watch iMessage can only be turned off instead of disabled.

To disable messages on your iPhone:

• Go to your iPhone Settings. 
• Scroll down and tap on Messages. 
• Toggle the iMessage option off.

To turn off message alerts on your Apple Watch:

• Using your iPhone’s Apple Watch app, go to My Watch > Messages > Custom. Then, toggle the Show Alerts setting off.
• Using your Apple Watch, go to the Notification Center by swiping down on the screen. Select the iMessage notification you want to mute and swipe left. Tap on More, then choose how long you want to mute it.

For Apple Watch, it’s easier to use the Apple Watch app on your iPhone to turn off notifications since using the watch itself does not allow for much customization. The messages will also still appear on the Notification Center since they are simply muted.

How to Enable the “Popping” Sound When Adjusting the Volume on Your Mac

howchoo   (467)

December 13, 2023

Use “kubectl cp” to Copy Files to and from Kubernetes Pods

howchoo   (467)

August 10, 2023

7 minutes

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If you’re using Kubernetes, you may find the need to move files to and from containers running on pods. Before the days of containerization, we would use a tool like SCP (secure copy protocol) to move files to and from remote machines. Fortunately, Kubernetes provides a similar tool.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to use kubectl cp to move files to and from Kubernetes pods.

1 – Basic usage

From the docs, here’s the basic usage:

kubectl cp  

The kubectl cp command takes two parameters. The first is the source; the second is the destination. As with scp, either parameter (source or destination files) can refer to a local or remote file.

Before we begin

We need to make sure our kubernetes client is authenticated with a cluster. There are many ways to authenticate, but authentication is outside the scope of this guide.

Second, we’ll need to identify the name of a pod (or pods) that we want to work with. We’ll need to use kubectl get pod to find the name of the pod(s), and we’ll use these names in the following sections.

Copy file from local machine to pod

Suppose we want to move a file from our local machine to a pod.

kubectl cp /path/to/file my-pod:/path/to/file

In the above example, we copied a local file /path/to/file to a pod named, my-pod. We’ve specified an identical path on the pod to copy the file. Notice that we used an absolute path in both cases. We can also use relative paths:

kubectl cp my-file my-pod:my-file

In this example, we’ve specified a relative path to a local file, and a relative path on the pod. One key difference between kubectl cp and a tool like scp is that with kubernetes, the file is copied relative to the working directory, not the home directory.

Copy file from a pod to a pod

Similarly, we can copy a file from one pod to another. The same rules for absolute and relative paths apply.

kubectl cp pod-1:my-file pod-2:my-file

Copy file from pod to your local machine

As you might have guessed, you simply swap the parameters from the first example.

kubectl cp my-pod:my-file my-file

This will copy my-file from the working directory of your pod to your current directory.

Copying directories

When using scp to copy directories, we’re accustomed to adding the -r (recursive) flag. With kubectl cp this is implied. You use the exact same syntax to copy directories is you would files.

kubectl cp my-dir my-pod:my-dir

Specifying a container

In some cases, you may be running multiple containers on a pod. In which case, you’ll need to specify the container. You can do so with -c, which is consistent with most other kubectl commands.

kubectl cp my-file my-pod:my-file -c my-container-name

Secure Your Sensitive Data with Kubernetes Secrets

howchoo   (467)

November 26, 2023