Ebrius Disputatios

Well I have. The hard part I think is over I have already installed OpenWRT on the Pi, configured it somewhat and updated opkg. I have all the pieces and now I'll have to decide how to assemble them. I had originally, thought of setting up the new router by adding an USB Ethernet dongle but from what I've read, setting up VLAN's on a switch would work more reliably. I'm new to the process so I don't know everything yet. However, that's the purpose of this exercise, to learn. I have learned much. I think learning is when one's own misconceptions and misunderstandings are replaced by facts, logic and reason. I've gained much of that, I think. I think that's all for now, until I have a working model that can be translated into words. Any comments may be made at agentcasey@hubzilla.eskimo.com or agent@fosstodon.org in the fediverse. Keep in touch and I'll keep us updated. It's been hard finding interesting things to write about but I think I'm starting to find the right path.

Nothing lasts forever and all good things must come to an end. I don't know the reason why but the instance, of pl.skyn3t.in that was my outlet for these past few months have gone. I know not where. However, I do have other instances, where I'll be posting from, including, one of my favorites at, draco-novem@hubzilla.eskimo.com, so if any of my followers or people that I follow receive contact request from that address, be so kind to respond in kind. Thank you.

I'm sure this is mere child's play for many people, however, even though I've hacked my way building kernels for the Raspberry Pi, I've finally found out where the kernel's repositories lie. It's always the same with ARM devices, one size does not fit all and all kernels built for these remarkable devices, must be tailor made. Even though I've had a bit of luck building kernels for the pine phone, I decided to risk making an unnecessary kernel build for my Raspberry Pi 4b, 8GB. I used the same commands that I used for the pine phone, with some important differences. In the past, I would go into these endeavors blindly and with crossed fingers and it was usually hit or miss.

Only with the ARM kernels, mind you, as I've said there just isn't any homogenized way to build kernels for the varied ARM processors out in the wild. Frankly, I was damn happy and surprised to see it boot up. I'm actually running real Debian on my Raspberry Pi, I mention this only, because when this new custom kernel that I built, kernel 5.10.25, booted up, there were a host of raspberries, at the top of the screen during the kernel boot process. Yes, just like how it does with Raspbian and Raspberry OS. It was really gratifying to see that I had done the configuration and compilation correctly and that it booted with no issues.

There are unofficial Debian images for the Raspberry Pi, which I'll post the links to. I think that the Raspberry Pi and the pinephone make a very lovely couple. They're both very compact and in their current configurations very powerful indeed. Admittedly, there are phones with bigger more powerful CPU's, GPU's and RAM that dwarf both the Pi and the phone but the two Linux machines are running native Linux at lightening speeds without all the bloat of Android and Android Apps. I'll argue that both the Pi and the pinephone are ultimately more useful devices than any Android phone.

Now I don't want to confuse anyone into thing that the kernel compilation for the pine phone and the Raspberry Pi are identical because they are not. The pinephone uses an Allwinner Chip and the Pi uses a Broadcom. The procedure is similar with the obvious variance when one views the commands. For simplicity's sake, I'll refer to the Pine Phone as PP from this point forth.

The commands to configure, customize and compile the kernel for the PP can be found here

The procedure to build a Raspberry Pi kernel is similar and the instructions to build a suitable kernel for your particular Raspberry Pi version is here Although, if you're planning on using dpkg to install that kernel then one might wish to modify the compilation stage somewhat by including the bindeb-pkg. Please note, that the kernel compilation stage of both the PP and the Pi can be identical in this case. In my case I did something exactly like this: ARCH=arm64 CROSSCOMPILE=aarch64-linux-gnu- make -j4 bindeb-pkg KERNELRELEASE=“5.10.25” KDEBPKGVERSION=“25” NB: that my writefreely blog, for some odd reason refuses to render CROSS_COMPILE with the separation hash, it shows up fine while I edit but joins the two Words making it look like CROSSCOMPILE so that's why I used two of them to illustrate my point. I think I've found a bug. In any case dismiss just one of those hashes and it'll be fine. Thanks. ARCH=arm64 CROSSCOMPILE=aarch64-linux-gnu- make pine64_defconfig

I've found my self reading and re-reading the Harry Potter novels again and again. Lately, I've found them soothing. I even have the audio books. It seems as if, I will never tire of them. I have insomniac tendencies and I find reading the books will eventually just knock me out. Well, I suppose any good book will do that though but it doesn't take long for the potter books to cast their sleeping spells. There are a few things one does notice, however, when reading the same books multiple times weekly and monthly. One thing I do notice is that Harry Potter has a temper, he's modest, brave and a little whiny at times but for a mistreated orphan, very level headed. It must be in his genes. Why do I keep reading the Potter books so much and even looping the process? One can only speculate, I think. It seems as if, especially in the USA, where I'm convinced that t here were illegal election activities, that went on, last November, that, The Dark Lord and his Death Eaters, are alive and well living in New York and every other democrat town, from sea to shining sea.

Well, it's a working theory, at least. One thing, that I've noticed and I'm sure I'll soon find more examples, is how ignorant the wizards of the United Kingdom are about their muggle neighbors. We're supposed to believe that the wizard world are totally oblivious to what bus stops are? Remember? In the Chamber of secrets, when everyone was in Diagon Alley, getting ready to go back to Hogwarts, and Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Weasley had a fight, Mr. Weasley wanted to inquire, from the Grangers on how bus stops worked. Was J.K. high that day? Doesn't the magical folks have a night bus? How do those stops work? I mean the emphasis on how little the wizards know about their mortal counterparts is a silly, overplayed oddity. Wizards who can use a wand touching their throats to magnify their voices, have no concept of a telephone? haven't they ever noticed those little outhouse sized buildings called phone booths, located all over the city? Also wizards must have excellent teeth as well, because it seems as if they've never heard of dentists either. They're so isolated, that even muggle money is foreign to them I think that a better story would show witches and wizards who are consciously aware of their surroundings and not some semi-isolated ignoramuses. Also, the same wizards who claim not to know what a telephone is, have radios, how does that work? They can envision communicating via wireless but landlines and mobile cellular is beyond the scope of magic? I distinctly remember reading that they teach muggle studies at Hogwarts, surely they must teach about telephones, bus stops, money, the internal combustion engine and ball point pens, in those classes. I mean if the muggles and the weirdos are so different, one wonders if, indeed, the members of the wizard world, procreate like the rest of us, or perhaps they just bypass all that fuss and just do it with the wave of a wand. It's simply, a preposterous notion. I'm sure I'll find more holes in the tapestry.

Oh and don't get me started on the Potter movies. It's as if the producers, directors and writers are convinced that the audience are total morons and that we love soup sandwiches. The movies, I admit may have some appeal to fans of the series but I'm sure it must be fleeting, because it is clear that the Harry Potter movies are made for people who haven't read the books and probably will never do so. It says a lot about the limitations of Hollywood, they are totally inept at telling stories. J.K. Rowling's, on the other hand, she seems to know how to spin a tale. The audio books, read by Stephen Fry are so much more superior to their motion picture counterparts. I understand that there are two versions of the audio books and I'm not sure one has a choice. For it seems that the audio books sold in the US is read by an American reader. I'd like to hear that version just to confirm that whomever the publishers paid to read them, in comparison to Fry, will be utterly lacking. I'm sure that I haven't covered everything and I wouldn't be surprised if this topic is broached again. Therefore, until then, I wish you all Adieu.

Sun 21 Mar 2021 06:50:39 AM EDT

One would be surprised what one can do with a coffee bean grinder. They are very useful items that no home should be without. One thing that I use those little grinders for, is making my own vitamin C powder. Has anyone bought citrus products lately? If you have, then I don't have to remind you of how expensive they are. Four little limes cost $2.00 and four lemons will cost even more. Not to mention the price of oranges and grapefruits. Well, I never scrimp on my citrus, however, I do have fun peeling them and saving the peels. I usually peel them, and hang the peels out to dry, then I store them in plastic bags and let them dry even more.

It isn't hard to accumulate many peels and eventually I'll turn my oven on and set the thermostat to about 150 degrees, then I'll add my citrus peels and leave them there for an hour or so. After the hour is done, I turn off the heat and leave them in there still longer. At my leisure, when the peels are now dry and hard, I break them apart, so as to fit them into my grinder and then I grind them up. Using a funnel, I pour the powder into an empty vitamin D bottle that I always have laying around. I love my vitamin D supplements too, for those days when there is no sun to exploit. I digress. Anyway, how one uses the vitamin D powder is something of a personal preference. It can added to beverages, eaten, just so or put in smoothies. I like eating it whole and enjoy how my teeth and gums react to the infusion.

Now I know, many people like to preface this method of self sufficiency, by imploring the use of only organically raised fruits. I disagree, as is my right, as my thinking is if there were indeed pesticides used on the peels, they failed to kill the pests and will surely do the same for me. Also, how persistent are those pesky pesticides anyway? I'll just take my chances, we all are going to die soonanyhow. I think the benefits out way any perceived harmful effects.

I hope you found this humble offering useful and until next time, adieu.

Hello. In the eventuality that anyone does read anything on this site, besides me, I may be working on my Gopher hole and or my Gemini capsule. Their respective addresses are: gopher://mstdn.design and gemini://mstdn.design. I will try to post whatever I post on those sites here as well. I'm immensely happy working with gopher and gemini. They're both very useful and powerful protocols and should not be looked down at.

I still browse the web and engage actively, however, when I do, I use my favorite web browser, namely, Lynx. Lynx is a text based web browser, which, if I had my way, would be the only browser I'd ever need. I wish it were possible to browse all web pages using it. Text based computing is so much more efficient, fast and satisfying. Anyhow, please consider visiting my other sites while you're at it and I'll endeavor to have more content on this site soon. Thank you.

gopher://mstdn.design gemini://mstdn.design

https://maphammond.club/ikiwiki/LiberaLinguamMentemque Publicae/)

I'd like to revise this: gopher://mstdn.art gemini://mstdn.art https://maphammond.art/ikiwiki/LiberaLinguamMentemque Publicae

When the image file is made, it is going to use the entire drive to create one large image the size of the entire disk regardless of free or used space. In this tutorial, I hope to give insights on how to resize the image safely, using disk utilities and file system tools. In this example the gparted utility will be used.

If we want to modify partitions and file systems in our disk image file, we will need to mount the image as a so-called loop device in Linux. Not only will we need to mount the image as a loop device, but we also need to make sure that our loop device will auto create additional device entries for the partitions detected on our image. On Ubuntu, this function is baked into the Linux kernel, and this functionality can be enabled in the following way:

• edit /etc/default/grub

Add the following:

• maxloop=64 As last parameter on the following line: GRUBCMDLINELINUXDEFAULT=“” * Now execute to activate: with update-grub2 * Now reboot your station and verify if the loop devices are available with: ls /dev/loop* * sudo losetup -Pf mypinephone.img

Of course this is all predicated on the fact that one, does, in fact, have grub on one's system. I one doesn't, this step can be bypassed. For instance, Raspberry Pi's don't usually have grub and neither do many ARM based systems. So as I said, this step is not necessary in those circumstances.

You can list the partition table of an image file with the following command:

• fdisk -l mypinephone.img * It should look something like this:

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type

/dev/mmcblk2p1 * 16384 1048575 1032192 504M 83 Linux

/dev/mmcblk2p2 1048576 61071326 60022751 28.6G 83 Linux

We gather from the partition table that we have two available partitions in the image file. Before we can make any modification to the partitions or filesystems in our image, we will first need to mount the image as a loop device, which will install the required dev entries to address our partitions with other software as gparted.

To mount the image as a loop device:

The above step, works really well for Debian based systems. For other systems, if the above command does not work, then use this one:

• sudo losetup —find —show mypinephone.img

This will mount /dev/loop0 as a ‘virtual raw disk’ and it’s containing partitions accordingly as /dev/loop0p1 and /dev/loop0p2

Now that we have set-up our raw imagefile as a loop device, we can run filesystem tools on it. We can use for example gparted to resize the file systems contained in the partitions of our image:

• gparted /dev/loop0

Do any resize operation that you would like to have for your partitions and apply them, in my case I needed to trim down my image size as small as possible. Now that the resize operations have been done in our raw disk image, we will dump the partitions to a smaller image. First, before we remove our loop device, for the image, as it will interfere with the dump process, take these steps:

• sudo fdisk /dev/loop0 * It should look something like this:

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type

mypinephone.img1 * 16384 1048575 1032192 504M 83 Linux

mypinephone.img2 1048576 15298559 14249984 6.8G 83 Linux

The key figure to note is the ending value of the second partition, in this case /dev/mypinphone.img2, which turns out to be 15298559, thats going to be our key to having a viable image to flash to our pine phone. Now our original image, created by dd was 30GB the size of our entire SD card, that just wont do. So now with the aid of gparted we've just shrunk our image from 30GB to around 7GB. Now this is an image of our pine phone with all our latest modifications and improvements and we do not want to have to start over. Flashing this image will actually put us right where we were, and right where we belong. Now that we have our number of blocks to dump, ie 15298559, we can safely, unmount our loop devices, by doing this:

• sudo losetup -d /dev/loop0

Now list our partition table so we have an idea what to dump:

In our partition table we can see that our blocks are 512 bytes long, and we have a total number of 15298559 blocks to dump … doing the actual dump is done with dd which just reads raw blocks of data and dumps them somewhere.

• dd bs=512 count=15298559 if=my-big-pinephone.img of=my-resized-pinephone.img

• bs = the block size to read

• count = the amount of blocks to dump

• if = input file to read from

• of = output file to write to

It's a little scary and intimidating the first time that you read this but you may want to do some safe practice exercises and think about what needs to be done. However, once you read, and re-read this document it will become clearer and you'll find your way. I'd like to acknowledge the original progenitor of this method by linking to his post. Thanks to all of you.

Many concepts for this post, was copied from this article written by Ronny Van den Broeck. Thanks Ronny.

03/11/2021

I had planned on building a new, customized kernel for my pine64 Pine Phone because, the kernel that came with the Mobian OS that I'm running, didn't have the more primitive mouse drivers installed. When I say primitive mouse drivers, I mean the drivers that allow one to use one's mouse in the console to do basic copying and pasting. Copying and pasting in the console is essential, because without it one will be doing copious amounts of typing, instead.

I started by downloading the kernel sources for the Pine Phone, from the phone itself. My was to copy the contents of the SD card and run it in a chroot and build the kernel within that environment. I had a few setbacks doing that so I decided to build the pine phone's kernel on my Raspberry Pi 4B. First, if this was going to work I had to make sure that both machines were binary compatible, meaning that if I compiled a program on my Pi, would it run on the pine phone with little or no fuss. Turns out They're very compatible, which gave me the confidence to attempt this. Since I use Debian and the pine phone is running Mobian which is essentially, Debian too, after I configured the kernel, instead of issuing the make command, I used the make bindeb-pkg option, which will basically, build me a Debian kernel complete with the .deb extension and should easily install on the phone, using the package manager apt or in this case dpkg. As I'm writing this, the kernel is being built. It will probably last an hour or two since I'm actually building it on a Raspberry Pi and those CPU's aren't the most powerful or the most fast. However, The kernel build process isn't placing any stress on the system. So far only 1.32G out of 8G is being used and there isn't any evidence that the system is being taxed in any way. The temperature is a little high though, around 41.381 °C/106.485 °F, totally acceptable, in my estimation.

The real test will be if the kernel is any good, that's the ultimate, desired goal. We never give up, so if there are any obstacles we'll do some more reading and eventually, progress will be made. However, I'm hopeful that this may actually work and I'll post the results right here as they progress.

Well I had a few kernel errors, so I had to alter the kernel configuration file and restart the build process. I have no doubt that further interruptions will occur. One thing is for certain, I must create newer chroot environments on my faster computers and build the kernels there, because the build process, on the Raspberry Pi, though mild on resources and hardly noticeable, takes quite a while even with 8G of RAM. I think I know why though. It seems that the kernels in the Pine Phones are all built with debugging information included, which will ultimately make for larger kernels and larger kernels take a longer time to build. Well now, a bit of good news now, I've successfully built the kernel and after I take a walk to the grocer and a little extra for exercise, I'll come back and see if this kernel will actually work. I'll make sure that the old kernel is all backed up just in case. Wish me luck. Wow, that kernel was three-quarters of Gigabyte, well unless I'm mad, it's 778M, no wonder it took four hours to build. However, my build included two kernel image files one weighing in at 778M the other at 47M, kernel headers and another named, linux-libc-dev5.10.13-rt24-1arm64.deb. The command I used was, make bindeb-pkg, if I had used make deb-pkg there would be a sources file reflecting the sources that I used to build this particular kernel. I'm going to install the smaller kernel image file, for obvious reasons, I'll let the developers install the big one. However before I install it I'm going to take it apart and look at the configuration file to make sure that the drivers I want, are included.

How does one take a .deb file apart you ask? Well it's simple, what I do is, this, I place the file in a directory that I call foo and within foo, I execute the command ar -x and split the .deb file into all it's components which are usually other compressed files, usually decompressed by using the tar command. Go ahead, try it, if you like. Especially if you're a Debian user, or any derivative, if this is your first time hearing or reading this try it for yourself. You may or may not wish to read the man pages or the ar command but it's not really necessary in this case. Just put your .deb file into an empty directory and issue the command ar -x whateverdebfile.deb and see what happens. There should be three new files plus your original .deb file in the directory now. One called control.tar.xz, data.tar.xz, debian-binary and your source .deb file.

Well my Pine Phone hated that kernel and it would not boot. I just realized that I could have saved myself loads of time by installing the headers for the kernel already installed and compile the modules for them there. It's been a long time, maybe two years ago, since I did this sort of thing on a regular basis and I have so much useless information in my head that I can't remember them all. Okay I'll attempt to recover this machine and find another way to get this pine phone, this computer, to bend to my will. So far so good, I'm not sure what went wrong with the kernel build if anything, I'm puzzled as to why the kernel was rejected by the device. Perhaps I need to go to the Mobian project page and see if they have their own tool kit for building kernels. Anyhow, we're up and running again, like it never happened. I'll just apt remove that failed kernel and go to plan B, which is download the headers and build the mouse modules I need. My memory is a little fuzzy on how I've done this in the past but I'll fail a few times before I get it right.

March 09, 2021

I've reconsidered, for the moment, if this next method fails, then I'll go back to plan B. If plan B is still the same, what plan nomenclature is this? I think I'll call this plan plan A one. Plan A one, is the native building of the kernel on the Pine Phone itself. Yes, I know it's mad but how is one to learn if one never does things worthy of learning? I don't expect it to work but what exactly do I have to lose? I'm going to do that next and if I fail, I'll document it and then I'll make the missing modules using the kernel headers located in /usr/src. Well I've done it and it's just begun. I've commenced the building of the Pine Phone kernel, on the phone itself, not many resources are being use which is a good thing, although, I'm afraid this could take several hours. However, I've used the kernel configuration file of the smaller kernel so I suspect it will not take as long as the last kernel I made earlier.

Another failure I'm afraid. There must be a special tool kit that the developers use to build kernels for Pine Phones and I need to seek it out. It took almost 24 hours to build those kernels on the Pine Phone, totally, unacceptable. I guess it's plan B then. Plan B is building the mouse modules using the kernel headers. First I'll have to refresh my memory on how that's done. I swear, I've forgotten so many things, that it's a good thing, I've started writing down, much of what I do now. Luckily all I have to do is take out the SD card and make some edits. Pretty much what I did yesterday. I knew, that I could have tried a quicker solution, namely plan B, however, I had to see if a natively built kernel would work. Now, I have my answer and I no longer have to guess. Well off I go then, I'll keep this page well documented and let my progress be known.

March 11, 2021

Finally, it's a success. All the methods I used were absolute failures, so I announced an appeal on the fediverse asking anyone who knew the correct procedure to compile pine-phone kernels to drop me a clue and someone actually did. Mobian, @mobian@fosstodon.org, gave me a most valuable resource via a link to where the repository for the Pine Phone kernels we being held captive. There were even some great instructions on how to get on. The entire kernel build too about twenty minutes, unbelievable. Especially since my methods were taking up the better part of this week, I am elated at the progress and success that occurs when all the tools are on hand. I'm a firm believer, that if I have the correct tools, I can get any job done. Anyway, I don't see why I should keep the knowledge that @mobian gave me, to my self here is the link to the Pine Phone's kernel sources right here. This is why I love using free and open source software, because once I have a clear instruction set and the right tools I can customize my computing environment. So, now sadly this seems to be the end of this specific topic on Pine Phones, since we have successfully completed our tasks. I'm sure there will be other things which I'd like to improve about my Pine Phone experience and I'll gladly document those events when they arise. Thanks for all those who helped making this happen and thanks for all who took time out of their busy schedules to read my rantings. The End.

A friend in the fediverse, is convinced that in two years, hardware like the PinePhone will be deemed illegal. I hope he's wrong but I can't discount his notion either. In an age where big tech companies can censor people at will, decide what apps one can use on his/her phones and or devices and government corrupting both the language and policy, I'd say my friends may have a valid perception. I get the usual questions as to what would actually motivate one to get a PinePhone and some people like to imply that the assertions of many reviews consumed, would leave them thinking that the functionality is questionable.

Perhaps, they and their numerously consumed reviews are correct. However, I think what escapes many, is the rarity an entity such as the PinePhone really is. All the pieces on and in the Phone itself works, any consolidation will take skilled re-engineering, witchcraft, hacking, coding trial and error. I submit that the developers of the PinePhone and related interests have a far better road to trod looking down the road, than say the early adopters of Linux did and look how well that turned out. Since when did we just roll over and die when things didn't go our way? Since when have we decided to relegate ourselves to being quitters? I thought so. Do I need to say anything further? Okay I will. If the early Linux pioneers had been a group of quitters where would our light be then?

So the motivation imperative for having, working and developing on a PinePhone, at least in my personal perspective, is one of realized potential. I don't even like phones generally, I certainly don't find looking at their little screens all that appealing. I rarely carry mine with me and when I do it's ZTE Model Z432, little more that a flip phone running 3g with no WiFi card. No, for me the PinePhone represents freedom. It means that I can install, reinstall, change, modify, customize and use whatever apps I find useful to me in a complete Linux environment. That's empowering. It's very empowering, especially in the light and context of how many people, entities and organizations are vying for the opportunity or chance to control us and bend us to their wills. It should not be lost on us that the big tech companies role for us is to have us do the group think or be platformed into obscurity, exile or worse. It can't be lost on people on how the two major players in the mobile phone industry have so much massive control over ordinary and not so ordinary minds. It can't be lost on us on just how out of control they want us to be, to the point, it seems that we must jump through hoops to get root access to the devices we pay for and they claim to own. So one will excuse my motivations if they do not care well for the likes things not functioning just because I want them to.

There are thing to consider as well, the PinePhone has a host of operating systems or Linux distributions just waiting to be ported to it and my understanding is that some work better than others and it is for one to seek what one wishes. The fact is also true that I only just received my phone it's running a beautiful front end graphical user interface (GUI) which is called KDE Plasma and at it's very core is Manjaro Linux. I've never used Manjaro before, its a very recent distribution from my perspective as I started out with the likes of Redhat Linux 5.1 Debian Linux Sarge, Turbo Linux, Slackware and the like. I did have the opportunity to run Arch Linux, from whence I think Manjoro is related. I don't like any other Linux distributions except Debian. Debian based distributions are fine in a pinch but I'm a Debian supremacist. Debian just has them all beaten by the choices and sheer numbers of packages. However, I'll withhold all impulses to immediately change the OS on my PinePhone just yet. I love learning new things and even with the limitations getting a chance to play with an Arch Linux like OS is a good thing to learn.

So there it is an initial synopsis of why I'll support the PinePhone and similar endeavors in freedom and technology. No doubt not the last words I'll be saying on the subject but it's an opening salvo. For those interested in obtaining a PinePhone, the pine store is always a good place to start. Thanks for spending the time and may the learning forever continue and happy hacking.

As I write this and if any CNN poll can be believed or verified, seventy-five percent (75%), of republicans do not believe that Joe Biden won the presidential election. If freedom of speech is still valued in this nation, you can add me to that lot as well. Those high numbers of people, having that belief is frightening to the democrats, especially since they did their utmost to scrub that idea from the pages of their newspapers and the screens of their media rooms. I for one will hate to see President Trump go and we wish him a fond farewell. Speaking of farewells, it brings me great pleasure to memorialize the president's farewell speech. Thank you and enjoy.

Remarks by President Trump In Farewell Address to the Nation Issued on: January 19, 2021

The White House

THE PRESIDENT: My fellow Americans: Four years ago, we launched a great national effort to rebuild our country, to renew its spirit, and to restore the allegiance of this government to its citizens. In short, we embarked on a mission to make America great again — for all Americans.

As I conclude my term as the 45th President of the United States, I stand before you truly proud of what we have achieved together. We did what we came here to do — and so much more.

This week, we inaugurate a new administration and pray for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous. We extend our best wishes, and we also want them to have luck — a very important word.

I’d like to begin by thanking just a few of the amazing people who made our remarkable journey possible.

First, let me express my overwhelming gratitude for the love and support of our spectacular First Lady, Melania. Let me also share my deepest appreciation to my daughter Ivanka, my son-in-law Jared, and to Barron, Don, Eric, Tiffany, and Lara. You fill my world with light and with joy.

I also want to thank Vice President Mike Pence, his wonderful wife Karen, and the entire Pence family.

Thank you as well to my Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows; the dedicated members of the White House Staff and the Cabinet; and all the incredible people across our administration who poured out their heart and soul to fight for America.

I also want to take a moment to thank a truly exceptional group of people: the United States Secret Service. My family and I will forever be in your debt. My profound gratitude as well to everyone in the White House Military Office, the teams of Marine One and Air Force One, every member of the Armed Forces, and state and local law enforcement all across our country.

Most of all, I want to thank the American people. To serve as your President has been an honor beyond description. Thank you for this extraordinary privilege. And that’s what it is — a great privilege and a great honor.

We must never forget that while Americans will always have our disagreements, we are a nation of incredible, decent, faithful, and peace-loving citizens who all want our country to thrive and flourish and be very, very successful and good. We are a truly magnificent nation.

All Americans were horrified by the assault on our Capitol. Political violence is an attack on everything we cherish as Americans. It can never be tolerated.

Now more than ever, we must unify around our shared values and rise above the partisan rancor, and forge our common destiny.

Four years ago, I came to Washington as the only true outsider ever to win the presidency. I had not spent my career as a politician, but as a builder looking at open skylines and imagining infinite possibilities. I ran for President because I knew there were towering new summits for America just waiting to be scaled. I knew the potential for our nation was boundless as long as we put America first.

So I left behind my former life and stepped into a very difficult arena, but an arena nevertheless, with all sorts of potential if properly done. America had given me so much, and I wanted to give something back.

Together with millions of hardworking patriots across this land, we built the greatest political movement in the history of our country. We also built the greatest economy in the history of the world. It was about “America First” because we all wanted to make America great again. We restored the principle that a nation exists to serve its citizens. Our agenda was not about right or left, it wasn't about Republican or Democrat, but about the good of a nation, and that means the whole nation.

With the support and prayers of the American people, we achieved more than anyone thought possible. Nobody thought we could even come close.

We passed the largest package of tax cuts and reforms in American history. We slashed more job-killing regulations than any administration had ever done before. We fixed our broken trade deals, withdrew from the horrible Trans-Pacific Partnership and the impossible Paris Climate Accord, renegotiated the one-sided South Korea deal, and we replaced NAFTA with the groundbreaking USMCA — that’s Mexico and Canada — a deal that’s worked out very, very well.

Also, and very importantly, we imposed historic and monumental tariffs on China; made a great new deal with China. But before the ink was even dry, we and the whole world got hit with the China virus. Our trade relationship was rapidly changing, billions and billions of dollars were pouring into the U.S., but the virus forced us to go in a different direction.

The whole world suffered, but America outperformed other countries economically because of our incredible economy and the economy that we built. Without the foundations and footings, it would have worked out this way. We wouldn’t have some of the best numbers we’ve ever had.

We also unlocked our energy resources and became the world’s number-one producer of oil and natural gas by far. Powered by these policies, we built the greatest economy in the history of the world. We reignited America’s job creation and achieved record-low unemployment for African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, women — almost everyone.

Incomes soared, wages boomed, the American Dream was restored, and millions were lifted from poverty in just a few short years. It was a miracle. The stock market set one record after another, with 148 stock market highs during this short period of time, and boosted the retirements and pensions of hardworking citizens all across our nation. 401(k)s are at a level they’ve never been at before. We’ve never seen numbers like we’ve seen, and that’s before the pandemic and after the pandemic.

We rebuilt the American manufacturing base, opened up thousands of new factories, and brought back the beautiful phrase: “Made in the USA.”

To make life better for working families, we doubled the child tax credit and signed the largest-ever expansion of funding for childcare and development. We joined with the private sector to secure commitments to train more than 16 million American workers for the jobs of tomorrow.

When our nation was hit with the terrible pandemic, we produced not one, but two vaccines with record-breaking speed, and more will quickly follow. They said it couldn’t be done but we did it. They call it a “medical miracle,” and that’s what they’re calling it right now: a “medical miracle.”

Another administration would have taken 3, 4, 5, maybe even up to 10 years to develop a vaccine. We did in nine months.

We grieve for every life lost, and we pledge in their memory to wipe out this horrible pandemic once and for all.

When the virus took its brutal toll on the world’s economy, we launched the fastest economic recovery our country has ever seen. We passed nearly $4 trillion in economic relief, saved or supported over 50 million jobs, and slashed the unemployment rate in half. These are numbers that our country has never seen before.

We created choice and transparency in healthcare, stood up to big pharma in so many ways, but especially in our effort to get favored-nations clauses added, which will give us the lowest prescription drug prices anywhere in the world.

We passed VA Choice, VA Accountability, Right to Try, and landmark criminal justice reform.

We confirmed three new justices of the United States Supreme Court. We appointed nearly 300 federal judges to interpret our Constitution as written.

For years, the American people pleaded with Washington to finally secure the nation’s borders. I am pleased to say we answered that plea and achieved the most secure border in U.S. history. We have given our brave border agents and heroic ICE officers the tools they need to do their jobs better than they have ever done before, and to enforce our laws and keep America safe.

We proudly leave the next administration with the strongest and most robust border security measures ever put into place. This includes historic agreements with Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, along with more than 450 miles of powerful new wall.

We restored American strength at home and American leadership abroad. The world respects us again. Please don’t lose that respect.

We reclaimed our sovereignty by standing up for America at the United Nations and withdrawing from the one-sided global deals that never served our interests. And NATO countries are now paying hundreds of billions of dollars more than when I arrived just a few years ago. It was very unfair. We were paying the cost for the world. Now the world is helping us.

And perhaps most importantly of all, with nearly $3 trillion, we fully rebuilt the American military — all made in the USA. We launched the first new branch of the United States Armed Forces in 75 years: the Space Force. And last spring, I stood at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and watched as American astronauts returned to space on American rockets for the first time in many, many years.

We revitalized our alliances and rallied the nations of the world to stand up to China like never before.

We obliterated the ISIS caliphate and ended the wretched life of its founder and leader, al Baghdadi. We stood up to the oppressive Iranian regime and killed the world’s top terrorist, Iranian butcher Qasem Soleimani.

We recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

As a result of our bold diplomacy and principled realism, we achieved a series of historic peace deals in the Middle East. Nobody believed it could happen. The Abraham Accords opened the doors to a future of peace and harmony, not violence and bloodshed. It is the dawn of a new Middle East, and we are bringing our soldiers home.

I am especially proud to be the first President in decades who has started no new wars.

Above all, we have reasserted the sacred idea that, in America, the government answers to the people. Our guiding light, our North Star, our unwavering conviction has been that we are here to serve the noble everyday citizens of America. Our allegiance is not to the special interests, corporations, or global entities; it’s to our children, our citizens, and to our nation itself.

As President, my top priority, my constant concern, has always been the best interests of American workers and American families. I did not seek the easiest course; by far, it was actually the most difficult. I did not seek the path that would get the least criticism. I took on the tough battles, the hardest fights, the most difficult choices because that’s what you elected me to do. Your needs were my first and last unyielding focus.

This, I hope, will be our greatest legacy: Together, we put the American people back in charge of our country. We restored self-government. We restored the idea that in America no one is forgotten, because everyone matters and everyone has a voice. We fought for the principle that every citizen is entitled to equal dignity, equal treatment, and equal rights because we are all made equal by God. Everyone is entitled to be treated with respect, to have their voice heard, and to have their government listen. You are loyal to your country, and my administration was always loyal to you.

We worked to build a country in which every citizen could find a great job and support their wonderful families. We fought for the communities where every American could be safe and schools where every child could learn. We promoted a culture where our laws would be upheld, our heroes honored, our history preserved, and law-abiding citizens are never taken for granted. Americans should take tremendous satisfaction in all that we have achieved together. It’s incredible.

Now, as I leave the White House, I have been reflecting on the dangers that threaten the priceless inheritance we all share. As the world’s most powerful nation, America faces constant threats and challenges from abroad. But the greatest danger we face is a loss of confidence in ourselves, a loss of confidence in our national greatness. A nation is only as strong as its spirit. We are only as dynamic as our pride. We are only as vibrant as the faith that beats in the hearts of our people.

No nation can long thrive that loses faith in its own values, history, and heroes, for these are the very sources of our unity and our vitality.

What has always allowed America to prevail and triumph over the great challenges of the past has been an unyielding and unashamed conviction in the nobility of our country and its unique purpose in history. We must never lose this conviction. We must never forsake our belief in America.

The key to national greatness lies in sustaining and instilling our shared national identity. That means focusing on what we have in common: the heritage that we all share.

At the center of this heritage is also a robust belief in free expression, free speech, and open debate. Only if we forget who we are, and how we got here, could we ever allow political censorship and blacklisting to take place in America. It’s not even thinkable. Shutting down free and open debate violates our core values and most enduring traditions. In America, we don’t insist on absolute conformity or enforce rigid orthodoxies and punitive speech codes. We just don’t do that. America is not a timid nation of tame souls who need to be sheltered and protected from those with whom we disagree. That’s not who we are. It will never be who we are.

For nearly 250 years, in the face of every challenge, Americans have always summoned our unmatched courage, confidence, and fierce independence. These are the miraculous traits that once led millions of everyday citizens to set out across a wild continent and carve out a new life in the great West. It was the same profound love of our God-given freedom that willed our soldiers into battle and our astronauts into space.

As I think back on the past four years, one image rises in my mind above all others. Whenever I traveled all along the motorcade route, there were thousands and thousands of people. They came out with their families so that they could stand as we passed, and proudly wave our great American flag. It never failed to deeply move me. I knew that they did not just come out to show their support of me; they came out to show me their support and love for our country.

This is a republic of proud citizens who are united by our common conviction that America is the greatest nation in all of history. We are, and must always be, a land of hope, of light, and of glory to all the world. This is the precious inheritance that we must safeguard at every single turn.

For the past four years, I have worked to do just that. From a great hall of Muslim leaders in Riyadh to a great square of Polish people in Warsaw; from the floor of the Korean Assembly to the podium at the United Nations General Assembly; and from the Forbidden City in Beijing to the shadow of Mount Rushmore, I fought for you, I fought for your family, I fought for our country. Above all, I fought for America and all it stands for — and that is safe, strong, proud, and free.

Now, as I prepare to hand power over to a new administration at noon on Wednesday, I want you to know that the movement we started is only just beginning. There’s never been anything like it. The belief that a nation must serve its citizens will not dwindle but instead only grow stronger by the day.

As long as the American people hold in their hearts deep and devoted love of country, then there is nothing that this nation cannot achieve. Our communities will flourish. Our people will be prosperous. Our traditions will be cherished. Our faith will be strong. And our future will be brighter than ever before.

I go from this majestic place with a loyal and joyful heart, an optimistic spirit, and a supreme confidence that for our country and for our children, the best is yet to come.

Thank you, and farewell. God bless you. God bless the United States of America.

END