The IT Guy Show - Episodes Tagged with “The It Guy Show”

Episode 20: First Boot, First Inference

Eric Hendricks — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0500

In this episode of The IT Guy Show, Eric sits down with Damen Knight, CIQ Sr. Principal Automation Engineer, to talk about something every AI team knows but nobody budgets for: the hidden cost of configuring Linux for GPU workloads.
Together they dig into why general-purpose Linux distributions were never really built for AI, what actually happens when you spend 30 to 60 minutes per node doing manual CUDA setup, and why a "pre-installed" stack and a "validated" stack are two very different things. From driver conflicts and framework dependency failures to the CIQ Linux Kernel (CLK) and NVIDIA authorization, this episode covers the infrastructure decisions that determine whether your AI program ships fast or gets stuck in configuration hell.
Whether you're an ML engineer tired of fighting CUDA every time a kernel update drops, a sysadmin managing a growing GPU fleet, or a tech leader wondering why production AI is harder than it should be, this one is for you.

Welcome to The IT Guy Show, your go-to destination for all things tech with Eric, your friendly neighborhood IT guy! Join Eric as he shares his wealth of knowledge, insights, and experiences gained from years of working in the IT industry. From troubleshooting common tech issues to exploring the latest trends and innovations, each episode is packed with practical tips, skilled advice, and engaging discussions.

Connect with me! https://linktr.ee/itguyeric
CIQ Press Release: https://ciq.com/blog/rlc-pro-ai-is-here/
RLC Pro AI: https://ciq.com/products/rocky-linux/pro/ai/
NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit: https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda-toolkit

Chapters:
00:00 Stream start
00:50 Introduction
02:43 Sponsor: CIQ
04:08 AI at CIQ
06:02 State of AI
19:20 General-purpose limitations
31:37 RLC Pro AI
43:53 What's next in AI?
52:47 Wrap up

Graphics and bumpers by Free Hive Agency
Photo by Igor Omilaev on Unsplash

Episode 19: The Problem with Subscriptions

Eric Hendricks — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0600

We’re starting 2026 with a reality check: subscriptions are eating our wallets. From streaming services to password managers, cloud storage to to-do apps — the "monthly drip" is everywhere.

In this solo episode, Eric breaks down why recurring subscription models have become the default, how they impact both consumers and creators, and what it looks like to take back control through self-hosting and open source alternatives.

This episode kicks off a new arc focused on building a personal homelab, reducing reliance on cloud services, and reclaiming your tech stack one app at a time.

Connect with me! https://linktr.ee/itguyeric

Chapters:
00:00 Stream Start
00:33 What’s the Problem
06:38 Eric’s Setup
14:13 Self Hosting Stack
23:08 Planning
24:15 Upcoming and Closing

Graphics and bumpers by Free Hive Agency
Photo by Christina Radevich on Unsplash

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Episode 18: Wayland and My eX-11 | The IT Guy Show 018

Eric Hendricks — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 06:00:00 -0600

In this episode of The IT Guy Show, Eric is joined by Linux content creator Brodie Robertson to dive into the display server drama of the decade: the end of X11 and the rise of Wayland.

Together they explore the history of X11, its weird quirks, and why it stuck around so long, before unpacking what makes Wayland different, better, and sometimes frustrating. From screen tearing and window managers to PipeWire, gaming, and remote desktops, this episode covers the past, present, and future of the Linux desktop experience.

Whether you’re a veteran sysadmin who lived through the xhost + days or a curious distro-hopper wondering why Wayland keeps breaking your screen sharing, this episode has something for you.

Connect with me! https://linktr.ee/itguyeric
Connect with Brodie: https://brodierobertson.xyz/link_tree

X Window System: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Window_System
Wayland Homepage: https://wayland.freedesktop.org/

Wayland Protocols Table: https://absurdlysuspicious.github.io/wayland-protocols-table
Awesome Wayland: https://github.com/rcalixte/awesome-wayland

Chapters:
00:00 Stream Start
00:13 Introduction
01:21 Brodie Robertson
04:45 What is X11?
11:56 What did X11 solve?
19:42 What is Wayland?
36:18 Full Wayland mode
44:52 Wrap up

Graphics and bumpers by Free Hive Agency
Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

Special Guest: Brodie Robertson.

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