Tag: technology

How to disable Chrome’s AI model and reclaim your storage

I wouldn’t advise removing the AI model from your computer if you use AI features in Chrome, since on-device models are better for your privacy. However, if you don’t intend to use any AI features within Chrome, you can consider removing the AI model.

To permanently remove the file and stop Chrome from hoarding your storage, you must first tell the browser to stop fetching the model, and then delete the files.

Step 1: Disable the Chrome Flags

  1. Open Google Chrome, type chrome://flags into your URL address bar, and press the Enter key on your keyboard.
  2. In the search bar at the top, search for “optimization-guide-on-device-model.”
  3. When the #optimization-guide-on-device-model flag appears, click the dropdown menu on the right and select “Disabled.”
  4. Search and disable “#prompt-api-for-gemini-nano” too.
  5. Click the Relaunch button that appears at the bottom of the screen to restart Chrome.

This stops Chrome from using the feature, preventing forced auto-downloads when you delete the files.

Step 2: Delete the Folder

Now that Chrome is blocked from retrieving the file, you can safely delete the bloated folder. Make sure Chrome is fully closed before doing this.

  • On Windows:
    • Press Win + R.
    • Paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\ and hit the Enter key on your keyboard.
    • Look through the “Default” folder (or your specific user profile folder) for the “OptGuideOnDeviceModel” folder.
    • Delete it.
  • On macOS:
    • Open Finder.
    • Press Cmd + Shift + G.
    • Paste ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/ and hit the Enter key on your keyboard.
    • Search for the “OptGuideOnDeviceModel” folder and move it to the trash.
    • Empty your trash bin.

There’s a chance a future Chrome update will reset these flags and redownload the AI model. There are registry changes you can make to prevent this from happening, but that is outside the scope for most users. The easier, non-nuclear option would be to repeat these steps again.

Source: https://www.androidauthority.com/google-chrome-weights-bin-ai-model-download-explained-3664043/

Linux Mint 22 Cinnamon Edition Review

I have upgraded to Linux Mint 22 code named “Wilma”. I am using the Cinnamon Edition. It is a long term support release which will be supported until 2029. 

My first impression is that there is not much change, which is good.

The release note mention better language support, support for new technology, support for popular features, and now the Software Manager is faster and better looking.

Linux Mint 22 comes with a preinstalled Web App called Matrix. This is because they have discontinued using Hexchat. The Welcome screen has a link under Help.

My only issue is the Ubuntu font has been updated. It is thinner and narrower. I did a previous post on how to go back to the classic Ubuntu font.

Don’t forget to install the Microsoft fonts on your system. These are Times New Roman, Arial Black, Arial, Comic Sans MS, Courier New, Impact, and Verdana. In terminal, just copy and paste the following:

sudo apt install ttf-mscorefonts-installer

Since I use Linux Mint on my main machine, I appreciate the lack of drastic changes. Linux Mint is solid, reliable, and its desktop environment is beautiful and comfortable. Everything is where you expect it to be, and customization is fairly easy. Another 5 star product.

To upgrade to Linux Mint 22
https://linuxmint-user-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/upgrade-to-mint-22.html

New Features
https://www.linuxmint.com/rel_wilma_whatsnew.php

Release notes
https://www.linuxmint.com/rel_wilma.php