SeaTools is a long-standing, trusted tool for HDD testing. I always have a bootable drive with the SeaTools bootable image on me for diagnosing hard drives.
https://www.seagate.com/support/downloads/seatools/seatools-legacy-support/
Keep in mind that testing a failing drive will likely make a failing drive worse. For your use-case this is fine, but for anyone else looking to test drives, please create a backup image of the drive prior to testing.
Short answer: Canonical is strong arming Ubuntu flavors into removing support for alternatives to snap (that run better and do the same thing). These types of decisions are generally worse for the overall Linux community.
Right now, a part of the Linux and Open Source communities are distancing themselves from corporate-sponsored projects given issues we’ve recently seen with RedHat’s CentOS and Canonical’s decisions with Snap and LXD
Note taking software has changed a lot over the years since this image was made. Obsidian, Logseq, and Trillium Notes being some of the more preferred note taking apps around.
There are a few others but I can’t remember them off the top of my head.
They aren’t a junior dev yet. They’re looking for a job as a junior dev and have been unsuccessful at finding a job as a junior dev.