Life without Windows or OS X

GNU/Linux is quite possibly the most important free software achievement since the original Space War, or, more recently, Emacs. It has developed into an operating system for business, education, and personal productivity. GNU/Linux is no longer only for UNIX wizards who sit for hours in front of a glowing console. Are you thinking about switching to Linux and want to learn how to use it? Have you been using GNU/Linux for some time and want to learn even more? This is the place for you.

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Year XII of the rebel said....

On Saturday, September 10, 2005, I made my first post. My last post was September 10, 2012. Yes, it’s been a long break. 5 years. I've used Linux for over 14 years, and Linux has been my only OS for over 8 years. I typically run Linux Mint, OpenSuse Tumbleweed and Ubuntu with Gnome or Cinnamon. My favorite distro of all time was Lindows/Linspire, RIP August 2001-October 2007.

If you’re seeing this site for the first time, this is not a place just for geeks. It’s for those who like computers or computer software. I've been working with computers for a little while. In that time I've used a variety of environments. It is not my intent to debate the Open source development methodology versus the free software social movement. Also, this site is NOT anti-Microsoft or anti-Windows.

Gnu is freely available, and most are not required to register their copies with any central authority, so it is very difficult to know how many people use Linux to date. It could be as many as five million users.

For the last 2 years, I have been using OpenSUSE Tumbleweed Plasma Desktop (KDE). OpenSUSE combines the power, stability, and cost-savings of Gnu with a familiar, easy-to-use Plasma Desktop environment. It came with everything I needed to browse the Internet, instant message, e-mail, and share and write documents, works with digital photos, listens to music, play games and much more. Tumbleweed completely solves the problem of outdated software through the rolling release model, but not at the expense of stability or by creating a high risk of breakage after updates. However, OpenSUSE's model of providing timely software is large download when there are a large number of updated packages.

Note: That was not a review of openSUSE

The world of Linux is filled with free software some cool, some very forgettable. Yet millions of people around the world including governments are using free software on their computers. The main reason is the corporations behind proprietary software will often spy on you and restrict you. Our computers control much of our personal information and daily activities.  Proprietary software can represent a danger to a free society. We must fight any and all attempts of university administrations, to force faculty and students to use non-free/proprietary software or to use university resources to promote that kind of software.

Note: I’m not telling people to never use proprietary software. Only what they’re risking by doing so.

I should have a lot more to say after five years. I will have a lot more to say in the coming days.

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