Installing Linux 18 Continuum Live

Part 2 Installing Linux 18 Continuum Live

After verifying that everything is working, you can run the installer from the desktop. MX uses a graphical system installer which features several steps as the steps MX's installer offers a lot of customization.

The installer begins by asking you to select on which disk we will install the distribution. You then have the option of launching the GParted disk utility to set up partitions.

When you return to the installer it will ask which partitions will be used for our root file system, swap and /home directories. MX supports formatting our partitions with a range of Linux file systems, including Btrfs, ext2/3/4, XFS, JFS and Reiserfs. The installer then copies its files to our hard drive. I would recommend ext4.

Once packages have been placed on the hard disk, you will then be given the option of installing the GRUB boot loader and we can select where GRUB is placed.

Give the computer a host name and enable Samba file sharing. Then select your language preference, time zone and our keyboard's layout from drop-down lists.

Choose whether the desktop's clock displays in 12 or 24 hour format.

Then check boxes next to items such as OpenSSH, scanning, CUPS printing, cron and sudo.

The final page of the installer gets you to create passwords for the root and regular user account. You can optionally enable home directory encryption and automatic logins from this page.

With all these steps completed, the installer exits, returning  to the live Xfce desktop.

Booting into Linux 18 Continuum Xfce desktop

What is the Xfce desktop? Xfce is a lightweight desktop environment. Its very good for older or low resorce system. The Xfce desktop environment consists of icons, windows, toolbars, folders, wallpapers and desktop widgets.The desktop also comes with Conky, which tells you your system resource usage.

The first thing you will see is the Mx welcome. Things to pay attention to:

User manual (Instructions on how to use mx linux)

Tools (MX Tools makes it easy to access most system tasks)

Tweak (desktop customization)

Codecs (installs media support including DVD playback support)

Popular Apps (installs applications with one-click download and automatic installation)

Update Your system.

The first thing you need to is install updates. This distribution, like most, requires you to enter root’s password. Click on the MX Apt Notifier (the icon of a yellow box in the Notification Area)

The followings are the partial list of default applications with this release:

• Office Productivity Suite LibreOffice.The Linux replacement for Microsoft Office, this can do everything Microsoft Office can do.
• Thunderbird: Email client. 
• Clementine: a modern music player and library organizer.
• Firefox: Web browser. Cheese: Linux’s webcam application.
• Xfburn: CD and DVD burning application
• GIMP: Linux’s answer to Photoshop.Gufw: Firewall  
• Asunder: CD Ripper
• gMTP :It supports all MTP based devices including MP3 players, Media  Players, Tablets and  Mobile Phones.  
• VLC is a multimedia player that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, and streaming protocols.
• FBReader: e-book reader
• Games: AisleRiot Solitaire, Chromium B.S.U, LBreakout2, Mahjongg, Peg-E, Swall Foop, Hearts Card Game
• PulseAudio & Alsamixer Audio: Are sound servers  that allow you to contorl your mic/speakers.

 MX Tools

One of the strengths of MX Linux, and what sets the distribution apart from its Debian base, is the collection of MX utilities. The MX administration tools can be found in the desktop's application menu and through the MX Tools control panel.

MX Tools makes it easy to access most system tasks like:

• Changing Panel orientation or look
• Flash updates
• Codec installer (A codec is a piece of software that allows you to play video or audio formats.)
• Boot Repair
• Sound
• NVIDIA driver installer
• Broadcom Manager (for wifi card setup)
• Mx Package Installer (installs applications with one-click download and automatic installation.)
• Repo Manager ("repo" for short, is a storage location from which software packages may be retrieved and installed on a computer.)
• USB Unmouter

These tools may not be necessary for more experienced users who know how to handle separate repositories and hunt down codecs, but for less experienced users these MX-brand tools can be big time savers.

By default MX Linux Desktop will not play most videos files, especially encrypted DVDs. Codec installer will install restricted codecs that are purposely left out, you won’t be able to watch movies, or videos you downloaded from the bed.

If you're using a laptop you may need to use Broadcom Manager in order to get WiFi to work.

Mx Package Installer

The first thing you see is Popular Applications. Just Expand the categories with the little arrow to see the packages available more information is available by clicking on the small information icon. Check those that you want, and click Install. If a package is already installed, you will have the option to uninstall or reinstall.
 .
Stable Repo:This tab gives you access to the full catalog of apps available for MX Linux.

MX Test Repo:This tab allows the user to browse packages available in the MX Test repo.

Debian Backports:Debian Backports repository maintained by Debian.

Flatpaks: are a type of package that has all the dependencies included that's supposed to work on multiple Linux distributions.
  
Part III Running MX Linux 18

GNU/Linux: breathing new life into a desktop or laptop.

This article will probably be most useful to those who don’t know  anything about GNU/Linux. For users who want quick access to GNU/Linux and a large array of software/apps without having to use the command line. Or, maybe you simply seek an easy way to give Linux a try. 

What is a Distro

GNU/Linux isn’t like Windows or Mac OS. Microsoft combines all the parts of Windows internally to produce each  release of Windows and distributes it as a single program. Linux isn’t a complete operating system it’s just a kernel. GNU is the operating system which is 100% free software. Together they are GNU/Linux.  Unlike Windows or Mac OS, GNU/Linux isn’t produced by a single organization. If you’ve heard anything at all about Linux, you’ve probably hear the term Linux distributions often shortened to “Linux distros” . For many people, Ubuntu has become synonymous with Linux. But Ubuntu is one of many distros, and you have a lot of choice when it comes to GNU/Linux.



I would recommend the MX Linux distro . If you have an old system maybe MX Linux can help. MX Linux is a full-featured operating system like Microsoft Windows 10 or macOS 10.14 Mojave. 

MX Linux combines the power, stability and cost-savings of GNU/Linux with a familiar, easy-to-use comfortable graphical interface with clear menus and icons. MX Linux comes with everything you need to browse the Internet (with Firefox 64.0), watch Videos (with VLC 3.0.3), e-mail (with Thunderbird 52.9.1), share and write documents (with LibreOffice 6.0.1), work with digital photos (with the Gimp), listen to music (with Clementine 1.3.1), play games and much more.

MX Linux is distributed as Live DVD that could be installed onto a hard disk drive. It is a Linux distribution based on Debian's Stable branch which uses Xfce as the operating system's default desktop environment. The latest release of MX Linux is version 18 and it is based on Debian 9 "Stretch". MX Linux 18 is available in 32-bit and 64-bit builds and the installation media we can download is about 1.2GB in size.

Note if your system was made after 2010 download MX Linux 64-bit build.

If you want to test MX Linux, it can be booted directly from the live DVD drive without installation, without making any changes to your computer system. You can also use a live USB if your system dose not have a DVD rom drive. Along with the hardware support and the modern desktop, MX Linux 18 also comes with everything you need right out of the box. It has Firefox web browser, the Thunderbird e-mail client and the LibreOffice suit. It also has FBReader e-book reader, a dictionary, and the qpdfview PDF viewer. The distribution covers multimedia playing with the Clementine audio player, SMTube for finding and playing YouTube videos and the VLC media player for playing media files. Xfburn will burn CD DVD along with Blu-Ray and Asunder will rip CDs. The gimp can edit your photos.

How to test/install Mx Linux

Burning an ISO to a DVD is easy with Windows XP, 7, 8, 10.

Note: Do not burn the ISO onto a blank CD/DVD as if it were a data file. An ISO is a formatted and bootable image of an OS. You need to choose Burn disk imageor Burn ISO.

Windows XP and Windows 7 doesn't include any built-in way to create an ISO file from a DVD, but there are free utilities that will help you do this, such as open-source InfraRecorder. But Windows 10 has its own burner, called Windows Disc Image Burner, and it could be used for burning regular data to CDs, as well as ISO files.

Simply right click an ISO and select to burn it to a disk.

1. Insert a blank DVD in your writable optical drive.
2. Right-click on the ISO file and select "Burn disk image."
3. Select "Verify disc after burning" to make sure the ISO was burned without any errors.
4. Click Burn

To create a bootable USB.

You can easily create a bootable USB that works on most systems. You can use a cross-platform utility called Unetbootin.

Using Unetbootin:

1. Plug in the USB stick you want to turn into a LiveUSB. Use the My Computer screen, right-click your USB device in the menu and select Format,then FAT 32.
2. Start Unetbootin, and either download the ISO using the top radio button, or click on the button with the 3 dots to locate your ISO file.

Note:Make sure the device that is identified in the bottom line is what you want to use and that there are no files on it that you do not want destroyed.

1. Click OK to create the files necessary (it will take some time) on the USB device.
2. Either click to restart the system, or exit to reboot manually on a different machine or at another time.

Boot from DVD/USB

BIOS (Basic Input Output Subsystem) is a programmable chip that controls how information is passed to various devices in the computer system.

Start the computer and press ESC, F1, F2, F8, F10 or F12 during the initial startup screen. Depending on the BIOS manufacturer, a menu may appear.

Choose to enter BIOS setup. The BIOS setup utility page appears.

Use the arrow keys to select the BOOT tab. System devices appear in order of priority.

To give a USB or DVD drive boot sequence priority over the hard drive, move it to the first position in the list.

Booting up

The initial boot menu of MX-18 Continuum 64-bit operating system gives you a choice of four  options: Mx 18 x64 (Live boot),Virtual box video, boot from hard drive and memory check. At the same screen you can optionally switch your language, configure persistence and specify other boot parameters.

Choose Mx 18 x64, the bootloader will start running MX Linux directly from either a USB stick or a DVD. It will be a quick and easy way to experience how MX-18 Continuum works and confirm that everything is working. Most importantly, it doesn't alter your computer's configuration in any way, and a simple restart without the USB stick or DVD is all that's needed to restore your machine to its previous state.

Running Mx Linux 18 continuum Live

Mx Linux 18 continuum Live allows users to run the system for any purpose without installing it or making any changes to the computer's configuration. With this Live DVD/USB you can do almost anything you can from an installed system. You do things like Safely browse the internet and watch YouTube. However the drawback is being unable to save any current working data.

Next: Part II Installing Mx Linux 18 continuum on hard drive/solid state drive.

Boxing glove size are not standard

No this not a post about Software...

Many people ask me whats the best boxing gloves to buy. The thing is I'm not really an expert on gloves. I know only what works for my hands. I have wide hands and long fingers. Brands vary in size around your fist. So I just always make sure my gloves will fit my hands with hand wraps on. I do know the the type of glove you need is depending on where it’s going to be used. If you’re new to everything, go for a pair of fitness or training gloves. You going to do some Sparring? That requires sparring gloves. As with most products,  There there are many glove brands each with a quality of its own. While there are a lot of affordable boxing gloves, those made with high-end materials are  the most recommended. If you have a big bank account. The best boxing gloves in the world are The Winning training boxing gloves. They are made under strict quality control in Japan.

Types of gloves...

BAG GLOVES: These are primarily used to hit a heavy bag. They are not the type of gloves you can use for sparring or hitting other boxers.

SPARRING GLOVES: These are used for making contact with other fighters. Sparring gloves are usually measured in American ounces. Any fighter over 160lbs should choose 16 or 18 ounce gloves.

TRAINING GLOVES: They are a hybrid glove that can be used for bag/pad work or sparring. They are typically firm enough to use on heavy bags, but also safe enough to wear while sparring.


Gloves I use.

Bag Gloves
Everlast Neoprene
Rival Econo Bag Gloves

Training Gloves
Everlast Powerlock Hook & Loop
Hayabusa Tokushu Plus

Sparring Gloves
Rival RS1-pro 18oz
(New) Rival RS100-pro 18oz

I don't spend a lot of money on gloves. I don't use my hands to make money. Every pair I buy is either on sale or some type of rebate. The most expensive gloves I ever bought was the Rival RS100 Professional Sparring Gloves. This model is the  predecessor to the my RS1 pro sparring gloves, which were first lace-up boxing gloves I ever bought. Like the former model, its been nothing less than amazing. These gloves are actually fairly heavy on visuals, and have a variety of graphics printed on. They look absolutely amazing..

Rival RS100-Professional Sparring Gloves

Like my old RS1s they are not real leather. They are handcrafted using Rivals indestructible Super Rich Microfiber with a foamy cloth lining, and a part mesh palm for added ventilation. Micro fiber is a fairly new material used in boxing gloves. It seems to be a sturdy material and not as expensive as leather gloves. Some suggest the material is just as durable as leather. Unfortunately there are some really lousy synthetic gloves out there (the stuff you get at WALMART or DICKS) that gives synthetic leather a bad name. Microfiber is not cheap synthetic leather. I’ve yet to hear of a RS100-Professional Sparring Glove tearing quickly. It is a good choice for many because no animals are involved in the manufacturing process. In terms of cost, leather is usually more expensive than microfiber.

I wish they had the "X-Lace Track" on Cuff like the Rival RS1-pro, but the RS100 glove does offer a perfect fit. Its designed to perfectly fit the hand because of what Rival calls an "Ergonomic True-Fist Construction". The padding on these gloves is of a medium density, and doesn’t feel too bulky like other 18oz gloves. While the gloves seem fairly compact, the hand compartments don’t feel too tight of fit. These gloves may not turn you into Muhammad Ali or Jack Dempsey but they will stand out in any gym.

Most men’s gloves are made for larger hands..

When picking out boxing gloves for women there are many considerations. On average, women’s palms are typically shorter and narrower than men’s. Sometimes the male thumb is a bit shorter compared to the female thumb. Many assume that if a boxing glove is pink or purple that it must be made for women. Yes, these gloves are marketed towards women, but it doesn’t mean that they’re actually made for a woman's hands. Those gloves are made for our, bigger hands, and so a woman's fist just ends up floating inside them creating a higher risk of injury. One should never pick a pair of boxing gloves based solely on color or aesthetic.

3 places to buy gloves for made women (in no particular order)

1. Kali Active
2. Society Nine
3. Machina Boxing (pronounced “Ma-she-nuh”)

So again I'm no expert on gloves. There are so many YouTube channels with good information. Here is what I do know:

• There is wide range in pricing for boxing gloves, from under $20 to nearly $500. $60-$100 is a good low range for quality boxing gloves. $100-$150 is a good middle ground. Only someone hard core or a Pro would need pay $200 or more. (I just wait for sales)
• Brands vary in size around your fist. You should always try them on with wraps.Most people should always wear hand wraps when training.
• Pink or purple gloves are not always be made for women.
• Laces give you a tighter, more stable fit to your hands while Velcro’s are easy to tighten and loosen.
• 16oz and up is the gloves size most gyms require for sparring.

Why We Should Use Free Software

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What GNU means?

GNU is an operating system that is free software—that is, it respects users' freedom. The GNU operating system consists of GNU packages (programs specifically released by the GNU Project) as well as free software released by third parties. The development of GNU made it possible to use a computer without software that would trample your freedom. GNU stands for GNU's not Unix, which makes the term a recursive acronym (an acronym in which one of the letters stands for the acronym itself).

From gnu.org

What is Free Software?

Free software means the users have the freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software.

Free software is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of “free” as in “free speech”, not as in “free beer”.

More precisely, free software means users of a program have the four essential freedoms: The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose 

(freedom 0). The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs.

(freedom1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this. The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor.

(freedom 2). The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits.

(freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.


There are a group of talented ethical programmers from around the world that are committed to the idea of writing and sharing software with each other and with anyone else who agreed to share everything. anyone can be a part of and benefit from this community even without being a computer expert or knowing anything about programming. They dont have to worry about getting caught copying a useful program for for people because they are not doing anything wrong.

With NON-free/proprietary software, there is always an owner of the program, that controls the program and through it exercises power over its users. Proprietary programs are designed to spy on the users, restrict them, censor them, and abuse them. For instance, The Amazon Kindle has a back door that can erase books. Windows, mobile phone firmware, and Google Chrome for Windows include a universal backdoor that allows some company to change the program remotely without asking permission. Last but not least the operating system of Apple iThings does all of that and more. According to media reports Microsoft shows Windows bugs to the NSA before fixing them.

Schools should not use NON-free/proprietary software.They spend huge amounts of money on marketing to acquire the support of educational departments. Educating students is a major revenue source for some of the proprietary software vendors. If a school teaches how to use a proprietary program, the student will be dependent on that program and after he/she graduates he/she will have to pay to use that program. Proprietary software developers use schools to impose permanent dependence on the whole society.

If your computer is running Microsoft's operating system, you cannot to read the source code of the instructions being sent to your computer. The same applies in part even to Mac OSX. There is no way for you to know whats going on. You have no way to call in an independent person to look at whats going on. If you "reverse engineer" Microsoft's compiled code,in order to look at what is going on, then you are both in violation of Microsoft's "End User License Agreement".

Closed source software can be fixed only by a vendor. If something goes wrong with the software, you send a request and wait for the answer from the support team. Solving the problem can take much longer than compared to OSC.

Microsoft has collaborated closely with US intelligence services to allow users' communications to be intercepted, including helping the National Security Agency to circumvent the company's own encryption, according to top-secret documents obtained by the Guardian.

Microsoft collude with the NSA. While Skype calls used to be secure from government or private snooping, changes made by Microsoft have made it possible for the government(s) to do just that.