Penguin Platform

“HELPING MEMBER GROUPS HELP THEIR MEMBERS“

By “Free John” Kennedy, Advisor, Regions 3 and 6

4/26/22

WHAT’S NEW IN FEDORA 36 – There’s no time to waste in the world of Linux distributions. Fedora 35 dropped in November 2021, and Fedora 36 is set to arrive a few short months later in April 2022. Find out what’s new in Red Hat’s open-source Linux distribution. What’s New in Fedora 36 (howtogeek.com)

SO YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT MIGRATING TO LINUX? HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW – Linux might not be on the mind of every consumer that uses a PC, but it’s certainly growing in popularity. The reason for this growth has to do with several factors, including the release of Windows 11, how deeply embedded Linux is within the enterprise business space, how the web browser has become the primary tool for most users, and the incredible evolution of Linux on the desktop. So you’re thinking about migrating to Linux? Here’s what you need to know | ZDNet

HOW TO BUILD A NEW PC FOR LINUX – Oftentimes you will receive a recommendation to install Linux on an older PC. Doing that can certainly revive those old computers and make them usable today. However, Linux also works extremely well on new and modern hardware. How to Build a New PC For Linux – Make Tech Easier

THE BEST LINUX DISTROS FOR BEGINNERS: YOU CAN DO THIS! – Tired of Windows? Sick of paying big money for Macs? Want a better, more secure desktop? Give Linux a try. Best Linux distros for beginners 2022 | ZDNet

HOW TO FIX WINDOWS MBR FROM UBUNTU – If you have tried to dual boot your Windows system with Linux, then you have probably encountered some changes that may not be welcome. When installing Linux in this environment, the GRUB bootloader will overwrite the Windows bootloader within the Master Boot Record (MBR). There are ways to restore the bootloader, and in the process, repair the MBR. Find out how here How to Fix Windows MBR from Ubuntu – Make Tech Easier

HOW TO USE PASSWORD STORE TO MANAGE YOUR PASSWORDS IN LINUX – Password Store is a simple UNIX program that uses the GNU Privacy Guard (GPG) and Git to secure and manage passwords for your Linux system. It is simple, lightweight and fast. However, this simplicity means that accessing Password Store’s database to fetch your passwords can be a bit of a pain. However, if you are using Emacs, there is a way to seamlessly automate this process for you. How to Use Password Store to Manage Your Passwords in Linux – Make Tech Easier

10 THINGS YOU CAN DO ON LINUX BUT NOT ON WINDOWS – For some users, Linux is far better than other OSes. There are a whole lot of things you can do with Linux that are not possible on Windows. Linux has some state-of-the-art features that other operating systems lack for now. Such features, along with its solid support, are continuously growing within its community. So, let’s take a look at 10 things you can do on Linux that you can’t do on Windows. 10 Things You Can Do on Linux but Not on Windows (makeuseof.com)

3/22/22

GNOME 42 – TOP NEW FEATURE AND RELEASE DETAILS – We give you all the important GNOME 42 feature highlights and release information in this article. This article contains information about an upcoming release. It is continually updated until the final release announcement. Read on.

25 USEFUL BASIC COMMANDS OF APT-GET AND APT-CACHE FOR PACKAGE MANAGEMENT – This article explains how quickly you can learn to install, remove, update and search software packages using apt-get and apt-cache commands from the command line. This article provides some useful commands that will help you to handle package management in Debian/Ubuntu based systems.

ELEMENTARY OS 6.1 “JÓLNIR” OFFICIALLY RELEASED, THIS IS WHAT’S NEW – Dubbed “Jólnir,” elementary OS 6.1 comes more than four months after elementary OS 6 “Odin” and it’s built on top of the Ubuntu 20.04.3 point release of the Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa) long-term supported operating system series and powered by Linux kernel 5.11. Here’s what’s new.

5 WARNING SIGNS YOUR SSD IS ABOUT TO BREAK DOWN AND FAIL – Worried your SSD will malfunction and break down and take all of your data with it? Look for these warning signs. 5 Warning Signs Your SSD Is About to Break Down and Fail (makeuseof.com)

HOW TO INSTALL LINUX ON YOUR WINDOWS PC – Want to run whatever browser you want and not be forced into Edge? Sick of being told to “upgrade” to Windows 11? Tired of one Windows 10 zero-day after another being exploited? I have a radical suggestion: Switch to Linux. It’s simple to get Linux Mint up and running on a Windows PC. Here’s how you do it.

WINDOWS 365 NO DEAL FOR NON-BIZ LINUX USERS – Microsoft’s new Cloud PC with Windows 10/11 service potentially offers a way for some Linux users to sidestep what could be the last barrier for businesses to adopt the Linux desktop without leaving behind must-have Windows applications. But if you lack a company’s backing, for the time being you can expect Microsoft’s new platform to consider you unsuitable. So personal use of Windows 365 is not a real option for all Linux users. Read about why here.

TOP 10 MOST BEAUTIFUL LINUX DISTRIBUTIONS – There are many Linux Distributions that looks stunning without any customization. The developers have made them so that you can experience the visual treat right after installation without any additional effort on customization. Hence, we compiled a list of the most beautiful Linux distributions you can try right now and give your PC a visual makeover. Read which ones they are.

BEST 5 ALTERNATIVES TO MICROSOFT OFFICE [COMPARED] – Here we give you the five best alternatives to Microsoft Office. We compare them based on features, are easy to use and provide you guide to choose the one you need. See what they are and which one will meet your needs.

GNOME COMMANDER: A ‘TWO PANEL’ GRAPHICAL FILE BROWSER AND MANAGER FOR LINUX – One of the most important action we perform as soon as we login to an Operating System till the time we logout, is interacting with File Manager even without noticing it. There are several flavours of File Manager and each of them have certain features which puts them different than others. One such File Manager is ‘The Gnome Commander‘. Here in this article we will be throwing light on its features, how it is different, Installation, its’ usability, Area of Application, Future of the Project as well as testing it on native machine before reaching a conclusion. Learn more about it here.

XEROLINUX: A BEAUTIFUL ARCH-BASED LINUX WITH EXCELLENT CUSTOMIZABILITY BY DEFAULT – Arch Linux is a popular option for Linux users who want more control over their operating system. While many experienced users customize the Arch Linux experience to provide some of the best user experiences (in terms of its UI), it could be challenging for new Linux users. However, some Arch-based distros aim to offer a more accessible experience without taking the control away. XeroLinux is one of the options that we recently came across. Learn about it here.

TOP 5 LIVE STREAMING APPLICATION FOR UBUNTU AND OTHER LINUX – This post lists the top five live streaming applications for Ubuntu Linux with features, highlights, download details, and comparison. In this post, we will list out some of the free software for Ubuntu and other Linux primarily that are easy to use for creating super interesting live streaming content for you and your needs. Find out which would work for you.

9 OF THE BEST EMAIL CLIENTS FOR LINUX – Email is the bread and butter of electronic communication. It is simple, efficient and programmable. If you are looking for a desktop email client for Linux, there are many around. Here are some of the best email clients available for Linux. 9 of the Best Email Clients for Linux – Make Tech Easier

HOW TO FIX THE UBUNTU LOGIN LOOP – The login loop issue can happen to Ubuntu as well as any other Linux distros. One of the more common and arguably most frustrating bugs experienced by Ubuntu users is the login boot loop. When you try to log in to Ubuntu after starting up, you get taken right back around to the same login screen, and the process repeats indefinitely. Find out how to fix this How to Fix the Ubuntu Login Loop – Make Tech Easier

WHAT IS GENTOO LINUX AND HOW TO INSTALL IT – Gentoo is a powerful and extensible Linux distribution. It is one of the few operating systems that stuck to the original source-based package management in Linux. Further, its package manager, portage, is a powerful utility that allows you to fine-tune and tweak each aspect of your distribution. Read more at What Is Gentoo Linux and How to Install It – Make Tech Easier

WHY IS THE LINUX MASCOT A PENGUIN? – If you’re a fan of Linux, you might have seen “Tux,” the friendly penguin mascot for the operating system. But why a penguin, and why Tux? This article explores the history behind the semi-aquatic bird mascot with a little help from Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux himself. Why Is the Linux Mascot a Penguin? (howtogeek.com)

THE 5 BEST LINUX DISTROS FOR BEGINNERS IN 2022 – There are so many Linux distributions available. If you’re new to the platform, you may not know where to start. Lifewire selected the top 5 distributions for new users, so your first exposure won’t be your last. The 5 Best Linux Distros For Beginners in 2022 (lifewire.com)

LIBREOFFICE 7.3.1 COMMUNITY AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD – Berlin, March 3, 2022 – LibreOffice 7.3.1 Community, the first minor release of the LibreOffice 7.3 family, targeted at technology enthusiasts and power users, is available for download from https://www.libreoffice.org/download/. This version provides a solution to several LibreOffice 7.3 bugs, including the Auto Calculate regression on Calc, the crashes running Calc when lacking AVX instructions and the crashes related to the Skia graphic engine on macOS. LibreOffice 7.3.1 Community available for download – The Document Foundation Blog

HOW TO PASSWORD PROTECT YOUR USB DRIVE: 7 EASY WAYS – Learn the best ways to password protect your USB drive and keep your files secure. Windows—Mac—Linux How to Password Protect Your USB Drive: 7 Easy Ways (makeuseof.com)

2/26/22

HOW TO SET UP AN SFTP SERVER ON LINUX – Most people prefer utilities like FileZilla, WinSCP or other FTP programs when they need to transfer files to or from Linux servers. SFTP is a secure alternative to the original FTP protocol. It performs mostly the same functions as its unsecured version, but with an added layer of encryption. To accomplish this, it uses the SSH protocol that provides it with encryption capabilities. Setting up an SFTP server on your Linux system involves multiple steps, which we showcase here. How to Set Up an SFTP Server on Linux – Make Tech Easier

HOW TO INSTALL AND RUN FLATPAK APPLICATIONS – Flatpak is a package management system that aims to enable users and developers to install and manage software packages on Linux systems regardless of the Linux distribution, runtime, dependencies and the type of package management. A flatpak application runs in a sandboxed environment. This is an isolated environment that is bundled with all the dependencies, libraries and everything that is needed for the app to run smoothly. Read more at How to Install and Run Flatpak Applications (thebackroomtech.com)

RASPBERRY PI NOW LETS YOU INSTALL AN OS WITHOUT ANOTHER PC – The Raspberry Pi is getting a massive upgrade. Now, you’ll be able to install an operating system to the affordable computer without needing a second PC to get it up and running. Read more at Raspberry Pi Now Lets You Install an OS Without Another PC (howtogeek.com)

10 REASONS WHY PEOPLE QUIT LINUX FOR WINDOWS AND WHY THEY’RE WRONG – Finding Linux frustrating and reinstalling Windows? Already switched back? Here’s why you should persist with Linux after switching. 10 Reasons Why People Quit Linux for Windows and Why They’re Wrong (makeuseof.com)

WHAT TO DO IF GMAIL IS NOT WORKING? 11 QUICK FIXES – This article covers troubleshooting fixes for several Gmail issues on mobile devices (Android and iOS) and desktop computers. What to Do If Gmail Is Not Working? 11 Quick Fixes (online-tech-tips.com)

HOW TO ATTACH A FOLDER TO AN EMAIL – Do you want to attach an entire folder to an email instead of individual files? If so, you’ll have to first turn your folder into a ZIP file, as email services don’t allow attaching folders to email. Find out how to do this at How to Attach a Folder to an Email (howtogeek.com)

WHAT NEW FEATURES CAN YOU EXPECT IN LINUX MINT 20.3? – The latest version of Linux Mint codenamed “Una” comes with several new design and app-specific improvements and an updated Linux kernel. Take a look at what new features the latest Linux Mint release has brought to the table. What New Features Can You Expect in Linux Mint 20.3? (makeuseof.com)

HOW TO INSTALL A LINUX DISTRO ON YOUR CHROMEBOOK (without affecting the Chrome OS) – Although Chromebooks ship with Chrome OS, a Linux-based operating system, out-of-the-box, they can also run unadulterated Linux distributions without issues. In fact, you can run Chrome OS and another Linux distro simultaneously on the same Chromebook. In this tutorial, Help Desk Geek shows you how to install Linux on a Chromebook without affecting the Chrome OS. You’ll also learn how to install the experimental Linux environment built into Chrome OS and a third-party Linux distro (Ubuntu). https://helpdeskgeek.com/linux-tips/how-to-install-a-linux-distro-on-your-chromebook/

HOW TO FORMAT AND WIPE LINUX DISK USING COMMANDS – Can’t seem to clear your Linux disk space or not sure about disk formatting? Read this informative post about the working of different Linux commands to wipe or format the disk. How to Format and Wipe Linux Disk Using Commands? (wondershare.com)

HOW TO USE THE findmnt COMMAND ON LINUX – The Linux file system is a large tree. Depending on the choices you made when you installed Linux, different hard drives inside your computer may have different file systems on them. If you use snap packages you’ll have squashfs pseudo-file systems in your system too. Devices like USB memory sticks will have assorted file systems on them, especially if you also use them on Windows computers.

Regardless of the file system type, they all have to be grafted onto the file system tree in a process called mounting. Mounting is a crucial step in obtaining a working system. We tend to think of mounting a device like a hard drive, but actually what is being mounted is the file system on that device. And without access to all these various file systems, your computer might not even boot, or you won’t be able to access applications or data. Learn about the findmnt command at How to Use the findmnt Command on Linux (howtogeek.com)

HOW TO BECOME A LINUX PRO – Now, more than ever, companies want employees with Linux skills. Here’s how to get prepared for those jobs. How to become a Linux pro | ZDNet

1/22/22

THE 10 BEST UBUNTU-BASED LINUX DISTRIBUTIONS OF ALL TIME – Ubuntu, the Debian-based Linux OS, has been around since 2004; ever since, it has spawned some excellent distributions that are, in turn, based on Ubuntu’s source code. These distributions continue to mete out varying degrees of success for serving diverse use cases. Find out what makes each of these community-maintained Ubuntu distros tick at
https://www.makeuseof.com/best-ubuntu-based-linux-distributions/?utm_source=MUO-NL-RP&utm_medium=newsletter

LINUX MINT, A BEGINNERS GUIDE AND PRO TIPS – Linux Mint is generally regarded as the easiest way to get away from Windows and Mac and enter the wonderful world of open-source operating systems. With a simple installation process, great interface and a lot of ease-of-life features, there’s nothing stopping you from trying out this great version of Linux, especially if you want to avoid Windows 11. We’ll show you the ropes in this guide to Linux Mint.
https://helpdeskgeek.com/linux-tips/linux-mint-a-beginners-guide-and-pro-tips/

HOW TO INSTALL AND RUN FLATPAK APPLICATIONS – Linux offers a range of options for managing packages. Traditionally, these options were confined to only package managers like APT, DNF or YUM. App stores, which are available in major distributions, provided great relief for users who are averse to working on the command-line. They provide a simple graphical interface that allows users to install, update, or remove installed software applications on Linux.
How to Install and Run Flatpak Applications (thebackroomtech.com)

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR LINUX PASSWORD – Once you’ve set up a new Linux PC, one of your first tasks should be to change your Linux password. After all, one of the most important parts of keeping your computer secure is creating a secure password that others can’t guess or crack. Whether you’re running macOS, Windows, or Linux, it’s crucial to be mindful of your password and change it regularly. So, how do you change your password in Linux? It’s a pretty straightforward process, so let’s take a look.
How to Change Your Linux Password (groovypost.com)

7 LINUX DISTROS TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2022 – considering some of the impressive distro releases in 2021, excitement for newer Linux distributions and upgrades for 2022 is at its peak. Compared to the last decade, Linux distributions are now focusing more on the user experience aspect. It is no longer just about the resource usage but how a distribution looks and works with modern desktop hardware. Learn more at 7 Linux Distros to Look Forward to in 2022 – It’s FOSS News (itsfoss.com)

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY LINUX? EXPLAIN ITS FEATURES. – Linux is a Unix-like open-source computer operating system (OS) that directly manages hardware and resources of a system such as CPU, memory, and storage, and manages the communication between software and hardware. It was first released on 5 October 1991 by Linus Torvalds for computers and is considered more secure and faster than Windows. It is freely distributable and is generally built around Linux Kernel (low-level system software that is used to manage hardware resources for users). Furthermore, it can be installed in mobiles, laptops, computers, notebooks, etc. Flavors of Linux OS include Ubuntu, Debian, SUSE Linux, Gentoo, etc. Read more at
Top Linux Interview Questions and Answers (2022) – InterviewBit

12/1/21

ZORIN OS 16: BETTER GNOME WITH MUCH MORE SIMPLICITY – This latest upgrade brings several improvements and a few new features to give a satisfying Linux experience that tries to be something else. That is, of course, if you are enamored with a Windows-like desktop interface or crave another rendition of simplifying the GNOME desktop. Read this review to find out more about the new Zorin. Open Source Reviews – LinuxInsider

WHAT’S NEW IN FEDORA 35 – Fedora 35, Red Hat‘s free Linux distribution (distro), was released on November 2, 2021. From an updated desktop experience to behind-the-scenes tweaks, HTG takes a look at the Workstation edition to see what’s new for desktop users. What’s New in Fedora 35 (howtogeek.com)

HOW TO INSTALL AND RUN FLATPAK APPLICATIONS – Over time, managing software packages in Linux presented a host of complex challenges. First, not all applications could be found in App Stores. For you to install them, you had to download and run the corresponding rpm or debin packages. Sometimes, when running these packages, you would encounter dependency issues which would often result in errors during the installation.” Read more at How to Install and Run Flatpak Applications (thebackroomtech.com)

LATEST POP_OS! RELEASE BRINGS COSMIC OVERTONES – The latest release, POP!_OS Linux 21.04 issued June 29, clearly shows that the in-house tweaking of the GNOME desktop to the COSMIC GNOME-based desktop is even more inviting. Given this distro’s rising popularity, it will continue to hold that distinction. COSMIC is an attractive offering for seasoned Linux users as well. Learn more about it here. Latest POP_OS! Release Brings COSMIC Overtones – LinuxInsider Review

EVERSTICKY: STICKY NOTES APP FOR YOUR LINUX DESKTOP THAT SYNCS WITH EVERNOTE – EverSticky is a simple new Qt sticky notes tool for Linux that synchronizes with Evernote and displays rich text formatting. The application lets users quickly take notes using post-it note-like windows displayed on their desktop. The notes are automatically saved, and synchronized to Evernote (including free Evernote accounts) at a given interval or on demand. Found out all the details with this article
eversticky: sticky notes app for your linux desktop that syncs with evernote – linux uprising blog

BEST LINUX DESKTOPS FOR BEGINNERS 2021: YOU CAN DO THIS! – Tired of Windows? Sick of paying big money for Macs? Want a better, more secure desktop? Give Linux a try. Some people still insist that using Linux is hard. Sure, it was difficult — maybe back in the 1990s. But that was a long time ago. Today, the easiest desktop of all, Chrome OS, is simply Linux with the Chrome web browser on top of it. The more full-featured Linux desktop distributions are as easy to use in 2021 as Windows or macOS. Find out how easy and the benefits in this article.
Best Linux Desktops for Beginners 2021: You Can Do This! | Linux Today

SICK OF WINDOWS? HERE’S HOW EASY IT IS TO INSTALL LINUX – If you thought installing an operating system was challenging, think again. Jack Wallen shows you how getting elementary OS up and running in about five minutes is easy enough for any skill level. I’m going to focus on elementary OS because it’s one of the more user-friendly distributions, and the installation is fairly indicative of the average Linux installation. Here’s how. Sick of Windows? Here’s how easy it is to install Linux (msn.com)

MICROSOFT JUST BLEW UP THE ONLY REASON YOU CAN’T USE A LINUX DESKTOP – For almost 30 years, the number one reason Windows users have given for not running Linux is they couldn’t run their programs on it. Now that Windows 365 Cloud PC is almost here that excuse has just been blown to bits. Microsoft has just announced the release of Windows 365 and Cloud PC. This new service, built on top of Azure Virtual Desktop, enables you to bring their Windows 10 and eventually Windows 11, desktop, apps, tools, data, and settings to your personal and work devices, including Windows PCs (naturally!) but Macs, iPads, Linux, and Android devices as well. Read on. Microsoft just blew up the only reason you can’t use a Linux desktop | ZDNet

HOW TO INSTALL VIRTUALBOX ON LINUX AND CREATE YOUR FIRST VIRTUAL MACHINE – Start testing new programs and operating systems securely by installing VirtualBox on Linux. Setting up a virtual machine can be a great way to test software or alternative operating systems on your computer without altering or putting your current system at risk. Follow along to install VirtualBox on Linux and create your very first virtual machine. How to Install VirtualBox on Linux and Create Your First Virtual Machine (makeuseof.com)

11/1/21

THE RASPBERRY PI ZERO 2 W IS A $15 QUAD-CORE MINI COMPUTER – “The Raspberry Pi Foundation has just released a new model called the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, and it comes with a quad-core processor and an affordable $15 price tag. The highlight of the new Raspberry Pi is the 1.0GHz quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor, which is a substantial upgrade over the 1GHz single-core processor that was included with the Zero W. Adding the extra cores will provide the mini-computer with a lot more flexibility when compared to the first computer in this line.”
The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Is a $15 Quad-Core Mini Computer (howtogeek.com)

WHAT’S THE BEST WORD PROCESSOR FOR LINUX? “5 OPTIONS, COMPARED – “An essential tool on any home or office PC is a good word processor. But with so many available choices, which word processor should you use on your Linux device? Decide for yourself! This article has several options for you to consider that will get you creating professional documents in no time.”
What’s the Best Word Processor for Linux? 5 Options, Compared (makeuseof.com)

WHAT ARE THE DRAWBACKS OF SWITCHING TO LINUX? – “Linux evangelists (like myself) are quick to point out the many benefits of switching over from Windows and macOS. But no operating system is perfect, and many have gone Linux and gone back. So, what’s the catch? I’ve spent over two years with Linux as my daily driver. Though I do my share of proselytizing, I’d be lying if I said conversion to Linux is always totally smooth, or even that it’s always a good idea. There are certainly some issues that make Linux a dead end for some people, and that still vex even the most loyal Linux users.” Find out more by reading this article.
What Are the Drawbacks of Switching to Linux? (howtogeek.com)

KDE CONNECT IS FINALLY COMING TO iPHONE – “If you’re looking for an easy way to make your iPhone play nice with your KDE desktop, today is your lucky day, as KDE Connect is finally available as an iPhone app (click the article titled “KDE Connect iOS Enters Public TestFlight Testing!”), albeit in beta form.”
KDE Connect Is Finally Coming to iPhone (howtogeek.com)

HOW TO TURN OFF AN UBUNTU PC – “Like all personal computers, a PC running the Ubuntu desktop operating system must be turned off now and then. Shutting down Ubuntu is easy, and you have several methods at your disposal for a safe end to operation.” Read about four ways to turn off your Ubuntu PC:
How to Turn Off an Ubuntu PC (howtogeek.com)

WHAT ARE READ/WRITE SPEEDS, AND WHY DO THEY MATTER? – “If you’ve gone shopping for storage drives lately, you might know that manufacturers always boast a pair of numbers in their marketing materials. These are often “read and write speeds,” comparative measures of how fast a drive can read and write data. These numbers became especially prominent when solid-state drives or SSDs became the most common form of computer storage, replacing hard-drive disks. A standard HDD could get read and write speeds of 80 to 160 mb/s. Meanwhile, SSDs typically start at 320 mb/s and get up to thousands of megabytes per second. What exactly do these numbers mean, and will they make a difference in your computer?” Find out at What Are Read/Write Speeds, and Why Do They Matter? (howtogeek.com)

10/17/21

2021 IS THE YEAR OF LINUX ON THE DESKTOP – It’s the year of Linux on the desktop! Thirty years into the life of Linux, it seems like people have said that every year. But now it’s really true, and it’s true because Linux found its real niche—not as a political statement about “free software,” but as a practical way to enable capable, low-cost machines for millions.

Linux was founded on the desktop, as one man’s project to create an alternative OS for his Intel-based PC. So. it’s understandable that Linux fans have been focused on desktops and laptops as a sign of success—and not, say, servers, or IoT, or drones. They can finally rest easy. Walk into any school now, and you’ll see millions of Linux machines. They’re called Chromebooks. Read more at 2021 Is the Year of Linux on the Desktop | PCMag

WHAT’S NEW IN FEDORA 35 – This version is “all about polish,” as Red Hat said in a blog post. While there is still an emphasis on a desktop PC with bleeding-edge everything, Fedora 35 focuses on extending existing features and improved support. It’s a nice middle-way update that combines all the new stuff we’ve seen in recent versions of Fedora, and GNOME desktop, as well as some refinements. Let’s dive in and take a closer look at the polish.
Read more at What’s New in Fedora 35 (howtogeek.com)

HERE’S WHY SWITCHING TO LINUX MAKES SENSE IN 2021 – Read about all the good reasons why Linux makes more sense in 2021. Here’s Why Switching to Linux Makes Sense in 2021 – It’s FOSS News (itsfoss.com)

TOP 5 MOST STABLE LINUX DISTRIBUTIONS IN 2021 – Linux is one of the utmost famous and free open-source platforms. Linux has recently gained a lot of attention and is widely used due to its security, scalability, and flexibility. The distribution named Linux does all the hard work for you by taking codes from open-source till compiling and then combining them into a single operating system so that you’re easily able to boot up and install. Furthermore, they also provide you with different options such as the default desktop environment, browser, and other software. Users can get an operating system by installing one of the most stable Linux distros. Read more at Top 5 Most Stable Linux Distributions in 2021 – TecAdmin

WHAT IS A RASPBERRY PI? HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW – When we need an extra computer to perform a specific job for us, it’s sometimes too expensive or wasteful to buy a whole new PC or laptop to do the job. Sometimes you just need a small but capable device that can do the job for you, and this is where the Raspberry Pi comes into play. So, what is a Raspberry Pi, and how does it work? Let’s find out. What Is a Raspberry Pi? Here’s What You Need to Know (makeuseof.com)

HOW TO TURN RASPBERRY PI ON AND OFF – If you’ve just got your Raspberry Pi, you probably noticed it lacks a power button. This might leave you wondering how to turn the miniature computer on and off. Walk through it all, step by step at How to Turn Raspberry Pi on and Off (howtogeek.com)

PRIVACY-FOCUSED LINUX DISTRIBUTIONS TO SECURE YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE IN 2021 – Linux distros are usually more secure than their Windows and Mac counterparts. Linux Operating Systems being open-source leaves very less scope of unauthorized access to its core. However, with the advancement of technologies, incidents of attacks are not rare. Are you in a fix with the coming reports of Linux systems targeted malware attacks? Worried about your online presence? Then maybe it’s time to go for a secure, privacy-focused Linux distro. This article presents a guide to 3 privacy-oriented Linux distributions that respect your privacy online. Read more at Privacy-focused Linux Distributions to Secure Your Online Presence in 2021 | Linux Journal

9/15/21

THE BEST MICROSOFT EXCEL ALTERNATIVES FOR LINUX – It’s no secret that spreadsheets are essential for visualizing and analyzing data at all levels. They are especially in demand in the modern business world but casual users also need them from time to time for simple calculations. However, the Microsoft software is not natively available for Linux and its cost might be a formidable obstacle for many users. It’s no secret that spreadsheets are essential for visualizing and analyzing data at all levels. They are especially in demand in the modern business world but casual users also need them from time to time for simple calculations. In this article, you will find a brief overview of the best Excel alternatives for Linux, both online and offline usage.

HOW TO INSTALL UBUNTU 20.04 (VIDEO + SCREENSHOTS) – If you’re making the transition from Mac or Windows over to Linux, the method of flashing Ubuntu to your USB and installing Linux onto your computer can make or break your entire experience. Click here to go through the steps so that you can successfully install Ubuntu 20.04 on your PC. Explained in text, screenshots, and video!

TOP LINUX APPS THAT ANY UBUNTU USER SHOULD INSTALL – As standard, Ubuntu comes with the GNOME desktop and a series of additional programs that allow users to jumpstart their computer experience. To get the most out of Linux, it is necessary to manually install interesting applications. Learn which ones Ubuntu users should add here.

BOOTABLE USB CREATOR VENTOY GETS A NATIVE GUI FOR LINUX – Ventoy, a tool for easy bootable USB drive creation (simply copy the ISO to the USB), has been updated recently with a native GUI for Linux. Ventoy is available for Microsoft Windows and Linux, and it can create bootable USB drives containing Linux and Windows ISO files. Learn more reading this article.

MANJARO VS ENDEAVOUROS COMPARISON 2021 (THE DIFFERENCES) – The best non-Ubuntu distros are Manjaro Linux whereas EndeavourOS is seemed to be a well-known and popular arch-based distro. The first one is quite old in the market whereas the other one has made a new entry. Now, you might wonder which one is good, well for this you need to follow through the Manjaro vs EndeavourOS comparison here.

30 YEARS OF LINUX HISTORY TOLD VIA DISTROS – Happy Birthday, Linux. At 30 years old, you have made quite a reputation for yourself. Having spirited the rise of open-source software, you have turned the world of proprietary computing upside down. Of course, you had a bit of a premature start. You entered the world of technology with little more than a kernel to call your own. That was the intent of a young computer science student from Helsinki named Linus Torvalds in doing this personal fun project. In 1991, he created your code that would become the basis for a completely new approach to operating systems for computers. The rest of that story, as they say, is history. Read about that history.

WHAT’S NEW IN LINUX KERNEL 5.14 – Linux just turned 30. Linus Torvalds’ famous post about creating a free operating system (“…just a hobby, won’t be big and professional like GNU“) was made on August 25, 1991. A new Linux kernel was released at the end of August 2021, coinciding with the “constant glitz, the fireworks, and the champagne” that Torvalds dryly concludes will surely mark the passing of the intervening three decades.

This kernel release brings a varied collection of improvements and changes, mixing the usual bug fixes and performance improvements with features catering for some rather specific use-cases like better support for particular types of hardware and hot-unplugging for certain graphics cards. Take a look at the major improvements and benefits. What’s New in Linux Kernel 5.14 (howtogeek.com)

8/15/21

DOWNLOAD THIS FREE LINUX CHEAT SHEET BUNDLE BY MAKEUSEOF
Download this free Linux Cheat Sheet Bundle by MakeUseOf – Neowin

FACEBOOK, GOOGLE, ISOVALENT, MICROSOFT AND NETFLIX LAUNCH EBPF FOUNDATION AS PART OF THE LINUX FOUNDATION – SAN FRANCISCO, August 12, 2021 – The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announced that it is hosting the eBPF Foundation. Founding members include Facebook, Google, Isovalent, Microsoft and Netflix. This comes in advance of the eBPF Summit, a free and virtual event taking place August 18-19, 2021. Read more at Facebook, Google, Isovalent, Microsoft and Netflix Launch eBPF Foundation as Part of the Linux Foundation – Linux.com

WHAT IS LINUX? WHAT CAN YOU USE LINUX FOR? – You’ve probably seen at least one of them: a peculiar person on the internet claiming with pride, “I use Linux.” But what does it mean to use Linux? What is Linux, and what does Linux do? Today we’ll find out, and we’ll leave the jargon and technical babble at the door. Read more at
What Is Linux? What Can You Use Linux For? (makeuseof.com)

HOW TO INSTALL AND RUN FLATPAK APPLICATIONS – Linux offers a range of options for managing packages. Traditionally, these options were confined to only package managers like APT, DNF or YUM.

App stores, which are available in major distributions, provided great relief for users who are averse to working on the command-line. They provide a simple graphical interface that allows users to install, update, or remove installed software applications on Linux. Over time, managing software packages in Linux presented a host of complex challenges. Read more at How to Install and Run Flatpak Applications (thebackroomtech.com)

CHANGING YOUR ROUTER’S PASSWORD – A router Wi-Fi password should hit the sweet spot between being secure enough to offer protection and being easy enough to remember and share with family or friends. To help stay safe and keep out unwanted guests, a good Wi-Fi password should include upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and ideally, special characters too. If it’s time for a quick update to your old Wi-Fi password, this guide will show you just how to do it. How to Change Your Router’s Wi-Fi Password | Digital Trends

HOW TO CHECK AND IMPROVE YOUR LINUX BOOT TIME – Suffering from a slow Linux boot process? If you want to speed it up without costly upgrades, follow these simple steps at How to Check and Improve Your Linux Boot Time (makeuseof.com)

WHICH LINUX DESKTOP SHOULD YOU USE? KDE VS. GNOME – KDE Plasma and GNOME are two of the best desktop environments for Linux. One of the first things you learn about Linux is that what you see on your screen doesn’t always match what you see on someone else’s. The interface, the way you interact with your PC, is often completely different even though you’re both using the same operating system.

Windows and macOS both have one interface or desktop environment. Linux has many, and two of the most popular are KDE and GNOME. But how do you choose between them? Read more at Which Linux Desktop Should You Use? KDE vs. GNOME (makeuseof.com)

7/18/21

INTRODUCTION TO RANGER FILE MANAGER – Ranger is a free and open source file manager written in Python. It is designed to work from the command line and its keybindings are inspired by the Vim text editor. The application has a lot of features and, working together with other utilities, can display previews for a vast range of files. In this tutorial from LinuxConfig.org, we learn how to use it, and explore some of its functionality.

EASILY SET CHARGING THRESHOLDS FOR ASUS LAPTOPS ON LINUX USING BAT – bat is a simple command line tool for easily setting and checking the ASUS battery charging stop threshold (for laptops that support this), in order to help extend battery life. Read this article to learn how.

GNOME: HOW TO DISABLE THE TOUCHPAD WHEN A MOUSE IS PLUGGED IN AND WHILE TYPING – This article explains how to automatically disable the laptop touchpad, in the GNOME desktop environment, when an external mouse is plugged in and how to disable the touchpad while typing.

LINUX ON CHROMEBOOKS JUST MIGHT GET ME THROUGH A MASTERS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE – Starting this fall, this author be pursuing a Masters in Computer Science at Georgia Tech. And just like he did with his recent undergraduate Computer Science coursework, H’s thinking to try using his Chromebook for class. It might be a stretch and he’s not suggesting that a Chromebook is the best tool for this task. But he thinks Linux on Chromebooks just might get him through the program. Read about his thoughts.

HOW TO CHANGE FILE & FOLDER PERMISSIONS ON LINUX USING CHmod – When working with some files or folders on Linux you might have seen an error saying Permission Denied. This is a common error that is associated with the permissions for the specific file/folder. In this tutorial, you will learn different ways to change the file and folder permissions for any users or groups on Linux. Linux is an operating system that supports multiple users working on the same system. Thus, it is essential to manage the permissions such as who can see or modify the files and folders for every one of them. Learn how to manage them in this article.

SAY HI TO MICROSOFT’S OWN LINUX: CBL-MARINER – Microsoft has its own Linux distribution and, yes, you can download, install and run it. In fact, you may want to do just that. But it’s not a true desktop version of Linux. Find out more in this article.

HOW TO USE STEAM’S “PROTON” TO PLAY WINDOWS GAMES ON LINUX – Want to start gaming on Linux? With utilities like Steam’s Proton tool, it’s not a pipe dream anymore, even if your game is officially supported on Windows only. Here’s our complete guide to gaming on Linux using Proton. In the past, if you wanted to play Steam games on Linux, you had to install and run Steam through a Windows compatibility layer called Wine. You had to know how to configure Wine yourself to make any particular game work. These days, you can install a native version of Steam on Linux, and there are many games with native Linux support as well. On top of that, Steam allows you to download their forked version of Wine called Proton, which is preconfigured to run your favorite Windows games. It will be an important part of Valve’s Steam Deck. Read more at How to Use Steam’s “Proton” to Play Windows Games on Linux (howtogeek.com)

YOUR PC WON’T SUPPORT WINDOWS 11? MAYBE IT’S TIME TO TRY LINUX – Did you check to see if your PC is eligible for an update to Windows 11, only to be let down? One of your few options for continued use of your laptop or desktop beyond Windows 10 is to install Linux. Here’s why that’s not a bad thing. The good folks at Microsoft have set high expectations for Windows 11 devices, publishing minimum system requirements that stretch the meaning of the word “minimum.” If your device is even a few years old, chances are your computer won’t cut the mustard. Outmoded hardware, though, can leave you in a real pickle. Do you continue using outdated software and invite security risks, or do you spend your hard-earned money on a new device and contribute to the global e-waste problem? Enter Linux: The Other Operating System. Read more Your PC Won’t Support Windows 11? Maybe It’s Time to Try Linux (howtogeek.com)

WHAT’S NEW IN LINUX MINT 20.2 “UMA” – Linux Mint, one of the more popular Linux distributions, has released version 20.2, nicknamed “Uma.” It comes with new features, upgraded internals, and other changes. The Linux Mint operating system has long been known for its user-friendliness and stability. Uma maintains that legacy, bringing only a few changes to Mint’s update manager and the stock app collection, in addition to several improvements under the hood. Take a closer look at what’s new…
What’s New in Linux Mint 20.2 “Uma” (howtogeek.com) –

WHAT IS ROOT ON LINUX? – The root user is the most powerful entity in the Linux universe with limitless powers, for better or worse. Create a user? Got it. Annihilate a file system? Whoops, got that too. The root user is the Linux superuser. They can, quite literally, do anything. Nothing is restricted or off-limits for root . Whether they’re a superhero or a supervillain depends on the human user who takes on the mantle of the system administrator. Mistakes made by the root user can be catastrophic, so the root account should be used exclusively for administrative purposes. The concept of the root user was inherited from Unix, which had a root user as its administrative superuser. But where the name “root” comes from isn’t known for sure. Some people think that it came from the Multics operating system, which pre-dates Unix. Read more at
What Is “root” on Linux? (howtogeek.com)

HOW TO CHECK YOUR LAPTOP’S BATTERY HEALTH IN LINUX – Think your laptop battery is running down quicker than it should? Here’s how to check Linux laptop battery health. How to Check Your Laptop’s Battery Health in Linux (makeuseof.com)

HOW TO CHANGE A USERNAME AND OTHER ACCOUNT DETAILS ON LINUX – Need to change a username and

home directory in Linux? Here’s how to change usernames, display names, and directory names. How to Change a Username and Other Account Details on Linux (makeuseof.com)

6 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD GIVE LINUX ANOTHER CHANCE IN 2021 – Gone are the days when Linux was considered an operating system for developers and tech geeks. One of the main complaints against Linux through its history has been about its ease of use and overall intuitiveness. A lot of work has been done in this regard in recent years, and Linux is now in a completely different place than just a decade or so ago. Of course, this also depends on which specific distribution you plan on using. But for those intending to stick to something popular and commonly supported, like Ubuntu, they should expect lots of improvements since the last time they’ve given it a chance. Gone are the days when you had to dig through pages of documentation and fiddle with the command line just to get your internet up and running. You can now resolve most of the common problems through a graphical interface. And there are lots of helpful resources for you to use if you get stuck. Read more at
6 Reasons Why You Should Give Linux Another Chance in 2021 (makeuseof.com)

6/18/21

HERE’S WHY SWITCHING TO LINUX MAKES SENSE IN 2021 – Linux does have several benefits over Windows and macOS in certain areas. People are realizing it, and it is slowly gaining popularity in the desktop OS market. Of course, the majority of desktop users still swear by Windows or macOS, but a greater number of users are trying out new Linux distributions to see if they can switch to Linux. They may have heard good things about Linux as a desktop choice, or just want to try something different while confined to their homes. Who knows?
Here’s Why Switching to Linux Makes Sense in 2021 – It’s FOSS News (itsfoss.com)

10 LINUX DISTROS FOR BEGINNERS, INTERMEDIATE, AND ADVANCED USERS – As a free and open-source OS, Linux continues to spread its wings, amassing attention from new and experienced people alike. Whether you are a beginner, an intermediate, or an advanced user, there is already a distribution waiting for you.

Check out some of these desktops and install the ones which suit your interests and skillsets.
10 Linux Distros for Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced Users (makeuseof.com)

WHAT IS LINUX KERNEL LIVE PATCHING? – Applying critical security updates is important to keeping your Linux server safe from potential attackers, but it can cause downtime, which isn’t good either. Live kernel patching can apply important kernel updates without taking your server offline. Before live kernel patching, system administrators needed to choose between keeping their server on or applying security updates. This is obviously not ideal, so in 2008 Jeff Arnold at MIT created KSplice, a tool that could apply updates by taking a binary diff and applying patches to the running kernel in memory.
What Is Linux Kernel Live Patching? – CloudSavvy IT

A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO LINUX – The Linux operating system offers a rich mix of features and security that make it a great free and (mostly) open-source alternative to macOS and Microsoft Windows. Because it’s different “under the hood,” consider some of the big-picture aspects of Linux and how it compares to the other desktop operating systems before you take the plunge.
A Basic Guide to Linux for Beginners (lifewire.com)

TOP TIPS FOR SECURING YOUR LINUX SYSTEM IN 2021 – Linux servers are at greater risk than ever. While only a few years ago Linux users could count themselves as the “lucky few” who didn’t have to worry about malware and computer viruses, this era has unfortunately come to an end.

Attackers now view Linux servers as a viable target that often provides a valuable return on investment. The past few years have been plagued with emerging Linux malware strains which have demonstrated new and dangerous tactics for spreading, remaining undetected and compromising servers – Cloud Snooper, EvilGnome, HiddenWasp, QNAPCrypt, GonnaCry, FBOT and Tycoon being among the most notorious examples. Here’s what you need to know to secure your Linux system against malware, rootkits and other dangerous attacks.
Top Tips for Securing Your Linux System in 2021. (linuxsecurity.com)v

6/5/21

LINUX SYSADMINS: HOW MY SIX-YEAR-OLD LEARNED TO DO MY JOB – Are we as Linux sysadmins all about to be replaced by six-year-olds and a web console? Your initial thought might be that there is simply no possible way an untrained six-year-old could complete these tasks. I recently put this to the test and you might be surprised by the results, read them here.

PC GAMING ON LINUX: HOW HARD CAN IT BE? – For PC gamers there is one defacto operating system: Windows 10. It’s pretty easy, really, you build or buy a swanky gaming PC, slap Windows 10 on it, and go get a coffee while Steam downloads your library. Then you just load up and off you go. It’s not exactly that straightforward, but you get the picture. The price of hardware isn’t the only reason that Mac gaming isn’t a bigger deal. But on PC you can also install Linux, and in recent times Linux gaming has strong support from the likes of Valve alongside the thriving community. So how hard can it be to combine the two? Not nearly as bad as you might be thinking. Find out in this article from TechRadar.

LINUX DIRECTORY STRUCTURE EXPLAINED: A REFERENCE GUIDE – For those of you who don’t know about the Linux directory structure or have partial knowledge or just want to relook on Linux directory structure & its usage, this article will act as a reference guide.

HOW TO INSTALL AND USE TEAMVIEWER ON UBUNTU 20.04 – TeamViewer is a widely used utility for accessing and controlling a remote computer system. Many organizations use TeamViewer to provide remote support to their clients. With TeamViewer, we can access the remote desktop screen, control it with our own mouse and keyboard and fix system issues without being there in person, assist employees working from home, and so on. Read this article from HowToForge to learn how to install.

WHY YOUR HARDWARE DOES NOT WORK WITH LIBRE DISTROS – This article supplies the reasons on why some of your hardware like wifi or GPU does not work with libre software distro like Trisquel GNU/Linux, Debian and others. In short, it is because the difference between the operating system and the device requirements. The solution relies on either the manufacturer or the users to solve this issue. This is a compilation and summary of several important resources in Libre Software Community where GNU/Linux is a fundamental part of. This also includes Glossary at the end. Read the explanation here.

HOW TO ENABLE HARDWARE ACCELERATED VIDEO DECODE IN GOOGLE CHROME, BRAVE, VIVALDI AND OPERA BROWSERS ON DEBIAN, UBUNTU OR LINUX MIN – Google Chrome 88 (and newer) has made hardware accelerated video decoding available on Linux, but it’s not enabled by default. Google Chrome is not the only Chromium-based web browser to support hardware acceleration on Linux though. This article explains how to enable hardware-accelerated video decoding in Google Chrome, Brave, Vivaldi and Opera web browsers running on Debian, Ubuntu, Pop!_OS or Linux Mint (Xorg only).

LINUX FMT COMMAND – FORMATTING TEXT ON THE COMMAND LINE – While reading a short unformatted text file is possible, the longer the file gets the more difficult it becomes. This is where the fmt command saves the day. The fmt command is a text utility included in the GNU Core Utilities. It was originally created to format email messages at the command line. However, it can be very useful for reading any text files in the terminal. Learn how in this article.

PDF ARRANGER 1.7.0 RELEASED WITH NEW FEATURES AND ENHANCEMENTS – PDF Arranger 1.7.0 has been released with new features, like the ability to crop white borders, allow export to individual files, allow selection of odd or even pages, support for editing more PDF metadata tags, and more. Learn more about how to use this program in the article.

HUSHBOARD MUTES YOUR MICROPHONE WHILE TYPING – Hushboard is a new Linux program to automatically mute the microphone while typing (and unmute it when typing stops). If you want to read more click this link.

DESKREEN MAKES ANY DEVICE WITH A WEB BROWSER A SECOND SCREEN FOR YOUR COMPUTER – Deskreen is a new free and open source application that can be used to make any device (in the same WiFi / LAN network) with a web browser, a second screen for your computer. The tool runs on Linux, Windows and macOS. Read about the installation and multiple users in this article.

3 HELPFUL NETWORKING PROJECTS FOR YOUR RASPBERRY PI – In spite of being a beloved companion to computer hobbyists the world over, the Raspberry Pi doesn’t get enough credit. In fact, single-board computers of all stripes haven’t gotten their due — The author of this article was casting a stray glance into the corner of his room where his Pi was, churning away on the previous task he assigned it, that he pondered all the loftier projects he had in mind for it. Find out what he is thinking he will have it do.

LINUX’S FAVORITE SCREENSHOT TOOL SHUTTER SEES FIRST MAJOR RELEASE IN YEARS – For the past several years, the development of Shutter stalled. There were no new releases and the existing version had dependency on the old libraries versions that are not available in newer distribution versions. Popular Linux screenshot and editing tool Shutter has a new release after several years. Here’s how to get it.

5/25/21

AUTOMATE INPUTS TO LINUX SCRIPTS WITH THE EXPECT COMMAND – The Linux expect command lets you automate interactions with scripts and programs. You can send any kind of response to the script when it is waiting for some text input.

When you administer a Linux computer or group of computers you’ll run up against many repetitive tasks. The obvious answer is to write a script to perform the bulk of the work for you. The Bash shell, like all modern shells, provides a rich and flexible scripting language.

Scripting a long-winded or tedious job gives you the flexibility to run that task when the office is closed, or in the quietest periods of a 24/7 operation. Scripts also give you repeatability. They won’t forget to perform a step, no matter how many times they are asked to perform the same boring chores.

Read more at http://bit.ly/2Sj7GOR

HOW TO ENCRYPT AND DECRYPT FILES WITH GPG ON LINUX – Protect your privacy with the Linux gpg command. Use world-class encryption to keep your secrets safe. This How-To-Geek article shows you how to use gpg to work with keys, encrypt files, and decrypt them. http://bit.ly/2NSG8Rx

July 11, 2019

HOW TO USE THE STRINGS COMMAND ON LINUX – Want to see the text inside a binary or data file? The Linux strings command pulls those bits of text—called “strings”—out for you.

Linux is full of commands that can look like solutions in search of problems. The strings command definitely falls into that camp. Is there a point to a command that lists the printable strings from within a binary file? Read this How-To-Geek article to find out it’s purpose: http://bit.ly/2Sa9FVj

HOW TO USE THE NEW VIRTUALBOX FILE MANAGER – VirtualBox released version 6.0, and it came with a new feature, aptly called File Manager, that promised to make sharing files between guest and host incredibly simple. Find out more at this TechRepublic article: https://tek.io/2O6TFlf

WHY CHILDREN SHOULD LEARN TO CODE – Computer coding is a part of everything and is everywhere in the world around us. Scientific and technological innovation are cornerstones of our global economic system. Our economy, our well-being… everything depends on it. Learning to code, regardless of the path a child chooses to take, is crucial today. Research shows us that this knowledge will be important in any career. Read more at this LinuxInsider article: http://bit.ly/2NZ7FND

XFCE + GLOBAL MENU + CAPITAINE THEME PACK CUSTOMIZATION – Continuing KDE, GNOME, and MATE customization the series, it’s XFCE’s turn being customized with a global menu and Capitaine theme pack. We will use an XFCE theme, a GTK3 theme, an icon theme, tweak the top panel a little, and then install Plank as the dock, and finish them up with some more tweaking. http://bit.ly/2NYGlPA

HOW USER REVOLTS SHAPED THE LINUX DESKTOP – The user revolts against KDE 4, Gnome 3, and Unity have left desktop Linux developers with a fear of innovation, exactly when that’s what’s needed. Between 2008 and 2011, KDE, Ubuntu, and Gnome all released radically new interfaces. The mediocre reception received by all three has left developers so cautious that innovation on Linux desktop environments has been curtailed, except for minor changes. Yet innovation on the desktop is long overdue. Read the rest of the UbuntuBuzz article here: http://bit.ly/2JzUlgR

RECOVER PARTITIONS AND FILES WITH TESTDISK – Need to recover lost partition data and the files that went with it? Unfortunately, accidents happen, and hardware fails. One tool to turn to when it’s time to recover lost files or filesystems is TestDisk. TestDisk attempts to recover lost partition data and any lost files within the bounds of the recovered partition. Here’s the RedHat article about the program that might save you. https://red.ht/2JzUTmV

HOW TO USE LINUX’S ar COMMAND TO CREATE STATIC LIBRARIES – Use Linux’s ar command to create function libraries when you’re developing software. This How-To-Geek tutorial will show you how to create a static library, modify it, and use it in a program, complete with sample code. bit.ly/2S8tZqn

July 5, 2019

10 NEW LINUX UBUNTU 19.04 FEATURES AND HOW TO USE THEM – Ubuntu 19.04 “Disco Dingo” was released in April 2019. We can tell this from the version name: 19.04. Ubuntu is released in the fourth and tenth months of the year. As a result, the previous version was numbered Ubuntu 18.10.

Prior to that, Canonical released Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. As a long-term support release, Ubuntu 18.04 is the version you should install if you need more reliability. LTS releases are regularly updated for security; read this How-To-Geek article to find out why you should be already using Ubuntu 18.04 LTS and how to use the 10 new features. http://bit.ly/2RXd4XG

HOW TO USE THE PINKY COMMAND ON LINUX – Want to find out about the people logged on to your Linux computer? Well, don’t lift a finger; raise your pinky instead.

To discover some details about the people logged on to a Linux or Unix-like computer, many system administrators would likely turn to the finger command. Which is all well and good, but on many systems finger will be absent. It isn’t installed by default. You may well run across a system where this command is unavailable. Find out more by reading this How-To-Geek article: http://bit.ly/2xnO2aA

HOW TO RESET CHROME SETTINGS TO DEFAULT – Sometimes, unbeknownst to us, adware, malware, and unwanted extensions change settings—like homepages and default search engines—and make it nearly impossible to change them back. When you reset a browser’s settings, it removes some of the guesswork and does it all for you.

Read this How-To-Geek article to find out how to reset Chrome settings to default: http://bit.ly/2XjFyAK

July 2, 2019

HOW TO USE ALL LINUX’S SEARCH COMMANDS – You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to commands for searching and finding in Linux. Why so many? Well, they each have their specialties and perform better than the others in certain circumstances. You could think of them as a sort of Swiss-Army knife for searching. This How-To-Geek article looks at all six blades in turn and finds out its particular strengths.

The article shows how to use find, locate, which, whereis, whatis, and apropos. Each excels at different tasks; see how to choose the right tool for the job. Read more at: http://bit.ly/2YkSnqQ

HOW TO LIST YOUR COMPUTER’S DEVICES FROM THE LINUX TERMINAL – Read this How-To-Geek article to find out exactly what devices are inside your Linux computer or connected to it. HTG covers 12 commands for listing your connected devices. http://bit.ly/2FXX5E3

HOW TO USE THE LINUX TYPE COMMAND – Find out if a command resolves to an alias, a disk file, a shell function, a built-in command, or a reserved word. Use type to discover how your Linux commands are executed and understand your system better.

When we open a terminal window and start issuing commands to our Linux computer, we rarely stop to think what software components within the operating system are reacting to our commands and carrying them out for us. We type the command, get the result, and move on with our workload. Learn more about the Type Command at this How-To-Geek article: http://bit.ly/2XHMPtr

HOW TO EXPORT AND IMPORT YOUR LINUX SYSTEMS ON WINDOWS 10 – Windows 10 now lets you export installed Linux environments, creating a TAR file of the root file system you can import on other PCs. Copy your configured systems between computers, share them with others, or just save a backup.

The import and export features were added in the May 2019 Update—that’s Windows 10 version 1903. If you don’t have it installed yet, you won’t be able to use these command-line options.

All you need are two new options for the Windows wsl command: –export and –import . The –export option will export a Linux distribution’s root file system as a TAR file. The –import option lets you import a Linux distribution’s root file system as a TAR file.

Read more at this How-To-Geek article: http://bit.ly/2FJcLux

HOW TO INSTALL AND USE THE LINUX BASH SHELL ON WINDOWS 10 – This isn’t a virtual machine, a container, or Linux software compiled for Windows (like Cygwin). Instead, Windows 10 offers a full Windows Subsystem intended for Linux for running Linux software. It’s based on Microsoft’s abandoned Project Astoria work for running Android apps on Windows.

Think of it as the opposite of Wine. While Wine allows you to run Windows applications directly on Linux, the Windows Subsystem for Linux allows you to run Linux applications directly on Windows.

Read more at this How-To-Geek article: http://bit.ly/2NlGlMR

EVERYTHING YOU CAN DO WITH WINDOWS 10’S NEW BASH SHELL – Windows 10’s Anniversary Update added support for Linux environments to Windows 10 back in 2016. But don’t be deceived: this is more than just a Bash shell. It’s a full compatibility layer for running Linux applications on Windows.

We’ve covered a lot of the things you can do in Windows 10’s new Bash shell, so we’ve rounded up all those guides into one mega list here, for your convenience. Read the mega list of How-To-Geek guides at: http://bit.ly/2ZWfTLg

June 20, 2019
11 REASONS WHY LINUX IS BETTER THAN WINDOWS – Advantages of Linux over Windows. In this article, we will take a look at 10 of the compelling reasons why Linux is better than Windows. Some of the points mentioned here are already discussed in our earlier article on why switch to Linux.

If you are not a power user, it might seem that “Windows” OS is a better (or easier) choice when compared to Linux. In either case, if you are not enjoying using a Linux distro then Windows would be your obvious choice.

However, in reality, we tend to experience something different, which lets us jump to the conclusion where Linux gets the edge over Windows OS.

Advantages of Linux over Windows

In this article, we will take a look at 10 of the compelling reasons why Linux is better than Windows.

Read more of this It’s Foss article at: http://bit.ly/2x7wIq5

HOW TO USE THE TIMEOUT COMMAND ON LINUX – What Does timeout Do For You? The timeout command allows you to set a limit on the length of time a program will run for. But why would you want to do that?

One case is when you know exactly how long you want a process to run for. A common use-case is to have timeout control a logging or data-capture program so that the log files don’t relentlessly devour your hard drive space.

Another case is when you don’t know how long you want a process to run for, but you do know you don’t want it to run indefinitely. You might have a habit of setting processes running, minimizing the terminal window, and forgetting about them. Read more at this How-To-Geek article: http://bit.ly/2I2hgSk

HOW TO USE THE LINUX CAT AND TAC COMMANDS – The cat and tac commands display the contents of text files, but there’s more to them than meets the eye. Dive a little deeper and learn some productive Linux command line tricks.

These are two simple little commands, often dismissed as being just that—too simple to be of any real use. But once you know the different ways you can use them, you’ll see that they are perfectly capable of doing their fair share of the heavy lifting when it comes to working with files. Learn more about cat and tac Commands by reading this How-To-Geek article: http://bit.ly/2IQwclP

Good security practices say you should know who’s been accessing your Linux computer. We show you how.

Linux and other Unix-like operating systems such as MacOS are very good at logging. Somewhere in the bowels of the system, there is a log for just about everything you can think of. The log file we’re interested in is called wtmp. The “w” might stand for “when” or “who”—no one seems to agree. The “tmp” part probably stands for “temporary,” but it might also stand for “timestamp.”

Read more about the wtmp file at this How-To-Geek article: http://bit.ly/2WPkl0F

HOW TO USE THE WALL COMMAND ON LINUX – If you need to get a message out—fast—to the logged-in users of your computer, how do you do it? Email doesn’t satisfy the requirements. You don’t know when the email will be read. If you need people to know something right now, that doesn’t cut it. And anyway, you don’t want to clog up the inboxes of logged-out users who don’t need to see the message.

Without exerting a bit of extra effort and wasting some time, you’re not going to know who is logged in and from where. Your system could be located in Aberdeen, Washington but you might have remote users logged in from Aberdeen, Scotland. So how can you target a message specifically at the logged-in users?

Read this How-To-Geek article to learn how to use the Wall Command: http://bit.ly/2QO2G3Y

HOW TO MOUNT AND UNMOUNT STORAGE DEVICES FROM THE LINUX TERMINAL – File systems in Linux and Unix-like operating systems like macOS can be mounted, unmounted, and remounted using the terminal. This is a powerful and versatile tool—everything you need to know is in this How-To-Geek article: http://bit.ly/2WWtr8w

May 19, 2019
HOW TO BURN AN ISO FILE TO A USB DRIVE IN LINUX – Linux users traditionally burned ISO files to DVD or CD, but many computers don’t have disc drives anymore. Creating a bootable USB drive is a better solution—it’ll work on most computers and will boot, run, and install faster.

How Bootable Linux USB Drives Work
Like a live CD or DVD, a bootable USB drive lets you run practically any Linux distribution without affecting your computer. You can also install a Linux distribution on your PC from it—no CD or DVD drive required. You can’t simply copy or extract the ISO file to the USB drive and expect it to work, however. While you don’t technically “burn” the ISO file to a USB drive, there’s a special process required to take a Linux ISO file and make a bootable USB drive with it. Find out how to create a bootable Linux USB drive at this How-To-Geek article: http://bit.ly/2HjVc5n

HOW TO ZIP OR UNZIP FILES FROM THE LINUX TERMINAL – ZIP files are a universal archive commonly used on Windows, macOS, and even Linux systems. You can create a zip archive or unzip files from one with some common Linux terminal commands. Thanks to the dominance of the ZIP format in the Windows realm, ZIP files are probably the most common form of compressed archive in the world.

While .tar.gz and tar.bz2 files are common on Linux, Windows users will probably send you an archive in ZIP format. And, if you want to archive some files and send them to a Windows user, the ZIP format will be the easiest, most compatible solution for everyone. Read more about zip, unzip, and other utilities at this How-To-Geek article: http://bit.ly/2Hq6YKo

May 9, 2019
HELL FREEZING OVER? MICROSOFT READIES ITS OWN LINUX FOR WINDOWS – Believe it or not, Jack Hammons, Microsoft Program Manager, just wrote, “Beginning with Windows Insiders builds this Summer, we will include an in-house custom-built Linux kernel to underpin the newest version of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).” Yes, that’s right, Microsoft is releasing its own Linux kernel.

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols for Linux and Open Source doesn’t know if Hell is freezing over, but it is getting a mite chilly down there.

A few months ago I said, Microsoft might release its own MS-Linux or Lindows. Now, Microsoft is not doing that. Not yet anyway. But this is another step in that direction. Read more of this ZDNet article: https://zd.net/2vLA6X6

THE BEST LINUX VPNS FOR 2019 – For ultra-nerds and people who are serious about desktop security, Linux is the operating system (OS) of choice. But even if you’re a penguin user, you still need to protect your data once it leaves your device. This is where Linux-compatible virtual private networks (VPNs) can help. PCMag tests 10 of the best so you can find the best one for you. Read the reviews at http://bit.ly/2VrruUF

ALL CHROMEBOOKS LAUNCHED IN 2019 WILL BE LINUX-READY OUT OF THE BOX – While support for Linux on some Chromebooks has been around since last year’s Project Crostini launch, Google has said that all of the Chromebooks launched this year will have the ability to run Linux “right out of the box.”

According to ZDNet, the technology company mentioned the not-so-small detail about the future of its flagship laptops during this year’s Google I/O in Mountain View. In addition, the Linux support announcement is expected to cover all types of Chromebooks launched this year, including Intel and ARM-based Chromebooks. Read more of this Digital Trends article: http://bit.ly/2Yg0cxC

HOW TO KILL PROCESSES FROM THE LINUX TERMINAL – Killing a process is sometimes the only way to get rid of it. Despite the harsh name, “killing” a process just means “forcing it to quit.” Here’s how to do it from the Linux or macOS command line.

What is a Process?
Running programs like your web browser, background processes associated with your desktop environment, and Linux system services are all processes.

You can lump processes into two groups….Read more of this How-To-Geek article: http://bit.ly/2HbOgr3

5 REASONS WHY LINUX MINT IS BETTER THAN UBUNTU – Which one is better, Linux Mint or Ubuntu? This question has been there ever since Linux Mint came in the picture, and this article does not answer to this question. Well, not entirely.

As a die-hard Ubuntu fan, I come back from Mint to Ubuntu eventually but not before noticing that Linux Mint is better than Ubuntu for a beginner.

It’s because there are a few things that Linux Mint handles better than Ubuntu, by default. And this ‘by default’ matters when we are talking about a Linux beginner. Because an experienced Linux user will find his/her way. It’s the beginners who struggle with even a seemingly obvious thing.

Considering that I have used both of these popular Linux distributions, I am confident that I can make a fair comparison of Linux Mint and Ubuntu.

The comparison which I am doing here is from the point of view of a beginner Linux desktop user who probably has just switched from Windows or thinking to switch to Linux. But it should still be a good read for an experienced user. Read more of this It’s Foss article: http://bit.ly/2VYF5SS

INCOGNITO MODE COMING TO GOOGLE MAPS AND SEARCH – Google first introduced Incognito Mode years ago with the release of the Chrome browser. Now, as part of a larger push to enhance consumer privacy, the search giant is adding Incognito Mode to both Google Search and Google Maps.

When Incognito Mode is engaged in Chrome, your activities aren’t stored in your browser history. It also disables cookies, which are used to identify and sometimes track individuals around the web and turns off browser extensions. It doesn’t hide your online activity, as a VPN would.

Incognito mode for Google Maps will be similar, Google CEO Sundar Pichai explained in a blog post. Once Incognito Mode is engaged in Maps, “you can search and navigate without linking this activity with your Google account,” he wrote. Read more of this PCMag article: http://bit.ly/2Jtwykf

WHAT’S NEW IN UBUNTU 19.04 “DISCO DINGO,” AVAILABLE NOW – Ubuntu 19.04 is available for download today (4/18). With Linux 5.0 and GNOME 3.32, Disco Dingo boasts performance improvements and visual tweaks. Whether or not you upgrade, Disco Dingo lays the groundwork for future long-term support releases of Ubuntu.

As always, this latest version of Ubuntu comes six months after the last Ubuntu release, Ubuntu 18.10 “Cosmic Cuttlefish.” Like the cuttlefish before it, this dingo is focused on bug fixes and smaller improvements rather than shiny new features.

So, should you head over to the download site, grab a copy, and roll it out to your main computer? Not necessarily. Disco Dingo isn’t a Long-Term Support (LTS) release. Ubuntu 19.04 will enjoy only a short nine months of support and patches, while Ubuntu 18.04 LTS “Bionic Beaver” is the tried-and-true stable desktop environment for now. Read more: Dave McKay, How-To-Geek http://bit.ly/2UP0xdC

HOW TO COMPARE TWO TEXT FILES IN THE LINUX TERMINAL – Need to see the differences between two revisions of a text file? Then diff is the command you need. Read this Dave McKay How-To-Geek article to learn how to use diff on Linux and macOS, the easy way (with screenshots): http://bit.ly/2v8kzAm .

HOW TO CLEAN A COMPUTER KEYBOARD – From a simple chassis shakedown to removing all the keycaps and the outer shell and giving certain bits a bath, these tips will help you banish that keyboard grime. Typing can be such a messy business. Whether you’re a gamer, a hard-working professional, or both, you’re bound to get your hands on something gunky prior to clicking and clacking away at your keyboard. When all that sludge and silt becomes too much, you’ll have to undertake that most thankless of PC tasks: cleaning your keyboard. Nasty!

The good news is that you can do it using tools you’ll find around your house. Learn how at this Gabe Grey PC Mag article: http://bit.ly/2VUEtdG

HOW TO VIEW FREE DISK SPACE AND DISK USAGE FROM THE LINUX TERMINAL – The df and du commands report on disk space usage from within the Bash shell used on Linux, macOS, and many other Unix-like operating systems. These commands let you easily identify what’s using up your system’s storage. Bash contains two useful commands related to disk space. To find out the available and used disk space, use df (disk filesystems, sometimes called disk free). Read more about viewing free disk space and usage at this How-to-Geek article: http://bit.ly/2K3S3dC

SUSE LINUX AND ENTERPRISE RASPBERRY PI – Raspberry Pi single-board computers are wildly popular with makers, kids, and anyone who likes hands-on computing. But, in enterprise business? Industrial sites? Not so much. Or, are they? At SUSECon in Nashville, Tenn., SUSE executives revealed that three customers are already deploying SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) on Raspberry Pi computers. Read more at this ZDNet article: https://zd.net/2I03qRQ

LINUX KERNEL 5.0 RELEASED, THIS IS WHAT’S NEW – Linux Kernel 5.0 has been released. Previously earmarked to be version 4.21, the new release comes with a bucket full of improvements (as you’d expect). But don’t expect grand changes just because there’s a natty new version number. Linus Torvalds explains that: “The numbering change is not indicative of anything special. If you want to have an official reason, it’s that I ran out of fingers and toes to count on, so 4.21 became 5.0.”

But, as always, the bulk of the improvements sit at the lower-level. Most major changes are invisible, intangible and uninteresting. That said, there are some notable new additions worth mentioning. Read more of this OMG! LINUX! article at: http://bit.ly/2Ut2FmU

ODRIVE IS A NO-FRILLS GOOGLE DRIVE CLIENT FOR LINUX – A free, fuss-free way to sync files to and from Google’s cloud. With no official Google Drive Linux client available, it’s left to third-party apps, devs services to fill the file-syncing void for FOSS fans. And boy are there are a lot of options out there that do just that! Read this OMG! LINUX! article to find out about those options: http://bit.ly/2IXLXus

WSL UPDATE LETS YOU ACCESS LINUX FILES IN WINDOWS EXPLORER – Users of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) will finally be able to access Linux files from Windows’ Explorer. Microsoft confirms that the oft-requested ability to access the Linux file system from Windows will arrive as part of the Windows 10 Version 1903 update later this month. Read more at this OMG! LINUX! article: http://bit.ly/2Tn9t9k

WHERE LINUX WENT IN 2018 – AND WHERE IT’S GOING – For those who try to keep their finger on the Linux community’s pulse, 2018 was a surprisingly eventful year. Spread over the last 12 months, we’ve seen various projects in the Linux ecosystem make great strides, as well as suffer their share of stumbles.

All told, the year wrapped up leaving plenty to be optimistic about in the year to come, but there is much more on which we can only speculate. In the interest of offering the clearest lens for a peek into Linux in 2019, here’s a look back at the year gone by for all things Linux. Read more of this LinuxInsider article: http://bit.ly/2Hrklxk

THE 10 BEST LINUX GAMES YOU CAN PLAY FOR FREE – Are you just setting off on your Linux gaming adventure? Then you need to know about the best Linux games you can play for free. So many great Windows games are available on Linux, and there’s even a few unmissable titles that are only available on Linux. So, if you’re looking for the best Linux games to play for free, here are 10 titles to get you started…

Read more of this MakeUseOf article: http://bit.ly/2HpvcHO

SHOULD YOU RUN LINUX APPS ON YOUR CHROMEBOOK? – Linux apps now can run in a Chromebook’s Chrome OS environment. However, the process can be tricky, and it depends on your hardware’s design and Google’s whims. It is somewhat similar to running Android apps on your Chromebook, but the Linux connection is far less forgiving. If it works in your Chromebook’s flavor, though, the computer becomes much more useful with more flexible options. Read more of this LinuxInsider article at: http://bit.ly/2Hoi1qN

LINUX LAPTOP BATTERY OPTIMIZATION TOOL TLP 1.2 RELEASED – TLP is a command line advanced Linux power management tool that helps save laptop battery power. It’s designed to install and forget about it, TLP taking care of everything automatically. TLP is highly configurable though, so you can tweak it to suit your specific needs. Read more of this Linux Uprising article: http://bit.ly/2O1nCmm

HOW TO SET OR CHANGE TIMEZONE ON DEBIAN 9 – Using the correct timezone is important for many systems related tasks and processes. For example, the cron daemon uses the system’s timezone for executing cron jobs and the timestamps in the log files are based on the same system’s timezone. The system’s timezone is set during the installation, but it can be easily changed at a later time. This tutorial shows how to set or change the timezone on Debian 9. Read more of this Linuxize article at: http://bit.ly/2NXkrMy

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR DIGITAL LIFE FOR YOUR DEATH – Death is inevitable. Don’t make it harder on those you leave behind. Here’s how to let loved ones manage passwords, sensitive data, and social media profiles after you die.

Our own death is as somber as it is inevitable. But as we live more of our lives online, it’s more important than ever to make sure loved ones can access digital accounts when we’re gone. Don’t be the guy who locked cryptocurrency exchange customers out of $250 million after his death because only he knew the password.

There are a number of ways loved ones can request access to your accounts once you’re gone, but they don’t need that stress. Several online services allow you to designate legacy contacts or grant access after a period of inactivity. Here’s how to make sure that those you leave behind are able to manage your affairs when you can’t anymore.

Go to this PC Magazine web page and get started. http://bit.ly/2F80WwK

6 BEST (REALLY FREE) ANTIVIRUS PROGRAMS FOR LINUX 2019 – If you’re looking for a decent antivirus, then you’re probably already aware that even Linux machines can be vulnerable to ransomware, and rootkits as well as email phishing attempts and spoof URL addresses.

Which is why an antivirus for Linux is just as important as for Windows; even if the risks are far lower. But the big question remains: can a free antivirus really be the robust solution you’re looking for? And are any of them REALLY free?

We looked at 37 antivirus programs and examined their free plan limitations and performance and put together a list of the best free Linux antivirus software on the market that are close but not the same as our paid antivirus for Linux.

Read more of this Safety Detective article at: http://bit.ly/2V4rFka

OPEN SOURCE PREDICTIONS FOR 2019 – f you thought Linux and open source software was prevalent in 2018–just wait. Jack Wallen predicts what’s in store for the open source community in 2019. Crystal ball? Are you there? Fine. Jack goes it alone.

2018 was a rollicking fun year for open source, filled with highs, lows, and plenty of in-between. But what will 2019 hold for Linux and open source software? Let’s shrug off the continued introductory dialog and prognosticate.

Read more of this Tech Republic article: https://tek.io/2X3Mqyt

THE 5 BEST LINUX DISTROS FOR BEGINNERS IN 2019 – Want to try out Linux but not sure where to start? There are so many Linux distributions available. If you’re new to the platform, you might not have any idea where to start. Lifewire has selected their top 5 distributions for new users … so your first exposure won’t be your last.

What You Need To Know

Before they dive into the distributions, there are a few things you should know:

The distributions found here all run very well on standard PC hardware (both desktops and laptops).
These distributions are free and can be downloaded as .iso image files.
ISO images need to be burned to either a CD/DVD or USB flash drive (This can be accomplished with a tool like Unetbootin).
All of the Linux distributions you’ll find here can be run as “live” instances (which means you can boot the operating system from the CD/DVD or flash drive and run it directly from your computer’s RAM, without installing a single thing).

And with that said, take a look at the 5 best distributions for beginnings at: http://bit.ly/2NatgSS

3 LINUX SMARTPHONE OPERATING SYSTEMS YOU CAN INSTALL TODAY – Sick of Android? Don’t want to be part of a proprietary ecosystem? Security and privacy are becoming increasingly important for smartphone users, but what is the answer?

Is it possible to abandon Android and iOS for another mobile operating system?

When you want an alternative operating system, Linux is usually the answer. But what Linux smartphone operating systems are available to install today?

Read more of this MakeUseOf.com article at: http://bit.ly/2Q9rMgt

THE BEST HOLIDAY GIFTS FOR OPEN SOURCE ENTHUSIASTS – The gift ideas below will please even the most hard-core open source users on your holiday shopping list. Find the gifts at this TechRepublic webpage: https://tek.io/2DIWOED

HOW TO MANAGE YOUR PASSWORDS EFFECTIVELY WITH KEEPASS – KeePass is a popular and free password management tool. Learn about the benefits and techniques to get the most of out of it. TechRepublic at: https://tek.io/2Qknzpq

FREE PERSONAL FINANCE APPS YOU CAN TAKE TO THE BANK – Today’s Linux platform accommodates a number of really good financial applications that are more than capable of handling both personal and small-business accounting operations. That was not always the case, however. Read more at this LinuxInsider webpage: http://bit.ly/2QoV7TD

HOW TO SORT FILES IN LINUX (GUI AND SHELL) – In this article, VITUX explains how to view sorted files and folders in the Ubuntu Nautilus file manager and also learn how to print the output of the ls command in the command line according to our sorting preferences. Read more at: http://bit.ly/2DmBZyB

KODAK’S NEW 3D PRINTER HAS A RASPBERRY PI INSIDE – Kodak has launched a Raspberry Pi 3 based Kodak Portrait 3D Printer with a dual-extrusion system, multiple filament types, a 5-inch touchscreen, and Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections to a Kodak 3D Cloud service. Get all the details at this LinuxGizmos webpage:. http://bit.ly/2DojkT0

MARK SHUTTLEWORTH REVEALS UBUNTU 18.04 WILL GET A 10-YEAR SUPPORT LIFESPAN – At OpenStack Summit in Berlin, Canonical and Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth said in a keynote that Ubuntu 18.04 Long Term Support (LTS) support lifespan would be xtended from five years to 10 years.

“I’m delighted to announce that Ubuntu 18.04 will be supported for a full 10 years,” said Shuttleworth, “In part because of the very long-time horizons in some of industries like financial services and telecommunications but also from IoT where manufacturing lines for example are being deployed that will be in production for at least a decade.”

Ubuntu 18.04 released in April 2018. While the Ubuntu desktop gets most of the ink, most of Canonical’s dollars comes from server and cloud customers. It’s for these corporate users Canonical first extended Ubuntu 12.04 security support, then Ubuntu 14.04’s support, and now, preemptively, Ubuntu 18.04. In an interview after the keynote, Shuttleworth said Ubuntu 16.04, which is scheduled to reach its end of life in April 2021, will also be given a longer support life span. Read more of this ZDNet article at: https://zd.net/2PztfMF

HOW TO INSTALL AND USE TOR AS A PROXY IN UBUNTU OR LINUX MINT – This Linux Uprising article explains how to install the latest Tor in Ubuntu 18.04 or 16.04 / Linux Mint 19.x and 18.x, and using it as a proxy with various applications. See the steps to follow at http://bit.ly/2CE0RC6

ENCRYPTED EVERNOTE ALTERNATIVE TURTL V0.7 INCLUDES REWRITTEN SERVER, NEW SPACES FEATURE – Turtl is a “secure, encrypted Evernote alternative”. The free and open source tool, which is considered beta software, can be used to take notes, save bookmarks, store documents and images, and anything else you may need, in a safe place. Turtl was updated to version 0.7 yesterday, the new release shipping with a rewritten server, among other changes. I’ll cover the new version in the second part of this article, after an introduction to Turtl. Read more at Linux Uprising: http://bit.ly/2C9CIm0

YOU CAN NOW RUN UBUNTU 18.04 ON RASPBERRY PI 3 WITH BUNSENLABS’ HELIUM DESKTOP – If you plan on trying something new on your brand new Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ tiny computer, developer Arne Exton announced today the availability of a new version of his Ubuntu-based RaspEX OS featuring the Helium Desktop from BunsenLabs Linux. Read more at Softpedia News: http://bit.ly/2C6UnLf

GNOME PLANS TO RETIRE APPLICATION MENUS FROM THE GNOME 3.32 DESKTOP ENVIRONMENT – Once again, the GNOME Project wants to change the way its beloved GNOME desktop environment functions, and it has recently announced plans to retire the application menus from the next major release, GNOME 3.32. Read more at Softpedia News: http://bit.ly/2C7SgGO

HOW LINUX IS CHANGING THE FACE OF END-USER COMPUTING – End-user computing (EUC) is changing quickly, and dramatically. In Forbes post author Jed Ayres’ work, he hears just how vital it is that organizations deliver better security, manageability and user experience every day. This is creating increasing pressure on the status quo of operating systems for end-user devices: Windows. And Windows simply can’t keep up with the requirements. What you may not know is that this pressure is also giving rapid rise to the broad use of Linux on endpoint devices. Linux is the only endpoint operating system (OS) growing at a global level. While Windows market share remains flat, at 39% in 2015 and 2017, Linux has grown from 30% in 2015 to 35% in 2017, worldwide. And the trend is accelerating. Read what is making this possible: http://bit.ly/2CaSQ6X

THE 12 BEST LINUX DESKTOP ENVIRONMENTS – You can tell whether a screenshot is Windows or Mac from a mile away, and that’s because both commercial operating systems only have one desktop environment. Windows has the Start Menu and the Taskbar, while macOS has its iconic Dock and Menu Bar.

But search for Linux and you’ll see images that look strikingly different from one another. This diversity stems from the fact that Linux offers far more than one desktop environment. This is part of what makes Linux exciting to use, but the breadth of choice can make it difficult to pick the one that’s right for you. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of the best Linux desktop environments. Read about the 12 Linux environments at the MakeUseOf article: http://bit.ly/2SoIgPa

5 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR LINUX DESKTOP LOOK FANTASTIC – Is that default Linux look getting you down? Want more from your Linux desktop than GNOME, KDE, or MATE? Fortunately, Linux is the most configurable operating system around, so personalizing the appearance of your desktop is easy. Various tools, tricks and tweaks can be used to personalize your Linux desktop. You might simply want to swap out a few familiar desktop utilities,or change your theme. You might even install a brand new environment.

Use these MakeUseOf five methods for personalizing your Linux desktop environment: http://bit.ly/2qfGvXQ

6 SIGNS MICROSOFT IS REALLY A FAN OF LINUX – Several years ago, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stood in front of a presentation slide that said Microsoft loves Linux. Some people were happy to see this change. Others were skeptical. Did Microsoft really love Linux after all? Read this MakeUseOf article to find out: http://bit.ly/2Ixulku

LOOKING FOR A NEW OS? TRY THESE DEBIAN LINUX-BASED SYSTEMS – The Linux-based OS Debian is 25 years old, and during its lifetime this child of the 90s has spawned its own family of operating systems. Debian derivatives come in all shapes and sizes, from user-friendly Linux Mint to the macOS replacement Elementary OS to the privacy-centric Tails. This gallery rounds up some of the most notable and popular Debian derivatives, as highlighted by The Debian Project and DistroWatch. https://tek.io/2MAXHET

HOW TO USE A SWAP FILE INSTEAD OF A SWAP PARTITION ON LINUX – This article explains how to transition from having a swap partition to a swap file. If you don’t need to disable any existing swap partition and all you need is to create a swap file and activate it, simply skip steps 1 and 2. http://bit.ly/2Pf8ph9

JOPLIN: ENCRYPTED OPEN SOURCE NOTE TAKING AND TO-DO APPLICATION – Joplin is a free and open source note taking and to-do application available for Linux, Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. Its key features include end-to-end encryption, Markdown support, and synchronization via third-party services like NextCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive or WebDAV. http://bit.ly/2wlKJRd

HOW CANONICAL IS IMPROVING UBUNTU LINUX SECURITY – Cryptojacking attacks have been increasingly prevalent in 2018, even finding their way into the Ubuntu Linux software center. Mark Shuttleworth, the founder of Canonical and Ubuntu Linux, isn’t too worried, though, as he has multiple technologies in place to mitigate risk. http://bit.ly/2wo6vUa

EASILY COMPRESS PDF FILES IN LINUX WITH DENSIFY – Densify is a graphical user interface which simplifies the process of compressing PDF files on Linux with Ghostscript. Learn how reading this article: http://bit.ly/2IM3yC8

THE FUTURE OF OPEN SOURCE – Linux and the open source business model are far different today than many of the early developers might have hoped. Neither can claim a rags-to-riches story. Rather, their growth cycles have been a series of hit-or-miss milestones. Linux-powered technology has long ruled the Internet and conquered the cloud and Internet of Things deployments. Both Linux and free open source licensing have dominated in other ways. http://bit.ly/2Cu5HSA

OPEN SOURCE LOGGING TOOLS FOR LINUX – If you’re a Linux systems administrator, one of the first tools you will turn to for troubleshooting are log files. These files hold crucial information that can go a long way to help you solve problems affecting your desktops and servers. For many sysadmins (especially those of an old-school sort), nothing beats the command line for checking log files. But for those who’d rather have a more efficient (and possibly modern) approach to troubleshooting, there are plenty of options. Find out what they are: http://bit.ly/2CvA8rk

WHAT APPS CAN YOU ACTUALLY RUN ON LINUX? – Chromebooks can now run Linux desktop apps, offering a whole new universe of software to Chrome OS users. You can install a Linux distribution like Ubuntu on your PC, too. But what applications are available for Linux? Most Linux distributions include Mozilla Firefox as the default web browser. Google also offers an official version of Google Chrome for Linux, and you can even get an “unbranded” open-source version of Chrome named Chromium.

Pretty much everything inside your web browser should “just work” in Linux. Netflix now works normally in both Firefox and Chrome on Linux thanks to added support for its DRM. As the desktop PC world has shifted more and more to online, web-based software, Linux has become easier to use. If an application you want to run has a web version, you can use it on Linux. Read more of this How-To Geek post at: http://bit.ly/2BZinjj

5 COMMAND LINE TOOLS TO FIND FILES QUICKLY IN LINUX – Searching or finding files on a Linux system from the terminal can be a little of a challenge especially for newbies. However, there are several command line tools/utilities for locating files in Linux. In this article, we will review 5 command line tools to find, locate and search files quickly on Linux systems. Read about them here: http://bit.ly/2NVdISy

DROPBOX TO END SYNC SUPPORT FOR ALL FILESYSTEMS EXCEPT EXT4 ON LINUX – Dropbox is thinking of limiting the synchronization support to only a handful of file system types: NTFS for Windows, HFS+/APFS for macOS and Ext4 for Linux. http://bit.ly/2Nw3FDm

COPY AND PASTE IN SCREEN – Put the mouse down, and copy and paste inside a terminal with your keyboard using Screen. Screen is a command-line tool that lets you set up multiple terminal windows within it, detach them and reattach them later, all without any graphical interface. http://bit.ly/2Lv0Q3s

12 REASONS WHY TO USE GNOME DESKTOP – You must (occasionally) be wondering which Desktop Environment is the best for Linux. And while most long-time Linux users have found their preferred desktop based on experience and computing purposes, some of us and including newbies are still stuck with the same question. I have switched to various Linux distros many times and frankly, all the Desktop Environments have their own advantages and disadvantages. Sticking to one of them depends entirely on the perspectives of the user and his preferences. But if you’re in doubt and need more help before making up your mind to use GNOME, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Below are the 12 reasons I’ve assembled together on why to use GNOME desktop: http://bit.ly/2LvYP7q

HOW TO ADD USER TO GROUP IN LINUX – Linux groups are organization units which are used to organize and administer user accounts in Linux. The main purpose of groups is to define a set of privileges such as reading, writing, or executing permission for a given resource that can be shared among the users within the group. This tutorial will show you how to add user to a group in Linux systems. http://bit.ly/2P6qe1J

REMEMBER LINUX’S WOBBLY WINDOW ANIMATION? IT MIGHT COME BACK! – Remember playing around with wobbly windows in Linux? That animation, and a few more, might be coming back soon.

Linux users loved playing with Compiz, a window manager that added all kinds of animations to the Linux desktop. Perhaps the most famous were the wobbly windows, which brought a tactile feel to moving windows around. It was great fun.

Now Sam Spilsbury, who once led the Compiz project, is hoping to bring the effects to modern Linux distros with a new project called libanimation.

Read more about libanimation in this How-To Geek article: http://bit.ly/2OrQfIS

12 EASY STEPS TO SPEED UP UBUNTU LINUX – If you have been paying attention to your system’s performance you might have noticed that it is been dwindling with time. This is due to a variety of factors that typically affect systems all over the world whether they are owned by beginner or master Linux users. Fossmint brings you a list of tasks that you can complete in order to have your Ubuntu machine running at optimum speeds again and giving you the efficient performance that you desire. Read more at: http://bit.ly/2Ou0Jrp

Thanks to UCHUG for the link

RASPBERRY PI SUPERCOMPUTERS: FROM DIY CLUSTERS TO 750-BOARD MONSTERS – While the $35 Pi is by no means a computing powerhouse, in recent years enthusiasts have begun harnessing the power of armies of the tiny boards. If you’re curious to find out more, then here’s five Pi clusters built in recent years, starting with some you can try yourself and moving on to the Pi-based supercomputers being built by research labs. Read more at this TechRadar article: https://tek.io/2Nrio1V

BEST LINUX REMOTE DESKTOP CLIENTS OF 2018 – This article has been fully updated, and was provided to TechRadar by Linux Format: http://bit.ly/2O0tNXs

MASTER THE LINUX COMMAND LINE – If you use Linux long enough, you will most likely have performed actions via the terminal in some capacity, even if it was something as simple as installing a package. The command line is more than just using the system on a daily basis. To master the command line is to become familiar with the tools you have under your belt. This Linux and Ubuntu article helps you master the Linux command line: http://bit.ly/2O46xIo

4 WAYS YOU CAN MAKE XFCE LOOK MODERN AND BEAUTIFUL – Xfce is a great lightweight desktop environment with one drawback. It looks sort of old. But you don’t have to stick with the default looks. See various ways you can customize Xfce to give it a modern and beautiful look at this It’s FOSS article:. http://bit.ly/2LM1PRc

NEW LIBREOFFICE VERSION OFFERS FRESH TAKE – The Document Foundation has announced the availability of its second major release this year, LibreOffice Fresh 6.1, with enhanced editing on Desktop, Cloud and Mobile platforms. Read about the new additions in this LinuxInsider story: http://bit.ly/2Ls2O4H

LINUX USERS JUST GOT ACCESS TO MORE STEAM GAMES – Linux users now have access to many more Windows titles on Steam with a new version of Steam Play, according to a blog post from Valve on Tuesday. While those who use the Linux operating system currently have access to “more than 3000” Linux-compatible games in the Steam Store, this new update will eventually give them access to the entire back catalog of games previously only playable by Windows (and sometimes Mac) users. Read more at this Variety article: http://bit.ly/2MONYdd

LIBREOFFICE 6.1 RELEASED WITH ICONS THAT MAKE IT MORE WINDOWS-LIKE – On Thursday, August 9, The Document Foundation announced LibreOffice 6.1 for Microsoft’s Windows operating system and macOS. This release comes with a long list of new features and improvements and this is the second major update of the LibreOffice 6 series introduced in early 2018.

In a blog post, the company says that the new features have been developed by a large community of developers. These features include revamped image handling which is faster and smoother than before as well as icons that make it have more of Windows-like feel. Read more of this BleepingComputer article at: http://bit.ly/2MbJjCy

LINUX SHUTDOWN COMMAND – This Linuxize tutorial will show you how to use the shutdown utility through practical examples and detailed explanations of the most common shutdown options. http://bit.ly/2KIY1MM

CHOOSING A RASPBERRY PI OS? HERE’S THE DEFINITIVE LIST – This list rounds up the free systems that are available, from easy-to-use desktop systems aimed at novice users to powerful systems designed for those familiar with the command line. Get all the details from TechRepublic: https://tek.io/2KTubs6

LINUX WITH EDUCATION – BEST FREE EDUCATION APPS – In this article, we award 42 medals to superb open source educational software. We identify free software ideally suited for young people, parents, teachers, academics, and administrators – basically anyone involved in education. From LinuxLinks: http://bit.ly/2Nw1DDu

MOUNTING GOOGLE DRIVE ON XFCE OR MATE DESKTOPS (UBUNTU, LINUX MINT) – Gnome offers an easy way to access your Google Drive files from your Linux desktop. But what about other desktop environments? There are ways of mounting Google Drive on any desktop environment, and this Linux Uprising article includes two such options: installing and using Gnome Settings (Control Center) and Gnome Online Accounts in other desktop environments, like Xfce or MATE, or using Google Drive OCamlFUSE, a tool that achieves something like Gnome Online accounts, but without all the Gnome dependencies. Here’s how: http://bit.ly/2O0lrPD

HOW TO INSTALL UFW AND USE IT TO SET UP A BASIC FIREWALL – UFW basics including UFW installation and setting up a basic firewall, follow this LinuxConfig tutorial: http://bit.ly/2Nusore

HOW TO SCHEDULE FILE BACKUPS TO GOOGLE DRIVE ON UBUNTU – The Deja Dup backup tool is preinstalled on the Ubuntu desktop by default — but like many, Joey Sneddon, OMGUbuntu.com.uk, didn’t use it.

Or rather he didn’t, not until this week when he learned that Deja Dup can backup files to Google Drive automatically.

Simple, zero-fuss backups, at that.

Thanks to some spiffy GNOME Online Accounts integration Deja Dup can schedule file, folder and even entire system backups directly to Google Drive.

These file backups can happen as often/when you like, as well as run automatically in the background. You can also restore file backups from Google Drive to your local system.

If this handy backup feature sounds like something you want to use, learn how at this OMG!Ubuntu! web page: http://bit.ly/2Aq383G

A MAJOR GNOME ICON REDESIGN IS GETTING UNDERWAY – Your favourite GNOME applications will soon have dramatically different icons.

GNOME devs are redesigning the default icons for all GNOME core apps as part a wider overhaul of GNOME design guidelines.

The move hope to make it easier (and less effort) for app developers to provide high-quality and useful icons for their software on the GNOME desktop. Read more at this OMG!Ubuntu! web page: http://bit.ly/2v2SXNr

A FORBES WRITER SPENT 2 WEEKS USING UBUNTU, THIS IS WHAT HE THOUGHT… Guy ditches Windows for Ubuntu – and you WILL believe what happens next! It’s a tale as old as time: laptop user gets frustrated by Windows, tries Ubuntu, falls in love, and computes happily ever after…

After two decades of relying on Windows a Forbes.com tech contributor decided it was time for the nuclear option…

A classic love story — one Hollywood has yet to use as source material for a major motion picture/musical starring Robert Downey Jr (It seems he’s in everything).

The latest case in point? That comes courtesy of online magazine Forbes.com and its tech contributor Jason Evangelho.

Jason shares his experience of using Ubuntu for a solid fortnight on a swanky Dell XPS 13 laptop. He says he was spurred into “ditching” Windows by yet another ill-timed and infuriating wait while the OS opted to install updates.

“After two decades of relying on Windows I finally decided it was time for the nuclear option,” he writes. Read more of this OMG!Ubuntu! article: http://bit.ly/2vloEAO

GET MOJAVE’S DYNAMIC WALLPAPER IN WINDOWS AND LINUX RIGHT NOW (WHILE MAC USERS WAIT UNTIL FALL) – Mojave, the new version of macOS coming out this fall, features a desert wallpaper that subtly changes throughout the day, reflecting the sunrise and sunset where you live. Windows and Linux users can have this feature right now, even though macOS users must wait until the fall. Life isn’t fair.

Enjoy the wallpaper, and the subtle switches throughout the day. Be sure to tell your Mac using friends how great not waiting feels. Read how to install the wallpaper at this How-To Geek post: http://bit.ly/2mthjeB

LINUX HOW-TOS – Many advanced computer DIY projects rely on Linux to get the job done. Lifewire explores all the ways Linux can light up your life. Have fun clicking and learning the topics on this How-To page: http://bit.ly/2LhExlL

MAKE UBUNTU LOOK LIKE MACOS MOJAVE’S DARK MODE – If you’re a Linux user who likes the look of the dark mode coming in macOS Mojave, you’re in luck: there’s a GTK theme just for you. The theme is available on Gnome-Look.org alongside several other macOS inspired themes. You’re looking for the one titled McOS-MJV-Dark-mode, but feel free to download more if you think you might want to switch it up later. How-To Geek thanks Joey Sneddon at OMG Ubuntu for pointing this theme out to us. It’s not a perfect match for Mojave’s dark mode, but it’s a lot better than the terrible Windows Dark Mode. Read more of this How-To Geek post at: http://bit.ly/2zX91Fw

SUPERCOMPUTERS: ALL LINUX, ALL THE TIME – The latest TOP500 Supercomputer list is out. What’s not surprising is that Linux runs on every one of the world’s fastest supercomputers. What is surprising is that GPUs, not CPUs, now power most of supercomputers’ speed. Read the rest of the article at ZDNet: https://zd.net/2N2WGlw

HOW RED HAT MORPHED FROM LINUX PIONEER INTO CLOUD-COMPUTING PLAYER – Think of Red Hat (RHT) as a technology company that has reinvented itself not just once, but twice in 15 years. Red Hat’s reinvention is tied to the rise of cloud computing. Like many traditional suppliers of information technology, it has been pressured to adapt. Read more at this Investor’s Business Daily article: http://bit.ly/2xWK9fN

HOW TO OPEN FILES AND FOLDERS AS ADMINISTRATOR IN NAUTILUS IN UBUNTU 17.10 AND 18.04 – In Nautilus on Ubuntu, you can see all the files and folders on your system. Sometimes you might want to edit basic file configurations like settings for programs. But there are some system files and folders that you can’t open and edit from Nautilus unless you open Nautilus as Administrator. Today we’ll show you how to add two options to the right-click menu that will allow you to open folders and edit files as administrator. Read more of this groovyPost article at: http://bit.ly/2Lxsduk

HOW TO RESET LOST ADMINISTRATOR PASSWORD IN UBUNTU OR LINUX MINT – If you forgot the administrator account password for your Ubuntu or Linux Mint system, don’t worry, it’s quite easy to set a new password and you don’t need any extra tools to do it. Get the steps from Linux Uprising: http://bit.ly/2JB2Hrv

OVERCLOCKING RASPBERRY PI: HOW TO DO IT AND WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW – The Raspberry Pi 3 is a great little computer, far more powerful than the models before it. But did you know you can squeeze even more power out of it? Here’s how to overclock your Raspberry Pi and push it further than you ever imagined! http://bit.ly/2yduw3Y

HOW TO INSTALL WINDOWS 10 IN A VM ON A LINUX MACHINE – Learn how to install Windows 10 on your Linux machine using the bundled license key on preassembled systems and get tips on how to reduce the amount of system resources Windows uses. Get the steps from TechRepublic: https://tek.io/2JQ1tsG

DOES LINUX NEED ANTIVIRUS? – Linux has long been touted as an extremely safe platform, but should users also run antivirus software? Here’s what you need to know. http://bit.ly/2M7fUF8

LINUX AND OPEN-SOURCE JOBS ARE IN MORE DEMAND THAN EVER – Do you want a tech job? Then, it’s time to move away from Windows and head toward Linux and open source. According to The Linux Foundation and Dice’s 2018 Open Source Jobs Report, 87 percent of hiring managers are having trouble finding open-source talent, while hiring open-source talent is now a priority for 83 percent of employers. https://zd.net/2M9DIIF

10 APPLICATIONS EVERY LINUX USING MUSICIAN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT – When it comes to creativity, people are always assuming that a Mac is best, even in today’s Windows-centric ecosystem. As a result, so few people know about the diverse landscape of Linux-based tools and suites available, most of which for free. Learn about the 10 Apps for Linux Musicians can use in 2018 at FossBytes: http://bit.ly/2sDZDQ4

TIMEKPR REVIVED: EASY TO USE PARENTAL CONTROL SOFTWARE FOR UBUNTU – If you’re looking for an easy to use tool with a graphical user interface for parental controls for Ubuntu, it’s recommend you give Timekpr Revived a try. Using Timekpr Revived, you can control the computer usage for certain user accounts by setting some predefined access rules. Get details here: http://bit.ly/2Jiz26e

LINUX RUNNING TOO SLOW? HERE’S HOW TO FIND THE CAUSE – Have you ever wondered why your Linux computer is running slow these days? Despite high transmission speed and powerful hardware, it still takes forever in executing or processing services or applications. Your Linux computer seems to be slow because of some of the following reasons: http://bit.ly/2K6taJQ

PC GAMING ON LINUX: 7 COMMON QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ANSWERED – You use a Windows PC, but you’ve been thinking about trying out Linux. The only problem: no games. After all, you can’t play games on Linux, right? Wrong! Anything you can do with a Windows computer, you can do with Linux. That includes watching and editing movies, playing local and streamed music, standard browsing and office tasks… and yes, even gaming. http://bit.ly/2JWdhts

GETTING STARTED WITH LINUX AND UBUNTU – You’ve heard about Linux, but it’s only recently that you realized this free and open source operating system is something that you could actually use. It’s not hard to install, it has plenty of great apps, and it extends the life of your computers. These days, Linux even makes for a decent way to play games. You get this. You don’t need to be sold on Linux, you just want someone to hold your hand as you get started. This MakeUseOf article will help: http://bit.ly/2yi8CfE

LINUX GETS LOUD – Linux is ready for prime time when it comes to music production. New offerings from Linux audio developers are pushing creative and technical boundaries. And, with the maturity of the Linux desktop and growth of standards-based hardware setups, making music with Linux has never been easier. Joshua Curry tells us more in Linux Journal: http://bit.ly/2JDa9CD

LIBREOFFICE 6 REVIEW: THE OPEN-SOURCE FAVORITE GETS AN UPDATE – The free and open source suite LibreOffice is loved by many for its excellent compatibility with Microsoft Office formats including the newer DOCX, PPT, and PPTX files. LibreOffice 6, its first major update in a couple years, continues that tradition but redesigns the UI and adds productivity improvements to its “big three” programs—Writer, Calc, and Impress. Read about the new features in this PC World article: http://bit.ly/2M9oOTp

3 JOURNALING APPLICATIONS FOR THE LINUX DESKTOP – Keeping a journal, even irregularly, can have many benefits. It’s not only therapeutic and cathartic, it’s also a good record of where you are and where you’ve been. It can help show your progress in life and remind you of what you’ve done right and what you’ve done wrong. No matter what your reasons are for keeping a journal or a diary, there are a variety of ways in which to do that. There are several very flexible and very useful journaling tools for the Linux desktop. Let’s look at three of them at this opensource.com web page: https://red.ht/2xUmCMC

6 BEST CCLEANER ALTERNATIVES FOR UBUNTU – A common category of software you will find on many Windows PCs are system optimizers and cleaners. One such application is CCleaner, a powerful and popular Windows PC cleaner which scans for and deletes unwanted files, private information such as browsing cache and history, freeing up space and guarding your privacy and more. Unfortunately, there is no CCleaner release for Linux systems, so if you were using it on Windows and made a switch to Ubuntu Linux (one of the recommended distros for Linux beginners), you are probably wondering which software to use for the same purpose on your new platform. Check out your options reading this TechMint article: http://bit.ly/2JkzrkM

CREATE BOOTABLE USB DRIVES FROM WINDOWS WITH RUFUS (VERSION 3.0 RELEASED) – Rufus can be used not only to create bootable Windows drives from ISO files or disk images, but also create bootable Linux USB drives from Windows, format USB drives, and perform bad blocks checks. And it’s free open source software. Get the instructions from Linux Uprising: http://bit.ly/2LGKZA6

THE BEST LINUX DISTROS OF 2018 – If you can’t stand the lackluster security of a Windows computer, but macOS is much too shallow, allow us to introduce you to Linux. It is, quite simply, the ultimate in open source software. The OS started out as being exclusive to regular x86 desktop PCs but has since found its way into everything from Android phones to Google Chromebooks. This guide, from TechRadarPeo, focuses on picking out the very best distros overall. Review it re: http://bit.ly/2sgQAFs

CHOOSING THE BEST LINUX DISTRO FOR DESKTOP 2018 – And another point of view. Searching for the best Linux distro (distribution)? This article will probably be most useful to those who don’t know what /etc/fstab is used for. Also, this post does not cover Linux server distributions, but instead focuses on Linux desktop distributions. One great way to increase your familiarity with Linux servers is to run Linux on your laptop and/or workstation. Get another person’s viewpoint/recommendation at this Hayden James blog post: http://bit.ly/2L79KEJ

HOW TO ADD A SHOW DESKTOP ICON TO UBUNTU DOCK / DASH TO DOCK – If you’re a Gnome Shell user and you’re missing having a Show Desktop icon on your dock to quickly show / hide all open windows, here’s a script to achieve this with the Ubuntu Dock, Dash to Dock, or any dock you may be using. Full instructions on Linux Uprising at this web page: http://bit.ly/2L5CVbb

COPYING AND RENAMING FILES ON LINUX – There’s more to copying and renaming files on Linux than cp and mv. Try some commands and strategies that might surprise you and save you some time. Linux users have for many decades been using simple cp and mv commands to copy and rename files. These commands are some of the first that most of us learned and are used every day by possibly millions of people. But there are other techniques, handy variations, and another command for renaming files that offers some unique options. Learn what these are from NetworkWorld: http://bit.ly/2JhUDLa

HOW TO CUSTOMIZE THE GNOME SHELL IN UBUNTU USING EXTENSIONS – Starting with Ubuntu 17.10, the GNOME 3 desktop is the default. There are many new features in Ubuntu 18.04, and you can even extend the functionality of the Ubuntu desktop with GNOME shell extensions. These extensions are add-ons for the GNOME desktop that either add new functionality or modify existing functionality to expand it, a bit like browser add-ons. Read more of this MakeUseOf article to find different ways to install and enable GNOME Shell extensions, how to remove extensions, and how to get notified of extension updates: http://bit.ly/2sOPShV

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST LINUX DISTRO FOR YOUR NEEDS – There are hundreds of Linux distributions and according to some people there are too many. For people new to Linux, however, it is tricky to know which Linux distro is best for them. This guide goes through the top Linux distros as listed at Distrowatch.com and gives a short description of each one as well as a table showing how easy they are to install, who they are for, level of expertise required and the desktop environment that they use. Find your Linux at this Lifewire article: http://bit.ly/2xpMwHX

DEBIAN-GOODIES – A SET OF USEFUL UTILITIES FOR DEBIAN AND UBUNTU USERS – Are you using a Debian-based system? Great! I am here today with good news for you. Say hello to “Debian-goodies”, a collection of useful utilities for Debian-based systems, like Ubuntu, Linux Mint. These set of utilities provides some additional useful commands which are not available by default in the Debian-based systems. To find out what these utilities are, check this article from OSTechNix at: http://bit.ly/2IVUOIT

22 ESSENTIAL LINUX SECURITY COMMANDS – If you’re looking after the security of Linux systems, these are the commands you must know. There are many aspects to security on Linux systems – from setting up accounts to ensuring that legitimate users have no more privilege than they need to do their jobs. This is a look at some of the most essential security commands for day-to-day work on Linux systems. Read the full article at NetworkWorld: http://bit.ly/2L2ND29

THE BEST LINUX DISTROS FOR EVERY KIND OF USER – There are Linux distributions (distros) for every niche and need. The best and most suitable Linux operating system for you depends on your specific needs and hardware. So, what’s the best Linux distro for you? Read this article from MakeUseOf to find out: http://bit.ly/2siCmDT

FEDORA 28 COMES WITH NEW SOFTWARE OPTIONS – On May 1, the Fedora Project announced the general availability of Fedora 28, which introduces a new software delivery system based on a modular repository. The new system provides alternative versions of the software and updates that come with the default release. Find out more from LinixInsider: http://bit.ly/2LCjhEV

A QUICK LOOK AT WHAT’S COMING TO KDE CONNECT – KDE Connect is a project that helps integrating Android devices with Linux desktops, allowing you to receive phone notifications on your Linux desktop, easily transfer files between Android devices and a desktop, use your phone as a desktop remote control, synchronize the clipboard across devices, and more.

While it’s created for KDE / Plasma desktop, KDE Connect works on any desktop, and there are various third-party implementations, like an Ubuntu AppIndicator, or the Gnome Shell GSConnect extension which implements the KDE Connect protocol for Gnome Shell, without requiring KDE dependencies. Read more about this new integrating piece of technology in the article from Linux Uprising at: http://bit.ly/2GYOLRV

HOW TO MOVE UBUNTU’S LAUNCHER BAR TO THE BOTTOM OR RIGHT – This works on Ubuntu 17.10 and 18.04, as Ubuntu now uses GNOME Shell instead of Unity. This trick doesn’t even require obscure terminal commands, as it did with the Unity desktop. You can move the launcher with just a few clicks. Find out how you can move the launcher bar in this How-To Geek article: http://bit.ly/2GyczMo

OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE: WHAT IS IT, AND WHICH IS THE BEST? – If you were to take a time machine ride back to the late 1990’s and look at the Internet, there are some things you would notice. The main one would be the dominance of Microsoft products. Internet Explorer and the Office word-processing suite. Nowhere would there be any evidence of open source software.

If you got into that same time machine and moved forward at least a decade, you would see signs of Microsoft’s monopoly slackening. A lot of that has to do with open source projects. But what is open source? What are some of the best examples? Today we look at all of that and more. Read more of this groovyPost article: http://bit.ly/2Krnnhp

HOW TO ENABLE CLICK TO MINIMIZE ON UBUNTU – The launcher at the left-hand side in Ubuntu is a handy tool for quickly accessing applications. When you click on an icon in the launcher, the application window appears in focus.

If you click again on the icon of an application already in focus, the default behavior is to do nothing. This may bother you if you expect the application window to be minimized on the second click. This quick It’s FOSS tutorial shows you how to enable click to minimize option on Ubuntu 18.04 and Ubuntu 16.04: http://bit.ly/2xiDIn7

HOW TO PERMANENTLY CHANGE THE MAC ADDRESS ON LINUX – This article explains how to permanently change / spoof the MAC addresses of network interfaces. For this purpose, we’ll use Macchanger, a utility for manipulating MAC addresses, for which we’ll create a systemd unit to start it automatically on boot. Get the full set of instructions complete with detailed screenshots from Linux Uprising at: http://bit.ly/2IUXiHf