Penguin Platform -

By “Free John” Kennedy, Advisor, Regions 3 and 6/7.

March 17, 2020

SIMPLICITY DOES MORE THAN SIMPLIFY LINUX – If you want a new Linux distro catering to gaming, check out the Simplicity Linux Gaming release. If you prefer a general-purpose computing platform without a gaming focus, try Simplicity’s revamped release. Either way, you will experience a no-nonsense Linux OS that requires no assembly. The article from LinuxInsider tells more. http://bit.ly/31W4ayo

MAKULULINUX LINDOZ OFFERS WINDOWS COMFORT ZONE, BUT IT’S ALL LINUX UNDER THE HOOD – The LinDoz distro uses Microsoft Windows themes integrated with superior Linux functionality. It provides a comfortable, familiar computing platform for those looking for an easy-to-use alternative to the Windows OS platform. It runs a heavily tweaked version of the Cinnamon desktop. Read more about this distro at LinuxInsider. http://bit.ly/2u1p0Qt

GUAKE 3.7.0 DROP-DOWN TERMINAL RELEASED WITH OPTION TO CHANGE TERMINAL COLORS ON A PER-TAB BASIS – Guake drop-down terminal version 3.7.0 has been released with the ability to set terminal background and foreground color on a per-tab basis, an option to only show the last directory of the current path as the terminal name, and more. Read the reviews in an article from Linux Uprising. http://bit.ly/38s1US2

OPENSHOT 2.5.0 FREE VIDEO EDITOR ADDS HARDWARE ACCELERATION, BLENDER 2.8 SUPPORT – OpenShot is an easy to use yet powerful video editor for Windows, macOS and Linux. It features powerful curve-based key frame animations, unlimited tracks / layers, clip resizing, scaling, trimming, snapping, rotation and cutting. Using it you can also add video transitions with real-time previews, compositing, image overlays, watermarks, animated 3D titles and effects, and much more. Another article from Linux Uprising tells is all. http://bit.ly/2vAFdg4

HOW TO USE EYE OF GNOME IMAGE VIEWER IN DEBIAN 10 – Eye of Gnome or the Image Viewer is the default picture/image viewing application for Debian. It is available on most Debian versions by default. It integrates with the GTK+ look and feel of GNOME and supports many image formats for viewing single images or images in a collection. The Eye of GNOME also allows us to view the images in a fullscreen slideshow mode or set an image as the desktop wallpaper. Read this article from Vitux to learn more. http://bit.ly/37tSFzy

TRY THESE 2 THINGS BEFORE CHOOSING YOUR DESKTOP LINUX OS – When macOS users decide “OK I’m done with the Apple ecosystem” and switch over to Windows, they have basically one choice for their operating system: Windows 10. When the reverse happens, people diving into Macs also have a single choice. When you take the plunge into desktop Linux, your “distribution” options expand exponentially. It can be overwhelming. Choice is the most beautiful — but sometimes paralyzing — thing about the wonderful world of Linux. If you’re curious about making that jump, wait until you’ve checked out these two fantastic resources. http://bit.ly/2HzvwRQ

PLASMA 5.18 LTS REVIEW – THE GOOD, THE BAD … AND YEAH – The KDE team has released the latest version of Plasma, numbered 5.18. This also happens to be a Long Term Support (LTS) release, which in Plasma parlance means two years of support. Read the review from Dedoimedo. http://bit.ly/32anfNG

January 24, 2020

HOW TO UPGRADE FROM WINDOWS 7 TO LINUX – If you’re still using Windows 7 because you just don’t like Windows 10, that’s understandable. But there’s an alternative upgrade path: You can install Linux on your PC for free, and you’ll have a supported operating system that’s still getting updates.

This is easier than you might think. You can try Linux on your PC before installing it, and you can even install it alongside Windows 7 when you make the leap. Here’s what you need to know.

Read this How-To Geek article for details, with screenshots http://bit.ly/38Cs3NB

4 TOOLS TO RECORD YOUR LINUX DESKTOP (SCREENCAST) IN 2020 – This article by presents 4 tools for recording your Linux desktop. All work under X11, and there are also a couple of solutions for recording your Linux screen under Wayland.

Logix, Linux Blogger, skipped applications that are no longer maintained, like Kazam, ScreenStudio or Green Recorder. Even though they might still work, they have many bugs that will probably never be fixed.

Read more, with screenshots, at LinuxUprising http://bit.ly/2NZ92Ns

3 REASONS WHY POP!_OS IS THE BEST UBUNTU-BASED LINUX DISTRIBUTION – Jason Evangelho, Forbes Senior Contributor, recently produced a video guide showing how to get set up for gaming on elementary OS, an excellent, polished Linux distribution which he’s praised repeatedly. He received a perplexing comment explaining that he should just create one universal guide for all Ubuntu-based distributions, since “generally, the software installation steps are the same.” That couldn’t be further from the truth, and it inspired him to paint a detailed picture why.

Read more at http://bit.ly/2Ro2KsQ

UBUNTU LINUX 20.04 DITCHES A FEATURE THAT’S BEEN ANNOYING YOU FOR YEARS – You install Ubuntu and there it is: the familiar app dock with Firefox, Thunderbird, Files, the Software Center and the seemingly permanent, much-derided shortcut to Amazon.com. It’s been a fixture on the dock since 2012, but it’s about to make an exit. Yep, when Canonical’s upcoming Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Long-Term Support) release lands this April, that Amazon icon will be no more.

As spotted by the eagle-eyed Joey Sneddon, the change was implemented on Monday with the developers removing “ubuntu-web-launchers” from the ubuntu-meta package.

Canonical’s Alan Pope tells Forbes Senior Contributor Jason Evangelho he requested its removal this week, and Ubuntu Desktop Director Martin Wimpress put the change into motion immediately.

Read more of Jason’s article http://bit.ly/2uwNrFc

EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT INODES ON LINUX – The Linux file system relies on inodes. These vital pieces of the file system’s inner workings are often misunderstood. Let’s look at exactly what they are, and what they do.

Who deletes files? The elements of a file system, Inodes and file system size and more at this How-To Geek article http://bit.ly/37rQ9ul

HOW TO USE THE START COMMAND ON LINUX – The Linux stat command shows you much more detail than ls does. Take a peek behind the curtain with this informative and configurable utility. We’ll show you how to use it.

stat Takes You Behind the Scenes

The ls command is great at what it does—and it does a lot—but with Linux, it seems that there’s always a way to go deeper and see what lies beneath the surface. And often, it isn’t just a case of lifting the edge of the carpet. You can rip up the floorboards and then dig a hole. You can peel Linux like an onion.

Read more with screenshots at this How-To Geek article http://bit.ly/2RM3Gq6

CONNECTING THUNDERBIRD EMAIL – Earlier in the week, I showed you how to download and install the great, free email client, Thunderbird. (click here to read that.) You can use Thunderbird with any email address you want. Read this Cyn Mackley article with screenshots to learn how to get connected. http://bit.ly/2GmmAOV

10 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR WI-FI SIGNAL – Check out these quick tips to boost your wireless signal from your router, extend and optimize your Wi-Fi coverage, and speed up your surfing.

Browsing slowing to a crawl, the inability to stream, dropped Wi-Fi signals, wireless dead zones—every one of these problems is maddening in a world where getting online has become, for some, as necessary as breathing. (Well, maybe not that critical…but important.)

If you feel like your Wi-Fi has gotten sluggish, there are many tools you can use to test the speed of your internet. However, if the only way you can get decent reception is by standing next to your wireless router, these simple tips can help optimize your network.

Go to this PC magazine article and tune up your Wi-Fi signal. http://bit.ly/2SZPmfQ

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 5G AND 5GHZ WI-FI? – 5G and 5 GHz Wi-Fi are both used for wireless connectivity, but they don’t have anything else in common. Anyone referring to “5G Wi-Fi” actually means 5 GHz Wi-Fi, which is different from the 5G cellular standard.

Go to this How-To Geek article and learn the difference between these terms. http://bit.ly/35zYYAu

January 1, 2020

HOW TO BULK RENAME FILES IN LINUX WITH THUNAR’S BULK RENAME TOOL – One of the most powerful file managers in Linux, Thunar is simple to use and provides all the essential tools a user needs to manage their files. Among them is a quite powerful renaming tool. Thunar Bulk Rename specializes, as its name suggests, in renaming groups of files and allows doing it in different ways. You can replace parts of a filenames and add numbers or dates. In other words, it’s one of the best aids for those who work most of every day with large sets of files and often need to modify their names. Learn how to master this tool at maketecheasier: http://bit.ly/2qYdrrG

HOW TO EASILY OPEN MULTIPLE FILES WITH SPACEFM IN LINUX – If you’re using a customizable file manager like SpaceFM, you can add a menu to its toolbar that allows you to quickly open multiple files with the application you want in a single click. You can follow the steps in this article from maketecheasier: http://bit.ly/2Y0rYPG

HOW TO AUTOMATE REPETITIVE TYPING (TEXT EXPANSION) WITH AUTOKEY ON LINUX – Text expansion (or substitution) helps you save time by transforming abbreviations into a long string of text. Use it to boost your productivity by quickly inserting a phrase that you need to type frequently, your address, code and so on, in any application. This article from Linux Uprising explains how automate repetitive typing using AutoKey, a desktop automation utility for Linux / X11: http://bit.ly/2Y2cASZ

TIMEKPR-NEXT IS A LINUX PARENTAL CONTROL PROGRAM FOR LIMITING COMPUTER USAGE – Timekpr-nExT is graphical parental control tool for Linux, useful if you want to limit child activity on a computer. The application, which uses Python / GTK3, works with multiple desktop environments, including GNOME, Xfce, Cinnamon, KDE Plasma, Unity, Deepin and Budgie, under both X11 and Wayland. The application can limit computer usage for some user accounts by setting predefined access rules. Find out how to set this up with this article from Linux Uprising: http://bit.ly/2DuzPvy

CALIBRE E-BOOK MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE RELEASES VERSION 4.5 – Calibre is a decade old excellent piece of software and must have app for e-book readers. This free and open-source app is loaded with features and it makes the app ideal for casual and expert users. You can nearly do anything related to e-book using this software. The review is found on the DebugPoint website: http://bit.ly/2L9SLUN

DESKTOP LINUX 101: HOW TO EASILY BACKUP AND RESTORE YOUR IMPORTANT DATA – You don’t have to be an avid distro hopper to appreciate the need for a simple and reliable “set it and forget it” backup solution. Desktop Linux provides an array of options on this front, but I’ve found a little utility called Deja Dup to be the easiest by far. So here’s a step-by-step text and video guide, found in Forbes, detailing how to easily backup and restore your important data and documents. http://bit.ly/2L8QGIE

December 1, 2019

HOW TO USE A DIFFERENT GTK 3 THEME FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS – This article, from Linux Uprising, explains how to apply a different GTK 3 theme to specific applications (a theme other than the global/desktop GTK theme). Read how to, here: http://bit.ly/2N1cYgO

HERE’S WHY BLAZING FAST LINUX OS PEPPERMINT 10 JUST BLEW ME AWAY – Until this week, Peppermint OS wasn’t even on my radar. Find out what made the author become a Peppermint OS liker. Here’s the article from Forbes: http://bit.ly/36kAixr

FREE PASSWORD MANAGER KEEPASSXC 2.5.0 ADDS PAPER BACKUP, DATABASE STATISTICS, RE-ENABLES WAYLAND SUPPORT – KeePassXC 2.5.0 was released recently with important improvements, like an option to export a database to an HTML file (for paper backup), database statistics, re-enabled Wayland support, and more. Continue on to read about all the changes and improvements in this Linux Uprising article: http://bit.ly/2NtKLhr

2 CRUCIAL THINGS DESKTOP LINUX MUST DO TO FIND A LARGER AUDIENCE – There are several reasons Linux hasn’t caught fire on the desktop like it has elsewhere. I absolutely share Linus Torvalds’ belief that a contributing factor is fragmentation. That problem may persist eternally, but there is so much more we can do to increase awareness and audience for desktop Linux. Here’s Jason Evangelho’s take on the issue in this Forbes article: http://bit.ly/2psL2JG

YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY, LINUX-BABY – When Linux first emerged from its cocoon in a frenzied Usenet thread, it is doubtful that almost anyone imagined the project would ascend to global prominence. Here’s a look at how far Linux has come over its 28-plus years — and at the tech titans that helped it get there. Get the scoop from LinuxInsider: http://bit.ly/2RbWapX

November 4, 2019

HOW TO CHANGE ACCOUNT PASSWORDS ON LINUX – Passwords have been a keystone of account security for 60 years, predating Unix by nearly a decade. Learn how to use either the command line or the GNOME desktop environment to manage your passwords in Linux. Read tis How-To Geek article: http://bit.ly/2XyVuMf

HOW TO CREATE A SCREENCAST ON LINUX – Want to make a screencast on Linux but feeling overwhelmed by the choice of tools and programs? How-To Geek describes three ways to create a screencast. The quick and easy way, the hard-core and granular way, and the way we think is the best all-rounder. http://bit.ly/343F9lj

HOW TO CREATE DESKTOP SHORTCUTS ON UBUNTU – Desktop icons should be simple, but they’re not on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS and newer releases like Ubuntu 19.10. Follow these easy steps to get desktop shortcuts for your favorite applications, just like on other operating systems and other Linux desktops. Read this How-To Geek article to learn how to create the shortcuts: http://bit.ly/2OyPYp4

HOW TO USE THE PS COMMAND TO MONITOR LINUX PROCESSES – Get a snapshot of the processes running in your Linux computer with the ps command. Locate processes by name, user, or even terminal with as much or as little detail as you need. How-To Geek shows you how. http://bit.ly/2XrjiBQ

DEBIAN VS. UBUNTU: THE SIMILARITIES, DIFFERENCES AND WHICH ONE YOU SHOULD USE – Ubuntu received a lot of love in its earlier releases. It made many seemingly complicated operations, easier for beginners just coming into the world of Linux-based distributions. Since Ubuntu is created from Debian, the two are very similar at the core. However, with the changes Canonical made to Debian to create Ubuntu, there are also a lot of differences, some of them subtle. Read the article to see which might be the right one for you. http://bit.ly/30sTipW

HOW TO EDIT PDF METADATA TAGS IN LINUX USING A GUI OR COMMAND LINE – This article from Linux Uprising explains how to edit PDF metadata tags on Linux, using either a GUI or from the command line. Read about it here: http://bit.ly/30Z99ww

NEON: A WANNABE LINUX DISTRO FOR KDE LOVERS – KDE Neon is a bit of an oddball Linux thing. Linuxland has an impressive collection of oddball things. Neon looks and feels much like a Linux distribution, but its developers assert quite openly on their website that Neon is not a real Linux distro. It just installs and functions like one — sort of. Find out how this is possible in the article from Linux Insider: http://bit.ly/316AXPY

HOW TO VERIFY ISO IMAGES IN LINUX – You just downloaded an ISO image of your favorite Linux distribution from the official site or a third party site, now what? Create bootable medium and start installing the OS? No, wait. Before start using it, It is highly recommended to verify that the downloaded ISO in your local system is the exact copy of the ISO present in the download mirrors. It is important to check the authenticity and integrity of your Linux ISO images. If you don’t know how to verify ISO images in Linux, this brief guide from OSTechNix will help. Read on: http://bit.ly/314Rx2C

HOW TO ADD A SIMPLE APP LAUNCHER PANEL ON LXDE – LXDE allows you to easily add extra panels to the desktop that are not that different in action than your typical launcher. They, too, can offer quick access to all of your favorite programs as well as some useful widgets. The process is simple, fast, and consumes far fewer resources than if you used a specialized application for that purpose. Read on to find out in this MakeTechEasier article: http://bit.ly/2PAl95s

SOLUS BRIGHTENS COMPUTING ACROSS THE LINUX USER SPECTRUM – The Solus Project is alive and well and continues to offer a fresh approach to uncomplicating the computer desktop. That says a lot, given the sometimes sordid developmental path of the almost 5-year-old Linux distribution. Solus 4.0 Linux “Fortitude” was updated earlier this month. The Solus team provided improvements to each of the distribution’s supported desktop environments — Budgie, GNOME and MATE. Read about the improvements in the Budgie desktop from this article posted in LinuxInsider: http://bit.ly/34jdqgg

August 5, 2019

HOW TO STOP INSTALLING UPDATES AUTOMATICALLY ON UBUNTU OR DEBIAN (UNATTENDED UPGRADES) – Debian and Ubuntu based Linux distributions can automatically install the latest security (and others) updates with the use of a package named “unattended-upgrades”. While it’s a nice feature to have, quite a few users complain about it and the Microsoft Windows-like behavior of installing updates with no input from the user. Those wanting to get rid of this behavior of automatically installing updates on Ubuntu or Debian 9+ with Gnome, have 2 option. This Linux Uprising article explains how: http://bit.ly/30vjBvs

HOW TO EDIT PDF METADATA TAGS IN LINUX USING A GUI OR COMMAND LINE – This article from Linux Uprising explains how to edit PDF metadata tags on Linux, using either a GUI or from the command line. Read about it here: http://bit.ly/30Z99ww

IS THIS THE END OF FLOPPY DISK IN LINUX? – In a recent commit to the Linux Kernel, Linus Torvalds marked the floppy disk drivers as orphaned. Could this be the beginning of the end of floppy disks in Linux? The article from It’s FOSS explains what he means: http://bit.ly/314WNTL

HOW TO VERIFY ISO IMAGES IN LINUX – You just downloaded an ISO image of your favorite Linux distribution from the official site or a third party site, now what? Create bootable medium and start installing the OS? No, wait. Before start using it, It is highly recommended to verify that the downloaded ISO in your local system is the exact copy of the ISO present in the download mirrors. It is important to check the authenticity and integrity of your Linux ISO images. If you don’t know how to verify ISO images in Linux, this brief guide from OSTechNix will help. Read on: http://bit.ly/314Rx2C

GNOME SHELL DASH TO PANEL V20 BRINGS MAJOR WINDOW PREVIEWS IMPROVEMENTS – Dash to Panel, an icon taskbar for Gnome Shell, was updated to version 20, bringing a window preview overhaul and other improvements. The Gnome Shell Dash to Panel (not to be confused with Dash to Dock, from which the Ubuntu Dock is forked) extension combines the Dash with the top Gnome panel. Find out from Linux Uprising how this will improve your Gnome desktop experience: http://bit.ly/314uIw0

WHY I (Dave McKay, How-To Geek) SWITCHED FROM UBUNTU TO MANJARO LINUX – For more than a decade, Ubuntu was his Linux distribution of choice. But, for the first time in a long while, He distro-hopped and now runs Manjaro and couldn’t be happier. It’s just that good!

He still rates Ubuntu very highly and has great respect for Canonical. Over in the corporate world, no one comes close to the success Red Hat has had with promoting Linux as a serious enterprise infrastructure tool. You could make the same argument for Canonical, and its success with making Linux accessible for newcomers to the Linux desktop.

A lot of people who use Linux for the first time stick a toe in the water with Ubuntu. Once they’ve found their feet and get a bit of experience, some people move on to other distributions. Read more at http://bit.ly/2GKLEQd

WINDOWS 10 WILL LET YOU LOAD A CUSTOM LINUX KERNEL – Microsoft is adding a Linux kernel to Windows 10 to power the Windows Subsystem for Linux. But, guess what: You don’t have to use Microsoft’s Linux kernel. You can build your own custom Linux kernel for Windows to use.

This feature is part of the new version of WSL in Insider preview build 18945. This is a 20H1 build, which means it will likely be released in April 2020—it’s unclear if this feature will make it to 19H2, expected for release in October 2019.

Microsoft had already added the Linux kernel, but now WSL 2 looks even more powerful than we originally thought. Now, you can do whatever you want with the Linux kernel, including adding kernel modules. You then specify the path to your kernel file in a .wslconfig file on your system and Windows will automatically load it whenever you launch a Linux system. You don’t have to load a custom kernel—if you don’t, Windows will just use the built-in one. Read more of this How-To Geek article http://bit.ly/2T3Kowq

July 18, 2019

FEDORA VS. UBUNTU: LINUX DISTROS COMPARED – Fedora and Ubuntu are two of the most popular and well-supported Linux-based desktop operating systems. Both have been around for well over a decade and come from separate corners of the world, but the differences between them are rather nuanced.

So between Fedora vs Ubuntu, which is right for you? Find out by reading this MakeUseOf article: http://bit.ly/2JCTAEW

WHY WINDOWS SHIPPING THE LINUX KERNEL CHANGES EVERYTHING – Microsoft is changing. Once a closed, monolithic organization with open hostility towards open sourced software, they now appear to be embracing it.

Along with some recent changes in attitude, including open sourcing Visual Studio Code, Windows are starting to embrace Linux. The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) was an integrated virtual version of Linux within Windows.

A new version of WSL is on the way, and for some people, it’s going to change everything! Read more of this Make Use Of article: http://bit.ly/2JEqTaO

WHERE TO PLACE YOUR ROUTER FOR THE BEST WI-FI SPEEDS – If your home Wi-Fi seems slow in some rooms, your router might not be in the best location. Wi-Fi doesn’t travel far—especially through metal and concrete. So, it’s important to determine the best place for your router.

This How-To-Geek article gives solid advice on Router Placement. http://bit.ly/2Sm3q0K

July 14, 2019

HOW TO BACK UP YOUR LINUX SYSTEM – Don’t risk data loss. Back up your valuable data from the Linux command line. How-To-Geek’s article uses the rsync command for this, and HTG even found some nice optional graphical interfaces for it.

There are many ways to accomplish making a backup copy of your files. HTG wanted to show us a robust, flexible, and reliable way to protect our data. They chose rsync because of its well-respected algorithms that calculate the differences between files in the source directory and the target directory. Only the differences between two versions of a file are transferred, not the whole file if that can be avoided.

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