Linux Programming Languages

 Linux Programming Languages

1. Vi was my beginning but later went to Vim.

 

2. PHP MyAdmin was my Samba and Server friend but I do not want to touch it in my old age.         In any case, I do not have a Network in Australia.

 

3. Perl was my attraction

Being a Writer this was an attraction.

I quickly settled down on little Abiword which was only28MB when it started.

 

4. Lyx

No more Latex now but Lyx is a derivative.

 

5. Abiword

It is my favourite after Bluefish.

Is a word processor with a command line functionality.

It is now over 300MB.

It is my workhorse.

It has its own development package but very few have time for it.

Debian 12.10- - - dropped it.

It came back to Debian in 12.9--.

I would stick with it.

 

6. C

Linux is written in C and this where I started coding.

 

7. C++

I did not waste time on C++

 

9. Python

Python was the one which attracted my interest in Linux.

“Joy of Linux” was the first book I purchased.

The book had a long account on Python.

It is versatile but it is so long like an anaconda,    I gave up.

 

10. Java I really liked when it had Java phones which one could manipulate. One cannot find a Java phone now.

 

11. JavaScript I hate because it is cross platform.

 

12. Bash/Shell is unique.

I still read Linux Bible when I decide to look at a shell script for fun.

 

13.  Perl was my attraction until I settled down in Abiword.

 

14. Go of Google.

I collected its package in Ubuntu which was 1.2GB  but when it became 2.4GB, I gave it up. It has gone above that level of 2.4GB, at which level,     I stopped counting.

Go is Linux based and buggy and bulky.

 

15. Ruby

Ruby on rails was Web Development Language which I had a flash when I first developed my first Private Web Page with WordProcess.com (not .og organization which has gone commercial now) long before Google was born. I still have it and I have forgotten my password for Yahoo Mail to open it.

I got my Yahoo Mail, back.

I am going to activate it when I finish with my 5 books, that includes this book.

It is in slow progress.

Linux Essentials reached 450 pages.

It has gone above 600 pages.

I wanted to keep it as it is.

I do not want to delete any component.

It is active but one needs to go on searching for my original web site’s name.

 

16. Rust is new.

I have no knowledge except Ubuntu trying to Reinvent Linux. It is going to be a either flash in the pan or making money on the go. It was not the intention of Ubuntu Master Guru.

 

17. Swift

It is macOS which I have no interest.

 

18.  Haskell and compiz compositor is supposed to be Research Work with very little Fat in its Core.

It works on a Black Terminal.

Until it comes out with a simple graphic front,          I won’t try it.

 

19. R is the only statistical package for Linux.

It comes as Octave and is very large package.

I think it was developed in New Zealand.

Not when I was roaming in South Island.

 

20. PHP

Server side scripting language which has become plump and may become a pest and may take over your system.

21. Pascal

Structured procedural language of the 1970. It was named in honour of the17th century mathematician.

22. Fortran 1957

Formula Translation in mathematical expressions 

Optimised compiler that generated machine code.

Variables, loops and algebraic formula into CODE

23. Lisp 1958

Symbolic, recursive coding language with syntax and grammar 

24. COBOL 1959

Common Business Oriented Language 

25. Agol 1958-1960

Symbolic expressions block structured that paid the way for C and Pascal.

Simply MEPIS - My Entry into Linux

 Simply MEPIS - My Entry into Linux

Linux is over 34 years.

As of August/September 2025, Linux is 34 years old. Created by Linus Torvalds in 1991 as a personal hobby project, it was famously announced in a Usenet post on August 25, 1991, with the first version (0.01) released shortly after on September 17, 1991.

I probably entered Linux 25 years ago, a decade later, in 1999, having discarded Microsoft Windows for good, at the age 50.

Simply MEPIS 7 in 2003 was probably my proper entry into Linux Domain 4 years before PCLinux, judging by my blog entries.

Simply MEPIS (later known as MEPIS) began in 2002 when Warren Woodford established MEPIS LLC, with the first official release of the operating system launching on May 10, 2003.

Mandrake Linux 10.0 in 2004 would have been my other entry into Linux. I cannot remember which one exactly was the first. It is most likelyMEPIS due to its live CD version and easy graphic installation.            

I would not have bothered to install one on a dark terminal, especially, early in my Linux career.

Below is one of my blog entries at Google Blog spot.

What is written below was before the download of Mepis DVD.

Thanks to Guys and Girls in Mepis for sweeper (which I call a Mind Sweeper). Making me happy Mepis has introduced a package named Sweeper to clean up the system.

It is most welcome.

I had being waiting for a long time. I had been doing this cleaning manually until now even with PCLinux. This utility should be developed into Mind Sweeper for others to follow. I use PCLinux (now 2010-01) on daily basis and it does not give any problem because it has the nice habit of deleting unnecessary files in tmp on a regular basis (at boot up) and there is no clutter or clogging due to large log files. Large log files that are essential for a server and should not be used obsessively on a desktop. I of course on a regular basis look at the available memory after three or four downloads and having archived the images,              I delete the big files keeping the running distribution robust and up to date. Whereas, my wife and daughter use PCLinux-2009 on two different desktops on a regular basis.

The cardinal mistakes everybody makes is that, not running the box over 24 hours at least occasionally and to let the Cron jobs run. that do the clean up jobs on servers and desktops. I think a utility of this nature is essential for laptops. What the Linux developers should do is to send a message at random, while when the desktop is being used and asking the user whether it is safe to activate the cron jobs (name it the clean up jobs) without compromising the downloading and downloaded files still in the tmp.

Coming back to MEPIS, it is one of the best distributions in a single CD and has everything one needs and sometimes things that are missing in PCLinux.

Mepis is something one ought to have to get the fresh and Debian feel.

My objective was “Why pay for a bad commercial product?”

Linux had many free products for productivity.

 

1. Firefox for web browsing.

 

2. OpenOffice 3 for office work.

I use AbiWord for all my writings.

I changed to LibreOffice briefly which is also becoming bulky.

 

3. GIMP for photo editing.

As a Photoshop alternative.

 

4. VLC for videos and films.

 

5. Audacity and Alsa mixer for audio.

 

6. Blender for editing audio and video files.

 

7. Scribus for desktop publishing.

Ascii Doc which I have not used, is a similar application.

 

8. Besides there are lot of command line applications.

LateX was the best but it seems nobody is supporting it.

Vim

Emacs

Kile

TexWorks

TexShops

Lyx

Windows base had very little to offer.

No one is too old to learn Old Tricks.

Safety Hazards of Batteries-They can Kill YOU by Fire

 Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Your Batteries can kill YOU-Safety Hazards of Batteries

Your Batteries can kill YOU!

I am a good candidate dying of Fire.

Reason I have so many gadgets in my room plugged in. 

I have had several accidents.

I lost one of my very expensive cameras due to fire couple of years ago.

There were several near misses.

Then I had 12 computers in a mini-network.

Two of them caught fire.

One my wife used one I use to download Linux.

Then one of my friends house caught fire and they had to live in pre-fabricated house few years ago.

Luckily they were fully insured.
I put my safety gear in full operation.

Dismantled all my network (old hardware) and bought two new computers with lot of fans for cooling.

One of the cooling fans busted and I could not replace it without changing the entire casing.

I do not use this computer for downloading NOW unless I am up all night.

I never use the computer during day time due to Global Warming and fire hazard.

I won't invest on air conditioning, it perpetuates more and more global warming.

My solutions.

I installed a multi media pack on my computer.
It has 8 USB ports for recharging all my gadgets (camera, cellphones, emergency battery charger, my USB multimedia player (mini), Tiny USB speaker radio) in one go.

It has all the slots for various cards from MicroSD to Media Cards for file and photo transfer to my computer.

While they are charging I would do my Internet search.

Only my headlamp (when electricity fails- thunderstorms etc) has to be plugged in straight.It got heated up today.
But I have decided to go for a battry powered headlamp.

But the best solution was to go "Digitally Zero" and say good bye to Internet riddled with scams!

Please read the reproduction below.


Reproduction
 
Safety Hazards of Batteries

Battery technology is at the heart of much of our technological revolution. One of the most prevalent rechargeable batteries in use today is the Lithium-ion battery. Cell phones, laptop computers, GPS systems, IPods, and even cars are now using Lithium-ion rechargeable battery technology. In fact, you probably have a Lithium-ion battery in your pocket or purse right now!Although Lithium-ion batteries are very common,
there are some inherent dangers when using ANY battery. Lithium cells are like any other technology –if they are abused and not used for their intended purposes, catastrophic results may occur,such as: first, second, and third degree burns, respiratory problems, fires, explosions, and even death.
Please handle the Lithium-ion batteries with care and respect.
User Safety Precautions. Short-circuiting. When the battery is not in use, you MUST disconnect the battery from the battery connector. When the battery is connected to the battery connector, do NOT leave it unattended. If the two wires with the alligator clips can touch, the battery will quickly heat up. Short-circuiting will damage the battery and generate heat that can cause burns.Do not leave the battery in the charger once it is fully charged. The battery charger will flash on and off with a red indicator light every 20 seconds when the battery is fully charged.
Disassembly: Never disassemble a battery, as the materials inside may be toxic and may damage skin and clothes. Throwing batteries into a fire or water: Disposing of a battery in fire can cause the battery to rupture. Also avoid placing batteries in water, as this may cause the battery to fail. Soldering: Never solder anything directly to a battery. This can destroy the safety features of the battery by damaging the safety vent inside the cap. Permanent connections to an energy cell may be made by spot welding solder tags to the terminals.
A soldered connection can subsequently be made to the tag.
Charging: Never charge with an unspecified charger or specified charger that has been modified. This can cause breakdown of the battery, swelling, or rupturing. Never attempt to charge a battery which has been physically damaged. Overcharging at high currents and reverse charging: Never reverse charge or overcharge with high currents (i.e. higher than rated). Doing so causes rapid gas
generation and increased gas pressure, thus causing batteries to swell or rupture.
Charging: Do not leave the battery in the charger once it is fully charged. Installation in equipment with airtight battery compartments: Always avoid designing airtight battery compartments. In some cases, gases, such as oxygen or hydrogen, may be given off. This creates the danger of the batteries bursting or rupturing in the presence of a source of ignition (sparks generated by a motor switch, etc.).
Use of batteries for other purposes: Do not use a battery in an appliance or purpose for which it was not intended. Differences in specifications can damage the battery or appliance.
Using old and new batteries together: Avoid using old and new batteries together. Also avoid mixing batteries using differing cell chemistries such as ordinary dry cell batteries, Ni-Cd, NiMH batteries or with another manufacturer's batteries. Differences in various characteristic value scan cause damage to the batteries or the product.Safety Procedures If the foil packaging on the battery does break, vent the room and leave immediately. If a fire starts, call the fire department immediately. The only extinguisher that will work on a Lithium-ion Battery fire is a Class D Fire Extinguisher or Dry Sand or Dry Table Salt.Disposal of Batteries Lithium ion batteries are found in many electronics like laptops, digital cameras, power tools and cordless phones. These batteries are very popular because they can be recharged and because of their ability to supply power for long periods of time. However, even lithium ion batteries reach a point where they can no longer hold a charge and need to be disposed of. When this time comes, it is important to know how to recycle the battery, and not simply put it in a trash can. Read the information found at the following link to determine your state’s recycling policy: There are many reasons to recycle these batteries rather than throw them away where they may end up in a regular landfill. One of which is because they enter the solid waste stream and can contaminate soil and water.Please check with your school on its policy of recycling of batteries.

Fighting China on the Technology Front is Futile

China is fast to adapt in technology front.

BeeLine Mini PC is an example.

Huawei Trade mark and company will soon overtake Intel based Lenova.

China had a Linux operation called Dream OS but it failed but Huawei in less than 2 years has weathered the storm. 

I am not going to adopt Chinese products since I do not use a laptop but my NUC for my work. ACER laptop I bought in 2009 is gathering dust.

Besides, I use Linux and have not used Windows for over 25 years without loss of productivity due to Linux Operating System, Debian.

BeeLink Factory in China and Thanks to Chinese Boys and Girls who manufacture Mini PCs

This one year old YouTube documentary from China.

These guys in BeeLink Factory manufacture from Mini PC to Microwave to PC cases to Tower Cases to Water Coolers to Power Supply to GameBoxes.

If not for these Chinese boys and girls we have to pay an enormous amount for a PC or Mini PC.

Thank YOU.

Now, I have bare bone NUC.

I am not a gamer but an average user of PC from mid 1980s. I use to buy second hand IBM computers discarded from America and make a samba Network of 15 computers but dismantled everything since my electricity went off the roof.

My NUC uses about 8 to 30 watts and I use Linux for my work.

I saw an portable unit called Photonicat2 for under 200 dollars.

 

It is a mini PC

It is WiFi Mobile Router. It has a SIM slot for this functionality.

It is a NO camera

8 Core Processor ARM

It has SD card slot for expandable storage.

It has its own battery than works 24 hours with one charge.

Well I am waiting for a model which has a cellphone with at least mini screen.

My advice is do not buy second hand stuff and try to upgrade. Buy the original stuff from China.