Thursday, October 29, 2015
There may be lot of missing items in this book.
I did not try to be comprehensive.
Then it becomes a Linux Bible.
I have avoided partitioning and hardware support deliberately.
Little is changed in partitioning skills except the partitioning type.
I tried to be bit narrative this time round instead of being analytical scientific.
Now it is on stable ground except where cutting edge changes are made to take the benefit of hardware and platform changes.
It is mature and robust now.
One has to make a choice depending on one’s needs.
I will summarize my subjective / objective selection for my use and the reader has to decide his own choices.
If you are using it as a hobby one need at least two computers (I had 10) or perhaps three one being a laptop/netbook.
One can be dedicated for testing.
Now I have gone down to only one computer, there will be less and less input from me in the immediate future even at web / Internet level.
If I do not put them in writing or digital form my time testing them would be a void. That is the very reason I am publishing this book for an entry level Linux user to browse before he//she start experimenting with Linux. Teething problems and pain is taken care of, for one who is without a proper Guru.
1. General Use
Peppermint for Light Weight
Debian for all six desktops
Puppy Linux
Knoppix
Uberstudent
Poseidon Linux
Dynabolic for Music
ArtistiX for Graphics
Debian for Programming
Picaros Diego
Steam OS with New 64 bit computer
If you analyze the above there glaring missing distribution.
I cut my teeth in Linux with Redhat 7 and 8 and Fedora is a Redhat derivative.
Hantana Linux is based on Fedora!
All the other distribution fall in between those above specifications. Any one can be used without a problem as long as there is no conflict with hardware compatibility.
If I am allowed only one choice I would go for Debian because it has vast repository.
I prefer light weight distributions since cloud computing is the way things are moving. I have minimal requirements and that is writing and for that also I find Abiword is just as robust as LibreOffice.
Its outstanding feature is its files are light weight and I can upload and download them quickly. There is another reason its format is dedicated to it so others, cannot steal or modify them from my cloud hosting base unless they have Abiword with them.
One thing that nobody can take away from you is if you master a skill using one utility or software that remains with you for a Life.
There is no limit to my exploration.
I feel free and not being subjected by exploitation.
That is a wonderful feeling.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
When One is troubled with Windows What one can do?
When One is troubled with Windows What one can do?
It is strange that when one is troubled with Windows he or she goes into shell and blame oneself and not the operating system.
It is the opposite when one is troubled with Linux.
If he / she is a one who comes from the windows background without batting an eyelid he / she blames the distribution as if the whole hell has descended on him / her.
It is often a minor glitch he or she has overlooked to configure or may be downloading a suitable alternative package or worse come file a bug report to which a ready solution is available within 6 weeks.
If that does not help one can swap the distribution and select one that suits and download it.
(I have two books already available, not digital yet selecting a distribution and also the utilities and packages, if this blog entry is not adequate enough).
One problem with this approach is if one is not using a torrent download (even this can be painful if there is one seeder who has gone into hibernation at night-simply switched off the computer) it can be time consuming. The download time can be awfully long and and painful (I have enough of stories often due to failure of the Telecoms but now, never or do not complain because I download several at a time and I know one will be finished by morning when I am in deep sleep and dreaming some bizarre episode of Cloud Computing like star wars of yesteryear).
But once one has a CD (ideally D.V.D with almost everything one needs in one pack) the live session is breezy and installation is cakewalk if not catwalk.
Only thing Linux guys forget is to keep it running 24 hours (cron jobs at midnight are vital to get rid of the junk files that collect is one switches off the computer regularly; leave seeds for others to access) at least once or twice a week.
If you are lazy use a the sweeper or do it manually which I prefer now because of the frequent downloads.
Now come to Window guys/girls.
Steps
1. Do not blame yourself.
2. It is often the operating system at fault.
3. It can be due to a corrupt file or large macro sitting on the file and spying on you.
4. The pet devise to blame is the latest virus and I bet you you will not have a solution this side of 6 months.
With so many holes in the operating system which Microsoft will never able plug and then they will promise you the new version is very beautiful (but very slow to run unless you doubled up your RAM) and one should change and upgrade and works better (of course till the next ultra new version is ready for upgrade).
You are in this vicious cycle (V.C) and never get out of it.
If a guy of my age descends on me with a problem, I do not try to convert the guy to Linux fearing one gets a heart attack.
I ask a few questions.
If it it a pirated copy.
If the answer is yes, thrash the pirated copy and get a copyrighted version.
This is I am openly campaigning for the guy to remain with Microsoft.
Microsoft should be happy with my efforts now but I do not charge anything for this advice.
The poor guy has to pay through his nose anyway.
Do not forget the virus guard and that also will cost you some quids.
Get somebody to format and install, I won't do that for you unless he or wishes to have a Linux distribution dual booted.
He has to spend a half a day with me with food and beverages ready and ample.
This is Christmas time anyway.
If the guy has not got the money, then the scenario changes.
I ask what are the things that he uses computer for, regularly.
Invariably, the answer is that he uses the email and nothing else to be in contact with the family and friends.
Then I give him a breezy Live CD and ask the guy to use it till he himself try to find a remedy for the malady or ultimately ditch Microsoft and ask me to install the new distribution in his computer.
The last course, of course works well for Linux and I of course have to have two visits instead of one.
That of course keeps our friendship lasting and viable.
Who says Microsoft is bad.
It makes "my sphere of activity" to enlarge and expand.