Microsoft Update (Ceylon), Misleading the Masses

Linux Etiquette
I missed a few points.


Besides, I am on "Holiday Mood" and basically very lazy to check spelling mistakes and the like.
Linux looks after your hardware for decades unlike Microsoft which burns RAM / DVD Drives and sometimes cause fire if stuck with a heavy file.

It has happened to me long time ago.

Linux call it “incremental file access”.


1. Linux Box is meant to be run 24/7 day schedule and some of house cleaning work is done at midnight or around that time, automatically.



2. One need to keep it on from 11 P.M to 1 A.M. to get best use of these utilities.



3. I do not use the computer on day time to save money on Electricity (the fans that cools the computer takes up lot of electricity).
So if you are not using it switch it off except at mid night.



4. I sleep during day time (it is a luxury for me who had been on call for 48-72 hour duty rosters) and switch on the computer after 9 P.M.

5. The added benefit is our service provider does not provide a fast service day time and looking at few emails cost lot of money BUT at night it is breezy.



6. I make sure at least one torrent file is downloading, if I am not particularly not browsing anything or doing something else (watching a film or writing a blog piece).

7. If I have a rare torrent file I leave it open at least for 3 days for others to access.

What one takes one should reciprocate.

That is an etiquette of Linux Guys/ Girls.



Do not be SELFISH.

Microsoft Update (Ceylon), Misleading the Masses

I do not want to go into detail why a Microsoft computer becomes painfully slow within three months.

It is the job of the user to choose an Operating System that suits him/her for his daily chores.

If one is not interested in Heavy Duty Work and want to play games, Yes You buy a new computer with a good graphic card and PAY Microsoft and install it without any utility and pay for every software you need including office package.

What Ceylonese do is to use pirated copies.

Of course there are lot of FREE Linux utilities including Wine (Wine is to use Microsoft packages in Linux, if one wants) for Microsoft addicts.

I believe what the Microsoft intends to do (lure) is to get the new users to use Scan Device and keep a hook on the user for eavesdropping of his activities including pirated copies.

Then they display warning signals every time you boot.

If You want to be really free what you ought to do is to use Linux.

Most of the Linux distributions have assortment of utilities prepacked with the DVD.

If an utility missing is all what you have to do is go to the software center and download it, which is breezy and automatic configuring of the computer without pressing the restart button.

Linux comes with over 44,000 utilities in Debian Software Domain alone, all free.

Only down side is there are few Heavy Duty Games.

For a Linux Fanatic or Microsoft converter, there is Linux Gamer called STEAM but one has to pay for the games.

Coming back to why a computer gets slow (never happens with Linux -one does not have to be a geek but new comers included-even if you use it continuously for 10 years), there are many reasons.

1. The primary reason is your choice of Microsoft.

Surely, Microsoft using the Scan Device-Software is accepting its own failure to give you a SOLID, Regimented Solution.

I won't say anything except, if you buy a poor product, be prepared for all the pitfalls, pit-stops and ultimate crash (racing terminology).

If you are a racing driver use Linux.

Mind you NASA use it in Spaceships and smart racing drivers use Linux in their cars.

For the last 15 years, I never had a hiccup, not a single file lost or corrupted.

I am a writer and only failure in my case is my memory.

I forget where, I had placed the file (or the name of the file).

2. Microsoft loads everything at boot time, if you do not intend to use a particular device why mount it.

Why use resources to run the DVD disk when you are only using your USB stick to mount a file?

Mount is a solid program word in Linux.

It mounts only what it needs.

3. File integrity.

In the case of Debian when it boots it reserves 90 seconds to check the file integrity.

That's all.

Microsoft takes ages to check file integrity and it never does it at boot time only afterward. 

4. Cash and history are taken care by Linux and only the oldest and not so frequently used pages are refreshed.

There is a utility to clean up.I never use it and forgets it name.

If one is a Linux fanatic one can write a script to to do these jobs at a particular time of the day or week.

In my case I do it (the cleaning) once a year. Read the note below.

Microsoft cannot do it.

Somebody else has to do it.

5. The biggest culprit that slows down your computer is not your operating system but your own browser with cookies and its redendant history and bookmraks.

Firefox/ Chrome are culprits.

Solution use a lighter browser or Opera.

I use several browsers in different workplaces and overcome this problem BUT one has to have at least 1 GiB RAM in a 32 bit computer.

Switch off the browser if you are not using it.

6. The sixth is your email provider.

Yahoo is the culprit. Yahoo is trying to load its utilities (for the last one year and making a hash of it) like Microsoft to make it superficially lively BUT failing miserably.

Microsoft and Yahoo are on the same boat trying to lift up their flagging images.

I use try to use minimal features but there is no way I can do it myself.

Instead I use Gmail for family work and AOL for critical writing work.

 I call Yahoo the JUNK mail, affectionately, though.

I cannot do without it now (addiction).

Yahoo Web site is pretty good but again very slow to browse individual items.

If your computer is slow there are three reasons.

1. Number one you are using Microsoft not Linux.

2. Your Browser is Fatty.

3. Your email is too Fatty.

Linux Update

This is the time Linux Guys/Girls go on Christmas holidays after posting their latest version of Linux distribution.

This is also the time, I update my Linux distribution to the latest.

Then I have to download all the packages I want.

It is a bit of a haste only because it takes time.

I have many distributions including Debian but my work horse is Peppermint (Debian and Ubuntu based but Light Weight and independent).

May be Peppermint 5 (it does not state).

But Debian were 8 and 8.1.

Debian did not have a rolling distro but recently according to Linux Magazine they are addressing this issue (LTS Version which Ubuntu does a pretty good work).

I have Ubuntu but I rarely use it after the Unity Version.

I am becoming lazy and I did not want to go through the rigid rigmarole of installing a new version.

What I did was to go to Software Installation and click update all packages.

It took little over half an hour and updated all the packages including the Grub File.

I was worried, if something goes wrong I had to re-do all the work.

It removed all the redundant stuff and installed the new packages.

For the first time I got thesaurus installed (I tried before and failed) in Libre Office.

Even Gimp was updated.

Only downside was that the Firefox / Chrome became bulky and slow.

I am soon going for Ducky Duck alternative browser soon.

If you have old Peppermint update option is sleek and I hope other Linux distribution copy this strategy for desktop users.

It is altogether different strategy for commercial distributions.

They need LTS version with support.

According to Linux Magazine, Debian has finally decided to offer this option for commercial users.

Thanks guys and girls of Linux (sorry for the Microsoft users), You are way ahead of Microsoft in both Desktop and Commercial Versions.

The Linux Magazine distribution with its links with Linux Voice (good strategy,joining hands) has dropped Maddock's feature article.

I miss it very much.