Linux Fundamentals

Linux is over 30 years old.

I entered Linux 23 years ago, having discarded Microsoft Windows for good, at the age 50 years.

Why pay for a bad commercial product?

Linux has four FREE products for productivity.

1. Firefox Free for web browsing.

2. LibreOffice 7 for office work.
I used AbiWord for all my books (40 in number) and changed to LibreOffice for the last 8 books.

3. GIMP for photo editing.
Similar to photoshop and better.

4. VML for videos and films.

5. Audacity and Alsa mixer for audio.

6. Blender for editing audio and video files.

7. Scribus for desktop publishing.
AsciiDoc (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 has nothing to offer.

No one is too old to learn Old Tricks!

Russian Linux Star Linux is superb.
It is in my very old laptop.
It erased Microsoft OEM BIOS script in a flash.
UEFI of Microsoft prevents dual booting with Linux.

Endless OS also erases Microsoft BIOS script but it takes over the hard disk and no dual or multi booting is allowed.

Endless has limitless collection of utilities, including a set of free Google Applications.

ALT Linux of Russia has MATE as a desktop and its installation is bit cumbersome and kernel is old.

My best discovery is Sparky Linux GameOver.

1. Linux GNU
Free Software Initiative in 1985.
Richards Stallman.

He was the Sath GURU!

2. Linux

Linus Tovarlds in 1992, Kernel Man!

The kernel that ports to different hardware.

3. System-D and System-V

Are boot managers.

System V has almost become obsolete.

4. X-11 Windows
Yggdrasil was the first Live CD.
X-11 gave the graphic interface.

5. Gnome was the First Desktop that incorporated software for users.

MATE

KDE

XFce

Enlightenment in Bodhi Linux as an example.

6. Distributions

Redhat and Fedora in 1995 and second commercial distribution.
I started with Redhat 8.

It used RPM package management tool.

Suse first commercial distribution in 1994

Debian

Currently Kernel 6.1 and Gnome 43.
Gnome 44 is coming.

First impression of Debian 12 is, it is smooth and fast.

Debian is the mother of all current distributions including Ubuntu and NOT a commercial distribution and the foundation for Free Software now with over 60,000 packages in its repository.

Debra and Ian started it.
Ian left us very young in 2015 (42) after an altercation with the Police.

He was married (1993) to Debra Lynn.
Divorced in 2008 with three kids and very little is known about Lynn.

She appeared to be an author.

By the way, I use Debian as my base.

Its complete install has almost all the Desktops but one can choose individual isos of different Desktops in  Live CD/DVD format for live sessions or for install.

Debian wad established in 1993.

He made Linux implementation global.

It is an embodiment of Linux Community for the Community.

Everything from documentation to implementation is community based and resist proprietary software by default.

Debian 12 is about to be released.
It is at FREEZE stage.

Ubuntu is the most popular and made Linux presence felt worldwide.

Gentoo

Slackware is the oldest.

Emma Bantus is very popular in Africa.

Pop Os on proprietary machines.

Tuxedo on proprietary machines from Germany

MX Linux

Arch and Endeavour

Zorin

Endless OS

Vanilla

Mint

Manjaro

Kali Linux for Penetrations Testing and hacking

6. Small but powerful!

Puppy Linux is my favorite!

4M Linux is sleek.

7. WINE
Wine is not an emulator.

It made Windows API implementation in Linux easy.

Wine implements Windows software on Linux background and brought games to Linux through Proton.

Linux was devoid of games and was catering mainly for servers including NASA.

8. Valve made Linux game console global.

It is called Steam (version 3) Drive and Deck.

It is commercial and so far we haven't got a striped down version for the Linux community.

HOLOOS is trying hard I hope it will be soon available from www.distriwatch.com.

9. Running  Linux on VM ware or Virtual Machine is a waste of time.

It does not provide the first hand experience and feel of a Live CD.
Go to www.distrowatch.com download a free iso.

There are over 300 isos in Linux Tracker.

10. Linux has its  own file system.

I use Ext4 and I do not like Btrs at all.
Linux does not run on FAT or NTFS partitions.

Install it along with other operating systems having partitioned it during installation.

Ubuntu does a good job.

I use Gparted in a USB stick for partitioning disks.

Gparted live CD another option for partitioning.

Partition Magic of Windows is proprietary now.

I have 20 odd Live Linux distributions in USB sticks including Vanilla Linux.

Dual booting has become easy now that many distributions have ways to overcome Microsoft's UEFI restrictions.

11. Final note.

I published a book at Amazon Books by the name "Linux Fundamentals; Core Features."
It is 155 pages only.
There is another book Publishing a Book Using Only Linux Utilities.

All utilities used for publishing the book were Free Software.

No proprietary tag attached.

I have published over 35 books on various other topics including Buddhism using only Linux utilities and  Linux PC running many distributions.

No Microsoft Windows at all on my PC.

Buddhist Philosophy runs in parallel with Linux Free Software.

The best Gift is "Gift of Dhamma".

Learning Linux Fundamentals is a True (Self) Gift.

Linux will come handy (long after my demise).

I leave royalties to my family members.

12. I am waiting for an affordable Linux Cellphone.

Beating Google,'s Androids is a Big Ask.

Mind you Google Base is Linux!

I hope affordable cellphone will come before my demise.

Apple is variant of Unix but very expensive!

Pine Linux or Lineage products are too expensive and are more expensive than Steam Deck.