I decided that including heavy technical articles on this blog would distract from it's primary aim. Although I see technology as essential to activism I understand that many people who read these posts are not so technically oriented or for that matter want to receive tech articles through the list serve that are not expressly activist related. So there is a new blog up called Free as in Freedom that will host all open source and computer related articles from now on. It can be found at opensfreedom.blogspot.com. There will no longer be technical articles written to this blog.
Thank you
Showing posts with label Computers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Computers. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Monday, August 04, 2008
The Linux Trap
So I couldn't sleep last night thanks to this bizarre work schedule they've got me on lately. Anyways I decided that since I was awake and had nothing to do I was going to work on my kernel. I've been merrily hacking away at some source and decided now was the time to compile and give it a test run. I worked on that for something like six hours straight. This morning I come across this comic from Xkcd. It's like he knew.....
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Open Source Goodness: Reasons to Use Linux
So I know it's been a while since I posted something in regards to computers and what not. This will be my post for the week regarding the open source issues of activism. Also stay tuned because a regularly updated comic for the web site is on the way! Construction is still on going in terms of making this it's own hosted website. Unfortunately for all the Linux networking goodness that is my tech background. I have ZERO web construction experience and can't even format proper html. So if you have any web coding experience and would like to help out please let me know. Well here's your open source post for the week, enjoy.
This week I'm going to talk a little bit about some reasons why you should use Gnu/Linux instead of other operating systems like one that comes from Redmond. Some of the reasons are certainly are the personal side, but most are technical reasons that should be hard to ignore.
1. Linux is free. Really free. You not only don't have to pay for the software or the updates, but you can modify and use the software however you like. While that may be out of reach of anyone without solid coding experience it's still nice to know. It also means that many people already have. As a result there is a distribution for every taste and the vast majority of them don't cost a dime.
2. Linux is stable. Way more stable then other operating systems that make you pay. Gnu (which stands for Gnu is not Unix) is modeled after the Unix platform which has long been considered the most stable, secure, and powerful platform availible. Just like Linux, Unix comes in many flavors but they are generally propitiatory, closed source, expensive, and designed to work only with certain hardware. One notable exception is FreeBSD, a version of BSD that is open source and free to download. It's use is not for the faint of heart, however, and it generally requires far more system knowledge to use then modern versions of Linux do. (Ever wonder why MacOS is generally more stable then Windows? MacOS is a prime example of pay to use software based on BSD)
3. Linux is Secure. Of course there are still viruses and there are still security flaws and bugs. Just not like certain other operating systems that can hardly keep up with hackers. Oh yes, they don't keep up. Part of the reason why Linux is more secure is because less people use it making it a less valuable target. Of course this logic fades when you consider that Linux is the OS of choice for many networks, scientific computers, super computers, and development platforms. The other important factor is that unlike in a closed source project, bugs are discovered and fixed by the community (with an oversight process of course), this causes updates to be released far faster as well as more issues being discovered within a shorter time frame. You should still run anti-virus software and take other security precautions.
4. Linux is fun. Yeah it really is. The days of terminal only distros has long come to an end. Check out Compiz sometime and see how much fun it is to play with. Better yet try "The Mana World", "Super Tux", "Frozen Bubble", or "Metal Blob Solid" and see just how much fun Linux can be. These of course are just a handful of games available for Linux. There are hundreds if not thousands more, many of which are just as capable as similar games would be for Windows or MacOS. Of course any Windows based game you just can't do without can generally be run with Wine (Wine is not an emulator) which simulates the Windows APIs, registry, etc. and with some minor tweaking will allow you to run most popular games within Linux.
5. There's a Penguin. His name is Tux. He's awesome. He has games based on him (SuperTux, SuperTux Racing, etc.) and he's just darn cute.
6. With freedom of information comes freedom of society. Using open source software and operating systems contributes to a society that survives without restrictive patents, and copyrights that take information out of the hands of the masses. Information really is power and Linux helps us to take it back.
7. If you want to try Linux and you're concerned about the install I'll help you. That's right. If you're getting on this on the listserve and you live nearby drop me a line and I'll install and configure Linux for you free of charge. Pretty good considering my normal tech support fees hover around sixty dollars and hour, but in the name of true freedom I'll do it for free. Now you really don't have an excuse not to try it.
So there you have it. Seven good reasons to use the ultimate open source operating system. Join the Open Source Revolution.
This week I'm going to talk a little bit about some reasons why you should use Gnu/Linux instead of other operating systems like one that comes from Redmond. Some of the reasons are certainly are the personal side, but most are technical reasons that should be hard to ignore.
1. Linux is free. Really free. You not only don't have to pay for the software or the updates, but you can modify and use the software however you like. While that may be out of reach of anyone without solid coding experience it's still nice to know. It also means that many people already have. As a result there is a distribution for every taste and the vast majority of them don't cost a dime.
2. Linux is stable. Way more stable then other operating systems that make you pay. Gnu (which stands for Gnu is not Unix) is modeled after the Unix platform which has long been considered the most stable, secure, and powerful platform availible. Just like Linux, Unix comes in many flavors but they are generally propitiatory, closed source, expensive, and designed to work only with certain hardware. One notable exception is FreeBSD, a version of BSD that is open source and free to download. It's use is not for the faint of heart, however, and it generally requires far more system knowledge to use then modern versions of Linux do. (Ever wonder why MacOS is generally more stable then Windows? MacOS is a prime example of pay to use software based on BSD)
3. Linux is Secure. Of course there are still viruses and there are still security flaws and bugs. Just not like certain other operating systems that can hardly keep up with hackers. Oh yes, they don't keep up. Part of the reason why Linux is more secure is because less people use it making it a less valuable target. Of course this logic fades when you consider that Linux is the OS of choice for many networks, scientific computers, super computers, and development platforms. The other important factor is that unlike in a closed source project, bugs are discovered and fixed by the community (with an oversight process of course), this causes updates to be released far faster as well as more issues being discovered within a shorter time frame. You should still run anti-virus software and take other security precautions.
4. Linux is fun. Yeah it really is. The days of terminal only distros has long come to an end. Check out Compiz sometime and see how much fun it is to play with. Better yet try "The Mana World", "Super Tux", "Frozen Bubble", or "Metal Blob Solid" and see just how much fun Linux can be. These of course are just a handful of games available for Linux. There are hundreds if not thousands more, many of which are just as capable as similar games would be for Windows or MacOS. Of course any Windows based game you just can't do without can generally be run with Wine (Wine is not an emulator) which simulates the Windows APIs, registry, etc. and with some minor tweaking will allow you to run most popular games within Linux.
5. There's a Penguin. His name is Tux. He's awesome. He has games based on him (SuperTux, SuperTux Racing, etc.) and he's just darn cute.
6. With freedom of information comes freedom of society. Using open source software and operating systems contributes to a society that survives without restrictive patents, and copyrights that take information out of the hands of the masses. Information really is power and Linux helps us to take it back.
7. If you want to try Linux and you're concerned about the install I'll help you. That's right. If you're getting on this on the listserve and you live nearby drop me a line and I'll install and configure Linux for you free of charge. Pretty good considering my normal tech support fees hover around sixty dollars and hour, but in the name of true freedom I'll do it for free. Now you really don't have an excuse not to try it.
So there you have it. Seven good reasons to use the ultimate open source operating system. Join the Open Source Revolution.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The Four Freedoms
Have some time and want to read an awesome book by one of the founders of the free software movement? You can freely download and distribute the book so long as the copyright information and distributions permission information is retained in the file/book. It's an amazing read and in a few short days I'll be sure to publish a review here.
Get the Book Here!
Get the Book Here!
New Blog Title, Same Blog Taste
To more accurately depict this blogs intentions and viewpoints it has been renamed "Open Source Revolution." This decision was made due to the dual approach of the author to activism. The first being your good old fashioned see you in the streets lets block traffic and raise hell approach. The second being through the use of the computer and the internet. I have said time and time again that I see open source software as net neutrality as essential to truly free speech and true freedom of information. To reflect my passion for all things open source the title has been changed. There is a minor chance that the title infringes on copyrighted material even though I searched around and found nothing to suggest that it would. If this turns out to be the case then the title will promptly be changed back.
Also don't forget to vote in this months polls!
Also don't forget to vote in this months polls!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Comic about IVAW
Swedish comic little gamers runs a strip about IVAW at the America's Army booth. Comic is copyrighted property of the authors and since I didn't ask I hope they don't get mad at me if they find out I posted it here. You can see there comic at www.little-gamers.com.
There guys happy? Shameless promotion of your comic.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Spotlight on Ubuntu Hardy Heron: Part 1
Last week we talked about some of the Linux distros that are best for new users. My favorite of those is Ubuntu.
Ubuntu (www.ubuntu.com) has a lot of features that make it an amazing all around desktop distribution. The current release Hardy Heron is an LTS (Long term support) release which means that for the desktop version you can count on support for 3 years and 5 years for the server edition (More on the server edition some other time). This ensures a stable operating system for years to come. Linux unlike Windows(r) updates fairly often. My desktop at home auto checks for updates every 24 hours and actually installs new updates (although only with my permission of course) about once every two or three days. Most of these security patches or bug fixes. Because Linux is open source you don't have to wait for some over paid tech guy sitting in a lab in Redmond to notice and fix problems. The community that supports the distribution helps take care of those things and as a result problems are fixed in days or weeks instead of months or years. Well enough about how awesome this system is, let's do something with it already.
1. Installation
You have three options availible for running Ubuntu on your desktop; Live, Install from Windows and Install from Boot Each has there own pros and cons, and you should choose the install that works best for you.
A. Live
Using Ubuntu as a Live CD is about as easy as it gets. I STRONGLY recommend that if you have no prior Linux experience or very little that you run the OS live first to see if you like it and if your going to have hardware problems (Some ATI graphics cards don't work well with Linux due to a lack of driver support from AMD, the company that makes them). To run Ubuntu as a live cd the first thing you have to do is download the ISO from Ubuntu's website (www.ubuntu.com) and burn it to a CD or purchase or otherwise acquire an Ubuntu cd. There is no special ISO for this. All Hardy Heron desktop CD and DVD images can be used live. (Side note: If your not familiar with ISO files they are basically 'images' of a disk in a single archive file. To use them you select 'burn image to disc' from your cd burning software rather then 'burn to disk' this is very important. If the image is not burned as an 'image' within the software the disk will not turn out the way you need it to. For more information on this read your cd burning software's help manual.) Once you have the CD ready place it in your drive and reboot your computer. At this point you need to ensure that your computer will boot from the CD or DVD drive. There is generally a boot menu availible during startup by pressing either F9 or F12 or these settings can be changed in the BIOS (Warning: DO NOT tamper with the BIOS if you don't know what your doing.) Hardware specific instructions can generally be found on the manufacturers website. When the Ubuntu CD boots it will give you several options. Choose "Run as Live CD" and it will boot you into Hardy Heron. When running from the Live CD no changes will be made to your hard drive in any way. Poke around, see what things do and have fun. (WARNING: Certain programs within Ubuntu such as fdisk can and will disrupt your hard drive if used improperly, while the Live CD option is a great way to see if you enjoy a distribution don't run anything that is designed to make changes to the hardware or those changes WILL take effect. Live CDs are also great for running repair and diagnostics for just this reason but we'll cover that in a few weeks. For now play with the setting, the package manager, and some of the default apps like Open Office and Evolution just to get a feel for things) When your done messing around or for any other reason you want to go back into Windows(r) just restart your computer and remove the disk. That's all there is to it.
B. Installing from Windows
The first step for this installation is the same as the previous. Acquire an Ubuntu CD is whatever way you see fit. Boot your computer normally into Windows(r) and insert the Ubuntu CD. A window will pop up with some options. Select "Install from Windows" to start the process. There are a few options to select most of which are self explanatory. The easiest thing to do if your not sure about an option is to leave it as the default. Once the installation is complete reboot your computer. A menu will appear at some point asking you which OS you would like to boot into, Windows or Ubuntu. This menu will appear every time you restart the computer allowing you to easily switch back and forth between the two. (Note: If you plan on using both Windows(r) and Linux this is the way to do it. It is far more difficult to start with Linux and then install Windows and moderately more difficult to configure a multi boot with Windows(r) when installing Linux to the hard drive) Some caveats to this method. The maximum size allowed for the Linux "Hard drive" is 30Gb. While that should probably be enough for all the open source goodness you can handle it can be tricky for a first time user to access files from outside this virtual drive while in Linux. So if you have movies and music on your hard drive that you want to access from Linux it is often a bit tricky for a first time user to even find them let alone use them. Copy over what you think you will use frequently. The second caveat here is that your still stuck with Windows(r)! Maybe that's me being a little unfair but all that closed source programming makes Linux very sad. I know. I asked it.
C. Install from Boot
So you've decided to take the plunge and install Linux as your primary (or only) operating system. The installation process from boot is nearly identical to installing from within Windows(r). There are only two real differences.
1. Restart your computer and boot from the CD rather then running the CD from within Windows(r). This will give you a similar menu. Select "Install Ubuntu" and your on your way.
2. The partitioning step. If you don't have experience partitioning and formatting drives select one of two default options depending on what you intend to do. Selecting "Make partition from availible space" will do just that. It will resize an existing partition and use the extra space to make your Linux partitions. The other option "Use existing partitions" should be used with extreme caution. You will lose all data on your hard drive if you select this option, or any other option that involves deleting rather then resizing existing partitions. If your wary back up your hard drive before you install, this will save you a lot of headaches later.
The rest of the installation process is the same as installing from Windows(r). In other words pick the options that you want as they are presented to you and away it goes. Remember when in doubt use the default option.
SECURITY NOTE: When choosing a password for your user make it a good one. In Ubuntu certain commands, programs, and changes can only be made by first entering this password. This helps protect your computer from attack and helps limit the damage done by a successful attack. This is not a password you want to leave blank or easy to crack/guess. A good password should have no dictionary words in it and use an assortment of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special symbols. I once read an article on security that said "If you can easily recall your password it's not good enough." Take note.
Well that's all for this week. Next week we'll get to part 2, which will contain information on helpful programs as well as tips on configuring Ubuntu to work the way you want it to. Until then.
Ubuntu (www.ubuntu.com) has a lot of features that make it an amazing all around desktop distribution. The current release Hardy Heron is an LTS (Long term support) release which means that for the desktop version you can count on support for 3 years and 5 years for the server edition (More on the server edition some other time). This ensures a stable operating system for years to come. Linux unlike Windows(r) updates fairly often. My desktop at home auto checks for updates every 24 hours and actually installs new updates (although only with my permission of course) about once every two or three days. Most of these security patches or bug fixes. Because Linux is open source you don't have to wait for some over paid tech guy sitting in a lab in Redmond to notice and fix problems. The community that supports the distribution helps take care of those things and as a result problems are fixed in days or weeks instead of months or years. Well enough about how awesome this system is, let's do something with it already.
1. Installation
You have three options availible for running Ubuntu on your desktop; Live, Install from Windows and Install from Boot Each has there own pros and cons, and you should choose the install that works best for you.
A. Live
Using Ubuntu as a Live CD is about as easy as it gets. I STRONGLY recommend that if you have no prior Linux experience or very little that you run the OS live first to see if you like it and if your going to have hardware problems (Some ATI graphics cards don't work well with Linux due to a lack of driver support from AMD, the company that makes them). To run Ubuntu as a live cd the first thing you have to do is download the ISO from Ubuntu's website (www.ubuntu.com) and burn it to a CD or purchase or otherwise acquire an Ubuntu cd. There is no special ISO for this. All Hardy Heron desktop CD and DVD images can be used live. (Side note: If your not familiar with ISO files they are basically 'images' of a disk in a single archive file. To use them you select 'burn image to disc' from your cd burning software rather then 'burn to disk' this is very important. If the image is not burned as an 'image' within the software the disk will not turn out the way you need it to. For more information on this read your cd burning software's help manual.) Once you have the CD ready place it in your drive and reboot your computer. At this point you need to ensure that your computer will boot from the CD or DVD drive. There is generally a boot menu availible during startup by pressing either F9 or F12 or these settings can be changed in the BIOS (Warning: DO NOT tamper with the BIOS if you don't know what your doing.) Hardware specific instructions can generally be found on the manufacturers website. When the Ubuntu CD boots it will give you several options. Choose "Run as Live CD" and it will boot you into Hardy Heron. When running from the Live CD no changes will be made to your hard drive in any way. Poke around, see what things do and have fun. (WARNING: Certain programs within Ubuntu such as fdisk can and will disrupt your hard drive if used improperly, while the Live CD option is a great way to see if you enjoy a distribution don't run anything that is designed to make changes to the hardware or those changes WILL take effect. Live CDs are also great for running repair and diagnostics for just this reason but we'll cover that in a few weeks. For now play with the setting, the package manager, and some of the default apps like Open Office and Evolution just to get a feel for things) When your done messing around or for any other reason you want to go back into Windows(r) just restart your computer and remove the disk. That's all there is to it.
B. Installing from Windows
The first step for this installation is the same as the previous. Acquire an Ubuntu CD is whatever way you see fit. Boot your computer normally into Windows(r) and insert the Ubuntu CD. A window will pop up with some options. Select "Install from Windows" to start the process. There are a few options to select most of which are self explanatory. The easiest thing to do if your not sure about an option is to leave it as the default. Once the installation is complete reboot your computer. A menu will appear at some point asking you which OS you would like to boot into, Windows or Ubuntu. This menu will appear every time you restart the computer allowing you to easily switch back and forth between the two. (Note: If you plan on using both Windows(r) and Linux this is the way to do it. It is far more difficult to start with Linux and then install Windows and moderately more difficult to configure a multi boot with Windows(r) when installing Linux to the hard drive) Some caveats to this method. The maximum size allowed for the Linux "Hard drive" is 30Gb. While that should probably be enough for all the open source goodness you can handle it can be tricky for a first time user to access files from outside this virtual drive while in Linux. So if you have movies and music on your hard drive that you want to access from Linux it is often a bit tricky for a first time user to even find them let alone use them. Copy over what you think you will use frequently. The second caveat here is that your still stuck with Windows(r)! Maybe that's me being a little unfair but all that closed source programming makes Linux very sad. I know. I asked it.
C. Install from Boot
So you've decided to take the plunge and install Linux as your primary (or only) operating system. The installation process from boot is nearly identical to installing from within Windows(r). There are only two real differences.
1. Restart your computer and boot from the CD rather then running the CD from within Windows(r). This will give you a similar menu. Select "Install Ubuntu" and your on your way.
2. The partitioning step. If you don't have experience partitioning and formatting drives select one of two default options depending on what you intend to do. Selecting "Make partition from availible space" will do just that. It will resize an existing partition and use the extra space to make your Linux partitions. The other option "Use existing partitions" should be used with extreme caution. You will lose all data on your hard drive if you select this option, or any other option that involves deleting rather then resizing existing partitions. If your wary back up your hard drive before you install, this will save you a lot of headaches later.
The rest of the installation process is the same as installing from Windows(r). In other words pick the options that you want as they are presented to you and away it goes. Remember when in doubt use the default option.
SECURITY NOTE: When choosing a password for your user make it a good one. In Ubuntu certain commands, programs, and changes can only be made by first entering this password. This helps protect your computer from attack and helps limit the damage done by a successful attack. This is not a password you want to leave blank or easy to crack/guess. A good password should have no dictionary words in it and use an assortment of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special symbols. I once read an article on security that said "If you can easily recall your password it's not good enough." Take note.
Well that's all for this week. Next week we'll get to part 2, which will contain information on helpful programs as well as tips on configuring Ubuntu to work the way you want it to. Until then.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
See Ya'll in the Street
So it's about 0230 and I'm sitting here behind a desk reading webcomics. Really I should be studying but I really can't at this point. The words have no meaning. I tried studying for about an hour and realized when I was done reading that I didn't remember a damn thing I had read. Anyhow, there is one hell of a range of webcomics out there. I'm prone to using thewebcomiclist.com which does a nice job of organizing comics by genre, popularity, etc. They even keep track of how often the comics have updated in the past. Not a bad site if you need to kill 8 hours in the middle of the night and your stuck behind a fucking desk in the lobby of a company you hate....
I suppose there should be some sort of point to this little article type thing here. Well... I suppose I can mention that as soon as I'm done working out a few things I will be moving the site to it's own domain. Contrary to what many of you may be thinking that won't mean less ads. Actually it will mean more ads because I'll be trying to recoup the fees I would have to pay. On a related note all profits raised through this site are donated to anti-war and other activist groups. So I'm not a total asshole.
Well I suppose I'm done for the night....
See Ya'll in the Street
I suppose there should be some sort of point to this little article type thing here. Well... I suppose I can mention that as soon as I'm done working out a few things I will be moving the site to it's own domain. Contrary to what many of you may be thinking that won't mean less ads. Actually it will mean more ads because I'll be trying to recoup the fees I would have to pay. On a related note all profits raised through this site are donated to anti-war and other activist groups. So I'm not a total asshole.
Well I suppose I'm done for the night....
See Ya'll in the Street
Thursday, July 03, 2008
An Introduction to Linux for Activists (And Others)
So I have said that Linux is one of the keys to creating a truly free flow of information in the computer world. As such this is my first article on Linux geared towards the activist community. I'll start with a basic introduction and next week I'll start talking about some things you can do with it.
Brief History -
Linux is a free and open source operating system for computers. The term Linux itself actually refers only to the kernel (The core of any operating system is called the kernel) while GNU refers to the shell (the operating environment) that was originally developed to work with it. GNU came first. Linux came next. The two now exist in a happy union of software freedom ideals. But that's enough for the history of it all, if you want you can learn more at www.linux.org. Or search for Linux in wikipedia.
Where to Start -
There is not just one kind of Linux. There are thousands of different versions availible. Some are called ENTERPRISE VERSIONS which generally mean that you have to pay for them. There are some very real benefits to using one of these version, but they are primarily designed for large business who need detailed support for a long time. We won't worry about these here. Most versions of Linux are completely free and all versions of Linux are OPEN SOURCE (The information on how they were made and the code used to do so is freely availible to anyone for any reason). Different versions are geared towards different uses. Some are made to be installed on servers, some on desktops, some on older computers with slower hardware, some on cell phones and other smart devices, some are even designed to act as nothing but a dedicated firewall to a larger network. So with so many versions availible to you where should you begin?
Linux Distributions for the First Time User -
Different versions of Linux are referred to as DISTRIBUTIONS or simply DISTROS. I have put together a short list of distros that are generally easier for first time Linux users to install/operate. The qualifications for the distros on this list are that they are easy to use, easy to install, well supported, and of course freely availible online from legal software sources. They are in no particular order.
1. Ubuntu - www.ubuntu.com
My personal favorite. I have this distro running at all but one of my 4 computers at home. The only reason it's not running on the fourth is because it's out of commission. When it's back up it too will run Ubuntu. There are a lot of reason to love this distro. Especially if you are a first time user of the Linux system. First off it's based on the widely supported and secure foundation of Debian (Another Linux distro although not recommended for beginners). It also has the easiest installation process I have ever seen, for any operating system, ever. Answer the questions as they appear and at some point it installs. Easy. It can also function as a LIVE CD which allows you to try it out to see if you like it without having to install anything or change your hard drive in any way. Last on the installation awesome list is that you can install from within Windows thereby removing the need to partition or format any of your disk space. After choosing this option you can simply restart the computer and a new menu will appear where you can select if you would like to boot into Windows or Ubuntu. Last thing on the list is a REPOSITORY (A central location for packages which is used to easily install new software) of over 25,000 programs/plugins/etc. There is a solid chance that if you want a piece of software to do a specific thing that you will be able to find it through the easy to use Package Manager that comes with Ubuntu (More on that next week).
2. Fedora - http://fedoraproject.org
Not my favorite out of the bunch but still a very easy to use and very reliable distro. It's well supported as it's made by Red Hat (A company which also makes an Enterprise version of Linux). The installation for Fedora can be a little more challenging for those of you who are not great with operating systems work, but it's still a fairly simple process that uses a graphical display to guide you through. Like Ubuntu, Fedora can be used as a live CD and includes a repository with thousands upon thousands of packages. (Note: You need an internet connection to use the repository. This goes for almost of all versions of Linux and at the least, every one listed here). There isn't a whole lot I can say about this particular distro as I have only used it a few times myself just to see what it was like. I can recommend it for beginners, but if your looking for something to replace Windows, this is not it.
3. Kubuntu - www.kubuntu.org
Ok this will be the only version of Ubuntu that I list separately. The only real difference between Ubuntu and Kubuntu is the graphical interface that's used by default. Ubuntu uses something called Gnome (Kind of like a Mac OS replacement) where Kubuntu uses KDE (More like a Windows XP/Vista replacement) If your looking for something that has the same feel and functionality as Windows, this is what I would recommend. Other versions of Ubuntu include Xubuntu (Ubuntu with XFCE another type of interface) Edubuntu (A special version made for schools) Gobuntu (Encourages the use of truly free, open source software. The version to use if your biggest concern is freedom of information) and Ubuntu Studio (Geared towards audio, visual production). Choose the one that best matches your needs. They are download able as ISOs from the official Ubuntu website (www.ubuntu.org)
4. Mandriva - www.mandriva.com
There's not much I can say about this distro as I have never used it. Not even once. However, I have often read that it is extremely user friendly and I recently aquired an install disk for it, so maybe I'll give it a try and come back and tell ya'll what I think about it. For more information check out the website above.
Well that wraps it up for what I recommend as the top distros for new Linux users. Next week I'll cover the installation process and some troubleshooting tips in case you get stuck. Until then remember that "information wants to be free." So stop paying Microsoft your hard earned money and free it!
Brief History -
Linux is a free and open source operating system for computers. The term Linux itself actually refers only to the kernel (The core of any operating system is called the kernel) while GNU refers to the shell (the operating environment) that was originally developed to work with it. GNU came first. Linux came next. The two now exist in a happy union of software freedom ideals. But that's enough for the history of it all, if you want you can learn more at www.linux.org. Or search for Linux in wikipedia.
Where to Start -
There is not just one kind of Linux. There are thousands of different versions availible. Some are called ENTERPRISE VERSIONS which generally mean that you have to pay for them. There are some very real benefits to using one of these version, but they are primarily designed for large business who need detailed support for a long time. We won't worry about these here. Most versions of Linux are completely free and all versions of Linux are OPEN SOURCE (The information on how they were made and the code used to do so is freely availible to anyone for any reason). Different versions are geared towards different uses. Some are made to be installed on servers, some on desktops, some on older computers with slower hardware, some on cell phones and other smart devices, some are even designed to act as nothing but a dedicated firewall to a larger network. So with so many versions availible to you where should you begin?
Linux Distributions for the First Time User -
Different versions of Linux are referred to as DISTRIBUTIONS or simply DISTROS. I have put together a short list of distros that are generally easier for first time Linux users to install/operate. The qualifications for the distros on this list are that they are easy to use, easy to install, well supported, and of course freely availible online from legal software sources. They are in no particular order.
1. Ubuntu - www.ubuntu.com
My personal favorite. I have this distro running at all but one of my 4 computers at home. The only reason it's not running on the fourth is because it's out of commission. When it's back up it too will run Ubuntu. There are a lot of reason to love this distro. Especially if you are a first time user of the Linux system. First off it's based on the widely supported and secure foundation of Debian (Another Linux distro although not recommended for beginners). It also has the easiest installation process I have ever seen, for any operating system, ever. Answer the questions as they appear and at some point it installs. Easy. It can also function as a LIVE CD which allows you to try it out to see if you like it without having to install anything or change your hard drive in any way. Last on the installation awesome list is that you can install from within Windows thereby removing the need to partition or format any of your disk space. After choosing this option you can simply restart the computer and a new menu will appear where you can select if you would like to boot into Windows or Ubuntu. Last thing on the list is a REPOSITORY (A central location for packages which is used to easily install new software) of over 25,000 programs/plugins/etc. There is a solid chance that if you want a piece of software to do a specific thing that you will be able to find it through the easy to use Package Manager that comes with Ubuntu (More on that next week).
2. Fedora - http://fedoraproject.org
Not my favorite out of the bunch but still a very easy to use and very reliable distro. It's well supported as it's made by Red Hat (A company which also makes an Enterprise version of Linux). The installation for Fedora can be a little more challenging for those of you who are not great with operating systems work, but it's still a fairly simple process that uses a graphical display to guide you through. Like Ubuntu, Fedora can be used as a live CD and includes a repository with thousands upon thousands of packages. (Note: You need an internet connection to use the repository. This goes for almost of all versions of Linux and at the least, every one listed here). There isn't a whole lot I can say about this particular distro as I have only used it a few times myself just to see what it was like. I can recommend it for beginners, but if your looking for something to replace Windows, this is not it.
3. Kubuntu - www.kubuntu.org
Ok this will be the only version of Ubuntu that I list separately. The only real difference between Ubuntu and Kubuntu is the graphical interface that's used by default. Ubuntu uses something called Gnome (Kind of like a Mac OS replacement) where Kubuntu uses KDE (More like a Windows XP/Vista replacement) If your looking for something that has the same feel and functionality as Windows, this is what I would recommend. Other versions of Ubuntu include Xubuntu (Ubuntu with XFCE another type of interface) Edubuntu (A special version made for schools) Gobuntu (Encourages the use of truly free, open source software. The version to use if your biggest concern is freedom of information) and Ubuntu Studio (Geared towards audio, visual production). Choose the one that best matches your needs. They are download able as ISOs from the official Ubuntu website (www.ubuntu.org)
4. Mandriva - www.mandriva.com
There's not much I can say about this distro as I have never used it. Not even once. However, I have often read that it is extremely user friendly and I recently aquired an install disk for it, so maybe I'll give it a try and come back and tell ya'll what I think about it. For more information check out the website above.
Well that wraps it up for what I recommend as the top distros for new Linux users. Next week I'll cover the installation process and some troubleshooting tips in case you get stuck. Until then remember that "information wants to be free." So stop paying Microsoft your hard earned money and free it!
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
CCNA Certification
I am in the process of studying for my CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) so most of my time is being dedicated to that. As such expect the rate of post to decline a bit over the next month until I take the test.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Real Activists Use Linux
So I know this may seem like an odd topic for a generally anti-war geared website, but there is a method to my madness. "Information wants to be free" Current copyright and patent laws are designed to keep the knowledge, and the power, in the hands of the rich and the corporate. The Gnu Project of which Linux is a major part seeks to remove constraints from the flow of information within the world of computer and technology. I firmly believe that open source software and hardware will be one of the vital keys to transferring the power of production into the hands of general population and the working class. Without the archaic constraints of restrictive licensing and DRM, tools that only stop legitimate users from doing what they want with what they pay for but that don't stop hackers or crackers from taking advantage, the flow of information and the development of tools that will streamline our productivity will increase magnificently. So, while I don't have much time now as I'm nearing the end of a graveyard shift at work, I will be adding an article on open source development (i.e. Linux, GPL, Gnu, Open Source Companies, etc.) once a week alongside the articles on activism in other forms. Liberation is never just one aspect, it's a broad social reconfiguration and Linux is just the thing to take us there.
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