Helping people discover the possibilities of open-source software, generative AI, and lifelong learning.
I’ve been enjoying the Brave browser lately. It’s refreshing not to be bothered by annoying pop-ups and to know that my browser is blocking trackers and ads. I’ve also appreciated using Brave’s Leo AI for research. However, when I opened a Brave…
This afternoon, while reading about new developments in Linux Kernel 7.0, my browser session locked up, and I received a verbal warning that my system had been hacked, along with a number displayed for me to call Microsoft for help.…
In a previous article, I discussed the evolution of software installation on Linux, beginning with the early days of compiling software from compressed packages known as tarballs. Red Hat developed the package managers yum and later dnf, while Debian introduced…
I downloaded Ubuntu 26.04 today, which is the latest long-term release of one of my favorite Linux distributions. I started using Ubuntu twenty years ago. While listening to one of my favorite Linux podcasts, the hosts discussed the new features…
In the early days of Linux, installing software applications was much more difficult. Most software was not distributed in easy-to-install packages. I frequently had to download source code, which usually came as a ‘tar’ file that had to be extracted…
A couple of weeks ago, while volunteering at the public library, a patron came in with a laptop. He was trying to reinstall Windows 11 but was having trouble installing the wireless driver. He asked for my help. I found…
I have done a lot of distro hopping and continue to experiment with different Linux distributions. I started with Linux before Fedora or Ubuntu existed. The first distribution I really explored was Red Hat 6.1, back in 1999. At that…
The first Linux CD I bought in the mid-1990s was Red Hat 5.0. It came with a book that claimed you could learn Linux in twenty-four hours—or maybe it was a week—but in any case, that seemed unrealistic. Before diving…
When I think of open source web browsers, I typically think of Chromium and Firefox. I have used both extensively, and they’re both exemplary. Chromium is the open-source base for the Chrome browser and Microsoft Edge, and was originally released…
One of the questions I often receive from people I talk to is, “Why should I use Linux?” Let’s be honest—most department stores and online retailers are selling Windows machines from various vendors. Most of our neighbors use Windows, and…