Showing headlines posted by the_doctor

I'm always surprised when users wish that Microsoft Office or PhotoShop would be ported to Linux. Probably, some just want to be able to use standard industry software on their favorite operating system. But so far as I am concerned, applications like LibreOffice Writer or Krita are not just substitutions -- even without my ideals, I would choose them as the highest quality software available for my needs.

Certainly many Linux users think that Arch is the best rolling release distro, yet there are reasons that PCLinuxOS earns that title.

The good news is that open source has become the leader on the desktop. The bad news is that a single desktop is not the leader, and that leadership on the desktop may no longer matter.

Don't bother lugging around a standard laptop to administer your Linux servers. Considering Chrome OS is faster, less likely to flake out on you, and less expensive, a Chromebook makes for a great mobile admin tool for remote Linux servers.

This is a tricky, multi-layered question that needs to be asked. Before I dive into it, you must know that I have been using one form of Linux or another as my only OS since the late nineties. So, for me, the ability to use Linux is crucial. Why? Without Linux, getting my work done would not be nearly as easy, trouble-free, or cost effective.

Over the years, I've had the opportunity to try a lot of different Linux releases. As the time passed, I found myself gravitating more toward the Ubuntu-based Long Term Release model. Obviously there are advantages and disadvantages to using an LTS distro release. That said, when it comes to current software packages, control and speed – rolling releases are a solid option.

Open source software thrives in government and is in some ways a technical expression of democracy: engineers building common ground and forging a more open and free future for all.

"The first 100% open source, enterprise-grade cloud Office Suite" is how Collabora Productivity describes the goal of its recently announced collaboration with Kolab Systems. In fact, the goal has a longer history than the description implies, although its promise of free-licensed groupware has the potential to fill one of the few remaining gaps in open office productivity.

Linux distros can be used for a lot of things, from games to education, but when it comes to security, there’s a whole mini-universe available.

Linux Mint has become a contender, though it’s not advisable for a Linux newcomer. One of the neatest features about using Linux for everyday computing are the endless choices that are available. For years, Ubuntu was considered the "top distro" for most people. Recently however, I've seen indications that this is no longer the case.

It recently occurred to me that I've been running Linux on my computers for about thirteen years. I'll be the first to admit, it doesn't seem all that long ago. But as I reflected upon my switch over to Linux, I began to realize that there wasn't a single event that pushed me over to the Linux desktop. In reality, it was a series of events and discoveries. This article will explain how my switch to Linux came to pass.

Open source development has consistently proved many ideas that were once considered impossible. For instance, thanks to open source, we now know that people can be motivated by more than money, and that co-operation can be more effective in some aspects of development than competition.

One feature that has been missing from Chrome OS, for quite some time, is the ability to take screencasts. Why has this been an issue? Because Chrome OS doesn't support the Java plugin used by most of the available screencast tools. That all changes, with the likes of Snagit. Why is this important? Screencasts are a great tool to help train users. Even though Chrome OS might well be one of the most user-friendly platforms on the planet, you might have web-based tools that aren't so easy to use (tools that could greatly benefit from a screencast).

Imagine what the Linux landscape would look like without Ubuntu.

Recently I found myself thinking back to when I first started using Linux, roughly thirteen years ago. Back then, I was dual-booting with Windows because Linux was merely a curiosity for me and something interesting to explore. Today, I use Linux exclusively.

Sharing sheet music: MuseScore 2 is the first major new release of MuseScore since 1.0 over four years earlier, and it includes tons of new features and improvements that have been requested by users including a brand new Start Center to simplify score browsing and creation, an Inspector window to provide easy access to properties of individual notes and other elements, and customizable palettes to allow you to group your most commonly-used score symbols together.

Most of the top Linux distributions are of the "easier to use" variety. Some observers might dispute this, but the fact is that most people not working in IT or software development will gravitate toward the easiest experience when it comes to Linux.

The team is proud to announce the release of Linux Mint 17.3 “Rosa” KDE Edition.

I first installed Debian sixteen years ago. Since then, I have tried countless other Linux distributions, and even used one or two regularly for several months, but my main distribution has always been Debian, or at least one of its many derivatives.

The upgrade path from Linux Mint 17, 17.1 and 17.2 to Linux Mint 17.3 is now open for all editions (Cinnamon, MATE, KDE and Xfce).