Linux Lingo

As with any computer software there is a certain way those in the know speak about the product and use thereof. Those of us who are not fortunate to know this terminology wonder what alien planet our search engine has landed on when all we wanted to know was how to use Linux. If you are not a dyed in the wool full time computer enthusiast then here are some common terms that would be useful.

Kernel
The heart, body, and soul of Linux. It is a computer code that was developed by Linus Torvalds, who shared it with the then computer world. This decision created a community of fellow collaborators, who over the years have added to and improved the original computer coding for this operating system. Today it is one of the best examples of free and open source software there is.

Distribution
This is a general term that is used to signify that the operating system has
a Linux kernel base.

Ubuntu
A distribution of Linux sponsored by the Debian Project. It has regular six month
releases and it is known for its usability. It is absolutely free and will work with existing personal computer files, and devices.

Gnome or KDE
These are two common Windows like desktop environments of Linux.

Redhat
A company that promotes open source technology and sponsors a variety of projects
and products for Linux such as Fedora.

WINE
These are programs that create a programming code bridge between Linux and Windows. What this means to the public is the Linux operating systems can now use some of the Window applications such as Internet Explorer, Outlook Express. You can have the more stable Linux program running your computer and still use the software you are most familiar with.

There are literally thousands of more terms and definitions to know. Listed below are websites for exploration or information.

Resources
Linux Dictionary http://www.tldp.org/LDP/Linux-Dictionary/html/
Linux Forums http://www.linuxforums.org/

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Open Source

What is open source software(OSS)? Most of the public is so familiar with Microsoft products that many do not realize that there are alternatives. It is an entirely different set up than the business model of Microsoft. In the open source world software or operating systems for computers is done by volunteer programmers. The software like xvid is free for use and for modification by any individual or entity.

Now the question becomes why? There are commercial companies such as Red Hat that contribute money and experts to the open source community, but by and large it is accomplished by individuals who love computing and programming. Since there are not any of the usual restraints such as office politics, lack of funding, and someone telling you what to do with your ideas you get incredible, innovative software, and communities who collaborate across the globe. These communities are not afraid of the process of invention and problem solving. They present incomplete pieces of software for others to tinker with over months and years and freely share their knowledge with newbies and experts alike. This group even tends to celebrate when some project reaches perfection.

Over the years programmers have developed guidelines, criteria, and licensesfor this massive undertaking and labor of love. By and large without the use of force or police the communities as a whole adhere to these guidelines. Open Source Initiative (www.opensource.org)gives a list of open standard requirements in its website.

Some of our favorite tech devices use open source software like the xvid codec to run. For instance Android which is on many of our smart phones was an open source software project led by Google. The server software Apache that powers many websites was an open source project. Then there is Linux which is embedded in many mobile phones, PDA’s, and other electronic devices.

This is a situation where volunteerism is equal to or trumps commercialism.

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Linux GUI

GUI is pronounced like the word gooey. The term stands for graphical user interface. For most of us that is still clear as mud, but if one is using computers in daily life then you are all ready familiar with GUI. In Microsoft Windows, the familiar desktop with its icons is the GUI. In Linux you have many GUI’s floating around out in the open source world. The following is a short synopsis of a few GUI’s of Linux.

Gnome www.gnome.org

Home PC owners and industry make use of this desktop environment. Gnome’s extensive manuals and help systems with an on line documentation library help you learn all those new applications. It, also, has Windows compatibility which means even though you do not have Windows programs you can open the files from those programs. It comes in a variety of languages and even has accessibility software for those with disabilities.

KDE www.kde.org

There is some ambiguity in what the K stands for in KDE, but the DE stands for desktop environment. This open source community developed software for communication, education, and entertainment as well as work. KDE can be run with Linux or Unix based systems. The desktop interface can be customized to your specific needs or you can use a set of defaults that will get you up and computing in no time. Starting with Windows XP the KDE community has provided support for compatibility of files. This suppor is still in development stages and an ongoing process.

Ubuntu www.ubuntu.com

Ubuntu is commercially sponsored by Canonical. It has scheduled releases every six months. This open source community is unusual in that commercial teams and community teams work together to produce quality releases. Ubuntu began by using the Gnome desktop and developed software from there. It now has a sleek modern look that catches the eye.

There are many other GUI’s available. Which one you will like best will depend on your computing needs.

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What’s GNU to you

GSOC interns- 25th anniversary of GNU Project ...
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It is an old joke, right? Not quite in this day and time. The meaning of GNU has changed from just an animal to a recognized computer term. GNU in the computer world means “GNU’s not Unix”. GNU was the alternative software to Unix in the early 1980′s, but was at the same time compatible with Unix.

Still clear as a foggy day in London town as the old song says. Well, GNU is an operating system and an operating system is the software that runs all other software on your computer. In the early 1980′s there was no operating systems freely available. At that time there was an owner of the operating system software, and the law which forbid any and all users from cooperating. So in steps Richard Stallman from MIT, who in the 1970′s, had been working with his group and with computer companies on free software for the public. He decided this just wouldn’t do. The early days of computing was based on cooperation. Richard wanted to bring this back. The way Stallman choose to bring it back was to create the GNU Project.

Like all things anyone steps in the middle of, the project turned out to be much larger, and more time consuming than expected. First money had to be found to support the project. Richard and friends turned to creating the Free Software Foundation which initial funds were used to begin the GNU endeavor. After many years and trials all the programs for the operating system were written except for the essential core software. Lo and behold in Stallman’s time of need in pops Linus Torvald and his Linux kernel. The two found each other and thus the GNU and Linux systems merged and gave birth to not only a free operating system, but also a foundation for the open source movement.

In these times, people say fairy tales don’t exist anymore. Well, in the computer world many such tales exist.

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No Looking Back

Diagram showing overview of cloud computing in...
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Probably the most dramatic recent innovation has been Cloud computing. It liberates users by enabling data to be accessed, amended improved on and updated from any location. Latest items -“ especially those subject to periodic changes from calendars to files, reports and financial accounts- can be viewed and worked on by those with authorized access. What this obviates is the necessity of communicating directly with individuals and asking them to sending the data from their own station. Savings are made on time, energy, server space and memory. Additionally, you avoid the problem of single users each having a variety of versions of software and incompatible operating systems – e.g. one on a Mac, another functioning with Windows 7, still another using Vista, etc. Its self-service architecture takes users into a domain where they are largely liberated from software issues. Private individuals initiated into the Cloud at work are increasingly taking the technology home for personal use. With none of the irritating old variables causing headaches, there can be no descent from the Cloud. Future computing aspirations can only get loftier.
Second in the running to the Cloud for most Dramatic Innovation title is the all-purpose single inbox. One of the most promising failed shortly after its inception – the ill-fated Google Wave. Fulfilling the definition of a wave as a live, real-time venue for people to interact, its goal was to provide the user with a one-stop inbox. It combined IM, chat, video-conferencing, email, social networking and phone communication, as well as the boon of document integration a la Google Docs. It faltered in August 2010 due to an inability to forge all the necessary relationships and links with other media and their deliverers, although it intends to rise again from the ashes, if- tantalizingly – in another form.
Is there an imminent prospect of a universal inbox, then? Many have been underwhelmed by the various incarnations that have come out, often citing cumbersome interfaces or distrust of the inevitable third-party involvement. One to consider, though, seems to be Otherinbox, which has attracted a respectable flow of customers.

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OpenOffice Software

There are many alternatives to the commercial software products. Open source software if it has a price can be much cheaper. Yet,the programs can be extremely sophisticated, functional, and easy to use. One product that you might want to explore is openoffice.

OpenOffice is an office software suite similar to Microsoft Office. It contains a word processing program, presentation software, a database, a spreadsheet, and a graphics programs. It is based on XML, which is extensible markup language. This language computers use to read the commands for forming whatever data and text document you are creating, and is the default language for most office productivity software including Microsoft Office. In fact, in Microsoft Office when you save a document, at the bottom of the Save As window is your file name and the save as type box. If you click on the arrow a list appears of all the ways you can save your file, and one of those ways is Word XML Document. How your file is saved does not change, just the delivery and what flavor you like does.

OpenOffice is unrestricted. You can use it for educational, private, or commercial purposes. It is free to download, to install to as many computers as you would like, or to pass on to other people. Its commands and icons are similar to Microsoft Offices and at its web site, OpenOffice.org, there is a community of support that will help you learn the product.

If your budget will not allow you to get that fully loaded computer with all the bells and whistles software packages, then this is a viable alternative. You can then concentrate on getting a powerful processing and high memory computer, and fill it with free or little cost open source software.

By the way, this article was written in OpenOffice’s word processing program. It took no more time or steps than the articles done with a Microsoft Word program.

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OpenOffice Writer

OpenOffice is an open source software suite of applications similar to Microsoft Office. OpenOffice’s word processing program is known as Writer. It has a Tips feature to help beginners become accustom to its set up. Activating this feature lets a window with tiny lettering appear over an icon informing you of its function.

Once opening the program to start a new document go to the text based menu bar and click File, then New, and then Text Document commands. Just like Microsoft Office a blank text document will magically appear on your screen. This blank document will have a light gray outline box indicating where your margins are along with the usual ruler. The iconic standard toolbar is just below the the text based menu bar that has the File, Edit, View, commands. If you click on an icon in the standard toolbar a list of options will appear. Below the Standard Toolbar is the Formatting bar. Here you will find text style, fonts and their sizes, your bold, italics, and underline items commands. At the very bottom of the screen is your Status Bar which informs you of the number of pages typed, and other information about your document.

You begin typing just like you do in Microsoft Word, but Writer has a nice feature called Word Completion. Certain longer words when you reach a minimum amount of letters suddenly appear in full form with blue highlighting on the part you did not type. If this is the word you wanted simply hit enter and the entire word appears. If it was not keep on typing and it will disappear automatically. Just like Microsoft Word, Writer has your usual spell check, thesaurus, and word count tools.

If you are looking for something cost effective, innovative, and an alternative to present software options give Writer a try. If seeing is believing ,then you should know that this article was done in Writer.

Filed Under: Linux, Operating System Tagged With: , ,

Forging Links for a Freer Computing Community

*Web ser *Веб-служба
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An end to the battle that has long raged between open source enthusiasts and those who lend their support to the proprietary “branded” applications may be in sight. Cloud computing, far from clouding the issue, has helped to clear the mist, much of it red, given the fiery views often expressed by opponents of one system or the other. The idea that proprietary desktops and associated software can live harmoniously alongside their open source cousins is something that one-time opponents of the corporations behind mainstream computing have begun to realize. New on the scene since 2008 has been the Operating System called Jolicloud. It doesn”t distinguish between software that is open source and that which is proprietary and is, above all, easy to install. Fans report finding Jolicloud a much faster OS than Windows 7. It’s a client OS that caters especially to web services and categorizes applications according to how they are used, whether they are open source or proprietary. The prospect of this type of happy alliance has been around for some time. Forging the link since 1993 has been Wine, its very raison being the running of Windows applications on Linux. It has imperfections and won’t run everything, but Wine has turned out to be a popular solution. Like Jolicloud, an important part of the concept is the fact that it is free. Likewise Software, also free of charge, performs a similar role for Mac users.
Also recommended for the IT-uninitiated is Samba – ideal if all you need is to share files and printers. The main point here is that where the server that one is using is Linux or Unix, with Samba software a PC with a Windows desktop can still carry out printing and file sharing.
Also on the plus side, security is aided by a switch over to teaming Linux and Windows together on one’s computer, since Linux is known to offer far better security. You also, of course, have more applications at your fingertips.
In today’ user-driven world, this type of integration is inevitable and, of course, ultimately beneficial.

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Linux Users

Linus is used by many corporations and networking environments. The system is also used on many web sites. As much as the system is used in the world of business, the opposite is true for the personal computer user. The drawbacks related to the Linux system is the reason for this. Microsoft products offer a large variety of support functions that users have become accustomed to. There is also more variety in hardware and software selection when using products like Microsoft. The Linux operating system is limited in these areas, which may be a deal breaker to the individual user.

The Linux operating system is lacking in the area of a centralized support system for its users. When a Linux product is purchased from a vendor, it is often supported by initial documentation and information on users groups. The purchase of a free version will not provide this type of information which will force the user to seek out the information they need.

Although there has been recent improvement in the area of hardware use with the Linux system, there are many hardware devices that are unable to work with the Linux system. Hardware devices require a driver, which is a program that communicates with the operating system. When a vendor has not created a driver for their product that works with the Linux system, the user will be required to seek out information regarding drivers created by Linux users.

A limitation in the area of the software selection is a concern for many single users contemplating a change to Linux. Microsoft office products area common applications used. The Linux alternatives require the end user to obtain a new skill set in the use of the products.

As with most things in life, there are both pros and cons to be considered when selecting an operating system. The choice of Linux offers both possibilities and drawbacks. Research will provide the information necessary to make the decision.

Filed Under: Linux, Operating System Tagged With: , ,

OpenOffice Writer

ContentOpenOffice is an open source software suite of applications similar to Microsoft Office. OpenOffice’s word processing program is known as Writer. It has a Tips feature to help beginners become accustom to its set up. Activating this feature lets a window with tiny lettering appear over an icon informing you of its function.

Once opening the program to start a new document go to the text based menu bar and click File, then New, and then Text Document commands. Just like Microsoft Office a blank text document will magically appear on your screen. This blank document will have a light gray outline box indicating where your margins are along with the usual ruler. The iconic standard toolbar is just below the the text based menu bar that has the File, Edit, View, commands. If you click on an icon in the standard toolbar a list of options will appear. Below the Standard Toolbar is the Formatting bar. Here you will find text style, fonts and their sizes, your bold, italics, and underline items commands. At the very bottom of the screen is your Status Bar which informs you of the number of pages typed, and other information about your document.

You begin typing just like you do in Microsoft Word, but Writer has a nice feature called Word Completion. Certain longer words when you reach a minimum amount of letters suddenly appear in full form with blue highlighting on the part you did not type. If this is the word you wanted simply hit enter and the entire word appears. If it was not keep on typing and it will disappear automatically. Just like Microsoft Word, Writer has your usual spell check, thesaurus, and word count tools.

If you are looking for something cost effective, innovative, and an alternative to present software options give Writer a try. If seeing is believing ,then you should know that this article was done in Writer.

Filed Under: Internet, Operating System Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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