Newsletter Archives

• “What can I use my old computers for?”

  Posted on January 23, 2023 at 02:45 CST by Randy McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.04 • 2023-01-23

  SUPPORT

  

  By Randy McElveen

  I will be the first to admit that I have a problem letting go of things. I just cannot throw things away, especially electronics.

  In this article, I will give you some “tips for pack rats” about how to repurpose old computers. I’m sure I will get around to doing these things with my basement full of computers — someday.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.04.0, 2023-01-23).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Support hardware, Linux, Newsletters, Older PCs, Randy's Remedies

• The state of Linux in 2022

  Posted on August 29, 2022 at 02:43 CDT by Sandra Henry-Stocker • Comment in the Forums

  LINUX

  

  By Sandra Henry-Stocker

  Linux continues to play a major role in a number of market segments, from everyday embedded devices to supercomputers.

  While it is used on fewer than 3% of desktops, it dominates supercomputing, web servers, the cloud, smartphones, and more. Linux-supported systems have even helped in the successful completion of 65 SpaceX missions. The fact that Linux is open-source means that it can be optimized for many different purposes and, looking at the Linux roadmap, it has.

  Let’s take a stroll through Linux and see where it stands in 2022!

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.35.0, 2022-08-29).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Linux AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Linux

• Linux malware is on the rise. What should you do?

  Posted on March 7, 2022 at 02:43 CST by Sandra Henry-Stocker • Comment in the Forums

  LINUX

  

  By Sandra Henry-Stocker

  Threats to Linux systems used to be relatively mild because Windows was such a larger target, outnumbering Linux systems by a huge percentage.

  Not any longer. Linux has become a much bigger target due to its increasingly significant role on Internet of Things (IoT) devices, virtual machines, containers, cloud services, and supercomputers.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 19.10.0 (2022-03-07).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Linux AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Linux, malware

• Preparing for your move to Linux

  Posted on October 11, 2021 at 02:43 CDT by Sandra Henry-Stocker • Comment in the Forums

  LINUX

  

  By Sandra Henry-Stocker

  For most of us, our Microsoft Office suite is far from the only thing we use on our Windows computer. What about email, messaging, screen captures, password safes, tax-preparation software, calculators, image-manipulation tools, video players, backup tools, and such?

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.39.0 (2021-10-11).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Linux AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Linux, Migrating

• Breaking and entering with Linux: What you see

  Posted on September 27, 2021 at 02:42 CDT by Ben Myers • Comment in the Forums

  HARDWARE

  

  By Ben Myers

  In my first “Breaking and entering” article, you saw what to do step-by-step to get an unbootable system into legacy boot mode and how to prepare a UEFI USB stick with Linux Mint.

  Now, boot your system with that Linux USB stick.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.37.0 (2021-09-27).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Diagnostics, hardware, Linux, Repairs

• Breaking and entering with Linux

  Posted on August 30, 2021 at 02:41 CDT by Ben Myers • Comment in the Forums

  HARDWARE

  

  By Ben Myers

  Use Linux on a USB stick to diagnose a Windows system.

  My working premise here is that your Windows system will not boot, not even in safe or any other degraded mode. You have no idea what’s going on, and it is premature, time-consuming, and sometimes futile to rip a computer open to see what is inside. The solution is to boot another operating system from a USB stick and use it to explore and diagnose problems.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.33.0 (2021-08-30).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Diagnostics, hardware, Linux, Repairs

• The legacy and vitality of LibreOffice

  Posted on August 23, 2021 at 02:42 CDT by Sandra Henry-Stocker • Comment in the Forums

  PRODUCTIVITY

  

  By Sandra Henry-Stocker

  If you’re a little nervous about getting started with LibreOffice, you might be asking yourself where this office suite came from, whether it’s still being developed, and where you might go for support.

  Here’s some information to help answer those questions.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.32.0 (2021-08-23).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Productivity AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LibreOffice, Linux, Productivity

• Good choices for your Windows-to-Linux transition

  Posted on May 31, 2021 at 01:01 CDT by Sandra Henry-Stocker • Comment in the Forums

  LINUX

  

  By Sandra Henry-Stocker

  If you’re a long-standing Windows user thinking about moving to Linux, there are several distributions in particular that you ought to consider.

  In this article, we’ll take a quick look at Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Manjaro and then spend some time examining Ubuntu more closely. These three are some of the most popular Linux distributions and have a considerable user base, along with a very active support community. In fact, TechMint ranked Manjaro, Linux Mint and Ubuntu as the second, third, and fourth most popular Linux distributions of 2021, respectively.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.20.0 (2021-05-31).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Linux AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Linux, Ubuntu

• Windows to Linux? Are you ready to take the leap?

  Posted on April 19, 2021 at 01:02 CDT by Sandra Henry-Stocker • Comment in the Forums

  LINUX

  

  By Sandra Henry-Stocker

  Are tighter security, more customizable interfaces, and the availability of source code enough to make you switch? What does Linux have that Windows doesn’t, and what might you lose by moving to Linux?

  Key to answering these questions is understanding how the two systems differ. I am asked this often, and it’s a really good question — but not the easiest one to answer.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.14.0 (2021-04-19).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Linux AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Linux

• Windows and Linux Interoperability

  Posted on March 15, 2021 at 01:04 CDT by Sandra Henry-Stocker • Comment in the Forums

  LINUX

  

  By Sandra Henry-Stocker

  If you, like me, have both Windows and Linux systems on your network, you don’t have to walk from one desk to another to work on each of them in an isolated fashion.

  Instead, there are some very useful options for Windows-Linux interoperability. They allow you to move files between the systems, log in from one system to the other, and mount file shares so that you can use Linux files on Windows or vice versa. You can even run commands remotely between the systems. In this article, we’ll take a quick look at these options.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.10.0 (2021-03-15).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Linux AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Linux, Windows

• Trying Linux on your Windows system

  Posted on February 15, 2021 at 01:20 CST by Sandra Henry-Stocker • Comment in the Forums
  

  LINUX

  Trying Linux on your Windows system

  By Sandra Henry-Stocker

  Did you ever think you might like to give Linux a try without making a commitment to a new operating system? Well, guess what? You can!

  In fact, there are a number of ways to pull this off — without disrupting, interfering with, or unseating your Windows installation. You can install a command line tool on top of Windows 10, run a Linux desktop on top of Windows, run a full Linux distribution with its own GUI from a DVD or USB drive, install it as a second OS and decide at boot time which you want to run, or install Linux on some old PC you don’t use anymore.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.6.0 (2021-02-15).
  This story also appears in the AskWoody Free Newsletter 18.6.F (2021-02-15).

  AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Linux AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Linux

• What Linux is and why it has persisted

  Posted on January 18, 2021 at 02:45 CST by Sandra Henry-Stocker • Comment in the Forums
  

  LINUX

  What Linux is and why it has persisted

  By Sandra Henry-Stocker

  When all your friends are using Windows and the desktops at work are all running Windows, Linux might be one of the last things you’d even think about.

  Anyone who has never taken a dive into Linux may wonder why anyone would bother using what might appear to be a nonstandard, aberrant, fragmented operating system with hundreds of different builds. There are, however, many reasons why Linux has become a successful OS, why hundreds of Linux distributions have come into being, and why Linux enthusiasts are so enamored with it.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.2.0 (2021-01-18).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Linux AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Linux
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