Articles about Linux

Switching from Windows to Linux is pretty easy nowadays -- unless you're a gamer. If you are into PC gaming, Windows is still the best operating system for maximum compatibility and performance. Gaming on Linux has gotten better thanks to Steam's Proton, but still, Windows clearly reigns supreme.

With all of that said, Linux gaming is about to get much more possible. You see, Valve's new handheld gaming console is basically just a PC running an Arch Linux-based operating system. The OS is named "SteamOS" and it uses KDE Plasma.

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Hey, man. Want to know something totally far out? The privacy-focused Linux-based operating system, Tails, has achieved version 4.20. How groovy! If you aren't familiar, Tails is designed to run from an optical disk or USB drive and hide your browsing activity. It is particularly handy for journalists or computer users living in countries ruled by oppressive governments.

Version 4.20 of Tails receives several improvements. For instance, OnionShare has been updated to 2.2 and KeePassXC is now at 2.6.2. More importantly, the Tor Browser has been updated to 10.5.2 and the Linux kernel now sits at 5.10.46. Most significant, however, there are massive enhancements when connecting to a Tor network, including a new assistant.

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It's no secret that Microsoft has been showing Linux a lot more love in recent years -- just look to Windows Subsystem for Linux as an example. Nonetheless, it might surprise you to learn that Microsoft has its very own Linux distribution.

A recent blog post by a member of the Microsoft Azure team shares details on the company's Linux distro. In it, Juan Manuel Rey sheds light on the creation, and gives an intriguing insight into it. Called CBL-Mariner the distro is used by Microsoft engineering teams to build its cloud infrastructure and edge products and services.

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Windows Subsystem for Linux has been both a revelation and a revolution. Now in its second iteration (WSL2), the technology has advanced dramatically in recent years and increasing numbers of people are using it to enjoy Linux distros and apps within Windows.

With the launch of the first Insider builds of Windows 11, there is interest from the Linux community about what progress Microsoft has made. Benchmarks pitting WSL2 against "bare metal" Ubuntu show that performance is pretty impressive... but there are still improvements to be made.

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Microsoft has been getting more and more friendly with both the Open Source and Linux communities in recent years. For instance, the Windows 11-maker offers its some of its popular software for Linux-based operating systems these days, such as Windows Calculator and the Chromium-based Edge web browser. No to mention, Linux is essentially integrated into Microsoft's desktop operating system thanks to the Windows Subsystem for Linux.

To show just how close-knit Microsoft and the Linux community are, today, something fairly shocking is announced. You see, Ubuntu-maker Canonical is a 2021 Microsoft Partner of the Year finalist. Wow.

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With Windows 11 on the horizon, many consumers will find themselves unable to upgrade due to the crazy system requirements the operating system has. And so, some of those people will look for alternatives, such as Linux distributions. While Ubuntu is a wise choice for those interested in switching to Linux, it isn't the best choice. Actually, Windows-switchers should instead give Linux Mint (which is based on Ubuntu) a try.

Wouldn't you know it, today, the all-new Linux Mint 20.2 becomes available for download. Named "Uma," it can be had with your choice of three great desktop environments -- Cinnamon 5.0, MATE 1.24, and Xfce 4.16. Mint 20.2 is based on Ubuntu 20.04 and uses Linux kernel 5.4.

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Windows 11 looks quite beautiful, but let's be honest... it is pretty much just Windows 10 with a fresh coat of paint. Sadly, Microsoft is requiring some pretty strict hardware requirements for the upcoming operating system, meaning many people could find themselves unable to upgrade. Even worse, the company has provided confusing communications regarding TPM requirements.

Thankfully, even if Microsoft thinks your perfectly fine computer is obsolete, the Linux community doesn't think that. In other words, if your computer is incompatible with Windows 11 due to a lack of a TPM chip or other hardware issue, it can still run a modern Linux distro just fine. Case in point, one of the prettiest Linux distributions, deepin, just reached version 20.2.2 and it is the perfect option for those that are unable to upgrade to Microsoft's next desktop OS. It even supports Android apps like Windows 11!

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Blender is one of the most important open source projects, as the 3D graphics application suite is used by countless people at home, for business, and in education. The software can be used on many platforms, such as Windows, Mac, and of course, Linux.

Today, Ubuntu-maker Canonical announces it will offer paid enterprise support for Blender LTS. How cool is that? Surprisingly, this support will not only be for Ubuntu users. Heck, it isn't even limited to Linux installations. Actually, Canonical will offer this support to Blender LTS users on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Wow!

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Windows 11 may be the name of the upcoming version of Microsoft's desktop operating system, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the number ten. For instance, one of the most popular Linux distributions, Debian, currently sits at version 10 (Code-named "Buster").

Actually, taking the number ten even further, Debian 10.10 is now available for download. Yes, this is the tenth point release of the tenth version of the wildly popular operating system. Those that believe in numerology may see significance in this versioning. Current Debian users should update their packages immediately, as 10.10 is chock full of important bug fixes and security updates.

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Linux Mint is an operating system based on Ubuntu. The distribution comes with some interesting tweaks that many users appreciate, making it a popular choice in the Linux community for both beginners and experts alike. It is stable, easy to use, and has a well-designed Update Manager that puts many other distros to shame. Linux Mint is a joy to use.

Last month, we told you that Linux Mint 20.2 would be named "Uma." At the time, we shared the Uma Beta would be released in the middle of June. Well, folks, today is June 15 and guess what? You can download Linux Mint 20.2 Beta immediately!

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As the world battles the coronavirus pandemic, governments around the globe are taking different approaches to tackling the problem. While COVID-19 remains a somewhat divisive topic, there's one thing that most people can agree on: vaccinations are going to play a major role in getting things under control.

This is why the father of Linux, Linus Torvalds, has spoken out telling people to "get vaccinated" and "stop believing the anti-vax lies". For anyone who believes "the crazy conspiracy theories" he has a simple message: "SHUT THE HELL UP". Meanwhile, Linux Foundation Public Health has launched the Global COVID Certificate Network (GCCN), described as "an initiative to enable interoperable and trustworthy verification of COVID certificates between jurisdictions for safe border reopening".

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Last week's official release of the final build of the Linux-style Windows Package Manager by Microsoft was met with great excitement from the community. But the company seems to have only belatedly spotted an issue with its Store alternative.

The problem is that the Windows Package Manager Manifest Creator tool makes it incredibly simple to submit new package to the repository. This has results in complaints that "people are submitting bad or duplicate manifests without checking if the app already exists or not"; Microsoft has come up with a vey hands-on solution.

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Who knew that IRC (Internet Relay Chat) would be making big news in 2021? Look, I spent a good part of my childhood chatting on IRC, but I haven't seriously used it in well over a decade. Well, folks, people are talking about IRC again, but sadly, it is because of drama. You see, Freenode IRC was purchased recently, and the implications have the open source community in a tizzy.

What do people do when they are upset about a change? They wisely jump ship when possible. Yes, many people are running from Freenode as fast as they can. Two of the most popular Linux distributions, Ubuntu and Fedora, utilized Freenode for their IRC server needs, and now they have both switched to Libera Chat. Ubuntu made the switch first, with Fedora following shortly thereafter.

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After months of testing and preview builds, Microsoft has finally released Windows Package Manager 1.0.

Also known as Winget, the utility serves as an alternative to the Microsoft Store, giving Windows 10 users a Linux-style package manager for finding, downloading and installing apps from software repositories.

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When I first encountered computers in the 1990s, they were all large grey boxes that took up enormous amounts of space. In fact, when you added in a large CRT monitor and printer, many families had to dedicate an entire room in their home to the PC. Seriously, folks, a "computer room" was actually a thing.

Nowadays, thanks to inexpensive laptops and tablets, many families no longer need dedicated rooms for a PC -- a kitchen table can be sufficient. Even if you prefer a desktop, they no longer have to be monstrous either. There are many small desktops on the market these days, including the excellent Apple Mac mini.

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