Last month, Canonical released a beta of Ubuntu Core 16. This is not a typical Linux distribution, but instead, one that is focused on Internet of Things and the cloud. What makes the operating system particularly interesting is the use of "Snaps" -- an ingenious modular way of handling software. It combines applications and dependencies into one convenient package.

Today, Ubuntu Core 16 achieves final release status. You can download it immediately for free for PC, Raspberry Pi, and more. With all of the IoT-related botnet news nowadays, this is arriving at the perfect time.

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Raspberry Pi has taken the world by storm, and inevitably there are now lots of similar, rival computers vying for attention, often offering something different in order to stand out from the crowd. Omega2, for example, is a $5 Raspberry Pi rival, with built-in Wi-Fi and storage.

VoCore2’s unique selling points are size -- it can fit on a coin -- and versatility. It can be used as a Linux-based computer with Wi-Fi, or as a fully functional wireless router. It’s incredibly affordable too.

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Finding the perfect Linux-based operating system or desktop environment can be a very long journey. Hell, some folks chase the dream forever, sometimes never settling on just one. This is because there are just too many wonderful choices. Even though I love GNOME, for instance, I sometimes find myself tempted by something different.

A Linux distro that always interests me is Bodhi. This Ubuntu-based operating systems is designed to be lightweight, meaning even those with old hardware can have a solid experience. Much of this is thanks to the use of the Moksha desktop environment, which is a fork of the older Enlightenment E17. The DE isn't just light on resources, but quite functional and beautiful too. Today, Bodhi 4.0.0 sees stable release, with the newest version of Moksha, 0.2.1.

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The new Apple MacBook Pro looks to be a wonderful laptop, but understandably, not everyone is impressed. The "Pro" moniker literally means "professional", and there are some concerns from that segment. Some photographers, for instance, will be very hurt and disgusted by the lack of an SD card slot. More importantly, the computer maxes out at 16GB of RAM -- many pro users want 32GB or more, which is not possible on the new machine, sadly.

While you might expect some of these disappointed Apple loyalists to turn to a Windows machine -- and I'm sure some will -- some are turning to an unexpected alternative -- Linux. You see, immediately after the Apple Keynote, famed Ubuntu laptop and desktop seller, System76, saw a huge jump in traffic from people looking to buy its machines. The traffic was so intense, that it needed to upgrade servers to keep up!

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Linux Mint is a brilliant operating system. Based on Ubuntu, it aims to make Linux accessible to everyone. You know what? It succeeds. The wonderful Cinnamon desktop environment is a no-nonsense approach to computing, making it easy for a home user to complete their tasks.

Today, the upcoming Linux Mint 18.1 (based on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS) gets an official code-name -- "Serena". What does this female name mean? According to Behind the Name, it is "from a Late Latin name which was derived from Latin serenus meaning 'clear, tranquil, serene'. This name was borne by an obscure early saint. Edmund Spenser also used it in his poem 'The Faerie Queene' (1590)".

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Dirty COW is a privilege escalation vulnerability found in the Linux kernel. Although it’s been there for nine years, it’s only recently been identified.

The vulnerability, which affects the 'copy-on-write' (COW) mechanism, can be found in most Linux distros, and since the Raspberry Pi runs Linux, it too is at risk.

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Linux-based desktop operating systems are better than Windows because they are free, right? Whoa there, folks. Neither are necessarily better or worse -- it really depends on your needs. Cost-free operating systems, such as Ubuntu and Fedora, are definitely great for home consumers looking to breathe new life into old machines. With that said, the benefits of Linux extend beyond money and cost-savings.

Linux being free is sort of misleading when it comes to business use too. While a small business with a few employees can sometimes get by without paying for support, larger companies would be crazy to go it entirely alone -- paid support is a necessity for success. Today, Canonical releases a well-designed infographic that explains the benefits of its paid support, called 'Ubuntu Advantage'.

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The gift and curse of desktop Linux-based operating systems is the ability to change the desktop environment. On one hand, having the choice to pick your favorite user interface, such as Unity, GNOME, or KDE Plasma, can be a huge positive. On the other, this also creates fragmented experiences between Linux users.

If you are a fan of KDE Plasma, there are plenty of quality distributions available. The overall best for home users, however, is the wonderful Netrunner. You'd be hard-pressed to find another KDE-focused distro with such care and focus on the user experience. Today, a specialized version of the Debian-based operating system, called Netrunner Core, becomes available for download. This pared-down OS is designed for lower-end systems, and there are images for both x86 and ARM.

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A vulnerability discovered in the Linux kernel has been present for nine years, and users are being advised to seek out and install a patch as soon as they possibly can. Dubbed Dirty COW, the bug is a privilege escalation vulnerability which can be found in just about every Linux distro out there.

Discovered by security expert Phil Oester, Dirty COW is described as one of the most serious bugs of its type ever found in Linux. Assigned the code CVE-2016-5195, there is evidence that the vulnerability has been exploited and a website set up to alert people to the problem advises that the "security community should deploy honeypots that entrap attackers and to alert about exploitation attempts".

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Linux 4.0 introduced a wonderful feature for those that need insane up-time -- the ability to patch the kernel without rebooting the machine. While this is vital for servers, it can be beneficial to workstation users too. Believe it or not, some home users covet long up-time simply for fun -- bragging rights, and such.

If you are an Ubuntu 16.04 LTS user (with generic Linux kernel 4.4) and you want to take advantage of this exciting feature, I have good news -- it is now conveniently available for free! Unfortunately, this all-new Canonical Livepatch Service does have a catch -- it is limited to three machines per user. Of course, home users can register as many email addresses as they want, so it is easy to get more if needed. Businesses can pay for additional machines through Ubuntu Advantage. Want to give it a go? Read on.

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The Raspberry Pi computers are extremely popular. It isn't hard to see why people like them -- they are small, inexpensive, and very useful for various projects. While they are arguably under-powered for use as, say, a full-time workstation, the diminutive machines aren't really meant for that.

If you do want to use it as a workstation, however, I have good news. Fedora 25 Beta Workstation is now available for both the Raspberry Pi 2 and Raspberry Pi 3. In addition to the Workstation image, Fedora 25 Beta Server is available too. Owners of ARMv6-powered Pi models, such as the Pi Zero, are out of luck, as the operating system will not be made available for them.

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Linux distributions and silly names go together like peanut butter and jelly. For whatever reason, the maintainers of these operating systems seem to enjoy having fun with what they call them -- some argue it is childish. Even Google -- a billion dollar company -- uses sugary dessert names for the Linux-based Android operating system.

One of the most well-known Linux distributions to use funny names is Ubuntu. It famously uses the convention of an adjective and a lesser-known animal, each starting with the same letter. The letter is chosen sequentially by alphabet. For example, Ubuntu 16.10 uses the letter "Y" -- "Yakkety Yak". The next version of the operating system will use the letter "Z". While many folks hoped for "Zebra", that would be too obvious. Instead, Canonical has chosen "Zesty Zapus". Don't know what a zapus is? Neither did I. It is apparently a type of jumping mouse. The selection was not made at random, however, as the company has an explanation for the decision.

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Chromebooks are not for everyone, but for many home users, it is absolute perfection. If you live in the web browser -- as many people do nowadays -- laptops running Google's Linux-based Chrome OS are a godsend because they are maintenance free. No need for confusing OS upgrades or anti-virus software. It just works, and it works well. Since they can now run Android apps too, they could become a serious threat to Microsoft and Windows 10.

One of the most attractive aspects of Chromebooks is price -- they are often quite affordable. Today, Acer refreshes its 15.6 inch Chromebook 15 with a mind-boggling 12 hours of battery life. Best of all? It starts at $199. Yes, this model will get Android app support in a future update too.

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The future of computing is open source. While there is still room for closed source software, more and more companies are going the open route. Major players such as Microsoft, Apple, and Facebook are all contributing to the open source community. Google in particular is a huge proponent of open source. Heck, two of the company's operating systems -- Chrome OS and Android -- are Linux distributions.

Today, the search giant announces the 'Open Source Report Card'. This is essentially a report that explains the details of its open source projects. Google is undoubtedly a major open source contributor, but the question is, what grade should the company get?

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Ubuntu is a wonderful operating system. Depending on your needs, it can be a better choice than Microsoft's Windows 10. More and more people live in the web browser, and Ubuntu can run both Chrome and Firefox. Need a word processor? The ability to edit spreadsheets? The wonderful LibreOffice is included -- no need to spend money on a subscription-based office package. There are countless free packages available too. You can even buy laptops pre-loaded with the OS from companies like Dell and System76.

Today, Ubuntu 16.10 'Yakkety Yak' sees release. It has many significant updates (you can read the release notes here), such as Linux kernel 4.8 and LibreOffice 5.2. The best part about this version of the operating system, however, is that it isn't exciting. Once again, home users will likely be bored by this Ubuntu upgrade, but that is a good thing -- Canonical does not do change for the sake of change.

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