Linux is a generic term referring to the family of Unix-like computer operating systems that use the Linux kernel. Their development is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed, both commercially and non-commercially, by anyone under licenses such as the GNU General Public License.

Linux can be installed on a wide variety of computer hardware, ranging from mobile phones, tablet computers and video game consoles, to mainframes and supercomputers. Linux is predominantly known for its use in servers.. However, desktop use of Linux has become increasingly popular in recent years, partly owing to the popular Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint, and openSUSE distributions and the emergence of netbooks and smart phones running an embedded Linux...
(Note: This is a review of the Linux version we have linked on the right for download)
by arindam sen March 23, 2013 mylinuxexplore.blogspot
Debian simplified and offers impressive performance!
One thing I really like about Linux Mint is the refinement and completeness they render to each and every release. I have been using Linux Mint since 2009 and except for the repetitive art-work, I have never been disappointed so far. Normally Linux Mint releases mimic Ubuntu and mostly require fresh installation...

Emerge GTK 2.x Theme/Style
This time with the release of 201303 LMDE update, I thought of trying out the Cinnamon version. LMDE is available in both 32 and 64 bit versions - I downloaded the 1.3 GB 32-bit version... The 201303 update comes with Cinnamon 1.6, Linux kernel 3.2.0, and Gnome shell 3.4.2. Nemo 1.1.2... is the default file manager.... For this testing, I used my Asus K54C laptop with 2.2 Ghz Core i3 processor and 2 GB RAM...
As always, Linux Mint is refined and looks extremely professional, starting from the system font to integration of applications to the overall system theme. LMDE also has the usual, more colorful, Linux Mint 14 wallpapers, if you decide for a more playful interface.. >>MORE (mylinuxexplore.blogspot)
(We recommend Mint (Debian) instead of Ubuntu because of Ubuntu's lack of privacy policy)

The October 2012 release of Ubuntu (the most popular Linux distribution) 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal) introduced the display of contextual advertising in Dash, the file manager component of the default desktop environment, Unity.
Responding in September to criticism, Canonical owner Mark Shuttleworth argued that "We’re not putting ads in Ubuntu. We’re integrating online scope results into the home lens of the dash." Canonical staffer Jono Bacon described the advertisements as "suggestions", arguing that the revenue they generate for Canonical is necessary "to continue to grow and improve Ubuntu".
That's bad, this is worse- in its default configuration, version 12.10 also assumes that users have agreed to allow Ubuntu's parent company Canonical to collect user search data and IP addresses and to disclose this information to third parties including Facebook, Twitter, BBC and Amazon, drawing criticism from privacy advocates.... >>MORE>
You don't have to quit using Windows (or Mac- but this is for Windows) to start using Linux. You can configure your computer to give you a choice of using Windows or Linux when you boot it up. Here's a short 5 minute tutorial on how to do just that for Windows 7 from Avoiderrors at Youtube. He's using Linux Mint, the Distro we've linked above for download. This probably isn't a good idea to try if you aren't comfortable with disk partitions and allocating disk space.
It's easier to see the details if you click the "full screen" icon on the lower right.
Currently, many Windows games can run on the Linux platform with minimal problems in a compatibility layer called Wine. The Wine project hosts a user-submitted application database (known as Wine AppDB) that lists programs and games along with ratings and reviews which detail how well they run with Wine. Many games are rated as running flawlessly.

FreeCiv, a well known remake
of the popular Civilization Series
In July 2012 game developer and content distributor Valve Software announced a port of their Source engine for Linux as well as stating their intention to release their Steam digital distribution service for Linux. The potential availability of a Linux Steam client has already attracted other developers to consider porting their titles to Linux... More>>
Click below to see 60 + free games available for download right now! >>
Urges users to give it stern shunning
By Neil McAllister 7th December 2012 theregister.co.uk
Free Software Foundation founder and noted weird-beard Richard Stallman has called upon Linux advocates to reject the Ubuntu distribution, claiming the latest version contains dangerous "surveillance code."
In a lengthy post to his FSF blog, the GNU Project creator slams Canonical, the company in charge of Ubuntu, for including a search feature in the latest version that sends packets to Canonical's own servers without alerting the user.
First introduced in Ubuntu 12.10, the "Home Lens" unified search feature inserts product recommendations from Amazon into the search results, irrespective of whether the user intended to search the web or local files.
"This is just like the first surveillance practice I learned about in Windows," Stallman says, recalling how a friend first noticed the Microsoft OS phoning home with search queries.
That type of behavior is a strict no-no to the free software maven, who lumps it in with DRM and hidden back doors as malicious practices that should result in the offending code being treated as malware... >>MORE (theregister.co.uk)
We have upgraded from Joomla 1.5 to 2.5. Our site doesn't look much different on the outside, but the framework is a total re-write. You can see the biggest feature in the animated gif below:

The framework adapts to any size browser available today- and tomorrow. Now viewers using cell phones and tablets won't have to sidescroll on a single page. You can see it work: Mouse over your browser window border until the cursor turns into a double arrow, click and hold, then move the border to the centre. You can see the different layouts change as the window moves.
There are other features too- like Language packs that allow our
Comparisons between the Microsoft Windows and Linux computer operating systems are a long-running discussion topic within the personal computer industry. Throughout the entire period of the Windows 9x systems through the introduction of Windows 7,

Windows has retained an extremely large retail sales majority among operating systems for personal desktop use, while Linux has sustained its status as the most prominent free software operating system. After their initial clash, both operating systems moved beyond the user base of the personal computer market and share a rivalry on a variety of other devices, with offerings for the server and embedded systems markets, and mobile internet access.
The comparisons below reflect three families of Windows operating systems: Windows 9x (legacy), Windows NT, and Windows Embedded. Each family has its own code base and design. The focus of these comparisons is mainly on the NT family...
Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols March 11, 2013 (ZD.Net)
Summary: It's no secret that Linux and open-source projects have fights over the direction of a project, but it's unusual for Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu, to publicly fuss with programmers via his blog.
Ubuntu, the popular Linux distribution, like all Linux and open-source projects, has had its share of internal battles over the project's directions over the years. Recently, though, Mark Shuttleworth, founder of both the operating system and its sponsoring company, Canonical, has taken the latest squabbles public in his blog.
It all began when Rick Spencer, Canonical's Ubuntu engineering director, proposed on the Ubuntu developer mailing list that, since Canonical is porting Ubuntu to smartphones in the coming months, "Ubuntu should drop non-LTS [long-term support] releases and move to a rolling release plus LTS releases right now".
In a rolling release, major changes and improvements are released to users as soon as possible. As Spencer proposed it, new releases would come out monthly. The advantage is that users get best-of-breed modifications very quickly. Spencer then proceeded to make the case for this change. This wasn't the first time that rolling releases had been proposed for Ubuntu... >>MORE> (ZD.Net)
Comparison of Linux distributions
Technical variations of Linux distributions include support for different hardware devices and systems or software package configurations. Organizational differences may be motivated by historical reasons. Other criteria include security, including how quickly security upgrades are available; ease of package management; and number of packages available.
These tables compare each noteworthy distribution's latest stable release on wide-ranging objective criteria. It does not cover each operating system's subjective merits, branches marked as unstable or beta, nor compare Linux distributions with other operating systems.
Click here to see the table: Basic general information about the distributions: creator or producer, release date and latest version, and so forth.
The following distributions are available without cost: aLinux, ALT Linux, Annvix, Arch Linux, Ark Linux, Asianux, BLAG Linux and GNU, CentOS, CRUX, Damn Small Linux, Debian, DeLi Linux, DeMuDi, Devil-Linux, dyne:bolic, EasyPeasy, Edubuntu, EnGarde Secure Linux, Fedora, Finnix, Foresight Linux, Freespire...>More>>
A Linux distribution is largely driven by its developer and user communities. Some vendors develop and fund their distributions on a volunteer basis, Debian being a well-known example. Others maintain a community version of their commercial distributions, as Red Hat does with Fedora.
In many cities and regions, local associations known as Linux Users Groups (LUGs) seek to promote their preferred distribution and by extension free software. They hold meetings and provide free demonstrations, training, technical support, and operating system installation to new users. Many Internet communities also provide support to Linux users and developers. Most distributions and free software / open source projects have IRC chatrooms or newsgroups. Online forums are another means for support...>>MORE>>
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