First Step - - Open Source

I know that one of the hardest challenges to dumping Windows is the fear of not having what you are used to anymore. The fear of the unknown and the fear of thinking that you are going to lose everything that you have can be paralyzing. But, we are going to help you with that aspect too.

We all have our favorite go-to programs and apps that we do not know what we would do without. I completely understand that. So let's look at some of the most common types of software and apps that we use daily. But, before we do that, let me introduce you to the 2 broad types of software and apps.

The 2 basic types of software:
               1) Closed Source or Proprietary software; think of them as high-end brand names. Microsoft and Apple are the largest, they keep their code 'secret', another words it is not readily or openly available to other programmers and coders.
              2) Open Source; think of these as the upstart and generic brands. And just like with other industries, if you are willing to take the chance you find out that most of these products are as good as if not better than the big boys. These programs have 'open' code, another words the companies and writers using Open Source make their code readily available to everyone.
And as we go on you might be surprised at the number of Open Source companies and products you are already loyal to.

Why might knowing about Open Source companies and products matter for ditching Windows, cause chances are you will find that at least some if not all of your favorite apps can go with you! You might recognize some of the logos in the picture above, but, did you know that all those companies and more are Open Source and can go with you to Linux!?!

Let us briefly list some of the most common Open Source products out there;
     Browsers: Firefox, Chrome, Vivaldi, Yandex, Opera, Pale Moon, and Epic, just to name a few off the top of my head. And for every one that I did name there are a dozen more that I did not.
     Office Suites: By far, the top two are Open Office and Libre Office. The former was my first step away from MS Office, however, the later is my long time favorite! Again there are others and some distros are creating their own in-house suites.
     Mail Clients: Thunderbird, Mailspring, Claws and Geary are probably the most common but several of the Open Source browsers have their own as well. For example Thunderbird is part of the Firefox services from Mozilla and SeaMonkey has a whole range of products in addition to their browser.
     Audio/Video: Most of us have heard of Audacity, and VLC, there is also Blender, OpenShot, Clementine, Audacious, and many others depending on your needs, from listening to mixxing to creating/composing. As with Microsoft and Apple most distros have a music/video/media player included.
     Graphics/Publishing: Here we have GIMP, Inkscape, Blender, and Scribus. Plus tons more for specialized needs from artist sketching to scientific publishing and everything in between. There really are too many to mention here, especially since most are niche focused. The ones I have included are standouts in their respective areas. In addition some of the suites and browsers have applications that cover basic needs.

If eBooks are your thing how bout Calibre. Into gaming, you will not lose Discord and Steam has its own Linux OS. Into communicating 20 different ways there is Slack and Franz and Rambox, along with lots of linux versions of common VoIPs such as Skype and Viber and IRCs too.

So as you can see there is absolutely no shortage of cross-over programs and there are a multitude of Linux specific programs that will seriously meet all your needs. As a matter of fact, the sheer volume of Linux options can be downright overwhelming. Not to worry, H and I have sifted through most of them for you already in our own journey. Part of the reason that we are here, to help you transition more easily.




Photo Credit: via linuxrocksonline

Where Do I Start?

So you are fed up with Windows?!?
Take heart! You are not alone! So many others, including my boyfriend and myself, have been exactly where you are!

Updates dropping our favorite features!
Options we used all the time, gone!
Programs we relied on daily being dropped!
Or worse, everything is a "Cloud Only" Subscription!
Instead of Opt In you have to find the secret location to Opt Out!
Privacy is now a joke!

You have thought about switching to Mac....but, there isn't much difference. Apple was the proto-model for cloud only storage, and the price of iAnything is the top end of the retail market!

The only other option you have heard of is the mysterious Linux. But, isn't that only for computer hackers and tech geeks?
It's complicated and you have to type commands and such!

What if I told you that is not the case any more, or at least not the whole truth of Linux today!
Today there are lots of different Linux distros for the non-tech savvy user to choose from. Matter of fact, most new to Linux refugees find the number of options to be daunting and overwhelming!

Fear not we are here to help you navigate and understand the options.

First there are two major styles of Linux; debian and arch.

For most of us ordinary users debian will be our choice. But, that being said, do not totally discount arch! (We will surprise you in a future article)
So let's talk a little bit about debian.

While, Debian is a distro in its own right, it is more commonly a term to lump all the distros that are built on debian together. What that means is that most of the distros that you will consider have taken the debian foundation and built on to it and packaged it with different features and options to focus on differing priorities.

It is basically the same thing that Microsoft did with DOS and Windows. DOS was the structure and Windows was the facade or decoration that you saw, used and interacted with.

In addition, the debian tree has several large branches that split off and have many smaller branches sprouting from their larger branches all the way down to individual leaves or versions of distros.

Feeling overwhelmed yet, trust me, H and I know just how you feel. Being a man, H was less concerned with knowing if he got the perfect distro right off the bat. I on the other hand, read and read and Googled and watched more videos than I had watched movies and TV in the same amount of time and still was not truly sure of my choice.

Solution: "Babe, make a few LiveUSBs and test them out and then go with the one you like. And if you change your mind in the future, switch!" He's great! And correct!

That is the best advice that you can be given when it comes to wading into the waters of Linux. Don't worry we are going to give you some help and our opinions and advice about different distros and where to start in future articles, but, it is best with Linux, to create a few LiveUSBs and really test them out, get a feel for them and see if you like them at all.

There were several that upon reading all about them, I LOVED! Then I tried them and guess what..... not so much love all the way to hated it!
That being said, there is a distro for everyone and we will help you find your perfect match!





Photo Credit: via Calibre Computer Solutions

Dear Windows, Good-Bye. Without Love...

Hi, my name is Cassi and I am a Windows survivor! In the beginning Windows seemed so perfect. It made my life easier and gave me an easy to use interface so that I could be more productive without having to be a programmer.  And it even still gave me my DOS command window. It allowed me to organize and tweak my OS environment to suit my needs and my skill level. So as we progressed, we settled into a normal regular routine.

Oh, sure we had our ups and downs I mean, all relationships do. I don't think ours was any worse or more than anyone else's. I still remember when Mac, the new guy in town showed up. Oh, he was a slick one, turning heads and promising everything Windows had, only newer and cooler and stronger! And I admit that Mac got one of his new friends to try to show me how cool he was; but, while his looks were impressive, I was comfortable with my own Windows, besides, if it ain't broke why fix it, right.

To make matters worse, how was I to know that my beloved Windows would go through a mid-life crisis with the turning of the century and never come out of it!

 First he, decided that he needed a new look and then he needed a new title and couldn't settle on one...are you 2000 or Me? Do you even know who you are or what you want anymore? Why are you changing? What was wrong with the way we were? I was happy! Oh, sure I changed the desktop and background from time to time, but, I didn't get all mid-life crisis on you just cause the 1900's became the 2000's! Oh, no you had to go and throw it all away! All the hard work and the building up and the years of ups and downs. So I let you have your wild ride for a few years until you stopped supporting my (XP)memories of the way things used to be!

Then you got all security conscious and protective with your Vista! So we did nothing but fight. I begged and pleaded and finally you said you saw the light and gave me 7! I could see the effort (at least I thought it was sincere at the time) and compromised that while it was not my beloved XP, it at least was not Vista. So we created a fragile balance of co-existence until you decided that we need a WHOLE NEW EVERYTHING!

So what do you do.....BOOM here's 8, slamming through the fragile peace like Johnny through the bathroom door! I cannot find anything! I cannot change much of anything! All my favorite parts are gone and nothing is the way I like it! What happened to the WE in this relationship.....when did it become all about YOU!!! Oh, that's right way back when you bullied all the hardware makers to ONLY load your OS on their mass produced products and I didn't balk cause I was happy back then and I trusted you to like me happy! Instead I now have a tyrant telling me that I am happy cause you say so! NO! NO! NO! I am NOT happy!

So I pack my bags and hand you divorce papers and what do you do.....you promise me to make it all right and to do it for FREE! For my loyalty you give me 10! You tell me that you have super improved it for my ease of use and syncing and that EVERYTHING you do, you do for ME and my joy! But, what you have done is built me a golden cage! You track my every move! You watch my every moment! You force updates and installs against my will! With you No doesn't mean no, it doesn't even mean wait, stop, think about it, promise me more....it means yes to you. No matter how much I screamed NO! DON'T! STOP! You are killing us! You kept right on......

but, I had heard rumors of a hero in the night....

I dug in my memories for those whispers in the dark. Those breathy comments by the rebels of the web! Linux was the name....but, it seemed so strange and foreign, it looked so alien and complex. What was a girl to do?

I decided it couldn't hurt to look, right? I mean I was in a broken relationship with NO hope, the worst place I could be, so what did I have to lose? Besides, I had always had that part of me that walked on the darkside; just cause I had been a longtime Windows OS girl didn't mean that I was a total Microsoft mistress. No, in fact, I had always loved those Open Source guys! They knew how to give a girl what she wanted and more and usually always for FREE!

So I took a walk down Linux lane looking for my new beau and what did I find??? I found more options than I could count and more looks and styles than a 5th Ave Fashion Week! WOW! What had I been missing? How do you pick? How do you choose? I was dizzy from all the options; but, I was determined cause once a girl looses hope in her guy.....she has no option but to find a new hero! So I read and read and read some more....

I read and watched more reviews and compares and contrasts than there are sports teams in the US! And slowly and surely I weeded out the ones too techy for me and the ones too Mac'y for me. I listed all my must haves and then the extras that would melt my heart.....so my short list came down to finally 2 ....... Mint and Zorin......and I will give each their due coming up....... see who wins my heart and who gets my system for keeps or at least for right now!