Saving Public Library Computers With Linux Mint MATE
I was volunteering at the local public library, where I find myself frequently these days. The library has some older Dell OptiPlex All-in-One desktops that...
Why I Didn’t Convert My Primary Workstation to BtrFS
When I started writing this series about the BtrFS filesystem, I fully intended to migrate my primary workstation from EXT4 so that I could get...
Converting to BtrFS — Episode 5
The previous step in conversion of my main test computer from EXT4 filesystems on a Logical Volume Manager (LVM) base, to BtrFS is complete. It...
Why I prefer tar to zip
I love having choices when it comes to computing, and especially in the world of open source we're spoilt when it comes to archiving files....
Tinkering with Immutable Linux: How Fedora Cosmic Atomic Won Me Over
I have been doing a lot of reading and listening to YouTube videos about immutable distributions and why they might offer the most flexibility for...
Using Wildcards on the Bash Command Line
The function of any shell, whether Bash, KSH, CSH is to take commands entered on the command line; expand any file globs, that is wildcard...
2025 — a Great Year for Both.org
2025 was an amazing year for Both.org. We started with only a few visitors per day and grew rapidly. Although the time up to the...
How Immutable Linux Could Save Libraries Thousands
Immutable systems like Silverblue can be configured for kiosk mode in libraries and other public spaces that allow patrons to use them for internet access and other uses but do not allow those patrons to change the core system in any way.
Counting words from online articles
Here’s how I automated counting words from a series of articles.
Introduction to the BtrFS Filesystem
Over the nearly 30 years I have been using Linux, the default filesystem for Red Hat Linux (not RHEL) and Fedora, the EXT series of...
Quick Tip for umount
Sometimes learning a new thing can be the result of my innate curiosity.
The Truth About Disk Fragmentation
Modern Linux filesystems make defragmentation irrelevant for most of us.
Version Control Is Not Just for Code
Most editing problems are really problems of change management. When multiple people are editing the same document, spreadsheet, or plan, things can get messy fast....
Counting files and words from the command line
Here’s a practical example of how I use the command line to tally how much I wrote this year.