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1

I’m glad I run Linux

August 1, 2025July 31, 2025
2

Tips for faster note taking with Joplin

July 31, 2025July 24, 2025
3

Disk Disaster

July 30, 2025July 30, 2025
4

Ten moments that shaped Linux

July 29, 2025July 24, 2025
5

My six tenets for learning to be a Linux SysAdmin

July 28, 2025July 28, 2025
6

Three surprising reasons I like the Cinnamon desktop

July 25, 2025July 25, 2025
7

My worst self-inflicted IT disaster

July 24, 2025July 24, 2025
8

My Journey From Zero to Linux SysAdmin

July 23, 2025July 22, 2025
9

Making FORTRAN 77 easier to read

July 22, 2025July 21, 2025
  • Home
  • Jim Hall
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jhall

Jim Hall is an open source software developer and advocate. His first contribution to open source was in 1993 with a patch to GNU Emacs, but he is probably best known for his work on FreeDOS, the open source version of the DOS operating system, and for his work on usability in open source software. In addition to writing open source software, Jim also writes about open source software, including Both.org and All Things Open, and about technical writing at Technically We Write.
Linux Open Source Software Programming

Exploring the history of technology

Learn about these important milestones in computing history as you experiment with writing your first program.

Jim Hall
March 22, 2024March 16, 2024
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Bash Command Line Tips and tricks

Using ‘if’ in a Bash script

Writing a short Bash script can save typing lots of instructions at the command line.

Jim Hall
March 15, 2024March 15, 2024
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Community Curiosity

How to write your first article

Open source is for everyone! And at Both.org, we encourage everyone to share their open source journey.

Jim Hall
March 6, 2024March 6, 2024
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Fun Programming

Draw a heart for Valentine’s Day

With a bit of programming, you can draw your own Valentine heart in graphics mode on FreeDOS.

Jim Hall
February 14, 2024February 3, 2024
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Community Open Source

Looking ahead to 30 years of FreeDOS

Learn about the origins of this classic open source operating system.

Jim Hall
February 10, 2024February 10, 2024
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Community Programming

You don’t need a computer science degree to work with open source software

Open source makes software knowledge accessible to anyone, so formal training isn’t the only path to a technology career.

Jim Hall
February 1, 2024January 23, 2024
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Open Source Tools

Teaching technical writing with open source

In addition to my work as a consultant, I also teach a few courses on technical writing. One of these is a course about writing...

Jim Hall
January 8, 2024December 28, 2023
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Code

Holiday snow on your terminal

I live in Minnesota and we haven't gotten a lot of snow yet, so I figured I'd add a little "holiday cheer" by writing a...

Jim Hall
December 19, 2023December 19, 2023
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Posts pagination

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Random Quote

If the input editor has been designed to reject all bad input, an ingenious idiot will discover a method to get bad data past it.

— Troutman’s Programming Postulates

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Links: Open Source Software

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“systemd for SysAdmins” Now Available

May 13,2025

My latest book — a #1 New Release on Amazon — “systemd for Linux  SysAdmins” is now available from my publisher, Apress, and on Amazon.

2nd Edition now Available

All three volumes of this best-selling second edition of my Linux Self-Study course are now available from Apress and Amazon. See the details of this 3-volume self-study course.

Technically We Write — Our Partner Site

Our partner site, Technically We Write, has published a number of articles from several contributors to Both.org. Check them out.

Technically We Write is a community of technical writers, technical editors, copyeditors, web content writers, and all other roles in technical communication.

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    • Why I use Linux
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    • The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins
    • Linux for Small Business Owners
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      • Errata for The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins
      • Errata for Using and Administering Linux — 1st Edition
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