Skip to the content
Both.org
News, Opinion, Tutorials, and Community for Linux Users and SysAdmins
  • About Us
  • Computers 101
    • Hardware 101
    • Operating Systems 101
  • End of 10 Events
    • Wake Forest, NC, — 2025-09-20
  • Linux
    • Why I use Linux
    • The real reason we use Linux
  • My Linux Books
    • systemd for Linux SysAdmins
    • Using and Administering Linux – Zero to SysAdmin: 2nd Edition
    • The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins
    • Linux for Small Business Owners
    • Errata
      • Errata for The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins
      • Errata for Using and Administering Linux — 1st Edition
      • Errata for Using and Administering Linux — 2nd Edition
  • Open Source Resources
    • What is Open Source?
    • What is Linux?
    • What is Open Source Software?
    • The Open Source Way
  • Write for us
    • Submission and Style guide
    • Advertising statement
  • Downloads
1

Book Update

April 4, 2026
2

Fedora Prix Fixe Menu Gives Flexibility

April 2, 2026March 28, 2026
3

Why Linux Matters More Than Ever in 2026

March 31, 2026March 27, 2026
4

“Using and Administering Linux” Book Progress Update

March 29, 2026March 29, 2026
5

Use FreeDOS to learn about computers

March 26, 2026
6

From ‘Obsolete’ to Opportunity: How Five Old PCs Found New Purpose

March 20, 2026March 19, 2026
7

Fedora 44 Coming Soon

March 18, 2026
8

VirtualBox Problem Solved

March 16, 2026March 17, 2026
9

Is there a better Pi Day than March 14?

March 14, 2026March 14, 2026
  • Home
  • Jim Hall
  • Page 8

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.
FreeDOS Text Editors

Editing files with FreeDOS Edlin

Edlin is a classic editor from the early DOS days, but it’s still a fun and useful editor.

Jim Hall
September 5, 2024September 4, 2024
Read More
Both.org Getting Started Open Source

Join the community and share an article

Our community wants to read about your experience and how you use your favorite open source application.

Jim Hall
September 1, 2024August 11, 2024
Read More
Command Line Linux

Check spelling at the command line

Check spelling at the command line like old-school Unix with this cool script.

Jim Hall
August 24, 2024August 16, 2024
Read More
Fun Programming

Guess the number in FORTRAN 77

Explore classic programming in FORTRAN 77 with this sample program.

Jim Hall
August 20, 2024August 13, 2024
Read More
LibreOffice

Count magic bunnies in LibreOffice Calc

Use this tutorial to learn about AutoFill in LibreOffice Calc.

Jim Hall
August 19, 2024August 13, 2024
Read More
LibreOffice

LibreOffice Calc functions to make your work easier

Here are the LibreOffice Calc functions that I use all the time to get my work done.

Jim Hall
August 12, 2024August 7, 2024
Read More
History Programming

A look back: FORTRAN 77

Take a step back in time to a time when programs were punched on cards.

Jim Hall
August 10, 2024August 7, 2024
Read More
File Management Programming

Converting WordStar files

Explore how this popular word processor stored data, so you can convert your old files.

Jim Hall
August 9, 2024August 6, 2024
Read More
Terminal Xfce

5 things I love about Xfce Terminal

I use these Xfce Terminal features all the time to work at the command line.

Jim Hall
August 2, 2024July 30, 2024
Read More
Design Desktop Graphics Linux

Visual brand and identity

A user interface has a visual identity. See how simple shapes can represent several common interfaces.

Jim Hall
July 19, 2024July 15, 2024
Read More
Linux Raspberry Pi System Administration

Automate Raspberry Pi tasks with crontab

If you need to do a task on a regular schedule, explore how you can use crontab to do the repetitive work for you.

Jim Hall
July 15, 2024July 10, 2024
Read More
Fun Vim

My favorite Vim color schemes

Customize Vim to use the color scheme that works best for you.

Jim Hall
July 12, 2024July 7, 2024
Read More
FreeDOS History

Celebrating 30 years of FreeDOS

FreeDOS is a great example of the open source model: developers working together to create new programs

Jim Hall
June 29, 2024May 29, 2024
Read More
Open Source 101

How many usability testers do you need?

It doesn’t take many testers to get results that are “good enough” to improve your design.

Jim Hall
June 28, 2024June 15, 2024
Read More
Open Source 101

Screencasts for usability testing

With screencasts, you can extend your usability testing.

Jim Hall
June 26, 2024June 15, 2024
Read More
Open Source 101

Usability testing in open source software

Through usability testing, we can make open source software projects easier for everyone to use.

Jim Hall
June 24, 2024June 15, 2024
Read More

Posts pagination

Previous 1 … 7 8 9 … 11 Next

Random Quote

On Linux you’re an admin
On Mac you’re an end user
On Windows you’re a victim

— @sudoku.bsky.social

Why I’ve Never Used Windows

On February 12 I gave a presentation at the Triangle Linux Users Group (TriLUG) about why I use Linux and why I’ve never used Windows.

Here’s the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/live/uCK_haOXPFM 

David Both ATO Interview

Last October at All Things Open (ATO) I was interviewed by Jason Hibbits of We Love Open Source. It’s posted in the article “Why today’s AI isn’t intelligent (yet)“.

“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.

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.

Subscribe to Both.org

To comment on articles, you must have an account.

Send your desired user ID, first and last name, and an email address for login (this must be the same email address used to register) to subscribe@both.org with “Subscribe” as the subject line.

You’ll receive a confirmation of your subscription with your initial password as soon as we are able to process it.

Administration

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
  • About Us
  • Computers 101
    • Hardware 101
    • Operating Systems 101
  • End of 10 Events
    • Wake Forest, NC, — 2025-09-20
  • Linux
    • Why I use Linux
    • The real reason we use Linux
  • My Linux Books
    • systemd for Linux SysAdmins
    • Using and Administering Linux – Zero to SysAdmin: 2nd Edition
    • The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins
    • Linux for Small Business Owners
    • Errata
      • Errata for The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins
      • Errata for Using and Administering Linux — 1st Edition
      • Errata for Using and Administering Linux — 2nd Edition
  • Open Source Resources
    • What is Open Source?
    • What is Linux?
    • What is Open Source Software?
    • The Open Source Way
  • Write for us
    • Submission and Style guide
    • Advertising statement
  • Downloads

License and AI Statements

Both.org aims to publish everything under a Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike license. Some items may be published under a different license. You are responsible to verify permissions before reusing content from this website.

The opinions expressed are those of the individual authors, not Both.org.

You may not use this content to train AI.

 

Advertising Statement

Advertising Statement

To the Top ↑ Up ↑