The difference in open source licenses
Not all open source licenses are the same. Choose the one that matters to you.
15 Essential Open-Source Backup Utilities to Protect Your Data
Protecting your data has never been more crucial. With the advent of hybrid work, cloud-native applications, and ransomware threats, reliable backup solutions are indispensable for...
Easily Create Windows Installation Media Using Linux Tool
Recently, I've been helping people with Windows machines. In one case, I needed to create bootable drives for Windows Server 2022 and Windows Server 2025...
Why VirtualBox is my goto Hypervisor
I first started using VirtualBox many years ago, and it quickly became my favorite virtualization platform. What drew me in initially was its open-source nature....
Free Office Software That Works
Recently, I had a client who, despite my recommendation for Linux or macOS, chose instead to opt for Microsoft Windows 11. They purchased a nice...
A quick look back at ATO 2025
Here it is Thursday already and All Things Open 2025 closed its doors on Tuesday. I spent all three days there and once again had...
ATO book signing schedule announced
The ATO organizers have announced the book signing schedule for All Things Open 2025. I'll be signing copies of three of my books on Monday...
SourceForge is ending free personal web hosting
SourceForge will end personal web hosting (unrelated to project web hosting) in October.
Using QGIS and MerginMaps for Geospatial Data Work
Recently, a friend asked me if I could help him map his walk around the area where he lives. I use a pedometer to track...
Good Reasons for Linux as your daily driver
Linux stands out as a consumer operating system thanks to its unique blend of freedom, performance, and community-driven innovation. Whether you’re on a budget laptop,...
Introducing Jan: A Privacy-Centric, Open-Source GPT for AI Enthusiasts
Are you looking for a locally hosted open source GPT that protects your privacy while allowing you to leverage the latest AI models? Then you need to download Jan. Jan is easy to install on Linux, macOS, and Windows and has excellent documentation to guide that process.
The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins, Tenet 23—Support your Favorite Open Source Project
Author’s note: This article is excerpted in part from chapter 25 of my book, The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins, with significant changes to update the...
Thinking about Algol 68
In memory of J. Kevin Douglas, a good friend and fellow fan of Algol 68 I took my first computer science course in my second...
Breaking Free from Windows 10: KDE Plasma Is Your Upgrade to Freedom
October 14, 2025, is a big day if you’re a Microsoft Windows user. That’s the day that support for Windows 10 ends. But what if...
Writing with open source tools
Aside from my other work, I also teach a few university courses about technical writing. One class I like to teach is about writing with...
GIMP: the free Photoshop alternative
The GNU Image Manipulation Program, the acronymous, free drawing program, is often also named as the free Photoshop alternative: GIMP. I’ve used it since 2009....
