Development isn’t over until it’s packaged
Most software development I've done has been utilities for highly specific workflows. I've written code to ensure that metadata for a company's custom file format...
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.
The difference in open source licenses
Not all open source licenses are the same. Choose the one that matters to you.
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.
Prognostications for 2026
The advent of a new year always seems to give us an excuse to inflict our opinions about what we expect -- or hope --...
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.
Behind the Badge: Community, Process, and Care in Open Source Exams
Open source certifications are the result of months of people working together across time zones, building trust, and figuring things out as a group. This work is rarely visible from the outside, but it is what gives a credential its credibility.
Edit text with this Emacs-like editor
If you’re already familiar with GNU Emacs, you should feel right at home in Freemacs.