Linux

Linux is an open source family of operating systems.

Getting Started

My origin story is like many. I became increasingly frustrated with the Windows experience. I presumed that the term Personal Computer meant I could decide what I could do with my software and hardware.

And yet, Microsoft kept limiting me. It kept locking away core features behind registration, paywalls, and file incompatability. Microsoft Office became Office 365. Windows Media Player became an optional feature. In my Master’s coursework, ArcGIS claimed universal file compatability, but refused to accept any spreadsheet other than the most modern xlsx version.

Vague references to python scripts in my coursework eventually led me to an online course under the University of Michigan. I bought a Raspberry Pi kit and eventually downloaded Linux Mint. I read The Linux Command Line (TLCL) by William Shotts and just kept going.

So What? I’m not a programmer

You don’t need to become a programmer to use Linux (though I highly recommend Linux to all programmers).

Most people just need to write a paper or print a DMV form. And that’s fine. Computers shouldn’t exist for their own sake*. People should use computers as it suits them. If that means using a phone for all their needs and borrowing a library computer every once in a while, that is a valid use of computers. By the same measure, if you want a 64-core gaming rig, have at it!

In any case, you should know that Linux keeps advancing year after year to deliver more features without gatekeeping. Everyone should be able to write a paper. Everyone should be able to print their tax forms. And the Space Station should not fall out of the sky because it did not pay its monthly fee to Cortana’s accounting subroutine.

Footnotes:

Photo Credits — LCLS, SLC Tribune

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