Linux Format Blog

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When was the last time you tried to get someone to use Linux? A family member, a friend, your workplace, heck, how about your entire government? It all starts with a simple install, but unless there’s someone there to give them a disc or the right download, it’s only the lucky few that are ever going to discover Linux for themselves. Considering it’s nearly impossible to buy a new PC preinstalled with Linux it really is down to people to get into Linux themselves or with a little help from their friends…

So if you’re new to Linux we have a complete guide to get you started, it’ll hold your hand, explain how to use live discs and try Linux in a virtual machine, so you don’t even need to change a thing on any existing PCs. If you’re already sold on Linux, we look at building a reassuringly fast PC for a modest amount of cash. It’s an impressively speedy box that runs Linux like a champ.

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While us Northern hemisphere types pull out the thermal underwear to endure chillier weather and longer nights, we do get the bonus at this time of the year of a whole new Ubuntu distro release to enjoy. Ubuntu 16.10 has hit the internets and brings with it a host of updates, upgrades and Ubuntus.

This issue we’re not going to dwell on the core release – where enhanced support with the Linux kernel 4.8 and the Unity 8 preview are the highlights – instead we’re asking how can you make Ubuntu even better? Install Fedora you cry? Surely not, though Fedora 25 is just around the corner. Our resident experts have given us their tips on how to boost Ubuntu and make it even better.

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We know that some people scoff at the popularity of the Raspberry Pi, but selling in the millions and running the Debian-based Raspbian, why not think of it as one of the biggest selling GNU/Linux devices of all time? (Possibly because it is?) Surely that can only be a good thing and spreads contact with Linux to a wider and vitally younger audience? I recently listened to a FOSS (free and open source software) talk where the discussion centred on how any FOSS device could even come close to the success of the Apple iPhone. The talk turned to finding a niche new market or demand that no one else had thought of… Surely, I thought at the time, what they’re talking about here is the Raspberry Pi?

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“Please, come into my home nameless government agent. Yes, I have no issues with you looking through my letters, my computers, my phone, my messages, my photos and my emails. You want to store copies on your own servers forever? Fine, fine, take what you want, what a wonderful use of my tax money!” That’s effectively the situation that’s happening every second of the day while you’re online. Without being told, or warned, or asked, it appears all of our internet traffic has been stored away by government agencies in a number of secret programmes around the globe.

It’s all done to protect us, you understand, despite the documented misuse of this information – and that’s only the leaked cases we know about – and the almost zero documented cases of it actually stopping anything, but unlimited government surveillance is here. Thankfully with FOSS we have the tools, know-how and organisation to block prying eyes and protect sensitive data.

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What has any of us achieved over the last 25 years? I can tell you the Linux kernel has developed into a Goliath with 17 million lines of code, that started life as one coder’s hobby and has turned into a world-leading kernel, which powers the majority of servers in the world (and apparently over 2.3% of desktops).

That faintly smiling penguin we know and love as Tux propelled, what should be an unknown and uncared-for OS component to worldwide fame. No one wanders around talking about the Windows kernel, the Mac OS X kernel (sorry BSD!) or complains that their TLA doesn’t proceed that kernel’s name, but apparently Linux is known well enough that it can have entire magazines named after it!

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2016 is turning out to be an exciting year for GNU/Linux distro releases. First we had the release of the class- leading Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, and from that a host of spin-off distros have been slowly appearing. The next most popular release is Linux Mint 18. Based on that LTS Ubuntu release, this next big Mint release brings with it a host of huge changes to the popular distro.

To celebrate Linux Mint 18 being released, we’re running a comprehensive feature on what’s new and exciting in this release of Mint, from its all-new X-Apps to the new improved Cinnamon desktop that so many know and love. We run you through the install process, look at how Mint is built, examine where it went wrong with its security in the past, show how it has fixed the situation and where Mint could still improve itself. We’re sure you’re going to love Mint 18, so we’ve got both the 64- and 32-bit releases on the disc.

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In this modern world with all-powerful mobile devices, ever-present internet connections and storage devices measuring in the multi-terabyte level you’d be excused for thinking a self-supported home or office server is as dead as the dinosaurs. How wrong you’d be.

We’re celebrating the best in the open source world this issue, by picking our top 100 tools of the open source crop. The one proviso being this is an impossible job, with tens of thousands of projects, tools, services, applications and more in constant development, singling out a meagre 100 as the best seems somewhat presumptive.

For all you new Linux users, whether you’ve chosen Ubuntu, Mint or Fedora, we know that starting to get to grips with your new OS can be a bit daunting. And we know that even experienced Linux users can still have trouble every now and then. This is why we want to give you the chance to get 2 years of Linux Format for the price of 1.

In this issue – cue music – Linux users are doing it for themselves. We’re not happy with how our desktops are being built, so we’re going to make one ourselves. It seems a long-standing open source tradition that if you don’t like what you’re given, you can just fork it and do the job yourself. While we’re not going to develop a desktop environment from scratch, we are going to take out our digital digger and look at building our ideal desktop ourselves.