Operating Systems

ARM and x86 have been doing battle for the last decade. ARM tried to move into the server market and failed; Intel, which carries most of the x86 burden, tried to move on cellphones and failed. The battle for tablets is ongoing with ARM in the lead, and the battle for notebooks continues with Intel ...

The Linux operating system is many things to many users. It is not a one-size-must-fit-all computing platform like Microsoft and Apple provide. A prime example of Linux's wide range of functionalities is easily found in Garuda Linux. Not typically available in mainstream distributions, its large ass...

In this piece, I aim to provide a range of simple but effective options for encrypting a small number of files. In particular, these options are salient for use cases like tax filing, where users are sending sensitive documents to recipients with an unknown degree of technical proficiency. Fond as I...

Picking the ideal Linux distribution takes research and planning. Not because Linux is a challenge. Rather, the Linux OS offers a seemingly unending selection of distributions to meet general computing as well as special needs for enterprise, SMBs, and personal use.

A recent study by Kaspersky revealed that nearly one quarter of PCs still run Microsoft Windows 7, which stopped receiving mainstream support in January 2020. Using an end-of-life operating system that no longer receives security updates is akin to driving a car with a brake light on, suggested Oli...

Red Hat concluded its April two-day Summit 2021 Virtual Experience with a hefty list of announcements and presentations by the company's innovative customers driving the latest open-source technologies and trends. One of the event's most significant announcements was Red Hat's plan to deliver the fi...

When I last visited the ever-changing Netrunner distribution, I said that Netrunner Linux still went its own way. That was its twentieth rebirthday upgrade over its then 10-year history in late February 2020. The same is true for Netrunner 21.01 XOXO -- now with more modern trappings. This new relea...

Recently, I took an interest in poking at Gentoo a bit. In the eyes of many desktop Linux users, it's considered a rite of passage to install this historically significant distribution. This curiosity sent me on a much more interesting Linux safari to explore what truly differentiates distributions....

MakuluLinux is an unusually creative operating system that developer Jacque Montague Raymer is constantly changing with each major upgrade. Some of these changes are radical and innovative. Trust me on this point. I have had my hands on so many Linux varieties that the really good ones are in a leag...