3/19/2013 Show Notes

You can find the Going Linux podcast on iTunes, on Stitcher, or on the Going Linux website:

http://goinglinux.com … and on Twitter (@goinglinux) and Google+ (or just Google for Larry Bushey Linux. You’ll find lots of stuff!)

 Emails

LINUX TOPIC FOR THE MONTH:

“If Apple wrote ad copy for Linux”

 

Talking Points

 

I have said that the greatest barrier to the adoption of Linux for home computing is the lack of advertising. Back in 2009 Ken Starks produced a professional advertisement for Linux that ran on KLBJ AM radio, the Kim Komando show and elsewhere. The links to the original voice track are broken but fortunately I remastered the ad, added some background music and the result is the first link, below. Everything is Creative Commons licensed and all the attribution is on the Internet Archive where we host our files.

 

As for print ads or advertising on a website, you may recognize some of the wording, here, but this fake ad copy illustrates that what the “big boys” say about their OS can apply to Linux as well. Here is some ad copy that might have been used by the Linux Mint distribution if others hadn’t beaten them to it:

 

Linux Mint is designed with powerful, advanced technologies that work together to constantly scrutinize, encrypt, update — and ultimately keep your computer safer. For starters, Linux Mint is built on a proven, secure UNIX foundation. It also includes a host of features designed to protect your computer and the information on it. The Software Manager makes it safer to download and install apps. File encryption safeguards data using powerful encryption. And the best way to keep your Linux software up to date with the latest security features? Just install software updates with a click.

 

The best way to protect your computer is to keep your software up to date, and Linux Mint makes it easier than ever. It unifies software updates for your apps and updates to Linux in the Update Manager. When new updates are available, Linux Mint sends you a notification. Just accept the updates with a click and they download automatically. Update Manager checks for new updates every day, so it’s easy to always have the latest and safest version of Linux and its applications.

 

While no system can be 100 percent immune from every threat, Linux lets you do even more to keep your information as safe as possible. You’ll find most of these additional security features in the System Settings. Here are just a few of the things you can do:

 

 

  • Turn on a firewall to prevent other machines from accessing services running on your computer.

  • Control access to your computer by locking your screen after a period of inactivity.

  • Set up secure file sharing.

 

Thanks to its support for industry standards, Linux Mint works with virtually all email providers and websites. It also lets you view the most common file types, including Office documents, PDFs, images, text files, MP3s, videos, ZIP files, and more.

 

So if you’re moving files from a Windows or Mac or if your friends and colleagues send you files, you can rest assured they’ll work beautifully on Linux.

 

Office on Linux.

 

LibreOffice for lets you create documents, spreadsheets and presentations with standards-compliant word processor, spreadsheet and presentation software applications, and you can even save them in Microsoft’s .docx, .xlsx and .pptx formats — just like on a Mac or Windows PC. It’s compatible with Microsoft Office for Windows, so you can easily share documents with friends and colleagues. Even if you don’t have Office installed on your Mac, you can use Quick Look to take a peek at Office documents without having to open an application.

 

Relax. Your camera, printer, and mouse work, too.

 

Almost any device that connects to a computer via USB, audio cable, or Bluetooth will work with Linux Mint. That includes digital cameras, external hard drives, printers, keyboards, speakers, and more.

 

Of course you can use a right-click mouse with Linux Mint. And with thousands of device drivers included with OS X, you can start using these devices as soon as you plug them in — no need to manually download additional software.

 

 

Linux can even run Windows.

 

Have a Windows application you need to use once in a while? No problem. You can install Linux Mint along side of Windows if you want.

 

Setup is simple and safe for your files. After you’ve completed the installation, you can boot up your computer using either Linux or Windows. Or if you want to run Windows and Linux applications at the same time — without rebooting — you can install Windows using VMware or OpenBox software. Or just install that compatible Windows application in WINE and run it right from within Linux Mint.

 

Connect to other PCs over a network.

 

The Nemo File Manager not only lets you browse files on your Linux Mint computer, it also makes it easy to find files on other computers — Linux, Mac and PC — on your home network. Computers that allow file sharing can be found in the Network section of the File Manager sidebar, allowing you to browse files and folders you have permission to view.

 

Works on Linux Mint, Windows and Mac:

 

 

  • LibreOffice, saving documents in standards-compliant or Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats, whether they are created on Linux, OSX or Windows

  • Other operating systems using VMWare or OpenBox

  • Access to files shared from other computers

  • Virtually all email services and providers

  • The most popular Internet browsers including Firefox and Chrome and Opera

  • Popular file types such as PDF, JPG, ZIP, MP3, MPEG and more

  • Digital cameras, printers, hard drives, mice, and keyboards with USB connections

  • Wi-Fi hotspots and Linux, Mac or Windows networks

  • Instant messaging with AIM, Google, MSN, Yahoo!, and more

 

Links we discussed in the show:

Linux Advert created by the folks at the Going Linux podcast. We created our version of this Linux Advert http://archive.org/download/LinuxAdvert/LinuxAdvert-mono.mp3 (Creative Commons License) using Ken Starks’ words (http://linuxlock.blogspot.com/2009/09/tux-takes-to-airwve.html), and music (Ashrilyn’s “Jungle”) from http://www.archive.org/details/Ashrilyn.

 

Remove DRM: http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/33855/how-can-i-remove-drm-from-my-itunes-music-without-transcoding

SharePod: http://www.getsharepod.com/

unetbootin: http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

owncloud www.owncloud.org