Introduction
Linux Voice

This month in Linux Voice.
This month I've been working on processing large volumes of data. I won't bore you with the details, but it involved using a tool that brought some data together, then pushed it up into a commercial cloud infrastructure so we could process it on lots of machines at the same time. The tools have proved to be a bit flaky, but with one important difference: The tool I was using to pre-process the data and get it into the cloud infrastructure was open source, whereas the tools in the cloud infrastructure were closed (at least the bits we had trouble with were).
There are lots of reasons to use open source software, but a huge one for me is that I can fix stuff. When the open source tool broke, I would look at the code. Sometimes I could fix the problems, sometimes I could work around them, but at least there was something I could do. When the closed source software broke, I was stuck waiting for a customer service agent to get to my email and see if they could do something.
Now, either of these things is a bit of a lottery. It's possible that the bug in the open source program is in some byzantine code that I can't understand let alone fix, and it's possible to get a quick fix from customer service agents. However, my small amount of anecdotal evidence is starting to convince me that neither of these are very often the case. I've frequently been able to fix little issues with FOSS software, and battled endlessly with customer service people. I thought about this when reading Mike's piece on FOSS advocacy this month. For me, advocacy always starts with understanding why something's important to you, and using that passion to explain your point of view to someone else.
It's not all about other people this month. You can find out what Andrew discovered when he ventured out of Yorkshire to a little estate called Bletchley Park, discover the latest software with Graham's FOSSPicks, write your own graphical programs with Mike's guide to Python, and much more. Spring is here, so turn the page and dive into a pool of Linux learning.
– Ben Everard
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Direct Download
Read full article as PDF:
Price $2.95
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Find SysAdmin Jobs
News
-
MNT Seeks Financial Backing for New Seven-Inch Linux Laptop
MNT Pocket Reform is a tiny laptop that is modular, upgradable, recyclable, reusable, and ships with Debian Linux.
-
Ubuntu Flatpak Remix Adds Flatpak Support Preinstalled
If you're looking for a version of Ubuntu that includes Flatpak support out of the box, there's one clear option.
-
Gnome 44 Release Candidate Now Available
The Gnome 44 release candidate has officially arrived and adds a few changes into the mix.
-
Flathub Vying to Become the Standard Linux App Store
If the Flathub team has any say in the matter, their product will become the default tool for installing Linux apps in 2023.
-
Debian 12 to Ship with KDE Plasma 5.27
The Debian development team has shifted to the latest version of KDE for their testing branch.
-
Planet Computers Launches ARM-based Linux Desktop PCs
The firm that originally released a line of mobile keyboards has taken a different direction and has developed a new line of out-of-the-box mini Linux desktop computers.
-
Ubuntu No Longer Shipping with Flatpak
In a move that probably won’t come as a shock to many, Ubuntu and all of its official spins will no longer ship with Flatpak installed.
-
openSUSE Leap 15.5 Beta Now Available
The final version of the Leap 15 series of openSUSE is available for beta testing and offers only new software versions.
-
Linux Kernel 6.2 Released with New Hardware Support
Find out what's new in the most recent release from Linus Torvalds and the Linux kernel team.
-
Kubuntu Focus Team Releases New Mini Desktop
The team behind Kubuntu Focus has released a new NX GEN 2 mini desktop PC powered by Linux.