The gift of free software
Doghouse – Sharing FOSS
Using your time to introduce someone to Linux can enrich their world and the free software community – and improve your own understanding in the process.
This column was inspired during the Christmas season. That season will have passed when this column reaches you, but the sentiment of gift giving lasts the whole year through. Over the course of 2024, there was a lot of focus given to income differences, with some people having a lot of money and some people having very little.
One gift that can be given that is the same for both the mega rich and the not-so-wealthy is the gift of your time. More or less, people are granted a fixed length of time on this planet, and when that time is up we die. So every hour is a gift to give to someone which cannot be given again no matter how much money you have.
One of the things that keeps me going are the people who have come to me from time to time and thanked me for the time I have spent with them, either individually or in groups, to help them get started with free software. Sometimes I did not even realize the influence I was having on them, but often they turned my direction into positive actions in their own life.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
KDE Unleashes Plasma 6.5
The Plasma 6.5 desktop environment is now available with new features, improvements, and the usual bug fixes.
-
Xubuntu Site Possibly Hacked
It appears that the Xubuntu site was hacked and briefly served up a malicious ZIP file from its download page.
-
LMDE 7 Now Available
Linux Mint Debian Edition, version 7, has been officially released and is based on upstream Debian.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Reaches EOL
Linux kernel 6.16 has reached its end of life, which means you'll need to upgrade to the next stable release, Linux kernel 6.17.
-
Amazon Ditches Android for a Linux-Based OS
Amazon has migrated from Android to the Linux-based Vega OS for its Fire TV.
-
Cairo Dock 3.6 Now Available for More Compositors
If you're a fan of third-party desktop docks, then the latest release of Cairo Dock with Wayland support is for you.
-
System76 Unleashes Pop!_OS 24.04 Beta
System76's first beta of Pop!_OS 24.04 is an impressive feat.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 is Available
Linus Torvalds has announced that the latest kernel has been released with plenty of core improvements and even more hardware support.
-
Kali Linux 2025.3 Released with New Hacking Tools
If you're a Kali Linux fan, you'll be glad to know that the third release of this famous pen-testing distribution is now available with updates for key components.
-
Zorin OS 18 Beta Available for Testing
The latest release from the team behind Zorin OS is ready for public testing, and it includes plenty of improvements to make it more powerful, user-friendly, and productive.