Operating systems

Nathan is 10 and he's interested in Linux. Would it be a good idea to switch to Linux? He's tired of Windows. Leo says switching would be an interesting thing for Nathan to do because he'll learn about Unix based operating systems, which is the basis of most networks. Most servers run on Linux. If Nathan wants to grow up and get a job in computing, having an understanding of how Linux works would be most beneficial. Another thing that Nathan can do is get a raspberry pi computer for $35 and build his own. It comes with Linux and that way he can have both.

Jack is going to be moving to the Philippines soon, and he wants to know if Linux will be able to share the same computer with separate logins. Leo says that Linux actually invented the concept of a multi-user computer with individual accounts. So they've been doing that long before Microsoft did.

Can Linux run Microsoft Office? Linux can also run Microsoft Office by using an app called WINE, but Leo says it's much easier to use the online version of Office. It's pretty much the same. 

Doug wants to know how safe an open-source distro of Linux is from China. Leo says the key is that it's open-source and that likely means it's secure. HOWEVER, Leo stopped using Ubuntu because they added the capability to phone home back to Ubuntu. So he stays away from proprietary distros now in favor of community developed flavors like Debian or Manjaro Arch.

Michael wants to install Linux on a bootable USB key, but it doesn't work. It goes straight to Windows. Leo recommends Rufus for creating a bootable key for Linux. But the first thing you want to do is change the boot order in your BIOS to check the USB port first. Then, turn off secure boot. Modern PCs have this setting to protect your computer against a rogue operating system. Third, modern OS uses UEFI, not BIOS. So your computer likely needs to reflect that in your USB key. So you want to be sure your Linux Distro is UEFI compatible.

Timmy installed POP-OS Linux on an old HP laptop. But when he reboots, it won't update the system files. Leo says that this is a common issue in Linux, where, for security reasons, unsigned software isn't allowed to be installed into Linux. Leo says he will need to get the new key for that version of Linux and install it through the command line. Once that's installed, it'll update. Talk to System76.com support and they'll walk through it. What about the KeyRing password? Leo says it's probably login credentials.

Chris wants to run an old DOS program. How can he do it? Leo says to download FreeDOS. It's a free, open source version of DOS that will run his programs. Put it on a thumb drive and boot into that. Or he can boot into it via a Virtual machine like Virtual Box. 

Jack's iMac runs El Capitan, and his iMovie and Garage Band have stopped working. He has been told he has to upgrade to get them working back. But he's hesitant. Leo says that it's OK and you should upgrade. Apple isn't like Windows. You can safely go to Mojave, or at least High Sierra. Why did your apps stop working? That's a puzzle. Maybe your graphics card is too old? Or Apple may have just broken the connectivity. Upgrading to Mojave though is important for security reasons.

Lee loves to buy refurbished computers and install Linux dual booted with Windows 10 on them. Is there a version that looks like Mac? Leo says he usually recommends Elementary OS, but there's another one called ELive. Lee should check out DistroWatch.org. There's hundreds of versions of Linux there that he can check out.

Paul is getting a Windows CE error in his car. Leo says that Windows used to have a car edition and it sounds like the firmware has become corrupted. Hyundai wants $3,000 to fix the radio. Leo recommends going to another dealer. The trend is to just replace things, rather than try and fix them. Paul should check out iFixIt.com. They may have a fix or a solution, and they are big supporters of the right-to-repair movement.