I've used Linux for so long that I remember when StarOffice and WordPerfect were the best office suite options available for Linux. StarOffice saved my hide several times, especially back in the day when I was working in an office filled with Windows and MS Office users. WordPerfect was the outlier, but man, was it powerful (considering the time). Since then, a lot of companies have hopped on board the Linux train. Others have opted to keep their heads in the sand.
LibreOffice includes all the tools you're accustomed to in an office suite: documents, spreadsheets, presentations, formulas, drawing, and even a database. The tools are compatible with the MS Office equivalent, and you can even configure them to default to the Office file format (such as .docx). LibreOffice also has a customizable UI, so you can have the interface you want. LibreOffice is free to install and use on as many computers as needed.
I started using Linux prior to the advent of sudo. Back then, any time I needed to run admin tasks, I had to first su to the root user, run the task, and then exit the root user. Because root was enabled, some users would simply log in as root and forgo a standard user account altogether. That's a security risk no one should take.
Windows 10's end of life is coming in 2025, and that means you have to hope your machine can run Windows 11, buy a new computer, or try something different -- like Linux. Linux shouldn't be considered a last-choice alternative, either, because it's every bit equal to Windows or MacOS. It's reliable, secure, user-friendly, and free. What more do you want?
In the decades that I've been using Linux, I have not needed a single Windows app because Linux has all the software I require. However, I understand that some people aren't that lucky. You might be one who has a Windows-only application you need to do your job or school, or it's a game you'd love to play. Also: Forget Windows 11: Nobara Linux is the OS for everyone Fortunately, Linux has several ways you can get that Windows app running.
The choice between Linux and MacOS isn't hard. If you can answer these questions, you'll know which to choose. Both are outstanding choices and will serve you well. I use both Linux and MacOS. The former is used for everyday tasks, and the latter for video editing and mobile usage (please, someone, create a Linux laptop that is as reliable and similar to a MacBook).
I've been using Linux since the original Jurassic Park movie was released, and it seems every year I have to set some people straight on the truth about the open-source operating system. Since the early days, there have been myths about Linux that spread like a virus and threaten to prevent users of all types from adopting the operating system.
Large language models (LLMs) are just another fancy compiler. Back in the 50s and 60s, everyone was working in Assembly, and then C showed up, and we didn't stop coding in Assembly because C was suddenly perfect. C isn't perfect, but we stopped doing it because C is good enough, and we're more productive coding in C. And to me, LLMs are a very similar trade-off. They're not perfect yet, but at some point they will be good enough to make us more productive.
Krita provides a user-friendly interface and an advanced toolkit aimed specifically at digital painting. It supports a wide variety of brushes and has an intuitive layout that makes the painting process smoother.
There's a lovely device called a PiStorm, an adapter board that glues a Raspberry Pi GPIO [General-Purpose Input/Output] bus to a Motorola 68000 bus. The intended use case is that you plug it into a 68000 device and then run an emulator that reads instructions from hardware (ROM or RAM) and emulates them.
System performance is key to getting the most out of Linux. There are several command line and GUI tools to make this task easy. Here you'll learn about htop, glances, Mission Center, and more apps.
BlueStar Linux version 2025.05.30 offers enhanced performance, transitioning from merely adequate to supercharged, while maintaining its beautiful aesthetics and functional design.
