Page 3 - November_Newsletter_2021

afternoon wasted! As a mainly desktop computer user, I had no need of upgrading to a new Laptop, so there
it stayed gathering dust.

Much has been said about Linux and how it can breathe new life into an older machine. Here was an oppor-
tunity to put it to the test. So, with the help of Mick Sulley, our resident Linux Guru, this was the subject of
last month’s meeting.

Linux is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an
operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically pack-
aged in a Linux distribution.

Linux was originally released 30 years ago by Linus Torvalds a Finnish/American program-
mer and has since gone from strength to strength. Being Open Source, a whole army of programmers have
over the following years, developed and refined the operating system, regularly bringing out newer versions
known as distros.

Linux distros come in all shapes and sizes. Literally. From miniscule ones that weigh in at just over 100
MB and can be lugged around in USB disks to 4GB behemoths that work best when installed on portable
SSDs. In addition to the top distros that are designed to appeal to a wide number of users and can be
tailored as per individual requirements, there are a whole lot of specialized distros that are built for a
particular purpose including the Raspberry Pie.

Where do you start? That’s where Mick and his expertise were able to recommend the distro that was right
for me and my aging Laptop.

Mick’s recommendation was Linux Mint version 20.2 which is an operating system for
desktop and laptop computers. It is designed to work 'out of the box' and comes fully equipped with the
apps most people need.

Why is Linux Mint popular?

· It works out of the box, with full multimedia support and is extremely easy to use.

· It's both free of cost and open source.