•  

  Plan "B"

  Apr 4, 2025

  In an earlier Windows 11 installation blog entry, I said I was also exploring options that might keep older computers that were unable to be upgraded beyond Windows 10 viable for quite a while longer.  My Plan B.  Links for further reading will be included at the end of this post. 

  To be honest, I’ve always hoped a decent competitor for Windows would come along, if only to give us another choice.  “But what about Apple?” you ask.  I dislike them even more than Microsoft.  Why?  Let me count the ways.  While Microsoft holds exclusive licensing and charges handsomely for their operating system, you could at least buy that and install it into a PC of your own construction.  Early on, Apple maintained complete control of even the hardware that their operating system would run on.  Talk about selling your soul to the Company Store! 

  Around 2006 they moved from their proprietary PowerPC processor to Intel-based processors, meaning that you could install either Apple or Microsoft operating systems (or both) on your hardware.  However more recently, Apple once again has produced their own processor, which is a byproduct of their developments in the mobile phone market.  So, we’re back to Microsoft.  Joy.  But, where does that leave us with a Plan B?  I’m getting to that, but first, a bit more history (extremely condensed).

  In the late 60’s AT&T Bell Labs developed and patented a computer operating system called UNIX.  The proprietary nature of it restricted wide spread development.  By the late 80’s, a version called MINIX was created for academic purposes, which still had distribution restrictions.  It also lacked a graphical interface and was considered too expensive for private computer users.  At about the same time, a fellow named Richard Stallman, a programmer/activist, started a project dedicated to bringing computer operating systems to the public with licenses free of charge and restrictions.¹   All of which brings us to a young Finnish programming student named Linus Torvalds.

  In 1991, while studying Computer Science and the University of Helsinki, he started a project “for fun” of writing a computer language core or Kernel, which would be available to anyone to be developed further and distributed free of charge via Richard Stallman's GNU Public License.  The program itself would be free to download and use, but with few exceptions, the user would be completely on their own.  Scarce documentation and dependance on the community for support discourages many people.  The only way one could charge for their version would be if support for the product was provided.  Linus’ project evolved into what we now know as Linux².  This is my Plan B. 

  I’ve experimented with Linux on decommissioned PCs sporadically for the last fifteen years or so.  My experience has almost always been “close but no cigar.”  Fun to play with but not as a replacement for Windows - until recently.  I’ve found that Linux has finally reached a level where it just might be a viable replacement for Windows – especially for a stand-alone PC.  The problem is that there are literally hundreds of versions or distributions of Linux available.  You can find out about them at a website called “DistroWatch” (www.distrowatch.com).   It’s sort of like a clearinghouse and directory where you can get links to all the various versions of Linux out there with comments and links for further investigations or download.   Many are tailored for a specific purpose, like computer programing, laptop-only use, or office workstation, etc.  My interest has always been in the workstation role of Linux.   

  Most workstation versions will come fully featured with a very Windows-like desktop arrangement, containing a start button and menu, task bar, all placed right where you’d expect them to be.  They also come complete with Office-like suites containing word processor, spread sheet, presentation, email, calendar scheduling applications and more.  If you’re changing over, they will often be able to open and edit native Microsoft documents, spreadsheets, etc.  So far, my current favorite is called “Q4OS” Linux.  I have it installed on three of the five former Windows 10 machines I have.  So far? Not too bad!  I’ll comment more about my Linux Plan B experience as time goes on – stay tuned!

  ¹ GNU Project - Wikipedia

  ² History of Linux - Wikipedia

Comments

• (no comments)