Matt Hartley

First, I want to be absolutely clear about something. I have been a full time Linux on the desktop user for well over a decade. It has been and will always be my preferred platform for desktop and server usage. It does just what I need and I appreciate that. All of that said however, […]

Linux file servers play an essential role. The ability to share files is a basic expectation with any modern operating system in the workplace. When using one of the popular Linux distributions, you have a few different file sharing options to choose from. Some of them are simple but not that secure. Others are highly […]

It wasn’t all that long ago the idea of binary packages were seen as salvation from having to compile software packages for one’s Linux system. In 2018, we’ve jumped ahead even further, with distro independent package installation solutions. In this article, we’re going to look into three rising stars in this area: Snappy, Flatpak and […]

Linux was once referred to as a cancer by Microsoft’s former CEO. Ah, how times change. Now that same former CEO is claiming that he loves Linux. Needless to say, a lot has changed in terms of how Microsoft views Linux. Remarkably. Depending on who you ask, this is a good thing or a not-so-great […]

Also see: Ubuntu History: Linux Evolves This Ubuntu review of 18.04 is going to be more blunt than what you’ve seen elsewhere. Perhaps a bit of tough love. Not because there is anything wrong with the release or the distro. Rather the fact that in 2018 Ubuntu’s big push isn’t for the desktop any longer. […]

I’ve had the pleasure of talking with small business owners in the past about moving their business over to open source technologies. I’ve also heard officers of major corporations speak on the same topic, typically in a conference setting. The overall point that was shared between the two business types is that in order to […]

For the past few years, Linux Mint has been unstoppable in terms of attracting new users. I honestly never really understood its appeal over Ubuntu MATE. However, the fact remains that the Cinnamon desktop seems to be a large part of its appeal. Recently I had the pleasure of discovering another desktop distro that is […]

Over the years, we’ve seen countless articles state that we’re entering the fabled Year of the Linux Desktop. They cite the advantages of Linux. Other articles, still, have expressed that specific advantages don’t matter – those who switch to Linux need to be motivated by a specific reason. In any case, many of those switching […]

One of the most important elements new website owners fail to give enough consideration to is in selecting the right open source content management system (CMS) for their website. Obviously some websites are put together without the inclusion of a full CMS. Yet those websites used in enterprise environments are almost always employing some kind […]

I’ll be the first to admit that I tend to try out new Linux distros on a far too frequent basis. Yet the method I use to test them, does vary depending on my goals for each instance. In this article, we’re going to look at both running Linux virtual machines and running Linux live […]