Tsikbal: from my perspective

One of myths that persist about Linux that bugs me the most, is that Linux is not user friendly. It once was true, but it hasn't been true since at least 2010. While Linux distributions like Arch Linux and Debian require some expertise to use, there are other distros like Ubuntu and Linux Mint that are as easy to use as Windows or macOS . While coming from Windows, or macOS, might mean needing to some time to get used to Ubuntu, or Linux Mint, the jump is not all that big. To be honest, the question you need to make before making the jump to a Linux distro is if the apps you need run in Linux, or if it has an alternative. For most user, the answer is in the positive. It is becoming the case, that only niche user cases can't make the jump because of an app doesn't work, or it doesn't have an alternative, on Linux. Even working on remote desktops running Windows, or macOS, is easy on Linux. I've been using Remmina for years now, and it works like a breeze. N...

Turns out that companies need workers to return to the office, not because the work needs to be done at the office. It turns out, that they need the tax cuts they get for people going to the office. State, and county, governments, give companies tax incentives if a certain number of employees work at an office they open. The more employees, the bigger the tax incentive they get, as such they need people to come in to the office in order to receive that incentive. So, it doesn't matter if the work can be done as well, or better, remotely. It doesn't matter how long the commute is either, they just want the worker to show up so the company reaches the head count needed. There are some companies that refuse to adapt, they fail to see that some of the jobs they have can be done as effectively, or better, remotely. It even motivates their employees to work harder to be able to keep the job, or not having to go the office. It also increases moral, since remote workers feel better ove...

I never really used email clients before I started made the jump to Ubuntu  over a decade ago. When I first installed Ubuntu, I saw that Thunderbird was one of the included apps, and since I already used Firefox , which is also made by Mozilla , I decided to give a try. Since, I haven't looked back. Thunderbird made managing my email a lot easier, specially since I got more than one email address. Not having to enter the webpage of each of them is quite convenient, specially time saving for important mails. Another thing I like, is the fact that I can set up Thunderbird the way I like, and have all my emails in one place. Which means that I don't have to jump around several webpages to see to which email address a particular email arrived. Over the years I've tried a couple of other email clientes, mainly GNOME Evolution and Nylas N1 , I even used Microsoft Outlook at work for a while, but I always come back to Thunderbird. I've found out that Thunderbird gives me t...

After listening to an episode of the Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast  (Spotify link) about the economic data of the craft beer industry, it got me thinking about what the bars I like have that keep me coming back. Not only that, I also things that I'd like my perfect bar to have. The first thing in the list, would be the beers I love and some craft beers to taste when I feel like trying something new. Preferably on draught , since I prefer it over the bottle or can options. i just like the taste better, for me it is just better. Then comes the ambience. It has to be a placer were I can chill either by myself or with friends. The music should be loud enough so the conversations on other tables can be ignored while you can talk with the people on your table or just chill out. Talking about the music, I prefer it to be rock , pop , lounge , or techno . The reason I prefer this music in the bars I like, is because they help me to chill out or not distract me much about t...

About a five years ago I decided to give Bluetooth headphones a try for use with my smartphone , and I must admit that not having wires to worry about was a nice thing to have. Before that, the only other wireless device I had was a mouse , because I had being using a laptop as my every day computer for years and not having a cable to use the mouse was also quite a nice thing. After a I got a laptop that had Bluetooth when I upgraded, I had been using Bluetooth headphones for a couple of years. So, I decided to get a pair of Bluetooth headphones to use with it since I found that the audio of Bluetooth headphones is more than good enough for my use case, since I only use them to listen to music, videos, podcasts , or on video conferences. And it turned out to be quite a great experience for me. It gave a degree of freedom of movement that I appreciate a lot, since I like to stand up and walk a bit from time to time, and not having to take of the headphones to do so is quite nice. The ...

The news that Microsoft   Skype , and integrating some of its functionalities into Teams is one that hits in the nostalgia. To be honest, the news in itself wasn't all that surprising. Microsoft had been pushing teams as a collaborative tool for a while now, while Skype has been largely ignored. While I used Skype in the early 2000s, it has been quite a while since I moved to WhatsApp , and Messenger , for most of my everyday communications including voice and video calls. I even do more phone calls using the phone app. Though, I did use Skype to keep in touch with friends and family for a while, but we ended up moving to WhatsApp, or the massaging services of Facebook, Instagram, Telegram , Zoom , or other social media sites. Mainly because they are more convenient ways to chat and share files or other media. I can't remember the last time I used Skype for anything. In someways, when Microsoft purchased Skype I thought it could become a worthy successor to MSN Messenger . I...

I've using a Machenike L16air  with Linux Mint  for over 6 months now, and it has been a great experience so far. Even though the laptop came with originally came with  Windows 11 , installing Linux Mint was easy and everything just works. The upgrade to Linux Mint 22.1 Xia happened without any problems when the time came, and the improvements the Linux Mint made to the new release are quite good. The Machenike keyboards K500 Pro-B94  and K500 , that I use on regular basis, also work out of the box with Linux Mint. So much so, that I'm now a fan of mechanical keyboards for when I'm at home or the office. Not only that, it has made me a Machenike fan, and I wish they would offer their laptops with Linux Mint preinstalled for those who prefer it over Windows. Not only that, that they offered the software for their keyboards for Linux too. Machenike has proven to be quite a great value for money. So much so, that I'm considering one of Machenike's monitors for when the...

It has been about a week since I upgraded to the Linux Mint 22.1 Xia,  and it has been one of the best point releases Linux Mint has had in a while. The change that has proven to have the most impact on me, as an user, is the ability to change the power setting on my laptop. I've seen a mayor battery life improvement when I set the power setting to power saving when not plugged in, and one of several hour. It has gone up from about 4 hours, to about 8 from a full battery charge. Other than that, it has been a great point release so far for my daily use. Now, I'm looking forward for Wayland to supersede X11 . And that's why I like Linux Mint, it give a modern OS that only changes things when necessary and it just works. It isn't at the bleeding edge of Linux, but I don't need to be at the bleeding edge. I just need at the system that just work.