I’m back to running Linux after many years away.
Way back in college I got into Linux, because it was fun, and I resonate with values of the open source and liberated software community.
I founded LinuxMusicians.com, ProductiveLinux.com, and MinimalLinux.com. I also ran a Google Site called LinuxIsEasy.
So I was into it. It was more than a tool. It was a hobby, a community, and a context for many personally fulfulling projects.
And I love to tinker, which is the name of the game when you are into Linux on desktop.
But life happens. I got married, had three kids, got a full time job. I let more and more of my Linux involvement go.
I think at some point, the tinkering felt like too much work to just get things done. Plus, the most important application to me at the time, Logos Bible Study Software, just didn’t have great Linux support.
So I let it all go and moved on to Windows full-time, and that was that. My Linux days were in the past.
Many, many years later, I’m back. I just installed Linux Mint on two computers. Why?
Basically, I wanted to bring an aging computer back from the brink and make it usable again as a secondary desktop and home server. Linux is the best option for that kind of project, so I went for it.
I had so much fun on the project I thought, why not install Linux on my old laptop and see if that increases usability for me?
I did just that and while I did have a tinker a bit (ok a lot), I now feel like I have a new laptop! That’s great in and of itself, of course, but the elation and satisfaction I feel is much more than that.
I had so much fun, and continue to love working in and with Linux, because it’s more than a product. It’s all the things I listed above – a hobby, a community, a set of values, etc. And it’s part of my personal history that made me who I am in really significant ways.
It feels good to be back.