{{{2016}}}

This is about Linux, and regret, and re-creation. Eventually. But first some essay house-opening. And some mulling. I sort of stumbled onto a spot by accident (after midnight and open to comments) so there wasn't much of an introduction.

So first you. Open means open. Context is not required. An introduction from you is not required, but you certainly are welcome to introduce yourself. Most of you (it's being written on the first day of Spring, 2016, for next day publishing) have a history over at another site. So please, share your common history; but please feel free to build a new history as well.

Next me: I have aphasia. A stroke. And I write. What happens during a stroke is that parts of the brain die. Sorry for sounding grim, but "passing away" is not in my personal vocabulary. This is not due to the aphasia. Before my stroke, I did not use the phrase, "passing away" either. I preferred the word, "die." Simple. Only three letters. And it rhymes with other words that end an "I.'

Words and phrases that end with a strong "A" already have plenty of candidates in the rhyme business. While "I" is already a difficult word. Especially the word, "I" - it feels ego-heavy. Or I - or even I - well, as I say, it's difficult. And the phrase "passing away" is personal. And cultural. Which turns into a situation where the use of "die" feels almost like an attack. It isn't meant as an attack. And if it starts to feel like an attack, say so.

Words are important. And when words are killed, the killing should not be done lightly. And if the heap of killed words grows high, the decay starts to be noticed.

Like, "a serialized novel here on Tuesdays at 8 PM" that gets quoted below. Aphasia kills cells. Including that part of the brain that used to house a serialized novel. Guess what. It was going away anyhow. And - thanks to modern computing and the Internet - I can reconstruct the serialized novel. Or, I can reconstruct the serialized novel using my brain. You see, the brain has connections. Connections that might have been unnoticed by me, but for the action of the stroke.

Note: I do not advise having a stroke. Some of the results are devastating. Or at least irritating. Speech, for example. Reading my words will give one impression of me; listening to my words said by me may give a different impression. A different impression of me; and a different impression of my words. But looking back 2 1/2 years ago, well ... what you just read was me now, March 20, 2016 (for you, March 21, 2016).

Below, is the first of a series called, "SeniorLinux" - this was .001. If things go well, I'll add the other chapters. And if you need more "Midnight Mulling" there were two sections dated March 20, 2016 - the second one is really long - if you watch the videos. Which might be interesting. So now on to the past.
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(originally posted on dailykos.com)
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{{{2013}}}

SeniorLinux .001

In a comment in another diary, I posted:

I've founded a new dkos group that may prove useful...to people concerned about computer safety. It's called "Senior Linux." The primary goal, if the group ever gets going, is to develop an operating system that's friendly to senior citizens. From large fonts and guides to things like Medicare and social security all the way to maybe a "Where Did I Likely Leave My Glasses" app.

But a secondary benefit is that, after probably basing the first distro on another distro, I'd like to do a "Linux From Scratch" based distro where everything is user compiled. Probably wouldn't keep out a well-funded, really determined adversary, but it might make them work at it.

Page down below the orange anti-macassar if you'd like to see more.

Talking about computers and operating systems on dailykos is like talking about water with all the other fishes. We all use computers and operating systems to get here. After all, if you are reading this online, you managed to get here. So why change what works? And since talking about change to older folks is supposedly pointless, why bother?

Why? Because I don't think it's pointless at all. And I'm no spring chicken. There are two negative words in paragraph two already. And paragraph two is where tradition (or at least my tenth-grade composition teacher) says the usual festivus-like airing of grievances is supposed to go. But let's skip that for now and get right to how Linux works.

My favorite TV mini-series so far is the BBC production of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Even the opening and closing credits are worth watching. (In fact, for some people, that may be the best part.) And those of you that have seen the opening of a TTSS episode may recall the striptease of the nesting-Russian-dolls sequence:
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjelahKv_Lc]
That opening sequence is Linux. Rather, it's a GNU-Linux distribution. What's GNU, you may ask? What's a distribution? Is that the same as a distro? (yes). Patience grasshopper. All that will come in due time. But first, let us start at the end. If you are able to view the video you will note that the final doll is faceless and small and at the center of everything. In GNU-Linux the faceless center doll is the Linux kernel. The kernel is not GNU-Linux. It is Linux.

It is OK to use Linux to refer to more than the kernel, and most of the time that's what most people do. So shall we, but that's for later. Right now, it's time to bring the newcomers up to speed.

Where it began: Linus Torvalds and UNIX had a baby and it's name was rock and roll. Oops wrong cultural reference. :::Re-boot::: UNIX, like many cool things, started at The Phone Company. And C was there. C was the midwife that delivered baby UNIX. C is a programming language. It also started at The Phone Company.

C back then looked like this:

main()
{
printf("hello, world\n");
}

Later, C put on weight and now looks more like this:

#include

int main(void)
{
printf("hello, world\n");
}

Both programs do the same thing: show the words, "Hello world" on something. C takes things literally and the actual display would be:

hello, world

No caps. No punctuation at the end.

The cursor, assuming the target is a computer terminal screen, will be blinking on the next line thanks to the "\n " after the word, "World".

The good news is that if you can get a "Hello World" to run successfully in any programming language, you now know that programming can be done on your computer. But you don't have to.

Back to Linux. How do you pronounce it?
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK0xXFZtJ8Q]
If you can't view the 6 second clip, try rhyming the first part of the word with "Sin" and then, placing a pretty much equal emphasis on both syllables, proceed from there. It'll be close enough. For us at least.

"Us" refers to the dailykos community. Specifically to the Senior Linux diaries and discussions of Senior Linux on dailykos. Or as we hep cats say, " dkos ," when typing in jargon.

Jargon is one of the reasons I wanted to do this whole Senior Linux thing on dkos. Or at least to start here. Now, one of the particular strengths of dkos is that the topic starter generally gets to set some ground rules for the subsequent discussion.

So:

The first Senior Linux ground rule on jargon is that it's OK to use it: but you ought to let people know what you're talking about. Not in every case, like the 'hep cat' reference above. And not every time for the serious stuff. But at least now and then.

The second rule of jargon at Senior Linux is that if you use it, you own it. So if a reader asks you what you're talking about, you should explain--politely. If they still don't understand, you should try again. Perhaps using a different analogy. Or another context. But please, please, please don't tell a non-trolling questioner to RTFM.

"RTFM" stands for, "Read The Fine Manual." Or, "Read The Free Manual." Or maybe, "Read The Friendly Manual." Used in that spirit, sometimes it's OK. Sometimes though, there's a different meaning attached to the letter, "F" of RTFM. A noobie (that's a newcomer) visiting a hardcore Linux developers' discussion group will often be told, "RTFM." And it's that 'different' meaning that's intended. With an "Ing" ending. Hopefully this will be friendlier place.

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I posted a comment about Senior Linux in a recent diary about malware, and got a couple of responses. One commenter expressed a wish to see a "Tech Illiterate Linux" and to be able to run all their Windows programs in Linux. My answer:

There is WINE ... And it is supposed to let you run some Windows programs in Linux.

If I do post something about linux at dkos, it would probably be a multi-part series or a weekly. What nights would be most likely to attract people? I post a serialized novel here on Tuesdays at 8 PM and it has a rather small (but friendly and cherished) following. So much for my Tuesdays-waiting-to-be-filled-by-something-for-the-masses theory.

Another comment asked how to help and expressed a wish for a simpler Linux. I said in reply:

Senior Linux - Not Just for Seniors ... But senior-friendly. That would mean a distro that can run on the type of equipment that a person on a fixed income is likely to have. And with default typefaces (and icons) that are reasonably large but not "Fun With Dick and Jane" large. Good contrast, but not bleak nor garish.

"Simpler" is more difficult to define. Sometimes what looks simple is elegant and powerful. And difficult to program. But sometimes what looks simple is simply lacking in features. Often, if you're lucky, a program or an OS will have a 'magic trick' that lets one do all sorts of things once one knows the trick. That sort of program tends to have a fairly steep learning curve at first. But things get easier and easier because you've started to get into the programmer's head.

As for a link and helping, I'm looking to get ideas as to what day of the week would be good for people.

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So what do you think? The only real cost is time. And it could be fun.

Are you interested?

PS, That \ is called a backslash. And since you are already programming every time you post a comment, if you try to quote that part of the diary (or if I try to edit the diary after previewing), your results will not be a \ - you have to cheat a little by typing & # 9 2 ; only squished together where you want the backslash to display.
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{{{2016}}}

Back to the present (2016). When I first formatted the chapter, getting the C example to display properly was tricky. But caucus99percent.com handles it smoothly. Congratulations. As for SeniorLinux chapters, let's see if chapter .001 is welcome. I hope it does. But that is up to you. The audience is king and queen - whatever your favorite meaning is.