Where’s my red Swingline stapler?

And, no, you don’t need a cover sheet for your TPS Reports . . . .

Several weeks ago, as you may remember (or not), I started giving myself a plethora of busy work in order to avoid rearranging the living room to accommodate several computers that used to live there; the computers with which I do testing, (very) low-level developing and generally a lot of digital goofing off.

But with the availability of office space behind the Felton Trading Post in downtown Felton, California, I have moved the herd of computers — and my operations — out of my living room and into the cozy confines behind Kelly’s store and as a neighbor to the trading post’s other tenant, Melanie the bookseller.

So now, from the one-stoplight town six miles north of Santa Cruz and among the old-growth redwoods, I have set up shop. At 6396 Highway 9, Felton CA 95018 (phone number to come), the following entites are open for business: Open Source and Free Software Reporter, a publication keeping up as best it can with FOSS developments; the Tux Project, a national soon-to-be nonprofit promotional clearing house for all things GNU/Linux; and HeliOS Solutions West, serving the western United States as a model for franchisees to offer GNU/Linux installation and support services (as well as providing Santa Cruz County with the same services).

If you’re in the area, stop by. We’ll keep a pot of coffee on for you.

(Larry Cafiero, editor/publisher of Open Source Reporter, is an associate member of the Free Software Foundation.)

Happy Birthday, GNU/Linux

Sixteen years ago today, Linus Torvalds uploaded the Linux kernel 0.0.1 to the internet. He made the source code freely available to anyone interested in improving on it.

In some states, GNU/Linux is old enough to drive. In some Southern states, it’s old enough to marry its cousin.

To say that it has grown up quickly would be an understatement.

Getnix.com has created a place where you can personally thank Linus Torvalds, or Richard Stallman, or all of the Linux kernel developers for bringing GNU/Linux to the point where it is today. More importantly, you can also take the time to share with the world how and why you started using your Linux based OS.

On this day — Sept. 17 — every year, Getnix.com will be challenging you to take Linux with you into your everyday life. Wear a shirt, slap a sticker on something, wear a hat or button. Hand out Live CDs with your favorite flavor of Linux on top.

And make sure that all the candles are blown out.

(Larry Cafiero, editor/publisher of Open Source Reporter, is an associate member of the Free Software Foundation.)

I CAN HAS FREEZOFTWARE?

Forgive me for my ignorance. But I cannot fathom how a site like this garners the amount of eyeballs it gets, meaning millions. “I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER” — for those of you who have been living in a cave until now — takes pictures of cats, puts nearly undecipherable “English” onto the photos with cutesy sayings, and passes itself off as modern culture.

Okay, he says, taking steps backwards cautiously . . . .

I bring this up because in the realm of GNU/Linux, there is an effort afoot to promote the operating system — a few actually — and they seem to be gaining some solid footing. One is the Tux Project, in which I am involved, which will be gaining nonprofit status soon. This project acts as a vehicle to promote GNU/Linux where the larger corporate distros can’t — or won’t — promote the operating system, generally speaking.

The Tux Project joins other efforts already in place from the likes of  The *Nixed Report, which is trying to get air time on the radio for GNU/Linux, and GetGNULinux.com, which is flying the FOSS flag in Europe (which, incidentally, is responsible for pointing me to the source of most of the buttons below).

These are only a couple of examples of how some groups are getting GNU/Linux out there. There are others, and while they are taking more conventional routes, perhaps having a site with cute kitty photos with bizarre English, and calling it I CAN HAS FREEZOFTWARE might do better.

Or not.

(Larry Cafiero, editor/publisher of Open Source Reporter, is an associate member of the Free Software Foundation.)