How to Install XCOM: Chimera Squad on Linux
I found Firaxis Games' XCOM from listacles of popular Steam games natively available on Linux. I finished the first story, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and immediately played the XCOM: Enemy Within expansion pack. I did the same with XCOM 2 and XCOM 2: War of the Chosen downloadable content (DLC). I then learned that its sequel, XCOM: Chimera Squad, isn't natively available on Linux operating systems.
After years of hoping for a Linux port, I got curious about how the Steam Proton compatibility software for Linux might support Chimera Squad. To my surprise, the results were great with minor bugs throughout game-play. Below I'll explain how I installed XCOM: Chimera Squad on Linux operating systems (OSes).
5 Free Linux Live Streaming Software
Linux users are able to stream on Twitch, YouTube, Kick, Owncast, etc. This isn't obvious with the many "How to Stream on Kick" and "How to Stream on Twitch" guides excluding Linux ... like I'm going to do with BSD. Below are the only free open source software you'll need to to live stream and edit videos on demand (VODs).
How to Convert PDF Files on Linux
Linux users have various light-weight, terminal applications for editing portable document format (PDF) files. You need to be somewhat comfortable with the Linux command-line interface (CLI), or be careful when copying commands to ensure you're doing what you want. I'll start with the two graphical user interface (GUI) apps with PDF editing features.
Genealogy Research Resources for Black Americans' Reparations
Black folks serious about reparations need to ensure your family tree is squared away, traced at least back to slavery. Below are some (mostly free) online databases for researching ancestors.
Security-Focused Operating Systems
The world has reached a point where the frequency of cyber attacks is gradually influencing people to choose security over convenience and bleeding edge technology. Many are switching from Android smartphones to iPhones or basic flip phones, sometimes referred to as "feature phones." Some are replacing Windows personal computers (PCs) with Apple MacBooks. Individuals more serious about cybersecurity are migrating to Unix-based operating systems (OSes). The reason why is simple. Windows is attacked at a significantly higher rate than macOS, Linux, and other Unix-based OSes combined because it is most prominent in homes and corporate offices. According to DistroWatch.com, there are over three hundred BSD and Linux OSes, but few are built specifically with the goal of increased high security and privacy [1]. Two of the most interesting security-focused OSes in active development today: OpenBSD and Qubes OS.
Home Network Security Basics
Whether you're starting college or working on a new business, you'll benefit from applying basic best security practices. I'm going to simplify everything you should have on your personal computer (PC), why, and with recommendations so you're not left to figure it out on your own. Follow this cybersecurity guide and become less likely to be a victim.
2 Best Forgotten Resources for Live Linux Support
The most legitimate complaint I've heard against using Linux and free open source software (FOSS):
"Where do I go if I need live support?"
It is a valid question since most free software don't have on-demand technical support and advisors. I learned a lot about the open source realm from the "Podnutz: LinuxForTheRestOfUs" podcast, "It's FOSS" blog, and StackExchange. But YouTube videos and "how-to" guides don't always get to the point, so you sometimes have to search through the content you receive from search engine results. That can be frustrating, no matter how knowledgeable you are in web development or system administration.
Past blogs, videos, and forums, there are two real-time FOSS support communities that never get the respect they deserve.
Looking Back on Linux Distro Hopping
I used to distro hop between Linux operating systems every few months. Then I started to focus more on my independent music production than free open source software (FOSS). Most of the Linux and FOSS stuff I've learned recently was directly related to improving my music production workflow. FFMPEG is such a versatile tool for audio and video projects.
Free cPanel Alternatives
For those who only use website builders like Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, Shopify, and WordPress.com, cPanel is a control panel application for managing web server functions - files, DNS records, SQL databases, email, security protocols, etc. It's the most popular option for managed server hosting plans with web hosting companies - HostGator, GoDaddy, SiteGround, etc. - using the Red Hat-based CentOS Linux distribution.
cPanel changed their pricing structure to "tiers" per how many cPanel accounts you used within a single web server in 2019. This affected the costs for everyone on managed reseller and virtual private server (VPS) hosting plans with WebHost Manager (WHM) and multiple cPanel accounts (because such users will many times resell web server space to their own customers). It also reminded me that cPanel is proprietary software and I'd been working toward using mostly free open source software (FOSS) for years. This brought a few questions to mind:
Kanbans for Small Team Project Management
A kanban can be a great solution for task management, or agile project management, within smaller teams. Gantt charts and Scrum have their value but a kanban can benefit creatives, fast-paced departments, and generally busy individuals with hectic personal lives.
Music Production Lessons 2020-2-Golivelively-1
My lessons learned in 2019 recap had quite a bit of geeky stuff in there. In 2020, however, I focused more on the craft. Every track on the 2-Golivelively-1 album was the result of something I'd recently learned.
My Favorite Falkon Web Browser Features
Falkon, formerly known as Qupzilla, is a Chromium-based web browser for the KDE desktop environment (DE). Qupzilla was buggy and crashed at random when I tried it as a Linux newbie years ago. Falkon is a stable browser that makes compliments my needs for privacy and user experience (UX). I recommend it for anyone looking to try something new. Below are my four favorite Falkon browser features and extensions.
My Top 5 Linux Games
Linux isn't good for gaming.
I hear it all the time from gamers. It's good enough for me, though. Are there games I'd like to have natively available on Linux? Yes. Do I care enough about those games to dual-boot a Windows OS? No.
My top 5 Linux games.
Linux Desktop Environments (DEs) and Window Managers (WMs)
Each desktop environment (DE) has unique pros, cons, and bundled software. I started with Linux Mint with the Cinnamon DE because Cinnamon looked most similar to Windows and Mint was listed #1 on Distro Watch. Cinnamon is very user-friendly for Linux beginners. But of course, I'd later to look into the many others.
Creating RIPEMD-160 Checksums in Linux
RIPEMD (RIPE Message Digest) isn't as popular as SHA and MD5 for creating cryptographic hashes, or checksums. But I got curious after reading about it during some cybersecurity training. The md5sum and sha (256, 512, etc.) command-line hash (CLI) tools are pre-installed on many Linux distros. But I didn't see one for RIPEMD.
Upgrade-Movie Review
I watched this move twice before starting this blog. I’d watched it four times by the time I finished it.
Okay, Upgrade movie.
5 Linux Distros to Try
First published on June 1, 2020
I covered a lot of Linux distributions in my Syracuse InfoSpace blog on evolving with open source software . After 5 years of browsing Distrowatch.com and Linux distro hopping (with good reasons) , I want to share my subjective, uninfluenced list of 5 Linux distros you should try.
5 Websites For IT Training
First published on August 21, 2017
Here are 5 websites with great free IT training.
Why Distro Watch Rocks
First published on February 15, 2016
Distro Watch is a user-friendly site where you can find info and reviews for over 100 Linux and BSD distributions. There are four reasons why this is awesome:
Uberstudent 4.3
First published on January 25, 2016
Let me first admit that I haven’t used Edubuntu and therefore can’t compare it to Uberstudent. Now, I want to respect the above image as much as possible. Thankfully, that’s easy to do because Ubuntu-based Uberstudent has so many useful apps pre-installed and quick links included in the menu. Though many senior Linux users may not care much for this, novice FLOSS users and college students will appreciate the pre-installed open-source apps and links which allow you to start doing everything the average user would need to do :
Syncthing for Syncing Phones and Linux
First published on March 7, 2016
When I made the transition from Windows to GNU / Linux, the one BIG issue I struggled the most with was the inability to connect my smartphone to my laptop to transfer photos and ringtones. I prefer to create my own ringtones. Since I didn’t want to use Google Drive or Dropbox (because popular apps and weird me), I had to find another alternative. Somehow, probably from Podnutz, I found out about Syncthing, and I’ve been using it ever since.
Shutter for Linux Screenshot
First published on March 21, 2016
For Linux distros, XFCE4-Screenshooter (or Screenshot) seems to be the norm based off the few distros I’ve used. It does what the average user would need it to do – in the GUI or CLI.
Linux Ubuntu Server Vs Windows Server
First published on May 21, 2017
Linux 2015
First published on May 21, 2017
Free or Open Source Software Starter Pack 2016
First published on February 6, 2017
Continuing the trend from 2015, this late list is specifically for Linux users. I published the Windows list months ago.
Open Source (Read “FREE”) Software Starter Pack 2015
First published on November 16, 2015
Are you hesitant about jumping into Linux but enjoy the idea of using Open Source Software? Check these apps out.
Libre Office – This software suite is capable of just as much as Microsoft Office, excluding Microsoft Outlook. I donate sometimes to show gratitude for the product. Oh. . .
My Plans for 2017
First published on January 23, 2017
I asked IT professionals from the Rallypoint community what topics I should cover in future Linux and FOSS related podcasts. I got great suggestions involving security:
Linux Ubuntu Server versus Windows Server
First published on April 10, 2017
This post goes further in-depth with my thoughts in the Syracuse University InfoSpace blog about evolving with open source software.
Linux MX-16
First published on July 3, 2017
5 Reasons Why a Linux Newbie Would Like Linux Mint Cinnamon
First published on October 19, 2015
Linux Mint is a great full-featured Linux distribution for beginners with decent laptops with adequate RAM.
Why?
Linux For the Rest of Us Help
First published on August 29, 2016
This tutorial will cover how to use a GNU/Linux Operating System, also known as Linux distribution or distro, for free without overwriting any data. I’ll be assuming you’re currently running Windows for this tutorial but that affect most of the steps.
Linux 2018
First published on March 1, 2019
Linux 2017
First published on February 26, 2018
Linux 2016
First published on May 30, 2017
5 Reasons I Enjoy Linux Distro Hopping
First published on November 7, 2016
DistroWatch.com lists over 200 operating systems, or distributions (distros), built on top of the Linux kernel for many different purposes – older and smaller laptops, multimedia production, data rescue, security, and more. “Distro hopping” refers to whenever a Linux user switches from one Linux distro to another – same concept as ditching Windows for an Apple computer but you don’t need to buy new hardware, you have more options, and its free. Linux users distro hop for many reasons. I have five.
10 Things To Do After You Install Linux Deepin 2015
First published on February 2, 2016
Click here for my latest review – deepin 15.9
Many deepin fans were anxious about the release of Deepin 2015. Continuing the trend from my deepin 2014.3 review, here are some recommendations for after you install Deepin 2015.
10 Things To Do After You Install Linux Deepin 2014.3
First published on August 13, 2015
Click here for my latest review – deepin 15.9
Deepin is a beautiful Ubuntu-based distro originated in China that uses HTML5. These are my “non-expert” top five recommendations for after you install Deepin 2014.3.
10 Things To Do After Installing deepin 15.9
First published on May 6, 2019
A couple months ago I realized I’d only published one IT blog in 2018. But I posted it on the Syracuse InfoSpace. Since my deepin blogs are my most popular, I decided to check out the newest version at the time – deepin 15.7 – but never published a blog.
Months after focusing on distributing music (yes, I’m on Spotify) and music blogs, I wanted to fix this ASAP. So I installed 15.9 (15.10 is available for download as of May 3, 2019) and edited this blog.
10 Sites to find Open Source Alternatives
First published on January 30, 2017
I’m always looking for newer and more efficient solutions to accomplish a task rather than simply forcing ways to accomplish new issues with older solutions. Here are 10 websites to check out when you want to think outside the box with not only Free and Open Source (FOSS) but substitute applications.
5 Reasons To Use Ubuntu Studio
First published on October 3, 2016
Linux Ubuntu Studio is open source, completely free, and an awesome Linux distro for anyone that works with music, graphics, and videos. Here are five quick reason to try Ubuntu Studio.
5 Directories Linux Users Should Back Up
Last updated on March 28, 2017
It’s always good to know what you need to back up before wiping a hard drive, whether you’re upgrading to a newer version of a distro (generally safer) or distro hopping (which I have 5 good reasons for doing a lot of).
Here’s a cheat sheet to help ensure you don’t forget anything.
