Today I Got My Life Back 2/2
A Linux success story and I’m not being exploited
I recently wrote that I’d dumped Windows 10 and moved to Linux Mint. I was nervous about the move because so much of my life, content and software was invested in the Seattle platform. That phrase wounds a bit like ‘that Scottish play’ — actors are a superstitious lot and never mention the play by name — you know, the one with the Scottish king and murderous wife. Well, I’m not superstitious and not an actor, but the thought still came into my head as I started writing this piece.
But now, after 6 weeks I think the gremlins are well and truly ironed out — and they were mainly in my brain, not my computer. It’s been a demanding and highly successful test of the Mint 20.2 Uma distro of Linux for me.
In that time :
- I’ve set up my main workstation with Linux Mint and 2 backup laptops as dual boot Linux Mint— it really was a breeze (dual boot backups as some legacy .pdn data)
- I’ve completed my latest novel, Blockchain Exploit, using Libre Writer
- I created and finished the full hi-res cover design using GIMP, to 300 dpi res. Thanks to various free image providers on Unsplash and Pixabay — they are duly credited in the book and marketing collateral.
- The paperback cover design and quality was approved by both Lightning Source and Amazon (this was previously a tricky process using Adobe Acrobat Professional under Windows, with spot color issues)
- I published the book on those platform, paperback and ebook versions (I use Calibre for conversion to ePub formats)
- Then I created a video trailer using Kdenlive software and
- Created a podcast using 4 x AI-generated voices to read the Prologue — here’s a shoutout for readloud.net
- Produced countless memes to market the book (I use mainly my own photos collected over 17 years of travel on my boat) and GIMP, including GIFs
- Bored the world senseless with my marketing
So, what’s the takeaway for you, if you’ve managed to read this far?
Don’t be afraid of moving to Linux!
Certainly, some things seem a little crankier on occasion and nowadays I’m more disciplined about backups.
Believe me, I have learned the hard way —
- I once had a wave come down the hatch of my boat in the Atlantic off Spain and flood the keyboard. I got away with that — just the right click on the touchpad failed
- In a rough sea between the Galapagos Islands and Pitcairn in the South Pacific my laptop slid off the table and the screen smashed. Fortunately the data/drive was OK but the laptop was useless for 3 months until I got it fixed in Australia (in Bundaberg, the home of Ozzie rum).
Here’s how I work now at sea (same laptop) with a retaining strap:
So, if you’re dithering about making the move to Linux, just do it, but writing mid-ocean takes a bit more practice.
There’s plenty of help out there on the web, some great Linux and Mint forums and plenty of software available — even for me to navigate my boat. Or publish a book.
Now I’ve got my life back:
- my laptop boots quickly and on a predictable timescale.
- No more having my morning screwed by
Please wait while your computer is being reconfigured. This could take some time and several restarts may be necessary
- bloat is a thing of the past.
I do get the occasional hangup or crash but recovery is rapid.
It has been a strange life of technology for me, some of which you can read about here:
About James Marinero: I write on a variety of topics including humor, science, tech and travel, together with daily news events and the minutiae of daily life…
…and computer disasters at sea
You can follow me on Facebook Twitter @jamesmarinero . On Pinterest you will find many of my research photos from around the world. Check out my website where I occasionally have a free book on offer.