Porteus installed on USB

guest@porteus:/proc$ more version
Linux version 5.1.5-porteus (root@porteus.example.net) (gcc version 9.1.0 (GCC))
 #1 SMP PREEMPT Sun May 26 17:25:39 Local time zone must be set--

MX-18.3 with the MX Workbench 2019-03 update

inxi -Fxz

System:    Host: mx Kernel: 4.19.0-1-amd64 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 6.3.0

           Desktop: Xfce 4.12.3 Distro: MX-18.3_x64 Continuum March 14  2018
           base: Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch)
Machine:   Type: Laptop System: Dell product: Inspiron 5558 v: 01 serial:
           Mobo: Dell model: 086DKN v: A00 serial: UEFI [Legacy]: Dell v: A04
           date: 08/06/2015
Battery:   ID-1: BAT0 charge: 33.9 Wh condition: 33.9/41.4 Wh (82%)
           model: Samsung SDI DELL 07G07587587 status: Full
CPU:       Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core i7-5500U bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Broadwell
           rev: 4 L2 cache: 4096 KiB
           flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 19154
           Speed: 798 MHz min/max: 500/3000 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 798 2: 799 3: 798 4: 799
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel HD Graphics 5500 vendor: Dell driver: N/A bus ID: 00:02.0
           Device-2: NVIDIA GK208M [GeForce 920M] vendor: Dell driver: N/A bus ID: 08:00.0
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.19.2 driver: vesa resolution: 1368x768~N/A
           OpenGL: renderer: llvmpipe (LLVM 7.0 256 bits) v: 3.3 Mesa 18.2.6 direct render: Yes
Audio:     Device-1: Intel Broadwell-U Audio vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
           bus ID: 00:03.0
           Device-2: Intel Wildcat Point-LP High Definition Audio vendor: Dell
           driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.19.0-1-amd64
Network:   Device-1: Intel Wireless 3160 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: f040 bus ID: 06:00.0
           IF: wlan0 state: up mac:
           Device-2: Realtek RTL8101/2/6E PCI Express Fast/Gigabit Ethernet vendor: Dell
           driver: r8169 v: kernel port: e000 bus ID: 07:00.0
           IF: eth0 state: down mac:
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 931.51 GiB used: 11.51 GiB (1.2%)
           ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Seagate model: ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB size: 931.51 GiB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 97.93 GiB used: 11.51 GiB (11.8%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda3
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 53.0 C mobo: N/A sodimm: 37.0 C
           Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 2200
Info:      Processes: 199 Uptime: 1h 17m Memory: 7.70 GiB used: 1.23 GiB (15.9%) Init: SysVinit
           runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 6.3.0 Shell: bash v: 4.4.12 inxi: 3.0.36 

antiX 19 B2 - 2nd Beta Release of antiX 19

Here is the current setup of antiX 19 B2 on my laptop:

inxi -Fxz
System:
  Host: Brian-antiX Kernel: 5.2.3-antix.1-amd64-smp x86_64 bits: 64
  compiler: gcc v: 8.3.0 Desktop: IceWM 1.5.5+git20190610
  Distro: antiX-19.b2_x64-full Marielle Franco 13 July 2019
  base: Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster)
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Dell product: Inspiron 5558 v: 01 serial:
  Mobo: Dell model: 086DKN v: A00 serial: UEFI: Dell v: A04
  date: 08/06/2015
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 37.7 Wh condition: 37.7/41.4 Wh (91%)
  model: Samsung SDI DELL 07G07587587 status: Full
CPU:
  Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core i7-5500U bits: 64 type: MT MCP
  arch: Broadwell rev: 4 L2 cache: 4096 KiB
  flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 19157
  Speed: 1660 MHz min/max: 500/3000 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 2396 2: 2401
  3: 2395 4: 2395
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel HD Graphics 5500 vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel
  bus ID: 00:02.0
  Device-2: NVIDIA GK208M [GeForce 920M] vendor: Dell GK208BM
  driver: nouveau v: kernel bus ID: 08:00.0
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.4 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa
  resolution: 1366x768~60Hz
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 5500 (Broadwell GT2)
  v: 4.5 Mesa 18.3.6 direct render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Broadwell-U Audio vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel
  v: kernel bus ID: 00:03.0
  Device-2: Intel Wildcat Point-LP High Definition Audio vendor: Dell
  driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.2.3-antix.1-amd64-smp
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Wireless 3160 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: f040
  bus ID: 06:00.0
  IF: wlan0 state: up mac:
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8101/2/6E PCI Express Fast/Gigabit Ethernet
  vendor: Dell RTL810xE driver: r8169 v: kernel port: e000 bus ID: 07:00.0
  IF: eth0 state: down mac:
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 931.51 GiB used: 18.08 GiB (1.9%)
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Seagate model: ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
  size: 931.51 GiB
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 97.93 GiB used: 18.06 GiB (18.4%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda11
  ID-2: swap-1 size: 7.91 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda2
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 56.0 C mobo: N/A sodimm: 2.0 C gpu: nouveau
  temp: 25 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 0 fan-2: 0 fan-3: 0
Info:
  Processes: 138 Uptime: 6m Memory: 7.70 GiB used: 952.9 MiB (12.1%)
  Init: SysVinit runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 8.3.0 Shell: bash v: 5.0.3
  inxi: 3.0.33
masinick@Brian-antiX:~

Distribution Release: MX Linux 18.3

https://distrowatch.com/?newsid=10567

An updated build of MX Linux, version 18.3, is out. MX Linux is desktop-oriented Linux distribution based on Debian 9.9 and featuring a customised Xfce desktop. The new version is a minor release, bringing updated MX applications and an improved MX manual: "We are pleased to offer MX Linux 18.3 ISO image for your use. MX 18.3 is a refresh of our MX 18 release, consisting of bug fixes and application updates. Updated packages - the latest updates from Debian 9.9 'Stretch', antiX and MX repositories. New and updated mx-apps: mx-installer (based on gazelle-installer) - the installer workflow has been reworked to allow the user to enter system configuration selections while the major system copy is proceeding, speeding up the actual installation time for the user. This is in addition to the encryption cipher options and select-able ESP install location that were previously added. Improvements to the UEFI boot installation routines have been added as well, along with a ton of of other bug fixes. The kernel has been updated to 4.19.37. So-called 'zombieload' patches are included." Read the rest of the release announcement for further details.
https://mxlinux.org/blog/mx-18-3-refreshed-isos-now-available/

https://sourceforge.net/projects/mx-linux/files/Final/MX-18.3/

Distribution Release: MX Linux 18.2

I was looking at a few of my blog posts and decided to refresh one or two of them. I noticed that I wrote earlier about MX Linux 18.1; knowing that MX Linux 18.2 was released just over a month ago, I thought I'd check out the DistroWatch note.  https://distrowatch.com/?newsid=10512

I was both surprised and happy to find that recently MX Linux has leaped to the top of the recent distributions that people have accessed through DistroWatch and here are the results for the past six months as of 5/2/2019:

1	MX Linux	4234

2	Manjaro	3413
3	Mint	2212
4	elementary	1627
5	Ubuntu	1490
6	Debian	1282
7	Fedora	1031
8	Solus	1022
9	openSUSE	827
10	deepin	773

2019 Is the Year of Linux on the Desktop

https://www.howtogeek.com/414036/2019-is-the-year-of-linux-on-the-desktop/

Using Logical Functions (if, and, or, not) in Spreadsheet functions

The article in HOWTO Geek:
https://www.howtogeek.com/401998/how-to-use-logical-functions-in-excel-if-and-or-xor-not/
specifically mentions the use of Excel.  There are, however, somewhat similar functions in other programmable spreadsheet programs, such as those in LibreOffice, OpenOffice, and others in stand-alone spreadsheet programs.

Though the precise syntax and functionality of similar functions in other programs may differ, there may be some carry-over or reuse potential elsewhere.  Moreover, most of us who have used Office Suites, especially if we are still in the workplace or we've purchased a computer anywhere other than a Linux or Apple store are likely to contain Microsoft Office or another office suite with very similar functionality, so the chance of this being relevant even to free software advocates is still there, whether we care to admit it or not, so hopefully this is something to either use (openly or in secret).  Hope it is helpful!

NEW • Distribution Release: MX Linux 18.1

Dolphin Oracle has announced the release of MX Linux 18.1, an updated build of the project's desktop Linux distribution (with Xfce, based on Debian's "stable" branch) built as a cooperative venture between the antiX and former MEPIS Linux communities. This version is an "ISO refresh" release, featuring bug fixes and application updates: "We are pleased to offer MX Linux 18.1 official releases ISO image for your use. MX Linux 18.1 is a refresh of our MX Linux 18 release, consisting of bug fixes and application updates since our original release of MX Linux 18. Note: existing users do not need to reinstall, all bug fixes and additions will come through the regular update channel. Updated packages: the latest updates from Debian 9.7 'Stretch', antiX and MX repositories; Firefox 65.0; VLC 3.0.6. New and updated mx-apps: mx-installer (based on gazelle-installer) received fixes to address crashes during grub install; mx-repo-manager now lists many many more repository mirrors; miscellaneous bug fixes and improvements to MX-PackageInstaller and MX-Conky." Read the rest of the release announcement for more details. Download: MX-18.1_x64.iso (1,381MB, SHA256, signature, pkglist), MX-18.1_386.iso (1,396MB, SHA256, signature). - About MX Linux MX Linux, a desktop-oriented Linux distribution based on Debian's "stable" branch, is a cooperative venture between the antiX and former MEPIS Linux communities. Using Xfce as the default desktop, it is a mid-weight operating system designed to combine an elegant and efficient desktop with simple configuration, high stability, solid performance and medium-sized footprint.

Alternative Web Browsers revisited; Brave and Vivaldi mentioned

In the previous blog where I mentioned Web browsers, of course the usual Google Chrome, Firefox - and for proprietary, commercial systems, we know that Internet Explorer, Edge, and Safari also exist.

I have mentioned some of the Firefox alternatives; Waterfox is one of those.  Of the Firefox alternatives, I really like Waterfox.  It is stable, seems to be updated reasonably often,and it works well.

A decent alternative to Google Chrome is Flashpeak Slimjet, also previously mentioned.  Flashpeak Slimjet is just about as "heavy" as Google Chrome, yet the performance is good and I do not think it reports back to Google, so if you have concerns about what browsers save, share, or report, these are some alternatives worth your consideration.

A browser that I'm using today is the Brave browser, https://www.brave.com
This browser is based on Chromium, the freely available browser alternative to Google Chrome, which in native form contains only the free, open source code available from Chrome.  Brave is lauded by some as one of the least intrusive browsers, so in that respect it is "safe".  As long as it is kept up-to-date, it may be an excellent choice.

Vivaldi is another interesting alternative created by CEO Jon von Tetzchner, who co-founded Opera in 2003.

The local Wunderground site I now use

URL: http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KSCGREEN163
Site Description: "Weather Underground PWS KSCGREEN163 - NW Paris Mountain Weather"

IBM Began Buying Red Hat 20 years ago

The article: https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/ibm-began-buying-red-hat-20-years-ago suggests in the title that IBM Began Buying Red Hat 20 years ago.  While that is actually just a title intended to attract attention, I can tell you that IBM was one of the first major companies to embrace both Linux and other forms of Open Source and other types of software that for years have stood side by side with their own proprietary brands of hardware and software.

IBM is not afraid to carry several different lines of competing products and services and has done this for several decades - most of my career, in fact.  HP has not been too far behind IBM in their support.  I went to a few conferences in the early 2000s concerning UNIX, and then Linux products and services.  Both companies had a solid presence and even had several employees who served on committees, and in many cases, chaired committees - using company resources and the company name, so this really isn't new, but as of now it's about as mainstream as either companies collections of traditional name brand products.