How-Tos and Essays
How-Tos
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The concept of free software development is straightforward: software is a form of knowledge and all knowledge should be shared to benefit all people at all times. Unlike those people embracing the moving target concept euphemistically known as intellectual property, people advocating free software development believe that software is knowledge and not property. The concept of property belongs in the realm of tangibles and scarce resources, not intangibles. Like any monopoly, the concept of regulating and protecting knowledge to the point of absurdities creates an environment of slavery rather than mutually beneficial relationships. Converting knowledge into a tangible resource through the use of legal fictions is to create artificial scarcity where no scarcity previously existed. I certainly have benefited in various ways from the concept of freely and voluntarily sharing knowledge. Therefore this section of my web site is my way of participating in a meaningful and reciprocating manner. Here are some How-Tos that hopefully some people find useful.
Technical Writing Tips
Bigshot Words
A Proofreader’s Checklist
Using a Word Processor for Technical Documentation and Books
Hard Drive Partitioning
Multibooting Tips
GRUB and Error 17
Installing TrueType Fonts on GNU/Linux
Multi-Booting with Firefox
Modifying User and Group IDs to Support a Home Network
Compiling the 2.4.x Linux Kernel
Understanding X Session Alt-Fn Keyboard Assignments
Restoring Clobbered /dev Files
Removing Temporary Files and Clutter
Adding a Shutdown Command to inittab
Dueling Consoles—Working in Both Windows and GNU/Linux
Restart the X Server From the KDM Login Manager
A More Intelligent startx Script
Firefox and Global Extensions
Optimizing KDE for Older Hardware
File Management Tips with KDE
Using the Konqueror File Manager With Root Privileges
Modifying the KDE K-Menu Globally
Shutdown As a Normal User With KDE
Restoring Kate Projects and Window Focus
Ad Blocking
Customized Web Browsing With Cascading Style Sheets
Unresolved Problems—A Request For Help
A Software Wish List
Essays
This is where I provide some of my thoughts and commentaries. Provided free of charge in these writings are my opinions and civilized rants. You are free to read or not read. You can laugh, chuckle, yawn, blink, frown, whatever. You can agree or disagree. There is plenty of room on this planet for 6 billion opinions!
The Cantankerous Philosophy of Running as Root
Hidden Configuration Options—The True Story
Firefox the Browser
Firefox the Browser—Part 2
Konqueror the Browser
Konqueror the Browser—Part 2
Opera the Browser
K-Meleon the Browser
Seamonkey the Browser
My Workstation: NT4 Workstation
My Favorite Operating System
My Silent PC
My New Silent PC
Everybody Is Not On Broadband
Installing The Flash Plugin
My NT4 Boot Splash Image
Alexa Spyware
Right-Click
Who Are My Clients?
Migrating to Open Office Writer
Open Office 2.2
Newbieville
World Domination
Not Ready For Prime Time
Migrating Once and For All
What I Need To Migrate Fully
Reflections About Migrating to GNU/Linux
The KDE 3.5.x vs. KDE 4.x Debate
FLOSS Will Not Fail—A Rebuttal
Why Free Software is Important