I've been a Windows user most of my life but I've set myself a goal of learning how to use Linux and the Raspberry Pi because:

• I just like learning things for the sake of learning.
  • Yes, I was that horrible kid that took apart stuff and forgot how to put it back and got a smacking for it. Although these days, I take detailed notes because it's really hard on my wallet to keep replacing items. :)
• I wanted to make my home "smart"
  • So I'm thinking of Raspberry Pi + Arduino + various sensors and perhaps actuators.
• I am a sucker for zen-like and minimalist aesthetics
  • Of the many linux distros I looked at, Elementary OS turns my head. It's been said that other distros allow the user more control, but as I'm still starting out, I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Oh, and compared to Windows ... Elementary OS flies ... on the same hardware.

Alright, let's set up my Pi 2.

1. Formating the MicroSD Card
Here 's an excellent post on this, How to format hard disk, USB flash drive, and SD cards in elementary OS / Ubuntu illustrating two methods: using GParted (FOSS) and from the Terminal.

​2. Understanding Linux

• General Overview of Linux File System
  • www.tldp.org/LDP/intro-linux/html/sect_03_01.html
• Introduction to Linux
  • tille.garrels.be/training/tldp 

Finally, I've managed to format my micro SD card using the linux terminal commands and copied NOOBS into it. 

and .... 

​Various screens during the install process.

​Now that I've installed Rasbian the NOOBS way, I'm going to start all over and install it without NOOBS, and then try various flavours of linus including Kali, which people say is good for pen-testing, but is it really geared for that? 
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Then after that, we'll get to the reason why I'm messing around with the Pi 2 ... to create a Smart Home system!
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Yeah, you read it right, I'm drooling all over my Pi, nope, and I don't mean pie. :)

Yes, yes, ​I know the Raspberry Pi 3 is already out but hey, I didn't have to spend a dime to get the Pi 2 to play around for a couple of weeks so I am so not complaining! 

and tada / Drumrolls, introducing THE RASPBERRY PI 2 !!!

Got some ideas what I want to create with this, I'm gonna be really busy the next couple of weeks!!!

Elementary OS is awesome. The user interface is aesthetically appealing and simple to figure out without reading manuals, watching tons of tutorial videos and without digging through tons of menus and sub-menus to change most settings.

I like to use my computer to do stuff, not fight the UI.

However, if you're a office productivity type of user, here's a list of apps you're likely to need:

The great news is that all the above are software are free or donation-ware i.e. if you use some of them regularly, do consider donating to the software devs so that they can regularly update the software.

Oh, unless you like getting under the hood, stick to installing apps from the "Software Centre" and avoid terminal commands like "sudo get-app" and the like. It's a lot safer and stress free.
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Of late, I have been getting increasingly frequent nag screens asking to upgrade to Windows 10 for free. And I will do so on my i7 workhorse machine. 

However, I do have an older computer that I doubt will handle Windows 10 well. So I started casting my eye around for alternative operating systems ... and I found ....

​Although Elementary OS may not have all the bells and whistles of other OS, it is more than adequate for web browsing and general office productivity work. In addition, Elementary OS is also a rock solid Linux distro that is beautifully designed. Check it out for yourself!

Some things to note though.., you can't run Microsoft Office Applications natively on Elementary OS but if you're not creating complex pivot tables, dashboards, documents with complicated formatting, LibreOffice would be a fine alternative for Office app while eM email Client is also a good alternative for Microsoft Outlook.

Thank you Windows 10 for nagging me to look to a new OS. :)
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and if you're thinking, ya yah, not another photo montage video.

Well, this will blow your socks off!
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"The Old New World" is a Photo-based animation project.
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It's a travel back in time with a little steampunk time machine. 
The main part of this video was made with Camera projection based on photos.
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Source photos by shorpy.com
Music: Al Bowlly - "Guilty"
Still frames and illustrations: behance.net/gallery/35310703/The-Old-New-World-Photo-based-animation-project

 
even if he has to wait for, maybe an eternity.

what is your reality?
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Fear is merely an illusion created by the mind's
thoughts of the future. 

A future that may never happen.

But don't get me wrong,
 the danger is real, but fear is a choice.

- Gen. Cypher Raige


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It's amazing how far computer graphics have advanced over the last 10 years, isn't it?

Watch and be in awe! Enjoy the video! It's a Friday! :)
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Remember the blockbuster hit "The Lion King"?

   
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