PC Community Main Meeting
7:30 - 10 pm April 1, 2016
Calvary Baptist Church 28924 Ruus Road, Hayward California
The meeting was called to order at 7:37 pm by President Chuck Horner. See Lola Hunter at the ticket table, for raffle tickets, door prize tickets, and 3” x 5” cards to write questions for discussion/answers at the end of the Meeting. Get at least one $5 raffle ticket for this month’s raffle prize, a pair of 32GB Lexar jumpdrives.
The Mobile SIG meets at Denny’s in San Leandro at the corner of Marina and 880, at 7:30 pm on the 3rd Monday of the month.
Sally Holt announced American Cancer Society fundraiser minifliers for events at local restaurants: Famous Dave’s on April 13, Mountain Mike’s Pizza February 1-June 4th.
Yorkman Lowe said that he has several extra phone books. Let him know if you need a paper version.
Presentation: Members Paul Cooper and Michael Wong showed Linux for non-geeks. Paul has 32 bit Linux on a 7 year old laptop. He is running Linux Mint.
In Linux you want a password to separate Administrator and User accounts. This helps protect the administrator account from unauthorized access (i.e., hacking). The opening desktop looks like the Windows 10 desktop, with two extra icons, Home and Computer.
Paul put in a good word for SSD drives for speeding up his machine. He explained open source: software that is shared for free, open to updating and re-sharing by anyone, under an open source license–you can share but you can’t charge, though Linux doesn’t mind donations.
Paul suggests either running Linux from a USB or DVD or having it be the only operating system installed. Dual booting is possible, but it can cause problems. In Linux, you enter the system as a User, not Administrator. (In Windows, you are set up as the Administrator unless otherwise specified.)
Chromium is the open source version of the Chrome browser. LibreOffice is the open source office suite. It is interchangeable with Microsoft Office. The GIMP image processor comes with the Linux installation. The Wine application allows use of many Windows programs. Some other applications to add: Audacity is great for sound, Handbrake for video, Picker for better print screen control; compare Picker with Windows’ SnipIt. Check to see if there is a Linux version of your favorite program–there probably is.
When you frist install Linux, take all the updates.
It things seem to freeze, just wait. Unlike Windows, Linux doesn’t show you a progress bar while things are working in the background.
There are some very simple versions of Linux. Altogether there are probably 1,000 versions. You might find an older computer that is sluggish running Windows will perk up with Linux.
To get a version of Linux, start off by searching for Linux in Google. Download the ISO file. Use your favorite DVD burning program to create an ISO file. You need to know whether you want 32 bit or 64 bit. Pick (currently Cinnamon, KDE, MATE). Be sure your Chrome settings are set to ask where to save downloads before starting. Then you can direct the download to save to a flash drive. Start with a clean USB drive, since it will be reformatted, then go to Pendrivelinux.com and look for Live USB Installer.
Questions
Chuck has a question about his Android phone. It is duplicating contacts, inconsistently. Yorkman reported the same problem, though it hasn’t done that lately. No one had a solution; attendance at the Mobile SIG was suggested.
What are 3 or more symptoms that I have malware on my Windows XP or Mac?
1. Your computer slows down.
2. You start getting popups for all kinds of stuff you never heard of.
3. You’ve visited porn sites.
4. Your friends call you and say, “What was that you sent me?” because they got weird emails from you.
Some more safety tips: You need to know the name of your antivirus software. Don’t click on popups that say they’ll scan your drive. When updating, go to the original site: do NOT take the offer for the easy option “click here.” When starting up a new system, don’t accept the offer to install stuff. When you get an email from someone who seems to be a friend, don’t click on a link unless you know your friend has really sent it.
Is Scriptwriter legit? Check WOT (Web of Trust), Snopes, or Google.
When sending a group email, use BCC. Do not expose everyone’s email address to everyone else.
Lola Hunter has a new HP 51641A printer cartridge for anyone who can use it.
Door Prizes
Audio Technica headset Dan Dolgin
Innergie USB power converter Bill Huston
Mints Yorkman Lowe
MagicA Box tee shirt Lola Hunter
Belkin USB power converter Michael Wong
Kolibree phone stand Bob Dunn
CDW earbuds Paul Cooper
Moshi bottle opener Mimi Tse
Take Me out Phone Holder Alex Korzuchin
Raffle Prize
Pair of Lexar Jumb drives Michael Wong
Thank you to Michael Wong for managing the signs and room logistics.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:43 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Bayle Emlein, Secretary
