Quest for Fiver 001


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How To Linux OS Podcast Introduction


Welcome to How to Linux OS. A deep dive into Linux operating systems for beginners.


Welcome to the show everyone, I’m your host, Leo Saumure.


I want to say, right out of the gate, that I am NOT a linux expert. I am not a window’s expert. I’m not an expert of any kind.


I am however, very curious about technology. I actually refer to myself as a technology scout. My definition being that I like investigating upcoming and bleeding edge technologies. I should further define my interest as consumer cloud technologies. Things like dropbox, and google docs, and various web apps...things like that.


So that is a little bit about me. Now, a bit about this podcast.


The idea of this podcast came about as an opportunity I saw to fill an information gap that I saw when it came to using Linux. Now there are a tonne of sources out there that will give you great information about using Linux. Some of my favourite youtube channels for beginners are OS first timer or LinuxSpatry. These are channels that give you a broad overview of a particular linux distribution, and then move on to another distribution in their next video. Then there are channels such as NixiePixel, who will give tonnes of tips and tricks and opinions on using Linux, but won’t necessarily have a linear format. There’s the Linux Action Show, there’s This Week in Linux, Linux4UnMe, and lots and lots of others...and that is just the channels in youtube. There are also other one off videos on how to use linux, there are stupid amounts of blogs, forums, websites, magazines, and other podcasts. So it isn’t like there isn’t linux information available out there.


But what I’ve noticed, is that a large amount of the information out there, is pretty much one-off things. So you can get a great video that shows you how to install and review a new linux distribution. And you’ll find some really useful tips on forum sites that will answer your linux technical questions, but there is nothing out there that will answer ALL your questions from start to finish as a new linux user.


For example, let’s say that you’ve watched and followed the instructions on youtube that show you how to install a particular distribution of linux.. You follow all the steps, pausing the video every 20 seconds, making sure you’ve followed each step correctly, and holy guacamole, it works! So you start happily using your new operating system, feeling a bit smug that you’ve been able to go beyond windows or OS X, but a little later on, you notice that you can’t watch youtube because of a missing flash player. Well you’ll notice fairly quickly that getting flash to work on some distributions of linux isn’t as easy as getting it to work with windows.


That is the gap in information that I was talking about. There are very few examples of good, contiguous and linear articles or guides that will show you how to get from start to finish, while exploring the roadblocks as well. The only one that I can think of, of the top of my head, is Full Circle Magazine, which is a Linux Ubuntu electronic magazine, that will publish some really in depth articles and how-tos that will go on for months and months.


So that is what I want to do with this podcast. I want to dive into a particular distribution of linux, and take you through the ins and outs of using it, not just for a day or two, but anywhere from a month to two to three months. I want to show you where I stumbled, and hopefully, after finding a solution to the problem I might have, give you the answers as well.

This isn’t just going to be a podcast either, I will also be blogging about it all as well as posting youtube videos, etc. If you want to come along with me for the ride, I’d love to have your company, and hopefully, you’ll be able to teach me a thing or two as well.


That is it for this inaugural episode of How To Linux OS. Hopefully see you next time, where we will be diving into our first linux operating system: JoliCloud. See you soon!


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Stomach Pain Makes Short Run Shorter

Kristie and I went out for our first post half marathon run today. The idea was to go for a short 7 KM run, but as Kristie and I both seem to be suffering from post Sydney colds, it was probably a mistake to go.

Kristie wasn't feeling great before hand, so a couple kilometres into the run, we decided to cut the run down to 5 KM. Along the way, we had to have a bathroom break, and afterwards, Kristie's stomach just wasn't doing well, so we shortened the run even further to 4 KM.

In the end, the run itself wasn't difficult, the difficulties were with our colds and stomach.


Sydney Half Marathon

Last Sunday we were in Sydney, Australia for the Blackmore's Running Festival Half Marathon! And it was probably the best, most exciting, picturesque and interesting course we've done so far. But more on that later.

How Not to Train For a Half

When we arrived in Sydney initially, it wasn't our end destination. We rented a car to drive to Wagga Wagga, which is about 460 KM south west of Sydney. Which is a walk in the park for a Canadian, where a drive from Edmonton to Winnipeg can is about 1400 KM. So the drive to Wagga Wagga was a cakewalk. But... When you add that on to a cab ride, a four hour plane ride, customs, car-rental, etc., and then the drive, that is a lot of time doing basically nothing. So our first day was pretty sedate.

When we arrived in Wagga Wagga, we went out for dinner with our hosts, Dan and Lisa. Lisa was Kristie's PhD advisor, and now lives in Wagga Wagga.

Oh, by the way, I'm pretty much going to say Wagga Wagga as much as possible!

So we arrived in Wagga Wagga, and visited for a bit, and then went out for a special even dinner at Wagga Wagga University, where Lisa and Dan work. The university has a winery, and they were celebrating a new vintage that they just bottled.

Anyway, we were up kind of late, but luckily we don't drink, so we didn't have to worry too much about our run the next morning.

First Run

The next morning, we got up early to go for our first run, and what should we see, right in the park across the street? Kangaroos! Huge Kangaroos! They weren't even the Giant Red Kangaroos, and these suckers were huge! What a great way to start the run!
We ran around Albert Lake in Wagga Wagga, which I think is a man made lake, but it is just under 6 KM around the perimeter, so we did it twice. But one of the great things about running here is that there was tonnes of bird life! And I'm not talking robins or finches here; I'm talking Pelicans, Parrots, Cockatoos, Crested Pigeons, Australian Magpies, Ducks, Swamp Hens, Swans, and many, many more! This place is an ornithologist's dream!

Second Run

The next day, we did the same run, only this time we brought our camera with us. And this time, we hardly saw any bird life, and we didn't see any kangaroos that morning either. *sigh*

We were planning on doing another 10 KM, but the previous days seemed to have caught up with us, so we only did around 6 KM.

No More Runs for You

The next day, we left for Sydney, and we HAD planned to do about 3-4 runs before the race, and we had already mapped them out. But, the tourists in us, got the better of us, and we spent virtually every day just walking around Sydney!

We put on so much mileage via walking, and due to the hot weather, we were wearing our sandals for the first time of the season, and as such, we both got lots of blisters and very sore legs for days on end!

Luckily, the blisters had enough time to get calloused up, and our sore legs got better as well.

I've got to say though, I wouldn't change a thing about our pre-race days in Sydney! It is a gorgeous city to explore, and the best way to do it is via walking.

Race Day

On race day, we got up at 4:00 a.m. and called a cab to arrive at 4:30 a.m.

None of the ferries were running that early (we were in East Balmain and the race started at Bradfield Park, Milsons Point), but the cab dropped us off at a train station, which were running at that point.

We arrived at the starting line, which was basically right under the harbour bridge, and went from there.

The course itself, as you can see by the map winds all around the CBD of Sydney. There were a few hills, one of which almost had me giving up at the half way point, and it also had some incredible views! There were tonnes of drink station, lots and lots of volunteers and fans along the course, and was just a dream to run.

The final kilometre or so of the course wrapped around The Rocks, Circular Quay, the Sydney Opera House, and finally ending at the Botanic Gardens!

We finished the race in 2 hours, four minutes and thirteen seconds by my watch, but the official race time was a little less.

If any of you are into running, and travelling. You MUST do this course! You will not regret it! It was an incredible experience, and one I would love to do again in the near future!



Location:Wellington, New Zealand Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney NSW, Australia
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