I am  only  a Linux user, not an expert. I feel good to tell you that I am linux user. Because, when I look around, I see only linux geeks, or linux experts and very very less linux users.

Understanding Linux as a user

The open source theory is not my attraction. I use Linux because it is a good operating system and that’s the only reason.When I write about Linux, I am not  preaching freedom and open source or any of those theories…  but I am trying to tell you about a good operating system that I use.

My job introduced Linux to me as an operating system  that does almost everything that windows can do, and lot of things that Windows can not do. I used linux because I had to, and I did not leave Linux because I started loving it.

This will not happen very often. We do not have platforms where general public get introduced to Linux. Linux and most of the things related to it are shared within the Geek Communities around the Internet.

The next step, reach the common man

What Linux should do now, as early as possible, is to introduce Linux to the common man. This should happen online and offline. There is a great community of Linux users. They can easily do this, using their online and offline contacts.

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Malayalam Blogging

Welcome to the first guest post on this blog. This post was written by pR@tz , from “ A World of My Own” . He has a Malayalam blog too. pR@tz is a MS Scholar at IIT Madras. Welcome and thanks pR@tz !!

Update

If you want to use Google Chrome to type in Malayalam, to any website, here is an easy solution. It helps you install a bookmarklet, and start typing in Malayalam

How to read Malayalam on your computer

The Malayalam computing gained popularity with the evolution of UNICODE. Swathanthra Malayalam Computing is one of the independent organizations, actively working for the development of softwares and fonts for Malayalam computing. Before the UNICODE, it was the ASCII fonts, which were used to display Malayalam characters and is still (unfortunately) used by websites like Malayala Manorama, Kerala Kaumudi, Deshabhimani, and puzha.com.

The disadvantages of ASCII font

(1) You need to install separate fonts for different sites.

(2) Its not PURE Malayalam font, but like putting Malayalam mask over Latin characters.

(3) Searching, indexing and other Malayalam computing options are not possible with ASCII fonts.

Try copy pasting Malayalam text from the above mentioned ASCII sites and try the same from Mathrubhumi site (which is using UNICODE ) and you will understand the difference. Also try Googling with the text you copied from Mathrubhumi.

Now, let see how to make your computer Malayalam-literate,

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