From The Chief Editor's Desk...

You might have noticed a new column in last month’s issue of The PCLinuxOS Magazine. It’s called Wiki Pick. This new column will feature a helpful article lifted straight from the pages of the PCLinuxOS Knowlegebase Wiki. We plan to make it a monthly feature.

There are multiple facets to the decision to introduce a new monthly column. One reason is to try to keep things fresh and interesting, and to provide things that we think that the PCLinuxOS community will like/use/enjoy. That these are helpful articles is a great benefit, as well.

Another reason is to help draw attention to the presence and existence of our newly restored Wiki. I personally know that CoreLite and The CrankyZombie worked very hard to restore the Wiki that was lost almost two years ago when the server it resides on was struck by ransomware scumbags. Having gone for nearly two years without a dedicated PCLinuxOS Wiki, the “habit” of visiting and using the Wiki has most probably been lost.

Our PCLinuxOS Knowledgebase Wiki, like virtually every other Wiki out there, is a community-supported and community-driven site to give all PCLinuxOS users a place to turn to for help and assistance. Sure, we have the forum, and for many users, the forum will continue to be their place to turn to for help and assistance. But the Wiki provides tried-and-true help and instructions for all sorts of topics, all without having to wait for someone to respond in the forum.

The forum and the Wiki are very different and separate entities. While the forum can also provide that help and assistance, it also provides a place for PCLinuxOS users to socialize and interact with other PCLinuxOS users. The Wiki, on the other hand, provides written documentation and step-by-step “how-to’s” without the banter and interaction. Most likely, when something has gone wrong, or if you’re just looking for information on how to do something, you might not be “in the mood” for socializing.

Since most all wikis are user supported, the PCLinuxOS Knowledgebase Wiki cannot exist and thrive without user input. This is, literally, YOUR wiki! To be as useful as it can be, it requires users to contribute their specific knowledge so it can be shared with other users. If you have a solution for a problem or issue, you need to share it on the Wiki so that others having similar problems or issues can benefit from your having already resolved that problem or issue. And, no problem or issue is too small to be included in the PCLinuxOS Knowledgebase Wiki.

The Wiki is a great vehicle for users helping other users. Through the Wiki, we show the world that there is unity and caring among PCLinuxOS users. If users of other Linux distros benefit from information shared in the Wiki, that’s a bonus. When/if those users are ever in search for a new distro (most of you know that Linux users are often prone to “distro hopping” … the “grass is always greener…”), they are likely to remember their positive experience by finding a solution to their problem or issue, and may help attract new users to PCLinuxOS. For those of us who have been around here for a while and “found our Linux home,” we always welcome new users, who bring new ideas and new skills to our community.

This month’s cover celebrates St. Patrick’s Day, and honors our Irish friends. Many immigrants came to the U.S. from Ireland, and St. Patrick’s Day celebrates their contribution to life here. This month’s cover image is a composite of the flag of Ireland, with a cute little Unicorn dressed out in an Irish motif. The flag image is from Wikimedia Commons, while the Unicorn image is from Pixabay artist Lynda Smith.

Until next month, I bid you peace, happiness, serenity, prosperity, and continued good health. Be careful out there. Around where I live, five maladies are circulating with fury: RSV, Influenza, Covid, Norovirus, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (the bacterium most commonly associated with what lay people call “walking pneumonia”).