Apple Guide Podcast

On the surface, the internet may seem to be a complicated web of computers spread throughout the world, but as the end-user, you probably will never notice it. You just open your internet browser, type in your question or website you would like to visit, and bam, in a blink of an eye, you're transported to that location. Now, you're probably thinking that looking any further into this subject would go completely over your head. So, let's simplify it and take an elementary look at how the internet works.

https://youtu.be/TnSgcPU7SU8

To examine this process, I will compare it to something you may be familiar with, the regular mail.

So, let's say we want to go to AppleGuideWeb.com. In this case, that's the name of the person we are sending the message to. Then, in the top left corner, we need to add our return address, in the form of a local IP address, like 192.168.1.20. This IP address is like a room number given to your device by your home router. Then, make sure you have pre-paid for stamps, a.k.a paid your internet bill. Finally, inside the envelope is what we are requesting from that site. Now, everything is ready to go except for one thing, the street address of AppleGuideWeb.com, AKA its IP address. For this, we are going to need help from the DNS.

The DNS, or domain name service, is like an address book. Throughout the World Wide Web, and even your home, there are address books that contain the names and addresses of every website.

First, your computer will check with your home router's DNS to see if it knows where AppleGuideWeb.com is. Since AppleGuideWeb.com isn't at your house, it's not going to know where it is.

So, your home router will pass the question to your preferred DNS provider and see if it knows where AppleGuideWeb.com lives. It's likely your network's preferred DNS is your ISP, or internet service provider, like AT&T, Comcast, Spectrum, etc. Each of these companies has their own address book to look up addresses. Then, if it's not there, they will forward it around until they find someone who does. But, somewhere in someone's address book is the address of AppleGuideWeb.com.

It's at this point that another technology is introduced, the CDN. A CDN, or content delivery network, helps a website in three distinct ways.

One, it brings the website closer to the visitor. For example, it would be very inefficient for AppleGuideWeb.com to be saved in one place. Imagine if it were only accessible by connecting to a computer in the middle of the US. Then, if someone from Europe wanted to visit, they would be sending data back and forth across the Atlantic. With a CDN in place, a copy of the website is saved to servers scattered around the world. This means that European visitors can connect to the much closer European copy of the site. And, whether you're connecting to the US or Europe server, you will get the same webpage and content.

The CDN also helps balance the load. Say you have thousands, or maybe millions of people, trying to visit a website. But, that server may not be able to support such a high volume of traffic. So, what does it do? It starts forwarding it to the next closest server.

Lastly, failover eliminates downtime. If one of the copies goes now for some reason, your visitor can be forwarded to the next closest version.

So, when your DNS is looking for the address of the site you're trying to visit, it's also trying to connect you to the copy that will give you the best results.

Here's another way to think of the CDN.

Has someone handed you a business card recently? What did you do with it? Put it in your wallet? Cram it into your desk drawer? Recently I've been handed a lot of business cards, and it got me thinking: is there a better way to share information? I think I found the solution, an NFC tag.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDQKTPuC0oA

Do you use a mobile payment service like Apple Pay or Google Pay when checking out at a store? Then you have used NFC (Near-Field Communication). This is the technology that sends your payment information wirelessly and securely to the payment terminal. But, NFC doesn't stop at just mobile payments! You may encounter it as a way to unlock your hotel room. It's also built into Apple's latest product, AirTag, as a way to tap your phone on the puck to be taken to Apple's website and find the owner. But, you can also get your own NFC chip and program it to whatever you want.

So, this is an NFC tag. You can get a pack of 30 of them for about $7 from Amazon. Essentially it's a programmable button that opens the door to a wide range of possibilities.

Here's how it works. You program the tag with an action or information. Then, someone can trigger that action by tapping their supported device on the tag. Now, let's take a deeper look into how to program and use these NFC tags.

To program these tags, I will install NFC Tools, a free, simple-to-use app for programming NFC tags.

For my first example, I'm going to link this tag to AppleGuideWeb.com. To get started, I'm going to choose "Write" then "Add a record." Now I'm going to tap "URL/URI," enter www.appleguideweb.com in the text box, and tap "OK." Now we have one record ready to be programmed to the tag. So, I'm going to select "write" and tap my phone on the NFC tag, and it should write. If you run into an error, try it again.

So, let's test it. I'm going to close everything and head back to the home screen. When I tap my phone on the NFC tag, I get a banner notification that I can tap on to go to AppleGuideWeb.com.

Now let's go back to the "Add a record" menu. As you can see, you can link just about anything. Add your social media profiles, address, start an email, make a phone call or FaceTime call, add your WIFI network information, and more.

With these options, think of all the use cases. Businesses can get NFC tags built into their business cards, which can link a user to a business social media page, phone number, address, or a webpage with all of this information. Or have a moviegoer tap on a poster to watch the trailer. Stick one on your home router and link it with your WIFI password. Then, when visitors come, they can tap on the tag to connect to your internet without manually entering a password.

However, not all of the options listed actually work. For instance, I haven't been able to get the SMS, contacts, or WIFI network configuration to work on my iPhone. It appears the iPhone only supports links, while Android is more likely to support different types of information. So, your mileage may vary.

That brings us to our next question, which mobile devices support reading from an NFC tag? Well, users of an iPhone XR or newer should have no problem reading an NFC tag. However, iPhone 7, 8, and X will need to manually scan the NFC tag by adding the NFC Tag reader to the control center. On Android, it's a bit more complicated. I have a website linked below that lists every Android phone that supports reading from NFC tags.

Last week, we took a look at the Apple Ecosystem and some of the continuity features that keep all of your Apple devices connected, like Universal Clipboard, AirDrop, Handoff, and more. I will leave a link to that video below. Today, we will continue looking at continuity features within the Apple Ecosystem.

https://youtu.be/8gVwUl7QtTc

For the best results, here are some settings you want to take a look at. First, all of your devices should be running the latest software updates and signed into the same iCloud account with 2-factor authentication enabled. Also, Bluetooth should be enabled, and all of your devices connected to the same WIFI network. Now, if you don't check all of these boxes, there is still a chance that some of these features may work so, it won't hurt to try anyways.

Those in the Apple ecosystem are probably familiar with the blue bubble. Yes, I'm talking about iMessage. But, before we look at the blue bubbles, let's look at the less appealing green bubbles. So, regular SMS messages are confined to those green bubbles. You'll usually see these when you're messaging someone who doesn't have an iPhone, like Android users who are still stuck with the old-school short messaging service. Texting pictures to green bubble people, on the other hand, will use the Multimedia Message Service, or MMS for short. You also may encounter a green bubble when talking to iPhone users who either don't have iMessage enabled or don't have cellular data. For most of us in the Apple ecosystem, iMessage allows for group chats with more than ten people, sending large files, and read receipts, all features that SMS does not currently support. This is why a lot of Android users prefer using a messaging service, like Signal or Telegram.

Beyond being just a feature-packed messaging service for texting other Apple devices, there are also multiple continuity features. For instance, if you have an iPad or Mac, you can use those devices to send messages as if sending a text message from your iPhone. Then, when someone sends you an iMessage, it's sent to all of your Apple devices. In addition to receiving your iMessages to every device, you can choose which of your Apple devices you would like your SMS messages forwarded to. But, those tools only forward your messages to all of your devices. So, if you delete a message thread from your iPhone, it will still be on all of your other Apple devices. If you prefer your messages sync between your devices, then you can enable Messages in iCloud. Now, when you delete that message thread on your iPhone, it will be deleted across all your devices.

And, there's is a lot more to iMessage than that. So, lookout for a future post on all of iMessage's cool features in more detail.

Like iMessage, you can make and accept FaceTime calls from all of your Apple devices. But, did you know you can make and receive normal phone calls from any device? If you hop on your iPhone and open Phone settings, you can choose which devices to forwarded calls to. Now, when someone calls your cell phone, you can pick up that call on your Mac or iPad. You can also make cell phone calls from your Mac or iPad by right-clicking on a phone number and choosing "Call using iPhone."

So, to unlock your Mac, you have to either enter your password or use Touch ID on your newer MacBook. But, if you have an Apple Watch, you can use auto-unlock to sign you in to your Mac automatically. To enable auto-unlock on your Mac, open the Security & Privacy preference pane, and go to the General tab. From there, you should be able to enable "Use your Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac." Now, when you wake up your Mac,

Have you ever been in a situation where you need to make a phone call but don't have service? Maybe you're in your basement or the back of a store. Well, today I'm going to show you how to make a normal phone call over Wi-Fi.

https://youtu.be/1igoiiChlXw

First, you're going to need an iPhone 5c or newer (aka an iPhone released after 2013) and a supported carrier network. I will leave a link below to an Apple support doc that lists the iPhone features each of the big carriers supports. But, you shouldn't have an issue with any of the big carriers.

So, with your iPhone in hand, open settings, then go to "Cellular." At the top of the menu, you will see many cellular features. Your options here will vary based on your location and what features your carrier supports. As an AT&T subscriber, I have access to Wi-Fi calling, calling on other devices, carrier services, and setting a password on my SIM card. If you can, open the Wi-Fi calling settings and flip the switch to turn the feature on. Now, depending on your carrier and location, you may be promoted with some questions. For instance, AT&T requests the user give an emergency address for 911 purposes. Once enabled, you can also turn on "Allow Wi-Fi Calling on other devices." This feature will let you make phone calls from your other Apple devices, like a Mac or iPad.

And with that, Wi-Fi calling is set up. To see when your using Wi-Fi calling, look at your cellular reception in the status bar. Where it typically says your cell phone carrier's name, 4G, or 5G will now display Wi-Fi Calling.

Now, the next time you don't have a strong cellular connection, your phone will automatically use your Wi-Fi connection.

Links

* Apple Support: Make a call with Wi-Fi Calling* Apple Support: Wireless carrier support and features for iPhone in the United States and Canada* AT&T Wi-Fi Calling* Cnet: What is Wi-Fi calling: Everything you need to know FAQ* DigitalTrends: What is Wi-Fi calling, and how does it work?* Verizon Wi-Fi Calling FAQs

When you turn on a computer for the first time, what's the first thing you do? Probably open an internet browser and install Chrome. Since Chrome was released, it quickly rose to the top spot. While up there, it's hit a few snags, like Google's extreme data collection policies, security issues, and performance problems. So, why settle with Google Chrome when you have so many other options!

https://youtu.be/bNY9YvUPIE4

On the surface, you have multiple browsers to choose from, like Safari, Google Chrome, and Edge, to name a few. Under the hood is a browser engine responsible for converting the website's code into what you see when you load a webpage.

So, first, let's take a look at the three most important web engines, starting with KHTML, an open-source, free-to-use browser engine developed in 1998. Because of KHTML's open-source status, many projects have descended from KHTML, like Apple's WebKit released in 2003.

In 2013, Google announced the Blink browser engine, a direct descendent of Apple's WebKit. Blink is most notably the engine behind the Google Chrome browser. However, technically it's developed by the Chromium project, the group that develops the template browser of Chrome.

The last important web engine to mention is Firefox's Gecko. Unlike the previous two web engines, Gecko is only used to power Mozilla apps like Firefox and Thunderbird.

Now you may be wondering, why are these web engines so important? If you remember, a couple of weeks ago, I made a post about Linux, an operating system that is secretly behind every computer. I will leave a link to it below. One of the things we touched on was open source software or the ability for anyone to download an open-source app and edit the code to adapt it for their needs. Well, this is what happened in the browser space.

KHTML is the open-source project Apple used to build WebKit. Then WebKit was used by Google to create Blink. Today, both Blink and WebKit are open-source, allowing other developers to adapt them into their browsers.

Think of it this way you're going to build a car. Sure, you can build it from scratch, but that would take a lot of resources. So, what if you bought the engine from a different company. That would be one less thing you have to develop in-house and would allow you to focus on making better features. Essentially, this is what's happening in the browser market.

Today, if you use Microsoft Edge, Opera, or Brave, you're using a browser powered by Blink, the same web engine that powers Google Chrome. If you ever hear that a browser is Chromium-based, that's what that means. Thanks to open-source, these companies were able to take the Blink web engine, remove the Google parts, and focus on creating unique features. Brave is a perfect example of this. They have been able to create an ad-free, tracker-free, privacy-first browser. In some cases, Chromium-based browsers may even let you install Chrome browser extensions, like your password manager, Honey, Grammarly, or any other extension, expanding what your browser can do. Microsoft did a great job with Edge, for example. They completely reinvented the browser, making it, in some ways, better than Chrome, all while letting you install any Chrome extensions.

Since the rise of Blink, WebKit's use has been declining. However, it's still the engine behind the Safari browser across the Apple ecosystem. Also, every iOS browser, like Chrome and Firefox, is required by Apple to use the Webkit engine, instead of their own.

From these engines have sprung a wide range of internet browsers. So, here are some honorable mentions you should tr...

Many components go into building a computer. But, arguably, the most crucial part of your computer is its storage, where your operating system and personal documents are saved. Every other component in your computer can fail, but as long as your storage is intact, you can pick yourself up and keep going. Choosing the right storage device can also have a big impact on the performance, reliability, and longevity of your machine. That's why it's important to know the difference between the two most common types of storage, the hard disk drive, and solid-state drive. So, let's take a look.

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As I stated previously, your internal computer storage is the most important part of your computer. It holds your operating system, photos, documents, and anything else you save to your computer. If every other component fails except your drive, no problem, just move it to another system and keep working. I cannot stress enough how important this component is.

That being said, BACK UP YOUR DATA! By now, I sound like a broken record player so, I'm not going to go into this. Instead, check out the link below for more about backing up your computer.

The internal storage type can even affect your computer's speed and reliability. You see, with all of your files and operating system saved to your internal drive, your computer can only access those files as fast as your drive can spin. So, if you find your computer getting slow and unresponsive this could be the culprit.

Right now, you have two storage device options, a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) or a Solid State Drive (SSD), and there are some big differences between the two.

Starting with a hard disk drive, which is basically a high-end CD drive locked in a box. If you take a hard drive apart, by the way, don't try this at home, you will find multiple spinning disks with a laser head that reads and writes the data. Obviously, with all these moving parts, there's room for error. For instance, a clicking sound coming from your computer is a good sign one of the heads broke, or if there is no movement or vibration, then the disks may have stopped spinning. All these moving parts can also slow down your computer and are very loud. As you can see, hard drives are not the best option, especially in laptops. If your computer is in good shape, but you think the internal drive is holding you back, it may be a good idea to replace it with your second option, an SSD.

SSDs are a combination of microchips that store your data. Without all the moving parts, SSDs are smaller, faster, and quieter, all while being more rugged and reliable. They are superior in almost every way when compared to a traditional hard drive. Replacing an old, slow hard drive with an SSD can even lengthen the life of your computer. For example, I got my hands on a 2012 MacBook Pro that was in pretty good shape other than a harmless crack in the corner of the screen. Really, its only flaw was being terribly slow, and unresponsive. So what did I do? I replaced the old hard drive with a $20 SSD, and now it runs like a brand new machine. The moral of the story, an SSD can help your computer boot, open apps, and open files faster, all while being more responsive than a traditional hard drive. That's not to say SSDs are perfect and last forever. For instance, unlike a hard drive, a failing SSD doesn't make a sound, nor will it slow down. In fact, many SSDs are programmed to cover up errors and keep going. One day your SSD may fail without notice, which is another reason to always back up your data. Any drive can fail at any point in time. One other possible flaw is that SSDs are sometimes non-upgradeable. For instance, in laptops,

Last week we took a look at what HomeKit is and why it's so great, especially if you're are heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem. Unfortunately, as great as HomeKit is, most smart devices don't support Apple's smart home ecosystem. So, today, we will look at how to make any Alexa or Google Home smart device a HomeKit device.

https://youtu.be/jqKzp6cDmXI

I want to start by saying this is not a simple fix. There is no switch to be flipped nor a little adapter you need to buy. Instead, we will need to create a server. Now, this may sound overwhelming, but I promise I will make this as simple as possible.

So here's a quick overview before diving into the details. To get this to work, we will need the help of a free open-source app called Homebridge. Homebridge is a smart home server that runs on practically any computer. Here's how it works. You download the software on your computer, open it up, log in to the admin account, and start adding skills, just like you would with Alexa or Google Home. Then, scan the barcode on the homepage, and viola, your devices are now HomeKit devices. But, don't worry, they have detailed directions for how-to install Homebridge on every supported platform.

With that quick summary out of the way, let's get started.

As I said before, you can install Homebridge on practically any computer. The only thing it needs is some form of internet connection. However, it needs to be a computer that is always on and connected to your home network because if it disconnects, you will lose HomeKit access to your devices. For this reason, I've opted to purchase a new computer for this project.

This is the Raspberry Pi Zero Wireless, a $10 computer smaller than a credit card. The Zero Wireless comes equipped with Bluetooth and WiFi and enough punch to host this server. Along with the Pi, you're going to need a power supply, in this case, a micro USB charger. And for storage, you will need a micro SD card. You can purchase all three of these separately or all together in a bundle if it's easier. As for me, I already have plenty of micro USB cables lying around so, I skipped that step. For storage, I picked up this PNY 32GB micro SD card. However, any micro SD card will do.

With all the supplies round up, it's time to get busy.

So, to get started, go to the Homebridge website. Then, scroll to the directions at the bottom of the page. If you're using your own computer, choose your platform from the list, like macOS or Windows 10. As for me, I'm going to click "Getting Started" under the "Download Homebridge Raspberry Pi Image" button. This will take us to the directions on how to configure the Pi. Now I'm just going to follow the directions, and see if we can get this working. If you run into any issues during setup, check out the links below for assistance. Homebridge has a very supportive community that can help you get back on track.

Step one is to download Homebridge for Raspberry Pi. This download is a disk file with Homebridge preinstalled and configured. While it's downloading, we can pop over and download Etcher. We will use this software to burn the Homebridge disk file to the SD card.

With both Etcher and Homebridge download, you are cleared to insert the micro SD card into your computer and open the Etcher app. Now follow the steps in Etcher by choosing "Flash from file" and navigating to the Homebridge file, and choosing your SD card as the target drive. Then, flash.

Once Etcher is finished flashing the SD card, you're ready to drop it into your Raspberry Pi. Give it some power using a micro USB cable and USB power adapter.

A couple of weeks ago, I made a video about the shortfalls of modern-day smart devices, and some struggles you may run into as a new user trying to understand the landscape. I will leave a link to that video below. One thing we briefly took a look at was HomeKit, Apple's smart home ecosystem. Today we will take an in-depth look at what HomeKit is, how it works, and the benefits of integrating into the Apple ecosystem.

https://youtu.be/Hol2BpDU3rg

Before getting into the video, be sure to like and subscribe, and hit the bell icon you get notified when we release a new video.

I'm sure you've met Amazon's Alexa and know of Google's Assistant. Well, here's a quick summary of smart devices on those platforms. You buy a smart home device, like a TP-Link smart plug. You download the corresponding app, in this case, Kasa, create or sign in to your account, and follow the configuration wizard. Simple enough. Now it's time to link your smart device's app to your voice assistant of choice. In the case of both Google and Amazon, you add a device and choose the brand. Then you're brought to a sign-in screen for you to link your smart device's account to your Alexa or Google Home account. And voila, you can control your smart home accessories through your voice assistant. After your account is linked, new devices added through that brand's app will automatically be added to your voice assistant.

Now you have three options for controlling your smart devices. The most convenient way is through a voice assistant. You can say, "Alexa, turn on my lights" or "Ok Google, turn off the lights." But if you want more manual control, you can use a mobile app. One of your options is through that brand's app. For example, if you have a TP-Link smart plug, you would go to the Kasa app to control it. This option may be cumbersome, especially if you have multiple smart products across multiple brands because that means more apps to sift through. Alternatively, you can use the Alexa and Google Home apps, which provide convenient control to all of your smart devices. But, there's one ecosystem missing, Apple's HomeKit.

Like with Alexa integration with the Amazon ecosystem and Google Assistant's integration with the Google ecosystem, HomeKit integrates your smart devices into your Apple Ecosystem.

It all starts with the Home app, which you can find on your iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, Mac, and even your AppleTV. You can create houses and rooms to organize your devices. Unlike Alexa and Google, adding a device usually doesn't require you to install an app or skill. And, since the Home app is integrated into your Apple devices, it makes accessing your smart devices simpler via Siri, Control Center, or the Home app.

With that quick summary out of the way, let's take an in-depth look at the Home app through an iPhone.

When opening the Home app for the first time, you will get a splash screen you can skip by clicking continue. From there, you see your home that was automatically setup. First, you will probably want to change your home settings. So, click the home icon at the top left and choose "Home Settings." From this page, you can change its name, invite others to join, change your wallpaper, and add some notes. If you are managing smart devices across multiple buildings, you can create more than one home by tapping the "Add Home" button at the top.

Before we start managing rooms, we need to add an accessory. First, make sure your smart device is compatible with HomeKit by checking the manual. After confirming you have a compatible device, tap on the plus (+) in the top corner, then select "Add Accessory." From the popup,

Since the release of the iPad Pro back in 2015, Apple has attempted to market the iPad as a replacement to the traditional computer. After having my 2020 iPad Air for about two months, I see it as a possibility, but not for everyone. So, let's look at some problems you may run into and some things to consider if you're looking to replacing your desktop with an iPad.

https://youtu.be/3lwVZ7vfqnA

The big thing to note is iPadOS is not macOS. If you spent years perfecting your desktop workflow and feel more comfortable using a desktop or laptop, then trying to transition to an iPad can be a bit tricky. But, depending on what you do, it may also be simpler and cheaper.

The first problem you may run into is app support. If you're used to using the desktop version of an app, there's no guarantee that the iPad app, if it exists, will work or feel the same.

In the case there is not an iPad version, you may have to find a substitute which can be a time-consuming process.

If you are lucky enough to find an iPad version of your desktop app, you need to make sure they're the same. In some cases, like Adobe Photoshop, the iPad version may be a stripped-down shell of their desktop counterparts or, in the case of Photoshop, just haven't caught up yet.

Do you plan on having your old desktop tie into your new workflow? If so, you need to make sure whatever app you choose also somehow supports the respective desktop app. For instance, if your editing Photoshop files on your iPad, you need a macOS app that can also open and edit Photoshop files.

Affinity Photo on iPadOS v. macOS

What about touch? For many people switching to a touch-first interface may be difficult. If you look at something like Affinity Photo, the iPad and desktop apps may look roughly the same, but it's still an adjustment to replace a mouse and keyboard with a touch-only interface. You can solve some of your problems with an external Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. But then you have to carry around more external accessories, which defeats the purpose of a portable iPad unless you go with a keyboard case. Logitech's Combo Touch case is a good example of what a keyboard case could be. However, either option you choose you're going to run into spotty mouse support and missing keyboard shortcuts.

iPad Air paired with a mouse and keyboard

Another issue you may run into is the cloud. Many apps use cloud storage to backup and sync your files. In some cases, you may not want this and prefer to have your data only stored locally. Take Adobe Lightroom for iPad as an example. It's such a powerful photo editor loved by many photographers. But, as soon as you sign in to your Creative Cloud account, it starts uploading your photos to the cloud, quickly filling up the cloud storage you may not want to use.

This brings me to how apps use your iPad's storage. If you use Finder on your Mac or File Explorer on Windows, then you know you can access any file created by any application. You can dive deep into your system files and have full reign over your whole computer. With iPadOS, you don't get that control. Now there is the Files app, but you only have as much control as an app will allow you to have. Let's take a look at the Photos app, for example. On your Mac, you have full access to the photos in your Photos Library. If you want, you can copy your whole library to an external drive freeing up space on your computer, or you can navigate through the library itself. On iPadOS, you don't get that option. The only way you can access your photos is through the Photos app. I don't want to talk about this too much because I plan on making a whole post dedicated to the Files app.

You know of macOS and Windows, iOS and Android, but have you ever heard of Linux? If not, I guarantee you're not the only one. For years the high powers have tried to hide it. But today, Linux is calling the shots.

https://youtu.be/tVxuy4s8VKA

Before getting any further, we need to look at what an operating system, or OS, is. An operating system is responsible for uniting the hardware and software on your computer and gives you access and control over everything, an example being macOS.

When shopping for computers, it will come with either Windows or macOS when looking at mobile devices, it's either Android or iOS. What if I told you there was another option? One hidden in the background, calling the shots at each of these big-name companies? Its name is Linux.

Linus Torvals creator of Linux

Linux is an operating system developed by Linus Torvals in 1994 and has continued development as an open-source project under the Linux Foundation. Linux was built like UNIX, an OS developed by AT&T in the 70s, more on that later.

History of UNIX

Before continuing, it's important to note how open source projects work so, here is an example. You have developed a program, say a basic text editor, you can only enter plain old text, no formatting. You release your app as an open-source project where anyone can go online and download the code you wrote to make the app. I download your app, and I love everything about it, except for the fact I can't underline text. So I download the code you wrote and add the underline feature. I liked the result, so I'm going to send it back to you. You can decide if you want to add the feature to your app or discard it. Now imagine this on the grand scale, millions of independent developers around the world, working together to improve the apps they use daily. That's open source.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpeDK1TPbew

Now back to Linux, and it's time for me to be honest, there is no such thing as LinuxOS. Linux is the name of the kernel. I don't want to get too technical, but essentially it's the software that allows the apps to communicate with the hardware. Since the Linux kernel is open source, people and companies have been able to download it and adapt it to their needs. This openness is what has allowed Linux to flourish today.

If you want to give Linux a try on your home computer, you have multiple distributions to choose from. Each one is developed to serve a specific need or style.

Keeping in mind the way open-source software works, here is how it translates to Linux operating systems. The Linux Foundation makes the Linux kernel then people and companies will build a desktop environment that runs on top of the kernel. The desktop environment makes computers more accessible by giving users access to a keyboard and mouse, easily open folders and files, browse the web, and more. The Linux OSs at the top of the pyramid includes Debian, Slackware, and RedHat. From there smaller developers can take those OSs and mend them to their needs without as much work. For instance, a Linux developer is a Hannah Montana fan. So, what does he do? He takes vanilla Ubuntu and gives it a Hanna Montana twist. This may sound completely made up but it's a real option. Below is a link to a Computer Clan video where he gives Hannah Montana OS go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvDad7aQ2U8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl6wuvcFp5o

Getting back on topic, this freedom has allowed for the creation of a wide range of unique distributions to thrive.