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Posts published by “Phil Shapiro”

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

Learn Perl Online for Free

By Phil Shapiro on April 29, 2016 |

Software, Tutorial and Video

Learn Perl Online for FreeLearn Perl video screenshot

The Video Screening Room

You don’t have to invest a fortune to get started learning a programming or scripting language. Don’t believe it? Take a look at this free and easy to understand tutorial for learning Perl.

** If you're finding this article useful, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **

Continue readingLearn Perl Online for Free
Charlie Reisinger: Using FOSS to Empower StudentsPenn Manor High School

Charlie Reisinger: Using FOSS to Empower Students

By Phil Shapiro on April 26, 2016 |

Community and Video

The Video Screening Room

When Pennsylvania’s Penn Manor High School launched the state’s largest free software learning program, they did it a little differently than most schools. As click-baity ads on FaceBook like to proclaim: You won’t believe what happened next.

Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

** If you're finding this article useful, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **
Continue readingCharlie Reisinger: Using FOSS to Empower Students
Learn Git and GitHub Through VideosOctocat GitHub

Learn Git and GitHub Through Videos

By Phil Shapiro on April 19, 2016 |

Tutorial and Video

The Video Screening Room

These days, GitHub is pretty much the warehouse district where nearly all open source projects are stored and maintained. There are some tricks to navigating the site, which can easily be mastered by watching tutorial videos.

If you’re an open source enthusiast, you need to be advocating for interested community members to familiarize themselves with GitHub, an amazing web tool for collaborative work. There are many introductory videos about GitHub on YouTube, but this one by Udacity I found particularly accessible.

**If you’re finding this article useful, please consider helping us meet our absolute minimum daily goal of $86 so our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser stays on track for the month of May.**
Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

Continue readingLearn Git and GitHub Through Videos
Another OpenToonz Tutorial VideoOpenToonz YouTube screenshot

Another OpenToonz Tutorial Video

By Phil Shapiro on April 12, 2016 |

Software, Tutorial and Video

The Video Screening Room

The studio quality 2D animation software, OpenToonz, which was recently open sourced continues to find adopters. Luckily for those trying to figure out how to use it, there are plenty of videos.

OpenToonz was released as open source less than a month ago and the quality of tutorials for it on YouTube continues growing. I was especially pleased to run across a series of tutorials created by Alon Dan, who has a Patreon account to fund further tutorial creation. I learned a lot watching this tutorial – OpenToonz Painting Tricks and Color Model.

**If you’re finding this article useful, please consider helping us meet our absolute minimum daily goal of $86 so our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser stays on track for the month of May.**
Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

Continue readingAnother OpenToonz Tutorial Video
Looking at the $15 PINE 64 Single BoardPINE 64 single board computer

Looking at the $15 PINE 64 Single Board

By Phil Shapiro on April 8, 2016 |

Distros, Hardware and Video

The Video Screening Room

These days you don’t have to spend much money to get impressive specs on a new computer, as long as you’re willing to do a little DIY work.

A German fellow with the YouTube username Rhymoore shows his PINE 64, the 64 bit single board computer that’s been taking preorders for $15 on Kickstarter, booting the Android based Remix OS on his 4K monitor. Glitches still exist, but those will likely get ironed out.

** If you're finding this article useful, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **
Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

Continue readingLooking at the $15 PINE 64 Single Board
A Young Linux-Loving Singer-SongwriterEmily Fox

A Young Linux-Loving Singer-Songwriter

By Phil Shapiro on April 5, 2016 |

Media and Video

The Video Screening Room

What’s a young lass from the UK who writes songs, makes videos and sells her albums online doing being featured on a FOSS site? Maybe it’s that penguin on the wall.

Emily Fox is a talented musician and Linux-loving youth in the United Kingdom. Her musical talent is enormous and she produces all her music videos using open source software.

** If our coverage matters to you, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **
Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

Continue readingA Young Linux-Loving Singer-Songwriter
Michael DeHaan on Achieving Project AdoptionMichael DeHaan

Michael DeHaan on Achieving Project Adoption

By Phil Shapiro on April 1, 2016 |

Software, Tutorial and Video

The Video Screening Room

While open source software has many advantages over proprietary software, it takes more than writing good code to find a user base for a project.

Starting a successful open source project requires a lot more than technical skills. You need to have wise strategies, which Michael DeHaan, founder of the IT automation company Ansible, clearly explains in this valuable video. In this talk, recorded March 22 on the Centennial Campus of North Carolina State University, he explains that for users to adopt your open source creations, the documentation needs to be outstanding. Your web site needs to be very well done. Learn these and other tips in this video.

**If you’re finding this article useful, please consider helping us reach our absolute minimum daily goal of $86 today so our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser stays on track for May. Any amount helps.**
Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

Continue readingMichael DeHaan on Achieving Project Adoption
A First Look Tutorial of Newly Open Sourced OpenToonzOpenToonz screenshot

A First Look Tutorial of Newly Open Sourced OpenToonz

By Phil Shapiro on March 29, 2016 |

Software, Tutorial and Video

The Video Screening Room

The same 2D animation software that’s used by Studio Ghibli in the making of its feature length anime films is now available as OpenToonz under an open source license.

OpenToonz, 2D animation software based on the proprietary Toonz, was released as open source on Saturday and the OpenToonz tutorials are already rolling in to YouTube. This one by Ryan A. Boone, of Tacoma, Washington, caught my eye. I learned some helpful tips and tricks watching this.

Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

**If you’re finding this article useful, please consider helping us reach our absolute minimum daily goal of $86 today so our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser stays on track for May. Any amount helps.**
Continue readingA First Look Tutorial of Newly Open Sourced OpenToonz
A Screencast Look at GalliumOSGalliumOS logo

A Screencast Look at GalliumOS

By Phil Shapiro on March 25, 2016 |

Distros and Operating Systems

The Screening Room

Our video editor takes a look at GalliumOS, a distro designed especially for use on Chromebooks.

When a group of talented people get together to create a Linux distribution optimized for use on Chromebooks, a suitable way of giving thanks is to install that operating system on a Chromebook and make a screencast showcasing the operating system at work. Back in December 2015, I did that with the outstanding GalliumOS distro.

** If you're finding this article useful, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **
Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

Continue readingA Screencast Look at GalliumOS