I've been using KDE / Plasma for many years and think that the current iteration is the best yet. It's actively developed, fast, and beautiful. The applications the original poster references are part of the KDE suite of applications, not the desktop itself. So that they aren't great doesn't mean the desktop is dying. Additionally, those programs probably have poor quality and are not developed much because they aren't used very much -- most people (like me) use Firefox and Chrome, rather than Konqueror. Konqueror was never a great browser, so it is definitely not a sign of KDE's "health." The KDE PIM suite (Kontact,et al) also isn't used as much as it used to be. A lot of people use web-based e-mail interfaces now. I've honestly never met an e-mail program I actually liked anyway, for what it's worth. M

I have Prey running my my phone for this reason. You can also install it on your laptop. There are quite a few interesting stories about people recovering their gear by using the utility. It's totally worth checking out.

If anyone else knows about other similar tools, I'd love to hear about those too.

http://preyproject.com/

Mike

Really glad to see this fixed up. It will be a great day when my external screen is the way it should be when I fire up and dock my laptop in the morning. Long over-due.

Mike

Believe it or not, your prospective clients will probably not ask about your certifications at all. Your experience may differ but while I have five certifications and a technology-related masters degree, I have not had any questions from prospects about certifications or education during my entire career (as far as I can remember, anyway).

As other commenters have mentioned, shows of previous work and references will probably yield the most benefit in winning new clients. In my experience, getting new business from smaller clients is more about networking and building relationships than anything else. Even though I encourage clients to look at my previous work and speak to references, the smaller clients pretty much never take me up on it. Larger firms tend to have a more conservative, structured, and objective approach to engaging new vendors, however.

That said, some certifications aren't too expensive. CompTIA is a lower-priced option, though not exactly cheap (http://certification.comptia.org/Training/testingcenters/examprices.aspx). If you think getting a certification might help, maybe consider getting something like Linux+ and/or Network+. Both credentials require one exam.

In your situation, it might make sense to seek a part time job or contract somewhere, rather than run your own business. If you have your own company (even for those of us who are highly experienced), you will likely burn a lot of time trying to snag new business. The nice thing about working for someone else is that you are earning money for all your effort, which is why I think working for the man might be best for you -- your time to dedicate to this job will be limited.

Best of luck in your work and your studies!

Mike

I am a Linux sysadmin and principal of an awesome start-up that loves Linux and runs lots of it.

How I got here:
I took a keen interest in Linux in 1999-2000 and started building my own labs at home and reading Linux and Unix books. I also took a Unix course at my local community college (they didn't have any Linux courses then). Perhaps most important of all, I started bringing Linux to work as much as possible. I have pretty much always worked in IT. Early in my career, I worked in shops that were primarily Windows and Novell shops but I always had a Linux system under my desk running on an older spare machine. Whenever possible, I'd deploy or suggest Linux and open source solutions. Vitally, when recommending anything, I always searched for optimum ways to address to business needs, rather than bringing a solution in search of a problem (Linux makes this easy since because of it's quality, versatility, and price).

Eventually, I became an IT manager and sysadmin at a relatively small organization (~150 employees) that gave me a great deal of freedom in choosing technology platforms/solutions and how to deploy them, particularly on the server and network end of things. They were also very budget conscious. This trust and freedom allowed me to deploy Linux pretty much everywhere -- web servers, back-up, file servers, some desktops, and more. So at this point, I was administering Linux as a core part of my job.

Next, I moved to another city that is fairly big in tech (Vancouver, BC) where I was hired as a sysadmin in the managed services division at a large web site development and digital marketing firm. It was fantastic -- we built and managed lots of high-traffic web infrastructure. After that, I joined a small dot-com as their IT manager and senior sysadmin for a couple years. I left there late last year to start IONICA.

So I learned by immersion -- I lived Linux at work and at home. I basically turned my "non-Linux" jobs into Linux jobs and went from there.

Some more tips:

From the beginning, I read a lot -- web sites and magazines, but books were most helpful. They discussed and taught me concepts, commands, applications, and techniques I wasn't running into in my own labs and were instrumental in building a comprehensive foundational body of knowledge for future interviews and issues on the job. I read many man pages too -- I still do. This might sound boring but it can often be very interesting and, like books, man pages can teach you things you might not otherwise come across but can help make you a better pro and make your life easier.

It's really important to know your city. Find out what industries there run Linux for core services. Linux is pretty much everywhere these days but there are some industries that have a lot of Linux/Unix infrastructure. Some examples spring to mind -- web development/hosting, software development, finance/banking, science/research (biotech is a good example), film (particularly visual effects houses), government, military. Depending on what the landscape is like in your area, moving to another city might be the best way to get the job you really want.

Certifications are a good idea, especially when you are starting out. They can add to your credibility as you build knowledge and experience. I found that once I became a senior-level professional, employers cared less about certifications and more about experience and achievements.

Network with people. There are probably some good LUGs or meet-ups on meetup.com that cover Linux. Join some of these groups and chat with some people there. Maybe take one out for lunch or a coffee to get the lay of the land in your area. They might also be able to help with job leads or with finding a mentor.

Speaking of mentors, that would be great. If you can find some people to hang around during (best) or after work for a few hours to learn or lend a hand, that should provide a nice boost to your Linux education and give you an idea on what it's like to do a similar job. I didn't really have a mentor early on but I wish I did.

Hope that helps. Good luck in your journey! It's a great career with tremendous opportunity and lots of fun too!

Mike

Hi. I just finished my MBA -- a quite different type of degree -- by using my laptop to take most of my notes. Similar to other posters, I learn best when focused on the lecture so I take less notes than others. When I do take notes, I prefer my laptop. I type much faster than I write and can organize information better, making it much easier to find for review later. After each course is complete, I would move all my work and hand-outs to an archive on by server so I have them forever. This has come in very handy because I do actually refer to that stuff on occasion. The ability to get on-line during class can be helpful as well (it can be a hindrance too, if you aren't focused).

Mike

Oh! As for your question, maybe try Razor-Qt (www.razor-qt.org) or XFCE. Razor is still in early stages so it's not perfect yet but really getting there and worth checking out. XFCE is a solid choice among light desktops.

Mike

I think your feelings on desktop environments is fairly common among geeks. Mainstream users need the bells and whistles and they definitely need desktops to conform to those well-thought-out UI guidelines you mention. KDE is great in this way and the other Linux desktops will mature to the necessary level as well.

Even though I am very much a Linux geek, I prefer a full-featured desktop on my main computers. I just don't see the need to sacrifice functionality and smoothness that comes with KDE for a little more speed (that would be the only possible reason for me since I never really have trouble with KDE working properly). Besides, my machines -- while not very fast -- are fast enough that a lighter environment really isn't much more responsive than a heavier one. Of course, I never put X on servers, so the desktop doesn't apply there.

Mike

I think there is speculation that what you suggest will happen at some point, though it has not yet. Those devices are in the early stages of their product lifecycles and are not used by mainstream consumers as their primary desktop at this time.

Mike

Defnitely not the only one. KDE is rawesome. It's super powerful, very few issues, great looking -- smooth, sleek, refined.

I also definitely don't believe all the doomsday predictions. People have been saying that as long as they've been predicting "this will be the year of the Linux desktop!," probably longer.

The truth is, Linux desktop market share grows every year. I hypothesize that it will continue to increase as more applications move to the cloud and more people leave Windows. There will be much lower switching costs. Right now, many people stick with what they have because the programs they are accustomed to are only available on [insert name here] platform. That will continue to change as more of these applications are available in the cloud.

We've heard the comments about why some people aren't running KDE or other Linux desktops but if asked why they aren't running Windows, Mac, or something else, we end up with lists of complaints at least as long. This type of feedback is good for helping find issues and areas for improvement but less useful in determining if a given desktop environment is in decline or on the rise.

Mike

I disagree with this kind of monitoring. Sure, the company has (or might have) the right to do it in many juristictions. It's their network, et cetera, but it most certainly isn't right, especially if they aren't making those whose communications are monitored aware that even https traffic is subject to monitoring -- most people would not assume that. People typically think if the lock icon is in their browser that they are using a secure connection, though in this case, they are not. Furthermore, monitoring https is risky for the company. If someone does exploit the vulnerabilities posed by https monitoring, the firm could be held responsible. We have no real reason to implicitly trust IT or anyone other than the bank to refrain from eavesdropping on our data. History shows us many examples of IT staff breaking laws to steal information and money -- that's not an attack on IT people (I'm in IT myself), it's just that some people do bad things and one shouldn't trust everyone (Especially when they don't trust employees. Trust is mutual). The easiest way to do that is by keeping personal traffic personal. Furthermore, we've all seen articles posted here on Slashdot and elsewhere, revealing that many (most, by some accounts) businesses have been breached or are breached regularly. So criminals can potentially break in to the company network and steal data through this proxy. As for the question over whether or not this issue is one to leave a job over, my quick answer is no. The people who made this decision probably don't have ill intent. They might actually believe they are doing the best thing they can do and this might otherwise be a decent place to work. I would definitely bring up the risks to management in hopes that they will change their posture. If you are considering leaving, consider all the positives and negatives of doing so and put this matter in there (sounds like you'd put it in the negative column). Then do what's best for you and, of course, only resign after signing an employment agreement with a new employer. It sounds like you've already left this place, however, so I hope you're on to something you like better! Hope that provides some good points of consideration. Best, Mike

Some of you guys must work for some really fire-happy places. I'd be shocked if s/he were fired for anything like this. If anything, they might get a verbal warning telling them the behaviour is not kosher.

Regardless, this person is probably allowed to write code when they are not busy (some people are allowed to do things like that). If someone were to get fired for installing a program on their computer or connecting to another computer to write harmless code, they probably work for a crappy workplace or were on the edge of getting canned for other reasons already.

Mike

Agreed. Bugtraq is an excellent list, probably a must-have. Security Basics might also be a good one for you to be on.

You can join both at http://seclists.org/

Mike