David Both is an Open Source Software and GNU/Linux advocate, trainer, writer, and speaker. He has been working with Linux and Open Source Software since 1996 and with computers since 1969. He is a strong proponent of and evangelist for the "Linux Philosophy for System Administrators."
He has written articles for magazines including, Linux Magazine, Linux Journal, and OS/2 Magazine back when there was such a thing. He currently writes prolifically for OpenSource.com. He particularly enjoys learning new things while researching his books and articles, building his own computers, and helping his grandchildren build their computers. He has found some interesting
and unusual ways of problem solving, including sitting on one computer on which he was working.
David has published five books with Apress. Four solo works, “The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins,” August 2018, and a three volume self-study training course, “Using and Administering Linux — From Zero to SysAdmin,” released in December, 2019. He has also written one book with co-author Cyndi Bulka, "Linux for Small Business Owners" that was released in 2022.
David currently lives in Raleigh, NC, with his amazing and supportive wife, Alice.
He can be reached via email at LinuxGeek46@both.org or on Mastodon at @LinuxGeek46@linuxrocks.online.
Authored Comments
Very interesting story. It is never too late to learn to code - or anything else.
Although I started programming in my 20's - about 45 years ago - most of it has been for my own use such as task automation. And just because. I have done everything from assembler to BASIC, C, BASH, and more. I still code for fun.
I have a true story about a guy named Charley that you might find interesting.
Back in the late '60s I had started working for a chemical company in Toledo, Ohio, to earn money to go back to university. Most of the folks were fun and interesting, but this one guy, Charley, was always very negative. He would always complain about how horrible the work was, about how he hated the company, the type of work we did, and about management.
One day I became rather annoyed at the constant barrage of negativity, so I suggested to him that he might try to find another job. His response was that this was all he knew. So I said to him he might go back to school to learn something else. He responded with, "I'm too old to learn anything new." So I asked him how old he was. He said he was 36.
I decided right then and there that I would never stop learning new things. And I have not. Had I taken his attitude I would never have learned about Linux and Open Source Software.
Keep up the good work and never stop learning!!
That is cool, Robin! I was also the geek in high school with my physics and chemistry books under my arm and my slide rule on my belt. I still have my slide rule, too, and it was a good one.