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Invasion of the Penguins - Linux.com.np

Linux and the man behind Nepal Linux User Group
Hemanta Sharma Speaks out!
Interview With Nepalnet

Hemanta Sharma , the face behind linux.com.np shares few words with us about his experience with the Linux operating system.

Linux.com.np is the official website of Nepal Linux User group. The group is dedicated to educate Nepali users about Linux operating system.

During last month I had chance to interview him. In the interview, he talked about his latest venture linux.com.np. Please email any comments at info@nepalnet.net


Q. How did Linux.com.np start?

Hemanta Sharma:

Linux.com.np started when I felt that there aren't any active Nepal Linux User Group to support the Linux users here in Nepal. Linux is still very new for this country and there is lots of IT professionals, students and other users who are interested but don't have a complete site to support them, or need to search the internet and spend a huge amount of time to get what they want. NLUG supports beginners to professional users and all the resources are found in this single site.

The another purpose to build this site is to bring the Linux users in Nepal closer to each other and have a virtual community formed. This way people get to know each other better.

Q. On a personal level, how were you first introduced, and how did you first get involved with Linux?

Hemanta:

I have been using Linux since 1998 when I used to work at an ISP. There were only 4 ISPs at that time and only limited people used Linux. When I first knew that Linux was one of the most powerful operating system, which came complete free and an Open Source then few of my colleagues decided to do a project on making an Intranet for an Organization completely on Linux. It started then, we were 5 of us, working on different modules to make the project complete. I was to work on the Mail Server part. It was tough in beginning as there were no place where we could actually learn Linux. We were guided by Ranjan Koirala, who was then working as a System administrator for 2 ISPs. With his help we were able to configure the Intranet for the Organization and deliver it. That is how I got involved into it.

Q. What are the benefits of using Linux in Nepal? What type of future do you see for Linux in Nepal?

Hemanta:

Linux has very big benefit especially in a country like Nepal. The first benefit is that, Nepal still being very little exposed to the IT field compared to the western world, most of the organizations don't have much fund to buy systems like that of Windows Servers to make their system computerized, they can easily go for Linux which is completely free.

Secondly, Organizations don't have to keep upgrading their hardware to keep up with the heavy and resource hungry OS like of Windows.

Linux has a very good future in Nepal if it's researched and implemented correctly and people give a serious thought about Linux.

Q. If you had to persuade a non-Linux user to use Linux, how would you do so in a few sentences?

Hemanta:

There are lots of things in Linux that could be of interest to non-Linux users:

  1. Many people I have met have a wrong conception about Linux that it's hard to learn and use it in a daily basis like Windows. Initially, Linux was difficult, it didn't have any Graphical User Interface, but now Linux is so developed that in the Western countries, people have started using Linux as their daily use, just like Windows.
  2. Another issue that I found in non-Linux users is the compatibility of Hardwares found in the market. Linux today, supports most of the hardwares, and has the capability of Plug & Play like that of Windows.
  3. The another most pointed out difference is that Linux is virus free.
  4. The best part of Linux is it's free and the source code are accessible by anyone. This means that a programmer can program the whole Operating system by the way he want it.
  5. Linux is not resource hungry, meaning, to operate it doesn't need latest hardwares and need only a very few upgrades to work.

    With all these good sides of Linux I guess any non-Linux users will think once that they should learn and know Linux better. That is what NLUG is for.

Related Article:

Invasion of the Penguins - Linuxnepal.com.np (Interview with Kundan Khanal)

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