This podcast explores the origins and ubiquity of Linux, from its role as the foundational software in computing systems to its use in servers, IoT devices, and Android smartphones. It delves into the two ways the term 'Linux' is used, and the collaboration behind its development. The episode discusses Linux's versatility and dominance as an operating system, covering its use in servers, websites, smartphones, and embedded systems. It also examines the reasons for its widespread adoption, including strong support, development, and corporate backing, as well as collaboration and cooperation.

Email is the most important communications technology of our time. In this episode we explain how it works behind the scenes. We talk about how email clients talk to email servers, including protocols like SMTP, IMAP, and POP3. We discuss email's format, security, and ecosystem. We touch on spam filters, and end with a call-to-arms about keeping the email ecosystem open. Follow us on Twitter @KopecExplains. Theme “Place on Fire” Copyright 2019 Creo, CC BY 4.0 Find out more at http://kopec.live

Encryption enables online payment, secure communication, identity verification, and so much more. In this episode we discuss what encryption is, what it does for us, and we go over some of the different types of encryption. We explain the purpose of a key, and try to provide an intuitive understanding of public key cryptography. We also discuss some practical tips around passwords. Finally, we talk about some of the public policy debates surrounding encryption. Note that in this episode we refer to cryptographic hash functions as "one-way encryption" to try to simplify the discussion. Follow us on Twitter @KopecExplains. Theme “Place on Fire” Copyright 2019 Creo, CC BY 4.0 Find out more at http://kopec.live

In 1975, the Altair 8800 powered by the Intel 8080 ignited the personal computer revolution. In this episode, we discuss the pivotal forces that made computers accessible to normal people, and enabled the creation of companies like Microsoft and Apple. We discuss some of the major computers of the late 1970s and some of the important software products. We cover the period of 1975-1980. This episode is not meant to be an exhaustive history, but instead a good general overview. We couldn’t cover every computer, software product, or important person in the PC revolution. But we hope we excited listeners to explore more. Show Links Intel 8080 MOS 6502 Zilog Z80 Altair 8800 Atari 2600 Microsoft BASIC CP/M Visicalc Apple I Apple II Commodore PET TRS-80 IBM PC Bill Gates Paul Allen Gary Kildall Steve Wozniak Steve Jobs Follow us on Twitter @KopecExplains. Theme “Place on Fire” Copyright 2019 Creo, CC BY 4.0 Find out more at http://kopec.live

Product managers manage the teams that build software. In this episode we interview David Short, whose been a product manager for software teams at multiple companies. He tells us what it’s like to be a product manager, how he works together with software developers, and David gives some advice for aspiring product managers. Show Links David Short on Twitter Products and Payments (David's blog) Business Books and Co. (David & David's other podcast) Follow us on Twitter @KopecExplains. Theme “Place on Fire” Copyright 2019 Creo, CC BY 4.0 Find out more at http://kopec.live

Since the invention of the modern computer, humans have been trying to write chess playing programs. In this episode, we trace the history of computer chess, and explain how a chess program works. We discuss why developing a world champion computer chess AI was considered a great achievement. And we finish with how computer chess continues to evolve, and how it’s evolving human chess. Follow us on Twitter @KopecExplains. Theme “Place on Fire” Copyright 2019 Creo, CC BY 4.0 Find out more at http://kopec.live

Artificial Intelligence is enabling exciting new computing applications, but many people don’t really understand what it is. In this episode we give AI a broad definition, explain the difference between strong AI and weak AI, and delve into some of the many sub-disciplines that fall under its umbrella. We provide a general sense of machine learning by touching on a few of its approaches including artificial neural networks, clustering, and linear regression. We also briefly dive into older AI techniques like expert systems and adversarial search. We use chess as an example to talk about different AI approaches. Follow us on Twitter @KopecExplains. Theme “Place on Fire” Copyright 2019 Creo, CC BY 4.0 Find out more at http://kopec.live

The open source movement has completely changed the software industry. In this episode we explain what it means for software to be open source. We dive into the origins of the movement, its split from the free software movement, and some of its key players. We explain the four freedoms, the legal model behind open source licenses, and some of the ethics. Most importantly, we explain the benefits of open source software, and why it has become so ubiquitous. At the end we dive into other areas of the world where the open source model is being introduced. Follow us on Twitter @KopecExplains. Theme “Place on Fire” Copyright 2019 Creo, CC BY 4.0 Find out more at http://kopec.live

Programming languages are what we use to communicate ideas in computing. Software is written in a programming language and most people have a vague sense of what a programming language looks like. In this episode we explain a programming language’s purpose and we categorize programming languages into various paradigms. We discuss some of the characteristics that make one programming language distinctive from another. At the end we dispense some advice for those interested in learning their first programming language. Follow us on Twitter @KopecExplains. Theme “Place on Fire” Copyright 2019 Creo, CC BY 4.0 Find out more at http://kopec.live

Emulators allow software designed for one computing system to run on another. They act as a kind of translation layer, simulating the hardware of the emulated system in software. Common applications include running software designed for video game systems on personal computers, and running business applications designed for a computing platform that the user doesn’t own. We discuss what emulators do, how they work, and some of the legal issues around them in this episode. Follow us on Twitter @KopecExplains. Theme “Place on Fire” Copyright 2019 Creo, CC BY 4.0 Find out more at http://kopec.live