Wild and Wired Linux Festival with Brett White

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I am at the Wild and Wired West Virginia Linux festival with Brett White and several attendees, exploring how Linux can change the way people in our state think about technology. Brett introduces the event as a way to promote true tech ownership, privacy, and fun by using Linux, a free open source operating system that comes in many flavors and can bring old hardware back to life instead of sending it to e-waste. I talk with Daniel, who recently left Windows because of bloat and account requirements, and now runs multiple Linux distros on a ThinkPad; he treats Linux as an operating system of freedom and urges new users to just jump in with something like Linux Mint and online tutorials. I also meet Gus, who is learning fast and using Linux to revive older machines, customize interfaces, and build systems that feel familiar to both Windows and macOS users. We wrap with Brett inviting people to follow Wild and Wired West Virginia on Facebook to keep up with future events and student projects, and I leave feeling excited about the tech community growing here.