Top 9 Linux Podcasts

Introduction

Last year I wrote an article called “Linux Podcasts and Magazines” which listed some of the best magazines and podcasts about Linux. Having looked back at that article I am aware that it could have gone a lot further as there are loads of podcasts that could have been named.

The following is a list of my favourite Linux based podcasts. This list is in no particular order as I think they are all good in their own way.

Now you might think that Top 9 is a bit of a cop out. Why not 10? Surely all these things come in 10s. Well if I added a 10^th it wouldn’t be a genuine list because I have only listened to 9. Feel free to add your own podcasts into the comments section.

1.     Linux Action Show

Homepage: http://www.jupiterbroadcasting.com/tag/linux-action-show/

The Linux action show is hosted by Chris Fisher and Matt Hartley.

You can watch the show online or you can download/listen to the show in MP3 format.

The show is very entertaining and the hosts are very upbeat and enthusiastic.

Segments include news, picks, feedback and a featured subject. 

As well as finding out about what is going on in the Linux world you will also hear about applications you haven’t heard about before.

The show is quite long and lasts nearly 2 hours. It is a great show for plugging yourself into whilst you are at work.

2.     Linux Unplugged

Homepage: http://www.jupiterbroadcasting.com/show/linuxun/
 

No I am not cheating but yes it is the same people involved.

Linux Unplugged is a less formal version of the Linux Action Show whereby the dynamic duo of Chris and Matt try things out in the Linux environment. Guests and chat room members can interact directly with the show.

Much better to watch this one live than it is to watch the re-runs but again there is some great information passed on from week to week.

3.     The Linux Link Tech Show

Homepage: http://tllts.org/

The Linux Link Tech Show is a much less formal show and is basically a group of guys chatting about Linux and life in general.

The show is again around 2 hours long and is much more fun than listening to chirpy DJs waffling on about how drunk they got last weekend.

The hosts each week differ slightly but according to the website they are Linc, Dann, Allan, Pat, Joel, Rich, Dan and Davey.

In the last episode that I listened to the debate came up about Linux, GNU/Linux etc. As with the next podcast it is a debate sure to run and run.

4.     Everyday Linux

Homepage : http://elementopie.com/everyday-linux-episodes

The Everyday Linux podcast is hosted by Seth Anderson, Chris Neves and Mark Cockrell and discusses everything Linux and a few things non-Linux related.

Again the show is a 2 hours long and covers Linux news, distributions and software.

In the last episode there were articles about Plex, patent trolls and a new retro gaming website. There was also a section where the guys talked about whether Linux had achieved its aims for the year.

A lot of discussion was had about whether Linux now dominated the market and does that include desktop or not. Nobody could decide whether ChromeOS and Android counted as they only use Linux as a base and the age old subject came up about should we use the term Linux, GNU/Linux etc.

I quite often get comments at the end of articles stating that a distro isn’t an operating system, it is a distro or Linux isn’t an operating system, GNU/Linux is. It is a debate that will roll on forever it seems.

I was lucky enough to appear as a guest on the Everyday Linux podcast many months ago.

5.     Going Linux

Homepage: http://goinglinux.com/

Going Linux is hosted by Larry Bushey and Bill Smith.

The show is a more formal affair and the hosts have a good level of knowledge with regards to Linux.

Much of the show is given over to answering questions that the general public have sent in and the hosts do their best to answer the questions as succinctly as possible.

This show is well worth a listen as you will definitely learn a thing or two along the way.

It is shorter than the previous items in this list averaging around 40 minutes.

6.     Ubuntu UK Podcast

Homepage: http://podcast.ubuntu-uk.org/

The Ubuntu UK Podcast (UUPC) is a UK based podcast hosted by Laura Cowen, Mark Johnson and Alan Pope.

The show is a quick flirt around the Linux world but is also more to do with Ubuntu than anything else. (Clue is in the title).

The show starts with a quick round up of the Linux news in general and then looks at the Ubuntu world.

There is usually a featured segment with guests, tutorials and command line love. To finish things off there is a feedback segment.

The show is usually around 30 minutes long and that time seems to fly by.

7.     Linux Outlaws

Homepage: http://sixgun.org/linuxoutlaws

Hosted by Fabian Scherschal and Dan Lynch, Linux Outlaws is one of the most entertaining podcasts available.

You have to be prepared to hear the occasional F bomb and even C bomb and when I say occasional I mean regular.

Like any good double act there is the straight man and the comedian. Dan plays the straight man and Fab the comedy genius.

The podcast can last anywhere from 1 hour to 2 and a half hours.

The show generally looks through the weekly Linux news covering all aspects from releases to security information.

Definitely worth a listen, especially if you aren’t easily offended.

8.     Linux Luddites

Homepage: http://linuxluddites.com/

Linux Luddites is another British based podcast and is hosted by Joe and Paddy.

I only caught my first episode of this show last week and I was thoroughly impressed.

Sections include a look at the weekly news (if you are like me and listen to multiple podcasts you are definitely clued up about what is going on after hearing the same news several times over), a look at a random distribution pulled from Distrowatch,  feedback,  over a pint and off the beaten path.

In the show I listened to there was a fairly in depth look at Debian from a new user’s perspective. 

Points were made about the confusing Debian website, the installer and other features of Debian.

9.     Mintcast

Homepage:  http://mintcast.org/

Mintcast is hosted by Rob, Scott and James and is much like the Ubuntu UK Podcast but aimed at Mint users.

Sections include news and a general feature segment such as looking as LXDE or XFCE etc.

I must admit that I don’t listen to this one as regularly as the others because I’m not a Mint user.

Summary

Podcasts are as much about entertainment as providing news and I prefer to listen to podcasts than listening to regular radio.

Thankyou for reading.