Rant Disclosure: I despise "this trend" - "Clear OS" CXL, "HP/UX" CXL, RUST "Forced" into Linux, plus "Woke" Policies. See proposal for "AFL" below (very long).

💥 [Poll] How Do You Plan/Prefer to Deal with FOSS Trends (Linux)?

• Proposal for a New Distro: "America First Linux" (AFL) Project (Small Business Admin, repurpose "Clear OS" and "HP/UX" for Legacy Hardware)
• Tech School Component: "Linux From Scratch - with Full Desktop Environment DevOps" College Course Framework" (two semester)
• No Mission Creep: No "Secure Boot" ... No TPM-based Features (Distro Is NOT for Banks or Hospitals)

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Technically, the DevOps for "AFL" run from Small Business Admin (SBA), but Tech Schools and Colleges are likely to contribute to code.
💾 Disclosure: Details of this program were provided through Grok-4 prompts (bottom of post)
This program is designed as a two-semester certificate (Fall + Spring, ~30 weeks total) for tech schools, community colleges, or vocational programs. It builds hands-on Linux expertise from the ground up, culminating in real-world DevOps skills on the "America First Linux" (AFL) distro. Graduates earn a certification (e.g., "Certified AFL Systems Engineer" ) recognized for entry-level Linux admin, support, and driver-development roles - directly targeting high-demand U.S. jobs (median salary $80K-$110K in 2025).

• Program Structure Duration: 2 semesters (Fall: 15 weeks, Spring: 15 weeks)
• Format: Hybrid (in-person labs for hardware, online lectures)
• Prerequisites: Basic PC literacy; C/C++ Programming (1&2)
• Outcome: Portfolio with custom AFL builds, GitHub contributions, and certification exam

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Fall Semester (Weeks 1–15): Foundations & System Building
Weeks 1–3: Introduction to Linux & Toolchain History of Linux, FOSS philosophy, and AFL vision
Setting up development environment (VMs, cross-compilation)
Basic shell scripting, package management concepts

Weeks 4–8: Linux From Scratch Core Partitioning, bootloader (GRUB), kernel configuration/compilation
Building minimal root filesystem (glibc/musl choice)
Core utilities, init systems (systemd vs. alternatives)
Milestone: Bootable minimal AFL system in QEMU

Weeks 9–12: Networking, Security & Optimization Network configuration, firewalls (nftables), services
User management, permissions, basic hardening
Intel-specific optimizations (Clear Linux bundles, AVX instructions)
Driver basics (kernel modules for common hardware)

Weeks 13–15: Mid-Project & Assessment Integrate legacy hardware support (focus on pre-TPM Intel/Dell/HP)
First certification module exam (LFS fundamentals)
Group project: Custom minimal AFL ISO

Spring Semester (Weeks 16–30): Desktop, DevOps & Real-World Deployment
Weeks 16–19: Desktop Environment Integration Choosing & customizing DE (KDE Plasma with Windows 7 theme as default)
X11/Wayland, graphics drivers (Intel i915 focus)
User-friendly installer development (inspired by Calamares)
Accessibility & localization for broad U.S. adoption

Weeks 20–24: Advanced DevOps Practices Git workflows, CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions for AFL)
Automated testing, containerization (Podman), stateless design
Driver development lab: Porting/maintaining modules for older hardware
Milestone: Full desktop AFL build with custom drivers

Weeks 25–27: Deployment & Public Service Focus Creating live USB/ISOs, school/library deployment guides
Performance benchmarking on legacy hardware
Community contribution: Submit patches to AFL repo

Weeks 28–30: Capstone Project & Certification Individual or team capstone: Deploy AFL in a real environment (school lab, library, or personal legacy PC fleet)
Final certification exam (practical + theory)
Portfolio presentation & job prep (resume, interview skills for Linux roles)

• Certification & Job Placement Support Industry-recognized credential co-branded with partners (e.g., CompTIA Linux+ aligned)
• Placement assistance targeting U.S. employers needing Linux talent (government, education, SMBs)
• Ongoing alumni access to AFL updates and community

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This framework delivers job-ready skills in under a year while directly contributing to the AFL ecosystem - students become the next generation of maintainers, ensuring long-term sustainability and U.S. leadership in open-source systems software.

My first assumption: "Social Activists" and "Big Tech" Interests have had OUTRAGEOUS Influence in "FOSS", to include Linux.

💥 [more Grok-4 below]
An "America First Linux" Project: Tactics, Strategy, Policy, and DevOps Attitudes

The "America First Linux" (AFL) concept - a fork of the Linux kernel extending Intel's discontinued Clear Linux OS (ended July 2025) - aligns with national priorities by revitalizing U.S.-made Intel hardware, reducing e-waste, and fostering IT skills amid Big Tech/social activist influences in FOSS. Clear Linux's features (e.g., stateless design, Intel optimizations like AVX-512, and bundle-based installations for modularity) provide a strong foundation, while HP/UX's legacy (a proprietary Unix from 1983 focused on enterprise stability and performance) could inspire reliability enhancements, though direct forking isn't feasible - emulate its structured approach via kernel modules for legacy support.

This project counters FOSS "plagues" like ideological gatekeeping (e.g., Hippocratic License debates excluding certain contributors or BLM-driven code language changes in Linux kernel, seen as prioritizing politics over merit) and Big Tech dominance (e.g., Google's funding sway in Linux Foundation, influencing priorities toward corporate interests). By emphasizing "Keeping What Works" (e.g., proven C/C++ for performance/safety without Rust's overhead) and U.S.-centric goals, AFL could rank as a top 10 distro (e.g., like Pop!_OS's rise via niche focus), especially with intern/part-time jobs driving development.

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Tactics for Maintenance and Improvement - Tactics focus on practical, incremental steps to build momentum:
1. Fork and Optimize Clear's Core: Start with Clear's stateless bundles for easy hardware support; add HP/UX-inspired features like robust error handling via kernel patches. Test on old Dell/HP machines (e.g., via QEMU emulation).
2. Driver Sponsorship Program: Allocate funds for bounties on legacy drivers (e.g., for pre-TPM Intel chipsets), prioritizing U.S. devs to ensure compatibility with 50-100M e-waste candidates.
3. Community-Driven Testing: Use forums/GitHub for bug reports, focusing on Windows 7-like UX (e.g., KDE with classic themes) to attract migrants.
4. Security Hardening: Adopt Linux best practices like automatic updates, SELinux enforcement, and minimal packages to reduce vulnerabilities - vital for public/school use.

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Strategy for Long-Term Success - Strategy emphasizes sustainability and growth:

• Phased Rollout: Year 1: Fork Clear, add drivers/DE; Year 2: Educational integrations; Year 3+: Scale to top 10 via marketing (e.g., "best for old Intel" rankings on DistroWatch).
• Partnerships: Collaborate with Linux Foundation for kernel upstreaming, Intel for optimizations, and schools/libraries for deployment - leverage CHIPS Act ties for funding.
• Job Integration: Hire 500+ under-employed IT pros/interns part-time ($50-80/hr, 20-30 hrs/week) for drivers/UI, funded by unemployment offsets - creates 1,000+ jobs, boosting AFL's polish and community.
• C/C++ Only Policy: Enforce for kernel/userland to maintain simplicity/performance, avoiding Rust's complexity—benefits include faster builds, easier debugging, and legacy compatibility.

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Policy Framework - Policies ensure U.S.-centric focus:

• America First Mandate: Prioritize U.S. citizens in hiring/contributions; require GPL licensing for openness but with "U.S. benefit clauses" (e.g., free for public institutions).
• Hardware Legacy Policy: Mandate support for pre-2010 Intel systems, banning features requiring TPM/newer CPUs.
• DevOps Governance: Adopt traditional attitudes - collaboration over ideology, automation for efficiency, human factors like team alignment.
• Inclusion Policy: Merit-based contributions, rejecting activist-driven exclusions (e.g., no "fascist bans" ) to focus on code quality.

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Traditional DevOps Attitudes

• Embrace classics from DeMarco/Lister (Peopleware): Prioritize human factors - aligned teams, shared vision - to avoid unreasonable conflicts;
• McCarthy (Dynamics of Software Development): Form coalitions of the willing for efficiency. Focus on automation (CI/CD), culture change for collaboration, and merit over ideology.

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💾 Book List from Grok-4

1. The Psychology of Computer Programming by Gerald M. Weinberg (1971)
Explores the mental processes in programming, emphasizing self-questioning to identify logical flaws, prioritize tasks, and evaluate code through a human-centered lens, helping developers debug their own thinking patterns.
2. The Mythical Man-Month by Frederick P. Brooks Jr. (1975)
(Your favorite) Focuses on misconceptions in project management, advocating for careful sub-tasking, realistic evaluation of effort, and prioritizing essential features to avoid logical pitfalls in large-scale development.
3. Software Engineering: A Practitioner's Approach by Roger S. Pressman (1982)
Provides structured methods for evaluating requirements, breaking down projects into sub-tasks, and applying rigorous testing to eliminate bugs, with emphasis on asking critical questions about design feasibility.
4. Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams by Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister (1987)
Highlights human factors in development, urging priority on team dynamics, workspace evaluation, and self-reflective questioning to prevent logical errors stemming from poor collaboration or rushed sub-tasking.
5. Writing Solid Code by Steve Maguire (1993)
Offers practical strategies for bug elimination through code reviews, self-questioning techniques, and prioritizing defensive programming practices to catch logical flaws early in the development cycle.
6. Code Complete by Steve McConnell (1993)
A comprehensive guide to software construction, stressing evaluation of design choices, effective sub-tasking in coding phases, and systematic approaches to questioning code for bugs and inefficiencies.
7. Debugging the Development Process by Steve Maguire (1994)
Focuses on identifying and fixing process flaws, with advice on prioritizing debugging efforts, evaluating team workflows, and asking probing questions to uncover hidden logical issues in projects.
8. Dynamics of Software Development by Jim McCarthy (1995)
Emphasizes sub-tasking in iterative cycles, evaluating progress through self-assessment, and using targeted questions to refine priorities and eliminate bugs in application development.
9. Rapid Development by Steve McConnell (1996)
Discusses strategies for prioritizing features, sub-tasking under time constraints, and evaluating risks to avoid logical flaws, with frameworks for questioning project assumptions.
10. The Pragmatic Programmer by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas (1999)
Advocates for practical self-questioning habits, prioritizing maintainable code, sub-tasking for efficiency, and techniques to spot and eliminate bugs
through reflective evaluation.

📢 Prompts to Grok-4

• [My Prompt] My first assumption: "Social Activists" and "Big Tech" Interests have had OUTRAGEOUS Influence in "FOSS", to include Linux. Provide tactics, strategy, policy, and "traditional DevOps" attitude to maintain and improve an "America First" Linux with "HP/UX" and "Clear OS" foundations. "Keeping What Works" would be a top principle, as it would allow older hardware to remain productive, and enforcing a uniform C/C++ only policy avoids "confusion." Perhaps a College Course Framework (Tech School) on "Linux From Scratch - with Full Desktop Environment DevOps"?
• [My Prompt] I believe the Linux Foundation spends maybe $10 million towards Linux Kernel development. US Federal Government has "invested" in Intel, which has discontinued its "Clear Linux OS." Assume an "America First Linux" based on "Clear Linux" where Driver Development projects are sponsored to ensure compatibility with old Dell, HP, and similar computers. The next priority would probably select a Desktop Environment which is most familiar to Windows 7 users. Under-employed American IT Professionals could be contracted part-time as a compromise to pure Unemployment Payments. If $100 million was allocated to this project, how would it compare to many similar Federal IT Projects?, Give a breakdown of most effective spending on payroll, office space, servers, repurposed old computers as workstations, research, and so on. Would licensing be needed to achieve some hardware compatibility?
• [My Prompt] I like "Mythical Man Month" as a guide on thinking and attitudes for software development. What are 10 similar books written before 2010 which focus on priority choices or sub-tasking or evaluation or how to ask yourself questions in terms of programming projects or application development and eliminating bugs or logical flaws?