Table of Contents

1. Welcome From The Chief Editor

2. Paul's 2021 Holiday Gift Guide

3. Meemaw's 2021 Holiday Gift Guide

4. David's Top 10 Holiday Gift Picks

5. Inkscape Tutorial: Speckled Text

6. PCLinuxOS Recipe Corner: 5-Ingredient Chicken Alfredo Bubble-Up Bake

7. Online Game Stores For PCLinuxOS

8. Short Topix: Linux Kernel 5.15 Gets Improved NTFS Driver, LTS Designation

9. Good Words, Good Deeds, Good News

10. Repo Review: FF Multi Converter

11. PCLinuxOS Bonus Recipe Corner: Tasty One-Pot Shrimp Fajita Pasta

12. PCLinuxOS Puzzled Partitions

13. Screenshot Showcase

Welcome From The Chief Editor

The winter holiday season is upon us again. Around our house, most of the holiday celebrations center around the kids and making things as fun and festive as can be for them.

Of course, around our house, that means putting up a Christmas tree, decorating the outside of the house with holiday lights, lots of holiday shows on the television, making fudge and other favorite Christmas candies, and making wish lists for Santa Claus.

This year, my eight year old son has let us know he wants a computer. He's into playing Minecraft ... A LOT! He plays Minecraft on his Amazon Kindle tablet. He plays a Minecraft clone game on "his phone." No, I did NOT get my son his own cell phone.

"His phone" is my old Google Pixel 3 that my wireless carrier wouldn't take back on a trade-in special they were running, because the LiON battery had swelled and was on the verge of rupturing. So, I brought it back home and bought a new battery and waterproof seal off eBay for under $25. What did I have to lose? I watched a couple of videos on YouTube to figure out exactly what to do. To be perfectly honest, the hardest part of the battery switch was heating the back of the old phone with a hair dryer to loosen the waterproof adhesive seal. Now he has "his phone" to play his Minecraft clone game on, instead of monopolizing mom's phone.

He is convinced that the only way for him to run the Minecraft Caves & Cliffs update is to be running Minecraft on a computer. So he is dead set on having a computer. He uses computers at school, but never really touches the computers here at home (and we have plenty scattered around the house). Maybe if he has his own, it would be different, though. I have to go on faith that it's something that he'll use. The only other alternative is to not get him his own computer, and he faces the childhood devastation of not getting what he wanted for Christmas. He already knows they cost quite a bit of money. He told his mom when he first told her about his wanting a computer that he knows that they "cost too much money."

As much as anything else, a part of him wanting a computer is he wants to be like dad. As you can imagine, I spend a considerable amount of time on the computer every day, keeping up with emails, researching and gathering information for magazine articles, and working on the magazine every month. He sees this, and he wants to emulate his dad.

Even when you think they aren't watching their role models, they are. This has become evident in so many different areas. Ryan has his own tools, and will gladly go fetch them to help work on projects around the house. When he sees something that he can fix, he goes and gets his tools to quickly take care of whatever the problem is. One day, he saw some nails poking out from the fencing around the chicken run. He ran in and got his hammer so that he could take care of the protruding nails.

When I'm not sitting in "my chair," or when I'm not home, Ryan runs to sit in dad's chair. Simply because it's dad's chair, and he wants to be like his dad.

Just this year, both Ryan and his sister, Lexi, got to go deer hunting with mom and dad in our deer blinds. We had LOTS of safety discussions, and discussions about what to expect, how to behave, and how to be Q-U-I-E-T. Confident that the lessons were heard, Lexi went with mom, and Ryan went with dad (the image above). For their first time in a deer blind, I have to admit that things went pretty well. As you can imagine, hours of sitting there with minimal movement and not talking were a bit hard for them to pull off. Every once in a while, we'd have to remind them to stop fidgeting ("don't move so much"), or to only speak in very soft, barely audible whispers. Neither mom or dad saw any deer that afternoon into early evening, but the excitement was palpable. When Ryan made his first of two trips to the deer blind, his walk was almost a run as he hurried to get out to the blind with his dad. His determination and excitement to get to the blind was clearly evident.

Having children has made me more conscientious about being a better me. I want to set a good example for my children. They are watching, listening and learning. And I realize that I am one of their most important role models. I cannot and will not fail them in that respect.

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The artwork for this month's cover was created by Meemaw, and laid out by parnote.

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We wish you a happy holiday season. And, as usual and until next month, we wish you peace, happiness, serenity and prosperity ... and continued good health! Be careful out there!

Paul's 2021 Holiday Gift Guide

by Paul Arnote (parnote)

Whoa!

It's really THAT time of year again!

How did it get here that fast?

With the Winter Holidays just around the corner, it's time again for the annual holiday gift guides by the staff of The PCLinuxOS Magazine. As in years past, we (The CrankyZombie, Meemaw and me) will present our ideas for what we think will make excellent holiday gifts for those on your holiday wish lists. There will be no guarantee about availability of any particular product (supply chain issues seem to rule the headlines these days), the prices you might pay (inflation is rearing its ugly head), or the suitability of any product for any particular purpose. All prices are expressed in U.S. dollars. Also, due to government jostling, positioning, and import/export restrictions, we cannot guarantee that any of the items listed will be available to you in your specific locale.

We have tried to include items in our holiday gift guides for all price ranges, from very affordable to "maybe-a-little-more-than-I-might-like-to-spend." Each of us have chosen 10 items that we think PCLinuxOS users might like to buy for those on their holiday gift lists, or maybe even for themselves.

With all of that mumbo-jumbo out of the way, let's dive into my holiday gift guide suggestions.

AstroAI 2 Pack 27" Snow Brush & Detachable Deluxe Ice Scraper with Ergonomic Foam Grip for Cars

$19.99     Newegg.com

While there isn't anything "AI" about these ice scrapers and snow brushes, they do appear to be well thought out. Much of the time, these items are monstrous items that take up a lot of space inside your car. But these combo ice scrapers and snow brushes break down into two smaller pieces, and then stow inside their own bag, helping to keep them clean and in good condition for the times that you need them. The brush features layered bristles, to speed the sweeping away of snow. The ice scraper features a fine scraping blade that won't scratch your windshield, and some aggressive "knuckles" on the back of the ice scraper to help chip through even the toughest ice buildup. Plus, you get two. You can keep one back "in reserve" for later use, or put one in each vehicle (if you're like us, and have two vehicles).

Husky 12/120 Volt Auto and Home Inflator

Home Depot     $64.98

This inflator/air compressor will handle all of your needs around the home and in your vehicle. This inflator can plug into your regular 110V household electrical outlet, or you can plug it into the 12V accessory outlet in your vehicle. The unit has built in storage in each end, storing the inflator line and the AC cord in one end, and the 12V accessory cord and the included accessories in the other end. The included accessories include a mattress nozzle, two sports needles, and a presta valve adaptor. The inflator really shines in its use with your vehicle to keep your tires inflated to their proper inflation pressure. Simply plug in the 12V power line into your 12V accessory outlet, then set the desired pressure you want to inflate your tires to. Attach the inflator hose and wait while your tire is inflated to your desired pressure. The unit will automatically turn itself off when it reaches your set pressure.

Craftsman Extreme Grip 10" Adjustable Wrench

Amazon.com     $24.99

If you've ever used a "regular" crescent wrench, you know how frustrating it can be. Of course, the convenience of a crescent wrench is that you have one wrench that fits many sizes of bolts and nuts. While better than nothing, a regular crescent wrench constantly needs adjusting to maintain a firm, snug grip on the nut or bolt you are trying to use it on. The lack of a firm, snug grip on the nut or bolt means you could very easily round off a nut or bolt, making it next to impossible to loosen. Well, this Craftsman version marries the convenience of a crescent wrench with the firm, snug grip of locking pliers. As a result, this version has twice the gripping power of a regular crescent wrench. Because it's adjustable, it fits metric or SAE bolts/nuts up to 1" (2.54cm) in diameter. In addition, they have added a comfort grip that helps improve your grip on the tool.

Zippo Refillable Hand Warmer

Amazon.com     $17.62

I know I've included disposable hand warmers in my holiday gift guide before. But if you want true value, invest in one (or more) of these refillable hand warmers. These things have been around for well over 50 years, and continue to perform well. You fill the hand warmer with hand warmer/lighter fuel, then light it. The filament burns the vapors without an open flame, and produces heat for up to 17.5 hours. When it runs out of fuel, simply refill it again. The hand warmer comes with a soft bag to slip into. Then slip that into your coat pocket. You won't believe the warmth. So, if you (or someone you know) spend some time in the outdoors during cold weather, this will be a highly appreciated gift.

APEXEL Phone Photography Kit Flexible Phone Tripod, Remote Shutter, 4 in 1 Lens Set,18X Telephoto Lens, Fisheye, Macro & Wide Angle Lens for iPhone

Amazon.com     $27.99

Today's cell phones often sport some pretty fancy and advanced cameras. But you can get even more from your cell phone's camera by adding in this photography kit. Yes, you can "zoom in" with your cell phone, but that is usually just a digital zoom that sacrifices image quality significantly. The addition of one of these auxiliary lenses uses an optical solution to help preserve image quality. This kit comes with a tripod for your cell phone, a remote shutter trigger, a fisheye lens, a wide angle lens, a macro lens for extreme closeups, and a 18X telephoto lens. So add a new level of creativity to your cell phone photos, and leverage the high quality camera built into your cell phone with the addition of this photography kit. If nothing else, it will add another level of fun to your cell phone pictures.

Greatlizard S89 Mini Drone Foldable WiFi FPV Drone With 4K HD Camera For Adults, RC Quadcopter With 3D Flip, Headless Mode, Altitude Hold, One Key Return, Bag And 3 Batteries

Newegg.com     $69.99

If you've ever thought about exploring flying your own drone/UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), this may just get you up off the couch. This Greatlizard drone features dual cameras, 4K video, a remote, smartphone control, three 3.7v 1800 mAh batteries, two replacement blades, a carrying case, and more. A 60 minute charge of the batteries will get you roughly 12 minutes of flight time, per battery. This drone is listed as having "one touch" takeoff and landing, so the most perilous parts of flying the drone are handled for you. All you have to do is touch the button on the remote or the phone app, and it either takes off or lands. If you are using the phone app to control the drone, you can set a flightpath or multiple points in the area for your drone to visit during its flight. Just draw the flightpath on the screen of your phone, and the drone will follow. This drone is listed as being for beginners, and with a price of only $70, how could you possibly go wrong?

WD Blue 3D NAND 1TB Internal SSD - SATA III 6Gb/s 2.5"/7mm Solid State Drive

Newegg.com     $89.99

Do you want to give your PCLinuxOS computer a real speed boost? And I mean a REAL speed boost to faster than when you bought it? Or maybe your computer is getting a little long in the tooth, and you want a way to make it last even longer by giving it a fresh breath of life? If so, replace your computer's hard drive with a solid state drive, or SSD (but only after backing up your current hard drive ... we wouldn't want to lose any of our personal files!). You won't believe how fast your computer boots, and how much more responsive it is overall. Prices for internal SSDs are currently running right around $100 per TB of storage, while external SSDs are currently running right around $140 per TB of storage. That is, at least, what I've noticed about how the prices are trending. As for what to do with your hard drive you took out of your computer? Buy a USB external case (most can be bought for under $20), put your old hard drive in it (the whole process takes about five minutes) and use it for external storage. Of course, by replacing your HD with a SSD, you'll probably have to reinstall PCLinuxOS, but you will be amazed at how fast PCLinuxOS installs to a SSD. Plus, you'll have a fully up-to-date, clean installation of PCLinuxOS on your computer!

PCLinuxOS Men's & Women's Baseball Tees

CafePress     $33.99 (Men's)/$29.99 (Women's)

Show your love for your favorite operating system by wearing these PCLinuxOS logo-emblazoned baseball tees! Featuring a 60/40 blend of combed cotton and polyester, these shirts will wear well with minimal shrinkage (of course, if you're in doubt, you can order one size larger). These tees feature 3/4 length sleeves, and are available in a combination of colors. Plus, you'll help spread the word about the best Linux distro in the universe! In addition, a portion of each sale from the PCLinuxOS Store on CafePress goes to help provide financial support that's necessary to keep developing PCLinuxOS.

PCLinuxOS Journal

CafePress     $9.49

I know you've heard this advice before: keep a notebook near your computer to jot down useful commands you might need in the future. Well, a PCLinuxOS Journal would make that perfect notebook to do that with! Measuring 5x8 inches, you have a choice (when you check out) of blank, lined, dot grid, or task page sheets. Plus, a portion of each sale from the PCLinuxOS Store on CafePress goes to help provide financial support that's necessary to keep developing PCLinuxOS.

Help Provide Financial Support For PCLinuxOS

Unlike other Linux distros, PCLinuxOS does not have the financial backing of famous, very wealthy benefactors. PCLinuxOS also doesn't have any corporate sponsorship. Instead, PCLinuxOS relies almost entirely on the generosity of its users. There are costs involved (server space, electrical costs, sustenance for its main developer) in making PCLinuxOS available for your use. PCLinuxOS is offered up for free (as in beer) for anyone who wants to use it. So, instead of buying that overpriced virus-magnet commercial operating system, you get a much more stable and secure operating system for free. So, how about sending over some of that money you might have otherwise spent on that commercial operating system (and for each program you might need to be productive) to support and sustain the development of PCLinuxOS. There are multiple ways to contribute. Via the PCLinuxOS GoFundMe page, you can donate whatever amount you can afford. Or, by way of GumRoad, you can make a one time donation, or an ongoing monthly donation (see below). You can make your donation either in your name, or in the name of your gift recipient.

or

PCLinuxOS $5/Mo Donation

PCLinuxOS $10/Mo Donation

PCLinuxOS $25/Mo Donation

PCLinuxOS $5/Yr Donation

PCLinuxOS $10/Yr Donation

PCLinuxOS $25/Yr Donation

PCLinuxOS $50/Yr Donation

Summary

I'm sure that between the holiday gift suggestions from me, The CrankyZombie and Meemaw, you will be able to find that special gift for those on your holiday gift list, or even something for yourself!

Happy Holidays!

Meemaw's 2021 Holiday Gift Guide

by Meemaw

I probably say this every year, but it really does seem like time has flown since last December! Shopping for holiday gifts has probably been going on a while for many people, but I always seem to wait until November. Even then, I'm sometimes at a loss. What do you get for a person who already has plenty? Kids are pretty easy to buy for, because they grow out of clothes and should have more advanced books to read as they get older... but what do I buy for my grown children who are used to going out and getting what they need? While I'm at it, what do I buy for my friend who is nearer my age? (I'm a MLU in the forums - a Mature Linux User.) Let's look at some options. I might pick some things from some of my favorite places to shop (Bits & Pieces, Newegg or Bass Pro Shops).

Projection Weather and Date Clock     $19.99 at Bits & Pieces

This clock has the time, obviously, but also has the temperature and humidity. It also has an alarm if needed. The thing that sets this apart from other clock/weather combos is that the time can be projected on the ceiling or wherever you want it with just a turn of the projection piece.

Wind Spinners     $49.99 to $129.99 at Bits & Pieces

A friend of mine has a wind spinner in her yard, and I love watching it! I want one for my own yard now. I'll have to say that you can get one in your price range, depending on how much you want to spend. If you go to the site, they also have smaller wind spinners and even hanging wind chimes for lower prices. The one on the left above is $79.99 and the one on the right above is $129.99.

Cats Gone Bad!     $9.95 at Bits & Pieces

This is a book of true stories about cats! Fluffy Butt would probably get some bad ideas! From the site, "In 1924, a Labrador was sentenced to life in Pennsylvania Penitentiary for murdering the governor's cat! From funny felons to cat burglars to the just plain naughty. In 2012, a couple in Seattle called the police for help after their ferocious feline cornered them in their bedroom!"

Around The Tree Train Set     $20.99 at Newegg

I found this in the Clearance Sale section, so I don't know how long it will be available, but I thought it was really cute. It has a "retro" engine which makes "real" train sounds, 3 cars to attach to the engine and tracks that snap together to a 59" circumference. Also included are 4 straight tracks that can snap in to make the track oval.

Tinker Toys     $29.99 on Bass Pro Shops

Wow, I haven't seen Tinker Toys in a while! To be honest, I haven't done a lot of toy department searching. These are advertised as the classic Tinker Toys. From the site,

- Includes 100+ of your favorite TINKERTOY parts, including spools, rods, and flags

- 15 unique building ideas to get the fun going

- Nostalgic collector's tin provides storage

- Makes a great gift for ages 3 and up

Power Inflator     $69.00 at Home Depot

This is a handy inflator to have if you need a tire aired up and aren't close to a service station. I have a compressor at home, but if you aren't home, it's handy to carry in your vehicle as long as you keep the battery charged. From Home Depot's site:

"The cordless convenience allows for use in virtually any location, such as tight spaces or corners, high pressure applications such as sports balls, or in the driveway. The included battery provides extreme weather performance to withstand frigid weather conditions with fade-free power for maximum performance. The charger included in this kit is compatible with all RYOBI 18V ONE+ Lithium-Ion Batteries."

If Ryobi isn't your favorite brand (many buy only one brand, which is good because the batteries are usually interchangeable between tools), Milwaukee and DeWalt also make small inflators, but they are bigger and carried with a handle. DeWalt's is $284 with the battery, charger and the different connectors (all sold separately), and Milwaukee's is $297 with the battery two-pack and charger.

Chefman Air Fryer     $129.99 at Best Buy

Everyone's talking about air fryers now. They are very handy to heat up food or cook items without immersing them in oil. Those who want to avoid the oil use them a lot. The one shown above has racks for lots of food. I have one and can cook meat on one level and fries on another. In addition, this one has the option to use a rotisserie (and came with all the attachments for one). Smaller ones are available that just have a basket to place the food in.

LED Candles     $25.19 at Amazon

Three grey glass containers, each with a flameless candle. The set comes with a remote, used to set the candles on a timer, or adjust the flicker and brightness on the candles.

Sequence Board Game     $15.95 from Amazon

From the site:

- Play a card from your hand, and place a chip on a corresponding space on the game board - when you have five in a row, it's a SEQUENCE

- Each player or team tries to score the required number of five-card SEQUENCES before their opponents

- Easy enough for children, challenging for adults!

- Exciting gameplay develops STEM skills like strategy

- For 2-12 players, ages 7 and up

We have this game and it's wonderful for all ages. This is the original board game, but is available in jumbo and kid's versions. The jumbo has a much bigger vinyl mat ($49.11) and the kids version has different artwork and uses pictures rather than card faces ($17.99). You can also get it in a metal box ($29.99).

Tips for parents buying childrens' gifts from Frugal Fun 4 Boys & Girls. I found these tips for gift-giving, and thought I would share.

Tip #1: Limit the number of gifts. This sounds so obvious, but it's easy to buy more than is needed in the excitement of the season. Kids really don't need a lot of gifts to have a fun Christmas. In fact, too many gifts can be overwhelming, especially for toddlers and preschoolers.

Tip #2: Ideas for consumable gifts. Giving and receiving gifts is a lot of fun! We want to encourage our kids to be givers, and we have a tradition of exchanging sibling gifts each year on Christmas Eve. However, it's very helpful in the clutter department if at least some of the gifts given are things like art supplies or edible treats. Here are some ideas for gifts to give that are consumable.

- Drawing paper

- Paints/brushes

- Markers

- Gel pens -- These are fun for both drawing and coloring, especially with detailed coloring books

- Notebooks or journals

- Tape -- never underestimate the joy of owning one's own roll of Scotch tape, with no one telling you to stop wasting!

- Rubber bands -- the boys find endless uses for these!

- Duct tape

- Fun pencils

- Stickers

- Play dough

- Favorite snacks, especially things that are not normally purchased

- Gift card for a restaurant or book store

- Parachute cord and supplies for making bracelets

Tip #3: Ideas for experience gifts.

Experiences create memories rather than clutter and mess! Why not give the gift of a fun experience that you would not normally spend money on?

- A musical instrument and/or music lessons

- A month of karate or gymnastics or swimming lessons (indoors for this time of year, of course!)

- A coupon for a "date night" with just that child and one or both parents -- dinner out, etc.

- A horseback trail ride

- Movie tickets

- Tickets to a sporting event

- For the family -- a family pass to the zoo or local museum

- Symphony tickets or tickets to a play

Tip #4: Ideas for gifts that are not toys.

- Tool set

- Flashlights -- these are always a hit!

- A camera

- Binoculars

- Clothes -- if they have been wanting an item that you haven't bought because it isn't a need, it might make a fun gift!

- Books

- Wall calendar

- Accessories -- hats, gloves, wallet, etc.

Tip #5: Open-ended toys that encourage creative play.

Well chosen, open-ended toys can be worth the expense (and the clean-up!). We really like toys that are parts of a larger set such as wooden trains, LEGO, Lincoln Logs, etc.

Also, for adults, ideas could include gift certificates for a favorite restaurant or store, or a child could give a parent a "coupon" for a special job that's not part of their normal chores. Another idea for those with extended families who don't want to spend money on every single person could be to draw names and just get one present each, or pool their money and "adopt" a needy family in their area.

Happy Holidays!

David's Top 10 Holiday Gift Picks

by YouCanToo/The_CrankyZombie

Santa says, "Ho... Ho... Ho..."

It's that time of the year once again. So let's get right to it.

For those that are challenged by bread making now you can make and bake it all in the same container. Use it in the oven or the microwave.

Silicone Bread Baking Bowl Multi Oven Steamer Loaf Bread Maker       $18.88

Bring back fresh memories of yesteryear, and make your own fresh cream butter.

Kilner Butter Churn       $39.95

Enjoy delicious, homemade bacon for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Contains everything you need to make 5 pounds of bacon in the convenience of your home.

DIY Bacon Curing Kit      $27.95

Make your instant pot do double duty. Turn it into an air fryer. Fits the 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot.

CrunchLid by SousVideArt       $79.99

For the Budding Brewmaster

Craft beer. It's not just for mom and dad anymore. We're talking about root beer, of course. And now your little foodie can make their own at home. Includes ingredients needed to brew up a fresh batch of root beer.

DIY Root Beer Science Kit       $18.00

Ah, nostalgia. Give yourself a double dose with this grown-up, just-for-you version of one of childhood's greatest gadgets: the reel viewer. Assemble snapshots of your favorite memories and add them to your very own reel.

Create Your Own Reel Viewer       $29.95

For the photographer in your life, or Fluffy Butt himself.

Funny Mug Black Coffee Mug       $14.99

When no regular old band aid will do.

Bacon Strips Bandages       $9.09

Bring a little warmth and a lot of fun hiking, camping, glamping, to the beach, on picnics, to the backyard patio, to tailgates, on RV adventures and road trips, or anywhere else you'd want to gather around a bonfire.

Portable Campfire       $29.99

Satsuki Azalea bonsai have been grown in Japan for centuries and are widely considered the premiere variety for this use. They bloom later in the spring than other types; producing generous quantities of bright pink blossoms.

Satsuki Azalea Bonsai Tree       $27.04

Inkscape Tutorial: Speckled Text

by Meemaw

We've done several text effects in Inkscape, but I don't think we ever did any speckled text. I found it on GoInkscape. It's kinda fun, so let's do it.

After opening your Inkscape, click the Ellipse tool, and draw a 3px by 3px circle.

Making sure it is selected, click Edit > Clone > Create Tiled Clones. Keep all the settings standard except what's below.

You should get something similar to the figure below. Select them all and Group them.

Next, choose your Text tool and type some text. Make sure to Path > Object to Path the text afterwards.

The letters are grouped, so double-click on one of them to enter that group. Now you can select all the letters by outlining them with your cursor. Each one will be inside its own selection box. Click Path > Outset a couple times to thicken the letters.

We need another copy of our speckled background, so copy and paste our group of dots. Change this copy to another color.

Select the text and the first group of dots. Line them up with the text on top. Click on Object > Clip > Set. You should have that speckled text effect.

Finally, position the speckled text over our second group of dots. (This step is optional.) Use Object > Align and Distribute to make it perfect.

Another thing I did was make a copy of the text with a 1 px dark grey stroke and a white fill, and layered it between the speckled text and the speckled background. It kind of brings out the edges of the text.

PCLinuxOS Recipe Corner:

5-Ingredient Chicken Alfredo Bubble-Up Bake

Serves about 8

Unit converter

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups coarsely chopped deli rotisserie chicken

2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach

1 jar (15 oz) Alfredo pasta sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)

1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury GrandsTM Southern Homestyle refrigerated Buttermilk biscuits (8 biscuits)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, mix chicken, spinach, Alfredo sauce and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Separate dough into 8 biscuits; cut each into 6 pieces. Add to the bowl; gently stir.

3. Spoon mixture into baking dish; top with remaining 1 cup cheese.

4. Bake for 36 to 40 minutes or until deep golden brown and biscuits are cooked through.

TIPS:

An easy way to cut the biscuits is with kitchen scissors.

Pair up with a quick salad, and dinner is done!

NUTRITION:

Calories: 510           Carbs: 32g           Fiber: 0g           Sodium: 1050mg           Protein: 23g

Online Game Stores For PCLinuxOS

by Alessandro Ebersol (Agent Smith)

Gone are the days when Linux was synonymous with frustration when it came to games. Ahh, no, now we have so many games that, in a lifetime, I doubt anyone could finish every game available for Linux. We've come to this point thanks to companies like Valve, which believed in GNU Linux to create their new line of handhelds, SteamDeck, and thereby boost video games on Linux. Not only that, but Epic Games announced an anti-cheat module for the Linux kernel, which could enable hundreds, thousands of games that use anti-cheat features on Windows. Yes, it's an admirable new world, and 20 years ago, who would have thought that things would get where they are today?

So, let's review the options to buy PCLinuxOS games this Christmas, and play a lot at the year-end celebrations.

Steam, the biggest and best online store specialized in PC games

Steam was created by Valve Corporation (Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Team Fortress) and presents itself as “the ultimate online gaming platform”. It is certainly one of the most complete packages that currently exist. You'll find over 70,000 titles (more than you'd find in a physical store) and a community of tens of millions of players (not an exaggeration). There are other features like the mod workshops, live streams, guides, forums, game swaps and a Big Picture mode (where you can interact with the interface with a game controller).

The Steam promotions are legendary! There are several each year, usually in summer and winter, but also during certain days (Halloween, Black Friday). You can buy a large selection of games for cheap prices.

Here's a list of Steam's pros and cons:

Pros

1. Games often go on sale. Due to several annual promotions, AAA games go on sale at attractive and affordable prices.

2. Access to a vast library of titles. Yes, more games than one person could play in a lifetime.

3. Games are account based. If you switch computers, you don't need to open another account, your games in your Steam account will be available to play on your new computer.

4. Unlockable Achievements in Games. Achievements change the game, bringing a new life to a title, with new skins, weapons and even unlockable areas based on your in-game achievements.

5. Streaming and Social Elements. It's possible to stream gameplays via the Steam platform and also share screenshots, help in the forums, create communities and more which is built-in on this gaming platform.

Cons

1. Unfair practices of developers. One thing you need to be aware of is shady developers. Some people will try to pack any content (game assets) and sell it to earn a dollar. You might see yourself throwing money into a trash of a game.

2. Easily Manipulated Ranking System. Ranking systems at Steam are easily manipulated. So again, pretty much any ranking system on the Internet is. If a group of people are unhappy with a company's policies, you can be sure that their games will sink in popularity.

3. Too much emphasis on card trading exchange. I never got involved really in the idea of Steam trading cards. I know some bad developers were trying to corrupt the system while making a lot of money from it.

4. Lack of company involvement to protect players. Although Steam is getting better at protecting players from shady developers, the business still needs to do more. Right now, it's too easy for the "creators" to rip off The Steam player community with incredibly obscure practices.

5. Improve the Search Algorithm. I can't count the number of times that I looked for a game that I knew was on Steam only to see a “not found” on the screen. Most of the time, I had to look for it in a different way, with other search tools.

6. Last but not least, DRM. DRM does not have many advantages for consumers. However, it is useful to track the progress of your game, such as through Steam trading cards and achievements. These are associated with the steam account of a user and are authenticated through DRM. However, the risks and possible harms outweigh the benefits in a staggering way: one of the biggest problems with DRM is the exclusion of games from your Steam account. If a platform like Steam removes a game from your listing, you can't play it anymore, since you only owned the license and not the game itself. This license is void when the game is canceled by Steam or the game publisher.

The Delisted Games website has a list of over 1,400 titles you can't currently download on your PC. Many of these games include online titles that publishers have discontinued, although there are also many single-player titles. Also, in order to play your Steam games, the Steam client must be running at all times, to allow access to the Steam server and allow the game(s) to run.

URL: https://store.steampowered.com/

How to install the Steam client on PCLinuxOS?

There is the usual way, which is to use the Steam client via Flatpak, but our well-known friend Matt Hartley made a video where he demonstrates how to install the Steam client alternatively: https://invidious.namazso.eu/watch?v=oaxXO0hlc8Y

GOG, one of the most user-friendly stores

Don't let its name fool you: Good Old Games not only offers classics from other times, but is constantly updated with the latest releases. Owned by CD Projekt Red, game makers of such important games as The Witcher, or Cyberpunk 2077, GOG stands out from Steam for its sales policy without anti-piracy protection. This feature is ideal if you want to lend a game to a friend without any hassles. GOG also has a 30-day refund policy, even if you have downloaded, installed and played the game in question.

Here is a list of pros and cons of GOG:

Pros

1. No regional restrictions. Regional restrictions exist simply for the game publisher to get the best price and maximize their profit. GOG has a price only for the whole world.

2. DRM free. In second place, and most importantly (and probably the most obvious), there is never any DRM bundled with a GOG.com game or movie. When I buy a title, I own it, I can download it as many times as I want, and I can back it up to whatever medium suits me, whether it's a pen drive or CD, or DVD.

3. There is no client. Although GOG has introduced the GOG Galaxy client, it is not mandatory, for you to be able to play your games, it doesn't need to be running on the background, like the Steam client.

4. You get a lot more for your money. Games that belong to your GOG.com account also come with many extras - extras like soundtracks, in mp3 format, wallpapers, game art, as well as manuals and other gifts.

5. Better client Support. GOG has better customer support than most distributors. I wouldn't say it's the best, but it's better than Steam and Origin, for sure.

There is also GOG connect, which allows users to add games to their library, if they have purchased them from another online store, such as Steam.

Cons

1. Game prices. Some might argue that the base price of a game (lowest is $5.99) is too high. Some games are overpriced, and selling prices aren't always that spectacular. It is often possible to get the same games cheaper elsewhere.

2. Bundles. I don't like the way games are sometimes bundled together. For example, they put Commands 2 and 3 in a bundle for sale instead of selling them separately.

3. Missing expansions and incomplete series. It's kind of annoying that some series are incomplete, or that they lack game expansions and other goodies. And to add to that, they are immensely slow to add other games from a publisher's back catalogue.

4. Expanding their catalog. This may sound harsh, but other distributors receive new games regularly. It's probably because of how difficult it must be for GOG to negotiate a deal, especially with larger publishers, to get quick access to AAA titles.

5. More freeware games. GOG should have more freeware games like Steam offers, have installers and support for games that are very difficult to find elsewhere. They should also consider hosting free standalone games like The Dark Mod and STALKER: Lost Alpha.

URL: https://www.gog.com/

How to install?

There is nothing to install. Just buy your games, then download and play. It's that simple.

Origin

The origin store is the official platform of EA (Electronic Arts) and therefore has all of its popular titles: The Sims, FIFA, Battlefield and more. In addition to the possibility of a direct purchase, it offers two subscription plans called EA Play (US$ 5,00) and EA Play pro (US$ 19,00 ), which include full and indefinite access to a collection of games that is expanding over time, like a video game version of Netflix. The catalog is smaller than on Steam or GOG, but some of these games can only be found on Origin.

URL: https://www.origin.com

How to install Origin client on PCLinuxOS?

The Origin client can be installed via Lutris.

Epic Games Store

Driven by Fortnite's overwhelming success, studio Epic Games opened its own digital store in late 2018. While its game catalog can't compete with a giant like Steam, the Epic Games Store has managed to gain a prominent position in the market thanks to its exclusive titles: Detroit: Become Human, World War Z or the aforementioned Fortnite - you'll only find them at the Epic Games store.

One thing that has helped the games' popularity from Epic, is that they also give one or two games a week. These can be easily found in the Free Games section of their web store.

URL: https://www.epicgames.com/

How to install the client from Epic Games Store on PCLinuxOS?

There is an unofficial Epic Games Store client, Heroic Games Launcher.

Heroic Games Launcher is an unofficial Epic store client for Linux. It is actually a GUI front-end to the Legendary tool. Legendary is an open-source game launcher that can install and run games from the Epic Games platform on Linux and Windows. However, until now there was no GUI for Legendary.

Another way to access Epic's store is through Lutris.

The Indies Stores

Because Linux is not a mainstream operating system (it wasn't, now it is), it attracted the attention of many independent developers, who, of course, were favored by independent stores as well.

Here follow some independent stores with games for PCLinuxOS.

Humble Store

Humble Store works a little differently from others. On the one hand, there is no PC application, and the games you buy cannot be downloaded directly from the store. Instead, you will receive a code where you redeem your game on Steam, or another platform. On the other hand, they offer so-called Humble Bundles, which are bundles with several games that you can buy at any price you like, starting with a minimum amount, around US $1.00 (if you pay more, you can expand the package). And as if that wasn't enough, part of the money raised with each purchase goes to a charity. The Humble Store also offers several subscription models, with which you can choose up to 9 new games per month.

URL: https://www.humblebundle.com/store

itch.io

itch.io is a site for users to host, sell and download indie electronic games. Launched in March 2013 by Leaf Corcoran, the service has had nearly 100,000 games and items as of February 2018.

On March 3, 2013, Leaf Corcoran posted a blog entry on leafo.net detailing what the site would be like, with a Pay-As-You-Want template. In an interview with Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Corcoran said that the original idea was not a store, but rather a place to "create a custom gaming homepage."

As of June 2015, the service hosted over 15,000 games and programs.

In December 2015, the service announced the launch of a desktop application to install games and other content. It was released with simultaneous support for Windows, macOS and Linux. Today, the Itch application is recommended as "the best way to play your itch.io games".

URL: https://itch.io/

Game Jolt

Game Jolt is a social community platform for video games, gamers and content creators, which hosts fan-run communities for over 1,644,492 games. The platform is home to hundreds of thousands of developers and gamers from all corners of the world - from novice gamers to independent developers, top notch influencers and some of the most reputable studios in the industry. Game Jolt was founded by Yaprak and David DeCarmine.

David started developing Game Jolt in 2002 at the age of 14. His intention was to create a platform for gamers where new independent games could be discovered and quickly playable, and where feedback could be provided directly to the creators, allowing them to continue to improve their games. On launch in July 2004, Game Jolt included a public account system, game forums, a chat room and a large game database, with each game downloaded with the permission of the creators.

In December 2008, David launched a second version of the site with Game Jolt becoming a gaming portal. The site was redesigned and introduced an automated system for uploading games for download, as well as Flash, Unity and Java games.

In January 2016, Game Jolt released the client and frontend source code for the site on GitHub under MIT license.

An online marketplace was announced in April 2016 and launched the following month in May, allowing developers to sell their games on the site.

URL: https://gamejolt.com/

Honorable Mentions

The online stores listed below are not guaranteed to work on PCLinuxOS, but if you want to take a risk...

Uplay Store: Official Ubisoft Store.

Google Stadia: Google Game Subscription Service.

Blizzard: The official store of Blizzard, creators of the Diablo series.

Bethesda: The official store of Bethesda software, owners of the Quake franchise.

So hopefully you have lots of online stores to visit, and lots of games to play in the holiday season. Happy Holidays and a great 2022, are the best wishes from your friend Agent Smith (Alessandro Ebersol).

Short Topix: Linux Kernel 5.15 Gets Improved NTFS Driver, LTS Designation

by Paul Arnote (parnote)

The War On Your Privacy Monthly Update

ACCORDING TO A PRESS RELEASE FROM EUROPOL, 12 INDIVIDUALS WERE ARRESTED for their involvement with ransomware attacks affecting over 1,800 people in 71 countries. These individuals played a role in launching the ransomware attacks against critical infrastructure. The arrests occurred during the early morning hours of October 26, 2021, in Ukraine and Switzerland.

From the press release:

The targeted suspects all had different roles in these professional, highly organised criminal organisations. Some of these criminals were dealing with the penetration effort, using multiple mechanisms to compromise IT networks, including brute force attacks, SQL injections, stolen credentials and phishing emails with malicious attachments.

Once on the network, some of these cyber actors would focus on moving laterally, deploying malware such as Trickbot, or post-exploitation frameworks such as Cobalt Strike or PowerShell Empire, to stay undetected and gain further access.

The criminals would then lay undetected in the compromised systems, sometimes for months, probing for more weaknesses in the IT networks before moving on to monetising the infection by deploying a ransomware. These cyber actors are known to have deployed LockerGoga, MegaCortex and Dharma ransomware, among others.

The effects of the ransomware attacks were devastating as the criminals had had the time to explore the IT networks undetected. A ransom note was then presented to the victim, which demanded the victim pay the attackers in Bitcoin in exchange for decryption keys. A number of the individuals interrogated are suspected of being in charge of laundering the ransom payments: they would funnel the Bitcoin ransom payments through mixing services, before cashing out the ill-gotten gains.

AN INAUGURAL TRUST ISSUES SURVEY BY SAILPOINT TECHNOLOGIES FOUND THAT GEN Z USERS WERE THE WEAK LINK when it comes to online security, according to a press release. While 59% of users were found to be using corporate email addresses for online shopping and other personal use, Gen Z users were the biggest offenders, with 93% of Gen Z users admitting to using corporate email addresses for personal use. And when it came to the response to phishing emails, 46% of Gen Z users said they would click the link or open the attachment, compared to just 1% of their older Boomer counterparts.

THE BLACKMATTER RANSOMWARE GROUP IS CLOSING UP SHOP DUE TO INCREASED PRESSURE FROM AUTHORITIES, according to an article on TechRepublic. The group, which provided "ransomware as a service" (RaaS), posted a statement in Russian. Roughly translated, the message read:

"Due to certain unsolvable circumstances associated with pressure from the authorities (part of the team is no longer available, after the latest news) -- the project is closed.

After 48 hours the entire infrastructure will be turned off, it is allowed to:

Issue mail to companies for further communication

Get decryptors. For this write "give a decryptor" inside the company chat, where they are needed.

We wish you all success, we were glad to work."

It is unclear from the message exactly what pressure from authorities prompted the shutdown. It also appears that some current victims of the ransomware may never receive decryption keys, especially if the attackers fail to download the decrypters before the service is/was shut down.

A HACKER HAS ASSUMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR EXPLOITING AN FBI EMAIL SERVICE TO WARN OF PHONY CYBERATTACKS, according to an article on TechRepublic. The hacker, who goes by the name of pompompurin, sent phony emails from the Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP) to illustrate a vulnerability in the FBI's system. The FBI uses the LEEP system to communicate with local and state law enforcement officials. Until this incident, just about anyone could apply for an account on LEEP to communicate with the FBI. And, ironically, the hacker obtained the passcode for access by examining the HTML for the LEEP website itself. The FBI has since remediated the software vulnerability.

If you're a LinkedIn user, TAKE SOME TIME TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH SOME PHISHING ATTEMPTS that try to appear as legitimate LinkedIn emails, according to an article on TechRepublic. Pay very close attention, because these faked LinkedIn emails are typically very well done. Of course, if you're like me, you probably just delete or ignore those "you appeared in 7 searches this week" (legitimate) LinkedIn emails. In many of these faked emails, the email address listed is NOT a LinkedIn email address.

Yet Another 0-Day Exploit Found In Google Chrome

It's becoming as prevalent as the war on your privacy. [SHOCK!] There's yet another vulnerability that's been discovered in Google Chrome! [/SHOCK!] According to Google's "threat analysis group" and reported on the Google blog, more vulnerabilities have been uncovered in Google Chrome. This time though, the vulnerabilities appear to be limited to the Google Chrome running on Microsoft Windows (I know you're surprised!). CVE-2021-21166 was discovered in February 2021 while running on Google Chrome 88.0.4323.182. CVE-2021-3055 was discovered in June 2021 while running on Chrome 91.0.4472.77.

Here's how it worked, excerpted from the blog post:

Both of these 0-days were delivered as one-time links sent by email to the targets, all of whom we believe were in Armenia. The links led to attacker-controlled domains that mimicked legitimate websites related to the targeted users. When a target clicked the link, they were redirected to a webpage that would fingerprint their device, collect system information about the client and generate ECDH keys to encrypt the exploits, and then send this data back to the exploit server. The information collected from the fingerprinting phase included screen resolution, timezone, languages, browser plugins, and available MIME types. This information was collected by the attackers to decide whether or not an exploit should be delivered to the target.Using appropriate configurations, we were able to recover two 0-day exploits (CVE-2021-21166 & CVE-2021-30551), which were targeting the latest versions of Chrome on Windows at the time of delivery.

After the renderer is compromised, an intermediary stage is executed to gather more information about the infected device including OS build version, CPU, firmware and BIOS information. This is likely collected in an attempt to detect virtual machines and deliver a tailored sandbox escape to the target. In our environment, we did not receive any payloads past this stage.

Linux Kernel 5.15 Gets Improved NTFS Driver, LTS Designation

On October 31, 2021, Linus Torvalds announced the release of version 5.15 of the Linux kernel. Of particular note is the merging of the NTFS driver into the kernel. That driver came from Paragon Software, and is their first submission to the Linux kernel. That alone caused some anxiety, marking their first voyage into what was uncharted waters for them. Torvalds provided the nudge, and the code was included into the kernel.

In other changes to the Linux kernel, according to an article on The Register:

"Samsung's SMB3 file server ksmbd has also made it in, described as "a new kernel module which implements the server-side of the SMB3 protocol."

Samsung said that it provides optimized performance, but also that "the bigger goal is to add new features more rapidly (eg, RDMA aka 'smbdirect', and recent encryption and signing improvements to the protocol) which are easier to develop on a smaller, more tightly optimized kernel server than for example in Samba." ...

Another notable feature is DAMON (Data Access Monitor) which originated from Amazon and which can be used for advanced memory management optimization.

DAMON is designed to be accurate, lightweight and scalable, and according to maintainer SeongJae Park, mitigates "problems with [core] mechanisms" currently implemented in the kernel."

Torvalds characterized the version 5.15 update as relatively calm and small.

Say What?? Facebook Turns Off Facial Recognition System

In an unexpected move, Facebook (now call me Meta) has turned off its facial recognition program for photos and videos, according to a Facebook news report. Originally started in 2010, it was turned on for everyone. In 2017, Facebook made it an opt-in setting. The company says that it will stop collecting facial recognition data, and delete the templates it has used over the years to identify users over the years.

In the coming weeks, Meta will shut down the Face Recognition system on Facebook as part of a company-wide move to limit the use of facial recognition in our products. As part of this change, people who have opted in to our Face Recognition setting will no longer be automatically recognized in photos and videos, and we will delete the facial recognition template used to identify them.

The change will also affect Facebook's "Automatic Alt Text" feature, used by individuals with disabilities. While the AAT program will still provide descriptions of images and videos, it will not provide the name of individuals in those images and videos.

Firefox 94 To Switch From GLX To EGL On Linux Graphics Stack

You might not even notice it, but starting with Firefox 94, Mozilla will start switching from using GLX to communicate with the Linux graphics stack to using EGL. The former (GLX) is necessary under X11 (windowing manager), since the X11 implementation of EGL isn't as far along as it should be, according to a Mozilla Graphics Team blog.

So what improvements should users see? Well, first of all, EGL "speaks" much closer to the hardware. I'm no graphics stack expert, but as best as I can tell, GLX serves as the intermediary between OpenGL and X11. This article on the HackADay website has a great explanation. EGL has zero-copy shared buffers and partial damage support. Partial damage support means the whole window doesn't need to be redrawn if only a small part is changed, saving power. Zero-copy shared buffers means WebGL can be sandboxed rapidly.

The end user will see the following benefits, as excerpted from the Mozilla blog:

So what exactly can you expect, and why? Mainly:

1. Improved WebGL performance. Thanks to DMABUF zero-copy buffer sharing, WebGL can be done both sandboxed and without round-trip to system ram. WebGL is not only used in obvious places such as games, but also in more subtle ways, e.g. on Google Maps.

2. Reduced power consumption. With partial damage we don't need to redraw the whole window any more if only a small part of the content changed. Common examples here are small animations on websites or when loading tabs.

3. Less bugs. EGL is more modern, much better suited for complex hardware accelerated desktop applications and used on more platforms, compared to GLX.

4. Hardware video decoding by default is another crucial step closer -- in fact for most users it should now be only one preference away (but beware, it still has a couple of bugs).

The HackADay article puts it into perspective:

Anecdotally, people who have tried it say the performance gains have been stellar, particularly when watching videos. The shared buffer helps as, for many GPUs, video is decoded (converting the compressed stream like h.264 into a raw bitmap) and then composited. Having a shared buffer and closer access to hardware allows the GPU to transfer that decoded frame directly into the compositor buffer, rather than making a trip to CPU RAM and back out to the GPU for NUMA machines.

Good Words, Good Deeds, Good News

compiled by Meemaw

Toddler Found Alive

A three-year-old who went missing in Texas in October was found alive three days later, five miles from his home, according to the Grimes County Sheriff's Office. Christopher's mother and grandmother were unloading their vehicle outside their home when he disappeared, and a neighbor reportedly saw him chasing a dog down the street.

People jumped into action, searching the surrounding area, which is heavily wooded. Volunteers commented that the trees were so thick that it was difficult searching everywhere. Amazingly, one of the volunteers found him three days later, and he appeared to be well and unhurt. He was taken to the local hospital and reunited with his family.

Driver Receives Citizen Hero Award

Amazon driver Tirek was given the Citizen Hero Award in October from the Plano, Texas, Police Chief for his heroic efforts after he witnessed a rollover accident. The rescue occurred in August in Plano, Texas, when a car rolled over, which trapped the driver in the car.

Tirek witnessed the crash while stopped at a red light and "quickly moved his vehicle to block traffic to protect the driver and the scene," according to the police department. "He then worked to free the trapped individual from the car."

The driver and Tirek both sustained injuries from the crash. Tirek injured his hand while rescuing the driver from the vehicle, according to the department's post. His quick action in placing his vehicle as a roadblock helped avoid further injury to the driver, and prevented anyone else from adding to the crash. Plano Police awarded Tirek a Citizen Hero Award for his efforts.

Adopted - Finally!

A two-year-old dog named Prudence has finally found a family after spending almost half her life at the SPCA Cincinnati animal shelter. The organization recently announced a family adopted the 55-pound canine following her 220 day stay at its Ohio location.

"The queen has left the building!" the organization announced in a Facebook post in October.

In advertising the dog's availability, the shelter commented that, "Prudence has a few recommendations for her future family. She would like to be the queen of the castle, have humans that are willing to pamper her and receive a few chicken snacks here and there."

They believe that Prudence has finally found her family.

Heroic Firefighter Stops Suicide

First responders were called to a highway overpass in Indiana, where a person was standing on the ledge. One of the firefighters, Steve, grabbed the person before they could jump off. The individual was transported for additional professional care.

A Facebook post read, "Thank you for what you do! I hope the person can get the help they need. Steve you were the start of what they needed God bless you!"

As a reminder, the US National Suicide Prevention Hotline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255. The hotline is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

WWII Veteran Celebrates One Hundred Years!

A decorated World War II veteran partied for his 100th birthday on Saturday and was also gifted an updated prosthetic leg. The Western New York VA Medical Center presented Navy veteran Bob Henneson with the leg. He had lost his leg two years ago, many years after being hurt when he was hit by a vehicle. He exercised and got his body back in shape to be able to upgrade to his bionic leg.

He explained he is young at heart and cannot wait to get out and see the world.

"I'm 100 -- I don't feel any older than I did when I was 90! I just feel great. I want to live, I want to go out in civilization, see what Buffalo looks like now," he told a news outlet.

Bus Driver Finds Missing Boy

Ayden left his house in Clarksville, Tennessee at approximately 9:15 p.m. on October 24th after getting into trouble with his mother. Authorities searched all night and even called in the Tennessee Highway Patrol to help with the search. However it was a local bus driver, Stephanie Dollich, out for her regular route at 6:45 a.m. the next morning, who found him.

"As I was going down the road, what I had seen off in the distance had looked like a child to me walking down the road. And so as I got closer, I pulled my bus over and stopped my bus. And I noticed that it was this little boy that was missing," she recalled.

He was dressed only in a pair of shorts, so she stopped the bus, wrapped him in a blanket and set him inside the bus to warm up. Then she radioed her dispatcher and told them she had found the missing child. She has received much praise due to her efforts to find the child.

"She is just the best of the best in terms of the example that she's setting for everybody," DOE Commissioner Penny Schwinn commented.

Dollich said, "Just to know he's back home safe with his parents, that feels great."

Repo Review: FF Multi Converter

by CgBoy

FF Multi Converter is a useful application that allows you to quickly and easily convert audio and video files, images, and documents into different formats. It relies on FFmpeg, ImageMagick, and unoconv for converting files, and has support for over 60 different media and document formats.

The interface is simple, but fairly well laid out and easy to use. At the top of the screen is the list of files that you've loaded in to be converted. You can import files to convert by clicking the Add button, or by simply dragging and dropping them into the box. They will all be converted one at a time.

You'll find all the audio and video conversion options available from the Audio/Video tab in the middle of the screen. From a drop-down menu, you can choose from numerous common video and audio formats to convert to, such as MP3, MP4, OGG, and MKV, along with many more. You can then choose the output video and audio codecs, of which you are provided with many different options as well. Alternatively, you can just use one of the many presets FF Multi Converter comes with by hitting the Preset button.

Clicking on More will reveal some advanced video and audio conversion options. Here we can change things such as the video resolution and aspect ratio, video bitrate and framerate, audio bitrate and audio channels, and video rotation. You can also load in a subtitles file to embed into the video.

If you switch over to the Images tab, you'll find all the image conversion options. Here you can choose the output image format, from the many available in the drop-down menu, that you wish to convert the image to. You can also change the image resolution if you need to, as well as flip and rotate the image.

Lastly, we have the Documents tab. The only conversion option we are given here is a drop-down menu to select the desired format to convert your document files to. Many common document formats are available, such as DOCX, PDF, ODT, CSV, and many more.

From the lower portion of the screen, you can choose an output location for the converted files, or choose to save them into the same folder as the source files. You also have the option to remove the original files after converting them. Finally, hit Convert to begin converting all files you've loaded in.

Summary

All in all, FF Multi Converter provides a really quick and easy way to convert any media or document files you may need. I did not encounter any issues at all when I used it. If you want a simple media converter, and don't need all the advanced features of something like Handbrake, then FF Multi Converter is a great choice.

PCLinuxOS Bonus Recipe Corner:

Tasty One-Pot Shrimp Fajita Pasta

Serves 5

Unit converter

INGREDIENTS:

12-16 oz shrimp (fresh or frozen and thawed)

8 oz medium shell pasta

1 TBSP oil for Sautéing (avocado, olive, coconut plus extra as needed)

2 bell peppers

1 medium onion

3/4 tsp chili powder

/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 cup enchilada sauce plus extra if desired

Tasty toppings

2-4 oz grated cheese (skip for dairy-free)

1 jalapeéno, sliced thin

1/2 lime, cut into wedges

chopped green onion and/or cilantro to taste

Optional extras

guacamole or chopped/sliced avocado

a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt

pickled/marinated red onion

pico de gallo

hot sauce

DIRECTIONS:

If you plan on popping this bad boy in the oven to melt the cheese, use an oven-safe pot/pan and preheat your oven to 350F. Prefer to stir the cheese into the pasta? Skip the oven!

Clean and peel shrimp, defrosting if needed. Lately we've been buying frozen, deviened, easy-peel shrimp. All I have to do is defrost, peel, and cook! You can also buy your shrimp already peeled if you'd like! Set shrimp aside and start on the pasta.

Cook pasta, uncovered in a large pot of boiling water per package instructions. I like mine al dente. Rinse in a colander with cold water. Drain and set aside

While your pasta boils, slice your bell pepper and chop your onion. Bring a large high-sided pan or skillet to medium-high heat with 1 TBSP of oil. Sauté onion and peppers until edges are browned and softened. Reduce heat to medium.

Pat shrimp dry and season with chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well to coat both sides.

Move veggies to the side, add a bit more oil, as needed, and add your shrimp to the pan. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes until shrimp curl and become opaque. The cooking time will depend on the heat setting you choose and the size of your shrimp, but regardless they'll be perfectly cooked in a matter of minutes. Add your cooked, drained pasta and enchilada sauce. Gently fold everything together. If you'd like, feel free to use additional sauce! Sometimes I go light and other times I'll make it extra saucy!

Add your cheese. You can swirl it into the pasta or sprinkle on top and use an oven mitt to transfer the pot to the oven, uncovered, for a few minutes until hot and melty!

Now pile on the toppings! I added lime wedges (I love to squeeze a little lime juice into the dish before diving in) along with cilantro and fresh jalapeéno's. It's also amazing with a dollop of sour cream and some salsa

NUTRITION:

Calories: 444           Carbs: 41g           Fiber: 2g           Sodium: 1431mg           Protein: 22g

PCLinuxOS Puzzled Partitions

Sudoku

Download Puzzle Solutions Here!

Scrappler

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Crossword

Download Puzzle Solutions Here!

WordFind

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Mixed Up meme Scrambler

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Screenshot Showcase

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