Table of Contents

Welcome From The Chief Editor

1. Happy Birthday, Texstar!

2. Resizing Images, Revisited

3. Repo Review: Midori

4. PCLinuxOS Recipe Corner

5. Grisbi Revisited, Part 3 Importing Other File Formats

6. Inkscape Tutorial: More Text Tricks

7. ICYMI Oldest Known Version Of DOS Discovered

8. Repo Review: Zotero

9. Good Words, Good Deeds, Good News

10. PCLinuxOS Recipe Corner Bonus

11. Puzzled Partitions

12. Screenshot Showcase

From The Chief Editor's Desk...

Over the years, we've had multiple people step up to layout the HTML version of the magazine. When I first started as the Chief Editor of The PCLinuxOS Magazine, gseaman laid out the HTML. After he stepped down and went on to other things, our dear and late friend Sproggy took over the layout duties. After Sproggy stepped down, Rudge took over laying out the magazine's HTML edition. Then, YouCanToo (a.k.a. The CrankyZombie) assumed the task of doing the layout of the HTML edition. And THAT was several years ago.

YouCanToo has, after many years of laying out the HTML edition, stepped down from that role with the magazine to have more time to focus on health concerns that have besieged him in recent years. The January 2024 issue was his last for laying out the magazine's HTML edition.

During his years of being in charge of laying out the HTML edition of the magazine, he also oversaw the move of the magazine from being hosted on Weric's servers to his servers. YouCanToo also oversaw the introduction of the magazine being made available in the common ebook formats, EPUB and MOBI. YouCanToo also introduced his monthly recipe columns in the magazine during his tenure of being the caretaker of the magazine's HTML edition. He has also authored quite a few articles that have graced the pages of the magazine over the years.

All of this is in addition to his OTHER duties he takes care of for PCLinuxOS. On his servers, he hosts PCLOS-Talk, PCLOS-Cloud, and the PCLinuxOS forum. Before the ransomware attack, he also hosted the PCLinuxOS Knowledge Base and an image hosting service just for PCLinuxOS users. His servers also host the exclusive-to-PCLinuxOS-users mail server used by many PCLinuxOS users, called PCLOS-Mail.

Even after stepping away from his oversight of the HTML edition of The PCLinuxOS Magazine, YouCanToo still plans to continue his monthly recipes, as well as the occasional article for the magazine.

YouCanToo … we appreciate your hard work and dedication to The PCLinuxOS Magazine, and PCLinuxOS overall, over these years. We hope the extra time you have, freed from your monthly responsibilities of managing the magazine's HTML edition, provides you the opportunity you need to get your health concerns under control. We want you to be with us for many more years to come.

As you can imagine, YouCanToo's absence has created a HUGE void on the magazine staff. To fill that void, tbs and horusfalcon have stepped forward to serve as the caretakers of the magazine's HTML edition. Meemaw and I typically take care of all things associated with the magazine's PDF edition, but we have also stepped up to assist (as much as we can) with the creation of the HTML edition, at least until tbs and horusfalcon get up to speed and learn the “lay of the land,” so to speak.

We welcome these long-time PCLinuxOS users to the staff of The PCLinuxOS Magazine. They are both kind, helpful, insightful, informed members of the PCLinuxOS forum, always ready and willing to lend assistance wherever and whenever they are able. They will both bring their knowledge and PCLinuxOS skills to managing the HTML edition of The PCLinuxOS Magazine, as well as the production of the monthly ebook versions of the magazine.

Welcome aboard, guys!

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This month's cover image is by Pixabay artist Gerd Altman, and celebrates St. Valentine's Day.

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Until next month, I bid you peace, happiness, serenity, prosperity, and continued good health!

Happy Birthday, Texstar!

MP3     OGG

Resizing Images, Revisited

by Paul Arnote (parnote)

As you might imagine, I work A LOT with graphic files in my position as the Chief Editor of The PCLinuxOS Magazine. So, I'm always looking for things that will “make my life easier” when working with graphic files. After all, why should I have to open up GIMP (or any other graphic file editor, for that matter) just to convert or resize an image when I can do it so much quicker from a custom bash script? Plus, the custom bash script allows me to perform the tasks on multiple images at once.

Eleven months ago, I updated a previous script that I use to convert between various graphic formats. In doing so, I added “protection” to prevent overwriting the original graphic file, as well as ensuring that the compression value of the image is between 0 and 100.

I often use my custom bash script to convert between different graphic formats. But, I probably use a different custom bash script to resize images even more. Like, almost daily. So, I figured why not give that custom bash script an update to prevent the overwriting of original graphic files, and to ensure that the compression value of the image stays within the range of 0 and 100.

As with all of my “other” custom bash scripts, this one can be run by anyone from the command line, or it can be used as a Thunar Custom Action. Since I pretty much use the Xfce desktop exclusively, that latter point is huge for me. It makes my life easier, and fits in with the way that I prefer to work perfectly.

The script takes graphic files/file names as its parameter. It can be one file, or a whole slew of files. Users of KDE or Mate desktops should also be able to use this script in a similar manner, but how to configure Dolphin or Caja as a service menu item is beyond the scope of this article.

A little later on in the article, I'll illustrate a version of the script that does, with a few changes, work as a standalone program. This will allow those who fear (or avoid) the command line to create a launcher on a panel or on their desktop to create a wholly standalone program. This will also allow users of ANY Linux desktop to use this script, without having to delve into the in's-and-out's of configuring it for use in a file manager other than Thunar. While I'm definitely NOT a command line “commando,” I was able to figure out how to add the file selection dialog, and then use that information and method to select and to resize images, in bulk. There is NO reason to fear overwriting any of your original files, because I've eliminated that risk. The ONLY time you have to worry about overwriting ANY of your images is if you use the original image, and enter the same dimensions and compression ratio, and then it will overwrite the OLD version of the image with the same dimensions and compression ratio. However, your original file(s) are safe from being overwritten.

The “New” Script

I originally wrote about the “original” version (scroll down to the “Resizing” section of that article) of the image resizing script a little over 10 years ago (Egads! … It's hard to believe it has been THAT long ago!). Over the years, I've tweaked it, and then tweaked it some more, and then tweaked it some more again. You get the idea. This new version of the script is called Img-resize4.sh. You can download it from the magazine's website, or type it in if you prefer.

If you choose to download it from the magazine website, be sure to remove the “.txt” file extension from the downloaded file, store it where you typically store your bash scripts, and make the file executable. I store all of my bash scripts in my ~/bin directory, which is in my system's path statement. That way, I don't have to specify a path to my bash scripts.

So, below is the new script for resizing your images. In the image, I've included the line numbers from my text editor, to make it easier for you to follow along.

Of course, the script starts off with the typical bash script shebang, while line 3 initializes a variable to a value of “1.” Lines 5 through 8 allow you to set the width of your resized image, in pixels. Smaller widths generate smaller file sizes, and conversely, larger widths generate larger file sizes. I would advise that you NOT go much above the size of the original image, or you'll likely get pixelization of the image. There are other tools that do a much better job of making your images bigger … but that's an article for another time.

Lines 10 through 15 allow you to choose the file format that you want to convert your image(s) to. Lines 17 through 24 allow you to specify the image quality setting. The higher the number, the higher the quality, and the larger the file size.

Lines 26 through 32 allow you to choose what directory you want to store your resized images in. If you want to store them in the same directory as the original file, just enter ./ as the directory. Similarly, entering ../ as the destination directory will place the resized images in the parent directory of whatever directory your original images are currently stored in.

Lines 34 through 41 make some changes to the image background value, depending on whether you're converting to PNG or JPG files. Line 43 adjusts the resolution (width) of your images to accommodate the one pixel black border that the script puts around the edge of the resized image.

Lines 45 through 54 is where the “magic” happens. The list of images sent to the script as command line arguments are cycled through in a “for” loop, and each one is assigned a new filename, with the resolution and quality level, and with the new file extension. The heavy lifting for the script is done by ImageMagick's convert command. That variable we declared at the very beginning, in Line 3, is incremented to allow the progress bar to be updated properly.

Line 56 is what's responsible for displaying the progress bar and dialog box that appears while the script is processing the images you “fed” it. If you're only doing a small number of images, you might never even notice the progress dialog box appears. However, you will appreciate the progress bar when processing a large number of files. Line 58 exits the script cleanly, after all of the images have been processed.

Like I mentioned earlier, the script is designed from the outset to work either from the command line, or from a Thunar Custom Action. To set up the Thunar Custom Action, your custom action windows will most likely look like one of these shown below.

Everything works with this version of the script exactly as I intended for it to. The script is small, and it is F-A-S-T.

The “Standalone” Script

In the process of updating my image resizing script, I decided to try making a standalone script that can be run from a launcher on a panel or from the desktop. Virtually ALL of the functionality of the previous version is maintained, but there are some slight differences, which I'll reveal as we go through the script. After all, the previous version has all of the data it needs passed to it by way of the command line. This standalone version has to be “fed” the data it needs, entirely from GUI elements.

As with the previous script, you can download it from the magazine's website. And, as with the previous script, delete the “.txt” file extension, save the script where you usually save your bash scripts, and make the file executable. This version of the script is named Img-resizer5b.

A lot of the script remains the same as with the previous version, with some notable differences. First, here's the script that works as a standalone program.

So, instead of rehashing everything I've already told you about the previous script, I'll just talk about what is different.

;

In Lines 5 through 9, the Zenity file selection dialog is displayed. The Zenity command is restricted to displaying ONLY those files which match the file extensions listed: PNG, JPG, WEBP, AVIF, GIF, BMP and TIFF (and directories). I've also made it so that it will function with images that use all lowercase letters in the file extension, or with images that use all uppercase letters in the file extension. It also allows the selection of multiple files for resizing. The separator is set to a blank space between files. Without specifying the separator, it defaults to a “|” pipe symbol as a separator. By default, the read command uses a blank space as its delimiter, so setting the separator to a blank space accommodates the use of the read command to create the array. In Line 9, the selected files are put into an array for later processing.

From Lines 33 through 41, we have to alter a few things. First, we have to alter the appearance of the “Destination Directory” dialog box. Second, we also have to construct a proper path for the new image, and create the destination directory, if it doesn't already exist. With this standalone version of the script, you cannot specify the parent directory (../) as the destination directory. However, if you want to save your resized images in the same directory as your original image files (remember, your original files are safe from being overwritten), just leave the text entry field empty or blank.

When we selected files in the Zenity file selection dialog box, the returned file names were in the form of a full path to the specified file(s). So, to both properly create the new directory, and to specify a proper path for the destination file, we have to deconstruct and then reconstruct a proper path for that destination file. The CURR_PATH variable grabs the path from the first file selected in the array (${FILES[0]}) using the “dirname” command. Remember we put all of the information for the selected files in an array. So all we're doing here is copying the path information for that first file in the array into the variable CURR_PATH. Then, we construct a proper path for the destination file by adding $CURR_PATH and $DIR (the directory name we specified in the Destination Directory dialog box) to one another, properly formatted, and save it in the variable $NEW_DIR. We'll use the $NEW_DIR variable later on, when the ImageMagick “convert” command is outputting the new file.

Jump forward to Line 54, and we have to change the for loop so that it pulls the filenames from the array we set up in Line 9. As part of our “construction” efforts to reconstruct a proper file name, the path information is stripped (basename) from each file in the FILES array as they are processed. Then, we combine the $NEW_PATH information, with the filename currently being processed, along with the other file name descriptors to prevent overwriting the original files, to create a fully valid and proper path to the new file output by the ImageMagick “convert” command.

Nearly all of the remaining lines of the script are exactly as they are in the previous version. The script does work well for resizing images. I've tried and tried and tried to “trip it up,” and have been unsuccessful in those attempts. In every case or situation I threw at it, it performed flawlessly.

You don't even have to specify a destination directory, if you don't want to. I just thought this might be a nice “feature” that some users might like to have. Your resized image files will be placed in the same directory that contains your original graphic files. Since your original files are safe from being overwritten, this isn't that big of a problem. Later, if you change your mind, you'll just have to go into that directory that contains your original and resized graphics, and move the resized image files to another directory manually, if that's what you desire. But the ability to create a new destination directory for your resized images eliminates having to manually move your resized graphic files at a later date, saving some time later on. Plus, it also helps keep things nice and tidy.

Caveats

In all honesty, I can only list ONE caveat for using either one of these scripts, to the best of my knowledge. That one caveat is that your graphic file names should NOT have a space in them. Remove or replace spaces in the file names you submit to these scripts to process, or they could cause the script to not complete.

Of course, “this ain't Windows, ya' know,” so you shouldn't be using spaces in your file names anyway. If you do, you may get away with it for a while, but eventually, it WILL come back to bite you on your hind side. That is because in so many cases, a space acts as a delimiter to so many tools Linux users commonly use. So, it's best practice to avoid using spaces in your file names, if at all possible.

It's especially unlikely that graphic file names with spaces in them will not properly populate the array used in the standalone version of the script. The “read” command that sets up the array uses the space as a delimiter, so the array may not have the true path or file name as some of its array members. Most likely, the array will not point to a fully qualified path and file name.

It might not be a bad idea to add a line near the beginning of the script (after Line 4, but before any other dialogs are displayed) to the script to warn users about NOT using files with spaces in the file name. It might look something like this:

zenity --warning --title=”WARNING!” --timeout=15 --text=”DO NOT run the script\non files containing spaces\nin the file name!”

This will cause the warning dialog box to appear with the defined text, and then automatically disappear after 15 seconds. Of course, you could always hit the “OK” button before the 15 seconds is up, dismissing the dialog box warning message earlier than 15 seconds.

If you feel so inclined, you could put in a function or command to remove or replace spaces from the file names. I'll leave that as an exercise for you to undertake, if you want. Since I avoid spaces in file names like the proverbial plague, it's a non-issue for me, and I won't be undertaking any such task. I also want to keep the script lean, and making the script “behave” with file names containing spaces isn't exactly going to make the script be as lean as it needs to be, or that I want it to be. “More” is not always better.

Summary

I hope you find these scripts as useful as I do. In my position as the magazine's Chief Editor, there's hardly a day that goes by that I don't use one of these image resizing scripts. I mean, I really use them a LOT.

Rest assured that they do their intended job perfectly. I don't have time to waste on scripts that don't work properly or perfectly, and I suspect it's the same for the rest of you, as well.

Repo Review: Midori

by CgBoy

Midori is a fairly lightweight web browser focused on privacy and security. First released in 2007, it originally used the WebKitGTK web rendering engine and was well regarded as a lightweight and efficient web browser. Then, in 2019 it was acquired by Artisan, Inc who have now based it off of a Japanese web browser known as Floorp Browser, which is in turn based off Mozilla Firefox. As such, most of Midori's features are currently just inherited from Floorp Browser. This new Midori, however, is a massive change from the old generation, and offers many compelling features.

Artisan, Inc is the small US based company that now develops Midori. According to their website, it was "...created with the purpose of developing free software and technologies, respecting the privacy of users and allowing them to have control of their data and information." Apart from Midori, they also seem to offer a cloud storage service, and are working on a VPN service with browser integration. They are also developing their own private search engine called ArtisanGO, but this seems to be inaccessible at the time of writing.

Upon first startup, Midori takes you through a few quick steps to get everything set up the way you want. You are given the option to import browsing data from another web browser, or to sign into a Firefox account. You can then select from a Basic, Default , and Advanced browsing mode, which from what I can tell basically just seems to alter the interface slightly (The Basic template hides the sidebars on the left and the bottom of the screen).

Next, you are presented with several interface themes to choose from. Depending on the theme you select, I think Midori has a very appealing user interface, which I actually prefer over Firefox. New tabs display a random image from Unsplash as the background picture.

Like some browsers, such as Vivaldi and Opera, Midori provides a sidebar on the left side for quick access to various different features. From here, you can easily open the bookmarks and history panels, allowing you to easily access, search, and manage your bookmarks and browsing history. There's also a downloads panel, letting you view and manage all current downloads.

A basic notes panel is also provided as well, although this feature appears to still be fairly simple. Quick access to Artisan's cloud storage service is also available from the sidebar, along with a handy Google translate panel. Finally, the saved passwords, extensions, and settings pages can all be accessed from the sidebar as well. You can easily add your own custom web shortcuts to the sidebar too. These will then open the websites in a new panel when you click on the shortcuts, essentially letting you create small web apps for online services such as WhatsApp and others.

A toolbar also exists at the bottom of the screen, from which you can take screenshots and adjust the zoom level of web pages. This toolbar can also be customized to your liking, by adding and removing items from it.

In day to day web browsing, Midori feels and behaves much the same as Firefox. Memory usage was usually at about the same level as Firefox, although the browser itself generally felt pretty snappy. All the regular Firefox extensions should be compatible and work without any issue.

According to Artisan, Midori includes no data gathering telemetry, which I think is a big selling point for the browser. It does however, include sponsored bookmarks to sites such as Ebay and Amazon, though. By default, Midori uses the DuckDuckGo search engine, but you can obviously change this to whichever search engine you prefer.

Summary

I have actually been very impressed so far with this new version of Midori. Stability wise, Midori seemed to be pretty much rock solid, with no crashes and very few bugs. I'm still not entirely sure at this point if it's worth using Midori over Floorp Browser though, given that most of these features are also available in the latter, but I look forward to seeing where the project goes. If you want a fast, light weight, and privacy focused browser, you should give Midori a try.

PCLinuxOS Recipe Corner

Pub-Style Irish Beef Pie

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 lbs stew beef; cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 cup all-purpose flour; divided

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 medium yellow onion; chopped

2 carrots; chopped

2 cloves garlic; minced

1 cup button mushrooms; sliced

2 cups green cabbage; finely shredded

2 medium russet potatoes; cubed

1 cup Irish stout beer

1 1/2 cups beef stock

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1/4 cup fresh parsley; chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp cornstarch; optional

1 double pie crust; homemade or store-bought

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place beef stew meat in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, salt, and ground black pepper. Use tongs or a spoon to toss, so each piece of meat is coated in the flour and seasoning.

2. In a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add half the meat and cook until the meat pieces are just browned on the outside, about 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pot and place on a clean plate. Repeat with remaining meat until all the meat has been browned.

3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the butter to the same pan. When the butter is melted, add the onion and carrots and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and cabbage to the pan. Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more.

5. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

6. Stir in the beer and beef stock.

7. Return the meat to the pan. Add the potatoes, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste. Stir to combine and cover with a lid. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer covered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the meat is tender.

8. If the sauce is too thin, stir in the cornstarch and simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until thickened. Taste and add salt and cracked black pepper to taste.

9. Remove the stew from the heat. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.

10. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

11. Roll out your pie crusts. Use ramekins (12-ounce capacity recommended) to measure your dough. Turn a ramekin upside down and use a small knife to cut a circle of dough that is 1 inch wider in diameter than the ramekin. Cut 4 rounds of dough. Save dough scraps for another use, if desired.

12. Fill each ramekin with a beef stew mixture. Top each ramekin with a dough round, pressing overhanging dough lightly against the ramekins. Use a knife to cut a slit on the top of each pie.

13. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden, and the filling is bubbly.<

NUTRITION:

Calories 681      Carbs: 42g       Sodium: 621mg         Fiber: 3g          Protein: 73g

Grisbi Revisited, Part 3 Importing Other File Formats

by David Pardue (kalwisti)

In my previous article, I offered some tips for using Grisbi more efficiently. For the final installment in this series, I decided to try importing all of my checkbook data into Grisbi. Grisbi currently supports the following file import formats: CSV (Comma Separated Values), QIF (Quicken Interchange Format), Gnucash (.gnucash) and OFX (Open Financial Exchange).

My trial involved importing files from an assortment of the finance apps I have used: GnuCash, HomeBank, Skrooge, KMyMoney, Money Manager Ex and Eqonomize.

Later, I experimented with downloading recent transactions from my online banking website in QFX and CSV format, then importing them into Grisbi. Although I learned from previous experience that bank downloads will not streamline my personal data entry, I still wanted to see how Grisbi would handle bank-generated files.

When switching financial software, one of the most important decisions you face is whether to bring in your historical data or to start afresh, i.e., enter transactions from scratch. Sometimes importing historical data means jumping through a lot of hoops. It is ultimately your choice how much effort to devote to importing your earlier records.

I will summarize my results below, in case you are considering trying this yourself. I hope it will save you time, keystrokes and fruitless experimentation. The best results were obtained with QIF files exported from KMyMoney, HomeBank and Money Manager Ex. I will focus my discussion on "what worked" rather than "what flopped."

To import a file into Grisbi, you have several options.

From the Start page, click on the New button. This will create a new account file, into which you may import a transaction file.

Or, from the Start page, click on the Import button

A third option is, from the Start page, go to the File menu, and choose Import file.

You can also type the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+I.

Whichever option you select, Grisbi will start an assistant/wizard that will guide you through the required steps. The assistant's instructions are clear and self-explanatory.

Importing a KMyMoney QIF File

Based on my testing, the platinum tier winner was KMyMoney's exported QIF file. My file contained 2638 transactions (dating from June 2019 to the present). I created a simple, standardized table to display the results of each import at a glance. This will make it easier to compare Grisbi's handling of file types.

Grisbi Handling of File Types

Comments: The KMyMoney file was the only one of my test QIF files which accurately transferred the Reconciliation status.

The Mode of Payment transferred, but for some unknown reason, all the Debit card transactions appear as "Credit card." I consider this to be a minor annoyance which can be overlooked.

Categories were understandably imported with KMyMoney's terminology rather than Grisbi's native categories. This is not a major problem because your previously used KMyMoney categories are available for newly created transactions, so you may continue to use them. If you wish, you may also "mix and match" KMyMoney categories with Grisbi's standard categories.

The initial balance of my Checking account was transferred, and the account's current balance was correct.

Importing a HomeBank QIF File

The gold tier winner was HomeBank's exported QIF file. My file contained 2638 transactions (dating from June 2019 to the present). Considering the complexity of the data, the results were very good, but I had to do some fiddling with the source QIF file.

Comments: The Mode of Payment transferred but for some unknown reason, all the Debit card transactions appear as "Credit card." I am willing to overlook this as a minor annoyance.

Categories were understandably imported with HomeBank's terminology rather than Grisbi's native categories. This is not a major problem because previously used HomeBank categories are available for newly created transactions, so you may continue to use them. If you wish, you may also "mix and match" HomeBank categories with Grisbi's standard categories.

The initial balance of my Checking account was missing, so the account's current balance was wrong. However, this problem can be fixed easily by finding the opening balance of your HomeBank account (under the Manage menu > Accounts > General tab > Start balance) and entering this amount into Grisbi.

In Grisbi, from the Account Ledger view, click on the Properties tab to bring it forward. Then scroll down to the Balances section and look for the Initial balance box.

After entering the Initial balance, your current balance should be correct.

Workaround for Reconciliation Status Problem

Initially, all my imported transactions showed with a status of "R" ('Reconciled'). This was wrong because I have not yet reconciled the current month's transactions against my bank statement. Although I skimmed through Grisbi's User Manual and tried several experiments, I could not figure out how to resolve this issue within Grisbi itself.

Therefore, I researched how to tweak the QIF file before importing it into Grisbi. Fortunately, there is documentation available on the QIF format specification. For an overview, see GnuCash's User Manual (for version 1.6.x [June 2001]). "Introduction to the QIF file." A more detailed discussion is available on Glyn Simpson's "MS Money Help & Info Pages”.

This workaround is simple and fairly quick. It involves using a text editor to perform a Search & Replace of the QIF file prior to import. It alters the contents of the "C" field (Cleared / Reconciliation status). I used Geany for this procedure, but you may use the text editor of your choice: KWrite (Kate), nano, vim, Emacs, etc.

The screenshot below shows a snippet of the transaction records in my QIF file.

To perform the Search & Replace operation, open the QIF file in Geany. From the Search menu > choose Replace. A "Replace" dialog will open.

Fill out this dialog as illustrated below.

n the "Search for" box, type CR. In the "Replace with" box, enter a [single space]. Select/check these two options: Case sensitive and Match only a whole word. Click on the flippy triangle beside "Replace All". Click on the button labeled "In Document"

Geany will execute this operation. Afterwards, results will be reported in the editor's log area.

You should perform a second Search & Replace operation. Search for "C" (without the quotation marks) and replace it with a [single space]. Save your changes. Finally, import your modified QIF into Grisbi.

This procedure worked. All transactions were imported as Unreconciled.

Note on the first reconciliation in Grisbi: Based on my testing with Grisbi's reconciliation behavior, a first reconciliation will not work correctly with your most recent bank statement (viz., last month's). It is likely that you will have to begin reconciliation with your first (oldest) statement and work your way to the present date. Depending on how much data you imported, this could potentially be a lengthy task.

Importing a Money Manager Ex QIF File

I will award the silver tier prize to Money Manager Ex's exported QIF file. My file contained 1046 transactions (dating from December 2021 to the present). The results were very good but – as with the HomeBank QIF file – I had to fiddle with the MMEX source file.

Comments: The Mode of Payment transferred but for some unknown reason, all the Debit card transactions appear as "Credit card." I consider this to be a minor annoyance which can be overlooked.

Categories were understandably imported with Money Manager Ex's terminology rather than Grisbi's native categories. This is not a major problem because your previously used Money Manager Ex categories are available for newly created transactions, so you may continue to use them. If you wish, you may also "mix and match" Money Manager Ex categories with Grisbi's standard categories.

The initial balance of my Checking account was missing, so the account's current balance was wrong. However, this problem can be fixed easily by finding the opening balance of your Money Manager Ex account (under the Accounts menu > Edit Account > Initial Balance) and entering this amount into Grisbi.

In Grisbi, from the Account Ledger view, click on the Properties tab to bring it forward. Then scroll down to the Balances section and look for the Initial balance box.

After entering the Initial balance, your current balance should be correct.

Initially, all my imported transactions showed with a status of "R" ('Reconciled'). This was wrong because I have not yet reconciled the current month's transactions against my bank statement. To resolve this issue, you should apply the Search & Replace text-editor workaround described in the previous subsection.

Note on the first reconciliation in Grisbi: Based on my prior experiments with Grisbi's reconciliation behavior, a first reconciliation will not work correctly with your most recent bank statement (viz., last month's). It is likely that you will need to begin reconciliation with your first (oldest) statement and work your way to the present date. Depending on how much data you imported, this could potentially be a lengthy task.<

Importing a (Converted) GnuCash QIF File

Due to its popularity and historical importance in the FOSS world, I felt obligated to experiment with importing my GnuCash data. Although Grisbi claims to support GnuCash files as a valid import format, I could not successfully import my .gnucash file – despite multiple attempts and variations (which included changing the file extension to .gnc).

Fortunately, a workaround exists: a handy utility program called GnuCashToQIF, written by Steven Lawrance. It is a Java program that converts a GnuCash XML file into either a QIF file or a QuickBooks IIF (Intuit Interchange Format) file. It is free, in the public domain, and available for download at https://gnucashtoqif.us/.

The website has clear instructions on how to use GnuCashToQIF, so I will not repeat them here. Before running the program, I double-checked the file permissions to make sure that it was executable. Another tip is to make a copy of your entire .gnucash file, place it in a different folder (e.g., Downloads) and rename the file before running GnuCashToQIF on it.

After converting my file with GnuCashToQIF, I successfully imported the QIF file into Grisbi. My file contained 2638 transactions (dating from June 2019 to the present). The results were acceptable, but not ideal.

Comments: The Mode of Payment transferred but for some unknown reason, all the Debit card transactions appear as "Credit card." I am willing to overlook this minor annoyance.

Categories were understandably imported with GnuCash's terminology rather than Grisbi's native categories. This is not a major problem because previously used GnuCash categories are available for newly created transactions, so you may continue to use them. If you wish, you may also "mix and match" GnuCash categories with Grisbi's standard categories.

One quirk that might pose an aesthetic problem: owing to GnuCash's double-entry accounting roots, all categories have a prefix of either "Expenses" or "Income". For instance, "Expenses : Phone" or "Income : Other Income [...]".

Another potential issue is that reconciled transactions were assigned a status of "P" ("Pointed") instead of "R" ("Reconciled"). I suspect this will cause problems when the first reconciliation is done in Grisbi; however, I lacked the time to test it. (A workaround would be to apply the Search & Replace procedure on the converted QIF file.)

The most serious import flaw was that the Notes (aka Memo field) did not transfer. I typically record detailed information in this field, so its absence gives me pause. I am puzzled why this happened because GnuCashToQIF has an option to "Extract memos from descriptions" – which I selected prior to file conversion.

Tip for Importing CSV Files

Grisbi can import CSV files, but my tests produced hit-and-miss results. This is not entirely Grisbi's fault because CSV is, by its nature, a "fiddly" format. There is no agreed-upon standard, so different programs -- as well as banks and credit card companies -- may use different presentations of columns and a variety of field names. This inconsistency means that it will likely require some patient trial and error to successfully import your CSV file.

Here are two suggestions which will hopefully improve your chance of success.

First, experiment with the CSV separator's different options to see which one displays the data best.

On the top line of the Import assistant, click on the column header for a drop-down menu.

The drop-down menu will display different fields/elements which you can assign to the selected data column when Grisbi imports it. In some cases, you will need to experiment with different options to determine which one maps the data correctly.

Importing (Downloaded) Bank Files

I explored importing files of transactions downloaded from my bank. It currently offers free exports/downloads in Quicken (QFX) format and as CSV files. I tried both options with Grisbi. Each file contained 122 transactions (dating from 11/13/2023 to the present).

Grisbi successfully imported both file types. In my use case, however, results showed that it would be as time-consuming to clean up the data imports as it is to manually enter transactions. Therefore I will stick with manual data entry.

I should mention that Grisbi had no problems with the QFX import, since a QFX file is a standard OFX file with additional fields to support a licensing fee paid by financial institutions to Intuit. Before importing, I did not have to change the file extension. I just needed to click on the drop-down menu and select the "All files" option in order to make the QFX file visible for importing:

Inkscape Tutorial: More Text Tricks

by Meemaw

I've seen a couple of things lately that might be useful to someone building some printed material. I do signs for work, plus a newsletter twice a year, so these might help me "dress things up" a bit.

Adding A Gradient

Davies Media design did a video on adding a gradient to your text, and I thought it was very interesting. Feel free to watch his video as well.

Open Inkscape and add your text normally. This effect works best if your text is thick. I used a font called Impact. Make it large too... it will look good when you resize it smaller, but like most images, sizing UP tends to make images pixelated. It's not so noticeable with text but it's a good habit for you to adopt.

I just used the name of our favorite Linux distro, and filled it with my favorite color. Then, opening the Fill and Stroke dialog, I chose Linear Gradient. The first effect I got was that the beginning of the text was the color I chose, and the gradient faded to transparent on the end. Grabbing the handles, I moved them so that the color was at the top and the transparent was at the bottom.

You can pull the handles as far out as you want to get your desired effect. If you want different colors, all the settings are in your fill menu. You can choose other colors, select a different color for a different stop, or even add stops. With the release of Inkscape 1.3 last summer, the gradient tools seem to be easier, at least for me. Everything you want to do with gradients is in the fill & stroke window and easier to get to.

You can see the color strips on the right, but there is a column on the left that shows your stops. (By color strips, I mean the colored bars labeled H, S, L, and A, where you adjust Hue, Saturation, Lightness and Alpha/Opacity). Now it's really easy to add a stop. At the bottom of the column is a plus and minus, to add or remove stops. You can also change the color of everything using whatever color management you want (choose it in the dropdown just above the color strips - HSL, HSV, RGB, CMYK, etc). Then, it's just a matter of adjusting the gradient's hue, saturation, lightness and opacity in the window, and adjusting  the placement of the stops in your drawing.

I added a stop to my gradient. If you only have two stops, the third will be in the middle. After that, the stop will be added above whatever stop you have selected (except for the end stops). You can select a stop and change the color in the window, or in the palette at the bottom of the main Inkscape window.

You can also add a gradient to your text stroke (outline). The cool thing is that the gradient window for that has the same choices, but allows you to add a completely different gradient to the stroke. On mine, the fill gradient is vertical, so the colors change from top to bottom (pink to almost white to blue), but the stroke gradient is horizontal, with the colors changing from blue on the left to pink on the right.

You can also make your gradient a radial gradient. Change it in the Fill and Stroke window, and adjust your stops. The radial gradient stops look a bit different, since you're going two different directions. You can adjust the length of each stop to make your gradient more elliptical or more circular. I made mine more elliptical and added a stroke gradient - linear - from dark blue on the left to lighter pink on the right. In the first image below, you can see the gradient stops.

I'm sure yours will be even more awesome.

Image Fill

Another way to change your text is to fill it with a picture or a pattern. Inkscape has patterns, but unless you add some, your choices are limited. However, if you have a pattern or photo you would like to use, you can still do it.

Form your text in Inkscape. I used Arial Black, but you can use whatever you want. Again, if the text isn't thick, you won't see much of your photo. This time I wrote the flower name "Dahlia" because I have a photo of one. I imported my photo and placed it under the text.

To fill the text with this photo, click Object > Clip > Set clip. If you find you don't like the way the photo appears, you can click the undo button, or Object > Clip > Release clip, then rearrange things to get the photo where you want it. Make sure the text and the photo are both selected, then set your clip again.

Most of this takes some experimentation, but I'm sure you can get the effect you want with either of these two methods.

ICYMI Oldest Known Version Of DOS Discovered

by Paul Arnote (parnote)

Image by Foto-RaBe from Pixabay

According to an article from the Los Angeles Times, venomous snake bites kill thousands every year. A California doctor may have a solution. Matthew Lewin, expedition physician for the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, hopes to develop a pill that would thwart the effects of a venomous snakebite in remote areas. While not a COMPLETE treatment for venomous snake bites, it aims to slow the effects of the venom and allow victims more time to seek treatment.

Can Flow Batteries Finally Beat Lithium? That's the question that an article from the IEEE Spectrum attempts to answer. Nanoparticles may boost energy density enough for EVs. If you're unfamiliar with "flow batteries," don't feel alone. I hadn't heard of them either, until I read this article. In a nutshell, instead of hooking up to a recharging station for an extended amount of time as you typically have to do with LiON batteries, the depleted electrolyte solution in a flow battery is exchanged for an electrolyte solution that has been "recharged" and rejuvenated. This means that a "recharge" for a flow battery won't take much longer than it takes to fill your gas tank for your current car with an internal combustion engine.

I'm not sure if this is from a horror movie script or a Sci-Fi movie script, but it is pretty concerning and scary. Resurrection biology - attempting to bring strings of molecules and more complex organisms back to life - is gaining traction in labs around the world, according to an article from CNN. There seems to be a lot going on in this field, from resurrecting viruses that have been entombed in the permafrost for tens of thousands of years (why?), to searching for new antibiotics, to resurrecting dodo birds and wooly mammoths.

The oldest-known version of MS-DOS's predecessor has been discovered and uploaded to The Internet Archive, according to an article from ArsTechnica. 86-DOS would later be bought by Microsoft and take over the computing world. This is version 0.1-C of 86-DOS, which came out in or around August 1980. It was later renamed QDOS. If you are interested, you can download a copy from here.

Meet the lawyer leading the human resistance against AI, in an article from Wired. Matthew Butterick is leading a wave of lawsuits against major AI firms, from OpenAI to Meta. Win or lose, his work will shape the future of human creativity.

From the "can you believe it?" department, Google is finally getting rid of cookies, according to an article from Lifehacker. That's a weird statement to process, considering the company generated many of its billions with the help of internet cookies. But, nonetheless, it's happening: The cookies are going in the trash, at least on Google's part, in a wider effort to limit cross-site tracking on the internet. Google made the announcement on their blog.

The monoclonal antibody nirsevimab (Beyfortus) reduced hospitalizations among infants with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-associated lower respiratory tract infection in a randomized trial, according to an article from MedPage Today. The new drug is over 80% effective in preventing the hospitalization of children with an RSV infection.

The research team from Rice University, Texas A&M University, and the University of Texas, says the new approach is a marked improvement over another kind of cancer-killing molecular machine previously developed, called Feringa-type motors, which could also break the structures of problematic cells, according to a post on Slashdot. "It is a whole new generation of molecular machines that we call molecular jackhammers," says chemist James Tour from Rice University. "They are more than one million times faster in their mechanical motion than the former Feringa-type motors, and they can be activated with near-infrared light rather than visible light." In tests on cultured, lab-grown cancer cells, the molecular jackhammer method scored a 99 percent hit rate at destroying the cells. The approach was also tested on mice with melanoma tumors, and half the animals became cancer-free. The structure and chemical properties of aminocyanine molecules mean they stay in sync with the right stimulus - such as near-infrared light. When in motion, the electrons inside the molecules form what's known as plasmons, collectively vibrating entities that drive movement across the whole of the molecule. The plasmons have an arm on one side, helping to connect the molecules to the cancer cell membranes while the movements of the vibrations bash them apart. It's still early days for the research, but these initial findings are very promising.

Have you ever wondered why these 6 items are not allowed in space? Are there chairs in space? From salt and pepper to a simple pen, find out why certain objects simply aren't allowed in space, thanks to an article from the Discover Magazine website.

Public Domain

The beginning of a new year means the rights to additional intellectual properties passing from their original owners, to you, the public - and 2024 is a particularly monumental year in that regard, considering it marks the entry into the public domain of one Mickey Mouse, according to an article from Lifehacker. The article also has links to other works ... besides Mickey Mouse's Steamboat Willie ... that have passed into the public domain. Please exercise caution: copyright laws vary by jurisdiction, so check the laws for your region.

A new experimental antibiotic can handily knock off one of the world's most notoriously drug-resistant and deadly bacteria - in lab dishes and mice, at least, according to an article from ArsTechnica. It does so with a never-before-seen method, cracking open an entirely new class of drugs that could yield more desperately needed new therapies for fighting drug-resistant infections.

Starting with this build (Build 26020), the WordPad and People apps will no longer be installed after doing a clean install of the [Windows] OS, according to a blog on Windows.com. In a future flight, WordPad will be removed on upgrade. WordPad will not be reinstallable. WordPad is a deprecated Windows feature. WordPad is no longer being updated and will be removed in a future release of Windows. Microsoft recommends Microsoft Word for rich text documents like .doc and .rtf and Windows Notepad for plain text documents, like .txt. Sayonara WordPad. You served well those of us who found the price of Microsoft Office prohibitive for 30 years. You can see a full list of deprecated "features" here ... and viruses aren't one of them.

Google is suggesting that users "turn it off and then on again" as their advice in 2024 for Gmail users following reports of a password change-resistant attack being exploited by information-stealing attackers, according to an article from Forbes. While the exploit survives a password change, it appears to not be able to survive a restart ... yet.

One of the closest galaxies to the Milky Way is hiding a second galaxy behind it, new research reveals, according to an article on Space.com. New observations of the Small Magellanic Cloud show that it might actually be two galaxies disguised as one. Both the Small Magellanic Cloud and the Large Magellanic Cloud are dwarf galaxies that are gravitationally bound to the Milky Way and are being steadily drawn toward our galaxy for a collision and merger in the far future.

A rocket is set to release the remains of 330 people, including George Washington, JFK and 'Star Trek' cast members James Doohan and Nichelle Nichols into space, forming a 'Permanent memorial', according to an article from the New York Post. Texas-based company Celestis Inc.'s inaugural Enterprise Flight is scheduled to launch at 2:18 a.m. Monday from Cape Canaveral in Florida, marking the first time human remains will be released on the moon and beyond by a commercial company.

NASA

According to an article from The Debrief website, NASA has announced plans to unveil its X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft on January 12, 2024, the American space agency said in a statement on January 5, 2024. As part of NASA's Quesst mission, the X-59 will be flown above populated regions of the United States, after which the space agency will collect information from the public about responses to sound the aircraft produces, which will then be supplied to international regulators for assessment.

Are you getting tired of your current browser, and thinking about switching to another? It's a real pain, because that typically means you have to worry about moving/transferring all of your bookmarks, history, passwords/logins, etc. BUT, with careful planning, you can minimize the "sting" of switching to another browser by a little careful planning, according to an article from Lifehacker.

This one is from the "useless information you really can't do anything with" department. How many times must you fold a piece of paper to reach the Moon? Each time you fold a piece of paper, you double the paper's thickness. With an average thickness of around 0.1mm, it surprisingly doesn't take nearly as many folds as you might think to reach the Moon, according to an article from Big Think. Of course, before you attempt this on your own, you should also watch the Mythbusters episode (abridged ... less than four minutes) to see how many times they were able to fold a piece of paper. Their maximum effort didn't come close to the number of folds needed to reach the moon before it became impossible for them to continue folding the paper. In fact, they only managed about a quarter of the number of folds necessary.

DataBase Center for Life Science, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license

A team of researchers has announced the discovery of a new species of Tyrannosaurus from New Mexico, one that appeared in the fossil record five million to seven million years before the familiar tyrant lizard, according to an article from the New York Times. Their research, published Jan 11, 2024 in the journal published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports, suggests a new chapter could be added to the origin story of Tyrannosaurus rex.

Even though we're not done with COVID, you may have reason to worry about the origins of the NEXT pandemic. According to the Children's Health Defense website, The Defender, between 2000 and 2021, at least 16 pathogens reportedly escaped from research laboratories, according to a new study published in The Lancet Microbe. The study authors said their findings may "only represent the tip of the iceberg," due to a lack of standard reporting requirements.

Microsoft topped Apple as the world's most valuable publicly traded company, driven by the success of its A.I. business, according to an article from the New York Times.

Image by adamlot from Pixabay

We've all "double dipped" (once bitten food, usually bread, veggies or chips, going back into the dip or sauce that is meant to accompany it) when we have been home alone. But, scientifically, is it a bad idea to "double dip" in public? That's the question up for grabs in an article from Bon Appétit. "Absolutely," says Paul Dawson, PhD, who conducted various experiments with his students to study the germ trail left behind by double-dippers, like measuring the bacteria left behind after dipping bitten crackers in various dips. "There were between 100- and 1,000-times the number of bacteria transferred to the dip when a chip was bitten before dipping compared with when the chip was dipped without biting first." Dawson is a food scientist at South Carolina's Clemson University.

By analyzing data on tens of thousands of people across four continents compiled between 15 existing studies, a team of researchers has landed on a more comfortable figure for the number of steps per day an individual needs to have to reduce the chance of a premature death: the optimal number is probably closer to 6,000 steps per day, depending on your age, according to an article from ScienceAlert. So from where did that 10,000 step figure often touted as the "goal" actually come from? Half a century ago, the Yamasa Clock and Instrument Company in Japan sought to cash in on the buzz left by the 1964 Tokyo Olympics by producing a pedometer they called 'Manpo-kei' - a word that translates into 10,000 steps. In other words, it is/was a marketing ploy.

A Chinese company has developed a new nuclear battery that could keep your phone running for 50 years without charging, according to an article from TechRadar. Betavolt Technology claims to have successfully miniaturized atomic energy batteries, which measure less than a coin at 15 x 15 x 5mm. The compact battery uses 63 nuclear isotopes to generate 100 microwatts and a voltage of 3V of electricity through the process of radioactive decay. Betavolt says that after it has decayed the 63 nuclear isotopes become copper, which would be non-radioactive and not cause any environmental threat. It could even prove to be safer too, as Betavolt states that the BV100 will not catch fire or explode in response to punctures or even gunshots, unlike some current batteries that can be unsafe if damaged or when exposed to high temperatures.

Image by milolao from Pixabay

DNA provided Neanderthals with advantages as they adapted to new environments, however they also brought negative consequences - and nicotine addiction was among the downsides of some genes, according to an article from the Mirror. There are six key indicators that show you have Neanderthal DNA, genetic experts say. Up to two per cent of our DNA comes from our ancient predecessors. Around 60,000 years ago, Africa and Asia interbreeding happened with Neanderthals.

According to preclinical research published in Cell, researchers at City of Hope have discovered that a type of immune cell in the human body known to be important for allergy and other immune responses can also attack cancer, according to an article from MedicalXPress. Furthermore, these cells, called human type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s), can be expanded outside of the body and applied in larger numbers to overpower a tumor's defenses and eliminate malignant cells in mouse models with cancer. "The City of Hope team has identified human ILC2 cells as a new member of the cell family capable of directly killing all types of cancers, including blood cancers and solid tumors," said Jianhua Yu, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation at City of Hope and the study's senior author. "In the future, these cells could be manufactured, preserved by freezing, and then administered to patients. Unlike T cell-based therapies like CAR T cells, which necessitate using the patient's own cells due to their specific characteristics, ILC2s might be sourced from healthy donors, presenting a distinct potential therapeutic approach as an allogeneic and 'off-the-shelf' product."

Do you find your YouTube videos loading slower than they used to? You're probably not alone, especially if you use an ad blocker (and who doesn't these days?). According to an article from Android Police, YouTube, in a bid to push revenues (as if Alphabet corporation doesn't make enough), has long tried to convince its users to switch to the $14/month Premium tier. Failing to do so would result in viewers having to sit through ads, with YouTube at one point even testing up to eleven unskippable ads, although the subsequent backlash led the company to end this experiment. As for people who continue to use workarounds, like using ad blockers, the streaming platform had some other plans, including, but not limited to, slowing down load times. YouTube is now seemingly bringing back this particular anti-ad block campaign, as noted by Reddit user NightMean. Several other users on the thread concur, with some reportedly mistaking the slowdown for reduced internet speeds. The load times reportedly improve significantly when the ad blocker is disabled.

Image by Willfried Wende from Pixabay

Do you need a/another reason to shy away from bottled water? Scientists say they'll cut back on bottled water after learning one liter contains a quarter of a million pieces of plastic, according to an article from People. A recent study analyzed three brands of bottled water, purchased from a major national retailer, and found a liter of bottled water contained an average of 240,000 pieces of plastic. People may be shying away from bottled water, as the news of potential harm from microplastics and nanoplastics comes to light.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) to disseminate known indicators of compromise (IOCs) and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) associated with threat actors deploying Androxgh0st malware, according to the advisory. Multiple, ongoing investigations and trusted third party reporting yielded the IOCs and TTPs, and provided information on Androxgh0st malware's ability to establish a botnet that can further identify and compromise vulnerable networks. The FBI and CISA encourage organizations to implement the recommendations in the Mitigations section of this CSA to reduce the likelihood and impact of cybersecurity incidents caused by Androxgh0st infections. Scroll about half way down the page to read the recommended mitigations.

ChatGPT and Google Bard are AI chatbots designed to generate responses to prompts. When used appropriately, ChatGPT and Google Bard can be used to support certain business processes in content production, development and more. An article from TechRepublic takes a look at each tool's features, pros and cons to see which AI chatbot would be best for you.

(Snipped from my own personal email) Recently, we [Google] announced that Google Podcasts is going away in 2024. In order to ease this transition, you now have access to a tool that allows you to easily migrate your show subscriptions to YouTube Music or to download a file of your show subscriptions, which you can upload to an app that supports their import. Just like Google Podcasts, with YouTube Music you can listen to podcasts on the go using background play, download podcasts, and more - with no paid membership required. After March 2024, users in the US will no longer be able to listen to podcasts in Google Podcasts. After June 2024, you will no longer be able to migrate or export your subscriptions. My reaction: people are still using Google Podcasts when there are WAY better options? Audacy and iheart radio are two popular alternatives among a ton of sites serving up podcasts. Still, the Google Death Drum beats for yet another Google "service." Buh-duh-boom-boom-boom another one bites the dust!

A warming Earth and increase in human activity like shipping, mining may soon release ancient zombie viruses trapped in permafrost in Siberia, triggering a new pandemic, warns a study, according to an article from The Weather Channel. Known for years as 'Methuselah microbes', the viruses have stayed dormant in permafrost for tens of thousands of years, but carry the risk of propagating and spreading diseases. With 2023 being the warmest year on record, the risk of permafrost thawing and eventually releasing the zombie viruses is higher than ever, said researchers from the Aix-Marseille University in the south of France.

The Doomsday Clock - which shows how symbolically close the world is to nuclear Armageddon - is to remain at 90 seconds to midnight, according to an article from BBC World News (and other media outlets). Scientists have listed reasons for keeping its hands the closest they have ever been to "Doomsday" - but stopped short of nudging it further forward. The threat of a new nuclear arms race, the Ukraine war and climate change concerns were all factors, they said. The clock is set annually by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The Doomsday Clock was started in 1947, and is updated annually.

Ring, a home security camera company owned by Amazon, said that it would stop letting police departments request users' footage in its app amid longstanding concerns from privacy advocates about the company's relationship with law enforcement, according to an article from the New York Times. Eric Kuhn, the general manager of subscriptions and software for the Ring app Neighbors, announced on January 24, 2024, that the company was shutting down a feature that allowed the police to request and receive videos from users of the app, a social platform similar to Nextdoor and Citizen where people can share alerts about crime near their home.

Repo Review: Zotero

by Alessandro Ebersol (Agent Smith)

Writing scientific articles is a pain. But it doesn't have to be. Of course, the level of complexity of a scientific article is quite high, but information technology is there to help us. It was with this in mind that Zotero was created, a free software that helps with the tedious and difficult task of writing scientific articles.

What is Zotero?

Zotero is free and open source reference management software designed to help researchers collect, organize, cite and share their research sources. It is widely used by academics, students and professionals to simplify the process of managing bibliographic information.

It was originally created at the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University and, as of 2021, is being developed by the Corporation for Digital Scholarship, a non-profit organization.

Zotero is software made up of 3 parts: the document and scientific reference manager program, the browser plugin (Chrome or Firefox, I use LibreWolf) and an addon for the text editor, either Libreoffice or MS Word.

How to work with Zotero?

Well, first you have to install the program, via Synaptic or the terminal (apt-get install zotero)

After installing Zotero, you'll need to install the browser addon, Zotero connector.

So you have to choose, there are addons for Chrome or Firefox.

Well, once you've installed the connector for the web browser, you still need to install a plugin for the text editor.

Since I assume you're using Libreoffice Writer, I'll show you how to install it for this text editor.

To do this, you need to open Libreoffice Writer, open the Tools menu and open the Extensions manager

In the extension manager, click ADD

The extension manager will open the file selection dialog. You should then point to the following address: /opt/zotero/extensions/zoteroOpenOfficeIntegration@zotero.org/install

And point to the file Zotero_OpenOffice_Integration.oxt

Once you've installed the Libreoffice plugin, Writer will have a row of different buttons for the Zotero functions in Writer.

Next, we'll see what each of the buttons does

How does Zotero work?

Well, to understand the mechanics of the program, let's think about how you used to do your research before you got to know Zotero.

You would go to sites like Google Scholar and search for keywords that related to the subject of the article you were writing, then manually access the articles and download the documents to your computer (PDFs or DOCs or any type of text file).

From there, you would manually search for quotes that corroborated your research, or denied it.

You would then place the citations in the text, in the format required by your educational institution.

And once you had the article completely written, you would make the bibliographical references.  And all this by hand.

And how does Zotero work?

With Zotero, the entire manual process of downloading scientific documents, text files, PDFs, etc. is centralized in the program itself. It acts as a manager and database of scientific documents.

Well, I'll illustrate how to do it here.

Using Zotero

Step 1: Access a search engine for scientific articles, e.g. Google Scholar

Step 2: Search for the subject you want. In my case, I used Zotero to help me write an article about electric cars and their impact on the environment. I searched for "battery powered cars environment impact"

As science is cumulative, always look for the most recent articles.

I chose the second article, which is from 2023.

On the article's WEB page, right-click and choose Save to Zotero.

Zotero will then download the article to your local library on your computer's hard drive.

The saved document will appear in the My Library list, where it can be examined by Zotero's internal document viewer.

From there, you should read the article and, when you find a quote that fits your subject, mark the text and copy it (Crtl+C).

Then, with Writer open, write your text and paste the citation from the article you copied. Now comes the Zotero magic: After pasting the citation, click on the "Add/Edit Citation" button.

It should open a citation dialog like the one below

Then you have to type: The name of one of the authors, of the article you want to cite, or the name of the article.

Zotero will generate the citation automatically.

Detail: Before writing your scientific paper, you should set the citation style to one that is accepted by your educational institution. The citation style is set in Zotero's preferences

Well, once you've written all your text, you'll need to make bibliographical references.

To do this, after writing the last part of your text, you should create a References section, Bibliography, or whatever your educational institution asks for.

And, just below this heading, click on the "Add/Edit Bibliography" button.

And Zotero will create a bibliography of all the citations that have been added to the text through it (Zotero), and in alphabetical order.

Zotero is an incredible piece of software to help with the task of writing scientific articles, which is a very complex and meticulous activity.

Some of the advantages of Zotero are

1. Reference Collection: Zotero allows users to easily capture and store references from various sources, including websites, library catalogs, databases, and PDFs. It can automatically extract metadata from sources, making it convenient to build a comprehensive library of research materials.

2. Organization and Tagging: Users can organize their references into collections and subcollections, apply tags, and create searchable notes to keep their research organized and easily accessible.

3. Citation Management: Zotero integrates with word processing software, such as Microsoft Word and Google Docs, allowing users to insert citations and generate bibliographies in different citation styles (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) with just a few clicks.

4. Collaboration and Sharing: Zotero enables collaboration by allowing users to share their reference libraries with others, making it easier to collaborate on research projects or share resources with colleagues.

5. Sync and Backup: Zotero provides cloud-based syncing, ensuring that your library and data are accessible and backed up across multiple devices.

I hope you've enjoyed getting to know this powerful software and that it can help you with your academic tasks.

Cheers, and see you in the next article.

Good Words, Good Deeds, Good News

Compiled by Meemaw

Carjacker Gives Up When Asked To Pray

Last October, a man was getting out of his car when another man approached him, holding a large ax, and demanding his car keys. Rather than panicking, the man asked the criminal to pray with him. He then started praying, and the man with the ax miraculously walked away. However, the police had surveillance footage of the incident, and when he robbed a bank several days later, and attempted to hijack another car, he was arrested.

According to the site, Christianity.com, "The familiar phrase Prayer changes things is true. Sometimes the things that change are circumstances, while other times we are the thing that prayer changes," the site reads, adding, "The benefits of prayer can't be exhausted."

Abandoned Newborn Adopted

In January of 2023, Florida police officers found a newborn who had been abandoned in the woods near a trailer park. The police had been summoned because someone heard her crying. She was 6.5 pounds, wrapped in a blanket, still had the umbilical cord and placenta attached, and police estimated she had been in the 50-degree weather for about an hour.

Despite exhaustive efforts, the policy never found the birth mother, and one of the officers named her Angel Grace (because "she's as beautiful as an angel" and "it is by the grace of God that she is not dead.")

In November, a couple adopted her. The county sheriff announced, "We are thrilled to share with you these photos from this morning of this precious angel with her new mom and dad, along with PCSO's Detective Green and Sgt. Ryan," Judd said in a post to X, which includes a picture of the baby girl and her new family. "Mom & Dad wish to keep their names from being published, but they allowed us to share these photos with everyone who followed this child's story and prayed for her well-being."

Florida has a Safe Haven law which states that one can walk into a fire station, hand a baby to a firefighter and walk away, without criminal liability.

Police Give Boy $200 To Take His Siblings To The Fair

Dothan, Alabama police were busy at the annual National Peanut Festival Fair when they got a call about a suspicious person "lurking" in a neighborhood. When they went to check it out, they found 13 year-old Mark with a broken rake, who was only trying to make some money doing yard work so he could take his siblings to the festival, because his parents couldn't afford it. He had walked for several blocks, asking if he could rake the residents' yards to make some money.

After the police talked to him, they decided to help, digging into their own wallets to give him almost $200. When a local church heard about it, they, too, decided to give as well, having a dinner for the entire family before they enjoyed the festival.

Fishermen Find Driver Stuck In Wrecked Truck

Two men fishing an Indiana river in December came across a truck partially submerged under a bridge. They saw a man's body inside, and thought he was dead, but went to check anyway. To their surprise, he turned and spoke to them!

He said his truck had slid off the road seven days earlier and he was trapped inside. The men who found him immediately called 911, and he was extricated from the truck, and airlifted to a hospital.

"He was alive, and he was very happy to see us - I've never seen relief like that," one of the fishermen said. "He says that he tried yelling and screaming, but nobody would hear him. It just was quiet, just the sound of the water."

The man had to have part of one leg amputated due to his injuries. His survival was credited to Indiana's higher than normal temps in December.

Air Force Pilot, 22, Wins Miss America

Madison is a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force, and in January, 2024, beat out 50 contestants to become Miss America. She is the first active duty service member to ever win the title.

Baby Is Gifted Crocheted Hat

Five month-old Romey was flying home to New Jersey from a Christmas vacation with her parents, when she became entranced by Meegan in the next seat who was crocheting. The parents were apprehensive because it was Romey's first airplane flight. Meegan had noticed them on the first leg of the flight. When Romey was awake, she was staring at Meegan's crocheting,

At the end of the flight, Meegan gave a crocheted hat to Romey because she had behaved so well. Onlookers commented how sweet the gift was. The young mother said, "It was beyond kind and such a shock. Everyone around us stood up and noticed just this beautiful encounter with a stranger. It was just an unbelievable kind of moment."

PCLinuxOS Recipe Corner Bonus

Foil Packet Chicken & Rice Casserole

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 can (10 1/2 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock (from 32-oz carton)

3 teaspoons Montreal chicken seasoning

2 cups uncooked instant white rice

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1 cup halved, seeded and sliced mini sweet peppers

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 oz each)

4 slices cooked bacon, coarsely chopped

2 green onions, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat gas or charcoal grill. Cut 4 (18x12-inch) sheets of heavy-duty foil. Spray with cooking spray. Or make it in the oven.  * See Options for directions.

2. Measure 1/2 cup of the condensed soup, and reserve. In a 4-cup glass measuring cup, mix the remaining condensed soup, the chicken stock and 1 teaspoon of the seasoning; beat with whisk to blend. Add instant rice; stir and let stand for about 8 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in carrots and peppers.

3. Season chicken with remaining 2 teaspoons seasoning; place on center of each sheet of foil. Dividing evenly, spoon rice and vegetable mixture around each chicken breast. Divide any remaining soaking liquid over the tops of the breasts. Spread 2 tablespoons of reserved soup over each breast; evenly top with bacon.

4. Bring up 2 sides of foil so edges meet. Seal edges, making a tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again, allowing space for heat circulation and expansion. Fold other sides to seal.

5. Place the packs on the grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook for 10 minutes. Rotate packs 1/2 turn; cook 9 to 10 minutes longer, or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (at least 165 degrees F). Remove packs from the grill; cut a large X across top of each pack. Carefully fold back foil, and garnish with green onions.

OPTIONS:

For a different flavor, substitute golden condensed mushroom soup for cream of chicken soup in this recipe.

*  To make it in the oven, place packs on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 32 to 35 minutes, or until the juice of chicken is clear when the center of the thickest part is cut (at least 165 degrees F).

NUTRITION:

Calories: 593     Carbs: 56       Sodium: 437mg     Fiber: 2g     Protein: 33g

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