Full Circle THE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE FOR THE COMMUNITY

ISSUE #160 - August 2020

RREEVVIIEEWW OOFF GGAALLLLIIUUMMOOSS 33..11 LIGHTWEIGHT DISTRO FOR CHROMEOS DEVICES full circle magazine #160 contents ^ Full Circle Magazine is neither affiliated with,1 nor endorsed by, Ltd. HowTo Full Circle THE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE FOR THE UBUNTU LINUX COMMUNITY Python p.18 Linux News p.04

Podcast Production p.23 Command & Conquer p.16 Linux Loopback p.39 Everyday Ubuntu p.40

Rawtherapee p.25 Ubuntu Devices p.XX The Daily Waddle p.42 My Opinion p.XX

Krita For Old Photos p.34 My Story p.46 Letters p.XX Review p.50

Inkscape p.29 Q&A p.54 Review p.XX Ubuntu Games p.57 Graphics

The articles contained in this magazine are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. This means you can adapt, copy, distribute and transmit the articles but only under the following conditions: you must attribute the work to the original author in some way (at least a name, email or URL) and to this magazine by name ('Full Circle Magazine') and the URL www.fullcirclemagazine.org (but not attribute the article(s) in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you must distribute the resulting work under the same, similar or a compatible license. Full Circle magazine is entirely independent of Canonical, the sponsor of the Ubuntu projects, and the views and opinions in the magazine should in no way be assumed to have Canonical endorsement. full circle magazine #160 2 contents ^ EEDDIITTOORRIIAALL

This magazine was created using :

WELCOME TO THE LATEST ISSUE OF FULL CIRCLE

s ever, we have the usual suspects of Python, , and Rawtherapee, and the A second part of the new series on creating podcasts in Linux.

Long time readers of FCM will know that my first brush with Linux was with and KDE (3.5) many moons ago. I gave up on it when KDE4.0 arrived on the scene (unusable), briefly returned when it stabilised at 4.5, but left again when Plasma 5 came along as it didn't have a GUI for my graphics tablet. Well, a couple of weeks ago I decided to give the latest Kubuntu Live DVD a try. Just for old time sakes. And, wouldn't you know it, they've added the missing graphics tablet GUI! I'm not sure when it was added, but I duly installed Kubuntu 20.04.1 and it feels good to be back. I'm still not sure why they quickly abandoned KDE 4 for Plasma 5. I just hope they don't Find Full Circle on: suddenly abandon Plasma 5 now that I've installed it. .com/ fullcirclemagazine One issue that I had, on installing Kubuntu 20.04.1, was that I had no sound. I tried all sorts of possible solutions. I could see (in Pavucontrol) that the sound was being produced as the little bar twitter.com/#!/fullcirclemag jumped up and down to the inaudible sound. Only after several days of head scratching did I find http://issuu.com/ my solution. It turns out my PC has two output jacks and Kubuntu had decided to switch jacks. I fullcirclemagazine only found the second jack after much crawling on my knees with a torch under my desk. That https://mastodon.social/ reminds me, I need get the hoover out... @fullcirclemagazine Stay safe and well! Weekly News: All the best, and keep in touch! http://fullcirclemagazine.org/ Ronnie feed/podcast [email protected] http://www.stitcher.com/s? fid=85347&refid=stpr http://tunein.com/radio/Full- FCM PATREON : https://www.patreon.com/fullcirclemagazine Circle-Weekly-News-p855064/

full circle magazine #160 3 contents ^ NNEEWWSS Submitted by ErikTheUnready

A NEW VERSION OF JULIA the security of MASTODON 3.2 RELEASED: VALA PROGRAMMING . The OpenSSF will RELEASED 08/04/2020 LANGUAGE : continue to develop initiatives such 0.49.1: 08/03/2020 08/04/2020 as the Core Infrastructure Initiative he free platform for the and the Open Source Security he Julia 1.5 programming T deployment of decentralized new version of the compiler Coalition and will bring together language has been released, social networks - Mastodon 3.2 , is for the Vala programming T other security-related work being A combining qualities such as high out. It allows you to create services language 0.49.1 has been released. undertaken by the companies that performance, support for dynamic at your own facilities that are not The Vala language provides syntax have joined the project. OpenSSF's typing and built-in tools for parallel controlled by individual suppliers. If similar to # and , and work will focus on areas such as programming. Julia's syntax is the user is unable to start his own provides easy integration with coordinated vulnerability close to MATLAB, with some node, then he can choose a libraries written in C, both using disclosure and patch distribution, elements borrowing from Ruby and trustworthy public service to the Glib Object System (Gobject) developing security tools, Lisp. The string manipulation connect. Mastodon belongs to the and can work stand-alone. publishing secure development method is similar to Perl. The category of federated networks, best practices, identifying security project code is distributed under which use the ActivityPub protocol https://www.mail-archive.com/ threats in open source software, the MIT license. suite to form a single release-team@.org/ conducting audits and hardening communication structure . msg08542.html critical open source projects, https://julialang.org/blog/2020/08/ creating tools to verify the identity julia-1.5-highlights The server side of the project is of developers. written in Ruby using Ruby on Rails, while the client interface is written PALE MOON BROWSER https://www.linuxfoundation.org/ in JavaScript using the React.js and RELEASE 28.12: THE OPENSSF PROJECT WAS press-release/2020/08/technology- Redux libraries. is 08/04/2020 ESTABLISHED: and-enterprise-leaders-combine- distributed under the AGPLv3 08/03/2020 efforts-to-improve-open-source- license. ale Moon 28.12 web browser security P has been released , forked he Linux Foundation has https://blog.joinmastodon.org/ from the codebase to T announced the formation of a 2020/08/mastodon-3.2 provide better performance, new joint project, OpenSSF (Open preserve the classic interface, Source Security Foundation), to minimize memory consumption and bring together the work of industry provide additional customization leaders in the field of improving options. Pale Moon binaries are full circle magazine #160 4 contents ^ NEWS built for Windows and Linux ( FEDORA 33 LAUNCHES Wayland and allows you to create as well as for deploying an online and x86_64). The project code is resource-friendly user interfaces version in Docker . For the release, FFICIAL O EVISION distributed under the MPLv2 O I T with 3D effects similar to 3D 74% of the changes were made by 08/05/2020 license (Mozilla Public License). plugins for . (Switching people in charge of the project screens through a 3D cube, spatial such as Collabora, , and eter Robinson from Red Hat https://forum.palemoon.org/ layout of windows, morphing when CIB, and 26% of the changes were Release Engineering Team viewtopic.php?t=24954&p=196294 P working with windows, etc.) contributed by independent team published a proposal on the Wayfire supports extensions via enthusiasts. adoption of options for IOT in the plug-ins and provides a flexible Fedora 33 official edition. Thus, customization system. https:// BOOTHOLE FIX, FIXED: from Fedora 33, IoT version will be blog.documentfoundation.org/ 08/05/2020 delivered on a par with Fedora and The project code is written in C+ blog/2020/08/05/announcement- Fedora Workstation Server. The + and is distributed under the MIT of-libreoffice-7-0 ajor Linux distributions have proposal has not yet been officially license. For the base, wlroots issued a corrective update to approved, but its publication was M library is used, developed by the the GRUB2 bootloader package to previously approved by the FESCo developers of the user address issues that have arisen (Fedora Engineering Steering 1.7 IS OUT: environment and providing basic since the BootHole vulnerability. Committee), which is responsible 08/05/2020 functions for organizing the work After installing the first update, for the technical part of the of a manager based on some users faced the inability to development of the Fedora ive years after the last release, Wayland. You can use wf- or boot their systems. Boot problems distribution, so its acceptance can the release of the open raster LavaLauncher as a panel. F occurred on some systems with be considered a formality. graphics editor Pinta 1.7 is BIOS or UEFI in "Legacy" mode, and available for download. It is an https://wayfire.org/2020/08/04/ were caused by regressive changes, https://www.mail-archive.com/ attempt to rewrite the Paint.NET Wayfire-0-5.html in certain situations, leading to devel- program using GTK. The editor crash during the boot process or [email protected]/ provides a basic set of drawing and incorrect definition of the boot msg02341.html image processing capabilities, device and incorrect installation of LIBREOFFICE 7.0 RELEASED: targeting novice users. The the boot loader. 08/05/2020 interface is simplified as much as possible, the editor supports an AYFIRE COMPOSITE https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ W 0.5 he Document Foundation unlimited roll-back buffer, allows ubuntu-security-announce/2020- SERVER AVAILABLE: T presents the release of the you to work with multiple layers August/005549.html 08/05/2020 12:18 office suite LibreOffice 7.0. Ready- and is equipped with a set of tools made installation packages are for applying various effects and he release of the composite prepared for various Linux, adjusting images. Pinta code is T server Wayfire 0.5, which uses Windows and macOS distributions, licensed under the MIT license. The

full circle magazine #160 5 contents ^ NEWS project is written in C# using Mono open or closed drivers. and the Gtk # binding. Binary builds are available for Ubuntu, https://www.amd.com/en/support/ UBUNTU 20.04.1 LTS PHP 8 BETA TESTING HAS macOS and Windows. kb/release-notes/rn-amdgpu- RELEASED: BEGUN: unified-linux-20-30 https://www.pinta-project.com/ 08/06/2020 08/06/2020 releases/1-7 anonical has unveiled the first he first beta release of a new FIREFOX REALITY PC patch release of Ubuntu branch of the PHP 8 JEFFREY KNAUTH ELECTED C T 20.04.1 LTS, which includes updates is available PREVIEW FOR VR DEVICES NEW PRESIDENT OF THE for several hundred packages to for you to check out. The release is INTRODUCED: FREE OPEN SOURCE address vulnerabilities and stability scheduled for November 26. At the 08/07/2020 issues. The new version also fixes same time, bug-fix releases of PHP OUNDATION F : errors in the installer and loader. 7.4.9, 7.3.21 and 7.2.33 were made. 08/06/2020 ozilla has introduced a new The Ubuntu 20.04.1 release marked M revision of the browser for the baseline stabilization of the LTS https://www.php.net/archive/ he Foundation virtual reality systems - Firefox release - Ubuntu 18.04 users will 2020.php#2020-08-06-3 has announced the election of Reality PC Preview . The browser T now be prompted to upgrade to a new president, after the supports all of Firefox's privacy the 20.04 branch. departure from this post by features, but offers a different after allegations AMD RADEON 20.30 three-dimensional At the same time, similar of behaviour not befitting a leader that allows you to navigate sites updates are available for Ubuntu VIDEO DRIVER: of a SPO movement and threats to within the virtual world or as part Budgie 20.04.1 LTS, Kubuntu 08/07/2020 break with some of the open of augmented reality systems. 20.04.1 LTS, Ubuntu MATE 20.04.1 Builds are available for installation source software communities and MD has published a set of LTS, 20.04.1 LTS, through the HTC Viveport catalog organizations. The new president is drivers AMD Radeon 20.30 for 20.04.1 LTS, Ubuntu A (for now, only for Windows 10). It Geoffrey Knauth, who has served Linux, based on the free module 20.04.1 LTS and 20.04.1 works with all 3D headsets on the 's AMDGPU core, for proprietary and LTS. Support for the release of supported by the Viveport board of directors since 1998 and open-video drivers. Open and updates and security fixes for the platform, including Vive Cosmos, has been a member of the GNU proprietary driver stacks are server and desktop editions of Vive Pro, Valve Index, Oculus Rift Project since 1985. integrated in one AMD Radeon set Ubuntu 20.04 LTS will last until and Oculus Rift S. April 2025. - amdgpu-pro and amdgpu-all-open https://www.fsf.org/news/ drivers (RADV vulkan driver and geoffrey-knauth-elected-free- https://blog.mozvr.com/ https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ RadeonSI OpenGL driver based on software-foundation-president- introducing-firefox-reality-pc- ubuntu-announce/2020-August/ code from ) are offered in one odile-benassy-joins-the-board preview 000259.html package and the user can choose full circle magazine #160 6 contents ^ NEWS session manager Pantheon Greeter and web designers for creating RETROARCH GAME CONSOLE (based on LightDM). interface layouts, has been ELEMENTARY OS 5.1.7 MULATOR RELEASED published. The program is written E 1.9.0 : 08/09/2020 UPDATE: https://blog.elementary.io/ in the Vala language using the GTK 08.08.2020 updates-for-july-2020 library and is distributed under the new release of RetroArch GPLv3 license. Builds are prepared 1.9.0, for emulating various lementary OS 5.1.7, positioned for elementary OS and in universal A game consoles, allowing you to run E as a fast, open and privacy- and flatpak formats. The APACHE HTTP SERVER classic games using a simple unified friendly alternative to Windows interface is designed in accordance graphical interface is available for and MacOS, is out. The main focus 2.4.46 RELEASED WITH with the guidelines prepared by the download. Emulation of consoles, of the project is on quality design VULNERABILITY FIXES elementary OS project, and is : like Atari 2600/7800 / Jaguar / aimed at creating an easy-to-use 08.08.2020 focused on high performance, Lynx, Game Boy, Mega Drive, NES, system that consumes minimal intuitiveness, and a modern look. Nintendo 64 / DS, PCEngine, PSP, resources and provides a high start- TTP-server, Apache 2.4.46 Sega 32X / CD, SuperNES, etc. are up speed. Users are offered their (4.2.44 and 2.4.45 releases The ultimate goal of the project H supported. Game pads from own Pantheon desktop were skipped), represents 17 is to create a professional tool for existing game consoles can be environment. changes and eliminated three front-end designers, somewhat used, including Playstation 3, vulnerabilities : similar to , Figma or Adobe Dualshock 3, 8bitdo, XBox 1 and When developing original XD, but focused on using Linux as XBox360. The emulator supports components of Elementary OS, CVE-2020-11984, CVE-2020- the main platform. Unlike Glade advanced features such as GTK3, Vala and Granite's own 11984, CVE-2020-9490 and Creator, the new editor is multiplayer games, saving state, frameworks are used. The not designed to generate code or enhancing the image of old games distribution kit is based on the https://www.mail-archive.com/ use specific toolkits, but is aimed at with shaders, rewinding games, hot Ubuntu project. Elementary OS [email protected]/ solving more general tasks, such as plugging game consoles and video 5.1.x is compatible with Ubuntu msg00146.html creating interface layouts, streaming. 18.04 at the package and visualizations, and vector graphics. repository level. The graphical https://www.libretro.com/ environment is based on its own https://github.com/akiraux/Akira Pantheon shell, which combines AKIRA, A NEW VECTOR index.php/retroarch-1-9-0-released such components as the Gala GRAPHICS EDITOR FOR manager (based on LINUX, IS AVAILABLE: LibMutter), the WingPanel top 08/09/2020 panel, the Slingshot launcher, the Switchboard control panel, the he first test release of Akira, Plank lower taskbar (the Docky T focused on graphic designers panel rewritten in Vala) and the full circle magazine #160 7 contents ^ NEWS VULNERABILITY IN system and the ZFS file system. switched to using the Both work in Live mode and testing branch instead of the stable HOSTSCRIPT THAT COULD KDE NEON BASED ON G installation on a hard disk is releases." New packages for ALLOW CODE EXECUTION UBUNTU 20.04: supported (using its own installer, , cpu-checker, edid-decode, WHEN OPENING A ginstall, written in Python). Boot ipmitool, lldpd, oathtool, sdparm, 08/10/2020 images are built for x86_64. The sipcalc, socat, xorriso, -fuse are POSTSCRIPT DOCUMENT: new version has updated the base included. 08/10/2020 The developers of the KDE system, kernel and applications, Neon project, have published a including the new release of the https://blog.finnix.org/2020/08/10/ vulnerability has been stable release based on Ubuntu MATE desktop 1.24 . An option has finnix-121-released/ A identified in Ghostscript, a set 20.04 LTS. There are several build been added to the update manager of tools for processing, converting options for KDE Neon: User Edition to back up the boot environment and generating PostScript and PDF based on the latest stable releases before installing the update. documents. (CVE-2020-15900) It of KDE, Developer Edition GNU EMACS 27.1 TEXT could lead to file modification and Stable based on code from beta- http://ghostbsd.org/ arbitrary command execution when and stable branches of the KDE Git 20.08.04_release_announcement EDITOR: opening specially formatted repository, and Developer Edition PostScript documents. Using the Git Unstable based on 08/11/2020 non-standard PostScript operator development branches from Git. rsearch in a document allows you he GNU Project has released 121, THE LIVE to cause an overflow of the https://blog.neon.kde.org/ T the GNU Emacs 27.1 text editor. uint32_t type when calculating the index.php/2020/08/10/-neon- DISTRIBUTION FOR SYSTEM Until the release of GNU Emacs size, overwrite memory areas rebased-on-20-04/ ADMINISTRATORS: 24.5, the project was developed outside the allocated buffer and under the personal direction of gain access to files in the file 08/10/2020 Richard Stallman, who handed over system, which can be used to the project lead to John Wiegley in HOST organize an attack to execute G BSD 20.08 innix 121 Live is based on the fall of 2015. arbitrary code on the system (for RELEASED: Debian. The distribution is example, by adding commands to F console only, but contains a good https://www.mail-archive.com/info- ~ / .bashrc or ~ / .profile). 08/10/2020 selection of utilities for the needs @gnu.org/msg02771.html of an administrator. The structure The problem affects releases hostBSD 20.08 desktop includes 591 packages with all from 9.50 to 9.52 distribution is now available, G kinds of utilities. The size of the iso built on the TrueOS platform and image is 509 MB. https://insomniasec.com/blog/ offering a MATE user environment. ghostscript-cve-2020-15900 GhostBSD uses the OpenRC init "In the new version, we full circle magazine #160 8 contents ^ NEWS QEMU 5.1 EMULATOR the years of development, support LibreOffice 7.0 . LibreOffice 7.0.0 is for full emulation has been added reported to have been downloaded RELEASED : for 14 hardware architectures, the 422 thousand times. The press number of emulated hardware release about the new issue was 08/12/2020 devices has exceeded 400. During viewed 113 thousand times, and FULL CIRCLE WEEKLY the preparation of version 5.1, the video with an overview of NEWS s an emulator, QEMU allows more than 2500 changes were innovations - 48 thousand. you to run a program built for A made from 235 developers. one hardware platform on a system https:// with a completely different https://lists.nongnu.org/archive/ blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/ architecture, for example, an html/qemu-devel/2020-08/ 2020/08/12/libreoffice-7-0-a-week- application for ARM on an x86- msg02152.html in-stats/ compatible PC. In virtualization mode in QEMU, the performance of code execution in an isolated environment is close to the native 422 THOUSAND COPIES OF GO PROGRAMMING system due to direct execution of LIBREOFFICE 7.0 LANGUAGE RELEASE 1.15: instructions on the CPU and the use DOWNLOADED IN A WEEK of the hypervisor or the KVM : 08/12/2020 Join our new host Leo module. 08/12/2020 Chavez as he presents you o 1.15 is being developed by with a short podcast The project was originally he Document Foundation has G Google with the participation (<10min) with just the news. created by Fabrice Bellard to released download statistics for of the community as a hybrid No chit-chat. No time enable x86-built Linux binaries to T the week following the release of solution that combines high wasting. Just the latest run on non-x86 architectures. Over performance of compiled FOSS/Linux/ Ubuntu news.

RSS: http:// fullcirclemagazine. org/feed/podcast

full circle magazine #160 9 contents ^ NEWS languages with such advantages of specialized applications aimed at ports to other hosts on the support, updates to the Linux scripting languages as ease of automating engineering tasks, network. kernel and graphics stack, and fixes writing code, speed of mathematical modeling and for installer and bootloader bugs. development and protection from scientific activities. The size of a https://media.defense.gov/2020/ In the future, updates for the 18.04 errors. The project code is bootable iso image capable of Aug/13/2002476465/-1/-1/0/ branch will be limited to the distributed under the BSD license. working in Live mode is 5.8 GB CSA_DROVORUB_RUSSIAN_GRU_ elimination of vulnerabilities and (x86_64). MALWARE_AUG_2020.PDF problems affecting stability. Similar Go's syntax is based on familiar updates are out for Kubuntu C language elements with some https://www.caelinux.com/CMS3/ 18.04.5 LTS, 18.04.5 from Python. The project is initially index.php/articles/70-/61-caelinux- KDE APPS RELEASE 20.08: LTS, Ubuntu MATE 18.04.5 LTS, developed with an eye on multi- 202020-released Lubuntu 18.04.5 LTS, threaded programming and 08/13/2020 18.04.5 LTS and Xubuntu 18.04.5 efficient operation on multi-core LTS. systems, including providing DROVORUB MALWARE FOR he August Cumulative Update operator-level tools for organizing Concurrently, Ubuntu 16.04.7 LINUX: T of Applications (20.08) parallel computations and developed by the KDE Project is LTS update, which includes only the interaction between parallel accumulated package updates 08/13/2020 out. In total, 216 programs, executed methods. The language libraries and plugins were related to the elimination of also provides built-in protections published. Information on new vulnerabilities and problems against out-of-range allocated he National Security Agency affecting stability, was released. and the US Federal Bureau of releases of applications can be blocks of memory and provides the T found on this page: The main goal of the new release is ability to use a garbage collector. Investigation published a report to update the installation images. according to which the 85th main As in the previous release, Linux center of the special service of the https://kde.org/announcements/ https://blog.golang.org/go1.15 releases/2020-08-apps-update/ kernels 4.15 and 4.4 are offered, as Main Directorate of the General well as Mesa, X.Org Server ported Staff of the Armed Forces of the from Ubuntu 18.04, and video Russian Federation (85 GTSSS GRU) CAELINUX ENGINEERING drivers for Intel, AMD and NVIDIA is using a malware complex called LTS RELEASES OF UBUNTU chips. Support for the release of DISTRIBUTION 2020: Drovorub. Drovorub includes a 18.04.5 AND 16.04.7: updates and security fixes for the rootkit in the form of a Linux kernel server and desktop editions of 08/13/2020 module, a file transfer and port 08/14/2020 Ubuntu 16.04 LTS will last until forwarding tool, and a April 2021. new release of CAELinux 2020 management server. The client part buntu 18.04.5 LTS update has A is available. It is built on the can download and upload files, U been preleased. This is the https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ Xubuntu 18.04 base and features execute arbitrary commands as the final update that includes changes ubuntu-announce/2020-August/ an expanded selection of root user, and redirect network related to improved hardware 000260.html full circle magazine #160 10 contents ^ NEWS SQLITE 3.33 DBMS the GPL license. The driver is based creation are implemented by the on the existing commercial Glutin library. For parsing HTML MCRON 1.2 RELEASED, THE RELEASED : Paragon Software product code and CSS, the html5ever and GNU PROJECT'S CRON and is well tested. The patches are cssparser components developed 08/15/2020 IMPLEMENTATION: designed for Linux and do not by the Servo project are used. The contain any bindings to additional DOM code is based on the Kuchiki QLite 3.33.0, a lightweight , which allows the new driver project. Among the projects used, 08/14/2020 DBMS designed as a plug-in S to be included in the main kernel. the experimental web-engine library, is available for download. Once the patches are included in Robinson is also mentioned, which fter two years of development, SQLite code is distributed as a the main Linux kernel, Paragon has been in a semi-abandoned A the release of the GNU Mcron public domain, i.e. can be used Software intends to provide state for about 5 years. 1.2 project was announced. In the without restrictions and free of maintenance, bug fixes and new release, a big code cleanup has charge for any purpose. SQLite functionality enhancements. At the current stage of been carried out - all the C code developers are financially development, basic HTML support has been rewritten and the project supported by a specially created https://lore.kernel.org/linux- and a limited set of CSS capabilities now includes only the Guile source consortium of companies such as fsdevel/ are provided, which are not yet code. The key feature of the Adobe, Oracle, Mozilla, Bentley and 2911ac5cd20b46e397be50626871 sufficient for viewing most modern project is a different approach to Bloomberg. organizing work execution [email protected]/ pages. However, simple CSS div pages render correctly. - instead of constantly https://www.sqlite.org/ monitoring the time, Mcron uses changes.html jobs in a linear queue with the THE KOSMONAUT BROWSER https://github.com/twilco/ definition of delays between calls kosmonaut ENGINE WRITTEN IN RUST: to each element of the queue. In the periods between activating PARAGON SOFTWARE 08/16/2020 jobs, mcron is completely inactive. PUBLISHES NTFS GPL HACKED BUILD SERVER AND This approach significantly reduces IMPLEMENTATION FOR LINUX he Kosmonaut project is COMPROMISED LIBRETRO cron overhead and increases the developing a browser engine accuracy of job firing. KERNEL: T COMMUNITY REPOSITORIES written entirely in Rust and using

some of the developments of the DEVELOPING RETROARCH: https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/ 08/16/2020 Servo project. The code is info-gnu/2020-08/msg00004.html 08/17/2020 onstantin Komarov, founder distributed under the MPL 2.0 and CEO of Paragon Software, license (Mozilla Public License). For K he Libretro community, who has posted a set of patches with a rendering, the OpenGL gl-rs develop the RetroArch game full implementation of the NTFS bindings in Rust are used. Window T console emulator and distribution file system. (RW) The code is under management and OpenGL context full circle magazine #160 11 contents ^ NEWS kit for creating Lakka game project's participation in actions https://kdenlive.org/en/2020/08/ NOTEPAD++ BLOCKED IN consoles, has warned of hacking of against discrimination against kdenlive-20-08-is-out/ HINA the project infrastructure and Uighurs and in support of C : vandalism in the repositories. protesters in Hong Kong.The latest 08/17/2020 Attackers were able to gain access release, 7.8.9, was flagged as HACKED BUILD SERVER AND to the buildbot and repositories on support for Hong Kong freedom he developers of Notepad++, GitHub. and autonomy, and releases 7.8.1 COMPROMISED LIBRETRO announced the project is through 7.8.3 came with a call COMMUNITY REPOSITORIES T blocked in China. Despite Fortunately, the vandalism was against Uyghur harassment. OF RETROARCH: supporting only Windows, Notepad blocked by the developers before ++ editor is very popular among the attackers got to the key https://twitter.com/Notepad_plus/ 08/17/2020 Ubuntu users and is ranked 5th RetroArch repository. status/1294991670245818369 among the most popular snap- he Libretro community, who packages for developers (runs via https://www.libretro.com/ develop the RetroArch game ). index.php/hacker-vandalised-our- T RELEASE OF KDENLIVE console emulator and the buildbot-and-github-organization/ 20.08: distribution kit for creating Lakka It is believed that the reason for game consoles, has warned of blocking Notepad++ was the 08/17/2020 hacking of the project project's participation in actions infrastructure and vandalism in the against discrimination against NOTEPAD++ BLOCKED IN denlive 20.08, is positioned for repositories. Attackers were able Uighurs and in support of CHINA: K semi-professional video editing to gain access to the buildbot and protesters in Hong Kong. The latest use. It supports working with video repositories on GitHub. release, 7.8.9, was flagged as 08/17/2020 recordings in DV, HDV and AVCHD support for Hong Kong freedom formats and provides all the basic Fortunately, the vandalism was and autonomy, and releases 7.8.1 he developers of Notepad++, video editing operations. For blocked by the developers before through 7.8.3 came with a call T announced the project lock out example, it allows you to randomly the attackers got to the key against Uyghur harassment. in China. Despite supporting only mix video, sound and images using RetroArch repository. Windows, Notepad ++ editor is very the timeline and also apply https://twitter.com/Notepad_plus/ popular among Ubuntu users and is numerous effects. The program https://www.libretro.com/ status/1294991670245818369 ranked 5th among the most uses external components such as index.php/hacker-vandalised-our- popular snap-packages for FFmpeg, MLT framework and Frei0r buildbot-and-github-organization/ developers (runs via Wine). effects design system. An AppImage self-contained package It is believed that the reason for is available for installation. blocking Notepad ++ was the full circle magazine #160 12 contents ^ NEWS VIDEO EDITOR KDENLIVE construction and management of experts and forensic experts. It an amusement park. OpenRCT2 also includes cryptographic tools 20.08 RELEASED: new edition of MX Linux 19.2, code is available under the GPLv3 A shipped with the KDE desktop and secure network access license. The new release is notable ( shipped in the main edition) is software, including TOR, I2P, 08/17/2020 for the support for connecting your available for download. This is the anonsurf, gpg, tccf, zulucrypt, own plugins in JavaScript, the first official build with the KDE veracrypt, truecrypt and luks. denlive 20.08, which is ability to import scripts in the ".sea" desktop since the MEPIS project positioned for semi- K format (RCT Classic), the collapsed in 2013. The release is https://parrotsec.org/blog/parrot- professional use, supports working implementation of some features based on the Debian with 4.10-release-notes/ with video recordings in DV, HDV from the first RollerCoaster Tycoon improvements from the antiX and AVCHD formats, and provides game. project and numerous proprietary all the basic video editing applications to make it easier to operations. For example, it allows 2020.3 In addition to the attractions configure and install software. you to randomly mix video, sound themselves, the OpenRCT2 game RELEASE: and images using the timeline and also covers infrastructure elements https://mxlinux.org/blog/mx-19-2- also apply numerous effects. The 08/19/2020 such as shops and cafes. The kde-now-available/ program uses external components player's task is to make a profit, such as FFmpeg, MLT framework maintain a good image and attract ali the Linux 2020.3 , designed and Frei0r effects design system. visitors. You need original files with K to test systems for An AppImage self-contained PARROT 4.10 RELEASED: data from the game RollerCoaster vulnerabilities, audit, analysis of package is available for Tycoon 2 CD. It supports modern residual data and to identify the installation. 08/18/2020 platforms, an improved interface, consequences of malicious attacks. improved AI, additional editing All original applications created https://kdenlive.org/en/2020/08/ arrot 4.10 is available, based on tools and the possibility of within the distribution are kdenlive-20-08-is-out/ Debian Testing and including a multiplayer games. P distributed under the GPL license collection of tools for system and are available through the security testing, forensic analysis https://github.com/OpenRCT2/ public Git repository. There are and reverse engineering. Several OPENRCT2 IS OUT: OpenRCT2/releases/tag/v0.3.0 several variants of iso-images for iso images are offered for download. download with MATE environment, 08/18/2020 with a KDE desktop and with an https://www.kali.org/news/kali- MX LINUX 19.2 Xfce desktop new version of the OpenRCT2 2020-3-release/ project has been published, an DISTRIBUTION WITH KDE A The Parrot distribution is open- source implementation of DESKTOP: positioned as a portable laboratory the strategy game RollerCoaster with an environment for security Tycoon 2, which simulates the 08/18/2020 full circle magazine #160 13 contents ^ NEWS SOLARIS 11.4 SRU24 bruteforce attack on servers with icrosoft announced support ( CVE-2020-8620 ) allows remote an open SSH port and components for the Windows Subsystem denial of service by sending a AVAILABLE M : to build a decentralized botnet that for Linux ( WSL2 ) in Windows 10 specific set of packets to the TCP works without control nodes and 1903 and 1909 released in May and port on which BIND connections 08/19/2020 does not have a single point of November of last year. The WSL2 are accepted. Sending abnormally failure. subsystem, which runs Linux large AXFR requests to the TCP he Solaris 11.4 SRU 24 (Support executable files on Windows, was port may cause the libuv library Repository Update) operating T According to researchers, the originally introduced with the serving the TCP connection to system update is out, which offers botnet already has about 500 Windows 10 2004 release. transfer the size to the server, a series of regular fixes and nodes, including servers of several Microsoft has now ported this which triggers the assertion check improvements for the Solaris 11.4 universities and a large railway subsystem into past Windows 10 and terminates the process.(CVE- branch . To install the fixes company. The main target of the updates, which remain relevant and 2020-8621-24) proposed in the update, simply run attack is the networks of are used by many enterprises. the 'pkg update' command. educational institutions, medical Maintenance for releases 1903 and https://www.mail-archive.com/ centers, government agencies, 1909 will last until December 2020 [email protected]/ https://blogs.oracle.com/solaris/ banks and telecommunications and May 2022. msg00579.html announcing-oracle-solaris-114- companies. After the server is sru24 compromised, the process of https://devblogs.microsoft.com/ mining Monero cryptocurrency is commandline/wsl-2-support-is- KAIDAN XMPP CLIENT started on it. The activity of the coming-to-windows-10-versions- FRITZFROG WORM malware in question has been 1903-and-1909/ 0.6.0 RELEASED DETECTED INFECTING traced since January 2020. , 08/23/2020 SERVERS VIA SSH AND https://www.guardicore.com/ BIND DNS SERVER UPDATE BUILDING A DECENTRALIZED 2020/08/fritzfrog-p2p-botnet- new version of the Kaidan 9.11.22, 9.16.6, 9.17.4, XMPP client 0.6.0 is available. BOTNET: infects-ssh-servers/ A FIXING 5 VULNERABILITIES The program is written in C++ using Qt, QXmpp and the Kirigami 08/20/2020 08/21/2020 framework. The code is distributed MICROSOFT PORTED WSL2 under the GPLv3 license. Binaries ata center and cloud security TO WINDOWS 10 1903 AND bug-fix update for BIND stable are available for Linux ( AppImage D company Guardicore has and flatpak ) and Android. The identified a new high-tech malware 1909: A branches, as well as in the development of experimental release of macOS and Windows called FritzFrog that infects Linux- binaries are delayed. based servers. FritzFrog combines a 08/21/2020 branches is out. 5 vulnerabilities worm that spreads through a have been fixed in new releases. The most dangerous vulnerability A key improvement in the new full circle magazine #160 14 contents ^ NEWS version is the implementation of Earlier, the company Synacor, the offline message queue - when which oversees the development of there is no network connection, Zimbra, announced the termination messages are now cached and of the publication of binaries for ULL IRCLE EEKLY automatically sent when the Zimbra Open Source Edition and F C W network connection is restored. the intention to develop Zimbra 9 NEWS as a proprietary product without https://www.kaidan.im/2020/08/20/ publishing new changes to the kaidan-0.6.0/ community. Later, Synacor reconsidered its decision to publish the sources and continued to ZEXTRAS NOW MAKING publish changes to GitHub , but refused to generate binaries. In BINARIES FOR ZIMBRA 9 response, Zextras, which is involved OPEN SOURCE EDITION: in the development of Zimbra, began publishing binaries on its 08/23/2020 website.

extras has begun to publish https://www.zextras.com/ru/ Join our new host Leo Z binaries of the Zimbra 9 zimbra-9/ Chavez as he presents you collaboration and email package, with a short podcast positioned as an alternative to MS (<10min) with just the news. Exchange. The binaries are for No chit-chat. No time Ubuntu and RHEL respectively. wasting. Just the latest FOSS/Linux/ Ubuntu news.

RSS: http:// fullcirclemagazine. org/feed/podcast

full circle magazine #160 15 contents ^ CCOOMMMMAANNDD && CCOONNQQUUEERR Rust Pt.5 Written by Erik Rust Pt.5

kay rustafarians, we head back character in our RPG. Characters neatly below each other. You can You may have noticed an odd O to Rust development – have a name, they have a strength think of them as fields in an excel semicolon after the player @Daredevil14 and Ellin complained attribute, a dexterity attribute, etc. or calc worksheet. definition. I was like, why is that about where Lucas’ rust blog went. These “characteristics” are the there? I say it is because it is an It looks like you guys want more same across any player, be it a half So we define our struct assignment statement, even if it rust and less ‘security nonsense’. elf or an ogre. If you are not character creation sheet, but how doesn’t look that way at first. Firstly, do not neglect to read the familiar with RPG games or DND, do we actually use it? Well, to use However, here is more opinions: above book. If you are a complete quickly look up DND (or D&D) it, you need to remember to use all https://users.rust-lang.org/t/why- beginner to rust, or even character creation on the the fields that you created. So for is-a-semicolon-required-at-the-end- programming, we got you covered interwebs. I did not like the demonstration purposes, I am not of-a-tuple-struct-definition/25589 here at FCM. These articles are not example here: https://doc.rust- going to type all those fields we to replace the book mentioned lang.org/rust-by-example/ listed above, but a subsection of The important take-away here is above, think of it more as helpers custom_types/structs.html. But, if them. We will encounter an error, the how. How to use a struct. We along the way. it makes more sense to you than but the program will run. (I do not can step through the code: my example, please go ahead on use all the fields, that’s all). At the moment, we are just that page. taking a high-level view of things. We can drill down into each of Like other things in Rust, we let these topics we have covered in Rust know what we are defining, so more detail. Usually when you we use the struct keyword. want to define custom types, it’s ‘structs’ and ‘enums’. Let’s start struct PlayerCharacter { with structs? name: String, gender: String, This will be chapter five in the race: String, Strength: u8, book above. This is the direct link: Agility: u8, https://doc.rust-lang.org/book/ Constitution: u8, ch05-01-defining-structs.html Charisma: u8, } Structs group things together, like your character stats in a RPG What you are looking at is a CSV game. So let’s say we create a (Comma Separated Values) just full circle magazine #160 16 contents ^ COMMAND & CONQUER

Struct Colour(u32, u32, u32); We define our variable “player” as assigned to the struct name, fn main() “PlayerCharacter”. { let Colour1 = Colour(150,75,0); Just a reminder, variables are not println!(“Dark orange is {}, {}, {} in RGB.”, Colour.0, Colour.1, Colour.2); println!(“Brown is {}, {}, {} in RGB.”, Colour.0, Colour.1, Colour.2); variable in Rust unless you use the } mut keyword. So if you plan on changing these variables, say I have to point out that structs cannot say what use they would be, strength or agility as your with named fields are not the only but we can discuss that in the next character levels up, you need mut type. The first is a tuple struct. In a issue when we look at enums. after let. tuple struct the fields are immutable, so they do not need If I made a mistake, fix it and We then fill all the defined naming. send it to: fields, if we plan on using them [email protected] immediately or not. (You will notice Okay I just watched this: https:// that I did not use them and I got www.youtube.com/watch? compiler errors. If you follow along, v=wh4aWZRtTwU - this morning, so you can ignore these for now and don’t judge my example. It is you will see the desired output). actually HARD coming up with We end our assignment statement simple examples! (top right) with a semicolon. Think of it as a struct instance. We simply refer to the position of the tuple’s contents. So what is happening in the println? When you reference the A tuple struct is not the same type field you want, you need as a tuple! “variablename.fieldname” . The reason for this is that you may have I can’t imagine a real-world use multiple PlayerCharacters, and case, but my day job is not a referring to each may be programmer, so if anyone wants to Erik has been in IT for 30+ years. He player1.name, player2.name has seen technology come and go. jump in here, please feel free!!! (instead of my lame From repairing washing machine sized hard drives with multimeters character.name). See where this is A unit struct is the other type. and oscilloscopes, laying cable, to going? This is a struct without any fields. I scaling 3G towers, he's done it.

full circle magazine #160 17 contents ^ HHOOWW--TTOO Written by Greg Walters PPyytthhoonn IInn TThhee RREEAALL WWoorrlldd PPtt..110088

elcome back. I truly hope printouts or anything else that you Not the prettiest, I have to images at all). Therefore, I created W that everyone is healthy. wanted to have certain data show admit, but it does the job and a simple program to extract 3 Here in central Texas, it’s been hot. up at some preset X/Y position on handles situations where a user “normal” single-page recipes and Air temperature of 104°F (40°C) a page and rendered into a PDF needs a paper copy of the recipe hard coded them into a series of with a heat index well over 107 for file. I was partially right, but it (like if a friend who just can’t live “records” which are then dumped days, and it’s expected to continue seems that pyFPDF is not without the recipe) as well as into lists for each table. Then, with for at least the next 7 days. completely up to the task for my recipes that have lots of a printout of the recipes on my needs without a tonne of work. ingredients and/or lots of clipboard and my ruler in hand, I Last month, I started showing instructions, and flows into two or started to dissect the XY you the pyFPDF library. This month I’ll start with a sample of a three pages. coordinates of where I wanted to (FCM #160), we will be continuing recipe from my cookbook database put each of the elements. to look at this library and that represents a “normal” single Back to the pyFPDF library; at examining the Templating portion page recipe that would or could be first glance, the documentation is of the library. printed. In its current “state”, the fairly sparse when it comes to some cookbook program creates an html of the options. Most of it made My assumption was that the page on the fly based on the recipe sense and seemed to be reasonably Templating feature was originally that needs to be printed, then easy to translate into what I was designed to handle things like sends it to the default browser for hoping to do. Well, I was really invoices and labels. Furthermore, I printing. It looks something like the wrong. It IS sparse and some of the thought that this could easily be image bottom left. information is confusing. I’ll used to produce things like recipe address this as we go.

Since I almost always provide the code and most everything you need to run the demos I create for these articles, I didn’t want to attempt to provide the entire database. There are over 300 recipes and images (in a separate folder), and I really don’t think that pastebin will let me upload a sql I decided to use the hardcode database and that many images (or method of defining the elements

full circle magazine #160 18 contents ^ HOWTO - PYTHON rather than the CSV method, since I As you can see, it’s a list of # Template... wasn’t sure how everything would dictionaries. We’ll break one of elements = [ work and fit together. If it worked, them down… { then I could always create a CSV • Name is the name you want to 'name': 'header', 'type': 'T', 'x1': 17.0, 'y1': 8.0, directly later on. I’m really glad I reference it by 'x2': 0, 'y2': 0, didn’t. You’ll understand later. • Type is the type of element this is 'font': 'Arial', 'size': 8, defining. The documented options 'bold': 0, 'italic': 0, 'underline': 0, 'foreground': 0, Due to the use of f-strings, you are: 'T': texts, 'L': lines, 'I': images, 'background': 0, 'align': 'L', will need to use Python 3.7.4 or 'B': boxes, 'BC': barcodes (more on 'text': '', 'priority': 2, }, greater. this in a moment). { • X1, Y1, X2, Y2 are the xy positions 'name': 'title', 'type': 'T', I started with the header and of an imaginary box. Upper left to 'x1': 17, 'y1': 26, 'x2': 0, 'y2': 0, recipe title. That went pretty well lower right. 'font': 'Arial', 'size': 22, and I was able to get those two • Next comes the font 'bold': 1, 'italic': 1, elements defined. With one of the specifications, foreground/ 'underline': 0, 'foreground': 0, 'background': 0, 'align': 'L', sample programs, I started to copy background definitions, alignment, 'text': '', 'priority': 2, and paste from their sample into text (if any) and the priority for the }, my code. Z-order of the element. The text { 'name': 'recipeimage', 'type': 'I', can be overridden when calling the 'x1': 17, 'y1': 25, Shown right is a shortened element. 'x2': 80, 'y2': 89, 'font': None, 'size': 0, example of the element • There is also an optional multiline 'bold': 0, 'italic': 0, structure… attribute, which, if used, will be the 'underline': 0, 'foreground': 0, last in the dictionary. 'background': 0, 'align': 'L', 'text': 'image', 'priority': 2, }, … }

situations. The good news for this Now in the documentation, the option is that it works similar to the Type specification shows only function that we created last these 5 options. However, by month called chapter_body. It digging into the code of the library, allows for multiline paragraph type there is one other. It is “W” for text to be rendered correctly in a write. It was added to allow (url) “flowing” manner. links in templates (using write method), but can be used in other From what I could see from my full circle magazine #160 19 contents ^ HOWTO - PYTHON limited testing, the priority (Z- somewhat distracting. { Order) doesn’t make a difference 'name': 'ingreidentshead', 'type': 'T', what value you use. I didn’t spend a Shown top right the element 'x1': 17, ‘'y1': 220, 'x2': 0, 'y2': 0, tremendous amount of time on definitions for the ingredientshead 'font': 'Arial', 'size': 12, 'bold': 1, 'italic': 1, 'underline': 0, that part of the testing. and ingredientitems, which is very 'foreground': 0, 'background': 0, similar to the instructions section... 'align': 'L', 'text': 'Ingredients:', 'priority': 2, I was somewhat concerned }, about the image type, since the Notice that the y1 position for { images I use are not a standard the static text “Ingredients” is at 'name': 'ingredientitems', 'type': 'W', 'x1': 17, 'y1': 115, 'x2': 90, 'y2': 400, size. Since most are scraped from 220 while the ingredient items 'font': 'Arial', 'size': 11, 'bold': 0, the web, some will be in block is set at 115. To me, this 'italic': 0, 'underline': 0, mode and some in portrait mode. makes no sense. The same thing 'foreground': 0, 'background': 0, 'align': 'L', 'text': '', Some are rather large and others occurs with the instructions static 'priority': 2, 'multiline': True fairly small. Luckily, the rendering text and the flowing text of the }, image resizes the image to fit instructions. within the bounds set in the XY separate variables, not only for use with, in some cases, a string – one positioning. Now that we have our data now, but also later on. Then we at a time. The format is: defined and the elements instantiate the template object, Now, let’s take a look at the dictionary set up (see the full code defining the title of the document, Object[element] = optional string Ingredients section of the PDF. I for all the elements definition), all the format of the printout, and the really wanted to have the header that’s left to do is to make the elements. You can also set The code for that is on the next and the text of the list to align as function that will step through all properties for the document page, top right. left-justified, similar to the printout the parts of the recipe document (author, subject, etc) here as well. image at the top of the article. For and render the document (below). Finally, we add a page with the Since there is no the list of ingredients (and the add_page() method. Again, fairly straightforward way to handle a instructions) I ended up having to So the function definition close to what we did last month. use the “W” write method. The accepts a parameter called “which”. list, I stepped through the list of ingredients and created a string, normal “T” text method, with This will be the index of the recipe So, to set the various elements which is then set using the multiline set to True (it uses the within the “database”. We pull the in the document, we call the ingredientitems element (bottom multi_cell method internally), recipe title and the recipe id into elements that we want to include didn’t work correctly. The only drawback is a visual one which def create_pdf(which): forces an indent for the first line of recipetitle = recipe_table_dat[which][1] the “paragraph”. While this is nice recipeid = recipe_table_dat[which][0] f = Template(format="Letter", elements=elements, title="Recipe Printout") for a chapter paragraph, it looks (at f.add_page() least to me) wrong, and is full circle magazine #160 20 contents ^ HOWTO - PYTHON left). f["header"] = f"Greg's cookbook - {recipetitle} - Recipe ID {recipeid}" f["title"] = recipetitle # 'Mongolian Beef and Spring Onions' The instructions section is f["recipeimage"] = images_table_dat[which][2] handled the same way. f["description"] = recipe_table_dat[which][8] f["source"] = recipe_table_dat[which][2] f['servings'] = f'Servings: {recipe_table_dat[which][3]}' Finally (bottom right), we f['time'] = f'Total Time: {recipe_table_dat[which][4]}' render the page pretty much as we f['rating'] = f'Rating: {recipe_table_dat[which][5]}' did last month, but this time, we convinced that it will work in the use the recipe title as the filename def menu(): for the PDF. After that, we notify real world. Given the fact that the print('Please select a recipe...') the user that the rendering process latest code changes were done 3 print('1 - Mongolian Beef and Spring Onions') years ago, I don’t hold out much print('2 - Amish White Bread') is complete. print('3 - "Crack" Chicken') hope that the author will address resp = input('Please enter 1, 2, 3 or 0 to quit --> ') the many issues surrounding the if resp == "0": Lastly, I needed a way for the print('Exiting program!') program to prompt the user to template engine. There is a big part sys.exit(0) select which recipe to use. I created of me that wants to fork the elif resp in ("1", "2", "3"): project and modify the code return resp a simple CLI based menu (right). else: myself, but life and time and work return -1 And a routine that loops and (as always) prevent me from doing does the menu until the user uses it right now. Just one more item on the todo list. def mainroutine(): “0” to quit (middle right). loop = True while loop: Well, that’s it. I believe that, as a Normally, I would post the resp = menu() project code, when the project is if resp == -1: quick PDF generator that can be print('Invalid selection. Please try again') controlled easily from Python, more than working directly within else: the Python shell. This month, I am print(f'Requested recipe: {resp} \n') pyFPDF is a good tool. However, as create_pdf(int(resp) - 1) a template engine, I’m not going to break tradition and not

itms = len(ingredients_table_dat[which]) ings = '' for itm in range(itms): filename = f'./{recipetitle}.pdf' ings = ings + ingredients_table_dat[which][itm][5] + f.render(filename) "\n" print(f'\n\n{"=" * 45}') print(' PDF has been generated') f["ingredientshead"] print(' Please open the PDF manually') f["ingredientitems"] = ings print('=' * 45) f["instructionhead"] print('\n\n') f["instructions"] = instructions_table_dat[which][2]

full circle magazine #160 21 contents ^ HOWTO - PYTHON post it on Pastebin.com. The reason about PAGE in the past, and I’m for this is that I don’t believe that sure that I will in the future as well. pastebin will allow me to post the The working title, at the moment, image files for the recipes. This is is ‘Learning Page A GUI Designer also one of the reasons that I didn’t for Python’ and I’m estimating that just directly work from the recipe it will be published sometime in database, which at the moment, January 2021. holds over 300 recipes, and for each recipe there is an image. So, So as always, until next time; I’ve created a repository on Github stay safe, healthy, positive and to hold this month’s project. By creative! doing it this way, all you have to do is follow the link to the repository, download the project as a zip file (you could clone it, but that is, in my mind, a lot of wasted effort on your part), unzip the folder somewhere convenient for you, and run the python program, called template1.py. The link to the repository is https://github.com/ gregwa1953/FCM160. One other benefit is that if something happens and I lose a domain (as has happened in the past), this will last forever or until github dies. Given Greg Walters is a retired the amount of code on github, I programmer living in Central Texas, USA. He has been a programmer REALLY doubt that will happen. since 1972 and in his spare time, he is an author, amateur photographer, One more bit of news before I luthier, fair musician and a pretty leave you for this month. As of darn good cook. He still is the owner of RainyDaySolutions a consulting Wednesday, August 5, I have signed company and he spends most of his a contract to write another book. time writing articles for FCM and This one will be about learning to tutorials. His website is use PAGE to create GUIs for www.thedesignatedgeek.xyz . Python. I’ve written a few articles full circle magazine #160 22 contents ^ HHOOWW--TTOO Written by Tony Hughes PPooddccaasstt PPrroodduuccttiioonn iinn LLiinnuuxx -- PPtt..22

n the first article in this series, I typically around 8.7MB per minute software for this job, but there is a your device. I’m not sure how much I talked about the hardware you of audio, whereas for a .Flac file, at list of recommended apps here. of an issue this is with Apple will need to start to record your full quality, is typically around 5MB And I’m sure it will have a voice devices. podcast and for later post per minute. If you have limited recording app by default and this production of your Audio. In this storage space on your recording may be good enough. You may just want to article, we will look at some of the device, you may wish to record experiment with the default option software for recording and editing in .Mp3, which, at standard quality Android has numerous on your device and stick with that if your audio content. of 128kbits per second, will applications in the Play store for you feel it is adequate, but there generate a file of about 1MB per audio recording. A couple that get are a number of applications that If you use a standalone audio minute of audio recorded (or fairly good reviews are: can record audio on your mobile recording device, such as the Zoom transcoded from one of the other • ‘Easy Voice Recorder’ which has device, be it an Android or iOS H2 recorder I mentioned in the first formats). But, apart both a free (with device. article, you will be ready to go, as from the decisions Ads) and paid far as recording goes; as all the you need to version, and can If you will be recording on a software needed to do this is consider regarding record to several Desktop or laptop PC, then your embedded into the device. The file formats when different audio file options in Linux are very good device will have options as to the recording your formats. indeed. A quick search of the web file format you wish to record in, audio, with a • The other is comes up with many lists but the such as .wav or .Mp3, and some standalone device simply called ‘Voice most common used by most in the recorders may be able to record like the Zoom H2 Recorder’ and Linux community, and I include in .ogg or .flac formats. you are good to go. again comes as a myself in that, is Audacity – which Put a set of ‘Free’ with ads is top of the list. Ronnie did a great Depending on your needs and batteries in the version and an ad- Basics of Audacity tutorial in the amount of post production you device and read the Manual so you free paid version. FCM#109, which is a great place to are planning, then .wav or .Flac will know the way it operates and start • A full list of some of the other start with this powerful audio give the best high-quality lossless to record. options are here. editing tool. Another good choice audio where the audio file retains is Ardour although I have not as much of the audio detail as was If you plan to record your audio Remember that, as with many personally used it. I know several picked up during recording without on a mobile phone, then obviously Android apps, you will want to people who have more loss of quality. The .wav format is you will need a recording check out what the app wants professional audio editing the standard CD audio format, and application for this. As I don’t use access to on the phone when you experience than myself, and who will take up the most file space, an iPhone, I can’t comment on their consider if you want to install it to feel this is a more complete

full circle magazine #160 23 contents ^ HOWTO - PODCAST PRODUCTION solution if you have more work for editing. Again my as you do not have to have a server Mumble recording as your backup professional recording editing and suggestion for the beginner would set up to do this – the solution if, for any reason, things mixing needs, but it is not going to be to start with Audacity, and, as infrastructure is provided by go wrong with any of the local be as user-friendly to someone you get more confident and your Microsoft. recordings. I‘m not sure about starting to get to grips with the needs become more complex, you • Mumble however, while it is open Skype, but Mumble allows the basics of audio editing as Audacity. may wish to check out Ardour or source software, will require the recording of separate tracks for My recommendation would be to one of the other more task-specific setting up of a Mumble server those on the call, so you can use start with Audacity as there are programs that may have the more which can be hosted either in the the audio track for whoever's local lots of tutorials on the web to get complex functionality you may cloud or on a local server, and if audio went wrong, and not the you started, and the basics are need. you do not have the ability to do whole of the recording from the fairly easy to master. this by yourself or have access to call stream, if needed. If you are recording a solo someone else's server, it might not We started this by looking at podcast then the above is all the initially be a solution you can use. So in these last two articles, we software for recording, but you will software you may need, Although if you are have looked at the hardware and also need software to edit your but if, like myself, you recording content for software you will need to get audio if you are going to do have decided to a podcast that started in the podcast world. In the anything to it before you post it to jump into the world already has a server next episode, I will look at your the internet in your chosen way. of recording with set up, such as options for getting your audio out more than one Hacker Public to the listening public, and how to If you are using an Android person, and you Radio, and you ask go about this. device, and I would not recommend are not all able to nicely, then they a phone for this, but with a 10”+ be in the same may allow you to tablet it is probably possible. There room, town, or even use theirs when it’s are a number of applications that continent, at the not in use. can edit your audio once recorded, same time, then you although as I have not tried this will need some software There is also the ability to method and this is about using that will enable you to talk to each record the conversation on Skype Linux to start your podcasting other and record at the same time. and Mumble, but it is also advisable journey, all I’ll say is that this is a for each of the participants to link to 8 such programs (https:// There are a number of solutions record their audio locally as well. techwiser.com/audio-editing-apps- for this in Linux, but the two that This is for two reasons: first you for-android/). spring to mind, and that I have will have a better quality of final used, are Skype and Mumble. edit using the local recordings and As for using Linux for editing, • Skype, while not being open mixing them together in post the list above (which I suggested as source, if there are only a few of production than the server audio, solutions for recording audio) also you, might be your simple option but you can then use the Skype/ full circle magazine #160 24 contents ^ HHOOWW--TTOO Written by Erik RRaawwtthheerraappeeee -- PPtt66

he skeleton coast is a great Like the tree in the lake in New rescue. Just so you know, there are exposure is the first tab. It is meant T place to take photographs in... Zealand, the dead trees in no monthly / yearly license fees to be your first stop. Our histogram if you are there at the right time Sossusvlei dooievlei are either! gives us a clue, leaning toward the and the right spot. If you are not photographed to death. Don’t right. We also have some null space lucky enough to live close by, and believe me? Look for the images in Now if we look at some of these on the left, meaning we can play end up with a photo opportunity at your favourite browser. examples I have in my search, you with the shadows as well. Just by the wrong time of day, we can help. will see that the sky looks sticking to basic editing, no We aren’t all sponsored by the BBC Our challenge is to get our unnatural. We don’t want that. That advance nothing, we can to wait around for that perfect day. image to the same quality as these is obviously something like an auto immediately improve the look and The skeleton coast has some great professional photographs. edit or a really bad hand edit. The feel of our shot. We drop our contrasts, which make it an However, our picture is rather same with the pictures where the exposure into the negatives and attractive destination for “flat”. This is due to the bright sun sky and the dune join to make a play with contrast and saturation. photographers. Have you ever in the summer, when you pray for a lighter color... Until our picture is life-like. Our wondered about those amazing cloud … aaand obviously taking it histogram should separate nicely photographs you see in travel at the wrong time of day, but we Our picture is all faded colors, into red / green / blue (ignoring the magazines? Well, lets “magazine- won’t go there. It’s time for super so one would think that is where outlier) and settle in the middle, worthy” our kitsch photograph. :) open-source software to the you should start. There is a reason whilst the darker tones sort

full circle magazine #160 25 contents ^ HOWTO - RAWTHERAPEE themselves out as the histogram logical and straightforward, just face it, there isn’t much going on in We have already discussed how to centres. like you do not need to be a chef to this picture, so when the dead tree deal with color noise, so I will not bake a bread if you have a recipe popped, I stopped. Poetic, I know ... repeat it. The TL;DR version is: don’t and a method. Experience will take overthink it. You don’t keep you the other half of the way. Moving on to color. We have a Since there is not much I can do searching for your car keys once lot of color noise. The reason is about the colors here, I head you have found them. You may want to add some because of the time period this straight for vibrance. Step up the highlights, but try to stick to: less is picture was taken in. Space was at pastel tones, but don’t overdo it. One can see that the makers of more. So let’s move to detail. Just a premium and a 2GB SD card cost Instead of grabbing and moving this open-source editor turning on sharpenc, did the trick the same as a 64GB card costs the slider , use the + button. Slowly thought about how a photo gets for me, though I will refer back to it today, so raw was not an option. tease the life out of the edited, before putting the once I turn on and check my local The algorithm back then was photograph. The blue sky may hint interface together. You do not contrast. Again, just turning on also not as efficient as it is now, towards the unnatural, but we will need to be a master if things are local contrast did the trick. Let’s neither were the image processors. look at correcting that in another tutorial. :)

You can now jump to transform and select your lens correction. Since this was an older camera, my lens was listed, but if yours is not listed, you can import your LCP file. Full instructions here: https:// rawpedia.rawtherapee.com/ How_to_get_LCP_and_DCP_profile s

So now we have vibrant color, we have sharpened the image, and we have our highlights and shadows sorted. However if we look at the sand, we notice that this is not Arrakis, there is detail in the dune. We want to draw attention to it, making it stand out more, making our image more “real”. Head back to exposure ( you full circle magazine #160 26 contents ^ HOWTO - RAWTHERAPEE have now gone full circle *wink.), have never been, to give you an gave me some fleas. I thought I and turn on tone mapping. You idea, that is a group of people on Our final image is right up there may help you scratch an itch also. *may see something happen. We the dune in the background. with the shots proudly displayed are going to adjust only the edge on the internet, and we did not As always, if you have any stopping feature. Move the slider We can now save our editing have to hang around for the questions or comments, send them up until the marks in the dune start profile in the top right and apply it ‘perfect’ opportunity. to: [email protected] to pop. Zoomed in all the way, you to the next image taken in the want to see the pock marks, the same region, helping us speed I hope you had fun if you stones, and the weeds. The along our workflow. followed along and I hope you compromise you must make is near learned something. and far. Remember to check the Tip: work in small increments if you ground nearest to you and the want your images to remain Disclaimer: In no way am I an ground furthest away from you, “natural”, take giant leaps if you expert in photo manipulation, I just and get that detail balance. If you want shock and awe art pieces. know a guy who had a dog that

Erik has been in IT for 30+ years. He has seen technology come and go. From repairing washing machine sized hard drives with multimeters and oscilloscopes, laying cable, to scaling 3G towers, he's done it.

full circle magazine #160 27 contents ^ full circle magazine #160 28 contents ^ HHOOWW--TTOO Written by Mark Crutch IInnkkssccaappee -- PPaarrtt 110000

mazingly, this is the centenary to make the text on an image look the result of Object to Path has requests along the lines of “I’m A article in this series! That’s not more interesting. There’s little you always remained the same. A following this tutorial on YouTube bad given that my original plan was can do with a pure text object, rectangle becomes a path. An and I get as far as converting my for maybe half a dozen short pieces apart from the usual rotate, scale ellipse becomes a path. Spirals and text to a path, then the next step as a brief introduction to Inkscape. and skew. Filters can produce some polygons become paths. It may doesn’t work…”. In case you were I doubt there are many people who amazing results – whilst still sound obvious, but in most cases in any doubt about the longevity of have read all of the articles, but keeping the text editable – but are the Object to Path feature turns content on the internet, the trickle even if you just dropped into one difficult to work with, and are best your object into a path. With older of users following tutorials written or two as reference material for a used to provide texture or shadows versions of Inkscape (prior to 0.48) for 0.46 and earlier continues to specific feature, I hope you’ve rather than for fundamentally the same was true of text objects: this day. found them useful. changing the letter shapes. At the entire text would be converted some point in your graphical into a single complex path. Most The ‘obvious’ solution to this This month, I’ll be continuing to adventures, you’re bound to find tutorials deal with applying an change is to ungroup the converted look at Inkscape v1.0. Although yourself converting text to a path effect or style to the entire text, so text, then join the paths together there are a lot of exciting new in order to manipulate it further. creating a single path is just what is using Path > Union or Path > things to cover – and I promise to wanted. But sometimes you need Combine. But whether by accident get to them in the coming months CONVERTING TEXT TO A to be able to work with the or design, the developers did leave – for now I’m going to return my individual letters. Splitting the a shortcut in place that allowed for focus to some of the problems that PATH complex path into separate letters a one-step conversion of text to a have found their way into the new is a fiddly task that requires some single complex path. Rather than release. It’s not that I want to be a Logos and styled text form the experience to do easily. So, with use Object to Path, selecting the pessimist, I’d just prefer to get the basis of a huge number of Inkscape 0.48, the developers changed the text object and going straight to issues out of the way as quickly as I tutorials, almost all of which Object to Path behaviour when Path > Union would have the can. require the user to convert their applied to text elements: to this desired effect. This quickly became text to a path at some point, via day it creates a group of paths, one the common response to new users The regressions that most users the Path > Object to Path menu for each letter. following older tutorials, and also are likely to stumble across are option. Depending on the age of became a prominent method in largely related to path operations the tutorial, and the version of This change in behaviour newer tutorials. It’s worth noting on text objects. Manipulating text Inkscape it targets, this can lead to immediately made a lot of tutorials that Path > Combine, when applied to produce a graphical effect is a very different outcomes. slightly obsolete, and led to a to a text object, also created a common task for Inkscape users, persistent trickle of new users to single path but it still puts it inside when creating a logo or just trying For most elements in Inkscape Inkscape support sites posting a group, which is arguably a little

full circle magazine #160 29 contents ^ HOWTO - INKSCAPE useless. Nevertheless, for 0.48 and 0.92 there are four ways to convert text to one or more paths.

Unfortunately, Inkscape 1.0 removes the Path > Union shortcut. To make matters worse, the status bar shows an “error” stating that “one of the objects is not a path, cannot perform boolean using Path > Inset and Path > although there were some users operation”, even though it does Outset. In both these cases, who were surprised that their text Initially it might seem that the convert the text to paths, albeit in Inkscape 0.92 and earlier handled was no longer editable as a text quick solution is to apply the inset the same way as the Object to Path text objects as a special case: the object, for most the experience or outset effect twice: the first option. text would automatically be was in line with expectations. Try converts the text to a group of converted to a single path for you the same with 1.0, however, and paths, and the second then applies So now there’s a resurgent flow before the effect was applied. But the status bar says “No paths to the desired effect to those paths. of new users to support sites who with 1.0, the results are not only inset/outset in the selection”. What But alas, the first operation leaves are finding that tutorials for 0.48 or not what you might expect, but the it doesn’t immediately make clear, the group itself selected, not the 0.92 are also incorrect with the UI is downright misleading! however, is that rather than failing paths, and applying inset/outset to new version. But as there’s no benignly, leaving your text object a group doesn’t work, even if that longer a one-step solution to this With your text object selected, untouched, it has also converted group consists of nothing but task, the answer is usually to use choosing one of these options your text to a group of paths! So paths. Instead, the best solution is the three-step approach. might be expected to make it not only does it fail to do what you to perform the three-step thinner (Inset) or thicker (Outset). originally wanted, but it’s changed conversion above to convert the Earlier versions did this, via the the nature of your object in the text to a single path, and only then implicit conversion to a path, so process. apply the inset/outset operation.

INSET AND OUTSET

Related problems appear when

full circle magazine #160 30 contents ^ HOWTO - INKSCAPE that one letter. Because, yet again, the details of the path shape, so when you first clicked the Dynamic that other programs can display it DYNAMIC OFFSET The last command in this group, Offset menu entry, your text object Path > Linked Offset, also fails to correctly. But this path has some was converted into a group of additional Inkscape-specific The Path > Dynamic offset work with text in 1.0, but this time paths, one per letter. You can click attributes that are not usually operation seems to be particularly the workaround is quite different – on other letters, and in each case present on a path. The first is misleading when applied to text in it’s more complex, but does at least the previous one is de-selected, “:type” with a value of version 1.0. In older releases, the provide some useful functionality and the clicked one shows its “inkscape:offset”, indicating to behaviour was similar to inset/ in the process. Let’s have a quick nodes. Shift-clicking selects Inkscape that this path should be outset: there would be an implicit refresher on linked offsets in 0.92, multiple letters. You can drag the treated differently to normal conversion to a single path before and why I think they’re usually a nodes, add them, delete them, and paths. the real operation was applied. In better option than inset/outset or generally work with the Node tool this case, the operation results in a dynamic offsets when working with as usual. But there’s no handle The second special attribute is small diamond-shaped handle that text. presented for dynamically “inkscape:original” which holds a can be dragged to dynamically adjusting the inset/outset which copy of the original path that was adjust the inset or outset amount. If you look at the SVG output was, after all, what you were trying for each of these commands, you’ll used to create this offset path. to do in the first place. Although the original path has Not so in 1.0. Initially, there’s no start to understand the differences been removed from the drawing, it visible change, except that the between them. Inset and outset As with inset/outset, the on in this attribute, the selection box has lost its handles, simply create a new path element dynamic offset effect doesn’t work content of which can even be copy- and the pointer looks different. that replaces your original object when applied to a group of paths. pasted into another path object to That’s actually because Inkscape entirely. There’s no trace of it left Unlike those operations, however, reconstruct the original shape. The has switched you to the Node tool. in the file. They’re useful when you it also won’t work when applied to third attribute, “inkscape:radius”, The usually helpful status bar is just want to make another path a selection of several paths – holds the size of the offset – i.e. now positively misleading. “Drag to element a bit fatter or thinner, and instead dropping you into the Node how far you have moved the handle select objects to edit”, it begins. So don’t need to retain the original tool, even on earlier Inkscape from its original position. you try dragging across the whole path in any way. Viewed in this way, releases. This means that there are text: no change. You drag over a you can understand why text (or no shortcuts: you simply can’t avoid When a path has these few of the letters: now the any other shape) has to be converting your text to a single attributes set, Inkscape no longer selection box disappears converted to a path for these path if you want to use the dynamic uses the “d” attribute to draw the completely. operations to work. offset feature on it. It’s back to path. Instead it calculates the new performing the three-step shape based on the original path “… click to edit this object”, it Dynamic offset is a little conversion process first. and the radius (offset) value. continues. So you click on a letter, different. Yet again a path is Change either of these and you’ll and are presented with the node created, completely replacing the see that Inkscape updates the “d” handles for the path making up LINKED OFFSET original object. Like all SVG paths, it contains a “d” attribute which holds attribute automatically, but this is full circle magazine #160 31 contents ^ HOWTO - INKSCAPE just so that the shape appears font, style and even the content, • Select your text object and open things back under control. correctly in other software. with the linked offset updating the Object Properties dialog via the • Delete the temporary object. automatically. This alone makes it context menu, or the Ctrl-Shift-O • Double-click on the linked offset A linked offset also creates a the best option for offsetting text. shortcut. text, or select it and switch to the path, but leaves the original object You can hide the original or place it • Copy the ID from the dialog to the Node tool and you should see the untouched. This path is similar to off the page if you want, but when clipboard. Close the dialog. usual offset handle. Adjust this to the dynamic offset case, but adds you later discover a typo, or need • Create a temporary object. Just change your offset amount. one more special attribute into the to edit the words, you can make about any sort will do, but I usually mix, in the form of “inkscape:href”. those changes to the original text use a rectangle or ellipse. Making it It seems like a lot of steps, but This holds a reference to the and know that your offset version a distinct color will help to keep all we really did was create a linked original, untouched object. will stay in sync. track of things later. offset to another object, then • Apply the Path > Linked Offset adjusted the link to point to our The new path still contains a “d” But not in Inkscape version 1.0. function to the temporary object. text object instead. Most attribute, for other software to • With the linked offset selected, importantly, our text remains use. But it also still contains an Yet again in this version trying open the Edit > XML Editor dialog. untouched, so can still be edited “inkscape:original” attribute, again to use the command just converts • The linked offset should already using the normal text tools, with holding a path shape. This time, the text to a group of paths and be selected in the editor. You the linked offset updating however, the path data here is switches you to the node tool. You should see the extra attributes I automatically. created by implicitly converting the can use the three-step conversion described previously. source object (the one pointed to to create a path before you select • Change the inkscape:href One final thing to note is that by inkscape:href) into a path. If you the menu entry – but that attribute: delete most of the the steps above also work for other change the source object, Inkscape completely defeats the point of content, but leave the “#” in place, shapes. If you want your rectangles updates the “inkscape:original” using a linked offset rather than a then paste the ID from the to remain as rectangles, or your value which, in turn, results in an dynamic offset. clipboard immediately after it. stars to still be editable with the update to the “d” value. • Press Enter to make the change. star tool, you’ll need to follow Luckily the underlying rendering You should see your text those steps to avoid Inkscape 1.0 What does that mean in engine isn’t broken. If you present apparently change to the color of automatically converting your practice? It means that your it with a linked offset created in an the temporary object. What you’re source objects into paths. original object retains its original older version of Inkscape it displays actually seeing is the linked offset type. Stars are still stars, and can correctly, and the original object positioned on top of your original REVERSING SUB-PATHS be edited with the appropriate still retains its original type and text. tool. Spirals and rectangles, again, editability. Fortunately, we can • The Inkscape UI is a little I mentioned this issue back in are left untouched and can still be reproduce this behaviour entirely in confused at this point, as the part 95, when Inkscape 1.0 was still edited with their own tools. And 1.0, but it does involve some use of temporary object will still be in Beta. Unfortunately the final yes, text is also left as text, the XML editor. These are the steps showing the linked offset handle. release still suffers from the same meaning that you can change the you’ll need to follow: Switch to the Selection tool to get full circle magazine #160 32 contents ^ HOWTO - INKSCAPE problem. There is only one way to work celebrate 100 articles with a text- reported, and I have added extra around this issue, and it’s heavy trawl through bugs and a comments or information on the With older versions, if you have something of a pain on more deep dive into offsets, but these bug reports where necessary. a complex path (i.e. one with sub- complex designs. You have to use are the sort of problems that will Hopefully the next release will paths), you could select a single Path > Break Apart, then reverse affect lots of users, so warranted address some of these issues – node in the sub-path, then use Path the sub-path in question, then spending some time on. It just goes many of which look as though they > Reverse to reverse just that sub- select all the constituent paths to show that new isn’t always have a common underlying cause. path. This can be invaluable when before using Path > Combine to put better, and makes a strong case for working with the nonzero fill-rule, them back together into a single sticking with 0.92 for the time Next month I’ll move back onto as described in part 95. In Inkscape complex path. being, especially if you’re a new some of the good stuff in Inkscape v1.0 the Path > Reverse option user following some online 1.0, hopefully without bumping reverses every sub-path, regardless FINAL THOUGHTS tutorials. into any more serious bugs along of what was selected. the way. I hadn’t really planned to All these problems have been

Mark uses Inkscape to create three webcomics, 'The Greys', 'Monsters, Inked' and 'Elvie', which can all be found at http:// www.peppertop.com/

full circle magazine #160 33 contents ^ HHOOWW--TTOO Written by Alan Ward KKrriittaa TToo RReewwoorrkk OOlldd PPhhoottooss PPtt..1100

his series is aimed at learning to or hazy conditions, where a lot of T make something of the old reverberation tended to overload photos in my possession and others early light sensors. This was the in the public domain, due to their case in the following scene from age. You, the reader, are welcome the island of Cheung Chau in Hong to tag along and, I hope, glean Kong. some small insight and perhaps an idea or two from time to time. No There is clearly enough light promises are made as to the here to take a clear picture, since quality of the content, or potential even the shadows under the tree errors and omissions. I am a branches hold enough detail. computer scientist, not a true artist However, the sensor was unable to or a professional in image handle the sunlight bouncing off restoration. So please take all this the white buildings in the as a best effort, but with no firm background, the illuminated part of guarantees — much as is the case the tree trunk, or bicycles’ chrome of most open-source software. handlebars. But, is this excessive light the case for all primary colors? In the previous part of this The Histogram window (at menu series, we took a look at an interior Settings > Dockers > Histogram) photo which exhibited the typical gives us a more complete story: lack of sensitivity of early digital cameras’ sensor chips. In this part, we will work on the opposite defect: washed-out colors due to too much light in the original scene for the camera to handle. This is typical in outdoor shots where plenty of sunlight has illuminated the scene. Contrary to popular belief, the problem may actually become worse in slightly overcast

full circle magazine #160 34 contents ^ HOWTO - KRITA

Going from left to right, in the first place we see that very dark pixels at the far left of the histogram are few, though among these there is a tendency to contain a blue tinge and a defect of cyan. There is, in fact, a large proportion of pixels that have intensities in the middle range, with some reddish tinge to them. There is also a distinct lack of light- colored pixels in the middle of the top quarter to the right of the histogram, and these have a magenta tinge to them. Finally, there is a very heavy group of very light (whitish) pixels to the extreme right of the graphic.

Thus, from a standpoint of light exposure, what we have seen in the histogram shows us that the image is in fact globally rather well- balanced, except for the very light pixels. This tells us more about how the (old) digital camera’s chip reacted to light in the first place. Its response was correct for low and medium levels of incident light, but exaggerated for higher levels, which leads us to deduce a lack of calibration of the software that translated electrical signals into colors levels in the controlling software. full circle magazine #160 35 contents ^ HOWTO - KRITA clear that all channels have, in fact, channel-by-channel basis. In Filter, colors, for instance in the greenish On the other hand, there seems lost a lot of detail in the lighter Adjust and Color-adjustment pane windows to the left. Could I to be some relationship between pixels. Of the three main colors, curves, I started by giving the get better results by working on a color balance, and pixel intensity Red is the channel that holds more general luminosity response a single channel? As before, I went value. Let us examine this further. information of the darker colors -- slight tweak in the middle of the into the Color adjustment curves The Layers Docker that is usually and, thus, it is the channel that higher quarter of the scale. What I window, and now tried adjusting found in the lower right-hand represents better the details in the am doing is counteracting the each channel individually. The end corner of Krita’s window has a shady part of the tree. In other corresponding peak at the result is the very same: details are second tab, Channels. Using this words, the chip inside the camera rightmost end of the histogram, not forthcoming. It is in fact clear tab, we can activate or deactivate seems to have been more sensitive and trying to eek out some more that a large quantity of information at will any or all of the main Red, to red light than blue or green, detail from the washed-out whites. has simply been lost inside the Green, Blue and Alpha especially at higher intensities. This is clearly not working. lighter parts of the image. (transparency) channels in our Whichever way we go about it, image, without actually making any At this point, we can take our A very slight increase in the once lost, this information cannot changes to pixel values. handling of the image in several details of buildings at the back of be retrieved since it is no longer different directions. The first would the image is achieved, but at the within the image. After some tests, it becomes be to try to balance intensities on a expense of rather weird-looking So, what can be done? An alternative approach is to step back and think about what we have been doing. The main center of our interest in this image is clearly the tree itself, and the heap of bicycles parked around it. The buildings in the background are less noteworthy, and give very little to the complete message. So, what if we exaggerated the process, and blanked out the burned whitish buildings altogether? We could thus concentrate on the photo’s main subject, with fewer distractions.

We can do this either in color, or in black-and-white. When we full circle magazine #160 36 contents ^ HOWTO - KRITA examined the image’s color manipulation. Thus, it may be channels previously, the red advantageous to proceed channel actually had quite a nice otherwise, thinking more about the vibe to it. So I went back into the global effect that is required and channels part of the Layer docker, trying to use the burned-off parts and turned off both the blue and of the original photo to our green channels. I then went back advantage. In the next part of the into Layers, and added a new series, we will work on another transparency layer. Then, using the early digital photo, in which the airbrush at low opacity (about 30 to camera’s optics and light-sensitive 50%) and some pure white, I chip lost some definition in an scrubbed out selectively parts of otherwise quite pleasing scene, the buildings in the background, due to their lack of resolution at concentrating on their darker the time. Until then, take care! elements that stood out more such as window frames. Other vegetation such as some palm trees in the background were also cleared up. The end result allows the main subject to stand out from its surroundings, and the eye can concentrate on the details that struck the photographer’s imagination when taking the photo more than a decade back.

In this part of the series, we examined the effects of excessive light on one of the first digital cameras, seeing how very light colors got easily washed out. Since Alan holds a PhD. He teaches comp much information on details has sci and eng at Escola Andorrana de not been retained within the image Batxillerat. He has given GNU/Linux file, it is now impossible or very courses at the Uni of Andorra and difficult to put it back into the taught GNU/Linux systems admin at the OU of Catalunya. image through color curve full circle magazine #160 37 contents ^ by: ErikTheUnready

full circle magazine #160 38 contents ^ LLIINNUUXX LLOOOOPPBBAACCKK Written by S. J. Webb OOppeennZZFFSS

here are numerous non-profits holding substantial funds, holding and open software. Contributing find a topic for next month. T in free software. Some of them intangible assets, signing contracts, members are defined as those who we know by heart, such as the Free legal assistance, and technical actively participate in the free and Software Foundation. When I was services. open software. In other words, reviewing the OpenZFS typically users of Linux qualify as Foundation, I came across another If there is a special request the non-contributing members. foundation named Software in the above their standard service, the Public Interest. Interesting enough board might review it to see how It is interesting to see the the Debian Project created the reasonable it is. dedicated purpose of helping Software in the Public Interest, software developers with the non- after the Free Software Foundation Membership to Software in the coding side to open software stopped supporting it. This non- Public Interest offers two projects. I just wonder how many profit started in New York, United membership levels: contributing projects would still be operating if States of America in the year of and non-contributing. The non- they utilized these services. 1997. Their mission is to overtake contributing members are those the non-technical, legal aspects of that live in the spirit of using free Until next month...I still have to important projects.

There are currently 40 projects sponsored by Software in the Public Interest. Some of these projects range from games to Arch based distros. In order for a project to be sponsored, it has to be approved by the Foundation’s Board. The projects can be hardware or software in nature, as long as it follows the open source SJ Webb is a researcher coordinator. mantra. When he is not working, he enjoys time with his wife and kids. He thanks Mike Ferarri for his The major work stream is mentorship. holding or distributing funds, full circle magazine #160 39 contents ^ EEVVEERRYYDDAAYY UUBBUUNNTTUU Written by Richard Adams MMaakkiinngg GGNNOOMMEE UUsseeffuull

ne of the things that I see software in a well-designed store). and file locations. This can be done conclusion that it should be a O praised in regards to the I think, sometimes, that if you’re in an organized and systematic matter of CHOICE, not a mandate, GNOME Desktop is how ‘clean’ it is. more comfortable on the fashion that promotes efficiency as to what you can or cannot I personally have always regarded command-line, you can miss out on while still keeping the desktop reasonably put on your desktop. It it as ‘sparse’, since the first time I how a modern GUI can be used to relatively ‘clean’. However, ‘out of is, after all, YOUR desktop, and saw it years ago. This may be make your computing life more the box’ GNOME stymies that by should work how YOU want it to. controversial, but I’ve never been efficient. not ALLOWING you to put onboard with this ‘clean’ desktop shortcuts on the desktop, which I To summarize, I personally don’t idea, especially not when the My thesis, here, is that the find absolutely inexplicable and want to constantly have to sort operating environment forces it on desktop can be used as a very extremely frustrating. The most through the applications I use from the end user. The desktop can and useful place to put program superficial consideration of the the ‘Show Applications’ drawer should be a very useful part of your shortcuts, and shortcuts to files issue inevitably leads to the (that’s the unmoving set of white computing environment, not just a squares at the neat or pretty one. bottom of the Favorites Many Linux users come from a launcher): background of using the command- line to perform a lot of their nor is there adequate room on everyday tasks, and it’s true that GNOME’s Favorites launcher for the command-line is easy to access, the applications I use most often and that many tasks are very easily (as described in Everyday Ubuntu: done from the CLI, or Command FCM#158, page 41). I want to put Line Interface. Long time readers things on my desktop in order to (both of you) will be well aware access them more efficiently, and I that I often use the command-line regard that as more important than ‘’ commands to install software the aesthetic appeal of a ‘clean’ and updates, and that I generally desktop. But, how do we address prefer them to the GUI (Graphic this GNOME deficiency? User Interface) alternatives (parenthetically, I do like the new Shown left is the standard Ubuntu Software app, it feels like GNOME desktop as it appears ‘out you’re shopping online for of the box’: full circle magazine #160 40 contents ^ EVERYDAY UBUNTU Search’, type in term. This should DO, and tells the launch Tweaks (shown below left). As you can see, there are icons be sufficient to bring up the that the following command is on the desktop that represent your Terminal icon. Click to launch the being executed as an administrator, Click Extensions on the left to Home location, and the , but Terminal. or Super User, which is why Ubuntu get to the desktop icon area nothing more. You cannot drag asked for your password. Software (shown below right): application icons from Show The additional software that we installation and updating in Ubuntu Applications to the desktop, as you need is GNOME Tweaks. To install can be done only by an You can now click the slider on can from ’s Dash. it, we’re going to use the apt-get administrator, or super user. the right to turn Desktop Icons on. command in the Terminal. At the You can also click the gear icon Terminal prompt, type in: Shortly, apt-get will complete next to the slider to get options INSTALLING GNOME the installation of GNOME Tweaks regarding your desktop icons: TWEAKS and will give you a message in the sudo apt-get install gnome- Terminal indicating that is the case. tweaks We’re going to need to install Now we can add icons to the additional software to get where desktop by invoking Tweaks and then hit on your keyboard. we want to go. If you didn’t set up enabling desktop icons. a Terminal icon on the Favorites Note you will need to be on the Internet to download and install before (again, Full Circle issue 158, Click on Activities at the top of the software. Respond to any page 41), then we’ll need to invoke the screen. the Terminal the ‘hard way’. At the prompts, including the request for your administrator password that top of the screen, click on In the box that says ‘Type to you established when setting up Activities. Search’, type in twea. This should Ubuntu. The ‘sudo’ part of the be sufficient to bring up the command is short for Super User In the box that says ‘Type to GNOME Tweaks icon. Left-click to

full circle magazine #160 41 contents ^ EVERYDAY UBUNTU bring up the ’s single-user system or has multiple double-click ‘applications’. Here options: users, and on exactly what version you’ll see most, if not all, of your ADDING A DESKTOP ICON/ of Ubuntu you are using, and may ‘.desktop’ files: SHORTCUT TO THE DESKTOP also vary by application. On a USING GNOME TWEAKS single-user Ubuntu 20 installation, most of them will be found under / Now comes the unfortunately usr/share/applications. “What does very non-intuitive and still awkward that mean, and how do I get part of the process. We need to there?” I hear you ask. Well, we’re find the ‘.desktop’ files for any going to need to access some of applications we want to add to the the Linux system files that live desktop, and there are multiple outside our home directory, where possible locations where these most of our activity in Linux takes might be installed. place. Don’t worry, it’s not TOO scary. First, launch your file browser. This will be an icon on the Favorites FINDING OUR .DESKTOP launcher that looks like a file FILES folder. First, we have to find our way to Once in File Manager, click the the system’s root folder. This is not ‘hamburger’ menu in the upper intuitive in Ubuntu, but probably right (the one that looks like three on purpose, as most users never straight horizontal lines). This will If it isn’t already turned on, click need to navigate there. See the the checkbox to Show Hidden Files. Other Locations on the left hand Now you’ll see a number of files side of File Manager, at or near the and folders that start with a ‘.’ - this bottom? is how Linux denotes to the operating system that a file or Click that and you’ll see folder should normally remain ‘Computer’. This is the system root hidden from view. location. Click Computer on the right side, and you’ll see a series of The location of your ‘.desktop’ folders. Look for one that says ‘usr’, files will vary according to whether then double-click it. In ‘usr’, look or not your system is set up as a for ‘share’ and double-click it. Now full circle magazine #160 42 contents ^ EVERYDAY UBUNTU

In terms of keeping our desktop and you can also create subfolders relatively ‘clean’, we also can now within the ‘main’ folders to create folders on the desktop by represent subcategories, and right-clicking and selecting ‘New organize your desktop that way. Folder’: But don’t be afraid to make GNOME’s desktop your own, and make it work in a way that suits YOUR needs.

Now right-click the desktop icon Use the folders you create as These files contain information and select ‘Allow Launching’: categories (for example, ‘Games’ or for the applications they represent, ‘Office Applications’, where you that can be used to create your The icon, which was a generic can drag and drop your individual desktop icon. Since I like to play ‘gear’ icon, will now change to application shortcuts: chess, let’s right-click the reflect the application’s normal ‘3dchess.desktop’ file and select default icon and will be launchable. ‘Copy’. Now, minimize the File Finally, after all this, we have an Manager and you should see the icon for 3D Chess on our desktop: desktop, unless you need to minimize other programs. Once the desktop is visible, right-click on it Richard 'Flash' Adams spent about and select ’Paste’. You’ll get the 20 years in corporate IT. He lives in ‘gear icon’ generic looking file, but rural northwest Georgia, USA, with his adopted 'son', a cockatiel named we want to see the application’s Baby who now has a little brother, a specific icon: dusky-headed conure named Skittles.

full circle magazine #160 43 contents ^ UUBBPPOORRTTSS DDEEVVIICCEESS Written by UBports Team

full circle magazine #160 44 contents ^ full circle magazine #160 45 contents ^ MMYY SSTTOORRYY Written by Moss Bliss

K. I'm old. People ask me to snuck in from time to time to play trying. Commission of the States, and train O tell them about my journey either of the two computer games on the word processor they used, with Linux, but it goes back further on the system -- Star Trek and Fast forward to when I lived in which was NBI. That was a lot of than that. Hammurabi. I never got to play Star Denver the second time (1973- fun, and got me away from using Trek that much, and don't even 1978 was the first time, 1980-1990 just a typewriter. (My handwriting When I was a Senior in High remember the basic game play. the second). I had just gotten some was so poor that, in 7th grade, my School (1969), living in the Los amount of money, don't remember school waived a required course for Angeles area, we first heard about My interest in computers from what, and there was really me to take a semester of Typing. I pocket calculators. We laughed. continued about the same as my nothing I had to do with it. While I have been using a keyboard ever Who would want to pay $250 for life -- always intrigued, never could have saved it or something, I since, that would have been 1965). something to help you with basic jumping in with both feet. In 1978, I walked into a store which was math? Sure, the idea that took a class in BASIC at Alexander selling Texas Instruments TI99/4A In 1986 or 87, I met a woman computing had come that far was City State Junior College, Alex City, computers for $165, including a whom I eventually moved in with exciting. Alabama. I completed the first 6 cassette tape recorder, two game and married. She was a QA lessons (of 9) with top marks, but cartridges and two joysticks. While I engineer at Digital Electronics in I went to college, Sterling, lesson 7 required knowledge of wasn't really into games, I knew I Colorado Springs. She worked from Kansas. The school had a mid- trigonometry, of which I had none. wanted to be in computers. I got home at times, so I had access to frame computer, a new thing for Since I was insufferable getting the this system... and found the BASIC her VT-102 terminal and 2400 baud them, and was starting a computer first 6 lessons done, nobody employed was a bit rough, but I at modem when she wasn't at home. I science course. The computer was a wanted to help me. I ended the least managed to recreate some of would modem into the VAX cluster Buffalo I think, but it may have class incomplete, but the professor my better programs in college. But which she administered ... and play been a Mohawk, and was running gave me a C in the class anyhow to move forward, I needed to have Hack, a variant of Rogue. (I still play the brand new language, Fortran (my other classes were also disk drives. That required the Nethack, an updated version). Then 70. I was told I did not have incomplete, resulting in an Inc and Expansion Box... which was $400, I got involved in the BBS world, and sufficient math credits to get in, an F). Part of the reason was being empty – the drives cost extra. I a local sysop loaned me an IBM and the courses I needed to take to despondent about not being able never made it over that hump, and 5150 he wasn't using. (Eventually I catch up were filled with mostly to finish the BASIC class, part of it the TI eventually became purchased it from him). This athletes -- a group of individuals was it was too expensive to get to discarded. machine had the famous 8088 who always liked to bully me, and it and from school on what I made. I processor at 4.77 MHz, had was no different at this school. But even hitchhiked a number of days During this time, I also had a originally come with 256 KB RAM I had a friend in the computer when I didn't have gas money, but friend who got permission for me on the motherboard and two full- science department, and I got it got too depressing and I stopped to work in her office, Education height 5.25" floppy drives (double

full circle magazine #160 46 contents ^ MY STORY density). One of the floppy drives needed to upgrade. I found that my they were too daunting for me to which I insisted on. I'm not sure had been replaced with a half- 5150 box's 5 expansion slots were try. I've always been a bit timid, and what I was running at home at the height high density 5.25" floppy already obsolete, as the new as I said, I tended to let life happen time, but I was probably dual- drive and a 10 MB hard drive, and computers with 80286s had 8 slots to me rather than jumping in with booting to some version of Linux. there was also a RAM expansion and the new motherboards would both feet. So when I got a copy of We first got the 701 models, and card to improve its memory not fit into my old box. I managed Mandrake in 2002, and it loaded on then, when they turned out to be capacity to 640K (it literally could to get a new box, motherboard, my machine without me entering too small for some members, got go up to 720K, but DOS could and a few other items, and migrate the serial number of all my internal 901s. address only 640K so there were my cards, drives, and peripherals devices, I mean it JUST LOADED some chip slots left empty). So now into the new box. So now I had built and found everything, I was quite At some point, I got just so tired I'm running DOS 3.1, and getting my first computer, which was about happy. It wasn't good enough to of Windows that I went back to heavily into BBSing using Fidonet (I 1989. I was running DOS 3.3, and replace Windows for my uses -- I'm Linux. This time I went with used some Mustang BBSes as well, had just come upon a DOS just a typical desktop user who Ubuntu. I could use it for but didn't like them). I also extender called 4DOS which was mostly did Internet and word everything I needed, so I soon managed to swap my 10 MB hard exciting, and was running processing, not a coder or gamer (I stopped dual-booting. I joined drive, along with $100, for a 30 MB WordPerfect 5. have noted in my life that gamers LinuxQuestions 3/14/08 and hard drive. What would I do with all always have more expensive gear (with ) that space??? From that time on, I used PC than I can afford). And then I was 3/12/08. I was happy until, with clones. I had to use Windows 2 disappointed when an upgrade of 12.04, they moved to Unity In 1990, I moved to Michigan. At Runtime at one job, and it really Mandrake would not install on my Desktop. 12.04 would not install on the local library I stumbled upon was bad, but better than GEM machine. A short while later, I did my computer, and while people the 11th Edition of The Secret Desktop. I moved to several other find a copy of SuSE Linux (not long kept telling me that there were Guide to Computers (then 3 places, and upgraded my computer before they created openSuSE), ways to install 12.04 with a volumes). I was enthralled, and or bought used ones I could and it ran pretty well, but again, it different desktop, nothing I tried have nearly every edition they manage to afford. I remember one was dual-boot time, not time to worked. So it's back to Windows 7. published from the 18th up to 386 machine, and a 486 DX/2 I throw Windows over the rail just At this point, I was living in Blaine, about 2015, which is when I continued to own when I "moved" yet. TN, the first of 3 addresses there. I noticed that Russ Walter refused to to Asheville NC in 1998 (crashed my moved into Knoxville for a year, discuss Linux, and so it was no car there, and had no reason to In 2006, I was running Asheville and purchased a couple Windows 8 longer of as much value to me. I leave, long story). Homeless Network, and used some computers, which upgraded to 8.1. strongly recommend this book for of the funds we raised to get a few I was not happy. When I moved new users, and you can find most This is the time I was getting Asus EeePCs for the more stalwart back to Blaine, I had a Windows 7 of it for free online at https:// tired of Windows already, and members to have so that they Dell tower desktop, I don't even secretfun.com. started looking at Linux. I don't could have a better life and an remember what happened to those know when I got the Red Hat 5.1 easier time looking for work, These Win8 laptops. And then, Windows It wasn't too long before I book or the copy of , but computers had Linux on them, prodded and prodded for me to full circle magazine #160 47 contents ^ MY STORY upgrade to Windows 10. I did so. I much more I've learned in my time saw all the security holes people on mintCast, from our show and had talked about. I closed all the from listening to so many other ones I could, and found there were good Linux podcasts. And at some some which I could not close. I point, I bristled at being called a reverted to Windows 7, and found "dirty distrohopper" and decided to the holes that were opened in double down. I talked to my Windows 10 were still there. So I mintCast co-host Tony Hughes, and, got mad. I downloaded with his help (couldn't do it without 17, and deleted Windows. Forever. him), started Distrohppers' Digest podcast in April 2019. I've been running Mint since that time, with no Microsoft This discourse is void of lots of influences in my life (I changed Real Life Occurrences. I'm on my from Microsoft Office to SoftMaker 6th wife, have a long, fulfilling, and Office in 2008 while still running totally unsuccessful music career Windows, and kept it when I moved (CD available at https:// to Linux). I was completely mordewis.bandcamp.com), and impressed with how far Linux had have had more addresses than come, with Linux Mint 17, and some people have had pairs of started looking at other distros to shoes. It has been a fun ride with see if they had kept up. I have just barely enough success to stay found that most of them have, and alive. I also have not discussed the keep hopping in my multibooting myriad of tablets and phones I've life to check them out. had, but we all know that Android_is_not_Linux[TM]. In August 2018, I heard that mintCast was looking for new I hope you've enjoyed this trip hosts. I answered the call, with no down Memory Lane. There are prior knowledge of what I was bound to be omissions and doing, and Rob Watkins accepted inaccuracies in it, my memory is not my application. Of course, he my best feature. accepted ALL the applications, and set up online meetings to train the new crew -- whoever could show up got the job. I can't tell you how full circle magazine #160 48 contents ^ HHOOWW--TTOO Written by Ronnie Tucker WWrriittee FFoorr FFuullll CCiirrccllee MMaaggaazziinnee

GUIDELINES REVIEWS • Images should be JPG, no wider he single rule for an article is than 800 pixels, and use low T that it must somehow be compression. GAMES/APPLICATIONS linked to Ubuntu or one of the When reviewing games/applications please state clearly: many derivatives of Ubuntu • Do not use tables or any type of (Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, etc). bold or italic formatting. • title of the game • who makes the game • is it free, or a paid download? RULES If you are writing a review, • where to get it from (give download/homepage URL) please follow these guidelines : • is it Linux native, or did you use Wine? • There is no word limit for articles, • your marks out of five but be advised that long articles • a summary with positive and negative points may be split across several issues. When you are ready to submit your article please email it to: • For advice, please refer to the HARDWARE [email protected] Official Full Circle Style Guide: When reviewing hardware please state clearly: http://bit.ly/fcmwriting TRANSLATIONS • make and model of the hardware • Write your article in whichever • what category would you put this hardware into? software you choose, I would If you would like to translate • any glitches that you may have had while using the hardware? recommend LibreOffice, but most Full Circle into your native • easy to get the hardware working in Linux? importantly - PLEASE SPELL AND language please send an email to • did you have to use Windows drivers? GRAMMAR CHECK IT! [email protected] and • marks out of five we will either put you in touch with • a summary with positive and negative points • In your article, please indicate an existing team, or give you access where you would like a particular to the raw text to translate from. image to be placed by indicating With a completed PDF, you will be You don't need to be an expert to write an the image name in a new able to upload your file to the main paragraph or by embedding the Full Circle site. article - write about the games, applications image in the ODT (Open Office) and hardware that you use every day. document.

full circle magazine #160 49 contents ^ RREEVVIIEEWW Written by Gabriele Tettamanzi GGaalllliiuummOOSS 33..11

ack in 2014, I bought an Asus the documentation is crystal clear brings limited overhead on B C300, Intel Celeron N2840 2 and the pieces of software are Eventually a web search drew resources and great flexibility in cores 2.16GHz, 4GB Ram, 32GB working perfectly. my attention to GalliumOS, the setting it up to everyone’s taste internal storage, Bay Trail QUAWKS distro specifically dedicated to and needs; the team is backing 9 architecture, running Google Afterwards, I tested a number Chromebooks and Chromebox. different variations of the distro ChromeOS. of mainstream distros; however, for 9 different architectures of each and every distro I tested had GalliumOS 3.1 is based on Chromebooks and Chromeboxes. After some initial enthusiasm, the very same main issue: internal Ubuntu 18.04 and it is offering the mainly due to the lightness and the sound card not working. Xfce , which I tested the GalliumOS specific very long battery life, I left it almost unused: even if I added to it some Linux magics by setting up Crouton, actually it was a web browsing system.

Few months ago, ChromeOS support for this particular model came to an end: it was time to refresh that small rig with a new operating system.

I decided to eliminate ChromeOS and to install a new operating system, therefore, in order to enable EFI booting and to make the most of the hardware, I removed the write protection screw and I flashed a new firmware by MrChromebox firmware utility script (https://mrchromebox.tech/). By the way, it is worth mentioning that MrChromebox tools are great: full circle magazine #160 50 contents ^ REVIEW Bay Trail iso: everything was almost keys on the first keys row, which There’s a very limited number of working in the live system, even if hosts volume, brightness, screens, There are a few specific preinstalled applications out of the the internal sound card volume was etc. keys, and a second function GalliumOS themes, including icons box, keeping the system lean; as an very low on both speaker and activated by the search key in my and windows decorations, and example there are neither office headset output. case (overlay key). there’s the compositor Compton applications nor games running under the hood to grant a preinstalled. On the official website (https:// The touchpad is working nice looking and tearing-free user galliumos.org/) is to be found a smoothly, right-click is mapped as interface. I tweaked Compton We find two GUI package documentation section that, beside two fingers tap. Both keyboard parameters in its configuration file managers: the well known other useful pieces of information, mapping and touchpad in order to add some transparency Synaptic, and AppGrid, a visual gives very precise directions about configuration are precious features to window frames and inactive software boutique presenting the the installation process, which added by the GalliumOS team. windows. different applications in a grid, as could be dual-booting with the name is suggesting. I’m used to ChromeOS, full ISO installation, or Virtual Machine Installation.

As planned, I went with the full ISO installation.

The installer, , is the same as Ubuntu 18.04 except for the branding; it can be started from the live environment.

After a full update of the new system, and a reboot, GalliumOS was using around 395MB, around 0.5% of my small CPU, and about 5GB of internal storage; after installing the few apps I needed it was using about 6GB out of the 32GB available on the internal storage.

It was possible to choose a keyboard layout that enabled F full circle magazine #160 51 contents ^ REVIEW using the terminal for package utilities), Gimp (image editor), internal sound card; I fixed the two management, if I had to choose qbittorrent (torrent client), Olive of them by editing the PROS: between AppGrid and Synaptic, my (video editor), LibreOffice (office configuration file (HiFi.conf) of my preference goes to Synaptic, by far suite), Joplin (note taking tool), and card; furthermore GalliumOS • distro tailor-made for more responsive. Gdebi is available Chrome (web browser) to complete comes with a nice pulse audio Chromebooks and Chromeboxes. too, helpful to install packages not it. Oracle Virtualbox, which I interface panel applet, named • very responsive user interface. coming from the sources managed installed and used for Android pastray, which turned out to be the • limited resources usage, including by apt. emulation (see below), is working, reason for crackling or suddenly the internal storage. of course it is suffering from the muted sound; I replaced it with the • very good hardware support MenuLibre is pre-installed in limited hardware performance. standard Xfce volume applet and when compared to other distros. order to enable menu Snap packages are working, the issue disappeared. • large collection of software. customization, there’s Ristretto however they are significantly image viewer and Atril as pdf slower, especially when starting up, I tried to install Android reader. than the installed packages are. emulators (Anbox, Genymotion and CONS: AndroidX86) with the aim of Two media players are available, I’m definitely not a game player, running Android apps, however my • specific to my hardware, issues on for audio files and Mpv and we cannot expect high hardware is too weak to run them internal sound card out of the box. for videos. performance from a computer like decently – to be honest, I did not • it runs a GalliumOS kernel, this, however I tested Super Tux have Android apps support under apparently not connected with the The installed browser is Kart which runs well. ChromeOS, and I do not need them. Ubuntu 18.04 kernel maintenance , and the usual good system. Xfce tools are to be found: The project, including bug Maybe other distributions are Whiskers menu, Thunar file tracking, is hosted on Github and more polished than GalliumOS is, manager, Catfish for file searching, there’s a friendly community on the however the overall experience is Xfce Terminal emulator and the Reddit channel, r/GalliumOS. very good – with fast boot, Xfce Settings manager; inside it is There’s also an IRC channel, I never responsiveness, nice looking the last one, the panel manager, tested it. interface, and long battery life: I do offering different pre-organized not regret ChromeOS at all. layout with one or two panels. Till now, after two weeks of use, I had some issues with the internal Out of the box, GalliumOS sound card and I wasn’t able to use shows a lean desktop layout with a my smartphone in usb tethering bottom bar menu and no icons on mode. Expanding a bit on the the desktop. The collection of pre- sound card issues, out of the box installed software is essential, I the headset mic was not working added neofetch and htop (CLI and the volume was poor on full circle magazine #160 52 contents ^ If you would like to submit a letter for publication, compliment Join us on: or complaint, please email it to: [email protected]. LLEETTTTEERRSS PLEASE NOTE: some letters may be edited for space. facebook.com/ fullcirclemagazine

twitter.com/#!/fullcirclemag

linkedin.com/company/full- circle-magazine

ubuntuforums.org/ forumdisplay.php?f=270

FULL CIRCLE NEEDS YOU!

Without reader input Full Circle would be an empty PDF file (which I don't think many people would find particularly interesting). We are always looking for articles, reviews, anything! Even small things like letters and desktop screens help fill the magazine.

See the article Writing for Full Circle in this issue to read our basic guidelines.

Have a look at the last page of any issue to get the details of where to send your contributions.

full circle magazine #160 53 contents ^ If you have a Linux question, email it to: [email protected], QQ&&AA and Erik will answer them in a future issue. Please include as much Compiled by EriktheUnready information as you can about your query.

elcome back to another was just a cover for the blonde. I Sometimes you can’t fix stupid, and : I have a Lenovo 80L0 laptop W edition of Questions and would get calls daily regarding they will blame the IT systems, Q with Xubuntu 18.04 and I find Answers! In this section, we will printers. This specific individual even though said IT systems work that my fan runs a lot. I open up my endeavour to answer your Ubuntu could not get printers under the as intended. task manager and I see gluqio questions. Be sure to add details of belt. She would print until the running more than one instance the version of your operating output tray of the printer was full and each running 15-20% of my 2 system and your hardware. I will try and when it stopped printing (or Cpu’s. I don’t find anything in the to remove any personally ran out of paper), would log a : Is it worthwhile getting the man pages and when I type glu and identifiable strings from questions, support call. (Sometimes the same Q latte panda? double tab, there is no result. Do I but it is best not to include things document 500 times, which was have malware and how do I get rid like serial numbers, UUID’s or IP “never her fault, but the : No. You can buy 2 laptops of it? addresses. If your question does computer’s”). No matter how many A with more powerful not appear immediately, it is just times I showed her why it stopped processors, for less than a Latte : Actually it is gluqlo, which is because there is such a lot, and I do printing, and to remove the paper Panda (maybe if the price drops?). A part of the screen savers, a flip them ‘first-come-first-served’. in time, it went in one ear and out clock IIRC. Xubuntu has a history the other. She could also not with screen savers getting stuck or t one stage I worked for an differentiate between printers : Guys, I am running Linux Mint not terminating correctly when you A automation company. The marked “accounting” and “hallway” Q and I am trying to upgrade to move the mouse or tap a key. The turnover on accountants was high. and “drawing office” (even after a the latest version of via process is not critical and you can Strangely enough, the accountants few sessions of explaining that PPA, but I cannot get it to work. It kill it. were museum pieces, total “accounting” was for confidential just won’t recognize the PPA. Can popcorn toppers (now I am not documents, “hallway” was for mass you help me out with this? saying grey power is not a thing, printing, and “drawing office” for : I may be stupid here, but I but I suspect some of these had odd sizes and drawings). : Short answer is you need a Q can’t seem to get rid of the not even seen a computer before). Eventually, this individual was A different version of Mint. spaghetti fonts on my system. If I As the company had no IT, they responsible for printing the salaries LMDE does not work with PPA’s. If open the fonts application, it lists used one of the other divisions, to the hallway printer and drawing you want to keep the Debian all the fonts, but I see only an info which actually was another office printer, over and over and version, you need to build it from button. Delete key has no effect. company where I worked. The one over, as it did not appear on the source. There is no right-click. Opening it as accountant who had retired from accounting printer. This, in turn, root has no effect. our previous accounting firm came had the effect of a mass to work for us. The grey, however, resignation by staff (almost half).

full circle magazine #160 54 contents ^ Q&A : The fonts application is just the did not show. support 64-bit. You will have to get How can I now see the other hard A for you to see what the How is that happening? an “Ubuntu spin” that is 32-bit, to drive, the 1TB? installed fonts look like; you need partake in the 20.04 goodness (if at to install a font manager if you : OK, the first part, you can’t, all). At this stage of the game, I : Open your “disks” application want to delete any. A not that I know of, but you can cannot tell you which, but keep A if you need to format it. install “appgrid” which allows more your peepers peeled for a 32-bit Uninitialised volumes do not categories and sub-categories than respin. usually show up in the file manager. : I have installed sublime text the software centre. Their Q on Ubuntu to follow along on a development category is broken tutorial, but if I try to launch it down into languages as sub- : I thought I shouldn't learn : My Lenovo laptop is a decade from the command-line – I try categories. The only catch is you Q python because everyone is Q old, and I want to run sublime or sublimetext – I simply need to page via the arrows on the trying to learn it - I want to make lmsensors/ psensors on it to get “sublime: command not found”. right, I am not sure if mouse fast programs. Also, I want to be a monitor it, as it is so old. Problem I have only recently upgraded from scrolling is supported. The second pro programmer. So I chose Rust. is, it installs, but I get nothing. Not windows, so I am still a bit shaky. part, I would say that the update Do you think it is wrong to think even a blip. No temps, no fan, etc. came through just after you did the like that? Rust will teach me what is : I am not sure why you would other one? I use the command-line going on behind the scenes? I have : Microsoft. The vendor and A need to launch Sublime Text to update so I cannot really vouch heard python can’t teach that. A Microsoft worked together from the command-line, but it is for the GUI versions, but that is the (colluded?) so that it works only simply: only thing I can think of that may : Whew. I am no programmer, with Windows. Other than writing cause that, as all the updates are A but here goes. Both Python the device drivers yourself, write it subl not released at once. and Rust are high-level off to that. Some things are just programming languages and won’t not to be. really teach you what is “behind the (That's not my experience with my : I can’t seem to find 20.04 32- scenes”. For that, you need to learn old Lenovo laptops. I use sensors : My question is two-fold. How Q Q bit release. I see that it was assembler. That will also write the (part of lmsensors) with Conky. - can I get the software centre to discontinued. I have an Acer laptop fastest programs. However, do not Gord) display everything about web with 32-bit Ubuntu, and was write off Python. Go ahead and development or java in one place. planning on upgrading as soon as learn Rust, it seems a lot of the “big How can I group them or create my the new LTS was being released. players” are moving that way. : What is the best way to check own views? Developer tools only For some reason I can’t load 64-bit, Q out my CPU on Ubuntu, I have gives me “all” or “ide’s.” This is not it always crashes, but 32-bit works. tried inxi, neofetch, and checked ideal. Then sometimes I do updates My Specs: CPU: T2250, MEM: 2GB : I have an HP 14Z laptop that procinfo, but it’s kinda lacking, if via the software updater, and, once Q came with a 30GB SSD for you know what I mean? it is done, I go to the software : That is very strange, to be caching on windows. I installed centre and there is an update that A sure, as that machine should Ubuntu 20.04 on it and it works. full circle magazine #160 55 contents ^ Q&A : Actually, I don’t, but if you Ubuntu 16.04 tho. Because it froze, it did not write A want more info on your any log files either. So now how do I : Quick one. I am currently processor, I suggest you look at : Yes, with very expensive know what is causing it? Q using ultraviewer to connect to “GPU-Z” or “GPU-X”. Get back to me A software or take it to a data my mom’s windows PC. The thing is if this is not what you are looking recovery centre. : You can try uninstalling java / that I no longer want to keep a for. A openjdk / JRE for a start, but I windows virtual machine in had the same issues, so I put Zorin Vmware just for that, as VMWare : I have a question that may aside and will check out the next slows down Ubuntu 18.04 to a : I have set up quite an Q sound stupid. How do you guys version. crawl. My machine has 8 GB of Q extensive hosts file in Ubuntu. I know what the PID of a process is memory, but it is only an . How have been noticing that Firefox is to kill it. A lot of times in Xubuntu, I can I run ultraviewer in proton or not respecting my hosts file lately use the task manager to kill a : How can I change my audio whatever to make it work? (blocked domains are spewing their process that is stuck, but that ends Q settings in Ubuntu Gnome to nonsense all over my web pages). up stuck too. How do I find that PID run my headphones and my : You have me there, have you Do I need to switch to Brave now or to kill it? speakers on my dell 5490 laptop A considered a Linux-friendly something? please? It is a built-in sound card alternative like Wayke or Anydesk? : I am not sure I follow, but I with a 3.5mm jack, one jack only. I They work great on both OS’s. : You can’t have your cake and A think I understand. If you use a have googled all over, looking for A eat it. Either you rely on your graphical program to end another the answer, and even stack- hosts file or you use encrypted program, and that does not kill it, overflow cannot help me. : How can I run Gparted on DNS inside of Firefox. I hope this but seems to sit there doing Q Ubuntu without sudo? I want to can be fixed in the future, but for nothing? Well, your fallback is the : I am sure we have had this format some SD cards. now it’s one or the other. Turn it terminal. You can kill the process A before, but here goes: You off in the Firefox settings if you with -9 as . Also, task simply can not. I will tell you why. : You can’t as you need root prefer your own. manager is just another process, if The laptop you are using is a A access to perform destructive you want to kill that. You can find business-class laptop. Corners are operations. Does ‘disks’ not work its PID with top or htop. cut. The 3.5mm jack just interrupts for you? : I kinda had a drive failure in the flow of electricity to the Q my array, but it is el-cheapo, so speakers. In other words, it re- it had no light to point out which Q: I installed ZorinOS on my routes the “traffic” to your drive failed. I can’t access it anyway. machine and it is beautiful. The headphones, physically (ie, Erik has been in IT for 30+ years. He So I removed the drives and tested one thing that gets my goat is software won’t make a difference). has seen technology come and go. them one by one. Now I can’t whenever I use it, it will randomly You need to look for an external From repairing washing machine remember in which order they go freeze or hang. Sometimes I can sound card that is well supported sized hard drives with multimeters and oscilloscopes, laying cable, to back in. Is there a way for me to use it for an hour, and sometimes in Linux. scaling 3G towers, he's done it. recover my data? I am still on one minute before it freezes. full circle magazine #160 56 contents ^ UUBBUUNNTTUU GGAAMMEESS Written by Erik TToonniigghhtt WWee RRiioott

Website: waited for the melody to finish. Go flag runner. Somehow it reminds can be an enemy too, so choose https://tonightweriot.com/ listen here: https:// me of ‘river city ransom’, another your path well. Objects on screen Price: $15 on GOG / Itch.io www.youtube.com/watch? pixelated beat-em-up. You move can be moved or destroyed, the v=W9Lrw5OOn1Uv - The music is from left to right on the screen and choice is yours, but again, realise Blurb: “tonight we riot is a top notch. The synthwave genre beat up any cops in your way, to that an exploding propane tank revolutionary crowd brawler about takes the retro rumble to a liberate the workers. After you will kill anyone near it. Your worker liberation and lobbing futuristic retro rumble. The game have liberated all the workers in progress is measured on an molotovs at mech suits & crazy sounds are there and they are one section, you will reach the end overhead map, a-la Mario. You can bosses!“ okay, I suppose, but I would and the rich bosses will flee in skip a level at any time and go suggest that you leave the music terror. You will get rated on how directly to the next. and on. (Honestly, I was expecting well you did and how many of your Katyusha or something similar, so followers survived. That is the main This is a single-player game or a “In a dystopia where wealthy the music was the surprise). game loop. Every level, there are two-player game. You and your capitalists control elections, media, new enemies and new weapons, to partner in crime or fellow and the lives of working people, With that out of the way, what keep things interesting. It is not revolutionary, get to wield we’re faced with two choices -- is Tonight We Riot? In essence, it is only the police and the wealthy weapons and fists as well as accept it or fight for something a beat-em-up where you are the that are your enemies. The terrain projectiles. Every so often you will better. (Isn’t that what we have encounter some helpful bricks or now???? -E) Molotov cocktails on the road. You can earn weapons by keeping your onight We Riot doesn’t have followers alive, things like baseball T just one hero. Instead, you play bats or wrenches. That said, you as a movement of people whose better not die either. You have the wellbeing determines the success standard health bar and weapons of your revolution.” type indicator. If you die, another revolutionary takes over, until none Time to don our socialist big girl are “left” or left... pants and take on the PoPo!! Different weapons on either The first thing I want to talk side have different effects, for about is the sound. I let the intro instance, tear gas will make your play all the way through and crowd disperse, where bullets will

full circle magazine #160 57 contents ^ UBUNTU GAMES - TONIGHT WE RIOT kill them. Not everything is static as better option here is just characters are well drawn. you move from left to right either, mindlessly mash your buttons and The question now remains, is it vans filled with riot police will ride bumpers. The game is challenging, and worth the $15. Well if you are in a onto the screen and offload some not for those with OCD. You cannot country where fifteen bucks is cops. Water cannons will counter The graphics are a bit of a mixed save all your comrades all the time. fifteen bucks, sure. The thing is if your ranged attacks. Now even if bag for me; some of the pixel art is Though you can try, I suggest you you are in another country, where this is a cheeky game, with lots of gorgeous and some looks very lazy. do not worry too much; the fifteen bucks is two hundred bucks, violence and killing cops, one Especially the characters. They look pixelated murder, and mayhem, then maybe not. Try to look for should remember to take it with a like an afterthought that is stuck should just be part of the regional pricing. pinch of salt. (When you want to hit between 8-bit an 16-bit graphics. background noise, while you enjoy a dog, you will find a stick). Some of the stages and vehicles the ruckus. It is a barrel of fun, have a really stunning look to them, nonetheless, so whip out those Though there is an option to and others are not so good. capitalist dollars and buy this play this game by keyboard, I would Somewhere along the line you even game. Trust me, you will have a suggest getting a controller, as this have a dog join your cause. It would riot, one way or another. *wink. I Erik has been in IT for 30+ years. He was designed around a controller. have been spectacular if there was have the GOG version, and has seen technology come and go. From repairing washing machine It is meant to be a fast paced, beat- more detail; at the moment, the everything worked great as sized hard drives with multimeters em-up, endless runner, and this is dog reminds me of Snoopy, badly expected on Ubuntu. Touch wood, and oscilloscopes, laying cable, to where a gamepad shines. It is not drawn. The news is a nice touch and but so far I haven’t had an issue scaling 3G towers, he's done it. that the game is unplayable with advances the story as you play. The with the GOG installer on Ubuntu the keyboard, far from it, the shiny news anchors and other 14 through 18.

full circle magazine #160 58 contents ^ PPAATTRROONNSS

MONTHLY PATRONS Paul Readovin Glenn Nelson Rob Fitzgerald The current site was created thanks to Alex Crabtree Roy Milner Lucas Westermann (ex-Command & Alex Popescu Scott Mack Conquer) who took on the task of Andy Garay Sony Varghese completely rebuilding the site, and scripts, from scratch, in his own time. Bill Berninghausen Tom Bell Brian Bogdan Tony The Patreon page is to help pay the CBinMV Vincent Jobard domain and hosting fees. The yearly Darren Volker Bradley target was quickly reached thanks to William von Hagen those listed on this page. The money Dennis Mack also helps with the new mailing list that Devin McPherson Taylor Conroy I set up. Doug Bruce Elizabeth K. Joseph Several people have asked for a PayPal SINGLE DONATIONS (single donation) option, so I’ve added a Eric Meddleton button to the right side of the website George Smith 2020: Henry D Mills alex moro A big thank you to all those who’ve Hugo Sutherland used Patreon and the PayPal button. Ronald Eike It’s a HUGE help. Jack ALEXANDRU POPESCU Joao Cantinho Lopes Linda Prinsen John Andrews Glenn Heaton John Malon Jon Loveless https://www.patreon.com/ fullcirclemagazine John Prigge Frank Dinger Jonathan Pienaar Raymond Mccarthy JT Daniel Rojo Kevin O'Brien Frits van Leeuwen Lee Allen Peter Swentzel https://paypal.me/ronnietucker Leo Paesen Anthony Cooper Linda P Dale Reisfield Gavin Thompson Norman Phillips Brian Kelly Oscar Rivera Ronald Eike https://donorbox.org/recurring- Paul Anderson Michael Grugel monthly-donation full circle magazine #160 59 contents ^ Full Circle Team

HHOOWW TTOO CCOONNTTRRIIBBUUTTEE Editor - Ronnie Tucker [email protected] FCM#161 Webmaster - FULL CIRCLE NEEDS YOU! Deadline: [email protected] A magazine isn't a magazine without articles and Full Circle is no Sunday 06th Sept. 2020. exception. We need your opinions, desktops, stories, how-to's, reviews, Release: Editing & Proofreading and anything else you want to tell your fellow *buntu users. Send your Friday 25th Sept. 2020. articles to: [email protected] Mike Kennedy, Gord Campbell, Robert Orsino, Josh Hertel, Bert Jerred, Jim We are always looking for new articles to include in Full Circle. For help and advice please Dyer and Emily Gonyer see the Official Full Circle Style Guide: http://bit.ly/fcmwriting Our thanks go to Canonical, the many Send your comments or Linux experiences to: [email protected] translation teams around the world Hardware/software reviews should be sent to: [email protected] and Thorsten Wilms for the FCM logo. Questions for Q&A should go to: [email protected] Desktop screens should be emailed to: [email protected] ... or you can visit our site via: fullcirclemagazine.org Getting Full Circle Magazine: For the Full Circle Weekly News: EPUB Format - Most editions have a link to the epub file on You can keep up to date with the Weekly News using the RSS that issue's download page. If you have any problems with feed: http://fullcirclemagazine.org/feed/podcast the epub file, email: [email protected] Or, if you're out and about, you can get the Weekly News via Issuu - You can read Full Circle online via Issuu: Stitcher Radio (Android/iOS/web): http://issuu.com/fullcirclemagazine. Please share and rate http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=85347&refid=stpr FCM as it helps to spread the word about FCM and Ubuntu. and via TuneIn at: http://tunein.com/radio/Full-Circle-Weekly- News-p855064/

FCM PATREON : https://www.patreon.com/fullcirclemagazine

full circle magazine #160 60 contents ^