Cover Theme: Best of Linux Magazine 2024

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Best of Linux Magazine 2024

This special issue gathers a selection of the best and most practical articles from recent editions of Linux Magazine. Whether you're new to Linux or a seasoned veteran, you'll find something useful in the tips, tools, and technologies inside.

Node-RED
Node-RED lets you connect ready-made code building blocks to create event-driven applications with little or no code writing.

ChatGPT Clients
Do you think ChatGPT only works in your web browser? You can also access the global chat phenomenon from your desktop -- or even from the Linux command line.

Getting Started with Git
Git comes up all the time in discussions of Linux, but in our new world of repositories and package managers, many users are still unfamiliar with it. Read on to get started with this powerful version control environment.

Git Cheat Sheet
Frequently used Git commands at a glance.

Upscayl
Want to create a poster from an everyday photo image? Upscayl uses state-of-the-art AI algorithms to scale up images without loss.

Virtual Memory
Virtual memory makes your system safer and more efficient. But what is it really? We take a look inside this powerful feature that is built into Linux.

Xidel
Xidel lets you easily extract and process data from XML, HTML, and JSON documents.

Shell Genie
Shell Genie uses artificial intelligence to convert your questions into commands in the terminal.

Programming Snapshot -- Google Drive Search Tool
To help check his Google Drive files with three different pattern matchers, Mike builds a command-line tool in Go to maintain a meta cache.

E-Commerce Solution
Thirty bees offers a feature rich, open source e-commerce solution for setting up your online store.

Attacking SSH
Sometimes the only way to break into an SSH server is through brute force -- and yes, there are tools for that.

Security and Privacy Extensions
Many hands are hard at work on problems of Internet security and privacy. If you're looking to lock down your surfing experience, try these privacy-focused browser extensions.

Laptop Security
Linux is quite secure compared to the alternatives, but you'll need a few additional steps if you really want to lock it down. We'll introduce you to some practical tools for antivirus protection, firewall configuration, and sandboxing.

strace and Firejail
Software from unknown sources always poses some risks. With the strace analysis tool and the Firejail sandbox, you can monitor and isolate unknown applications to safeguard your system.

Tutorial -- Zint
Zint converts text, contact data, URLs, WiFi access credentials, and more into easily distributable barcodes or QR codes at the push of a button.

Photo Collages
Limited software exists for designing photo collages on Linux. Depending on your needs, PhotoCollage and Fotowall can help you create appealing collages.

Artisan Keycaps
Artisan keycaps elevate the mechanical to the magnificent.

Cover Theme: LibreOffice Expert

Order Here!

Dive deep into the world's greatest free office suite!

Why pay for an office productivity suite? LibreOffice is totally free, and it runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

This single volume includes tutorials on all the core tools of the LibreOffice suite.

If you’re ready to explore the possibilities, get productive, and dial up the quality of your documents, LibreOffice Expert will serve as your guide!

LibreOffice Writer
Writer, LibreOffice's word-processor component, is more than just a text editor. With its powerful styles system, you can build detailed and elegant documents for business and personal use.

LibreOffice Calc
LibreOffice Calc offers the functionality of Excel with added benefits.

LibreOffice Impress
Need to impress your boss with the latest sales stats? Or just show off some holiday photos in an eye-catching format? Impress is the tool you need.

LibreOffice Draw
With LibreOffice Draw, you can create attractive and informative vector-based drawings.

LibreOffice Base
We show you how to set up a database in LibreOffice Base and search it with SQL queries embedded in forms.

LibreOffice Math
The LibreOffice Math package lets you display simple and complex formulas.

LibreOffice Extensions
You can extend the power of LibreOffice with over 350 useful extensions.

LibreOffice Templates
LibreOffice templates can save you time with formatting your documents, so you can focus on the important stuff.

LibreOffice Macros with ScriptForge
ScriptForge helps you automate LibreOffice by building portable macros.

Charts
Everybody needs charts sooner or later, and LibreOffice Calc is the easiest way to create them with free and open source software.

LibreOffice Calc Pivot Tables
Pivot tables let you sort, rearrange, group, and perform calculations on your spreadsheet data. We help you get started with this powerful tool.

Tips & Tricks
Once you're familiar with LibreOffice's main components, you can optimize your use of LibreOffice with these tips and tricks.

Hidden Gems of LibreOffice
Discover some hidden and lesser known LibreOffice features.

Open Source Fonts
With so many open source fonts available, how do you choose the right one? We provide an overview of the most common open source fonts along with some tips on choosing the best one to meet your needs.

OpenDocument
The OpenDocument standard is an important reason for the success of LibreOffice.

Digital Signatures
By adding a digital signature, you can boost your document's security.

LibreOffice Typography
LibreOffice Writer is a serviceable desktop publisher with more typography features than most users imagine.

LibreOffice Community
Who makes LibreOffice? How does everyone work together? And what are they working on? Here's an update on what's happening in the global LibreOffice community.

Cover Theme: Cool Linux Hacks

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Improve your Linux skills with this cool collection of expert tips and shortcuts. 

This Linux Magazine Special Edition promises you “Cool Linux Hacks,” and we’ll certainly deliver. But what exactly is a hack? In today’s world where Windows is the dominant desktop operating system, the decision to use Linux is the first and most important hack.

See below for the complete list of hacks.

Images & Videos
Hack 1 Switcheroo: Image Converter
Hack 2 Pitivi: Video Editor
Hack 3 Flowblade: Video Editor
Hack 4 LibrePCB 1.0.0: Circuit Designer
Hack 5 Graphite: Vector Image Editor
Hack 6 Gyroflow: Video Stabilizer
Hack 7 ImageMagick: convert
Hack 8 ImageMagick: Copyright and Co
Hack 9 Manage Your Photography Workflow with darktable
Hack 10 LosslessCut 15
Audio Magic
Hack 11 Firefly Synth: Polyphonic Sound Generation
Hack 12 JC303: Synth Bass
Hack 13 Faircamp: Music Platform
Hack 14 Seq66: MIDI Sequencer and Looper
Hack 15 ShowMIDI: MIDI Data Viewer
Hack 16 MidiEditor: MIDI Data Editor
Hack 17 Quetzalcoatl: Vector Synthesizer
Hack 18 Cardinal: Modular Synth Rack
Hack 19 Friture: Audio Analysis
Hack 20 Sointu: Modular Synth Tracker
Hack 21 Wavetable: Wavetable Synth
Hack 22 Drumscript: Command-Line Drums
Hack 23 osci-render: Oscilloscope Music
Hack 24 Ardour 8: Music Workstation
Hack 25 Daphile Audio Server
Emulation
Hack 26 Run macOS in a Virtual Machine
Hack 27 Run DOS Programs in DOSBox-X
Hack 28 Bring Back the Commodore Amiga
Hack 29 Type CP/M Commands Like It's 1984
Hack 30 Qemu: Machine Emulator/Virtualizer
Hack 31 x48ng: HP-48 Emulator
Hack 32 MAME 0.260: Arcade Emulator
Hack 33 Get Nostalgic with BBC BASIC
Hack 34 Use Online OS Emulators
Networking
Hack 35 Quick and Dirty HTTP/FTP Server Setup
Hack 36 Transmission 4 (BitTorrent Client)
Hack 37 Hasty Paste 1.9.0: Simple Online Clipboard
Hack 38 Neon Modem Overdrive: Terminal Forum Access
Hack 39 Trippy: Network Analysis
Hack 40 internetarchive: Command-Line Access
Hack 41 TheDesk: Mastodon Client
Hack 42 goread: Terminal RSS Reader
Hack 43 Rymdport: Secure File Transfers
Hack 44 WeeChat 4: IRC Client
Hack 45 Tiny Tiny RSS: RSS Hosting
Hack 46 gping: Visual Ping
Security
Hack 47 Privacy Badger
Hack 48 Ghostery -- Privacy Ad Blocker
Hack 49 sbctl: Secure Boot Manager
Hack 50 Cryptomator: File Encryption
Hack 51 Monitor a Program with strace and ltrace
Hack 52 Run Apps in Boxed Mode with Boxxy
Hack 53 Improve DNS Privacy with DNS-over-TLS
Hack 54 Check Your Downloads
Hack 55 Secure Your Notebook
Hack 56 Strip Metadata from Your Files
Hack 57 Detect Hidden Processes
File Formats
Hack 58 ebread 0.1: Convert Ebook Text to Plain Text
Hack 59 Durdraw: ASCII Art Editor
Hack 60 Librum: Ebook Reader
Hack 61 Ruffle: Flash Player
Hack 62 termdbms: Database Editor
Hack 63 ASCII Art Converter: ASCII Art
Hack 64 Alexandria: Ebook Reader
Hack 65 tone: Audio Metadata Editor
Hack 66 fx: JSON Viewer
Hack 67 Mount ISO Images with a Mouse Click
Hack 68 Get Information About ISO Images
Hack 69 Look Inside Package Files
Hack 70 What File Format Is That?
Education
Hack 71 Learn Game Development on the TIC-80
Hack 72 GCompris: Learning Games for Kids
Hack 73 GPlates: Plate Tectonics
Hack 74 Explore Space with Celestia
Hack 75 BOOLR: Logic Simulator
Hack 76 Learn the vi Editor Basics
Hack 77 The Command Line Murders: Terminal
Shell
Hack 78 Use the Pager That Can Do the Most
Hack 79 Find Your Favorite Terminal
Hack 80 Save Your SSH Sessions with screen
Hack 81 ssc: Script Compiler
Hack 82 envio: Environment Variable Manager
Hack 83 Shell Genie: Use AI to Generate Shell Input
Hack 84 Atuin: Shell History Database
Hack 85 nav: Filesystem Navigator
Hack 86 walk: Terminal Navigator
Hack 87 codespelunker: Command-Line Search
Hack 88 Improve Shell Performance by Swearing
Hack 89 Record Your Shell Session
Development
Hack 90 Get Started with the C Language
Hack 91 Try Helix, the Modern Vim Alternative
Hack 92 Geany 2: Programming Editor
Hack 93 tio: Serial Communications
Hack 94 microStudio: Game Development
Hack 95 Create 2D and 3D Games with Fyrox
Hack 96 Write Code in JupyterLab Notebooks
Hack 97 Godbolt Compiler Explorer
Games
Hack 98 Play Widelands, a Great Real-Time
         Strategy Game
Hack 99 Endless Sky: Space Trading and Combat
Hack 100 CorsixTH: Hospital Game 90
Hack 101 The Ur-Quan Masters: Space Adventure
Hack 102 chess-tui: Command-Line Chess
Hack 103 Zero-K: Multiplayer RTS
Hack 104 MojoZork: Interactive Fiction
Hack 105 Brogue CE: Classic Roguelike
Hack 106 Amnesia -- The Dark Descent Redux:
         HPC Games Engine
Hack 107 Zatikon: Strategy Game
Hack 108 HeadSetControl: Use Gaming Headsets on Linux
Hack 109 Jazz2 Resurrection: Classic Platform
Hack 110 AstroMenace: 3D Shooter
Hack 111 Linux Air Combat: Flight Simulator
Hack 112 Hypersomnia: Multiplayer Shooter
Hack 113 Qonquest 2
Hack 114 Thorium Nova

Questions? Email subs@linux-magazine.com

Cover Theme: Hands-on Projects for Makers

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Hands-On Projects for Makers

Welcome to MakerSpace #04, an all new collection of exciting, hands-on projects! At Maker Space, we care about technology that lets you build your own stuff. It is where you can bring your ideas to life.

Projects

DIY Alarm Clock
A few electronic components, some code, and a handmade wooden case make a fine retro-style bedside clock.

Smart Home Info Center
You don't need much to create a smart home information center -- just a Raspberry Pi Pico, an ePaper panel, a battery, and some Python.

DIY Lenticular Camera
You can take lenticular images with a homemade camera to recreate the "wiggle" pictures of your childhood.

Raspberry Pi Pet Camera
A Raspberry Pi, a Pi-compatible camera, and a mesh VPN are all you need to watch your pets from afar.

Gesture-Controlled Book
Use gestures instead of getting your device dirty. Have you found yourself following instructions on a device for repairing equipment or been halfway through a recipe, up to your elbows in grime or ingredients and then needed to turn or scroll down a page?

DJI Ryze Tello
Drones are more fun if you can program the unmanned aerial vehicle yourself. The DJI Ryze Tello and Python make this possible.

TensorFlow AI on the Pi
You don't need a powerful computer system to use AI. We show what it takes to benefit from AI on the Raspberry Pi and what tasks the small computer can handle.

Automation

ESPHome
With an ESP32 or Raspberry Pi Pico W microcontroller board, you can easily create your own home automation devices. Thanks to ESPHome, you don't even have to be a programmer.

Greenhouse Control
You can safely assign some greenhouse tasks to a Raspberry Pi Pico W, such as controlling ventilation, automating a heater, and opening and closing windows.

Smart Home with Zigbee
The RaspBee II module turns your Raspberry Pi into a smart control center for Zigbee devices.

Home Assistant with MQTT
Automating your four walls does not necessarily require commercial solutions. With a little skill, you can develop your own projects on a low budget.

Retro Computing

ZX Spectrum Next
After the ZX Spectrum Next development team at SpecNext ended their second successful Kickstarter campaign in 2020, backers had to wait until Christmas 2023 to put a new 8-bit computer under the tree. Was it worth the wait?

Commodore OS Vision 2
Commodore is back: First a computer case via Kickstarter brings back the "bread box" form factor but lets you put a Mini-ITX PC mainboard inside, and now there's a new Linux distribution that fits that setup perfectly.

BCPL
The venerable BCPL procedural structured programming language is fast to compile, is reliable and efficient, offers a wide range of software libraries and system functions, and is available on several platforms, including the Raspberry Pi.

Programming

Customizing an LED Display
The Ulanzi TC001 is a low-budget LED display that lets you customize the firmware and add some homemade scripts.

Node-RED
Node-RED lets you connect ready-made code building blocks to create event-driven applications with little or no code writing.

Python and Node-RED
Adding Python to your Node-RED arsenal lets you create easy Raspberry Pi robotic and IoT projects.

Low-Code with Snap4Arduino
Snap4Arduino brings the power of low-code programming to the Arduino hardware environment.

Arduino CLI
When programming an Arduino microcontroller board for the first time, most people use the Arduino IDE. However, if you prefer the command line, you have a powerful alternative: Arduino CLI.

Cover Theme: Supercharge Your Linux Skills

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Think like the experts: The powerful Bash shell provides a comprehensive collection of utilities for configuring and troubleshooting Linux systems.

Before the icons, menus, and wobbly windows of the modern Linux user environment, users managed and interacted with their systems from the command line. Many advanced users still prefer to work from the keyboard, and many will tell you that exploring the command-line environment is the best way to build a deeper understanding of Linux.

The Linux Shell Handbook is a thorough primer on the Bourne Again Shell (Bash) environment found on most Linux systems. You’ll learn to navigate, manipulate text, work with regular expressions, and customize your Bash settings. We’ll show you shell utilities for configuring hardware, setting up users and groups, managing processes, and installing software – and we’ll even help you get started creating your own Bash scripts to automate recurring tasks. Keep the Linux Shell Handbook beside your computer as a permanent desktop reference on the world of the terminal window.

Also in this must-have special issue:

• Introducing Bash
• File Management
• Search Tools
• Regular Expressions
• Pipes and Redirection
• Customizing Bash
• Text Manipulation Tools
• Hardware Configuration
• fdisk, gdisk, and parted
• Configuring Filesystems
• mount and fstab
• Time Tools
• Users and Groups
• Accessing Permissions
• su and sudo
• systemd
• Managing Processes
• Package Management
• dd and mkmisofs/genisoimage/xorrisofs
• Networking Tools
• Internet Tools
• SSH
• Rsync
• Cron and At
• Bash Scripting
• Images and PDFs

Questions? Email subs@linux-magazine.com

Cover Theme: Getting Started with Linux – 2023 Edition

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More Powerful, More Secure, More Fun!

“Getting Started with Linux” offers you all you need to install and explore the powerful Linux operating system. Join the Linux revolution!

Getting Started

Installing openSUSE
We show you how to install Linux using the openSUSE Leap DVD attached to this issue. Whether you keep an old operating system (and create a multi-boot machine) or wipe the old system, is your choice.

Configuring Your System
The openSUSE control center (YaST) lets you perform several tasks, from installing software and adding new users, to setting up complex services.

Security
Lock down your system and tweak your security settings with openSUSE's on-board tools.

Plasma Desktop
OpenSUSE's KDE Plasma desktop is not only pretty, it is also piled high with cool features.

Linux Crash Course
A tour of some important Linux concepts will help you start to think like an experienced user.

In-Depth

Multimedia Players
Watch videos, play music, and stream Internet radio stations.

Virtual Windows 11
If you need a Windows app on Linux, you don’t have to boot Windows. Just run Windows in a VirtualBox window.

Bag of Tricks
From updating to the latest version of Firefox and making USB storage devices work to restoring your system to an earlier state, we bring you practical advice.

End of Life
Learn why you should upgrade your Linux installation when it reaches its "End of Life."

Desktop

KDE's Personal Information Managers
KDE Plasma's PIM tools help you organize your contacts, calendars, and email efficiently.

digiKam
Manage your photo collection with this useful desktop tool.

Firefox
For many users, the web browser is the most important application.

LibreOffice
LibreOffice is an open source office suite with a word processor, database, spreadsheet, presentation tool, and more.

Photo Processing with Gimp
Touch up your digital images with the Gimp image processing tool.

Gaming

Games on Linux
Linux supports a variety of games and game platforms.

Fun With Docker
Docker is an important tool in the virtualization world. But there's also a fun side to it. For example, you can run old games in Docker containers.

Questions? Email subs@linux-magazine.com

Cover Theme: LibreOffice Expert

Order Here!

Dive deep into the world's greatest free office suite!

Why pay for an office productivity suite? LibreOffice is totally free, and it runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

This single volume includes tutorials on all the core tools of the LibreOffice suite.

If you’re ready to explore the possibilities, get productive, and dial up the quality of your documents, LibreOffice Expert will serve as your guide!

LibreOffice Writer

Writer, LibreOffice's word-processor component, is more than just a text editor. With its powerful styles system, you can build detailed and elegant documents for business and personal use.

LibreOffice Calc
LibreOffice Calc offers the functionality of Excel with added benefits.

LibreOffice Impress
Need to impress your boss with the latest sales stats? Or just show off some holiday photos in an eye-catching format? Impress is the tool you need.

LibreOffice Draw
With LibreOffice Draw, you can create attractive and informative vector-based drawings.

LibreOffice Base
We show you how to set up a database in LibreOffice Base and search it with SQL queries embedded in forms.

LibreOffice Math
The LibreOffice Math package lets you display simple and complex formulas.

LibreOffice Extensions
You can extend the power of LibreOffice with over 350 useful extensions.

LibreOffice Templates
LibreOffice templates can save you time with formatting your documents, so you can focus on the important stuff.

LibreOffice Macros
LibreOffice packs a built-in Basic-like scripting language that can be used to automate repetitive tasks and extend the suite's default functionality.

Digital Signatures
By adding a digital signature, you can boost your document's security.

Charts
Everybody needs charts sooner or later, and LibreOffice Calc is the easiest way to create them with free and open source software.

Tips & Tricks
Once you're familiar with LibreOffice's main components, you can optimize your use of LibreOffice with these tips and tricks.

Hidden Gems of LibreOffice
Discover some hidden and lesser known LibreOffice features.

Open Document Format
The Open Document Format standard is an important reason for the success of LibreOffice.

ODF XML
You may have heard that LibreOffice files "are XML-based" or "use XML," but when you try to open a Writer document in a text editor, you only see a binary blob. Learn how to access and modify the hidden XML content using scripts.

LibreOffice Typography
LibreOffice Writer is a serviceable desktop publisher with more typography features than most users imagine.

LibreOffice Community
Who makes LibreOffice? How does everyone work together? And what are they working on? Here's an update on what's happening in the global LibreOffice community.

Cover Theme: Cool Linux Hacks

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Improve your Linux skills with this cool collection of expert tips and shortcuts. 

This Linux Magazine Special Edition promises you “Cool Linux Hacks,” and we’ll certainly deliver. But what exactly is a hack? In today’s world where Windows is the dominant desktop operating system, the decision to use Linux is the first and most important hack.

See below for the complete list of hacks.

Desktop Modding
HACK 1 Create Your Own Gnome Context Menu Entry
HACK 2 New Service Entries for KDE
HACK 3 KZones: KDE Plasma Tiling
HACK 4 Exquisite: Plasma Layout Manager
HACK 5 Disable Your Lock Screen0
HACK 6 What Time, What Date?0
HACK 7 Curing the Caps Lock Disease1
HACK 8 Zoom Everything on Your Screen
HACK 9 Zoom into the Gnome Desktop
HACK 10 Use Virtual Desktops, Memorize the Hotkeys

Security & Privacy
HACK 11 Check Your Downloads
HACK 12 Secure Your Notebook
HACK 13 Strip Metadata from Your Files
HACK 14 Detect Hidden Processes
HACK 15 Run Apps in Boxed Mode with Boxxy
HACK 16 Securely Split Your Files with horcrux
HACK 17 Age: Master of the Keys
HACK 18 OpenSnitch Application Firewall
HACK 19 Parrot OS Desktop Security

Multimedia
HACK 20 Be Entertained with MythTV 33.1
HACK 21 Rip Your Audio CDs with Whipper
HACK 22 Use Ardour, the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)
HACK 23 Manage Your Audio Data Flows with qpwgraph
HACK 24 Render Music Visualizations with corrscope
HACK 25 projectM Audio Visualizer Plugin
HACK 26 AutoEQ Headphone Improver

Keep It Running
HACK 27 Replace strace with lurk for Process Analysis
HACK 28 Automate Your Servers with sake
HACK 29 Boot any ISO File from USB Stick with Ventoy
HACK 30 GPU-Viewer: Analyze Your Graphics Card
HACK 31 Physical or Virtual? How to Detect It
HACK 32 Check Your SSH Security with ssh-audit
HACK 33 Use Guider as a Profiler and Monitor
HACK 34 Try KDE's Plasma System Monitor
HACK 35 System Monitoring with watch and fswatch

Images & Videos
HACK 36 Mass Image Conversion with Converseen
HACK 37 Use Multi-Threaded FFmpeg 6
HACK 38 Convert Images with ImageMagick
HACK 39 Add Watermarks to Your Images
HACK 40 Generate Images with Stable Diffusion AI
HACK 41 Edit Your RAW Photos in Darktable
HACK 42 Quickly Cut Your Videos with LosslessCut

Networking
HACK 43 DNS Tricks: Improve Hostname Resolution
HACK 44 Watch Network Traffic with ntopng
HACK 45 Create an SSH Bastion with Warpgate
HACK 46 Sniffnet: User-Friendly Traffic Monitor
HACK 47 Call Home with DWS Remote Control
HACK 48 Wonder Shaper Controls the Bandwidth
HACK 49 weborf is a Simple HTTP Server
HACK 50 Use BitTorrent with Transmission

File Formats
HACK 51 Mount ISO Images with a Mouse Click
HACK 52 Get Information about ISO Images
HACK 53 Look Inside Package Files
HACK 54 What File Format Is That?
HACK 55 Chafa Shows Images in the Terminal
HACK 56 Sioyek: View PDF Files, Use "vi" Shortcuts
HACK 57 Let's Look at PDF Security Issues
HACK 58 Kavita: Collection Manager
HACK 59 Search Office Files with uvgrep

Working with Code
HACK 60 Write Code in JupyterLab Notebooks
HACK 61 Run Code Through Many Compilers
HACK 62 Create Games with the Godot 4 Engine
HACK 63 Try the LeanCreator IDE
HACK 64 Green Coding Initiatives
HACK 65 markdownlint Checks Your .md Files
HACK 66 Convert Documents with pandoc 3.1
HACK 67 lazygit Git Client
HACK 68 Edit Your Code with Lapce...
HACK 69 ...or with CudaText Code Editor
HACK 70 xonsh Combines Python and Bash
HACK 71 elfcat: Binary Explorer
HACK 72 GNU poke: Binary Editor
HACK 73 Bladecoder Adventure Engine: Game Creator

Gaming
HACK 74 Luxtorpeda (Steam compatibility tool)
HACK 75 Starship Olympics
HACK 76 Qonquest 2, a Risk Clone
HACK 77 Thorium Nova: Emulate a Starship Bridge
HACK 78 zelda3 Runs Classic 'The Legend of Zelda'
HACK 79 FreedroidRPG 1.0 Reinvents Paradroid (C64)
HACK 80 Tabletop Club: Play Classic Board Games
HACK 81 3D Driving with Stunt Rally
HACK 82 Ambermoon.net, the Classic Amiga Game
HACK 83 Simutrans Will Remind You of SimCity
HACK 84 Play DOS Games in DOS Emulator

Shell Hacks
HACK 85 Improve Shell Performance by Swearing
HACK 86 Record Your Shell Session
HACK 87 dict: A Command-Line Dictionary Tool
HACK 88 Carbonyl: Terminal Browser
HACK 89 Clipboard: Terminal Copy and Paste
HACK 90 just: Command Runner
HACK 91 hiSHtory: History Improvements

Questions? Email subs@linux-magazine.com

Cover Theme: Hands-on Projects for Makers

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Hands-On Projects for Makers

Welcome to MakerSpace #03, our latest collection of exciting, hands-on projects. At Maker Space, we care about technology that lets you build your own stuff. It is where you can let your ideas materialize.

Projects

Solar-Powered Pi Pico
Powering your Pi Pico with solar might not solve the current energy crisis, but it will save you from changing batteries.

RFID over SPI
Turn your Raspberry Pi 4 into an RFID tag reader using inexpensive components for the SPI interface.

KOReader E-Reader
KOReader offers enough features to transform your reading experience.

Home Laser
Execute your own laser cutting projects with the FLUX beamo laser and a Raspberry Pi Board B10001.

New Tech Retrofit
An electronic project at a local science center was showing its age. Arduino to the rescue!

Gemini Protocol
Create Gemini pages to show sensor data or control a Raspberry Pi rover.

Pluggable Pi Systems
Ecosystems with pluggable Raspberry Pi modules, sensors, and displays are a great choice if you don't want to solder but still want to extend your hardware.

Automatic Fish Feeder
Whether at work or on vacation, every pet lover worries about how to take care of their little roommate. What aquarium owners need is an automatic feeder.

Garden Irrigation
With a Pi Zero and a few components, you can build an inexpensive and reliable automated watering system for your plants.

Z-Wave Home Assistant
Z-Wave components, a RaZberry module, and the free Home Assistant software turn the Raspberry Pi into a powerful smart home control center.

MiSTer FPGA
When it comes to reviving old games, FPGAs offer a more authentic experience than software emulators. The MiSTer FPGA delivers one of the best solutions for retro gaming.

Legacy DOS Games on the Pi
Play old DOS games on the Dosbian operating system, which turns the Raspberry Pi into an 80486 PC.

CP/M
Before MS-DOS, there was an older OS ecosystem: Welcome to the ancient world of CP/ M.

BBC Basic Interpreter
BBC BASIC can run on old and new computers. Learn more about using a classic computer language that is perfect for beginners.

Xonsh
Create lightweight Raspberry Pi scripts with Xonsh, a Python shell that lets you write scripts in Python with Bash commands mixed in.

Assembler on Pi
Talk to your Raspberry Pi in its native assembler language.

Access the Raspberry Pi's GPIO
The popular wiringPi library is no longer under maintenance by its developer. An alternative called Pigpio has arrived just in time.

CircuitMess Nibble
The Nibble kit by CircuitMess is a freely programmable mobile game console that makes it easy to get started with microcontroller programming.

Pico Sleep Mode
The Raspberry Pi Pico's high-performance chip is trimmed for I/ O and does not try to save power. However, a few tricks in battery mode can keep your Pico running longer.

Cover Theme: Supercharge Your Linux Skills

Order Here!

Think like the experts: The powerful Bash shell provides a comprehensive collection of utilities for configuring and troubleshooting Linux systems.

Before the icons, menus, and wobbly windows of the modern Linux user environment, users managed and interacted with their systems from the command line. Many advanced users still prefer to work from the keyboard, and many will tell you that exploring the command-line environment is the best way to build a deeper understanding of Linux.

The Linux Shell Handbook is a thorough primer on the Bourne Again Shell (Bash) environment found on most Linux systems. You’ll learn to navigate, manipulate text, work with regular expressions, and customize your Bash settings. We’ll show you shell utilities for configuring hardware, setting up users and groups, managing processes, and installing software – and we’ll even help you get started creating your own Bash scripts to automate recurring tasks. Keep the Linux Shell Handbook beside your computer as a permanent desktop reference on the world of the terminal window.

Also in this must-have special issue:

• Introducing Bash
• File Management
• Search Tools
• Regular Expressions
• Pipes and Redirection
• Customizing Bash
• Text Manipulation Tools
• Hardware Configuration
• fdisk, gdisk, and parted
• Configuring Filesystems
• mount and fstab
• Time Tools
• Users and Groups
• Accessing Permissions
• su and sudo
• systemd
• Managing Processes
• Package Management
• dd and mkmisofs/genisoimage/xorrisofs
• Networking Tools
• Internet Tools
• SSH
• Rsync
• Cron and At
• Bash Scripting
• Images and PDFs

Questions? Email subs@linux-magazine.com

Cover Theme: Getting Started with Linux – 2022 Edition

Order Here!

More Powerful, More Secure, More Fun!

“Getting Started with Linux” offers you all you need to install and explore the powerful Linux operating system. Join the Linux revolution!

Getting Started

Installing openSUSE
We show you how to install Linux using the openSUSE Leap DVD attached to this issue. Whether you keep an old operating system (and create a multi-boot machine) or wipe the old system, is your choice.

Configuring Your System
The openSUSE control center (YaST) lets you perform several tasks, from installing software and adding new users, to setting up complex services.

Security
Lock down your system and tweak your security settings with openSUSE's on-board tools.

Plasma Desktop
OpenSUSE's KDE Plasma desktop is not only pretty, it is also piled high with cool features.

Linux Crash Course
A tour of some important Linux concepts will help you start to think like an experienced user.

In-Depth

Multimedia Players
Watch videos, play music, and stream Internet radio stations.

Virtual Windows 11
If you need a Windows app on Linux, you don’t have to boot Windows. Just run Windows in a VirtualBox window.

Bag of Tricks
From updating to the latest version of Firefox and making USB storage devices work to restoring your system to an earlier state, we bring you practical advice.

End of Life
Learn why you should upgrade your Linux installation when it reaches its "End of Life."

Desktop

KDE's Personal Information Managers
KDE Plasma's PIM tools help you organize your contacts, calendars, and email efficiently.

digiKam
Manage your photo collection with this useful desktop tool.

Firefox
For many users, the web browser is the most important application.

LibreOffice
LibreOffice is an open source office suite with a word processor, database, spreadsheet, presentation tool, and more.

Photo Processing with Gimp
Touch up your digital images with the Gimp image processing tool.

Gaming

Games on Linux
Linux supports a variety of games and game platforms.

Fun With Docker
Docker is an important tool in the virtualization world. But there's also a fun side to it. For example, you can run old games in Docker containers.

Questions? Email subs@linux-magazine.com

Cover Theme: LibreOffice Expert

Order Here!

Dive deep into the world's greatest free office suite!

Why pay for an office productivity suite? LibreOffice is totally free, and it runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

This single volume includes tutorials on all the core tools of the LibreOffice suite.

If you’re ready to explore the possibilities, get productive, and dial up the quality of your documents, LibreOffice Expert will serve as your guide!

LibreOffice Writer

Writer, LibreOffice's word-processor component, is more than just a text editor. With its powerful styles system, you can build detailed and elegant documents for business and personal use.

LibreOffice Calc
LibreOffice Calc offers the functionality of Excel with added benefits.

LibreOffice Impress
Need to impress your boss with the latest sales stats? Or just show off some holiday photos in an eye-catching format? Impress is the tool you need.

LibreOffice Draw
With LibreOffice Draw, you can create attractive and informative vector-based drawings.

LibreOffice Base
We show you how to set up a database in LibreOffice Base and search it with SQL queries embedded in forms.

LibreOffice Math
The LibreOffice Math package lets you display simple and complex formulas.

LibreOffice Extensions
You can extend the power of LibreOffice with over 350 useful extensions.

LibreOffice Templates
LibreOffice templates can save you time with formatting your documents, so you can focus on the important stuff.

LibreOffice Macros
LibreOffice packs a built-in Basic-like scripting language that can be used to automate repetitive tasks and extend the suite's default functionality.

Digital Signatures
By adding a digital signature, you can boost your document's security.

Charts
Everybody needs charts sooner or later, and LibreOffice Calc is the easiest way to create them with free and open source software.

Tips & Tricks
Once you're familiar with LibreOffice's main components, you can optimize your use of LibreOffice with these tips and tricks.

Hidden Gems of LibreOffice
Discover some hidden and lesser known LibreOffice features.

Open Document Format
The Open Document Format standard is an important reason for the success of LibreOffice.

ODF XML
You may have heard that LibreOffice files "are XML-based" or "use XML," but when you try to open a Writer document in a text editor, you only see a binary blob. Learn how to access and modify the hidden XML content using scripts.

LibreOffice Typography
LibreOffice Writer is a serviceable desktop publisher with more typography features than most users imagine.

LibreOffice Community
Who makes LibreOffice? How does everyone work together? And what are they working on? Here's an update on what's happening in the global LibreOffice community.