Jay On Linux

I have now successfully upgraded to Linux Mint 21. I upgraded my Linux Mint 20.3 to version 21. I had no significant issues.

Here are the instructions:

https://linuxmint-user-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/upgrade-to-mint-21.html

I hate to confess, but it took me way too long to figure out the solution to this problem.

For some reason, my touchpad stopped letting me tap the pad click. After some time I finally figured out that in settings a toggle was turned off. All I had to do was turn it on.

simple.

July 3, 2022, I went to update link and got this error

W: failed to fetch http://packages.linuxmint.com/pool/main/m/mintupdate/mintupdate_5.8.4_all.deb Connection timed out [IP: 68.235.39.11 80]

To fix, I closed the Update Manager, and then I opened a terminal session and entered:

sudo apt update

Hit enter, and enter your password. It will update the system, minus the Mint Update Manager. Then relaunch the Update Manager and run it. Everything should install fine.

Problem solved.

Before you turn on offline access

• You must be connected to the internet.
• You must use the Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browser.
• Don’t use private browsing.
• Install and turn on Google Docs Offline Chrome extension.
• Make sure you have enough available space on your device to save your files.

How to turn on offline access

1. Open Google Drive.
2. At the top right, click Settings   Settings.
3. Turn on Offline setting. 
   1. If you are using Microsoft Edge, you will be redirected to the Chrome Web Store to download the Google Docs Offline extension.
4. To work offline, open Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides. 

Tip:

• You can turn on offline access from Docs, Sheets, or Slides settings. If you turn on offline access for Docs, Sheets, Slides, or Drive, then the rest will also be available offline.
• Alternatively, to turn on offline access, open any Google document, spreadsheet, or presentation. At the top, next to the file title, click See document status   Turn on  Turn on.
• If you want to use offline access for another Google Account, make sure you’re signed in to the right Chrome or Edge profile. Learn how to switch Chrome profiles.

Source: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/6388102?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop

Linux Mint Debian Edition version 5 has just been released. As I mentioned in my last post, I have switched my laptop to the beta version of LMDE 5.

If you are using LMDE 5 BETA, you don’t need to upgrade. Run the following commands:

apt install network-manager-config-connectivity-debian plymouth-label pipewire plocate
apt remove mlocate brltty
sudo updated

That will update you to the final release.

Links

Linux Mint Blog: LMDE 5 “Elsie” released!

The time has come to drop Ubuntu. They continue to disregard users and go against their wishes.

So I just downloaded and installed Linux Mint Debian Edition 5 Beta on my laptop. It only comes with the Cinnamon desktop, which is fine. I love the Cinnamon desktop.

I am transitioning all my computers over to Linux Mint Debian Edition 5 as soon as the final release comes out. I suggest you wait as well. Also, do a live boot to make sure everything works. Nvidia drivers seem to be problematic for so people..

System requirements:

• 2GB RAM (4GB recommended for a comfortable usage).
• 20GB of disk space (100GB recommended).
• 1024×768 resolution (on lower resolutions, press ALT to drag windows with the mouse if they don’t fit in the screen

Links

LMDE 5 “Elsie” – BETA Release
Release notes
Linux Mint Installation Guide
Cinnamon BETA Edition

Every time I would boot the computer it would go to the screen with the Linux Mint icon and then it would go to static. It looked like the old TVs when the channel would go off the air.

In order to get into the system, I had to reboot, hit Esc, and choose the restore option. Then I would be able to log in. At which time it told me that I was running without video drivers. If I clicked on the video manager it would tell him I didn’t need any drivers.

The problem is that the Linux Kernal I was using did not support my laptop. So the solution was to update the Linux Kernal to the newest Kernal, which right now is 5.15.1.

Now, how to you do that? This article gives you the basics: https://www.fosslinux.com/7167/how-to-upgrade-linux-kernel-in-ubuntu-and-linux-mint.htm

You can skip steps 1, 2, and 3. After 2021, you might want to double-check for the latest Kernal.

Of course, the article is old and the Kernal is old. So on step 4 substitute the following: (You can copy and paste it in the terminal, it will download all four of these).

wget https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.15.1/amd64/linux-headers-5.15.1-051501_5.15.1-051501.202111061036_all.deb
wget https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.15.1/amd64/linux-headers-5.15.1-051501-generic_5.15.1-051501.202111061036_amd64.deb
wget https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.15.1/amd64/linux-image-unsigned-5.15.1-051501-generic_5.15.1-051501.202111061036_amd64.deb
wget https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.15.1/amd64/linux-modules-5.15.1-051501-generic_5.15.1-051501.202111061036_amd64.deb

Step 5. Now install the downloaded packages. Copy and paste in terminal:

sudo dpkg -i *.deb

Step 6. After successful installation, reboot your machine.

It solved my problem, I hope it fixes yours as well.

You would think that the WordPress group would listen to their users, but they are not. Ignore the community at your peril WordPress.

If you don’t know, you are reading this blog using the WordPress open-source software. I have been using it for years.

Matt Mullenweg introduced the Gutenberg editor to us in June 2017. It changes how we compose our blog. I hate it. But since 2018 they have made it the default editor, making the “Classic Editor” a plugin.

There are “5+ Million Active Installations” of the “Classic Editor.” This means that many if not most of the WordPress community, don’t like the Gutenberg Editor.

But do you think that Matt Mullenweg and the team are rethinking their choice? No way, they are doubling down on their “block” headedness (pun intended).

In the newest update, they have now taken away “Classic Widgets” in WordPress and replaced it with a “Block-Based Widgets Editor.” And again, I hate it.

In order to get back your “Classic Widgets,” you have to install a plugin created “By WordPress Contributors.” This is the official plugin. It already has “50,000+ Active Installations.”

ClassicPress

Now here is the kicker. Both the Classic Editor plugin and the Classic Widgets plugin “will be supported and maintained until at least 2022.” After that, who knows? It will either be up to the community to support the plugins, or it will be time to move to a new blogging platform.

Is there another blogging platform with all of the features of the old WordPress? Yes, there is one that was just launched. It is called ClassicPress. Their website says, “Love the simplicity of the WordPress classic editor? So do we. With the familiarity that the classic editor and ClassicPress provide, you can easily create a solution that meets your needs.”

I am not ready to make the leap, but I am thinking about it and watching the ongoing development of ClassicPress. Maybe they can scar WordPress into doing the right thing.

The best weather app and clock/calendar widget is “Today Weather” by todayweather.co and is in the android store.

In the last couple of years, I have brought only one app., and it is this app. The free version contains ads, but the app is worth paying for to remove the ads.

If you tap on the time, it opens your clock app. If you tap on the date it opens up your calendar. And if you tap on the weather it opens the Today Weather app.

This weather app is beautiful, functional, and even gives me the current radar. Plus much more.

First, you see a picture representing the current weather. Under that are the temperature, the date, the city, and the current conditions. Below that is this day’s forecast. Tab the forecast and it opens a detailed forecast for the next week.

Going back to the main screen, under today’s forecast you have cool icons giving you the current weather condition. Under that is a graphic of the next 6 days. under that a chart of the chance of precipitation.

Understand you have air quality, pollen count, sunrise and sunset, moon phases, wind, and finally radar.

At the very bottom, you can change the weather provider from the National Weather services to a different service like Accuweather or Open Weather Map.

A desklet is a small applet that can be placed on top of the user’s desktop. Usually, they are clocks, calendars, and weather applets.

Here is how to install a calendar desklet that I like and recommend. Note, all clicks are left-clicked unless indicated otherwise.

Right-click on desktop, it will open a menu. Click on “add Desklet.”

It opens the Desklet menu. When it open it defaults to the “Manage” tab, switch to the “Download” tab.

In the search bar, search for “calendar.” Click the down arrow on “Calender desklet by kanchudeep”. That will download it.

But this does not add it to your desktop. To do that you have to go back to the “Manage” tab. Click once on the “Calendar desklet” so it is highlighted. Then click the plus button “+” on the bottom to add it to the desktop.

It is not added to your desktop. You can click and hold to move it to where you want it.

You will also want to customize it to your liking. You can right-click on your desklet to open a menu that will give you the option to configure or remove it, as well as an about file.

Personally, I leave most of the defaults alone. However, my preference is to not show time, since it is military time. I also make it completely transparent.

NOTE: If you get a crash installing a desklet, it will switch the whole Desktop into fallback mode and ask if you want to restart Cinnamon, just select “Yes”.