Correcting EPUBs exported from Calligra Words using Sigil Part 1

Category: TechwriterCalligra Words exports directly to EPUB and does a good job of retaining text formatting. As a distraction-free word processor, it's a good alternative to applications like LibreOffice Writer. However, the resulting EPUB isn't perfect, particularly when it comes to retaining links, table of contents and images. Using popular ebook editor, Sigil, writers can easily correct image...

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Calligra Words and EPUB Part 2

Continued from Calligra Words and EPUB Part 1EPUB Export, Sigil, and CalibreThe Calligra-produced EPUB imported quite nicely into Sigil but failed to provide working links and didn't display images. As a medium for just text with footnotes, endnotes, and visuals, EPUB from Calligra Words is great though if you want superfluous navigation and visuals, you might want to tweak the XHTML using Sigil. The text formatting...

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Calligra Words and EPUB Part 1

Category: Techwriter Although it's fairly simple to code EPUB using an IDE or text editor like Bluefish, there's really no reason not to try excellent popular EPUB editor Sigil or extremely powerful ebook converter and manager, Calibre. Sigil is great for packaging your text (or XHTML) to EPUB while Calibre is perfect for working with other formats and testing compatibility with devices. If you want to focus on...

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InDesign basics: Adding XML tags using Find/Change

Category: Techwriter Adobe InDesign is not the best application for working with XML. It's an exceptional page layout program but most XML users would prefer either FrameMaker or open source tools when structuring long text. That said, if you ever need to add tags to an unstructured document, InDesign's Find/Change option can accomplish the task just like most XML editors. Take note that the instructions below assume...

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Linux (or Unix) on Film: Pretty Little Liars Season 3 Episode 24

Category: Techtoday Pretty Little Liars is keeping up with the great shows on television today partly due to the amazingly attractive young female cast. Although I only caught a few episodes in the first season (not willfully mind you), whatever maturity and rationality it lacks is fully compensated through the use of diligently maintained coiffure, flawless complexion, and a story that made me thankful the 80s and MacGyver...

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App Review: WD TV Live Remote

Category: Tech TodayIf you own any of the affordable WD TV Live media players that Western Digital has available, old versions or otherwise, then the WD TV Remote app available on the iTunes App Store is a great, if not necessary value-add to the product.  Contrary to the manufacturer's web site description, however, the app is only compatible with iOS running on an  iPod or iPhone and not on an...

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Quickfix: "Segmentation Fault (11)" for KDE Applications in Fedora 18 Xfce

Category: Linux If you're running Fedora 18 Xfce and installed a KDE application, you might encounter the KDE error Segmentation Fault (11),  which is caused by the Nepomuk Service. Nepomuk, much to LXDE and Xfce users' chagrin, comes as a dependency with most KDE-based applications. Although most users would probably opt for alternative Gnome or GTK-based applications to avoid KDE errors, they will...

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A few words on Mageia 3 KDE

Category: LinuxIt's unfair to make a sweeping conclusion on a Linux distribution so soon but I was struck dumb at the Mageia 3 KDE release. Perhaps it's because I haven't tried a KDE 4.x release ever since I realized I would always choose openSUSE as my default KDE distribution, but I have to admit the trim KDE 4.10 and the revamped Mageia 3 is a pretty impressive combination.There are a few application choices to the...

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Practical Shortcut keys and Configuring Paging in KDE

Category: LinuxOne of the more useful features of all Linux distributions is Paging through different virtual desktops, a feature that Windows users without multiple monitors would benefit from. Virtual desktops are useful if you multitask often or work with small screens like netbooks. In Gnome, Xfce, and LXDE, clicking CTRL+ALT+arrow keys lets you page to the next virtual desktop. KDE, in particular openSUSE releases,...

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Before Mageia 3: Mageia 2 in Perspective Redux

Category: LinuxThe early articles of this site revolved around the late and somewhat lamented Mandriva, which faced troubles as a Linux distribution, product, and company. Although Distrowatch lists Mageia within its top 10 of most clicked distributions, Mageia receives the same coverage in the media as long running PCLinuxOS and Sabayon. In fact, popular frugal Linux distribution Puppy Linux is mentioned more in...

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Hate, Racism, the Internet, and Harrison Ford

Category: Tech Today Although Unsolicitedbutoffered normally focuses on Linux and technology, it's nice to occasionally digress and applaud to laugh out loud videos like those of Harrison Ford's interview in the Jimmy Kimmel Show. Long-time fans of Harrison, who is still one of the greatest actors of all time with his roles as Indy, Han Solo, and Jack Ryan as part of his resume, know that Harrison is terrible...

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Access an iOS device using Fedora and openSUSE Part 2

Category: Linux Continued from Access an iOS device using Fedora and openSUSE Part 1 Setting up openSUSE 12.2 for an iOS device For openSUSE 12.2, you have the option to use either YaST to add the packages or the zypper command using Konsole. The packages for supporting iOS device access are not similar to those I installed for Fedora. Before installing, check that you have the Packman repository and...

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Access an iOS device using Fedora and openSUSE Part 1

Category: Linux Ubuntu, and most derivatives such as Lubuntu, can access the file structure of an iOS device even on iPads and iPods with an updated iOS version (currently running at 6.1.x). With access to the file structure of an iOS devices, users can manage apps that support direct file transfer. After moving files using a file manager such as Nautilus or PCMANFM, reboot ...

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The Apple iOS ecosystem from a Linux user's perspective

Category: TechtodayMy Japanese colleague once told me that she was having dinner with a few Tokyoite sararimen (salarymen) and the discussion swung to the iPhone. My friend didn't have an iPhone and they asked her whether it wasn't inconvenient not to have Apple's ubiquitous mobile device? They didn't tell her it's convenient to have one but the other way around - you were basically crippled without an iPhone....

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Yum Extender on Fedora 18 Xfce

Category: Linux Yum Extender, or more popularly known as Yumex, is a graphical frontend to the yum command for Fedora. Yumex is both an update and software manager and comes default on the Fedora 18 Xfce release. I first tried Yumex and the somewhat similar software management tool, easyLife years ago when I wanted to try out an RPM-based distribution. Between the two managers,...

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Adventures with PC-BSD 9.1 LXDE Part 2: End Game

Category: LinuxAlthough I had initially set out to devote more time with FreeBSD in the form of PC-BSD, it looks like the adventure ended abruptly with an update error, which was surprising since even the worst openSUSE or Fedora update has never prevented a Linux install from booting up properly. The error message was one of those obscure boot messages that even Linux users get from time to time, which turned out to...

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Extracting Vector Objects from a PDF using CorelDraw

Category: TechwriterCorelDraw, like Adobe Illustrator, can extract and edit objects directly from PDFs. Even if the document was produced from open source software such as Inkscape or a commercial product such as InDesign, CorelDraw can import the PDF and extract vector objects.Note: Screenshots are from CorelDraw X3. The PDF sample was produced using Adobe InDesign CS4 and Adobe Illustrator CS4.To import and edit the vector...

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