Adamsdesk

adamsdesk.com · British English

A hub for technology users to navigate the misleading, outdated, and inaccurate product information online for what is honest, clear, and up-to-date.

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Little Bits: Issue #42 For October 2026
Nov 5, 2026 · original
Science fiction has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Come to think of it, my first exposure to sci-fi was I believe in books that I briefly found interesting in elementary school. However, that was short-lived as I didn’t enjoy reading at the time nor did I understand how it was a wealth of knowledge and entertainment. What truly caught my attention was when Star Trek: The Next Generation (STNG) premiered in 1987. It’s a show that feed my endless curiosity of science and technology. I recall sitting down in the living room each week avidly watching the series on cable television with my family. I particularly loved the character Jean-Luc Picard played by Patrick Stewart where Jean-Luc was most often seen as the commanding officer of the Federation starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D). The character was relatable and one that I grew to respect and admire having discip
Little Bits: Issue #41 For September 2026
Oct 9, 2026 · original
Today I sat down to write this intro and thought what am I going to talk about? It then dawned on me, what about the evolution of this very blog series of how it all got started long before I thought of it. Before I knew what I was even doing. I find it interesting to think about these things to reflect upon why and what I’m getting out of all this. I first started off many years ago sharing the interesting things I’ve uncovered on the Internet through talking in person to people and email messages. This was a time when we still had curated books being published that was a directory of interesting websites to visit much like the modern day book called the Internet Phone Book. Often people would just come to me and ask for something they were looking for, and I could rattle off a website or two that would be helpful. I would jokingly say I’m just a human bookmark of websites (smile). At s
An Unexpected Birthday Journey of 2026
Oct 6, 2026 · original
In the month of August was my birthday, and as per usual I figured it would be a quiet time at home doing nothing to special beyond maybe having some food and visiting. Turned out that the celebration or gift was not something I would have ever thought of. I’m not sure how but, my children seem to keep surprising me in recent years. I suppose part of that is because I treat my birthday like just another day, and I don’t expect anything different to happen then any other day. This year was one that was not usual at all and that involved an unexpected birthday journey travelling more than 100 km (62 miles) together to a place I haven’t been since I was around 12 years of age. A beautiful place with saltwater that is full of relaxation, exploration and good times. Birthday The day of my birthday was like any other day. I didn’t expect anything to be happening since the celebration was going
Happy International Podcast Day!
Sep 29, 2026 · original
A special day is coming tomorrow that I feel not many are aware of. Yet there is so many people that listen to or produce various shows covering an array of topics. It’s a day that fosters awareness, opportunity, and connection in the celebration of the power of podcasts. This day provides an avenue for fellow podcast listeners to discover new podcasts while at the same time allowing the producers of podcasts to build new connections. In addition, this also brings people together through various events around the world. Utilimately it helps illustrate the power of our own voice that may spark some to become podcasters themselves. Gain insight into this annual worldwide day of celebration called the International Podcast Day along with how to get involved and discover new shows from my favourite podcasts for 20026. What is a Podcast? A program or show made available in digital form to str
Software Freedom Day: Celebrate and Protect Our Freedoms
Sep 18, 2026 · original
Tomorrow is Software Freedom Day (SFD), a time of celebration around the world for Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). On this day brings opportunity for a time to be together united in building a better future where our digital freedoms are protected in all sectors such as education, government, home, and business. It’s a time that also brings people together with similar interests and fosters building connections. So please consider taking this time to attend one of the events around the world. What occurs at each event will vary, but it has been known to have virtues of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), workshops, demonstrations, games, planting tree ceremonies, discussions and InstallFests where people do mass installations of computer operating systems or software. To gain a better understanding of this special day continue reading to learn, what is software freedom day, what
Review of GNOME Core App Document Viewer (Papers)
Sep 16, 2026 · original
For over 20 years the graphical GNOME desktop environment included an application called Document Viewer or Evince that was capable of displaying common document file formats such as a PDF or TIFF. Evince was first introduced in September 2005 for GNOME version 2.12. Having this many years go by using the same application it is understandable that people have grown accustom to its capabilities and have relied upon it. However, the long serving default Document Viewer was officially replaced by Papers as of GNOME version 49 (Brescia) which is a part of their Core Applications software suite. The new default Document Viewer brings a fresh modernized design that includes an updated foundation along with new features to support the users for another 20 years and beyond. Join me in this investigative review of the new Document Viewer application covering general overview, advantages, criticis
Adamsdesk Bans Font Squirrel Over Privacy Concerns?
Sep 14, 2026 · original
In the process of trying to provide the best transparency and attribution for material produced by others I’ve made an oversight. What I’m talking about is a website hyperlink or link that was referenced throughout almost all blog posts to give attribution to the font used. What I thought for quite some time to be a good source has let me down and as a result has let you, the dear reader down. If it is not already clear, I take what I publish seriously, and I never want to mislead or refer to a website address that may compromise a reader’s privacy. We unfortunately live in a time when far too often websites abuse their visitors and violate their privacy and security. Adamsdesk strives to not be that and to stand above the rest by respecting the readership. This is why I’m talking about this publicly to fix what has been done wrong and work to mitigate this in the future. Though this bri
6 Inkscape Productivity Tips and Tricks
Sep 9, 2026 · original
There are often many ways to achieve a certain task, but what is not always obvious is the more productive way to accomplish them. I spend quite a lot of time using Inkscape each week and even with my endless hours of experience I still find myself discovering new ways to make my life easier while doing graphic design. For years, I’ve calculated measurements using a calculator to then just recently find out I could have done this directly in Inkscape itself. Selecting objects is not difficult unless there are many in a given area. An alternative way to select objects is by touch using a drawn path over them to make multiple selections. With these examples I discovered this lead to me thinking that, no matter what area we work in we find ways to make life easier for ourselves. Though, not everyone stumbles upon these alternative methods. So to help spread awareness and advance your produc
Little Bits: Issue #40 For August 2026
Sep 4, 2026 · original
When I first started trying to formulate this blog series I didn’t quite understand what exactly I was trying to achieve. Over the years this series has evolved into something different. Can you believe it, including this post it marks 40 issues or almost 4 years publishing this series? If I go back to the beginning it is technically over 5 years and 46 issues released to date. What some may not know is this blog series first started off being called “A Cyberspace Inquisition” where yes I still shared my online discoveries, but it focused on trying to evoke change and thought. At the time I found this quite hard to maintain in providing thoughtful messages to give a reader something to ponder over. This is why I shifted over to its new name that you know of today, Little Bits and started the issue count at the beginning. It took sometime, but I really feel and understand that Little Bits
Extract and Review Web Page Links Using a Bookmarklet
Aug 27, 2026 · original
While researching various topics for blog posts and browsing the Internet I often find myself trying to locate hyperlinks or links on a web page to explore additional information. The unfortunate part is that far too frequently I’m finding that it is not always easy to quickly locate the desired link. This is often due to poor web design, and non-contextual link text. Links should be easily identifiable and should utilize text that is descriptive for the topic, and destination. A common mistake is to use link text such as “check this out”, “click here”, “find more here” or “learn more”. None of these examples provide context nor where the link’s destination will send the user. Then there are website designs that intentionally hide links from the viewer. To help combat these obstacles I set out to figure out a solution to extract and then review all web page links using a bookmarklet. I’v
Little Bits: Issue #39 For July 2026
Aug 26, 2026 · original
I’ve been busy for almost two months filled with life challenges that makes me feel like it never seems to end. As a result I’m struggling to juggle it all while trying to generate enough revenue to pay the bills and put food on the table. If I’m being honest, all my revenue sources have dropped to zero. Yet I still feel determined to make Adamsdesk sustainable. Then in July I was blessed with a wonderful mental boost from a dear reader by receiving a donation as a thank you for creating the post Batch Scan Photos With SANE’s Scanimage On GNU/Linux Command Line . Thank you so much dear reader for this donation. It has way more meaning than you may think. Then came along a 1-hour consulting job in August which I’m grateful for. I personally feel that what I publish is useful and valuable to my dear readers. The unfortunate part in all this is I’ve not been able to blog as much as I’ve wan
Convert Excel Spreadsheet File Format (XLS, XLSX) to CSV
Jul 31, 2026 · original
If one works with spreadsheets eventually there will come a time when the information needs to be processed and converted to the plain text data format called Comma Separated Values (CSV). One off situations can typically be resolved by manually saving the document to CSV using the spreadsheet productivity software suite program of choice (e.g. LibreOffice Calc). Yet when it comes to repeatedly doing this it is more effective to use the command line to quickly convert the necessary spreadsheet documents. There are several Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) options available, but there are a few things to consider before one ventures into the conversion process. Difference Between File Formats Excel spreadsheet documents are commonly saved with the file extension of “XLSX” or “XLS” and are binary or Extensible Markup Language (XML) based. Each file stores a variety of data such as struc
Is an RSS or Feed Reader Robbing Your Experience?
Jul 23, 2026 · original
I came across an intriguing blog post by Antonio Santos, Your RSS Reader Is Robbing You and then a reply to the blog post by Kev Quirk. I have to admit the title both attracted me and shocked me. Initially my the first thought that came to my mind before even reading a word of the posts was “how could this be, as RSS/Atom feeds are an amazing technology?”. In response to this post I felt there was more that needs to be said, so here I am providing my own opinion on the subject. Though before I get into my response let’s first review a few important parts. A Website Have one’s own website is very similar to owning a house. Each one can be unique and vastly different from one another. It’s a digital representation of person, project, group, brand or company. In return a website empowers people to use their voice to express whatever they desired out into the world on their own terms. A webs
Little Bits: Issue #38 For June 2026
Jul 14, 2026 · original
June felt like a very active time more than it usually has been. I kept finding what felt like endless new little bits that are worth one’s time to explore. This is why I have so many highlights in this issue. I cannot deny that the annual blogging tradition for the entire month of June called Junited definitely contributed to this increased activity. I unfortunately didn’t participate as much as I would have liked. There was the unforeseen vacate notice the entire building residents received like myself which forced me to move again. More on this in a future blog post. So I have just now felt like I can get back into the swing of things pumping out blog posts like this. I’ve missed writing and interacting with you dear readers and followers. Though I admit in all this, life is being quite challenging for me. Yet I still have hope that things will turn around so that I can start living t
Add Operating System Installation Date to Fastfetch
Jul 10, 2026 · original
Quite sometime ago I wrote about how to find the operating system install date or age for GNU/Linux and Windows for the curious minds at heart. Since then, I thought it would be interesting to look at how to add the installation date to the system information tool Fastfetch similarly like I demonstrated in the past about adding weather data caching . Please be aware that the installation date should be treated as an approximation due to data loss or alteration. Additionally, determining this date can be tricky depending on the circumstances, and can be achieved in numerous ways. In my experience the root file system creation date is the most reliable, but this may vary for each system. No matter which method is used there is an option available to have the installation date displayed in Fastfetch using this comprehensive guide. Fastfetch Configuration The system information tool stores i
Quickly Find Undefined or Null YAML Keys with YQ
Jun 27, 2026 · original
When doing maintenance for this static generated website I found myself in a situation where I wanted to find a YAML (YAML Ain’t Markup Language) key within the front matter of all published Markdown based posts that is undefined or has a value of null. In my experience I’ve found this easier to achieve using a software program that is designed to process structured data like YAML. Therefore, I decided to use the program called “yq”. Since there will be multiple files the output needs to display the length of the key value but also the associated filename. It took a little effort to figure it out plus the use of “find” and “grep”, but I was able to form a series of commands that would achieve exactly what I was looking for. Come along to learn how to achieve this without the trial and error I went through. Assumptions General understanding of using a GNU/Linux or Unix terminal (command-l
Junited: Blog Post Recommendations for June 2026
Jun 19, 2026 · original
A few days ago I was doing the usual browsing of Mastodon posts and started noticing a lot of bloggers referring to “Junited”. I’ve never heard of it and I have no idea what it is. There seems to be quite a few people blogging about it. Of course, I had to venture into figuring out what this is about. As result of gaining the understanding of what Junited is I made the decision to also join in on the fun. It seems fitting to me since I publish one of the biggest monthly link dump blog series called Little Bits . Now, you are maybe thinking what am I talking about? I know I’m being vague, keep reading to find all the answers and to explore the hidden blog post gems. What is Junited? Annually tradition held each year for the entire month of June as a way to encourage the blogging community to share blog posts they enjoy and a way to discover new bloggers. Each blogger that wishes to partic
GentleOS: A Hobby Operating System for Vintage PCs
Jun 17, 2026 · original
Modern operating systems today mostly focus on the current and latest hardware available in the market. Very few actually support and work on vintage Personal Computers (PCs) of the past. Those operating systems that do support old hardware have done so long ago. It’s rare to see a new operating system (OS), but surprisingly there is a new one in town called GentleOS by Luke S. (luke8086). In a time when there is far too much noise filling our world, GentleOS provides a sense of calm and relaxing environment that just works. It may not do a lot in today’s standards, but what it can do does it beautifully in its lovely retro styled interface. Come a long to relive or discover vintage computing for the first time as I explore this new hobby retro operating system for vintage PCs. GentleOS The entire operating system (OS) is monolithic and mostly configurable at compile time. Running the OS
Change Default Linux/Unix Image Viewer Application
Jun 10, 2026 · original
Over the course of time using a GNU/Linux or Unix operating system there will come a time when the default associated application needs to be changed. This change can happen out of personal preference to use a certain application or out of undesired association due to a software installation or update. File association is generally achieved in a couple of ways depending on the environment, graphical user interface (GUI) or command line. In this particular circumstance there is no way to set a default image viewer application for the command line interface (CLI) therefore I will focus on how to make this change in a graphical desktop environment. Default applications can be changed through desktop environment settings, a file manager application or using the command line interface. Since they are numerous desktop environments and files managers this complete guide of instructions will cov
Change gPodder’s Default Data and Download Directory
Jun 6, 2026 · original
One of the oldest media aggregator and podcast client for GNU/Linux, macOS, Unix and Windows is gPodder. It has been in development since 2005 providing privacy respecting software that honours the user’s freedoms to run, study, redistribute, and modify without holding the user’s data hostage. Though there has not been a release since December 2024 I’ve still found it to be highly stable, reliable and flexible. No matter if the user wants a graphical or command line interface gPodder has it. For the most part the application is quite intuitive and easy to use. However, there is one area that may not be directly apparent and that is how to change the location of where the database, preferences, logs and downloads are stored on a file system. It’s unfortunate that the graphical and command line interfaces do not provide a way to do this. Thankfully though there is a way to achieve this thr

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