Book Collection Managers for Linux

Last year I moved from one location to another, and so I was uprooted yet again. One of several moves since 2012.

It has given me the opportunity to check out various book collection managers available for Linux.

Ten years ago I had two bookshelves with over 200 books, ranging from large coffee table type publications to religious booklets. Now I've had to 'downsize' to about half of that.

Anyways, I've discovered a couple of software utils. to list, sort, vote on, my collection of books:

1. Alexandria Book Collection Manager, which has been available for years.
2. Tellico, a new software available since 2013.

Both promise to assist in tracking the books you physically own, as well as those you have read. The latter allowing you to put your favourites in a 'want' list so you can remember to purchase a copy at a later time, if need be.

Alexandria ver. 0.6.9

Alexandria just tracks books. Ones you have read, ones you want to purchase. You can arrange your collection list by title, author, publ. year., publ. co., rating, read, and want.

One of the things I like about it is the font-size of the menus is good for using over several hours while I was going thru my books, adding them to the database.

What works

Basic features like Saving (this is a database program, and it autosaves), Sorting (by clicking on the top headers), exporting to Tellico's xml-based .tc format and exporting to .csv creates a semi-colon based list which you can then import into a spreadsheet or anything else that reads in .csv format.

When it comes to adding new books, you don't have to key in all of the data, just the ISBN or the Title, or the Author, and the programme will find it for you and insert the remaining data. However, you need an Internet connection for this to work because it connects with the Library of Congress and others to import the metadata.

What doesn't work

Alexandria gives you the option to export to .bibtex format, used for bibliography work, but this didn't work and generated an error msg. "undefined method 'force_encoding' for nil:NilClass" with a 0 byte file instead. Now granted, I'm not really experienced in using bibliographic databases. But it would be nice if it did work, "just in case" I need such a feature.

Because this programme has not been updated since 2010-11 it may be a while before this error is fixed, if ever.

Tellico ver 2.3

Tellico is the second programme I tested for book managers available for Linux.

It can manage more than just books. It can also list your CDs & DVDs, Comics, and more.

What works

Importing my current Alexandria database, it found the right file, and put all the right field data in the right spot.

What doesn't work

Tellico is supposed to be able to write Reports based on your collection, arranged by Title, Author, and the other fields. However, the programme abended (crashed and disappeared) when I tried to do this. It didn't matter what kind of report I requested.

Winnipeg Transit Doesn't Serve Its Customers Well

Winnipeg needs to get with the times and massively upgrade its bus-based system.

For a metro area of 741,893 [1] they rely on 595 diesel vehicles. This amount is insufficient, as it no longer matters what time of the day one rides Winnipeg Transit (WT). The buses are _always crowded_, morning, noon, and night. Of course the politicians love hearing this.

But the thing is that riding with strangers, who sometimes are polar opposites in personality or whatever, can produce PTSD-like symptoms in passengers, who just want to get where they're going.

I suggest WT invest in expanding their fleet, increasing the numbers of 60 ft. "long buses", put aside their hate for rail-based transit, etc. 

Another thing that WT does to irritate its passengers is that many routes take jags here and there. For example on the 95 Morley-Taylor route, the 95 goes right into the parking lot of Pan Am Pool. Why? If someone is healthy enough to go swimming, why does WT have to literally go out of their way to accommodate them?

WT needs to reorganize its route structure like the TTC does. Bus and streetcar routes on the TTC generally follow straight-line paths, not here and there. So-called "Crosstown Routes" are too long and laborious. The 16 and the 18 should not come from the North End and end up in Tuxedo.

Recent reports suggest that the criminals who have been vandalizing cars and property in River Heights have been taking the 18.

Split up routes. Simplify them.

My suggestion is that the 95 should be split into two separate routes and each new route ...one from Polo Park to Stafford / Pembina, the other from Riverview Health Centre to Stafford / Pembina Loop. I remember in the 1970s the Morley bus used to be called Jubilee.

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1 Statistics Canada 2011 Census Data

Force M D 's Tender Love

Colour Management in Linux

Since 2014 I have had  colour management software working in my Linux.

I have access to a software program called dispcalgui, which works in conjunction with a colorimeter.

Here are some settings that are specific and some variable for use with my hardware (IBM LP154W02):

• D50 / 5000 K
• White Level =86 cd/m2 screen brightness - this is the max. brightness that my particular LCD screen can produce.
• 174 lux. was setting for previous home. 21 lux is for current home
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