/home/.cache folder

After a while of running a *nix workstation or server, the operating system will store files in the ~/.cache folder.

Some of the files stored are cover art images for Rhythmbox media player, the cache of Tracker the desktop search program for *nix.

So it is entirely OK to delete the contents of the ~/.cache folder (not the folder itself).

Afterwards I went from 64.2% of a 94 GB partition to 64%, whatever that is in Megabytes.

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.

Storix System Backup for Linux

I wish there was a simple, easy to use, integrated software for Linux that allowed me to:

* create a compressed tar file
* allowed manipulation of the tape drive (erasing, forward, search, backup, restore, list of files)
* freeware
* GUI or really good char. mode interface

I think I may have found a decent GUI (char. mode) programme for Linux for backing up by tape. Storix System (Tape) Backup. I found it while typing in 'Linux tape' in Archive.org today. It's freeware for personal use.

The person who started the Storix company in 1999, , used to work for IBM, so the programme must be high quality.

I haven't tried it out yet, but here is a screenshot from Archive.org:

To install and run Storix, I had to do the following:

1. Download the .tar.gz files from Arcive.org
2. Login as root
3. Create the storix directory in /usr/local
4. Extract the .tar file into /usr/local/storix
5. cd /usr/local/storix
6. Type stinstall
7. All the install programme asked me was am I intending on running this as an Individual or as a Company? I chose 'p' for Personal (this is the freeware ver.)
8. To run the programme, just type sudo /usr/bin/stadmin

I will hopefully write more on how to run this, after I've tried backing up a couple of times.

Storix has a tutorial on Youtube on how to run it.

My April 1998 Partition Table

On the leading edge, back in the day, triple booting 3 OSes on one PC!

Linux Installation from April 1998
hda1 Extended container
hda2 Linux / (root) – LILO goes here!!!
hda3 Windows95 (16-bit FAT)
hda4 OS/2 Boot Manager
hda5 OS/2 HPFS (OS/2 system files)
hda6 OS/2 HPFS (OS/2 apps.)
hda7 Linux /usr (apps.)
hda8 OS/2 HPFS (OS/2 apps.)
hda9 Linux Swap (16096)