Tool Tips
Tool Tips
Tool tests on the fast track
Term-Highlight 1.8.1
Function: Highlight patterns in terminal
Source: http://sourceforge.net/projects/hlterm
License: GPLv2
Alternatives: Grep, Supercat
Term Highlight – the name really says it all: The Perl script hl
searches through text files for search patterns and color highlights the matches. If so desired, it will work like Grep and just output the lines with the matches. Optionally, Term Highlight can ignore the case and work recursively. The tool also understands regular expressions.
When defining the highlighting options and the search pattern, users can define the foreground and background color. The script reads from standard output or searches through files and directories explicitly specified by the user after the -
sign.
User can store frequently needed highlighting in snippets in the ~/.hlrc
configuration file. The unique designator is followed by the highlighting options and search patterns. After defining a snippet, you can enable it later on in the global call options following -s
.
(3 Stars) Using the tool is easy but not always intuitive. If users forget the hyphen in front of the file list, hl
just ignores the list. It is also somewhat unfortunate that the -b
parameter has a different meaning in the global options and highlight options.
BashBurn 3.1.0
Function: Burn CDs and DVDs at the command line
Source: http://bashburn.dose.se
License: GPLv2
Alternatives: Growisofs, Cdrecord
If you do not have a graphical burning tool, or you just prefer to use the shell, you will find a practical helper in the form of BashBurn. The shell script acts as a front end for tools like mkisofs
, cdrecord
, growisofs
, cdparanoia
, and others. It burns data CDs and DVDs, as well as music CDs and images; rips audio CDs; converts NRG files from the Nero application into standard ISO files; and much more.
When launched, the program comes up with a simple menu. You can use the program settings to define where the tool stores temporary files and set optional parameters for the underlying console tools.
The Data section contains entries for copying media or burning files and directories to disk, creating ISO images, burning existing images, and so on. The Audio section contains entries for copying CDs. You also have the option of converting WAV files to MP3, Ogg Vorbis, or FLAC; ripping a CD; or burning play lists.
(5 Stars) In terms of the feature scope, BashBurn can easily keep up with graphical burning tools. The shell script also does a good job when you need to work on a remote system.
Nikola 7.7.2
Function: Generate static websites
Source: https://getnikola.com
License: MIT
Alternatives: Jekyll, Hyde, Pelican
For security or performance reasons, many users rely on static content for their websites. Nikola provides support. The tool, written in Python, creates attractive pages, including links, site maps, RSS feeds, and more. It can also import content from platforms like WordPress, Tumblr, or Blogger. Nikola works with Python 2.7 and 3.3, but it needs many additional libraries despite the lean codebase. The developers recommend installing via the Python package manager pip
.
To design a new website, you run nikola init
and follow the wizard. You are prompted to provide details on the title, language, time zone, and the like. Then, you fill the framework with content. Options such as new_page
or new_post
help you do so. The -e
switch launches the text editor defined in $EDITOR
.
When done, type nikola build
to compile, and deploy
to publish the page. If you want to test your work locally in the browser before going live, you can launch the integrated web server by typing serve
. Other useful options include github_deploy
(uploads to GitHub), status
(shows you when the content was last published), and orphans
(finds orphaned pages).
(5 Stars) Nikola is a very powerful tool. The project website offers a number of extensions and themes, and the comprehensive documentation leaves no questions unanswered.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Direct Download
Read full article as PDF:
Price $2.95
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Find SysAdmin Jobs
News
-
SparkyLinux 6.6 Now Available for Installation
The Debian-based SparkyLinux has a new point release that retools the live USB desktop creator and other changes that give it shiny new-ness.
-
SparkyLinux 6.6 Now Available for Installation
The Debian-based SparkyLinux has a new point release that retools the live USB desktop creator and other changes that give it shiny new-ness.
-
Escuelas Linux 8.0 Now Available
Just in time for its 25th anniversary, the developers of Escuelas Linux have released the latest version.
-
LibreOffice 7.5 Loaded with New Features and Improvements
The favorite office suite of the Linux community has a new release that includes some visual refreshing and new features across all modules.
-
The Next Major Release of Elementary OS Has Arrived
It's been over a year since the developers of elementary OS released version 6.1 (Jólnir) but they've finally made their latest release (Horus) available with a renewed focus on the user.
-
KDE Plasma 5.27 Beta Is Ready for Testing
The latest beta iteration of the KDE Plasma desktop is now available and includes some important additions and fixes.
-
Netrunner OS 23 Is Now Available
The latest version of this Linux distribution is now based on Debian Bullseye and is ready for installation and finally hits the KDE 5.20 branch of the desktop.
-
New Linux Distribution Built for Gamers
With a Gnome desktop that offers different layouts and a custom kernel, PikaOS is a great option for gamers of all types.
-
System76 Beefs Up Popular Pangolin Laptop
The darling of open-source-powered laptops and desktops will soon drop a new AMD Ryzen 7-powered version of their popular Pangolin laptop.
-
Nobara Project Is a Modified Version of Fedora with User-Friendly Fixes
If you're looking for a version of Fedora that includes third-party and proprietary packages, look no further than the Nobara Project.