When you need to inspect what files a .deb package contains or will install, dpkg is your primary tool. This is useful for understanding package contents before installation, checking what files a package added to your system, or troubleshooting file conflicts. Listing files in an installed package If the package is already installed on your…
Converting a series of JPG images into a single PDF is useful for creating documents, presentations, or archiving scanned photos. Linux offers several tools for this task, each with different trade-offs between simplicity, quality preservation, and features. Using img2pdf (Recommended) For most cases, img2pdf is the best choice because it merges images without re-encoding or…
Distribution repositories often lag behind Calibre’s latest releases. If your package manager shows an older version and you need current features or bug fixes, installing directly from the official installer is straightforward. Official installer method Calibre provides a dedicated Linux installer that works across distributions. This is the recommended approach for staying current: sudo -v…
GitBook is a tool for building documentation and ebooks from Markdown content. Here’s how to set it up on a Linux system. Prerequisites You’ll need Node.js installed first. On Ubuntu/Debian: curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash – sudo apt-get install -y nodejs On Fedora/RHEL: sudo dnf install nodejs Verify the installation: node –version npm…
When you need a command or library file but don’t have the package installed, you need to search for which package provides it. On Red Hat/Fedora systems, yum provides or dnf provides does this. On Debian/Ubuntu, the equivalent is apt-file. Red Hat, Fedora, and CentOS (DNF/YUM) Use dnf provides (or yum provides on older systems):…
Node.js installation on Ubuntu and Linux Mint has evolved significantly. The approach depends on your use case — whether you need the latest stable version, multiple Node versions for different projects, or just a quick setup. Using the NodeSource Repository (Recommended) The NodeSource repository provides current, well-maintained Node.js packages. This is the best approach for…
When GitBook or other tools call Calibre’s ebook-convert command on a headless server, you’ll hit this error: RuntimeError: X server required. If you are running on a headless machine, use xvfb This happens because Calibre needs an X11 display server, even though you’re just converting files. The solution is to wrap ebook-convert with xvfb-run, which…
The .mbox format stores email messages as plain text in a single file, with each message separated by a “From ” line. If you have archived emails or need to work with mailbox exports, here are the practical ways to read and manipulate them on Linux. Using Thunderbird Thunderbird remains a solid option for viewing…
When you need to see what versions of a package are available in your Ubuntu repositories, there are several approaches depending on how much detail you need. Using apt-cache showpkg The most direct method is apt-cache showpkg, which lists all available versions along with their repository sources: apt-cache showpkg thunderbird This output shows version numbers,…
If you’re syncing emails with tools like offlineimap, you might notice a problem: when an email is deleted from the server, it’s also deleted locally. That’s by design—offlineimap performs synchronization, not backup. For actual backups, you need a tool that retrieves emails without deleting the originals. This post covers the best approaches in 2026. getmail:…
Package managers on Debian and Ubuntu systems maintain detailed logs of all installations, upgrades, and removals. These logs are essential for auditing system changes, troubleshooting dependency issues, or understanding what was installed and when. Log File Locations The main log files you’ll work with are: /var/log/dpkg.log — Low-level package management operations logged by dpkg /var/log/apt/history.log…
Managing display power and screen blanking on Linux systems is essential for reducing power consumption on servers, headless machines, and workstations. Two primary tools handle this: setterm for software-based blanking and vbetool for hardware power management via VESA DPMS. Screen Blanking with setterm The setterm command controls when and how the console screen blanks during…
Monitoring hardware temperatures is essential for laptop health and performance. On Linux, lm-sensors provides CPU and system temperatures, while smartctl (from smartmontools) gives you drive health data including temperature readings. Installation Debian/Ubuntu/Linux Mint: sudo apt install lm-sensors smartmontools Fedora/RHEL/CentOS: sudo dnf install lm_sensors smartmontools Arch Linux: sudo pacman -S lm_sensors smartmontools Detecting Sensors Before reading…
When working with files containing long lines, git diff output becomes hard to read — the diff spans beyond your terminal width, forcing you to scroll horizontally or losing context entirely. While you can’t force all files to use short lines, several strategies make diff output much more manageable. Using Word Diff for Line-Level Changes…
Linux Mint defaults to graphical mode, but you can boot directly to the console if you prefer a text-only environment or need to troubleshoot display issues. There are two main approaches: using GRUB parameters or disabling the display manager entirely. Method 1: Add the text kernel parameter (GRUB) This is the quickest approach and keeps…
If you installed Linux in BIOS (Legacy) mode but need to boot alongside Windows in UEFI mode, converting an existing installation is possible but complex. This guide covers the process for modern systems while preserving your existing Linux installation and Windows setup. Before starting: Back up your data. This procedure involves disk partitioning and bootloader…
The most straightforward way to identify which installed package provides a specific file is with dpkg: dpkg -S /path/to/the/file The -S flag searches for a filename pattern across all installed packages. This works for any file path in your system, whether it’s a binary, library, configuration file, or anything else. Searching for command binaries To…
Linux Mint uses the APT package management system (derived from Debian). There are several straightforward methods to verify whether a specific package is installed. Using dpkg The dpkg command directly queries the package database on your system. dpkg -l | grep ghostscript This lists all installed packages and filters for ghostscript. If the package is…
FFmpeg is essential for video and audio processing on Linux. Installation methods vary depending on your Linux Mint version and whether you want the stable release or cutting-edge builds. Installing FFmpeg from Official Repositories The simplest approach is to use your distribution’s package manager. FFmpeg is now included in the official repositories for all modern…
HP printers work reasonably well on Linux, though the setup process varies depending on whether you have a network printer or a USB-connected device. Here’s what you need to know. Install HPLIP HPLIP (HP Linux Imaging and Printing) is the main driver package for HP printers. Install it along with the GUI configuration tool: sudo…