About the Author
I'm Stephan, a Linux user with a passion for open-source, UI/UX design, and exploring what makes fiction work.
In my spare time, I focus on (and write about):
- Programming (mainly in Python and Rust)
- Retrocomputing (mostly DOS but, as of January 2023, I also own a machine running Mac OS 9.2)
- Reading and Reviewing Fiction
- The odd bit of UI/UX design or literary theory
For notification of significant updates to existing posts, consider following me on Mastodon.
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Category Archives: Geek Stuff
Preventing Broken Links
TL;DR: If you’re going to move to a new URL, fill out my templates and put them at the old one to make damn sure other people’s links don’t break. Yesterday, I finally found a use for the root http://ssokolow.com … Continue reading
Posted in Geek Stuff
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My Issues With AppIndicators
With the work I’ve been doing on my systray icons in the last few days, it occurred to me that I should probably mention that, when given the choice, I explicitly turn off Ubuntu-style AppIndicators for applications with regular systray … Continue reading
Posted in Geek Stuff
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Polishing up the Lubuntu Notification Area
Whether you call them system tray icons, systray icons, or notification icons, you have to admit that these things can easily get out of control, even on Linux. Attempts are being made to tidy them up, like appindicators and the … Continue reading
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Converting Faenza Panel/Toolbar Icons into Elementary Panel Icons
Icons that look like they’re carved into their substrate are all the rage these days, but if you’re not an artist, making them can be tricky and the Elementary them Lubuntu uses by default doesn’t have a large selection ready … Continue reading
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Making the Pidgin Tray Icon Show Status in Lubuntu
Symptoms On these Lubuntu Linux versions (and possibly others), the Pidgin tray icon never changes to show your status or notify you of unread messages. Lubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot) Lubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) Lubuntu 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat) Reason Pidgin uses … Continue reading
Posted in Geek Stuff
6 Comments
Downloading YouTube Subtitles
A few days ago, for the first time, I wanted to save the YouTube subtitles/closed captions for a video. (It was a Russian newscast about the trolololo guy which wasn’t hard-subbed) Unfortunately, I only had tools in hand for downloading … Continue reading
Posted in Web Wandering & Opinion
18 Comments
Using Twig with Fat-Free Framework: Why and How
Having used Fat-Free Framework 2.x for a little while now, I’m still generally quite happy with it… aside from one thing. The built-in templating engine’s syntax doesn’t offer many advantages over raw PHP, it’s more verbose in certain common cases, … Continue reading
Posted in Geek Stuff
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