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Blocklist-Update.sh

Blocklist-Update.sh is a script that I wrote to manage blocklists from bluetack etc to be used in conjunction with Transmission torrent downloader in Linux/MacOS. The script can be taylored to work with Qbittorrent as well, but the placement of the blocklists means you'd have to redirect the blocklist to go somewhere locally manageable as Transmission uses its own blocklist directory in .config. I believe there are about 10 lists there now. It works well for my needs. It can be ran weekly using crontab in standard user profile.  To download:  blocklist-update.sh To download the others:  Github
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TOP 10 LINUX APPLICATIONS I LOVE

As I stated previously, there is no shortage in software for Linux. Each task seems to have more than one really good application. Here I will go over 10 things I can’t do without/ or software I’ve read about and really am interested in. No specific order. I will follow up with a 10 Open Source Software I Hate article later.

  1. VIVALDI: There are a few good ones out there. Anyone can see that Linux isn’t exactly as limited as it used to be in this case. However, for my own use and purpose, Vivaldi is at the top of the list of browsers. It is built on Chromium and has the same Javascript engine, what makes it different is the interface. You can do almost anything with the interface. You can stack similar tabs, you can prioritize audio across tabs, you can hibernate background tabs to spare resources, something that takes a third party extension to do on other browsers.
  2. DELUGE: I get it, I’m using Transmission right now, but Deluge is by far the best Bittorrent client for Linux. It’s open source, cross platform, and has all the essentials you would need. Most of these “essentials” are in the form of extensions or plugins. These can be turned on pretty easily within the settings. These include; blocklists, bandwidth control scheduler, auto add, and more. Deluge has some similarities with Qbittorent, however it is a QT application. Deluge works better with gtk based desktops, at least for me.
  3. PAROLE: Media codecs are extensive these days, there is no doubt that VLC at least used to be better at playing DVD’s, however, nowadays, I can play most DVD’s on my Linux machine by using Parole. Parole also doesn’t have all the specific quarrels about Qt plugins as does VLC in Manjaro for instance. Parole started back into development not long ago, after it was unsure about the future of said application, its developers finally released a new stable update to the prized application that favors Xfce desktops over anything else. It’s very light weight even in comparison with VLC.
  4. GEANY: I have a lot of fun learning code. It’s not just the satisfaction of feeling like a hacker whilst typing away at my keyboard, it’s the feeling of solving a problem or otherwise making something more accessible. Whether I’m writing scripts for Linux, learning to write something basic in C or Java, even if I’m drafting something in HTML, it doesn’t hurt to have a good IDE/text editor that can handle the job. Geany(pronounced genie), is such an application. It highlights code and handles an array of programming and markup languages right out of the box. Another runner up would be Bluefish, but it’s more tailored to just HTML. Most people complain that the white background hurts their eyes, but no one realizes that there is a way to invert the colours, I will do a tutorial on that soon enough.

  1. BLEACHBIT: It’s true, cleanup in Linux isn’t an issue. While there are a few nifty utilities that do this for you, most are concerned with just how much these applications clean. There is a good reason to be nervous when using one of these applications, but most issues from running these are based on user error. An all around simple tool for cleaning cache and other debris from a multitude of applications on the system, Bleachbit is to Linux what Ccleaner is to Windows. Bleachbit is also cross platform. Bleachbit has many similarities with Ccleaner, such as its use of an ini file to tell it what it can and can not clean. Hacking of this file could result in larger lists of applications that you can safely clean, however, for regular users, the standard list is fine. Bleachbit can also shred and wipe free space clusters as well. For quick cleaning, this is my go to.
  2. HTOP: I prefer this even over my own system monitoring app for xfce on most occasions. I mainly like this app because it seems somewhat more accurate. It also tells me exactly what is using how much in a way that pwns the competition. Htop is a handly cli version of a system monitor program. It uses your terminal to display process and RAM information all in one compact and neatly organized window. Htop also allows you some control of applications, much like its graphical counterparts. While it is a bit more complicated for new users, using it is pretty straight forward. Most actions rely on the function keys.
  3. XSENSORS: While the xfce desktop, especially in Manjaro, has plenty of sensor information available to me with the addition of the goodies package, it just seems like a more efficient use of space to use Xsensors. Like other sensor apps, Xsensors uses lm-sensors to display CPU, GPU and other relevant temperature/voltage information depending upon your motherboard’s capabilities. Xsensors can easily be added to a keyboard shortcut. I prefer using F1 for this.
  4. BRASERO: Brasero is a simplistic disc burning utility for Linux. I chose this over Xfburn, because the interface is more modern.
  5. LIBREOFFICE: While neither Linux nor distribution specific, and while not the only office utility in Linux, I prefer this for its abundance of features and its integration with projects started on either Windows or Linux and in almost any setting. It has a good selection of fonts(more can be added by adding proprietary fonts to the system). It has a good spell-checker and Language database where more can be added. This relies heavily on Hunspell package being installed on the system. The default layout is what I am used to.
  6. PLUMA: While I already gave my favorite editor, this is an editor of a different breed altogether. Pluma is based on the Mate desktop project. While similar applications do exist, this is firmly Mate desktop and stable, lightweight, plentiful enough in features that I can get simple and quick edits finished fast. It is rather ironic that if the system I’m on didn’t already come with Mousepad, I’d definitely install this one first.

And there we have my top 10 loved applications for Linux, stay tuned for my top disappointing apps later. Thanks!

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