## Friday, July 20, 2012

### Highlighting in LaTeX with the soul package - highlighting citations

Ok, after a quick search, I found that if you put an extra set of brackets around the \cite{}, then the highlighting should work!!

So for example, \hl{{\cite{citation}}}

It should work for other citation types too, \citeyear, etc.  I haven't tried it, but it probably works for other environments.

http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/20021/how-to-highlight-paragraph-linebreak-preserving-as-well-as-itemize-tabular-et

Here is a screen shot from me:

## Thursday, July 19, 2012

### Some common functions in Maxima - trig, logarithms, the exponential, and square root

http://maxima.sourceforge.net/docs/manual/en/maxima_10.html#SEC47

exp(x)
log(x)
sqrt(x)
acos(x)
acosh(x)
acot(x)
acoth(x)
asin(x)
asinh(x)
asec(x)
asech(x)
acsc(x)
acsch(x)
atan(x)
atanh(x)
cos(x)
cosh(x)
cot(x)
coth(x)
sin(x)
sinh(x)
sec(x)
sech(x)
csc(x)
csch(x)
tan(x)
tanh(x)

Maxima does not have a built-in function for the base 10 logarithm or other bases. log10(x) := log(x) / log(10) is a useful definition.

## Saturday, July 14, 2012

### Maxima/wxMaxima - solving for the roots of a transcendental equation

Ok, so something is wrong with my Python.  I think Spyder is giving me some fits in Ubunt for somereason.  Anyways, luckily I have Maxima and Sage to fall back on.  In order to solve for the roots of a transcendental equation, I provide a following example.

The equation I want to solve is:

$\tan \left( \tfrac{1}{2} C d^2 \right) - \tan \left( \tfrac{1}{2} C a^2 \right) = 0$

where $$\deta$$ is given.  I first plotted it to make sure it did in fact show trends of a root or roots for $$\delta = 0.5$$.

delta:0.5;
eqn(x):= tan(0.5*x*(delta^2)) - tan(0.5*x);
plot2d(eqn, [x, 0, 20],[y, -1, 1]);


So, yup, it definitely has roots.  The first root is actually at zero, but this is trivial in my case.  So I am interesting in the second root.  It seems to be around 8.  I choose the interval for the root finder to look on as 7.8 to 8.5.

find_root(tan(0.5*x*(delta^2)) - tan(0.5*x), x, 7.8, 8.5);
8.377580409572781


So the root found is the bold number above!

### Kile Issue - Keyboard suddenly does not work

I have run into the keyboard suddenly not working in Kile on occasion.  This is because there is some character length error which automatically enables Read Only Mode.  To fix this simply go to the Tools menu and disable the Read Only Mode (should have a check mark) by selecting it with a click of the mouse.  I went through some headaches with this before figuring out this simple fix from some help at KDE.  I filed a bug report and received responses which pointed to this simple fix.  It's always something stupid or simple, isn't it?

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=292766

### gnome classic panel + unity launcher in ubuntu 12.04 precise - YouTube

gnome classic panel + unity launcher in ubuntu 12.04 precise - YouTube

edit: Well so much for that.  Compiz is apparently crashing I can't run the command anymore :(  SO I just moved the Avant bar back to the bottom, not bad, but not Unity either.  Ubuntu really needs to fix these issues including supporting multiple monitors (more than two) with ease if they want to stop the bleeding.  Fortunately, there really isn't a competitor out there (for me at least) that I have found.

Heck yeah!  I'm using GNOME classic (fallback session) because it's the only one that can run my Quad monitors fairly well (Wasn't a huge fan of Kubuntu nor Xubuntu.  I liked them but they seemed to be slow at times and things would crash on me for some reason. I've just always come back to Ubuntu-GNOME classic.)

Anyways, I really liked the Unity launch bar and tried to replace it with Avant, Cairo, and Docky.  Cairo looked nice, but I had issues with windows blocking it and didn't feel like trying to fix it.  Avant worked pretty well but once I filled up the side bar it's scrolling feature sucked.

Finally, found this, duh.  You can launch the Unity 2D shell in GNOME classic!!  The Unity 2D login didn't work for quads either which is why I am not using it if you are wondering.

Run:

sudo apt-get install gnome-session-fallback unity-2d-launcher

unity-2d-shell

The thing is I've probably read how you could do this, but I just didn't realize it.  The whole Unity, Unity 2D, GNOME, GNOME classic thing can be quite confusing.

Here is a nice post which goes into quite some detail (scroll down to the comment section as well; the author puts several informative responses there).

http://complete-concrete-concise.com/ubuntu-2/ubuntu-12-04/ubuntu-12-04-how-to-install-the-gnome-desktop

See the thing is this link^^^ says install GNOME desktop which now seems to include the GNOME 3 shell/desktop, the GNOME classic, and the GNOME classic (no effects).  Quite confusing because you can install the GNOME classic with a different command I thought.  It also seems, now that I understand, that GNOME classic simply runs on top of GNOME 3 with the GNOME 2 look alike desktop...?  Whatever, it works so far with me and my quads and I'm happy with the desktop (not Xubuntu, Kubuntu, etc).  I think I'll try to figure this out and break it down in another post some other time.

edit: plus each one runs on different window management systems such as compiz, metacity. etc...sheesh

### Zotero Standalone and Zotero Connectors and more on citation/reference software

http://www.zotero.org/

Uh, hello, wow, finally, this is cool!! So, Zotero, my second favorite bibliography manager now has a standalone and a connector version of their software. I really liked Zotero when I first started using it, but found my way over to Menedeley Desktop once it came out. Both are very good alternatives to EndNote or even JabRef, and both have their pros and cons. Anyways, Zotero has released (since when, I don't know) alpha versions of a standalone and connector Zotero citation software. The standalone is what is says, a standalone version of Zotero (like Menedeley is a standalone) which used to require running in the Firefox web browser. The standalone is also cross-platform with downloads for Windows 2000 or later, Mac Intel, OS X 10.5 or later, and Linux 32- and 64-bit versions. I really like this because for some reason I was turned off by having to use Zotero in Firefox. I like Firefox and Zotero and all, but I use Chromium/Chrome more and just like Mendeley better. Actually, it has been awhile since I have used Zotero so I can really say what I liked or did not like. I'll have to review my older post which I will also add an update to.

Anyways, so you might be wondering or ask why am I so excited about having Zotero standalone if I use Mendeley all the time? Well, to tell you the truth, I am kind of an I like to have everything just in case I need it even though I probably don't need it or won't ever use it. I have gotten better with this obsession, but in reality it is probably for the better to have Zotero and to be able to convert between Mendeley if needed, since, as I plan to stay in academia or least research intensive, I will be collaborating with many people from around the world and who use different software. So I figure having Mendeley and Zotero on board I can cover most people's citation choices with both (not totally sure about this, I will update as I find out).

Pulled this one out of the archives.  Had it as a draft forever.  Finally installed Zotero standalone.  I founf this:

http://www.stephanieplumeri.net/blog/category/install-wizard/

http://anterotesis.com/wordpress/2011/11/installing-zotero-standalone-on-ubuntu-11-10/

I couldn't get this^^ to work so after I downloaded and unpacked the file I just moved the folder to my home.  You can then double click the Zotero executable and then pin it to a launch bar.  It has this weird obsession to try to install itself in Libre every time I run it.  I don't want to atm so I clicked Cancel, it says are you sure you can install it later, I say yes OK.  It repeats!!  SO finally I clicked on the X to close the window box and it went away.  I might just let it install so it goes away.  I just figured that I am not ever going to use it in Libre so I didn't want/need to install.

I haven't tried the connectors either.  Normally Zotero works natively in FireFox, but it now has the ability to do the same in Chrome and Safari (haha, screw IE).  I didn't do this because I mainly use MD and won't be using Zotero too often.  I think I'll keep it on board for backup and just to keep up with the software.

### Kile Issue: Toolbars and menus gone

[kubuntu] Kile problem: Toolbars and menus gone after upgrade to hardy - Ubuntu Forums

This is weird.  The menu bar where File, Edit, View, etc. had disappeared from Kile.  I still had the toolbar with the New, Open, etc. buttons.  Must have happened when I reinstalled Kubuntu and Xubuntu cause my GNOME classic had messed up (It was my fault, I had tried messing with it to get the windows to snap but never did and ended up messing some things up where it wouldn't work correctly at all.  Finally got back GNOME classic working again.  Leaving it alone for now.  I think it stems from my quad monitor setup.  *sigh* Maybe one day Ubuntu-Unity will work flawlessly with quads.  I probably could figure it out messing with the xconfig, but I don't have the time or patience at the moment.  Anyhoo...).  The fix which worked for me was:

I stumbled across this problem lately and this thread was the only hint to a solution that I could find. A very simple fix is to restore Kile to its default settings by removing your own settings (this does not affect your user defined shortcuts). Close Kile, open a terminal and type
Code:
rm $HOME/.kde/share/config/kilerc Restart Kile. Done. ## Friday, July 13, 2012 ### How to Install Latest Version of Chromium Browser in Ubuntu ~ Ubuntu Vibes | Daily Ubuntu Linux Updates How to Install Latest Version of Chromium Browser in Ubuntu ~ Ubuntu Vibes | Daily Ubuntu Linux Updates sudo add-apt-repository ppa:towolf/crack sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install chromium-browser I noticed that it defaults to Yahoo for searching using the webpage name bar. You can change this under settings. ### Installing/updating Maxima and wxMaxima to 5.27 and 12.04, respectively It had been awhile since I had used wxMaxima/Maxima on my desktop, and I was getting an error when I was trying to run calculations that wxMaxima was not connected to Maxima. I began to search for a solution then decided to check the version. A newer version had of course come out for Maxima-xMaxima as 5.27 and wxMaxima as 12.04. I decide that upgrading would be easier and more logical than trying to fix the old version I had. First, I removed the old version. You can probably do this through through SPM, the terminal, or (what I did) USC. Then add the repository from blahota on launchpad: https://launchpad.net/~blahota/+archive/wxmaxima/ apt-add-repository ppa:blahota/wxmaxima I already had this added from an older version upgrade. Then run update to update the repositories: sudo apt-get update Then install wxMaxima and Maxima either through the terminal (not sure of the exact command; probably something like sudo apt-get install maxima or whatever the file name is), USC, or (what I did) through SPM. I just selected what I wanted to install. ### Sage Interact Database | Interact with the Sage community Sage Interact Database | Interact with the Sage community Wow, this looks pretty cool and sounds like an awesome idea. This is something Mathematica-esque. It is my pleasure to introduce the Sage Interact website at interact.sagemath.org It's a space for Sage users to share snippets of code or Sage worksheets on a single, public site. Anyone can browse the published content, but only registered users can access the full features. Register an account by clicking on an OpenID account provider and confirming your email address. Once you've registered, you can share your own snippets of code, bookmark your favorite posts, and interact with other users. ### A Simple Asymptote IDE In Linux Using Inotify - YouTube A Simple Asymptote IDE In Linux Using Inotify - YouTube I've done something similar except I am using Kile since it has a built in terminal (Konsole) with normal Kile as the text editor. Kate has the same feature but since I use Kile anyways for LaTeX no point in using Kate. ### Xubuntu 12.04 LTS Review: Perfect Alternative for Those Who Can't Stand Unity/GNOME Shell | Tech Drive-in Xubuntu 12.04 LTS Review: Perfect Alternative for Those Who Can't Stand Unity/GNOME Shell | Tech Drive-in Could be great for smaller devices. However, I always come back to GNOME classic with my setup at home (quad monitors). I always seemed to have underlying problems with Kubuntu/Xubuntu. It seemed to run slow at times and crash. I like the familiarity of GNOME classic too. Now, I use Unity on my other two laptops. Don't get me wrong. I could live with KDE or XFCE if I had to. ### Sage 5.1 - Download for Linux - Ubuntu PPA Sage - Download for Linux I just realized that Sage 5.1 is out. I think I was on 4.7 something on my desktop at home! Anyways, they now have a ppa for Ubuntu users. I may have known this, but since I haven't used Sage in awhile I may have forgotten. I am mainly using Python now. I will still occasionally use Sage and wxMaxima for backup and to keep up with its development. apt-add-repository -y ppa:aims/sagemath apt-get update apt-get install sagemath-upstream-binary ## Thursday, July 12, 2012 ### installation - How do I install the latest 2012 TeX Live on 12.04? - Ask Ubuntu Ubuntu 12.04 comes with an old 2009 version of TeX Live. I recently got my Ubuntu desktop back in shape (still not %100 but it's managable. and I was using Kile to compile a LaTeX document which had the bigints package. This worked fine on my Windows using TeXstudio. I think because I just recently installed TeX Live and it was the 2011 version. I could have just placed the .sty file in the appropriate location as a solution. http://blog.irrepupavel.com/2007/02/installing-latex-style-files-sty-on.html THIS LINK IS DEAD! SEE post http://timothyandrewbarber.blogspot.com/2012/11/placing-latex-sty-files-in.html for manually installing .sty files instead! However, I noticed, as I previously mentioned, that the version of TeX Live in Ubuntu 12.04 was outdated. Ubuntu tends to run behind on some things in its repositories. To install the latest TeX Live, 2012, I found this: installation - How do I install the latest 2012 TeX Live on 12.04? - Ask Ubuntu I ran: sudo apt-add-repository ppa:texlive-backports/ppa  and then: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install texlive I then installed the texlive-full package through synaptic just because I didn't feel like going through and picking the packages I needed, :P. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1911713/add-find-style-files-in-to-latex $ sudo apt-get install texlive-full

It looks like 12.10 should come with the 2012 version of TeX Live.

Sorry the blog is messy.  I've been quite busy.  I also apologize to not replying to some comments.  I just haven't had the time at the moment.  Got some good stuff coming though such as using Asymptote.  I really like it.  It's not too hard and the figures look great.  I am happy so far as it replaces Origin for my needs.

### sectioning - How to put a line-break in section heading? - TeX - LaTeX

sectioning - How to put a line-break in section heading? - TeX - LaTeX

I was running into problems with this.  I had the "//" in the section for line breakage but was getting errors. I finally fixed it with using

\section[Really long title here]{Really long title // here}

### 11.10 - How do I remove an icon from the top panel in GNOME Fallback mode? - Ask Ubuntu

11.10 - How do I remove an icon from the top panel in GNOME Fallback mode? - Ask Ubuntu

Works for 12.04 too of course.

Simplyu hold the ATL key then click the icon.  The options Remove and Move should now appear.

## Wednesday, July 11, 2012

### Install XFCE 4.10 In Xubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin Via PPA ~ Web Upd8: Ubuntu / Linux blog

Install XFCE 4.10 In Xubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin Via PPA ~ Web Upd8: Ubuntu / Linux blog

For those of you interested in XFCE and Xubuntu, the lasted XFCE, version 4.10,  has appeared but did not ship with 12.04.

I was using Xubuntu/XFCE cause my GNOME classic was messed up.

To install:

sudo apt-get update
If after running "dist-upgrade", you get 3 held back packages which can't be upgraded, open Synaptic Package Manager (it's installed by default in Xubuntu), click the "Mark all upgrades" button, then "Apply". Synaptic will ask to remove one package and install a new one - select yes and you're done.
I didn't have to do this ^^.  Not sure why.

To install XFCE 4.10 in Xubuntu 12.04 (if you're using a different desktop environment such as GNOME for example), instead of the last command above, use the following:
sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop