Finding Emacs - Orgmode and PDF, Text, Html export

v 0.2

I have really found Orgmode useful over the last year or so.  I learn a small bit of it as I go and I think it is one of the most useful tools out there.  I normally use the standard text export for its ease of use - it impresses people that you can produce a professional looking document with standard text.

First though, a couple of tips from the manual.  When you export, you can over-ride the defaults to produce the meta-data you want.  Simply make the first lines of the file something like:

 -*- mode:org ; mode:visual-line  -*-
#+STARTUP: indent
#+OPTIONS: H:4
#+TITLE: The Title I want On the Document
#+AUTHOR: Archer of Gorgon
#+DATE: Feb 31
#+EMAIL: archer@gorgon.org.gg

Formatting for HTML and PDF

When you write your orgmode document, make sure it is structured correctly, otherwise when you export to HTML or PDF, lines will run into each other.  I was writing lists of action items to myself such as:

Takeoff RWY 16 Mel
Dosel departure
Tcas event
STAR
RNAV FLS 34
Go Around
RWY 34 VOR  FLS
Land

and it would be exported under HTML and PDF to:

Takeoff RWY 16 MelDosel departureTcas eventSTARRNAV FLS 34Go AroundRWY 34 VOR  FLSLand

Not quite what I wanted.  What I should have done was to use the "table" function, with one cell per row or .. 

#+begin_example

#+end_example

Others are here:

http://orgmode.org/manual/Easy-Templates.html#Easy-Templates

  

Export to PDF

Orgmode CANNOT export from EMACS to PDF by itself.  You need the "pdflatex" program.  I am using my Windows 7 desktop as my main machine, so I haven't checked with Mac or Linux however ... I installed MikTex and all was well .....  There will be equivalent packages ..

Utterly beautiful PDF files.

Note:  The first run, it will take some time however subsequent runs happen within seconds.

That is it.

Later.

Debain Squeeze - Dropbox

v 0.3
28 Oct 11

Dropbox "deb" files are compiled for use under ubuntu.  Whilst Debian Squeeze has all the correct dependencies, they are written for ubuntu, and so give an error when the deb file is installed on Debian.  To fix this, it is a simple exercise in extracting the deb file, editing the control file and then re-building the package.  Works a treat.

Here is the link:


Dropbox for Debian



Update 28 Oct 11

I notice that Debian Backports has the Dropbox package.  Use it.

:)


Later ...

Debain Squeeze - IBM / Levono X31 Thinkpad

 v 0.3

I've had an IBM X31 Thinkpad for quite some time and in recent years it has fallen into disuse.  It has Windows XP installed on a 40 gig disk together with 768k of memory - I've found it useful for those odd occasions I need IE6 to do home courses for work over the Internet.  I know ... I know ....

To continue.

A couple of days ago, I spotted a spare 40 gig 2.5 inch HDD I had purchased some time ago, but not adequately used and the thought occurred to me I should replace the drive in the X31 with this and install Debian Linux.  I've installed Debian on a previous IBM laptop, and was most impressed to see that everything on it "just worked". 

The X31 maintenance manual was easily found on the Internet, and with a little bit of fiddling, I had the drive replaced.  I downloaded the latest iso image for "Squeeze" and the firmware.tar.gz file.

Another diversion to talk about Debian's installation logic with their current Stable distribution.  Debian has made their installation iso image only with "free" drivers.  This is not the chore that you might think.  Simply download the firmware archive and unpack it onto a USB stick.  There will be a collection of "deb" files.  During the installation process, if the need for a "non-free" driver is found, the installation routine will ask you to insert the removable media containing the driver and continue.  Really easy.  Not an issue.

Going through the standard Debian installation routine, I chose a guided option, separate "home" partition and encrypted LVM (just to see what would happen).  Well, everything did seem to go OK, though it took some time but I should expect that given the processor is a good six years old.  Erasing the data on the disk took quite some time.  On a 40 gig disk, it set aside 28 gig for "home".  The whole installation process took probably 3 or more hours - all I know is that I started before dinner and it wasn't till after 10.30 in the evening that it all finished.  A significant period of time was spent by the install routine setting up the encrypted volume.  A couple of times, I almost gave up when there was nothing but a blue screen there for many, many minutes.

In the end though, an excellent installation.  When the machine boots, enter the passphrase when it asks just after the Grub screen and after a short interlude, the standard GDM3 login screen appears.  So far, everything "just works" so I'm really pleased.  The standard wireless b works fine using the "non-free" intel 2100 driver, and so does my Netgear "G" wireless card - it uses the free Atheros driver.


Later ..................