Force apt-get to reinstall config files

You can reinstall config files from a package with the following command:

apt-get -o DPkg::options::=--force-confmiss --reinstall install <package>

Thanks to skanx, the original post can be found at Force apt-get to reinstall config files | 6log

LaTeX tables - from spreadsheets to tex

Writing tables in LaTeX is a pain in the ass.
Create a table as draft, find an error, move a column etc. AAarrrrgh.

A nice way to create the basic table and fill it with data is to use a spreadsheet application like MS Excel.

I found some promising tools to convert from spreadsheet applications to latex:

• OpenOffice.org / LibreOffice
  • calc2latex
    A macro. Generates tex code from selected table area.
    Tested. Works with LibreOffice 3.4.4 (debian package '1:3.4.4-2').
• MS Excel
• exceltex
  Directly include .xls files in latex documents.
  Untested.
• excel2latex
  macro for Excel. Export to latex code.
  Untested.

pdfTeX - get rid of pdf inclusion version warnings

When you include pdf-images in your LaTeX document and get this kind of warnings:

pdfTeX warning: pdflatex (file ./fig/fig_FooBar.pdf): PDF inclusion: found PDF version <1.5>, but at most version <1.4> allowed [...]

Then give pdfTeX this command:

\pdfminorversion=5

This way pdfTeX builds the document with pdf Version 1.5 instead of 1.4.
Before:

> file document.pdf
document.pdf: PDF document, version 1.4

After:

> file document.pdf
document.pdf: PDF document, version 1.5

and no more warnings.

Thanks to Mads Darø, found the solution in his blog:
Kedelig Data: Controlling PDF Minor Version in LaTeX


Just for reference:
> This is pdfTeX, Version 3.1415926-1.40.10 (TeX Live 2009/Debian)
Debian package version: texlive 2009-14

Milk froth - Cappuccino

Milk froth - technical, chemical details etc.

Blog (partial English/German):

Da Wolfredo

Blog entry (German):

Milch als Geschmacksträger und -geber.

Quick encryption with gpg

Today another kind of bookmark-style post;
Scenario:
You want to protect some file with a password to

• store it on your local computer
• send it to someone else.

You need the same password on both sides (=encryption and decryption).
(If sent to someone else, make sure to transfer the password on another way than the file.. )

• encrypt:
  • % gpg --symetric foo.txt
    results in a file foo.txt.gpg which contains binary data
  • % gpg --symetric --armor foo.txt
    gives foo.txt.asc which contains ascii characters, which makes sense (for small files) when you want to paste it directly into an email
• decrypt:
  • % gpg --output foo.txt --decode foo.txt.gpg
  • % gpg --output foo.txt --decode foo.txt.asc

source: http://advosys.ca/viewpoints/2006/07/pgp-symmetric-encryption/

Repack a .deb-archive

Today just a bookmark.
Needed to change some files inside a .deb archive; found a short tutorial here:
Repack a .deb-archive with dpkg-deb

For backup reasons a c&p from the blog above:

Thanks maff.