Nice mention of tiddlywiki

[Birthe C]

I  was trying to find out more about the browser Vivaldi when I found this: https://dbouley.vivaldi.net/2020/01/28/greatly-expand-vivaldis-usefulness-with-tiddlywiki/  I couldn't agree more with the conclusion....very practical for users of multiple computers and OS'es.

Birthe

[Mark S.]

Hopefully this means that Vivaldi finally fixed a serious problem with its browser. The last time I tried it, it would allow you close a tab, or back off a page, without warning you that you had work to be saved. If you're not saving all the time, you could lose everything instantly. At the time, it appeared that Vivaldi had ignored this problem for many months.  The same thing would happen if, for instance, you were replying in a form like on GG. For me, this made Vivaldi unusable.

[bimlas]

I really like Vivaldi because it supports customization just like TiddlyWiki or Vim.

The main features I use in it are:

Window panel

The Vivaldi window sidebar can be useful because on the one hand we will have a distraction-free interface and on the other hand you can look at the open tabs as if they were just notes or files; a to-do list that is grouped by topic.

You can access the list of windows in the "Window" section on the sidebar. If the sidebar is wide, it’s a bit tricky to find the X that closes that page, so you’d rather press the middle mouse button to close the page.

Web panel

You can add any website to Vivaldi's sidebar, so you can access it with one click as if you had just opened separate tabs for them, but they wouldn't interfere with your list of real tabs.

Usage examples:

• Social networking sites (Twitter, Reddit, Facebook)
• Pages that we look at from time to time, but don't want to leave a tab open for them all the time (news, blogs, RSS feed reader extensions)
• Google Translator
• Online help for reading documentation
• Our own notes (eg TiddlyWiki)
• Appscope: For Progressive Web Apps (PWA)

What I don't like about it:

• Mouse gesture does not work in it, instead it performs the action on the "real" page in the background
• It does not display Alert, prompt windows, so e.g. the question "Are you sure you want to delete the note" doesn't appear either, ergo can't perform these tasks in it (this can be a negative on TiddlyWiki)
• Does not open a file download window (eg we cannot download a mail attachment)

To see the back, forward, reload buttons, right-click in the header -> Toolbar -> Show All Controls. You can also set it to appear as a desktop web page instead of the mobile view.

Mouse gesture

In Vivaldi, I can assign any mouse gesture to any command (go to the top of the page, open DeveloperTools, print a page, ...).

The gestures I use:

• Scroll to the top of the page
• Scroll to the bottom of the page
• Previous history
• Window sidebar
• Next history
• Forced reload
• New page
• Close tab
• Reopen a closed tab
• Webpanel 1 (Google Translator)
• Developer Tools (DeveloperTools)
• User interface switch (hide the top block that includes the URL bar)
• Horizontal mosaic

Modding Vivaldi

You can also add custom functions with Javascript and CSS. 

The only problem with these hacks is that you will probably need to adjust the code for each release, because in most cases, what you base the code on will change, for example my "Show URL on the Thumbnails" is not working with the current release (as I know).

[Birthe C]

Thank you so much, Mark and Bimlas for your information about Vivaldi.

Glad you wrote so detailed, Bimlas, then I'll know at least a little about what to do and what to expect.

In case you are wondering about all my questions around the group, I am reinstalling 20 older computers with different linux os'es ...according to cpu and ram. Yesterday I got to the slow 2 models and tried MX Linux. Chocked it ran rather well ;-) One of the options to install was Vivaldi. I did not do that...but was reminded, that I will get it for my own second hand computer, when I get to that one. The last in the pot....something to look forward to.

Tiddlywiki has been a tremendous help in this adventure. I had it on a usb stick, and could write detailed about every system as I found the relevant information - and refind when needed for another computer. The next owner will find a tiddlywiki on the drive with needed information about the system.

Searching the net, reading  and watching youtubes....trying something new...that is what keeps it interesting enough to get through them all. (Cross your fingers).

Birthe

[bimlas]

Since you have tried several Linux: can you recommend a Debian Testing based distro? Ubuntu is getting less and less likable, it's starting to have a "corporation smell", so I'd like to switch back to Debian, but I'd like to avoid having to weld the system myself. I want to use newer software than Stable, so Testing would be good (which is still pretty stable), but unfortunately in MX Linux, using the Testing branch doesn't seem to work.

[Birthe C]

Bimlas,

Sorry, but no. I were looking for something that could be used by people I know, that really are absolutely NOT into computers, scared before booting even. Only no excuse for not being digitalized anymore.

I ended up using Antix stable or MX Linux Stable. Mostly because I could remaster and make it easier for myself now...and when they need it. I know from experience, that some of them will let a couple of month pass before they boot the "new" computer, and then have an annoying habit of when scared, delete. (Lots of work for somebody - guess who?)

Truth be told, I am absolutely not too good with computers myself, but most things and solutions can be found and collected on the internet. That is when i enjoy tiddlywiki the most at the moment.

I do agree with you and also looked for Debian for the same reasons. I can tell, that a lot of good can be told about Antix, Wifi is not one of them. I used a week to get it working GRRR and only by deleting Connman and use Ceni.

I did test others of course but had to give up for one or more reasons, mostly hardware issues. Looking at the relevant forums and seeing that the problems were rather common, I am not the one to use up too much time on that.

If I find something, Bimlas, I'll make sure to tell about it. Let's hope others will too.

Birthe