Your editor did not start out grumpy, but the current state of many Linux tools can certainly make him that way. The Grumpy Editor series started when your editor, seeking a web browser as good as Galeon used to be, reviewed some of the other available graphical browsers. The editor has since moved on to several other topics, but his focus remains the same: finding tools which enable the user to get the job done, don't get in the way, and don't forget the lessons learned about usability over the last couple decades or so.

Current entries in the LWN Grumpy Editor series include:

• Shotwell, an image management and editing tool.

• The grumpy editor's e-book reader; experiments with the Kindle and associated free software.

• The exceedingly grumpy editor's accounting system update. Accounting is a pain.

• Video part 2: Video editors (January, 2008). Several tools for the editing of video data.

• Video part 3: DVD authoring (January, 2008). How to create a playable DVD from suitably-edited video files.

• Video part 1: capture (December, 2007). In which your editor starts out on the task of acquiring video data from an old camcorder and turning it into DVDs suitable for grandparental distribution.

• (Some) development distributions (November, 2007). Life on the bleeding edge.

• Firebug (August, 2007). A slick tool for web developers.

• The Grumpy Editor's next project (May, 2007). An introduction to the lengthy task of finding a free small business accounting system - a project which remains in progress.

• Working with raw images (March, 2007). Tools for people who want complete control over their digital photographs.

• HDR with Linux (March, 2007). A look at the free .tools available for doing high dynamic range photography.

• Note-taking applications (February, 2007). The editor tries to get his thoughts organized.

• Graphical IRC clients (January, 2007). The best way to burn productivity on the net.

• SSH servers (June, 2006). Are there any viable alternatives to OpenSSH?

• Audio stream grabbers (May, 2006). How to capture an audio stream from a favorite network source.

• RSS aggregators (March, 2006). Tools for keeping up with the net.

• Bayesian spam filters (February, 2006), and the followup (March, 2006). A look at several bayesian filters, including testing results.

• Rockbox (January, 2006). A detailed look at GPL-licensed firmware for several portable digital audio players.

• Music managers (November, 2005). What's the best way to manage one's music collection?

• Personal finance managers, part I (September, 2005). Your editor balances his checkbook, and runs three free personal finance applications through their paces for a number of basic operations. Part 2 (September, 2005) completes the study with a look at scheduled transactions, reports, and investing features.

• Firefox extensions for web page editing (June, 2005): in particular, for the editing of other sites' pages.

• Image management (April, 2005): A look at some image management applications.

• Camera interfaces (February, 2005): making digital cameras "just work."

• PDF viewers (November, 2004). A look at the available tools for reading through PDF files.

• Free documentation licenses (October, 2004). Which license would you use for free documentation?

• Presentation programs (September, 2004). The search for tools which help make a good impression in front of an audience, and which do not get in the way.

• Electronic mail (a sub-series in progress):
  • Introduction (June, 2004) with a discussion of MH and MH-e.
  • Graphical email clients (June, 2004). Detailed reviews of Balsa, Evolution, KMail, Sylpheed, and Thunderbird.
  • Graphical clients and GPG (July, 2004). How the above clients support encrypted email.

• Terminal emulators (June, 2004). Working with the command line is still a necessity, and may always be the best way of accomplishing some task. Your editor looks at alternatives to the venerable xterm.

• Diagram editors, part I (May, 2004). What is the best tool for the creation of graphical diagrams?

• Diagram editors, part II (May, 2004). Three more tools which were missed in the first round of reviews.

• 64-bit Linux (April, 2004). Your editor gets an x86_64 system and looks for a good Linux to go with it.

• Image viewers/editors (March, 2004). Why are none of the current crop of image viewer/editor programs as good as xv was over a decade ago?

• Calendar managers (March, 2004). When the venerable ical program disappeared from his Debian system, your editor went looking for alternatives.

• Web browsers, part II (February, 2004). A look at Konqueror.

• Web browsers, part I (February, 2004). A look at the current set of Gecko-based web browsers.

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