I love the Cool Projects issue. Don't get me wrong, most issues ofLinuxJournal are full of cool things to do, but this month, we do it justbecause of the cool factor. As you can imagine, no Cool Projects issue iscomplete without a Raspberry Pi article, and this one is particularlyawesome. But let me start off with a bit about our columns.
Reuven M. Lerner continues his series on Django, and this month, he covers migrations and updating databases. If you're a developer looking for aframework to start with, or if you're already using Django and want to learnmore, Reuven's series is a great way to begin. Dave Taylor follows Reuvenwith a new topic this month (you might remember Dave was working on aword search project in his last column). In this issue, he takes on the topic of how to make your shell scripts send text messages. It's agreat way to get instant notifications to users, which isn't usuallypossible from inside a script.
I describe a couple cool programs in this month's upfront section, starting with Budgie.If you like the simplicity of the Chrome desktop interface, but prefer afull-blown Linux system underneath, Budgie is perfect. I also talk aboutthe intricacies of the Linux permissions system and even a few Bitcoinclients. It's hard to beat the cool factor of Kyle Rankin's column thismonth, however, as he continues his series on Libreboot. People have beeninstalling open source on hard drives for years, but with Kyle'sassistance, you will learn to install the open-source BIOS replacement as well!
Be sure to check out Bharath Bhushan Lohray's article for an incredible home automationproject. Starting from scratch with a Raspberry Pi, some relays and somewiring, Bharath walks through the steps of using the GPIO pins to manage multiplesystems. Although it's certainly possible to buy one of the many embedded homeautomation kits available, starting from scratch allows for some seriouscustomization and infinite programability. If you've been struggling tochoose a brand of home automation systems to try, perhaps after readingthis article, thatquestion will become moot!
Rick Brown describes another awesome project, but this time it integrateswith existing systems. Specifically, he explains how he connected a Linuxsystem to a vehicle to get real-time operation data. Rick also shows howto design a display for the information, so that you're not grepping logfiles while driving!
In past issues, you have learned how to do basic encryption with Linux tools inorder to keep your sensitive data safe. This month, Adam Kosmin goes muchfurther and describes his complete system for keeping data secure. Usingfreely available tools and a handful of scripts and methods, he shows howto integrate secure encryption into your daily routine. If you want toencrypt your data, but find it complex and frustrating, be sure to readAdam's article.
The Cool Projects issue is a favorite of mine year after year. Not only isit a chance to start working on those ideas you've been putting off formonths, but it's also a great way to learn while playing. I learned moreabout how keyboards function while making my MAME cabinet than ever beforeor since. As a kid who took apart everything I got my hands on, the CoolProjects issue is an awesome way to learn how to put a few things backtogether! Whether you love projects or just want some tech tips,product announcements and programming lessons, this issue of LinuxJournal should provide lots of entertainment and education.
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