FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 12: Plotting Like a Pro with Gnuplot

"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
This quote fits perfectly for Gnuplot, a classic FOSS plotting engine that’s still alive, powerful, and incredibly useful for creating beautiful scientific and mathematical visuals directly from the command line.

Gnuplot can generate 2D and 3D plots, animate datasets, visualize functions, and export to nearly any format you might need: PNG, SVG, PDF, EPS, and more. And one of its greatest strengths?
You don’t need a whole Python stack, dozens of libraries, or virtual environments just to make a graph. Gnuplot runs instantly, scriptable, lightweight, and beautifully minimal.

Whether you’re analyzing experimental results, visualizing parametric curves, or just plotting a weird math idea you had at 2 AM (we’ve all been there), Gnuplot gets it done fast and clean.

Pro tip: try rendering a dramatic 3D surface plot or a festive math figure, like a parametric Christmas tree. Gnuplot makes it surprisingly easy to turn equations into art.

Link: https://sourceforge.net/p/gnuplot/gnuplot-main/ci/master/tree/

What’s a plot you’d LOVE to generate with Gnuplot, serious or purely nerdy?

#FOSS #OpenSource #Linux #CLI #Terminal #Gnuplot #DataViz #Plotting #3DGraphics #MathArt #NerdContent #AdventCalendar #OpenTools #FOSSAdvent #CommandLine #ScienceTools #Fediverse #TechNerds #PlottingMagic #adventkalender #adventskalender #DataVisualization #Science #Python #Research #Engineering #AcademicChatter #STEM #Tech #Physics #Chemistry #Maths #SciComm #OpenScience #Research

Das CERN für's Wohnzimmer. Ist ja auch bald Weihnachten … #nerdcontent
https://spectrum.ieee.org/plasma-wakefield-acceleration

FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 10: Using Your Phone as a Microphone with Audiosource

Today we explore Audiosource, a nifty FOSS tool that lets you use your Android phone as a microphone for your computer.

Audiosource works via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), streaming audio from your device over USB or Wi-Fi directly to your Linux system. This is perfect if you want a quick wireless mic, don’t have a dedicated microphone, or just love tinkering with FOSS tools.

Everything runs from the command line, giving you full control and total nerdy satisfaction. Plug in your phone, run the command, and your device becomes a fully functional mic!

Pro tip: try combining it with recording or streaming software, or even some AI audio processing, the possibilities are endless.

Link: https://github.com/gdzx/audiosource

In which situation would you turn your smartphone into a quick plug-and-play microphone using Audiosource?

#FOSS #OpenSource #Linux #CLI #Terminal #Audiosource #Android #Microphone #ADB #AudioStreaming #NerdContent #AdventCalendar #OpenTools #FOSSAdvent #TechNerds #CommandLine #Fediverse #WirelessMic #DIYTech #DigitalPrivacy #Adventkalender #Adventskalender

FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 9: 3D Rendering with POV-Ray

Today we explore POV-Ray, a powerful FOSS tool for creating stunning 3D graphics.

POV-Ray stands for Persistence of Vision Raytracer. It allows you to describe complex 3D scenes in a text-based scene description language and render them into high-quality images. You can create anything from simple geometric shapes to intricate molecular structures or artistic compositions.

It’s perfect for nerds, FOSS enthusiasts, or anyone who wants to combine programming and art to produce beautiful visuals. POV-Ray works entirely via the command line, so you can automate renders, tweak parameters, and experiment endlessly with light, textures, and camera angles.

Pro tip: try rendering a molecule, a futuristic scene, or a holiday-themed object in 4K resolution, the results are mesmerizing!

For this example, I have rendered the HIV Protease Inhibitor from the RCSB PDB entry 1HVR (Rational design of potent, bioavailable, nonpeptide cyclic ureas as HIV protease inhibitors).

Link: https://github.com/POV-Ray/povray

Which 3D scene would you love to bring to life with POV-Ray?

#FOSS #OpenSource #Linux #CLI #Terminal #POVRay #3DRendering #RayTracing #Graphics #NerdContent #AdventCalendar #OpenTools #FOSSAdvent #CommandLine #CreativeCoding #DigitalArt #TechNerds #OpenSourceGraphics #Fediverse #Adventkalender #ProteinVisualization #Chemistry #StructuralBiology #MolecularVisualization #HIVProteaseInhibitor #ScienceArt #adventskalender

FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 8: Programming LEGO Robots with NQC

Today we explore NQC (Not Quite C), a wonderfully nerdy and lightweight programming language for the classic LEGO Mindstorms RCX robot brick.

Inside the RCX lives a tiny 8-bit Hitachi H8/300 CPU running at about 16 MHz together with 32 KB of RAM. Even with this extremely small hardware budget, the RCX can handle multitasking, read sensors, control motors and communicate via infrared. It feels like pure retro embedded magic.

NQC lets you write C-like programs on your computer and upload them directly to the RCX. It is minimalistic, fast, easy to learn and perfect for anyone who loves old-school robotics or wants to revisit the early days of DIY programming before Raspberry Pi and Arduino existed.

Working with NQC is a wonderful reminder of how much creativity is possible with almost no resources. Watching a tiny 32 KB robot happily execute parallel tasks still feels incredibly charming today.

Pro tip: If you still have an RCX somewhere, power it up. These yellow bricks are more alive than you remember once you start programming them again.

Link: https://github.com/BrickBot/nqc

Which small robot would you build or revive with the RCX?

#FOSS #OpenSource #Linux #CLI #Terminal #NQC #Mindstorms #LEGO #RCX #Robotics #Embedded #RetroComputing #NerdContent #AdventCalendar #Adventkalender #Adventskalender #TechNerds #STEM #Programming #Fediverse #FOSSAdvent #OpenTools #Robotik #OldSchoolTech

FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 7: Enhancing Images with Real-ESRGAN

Today we explore Real-ESRGAN, a powerful FOSS tool for upscaling and improving image quality.

The name stands for Enhanced Super-Resolution Generative Adversarial Networks, highlighting the AI-powered approach behind the magic.

Real-ESRGAN can take a low-resolution or slightly blurry image and enhance it, adding details that make it look sharper and more natural. It works via the command line, where you provide an input image and get an upscaled output image. You can instantly compare the results in your favorite image viewer, like EOG.

It’s perfect for nerds, FOSS enthusiasts, or anyone who wants to improve images without relying on commercial software.

Pro tip: try upscaling an old screenshot or a tiny meme, the results are often hilarious and impressive at the same time!

Link: https://github.com/xinntao/Real-ESRGAN

Which old or low-res image would you love to upscale with Real-ESRGAN?

#FOSS #OpenSource #Linux #CLI #Terminal #RealESRGAN #AI #ImageEnhancement #SuperResolution #NerdContent #AdventCalendar #OpenTools #FOSSAdvent #Upscale #GAN #Artificialtelligence #ImageProcessing #TechNerds #CommandLine #Fediverse #OpenTools #adventkalender #adventskalender

FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 6: Cracking Passwords with John the Ripper

Today we explore John the Ripper, one of the most powerful and flexible open-source password-cracking tools. It is widely used for security testing, digital forensics, and understanding how weak passwords can be recovered.

John works by taking a password hash and trying to recover the original password. It can do this in different ways, for example through brute force, where every possible combination is tried, or through wordlists, where John tests passwords from a predefined dictionary. When the generated hash matches the original, the password is revealed.

This tool is perfect for learning about cybersecurity, testing the strength of your own passwords, or experimenting with how attackers might attempt to crack weak credentials.

Pro tip: try using both brute force and a wordlist. You’ll immediately see how effective wordlists can be compared to testing every combination.

Which hashing algorithm gives you the most headaches?

Link: https://github.com/openwall/john

#FOSS #OpenSource #Linux #CLI #Terminal #JohnTheRipper #CyberSecurity #PasswordCracking #SecurityTools #HashCracking #Pentesting #EthicalHacking #DigitalForensics #Unix #Infosec #NerdContent #TechNerds #AdventCalendar #OpenTools #FOSSAdvent #adventkalender #adventskalender

FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 5: Hiding Secrets with Steghide

Today we explore Steghide, the classic command line tool for steganography. It is used for hiding data inside files.

Steghide allows you to embed secret messages, images, or any other data into cover files such as images or audio files. It works by cleverly hiding information within the color channels of images, making it invisible to the naked eye. Only someone with the correct password can extract the hidden data.

This tool is perfect for nerdy experiments, privacy enthusiasts, or simply for impressing friends with secret messages.

Pro tip: try hiding a small text file inside a JPEG image and then extracting it again. It feels like terminal magic!

What secret would you hide with Steghide?

Link: https://github.com/StegHigh/steghide

#FOSS #OpenSource #Linux #CLI #Terminal #Steghide #Steganography #HiddenData #Privacy #Fediverse #FreieSoftware #CommandLine #NerdContent #AdventCalendar #TechNerds #DigitalPrivacy #Unix #CyberSecurity #FunWithCLI #OpenTools #FOSSAdvent

FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 4: Creating ASCII Art with FIGlet

Today we celebrate FIGlet, the tiny, legendary CLI tool that turns ordinary text into beautiful ASCII art.
Need a fun title for your scripts? A banner for a terminal presentation? A stylish way to label your screenshots? FIGlet has you covered.

It supports tons of fonts, works on every Unix-like system, and fits perfectly into any CLI workflow.
Pure retro charm, zero dependencies, maximum nerd energy.

Pro tip: combine it with toilet, lolcat, or pipes to create even wilder banners.
What’s your favorite FIGlet font?

Link: https://github.com/cmatsuoka/figlet

#FOSS #OpenSource #Linux #CLI #Terminal #ASCII #ASCIIArt #FIGlet #NerdContent #Fediverse #FreieSoftware #Konsole #Unix #ArtInTheTerminal #DevTools #Shell #CommandLine #AdventCalendar #TechNerds #RetroComputing #FOSSAdvent