LogseqTimes 2023-08-17: Logseq 0.9.14 Update, Logo Contest Results, DB Mode, Properties, Formatting, New and Updated Plugins and Themes and much more

Hi Everyone,

With schools starting to dust off the desks and books as children return, the summer weather slowly simmering down (sorry for the UK folks, it seems the summer came and went without anyone noticing), bathing suits being offered at a discount, and the days starting to shorten (for some), it is high time that Logseq Times makes a post-summer vacation return.

With all this summer-ending talk, luckily, Logseq has plenty in store for us to keep us sane. So let's get to it.  

Logseq 0.9.14 Release

This release includes a couple of very interesting updates like enhancements to the sidebars, whiteboard pressure support and more. You can download the desktop and Android app here.

Enhancement

• Left and Right sidebar enhancements
• Whiteboards drawing pen pressure support
• PDF Viewer: support shift + enter to pick the previous searching results highlight
• Polish UI details of the Zotero search component
• I18n: French, Japanese

Fixed issues

• Add sub-pixel anti-aliasing for Electron
• Add drag threshold for graph view
• Display of embedded drawing
• Sometimes template expansion inserts an additional slash
• PDF Viewer: highlighted text layer is overlaid by the PDF.js built-in annotation layer
• Rendering error caused by an empty string of whiteboards in the right sidebar

Logseq Logo Rebrand Ideas Contest - Finalised

The Logseq Logo rebrand ideas contest concluded with the top 3 being selected from a public vote. The winning designs were:

The Logseq team will now work their magic to develop a new logo. For full details on the contest, please click here.

Looking forward to seeing what will be created and used.

Work on the Database Model Continues

The devs have added another completed check mark to the DB version of Logseq. Milestone 3 of 6 (although may be more), "Browser storage" has been completed.

From the various comments and discussions, it appears the following will apply.

• There will be an opt-in / selection for you to choose to use the DB model if you so wish.
• Using the DB model will not be obligatory and you can continue to use Logseq as you currently are (with .md / org mode files).
• If you select the DB version, then there will be an easy and straightforward process to export your notes to markdown format.  

Be sure to follow the Trello roadmap and this PR for updates, although please note that this is not an easy change and could be many months before it is even tested.

Plugins on Mobile

A frequent question that is asked is, can I use plugins on mobile? The current answer is no. For those wondering about the future plans, then I am afraid it is as follows:

I am not sure I see this as a bad thing. If you really think about it, how often will you really use the plugins on a small screen like a phone? I see having my notes on my phone for quick capture when I am on the move or needing to read something on the fly, I doubt I will start crafting some potion while waiting for the metro train to arrive. I would rather take notes and start working at home in front of a proper computer if I really needed to use plugins.

Each to their own, though.

A Sign of Things to Come - Properties?

@Jakob, has once again been working his magic, or playing with our emotions,  by showcasing what might be to come with properties in Logseq.

Check out a couple of mock-ups that he worked on. Personally, I think these look fantastic, and if the end product comes anywhere near these, then wow, it could be a real game changer. Please note, that these are just mock-up and ideas at this stage.

Amazing work, Jakob.

Logseq "vendor-locks" you with its formatting?

OP posts an interesting question / point of view, "One of the reasons for me to use LogSeq is that it is based on markdown. This way I hope to future-proof my notes.

Today I tried to read those .md files with other tools and it is a complete mess due to the bullet points in each row. Is there any way to export my notes to a more compatible format? E.g. to read the notes via Obsidian or at least GitHub."

I am not sure I agree with the above. To function and allow you to use the features offered, each app needs to add some customisation to the underlying .md file. If you want to use pure markdown with no additional Logseq content in the text file, then I think the only way is to use a pure text base editor.

The purpose of using Logseq / Obsidian etc. is not to continuously swap te same note between one and the other but to use the tool itself. As long as the underlying .md file is legible, if with some additional Logseq text, then to me, that is future-proof enough.

Do you agree or have a different point of view?

Logseq to Manage Visual Effects

In this video, Michael Johnson looks at "How I use logseq to manage visual effects from visual softwares, and also thumbnails from a youtube series"

Very interesting video, Michael. Thanks for sharing.

Omnivore & Logseq

Of late, there have been many positive comments about people using Omnivore, others using Logseq, and when they meet, something magical is created. These posts sum it up perfectly for me.

• I recently started to use the #omnivoreapp in conjunction with logseq. Both are great on their own. But I'm particularly excited to use them together for a more efficient and enjoyable reading and note-taking workflow. Now only if I could find some more time for reading. Post
• Two days ago, I learned about @omnivore, a read-it-later app like Pocket or Instapaper. Yesterday I already moved all my saved articles and URLs there (from Readwise Reader), basically for two reasons that make Omnivore outstanding: 1.) it's free and open source, 2.) you can sync **entire texts** incl. highlights with Obsidian (or LogSeq). Just great...Post

Worth checking Omnivore out if you haven't already done so.

(Unofficial) Hybrid mode

@Alex shares a CSS hack (just one rule) to achieve a middle ground between the default outliner and document modes.

It hides the bullet points completely for first-level blocks that have no children. The moment you indent a block under another one, they both get the bullet points back. In the end, you can achieve something like the following:

Check the full post here. Great tip. Thanks, Alex.

Edit Journal Template

Asking yourself, "Can anyone tell me how I can edit the Journal template? For example, where the file lives?" like the OP?

1. You create a block/sequence of blocks you want to turn into a template on any page you want (the general recommendation is to use a dedicated [[Templates]] page.
2. Then you right-click the bullet point of the block and select Make a Template from the menu.
3. There you will be able to edit the template properties and give it a name.
4. Click Settings
5. Click Edit config.edn
6. Find the :default-templates section and there under :journals put your template name between the opening and closing quotes.

Linux users Feedback

Are you a Linux and Logseq user and willing to offer feedback or looking for information on how the two run together? Well, check this post out.

Hello, I'm completely new to Logseq and have only used it briefly on my Android phone. I'm planning to start using it more extensively on my Linux laptop and would love to get some reviews from experienced Linux users before diving in.

As someone with minimal experience with Logseq so far, I'd greatly appreciate any feedback Linux users can provide on features, functionality, customization, integration with other apps, learning curve, tips/tricks etc. Specifically on the Linux platform, what have been some pros and cons you've encountered? What advice would you give a new Linux user starting with Logseq? Any insights you can provide in a brief review would be extremely helpful as I consider whether Logseq will be a good fit for my note-taking and knowledge management needs on Linux.

As a new user trying to decide if I should invest more time into Logseq, reviews from seasoned Linux users would be invaluable.

There are a lot of good responses in the comments, so definitely worth checking out if the above resonates with you.

John Wiegly follows Logseq

Apparently, John Wiegly follows Logseq - if you are like me and wondering who that is, well he is a long-time Emacs contributor and maintainer—a well-known and respected person in the open-source community.

Thanks for sharing Joe Maya

Logseq Plugins / Themes

• logseq-image-editor - Edit and save images in Logseq.

• logseq-tenset-theme - This is a clean theme for Logseq, optimized for auditing and security research work.

• logseq-plugin-blank-line -  Quickly inserts blank lines above or below a selected block or blocks on a page.
• logseq_block_spacer - A plugin for Logseq to keep the first child block empty.
• logseq-remove-empty-blocks-typescript - Added block context menu item Remove empty blocks to remove empty blocks.
• Long Form plugin has been updated to v0.8.0 with an enhanced Markdown export available only to paid users. Unlike Logseq's built-in MD export, it supports ordered lists, unordered lists, auto headings, and other special tags. Block references and embedded blocks are also supported.
• Full House Templates 3.0 Update! Main change: now, all standard template syntax can be mixed with syntax. You can use Full House Templates to render all your templates, including standard Logseq templates. Note: this comes with BREAKING CHANGES and syntax simplification.
• Logseq Anki Plugin v5.1.2 released It introduces a quick way to view all cards created from a Logseq page. Also includes bug fixes for dark mode in anki-droid.
  

Until Next Time

I hope you found this blog post helpful. If you have any comments or questions, please let me know.

Thanks again for reading.