Moving to UBUNTU Linux

Install Google Chrome on Linux using wine

2009-04-03T00:20:00.000+08:00

http://www.myscienceisbetter.info/2008/09/install-google-chrome-on-linux-using-wine.html

Installing Avant Window Navigator (AWN) and Cairo Dock on Ubuntu

2009-02-07T17:34:00.000+08:00

One of the cool features of Apple’s Mac Operating system is the Dock. It is used to launch applications and also switch between running applications. Linux communites like to adopt the good from other operating systems and there are several Docks available for Linux as well. The two popular ones for Ubuntu are Avant Window Navigator (AWN) and Cairo Dock.

Disclaimer: These steps have worked for me and have been tested on my PC running Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron).I am not responsible for loss of data or damage to computers.

Prerequisites
Check if your video card can support 3D graphics

1. Click on System->Preferences->Appearance
2. Select Visual Effects tab
3. Select Normal or Extra
4. If you see “Desktop effects could not be enabled” message then your video card cannot support 3D graphics and you will not be able to use these docks.
5. Click Close

Install compizconfig-settings-manager

To you use AWN or Cairo Dock you need to have composite manager such as Compiz-Fusion installed. You can install it using Synaptics Package Manager (System->Administration->Synaptics Package Manager) OR from the command line using the following command (you will be prompted for password)

sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager

Avant Window Navigator (AWN)

AWN positions itself at the bottom of the screen and can be used to keep track of open windows and behaves like a normal window list. Appreance and functionality of AWN can be customized via various plugins and applets that are available for download. By default it does not include themes.

AWN Wiki states that the AWN package included in Ubuntu Hardy Heron (8.04) LTS however it is very old and outdated. It recommends using PPA to install the packages instead. To do this edit /etc/apt/sources.list file using either vi or gedit and add the following lines

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/awn-testing/ubuntu hardy main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/awn-testing/ubuntu hardy main

Now you need to update the package cache

sudo apt-get update

You are now ready to install AWN

sudo apt-get install avant-window-navigator-trunk awn-manager-trunk awn-extras-applets-trunk

Now that AWN is installed you can start it from the menu Applications-> Accessories->Avant Window Navigator

To have AWN autostart when you reboot your machine select Automatically start AWN on login on the General tab of awn-manager.
Cairo Dock

Cairo Dock is similar to AWN and can be used to launch application and utilize small applets that reside on the bar. You can attach it to either top or bottom of your screen and is highly configurable.

There are more than one way to install Cairo Dock and the instructions below are for using the repositories. You can also install Cairo Dock with the deb package

Similar to AWN Cairo Dock too has its repositories. You first need to download and install the signed key for authentication. This prevents security errors from popping up. Open Terminal Window and run the following command

wget -q http://repository.cairo-dock.org/ubuntu/cairo-dock.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -

Next edit /etc/apt/sources.list file using either vi or gedit and add the following lines

deb http://repository.cairo-dock.org/ubuntu hardy cairo-dock

Once again update the package cache

sudo apt-get update

You are now ready to install Cairo Dock

sudo apt-get install cairo-dock cairo-dock-plug-ins

To run Cairo Dock press Alt-F2 and type cairo-dock
Minimizing / Closing Bottom Gnome Panel

If you are going to use AWN or Cairo Dock the default GNome panel at the bottom of the screen is redundant. You can close or minimize it.
Final Thoughts

So which one is better - well try both and decide for yourself it ain’t gonna break anything. My personal preference is Cairo Dock. It is much nicer to use comes with a bunch of themes/launchers that you can use.

Installing Canon Pixma iP1880 in Ubuntu 8.10

2009-02-05T01:16:00.000+08:00

If you are running Ubuntu 8.10 Linux and going to connect your Canon Pixma iP1880 printer, then it is not yet plug and play.

Canon provide driver for linux. But they have not yet provided driver for Ubuntu 8.10. The good news is someone has provided us driver for Ubuntu 8.10.

Download 2 files from this links:

http://nko.computers.googlepages.com/cnijfilter-ip1800_2.70-2_i386-hardy..deb
http://nko.computers.googlepages.com/cnijfilter-common_2.70-2_i386.deb

Before you install it, you need to make soflink from cups to cupsys. To do this, open a terminal (Applications-Accessories-Terminal) and give the command.

sudo ln -s /etc/init.d/cups /etc/init.d/cupsys

After you have installed two files from above links. Now you can install your printer as normal under administration-->printing.

source: http://rachmat.net

Ubuntu Netbook Remix

2009-01-29T11:37:00.000+08:00

What is Ubuntu Netbook Remix?

Ubuntu Netbook Remix is optimised to run on a new category of affordable Internet-centric devices called netbooks. It includes a new consumer-friendly interface that allows users to quickly and easily get on-line and use their favourite applications. This interface is optimised for a retail sales environment.

Canonical has collaborated with Intel and is working with a number of OEM's to deliver Ubuntu on netbooks in retail. In keeping with the philosophy of our best work being available to everyone, the core remix product is available to all through the Canonical repositories. This version is free to download and modify by any user.
What is a remix?

A remix is a 'respun' version of Ubuntu built for a specific purpose. Although Canonical has encouraged community projects to use this terminology for some time, this is the first time that Canonical has used it. We are using it to differentiate from an 'Edition' which we consider a complete version with daily builds suitable for the average user with no additional work beyond installing the CD. To use the Ubuntu Netbook Remix you need to install packages on top of an existing Ubuntu installation and you may have some compatibility issues depending on your hardware profile. For now we recommend it only for experienced Linux users or commercial OEMs and ODMs engage with Canonical for support and service offerings.

In addition to the Ubuntu Netbook Remix there will be pre-installed remixes made available on manufacturer's machines. These will contain software that is not free and built for specific hardware profiles unique to the OEM. These will not be publicly available as we do not have the right to redistribute the software.

All of the initial Ubuntu Netbook remixes combine optimisations from the Moblin project for Intel® AtomTM processors and it is specially designed for netbooks. Intel and Canonical are working to create a new computing experience across a rapidly expanding category of portable devices.
Reasons to choose Ubuntu Netbook Remix

For OEMs:

* Rapid route to market - UI configured to work with Intel Atom processor-based netbooks so you are ready to go
* Small OS footprint - fits within a 4GB flash drive with room for additional storage
* Expert engineering - based on Ubuntu’s well-tested, globally proven software
* Clean licensing - all work conforms with open source and commercial application licensing with audio and video codecs that are legally licensable

For users:

* New Interface - built for accessing your favourite on and off-line applications rapidly and optimised for the restricted screen size this is a radically different
* No viruses - Ubuntu is a smooth, safe computing and browsing experience
* Optimised for netbook components - built from the ground up to take advantage of speed and power capabilities of the chip set
* Large developer community - gain the benefits of innovation from some of the world’s leading free and open source developers

Technical specifications
Minimum hardware requirements:

* Processor: Intel Atom processor
* RAM: 512 MB
* Storage: 4 GB Flash disk (SSD) or hard disk

Major open source applications included:

* Web browser - Firefox 3
* E-mail client - Thunderbird
* Instant messenger - Pidgin
* Media player - Rhythmbox†
* eBook reader - FBReader
* RSS reader - Liferea
* Photo viewer - F-Spot
* Office suite - OpenOffice.org

Optional market leading applications included:

* Adobe Flash
* Adobe Reader
* Real Player for MID†
* Java JVM

Optional licensable audio and video decoders for OEMs:

* MPEG4 (H.263)
* MP3
* AAC
* Windows Media
* Real Media*

† Choice of one media player
* Only available with Real Player

Availability

You can download the packages for Ubuntu Netbook Remix at https://launchpad.net/netbook-remix (recommended for experienced users with some coding experience only)
How do I find out more?

To find out if Ubuntu Netbook Remix is right for your organisation please contact systembuilder@canonical.com.

source:http://www.canonical.com

Install Flashget (download manager)

2009-01-13T15:52:00.000+08:00

1.Install wine
2.download flashget from www.flashget.com
3.install using wine.

--integration with firefox

1. install flashgot (can be found in add-on)
2.type 'about:config' in firefox.
3.search for 'flashgot.useWine'
4.change the value from false to true.
5.then go to tools-flashgot-more options-general. look for 'Flashget' and select it.
6.select the 'show in context menu'
7. bravo...there you go...now u can can see Flashget in ur right click.

The RealPlayer install process

2008-12-13T00:19:00.000+08:00

1. Download the RealPlayer11GOLD from http://www.real.com/linux to your home directory.

2. Open Terminal (from this point on, you must have admin rights).

3. Type sudo chmod +x RealPlayer11GOLD.bin

4. Type sudo "./RealPlayer11GOLD.bin"

5. Follow prompts. It'll start the installer. Do as it instructs and hit Enter.
6. It'll ask for the install path. Default is fine and hit enter.
7. It'll ask for a confirmation of install path. Press F to Finish the install.
8. It copies files, installs icons, etc. When you get the prompt, it's done.

Congrats! You have just installed RealPlayer 11 on Ubuntu.
To launch the app, go to Applications > Sound & Video > RealPlayer 11.

Screenshot of My Desktop

2008-12-12T14:26:00.000+08:00

Welcome...

2008-12-07T22:06:00.000+08:00

Ubuntu (IPA: [uːˈbuːntuː] in English, [ùɓúntú] in Zulu) is a free operating system based on Debian, a popular Linux distribution. Its name comes from the Zulu word "ubuntu", loosely translated as "humanity", describing the ubuntu philosophy: "I am who I am because of those around me," a positive aspect of community. Ubuntu's goals include providing an up-to-date, stable operating system for the average user, with a strong focus on usability and ease of installation. Ubuntu has been rated as the most popular Linux distribution for the desktop, claiming approximately 30% of desktop Linux installations in a survey by desktoplinux.com.

Ubuntu is free and open source software, meaning it is free to download and use without monetary charge and is free to be modified and improved upon. Ubuntu is sponsored by the UK-based company Canonical Ltd, owned by South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth. Instead of selling Ubuntu for profit, Canonical creates revenue by selling technical support. By keeping Ubuntu free and open source, Canonical is able to take advantage of the talents of outside developers in projects such as Linux, Debian, GNU, X.org, etc., without developing the entire operating system themselves.

Canonical endorses and provides support for four additional Ubuntu-based distributions: Kubuntu and Xubuntu, which use KDE and Xfce, respectively, as a desktop environment, replacing the default GNOME system used by Ubuntu; Edubuntu, a subproject and add-on for Ubuntu, designed for school environments and home use; and Ubuntu JeOS (pronounced "Juice"), a stripped-down version of Ubuntu, optimized for virtual appliances.

Canonical releases new versions of Ubuntu every six months and supports Ubuntu for eighteen months by submitting security fixes, patches to critical bugs and including minor updates to programs. LTS (Long Term Support) releases, which occur every two years, are supported for three years on the desktop and five years for servers. The current version of Ubuntu, Intrepid Ibex, was released on October 30, 2008.