Ubuntu / Linux news and application reviews.

3 Amazing Ubuntu 10.10 Wallpapers

There are no "best wallpapers" or "best themes", as it depends on one's taste. But for me, these are the best 3 Ubuntu 10.10 wallpapers so far:

Haguichi 1.0 (Hamachi GUI For GNOME) Adds Support For Hamachi²

Haguichi 1.0


Hamachi is a zero-configuration virtual private network (VPN) application capable of establishing direct links between computers that are behind NAT firewalls without requiring reconfiguration (in most cases); in other words, it establishes a connection over the Internet that emulates the connection that would exist if the computers were connected over a local area network. - via Wikipedia.


Haguichi, the best Hamachi GUI for the GNOME Desktop reached version 1.0. The major new feature is that Haguichi supports the new Hamachi² Beta for Linux. The Hamachi² support includes:

How To Fix GTK-RecordMyDesktop Videos [For Uploading To YouTube]

RecordMyDesktop is a free and open source desktop screencasting software application written for GNU/Linux. The program is separated into two parts; a command line tool that performs the tasks of capturing and encoding, and an interface that exposes the program functionality graphically. GTK-RecordMyDesktop is a front-end for RecordMyDesktop.

If you ever tried to record your desktop using GTK-RecordMyDesktop (it's probably the same using the KDE front-end but I didn't test that), you've probably noticed the video doesn't work on YouTube or it's rendered very badly. The same issue occurs when trying to open the video in a video editor.

But here is a quick fix which will make your GTK-RecordMyDesktop videos work everywhere:

Make Applications Always Open On A Given Workspace (Viewport) Using Compiz

Because WebUpd8 reader soee asked in a comment about making an application always run on a given workspace (viewport), I decided to make a full post and a screencast for this - especially since there's an annoying bug when trying to make an app always open on a certain workspace.

Rhythmbox 0.13.0 With DAAP, Finally Available In The Ubuntu Lucid WebUpd8 Rhythmbox PPA

rhythmbox 0.13 ubuntu

A new Rhythmbox 0.13.0 (git) version was uploaded to Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat almost 2 weeks ago, but we didn't update our Ubuntu Lucid Rhythmbox PPA to this new version because it failed to start most of the times. The weird part is it didn't crash for me but only when trying it on a fresh Ubuntu install (in VirtualBox). But today, some patches have been added to the Ubuntu 10.10 Rhythmbox version and it should finally work in Lucid again. So we've uploaded the new Rhythmbox packages to our Ubuntu Lucid Rhythmbox PPA.


Best Linux Clipboard Manager

Here is a poll which was suggested multiple times: what's the best clipboard manager for Linux? Our poll options are: Parcellite, Glipper, Pastie, Klipper and Glippy but you can also enter your own answer:

Last Week's Top Posts (Week 34, 2010)

Deadbeef Is Ready For Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat [PPA]

deadbeef

Deadbeef, probably the lightest (GUI) music player for Linux is finally available for Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat.

Most of you probably already know Deadbeef (we talked about Deadbeef a while back in our UNE optimization tips post), but for those who don't, here's a brief introduction: Deadbeef is not just another music player as it's a lot different then most Linux music players. The only music player that Deadbeef reminds me of is foobar2000 (Windows only).

Install VLC 1.1.4 In Ubuntu [Via New PPA!]

VLC 1.1.4

As you probably know, the c-korn/vlc PPA has been removed so Ubuntu users must search for a new PPA to upgrade to the latest VLC versions (currently 1.1.4). I didn't recommend PPAs with multiple packages for this because most users just want VLC and some of them come with experimental packages. But Roberto @ LFFL created a PPA dedicated to VLC (so the PPA only has the latest VLC packages).


To add the PPA and install VLC 1.1.4 in Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx, paste the following commands in a terminal:

Ofris - Deep Freeze Like Application For Linux [Ubuntu PPA]

deep freeze linux

If you ever went to a cyber cafe, you probably noticed that any changes you make to their system: create or delete files, settings and so on, everything resets when you restart the computer. That's what the Deep Freeze program does.


Ofris is a Deep Freeze like application for Linux that is very easy to use - once you install it, you can "deep freeze" your Linux computer in a matter of seconds.

Create A Full System Backup Or Custom Live Ubuntu / Debian CD With Remastersys

I realize many of you probably already know Remastersys, but we decided to make a post on it anyway because it's an amazing tool and maybe some of you never heard of it.

This was a tip sent by WebUpd8 reader Saurabhneo23:

It's one of the best tools out there to make a disaster recovery disc or make an ISO of your own customized Ubuntu. It's an equivalent to Windows backup and restore (if you use it only for system recovery and not to recover your personal files).

Kupfer Monochrome Icons


WebUpd8 reader Nasser Alshammari sent us some nice Kupfer monochrome icons that go well with the Ubuntu Ambiance and Radiance themes. He writes:

The only side effect of this is that it'll replace the colorful logo in the menu entry and in the "About" dialog of Kupfer. So until this issue is solved and for all the monochrome fanatics out there, they can do it this way for now.

To install them, replace the ~/.icons/hicolor/scalable/apps/kupfer.svg icon with one of the icons below.


Download Kupfer Monochrome icons


Many thanks and credits for the icons and screenshot: Nasser Alshammari

No BTRFS In Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat After all

Btrfs is a new copy on write file system for Linux aimed at implementing advanced features while focusing on fault tolerance, repair and easy administration. More info, here.


A while ago we were telling you there are 20% chances to get BTRFS support in Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat. Well, it didn't make it.

BTRFS was (it probably still is) available in the Ubuntu 10.10 installer but unfortunately an update today to the BTRFS Support blueprint says it has been deferred for competition in Natty (Ubuntu 11.04) as there's not enough time to complete all the remaining work for Maverick.


A while ago, Phoronix ran some tests comparing BTRFS and EXT4 and the results were pretty impressive. However, there are some things they didn't consider in their tests (also read the comments on that post).

Ubuntu 10.10 Default Wallpaper Revealed, Updated Community Wallpapers And Light Themes

The new Ubuntu 10.10 default wallpaper came in an update today and looks... well, take a look for yourself:

Ubuntu 10.10 default wallpaper




The community wallpapers were also updated in Ubuntu Maverick and they now include the wallpapers from the community contest:

The Maverick Sound Indicator Buttons Stopped Looking Ugly After Today's Update

And here it is: now I can stop saying the new Sound Indicator in Ubuntu 10.10 is the ugliest thing that ever walked the Earth (ok, not that bad but I really didn't like it):

indicator applet 0.4.1 ubuntu maverick

Guayadeque 0.2.7 Released With File Browser, Record From Streams, Last.fm Improvements And Many More New Features

Guayadeque 0.2.7

Guayadeque is a relatively new music player for Linux. It comes with a huge amount of features yet its pretty light, even with a huge music collection.


There was no new Guayadeque version in a long time but the development was actually very active and today we finally have a new version. Here are the highlights of Guayadeque 0.2.7:

New Ubuntu Software Center Features: "Where Is It?", "Choose Addons"

ubuntu software center where is it

Here is a feature I've been waiting for ever since I first read about it on the Ubuntu Software Center blueprint which along with the "History" tab, makes Ubuntu Software stand out: "Where is it". I was a bit dissapointed after trying this out though, as it has nothing to do with the initial specs other then the purpose (it was supposed to point you to the menu item with animations and so on) but it's a great addition nevertheless.

Avant Window Navigator Update (PPA) Finally Brings Multiple Docks And Helpers

avant-window-navigator multiple docks

An update today brings helpers and multiple docks to Avant Window Navigator from the AWN trunk PPA. "Multiple docks" means you'll be able to run multiple instances of Avant Window Navigator, each with its own  configuration.

I don't know about you, but at this point I for one can't think of anything that's missing in Avant Window Navigator. Not only it can fully replace your GNOME panel and look gorgeous in the process, but it also comes with some extra features designed to make your life easier (such as the Helpers). But let's hear it from you: is there any feature you desperately want in AWN?

OpenOffice 3.2.1 Available In The Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx Proposed Repository

OpenOffice 3.2.1 (bug-fix release) was released almost 3 months ago but only now is available for Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx users, in the lucid-proposed official repository.

To upgrade to OpenOffice 3.2.1 in Ubuntu 10.04 you need to go to System > Administration > Software Sources and on the Updates tab, make sure you have the "Pre-release updates (lucid-proposed)" option checked:

Ubuntu Multi-Touch Videos: Evince And Inkscape

As you probably know, Ubuntu will get multi-touch support starting with Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat. You can read the official announcement here.

I was away on holiday and missed the whole multi-touch announcement but I'm sure you already know everything about it by now. Anyway, here are 2 videos demonstrating the new multi-touch feature for Evince and Inkscape (the videos date back to August 18, but maybe you haven't seen them):


Humanity Icon Theme Update Comes In Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat

And here it is: with the Maverick User Interface freeze coming in 2 days, the first update to the Humanity Icon Theme in Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat. Well, in fact there was another update a while back to the ubuntu-mono icons, but the only change was the new controls for the sound indicator.

The Sezen Applet Is Ready For Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat [PPA]

sezen applet

The Sezen Applet is finally ready for Ubuntu Maverick! This wasn't possible until now due to a bug, but you can now install the Sezen GNOME panel applet from our Unstable / Unreleased / Backports PPA.

Sezen Applet is the integration of Sezen - the new Unity like activity browser which uses Zeitgeist to browse files based on their last access time -, into the GNOME panel.

Ubuntu Software Center 2.1.11 Comes With More Theme Tweaks [Ubuntu 10.10]

It seems each update brings some theme tweaks to the Ubuntu Software Center. Here's the latest Ubuntu Software Center 2.1.11:

Ubuntu Software Center 10.10 Maverick Meerkat


This last tweaks look nice but... really, blue?


Nothing else changed except for some minor tweaks under the hood. The new USC 2.1.11 should be available in the Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat official repositories sometime later today.

Wally (Automatic Wallpaper Changer) 2.4 Adds deviantArt, Vladstudio And Google Image Sources

wally 2.4

Wally is an automatic wallpaper changer for Windows, Linux and Mac OSX which uses many sources for getting the images: local folders, Flickr, Yahoo!, Panoramio, Pikeo, Ipernity, Photobucket, Buzznet, Picasa, Bing and Smugmug images.

Conky Colors Gets A Beautiful New Cairo Mode, Elementary Theme

conky colors cairo mode

Conky Colors - a script to easily configure Conky with lots of built-in options -, added some cool new features recently: cairo mode (--cairo) and a new theme: Elementary.

Gnash 0.8.8 Claims To Support All YouTube Videos, But Is It Good Enough?

Gnash is an open source flash movie player which can be used instead of the closed source Adobe Flash Player.


Gnash 0.8.8 was released today, the announcement pointing out that 100% of the YouTube videos are now supported:

100% of all YouTube videos should work. If you have problems, delete all YouTube cookies and refresh.

I couldn't do a real Adobe Flash Player vs Gnash comparison since I don't have a VAAPI capable graphics card, but sq377 @ reddit did some tests, comparing Gnash and Adobe's Flash Player. Interested? Read on!

Ubuntu Tweak 0.5.6 To Include Desktop Settings Backup Feature

ubuntu tweak 0.5.6

Ubuntu Tweak, an application which allows you to tweak a few "hidden" (available through Gconf) Ubuntu settings as well as add lots of PPA repositories, will add 2 new important features in version 0.5.6:
  • reset any setting in Ubuntu Tweak. You'll find a new "reset" button next to each Ubuntu Tweak option (like you can see in the screenshot in the beginning of the post).
  • a backup, recover and reset (all) your desktop settings option

Official Statement: Steam Not Coming To Linux

Steam is a digital distribution, digital rights management, multiplayer and communications platform developed by Valve Corporation. It is used to distribute games and related media online, from small independent developers to larger software houses. Steam also has community features, automated game updates, and in-game voice and chat functionality. - info via Wikipedia


You've probably read lots of rumors about Steam coming to Linux but there was no official word about it. GamesIndustry.biz interviewed Valve's marketing VP Doug Lombardi. The last question was if Valve is working on a Steam version for Linux. Here are the exact question and answer:

Last 3 Weeks Top Posts (Weeks 31, 32, 33 - 2010)

Make A Movie Out Of Photos In Ubuntu Using PhotoFilmStrip

So you really like the new Face Movie feature in Picasa 3.8 and want it in Linux too? Well, it doesn't work for now, but you can use PhotoFilmStrip.

PhotoFilmStrip is an application which can create a movie (slideshow) out of photos. It uses the "Ken Burns" effect for the pictures transitions and you can also add music and captions to your photos. The movie can be rendered in VCD, SVCD, DVD or FULL-HD.


photofilmstrip

Shotwell 0.7 (Photo Manager) Released With Migration Support For F-Spot Users

Shotwell import from f-spot

Shotwell, the photo manager which will be default in the upcoming Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat was just updated to version 0.7. The new version makes it easy for F-Spot users (previously the default photo manager for Ubuntu) to migrate to Shotwell by importing photos directly from your F-Spot library, preserving tags and ratings.

Fix "Ignoring File .save In Directory /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ As It Has An Invalid Filename Extension" In Ubuntu 10.10

I just did a clean Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat install on my main computer. Not because I wanted but because my Lucid install was very unstable do to the lost of tests I do for WebUpd8 posts (don't worry, if something I test goes bad, I don't post it on WebUpd8 so everything we post is mostly stable). I tried to upgrade from Ubuntu 10.04 to Ubuntu 10.10 but it didn't go too well. Actually it didn't boot at all with some serious crashes while booting so I did a fresh install.

I didn't encounter any major bugs in Ubuntu 10.10 so far, but there's one small but very annoying bug: after you add a PPA and run "sudo apt-get update", an error is displayed:

Flattr: Support Your Favourite FLOSS Software!

So what's Flattr? Well, it's a social micropayment system you can use to donate money, but you can only receive as long as you also give which sounds like a very interesting concept. So only members who pay (the minimum subscription fee is 2 euro) can use Flattr.

Pithos 0.3 (Pandora Linux Client) Released With Last.fm Scrobbling Support

Pithos 0.3

Pandora radio is the personalized internet radio service that helps you find new music based on your old and current favorites.

Pithos, everyone's favourite Pandora.com Linux client got a new version - 0.3 - released today, bringing a much requested feature: Last.fm scrobbling support.


Google Voice And Video Chat Comes To Linux!

Google voice and chat linux

Google finally enabled voice and video chat for the Linux users. To use it in Ubuntu, go to this page: http://www.google.com/chat/video click on "Install" and download the deb and install it.


Voice and video chat for Linux currently supports Ubuntu and other Debian-based Linux distributions, and RPM support will be coming soon.


Update: for non-Debian based Linux distributions, try this (thanks to rmull @ reddit):

32bit:
mkdir goog; cd goog
wget http://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-talkplugin_current_i386.deb
ar vx google-talkplugin_current_i386.deb
sudo tar xvzf data.tar.gz -C /


64bit:
mkdir goog; cd goog
wget http://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-talkplugin_current_amd64.deb
ar vx google-talkplugin_current_amd64.deb
sudo tar xvzf data.tar.gz -C /


Then restart Firefox.



Thanks to Ezequiel Sapoznicoff for the tip! Also thanks to hatemonger (we got this tip sent in twice :D)

Unity 0.2.28 Comes With A New Home Screen, Lots Of Improvements [UNE 10.10]

Yet another Unity version (0.2.28) was released today in Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat (Netbook Edition), featuring a new home screen (which will probably remind you of the old Ubuntu Netbook Edition interface) when you click the Ubuntu button - this is the first thing you see when you click the Ubuntu logo. The Home Screen is not finished yet and the artwork for it should land sometime next week. Here is a screenshot with how it looks for now:

Install UbuntuOne Alpha 1 For KDE In Kubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat

UbuntuOne Kubuntu 10.10

UbuntuOne for KDE is finally ready. Well, sort of - the first "real" alpha has been released and there's an Kubuntu PPA available which will only work with the latest Kubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat.

Faenza Icons To Use With The Elementary GTK Theme: Faenza-Cupertino

faenzaiconblue


A lot of people like the Faenza icon theme but for me it just didn't feel right because I just can't give up the Elementary GTK theme. But John Green created created a theme called Faenza-Cupertino which only replaces the original folders to make it look more like the original Elementary style, but using the Faenza icons.

To use it, you'll need the Faenza icons which you can install in Ubuntu using the following commands:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tiheum/equinox
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install faenza-icon-theme

And then download and install Faenza-Cupertino.



[Thanks to Ubuntu Life!]

Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal Release Schedule

narwhal

The updated Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" release schedule is available on the Ubuntu Wiki. I say updated because the release schedule was already available for some time, but it had to be reworked because Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat will be released on October 10 and not at the end of the month like it was originally planned.

Helpers And Multipanel Configuration Coming To Avant Window Navigator (AWN)

avant window navigator multiple instances helpers

Avant Window Navigator (AWN) has almost everything you'd need in a dock: from a huge list of applets which include menus, notification area or the indicator applet to a panel mode and beautiful styles such as Lucido so it can fully replace the GNOME panel and look gorgeous too. Still, there was one thing missing in AWN: multipanel configuration. But as you can see in the screenshot above, you will soon be able to use multiple docks with AWN, each with its own configuration.

Besides Multipanel Configuration, AWN will also be getting "Helpers" for some applications such as Pidgin, Rhythmbox or Transmission.

These new features are not yet available in the Avant Window Navigator package from the development PPA, but expect them to come in an update really soon!

Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Countdown Banners For Your Website Or Blog

The official Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat countdown banner is not available yet, but a lot of designs have been submitted to the Ubuntu Wiki. All of them look amazing but only a few are already functional. So why not use them on your website or blog already?


Here are the banners which you can already use and their corresponding embedding code:

How To Add / Delete Workspaces In Compiz Using Keyboard Shortcuts

Compiz expo screenshot

If you tried Gnome Shell, you probably noticed how cool it is to quickly add / delete workspaces using the + / - buttons. Deafiant @ Ubuntuforums wanted this for Compiz so he wrote a script which can be used to add or delete a workspace on the fly by using a keyboard shortcut (not using buttons like in Gnome Shell, but the result is pretty much the same). Can't wait to try this out? Read on!

You Can Now Install Apt-Fast From A PPA Repository

apt-fast

Remember apt-fast? Allow me to remind you: apt-fast is a simple bash script that speeds up apt-get download speed (so you would run "sudo apt-fast install firefox" to install Firefox for example) by using Axel, a command line application which accelerates HTTP/FTP downloads by using multiple sources for one file. The author claims it's roughly 26x faster than the normal apt-get and I don't know if that's true, but a lot of users are reporting visible download speed improvements

A while back, Apt-Fast got full Apt-Get syntax replacement and now you can finally install Apt-Fast from a PPA so it's easier to install, even by non-technical users.

All The Ubuntu Mascots In Pictures [Updated]

Since Mark Shuttleworth announced the codename for the new Ubuntu 11.04 yesterday, we had to update our Ubuntu Mascots post so let's take a look at the pretty (or not?) Ubuntu mascots, from the warty Warthog to the latest natty NARWHAL.


The development codename of an Ubuntu release takes the form "Adjective Animal". Initially these weren't in alphabetic order - until Dapper DRAKE (6.06).



Ubuntu Warty WARTHOG (4.10):

ubuntu warthy warthog 4.10


Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS Has Been Released

Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS, the first maintenance update to Ubuntu 10.04 LTS has been released. This includes server, desktop and alternate CDs for both i386 and amd64 architectures. This version comes with numerous bug fixes and updated packages so that fewer updates are downloaded upon installing Ubuntu.

Ubuntu 11.04 Codename Announced: Natty Narwhal

narwhal

No, it won't be "Neverendig Nightmare". Mark Shuttleworth just announced the codename for Ubuntu 11.04: Natty Narwhal.

The Narwhal is an Arctic whale distinguished by a characteristic long, straight, helical tusk extending from their upper left jaw.

In Mark's explanation on why Narwhal was chosen one can see the influence of the recent comments regarding Ubuntu's contributions to GNOME:

Ubuntu is all about bringing the generosity of all contributors in this functional commons of code to the widest possible audience, it’s about treating one another with respect, and it’s about being aware of the complexity and diversity of the ecosystems which feed us, clothe us and keep us healthy.

Up next: O O. Will we have an Orgasmic Owl or an Omnipotent Orca? We'll see =)

Install Inkscape 0.48 (Vector Graphics Editor) In Ubuntu (PPA)

inkscape 0.48 screenshot

Inkscape is an open source vector graphics editor, with capabilities similar to Illustrator, CorelDraw or Xara X, using the Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format. Inkscape runs on Linux, Windows and Mac OSX and features transparency, gradients, node editing, pattern fills, PNG export, and more.


While Inkscape 0.48 hasn't been officially announced on its website, the new version is already available for download.

Inkscape 0.48 adds multipath editing, LaTeX export with PDF/PS/EPS, a new Airbrush tool, a new extension called JessyInk for creating presentations, improved text tool: subscript, superscript, numerical input for text kerning, tracking and much more. You can read the huge list of what's new in Inkscape 0.48, here.


How To Adjust Guake Terminal Width

guake terminal ubuntu

Guake is a Quake like terminal for Gnome. While Yakuake is a lot more customizable and comes with some nice options such as split view (like Terminator), people don't usually like installing KDE applications under GNOME so if you're using GNOME, you're stuck with Guake (or some other alternatives such as Tilda). Further more, I tried the latest Yakuake in GNOME (Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx) and it was very laggy (I'm not sure if it's the same in KDE too) so I'll stick with Guake for now.

One thing Guake lacks is customization: you can't adjust the terminal width for instance which is something I was really missing because having a terminal as wide a large monitor is useless. But since it's written in Python, you can adjust Guake's width by editing a file. Here is how.

WebUpd8 PPAs Updates: Rhythmbox, Jupiter, DockBarX

Rhythmbox


rhythmbox 0.13.0

We've backported the latest Rhythmbox version from Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat to Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx. The new version comes with bug fixes as well as a new feature: the play button now changes to pause and stop when needed.

Install The Ubuntu 10.10 Light Themes In Ubuntu 10.04 From A PPA Repository

I'm back from the holiday so it's time to get back to work. But firstly, a big thanks to everybody reading WebUpd8 and sorry for the almost 2 weeks break.

There's a lot of catching up to do, and I'll start with the updated Light Themes package which landed in Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat while I was away. To make it easy to install for everybody still using Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx, we've uploaded the Ubuntu Maverick version to the WebUpd8 Light Themes PPA. Besides the Light Themes, the PPA also has the latest Murrine Engine from 10.10 and the updated Ubuntu Mono icons.



ubuntu light themes maverick meerkat screenshotlight themes ubuntu 10.10 maverick meerkat


Vacation

Everybody needs a break sometime, right? Well, I'm going on vacation (or holiday or whatever you want to call it) so there will be no new posts or answering to emails and so on for about 11 days.

See you soon!

Install MIB-Ubuntu Plymouth Theme (Based On Mandriva 2010.1) In Ubuntu

MIB Ubuntu Plymouth theme


Antoni, the author of Pinguy OS sent us a tip on installing MIB-Ubuntu Plymouth theme in Ubuntu - that's a theme based on Mandriva 2010.1 - and I must say, it looks amazing!


To install MIB-Ubuntu Plymout theme, do the following:

Firstly, download it from Deviantart.

Then extract the contents of the zip to your home folder, then open a terminal and run this (firstly navigate to the folder where you extracted it using a terminal; if you extracted it on your Desktop, that would be: cd ~/Desktop):
sudo cp -R MIB-Ubuntu/ /lib/plymouth/themes/
sudo update-alternatives --install /lib/plymouth/themes/default.plymouth default.plymouth /lib/plymouth/themes/MIB-Ubuntu/MIB-Ubuntu.plymouth 100
sudo update-alternatives --config default.plymouth  #here, choose the number of the theme you want to use then hit enter
sudo update-initramfs -u


Please note that I didn't test this (I'd had to fix my Plymouth all over again and I don't have time right now), but Antoni tested it (in fact he sent us the installation instructions too) so it will work if you follow that exact steps.



Many thanks to Antoni for the tip!

Pidgin Embedded Video And Images Now Available In An Ubuntu PPA

The Pidgin Embedded Video with with the image patch has been uploaded to the Frasten PPA (thanks to Frasten for the heads up!) so you no longer have to compile it. In case you don't know what I'm talking about, see this post.

To install Pidgin Embedded Video in Ubuntu, run the following commands in a terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:frasten/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install pidgin-embeddedvideo

Then activate the plugin from the Pidgin options.


If you don't want to add the PPA, you can also manually download the .deb file.

Jolicloud 1.0 Review (Ubuntu Based Netbook OS)

Jolicloud 1.0 is now available for all so I decided to install it on my netbook (Asus EeePC 1005 HA) and write a review for the WebUpd8 readers while waiting for the best netbook Linux distribution to be out - no, not Ubuntu Netbook Edition 10.10 but Aurora.


Firstly, take a look at this video I've just made with Jolicloud 1.0 in action on my Asus EeePC 1005HA (full installation):







In case you don't know, Jolicloud is a netbook operating system (Linux distribution to be technically correct) based on Ubuntu. Version 1.0 comes with a HTML5 interface and it can be installed either in Windows using Jolicloud Express or to its own partition. I've installed Jolicloud on its own partition, next to Ubuntu Netbook Edition 10.04.

First impressions


VLC 1.1.2 With GPU Acceleration Uploaded To The Official Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat Repositories

Video Acceleration API (VA API) is an open source software library ("libVA") and API specification which enables and provides access to graphics hardware (GPU) acceleration for video processing on Linux and Unix based operating systems. Accelerated processing includes video decoding, video encoding, subpicture blending and rendering. Using VA API (GPU acceleration), playing H.264 videos for example should take some load of the CPU thus making the playback run more smoothly and with less CPU usage.

Like we told you when VLC 1.1.0 was out, there's no proper way of installing it with VA-API (GPU acceleration) in Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx and older because of the dependencies it requires - compiling it against newer ffmpeg packages would break all other packages which need ffmpeg (like video editors, other media players and so on).

Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat Alpha 3 Has Been Released

Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat Alpha 3 has just been released released. There aren't too many changes since alpha 2 - at least visually and since we just posted the changes in Unity, there won't be separate screenshots for this alpha release.

Most of the development - just like it was with alpha 2 - focused on Ubuntu Netbook Edition. Ubuntu Desktop got some improvements to the Sound Indicator, Ubuntu Software Center and that's about it while Unity in Ubuntu Netbook Edition got some major changes, there's a new Indicator DateTime and so on.



Une ubuntu 10.10

To see what's new in Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat / Ubuntu Netbook Edition 10.10, see:


It's also worth mentioning that Ubuntu 10.10 will ship with Firefox 3.6 and Ubuntu Netbook Edition won't have Chromium by default after all (it will also come with Firefox 3.6). And finally: the new Ubuntu 10.10 font is already available to test for everybody with a Launchpad account.


Up next:
  • Beta: September 2
  • RC: 30 September
  • Ubuntu 10.10: October 10




See also: Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat Alpha 2 screenshots tour.

Display Google Calendar On Your Desktop Using Gcalcli And Conky

Google Calendar desktop ubuntu

This post explains how to display Google Calendar on your Desktop using Conky and Gcalcli (a tool you can use to manage Google Calendar via the command line).

If you already have a Conky instance running and want to also display Google Calendar on your desktop using Conky, see this how-to on running multiple Conky instances.

Best Linux Download Manager

Like we told you yesterday, here is this week's poll: the best Linux download manager. The contenders are: jDownloader, axel, aria2, wget, FatRat, SlimRat, Uget, Tucan and Kget. That's right, this time we have 3 command line tools among the poll options (even though only aria2 is an actual download manager, but wget and axel can serve as download managers too).


The poll:

WebUpd8 PPA Updates: gThumb 2.11.6, Audacious 2 2.4 Beta 2, Newsbeuter 2.3

I updated a few packages in the WebUpd8 main PPA as well as in the Unstable PPA so I though I'd let you know what's going on.

Pidgin Embedded Video, Now With Image Support Too

Pidgin Embedded Video Imageview

Back in November we posted a Pidgin plugin called Pidgin Embedded Video which transforms links to videos from YouTube and other video websites into videos embedded directly into the Pidgin conversation window. Today I stumbled upon a patched Pidgin Embedded Video which also displays images from links into the Pidgin conversation window. So when someone sends you a link to an image you don't have to click it as the image will be displayed directly into the Pidgin conversation window.

Turpial 1.4 Alpha 1 Gets Identi.ca Support

Turpial Identi.ca

Turpial is a native Linux Twitter - and now Identi.ca too - client.


The latest Turpial from GIT (currently version 1.4 alpha 1) finally adds Identi.ca support - but unfortunately you won't be able to login to both Twitter and Identi.ca in the same time.

There are some other interesting features in Turpial 1.4 alpha 1 such as Twitter Lists support, a refresh button for Replies, Timeline and Direct Messages and also, the notification area now lets you know when you have new tweets:

Dragon Player Default In Kubuntu 10.10 (Not VLC), Firefox Default In UNE 10.10 Instead Of Chromium, Ubuntu Tweak In New Queue

vlc kubuntu

Dragon Player has been made default in Kubuntu 10.10 instead of Kaffeine (I'm not really up to date with what's happening in Kubuntu, but it seems Kaffeine was default in Kubuntu 10.10 until now - at least according to the changelog of the kubuntu-meta package). A while back, the Kubuntu developers said they were considering VLC to be the default media player but unfortunately this didn't work out as expected. I'm not sure what are the reasons for this (since the news came from the kubuntu-meta changelog), but most probably there were some license/legal issues so they had to go with Dragonplayer.


Install Audacious2 2.4 In Ubuntu, Now With An Improved GTK Interface, Last.fm Scrobbler Plugin And More

Audacious2 is a audio player that looks a lot like Winamp 2.x and it also has some similar features such as "J" for searching the playlist, song adding functions are similar to Winamp and it even supports Winamp 2.x skins. Audacious also comes with a GTK interface so if you don't like the way Winamp looks, you can always make Audacious look like your current GTK theme.

Besides the usual features every music player has, Audacios also comes with a lot of great plugins: Audio Compression plugin (AudioCompressor AGC) to keep volume normalized at a specific level, Echo enhancing plugin, Crystallizer enhancing plugin, Voice Removal plugin, Sound stretching plugin, lots of visualisation plugins (Blur scope, Spectrum analyzer, RockLight and so on) and even a stream browser plugin which includes the most popular streaming directories. There's a huge list of plugins so better install Audacious and try them for yourself.



Since the new Audacious2 is becoming an amazing audio player, we've backported Audacious2 2.4 from Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick (so if you're running Maverick, you can install it from the official repositories) to Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx and 9.10 Karmic Koala. Update: since Audacious 2.4 final has been released and is not yet available in Maverick, we've updated the PPA with Audacious 2.4 final for Ubuntu Karmic, Lucid and Maverick!

Audacious2 2.4 comes with a lot of important bug fixes, a reworked GTK interface and also the Last.fm scrobbler plugin returns, this time threadless and without memory corruption problems.


Here is the new GTK interface:

Poll Results: Best Linux Main Menu

For last week, we asked you which is the best Linux main menu and the results are a bit surprising.

UNE 10.10 Unity Update Brings New Applets, Lots Of Changes [Screenshots And Video]

Yet another Update in Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat (the packages aren't build yet, but expect an update really soon!) Netbook Edition brings a lot of changes to the way Unity looks and also new features.

Firstly, the Unity Place Files and Applications got a slight redesign and the search now actually works and the folder browsing mode almost works (for a second, then disappears, so no screenshot - sorry). Also, you can no longer switch between files and apps from the top panel:

unity apps

unity files

Instead, you can now access them from the Unity dock. Clicking the Ubuntu logo in the top left corner will open the last accessed: files or applications. You can also go directly to a specific category for the files or applications, straight from the Unity dock:

unity applications menu

PPA Purge Added To The Official Ubuntu 10.10 Repositories, New Version Works With Linux Mint And Other Ubuntu Derivatives

Great news for those of you who use a lot of PPAs: PPA Purge has been added to the official Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat repositories.

A quick reminder of what's PPA Purge:

PPA Purge can remove a PPA and downgrade all the packages you've installed from that PPA to the official version in the Ubuntu repositories. An example: suppose you add the c-korn/vlc PPA and install VLC 1.1.1 but you want to go back to VLC 1.0.6 which is available in the Ubuntu official repositories. Using PPA Purge, the c-korn/vlc PPA will be removed and VLC 1.1.1 will be downgraded to version 1.0.6 (there's one catch though: make sure you don't have any other PPAs with VLC 1.1.1 or 1.1.0 and so on).


ppa-purge linux mint 9

Also, a new PPA Purge version has been released which adds an option to force the distribution name - this means PPA Purge will finally work with Ubuntu derivatives such as Linux Mint. To use PPA Purge for any Ubuntu derivative, use the following command:

The New Ubuntu (10.10) Font Available For (almost) Everyone To Download [PPA]

ubuntu font

Update: you can now install the Ubuntu Font Family from a public PPA.

After finally getting the bold version last week, the Ubuntu font which will be default in Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat is finally available for (almost) everyone. Why almost? Here is an email from the Kubuntu-users mailing list:

Members of the ~kubuntu-users team on launchpad can now test out the Ubuntu Font which is currently in beta testing. Anyone can join this team.

We are considering setting this as the default screen font in 10.10, opinions welcome but please include a rationale with your opinion, artwork is very easy to criticize but is hard to criticize well.

Chromium Options Window Moved In A Browser Tab

It seems Google wants to move everything in the tabs - not only through its web apps, but with Chrome too.

A recent change in Chrome / Chromium removes the Options dialog as a separate window and you can now access it from a browser tab. This should make it a lot easier to implement changes to the Chrome / Chromium interface across different platforms.

I'm not sure if there are other reasons for implementing this, but I for one am very glad to be able to change the Chromium options from a tab instead of a window as it was a real pain to open the Options window on my netbook.

Ubuntu 10.10 To Ship With Firefox 3.6

Well here is something I for one wasn't aware of: Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat will ship with Firefox 3.6. That's not because there's something wrong with Firefox 4.0, but because the first Firefox 4.0 release candidate is scheduled for October, the same month Ubuntu 10.10 will be released.

This is been confirmed by Ubuntu developer Chris Coulson, although a confirmation wasn't actually necessarily if you look at the Firefox release schedule.

But of course, Ubuntu 10.10 could have been released with a beta/rc version of Firefox. If they did it for a long term release (Ubuntu 8.04 LTS was released with Firefox 3.0 beta 5), why not do it again for 10.10 since Firefox 3.6 is so slow compared to other browsers?


Many thanks to Starks for the tip!

How To Change The Mouse Cursor Theme In Ubuntu With Compiz Enabled [Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx Or Newer]

There is a bug in the Compiz package in Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx and as I read, in Maverick Meerkat too that doesn't allow you to fully change the mouse cursor theme. You only get the new cursor theme in some windows - just like some of you reported in the Elegant Gnome Theme Pack post we wrote yesterday. Until Lucid, this was easy to fix by setting the mouse cursor theme from the Compiz settings, but that option has been removed.

But you can still change the mouse cursor theme in Ubuntu, even if you have Compiz enabled:

Bluetile 0.5.2 (Tiling Window Manager) Released, Finally Supports Configuration [Ubuntu PPA]

bluetile

Bluetile is a tiling window manager for X based on Xmonad which is very easy to use out of the box as opposed to Xmonad and others who need a lot of configuration.

Even though you had almost everything you'd need with Bluetile, there was still something missing for those who like to tweak: configuration. But a new version of Bluetile was released which finally allows you to configure Bluetile:

bluetile

Last Week's Top Posts (Week 30, 2010)

Elegant Gnome (Theme) Pack PPA For Ubuntu And Linux Mint Users

Elegant gnome
(The dock icons come with Elegant Gnome)


Elegant Gnome Pack is an amazing theme pack we included in a post on 5 great Gnome themes last week so you're probably already familiar with it.


Since then, it got a few update which fix some bugs as well as other optimizations. But the big news for Ubuntu and Linux Mint users is that now you can install Elegant Gnome Pack (actually the installer) from a PPA (10.04 only!).