Ubuntu to Chrome OS

Because of the problems and hassles my laptop gave me, I'm no longer interested in having a computer with an Ubuntu partition. However, I did gain a huge appreciation for what Canonical does, and for open source software in general. It's quite impressive to see support for a free, open source OS that has a growing user base.

Lately, I'm becoming more interested in what is to come through Chrome OS since it is integrated between all Google products. The apps in the Web Store are impressive, and the functionality as a solo OS is increasing quite fast. Of course, you can simulate Chrome OS right now by opening Chrome browser and never closing it, but the system is still running from Windows.

Installeth Ubuntu

If you are the tech guy among your family and friends, you should leave your mark by changing the background to this after each support session you perform.

HT: spreadubuntu

Optimize Ubuntu for Netbooks

Here is a way to get the most out of your netbook's screen on Ubuntu.

Install Cairo Dock from the Ubuntu Software Center. Cairo Dock is a Mac-like dock with loads of customization options. With the dock set correctly, you will no longer need your top or bottom panels, which will free up some valuable space.

Once you have it installed you'll want to set it to start at boot. To do so, go to "Preferences > Startup Applications." Click on "Add." For name, put "Cairo Dock" and the command to should be "/usr/bin/cairo-dock." If you want it to run with OpenGL (if you like an attractive UI then you do) you will want to add a space and then "-o" to the end of the command path. Click "save." Now the dock will start with Ubuntu.

Now that the dock running, let's add the features that you need in order to eliminate the top and bottom panels. Right-click on the dock and click "Cairo-Dock > Configure." At the bottom click "Advanced Mode." Put a check mark beside the following applications.

• Clock
• GMenu
• Log-Out
• Shortcuts
• Switcher
• Systray
• Dbus

With all of these things checked you should have a clock complete with calendar, all of the menus that were on the upper panel, a log out button, desktop switcher for rotating desktop, your recycle bin and the systray (explained below).

Now with the essentials of your gnome panel in Cairo Dock, we'll make it a little more attractive. First we'll add icons in your Gmenu. Right-click on Gmenu and configure the applet. Go to the configure tab and put a check mark in "Display icons in the menu." Save the settings and exit. Now press Alt+F2 and run gconf-editor and go to desktop > gnome > interface. There is an option on the list  for "menus_have_icons". Put a check mark in that box. Now your Gmenu should look good.

You may notice that your systray is floating awkwardly in the upper left. It is the panel that tells your battery life, wifi signal, dropbox status, and bluetooth. The panel should be floating about 40 pixels down from the upper left corner of your screen. To fix this, go into Cairo Dock preferences, find "systray" and edit the desklet settings so that the x,y position is 0,0. The change may not reflect immediately, but it will look good after reboot.

Finally, any applications that you want to add to your dock can be dragged and dropped from your applications menu.

Once you have your dock set the way you like it and feel comfortable with we can remove the panels. Press Alt+F2 and run gconf-editor and browse to desktop > gnome > session > required components. Right-click on "panel"  and select "edit key" and remove the value. Press OK and now your top panel should be gone. If it is not gone right now, the change should be reflected on reboot. To remove the bottom panel, simply right-click on it and remove it.

Google Chrome in Ubuntu on Mac

Time for an episode of Mabuntu Adventures.*

Problem: Chrome crashes when syncing bookmarks
One of the biggest reasons I use Google Chrome browser is because of the ability to sync bookmarks. Trying to keep the same bookmarks on my HP laptop, Mac OSX, and Ubuntu with a browser that doesn't do this would be painful. Currently, Chrome isn't quite stable enough on Mabuntu yet, but from what I gather from reading over forums, a solution could be coming soon. A particular problem is that syncing bookmarks can cause the computer to freeze, requiring a hard reboot.

Solution: What I do is this. I open Chromium and tell it to Sync Bookmarks. Once it does, I immediately tell it to stop syncing. This allows me to import my bookmarks and prevent crashes. If I add a bookmark on another computer and want it on Ubuntu's Chrome, then I just re-sync and de-sync. As a temporary fix, it works great and is barely inconvenient.

Problem: Hitting "Delete" on the Macbook's keyboard doesn't go back a page in Chrome.
Backspace is what I want to use to go back a page in my browsers, although my Microsoft mouse has a Back button that I use to go Back now. Anyways, Apple's equivalent key is "Delete", however hitting it doesn't take you back a page. It's possible to change Firefox settings to allow this to happen, but so far I haven't found a way to customize specific buttons within Chrome.

Solution: I decided to do what no man should ever have to do. Look at the manual. Browsing the Getting Started forum in Google Chrome's Help, I ran across this gem. A list of keyboard shortcuts. So the solution is that I have to hit alt + left to go back a page in Chrome. I'm okay with this, and I'm sure there are other Linux users who have been doing this for years. Now if I can only find out how to change what "Delete" does...

*Mabuntu is my Macbook 1.1 with Ubuntu 10.4 installed.

Ubuntu Diversity

Bentok runs Ubuntu on a Dell Netbook, and on a desktop PC. I run Ubuntu on a first generation Macbook. This causes me to have a whole different set of keyboard shortcuts, controls, and challenges. Differences between PC and Mac keyboards are enough to cause confusion, but having a compact Macbook keyboard compounds the experience.

I don't know how to take a screenshot.

Generate A Folder Content List in Ubuntu and Windows

If you are like me and have cut the cord of your cable or satellite company, your entertainment comes from a media center PC and Netflix. When you are storing your media digitally, its nice to have a log of what you have in your library. Here's how to easily generate a log with both Ubuntu and Windows.

Ubuntu

From your terminal, type the following command:

ls -R1 your/videos > output.txt

If you are unsure of the exact path to the directory your media is in, simply drag the directory into the terminal. This will generate a list of every subdirectory and each file within them. You can find the list in your home directory.

Windows

You will want to move into your media directory with the command line by using cd.

cd c:/your/videos

Then generate the list with the following command:

dir /on /b /s > c:/list.txt

The list will be waiting for you on the root of your C drive. Note that you can leave out the /on, /b, or /s if you wish. /on puts the list in alphabetical order. /b leaves the path out of the names and /s includes subdirectories.

There you go, now you can generate a list of your media with either Ubuntu or Windows.

Chromium Updated for Ubuntu

On my lunch break today, I installed an Ubuntu system update. After it installed I was pleasantly surprised when my wife opened Chromium browser. Now the window buttons are on the left side to match Lucid's new style. Note that this change is only for Chromium browser at the moment, which is planned to be the default browser in the next netbook edition of Ubuntu. I'm not sure if Google Chrome will follow, but I do know Chrome beta doesn't have it yet (but perhaps the daily build does). It is likely that Chrome will get it too since the two are almost identical.

Chromium Default Browser for Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook

The open source version of Google Chrome will be the default browser in Ubuntu 10.10's Netbook Edition. Hopefully this decision will carry over to the desktop edition. If so, Chromium would get a skin change to make it compatible with the new Ubuntu look with the window buttons on the left side.

Sheldon's favorite linux based operating system

Ubuntu is getting mainstream attention these days, which could eventually make it a big competitor against Windows and Mac OS. Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory commented on Ubuntu, which certainly caused more hype for fans of the open source OS. And since the show just set a syndication record, I imagine that quite a few people are hearing about Ubuntu these days.

Write Permissions When Copying Files in Ubuntu

Sometimes when copying read-only files from a USB flash drive to a local folder on Ubuntu, I get an error that I do not have permission to copy the files. To get rid of the error, I just open up terminal and type:

sudo nautilus

This opens up nautilus (the equivalent of "windows explorer" on windows) but now with administrative privileges. Now just use the newly opened windows to navigate to the folder you want to move the files to and paste them.

Ubuntu: Copy Home Directory To a New Hard Drive

I have posted a guide on putting the root and home directories on separate partitions. This allows you to install Ubuntu fresh on the root partition as many times as you want, while leaving your home directory (where your files and settings are stored) untouched.

Ubuntu Geek has posted a guide on how to copy the home directory over to a new hard drive.

Ubuntu Sources List Generator Available For Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Lucid Lynx ~ Web Upd8

When you upgrade to Lucid Lynx, you may want to check out the Ubuntu Source List Generator. With it you can download, install and stay updated on dozens of useful programs.

Ubuntu Sources List Generator Available For Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Lucid Lynx ~ Web Upd8

Use Ubuntu Live CD to Erase Sensitive Data

HowToGeek has a great article on using an Ubuntu Live CD to erase sensitive data from your hard drive. That's right. You don't even need to install Ubuntu.

Since I'm sending in my laptop's hard drive for replacement, this is certainly something I'll capitalize on.

Ubuntu One Music Store For Cheap, DRM-free Music

The Ubuntu One Music Store will be available out of box on Ubuntu 10.04 at the end of April. I can already tell that I'll be using it to buy music instead of using Zune or iTunes. Tracks appear to be 77 cents instead of iTunes' 99 cents. A full album appears to generally be $7.77.

As a test case, I looked at the price of Megadeth's United Abominations album on all three platforms. On Zune it was 800 MS points ($10). It was $9.99 on iTunes. Ubuntu One had it for $7.77. I also checked on a few more albums at the music store and they were the same price.

The UI is also pleasing. It's not as flashy as iTunes or Zune, but it is simple and not too cluttered. It's very easy to browse and to search for music.

iTunes and Zune both require you to install their respective software in order for you to download items from their marketplaces. Ubuntu One Music Store, on the other hand, is embedded into Rhythmbox. But if for some reason you don't like Rhythmbox, you can also access it through Banshee or Amorak. I'm all about not having to install crappy software just to download some mp3's. This is definitely an open source solution for handling a music store.

I'm really digging the music store. Even if you aren't an Ubuntu user, it may be worth installing on an virtual just to get music at such a great price. I really hope this will be a hit. I would love for Ubuntu One to extend to all sorts of digital downloads including TV shows and movies!

Install Ubuntu With Root and Home On Separate Partitions

With Ubuntu 9.10 I started putting root and home on separate partitions. Basically this means that all of your system and program files are stored in one place (root), while all of your preferences and personal files are stored in another (home). This is helpful because if you ever need to format or do an upgrade, you can just wipe out your root partition and install the latest and greatest. Once the new installation of Ubuntu is done you are back to normal with all of your docs, music and preferences intact on the unaltered home partition.

Note that you will have to reinstall all of your programs that are not on Ubuntu out of box, but once the programs are installed, they will remember your preferences from before because they were stored on home. For example, I had to reinstall Chrome with my new 10.04 but once it was installed it remembered all of my passwords from before.

Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx Beta 1 Review (Updated)

I downloaded and installed Lucid Lynx on my Dell Mini 9 today.

I installed the desktop edition first and the new interface is vastly improved over Ubuntu's old look. The Ubuntu splash screen has a simple, modern font and the dark, purple background reminds me a lot of Mac OS. The window buttons (close, minimize, maximize) have been moved to the left corner instead of the right. This also seems like it could be an attempt to copy OS X, but I think it was done because 9.04 added pop-up notifications. The notifications pop up in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, so it seems practical to move the window buttons to the left side.

The interface was very impressive on the desktop edition, but I only played with it for a few minutes before installing the netbook edition instead. I've had problems in the past with running out of space on my little 16GB SSD, so I thought I would go with the netbook edition to see if it helps me save any space. 

It seems like Lucid already supports more hardware out of box than Karmic did. It found my wireless drivers immediately. With Karmic I had to do a few extra steps to get the wireless drivers installed. I had heard that the netbook edition was going to drop OpenOffice for Google Docs to save space. However, OpenOffice came with the beta, which was a little disappointing. I was attracted by the idea that they wanted to save space for netbooks.

Social networks are built into the Ubuntu interface through Gwibber Social Client. Just like Empathy and Pidgin have been built into Ubuntu interface for a while - using the indicator applet to notify you of conversation notifications and allowing you to set your status - now you can update Twitter, Digg and Facebook, to name a few, all from the desktop.

Yahoo, not Google, is now the default search engine in Firefox. The Yahoo search page is nice and clean. I won't see it again though, because I only used Firefox long enough to download Google Chrome.

Ubuntu One now has the music store and should be more stable now that it's been around for while.

Even though I'm running the beta, Lucid Lynx feels much more stable that Karmic did. The interface is beautiful with no bugs that I've seen so far. Over the next few months it seems like Ubuntu 10.04 is going to grow to be a nice, solid operating system for anyone who is interested in freeing themselves from the shackles of MS. This is a LTS (long term support) release of Ubuntu, so it will be around for 3 years.

Update: I installed Lucid on my desktop machine and it automatically found the correct resolution for my display. This never happened with Ubuntu 9.04 or 9.10. Very impressive.

Proposed Ubuntu Themes for Lucid Lynx

The time is here. The next version of Ubuntu has reached beta status and is quickly approaching release towards the end of next month. Accordingly, I will be posting some things that I am excited about. Here are some of the proposed themes for Lucid. In particular the Elementary: Empathy theme appeals to me. It would probably look great on a netbook. Although, for some reason I doubt it will be implemented into the final build.

Ubuntu Gets Modern

Ubuntu 10.4 will finally look like software created in the third millennium. Check out the new look.

Ubuntu One Music Store

Beginning with Lucid Lynx, Ubuntu will begin shipping with a music store available out of box. The idea is to have a digital download store that doesn't hassle you with DRM. Sounds great right? Check out the FAQ here.

My Ubuntu Desktop

I prefer the more minimalist setup of things. My panels are set to the side other than the one in the bottom. It was really the first time I've ever taken on Ubuntu by myself just to see how slick I could make it. For this n00b it took an hour or two to get the themes I liked. I also modified the window decor...

At first I wanted to go for a Mac look but I found other ideas that I liked better. I know this isn't much but I'm proud to be the owner of a computer that runs on Ubuntu 9.10.