>Open Office is pretty slow and painful to use out of the box.  This simple step by step procedure speeds up the software, making it much more pleasant to use.

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Hollywood movies often have a tech geek entering commands and doing amazing things. While it may not be that easy to hack into public transport systems or or control the world like Eagle Eye, the command line is certainly a geeks playground.
Want to show off your command line prowess to your geeky friends but don’t know any cool tricks?  Well you are in luck. The following websites will give you plenty of tricks and tips to satiate your hunger:

shell-fu

“Fu” is defined as possessing superior skills related to an art. Aptly named “Shell fu” houses user-submitted command line goodies, tips and tricks. You can vote entries up if you like them and vote them down if you find they are harmful or do not work as advertised.
If you have some tricks of your own you can even submit them and they will be added to the site after the moderators have a look at them.

command-line-fu

Shell fu and Command-line fu are almost identical in concept. Command-line fu allows users to share their CLI wisdom with others and also vote up and down on submitted snippets.
Both shell-fu and command-line fu allow you to follow snippets through RSS and Twitter although I did find command-line fu offers a bit of extra control on RSS feeds.

snipt

Snipt is the “long term memory for coders”.  Snipt is a collection of frequently used commands and code snippets. You can share these snippets with your co-workers or make them public. Public snippets are viewable to everyone and for our specific case, we are interested in the bash section. However feel free to browse other sections as well.

good coders code, great reuse

While all the other resources mentioned utilize the power of the crowds to build up content, this one is different. It is Peteris Krumins blog about programming, software and hacking.
What’s so special about it? The famous sed, awk one liners, vim tips, plugins and cheat sheets that Peteris has fabricated over time. The occasional musical geek friday is fun as well.
While it may not be updated as often as the others, but more often than not the content is worth the wait.

>You can use keyboard shortcuts and other command line tricks to make entering commands easier and faster. You might already know about the ‘tab’ key which completes partial commands and even file and directory names.
Here are some other keyboard shortcuts you can use within terminal:

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Some distributions. like Eeebuntu, use a customised version of another for a specific task

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Don’t see what all the Windows 7 fuss is about and thinking of jumping ship to Linux?
The experience of switching to Linux needn’t be a traumatic one.
Here are 25 things you need to know that will make your transition to an open source OS easy.
The basics
1. What’s a distribution?
Linux isn’t sold as a single package like Windows or MacOS. There are lots of variations on the basic operating system put together by different people for different reasons.
Some might be hardware specific – designed to run on netbooks, for example – while some might be tailored towards particular uses, like general desktops, webservers or multimedia workstations.
Think of them as like the different versions of Vista, but with many more apps in each package. Each of these different bundles is called a ‘distribution’.

• The pain-free guide to switching Linux distros

2. How are they different?
The most obvious differences between distributions are the number and type of applications that come pre-installed. Under the hood, they may use a different technique for managing sound playback, too.
Not all distributions will use the same versions of core system files either, rather the ones they’ve tested and are most likely to work with the other programs in the package.
3. Which distribution should I choose?
Ubuntu is by far the most popular distribution for beginners, but most of the big names – OpenSuse, Fedora and so on – are just as approachable and have their strengths. Mandriva works well when syncing with Windows Mobile, for example.

• 50 handy Ubuntu time-saving tips

4. Understand desktop environments
The familiar windowed desktop of any operating system is simply a layer on top of the core code that makes it easier for you to interact with your computer. Because Linux is highly modular, this desktop environment is easily separated from the core operating system, and you can choose one from several options.
Most popular distributions will give you a choice of desktop environment, while smaller ones, like Mint, may only come in one flavour.
5. Which is best for Windows’ switchers?
Gnome and KDE are the closest to Vista or OS X, and most people will find Gnome easier to pick up. Others, life XFCE or LXDE are designed to run quickly on low end systems.
oDon’t worry too much, though. The great thing about Linux is you want to try a different desktop manager without reinstalling your OS, you can. In fact, you can have several different ones on the same machine to choose from at login.

• Best Linux distros for power users, gamers, newbies and more

IN CONTROL: Whichever desktop environment you use, you have an incredible amount of control over the way it looks and behaves
Installation
6. Live CDs
Once you’ve decided which distribution you’d like to try, download the installation file (usually a .iso file) and burn it to CD or DVD. With many distributions, booting from that disc will give you the option to try a ‘live version’. This lets you boot into a Linux desktop without altering your current hard drive.
7. Look elsewhere
Don’t forget, though, that the Live version will have its limitations. Before you discard a distribution for looking dull, run a few searches to see if it can be spruced up. Remember, most distributions are designed for maximum hardware compatibility. Your PC can almost certain handle better desktop effects, for example.
8. Putting Linux on your PC
If you’ve never installed an operating system before, it can be quite daunting. Don’t fear, though, it’s a straightforward operating and the big distributions have excellent documentation for first timers, like this how-to at Ubuntu.
9. Keep the Windows open
The easiest way to install a distribution would be to wipe your PC clean and start over. You may want to keep your existing Windows installation, though, to run applications like games that don’t work so well in Linux.
Most installation processes will guide you through setting up a dual boot system, with two or more operating systems on. You will need a separate hard drive or partition for each, though.

PACKAGE MANAGER: Synaptic is a popular package manager for Debian-based distributions, like Ubuntu

10. Getting to grips with the file system
Navigating the C: drive in Windows is second nature to most people. Opening a file browser in Linux can be a shock. Instead of a few neatly named folders like Program Files, there are several obscure ones with na
mes like “etc” and “opt” whose contents appear to be the same.
Linux programs spread bits of themselves around in each of these folders, and while it’s logical to the trained eye, it takes experience to understand. Take the easy option – don’t worry about it any more than you would the contents of C:Windows.
11. Stay in your Home
All your important files, like documents, music and video, are kept in a separate partition called the Home partition. Each username you create has their own password protected area within Home, so you can set one up for everyone in your household.
12. Understanding Root
Just like Windows, there are two types of user accounts – administrator and normal. The administrator in Linux is called ‘Root’, and system files are locked for ordinary users to edit. If you ever try to edit a document and find it can’t be saved, or a folder can’t be copied, it’s probably locked for Root access too.
13. Become a superuser
Anyone can temporarily be elevated to the position of Superuser, allowing them to perform operations restricted to root. This is done by opening a terminal and starting a command with the prefix “sudo” or “su”, depending on your distribution. You’ll then be prompted for the adminstrator password, which will allow the command to be completed.
14. Don’t be afraid of the terminal
It’s one of those words that scares off the non-geek, but a terminal is simply a program that lets you enter commands as text, rather than mouse clicks.
Because of the Linux file structure, it’s simply quicker for many expert users to use the terminal rather than the file browser to do stuff. One day you might feel the same way, honest.
15. Open file manager as Root
If you prefer the familiarity of a graphical user interface, though, you can use the terminal to open your file manager with administrator access, to move locked folders or edit locked text files.
If you’re using Gnome, just enter ‘sudo nautilus’ in the terminal and an empowered file manager will appear. Remember there’s no restrictions to stop you irrevocably damaging your system, though.
16. Installing new programs
Unlike Windows or OS X, most Linux distributions come with a graphics editor, office suite, messenger software and so on pre-installed, and getting new programs is simple.
In your main menu you’ll find a
“package manager”, usually Synaptic or Yum, which lists all the files currently installed on your PC, along with ones you can download for free.
17. Learn about repositories
The package manager gets these software lists from repositories, which are FTP servers full of free software maintained by Linux advocates or organisations. You can add new ones in the Software Sources section of the start menu.
18. Don’t always update
The package manager will cross reference software you have installed with the version in your listed repositories to see if you’re running the latest build. You don’t have to update programs when the update manager warns you, though. Remember, with Linux, you’re in control.

EASY OFFICE: OpenOffice is a complete office suite which is also available for Windows. It looks a bit old fashioned, but will read and save Microsoft Office 2007 files
Troubleshooting
19. Fix display problems
If you’re getting strange screen artefacts, like text and cursors vanishing in OpenOffice or your mail client, and are using an Nvidia or AMD graphics card, it’s worth going to the manufacturers’ website to see if newer Linux drivers are available.
20. Manually installing drivers
Unlike Windows, you may never need to install a device driver on your Linux system. Most hardware is supported straight from the kernel. Manually installing drivers in Linux can be tough, though, even when the process is well documented. It’s a good idea to print off the readme file before you get started.
21. Drivers or programs don’t work?
Upgrading core kernel files with “header” in their name will likely break any manually installed graphics drivers and some programs too. The fix is simple – just reinstall them.
22. Recovery mode
Most distributions have a recovery mode of some sort available at the first menu screen to help you sort out problems with an operating system that refuses to boot. Ubuntu scores highly in this regard, because it has an option to easily reset the graphics system, often a cause of problems.
23. Look before you ask
The helpfulness of the Ubuntu forums – and indeed most Linux forums – when it comes to helping newbies out is legendary. Don’t just log in and start asking, though, run a few searches for the problems you’re encountering first.
In the unlikely event a walkthrough doesn’t already exist with a solution, you’ll get a better idea of how to phrase your question so everyone understands you first time.
24. Keep notes
The web is full of really useful Linux walkthroughs that can give you PC superpowers just by cutting and pasting a few lines into a terminal. Sometimes, these walkthroughs won’t work. It’s a good idea to keep track of changes you’ve made in case you need to go back and fix stuff later.
25. Get Wine
There are some Windows programs you may find you simply can’t do without. Spotify, Evernote, World of Warcraft, Left4Dead perhaps? Wine adds libraries to get most Windows apps running in Linux.
And finally…
Get creative with the look and feel of your desktop. You can tweak anything you want about the look, from the position of panels and menus to adding an OS X-like dock. There are loads of themes to get you started at opendesktop.org, just click on the artwork tab at the top.

Read more: http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/25-linux-tips-for-windows-switchers-630198?artc_pg=2#ixzz15RhaskfU

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Dig around in Synaptic Package Manager and you’ll find all kinds of free goodies

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Taking a trip into the weird and wonderful world of Linux with the world’s most popular distro isn’t always the easiest of tasks, particularly if you’re used to Windows’ clean embrace.

This isn’t helped by the fact that Ubuntu isn’t as fully featured as it should be from the start.
Learn a bit about the OS, and get up and running with some interesting and helpful tools by following this guide.
1. Run essential updates
Any Linux installation worth its salt will alert you immediately to any changes that need to be made after installation, particularly if you’ve installed from a Live CD that might not be entirely up to date.
Ubuntu alerts you to this with an orange flash in its taskbar. Click on it, enter the administration password you set during installation and use the Update Manager to install the essentials. You’ll also find it at ‘System | Update Manager’.
2. Manually update packages
The auto-updater isn’t the only way to get your system up to speed. The package manager – which deals with downloading, installing and configuring new programs – might need a little kick, however.
Open a terminal window (select it from the menu, or hit [Alt]+[F2] and type gnome-terminal), then type sudo apt-get update to ensure that Ubuntu’s knowledge of packages is up to date.
3. Perform package upgrades
The next step is to turn your installed packages into the shiny new versions, which you can do using a slightly different command in the terminal window: apt-get upgrade.
Insert it (remembering to prefix it with sudo, which tells Ubuntu to perform the action as a super user) and apt-get will hammer through the list, marking and installing any packages that have fallen behind the times.
4. Upgrade the distribution
Apt is a monster of a tool. It can help you stay right on the cutting edge with little or no effort on your part.
Let’s say, for example, you’ve had an Ubuntu installation running for a while, but you want to install the latest version of the OS. You need to do a full backup, burn a new disc, sit through a reinstallation process and cross your fingers, right? Wrong.
Type apt-get distupgrade to bring your installed distro in line with current standards automatically.
5. Manage repositories easily
Apt doesn’t conjure packages out of thin air. It uses repositories – vast databases of software packages that ensure the latest versions of software are always easily available from (almost) one place.
To add more repositories, we recommend starting by installing a repository manger.
Type sudo wget http://mac4deb.googlepages.com/addrepo -O / usr/bin/addrepo into a terminal window to install addrepo, then sudo chmod +x /usr/bin/addrepo to set its permissions properly.
6. Add new repositories
Adding another source for software is easy; once you’ve installed addrepo, you can do it in the terminal by typing something along the lines of addrepo deb http://mirror2.ubuntulinux.nl/ lucid-seveas all.
If you find new repositories online, they will usually give you the right details to enter. You could also do it graphically by going to ‘System | Administration | Software Sources | Third Party Software | Add’.
7. Check the package manager
Ubuntu’s package management tools are, as you might have noticed, not restricted to the command line. Synaptic Package Manager is an excellent graphical interface for apt.
To open it, go to ‘System | Administration | Synaptic Package Manager’. Part of the fun of repositories is hunting around them for interesting packages – feel free to have a poke about!
8. Install restricted extras
Ubuntu is free software, so many features are left out by default for licensing reasons. That doesn’t stop you installing them yourself, though.
To get the Flash plug-in, support for MP3 and DVD playback, and standard TrueType fonts (among other things), search Synaptic Package Manager for ‘ubuntu-restricted-extras’ and install it. All the essentials are in that single package.
9. Get some games
Ubuntu’s default selection of games is a little weak. There’s a wealth of gaming gold on the default repositories, though.

Search for and check out the following: Tremulous, a decent first-person shooter; FlightGear, a seasoned and accurate flight sim; Gridwars, a flashy topdown retro shooter; and vDrift, a track-based racing simulator. All deserve a place on your hard drive.
10. Enable more tweaks
There’s a single package that will open up a world of further customisation options, and that’s ubuntu-tweak. You can download the DEB package installing a repository manger.
Type sudo wget http://mac4deb.googlepages.com/addrepo -O / usr/bin/addrepo into a terminal window to install addrepo, then sudo chmod +x /usr/bin/addrepo to set its permissions properly.
11. Set up Gnome-Do
Adding functionality to Ubuntu starts with Gnome-Do, which simplifies and speeds up searching for programs and files, or activating functions. Look in the package manager for ‘gnome-do’ (or install it using apt-get) to add it. You’ll now find it in the Ubuntu menu.
12. Understand the panes
Get Gnome-Do running, then hit [Super]+[Space]. [Super] is the [Windows] key on a standard PC keyboard. The left-hand pane contains the item you’re searching for, while the right-hand pane will eventually contain the action to be applied to it.
13. Try it out
We’ll use Firefox as an example application for Gnome-Do. Start typing firefox and it should appear in the left window after a few letters – that’s all you need to type. Now hit [Tab] to switch to the second pane, and start typing the action you wish to perform, such as Minimise or Close.
14. Use further features
The arrow keys are a satisfying way to navigate around Gnome-Do. Start typing in the first pane, then hit [down] to see all the possible options. Use [right] to expand folders or panels. Choose one, hit [Tab] and use the [down] arrow to select the action to perform on it.
15. Add more
plug-ins
Gnome-Do can act on just about any software. Bring up the window with [Super]+[Space], click the little down arrow at the top-right corner and select Preferences. You can then add plug-ins for everything from Google tools and Twitter to music players such as RhythmBox.
16. Change your wallpaper
Ubuntu features some pretty – clearly Mac-inspired – purple desktop backgrounds, but no operating system is really yours until you’ve plastered a picture of your cat all over it. Right-click the desktop and choose ‘Change Desktop Background’ to load one in.
17. Switch window styles
You can change the look of your desktop’s windows from the ‘Appearance Preferences’ window. Click the Theme tab, then click on a style to see how it will look. If you click ‘Customise’, you can combine elements from different themes.
18. Install hardware drivers
To get the most out of your Ubuntu desktop, you’ll need the optimal drivers for your graphics card. They’re not installed by default, but if you go to ‘System | Administration | Hardware Drivers’, you’ll see your options. Select the latest driver, install it and restart.
19. Set up desktop effects
You’ll get a fancier looking desktop if you switch on visual effects (‘System | Preferences | Appearance | Visual Effects’). Install the ‘compiz’ settings application – search Synaptic for ‘compizconfig’ – and you’ll have access to many more stylish tweaks.
20. Add a dock
There’s a neat little desktop application, based on the code behind Gnome-Do (discussed elsewhere), that emulates the dock from Mac OS X. It’s worth a try. Search Synaptic for ‘docky’, install it, and you’ll be able to configure its minutest details by simply clicking the icon on the far left.
21. Play Windows videos
Type this into a terminal: sudo wget http://www.medibuntu. org/sources.list.d/$(lsb_ release -cs).list –outputdocument=/ etc/apt/ sources.list.d/medibuntu. list. Then run sudo apt-get install w32codecs to get the appropriate files.
22. Install VLC
You’ll find VLC listed in Synaptic under a search for ‘VLC’. Like most apps, it installs a number of other programs at the same time, which it needs in order to run. However, it doesn’t install the Firefox plug-in – search for ‘mozilla-plugin-vlc’ to find it if you want media handled in your browser.
23. Set up Samba
Sharing files with Windows computers? You need Samba. Search for ‘samba’ within Synaptic, mark the packages ‘samba’ and ‘system-config-samba’ for installation and click ‘Apply.’ You can use the configuration app to set up permanently linked shares.
24. Mess with panels
Ubuntu’s default layout is a mix of OS X and Windows. To fiddle with its panels, right-click an empty spot and select ‘Properties’. You can also add or remove elements with the appropriate command. If you’ve installed Docky, you may need to shift at least one panel out of the way.
25. Unleash GIMP
There’s one premier artistry app for Linux, and that’s GIMP. If there were an award for ‘most Photoshop features aped’, it would win two of them. It doesn’t come on a standard Ubuntu Live CD, but it deserves to, so grab it from Synaptic Package Manager and get doodling.

Read more: http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/25-ubuntu-tips-for-beginners-906002#ixzz15RgrTdQ5

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Introduction

Linux, occasionally referred to as GNU/Linux, is an open source and free operating system predominantly known for its use in servers, but has increasingly become commonplace in the desktop, notebook and netbook computers in recent years after newer and enhanced versions of Linux distributions, Ubuntu for example, are developed and offered free to users. While you can get the Linux system and use it for free, you can also run on the system a wide range of free applications such as well-known and commonly-used software including Firefox web browser and the OpenOffice application suite. Among various free applications, here you might find the best free software for Linux, including those products reviewed and recommended by our editors in the various sections. Other programs that work as potential alternatives to Windows applications or even perform better than them are also listed here for the benefits of users who migrate from Windows to Linux or run dual systems on their computers.

>Ubuntu is a free operating system or a Linux distribution (“distro”) which receives the highest hits on DistroWatch and has been selected by readers of DesktopLinux as the most popular distro. It also gets the highest number of votes in Poll Results on Gizmo’s Freeware Forum.
If you have the Ubuntu system which comes with the default Gnome window manager installed in your PC, you might find these tips and tricks useful for working with the system.

   Customize the Panel

Ubuntu includes a top panel and a bottom panel by default. If you prefer to keep only one panel at the bottom just like the Windows Taskbar, then these are the steps to follow:

1. Delete the bottom panel: right-click over it and click “Delete This Panel”.
2. Move the top panel to bottom: right-click over it, select “Properties” and change Orientation from “Top” to “Bottom”.
3. Add running program buttons: right-click the panel, select “Add to Panel”, scroll down and select “Window List”, click “Add”.
4. Replace the Menu Bar (“Applications-Places-System”) with the “Main Menu” to save space in the panel:
   1. Right-click the “Menu Bar” and select “Remove From Panel”.
   2. Right-click the panel, select “Add to Panel” and choose “Main Menu”, click “Add”.
   3. Right-click the items (Firefox, etc) and untick “Lock to Panel”.
   4. Right-click the added “Main Menu”, select “Move” to relocate it to the far left.

These are basic changes. The panels are much more flexible than the Windows Taskbar in that many items in the panels can be easily added, removed or configured.
Note: If you need to restore the panels to the original state, enter the following commands into the Terminal and re-start the system:

1. sudo gconftool-2 –shutdown
2. sudo rm -rf .gconf/apps/panel
3. sudo pkill gnome-panel

   Set Full Transparent Panel

When you set the panel to be transparent in the default Ambiance theme in Ubuntu 10.10 or 10.04, you will find that some panel items’ backgrounds are not transparent, but you can make them transparent and consistent with others, following these steps:

1. Go to Applications (or Main Menu) > Accessories > Terminal.
2. Enter cp -R /usr/share/themes/Ambiance ~/.themes/
3. Enter gedit ~/.themes/Ambiance/gtk-2.0/apps/gnome-panel.rc (for Ubuntu 10.10) OR gedit ~/.themes/Ambiance/gtk-2.0/gtkrc (for Ubuntu 10.04), to open the file with gedit.
4. Search for this line bg_pixmap[NORMAL] = “img/panel.png” (for Ubuntu 10.10) OR bg_pixmap[NORMAL] = “panel_bg.png” (for Ubuntu 10.04)
5. Comment out the line by placing a # at the beginning of the line, like this: #   bg_pixmap[NORMAL] = …
6. Save the file.
7. Go to System > Preferences > Appearance, switch to the other theme and then back to the Ambiance theme.

Note: If you’d like to change to the Radiance theme, replace Ambiance with Radiance in the above command lines, but you’d like to change to the New Wave theme, then enter cp -R /usr/share/themes/”New Wave” ~/.themes/ in step 2, enter gedit ~/.themes/”New Wave”/gtk-2.0/gtkrc in step 3, search for and comment out this line bg_pixmap[NORMAL] = “Images/Panel/PanelBarLong.png” in steps 4 and 5 respectively.

   Customize the Theme

Themes in Ubuntu can be customized to match the applications or suit your needs. I once tried the “New Wave” theme and the menu (File, Edit, View, etc) was hardly visible on the dark background in OpenOffice. These are easy steps to customize a theme, for example, “New Wave” so that the menu can be more visible in OpenOffice.

1. Go To System > Preferences > Appearance.
2. Under the “Theme” tab, click the “Customize” button while the “New Wave” theme is selected.
3. Under the “Controls” tab, click any other control item such as “Ambiance” and click the “Close” button.
4. Now it becomes your Custom theme and you can save it as a new theme, such as “New Wave with Ambiance Controls”.

The menu should now be clearly visible in OpenOffice in this new theme (See the lower section in the screenshot).

   Change Font Type and Color of Panel Clock

The font type and color of the panel clock follow the windows text in a theme by default. In particular, if the font color is black and shown on a dark background through a transparent panel, you can’t read the clock clearly, but you can tweak it by changing the font color. And you can define the font type for your panel clock as well.
The code in Step 1 below sets the font color to white and applies DS-Digital font (Note 1), bold and size 16.

1. Open up the text editor Gedit and paste the following code:
   style “my-panel-clock”
   {
   fg[NORMAL] = “#FFFFFF”
   font_name = “DS-Digital Bold 16”
   }
   widget “*.clock-applet-button.*” style “my-panel-clock”
2. Save the file as .gtkrc-2.0 (including the dot in front
   of the filename) inside your home directory /home/your_user_name.
3. Log out and log back in (OR enter killall gnome-panel into the Terminal) to see the change.

Note 1: The DS-Digital font can be downloaded here. After downloading, unzip the file and install the font into the system for use. See Install Extra Fonts.
Note 2: The filename leading by a dot represents it’s a hidden file and visible by toggling the key Ctrl-H in the Nautilus file browser.

   Set Aero Glass Effect

In Ubuntu you can set nearly the same aero glass effect to window borders with alpha transparency as available in Windows 7.

1. Press Alt+F2 to bring up “Run Application” window.
2. Type gconf-editor into the box, click “Run” to bring up Configuration Editor.
3. Browse to apps > gwd, look for “metacity_theme_active_opacity” on the right panel.
4. Change the value in “metacity_theme_active_opacity” from 1 to 0.75 (or smaller such as 0.5 for more transparency).
5. Then go to System > Preferences > CompizConfig Settings Manager
6. Select “Effects” from the left panel.
7. Tick “Blur Windows” and click the “Close” button. (Note: default values in Blur Windows can be applied.)

Note: If the aero glass effect doesn’t work, check if you have updated your display driver. Go to System > Administration > Additional Drivers, activate the recommended graphics driver and restart the system.

   Pin Programs to the Panel

Frequently used programs can be easily pinned to the panel.

1. Browse to the program from “Applications” or “Main Menu”.
2. Drag and drop the program to an empty space in the panel, or right-click the program and select “Add this launcher to panel”.
3. Right click the program icon, select “Move” and drop it to a new place in the panel.
4. Right click the program icon and select “Lock to Panel”.

See also “Enable Windows 7 Superbar“.

   Add or Change Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are preset in the system, but you can add new ones or change them easily. For instance, change the default shortcut Ctrl+Alt+T (Run a Terminal) to Win+R (press R while holding down the Windows key, also known as Super key) by the following steps:

1. Go To System > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts
2. Browse to Desktop > “Run a terminal”
3. Click on the Shortcut, and it shows “New shortcut…”
4. Press Win+R, and it shows Mod4+R
5. Click the Close button and try the new shortcut.

Note 1: To disable a shortcut, press Backspace when it shows “New shortcut…” after the step 3 above.
Note 2: Shortcuts begin with XF86 refer to special keys available to some multimedia keyboards.
Note 3: Keyboard shortcuts can also be set by changing keybinding values with Configuration Editor. Press Alt+F2 and enter gconf-editor, then navigate to apps > gnome_settings_daemon > keybindings, or apps > metacity > global_keybindings and window_keybindings.

   Hide Drive Icons on the Desktop

Ubuntu adds an icon to the desktop for every removable drive that you attach to your system. The icons can be hidden by these steps:

1. Press Alt+F2 to bring up “Run Application” window.
2. Type gconf-editor into the box, click “Run” to bring up Configuration Editor.
3. Browse to apps > nautilus > desktop.
4. Untick “volumes_visible” and close the window.

The drive icons would then disappear from the desktop. Remember that you can always access the drives from “Places”.

   Move Window Control Buttons to the Right

If your Ubuntu system sets the Minimize, Maximize and Close buttons to the left in a window and you prefer to change them to the right, then follow these simple steps:

1. Press Alt+F2 to bring up “Run Application” window.
2. Type gconf-editor into the box, click “Run” to bring up Configuration Editor.
3. Browse to apps > metacity > general, look for “button_layout” on the right panel.
4. Change the value in the “button_layout” from close,minimize,maximize: to menu:minimize,maximize,close and press the Enter key.

   Set a Default View in File Browser

Windows Explorer allows for users to set a default view to all folders. In almost the same way, Ubuntu’s Nautilus File Browser allows for these settings:

1. Go to “Places” and open a folder.
2. At the top of the File Browser, click “Edit” and “Preference”.
3. Under Default View, change “Icon View” to “List View”, to see more details in columns.
4. Tick “Show hidden and backup files” if that’s your choice.

Other various settings, such as single or double click to open items, icon captions, list columns, preview files and media handling can be done in the same window as well.

   Open Up a Window in Center

When running an application without maximized, Ubuntu always puts it in the left-t
op corner of the desktop by default, but you are allowed to set a program window to open up in the center of the desktop area.

1. Go to System > Preferences > CompizConfig Settings Manager
2. Select “Windows Management” from the left panel.
3. Click “Place Windows”.
4. Change Placement Mode from “Smart” to “Centered”, click “Back” and “Close”.

Ideally, the window manager in Ubuntu should restore the last known position of an application window, but it does not do that unless an application remembers its own window position. (See reported bugs)

   Enable “Rotate Cube” Effect

Ubuntu enables “Desktop Wall” by default. By holding Ctrl-Alt keys and pressing the left-arrow or right-arrow key each time, it slides through desktop workspaces horizontally for you to choose one to work on. Alternatively, you can change this to a “rotate cube” effect.

1. Go To System > Preferences > CompizConfig Settings Manager
2. Select “Desktop” from the left panel.
3. Tick “Rotate Cube”.
4. Select “Eable Desktop Cube” as this plugin is required by “Rotate Cube”.
5. Select “Disable Desktop Wall”.

Immediately you can rotate your desktop workspaces in this way— holding down Ctrl-Alt keys, EITHER press the left-arrow or right-arrow key OR left-click the mouse and drag it to left or right.

   Enable Windows 7 Superbar

In Windows 7, frequently used programs can be pinned to the taskbar (hence called Superbar). Likewise, DockBarX, a Gnome panel plugin, can be added to Ubuntu to achieve almost the same effect to pin and unpin or launch the applications from the panel.

1. Go to Ubuntu Software Center > Edit > Software Source.
2. Select “Other Software” and click “Add”
3. At APT line, enter ppa:dockbar-main/ppa, click “Add Source” and “Close”
4. At the left panel of Ubuntu Software Center, select “PPA for Dockbar Main Group”, which is added after the above steps
5. At the right panel, select DockbarX and click “Install”
6. Right click the panel and click “Add to Panel”.
7. Select the DockBarX Applet and click “Add”.

Note: A thumbnail preview of a running program is also available to DockBarX. To enable this feature, right-click the DockBarX item on the panel, select Properties, choose Window List and tick “Show Previews”. Other preferences such as appearance, window item and group button can also be configured by users.

   Enable Windows 7 Aero Snap

In Windows 7, you can click and drag a window to the left or right edge of the desktop and it will fill half of the screen, or snap a window to the top edge of the desktop and it will be maximized.
In Ubuntu, you can click and drag a window to the left, right or top edge of the desktop to achieve the same result.

1. In addition to CompizConfig Settings Manager, install WmCtrl if not added.
   1. Go to Applications (or Main Menu) > Accessories > Terminal.
   2. Enter sudo apt-get install wmctrl
   3. Enter password when prompted.
2. Go To System > Preferences > CompizConfig Settings Manager.
3. Select “General” from the left panel and click “Commands”.
4. In Command line 0, 1 and 2, paste the following codes:
   1. Command line 0, paste WIDTH=`xdpyinfo | grep ‘dimensions:’ | cut -f 2 -d ‘:’ | cut -f 1 -d ‘x’` && HALF=$(($WIDTH/2)) && wmctrl -r :ACTIVE: -b add,maximized_vert && wmctrl -r :ACTIVE: -e 0,0,0,$HALF,-1
   2. Command line 1, paste WIDTH=`xdpyinfo | grep ‘dimensions:’ | cut -f 2 -d ‘:’ | cut -f 1 -d ‘x’` && HALF=$(($WIDTH/2)) && wmctrl -r :ACTIVE: -b add,maximized_vert && wmctrl -r :ACTIVE: -e 0,$HALF,0,$HALF,-1
   3. Command line 2, paste wmctrl -r :ACTIVE: -b add,maximized_vert,maximized_horz
5. In the same window, click “Edge Bindings” tab.
6. Change Run Command 0, 1 and 2 from “None” to “Left”, “Right” and “Top” respectively.
7. Click “Back” button and select “General Options”, change “Edge Trigger Delay” to about 500.

   Auto Mount Drives at System Startup

Ubuntu is capable of reading and writing files stored on Windows formatted partitions, but partitions must be ‘mounted’ before they can be accessed each time you start up the system. With these steps, you can auto mount the drives or partitions without the need to manually mount them for access.

1. Install Storage Device Manager if it has not been added.
   1. Go to Applications (or Main Menu) > Ubuntu Software Center.
   2. Enter pysdm in the Search Box.
   3. Select Storage Device Manager, click the “Install” button.
2. Go to System > Administration > Storage Device Manager.
3. Extend the list of sda and select the sda you want to auto mount, click ‘OK’ to configure.
4. Click the “Assistant” button.
5. Uncheck “Mount file system in read only mode” and keep “The file system is mounted at boot time” checked.
6. Click the “Mount”, “Apply” then “Close” button, and restart the system.

If you can’t link a partition’s label to a device, go to System > Administration > Disk Utility, select a drive and click a partition to find out its label and device.
In case you wish to remove the auto-mount of a certain drive or partition, you can similarly use Storage Device Manager to do the setting.
Note: In the background, Storage Device Manager follows your setting to edit the configuration file /etc/fstab which contains the necessary info to automate the process of mounting partitions. (See Introduction to fstab)

   Manually Mount a USB Drive

A USB storage device plugged into the system usually mounts automatically, but if for some reasons it doesn’t automount, it’s possible to manually mount it with these steps.

1. Go to Applications (or Main Menu) > Accessories > Terminal.
2. Enter sudo mkdir /media/usb to create a mount point called usb.
3. Enter sudo fdisk -l to look for the USB drive already plugged in, let’s say the drive you want to mount is /dev/sdb1.
4. Enter sudo mount -t vfat /dev/sdb1 /media/usb -o uid=1000,gid=100,utf8,dmask=027,fmask=137 to mount a USB drive formatted with FAT16 or FAT32 system. OR:
   Enter sudo mount -t ntfs-3g /dev/sdb1 /media/usb to mount a USB drive formatted with NTFS system.

To unmount it, just enter sudo umount /media/usb in the Terminal.

   Enable Media Playback

Ubuntu only includes completely free software by default and does not configure proprietary media formats such as mp3 and mp4 ‘out of the box’. The required codecs however can be easily installed for the default player to playback these files following a few simple steps below.

1. Double click an mp3 file in a folder.
2. Click “Search” button when the the default player shows up with a “Search for suitable plugin?” window.
3. Click the “Install” and “Confirm” buttons to download and install the restricted software.
4. Restart the player after the package files are installed.

You might need to do the same for other restricted media formats such as mp4 too.

   Set Sound Output

When I first installed Ubuntu onto a PC with an integrated audio device and tried to play a media file on a player, it had no sound. I tried these simple steps in setting Sound Preferences and then it had sound. It works for me for the audio device I have.

1. Go to System > Preferences > Sound to bring up the Sound Preferences window.
2. Under the Hardware tab, change Profile to Analog Stereo Duplex from the drop-down menu.
3. Under the Output tab, change Connector to Analog Output (LFE)/Amplifier from the drop-down menu.

As the items available from the drop-down menus might differ depending on the hardware devices detected by the system, you might want to try other items in the menus to see if they work for your devices. It might also help to check out the steps in Sound Troubleshooting from the Ubuntu Documentation.
Playing a media file in a proprietary format on a player might also have no sound if the required codecs are not installed. In this case, see Enable Media Playback in this article.

   Disable or Change Login Sound

Each time when you login to Ubuntu, it plays a login sound. If you don’t like to listen to it each time you login, you can easily disable it, or you can even change it to your favorite sound.
To disable the login sound:

1. Go to System > Preferences > Startup Applications.
2. Under the “Startup Programs” tab, untick “GNOME Login Sound”
3. Click Close

To change the login sound, tick the above “GNOME Login Sound” if it’s unticked, then follow these steps:

1. Press Alt+F2 to bring up “Run Application” window.
2. Paste gksu nautilus /usr/share/sounds/ubuntu/stereo into the box, click “Run” to open Nautilus in the right folder.
3. Rename the original file desktop-login.ogg to another such as desktop-login-original.ogg for backup
4. Copy your sound file in ogg format to the above folder and name the file as desktop-login.ogg
5. Log out and log back in to listen to the new login sound.

   Terminate Unresponsive Programs

Xkill is part of the X11 utilities pre-installed in Ubuntu and a tool for terminating misbehaving X clients or unresponsive programs. You can easily add a shortcut key to launch xkill with the steps below.

1. Go to System > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts.
2. Click the Add button to create a custom shortcut.
3. Enter xkill to both the Name and Command boxes and click the Apply button.
4. Click on Disabled at the xkill row in the Keyboard Shortcuts window (Disabled is then changed to New shortcut…).
5. Press a new key combination, e.g. Ctrl+Alt+X (New shortcut… is then changed to Ctrl+Alt+X).
6. Click the Close button.

Xkill is ready for use. Press the above key combination to turn the cursor to an X-sign, move the X-sign and drop it into a program interface to terminate the unresponsive program, or cancel the X-sign with a right-click.

   Change Default Boot Options

After full installation, Ubuntu is set to be the default operating system to boot up if no key is pressed within a few seconds on a multi-boot system. You might want to set your preferred operating system to boot up by default. This can be done easily with StartUp-Manager.

1. Go to Applications (or Main Menu) > Accessories > Terminal.
2. Enter sudo apt-get install startupmanager (OR copy the highlighted code and, in the Terminal, press Ctrl-Shift-V to paste it).
3. Enter password used upon installation of Ubuntu.
4. Go to System > Administration > StartUp-Manager
5. Enter the same password to perform pre-configuration tasks, which include searching bootloaders to operating systems.
6. Select the default operating system from the pull-down menu, click “Close” to perform post-configuration tasks.

With StartUp-Manager, you can also do others such as manage Usplash themes, adjust bootloader menu resolution or set timeout in seconds. Avoid changing timeout to 0 seconds if you need to select a
system to boot up from a multi-boot menu.

   Remove Old Linux Kernel, Clean Up Boot Menu

Each time when Ubuntu updates to a new Linux kernel, the old one is left behind and the boot menu gets longer. If your new Linux kernel works well, it’s safe to remove the old one and clean up the boot menu. Do take these steps carefully as incorrect removal of the items can make your system unbootable.

1. Go to Applications (or Main Menu) > Accessories > Terminal.
2. Enter uname -r to print the Linux kernel version you’re running (e.g. 2.6.32-22-generic).
3. Go to System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager.
4. Click Status from the left panel and select Installed.
5. Enter the main version number (e.g. 2.6.32) in the Search box.
6. Right-click the items with smaller sub version number (e.g. 2.6.32-21) for older Linux kernel and select Mark for Complete Removal. The files for the older version to remove may include linux-headers-2.6.32-21, linux-headers-2.6.32-21-generic and linux-image-2.6.32-21-generic.
7. Click Apply from the top panel.
8. Click Apply again from the pop-up window to confirm removal of the marked packages. The boot menu will be cleaned up automatically after the removal is confirmed.

   Auto Shutdown the System

A simple command can be entered in the Terminal to schedule a time for the system to shut down.

1. Go to Applications (or Main Menu) > Accessories > Terminal.
2. Enter sudo shutdown -h +m (replace m with the number of minutes, e.g. +60).
   OR: enter sudo shutdown -h hh:mm (replace hh:mm with the time on the 24hr clock, e.g. 23:15).
3. Enter password and minimize the Terminal window.

The system will then shut down within the minutes or at the time specified. To cancel a scheduled time, enter sudo shutdown -c in the Terminal.
GShutdown is a GUI program for scheduling a time to shutdown the system but the current version 0.2 is noted not working well in the newer Ubuntu system.

   Install Extra Fonts

Do you prefer Windows TrueType fonts to the default fonts installed by Ubuntu? The mscorefonts package containing most Microsoft fonts can be installed and configured easily in a few steps below:

1. Go to Applications (or Main Menu) > Accessories > Terminal.
2. Paste sudo apt-get install ttf-mscorefonts-installer into the Terminal (by pressing Ctrl-Shift-V in the Terminal after copying the highlighted code).
3. Go to System > Preferences > Appearance > Fonts.
4. Click each of them, pick a font and size to configure for window title and so on.

How about installing more TrueType fonts? With your font files, you can manually add them into the system following the steps below:

1. Press Alt+F2 to bring up “Run Application” window.
2. Paste gksu nautilus /usr/share/fonts/truetype into the box, click “Run” to open Nautilus in the right folder.
3. Create a new sub-folder and copy your files ending with .ttf into the sub-folder.
4. Enter sudo fc-cache -f -v in the Terminal to rebuild the font information.

Besides this, you can run an application such as Font-Manager to view, install, remove fonts and so on.
Note: If you like the Tahoma font which is not included in the mscorefonts package, you might want to copy the two files tahoma.ttf and tahomabd.ttf from /Windows/Fonts and install them.

   Install Screenlets

Screenlets are small applications to represent things such as sticky notes, clocks, calendars around on your desktop. You can launch a pre-installed screenlet from Screenlet Manager, or install a new one into the Manager for launching it. Here are the steps for installing and launching a screenlet, for example, WaterMark System Information.

1. Install Screenlets Manager if it has not been added.
   1. Go to Applications (or Main Menu) > Ubuntu Software Center.
   2. Enter screenlets in the Search Box.
   3. Select Screenlets, click the “Install” button.
2. Download the screenlet “WaterMark System Information” to a folder.
3. Go to Applications (or Main Menu) > Accessories > Screenlets.
4. Click Install, select Install Screenlet and click OK.
5. Browse to the folder, select the file downloaded and click “Open” to install the screenlet into the Screenlets Manager.
6. Select the screenlet “WaterMark” and click “Launch/Add”. (Tips: you can add more than one WaterMark screenlet and set it to display other system information.)

More screenlets are available for installation from screenlets.org.

   Install Sun Java Packages

Ubuntu uses OpenJDK by default, but I note that some web services such as ezyZip.com might need the Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) to be installed in the system for running the services properly. If you would like to get the proprietary Sun Java packages for your system, you can download and install them from the Canonical Partner Repository with the steps below:

1. Go to Applications (or Main Menu) > Accessories > Terminal.
2. Enter sudo add-apt-repository “deb http://archive.canonical.com/ lucid partner” to add the partner repository.
3. Enter sudo apt-get update to update the source list.
4. Enter sudo apt-get install sun-java6-jre sun-java6-plugin sun-java6-fonts to download and install the Sun Java packages. (If asked to accept the Distributor License for Java (DLJ) terms, use the left/right key to navigate and select Yes, then press the Enter key for installation).
5. Enter sudo java -version to check the version of the Java used in the system.
6. Enter sudo update-alternative
   s –config java to choose the default Java for use in the system when necessary.

   Install More Useful Software

Ubuntu Software Center lets you search and get free software. If an application you need is not included in the Center, you can go to System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager, type in an application name to search and install a software package from the repositories.
Alternatively, you can get the latest freeware applications by clicking the Install this now button from the GetDeb Repository after the getdeb package is installed with the instructions given.
See also our Best Free Software for Linux.

>To turn off the ever-present, overwhelming, tooltips that are shown just about any time you put the mouse over anything in Ubuntu when using the Gnome desktop, here are the steps to take:

1) Go to the main menu bar and right-click Applications –> Edit Menus… note that this is a right-click, not a “normal” click.

2) In the left side of the window (labeled Menus:), click on System Tools.

3) In the right side of the window, click on Configuration Editor to enable it. Once enabled, there will be a checkbox next to it. If there is already a checkbox next to it when you get here, then you do not need to click on it.

4) Click Close to close this window.

5) Go back to the main menu bar and click Applications –> System Tools –> Configuration Editor.

6) In the left side of the configuration editor, navigate to apps > panel > global.

7) Once global is selected go to the right side and click on tooltips_enabled to remove the checkbox next to this.

8) With the checkbox now gone, go to File –> Close to close the configuration editor.

Once this is done, you should no longer have tooltips on your Ubuntu Gnome desktop.

>

>Belakangan ini kita dikejutkan dengan beredarnya video porno Artis-Artis maupun para pembuat video porno yang profesional maupun yang amatiran. Kita pun kembali tersadar akan perlu dan pentingnya melindungi bangsa ini dari bahaya pornografi. Saya kemudian mencoba tanya kesana-kesini dan googling sana-sini untuk memfilter konten-konten yang berbau pornografi dan SARA. Saya pun di beri arahan oleh teman saya tentang Nawala Project.

Nawala Project yang pertama kali digagas oleh Asosiasi Warung Internet Indonesia(Awari) bersama-sama dengan Telkom dan diluncurkan secara resmi pada 17 November 2009. Niatnya adalah membuat sebuah DNS filtering “ala Indonesia” seperti layaknya OpenDNS.com.
Nawala Project adalah sebuah layanan yang bebas digunakan oleh pengguna internet yang membutuhkan saringan konten negatif. Nawala Project secara spesifik akan memblokir jenis konten negatif yang tidak sesuai dengan peraturan perundangan, nilai dan norma sosial, adat istiadat dan kesusilaan bangsa Indonesia seperti pornografi dan perjudian. Selain itu, Nawala Project juga akan memblokir situs Internet yang mengandung konten berbahaya seperti malware, situs phising (penyesatan) dan sejenisnya.
Harapan dari digagasnya Nawala project ini adalah untuk melindungi pengguna internet, terutama anak-anak yang notabene merupakan generasi penerus bangsa, dari konten-konten yang negatif dan berbahaya. Dengan itu, diharapkan pula nantinya internet akan menjadi tempat yang aman dan nyaman bagi seluruh masyarakat Indonesia.
Produk dari Nawala Project adalah apa yang disebut sebagai Domain Name System Nawala (DNS Nawala). Berikut adalah penjelasan lebih lanjut yang dikutip dari Nawala.org
DNS Nawala adalah salah satu layanan yang diberikan oleh Nawala Project yang membantu pengguna internet menghindari akses ke situs-situs yang mengandung materi pornografi, judi, phising dan malware.Singkatnya, ketika Anda mengakses internet melaui media apa saja (laptop misalnya), akses internet Anda akan diarahkan terlebih dahulu ke sebuah tempat (server nawala) di mana kepada akses tersebut akan diberlakukan filterisasi terhadap semua konten negatif dan berbahaya yang ada di dalam database Nawala sebelum diteruskan ke alamat yang kita tuju.

DNS Nawala akan melakukan filterisasi terhadap semua konten negatif dan berbahaya (terdapat pada alamat domain tertentu) yang sudah dimasukkan ke dalam database oleh Tim Nawala Project. Selain itu, Anda juga dapat berpartisipasi dan membantu kerja dari Tim Nawala Project dengan mengusulkan atau melaporkan alamat domain tertentu untuk dimasukkan ke dalam database blocking list bila memang dianggap berisi konten negatif atau berbahaya. Anda dapat mengusulkan atau melaporkan alamat domain tersebut pada link berikut atau melalui email ke info@nawala.org

Nawala DNS
Prefered : 180.131.144.144
Alternate : 180.131.145.145