Shutter - Screenshot Tool

The default Ubuntu screenshot software isnt really something spectacular. Also, it really doesnt have many options. For example, if you want the screenshot of just a window and not of the entire desktop, you'd be pretty much stuck if you were using the default screenshot app, as you would have to use some image editing software like GIMP to modify the screenshot to suit your needs.

No more... Say hello to Shutter! The perfect screenshot tool. Lets you take screenshots of windows, notifications (and even panels!). Has loads of options and is really useful.

This is how you install it:

Go to Ubuntu Software Center from your GNOME menu and search for 'Shutter', follow the links and install it! Like so:



Alternate method for users who prefer to use the terminal:

Type the following in the terminal:

sudo apt-get install shutter

And after the installation, you'll find Shutter installed in the 'Accessories' section of the GNOME menu.

Screenshots taken by Shutter can be found here.

Thats it! :)

Install WINE

Wine (Microsoft Windows Compatibility layer) is one of the most loved softwares on Ubuntu. What it does is allows you to run Windows files on Ubuntu. Say you want to play a game which doesnt have a Linux counterpart, or say a software whose windows versions are popular, what do you do? Simple, install Wine and play the game exactly as you would on Windows!

So how do you install Wine? Well thankfully its in the Ubuntu repositories.

First up go to Ubuntu Software Center and type "Wine", you'll get the following search results:



Next select the Wine beta option (its better to select beta since it has loads of bug fixes compared to the stable version, ironically! :) ) as shown in the previous pic and install it:



Thats it! Now whenever you come across a .exe file or any Windows supported file, just right click on it and select the option to open the file with Wine. It will then run exactly as it would on Windows.

Extra Tips:

Here's some really useful info. Wine actually modifies your Firefox tahoma font and unfortunately that will make all your firefox fonts look really really weird! Eg. bold fonts would look like regular fonts etc. There's a way to undo the damage without affecting Wine at all. What you need to do is go to System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager. From there, search "ttf-tahoma-replacement" in the search bar. It will obviously be installed on your system (considering you've already installed Wine).

So what you do is basically select the package and mark for complete removal of it (just the "ttf-tahoma-replacement" package, nothing else). Click on "Apply" to remove the pack.



And once you have removed the font pack, your synaptic should look like this once you search for "ttf-tahoma-replacement" again in the search bar (the pack should be deactivated/unselected):



I had to figure this thing out by myself. I havent found any other tutorial which explains this Firefox font problem solution.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed finding it out!

Install Ubuntu

This the tutorial for the installation perhaps the most user-friendly Linux OS in history, Ubuntu!

To get Ubuntu click here. Download the .iso file, and burn it to a CD/DVD.

One more thing, the installation instructions here are for Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala release), currently the latest version.

Step 1: BIOS Changes - Make sure your first boot device is set to your CD/DVD ROM. Save your settings and exit BIOS.

Step 2: When you boot, this is the first screen you will get:



Step 3: Select your language and then select the "Install Ubuntu" option and press enter.



The images below are in sequence of the screens you will see. You will enter your details as per your preference and click on "Forward" after that.



Select your language and click "Forward" (image below).




Ubuntu will now configure the installation. (Nothing for you do here)



You will have to select your region here (basically where you're from) and click "Forward". Image given below:



Select your keyboard layout (best keep it to the default one as shown here if you're not sure).



If you want to install Ubuntu on your hard drive as the only OS, then click on the first option "Erase and use the entire disk" as shown here. (If you want to set partitions, click on the "Specify Partitions Manually (advanced)"and set your partition size and specification) Its better to select the first option as shown here if you're not sure.



Enter your name and username, password etc. If you dont want Ubuntu to ask you for passwords everytime you boot, select the "Log in automatically"



Click on Install. And wait... (as some weirdos say "Patience is a virtue" :P)



The installation progress bar, will stay on your screen for 10-15 mins. Patience is a virtue, remember? :)



After the installation is over/the bar reaches 100%, you will get this image on your screen. Click on "Restart Now":



As directed simply remove the CD from the tray and press Enter.



Ubuntu will now restart and you will see the following screens:



And the really cool "Loading" bar (technically called the "Usplash screen")



And then finally you get the Ubuntu desktop:



Thats it! Congrats on your new Ubuntu! :)

Install Kubuntu

Many prefer Kubuntu to Ubuntu because of the stunning interface.

This is perhaps the most user-friendly tutorial on how to install Kubuntu afresh on your PC. To get Kubuntu, click here (as with all Cannonical releases, its totally free!) and burn the downloaded .iso file to a CD (you could also burn it to a DVD).

One more thing, the installation instructions here are for Kubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala release), currently the latest version.

Step 1: BIOS Changes - Make sure your first boot device is set to your CD/DVD ROM. Save your settings and exit BIOS.

Step 2: When you boot, this is the first screen you will get:



Step 3: Select your language and then select the "Install Kubuntu" option and press enter.



Step 4: The following images are in sequence. You will have to enter your details as per your preferences.





Select your region:



Select your keyboard layout (best keep it to the default one as shown here if you're not sure).



If you want to install Kubuntu on your hard drive as the only OS, then click on the first option "Erase and use the entire disk" as shown here. (If you want to set partitions, click on the specify partitions and set your partition size and specification) Its better to select the first option as shown here if you're not sure.



Enter your name and username, password etc. If you dont want Kubuntu to ask you for passwords everytime you boot, select the "Log in automatically"



Click on Install and get your cup of coffee coz its gonna take quite some time! :)



The installation bar which you will have to tolerate for around 10-15 mins. Did you get that coffee?



After the installation is over/the bar reaches 100%, you will get this image on your screen. As directed simply remove the CD from the tray and press Enter.



Kubuntu will now reboot and greet you with its amazing interface!



Thats it!

Offline Blog Editor for Ubuntu

This is why I like Ubuntu, there's an app for almost everything! :)

Okay, so if you have a blog like I do, and you have limited bandwidth or if you just dont want to use your wordpress editor, there's a really cool Blog app called BloGTK Weblog Client (there are others such as Lekhonee etc. but none are as good as this one). This app allows you to post your blogs directly from your desktop.

To download it, go to Ubuntu Software Center and search for BloGTK Weblog Client.

Or if you want to use the terminal you can install BloGTK by typing the following command:

sudo apt-get install blogtk

You'll be asked for your password and the software will be installed.

Now coming to the configuring part. BloGTK is intalled in the Internet tab of your GNOME menu. Start the application. It looks like this:



In the BloGTK application click on the "Edit" menu and then on "Accounts and Settings". Now you'll get a window similar to the pic given below:



As you can see you need to set the options as the following:

Server URL: http://www.name of your blog.wordpress.com/xmlrpc.php
(This is of course for Wordpress, if you're using Blogger, your Server Address should be: http://www.blogger.com/api/RPC2)

Blogging System: Movable Type
(If you're using Blogger, your Blogging System should obviously be "Blogger"!)

Enter your username and password and leave all other settings untouched. Now when you're done open the "File" menu and click on the "Connect" option.

Thats it. Now write your post and and post it on your blog. Pretty simple eh? :)

Ubuntu Tweak

Want to use Chromium, Opera and the latest beta softwares on Ubuntu? That can be a problem coz the Ubuntu repositories generally dont have the latest softwares, as new releases are tested by Ubuntu developers before adding them to repos.

Enter Ubuntu Tweak, a nifty and smart software which helps you install nearly all popular softwares not in the Ubuntu Repository.

To install Ubuntu tweak, you need to select your Ubuntu version and type of processor. Download the package thats suitable for you from here.

Save it on your hard drive and double click on the downloaded file. Click on the install option and wait for it to get completed.

Ubuntu Tweak can be found in the System Tools under the GNOME Application menu.
When the program loads, click on the Applications tab (of Ubuntu Tweak) and the on the Third Party Sources. Then click on the "unlock" button to unlock the programs (you might have to enter your password here). The pic elaborates it:

Finally select the software you want from the list and then tick the selection option. You need to click on "Refresh" to activate the software.

The following pic elaborates it (example has been given with Banshee Stable Version):

Thats it. Enjoy!