Extra Suggestions for 10.04

Here are some extra suggestions for 10.04.

1. Adobe AIR - Yes, its closed-source, but frankly if you leave aside Gwibber (which never worked for me), Ubuntu has no other way of integrating facebook and twitter into a single app. Tweetdeck is your only option.

For that you will have to install Adobe AIR (detailed instructions have been given here: http://explore-ubuntu.blogspot.com/2009/12/adobe-air-64-bit-installation-guide.html), next go to the Tweetdeck site and download the .air file and simply double click and install.

You might also want to try Seesmic desktop, another useful Adobe AIR app.

Links: Tweetdeck (http://www.tweetdeck.com), Seesmic (http://seesmic.com)

2. Compiz Plugins - Remember the much loved Burn effect of Compiz? Well it seems like in this edition Compiz will need a little more work to run properly, so type the following in the Terminal:

sudo apt-get install compiz-fusion-plugins-extra

This will install the Burn effect (Compiz fusion extra plugins). All you now need to do is go the Compiz Config Manager and enable Animation add ons andthen select your preferred animation from the Animations tab.

3. Remove Adobe AIR apps - Removing Adobe AIR apps is quite easy. You dont need to have the .air file with you anymore you can remove the app from the Ubuntu Software Center just as you would with any Ubuntu app.

4. Chromium - Chromium is the open source twist to Google Chrome. The default version of Chromium in 10.04 was something I didnt really like. So I installed the repository of Chromium. How do you do that? Simple. Go to System > Administration > Software Sources. Now go to the Other Software tab and simply Add the following line:

ppa:chromium-daily/ppa

Thats it. You will get the latest version of Chromium delivered right to your desktop.

So much for now, stay tuned for more tips and tricks.

Add random colours to burn effect of Compiz

The default burn effect of Compiz can get a bit boring after sometime. So, here's something to 'lighten' things up.

First up, go to GNOME Menu > System > Preferences > Compiz Config Settings Manager

You will now have to go to the Animations Add-on option:



Next, select the Random Colored Fire option:



Thats it! Now close the window and watch the magic unfold!

If you havent activated Compiz or configured it, please go through this post.

Transparency (contd.)

This is actually a continuation of the Transparency post (already covered in another post) which can be found here.

The type of transparency which I'm going to mention today will change the transparency of the panels without changing the transparency of the docks (which you might be using). So basically this is transparency in the truest sense.

First up you need Compiz installed. For that check out this post.

Open Compiz (GNOME Menu > Preferences >CompizConfig Settings Manager). This is what you’ll see:



Now do you notice that small tab which says “Opacity, Brightness and Saturation”? Click on that tab and it will open with this:



Notice carefully, you can see a “New” button on this window under ‘Window specific settings’. This image will help you out:



After you click on “New”, type the following exactly as is:

(class=Gnome-panel) & !(type=Menu | PopupMenu | Dialog | DropdownMenu)

Set the value to around 70, I have found best results with 67. But do check which value suits you best.

Next if you want to change the transparency of the windows, this is how you do it:

First up, install Ubuntu Tweak. If you havent installed it already, the guide for the installation is here.

Now coming to the panel window transparency. Open Ubuntu Tweak from GNOME Menu > System Tools > Ubuntu Tweak. Go to the Desktop >Windows option and select the settings as given here (change the values to suit your needs):



I have set active and inactive windows transparency to 1.00 and 0.75 respectively. Try it out and check what suits you best.

Thats it! This will give you transparency in the truest sense.

Transparency

This is perhaps one of the most important aspects of the 'look' of Ubuntu and its panels. And especially since Windows 7 has taken transparency to a whole new level now! :P What if you could make the GNOME panels and the title bars of the windows transparent?

I'm not exactly sure if there's any comprehensive tutorial on transparency yet. That way, you are in luck!

First things first, you'll need Compiz and Ubuntu Tweak to do this. If you have been following my blog, you might have come across the two guided tutorials on the installation of both of them. If, however, you have missed those posts, here's a link to those tutorials (do go through both the posts as you'll need both the softwares installed):

Click here for a complete guide to Compiz installation and setup
and,
Click here for a complete guide to Ubuntu Tweak installation and setup

So, this is how you make your GNOME panel transparent:

Open Compiz (GNOME Menu > Preferences >CompizConfig Settings Manager). This is what you'll see:



Now do you notice that small tab which says "Opacity, Brightness and Saturation"? Click on that tab and it will open with this:



Notice carefully, you can see a "New" button on this window under 'Window specific settings'. This image will help you out:



After you click on "New", type the following exactly as is:

type=dock

and set the Window Value to 70 (change this to suit your needs). This pic will make the scenario clear:



Now coming to the panel window transparency. Open Ubuntu Tweak from GNOME Menu > System Tools > Ubuntu Tweak. Go to the Desktop >Windows option and select the settings as given here (change the values to suit your needs):



Thats it! Say hello to transparency! :)

(For another take on a different type of transparency check out another post on this blog here)

Getting Compiz to work on Ubuntu

The following has been tested on Ubuntu 9.10

Lets face it without compiz, ubuntu aint no fun! :)

If configured properly, compiz can work wonders for you, and basically make ubuntu a more enjoyable experience graphically.

How to install compiz:

This is very simple. Click on the GNOME menu and go to "Ubuntu Software Center". The type the words "Compiz" in the search bar and install the "Advanced Desktop Effects Settings" package.

Next follow the instructions and install the compiz package. After the installation, preferably restart your computer.

When you've rebooted, this is how you configure Compiz:

Go to System > Preferences >Compiz config settings manager

A window will open up with loads of options and these are the ones you need to select:

Desktop Cube, Rotate Cube, 3D Windows, Cube reflection and deformation, Animations add on, Wobbly windows

Your compiz selections should look like this:

Also, make sure you go to General Options and increase you horizontal virtual desktop size to 4. Like so:

Now to add the "Burn" effect while closing windows, do the following:
Open the Compiz settings manager and click on the Animations tab. Now select the "Close Animation" tab and select "Burn" from the options. Usually "Zoom" is selected by default.

Thats about it! Now if you want to rotate the cube, just press the Ctrl and Alt keys together from your keyboard and move your mouse with the left click button (simultaneously). Enjoy!

Explore Ubuntu Top Tip: If you dont see any changes even after checking all the options as mentioned above, simply restart your computer.