Inkscape

There is a really neat alternative to Corel Draw on Ubuntu. Its called Inkscape. I have been using it for quite some time now and have found it to be very useful. If you are into image editing/model creations/vector graphics you must have this application.

Screenshot:

Installation:

Its simple. Go to Ubuntu Software Center, search for Inkscape and install. Thats it!

Install Sun Java for Ubuntu

Ubuntu 10.04, by default, installs the open source version of Java OpenJDK. However many users would want to switch to the standard version of Java from Sun. So, these are the following steps to install Sun Java for Ubuntu:

Go to System>Administration>Software Sources and add the following repository:

deb http://archive.canonical.com/ lucid partner

(If you're unsure about how to add repositories, take a look here for a detailed explanation with screenshots: http://explore-ubuntu.blogspot.com/2010/04/adding-repositories.html)

Finally go to Accessories>Terminal and type the following:

sudo apt-get update

And the following to finish the installation:

sudo apt-get install sun-java6-jre sun-java6-plugin sun-java6-fonts

Opera Browser for Linux

If you arent averse to using closed source softwares on Ubuntu, this is something to try out. Opera for Linux has taken gigantic steps since it was first launched and as of now it really is one of the better browsers out there.

Opera browsers arent open-source although they are free for downloads. Its the interface of the browser which has won it many fans over the years. The speed dial, Opera Turbo, Widgets etc. are all part of browser history now. The Linux version of it, although with a few modifications is more or less similar to its Windows counterpart. The installation is easy and hassle free and hence in my opinion, worth a try.

How to Install:

Go to the Download page and download the installation file. I would suggest using the Debian Package for easy installation.

After the download (in case of the Debian Package), its a matter of double clicking on the file and installing it.

Ubuntu alternatives to Windows Softwares

Lucid Lynx 10.04 has attracted a lot of attention. And frankly, a large number of new users are now part of the Ubuntu fraternity. A hearty welcome to all of the new converts.

This particular post is especially for the new users who might struggle to find the Ubuntu counterparts of Windows softwares. The list is only indicative and not in any way all inclusive, since in the open source field, its virtually impossible to keep a tab on development of every single project out of the billions being currently worked on.

1. Media Player - Totem (installed by default) is pretty awesome and plays nearly all formats especially once the Ubuntu Restricted Extras package has been installed (do go through this post: www.explore-ubuntu.blogspot.com/2009/11/install-restricted-extras-for-ubuntu.html to find out more about how to install this essential package). Of course, if you need to play around a bit more, VLC Media Player, available in the Ubuntu Software Center is a safe bet.

2. Music Application - A dedicated music application is always better than an all inclusive media player. Rhythmbox (installed by default) is definitely my favourite. However if you're on the adventurous side, you might want to try out Amarok, Banshee and Kaffeine.

3. Burning Software - Although Brasero installed by default does a pretty good job and is very easy to use, its a fact that it lacks a lot of features (verification of discs being one of them). My personal recommendation would be K3b (available in the Ubuntu Software Center) which works like magic. It might not be that user-friendly but once you get the hang of it, you will find it very difficult to switch to another burning tool. Another application which is quite good is GNOME-Baker (available in the Ubuntu Software Center).

4. Video Converter - For this there are many options, I prefer to use DeVeDe (available in the Ubuntu Software Center). Other options include Avidemux, Handbrake, WinFF (all available in the Ubuntu Software Center). However when it comes to video conversion I would recommend a trial and error approach.

Do give these softwares a try and let me know what you like best.

BeeSeek

Very often there are seriously awesome projects being undertaken which we know nothing of. BeeSeek is one such gem of a project.

BeeSeek is a project intended to build a free open-source search engine based on peer to peer (P2P) technology.

It intends to create an effective search engine which doesnt compromise on user's privacy. At the moment none of the popular search engines are open source ones, BeeSeek intends to change that by creating a source code which will be accessible to everyone.

The developers are working on the project and the community seeks more of them, web editors, marketing experts etc. As of now there isnt a stable release of BeeSeek. But you can try out their beta search engine : www.beta.beeseek.org

To be frank, such a project deserves attention and all the help it can get.

To know more about BeeSeek and help the BeeSeek community, check out the links below:

Wiki: http://wiki.beeseek.org/
Home Page: http://www.beeseek.org/
Launchpad: https://launchpad.net/beeseek

Ubuntu 10.04 beta1 - a closer look (part 2)

(For Part 1 of post, click on this link: Ubuntu 10.04 beta1 a closer look - part 1)

This discussion is based on Ubuntu 10.04 Desktop Edition (64 bit version). You can download the latest beta releases, instructions here: Lucid Lynx Beta Released

I was so far using Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala). Yesterday I tried to "upgrade" it to Ubuntu 10.04 beta1. I have since then come across lots and lots of obstacles, features, tweaks etc. I will try and discuss as many I can.

First things first, be very careful about upgrading. The upgrading process itself worked fine for me, however problems started when I restarted my PC after the upgrade (the upgrade manager had downloaded around 2GB of data from the Ubuntu servers). The Appearances panel stopped working due to a DBus error and unfortunately the network applet stopped working as well (aka it broke). I was left in the lurch because I couldnt connect to the internet and do an upgrade. And neither could I browse the web for solutions. The only way out was to use the spare live CDs I had (a lesson for all here, dont throw away your live CDs, they can come in very handy sometimes) and search for solutions. I found none across the web. Maybe people werent facing the problems I was facing, maybe they didnt care to post it. Anyway, I didnt find any solutions, thats the point.

So being left with absolutely no other option but to format and do a fresh install, I backed up my data and did that. (Frankly, this time around, I thought the upgrade would work for me, but clearly it was not to be. Its official now, I'm very unlucky when it comes to upgrading. I would also advise anyone running 9.10 to hold his horses. Dont upgrade right now, wait till the final stable release comes out. And even if you want to experience 10.04, try it from the live CD or do a fresh install.) It took a lot of time (backing up all the data and then installing) but I guess it was worth all that. The installation went ahead smoothly and it brought me straight to the Ubuntu 10.04 desktop. Tell you what, the Ambience theme looks better than it does in the pictures. I dont think I'll be changing themes very soon.

Packages:

All the packages in the repositories have been updated and currently more often than not its the latest version. Chromium (the open-source counterpart of Google Chrome) has been added to the repositories now, so you can now directly install it from the Ubuntu Software Center. (However if you want the very latest versions of Chromium you should add its repositories. A complete guide to do that is given here: Install Chromium Browser)



Now this latest version concept is really good when it comes to most softwares but not when it comes to Wine. The latest version of Wine is installed by default which is 1.1.41. However I have always found 1.1.31 to be the best version for playing games etc. Most of the games I have dont run well on the latest version of Wine. I still havent figured out a way to roll back to the previous release as the "Force version" option on synaptic isnt working for Wine. I will post a solution as soon as I find out.
(How do you install Wine? Its pretty easy: How to Install Wine)



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SOLUTION : A temporary solution has been found thanks to Ubuntuforums. You can download the relevant package from Launchpad. The previous 'stable' version of Wine was 1.1.31, you can download the 32 bit version from this page and the 64 bit version from this page. Tip: Remove the installed version of Wine before you install these versions to avoid complications.

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Saddest part? Compiz. Sorry, it just is the saddest part about 10.04. You will have to install Compiz as you usually would from the Ubuntu software center (See here for more info: Getting Compiz to work on Ubuntu). The burn effect isnt available anymore! (Is there an emoticon for crying out loud?)
And the cube isnt really that magnificent anymore. The 'jutting out' effect of windows while rotating the cube is absolutely gone, vanished. A small tip here, if you cant add 4 workspaces from compiz (in order to enable the cube), try right-clicking on the workspace and then Preferences and then select the number of columns as 4. But I hope the compiz developers will figure out a solution soon.

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SOLUTION : If you have this problem where you cant see Compiz Animations Add-on, install this package - compiz-fusion-plugins-extra from the synaptic or from the terminal:

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

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Other than these small glitches, everything works perfectly and I think Canonical has done a great job in aggregating all these softwares. Kudos.

Drivers:

Impressive is an understatement. Ubuntu 10.04 has the very very latest Nvidia drivers now (version 195.x.x) and thats just great. This version works perfectly and installing them is an absolute joy. Simply go to System > Administration > Hardware Drivers and select the recommended drivers. Activate it and it will download and install. Restart you computer and you're done.

Interface:

Stunning is the word. Please stop complaining. The interface is simply breathtaking, every since inch of space has been utilised to perfection. And although I dont quite like the buttons on the left (you can shift it back to the right: Moving buttons), I think I can forgive the developers and designers simply because the rest of the interface is really awesome. IMs, facebook, gmail chats etc. were never easier and this just is so breathtakingly refreshing.

So far so good. I will keep you posted on anything relevant I come across. Ciao!

CD/DVD Burning Software

This is one topic which I should have discussed long back, but hey better late than never.

Okay, so when it comes to CD/DVD burning softwares, there are loads and loads of GNOME softwares out there, most notably, GNOME Baker and Brasero (which is installed by default on Ubuntu). However none of these softwares support verification of burned discs. That for me is a bit of a let down as I prefer to verify my discs after every burning process.

I have also tried quite a few other lesser known apps as well. But none of these softwares could rival the ultimate big daddy of all disc burning apps, Nero. Although Nero is generally considered to be a Windows software, there is actually a Linux counterpart. From what I have gathered, the Linux version is quite functional and useful. However, Nero is a closed source software and its not free. You can download the demo version but as you would expect, the swankier features of Nero Linux are reserved for people who actually buy the full version. (Link to the official Nero Linux site: www.nero.com/enu/linux4.html)

When I converted from Windows to Linux this absence of a proper burning tool for GNOME was a big problem for me. But fortunately, as with everything Linux, there is always a way out.

Are you averse to using KDE softwares on GNOME? Well, if you are I think its time you let go of that apprehension. K3B is a KDE burning tool which is at par with any burning software be it on Windows or Linux. Its free (of course!) and its open source. Hence, you have absolutely no reason not to give it a try. And fortunately, it works perfectly on GNOME. So, if you're using Ubuntu, you can definitely give K3B a go.

The interface isnt that great, but whats great is the innumerable options which you get. You can configure every aspect of the software and yes, it does support that verification of CD/DVDs. In my opinion, if you're on Linux, K3B should be your preferred burning tool.

Here's a screenshot of K3B (Version: 1.68.0)



How to install:

K3B can be installed from the Ubuntu Software Center.

OR

From the terminal you can type : sudo apt-get install k3b

Use K3B and I'm sure you'll have a new sense of respect for KDE softwares.

World Of Goo

Image via Wikipedia

Not a very enticing name for a game dont you think? Anyway, World of Goo is a physics based puzzle / construction game. The millions of Goo Balls who live in the beautiful World of Goo don't know that they are in a game, or that they are extremely delicious.

Although the game can get extremely challenging at times, its surprisingly fresh both in terms of graphics and gameplay. It has a Windows, Mac as well as a Linux (yeah!) version. Mind you though, this is a closed-source game (albeit it uses many open source elements). Also, its not a free game, the full version of the game costs $20. However there's a demo version available on their website which is completely free to download. Hence, you could give it a try before you decide to buy.

Official Site of World of Goo : www.worldofgoo.com
Download links : www.worldofgoo.com/dl2.php?lk=demo

Install Chromium Browser

Chromium browser is the open source counterpart of Google Chrome. Most of the development/features in Chromium end up in Google Chrome. So, if you are uncomfortable with Google's privacy policy or with the use of a closed source software, you should give Chromium a go. It has absolutely the same interface as Google Chrome, hence you need not worry about getting used to it.

Here's a screenshot of Chromium browser:



How to install Chomium :


Go to System > Administration > Software Sources and click on the Other Software. Now click on the Add button and add the following lines ONE BY ONE (copy paste the first line, click on Add Source and then copy paste the second line and then add it):

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/chromium-daily/ppa/ubuntu karmic main

deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/chromium-daily/ppa/ubuntu karmic main

Next, type the following in the Terminal:

sudo apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com 0xfbef0d696de1c72ba5a835fe5a9bf3bb4e5e17b5

Next type the following in the Terminal:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install chromium-browser

Thats it. Chromium browser can be accessed from Applications > Internet > Chromium Browser

Ubuntu becomes stunningly beautiful

Our dear old Ubuntu is undergoing a landmark metamorphosis. The new style of Ubuntu is driven by the theme "Light", which will come into effect from 10.04 onwards.

So how does this new and rejuvenated Ubuntu look? Here's a sample.

The New Ubuntu Logos:





The New Ubuntu Community Logos:







New GtkThemes :






Boot Splash :




Finally, Ubuntu comes out of the 'brown'! Personally, I really like this new concept of a fresh 'light' Ubuntu. Ubuntu has made giant strides in making Linux popular for the masses and having an attractive new look and feel to it can only work wonders for its popularity.

This is what was said in the official wiki:

We've developed a comprehensive set of visual guidelines and treatments that reflect that style, and are updating key assets like the logo accordingly. The new theme takes effect in 10.04 LTS and will define our look and feel for several years. The new Ubuntu mantra is 'Light'.

We're drawn to Light because it denotes both warmth and clarity, and intrigued by the idea that "light" is a good value in software. Good software is "light" in the sense that it uses your resources efficiently, runs quickly, and can easily be reshaped as needed. Ubuntu represents a break with the bloatware of proprietary operating systems and an opportunity to delight to those who use computers for work and play. More and more of our communications are powered by light, and in future, our processing power will depend on our ability to work with light, too.

True indeed. Hats off to the designers of these new logos for a job well done.

Ubuntu single sign on service

Canonical has introduced Ubuntu single sign on service "to provide a single, central login service for all Ubuntu-related sites" (Canonical Blog). In other words you dont have to repeatedly sign in/enter your username password for Ubuntu related sites like Launchpad, Shipit, Ubuntu One, etc.

This is really good news for us users, because well, it makes life easy. Also "Ubuntu single sign on is built on OpenID so, once all the sites we know about have moved over, we will also be opening up the OpenID service to enable you to log in to any site which accepts standard OpenIDs." So thats again very good news.

As stated, it works perfectly with Ubuntu One, Launchpad and Shipit. However this password didnt work for me with Ubuntu Brainstorm. I hope they will add support for this as well in future.

This new service although based on open source technologies (python, django, apache and postgres, etc.) is closed source, which is perfectly fine for me. I wouldnt security stuff to be made open source when the privacy of a large number of users is associated with it.

To login to Ubuntu single sign on service click on this link or copy and paste this to your browser: www.login.ubuntu.com

The entire blog post is available here: Canonical Blog

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• Ubuntu single sign on service launched (canonical.com)

Ubuntu + Yahoo...what next?

Canonical, the company which runs Ubuntu has entered into a revenue sharing deal with Yahoo! As per terms of the deal, the default search engine for Firefox in Ubuntu 10.04/Lucid Lynx will be Yahoo! (Official confirmation of this deal can be found here by Rick Spencer, Ubuntu Desktop Team manager at Canonical.

I will repeat here what I have already expressed on Ubuntu forums.

I had been a Windows user for many years. My first introduction to computers was with Windows. However I switched OSes just to be part of the ‘community driven’ open source projects. I switched mainly because with Ubuntu I knew my thoughts, my opinions would be given its due importance. Whenever a new release of Ubuntu comes out, I feel good, coz I know that I have contributed (even though to a tiny tiny tiny extent to the development of the OS).

Without a doubt, Ubuntu wouldnt be what it is today without the support of Canonical. In the same way without the support of the community/developers (most of whom I believe are not Canonical employees) I dont think Ubuntu could have been this popular/awesome an OS.

I think all of us agree on the fact that Google is the best (okay if not the best, undoubtedly the most popular) search engine out there. And now, canonical, knowingly is asking us to use Yahoo! as the default search engine. I know that I can change the option with just 2 clicks but frankly speaking Canonical expects us to use Yahoo! (that is exactly the reason why they have entered into the deal) knowing that they are asking or lets say expecting users to use an inferior (or a less popular) search engine by default (after all, they wont be able to earn any money if a user didnt use yahoo). Frankly, I am a bit uncomfy with that. Just to make my point clear, I am not at all worried with the 2 clicks change. (it takes many many more clicks for me to even get Ubuntu working, for me that is, when i install it afresh. codecs, other softwares I prefer etc etc.) what i am worried about is the fact that now, Ubuntu ‘expects’ us to use a particular search engine for Firefox. In other words, Ubuntu, lets say Canonical, (coz clearly it seems as though Ubuntu NOW is more of a product of all the hard work of canonical than of the community) is expecting us to use the OS in a certain way. Forgive me if u think this is silly, but isnt this asking users to use the OS in a particular way the domain of Microsoft and Apple?

About consulting the community, I think (or so I thought, seems that i was mistaken) Ubuntu is a community driven OS backed by a company called Canonical. Now we definitely dont have the right to interfere with the functioning of the company, (eg. we dont have any say if Mark Shuttleworth steps down as the CEO of Canonical and appoints someone else, which he did or if Canonical ties up with some other company for better distribution of Ubuntu) but we, as users of an open-source operating system, do have a right to discuss and debate about the development of Ubuntu.

I thoroughly and absolutely appreciate what Mark Shuttleworth and Canonical have done for Ubuntu. As i always say, Ubuntu would never have been what it is today without their help. But certainly that doesnt mean, that Canonical can enter into a deal with another corporate giant relating to the functioning of the OS (the browser in this case) without consulting or at least having the courtesy to inform the community (which has so strongly supported it so far in all its endeavours) beforehand. I feel hurt that way.

Going mainstream doesnt mean giving up on values but retaining them and striving to maintain them. i am willing to put up a Pepsi/Coca Cola wallpaper on my desktop if that brings canonical money, since apparently Canonical is SO desperate for financial support.

I hope and I pray, Ubuntu doesnt lose its values, and the support of its community, something which made it stand out in the first place.

Sorry, if you think I got a bit emotional with all of this, but Ubuntu is something I feel strongly about.

UPDATE : Ubuntu 10.04 will have Google as its default search engine. This has been confirmed by Rick Spencer (Official confirmation)

Linux Mint

So there's this new kid on the block, its called Linux Mint. It uses the same software repositories as Ubuntu but is apparently far more community driven than it. So you might see ideas transforming into actual results within a substantially short span of time.

As with all Linux distros its free for download, however you can also buy the DVD/CD. The download link for Linux Mint is here.

I will post a more detailed review of it soon. Stay tuned!

Goodbye GIMP

Image via Wikipedia

Yes, weird as it might sound, Ubuntu 10.04 (Lucid Lynx) might not have GIMP, the awesome image editing software, on its Release CD. For many of us GIMP is the open-source answer to Adobe Photoshop. As expected this has had mixed responses from various Ubuntu users.

Many feel this will help Ubuntu come out of its "nerdy" image and proclaim itself as a more user friendly OS. They feel F-Spot (another image editing software which is also on Ubuntu 9.10, but is very light weight and much easier to use for basic image editing tasks) is more than enough to satisfy the needs of most.

Then there's the other group which feels that GIMP is integral to Ubuntu's success and removing it from the CD edition will do nothing in popularising the OS.

I have mixed feelings about this. GIMP is without a doubt one of my favourite softwares on Ubuntu. And to be frank, if you're into at least into a little bit of blogging or image editing, it is an absolutely essential piece of software. But again, its not that GIMP wont be available to users, its just that one has to download it from the repositories. And on the positive side of it, Ubuntu is indeed going mainstream with the CD now having some of the most user-friendly softwares. (Lets face it, GIMP really isnt for beginners, is it?)

Well everything has its pros and cons. Lets see how things turn out! :)

Wikipedia: GIMP

Official Website of GIMP

Install Kubuntu alongwith Ubuntu

Here's a bit of a suggestion for those who have Ubuntu installed and want to try out KDE and dont want to format their hard drives or run it from the Live CD.

First up go to Synaptic. How do you do that? System>Administration>Synaptic Package Manager

In the synaptic package manager search bar, type "kubuntu-desktop" and the following search results will be produced:

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So, click on the first result, i.e. kubuntu-desktop and mark it for installation. Once you mark it, it'll show you the names of dependent packages which need to be installed but click on the option "Mark":

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After that its pretty much simple. Restart your Ubuntu (recommended) or simply log out.

In the next login screen you'll see the following at the bottom:
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Click on the menu where its written "GNOME" and from the drop down menu select "KDE". Next log in with your username and password just as you would with Ubuntu. (By the way, this step requires that you disable auto login. To do that, go to System>Administration>Login Screen and then click "unlock". Enter your keyring password and select the first option "Show the screen for choosing who will log in") Mind you can always log in to your default Ubuntu by selecting GNOME from the login screen and then logging in with your username and password.

Thats it, you'll be taken to the really cool looking Kubuntu KDE interface!

However if you dont like the Kubuntu installation and want to remove it, here's a really cool trick.
Just open your terminal and copy paste the following (yeah, thats the command, no kidding!) :


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sudo apt-get remove akonadi-server akregator amarok amarok-common amarok-utils apport-kde apturl-kde ark cdrdao dolphin dragonplayer exiv2 foomatic-db-gutenprint gdebi-kde gnupg-agent gtk2-engines-qtcurve gwenview hpijs-ppds ibus-qt4 ijsgutenprint imagemagick install-package jockey-kde k3b k3b-data kaddressbook kamera kate kcm-gtk kde-icons-oxygen kde-style-qtcurve kde-window-manager kde-zeroconf kdebase-bin kdebase-data kdebase-plasma kdebase-runtime kdebase-runtime-bin-kde4 kdebase-runtime-data kdebase-runtime-data-common kdebase-workspace-bin kdebase-workspace-data kdebase-workspace-kgreet-plugins kdebase-workspace-libs4+5 kdebluetooth kdegraphics-strigi-plugins kdelibs-bin kdelibs5 kdelibs5-data kdemultimedia-kio-plugins kdepasswd kdepim-groupware kdepim-kresources kdepim-runtime kdepim-runtime-data kdepim-runtime-libs4 kdepim-strigi-plugins kdepim-wizards kdepimlibs-data kdepimlibs5 kdesudo kdm kfind khelpcenter4 kipi-plugins klipper kmag kmail kmix kmousetool knotes konq-plugins konq-plugins-l10n konqueror konqueror-nsplugins konqueror-plugin-searchbar konqueror-plugins konsole kontact kopete korganizer kpackagekit kppp krdc krfb ksnapshot ksysguard ksysguardd ksystemlog ktimetracker ktorrent ktorrent-data kubuntu-artwork-usplash kubuntu-default-settings kubuntu-desktop kubuntu-docs kubuntu-firefox-installer kubuntu-konqueror-shortcuts kvkbd kwalletmanager kwin-style-qtcurve language-selector-qt libakonadiprivate1 libao2 libaudio2 libboost-program-options1.38.0 libclucene0ldbl libepub0 libexiv2-5 libfftw3-3 libflac++6 libindicate-qt0 libjpeg-progs libk3b6 libkabcommon4 libkcddb4 libkdcraw7 libkdecorations4 libkdepim4 libkexiv2-7 libkipi6 libkleo4 libknotificationitem1 libkonq5 libkonq5-templates libkonqsidebarplugin4 libkontactinterfaces4 libkopete4 libkorundum4-ruby1.8 libkpgp4 libksane0 libksieve4 libkwineffects1 liblancelot0 liblastfm0 liblzma0 libmimelib4 libmodplug0c2 libmpcdec3 libmsn0.1 libokularcore1 libotr2 libpackagekit-glib11 libpackagekit-qt11 libplasma3 libpolkit-dbus2 libpolkit-grant2 libpolkit-qt0 libpolkit2 libpoppler-qt4-3 libqca2 libqca2-plugin-ossl libqimageblitz4 libqscintilla2-5 libqt4-assistant libqt4-dbus libqt4-designer libqt4-help libqt4-network libqt4-opengl libqt4-phonon libqt4-qt3support libqt4-ruby1.8 libqt4-script libqt4-scripttools libqt4-sql libqt4-sql-mysql libqt4-sql-sqlite libqt4-svg libqt4-test libqt4-webkit libqt4-xml libqt4-xmlpatterns libqtcore4 libqtgui4 libqtscript4-core libqtscript4-gui libqtscript4-network libqtscript4-sql libqtscript4-uitools libqtscript4-xml libruby1.8 libscim8c2a libsmokekde4-2 libsmokeqt4-2 libsoprano4 libstreamanalyzer0 libstreams0 libstrigiqtdbusclient0 libtag-extras1 libtidy-0.99-0 libvncserver0 libxcb-shape0 libxcb-shm0 libxcb-xv0 libxine1 libxine1-bin libxine1-console libxine1-misc-plugins libxine1-x libzip1 mysql-server-core-5.1 okular okular-extra-backends openoffice.org-kde openoffice.org-style-oxygen oxygen-cursor-theme packagekit packagekit-backend-apt phonon-backend-xine pinentry-gtk2 pinentry-qt4 plasma-dataengines-addons plasma-dataengines-workspace plasma-scriptengine-python plasma-widget-facebook plasma-widget-folderview plasma-widget-googlecalendar plasma-widget-indicatordisplay plasma-widget-kimpanel plasma-widget-kubuntu-qa-feedback plasma-widget-lancelot plasma-widget-networkmanagement plasma-widget-quickaccess plasma-widgets-addons plasma-widgets-workspace policykit printer-applet python-kde4 python-packagekit python-qt4 python-qt4-dbus python-sip4 quassel quassel-data ruby ruby1.8 software-properties-kde soprano-daemon speedcrunch system-config-printer-kde systemsettings ttf-arphic-uming ttf-dejavu ttf-dejavu-extra update-manager-kde update-notifier-kde usb-creator-kde userconfig && sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

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(Reference: http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/puregnome)

And hit enter. Enter your administrator/sudo password and all the KDE dependent apps will be uninstalled and you will be returned to your native Ubuntu installation. Hope this helps.

Desktube...YouTube on your desktop

How many times have you wished there was a youtube app for the desktop? Well, from the looks of it, this has been the demand of users for a very long time. Only now has it been realised in the form of Desktube. Mind you, its not open source. However the development team behind this Adobe AIR app is quite active and even take the pains to send you personalised emails if you report a bug.

Its quite revolutionary in the sense that there's absolutely no other software which can do what it does, i.e help you watch youtube videos on a desktop app. Now I hope other companies spot the potential here and jump on this highly lucrative boat.

Anyway, the thing is this is quite a useful app, has loads of customisation options, lets you comment, add videos to your playlist etc. And the best part is that it even has twitter and facebook integration, so basically, in the long run and with some development, it could turn out to be a twitter and facebook client as well as a youtube viewer. Sounds good?

Well what are you waiting for? Give it a try.

Here's the link: Desktube

Comix

We all have that little child in us dont we? Anyway, the thing is I was searching for a good software for Ubuntu which could help me read comics. Most of the comic books available are in the .pdf format which means one has to use Adobe Reader to read. Now that isnt exactly an ideal proposition to be frank, not because Adobe Reader is not an open source software (oh well maybe that is a reason) but because Adobe Reader is kinda boring! No cool tweaks, no ease of use (I'll explain it later) etc etc. So I was kind of frustrated with it and wanted a dedicated comic book reader. The search wasnt easy. I had to climb to the highest of peaks and to the deepest of canyons to find....Comix!

Undoubtedly this is the most popular and the best comic reader available on Ubuntu. It has some really cool options like the fit width view, manga view and double page view as well as enhancement options which lets you have total control over the brightness, contrast, colour tone etc. And its super fast. It has this cool feature called bookmark which is pretty much what it sounds. And best of all, its open source! Wanna try it out?

Installation instructions

There are loads of download instructions given on the official page, but here's the easiest way of installing it. Its available in the software repositories in Ubuntu, so all you need to do is type the following after launching the terminal:

$ sudo apt-get install comix

and it! You'll find it in the Graphics section of the Ubuntu applications menu.

Comix home page

Screenshots of Comix

Ubuntu video conversion software

I have tried loads of video conversion softwares for Ubuntu and frankly speaking have been disappointed by most of them. The few which exists are in no way "bug free". However the other day I stumbled upon devede. It has a really cool user friendly interface and the video conversion process is super sleek and quite fast. And it can virtually convert anything to anything! It reminds me of ConvertX for Windows.

At last Ubuntu has found a real contender for the post of video conversion software.