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.

Ubuntu 10.04 ... afterthoughts

For a change this isnt a tutorial of some sort. This is what I think about Ubuntu 10.04.

So, after a long wait, 10.04 released yesterday. Great news for all Ubuntu users this, because frankly this is the best Ubuntu release as yet. Not only did it trend on twitter, it trended more than Steve Jobs! :P

Anyway, the thing is, this is a giant leap for Linux. Ubuntu has now entered a territory where its become a really user friendly OS, not to mention the fact that, its dispelling a myth about Linux distros, the myth that all Linux distros are about geeks and nerds. Some might find this not a pleasing trend, but frankly, this can only mean bigger and better things. To be honest, I dont see Linux becoming a common man's OS unless it manages to draw the required attention. Making Ubuntu (since its already the most popular Linux distro) reach the forefront is just the first step in achieving that titanic feat.

So what has changed in 10.04? Well for starters its a lot more user-friendly. Its more social networking friendly, with custom applets etc. It supports a greater number of hardware and provides updates and support for a greater number of apps. Its definitely faster, although how-fast would depend on the user. But in short, its definitely faster than 9.10 (the previous release). The interface has changed completely and in my opinion, its gotten really slick! After the 9.10 release, there was a general outcry among users to stablise the next release. That has been done and more!

Before I conclude I would like to mention a few things. There were a few changes made earlier (changing of default search engine from Google to Yahoo! which has been 'undone' now, and the moving buttons to the left fiasco) which made me question Ubuntu's originality. Especially since Ubuntu is increasingly resembling the OSX. I hope my doubts are found to be untrue in the future. Ubuntu should progress and become popular but it should have its own identity as well.

Its the big day

Its indeed the big day. Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx LTS will be released today amidst much fanfare and hype. I am a self confessed Ubuntu fan and like everyone else, I'm very excited about this release. 10.04 marks a paradigm change for Ubuntu as a brand as well as for the user interface of this most popular Linux OS. Although some of the changes havent been welcome, the positives have far overridden them.

Okay, now for some real insight. Frankly speaking 9.10 was very buggy when it came out. And some of the bugs even persist to this day. I hope Ubuntu 10.04 doesnt tread that path and consolidates Ubuntu's name as a stable user friendly OS. A lot has already been said about the release hence it would be boring for you, the reader, to go through all that if I were to repeat those.

Finally, these are instructions about the download:

How to Download:

Go to www.ubuntu.com and download the appropriate file. It will be a .iso file. Then burn it to a CD.

How to Install:

A detailed step by step pictorial (with screenshots) illustration of the entire installation procedure has been provided in the following link:

http://explore-ubuntu.blogspot.com/2010/03/ubuntu-1004-beta1-closer-look.html

getlibs

getlibs is a program which will help you install 32 bit and 64 bit applications on 64 bit OS as well as 32 bit applications on 32 bit OS.

Its practically a lifesaver of a project. Somehow I never managed to install imageshack uploader (Linux version) on my Ubuntu 9.10 64 bit (which works fine on a 32 bit OS). But now, thanks to getlibs, I have managed to install it.

How to install:

To install getlibs download the following file: http://frozenfox.freehostia.com/cappy/getlibs-all.deb

Then simply install it.

How to use:

• Use getlibs to install a 32-bit library using the library name:

Code:

getlibs -l libogg.so.0 libSDL-1.2.so.0

• Use getlibs to install a 32-bit library using the package name:

Code:

getlibs -p libqt4-core libqt4-gui

• Install a 32-bit library file (.deb):

Code:

getlibs -i ~/i386_library_1.deb

• Download and install a 32-bit library file (.deb):

Code:

getlibs -w http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/main/s/sdl-image1.2/libsdl-image1.2_1.2.5-3_i386.deb

For more information take a look at this thread on Ubuntuforums: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=474790

Terminator

There are times when one needs to open multiple Terminal windows to avoid complications and thats when one wishes there were a software to help one out. Terminator is a application which allows you to arrange and add multiple terminals in a single terminal window. Its unbelievably useful and honestly, in my opinion, this is one software you should try out.

Take a look at this screenshot. This is a Terminator window which has been split horizontally and vertically in order to enable multiple tasks separately in a single terminal window under different tabs:

The process of splitting windows is as simple as right clicking and then selecting horizontal or vertical split:

How to install:

Terminator is available in the Ubuntu Software Center and you can install it from there.

Alternate method:

If you want to stay updated to the very latest version of Terminator, you need to add its repository. Go to Accessories > Terminal and type the following:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gnome-terminator

Next type the following in the Terminal:

sudo apt-get update

And finally, type the following in the Terminal:

sudo apt-get install terminator

Install Bisigi themes

The themes of the Bisigi project are generally rated as some of the best Ubuntu themes available. There are quite a few themes from the project available for installation.

To install these themes, you need to add the following repositories.

First up type the following in the Terminal (Accessories > Terminal) :

gpg --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:11371 --recv-key 881574DE && gpg -a --export 881574DE | sudo apt-key add -

Now type the following in the Terminal :

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

In the window which opens, add the following lines:

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

Now save the file and type the following in the Terminal:

sudo aptitude update
sudo aptitude install bisigi-themes

Thats it. After the installation process go to the Appearance option (System > Preferences > Appearance) and check out the new themes. The following themes will be installed - AquaDreams, Ubuntu Sunrise, Bamboo-Zen, Step into Freedom, Tropical, Exotic, Balanzan, Wild Shine, Infinity, Showtime, Orange, Ellanna, AirLines.

Lucid Lynx 10.04 beta2 released

Beta 2 of the new Ubuntu Lucid Lynx 10.04 is now available for testing and download. Its a beta release and may contain bugs.

How to download:

Upgrading (if you already have Ubuntu installed)

If you want to upgrade from your current installation to Ubuntu 9.10 beta1, press Alt+F2 and type the following:

update-manager -d

Update Manager will show you the following: New distribution release ‘10.04′ is available. Click Upgrade and follow the on-screen instructions.


Downloading (if you want a fresh install or want to use the beta release as a Live CD) :

Copy paste the link of your choice, based on your location, on your browser to download.

Africa:

* http://ubuntu.saix.net/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (South Africa)

Asia:

* http://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/Linux/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (Japan)
* http://ubuntu.qualitynet.net/releases/10.04 (Kuwait)
* http://releases.ubuntu.mnosi.org/10.04 (Mongolia)
* http://mirror.yandex.ru/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (Russian Federation)
* http://tw.releases.ubuntu.com/10.04 (Taiwan)

Europe:

* http://ubuntu.ipacct.com/releases/10.04 (Bulgaria)
* http://ftp.sh.cvut.cz/MIRRORS/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (Czech Republic)
* http://ubuntu.trumpetti.atm.tut.fi/releases/10.04 (Finland)
* http://ubuntu.univ-nantes.fr/ubuntu-cd/10.04 (France)
* http://ubuntu.mirror.tudos.de/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (Germany)
* http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/releases.ubuntu.com/10.04 (Great Britain)
* http://speglar.simnet.is/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (Iceland)
* http://ftp.heanet.ie/pub/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (Ireland)
* http://nl.releases.ubuntu.com/releases/10.04 (Netherlands)
* http://no.releases.ubuntu.com/10.04 (Norway)
* http://ftp.wcss.pl/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (Poland)
* http://cesium.di.uminho.pt/pub/ubuntu/10.04 (Portugal)
* http://ubuntu.cica.es/releases/10.04 (Spain)
* http://se.releases.ubuntu.com/10.04 (Sweden)
* http://mirror.switch.ch/ftp/mirror/ubuntu-cdimage/10.04 (Switzerland)

North America:

* http://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (Canada)
* http://mirrors.ipinfodb.com/ubuntu/releases/10.04 (Canada)
* http://ubuntu-cd.mirror.iweb.ca/10.04 (Canada)
* http://mirrors.gigenet.com/ubuntu/10.04 (United States)
* http://mirrors.login.com/ubuntu-iso/10.04 (United States)
* http://ubuntu.media.mit.edu/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (United States)
* http://ubuntu.mirrors.tds.net/pub/releases/10.04 (United States)
* http://www.gtlib.gatech.edu/pub/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (United States)

Oceania/Australia:

* http://ftp.citylink.co.nz/ubuntu-releases/10.04 (New Zealand)

South America:

* http://ubuntu-cd.innova-red.net/10.04 (Argentina)
* http://ubuntu.c3sl.ufpr.br/releases/10.04 (Brazil)

Rest of the world:

*http://releases.ubuntu.com/10.04 (Great Britain)

Sysinfo

Sysinfo is a small light-weight software which will give you information about the hardware as well as the OS installed on your PC. Its a very useful tool if you're not sure about the exact configuration of your computer.



How to install:

Go to Ubuntu Software Center and search for Sysinfo. Simply install it from there.

OR

Go to the Terminal and type:

sudo apt-get install sysinfo

'Real-time' earth wallpaper

These are steps to install a 'real-time earth wallpaper which looks like this:



As you can see, this really cool wallpaper will show you the entire map of the world alongwith real-time (yes! real time!) data on which parts of the planet are having sunlight/daylight etc.

I'm currently using it, and personally this is one of my fav wallpapers. I would suggest you to give this a try.

How to install:


Download the file from here: http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1115768/changer.sh

Next, right click on the file which you have just downloaded, go to Properties and the Permissions. Now select the Allow executing file as program option.



Now simply double click on it and select the open in terminal option.

To select the wallpaper go to System > Preference > Appearance and select the Background tab. Now the location of the wallpaper is at /home/username/.gnome2/world_sunlight_Wallpaper.jpg (username being your own username). The .gnome2 folder is a hidden one. To view it, select Ctrl + H keys while browsing for the wallpaper.

To make sure that the 'real-time' mechanism works 24x7, you need to add it as a startup app. To do that, go to System > Preference > Startup Applications. Click on Add and then type in/browse the location of the file that you had downloaded (not the wallpaper mind you, the downloaded file).

Thats it.

(Source - http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/search/label/quirkywallpaper)

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.

djl Game Manager

I found this awesome piece of software yesterday. It basically is an installation wizard/manager for all popular Linux games, and has a great interface. It has single click installation and removal options, hence even a complete novice can use it with ease.



"Djl makes it possible (via a repository) to download, install and remove a reasonable number of games placed into a distrobution independent subdirectory (but without dealing with any dependencies). It can also execute .desktop shortcuts located in another directory (this way, it's possible to launch games which were installed before djl)." [Description given on their website]

To download this manager, visit this site: www.en.djl-linux.org and download it from the links given on that page.

Say goodbye to compiling and building games packages.

Gnome Globalmenu

Global Menu is the globally-shared menu bar of all applications launched in your desktop session.

In other words, it works more like the menu bars you see on a Mac. Its very useful and works brilliantly. Although support for many apps are missing, its in constant development and improvements are likely to be seen very soon. The installation guide for the app is quite exhaustive and doesnt need any explanation, so I'll direct you to the guide: www.code.google.com/p/gnome2-globalmenu/wiki/InstallingonUbuntu

Okay, so after you have installed it, you need to add this applet to the panel. Right click on the GNOME panel, select Add to Panel and then select Global Menu panel Applet from the list. Thats all. Try it out. And of course if you dont like it, you can remove it the usual way by typing sudo apt-get remove gnome-globalmenu

How to install Google Chrome

Google has finally released a proper version of Google Chrome browser (finally users of Linux OSes can have a go at Chrome and not Chromium, the development version). Mind you though Chrome is still in beta but since I've been using it for around a month now, I can safely say, its quite stable. It has both 32 bit and 64 bit versions and comes in .deb as well as .rpm packages. Which basically means that now we dont have to add Chrome to the repositories and do all sorts of weird things to get Chrome to work.

For us Ubuntu users, .deb packages are far easier to install, so I'll mention just that.

First up, go to this page and select your package depending on what type of processor and OS you have and the file you are comfortable with. I recommend going for the .deb file (be it 32 bit or 64 bit) unless of course you are comfortable with .rpm files.

Next click on "Accept and Install" and wait for the file to complete its download. Then just double click on the file and Install it. The Google Chrome browser should be located under GNOME menu > Internet.

Thats it! Enjoy the power of Chrome...

Plethora of Ubuntu games and softwares

If you're tired of the default Ubuntu packages/softwares/games etc. (well they're pretty extensive though, it should probably take you months to try out each and every software in the repos), here's a really cool way to install external apps without worring about tar.gz or extracting files etc.

For Ubuntu apps:

Its called GetDeb. It has loads of really good and useful softwares, and the best part is its just a one click install. But before you can download these, you need to install a small package (dont worry, it is small, just a few hundred KBs). The instructions for installation is here. The rest is self explanatory. Browse through the extensive list of softwares here and just click on 'Install' for the program you like. And bingo, it will be installed. No fuss, nothing.

For Ubuntu games:

The site is called PlayDeb, its a sister site of GetDeb but this one's dedicated to games. So before you start installing go through the installation instructions (basically install a package, this one's again in KBs) here. Then just browse through the huge list of games here and click on 'Install' for the game you like.

Enjoy!

Linux Mint...a revolution in the making

Its the 'green' season and everything's going green! And now even OSes have joined the green bandwagon (at least as far as naming of OSes is concerned).

Say hello to Linux Mint, the new Linux OS which has created quite a stir. Linux Mint uses the same repositories as Ubuntu, so it looks and feels much like it. But what Linux Mint promises is something quite extraordinary. It has virtually gotten rid of every 'techy' bits Ubuntu has and managed to create an OS which is well and truly 'universal' in appeal. Even Windows users will find this OS very very user friendly (I doubt what the KDE users will say now though, coz Ubuntu already has a tag of being too simple). There's another reason for this meteoric rise in Linux Mint's popularity. This OS is community driven. And for once, thats exactly what it is! Development takes place virtually every minute and updates are very frequent. Basically, the Mint community implements anything they find useful. Now thats something really cool!

Anyway, I downloaded the .iso file from the Linux Mint site. As 32 bit OSes are quoted to be more stable than their 64 bit counterpart, I tested the 32 bit version of the OS. Below is a list of images which will explain to you the installation process and give you a taste of the look and feel of Linux Mint.

Once you insert the CD of Linux Mint, this is what you get (the images are in sequence):



[Press any key preferably the 'Esc' key to select options, or else the CD will boot as a Live CD]
Next you'll have to select your type of installation, for a complete installation select as is shown in the image below. For live cd type installation, select the first option.

























And the quite cute shutdown screen, check it out:



Press enter and your PC should restart. This is how the booting process unfolds:







And here's the really really cool Linux Mint menu. Much much more exhaustive and useful than the default Ubuntu menu.



That was the installation process of Linux Mint. Stay tuned for more info and guides. I have a feeling this is the beginning of something huge.