Tweaking Ubuntu
Karmic Koala with widgets and the Cairo dock (GLX-Dock).
ONE of the cool things about using Linux is the degree to which you can customize your system. If you want to make it look and act like a Mac, you can. Want the Windows 7 or Vista glassy look? No problem. You can do that too.
For a week now, I’ve been having fun tweaking Karmic Koala, the latest release of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux. Although I mentioned some of the things I did after installing Karmic Koala last week, here is a more organized checklist.
1. Install the latest video drivers. This is an absolute must if you want to get the most out of your Ubuntu desktop. Users with Nvidia and ATI graphics card should download and install EnvyNG (http://bit.ly/dK5eb).
2. Get your eye candy. Visual effects not only give your desktop some pizazz, they actually help you get around the desktop more efficiently. To enable visual effects, go to System > Preferences > Appearance and check Extras in the Visual Effects tab. Note that if you have not done No. 1, you will probably be unable to do this. To control visual effects, go to the Software Center and install Advanced Desktop Effects Settings. To gain the ability to view thumbnails of all open windows at once (and choose one by clicking on it), make sure the Scale effect under Windows Management is enabled. Customize how this feature is triggered by clicking on Scale. To gain more workspaces, go to the Desktop Size tab in General Options and increase the horizontal virtual size. Four is a good number, especially if you’re using a desktop cube to switch workspaces.
Want some glassy window frames? Install the Emerald Theme Manager and use it to import some cool themes (http://bit.ly/Install_Emerald). You’ll find loads of cool themes and wallpapers at Gnome-Look.org (http://www.gnome-look.org). If you’re adventurous, you can even create your own themes using the Emerald Theme Manager.
Want a cool dock like the one on the Mac? Go to the Ubuntu Software Center and install GLX-Dock.
3. Install Ubuntu restricted extras. This package gives you Adobe Flash for watching YouTube videos, Microsoft Core Fonts, Java, MP3 playback, RAR extraction, and codecs to watch downloaded videos. To install, go to the Ubuntu Software Center, find the package and install it.
4. Enable the Medibuntu repository. This will let you to install applications such as Skype, Google Earth, Opera and plug-ins that you need to watch DVDs on your PC. To do this, go to System > Administration > Software Sources, click on the Other Software tab, and click on the Add button. Copy and paste this line to the box:
deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ karmic free non-free
Click close then click the reload button.
After you get an error about the public key not being available, open the Synaptic Package Manager (System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager) and install the medibuntu-keyring package. Ignore the error message about authentication and click on apply. Once you’re done, you’ll be able to install any of the Medibuntu packages from Synaptic.
5. Get Ubuntu Tweak and Sysinfo. This is a great utility for controlling how the Ubuntu interface works. Unfortunately, you can’t find Ubuntu Tweak in the Software Center, so you’ll have to go to the Web site (http://bit.ly/Ubuntu_Tweak), download the .deb file and run it. After installing, the utility will be available in the Applications > System Tools menu. Ubuntu Tweak gives you a central area to tweak hidden settings, clean up unneeded packages to free disk space and specify which programs you want to be launched on startup.
Sysinfo, available from the Software Center, provides detailed information about your computer hardware.
6. Add some screenlets. If you like widgets on the Mac or gadgets in Windows, you can install screenlets, which are small programs like a clock, a calendar or a system monitor that run on the desktop. I tend to waffle on screenlets. Sometimes I think they’re cool and I keep them running, then the minimalist in me says I don’t need them and wants to reclaim the desktop space. If you think otherwise, you can install the Screenlets package from the Ubuntu Software Center.
7. Install other applications you need. Explore the Ubuntu Software Center, which gives you access to a lot of free software. Chances are, you’ll want to use some of these programs. Don’t be afraid to try them out. The programs are free, and if you don’t like them, just remove them afterward. With a little tweaking, you’ll soon have a Karmic Koala installation that’s perfectly suited to your taste and requirements.