How to install XFCE on Ubuntu 11.04

XFCE is a most popular lightweight desktop environment for Unix like operating systems such as GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, Mac OS X etc. It is a free and open source software, consumes less resources then other desktops available for Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) – such as Gnome 2.*, KDE etc. Xfce desktop comes along with some applications installed by default – e.g Thunar (File Manager), Midori (Web browser), Mousepad (Text Editor); that is very simple to use and provides pretty fast experience without consuming a lot of memory or other resources.

Why should you try XFCE ?

Ubuntu 11.04 uses ‘Unity’ desktop by default but if you are running ubuntu on a older hardware/computer or got tired with the slow performance of other desktops then Xfce is the right desktop for you. Since, Ubuntu has very modular structure you can install as many desktop as you want; it means you don’t need to go for Xbuntu distribution – The Xfce version of Ubuntu, if you are already using Ubuntu or any other flavor of Ubuntu. Xfce 4.8 is the latest stable version available, released in Jan 2011. You can install it either from command line or Synaptic Package Manager, and it works not only for ubuntu but also for other Linux distros such as Linux Mint, Fedora etc.

Installing XFCE Desktop on Ubuntu 11.04

step1 : Open terminal and type (You may need to authenticate yourself by login password):

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install xfce4

step2 : Wait until the installation is complete. Next, logout from the current session and select Xfce session in login prompt.

step3 : That’s all.. Enjoy XFCE.. if you want to use other desktop then just select it at the login prompt.

Top Best Linux Distribution for Beginners

Ubuntu – The best Linux distro for novice users

Ubuntu is the most popular Linux distribution for desktop users according distrowatch. It is a free and open source operating system based on GNU/Linux. You can choose any suitable desktop environment e.g Gnome, Unity, KDE, Xfce etc depending on your need and hardware specifications. Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) is the latest stable release available now, while it’s successor – vs 11.10 is coming in Oct, 2011 (probably with Gnome 3, The Next Generation Desktop Experience). If you want to try the next version of Ubuntu, you can try in beta version. Not stable version.

Why Ubuntu is recommended to beginners ?

• it’s very easy to use and administrate. (As compare to other Linux based OS)


• Ubuntu Software Center makes the software installation/Management much easier


• a vast collection of free and open source applications are available


• a lot of online community, blogs and forums are available to help you, in any problem/bugs


• it’s secure from viruses and *wares


• Learning curve is not so steep (as you expect from a Linux based os)


• it’s Fun!

Download and install Ubuntu 11.04

Best Linux distribution for Beginners (from Windows background) : Linux Mint

Linux Mint is very similar to Ubuntu but it has better hardware compatibility. It is also based on Debian and has many versions depending on the Desktop such as Gnome or KDE. Linux Mint has windows like interface (In fact you can also customize the Gnome in Ubuntu, to look like Windows 7 or Vista), so it’s more suitable for those who have migrated from Windows to Linux. It has also all the features listed above, and the most important point is simplicity. Linux Mint 11 is the latest version available for download.

Download Linux Mint 11 (Installation procedure is similar to Ubuntu)

Choose the best Linux for You and learn now!  You will get the new experiences with Open Source..Enjoy the features everywhere, everytime and Free Forever.
Ubuntu.. Linux for humans beings.

Linux Virus! Ubuntu 11.04 Default Apps, MeeGo 1.1, Jolicloud Netbook?

Linux Virus! Ubuntu 11.04 Default Apps, MeeGo 1.1, Jolicloud Netbook? Android Gingerbread is Done?



Comment from Linux Users:
What i worry about with the growing popularity of Linux is that with more and more people using it, there will be more hackers and bad programmers finding loopholes and creating viruses for popular distro’s of Linux.

I agree that with rising popularity Linux will become a tastier target. However due to it’s openness, I believe the patches will be released much, much faster.

Priority should be on having install statistically more likely to function. I admit TRYING, but I quite easily broke casper, grub, and the new and unfinished desktop replacement (not a good choice). That in addition to some odd user-data choices, I’m smoothly moving to slax, puppy linux(64-bit version now), and straight debian. WTF Canonical.

Take standard predictable system(such as android, yeah linux sibling).
Add possiblity to run and install proprietary apps. Regardless of language.
Add possibility of people without money but need.
Add possibility of “good” pirates that to “poor people” appreciation will crack those proprietary closed source apps for free.*
For free means integrating botnet to use poor people resources, gateways and spy.

It’s a Linux kernel with a bunch of Java apps on top of it, as far as I understand.

How to Enable OS X Lion-style ‘Natural Scrolling’ in Ubuntu

OS X Lion introduced natural/reverse scrolling where by “content tracks finger movement”. 
If you’ve ever used a touchscreen smartphone you’ll already be familiar with how this works: you drag down to scroll up; you drag up to scroll down.

‘Natural Scrolling‘ by Charalampos brings reverse scrolling to Ubuntu.


Reverse Scrolling is likely better demonstrated than explained. If you can’t quite get your head around it the following video does an excellent job of  showing it off: -

Download Natural Scrolling for Ubuntu 

‘Natural Scrolling’ requires a handful of dependencies: -

couch-db python-desktopcouch-application gawk

Once the above dependencies have been installed you can proceed to download the .Deb installer.

dl.dropbox.com/u/1111373/NaturalScrolling/naturalscrolling_0.2.4_all.deb

Double-click on the .Deb to open it in the Ubuntu Software Centre. Hit the ‘Install’ button to install, then launch from the Dash by searching for ‘Natural Scrolling’ once completed.

You can toggle Natural Scrolling using the Application Indicator present in the top panel. When Natural Scrolling is active a small ‘tick’ will be shown. Click again to disable it.

Note that at the time of writing the ‘Autostart at login’ feature is broken.

How to Install Amarok in Ubuntu 10.10/10.04

 Simple tutorial how to Install Amarok in Ubuntu 10.10/10.04.. Try it and enjoy. ;)
Amarok is the best mp3 player for Ubuntu 10.10/10.04/9.10 or any other Linux Based operating systems such as Linux Mint,Fedora,OpenSuse..So this post is aimed to help novice users in installing Amarok on Ubuntu 10.10(Maverick Meerkat) but actually the procedure is almost same for other platforms.Amarok has lot of features like Dynamic Playlists,Context View,scripts,database importing…. with an intuitive user interface(UI).

Installing Amarok on Ubuntu 10.10

step #1 : Open Ubuntu Software Center(Applications->USC)(or Synaptic Package Manager(System->Administration->SPM)).

step #2 : Now search for ‘amarok’ and click on install button(or mark the box and click on Apply with package manager) to begin the installation procedure,enter the login password if you are prompted for authentication.

step #3 : …Wait for the installation to complete(it won’t take much time..).Now you have to enable the support for mp3 files by installing the following packages – Open Terminal(hit CTRL+ALT+T) and Type the commands – (followed by your ubuntu login password,if required)

sudo apt-get install libxine1-ffmpeg 

then open it from Applications->Sound & Video->Amarok.

step #4 : That’s All…rediscover your music,with Amarok!!

Download Top 10 Ubuntu Games

 Great info for gamers in Linux Ubuntu 10.10/11.04.. Let's go to Download Top 10 Ubuntu Games
Ubuntu 10.10/11.04 or any other Linux Based systems(such as – Open Suse, Linux Mint, Fedora etc.) has been lagging behind the windows when it comes to Games support. There are mainly two reasons that Linux based os isn’t the favorite platform of Gamers- First,Most of the commercial games are released just for Windows Platform; second the graphics card performance(probably due to the fact that Graphics Card Manufacturers do not release the appropriate drivers for Linux Platform,by the way if they releases proprietary(Closed Source) drivers then there is much possibility of compatibility issues with Linux based operating system).

Top 10 Ubuntu Games – at a Glance

# 0 : Open Arena

Open Arena is an open source (and free) multiplayer FPS (First Person Shooter) game based on ioquake3 fork of the id tech 3 engine. it is the free version of quake III arena and it can stand alone so Quake III Arena is not required to play this game.

Download and installation instructions
If you are using Ubuntu 10.04/10.10 then download open arena deb and open with ‘Ubuntu Software Center’ (or open with ‘gdebi Package Manager’ in older versions of Ubuntu)to install. Visit the official wiki  page of Open Arena- Installation Details for other Linux Distributions.

# 1 : Torcs

Torcs is a 3D Racing Car Simulation Game based on OpenGL. it is available free for all platforms e.g Linux based OS(e.g Ubuntu 10.04/10.10/11.04),Windows,Mac OS X,BSD; available as an open source software.it has more than 50 cars,20 tracks and 50 opponents available for racing with lot of other features that brings reality during simulation.

Install Torcs on Ubuntu 10.04/10.10/11.04
>> Download the debian package – download torcs debian package
>> Open the *.deb with Ubuntu Software Center ; then click  on install.

# 2 : Urban Terror

Urban Terror is a free multiplayer and multi-platform FPS(First Person Shooter) game similar to Quake III Arena.The motto of the game is ‘Fun Over Realism’ , so the game is very funky,enjoyable and unique.

Download Urban Terror

# 3 : Tux Racer

Tux Racer is fun and easy to learn  - a 3D racing game(Licensed under GPL and available free to use) suitable for all ages.In this game you need to race through mountains; you will play the role of tux – Linux Mascot.it is available for all common platforms. The primary goal of the game is to slide-down a snow and ice-covered mountain as quickly as possible.

Download Tux Racer
On Ubuntu you can install Extreme Tux Racer(very similar to Tux Racer ) with one simple command(or from Synaptic Package Manager) – Open terminal and enter the command :

$ sudo apt-get install etuxracer

# 4 : Armagetron Advanced

Armagetron Advanced is a 3D game(open source,free and multi-platform), a clone of the movie Tron.This game is based on the light cycle racing which can take only 90 degrees turn(and leaves a solid wall behind the path) and the winner will be the one who will survive till last; without colliding with the walls.The other rule is that the it can’t stopped during the race.

Installing Armagetron on Ubuntu 10.04/10.10/11.04
Open Synaptic Package Manager and search for ‘armagetron advanced’ ; mark the boxes to select the package for installation; Finally click on Apply button to begin installation procedure.Wait for the installation to complete,then you are ready to play the game from Applications->Game menu.

# 5 :  Vega Strike

Vega Strike is is a 3D space simulator game.it is free and open source; available for Linux/Mac/Windows.In vega strike,you can trade,fight and explore the vast universe with a lot of fun.it is developed on the top of OpenGL.

Download Vega Strike

# 6 : Battle of Wesnoth

it is a free turn based tactical strategy game with high fantasy theme.it is a multi platform game.

Download Battle of Wesnoth

# 7 : Nexuiz

Nexuiz is a 3D deathmatch game with very complex and high end graphics effects.it is open source and available free.You can play it using local network or Internet.

On Ubuntu you can install it in one click from the ‘Ubuntu Software Center’.

# 8 : Alien Arena

it is a 3D standalone online Deathmatch- FPS game based on Quake II/III Arena.it is open source and free.

it is also available in Ubuntu Software Center,so ubuntu users can install it from there.

# 9 : Vdrift

Vdrift is an open source and free game which simulates driving with vdrift features.The game is new and all the development goal haven’t been completed but it is still playable.

Ubuntu users can download the debian pckage of vdrift and install it by Right Click ->Open with Ubuntu Software Center and click on Install button.
That’s All..If you have any suggestion or opinion then let us know through comments.

Source: http://blog.sudobits.com/2011/03/07/top-10-ubuntu-games/

Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Developer Summit Event Announced

Greater news for Ubuntu lovers! :)
As expected, the second Ubuntu Developer Summit (UDS) event for 2011 has been officially announced a couple of minutes ago by Jono Bacon in an email. The Ubuntu 12.04 Developer Summit event will take place in Orlando, Florida, USA from 31st October to 4th November.

Today we are very proud to announce the Ubuntu Developer Summit event for the upcoming Ubuntu 12.04 LTS release, where the entire Canonical development team and members of the Ubuntu community gather together to share knowledge, discuss and design the next version of the Ubuntu operating system.

The Ubuntu Developer Summit event takes place twice a year, for each Ubuntu release. This is the second USD event for 2011; the first one took place in Budapest, Hungary from 9th to 13th May.

Ubuntu 12.04 will be an LTS (Long Term Support) release. It will be the fourteen release of the Ubuntu operating system and will see the light of day on April 26th, 2012.

"We also welcome everyone to participate remotely (http://uds.ubuntu.com/participate/remote) if you can't attend the event in person. More more details on how to get there, see this page (http://uds.ubuntu.com/travel/)."

"At the heart of a great UDS is a diverse group of attendees who can bring their experience and expertise to the discussions. You don't have to be technical, or be a programmer or packager to attend - UDS is open to everyone (including non-Ubuntu folks) and free to attend. We encourage everyone with an interest in Ubuntu to attend." - said Jono Bacon, Ubuntu Community Manager.

To find out more about the Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Developer Summit event, please go visit the official page, where you can also request sponsorship.

Ubuntu is a Linux distribution for your desktop or server, with a fast and easy install, regular releases, a tight selection of excellent packages installed by default, every other package you can imagine available from the network, and professional technical support from Canonical Ltd and hundreds of other companies around the world.

Be there if you care about the future of Ubuntu!
Open Source!

How to Install Mac Theme on Ubuntu 10.10

Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat) comes with GNOME as a default desktop(Actually GNOME desktop is used in most of the Linux based distributions).GNOME is a open source,free and fully customizable.

If you have ever used Mac OS then you probably understands why it is so popular(may be due to its highly appealing look).So won’t it be interesting if we make a Hybrid version of OS by combining the best features of Mac OS X and Ubuntu 10.10 ? Surely Yes!! Okay lets do that.

appearance of Mac OS X  +  performance of Ubuntu 10.10  =  Macbuntu 10.10(it really rocks!)

Let’s take a look on how your Ubuntu will look like,after installing the mac theme – A snapshot of my Ubuntu 10.10 with Mac Theme.

Mac OS X Theme for Ubuntu 10.10

To get the mac appearance on Ubuntu 10.10, you need to download and install the macbuntu-10.10(complete package for transforming the default look of gnome desktop into mac like look and appearance) theme.it is free and will take a couple of minutes.Just follow the steps -

step #1 : Download the Macbuntu-10.10 theme package(Link is given below)
Download Macbuntu-10.10 theme

step #2 : Install the Macbuntu Theme
First,Extract the theme and move on to that directory.Then open terminal ( hit CTRL+ALT+T ) and execute the ‘install.sh’ script(as a normal user i.e without sudo),that you get within the theme package(After Extraction).Just drag the install.sh,and drop it to terminal,then hit enter.

rkjha@rkjha-desktop:~$ '/home/rkjha/Macbuntu-10.10/install.sh'

Then you will have to answer some simple questions during installation ,if you are not sure then select the default(hit Enter or answer y in y/n case).That’s All..you have installed the mac os x theme on Ubuntu 10.10.You may want to restart the system for optimal performance.(although it is not strictly required)

http://blog.sudobits.com/2011/03/02/how-to-install-mac-theme-on-ubuntu-10-10/

How to Add a Google+ Quicklist to the Unity Launcher in Ubuntu

 Google+ – the search giants stab at social networking. Everyone very love Google+, it's became a new feeling at social networking.

Until Google get around to releasing a kick-ass API for Google+ so someone can make a Google+ Messaging Menu entry, desktop app or Unity Launcher with notification badge the following Unity Quicklist should make for a welcome stop-gap.

Download Google+ Unity Quicklist

Credit goes to Ferramosca Roberto whose original Italian Quicklist I’ve translated to English. I’ve also added a different, more Google+-y icon by ~d-bliss.
So to download and install you need to open a new Terminal tab or window. Enter each of the following commands carefully: -

• wget http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3000127/google%2B.desktop
• wget http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3000127/google%2B1.png
• mv google+.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/
• sudo mv google+1.png /usr/share/pixmaps/

Once completed add the ‘Google+’ quicklist to the Unity Launcher by dragging the ‘google+.desktop’ file in ~/.local/share/applications onto the Unity Launcher.

Source: http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/07/google-unity-launcher/

Ubuntu 11.10 Uses Thunderbird 5 as Default Mail Client

Starting with tomorrow's Alpha 2, the upcoming Ubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot) operating system will feature the highly anticipated Mozilla Thunderbird 5.0 as default mail client.

We know that some of you Ubuntu lovers out there wanted Thunderbird as the default mail client for Oneiric, but there are many others that still love Evolution Mail, which at the moment is no longer installed in the current development version of Ubuntu 11.10.

Tomorrow, June 7th, Canonical will unleash for testing the second Alpha version of the Ubuntu 11.10 operating system, and you guys will have the pleasure of testing the new Mozilla Thunderbird 5.0 mail client.

We've already took Thunderbird 5.0 for a test drive in the yesterday's daily build of Ubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot) and we loved it

Mozilla Thunderbird 5.0 brings nice features, such as migration assistant, mail account setup wizard, one-click Address Book, activity manager, quick filter toolbar, tabs, message archive, Add-ons manager (just like the one in Firefox 5), smart folders, robust privacy, and phishing protection.

As you all know, the Ubuntu 11.10 Alpha 2 release was supposed to arrive for testing last Thursday, June 30th, but it was rescheduled for July 7th. The final release will be available, as supposed, on October 13th, 2011.

See you again tomorrow, June 7th, for an in-depth article of the Ubuntu 11.10 Alpha 2 development release, were we will unveil more of Oneiric's features.

Oh, and the good news is that Synaptic Package Manager is still there and it's at version 0.70

Ubuntu is a Linux distribution for your desktop or server, with a fast and easy install, regular releases, a tight selection of excellent packages installed by default, every other package you can imagine available from the network, and professional technical support from Canonical Ltd and hundreds of other companies around the world. 
Ubuntu is the best!