Customizing Unity

Using Ubuntu Tweak (UT) and the CompizConfig Settings Manager (CCSM) this user manages to tweak some interesting aspects of Unity.

With the help of these, I remove the session menu from the panel, disable the backlight behind the launcher icons, and set the borders around the launchers to illuminate when the given application is open. I also like to set the launcher to hide automatically, but that’s just my preference…

How to Fix Unity…

I just want to make it clear that the chat conversation I recorded in this Tumblr post happened in the official #ubuntu chatroom on FreeNode.

Since the mods seem to think that the best way to fix Unity is to use something else, I bring you this post…

This is how to fix Unity!

sudo apt-get remove adium-theme-ubuntu apg appmenu-gtk appmenu-gtk3 appmenu-qt at-spi2-core bamfdaemon banshee banshee-extension-soundmenu banshee-extension-ubuntuonemusicstore baobab binfmt-support bluez-gstreamer branding-ubuntu brasero brasero-cdrkit brasero-common checkbox checkbox-gtk cli-common compiz compiz-core compiz-gnome compiz-plugins-default compiz-plugins-main-default compizconfig-backend-gconf deja-dup duplicity dvd+rw-tools empathy empathy-common eog evolution-data-server evolution-data-server-common example-content gbrainy gedit gedit-common geoclue geoclue-ubuntu-geoip ginn gir1.2-atspi-2.0 gir1.2-gnomebluetooth-1.0 gir1.2-gtksource-3.0 gir1.2-indicate-0.6 gir1.2-peas-1.0 gir1.2-totem-1.0 gir1.2-totem-plparser-1.0 gir1.2-wnck-3.0 gnome-bluetooth gnome-control-center gnome-control-center-data gnome-desktop3-data gnome-disk-utility gnome-font-viewer gnome-icon-theme-symbolic gnome-media gnome-nettool gnome-online-accounts gnome-orca gnome-power-manager gnome-screensaver gnome-screenshot gnome-search-tool gnome-session gnome-session-bin gnome-session-canberra gnome-session-common gnome-settings-daemon gnome-system-log gnome-system-monitor gnome-terminal gnome-terminal-data gnome-user-share gnome-utils-common growisofs gstreamer0.10-gconf gvfs-backends gwibber gwibber-service gwibber-service-facebook gwibber-service-identica gwibber-service-twitter hwdata ibus-gtk3 indicator-appmenu indicator-datetime indicator-power indicator-session intel-gpu-tools libappindicator0.1-cil libarchive1 libatk-adaptor libatspi2.0-0 libaudio2 libbamf0 libbamf3-0 libboost-serialization1.46.1 libbrasero-media3-1 libcamel-1.2-29 libcanberra-pulse libcdio-cdda0 libcdio-paranoia0 libcdio10 libcompizconfig0 libdbus-glib1.0-cil libdbus1.0-cil libdbusmenu-qt2 libdconf-dbus-1-0 libdconf-qt0 libdconf0 libdecoration0 libebackend-1.2-1 libebook1.2-12 libecal1.2-10 libedata-book-1.2-11 libedata-cal-1.2-13 libedataserver1.2-15 libedataserverui-3.0-1 libexempi3 libfolks-telepathy25 libfolks25 libgail-3-common libgail-common libgconf2.0-cil libgdata-common libgdata1.7-cil libgdata13 libgdiplus libgdu-gtk0 libgeoclue0 libgexiv2-0 libgif4 libgkeyfile1.0-cil libglew1.5 libglewmx1.5 libglib2.0-bin libglib2.0-cil libglib2.0-data libgmime-2.4-2 libgmime2.4-cil libgnome-control-center1 libgnome-desktop-3-2 libgnome-media-profiles-3.0-0 libgnome-menu2 libgnome2-common libgnomekbd-common libgnomekbd7 libgoa-1.0-0 libgpgme11 libgpod-common libgpod4 libgtk-sharp-beans-cil libgtk2.0-cil libgtkmm-3.0-1 libgtksourceview-3.0-0 libgtksourceview-3.0-common libgtkspell3-0 libgudev1.0-cil libgweather-3-0 libgweather-common libgwibber-gtk2 libgwibber2 libhyphen0 libidl0 liblaunchpad-integration1.0-cil liblircclient0 liblouis-data liblouis2 libmetacity-private0 libmhash2 libmission-control-plugins0 libmono-addins-gui0.2-cil libmono-addins0.2-cil libmono-cairo4.0-cil libmono-corlib4.0-cil libmono-csharp4.0-cil libmono-i18n-west4.0-cil libmono-i18n4.0-cil libmono-posix4.0-cil libmono-security4.0-cil libmono-sharpzip4.84-cil libmono-system-configuration4.0-cil libmono-system-core4.0-cil libmono-system-drawing4.0-cil libmono-system-security4.0-cil libmono-system-xml4.0-cil libmono-system4.0-cil libmono-zeroconf1.0-cil libmtp-common libmtp-runtime libmtp9 libmysqlclient16 libmythes-1.2-0 libneon27-gnutls libnotify0.4-cil libnux-1.0-0 libnux-1.0-common liboauth0 liborbit2 liboverlay-scrollbar-0.2-0 liboverlay-scrollbar3-0.2-0 libpeas-1.0-0 libpeas-common libprotobuf7 libprotoc7 libpth20 libqt4-dbus libqt4-declarative libqt4-network libqt4-opengl libqt4-script libqt4-sql libqt4-sql-mysql libqt4-svg libqt4-xml libqt4-xmlpatterns libqtbamf1 libqtcore4 libqtdee2 libqtgconf1 libqtgui4 libquvi0 libraptor2-0 librasqal3 librdf0 libreoffice-base-core libreoffice-calc libreoffice-common libreoffice-core libreoffice-draw libreoffice-emailmerge libreoffice-gnome libreoffice-gtk libreoffice-help-en-us libreoffice-impress libreoffice-math libreoffice-style-human libreoffice-writer librest-0.7-0 librsync1 libsdl1.2debian libsdl1.2debian-pulseaudio libstlport4.6ldbl libsyncdaemon-1.0-1 libtaglib2.0-cil libtelepathy-farsight0 libtelepathy-logger2 libtextcat-data libtextcat0 libtotem-plparser17 libtotem0 libubuntuone-1.0-1 libubuntuone1.0-cil libunique-3.0-0 libunity-2d-private0 libunity-core-4.0-4 libunity-misc4 libwmf0.2-7-gtk libwnck-3-0 libwnck-3-common libyajl1 libzeitgeist-1.0-1 light-themes media-player-info metacity metacity-common mono-4.0-gac mono-gac mono-runtime mousetweaks mysql-common nautilus nautilus-sendto nautilus-sendto-empathy nautilus-share notify-osd notify-osd-icons nux-tools obexd-client overlay-scrollbar plymouth-theme-ubuntu-logo protobuf-compiler pulseaudio-module-bluetooth pulseaudio-module-gconf python-brlapi python-configglue python-dateutil python-egenix-mxdatetime python-egenix-mxtools python-farsight python-indicate python-libproxy python-louis python-papyon python-protobuf python-pyatspi2 python-pyinotify python-speechd python-support python-telepathy python-twisted-names python-ubuntuone-client python-ubuntuone-control-panel python-ubuntuone-storageprotocol python-uno python-wnck qdbus qt-at-spi seahorse shotwell sni-qt ssh-askpass-gnome telepathy-butterfly telepathy-gabble telepathy-haze telepathy-idle telepathy-indicator telepathy-logger telepathy-mission-control-5 telepathy-salut thunderbird-gnome-support tomboy totem totem-common totem-mozilla totem-plugins ubuntu-artwork ubuntu-desktop ubuntu-docs ubuntu-mono ubuntu-sounds ubuntu-system-service ubuntu-wallpapers ubuntuone-client ubuntuone-client-gnome ubuntuone-control-panel ubuntuone-control-panel-gtk ubuntuone-couch ubuntuone-installer unity unity-2d unity-2d-launcher unity-2d-panel unity-2d-places unity-2d-spread unity-asset-pool unity-common unity-lens-applications unity-lens-files unity-lens-music unity-scope-musicstores unity-services uno-libs3 ure vino whois wodim xdiagnose xfonts-mathml zeitgeist zeitgeist-datahub zeitgeist-extension-fts

AND…

sudo apt-get install xfce4-session

In the words of one of the moderators in the #ubuntu chatroom… “it’s a simple solution.”

Hybryde Evolution 12.04 Review

Here’s an interesting distro! Hybryde Evolution v1, based on Ubuntu 12.04, comes with nine different desktop environments by default. These include KDE, GNOME 3, GNOME Classic, Unity, Elightenment 17, LXDE, XFCE, Openbox, and FVWM. The system smartly and fluidly transfers over open windows and applications to the new Desktop.

Hybryde is an Ubuntu-based live boot DVD which, according to the Google-translated project home page (which is in French), “is a tool to discover and use a multitude of desktop environments and without disconnection.”

The boot process boots you into the Hy-menu system dashboard. A small dock gives you a terminal, home folder, and the Hybryde menu that expands when clicked. From here you can select one of nine different desktop environments: KDE, GNOME3 Fallback, Gnome3 Shell, Unity, Enlightenment 17, OpenBox, FVWM, XFCE, and LXDE
…as well as a full menu of Linux applications. You also can continue to work in the Hybryde dashboard environment.

The Hy-menu also has four options for window managers:
Metacity, the default for Gnome3 Fallback
Mutter, the default for Gnome3
Compiz, compositing window manager for X, and the default for Hybryde (although I noticed a slight speed increase when I ran Hybryde in Mutter instead of Compiz)
and Kwin, the window manager for KDE

From the Hybryde desktop environment you will also find the full suite of Linux applications, and you can run any of these from the Hybryde desktop, or switch desktop flavors and run them in another desktop! The choices are virtually endless…

First impressions of Hybryde. It sounds like a distro put together by a team who have commitment issues. They couldn’t commit to a single desktop, so they committed to them all! As it turns out, this first impression wasn’t that far off.

The basic .iso image is HUGE compared to other distros, but this would largely be because it has so many desktop versions (with all their ancillary programs) on it. Other distros with a single fixed desktop idea can usually fit on a CD; Hybryde takes either a DVD or USB flashdrive with it’s 1.6GB image.

I experimented with Hybryde for about 2 hours.
The startup screen for Hybryde is very pretty! The Hybryde logo rotates in place, and the Hybryde desktop loads shortly thereafter.

My only critique on the startup screen is this: The rotating logo is the only moving element on the startup screen. There are no loading bars (like in Ubuntu), or dotted lines (like with XFCE). So when the logo stopped rotating and just sat there, I was momentarily scared that it was frozen. It would be nice to see a loading bar on this screen, or just keep the logo rotating while the distro is loading.

First major issue was language. The French developers of Hybryde likely didn’t think this was an issue, but the distro only comes in French. It took me about 5 minutes to figure out enough French to find System Settings, and another 5 minutes to figure out where the Language Selector was… all while I am in an unfamiliar distro! Finally got the language and locale switched over to English (US).

From there, my experience with this distro notably improved.
Distrowatch describes Hybryde’s most fascinating element this way: “All open applications are carried to any of the available desktops. The system offers an interesting way to work fluidly in a multi-desktop environment.”

I decided to test this. I opened a couple applications (gedit, gnome-terminal, and ksudoku) on the Hybryde Desktop. Then I transistioned to GNOME 3. The desktop blinked and suddenly I was in a new desktop! There’s a small back-arrow icon located on the right-edge of the screen that you can use to go back to the Hybryde Desktop at any time. All the applications I had opened stayed open, though ksudoku had a few issues at first.
I clicked back and tried other desktops. Not needing to log out to do this made the experience very nice.
My only critique on the multi-desktop environment is this: You must go back to the Hybryde Desktop every time if you want to switch to another desktop flavor. It would be nice if the Hybryde menu could be accessed from any environment, allowing you to switch flavors without having to return to the Hybryde environment first.

Most applications work great when launched from a specific flavor desktop, but there are occasionally issues with application crashing when you switch flavors. LibreOffice was by far the most cantankerous program. It did not like being switched between flavors, but leave it one flavor (any flavor) and it was fine!

Just about all the programs get a little obnoxious if you switch environments multiple times while they are open, but it was very rare that they would crash.

Shutdown is fast; 5 seconds or less, and the computer is off

Hybryde is a neat distro. Switching between desktops quickly and with minimal fuss allows the user to experiment with desktop flavors and find the one that’s right for them. But I don’t see this becoming my main Linux distribution, nor do I think it will capture too many other hearts and minds. It’s great for experimenting but not keeping!

New Implants

In this previous post I blogged about how “Ubuntu needed implants to stay attractive.” And in this post, I explained the implants I used in Oneiric to make Ubuntu feel good.

Precise, I am discovering, needs a slightly different set of implants.

I almost exclusively use the CLI (Command Line Interface) of the Terminal to install packages and mods. Also, I have simplified the CLI commands to be basic. For these commands, I always install both dependencies and suggested packages.

Gnome Tweak Tool for Advanced Settings

“sudo apt-get install gnome-tweak-tool”

CompizConfig

Make sure this installs, or you could have issues later on. I personally believe that GNOME Shell should make compizconfig-settings-manager a requirement.

“sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager”

Must Have Synaptic

I prefer using Synaptic over the Ubuntu Software Center.

“sudo apt-get install synaptic”

Additional PPA’s

I found all these PPA’s by searching the PPA list on Ubuntu Updates, or through web searches on Google.

“sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8”

“sudo add-apt-repository ppa:otto-kesselgulasch/gimp”

“sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-wine/ppa”

“sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tualatrix/ppa”

“sudo add-apt-repository ppa:alecive/antigone”

“wget -q -O - http://archive.getdeb.net/getdeb-archive.key | sudo apt-key add -“

“sudo sh -c ‘echo “deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu oneiric-getdeb apps” » /etc/apt/sources.list.d/getdeb.list’”

“sudo sh -c ‘echo “deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu oneiric-getdeb games” » /etc/apt/sources.list.d/getdeb.list’”

“sudo apt-get update”

“sudo apt-get install gimp wine umplayer ubuntu-tweak awoken-icon-theme luminance crawl-tiles rolldice”

Codecs

“sudo apt-get install libdvdread4 libdvdcss2 ubuntu-restricted-extras ubuntu-restricted-addons”

In Closing

Don’t forget that with all these new sources being added, there will be newer versions of programs available in the repository.

“sudo apt-get upgrade”