Check-list after installing Ubuntu 10.04 – Lucid Lynx

Today Lucid Lynx (Ubuntu 10.04) will arrive ^^ And as usual I’m making a little check list on what I’m going to do after I’ve upgraded with a fresh install.

Things you just need (found in Synaptic)
Note: It’s a possibility that the new version have different names on the packages or use different versions in Synaptic.

1. Ubuntu Restricted Extras (ubuntu-restricted-extras): Gives you all the codecs you need :)
2. Sun Java (sun-java6-bin, sun-java6-jre)
3. Sun Java Plugin (sun-java6-plugin): After installing Ubuntu Restricted Extras
4. Gufw (gufw): Graphic user interface for the firewall in Ubuntu
5. Wine (wine1.2, wine1.2-gecko): Compatibility layer for running Windows applications
6. Avast! (avast4workstation): Antivirus (it can be discussed if you need one or not, read more here: Antivirus)
7. Gnome Format (gnome-format): A tool to easily format (erase and initialize) external
   memory media like USB sticks or SD/MMC flash cards for your PC

Must have Software (found in Synaptic and/or Ubuntu Software Centre)

1. GIMP (gimp): The GNU Image Manipulation Program
2. OpenShot (openshot, openshot-doc) The best video editor ever for Linux!
3. CheckGMail (checkgmail): Gmail Notifier
4. VLC (vlc): Media Player that can play almost everything
5. Adobe Reader (acroread): I just can’t stand the default pdf-viewer…
6. Okular (okular): The best pdf-viewer ever! (Why do you need two pdf-viewers you may ask? Because Okluar doesn’t show up in the browser)
7. pdfsam (pdfsam): Split and merge pdf-files
8. Calibre (calibre, calibre-bin): E-book converter and library management

Must haves that can’t be found either in Synaptic or the Software Centre (I think)

1. Ubuntu Tweak: Makes life much easier :)
2. Dropbox For syncing and sharing files. Can be used to share and sync files with Windows, Mac and Linux (Gnome) and smartphones. My favourite <3
3. Caffeine Keeps your computer awake when your watching videos and other stuff :)
4. Adobe Air and then Twirl (twitter client)
5. Skype
6. Moonlight: A free Silverlight clone (Norwegian users install version 1.0.1)

Another funny thing worth installing is Lucid Life

Other things that have to be done

1. Enable Compiz Desktop Effects
   Open the Appearance window
   * System > Preferences > Appearance
   * Select ‘Desktop Effects’ Tab
   * Check either ‘Normal’ Or ‘Extra’
2. Install more fonts by copying this into the Terminal
   sudo mkdir -p /usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1 && sudo apt-get install msttcorefonts && sudo apt-get install ttf-larabie-straight ttf-larabie-deco mplayer-fonts xfonts-terminus-dos xfonts-terminus xfonts-terminus-oblique xfonts-mona tv-fonts ttf-tuffy ttf-sjfonts ttf-sil-padauk ttf-sil-ezra ttf-paktype ttf-georgewilliams ttf-fifthhorseman-dkg-handwriting ttf-farsiweb ttf-essays1743 ttf-opensymbol ttf-nafees ttf-mgopen ttf-gentium ttf-freefont ttf-dustin ttf-devanagari-fonts ttf-dejavu-extra ttf-dejavu-core ttf-dejavu ttf-bpg-georgian-fonts ttf-bitstream-vera ttf-alee
3. Remove Computer Janitor from the menu before you get tempted to use it (DO NOT USE IT! Use Ubuntu Tweak instead)
4. In general make the system work and look as you want it to ^^

Must have add-ons in Firefox

• Preferred Dictionaries & Language Packs
• Install GBookmarks (cool application that works together with Google Bookmarks, and saves all you bookmarks on the web, so in that way you can have your bookmarks with your were ever you go)
• Clipmarks (fun way to bookmark)
• FireFTP (my favourite FTP-client)
• Adblock Plus (keeps the adds away)

Update Manager, fresh install or just switch to Linux Mint?

In about one week’s time the new Ubuntu version 10.04 Lucid Lynx will arrive. The big question every Ubuntu user (or maybe not everyone, but a lot of us) is asking themselves if they are going to upgrade with a fresh install or just update by using the Ubuntu Update Manager?

Upgrading with the Update Manager
In Ubuntu, contrary to Windows and Mac OS (X) in Ubuntu, you are able to update your whole OS by just using a update-manager. For you those of you that haven’t seen the Linux light jet, the best example is to imagine that you were able to upgrade your system from Windows Vista to Windows 7 with just one click.

This is probably the most preferred method for those that are using Ubuntu on their netbooks (and the so-called netbooks, out there that actually are just small laptops), that comes without a CD-drive.

The method is, as explained, really easy and you are going to keep all your programs and all your files. You should still take a backup of all your files just in case. On of the problems with this kind of upgrade is that you are not able to test drive it before you installed it, and because of that some users are experiencing problems with drivers etc. The Update Manager upgrade doesn’t give you all the new features (like faster booting time, etc.), but this is getting better for every version.

Fresh Install
A fresh install means that you have to burn yourself a Live CD, request a free CD from Ship It or make yourself a Live USB (read more about this here: Installation/FromUSBStick) with the new Ubuntu version. And you will have to reinstall your whole OS which means that you are going to lose absolutely everything on the preferred hard-drive (unless your going for a dual boot), so a backup of all your files is absolutely necessary (and maybe a list of all your preferred programs?).

The fresh install upgrade is actually my preferred method, not because you are able to test run the whole OS from your Live CD/USB, but because I can be absolutely sure about getting all the new functionalities of the new version. You also get rid of all the crap on your computer that you got because you played a little too much in the Terminal, when you didn’t actually know what you were doing (we have all been there…).

Another ting to note about this particular upgrade is that Ubuntu 10.04 or Luci Lynx is a LTS, which means that it’s a Long Term Support version, and will be supported until April 2013. So if your planing to use this until the new LTS, I will recommend you to do a fresh install, since this is a OS you’re going to live with for a while.

So what is this Linux Mint thingy anyway?
Many of you have probably read something of all the new features in Ubuntu 10.04 that have irritated lot of people; I’m talking about Canonical’s talk about making Yahoo the default search engine, removing GIMP as a preinstalled program, removing Sun Java and of course of the window buttons that have been switched from right to left and in general making Ubuntu more Mac OS X like.

Fortunately Canonical released that everyone was going to change back to Google anyway, so they kept it as the default search engine. They also found out that everyone was going to move the buttons back so they have made it really easy to switch them back without the use of scripts (that started to appear from day one after the windows buttons was moved). The other changes easy to fix without having the knowledge of making scripts yourself. Still all this changes have irritated a lot of users, that thought that Ubuntu was more of a democracy not a dictatorship (just google window+buttons+ubuntu if you’re interested in reading more bout this).

Anyway many Ubuntu user is asking a themselves as new question when Lucid Lynx is about to arrive: Stay with Ubuntu or change to Linux Mint when Isadora (Linux Mint 9) comes out?

Linux Mint is an OS based on Ubuntu, but unlike Ubuntu it comes with integrated media codecs and it also have other differences that make it more user friendly, and it’s going to keep the design of the previous versions. I usually recommend new Linux users to use Linux Mint as it tends to work completely out of the box, unlike it’s bigger sister… It requires few (if any at all) fixes to work and it has a design that looks more like Windows which makes it easier to use for those not really into computers.

I use Linux Mint on my Asus Eee 900, and everything has worked completely out of the box and I could not be more pleased. Still I think I will stay with Ubuntu on my main computer and give Lucid Lynx a chance, but unlike before think I will stay with it for the whole LTS period instead of upgrading when a newer version arrives.

So just to make a little summary: Upgrading through the Update Manager is a easy choice if you have a netbook, a fresh install is preferred if you want all the new functionalities in Ubuntu 10.04 and switching to Linux Mint is a good choice if you can’t stand Canonical any more or if you just want something that works completely out of the box (and doesn’t see the charm in fixing and making your OS look and work completely as you want it too).

But whatever you choose: Remember to backup your files before you start upgrading your system ;)

How to make desktop shortcuts to Java programs in Ubuntu

My first problem when I changed from Windows XP to Ubuntu was: How do I get CGoban (Java Program) to work in Ubuntu? And how do I get it to launch from my desktop?

1. Download CGoban from KGS, and choose to save it [link]
   (I will recommend you to save it in your home directory so it’s easier to find)
2. Open it Java Web Start (right click and choose) to check that the file works
3. Go to your desktop and right click choose the option from the menu that makes you create a short cut.
4. Write in your preferences (NOTE: You have to choose the option that makes it open your file as a “location”)

To make CGoban appear in you menu just do the same in you menu editor (right click at he Ubuntu icon on the start menu)

If you want to make a customised icon for CGoban it’s really easy just click on the icon in Preferences and choose the icon you like (you can even choose a picture).

My icon is actually Bergen Goklubb’s logo (which I designed by the way) ^^

CGoban running like a charm in Ubuntu 9.04: