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Fix Laptop Brightness Toggle Issues In Ubuntu 10.10 And 11.04 [Tip]

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The laptop brightness key provide easy management of brightness options from the keyboard. This is done with or without the combination of the FN key, depending upon your manufacturer. Unfortunately, some Ubuntu 10.10 and 11.04 users using NVIDIA graphic cards are having problem with using this key and are unable to change the screen brightness from their keyboard. A solution to this problem is to edit dit xorg.conf. Below is a procedure which can make your laptop’s brightness button functional again for your Ubuntu OS (NVIDIA users only). Read More

Stream YouTube And Other Online Videos To Desktop Without Flash [Ubuntu]

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Gmediafinder is a Linux application which provides the utility to stream videos from Youtube and other media streaming websites without flash. This desktop app supports Mp3Realm, YouTube, Skreemr, Tagoo,Imusicz and Dilandau search engines. You can stream videos in FLV or Mp4 quality directly from Gmediafinder and download them in a selected resolution. This provides the ability to easily search, stream and download videos and music right from your desktop. What makes Gmediafinder quite useful is the ability to directly stream videos in Mp4 instead of flash. This can be done by selecting Mp4 from the drop down menu below each streaming video. Read More

How To Update Ubuntu 11.04 Kernel To 2.6.39-0

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Ubuntu 11.04 has many known issues mentioned on its release notes. One post mentioned the issue of a bad interaction between Unity, the GL driver and the kernel, which often hangs the system. Updating the default 2.6.38-8 kernel can resolve such issues. In this post we will tell you how to update the Ubuntu 11.04 Kernel to 2.6.39-0. Read More

Monitor Temperature Of System Components In Ubuntu With Psensor

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A number of problems can be caused due to system heat up which can lead to damage to computer components. Overheating can be caused due to several reasons, including a faulty or non-functional fan (system supply), wiring issues and blockage of system ventilation ducts. We have covered some system temperature monitoring tools for Windows like HDD Guardian and Speccy. Psensor is a graphical system temperature monitor for Ubuntu which displays the temperature of the motherboard, CPU sensors, hard drive and the speed of the fan. Read More

Get The Stylish Ubuntu Netbook Edition 2D

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I have always found the new Unity launcher to be a bit slow to respond and perhaps it needs a bit of work before it can become more user friendly for Ubuntu users. Recently the Pre-Unity Launcher has re-emerged with stylish dual pane interface. You can download and install the DEB package (thanks to Martin Owens aka Doctor MO) for Ubuntu 10.10 and 11.04. In my personal opinion, this interface is more stylish than Unity and can be a good inclusion to to your Ubuntu desktop. Another advantage of using this pre-Unity interface is that, it has the ability to run on systems which are incompatible with Unity. Read More

Change Unity Settings Easily With Confity

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We anticipated upcoming Unity changes when Unity 2D Desktop Settings (tweak) emerged. Since then there have been many new Unity customization applications, such as, Unity Plugin and Unity Launcher Editor. Recently Confity was released, which serves as a compact application for combining the features of Unity plugin and Unity Launcher Editor within a single application. It allows easily changing Unity settings such as icon size, device view, launch animation and much more. Read More

Schedule And Automate Ubuntu Tasks With Advanced Options

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Back in April, we covered Easy Shutdown, an Ubuntu app for scheduling system shutdown. If you would rather prefer a more advanced application for scheduling system shutdown and automating tasks according to a set time frame, have a look at Complex Shutdown. It has quite detailed features for allowing the configuration of a timer which automatically performs shutdown, restart, log off, hibernation and custom command execution at the end of a user defined time interval. Therefore, you can schedule tasks, e.g. system shutdown after the expected time of the completion of your downloads to conserve battery power and to avoid staying up all night for the completion of certain tasks. You can also use this app to schedule command execution which is quite handy for performing tasks in your absence. For example, you may schedule the start up of an application at a specified time frame (such as a backup application), so that it may start performing a task at a scheduled time. Some ISPs provide higher bandwidth at odd times of the day when you might require sleeping. Automating the launch of a Torrent client or auto shutdown can ensure a swift download while you are asleep. Read More

Fix / Repair Ubuntu Problems With One Click Using YeoWorks Ubuntu Solutions

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What makes Ubuntu more usable for common users is its ability to provide alternative GUI based solutions for installing and updating applications instead of remembering lengthy Terminal commands. Unfortunately, there are still many issues which require going through convoluted procedures to resolve them. YeoWorks Ubuntu Solutions provides a one click solution to many commonly faced Ubuntu problems. It allows updating Ubuntu, Gnomes 3 installation and uninstallation, Firefox 4 flash issue fix and much more. All you need to do is to select a problem from the list and click OK to get it resolved. Read More

Install Essentials Packages Easily In Ubuntu With Eve Installer

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Eve Installer is an Ubuntu tool which conveniently lets you install important applications in Ubuntu 11.04 and LinuxMint operating systems. With Eve Installer, you can install system tools, graphics, office, multimedia, internet and appearance related apps in a single click. It also allows adding useful repositories such as Medibuntu, getdeb and Playdeb. Although most (if not all) of these apps can be installed using the Ubuntu Software Center, however, what makes Eve Installer quite useful is its ability to provide easy installation of  repositories and update sources. Moreover, the most essential applications can be found within a single interface, which is not cluttered with outdated and disfunctional apps like in the case of Ubuntu Software Center. Read More

Edit Ubuntu Unity Launcher Quicklist With Unity Launcher Editor

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There has been a lot of talk about customizing Ubuntu Unity Launcher. For this reason a lot of tweaks and related applications have been coming out lately. One such example is Unity 2D- Desktop Settings (tweak). Unity Launcher Editor is a GUI based application for managing Unity items and quicklists. It allows creating a customized quick list group and provides the option to add or remove Unity Launcher items. Moreover, you can even change Unity icons with available options. Read More

Get Important Reminders In Ubuntu Linux With Tea Time

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Tea Time is a simple application for Ubuntu 11.04 users, which allows setting important desktop reminders. You can add a name for a specific task and set a time after which the reminder is to pop-up. Tea Time initiates a timer which counts backwards from the configured time to provide a system tray pop-up reminder. For example, you can set a 20 minute reminder for an important meeting, so that the pop-up message alerts you (after 20 mins) that it is now time for your meeting. Read More

Search Files And Folders Faster In Unity With New Unity Lens

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The Unity files & folder lens helps in finding recently used files or folders. Unfortunately, it does not provide any option to search for files or folders which have never been accessed. This problem can be resolved by the help of the new Unity lens known as Unity Place File Search. It is a simple lens written in Python, which crawls the Unity file system for retrieving the input search query. It is quite customizable and you can select the directories it searches, the search depth, and patterns to ignore during the search. Custom search paths can also be specified from your query. Read More

Dropbox Share Syncs Any Folder With Dropbox From Ubuntu Context Menu

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Dropbox is a great resources for saving and synchronizing data with the cloud. Sometimes it can be a bit annoying to crawl through various directory paths to locate a folder and then to copy it to the Dropbox folder separately. A more convenient method can be to use the context menu for this function. Dropbox Share is a Linux app which provides the convenience of syncing any file or folder from right-click context menu with Dropbox. Once a folder is sent to Dropbox, you receive a pop-up message displaying that the file has been moved. Read More

Minimize Evolution To Ubuntu System Tray With Patched Evolution Indicator

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Evolution is the built in mail client for Ubuntu distributions. Since long many users have been trying to find a way to minimize it to the system tray as some of it’s components are accessible from there. Patched Evolution Indicator is a simple app designed to get email notifications, even when the Evolution window is closed. It basically minimizes Evolution to the system tray, hence allowing you to receive email notifications without an active Evolution window. A new version for 11.04 Natty has just been released, whereas a version is also available for Ubuntu 10.10. Read More

How To Reset Unity To Default Settings In Ubuntu

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Over a period of time Unity settings in Ubuntu can get a bit messed up. This can be due to frequent changes to Unity Launcher icons and CompizConfig settings. The best way to resolve such issues is to reset Unity. In this post we will tell you how to reset Unity to its default settings, including the reset of it’s launcher icons. So if your Unity settings are messed up and you want to reset it , then here is an easy tip to help you do just that. Read More

Quickly Switch Workspaces In Ubuntu Unity With Indicator Workspaces

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Indicator Workspaces was formerly available for Ubuntu 10.10 but it has now been updated for the new Ubuntu 11.04 version with changes that are in line with Unity. This applet now allows customization of workspaces and rows used by Unity Workspace Switcher. It also adds an option to the panel for switching between multiple workspaces. With Indicator Workspaces you can decide the number of workspaces to view from Unity and number of rows which you would prefer viewing simultaneously. Read More

Cairo Dock Is A Mac Style Dock For Ubuntu Linux

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Unity has no doubt added eye-candy to the Ubuntu desktop, however, it has also made it slightly more recourse intensive. Moreover, there have been functionality issues associated with Unity. A better alternative can be to use Cairo Dock (also known as GLX Dock). It is a Mac style dock for Ubuntu, which has now been upgraded to version 2.3 with new applets. It is fully compatible with the latest Ubuntu 11.04 and I personally found it much quicker than the Unity launcher. You can use it with the classic Ubuntu style or Unity 2D. However, once you have installed Cairo Dock, obviously you wont be needing Unity launcher. Another good feature of Cairo Dock is that it also works as a task manager like Avant Window Navigator. However, it is more feature rich than the former, with a MintMenu, Drop to Share and Messaging Menu applets, keyboard indicator, Ubuntu Me Menu, Network Monitor, weblets, Application Menu, notification area, Power Manager, Terminal,  System Monitor, Shortcuts Administrator and much more. Read More

Basenji Is Portable Volume Indexer To Index CD/DVD, USB & Network Drives

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Basenji is a cross platform indexing application for Windows and Linux based operating systems. It can be used to index CD/DVD, USB and Network drives, so that the indexed files can be later searched without having to plug the media device to the computer. The main features includes CD/DVD Support, metadata Extraction (image dimensions or MP3 tags), thumbnail preview of indexed files and support for external media devices. It also has a daemon which automatically scans plugged in devices and adds them to the Basenji database. Read More

View Network, Memory And CPU Usage From System Tray In Ubuntu Linux

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Perhaps the most common way to monitor system resources in Ubuntu is to use System Monitor from the Administration menu. However, it would be much better if one can receive real time monitoring of system resources from the desktop. System Load Indicator is a system tray version of System Monitor (Resources), which allows viewing CPU utilization, system load, hard disk, memory and network information from the system tray in custom colors. You can select specific colors for displaying every category and sub-category for monitoring a system resource. For example, you can select separate colors to view CPU usage by user and system processes. This can be quite useful for finding out the reasons for identifying resource hogging applications, by real time monitoring of resource utilization by applications. Read More