Archives For November 30, 1999

For applications that don’t have launcher icons for Ubuntu, you can manually create them to make available from the Unitys search results.

Yestoday I installed Celtx 2.9.7 on my Ubuntu which doesn’t have a launcher icon by default. I need to run a command in terminal to open it everytime.

Finally I got it fixed, and here’s how:

1.) Open terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T or from Unity Dash.

terminal

2.) Run below command to install required package gnome-panel without installing the recommends.

sudo apt-get install gnome-panel --no-install-recommends

3.) From now, you can create a custom launcher by running this command:

sudo gnome-desktop-item-edit /usr/share/applications/ --create-new

It brings up a dialog, where you can set the launcher icon, name, and command to run it.

The Celtx was installed into /usr/local/celtx/ directory, and run by root. So I found the icon from that directory, and type in command with gksudo at beginning.

Once done,click OK. Search in Unity, and you’ll find it!

This simple tutorial shows how to assign Ctrl+Alt+Del shortcut key for launching system monitor (aka task manager) in Ubuntu Desktop.

The Ctrl+Alt+Del is a well-known keyboard shortcut for launching Task Manager in Windows. In Ubuntu, the key combination by default triggers the log-out dialog, however, it’s easy to re-assign it to a custom action.

Mission Center

Tips: For users switching from Windows, Mission Center (see the screenshot above) is great alternative system monitor and task manager app with similar layout that works on Linux.

Re-assign Ctrl+Alt+Del to launch Task Manager

NOTE: The steps below are only for GNOME, the default desktop in Ubuntu and Fedora Workstation.

1. First, launch “Settings” from top-right corner system menu. Then, navigate to Keyboard in left, Keyboard Shortcuts -> View and Customize Keyboard Shortcut in right.

For Ubuntu 20.04, just click “+” in bottom right after navigating to Keyboard Shorcuts pane in Settings.

2. Next, click Custom Shortcuts and then “+” in pop-up dialog to add new keyboard shortcut. In next pop-up dialog, set:

  • Name: launch task manager.
  • Command: gnome-system-monitor
  • Shortcut: set to Ctrl+Alt+Del

If you installed the “Mission Center” app mentioned above, insert flatpak run io.missioncenter.MissionCenter instead for the Command box, then the keyboard shortcut will launch this app instead.

That’s it. Enjoy!

UPDATE: 2ManDVD discontinued! If you want an alternative DVD authoring tool, try DVD Styler.

Here is a guide to install the 2ManDVD DVD Authoring tool on Ubuntu 13.04, 12.10, 12.04 and Linux Mint via getdeb repository.

2ManDVD is a simple DVD authoring and slideshow tool written in QT. The getdeb repository contains the latest packages for Ubuntu and Linux Mint users.

To install it, press Ctrl+Alt+T to open terminal, and follow the below steps:

1.) Click the link below to download getdeb package and then double-click to install it. It adds the repository to your system.

Download getdeb package

2.) For Linux Mint users, go to Synaptic Package Manager -> Settings -> Repositories -> Other Software Center, scroll down to highlight the line said “http://archive.getdeb.net olivia-getdeb/apps”. Then click Edit:

Linux Mint 13: change from maya to precise-getdeg
Linux Mint 14: change from nadia to quantal-getdeb
Linux Mint 15: change from olivia to raring-getdeb

3.) Update the package lists and install the tool:

sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get install 2mandvd

Enjoy!

This tutorial shows how to install NixNote (formerly NeverNote) on Ubuntu 22.04 and Ubuntu 20.04.

NixNote, previously known as NeverNote is an open-source client for Evernote on Ubuntu Linux. It has following features:

  • Synchronizes with Evernote servers
  • Local data caching
  • Cross platform
  • Local-only and synchronized notebooks supported
  • Database may be encrypted locally

There’s a ppa repository contains the latest packages for Ubuntu and Linux Mint users. To install it, press Ctrl+Alt+T to open terminal, then follow the below steps:

NOTE: Don’t know why, but the PPA so far does NOT support Ubuntu 24.04. Check the PPA web page.

1.) Copy and paste this command, and run. It adds the stable ppa repository to your system:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nixnote/nixnote2-stable

2.) If you’ve installed Synaptic Package Manager, open it and click Reload button to update package lists. Then search for and install nixnote:

or, run this command instead to update package cache and install the software:

sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get install nixnote2

Uninstall Nixnote

To uninstall the app, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command:

sudo apt remove --autoremove nixnote2

Also remove the Ubuntu PPA by running command:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:nixnote/nixnote2-stable

This tutorial shows you how to install the most recent Rubyripper on Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 20.04, and Linux Mint 21.

Rubyripper is a secure audiodisc ripper for Linux and macOS. It uses cdparanoia in a sophisticated way to make sure that a CD rip is done successfully and accurately. It is very similar to and inspired by EAC. Rubyripper is written in the ruby programming language.

Install RubyRipper in Ubuntu via PPA

Besides building the app from source code, there’s an Ubuntu PPA that so far contains the app packages for Ubuntu 23.10, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 20.04, and even Ubuntu 18.04.

1. To add the PPA, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open up a terminal window. Then run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:alex-p/rubyripper

Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it asks and hit Enter to continue.

2. Then, refresh system package cache, though it should be done automatically in current Ubuntu releases.

sudo apt update

3. Finally, run command to install the app from PPA:

sudo apt install rubyripper

Once installed, search for and launch it from either start menu or overview screen depends on your desktop environment, and enjoy!

Uninstall Rubyripper

To uninstall the app package, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command:

sudo apt remove --autoremove rubyripper

Also remove the Ubuntu PPA by running command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:alex-p/rubyripper-daily

Finally refresh cache via sudo apt update command if it’s not done automatically.

How to Install Celtx 2.9.7 on Ubuntu Linux

Last updated: April 24, 2024

UPDATE: Celtx no longer support offline mode. See support.celtx.com

This brief tutorial is going to show you how to properly install Celtx on Ubuntu 13.10 Saucy, 13.04 Raring, 12.10 Quantal, and Linux Mint.

Celtx is the world’s first fully integrated software for Pre-Production and collaboration of film, theatre, radio, AV and comics. It has all the tools media creators need to bring their stories to life while combining intelligent writing and planning tools, storyboarding, and scheduling with internet-friendly technologies. It’s free and open-source.

To get started, click below link to download Celtx 2.9.7:

Celtx-2.9.7 for Linux 32-bit

Celtx-2.9.7 for Linux 64-bit

Press Ctrl+Alt+T to open terminal, then run below commands one by one to extract to /usr/local/:

cd

tar xjf ~/Downloads/Celtx-*.tar.bz2

sudo mv ~/celtx/ /usr/local/

Now create a shortcut launcher for Celtx:

1.) Install required package:

sudo apt-get install gnome-panel --no-install-recommends

2.) Run this command to Create Launcher.

sudo gnome-desktop-item-edit /usr/share/applications/ --create-new

Select icon from /usr/local/celtx/icons/ folder. Type /usr/local/celtx/celtx in command area.

Now search and open celtx in Unity Dash.

Enjoy!

UPDATE 2024: Slidewall has NOT been updated for about 12 years!!

This brief tutorial shows how to install Slidewall on Ubuntu 16.04 via PPA repository.

Slidewall is a free open-source app to make slideshow wallpapers. It’s written in python, that creates Ubuntu-compatible .xml files and also provides a minimal wallpaper changing daemon for gnome 3. It lets you choose single files, entire directories and also filter photos by tag from a given library directory. With it, you can also put a Live Earth wallpaper, or Clock wallpaper on your desktop.

Install Slidewall

The app has an official PPA contains the package for Ubuntu 16.04. To install it, press Ctrl+Alt+T to open terminal, then follow the below steps:

1.) Copy and paste this command and run. It adds the ppa repository to your system:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:fioan89/slidewall

2.) Update package lists to make it available:

sudo apt-get update

3.) Finally install the software:

sudo apt-get install slidewall

Enjoy!

Uninstall Slidewall

To uninstall the app, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command:

sudo apt remove --autoremove slidewall

Also run command to uninstall the PPA repository from your system:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:fioan89/slidewall

This tutorial will show you how to install Variety wallpaper changer on Ubuntu 13.10, 13.04, 12.04 & Linux Mint 13, 14, 15 via ppa repository.

UPDATE 2024: Variety is available in system repository since Ubuntu 16.04! However, some features are NO longer working since the PPA is not being updated any-more.

To try out variety in Ubuntu 24.04, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 18.04, and Ubuntu 16.04, press “Ctrl+Alt+T” to open terminal, then run 2 commands below one by one:

  • First refresh system package cache:
    sudo apt update
  • Then install variety:
    sudo apt install variety

To uninstall the app, use command:

sudo apt remove --autoremove variety

Variety is an automatic wallpaper changer, downloader & manager. It makes easy to create Desktop Wallpaper Slideshows on Ubuntu & Linux Mint.

Variety changes your desktop wallpaper on a regular basis, using user-specified or automatically downloaded images. It has an indicator applet on your panel that allows to easily change wallpapers.

Variety can download wallpapers from wallbase.cc, ns223506.ovh.net, wallpapers.net, flickr.com, imgur.com, deviantart.com, interfacelift.com, vladstudio.com.

To install this software, press Ctrl+Alt+T to open terminal, then follow the below steps:

1.) Copy and paste this command and run in terminal, it add the stable ppa to your system.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:peterlevi/ppa

2.) If you’ve already installed Synaptic Package Manger, open it and click Reload button. Search for and install variety package.

If not, run this command instead:

sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get install variety

Enjoy!

Install Adobe Air on Linux Mint and Ubuntu

Last updated: April 24, 2024

According to this Adobe support page, HARMAN have taken over the development and support for the Adobe AIR SDK, a cross-platform framework used by a wide range of applications and games.

It’s now a free and open-source project, with SDK support for Window, Linux, and macOS, and runtime support for only Windows and macOS.

To download AIR SDK, go to the link page below, accept the term and click download the SDK for Linux:

Then, extract the package, go to bin sub-folder, finally use either adl or adl_linux from terminal (right-click in blank area of that folder and click “Open in Terminal”) to test an AIR application without having to package and install it.

T ocreate an Air native extension, go to this discussion page, try to download and extract the path over the top of the SDK.

for Ubuntu 20 we need to provide a build of curl and to have the runtime know to look for this in the appropriate folder first. Should be able to provide an update for this although with a few other fixes that have gone in to the Linux build just now (crashes when using Worker objects) I’m wondering about creating another release just for the Linux build of the AIR SDK…. we may do a few more bits of real-world testing with applications that folk are sending in…

This tutorial shows you how to install latest Adobe Reader and keep up-to-date on Ubuntu and Linux Mint using canonical partners repository.

Canonical and their partners provide closed source third party software and updates that don’t cost any money in the Canonical Partner repository. Adobe reader (acroread) is one of them.

To enable this repository, search for and open Software & Updates from Unity Dash. Check the boxes at the other software tab.

Then open Synaptic Package Manager (install it in Ubuntu Software Center), click Reload button to update package lists. Search and install acroread package.

Once a new version releases, you can update via Synaptic too.

To set Adobe Reader as default PDF reader in Ubuntu or Linux Mint, right-click on one of your PDF files. In Properties window, choose it and set default.

Enjoy!