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| − | {{info|This article describes the items which must be installed manually after the [[organicdesign-workstation]] package has been installed. Eventually we hope to have all installation and configuration handled by the package. To do this we need to create a script which analyses the system and creates all necessary configuration, this is being developed at the end of this article.}} | + | {{legacy}} |
| − | | + | <br /> |
| − | == Ubuntu 11.10: Oneiric Ocelot ==
| + | [[File:Bad Ubuntu.svg|100px|right]]Ubuntu was an excellent user-friendly operating system based on [[Debian]] GNU/Linux, but has recently started becoming very corporate and playing some dirty corporate tricks like [http://www.fsf.org/blogs/rms/ubuntu-spyware-what-to-do installing spyware] and preventing users from having control over what's installed and what's not. We've been using Debian on our servers, but were using Ubuntu on our desktops, but have changed over to [[Linux Mint]] now. For servers Debian is definitely preferable unless you're running software that has been compiled for a specific Ubuntu release, because [https://utcc.utoronto.ca/~cks/space/blog/linux/DebianVsUbuntuForUs Debian is far better maintained] even though the release cycle is not regular. |
| − | The latest release of Ubuntu which came out in October 2011, brings further improvements to the new Unity desktop shell, specifically the "dash" view and the software centre. However hardware support is still poor in some areas and some annoying usability problems persist, such as very poor multi-monitor support. Overall, there is a disturbing trend toward less configuration options and a dumbing-down of the system settings centre. Where is the option to change the position of the launcher bar, for instance? Why remove the option to change whether the laptop screen dims on battery power in the power applet?
| + | <div style="clear:both"></div> |
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| − | For more in-depth analysis of the changes in Ubuntu 11.10, see this (mostly positive) [review on Arstechnica http://arstechnica.com/open-source/reviews/2011/10/desktop-dreams-ubuntu-1110-reviewed.ars/1].
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| − | == Dell specific ==
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| − | Most of our laptops are Dell's because they're a very Linux friendly manufacturer. Dell maintain their own repository of kernel modules (such as those needed for modems to work etc) and other specific configuration. So add it to your sources.list by appending the following (change ''hardy'' to what ever you're distro of Ubuntu is such as ''gutsy'', ''intrepid'' or ''jaunty'').
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| − | {{code|<pre>
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| − | deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/dell-team/ubuntu jaunty main
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| − | deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/dell-team/ubuntu jaunty main
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| − | </pre>}}
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| − | | |
| − | Then update and upgrade as usual,
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| − | {{code|<pre>
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| − | apt-get update
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| − | apt-get upgrade
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| − | </pre>}}
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| − | | |
| − | === Dell modems ===
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| − | I found Dell ''dgc'' modems to install easily with the driver from Dell, eg [http://linux.dell.com/files/ubuntu/hardy/modem-drivers/dgc/dgcmodem_1.04_i386.deb dgcmodem_1.04_i386.deb]. But the other popular Conexant modem they use is ''hsf'' and I found that wouldn't compile on many Dell laptop models.
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| − | I was able to get an ''hsf'' modem to work at 14.4Kbps using the free driver from ''Linuxant''. I had downloaded the ''deb'' version of the [http://www.linuxant.com/drivers/hsf/full/downloads.php#generic generic packages with source], for example [http://www.linuxant.com/drivers/hsf/full/archive/hsfmodem-7.80.02.01full/hsfmodem_7.80.02.01full_i386.deb.zip hsfmodem_7.80.02.01full_i386.deb]. After I installed it with '''dpkg -i''' it gave no errors, but still it would fail to detect a modem from the ''gnome ppp'', but I then ran '''hsfconfig''' which compiled successfully and then asked questions about area code etc which it had not been able to do before. After this process, the auto-detection of the modem succeeded from ''gnome ppp''.
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| − | '''Note:''' It's best to run through '''pppconfig''' from ''root'' and fill in the ISP details so that all the files are already set up before trying to connect from ''gnome ppp'' because it doesn't have permission to write to the ppp configuration files itself.
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| − | | |
| − | '''Note II:''' You can fix this permissions issue by setting permissions manually as follows: | |
| − | {{code|<pre>
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| − | chmod 777 /etc/ppp/chap-secrets
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| − | chmod 777 /etc/ppp/pap-secrets
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| − | chmod 777 /etc/ppp/peers
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| − | chmod 777 /etc/ppp/peers/*
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| − | </pre>}}
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| − | | |
| − | == Ubuntu Tweak ==
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| − | Remember "TweakUI" for fatware? Well this is the Ubuntu equivalent, gives easy access to all the internal OS and application settings and defaults.
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| − | {{code|<pre>
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| − | echo "deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/tualatrix/ubuntu jaunty main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list
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| − | echo "deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/tualatrix/ubuntu jaunty main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list
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| − | apt-get update
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| − | apt-get install ubuntu-tweak
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| − | </pre>}}
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| − | | |
| − | == Flash ==
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| − | There can be a number of different problems with flash installation and operation in Firefox under Ubuntu, but most issues can be dealt with by installing the [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/161939/ FLASH-AID] plugin which checks for the correct versions of flash components for your architecture and browser version. If version problems are found, FLASH-AID will build and run a script to uninstall incorrect components and install the correct ones.
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| − | | |
| − | == DVD Ripping ==
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| − | We use [http://exit1.org/dvdrip dvd::rip], install it from the ''add/remove'' menu, then see [[Rip a DVD]] for usage details. I think some of the things installed for DVD reading above are required for the ripping to work properly. Note that currently our procedure only allows the ''xvid4'' codec for the encoded result, ''divx'' is not working for us yet.
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| − | | |
| − | == Adobe Acrobat Reader ==
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| − | The default [http://projects.gnome.org/evince/ evince document viewer] that comes with Ubuntu is very good, but it doesn't handle some of the more sophisticated aspects of PDF document handling such as editable forms. To do these things currently still requires the Adobe package which can be installed from the [http://www.medibuntu.org/ Medibuntu] repository.
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| − | {{code|<pre>
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| − | echo deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ jaunty free non-free >> /etc/apt/sources.list
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| − | apt-get update
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| − | apt-get install acroread
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| − | </pre>}}
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| − | | |
| − | == Windows Emulator (Wine) ==
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| − | The windows emulator allows practically seamless integration of native windows applications into the Linux desktop environment. Internet Explorer is more difficult to set up in it than other applications due to its tight integration with the windows internal components, but a package is available allowing easy installation of multiple simultaneous Internet Explorer versions (see [http://www.tatanka.com.br/ies4linux/page/Installation:Ubuntu Installation on Ubuntu]).
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| − | Below is a screenshot of my local laptop running Ubuntu. As you can see all the open windows are integrated naturally into the normal desktop environment but some of them are windows applications and some native Linux ones. The top browser window is Internet Explorer 6 running in windows emulation, but the bottom one is Ubuntu's Firefox. Music is playing from the Windows emulated Winamp in the top right, and the middle application is a Windows-only family tree program. I was able to drop a folder of music directly into the Winamp window to play it, and all file paths and open/save dialogue boxes can navigate the entire Linux directory tree just like a native application behaves.
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| − | | |
| − | == Chromium Browser ==
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| − | From ''root'' do the following:
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| − | {{code|<pre>
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| − | echo "deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/chromium-daily/ppa/ubuntu karmic main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list
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| − | echo "deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/chromium-daily/ppa/ubuntu karmic main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list
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| − | apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com 0xfbef0d696de1c72ba5a835fe5a9bf3bb4e5e17b5
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| − | apt-get update
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| − | sudo apt-get install chromium-browser
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| − | </pre>}}
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| − | | |
| − | == Package Script ==
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| − | This manual post-install needs to be converted into an automatic script which can then be added to the [[organicdesign-workstation]] package. There will need to be an overall configuration file such as ''/etc/organicdesign/organicdesign.conf'' which determines the main parameters such as what the associated server is etc.
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| − | | |
| − | == Dual Monitor issues ==
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| − | One problem that often comes up with dual monitor setup in Ubuntu (persisting as of 11.04) is that there's nothing in the interface allowing the user to define which is the primary monitor having the panels with the launcher and notification icons etc.
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| − | | |
| − | But the monitors applet is actually just a graphical interface over the powerful [[w:RandR|xrandr]] utility. This tool can also be used to set the resolution - even custom resolutions, as for example shown in [[HDMI to DVI problem]]. The changes made with ''xrandr'' occur in real-time without any need to log out or restart anything to see the effects.
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| − | | |
| − | As an example, when I plugged a second monitor into my laptops HDMI port it automatically changed to an extended desktop setup, but the panels were all on the laptop screen. To move them across to the external monitor involves first querying ''xrandr'' to see what the current monitor names are:
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| − | {{code|<pre>
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| − | Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 3286 x 1080, maximum 8192 x 8192
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| − | LVDS1 connected 1366x768+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 293mm x 165mm
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| − | 1366x768 60.0*+
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| − | 1360x768 59.8 60.0
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| − | 1024x768 60.0
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| − | 800x600 60.3 56.2
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| − | 640x480 59.9
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| − | VGA1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
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| − | HDMI1 connected 1920x1080+1366+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 531mm x 299mm
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| − | 1920x1080 60.0*+
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| − | 1280x1024 75.0 60.0
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| − | 1152x864 75.0
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| − | 1024x768 75.1 60.0
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| − | 800x600 75.0 60.3
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| − | 640x480 75.0 60.0
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| − | 720x400 70.1
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| − | DP1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
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| − | </pre>}} | |
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| − | | |
| − | From this we see that the external monitor is named HDMI1, so we can now make it primary as follows:
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| − | {{code|<pre>
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| − | xrandr --output HDMI1 --primary
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| − | </pre>}}
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| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | And voila, straight away, the panels shift across to the other screen :-)
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| | | | |
| | == See also == | | == See also == |
| | + | *[[Install a new desktop]] ''- our procedure for what to install and configure on a local workstation after the bare OS is installed'' |
| | *[[Wikipedia:Ubuntu]] | | *[[Wikipedia:Ubuntu]] |
| − | *[[Ubuntu workshop]]
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| | *[http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/installingsoftware#lastresorts Overview of various ways to install software on Ubuntu] | | *[http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/installingsoftware#lastresorts Overview of various ways to install software on Ubuntu] |
| | *[https://help.ubuntu.com/community/CompilingEasyHowTo How to compile programs on Ubuntu] | | *[https://help.ubuntu.com/community/CompilingEasyHowTo How to compile programs on Ubuntu] |
| | *[http://wubi-installer.org/ Wubi] ''- install Ubuntu into an existing Windows environment without affecting boot loader'' | | *[http://wubi-installer.org/ Wubi] ''- install Ubuntu into an existing Windows environment without affecting boot loader'' |
| − | *[[Apple wireless keyboard on Linux]] | + | *[https://www.system76.com/home/ System76] ''- Laptops pre-installed with Ubuntu'' |
| − | *[[Transmission]]
| + | *[https://www.zdnet.com/article/secure-to-the-core-iot-ubuntu-core-linux-20-released/ Ubuntu Core 20] ''- Ubuntu's latest IoT OS update is a security-first approach'' |
| − | *[[Migrate from Windows XP to Ubuntu]]
| + | [[Category:Linux]] |
| − | *[http://news.softpedia.com/news/How-to-Fix-VirtualBox-USB-Support-111715.shtml How to fix VirtualBox USB support] | |
| − | [[Category:Linux]][[Category:Installation]] | |
