Ubuntu Tutorials

I would like to congratulate the KDE Community on the final release of the 4.4.0 series! KDE has very much improved in the 4.x series, and I am becoming more and more of a fan. It provides a very clean, polished interface and well implemented desktop integration. From the release announcement:

Major new technologies have been introduced, including social networking and online collaboration features, a new netbook-oriented interface and infrastructural innovations such as the KAuth authentication framework. According to KDE’s bug-tracking system, 7293 bugs have been fixed and 1433 new feature requests were implemented.

You can find the full release announcement here.

Some of the new features and improvements available in the 4.4.x series are:

• Plasma Netbook debuts in 4.4.0. Plasma Netbook is an alternative interface to the Plasma Desktop, specifically designed for ergonomic use on netbooks and smaller notebooks.
• The Social Desktop initiative brings improvements to the Community widget (formerly known as Social Desktop widget), allowing users to send messages and find friends right from within the widget.
• The new tabbing feature in KWin allows the user to group windows together in a tabbed interface, making the handling of large numbers of applications easier and more efficient.
• Much, much more…!

I’m sure many of us will be looking forward to this latest software compilation in the upcoming Ubuntu release. Congratulations!

As I mentioned a few days back in my article regarding Installing Dropbox on Kubuntu, I’ve been tinkering with KDE recently and I am enjoying my time with it. I know I’ve written in the past regarding some frustrations with KDE, but I have to admit that many of my frustrations have gone away as the KDE 4.x series has matured. Again, if you haven’t tried KDE in a while I would invite you to do so.

In this article I will outline how to activate the kubuntu-ppa (Personal Package Archive), which will allow you to install the latest KDE packages. These instructions are specific to the KDE 4.4 RC (Release Candidate) packages, which are offered for feedback and testing. If you would like to try the latest that Kubuntu has to offer (even potentially unstable), you’ll want to continue reading.

Requirements

In order to download and install the latest KDE packages you’ll need to configure and activate the Kubuntu PPA. This is a Personal Package Archive, hosted on Launchpad, which is maintained by the Kubuntu Developers, and allows for staging and testing new packages. To activate the repository, run the command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kubuntu-ppa/beta

The Kubuntu PPA, particularly the RC packages, should now be configured and activated on your machine. You’ll still need to refresh your repository and install the updates, which I will cover next.

Installing KDE RC Packages

There are two approaches we can take to installing these packages. The first is for people who are already running Kubuntu (KDE) and want to simply update their installed packages to those offered in the RC repository.

To upgrade your existing installation to KDE 4.x RC, run the following two commands:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade


The second method is for people interested in trying KDE 4.x RC who do not have KDE installed currently.

To install KDE 4.x RC packages, use the following:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop

I consider the KDE 4.x series to be very mature at this point, with a plethora of features and effects. I think the KDE Team has done a great job on improving the Linux Desktop over the past few years, and I continue to enjoy my time using it. I continue to use GNOME as well, but KDE 4.x has rebuilt the bridges that previous experiences had burned.

I am interested in hearing what you think about these RC packages, and how stable you find them to be. Do you enjoy being on the bleeding edge? If you run into problems, you might try looking for support in our Forum.

I recently installed Kubuntu 9.10 to have a look at the latest that KDE has to offer in the Ubuntu arena. I have to say, I find it very polished and far less buggy than previous releases that I’ve used! If you haven’t tried KDE recently, I invite you to give it a try. In this article I’ll outline how to install Dropbox on KDE (Kubuntu) without using the packages, or requiring the GNOME dependencies that are required for Nautilus integration.

Installation

Because we’ll be installing Dropbox manually, outside of the package management system, the first thing you’ll need to do is download the binary for your running architecture. I’ve included direct download links to the 32bit and 64bit releases below:

• 32bit Dropbox Linux Client
• 64bit Dropbox Linux Client

After you’ve downloaded the .tar.gz file, unpack it and move its contents to your home folder. Assuming your default Download location is your ~/Downloads folder, do the following to unpack and move the dropbox files:

tar xf dropbox-lnx*.tar.gz

mv .dropbox-dist/ ~/

Lastly, assuming you want Dropbox to autostart when you login, you’ll want to create a symlink to your Autostart folder. You can do this using the command:

ln -s ~/.dropbox-dist/dropdoxd ~/.kde/Autostart/

Launch Dropbox

At this point you can either logout and log back in to have Dropbox launch, or manually launch by issuing the command:

~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd

You should be prompted to enter your account information, and you’re set!

Getting Dropbox

If you don’t have a Dropbox account, I’d invite you to check it out. It’s a very, very useful tool for sharing files and doing off-site backups. If the program is still in place, you’ll get a 250M storage bonus for using this link.

As you’re probably aware, Ubuntu 9.10 was released on Oct 29th, 2009. The best way to download these new images is by way of bittorrent.
Whether you are looking for the latest LiveCD, Server installation or Netbook Remix, we’ve got your torrents here. See the list below to find
your preferred image and start downloading! Please remember to seed once you’re finished, at least 2:1.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu 9.10 Alternate (text-based) 32bit Torrent

Ubuntu 9.10 Alternate (text-based) 64bit Torrent

Ubuntu 9.10 Desktop (LiveCD) 32bit Torrent

Ubuntu 9.10 Desktop (LiveCD) 64bit Torrent

Ubuntu 9.10 Netbook Remix 32bit Torrent

Ubuntu 9.10 Moblin Remix 32bit Torrent

Kubuntu

Kubuntu 9.10 Alternate (text-based) 32bit Torrent

Kubuntu 9.10 Alternate (text-based) 64bit Torrent

Kubuntu 9.10 Desktop (LiveCD) 32bit Torrent

Kubuntu 9.10 Desktop (LiveCD) 64bit Torrent

Kubuntu 9.10 Netbook Remix 32bit Torrent

Xubuntu

Xubuntu 9.10 Alternate (text-based) 32bit Torrent

Xubuntu 9.10 Alternate (text-based) 64bit Torrent

Xubuntu 9.10 Desktop (LiveCD) 32bit Torrent

Xubuntu 9.10 Desktop (LiveCD) 64bit Torrent

Ubuntu Studio

Ubuntu Studio 9.10 Alternate (text-based) 32bit Torrent

Ubuntu Studio 9.10 Alternate (text-based) 64bit Torrent

Ubuntu Server

Ubuntu 9.10 Server 32bit Torrent

Ubuntu 9.10 Server 64bit Torrent

Mythbuntu

Mythbuntu 9.10 Desktop 32bit Torrent

Mythbuntu 9.10 Desktop 64bit Torrent

Edubuntu

Edubuntu 9.10 DVD 32bit Torrent

Edubuntu 9.10 DVD 64bit Torrent

If I missed any, please let me know and I’ll add them. I’d like this list to be a definitive list of all available 9.10 torrents!

UPDATE: This article has been updated for clarity and to include user feedback. Install Dropbox on Kubuntu KDE (Without Nautilus).

I have been using Dropbox for quite some time now and I really like it. It is cross platform, meaning it works on my Linux machines (at home and at work) and also my OS X machines. It is a very, very simple way to synchronize files between machines.

Recently I switched to KDE 4.2.2 and have since missed Dropbox, as it is primarily designed for use with GNOME’s Nautilus file browser. I found a quick tutorial outlining how to use Dropbox on KDE, and wanted to pass it along.

• Download the 32bit Dropbox Linux client or 64bit Dropbox Linux client.
• Extract the contents (.dropbox-dist directory) to your home folder.
• Run ~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd.

The first time you run Dropbox you’ll go through a short configuration wizard. Simply enter your existing Dropbox account information and you’re set.

If you don’t have an existing Dropbox account, but would like to check it out, do so here.

If you’d like Dropbox to launch automagically at login simply create a symlink from your home folder to your .kde4/Autostart directory:

ln -s ~/.dropbox-dist/dropdoxd ~/.kde4/Autostart/


Rinse and repeat on any of your machines and you’ll be synching files in no time!

update: I realize the formatting for this post is a bit screwed up.  If anyone has any tips on fixing it I’d appreciate it.  It looks fine in the editor view, but when I publish it everything gets screwy.

Today’s tip is a Gnome Desktop tweak that may be new to some of you.  Did you know you can activate a weather applet as part of your desktop clock?  You can also add locations around the globe, which can be a great way to keep track of day and night for all of your international buddies .

Activating the Weather Applet

To activate the Weather Applet right-click on the desktop clock in the top-right of your screen and select “Preferences”.

Select the “Locations” tab, and “Add” a location.

You’ll need to find your location around the globe within the list.

Once you’ve selected your location you can also change your weather preferences on the “Weather” tab.

Now you can enjoy weather at a glance, or quickly see the time around the globe for multiple locations!

With all the hoopla and excitement today in regards to KDE 4.0 release I thought I would publish some instructions on installation for those that want to try it out. There is a KDE 4.0 LiveCD available if you’d like to “try before you buy”, and this tutorial will install KDE 4.0 alongside your current installation so you should still be able to revert if you run into problems.

This tutorial is based on Ubuntu Geeks KDE 4.0 guide and the KDE 4.0 guide at Kubuntu.org.

Installing KDE 4.0

First of all we need to update the repository sources list to pull these new KDE 4.0 packages from the kubuntu team PPA (Personal Package Archive). We do that by editing the /etc/apt/sources.list file:

sudo vim /etc/apt/sources.list

You’ll want to then append this line:

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/kubuntu-members-kde4/ubuntu gutsy main

(The above should be on one line.) We’re now ready to install the KDE 4.0 packages:

sudo aptitude update
sudo aptitude install kde4-core

Removing Previous KDE 4.0 Releases

note: do make sure you remove any previous KDE 4.0 installations you may have been playing with. The previous packages can have conflicts with this newer release from the PPA.

To remove previous KDE 4.0 packages, use the command:

sudo aptitude remove kdelibs5 kde4base-data kde4libs-data

You can now launch your newly added KDE 4.0 environment from the login manager by selecting KDE 4. Enjoy!

Not long ago I blogged about using KDE again to help squash bugs and expand my Kubuntu desktop knowlege. Well, turns out apparently a few people actually read that post and it was pointed out to me here at UDS that I was not currently using it..

So, being reminded of my promise I have reinstalled with Kubuntu 7.10 and will try to use this for the life of 7.10, until 8.04. Why do I have a feeling this is going to be a long 6 months?

After posting my previous tutorial on Manually Installing Firefox I noticed that the Katapult Launcher in Kubuntu was not aware of my newly installed application. Apparently you need to refresh Katapult before it’ll see the changes. For those of you that use Katapult this little trick might be handy.. and for those of you that don’t use Katapult you’re really missing out. This is one of the apps that I really like in KDE that gnome doesn’t really have.

Refreshing the Katapult Launcher

Refreshing Katapult to be aware of newly installed applications can be done in just a few quick steps:

1. Hit “Alt-Space” to bring up the Katapult Launcher
2. Hit “Ctrl-C” and select “Configure Katapult
3. Click “Save” without making any changes

Your newly installed applications will now be launchable from within Katapult. Katapult ftw!

Well I am a bit pleasantly surprised to say that I’m very much enjoying my time in KDE right now. There are some bugs, as is to be expected, but for the most part I’m continuing to be very productive and I’m learning a lot. I think some of you were right to mention that perhaps I should until the final release. There have been about a dozen bugs that I’ve submitted for Kubuntu 7.10 beta, but on the bright side hopefully many of those will be squished by final.

I have installed Kubuntu 7.04 inside VirtualBox (expect VirtualBox tutorials very soon!). Kubuntu 7.04 seems a little more polished but, again, I’m blaming the beta status of 7.10 for the “issues”.

The few things that I still miss are:

• Tomboy. I’ve tried KNotes and Basket but the one is too light and the other too heavy. Tomboy seemed just right.
• System Monitor Applet. I tried the applet in KDE but I didn’t think it was as well organized or easy-to-read.

Thanks again to all the continued comments in relation to a shift to KDE. I appreciate all the feedback and its making my experience a better one. Hopefully all of your contributions will make for some good KDE specific tutorials soon.