Full Circle THE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE FOR THE UBUNTU LINUX COMMUNITY
UBUNTU 11.10 and UNITY SPECIAL EDITION
UBUNTUUBUNTU 11.1011.10 andand UNITYUNITY
Full Circle Magazine is neither affiliated, with nor endorsed by, Canonical Ltd. How-To Full Circle How-To THE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE FOR THE UBUNTU COMMUNITY
Testing for Unity Support p.06 Editorial p.01 Tweak the Unity Desktop p.08 Installing dconf-editor p.08 Change the Icon Theme p.08 Whitelist for Notifications p.08 Update the Ocelot p.07 Unity Overview p.01 Use the Right Terms p.05 Create a Desktop Shortcut p.09 One Conf Sync p.07 Bring Back File Search p.09 Enable Third Party Sources p.07 Disable 'For Download' p.09 Additional Drivers p.07 Add Places as Quicklists p.10 11.10 Feature List p.02 Opinion p.17 Disable Overlay Scrollbars p.10 Stop Zeitgeist Logging p.11 Bypass Software Centre p.11 Security in 11.10 p.14 Hide Mounted Drives p.11 Add Users to Groups p.14 Configuring Unity p.03 Unity and HUD p.18 Get More AppIndicators p.11 Fix 'Untrusted Packages' p.15 Fallback to Gnome Panels p.12 Disable Guest Login p.16 Change LightDM Greeter p.13 Home Folder Encryption p.16 Gnome Compositing Fix p.13 Explore the Unity Dash p.04 Revew: Simplify Your Life p.20 Reset Unity To Defaults p.13
The articles contained in this magazine are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. This means you can adapt, copy, distribute and transmit the articles but only under the following conditions: you must attribute the work to the original author in some way (at least a name, email or URL) and to this magazine by name ('Full Circle Magazine') and the URL www.fullcirclemagazine.org (but not attribute the article(s) in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you must distribute the resulting work under the same, similar or a compatible license. Full Circle Magazine is entirely independent of Canonical, the sponsor of Ubuntu projects and the views and opinions in the magazine should in no way be assumed to have Canonical endorsement. EDITORIALEDITORIAL // OVERVIEWOVERVIEW OFOF 11.1011.10 andand UNITYUNITY Robin Catling What's the Plan? release of the Unity desktop This magazine created with: omething of an unusual across netbooks, desktops, and Special Edition this time, it his edition is intended as an laptops, alike. Sreally is special in that little all-round introduction to the of this material has appeared in TUbuntu 11.10 and Unity Full Circle Magazine before. combo. I've written and posted Our on-going Specials are much in the past on working with compilations of popular article the alternatives to Unity; in this series published in prior editions edition, we'll take a look at what of Full Circle. For this one, we're makes it unique, along with some out on a limb, running new of the tools and tips you can use articles, albeit on some familiar to ease into Unity without going topics we've touched on, for for the whole body-shop-and-chop example in the Q and A section radical re-build. Be aware that Foundation technology beneath, of the magazine. some of the settings and tools From this... (Ubuntu Netbook Re-mix) Canonical, Ubuntu's distributor, we're playing here with can break has made the decision to go with This is also the first not overseen your Unity desktop. “Unity is a shell for GNOME, even if its own distinctive user interface. by our esteemed Editor, Mr it isn't GNOME-Shell. We're As you'll see when we look at the Tucker. You are now at the mercy 11.10 to Unity committed to the principles and future and the HUD, it's not of the demented genius usually values of GNOME. ” finished yet. in charge (if you can call it that) Unity first appeared in 2010 in the of the Full Circle Podcast. original Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook -Mark Shuttleworth, Edition, a re-spin which Ubuntu Founder While that show is enjoying its attempted, much like Sugar OS Winter break, try not to be too and others, to provide a simplified, Ubuntu 11.10 marks the full alarmed by the random mind of friendlier interface on the commitment to Unity in place of the man who brought you smaller, vertically challenged alternative layouts; GNOME-2 is Mallard Man and Northern Star displays of the first generation history, the radical GNOME-Shell is Trek. netbooks. For many people, these an acquired taste and alternatives Normal service will be resumed were the first computers they had such as KDE, Xfce and others are shortly. Enjoy. ever owned. only slowly gaining ground. ...to this (Ubuntu 11.10) Robin Catling Ubuntu 11.04 was the official Even though there is GNOME
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 1 contents ^ UBUNTUUBUNTU 11.1011.10 FEATUREFEATURE LISTLIST
from the Update Manager; your Feature List graphical user interfaces (GUIs) settings, files and bookmarks will on computers) stay the same. It works. Mostly. For the desktop edition: ● Unity improvements and bug I will qualify that statement as the ● Linux Kernel 2.6.40 (since fixing over 11.04 in-place upgrade worked updated to 3.0.0) flawlessly on three of the four ● Unity usability, accessibility, laptops, a mixed bag of old and ● GNOME-3, but with Unity in automated and stress testing – new. Back up your data and place of Gnome Shell so it is now much more robust settings before you begin. ● GTK 3 (GTK+, or the GIMP ● Mozilla Thunderbird as the The Unity launcher and dash are Toolkit, is a multi-platform default mail client Release the Ocelot! distinctive features in this release; toolkit for creating graphical defaulting to Unity 3-D with a user interfaces) ● Déja Dup application for backup tasks The latest version of Ubuntu, fallback to Unity 2-D. There is no ● LightDM as default login 11.10, eccentrically codenamed GNOME desktop installed in this version. You can of course, opt to manager ● Utilities for building localized 'Oneiric Ocelot', was released on CDs October 13, 2011. go Kubuntu (KDE) or Xubuntu (Xfce) as your desktop of choice. ● X.org 1.10 (the X Window ● Backports package selection What's new? System, often referred to Will it work with my merely as X, is a complete, was integrated into the UI hardware? cross-platform and free client- You can see the list of new ● Improvements to Software features on the right. There's server system for managing Among the FAQs, this is answered Center's Reviews and Ratings more detail on the official Ubuntu functions website, or you can take the with: “Ubuntu 11.10 is built to take advantage of the very latest snazzy visual tour. You can ● Improved Multi-arch (allows 32- technologies, but it should work download the latest builds in bit applications to run in 64-bit) desktop or server edition, 32-bit on most desktops, laptops and or 64-bit, directly from the Ubuntu netbooks too.” Although this fails ● Python updated to version 2.7 Download page. to point out the need for a 3-D and 3.2 hardware accelerated video card You can follow the same upgrade for Unity 3-D. ● New artwork. process as normal. Simply upgrade
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 2 contents ^ CONFIGURINGCONFIGURING UNITYUNITY ININ UBUNTUUBUNTU 11.1011.10
without you. That means filing Scopes and Lenses bugs, proposing new use cases with mock ups, and of course: ince the 11.04 release, Unity running the defaults throughout has moved from the idea of your day.” – ppetraki, 11/22/2011 S“Places” to a richer set of “Scopes and Lenses.” Scopes are None of which actually answers data sources, able to tap into any the question. on-line or off-line data, encom- passing a set of filters and some Well, you could try elsewhere on standard interfaces that can Ask Ubuntu, where there are generate categorized results for a indexes for both 11.10 and 11.04 search. Lenses are various ways to versions. present the data that come from Scopes. For the hardware-challenged user ou may be a little disappoin- desktops, but as soon as you use needing to configure Unity 2D, Ubuntu intends for Scopes to have ted with this one, since it is Compiz Config Settings Manager you have a separate index. a range of filtering options, such as ratings, “show me all the 5 star Yreally about how little you (CCSM), you have basically opted Most of the answers listed there apps in the Software Center can configure; indeed, how little out of Unity's future. The bugs you involve the use of Compiz Config please,” and categories “…that Canonical, the company behind report will not matter since you're Settings Manager, dconf-editor or are games or media related”. Ubuntu, wants you to configure not running the defaults, and any some elements of Ubuntu Tweak. Unity. input you may have will be skewed There's more about lenses over Be aware that many of these can You'll find various opinions on this by the customized user experience the page. break your system and render it subject, the most telling at Ask you've devised.” unusable. What they still don't do Ubuntu, a generally excellent So there! Yah-boo sucks! If you is open up many features of knowledge-base, where a Join Full Circle on: want to change it, you're not part Unity's behavior since, well, spokesperson for the Unity ● Google Plus of the future. There is an attempt Canonical just doesn't trust you to development team is to be a little more conciliatory mess with them. ● Facebook uncharacteristically blunt: however: ● Twitter It's Open Source, Jim, but not as we “I understand that people want ● Linkedin “Making a new desktop is know it! the freedom to tweak their challenging, and we can't do it ● Ubuntu forums
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 3 contents ^ EXPLOREEXPLORE THETHE UNITYUNITY DASHDASH
t's a shameless steal from 1. Click on the Ubuntu logo to Jorge Castro's The Power get to your apps, programs IUser's Guide to Unity, which has and shortcuts. links to all manner of useful Unity 2. Look for apps and programs stuff over there. by typing into the search box. One such is the link to the 3. Filter results by app or file Ubuntu.com 'What's New' look at type. the Unity Dash, with a rather splendid 8-point guide to finding 4. Access your apps, emails, your way around the Dash. pictures, music and more, fast. “When you click on the Ubuntu 5. The launcher will be disabled logo in the top-left corner of the when you’re in the Dash. launcher, the new Dash will 6. Find apps by category, fast. appear. It’s another simple way to get to your shortcuts and search 7. Superkey shortcut: tap the for other applications and Superkey to reveal the Dash. programs. So you can get fast 8. Press escape on your access to your email, music, keyboard at any time to leave pictures and much more. And you the Dash. can search by type of app or file with our new filters menu.”
Life Through a Lens “It is a graphical interface for a There's a shorter answer: party lenses you can install to task, it is also linked in with the “Lenses are elements of the Unity enhance your Unity experience; t's another item of new dash for search results. For check out the post on Ask Ubuntu terminology that we're going to Dash that provide a UI to search example when clicking the both the web and application for examples and installation Isee more often in Unity: what is application lens it shows the apps instructions, but bear in mind data.” a Lens? in a nice, slick interface, with other these are third party developed Our faithful guide to all things results for like apps to download We've shown the illustration of and not from Canonical, so install Unity, Jorge Castro, provides this and most frequent apps.” the Music lens on this page. at your own risk and expect the definition: There's already a stack of third- occasional glitch.
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 4 contents ^ USEUSE THETHE RIGHTRIGHT TERMSTERMS FORFOR UNITYUNITY ELEMENTSELEMENTS
o many people have been ● Developers will find code in the asking just what is the right dbusmenu functionality Sterminology for Ubuntu referring to “pinning_item.” Unity's UI elements that Jorge Castro and Murat Gunes have ● There's no such thing as a jointly put together a post on Ask “sticky” anywhere in the Wiki Ubuntu, which I'm happy to or bug reports. paraphrase, since I didn't know what to call things, either! ● “Favorites” is used in the architecture document once; Here goes... elsewhere you find ambiguous ● The bar at the top is called a references to “pinned” “panel” application items. So “pinned” and “favorites” are in use now. ● The Ubuntu logo in the top left corner has a name. It's called If you take a look at the screen the “home button”, though it's shot, center, you will see certain jokingly referred to as the BFB appear when you click the /Unity/Lenses on the Wiki. elements labeled according to this by developers: “Big Freaking home button (the Ubuntu logo key: Button” or “BFB”, above), the “Places Other Terms 1. Window Title tile” or the “Apps tile”, are ALL The menu is referred to as the ● The left sidebar is NOT called a called a “Dash” Application Menu, not global 2. Application Menu 'dock.' It's called the Launcher. menu. This is to distinguish it from ● “Dash” is the component name the other global menu project. 3. Dash icon ● The colored tiles in the for the overlay that's used for 4. Launcher icons Launcher with the icons on Applications and Places. In Pinning Things Down them are called “Launcher context you can call the latter 5. Workspace switcher icons” or “Launcher items” the Applications Dash and the There seems to be no agreed Places Dash. single name for items kept on the 6. Launcher ● The purple tile is called the launcher via the “Keep in “workspace switcher” For further information, see the launcher” function: 7. Trash Unity Architecture document, and 8. Indicators ● The full-screen fly-outs that
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 5 contents ^ HOW-TOHOW-TO TestTest ForFor UnityUnity GraphicsGraphics SupportSupport
nity 2-D or Unity 3-D? Fear, don't have to install first). In a uncertainty and doubt terminal - yes, it's a good ol' Uprevail, as more users command line utility - run: wonder if the Unity desktop is dramatically raising the minimum /usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test graphics hardware requirements. p Here's what I get on my trusty The honest answer from Canonical Nvidia Go7300 mobile card: is no, Unity tries to take advantage of features that have been robin@d6400:~$ specified or released many years /usr/lib/nux/unity_support_t ago. What they can't tell you is est p how many of those supported OpenGL vendor string: features you have in your ancient NVIDIA Corporation box under your desk. OpenGL renderer string: GeForce Go 7300/PCI/SSE2 Canonical has tested Unity on a variety of legacy hardware to OpenGL version string: 2.1.2 NVIDIA 280.13 identify the minimum specs Looks like it's Unity 2-D for me! required for Unity, making Not software rendered: yes reasonable assumptions that Not blacklisted: no The differences between Unity newer hardware from AMD, Intel GLX fbconfig: yes 2-D and Unity 3-D are almost and NVidia will be more capable FC Notifier Update GLX texture from pixmap: yes entirely aesthetic. Unity 2-D than the ones in the test rig. Tests disables 3-D effects, shadows, The Full Circle Notifier is GL npot or rect textures: yes are aimed at establishing system window-snapping and some of the still at 1.0.2, but the PPA has been stability, as well as responsiveness GL vertex program: yes fancy animations effects of Unity updated for Oneiric. FCN is a small and graphics rendering GL fragment program: yes 3-D. application that sits in your system tray and will announce performance. GL vertex buffer object: yes The core functions and issue/podcast releases, and can be There is a standard test that you GL framebuffer object: yes components of the desktop set to download them too! For can run on any bit of kit - even GL version is 1.4+: yes environment remain the same. more info, see the FCN Google running a Ubuntu Live CD, so you Unity 3D supported: no Group: http://goo.gl/4Ob4
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 6 contents ^ HOW-TOHOW-TO UpdateUpdate thethe OcelotOcelot
Update Manager so you can have the same working (Re-) Enable Third-Party Additional Drivers in environment wherever you use Sources owever recent a build you Ubuntu. To activate it, open the Ubuntu 11.10 Ubuntu Software Centre and, ou may find after upgrading install, be sure to update o my wireless card failed to from the File menu, choose Sync that the 11.10 installer has HUbuntu at the earliest work after the clean install between computers. You will need disabled some of your third- opportunity. It is a credit to the Y of Ubuntu 11.10 on the net- to create a Software Center party repositories listed in S Open Source community that book. Consulting the forums, I patches and security updates are Account, but this is no more Software Centre. onerous than UbuntuOne and has struggled to get the firmware applied on a continual and ad-hoc Where you have added developers the benefit of profiling and installed; that is, I failed. basis. While no computer PPA's (Personal Package Archives) storing your software set-up via software is ever guaranteed and other third-party sources, you Then I stepped back and consid- Canonical's cloud storage. complete security, you can enjoy should check in Software Center ered: run the Additional Drivers the benefits of a well-supported You'll no longer have to remember that they still have check marks search first (go to System distribution. which programs to install when enabling them, otherwise you'll Settings > Hardware > Additional you get access to another Ubuntu get no more automatic updates Drivers)! You have only to launch the instance; but you will need Root from them. Update Manager and click on privileges for it to synchronise. This pulled up the appropriate 'Check Now' to invoke the update There may be a good reason why Broadcom drivers without my process manually. Ubuntu has disabled them; check having to manually tease out the the distribution version and firmware. It was all working again Also, don't forget the update any older package sources inside 2 minutes. ‘PowerMenu’ (the top-right to match Oneiric or 11.10. cog-wheel icon contains an You should check the exact Note to self - go for the simple, entry for 'Software up to archive name and update the out-of-the-box solutions first, Date' or 'Updates Available.' sources line for the new version. before you go for hard labor. One Conf Sync You should also then run a How or why the installer missed OneConf is a new feature sudo aptget update the wireless adapter, I don't claim of the Software Centre. It to understand – importantly it in a terminal to make sure the keeps a list of all your worked from a boot-up using the package list for those sources is installed applications in 11.10 Live CD, ergo, the hardware refreshed. has to be compatible! sync across multiple computers, One Conf account creation
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 7 contents ^ HOW-TOHOW-TO TweakTweak thethe UnityUnity DesktopDesktop
mong the first things you'll Installing dconf-editor White List Applications want to do is restore some Search on dconf-editor in the lost functionality now that any of your old familiar A Software Center or manually pull Appearance Properties has been programs no longer show it in via the command line using: dropped in Ubuntu 11.10 and the Mup in the new “indicator” System Settings doesn't support sudo aptget install dconf area; unless you fool it. Some changing the icon theme! tools systray icons for QT-based programs such as Skype and VLC The Gnome Tweak-UI Tool has This is one of those power tools are automatically converted into dependencies on some Gnome that will bring the house down if indicators by sni-qt. Wine, Java, Shell-related libraries which makes you're careless. Containing a scp-dbus-service and the Update- installing and running under Unity wealth of settings, it's not always notifier are white-listed by messy. a mine of information, but then Ubuntu, but you can white-list all dconf-editor wasn't designed as an applications. Instead, I'm trying dconf-editor (a end-user tool. In the right pane, below each group of values, you In dconf-editor, navigate to part of dconf-tools) as a tool to Set icon themes in adjust Ubuntu configuration dconf-editor will get some description of how it desktop > unity > panel settings. I'm still asking why I need applies; even then, you have to ● Select Org, Gnome, Desktop, And to get the equivalent of the resort to an extra utility to know the possible range of values, Interface Systray in the Notification Area for perform a simple task such as such as the exact name of the icon set with spelling, case and all applications, change the changing an icon theme!! ● Enter the name of your desired punctuation. Use with caution. default list to [‘all’]. Or you can icon theme into the value field Changing the icon theme in Dconf- add program names individually, “icon-theme”. Type carefully editor (a graphical editor and part in single-quotes, comma- and remember this is case- of the dconf-tools meta-meta- separated, for example 'Wine', sensitive package) is simple enough: 'Skype' etc. ● If you don't know the exact To reset, use the default reset list; ● Launch dconf-editor from a name of your icon theme, the value is shown in the editor command line, search in the navigate to /usr/share/icons itself ['JavaEmbeddedFrame', Dash or using the alt-f2 run line where you can copy the Folder 'Wine', 'scp-dbus-service', 'Update- using names of the icon sets you notifier'] or click on “Set to default”. dconfeditor have installed. White-listing using dconf-editor
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 8 contents ^ HOW-TO: TWEAK THE UNITY DESKTOP Create a Desktop This one doesn't always work if invoked from the 'run' line opened Shortcut by the Alt-f2 key combination.
hanks to the changes The New Launcher window opens effected by the adoption of for you to create the launcher TGNOME-3 and the Unity command. interface, adding a desktop shortcut to Ubuntu 11.10 is no The new shortcut will now appear longer easy. The old right-click on on your desktop as soon as you the desktop, selecting "Create save it. You need to specify the Launcher" no longer works. executable name, which has to be in an executable path, in order for However, having some extra icons GNOME-Shell underneath Unity to for your most frequently used run it. programs right there on your desktop may eliminate some of that darting around the Unity Dash. Here's how. Disable 'For Download' of favorite programs I already installed, thank you. You can create a custom launcher in the Unity Dash on the desktop, by invoking the In Ubuntu 11.10, this “Applications Create Launcher dialog using the Bring Back GNOME- nother 'Marmite' design for Download” section in the Dash terminal command: Search choice (you'll love it or hate can be disabled. Ait, indifference is not an gnomedesktopitemedit y most useful utility is option) in the Ubuntu Unity Dash; In the dconf-editor (see previous createnew ~/Desktop the faithful GNOME- head for Applications and an page), navigate to desktop > Unity MSearch tool. With this you entire chunk of the Dash is taken > Lenses > Applications and can search for any files in any or up with “Applications for uncheck the ‘display-available- all locations. It's more powerful Download” with a selection taken apps’ box, which is enabled by than the basic search in the Unity from the Ubuntu Software Center. default. Dash, able to add multiple lines of search criteria. It would be a great idea if it ever You will get a whole line of extra suggested anything useful (to me, space in the Dash from the next You can pin this in Unity's anyway), but instead it just eats up time you login. Launcher, but I've also created a space in the Dash I could use for desktop short-cut as per our other things. Like seeing the stack article on page 10.
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 9 contents ^ HOW-TO: TWEAK THE UNITY DESKTOP TargetEnvironment=Unity ● Miss that, then it disappears Add Places as Quick- gedit [Pictures Shortcut Group] ~/.local/share/applications/n and I've got to mouse about to Name=Pictures get it to appear again lists in Unity autilushome.desktop Exec=nautilus Pictures You can safely replace the TargetEnvironment=Unity ● I can only hot-spot on the contents of the file with the text [Downloads Shortcut Group] colored portion of the below: Name=Downloads Exec=nautilus Downloads scrollbar, so much narrower [Desktop Entry] TargetEnvironment=Unity than the traditional scrollbar. Name=Home Folder Comment=Open your personal Save the file. In theory, overlay scrollbars are a folder Restart Unity. Opening a terminal brilliant space saver. In practice, TryExec=nautilus to run unity --replace they are an insane idea that drives Exec=nautilus nodesktop me crazy AND drives a coach and Icon=userhome is unsafe in my 11.10 instances as horses through common-sense Terminal=false Unity hangs so badly, so I log out accessibility! uick-lists in various desktop StartupNotify=true and log back in to restart Unity. Qenvironments are equally Type=Application Here's how to disable the overlay regarded as a compromise Categories=GNOME;GTK;Core; Disable Overlay scrollbars in Ubuntu 11.10 if you of standards as they are usability OnlyShowIn=GNOME;Unity; can handle the following or ergonomic aids. XGNOMEBugzilla Scrollbars commands: Bugzilla=GNOME Quick-lists are not included as a XGNOMEBugzilla ver since they sudo su standard feature in Ubuntu 11.10. Product=nautilus arrived in the test echo "export However, you can add your XGNOMEBugzilla versions of 11.04, LIBOVERLAY_SCROLLBAR=0" > Component=general E profile's Places as Quick-lists. I've hated the new /etc/X11/Xsession.d/80overlay XUbuntuGettext scrollbars First, copy the current 'Home Domain=nautilus Overlay Scrollbars in Folder' launcher file to your home XAyatanaDesktop Ubuntu. Then restart your x-server (re- directory. The quickest and Shortcuts=Videos;Documents;Mu boot if you don't trust the easiest way is through the sic;Pictures;Downloads Yes, it may save on- command line again). command line - in a terminal, [Videos Shortcut Group] screen real estate BUT: Name=Videos If this solution doesn't work, you (Unity Shortcut Ctrl+Alt+T) you Exec=nautilus Videos ● I've now got a much smaller can alternatively remove the can copy-paste the following: TargetEnvironment=Unity target to hit just to get the overlay scrollbars packages which cp [Documents Shortcut Group] overlay control to appear will eradicate all trace of them (so /usr/share/applications/nauti Name=Documents any other users of your machine lushome.desktop Exec=nautilus Documents ● I have to move the mouse again will lose them permanently too): ~/.local/share/applications TargetEnvironment=Unity most times to get the pointer [Music Shortcut Group] onto the sweet spot to drag sudo aptget remove overlay Edit this using a text editor, for Name=Music scrollbar liboverlay example, Gedit: Exec=nautilus Music scrollbar0.10
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 10 contents ^ HOW-TO: TWEAK THE UNITY DESKTOP Stop Zeitgeist little more control. Bypass Software Center Remove Mounted Displaying Everything in to Force Package External Drives and You can use the 'Files' tab to Installs Partitions from the the Dash blacklist the folders where you keep private files. Launcher ometimes, Ubuntu Software eitgeist is the event logging Center won't let you install tool built into Ubuntu; it You can also completely disable f you find your Launcher bar Zeitgeist by unchecking the Ssome program or other, cluttered with every external provides the engine for Z displaying the error: “The much of the user search 'Logging active' button at the Idevice and mounted partition, package is of bad quality.” capabilities and results for things bottom; this will blackout all file you can stop Unity displaying searches in the Dash, so the first them there with one more like the Dash. You may think it's a While this may be true and sound method, blacklisting only certain terminal command: marvel or the biggest source of advice, this doesn't help when the folders or applications, may be of embarrassment, depending on package in question belongs to more benefit. This application will gsettings set who's looking over your shoulder. one of your indispensable also clear the Zeitgeist history com.canonical.Unity.Devices programs. devicesoption "Never" Activity Log Manager for and, by extension, the Dash Zeitgeist is available through the history along with it. You can bypass Software Center Software Center and provides a and force the install of a .deb package in two ways.
The first is using DPKG, another command line option taking the format:
sudo dpkg i PACKAGENAME.deb
The second option is to resort to the Gdebi package installer, which You could also get the Ejecter is a stand-alone graphical front- AppIndicator which sits in your end to install packages without all Notification area. of Software Center's checks. Get More AppIndicators Both will still complain if you have There is a huge list of further unsatisfied package AppIndicators available over on dependencies, so they are not Ask Ubuntu, which just goes to 'get out of jail free' cards. show how utility will override design intentions any day!
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 11 contents ^ HOW-TO: TWEAK THE UNITY DESKTOP Browse your ‘usr/share/themes/' updates for the packages from The critical change in operation is Fallback to Gnome folder and see what you've got Jason's PPA. The best way is via the ALT and right-click that contains 'panel' and .png; for the terminal. We'll cover this Panels combination for making changes example: Ambience/gtk- another time. to panels. It's an accessibility- ou're still not getting on 2.0/apps/img/panel.png’ busting key plus mouse with Unity desktop in Update the Software Center, then Yeveryday use, Xfce has a install ‘Indicator-applet-complete’. few quirks and Kubuntu is still a culture shift too far. Via the terminal you can alternatively install using: You could drop back to the look sudo addaptrepository and feel of GNOME-2! Panels and ppa:jconti/gnome3 menus are fast and lightweight and do just what's needed. They sudo aptget update are also easy to achieve thanks to sudo aptget install a couple of small package installs, indicatorapplet indicator which give me the desktop shown. appletcomplete indicator appletsession Firstly, install the package ‘gnome-fallback-session’ from the (Note this pulls in dependent Ubuntu Software Center. This one packages) package does the hard work. To complete the set-up: Log out of your desktop back to the LightDM login manager and ● Alt+right-click on the top panel choose ‘GNOME Classic (No ● Choose ‘Add Applets’ Effects)’ session from the session combination, but that's what Add Ubuntu indicators drop-list. Hit the cogwheel next to fallback has to work with: ● Add ‘Indicator Applet your user name to choose it There's a PPA by developer Jason Complete’ before you log in. ● Alt+right-click on the top panel Conti containing a compatible indicators applet; add it using the Customize This opens a classic 2-panel ● choose ‘Properties’ line ‘ppa:jconti/gnome3‘ under desktop, in a GNOME-2 'stylee'. To add, remove and move panel ● select the ‘background’ tab your Software Sources. You can change the Panel items is very easy, GNOME-2 style: backgrounds (or not) to suit ● select background image and You may want to get the public ALT+right-click on a panel or item yourself. click the button key for this PPA now if you want to add, move or edit it. Software Center to install future
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 12 contents ^ HOW-TO: TWEAK THE UNITY DESKTOP Change the LightDM do make sure you get the correct, Classic Gnome Panel Fix for Compiz Compositing absolute path to the file name Greeter Background (with extension), for example: y default, the GNOME Classic Session grates with Compiz compositing in Ubuntu 11.10, for a less-than perfect ightDM login manager is /home/robin/Pictures/ Bperfromance. The fix is to edit the gnome-classic.session much more useful and saas_fee_bg.jpg configuration file. The fastest way is via the terminal: Lvisually pleasing than the old GDM login, albeit with a fixed Needless to say, your choice of gksu gedit /usr/share/gnomesession/sessions/gnome background wallpaper at present. wallpaper needs to be accessible classic.session Fairly soon, you will have the on a local file-system that is Amend the line: option for the LightDM login already mounted when LightDM manager to automatically pick up loads. RequiredProviders=windowmanager;notifications; the default wallpaper for any username highlighted at the login Save the file, log out to the by removing notifications; from the end of the line: selection screen. LightDM greeter and see your glorious wallpaper! RequiredProviders=windowmanager; In the meantime, you can set the wallpaper to pretty much Sadly the overlaid grid of dots Save the file, log out and you can log back into Gnome Fallback using anything you want using another isn't removable until 12.04. the ‘GNOME Classic’ option instead of ‘GNOME Classic (No effects)’. magic setting in one of the LightDM configuration files. This Reset Unity To Default applies in Ubuntu 11.10 and 12.04. Settings
You will have to launch a text fter tweaking Unity using editor with root privileges from tools such as Compiz or the terminal (or via the run box AUbuntu Tweak, you can find using Alt+F2) yourself with problems or find that something no longer works. gksu gedit /etc/lightdm/unity Caveat emptor... greeter.conf Unity settings can be 'reset', Look down the settings until you though. It's another terminal find the line beginning command: background= unity reset Change the background filename That's a space and two dashes in to anything you want to use, but the reset option.
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 13 contents ^ HOW-TOHOW-TO SecuritySecurity InIn 11.1011.10
Canonical, you just made a large Add Users to Groups in robin@D6400:~$ groupmod Ubuntu 11.10 number of us resort to a command line. Again. How 'very Linux'. adm dip lpadmin sudo lp Anyway, back in the geek ghetto, admin disk mail robin sys let's move on... audio fax man root syslog Open a Terminal (Ctrl-Alt-T avahi floppy messagebus rtkit tape keyboard shortcut). The command avahiautoipdfuse mlocate sambashare tty to list all existing groups on your system is: backup games netdev saned users bin gnats news sasl utempter groupmod bluetooth irc nogroup scanner utmp mongst the mixed bag of but press the TAB KEY 3 TIMES, cdrom kmem nopasswdloginshadow uucp not Enter; 'features' in Ubuntu 11.10 colord libuuid operator src video Ais the lack of a proper user and group admin tool. We had one The command to add an existing crontab lightdm plugdev ssh voice in 11.04, you could do anything user to an existing group follows daemon list proxy sslcert wwwdata the format: with user and group permissions dialout pulseaccess pulse staff from a graphical interface. Easy. sudo usermod a G GROUPNAME This is a list of the current groups on my system. USERNAME Come 11.10, that goes away and To verify success, run the Oh! It turns out there is... all you can do is add or remove Replace
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 14 contents ^ HOW TO: SECURITY IN 11.10 Software Sources Public Key Errors Fix 'Untrusted Packages' Error in Ubuntu 11.10 Results of an apt-get update run on my 11.10 system recently:
f you've added PPAs (Personal Fetched 632 B in 1s (430 B/s) Package Archives) to your Reading package lists... Done Isoftware sources in Ubuntu, you may find you get an error W: GPG error: http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release: The when you try to run updates in the following signatures couldn't be verified because the public Update Manager: key is not available: NO_PUBKEY 52A794126E3AB2D3
‘Requires installation of untrusted To fix this, get the public key W: GPG error: http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release: The packages’ value, import it into your list of following signatures couldn't be verified because the public software sources, then re-verify key is not available: NO_PUBKEY 8771ADB0816950D8 This is typically owing to missing those sources. GPG keys for those PPAs so that Update Manager can't verify those To install the missing public keys, run the command for each missing key, replacing my example with your updates. It will simply refuse to key value: install those updates. It is easy to sudo aptkey adv recvkey keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com 52A794126E3AB2D3 fix. You should get a result looking something like this: Open a Terminal session and run the command robin@D6400:~$ sudo aptkey adv recvkey keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com 52A794126E3AB2D3 Executing: gpg ignoretimeconflict nooptions nodefaultkeyring secretkeyring sudo aptget update /tmp/tmp.xoyVBC269z trustdbname /etc/apt/trustdb.gpg keyring /etc/apt/trusted.gpg primarykeyring /etc/apt/trusted.gpg recvkey keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com The PPAs that are being refused 52A794126E3AB2D3 will show up having no public key gpg: requesting key 6E3AB2D3 from hkp server keyserver.ubuntu.com Take note (perhaps copy and gpg: key 6E3AB2D3: public key "Launchpad Recent Notifications" imported paste from the terminal using shift-control-C to copy) those 16- gpg: Total number processed: 1 digit hexadecimal key numbers gpg: imported: 1 (RSA: 1) appearing after ‘NO_PUBKEY’. You can then use the update those PPAs for updates: Update Manager should now run command below to verify your to completion without this error. software sources list, approving sudo aptget update
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 15 contents ^ HOW TO: SECURITY IN 11.10 On first login, you will be If you don't choose this option add the line 'allow-guest=false' in Disable Guest Login prompted for an encryption during Ubuntu 11.10 installation, the manner of: passphrase to your private home you can easily do it later by f you're sociable and you like folder. You may as well allow the installing ecryptfs-utils, which is having guests in your house, or [SeatDefaults] greetersession=unitygreeter encrypt-fs software to generate in the Ubuntu Software Center or Iindeed, logged onto your usersession=ubuntu your pass phrase, it will generate a by running the terminal command computer, skip over this. If you allowguest=false strong pass phrase consisting of have a need to lock out casual at least 32 uppercase and sudo aptget install visitors to your machine, then Save the document. lowercase letters, numbers, white ecryptfsutils you'll want to ditch the guest login that came by default with LightDM needs a restart, or you Ubuntu 11.10. can use a terminal command
sudo restart lightdm
which will return to your login screen where the guest account is disabled. Save and close anything else that's running first!
If you're still using GDM (which was the default in previous 'Guest' became a default on the Ubuntu releases), it's a package login list with the LightDM login removal, you have to uninstall manager in 11.10 and I just want gdm-guest-session. to take it out of the login list. Home Folder Encryption This is easy enough if you're using the default LightDM in Ubuntu ow paranoid are you about spaces and special characters. After installing this package you 11.10. Edit the LightDM theft or the sensitivity of should be able to select “Encrypt configuration file Hyour personal and business Unlike ordinary passwords you will Home Folder” from the right-click /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf, data? You may want to consider never enter it directly yourself; it menu in Nautilus. The command with root privilege: encrypting your Home folder. generates a 128-bit (16 character) hash key. Store this in a safe and sudo ecryptfsmigratehome u sudo gedit The Ubuntu 11.10 installer, offers secure place, it is the key to USERNAME /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf to securely encrypt the Home recovering the data from your will encrypt the home folder for folder; put the check in the box Home folder if you ever have to In the section SeatDefaults and the specified username. for this during the install. manually recover.
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 16 contents ^ OPINION:OPINION: WHYWHY THETHE LONGLONG FACE?FACE? Robin Catling
s has been expressed in What Ubuntu Linux has dared to With it's tight development back at the Canonical Mother- Full Circle in the past, do is to break away from the deadlines, Ubuntu 11.10 became a Ship. Athere is no such thing as an hotch-potch of all that technology scramble to shoehorn in as much Let's see if we can't steer a middle inherently intuitive computer and do things a little differently, in new code as possible so as not to path, stay on the road and get interface. We all draw on the a new way, reaching out to new jeopardize the stability of the there with a little more comfort. iconography and experience of users. Unfortunately that has left Long Term Support coming in the technology we use in our daily some in the established base a 12.04 with GNOME-3 and Unity Shock of the New lives. little at sea, as some of those 'old front and center. ways of doing' were accumulated Is it more a case of human If we are lucky enough to live in a over the last thirty years of effort; For all the things that have been resistance to change? Let's face it developed economy that includes even some of the new people added, others have been taken we all get set in our ways and the televisions, phones, ticket think that Unity departs from away. Few will miss the nitro- challenge is to embrace new machines, elevators, even bus what some might call 'common glycerine-in-a-deb-package that things, new concepts and new stops; not to mention all those standards.' Whatever those are. was Computer Janitor, able to methods. other computers badged by fruit- blow the house down with one based marketers and some outfit So we arrive at Ubuntu 11.10, with mouse click. However, things we Since the sky hasn't fallen in, why with wobbly architecture (that's its distinctive and controversial are missing include some of the don't we look forward to the next what you get when you have a life interface. Controversial if you're theming options we had under the phase of innovation? without walls, apparently). one of the Linux in-crowd for now departed GNOME-2. Image: Tom's Window Manager by Liberal Classic/Wikipedia whom all this is deadly serious. More serious is the lack of the full New users don't seem all that tools for user account admin, bothered. Just give them a CD of driving veterans and newcomers Ubuntu and let them get on with alike back to a command-line it. interface. Robin Catling is a freelance What the 11.10 release represents And for all 11.10's sophistication, project manager, performer, is the turn taken at the cross- some have felt the need to carry writer, sports coach and all-round roads, on an accelerating journey, over old tools or develop new eccentric. His blog is the Catling using a vehicle that, truthfully, is ones to make up this shortfall; Mindswipe. You can follow his being bolted together along the Compiz Config Settings Manager, Twitterfeed @robincatling. way. MyUnity, Unity Tweak and others, Culture-vultures can also go to which hasn't always pleased those Everything Express. How we used to live...
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 17 contents ^ THETHE FUTURE:FUTURE: UNITYUNITY andand HUDHUD
ay hello to the Head Up pretty fast to read since they Display, or HUD, which are generally arranged in tight “Swill ultimately replace vertical columns menus in Unity applications.” They also have some disadvan- Thus Mark Shuttleworth, the tages: Chairman of Canonical, announced ● when they get the next development of the Unity nested, navig- interface at the ating the tree start of the can become year. The HUD fragile is intended to apply the Unity ● They require Dash search you to read a method to any lot when you HUD suggesting sites in Firefox Unity- HUD on Unity in Ubuntu probably compliant 12.04 (YouTube demo) already know application. what you want Mark makes a we are focusing our design In a post full of good case: exploration. ● they are more difficult to use enthusiasm for “ As a means of invoking from the keyboard than they “Menus serve should be, since they generally re-modeling two purposes. commands, menus have some the Graphical HUD in Unity controlling Banshee advantages. require you to remember They act as a User Interface: something special (hot-keys) or standard way to ● they are always in the same “...it’s a way for use a very limited subset of the invoke commands which are too place (top of the window or you to express your intent and keyboard (arrow navigation) infrequently used to warrant... a screen) have the application respond toolbar button, and they serve as ● they force developers to make appropriately. We think of it as a map of the app’s functionality..., ● they are organized in a way often arbitrary choices about 'beyond interface', it’s the that one can scan to get a feel for that’s quite easy to describe the menu tree (“should 'intenterface'... 'intent-driven ‘what the app does’. It’t command over the phone, or in a text Preferences be in Edit or in interface...'” invocation that we think can be book (“click the Edit-> Tools or in Options?”) and then; improved upon, and that’s where Preferences menu”), they are
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 18 contents ^ THE FUTURE: UNITY and HUD ● they force users to make Discovery, or 'discoverability' is equally arbitrary effort to another area of concern, along memorize and navigate that with the vocabulary of the user tree. ” which has to coincide with the lexicon in the HUD before it offers The current prototype is a any programs or commands. If the 'vocabulary UI', or VUI, intended to HUD can search on application be closer to the way users think; descriptions and categories too, you think of an action or an object then it may well work better. in the application - the menu tree is no longer important. What’s However, HUD is going to have to critical in this model is the be some mindreader to help you efficient matching of what the find commands when you don’t user says and the commands know what you’re looking for. offered up. How do you discover menu items that you don’t know they exist? A It’s supposedly a smart interface, HUD in Unity with Inkscape nested menus new user might open a menu, employing fuzzy matching to pick “When you’ve been select Edit, look at the selection up synonyms and it can learn your beyond the standard usual work patterns so it can user complaints in its using it for a little “Terrible. Who looks while it seems like Find/Replace/… and there’s an prioritize the things you use often; own patrician way, at a GUI and says, item they've never seen before. Microsoft is still it’s reading your 'You know what this “When you’ve been using it for a struggling for mind, in a good way.” needs? More Quite how this is going to work for little while it seems like it’s equilibrium with the typing'.” Asian language territories with reading your mind, in a good way.” Ribbon interface, which still typing issues has yet to be seen. Glad you added that last, Mark. Certainly, when you're in an confuses millions with its ever- application with hands on the changing clutter of icons HUD is currently a first cut You should first of all take a look keyboard in a typing position Canonical is going the other way already, the HUD will be very prototype available for the 12.04 at the demonstration video to see Alpha release and, if you're brave, HUD in action. Some of it, such as by removing ALL the chrome, convenient, but mousing around, menus, and 'clutter' from your say, chasing links on a website, or you can install it in 11.04. It is controlling the Banshee music entirely dependent on Unity 3-D player, looks very slick already. desktop. It will work with any tool palettes in GIMP, Inkscape, or application that can use the Unity Scribus? The clunking Inkscape overlays and transparency effects, however, so without these, you User interface changes can be a global menu, which includes most example in the video 'wiping away won't even see it, much less be poisoned chalice. Unity isn't GTK and Qt Programs. nested menus' perversely only able to try it. universally liked by all Ubuntu Not surprisingly, HUD is meeting a illustrates the obstacles HUD has users (restrain yourselves!). While mixed response. For example: yet to overcome. See the HUD demo on YouTube Apple tends to push through any
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 19 contents ^ REVIEWREVIEW Unity:Unity: SimplifySimplify YourYour LifeLife (e-book)(e-book)
provided by the Ubuntu music, view photo's and so on, all Appendix C, 'The Future' is the Vancouver LoCo team remains a illustrated in the context of Unity. look forward (or 'there's more valuable Unity resource. With jelly tomorrow, trust us') for the general chapters such as 'Unity in Now, some of these are very skeptics like me who pick holes in 15 Minutes' and 'Unity. How It All specific to individual applications - the current release of Unity. Fits Together', you also get using Firefox and LibreOffice - detailed breakdowns such as others, such as 'Find Your Files' There's a Unity Keyboard 'Personalizing the Launcher', and searching from the Dash, Shortcuts quick reference in 'Using the Dash' and introductions right back in the specifics of Unity. Appendix D that we could all find to Unity concepts such as 'What is You could argue that the general valuable. a Lens?' material belongs somewhere else and that they should have While this is a PDF e-book which is This is a 98-page e-book and the confined the book to Unity fully searchable, it's good to have first fifty pages do an excellent operation only, but I'm prepared a proper index in the back anyway. job of explaining the Unity to go with the Vancouver team's There are plenty of internal links interface with annotated screen- approach that this is primarily a to cross-reference different shots. It is all thoughtfully book for the newcomer; the old sections, the annotated screen- presented in plain language, with hands can pick and choose the shots are clear, with just enough illustrations, which are always his e-book in PDF format plenty of whitespace on the pages sections they want. giving it a clear, uncluttered relevant to the point. begins with some common There's a nod to the inquisitive, computer user issues, layout. The Vancouver LoCo T (Pritpaul Bains with editors newcomers and veterans alike, in It's no small undertaking to before declaring: Charlene Tessier and Randall Ross) Appendix A which describes some produce something of this quality clearly know about publishing. of the underlying components of so congratulations to Vancouver “Ubuntu 11.04's Unity interface LoCo team. wants to turn these scenarios into the Ubuntu Unity release: GNOME problems of the past. Unity's However, the next section is more desktop, Compiz rendering, foremost goal is to get you of a general 'using Ubuntu' guide, Zeitgeist event logger. I have a Simplicity. Elegance. Speed. under the slightly grandiose slight issue in that the Responsiveness. It's all here.” heading 'Unity. For Your Life.' This 'Customizing Unity' section is back goes through all the common here in Appendix B when surely it Unity: Simplify Your Life is Although this is still the Ubuntu tasks a new Ubuntu user will want ought to be a main chapter? available from Unity 11.04 edition, the user guide to perform: surf the Internet, play http://ubuntuone.com/p/1AAB/
full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 20 contents ^ Full Circle Team HOWHOW TOTO CONTRIBUTECONTRIBUTE Editor - Ronnie Tucker [email protected] Webmaster - Rob Kerfia [email protected] We are always looking for new articles to include in Full Circle. For article Comms Mgr - Robert Clipsham guidelines, ideas, and for issue translation, please see our wiki: [email protected] http://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuMagazine Podcast - Robin Catling [email protected] Please email your articles to: [email protected] Editing & Proofreading Mike Kennedy Lucas Westermann If you would like to submit news , email it to: [email protected] Gord Campbell
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full circle magazine: ubuntu 11.10 and unity 21 contents ^