I Made The Switch

I recently made the switch. No! Not to Windows 7 !!!!
I switched to Mint.
I have been using Ubuntu since Edgy and became a full time Linux user since Feisty.
As good as it is, I needed a change. Not so much a full distro change but more of a look and feel change.

I had some help with this decision. I was trying out ReneL's new multi-boot DVD which contains Mint (Both Gnome and KDE) along with all the Ubuntu versions, SysRescue and TinyCore.
In case you haven't been following the comments in my blogs and missed it, you can get the torrent from here;
http://www.mininova.org/tor/2837481

I will also be posting a new article about it and hope to put up some RS links to it.
Now about Mint.
After I installed it I realized that the look was very different. Instead of 2 task bars, there was only one. And that was at the bottom of the screen. I know I said I wanted a new look and feel but I'm so accustomed to having the task bar on top I switched its position.

The install and updates along with additional software installs took about 2 hours.
And thanks to Linux keeping all your personal files in the Home directory along with the ability to have your Home folder loaded into it's own partition, my documents, bookmarks and email were all ready and waiting for me.

So now I will be using Mint until I tire of it and switch to another distro.
But I still have my back up computer that currently has Vector Linux on it that I also use.
I enjoy variety and thankfully Linux provides me with plenty of choices.
Maybe I will just have to set up a multi-boot on my back up computer and install TinyCore next to Vector just for the fun of it.

BTW..... As with all the Debian distros, Streamtuner also needed to be patched for the Shoutcast bug. Mint may look different but it still has it's roots in Debian.

Until next time.

TaZMAn

Backup Your Gnome Settings With yourgnome

yourgnome is a small easy to use script that lets you backup and restore your Gnome settings quickly. Note that it does not backup the actual installed software, rather the Gnome settings that took so painstakingly long to tweak.

Used in conjunction with the software list backup script found elsewhere on my blog, you can quickly restore a new install to the way you previously had it.

Some of the items that yourgnome backsup are as follows;
All your themes, backgrounds you use settings, gnome-panel settings, bluetooth-manager settings, evolution settings, file-roller settings, gnome-screensaver settings, gnome-session settings, gnome-terminal settings, gnome-volume-control settings, metacity & compiz settings, update-manager & notifier settings, totem settings, network configuration set by Gnome, screenlets and much more!

It processes all the settings then creates a tar.gz package that you can tuck safely away until you need it for yourgnome to restore the settings.

You can check out and download yourgnome from the developers page found here;
yourgnome
http://code.google.com/p/yourgnome/

Again, I must thank Rok for telling me about this great script.

Enjoy!

TaZMAn

Naultilus Scripts The Power Of The Right Click

Nautilus scripts are a collection of bash scripts that add a load of useful commands to your right click menu.
It's meant to be used in the Gnome Desktop manager. Sorry KDE users.

So how do you get these scripts? Simple. Go to this page and grab the package that interests you.
From a single script to the whole collection. That decision is up to you.
Get Nautilus Scripts
http://g-scripts.sourceforge.net/

Now open up your Home folder and click on the View button in the tool bar. Select show hidden files. Now browse your Home folder and look for the .gnome2 folder. Now look for the folder named nautilus-scripts and open it.
Extract the Nautilus archive you downloaded into this folder. NOTE!: The archive extracts the scripts into a folder named nautilus-scripts. This will create a double layered entry so copy the scripts from within the extracted folder and paste them into the original nautilus-scripts folder then delete the nautilus-scripts folder that was created when you extracted the files.
Example of what you will have;
.gnome2/nautilus-scripts/nautilus-scripts/'FOLDERS WITH SCRIPTS'
What you want is this;
.gnome2/nautilus-scripts/'FOLDERS WITH SCRIPTS'
Now select a file and right click on it and check the properties. Make sure the file is executable.
Close the folder and reboot Nautilus or the computer.

Now when you are back up and running you can right click on a file, folder or even the Desktop and from the menu you will see an entry called Scripts.
Move your cursor to it and from the flyout menu you will see several folder entries that are named for what they can do.
Open a folder and you will see the collection of scripts. Click on one to make it work.
If it doesn't work, check the file properties and make sure it's executable.

The list of scripts in the complete package is extensive but some of the useful ones include Root-Nautilus Here, Scale Images, Convert PNG to JPG, Convert JPG to PNG, CHMOD, RPM Tools, Set As Wallpaper and about 140 more!

Also, if you grab the Split Rar script from one of my earlier blog entries and put it in the nautilus-scripts folder it will be available from the right click menu.

Enjoy!

TaZMAn

Use Any Desktop Manager In Ubuntu

So many people say the want to install Kubuntu or Xubuntu because they don't like the Gnome interface in Ubuntu.
So they go and download the iso, burn it and reinstall the O.S.
Whoa!!!
No need to do that.

You can install the KDE or XFCE desktop manager from within Ubuntu.
Then during boot up you click on Session and choose which desktop you want to use.
When you make the choice, the boot manager will ask if you want to make this your default manager.
Say yes and you will always boot into the desktop manager of choice.

So how do I download these manager's?
Easy. Open up the Synaptic Package Manager and do a search for KDE if you want the Kubuntu style of desktop or search for XFCE to grab the Xubuntu version.
Hey! Grab both and you will now have all 3 Ubuntu versions all on one computer!

You can check out how they look by going to their web sites.

KDE Screenshots Link

XFCE Screenshots Link

And if you want a bonus desktop manager you might want to take a look at Sun's Looking Glass project. Has many features similar to Compiz pertaining to the 3d manipulation of files.

You can find it here;
Looking Glass Link

You can view their video showing it's features. But be forewarned! It's Sun Boring Corporate idea of a video. It doesn't get good until 2:05.
Or you can view the embedded video I provided below from Xtreme Tech.
Near the end of the video they say that Looking Glass is not available at this time.
That's due to the age of this video. It is available from Sun's site.



So there you go!
You can now have 1, 2, 3 or even 4 different desktop managers all in one package.
Something a certain software company could only wish they could do.
LOL!!

TaZMAn