Month: April 2011

If you like the Cosmos background slideshow in Ubuntu 10.04, there is a way to create your own. It is called Create Background Slideshow (CreBS). It is not in the Ubuntu repositories, but I think they should add it. You have to install it from a PPA.

It is actually pretty simple, just type the following in the terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:crebs/ppa

Then you need to update your software list, just type the following in the terminal:

sudo apt-get update

And finally install crebs, just type the following in the terminal:

sudo apt-get install crebs

To run the program go to System > Preferences > Create Background Slideshow.

Use the plus sign to add wallpaper to the slideshow. I suggested putting the ones you want to use in a special folder. I also suggest you use pictures that are the correct dimensions for your desktop.

You can control how often they switch and how fast they transition. You can customize length and style as well. Don’t forget to give it a name.

Once this is done, you just right click on your desktop and select Change Desktop Background. Select the slideshow you created. And that’s it. Enjoy.

For more information about crebs go to:
http://www.obfuscatepenguin.net/crebs/

Now that the beta version of Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) is out, I took it for a test spin. Unity didn’t even load because I don’t have 3D graphics. I was hoping that it would so I could give it a spin. However I did discover that it is pretty easy to switch back to the Gnome desktop. You do this while logging in.

On the right you will see the login page. On the bottom there is a scroll bar that lets you select Ubuntu Classic. In the Alpha version it was called Ubuntu Classic Edition. This will take you to the usual two panel Gnome desktop that you are used to.

There are currently a ton of bugs in this beta version. I had a number of crashes, so I don’t recommend installing it on your system. Maybe its just me, but there seems to be more bugs that usual.

Now I should warn you that the top panel acted differently than it normally did, at lease in the beta version. If you open a file the title bar appears in the panel (that’s the File > Edit > View > Search, etc. Just right click and remove it from the desktop. You will also notice that the usual Applications > Places > System is missing (at least in the beta version). You can add that by right clicking, choose Add to Panel, and select Menu bar: a custom menu.

Oh ya, you will want to remove the menu bar that is provided.

 

I updated to Firefox 4 about a week ago using a PPA. Since that time is has frozen  at least a dozen times. Out of complete frustration I decided to install Google Chrome. It can be found in the Ubuntu Software Center under  google-chrome-stable. I have now switched to Chrome as my main browser. It just runs better and doesn’t freeze. It even has a sync feature built in. There is only one Firefox add-on I miss, the video downloader plug-in. But Google is now buying it so maybe it will appear in the app center.

If you don’t have Google Chrome in your repository, you can download it directly at:
http://www.google.com/chrome?platform=linux