Jay On Linux

Although I don’t mind the Gnome desktop, I use Windows 10 all day at work. So I would prefer to have a similar work flow at home.

My favorite Windows-like Linux distribution, and the one I recommend for newbies to Linux, is Linux Mint with its Cinnamon Desktop environment. I think it is second to none.

So I decided to install the Cinnamon Desktop on my main Ubuntu 20.04 system. It is easy to do. Just open a terminal and paste in this command:

sudo apt install cinnamon-desktop-environment

It will take a while to install. After it is the installation is complete, restart your system.

On the log in screen you have to change the desktop session to Cinnamon. Click on the icon on the bottom right. Then choose Cinnamon. Now you can log in as normal.

When customizing, be aware that under themes you have to use Desktop: cinnamon or the date and time do not appear correctly. Here are my theme settings:

Windows borders: Menta
Icons: ubuntu-mono-dark
Controls: Yaru-dark
Mouse Pointer: DMZ-White
Desktop: cinnamon

There is one casualty of the switch. The Ubuntu Software application is gone. You have to reinstall it. To do so copy and paste the following in the terminal:

sudo apt install ubuntu-software

Press enter, and let it install.

Then find “Software” in the menu, right click, and click “Add to favorites.” Now its ready when you need it.

Ubuntu Cinnamon Remix

One last thing. I would like to mention the Ubuntu Cinnamon Remix project. Ubuntu Cinnamon Remix “is a community-driven remix of Ubuntu, combining Linux Mint’s flagship Cinnamon Desktop with Ubuntu, packed with everything you need to go with it.”

It should be noted though, it is not yet a fully accepted flavor of Ubuntu, and until it gets Canonical’s blessing I cannot recommend using it. But I am hopeful for its future because the Cinnamon Desktop is the best.

UPDATE: I do not recommend doing this. Just install Linux Mint. There are a dozen other problems that have popped up since installing. If you must install Ubuntu use Xubuntu.

Google and I have a relationship. It is not an equal relationship. They clearly are in charge.

See, Google and I have made an agreement. They will give me for free an email, storage, apps, and other cool apps and services.

I, on the other hand, will let them sell the information they collect about my preferences to advertisers. They might also share my information with the government.

From this you might get the impression that I trust Google. I do not. I don’t trust Facebook , Twitter, Microsoft or Amazon either.

But I do use their services. So I have no choice. Either I have to agree to their terms or I don’t use their products. So I have capitulated.

I live in the Google sphere. Google knows more about me than my mother. I would like to know what they know, so I know what is being sold to others.

I really don’t like the default window when you open a new tab in Chrome.

Here is how I change that.

I install an extension from the Chrome Web Store called “New Tab Redirect” by Jim Schubert.

After you install it a welcome page will pop up explaining its features. On the last page you will see “That’s it!”. Under that click: “Set your Options!”

In the settings I set “Redirect URL” to “https://www.google.com/”, but you can use any website you want. Then press save. Open a new tab and see. You are done.

Changing Your Settings Later

In Chrome, go to “Settings”, look to the right menu and click on “Extensions”.

In the new window look for “New Tab Redirect” and click “Details.”

Towards the bottom you will see “Extension options”, click it and you are back to the New Tab Redirect settings page.

There is a zero day vulnerability in the Chrome browser.

You need to go and update your browser as soon as possible.

In your operating settings you need to go to your Update Manager. Then update the Chrome Browser.

Do this for all our desktops, tables, and phones.

Be very careful doing this.

But sometimes there are files on a flash drive that cannot be deleted with root access. Here is how you get it for the Ubuntu file manager.

1) Open Ubuntu Nautilus File Manager as root.

2) Open command terminal. (Hint: Ctrl+Alt+T)

3) Copy and paste the following (right click copy, then right click paste):

sudo nautilus

4) Hit enter. The Nautilus File Manager will open with root access.

5) When your done, just close the Nautilus File Manager.

Dan Goodin, with Ars Technica, reports that “Amazon devices will soon automatically share your Internet with neighbors.”

Barbara Krasnoff, with The Verge, explains that “The new network will share a small portion of your bandwidth with your neighbors.

I think Dan Goodin blows it out of proportion when he says, “Amazon’s experimental wireless mesh networking turns users into guinea pigs…. that leaves your personal privacy and security hanging in the balance.”

To be fair, Amazon has actually been very careful to ensure your personal privacy and security. See there white paper here.

My issue is that you are not being asked to participate, they are turning it on by default. You have to oft out. Taking bandwidth I am paying for without my permission is stealing. Amazon is wrong to do this.

Here is how to opt out

1. Open the Alexa app
2. Open More and select Settings.
3. Select Account Settings.
4. Select Amazon Sidewalk.
5. Turn Amazon Sidewalk On or Off for your account.

UPDATE 6/26/2021
Best Article on Subject

If you are using Ubuntu 20.04, there is a feature that should be enabled by default but isn’t.

It is the ability to click on the right side panel and both open and minimize a program. It doesn’t minimize. Here is how to fix that.

In a terminal copy and paste:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.dash-to-dock click-action 'minimize'

Hit enter. Done.

I resently was messing around in Ubuntu 20.04 and messed up the icons. Here is how to reset it to the original configuration.

Step 1: Open the terminal

Step 2: Copy and past this command:

dconf reset -f /org/gnome/

That is all there is to it. The Gnome desktop should now be reset.

For the last few years, I have been using Linux Mint. This week I switched back to Ubuntu. I am now running Ubuntu 20.04.2.0 LTS, code named Focal Fossa.

For those who only know about Windows and MacOS, Linux is another and different operating system. It is different because it is free and because the source code is available for inspection.

I have been running Ubuntu Linux since 2008. I used Fedora for a number of years, and then switched to Linux Mint. I still recommend Linux Mint for all home users. This is the system I have on both my mom’s computer and my wife’s parent’s computer.

So why did I switch? I recently have switch professions to the IT field. This means that I will need to stay current on news and threats directed to businesses. Ubuntu Linux and Red Hat Linux are two of the major players in this field. Hence the reason for the switch.

UPDATE: After a death of a thousand papercuts, I have returned to Linux Mint.

Rhythmbox is the default player in Linux Mint 20.1. But it still does not have an equalizer.

The best solution is to add Pulse Effects to the whole system.

In the terminal, simple type:

sudo apt install -y pulseeffects lsp-plugins 

It will ask for your password, then press enter.

Search for PulseEffects in the menu. Go to the equalizer, enable it.

Click on the tool icon. Choose a preset you like, or customize one yourself.

I listen to relaxing Zen meditation music so I chose “soft.”