OMGVideo: Probing Your Box, Grub 2 and You

If I had to pick one horror story that I get messaged about the most, it would be the dreaded bootloader. "It's missing" or "I have a black screen of death.." and some people edit their grub.cfg without realizing it can disable you from booting at all, essentially turning your computer into a brick. Yay! Most of you already know that when you power on your computer, the first software that runs is a bootloader that invokes the OS from the computer. GRUB, the GRand Unified Bootloader, is an important part of many Linux systems. Above are a few tips to help address the issues with Grub 2. What are your horror stories?

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Ubuntu Font Hebrew Subset in the making - why not help out?

A Hebrew subset of the new Ubuntu font is in the making and scheduled to to be ready in time for Ubuntu 11.04 thanks to the initiative of Israeli web developer Tom Bigelajzen.

His enthusiasm for the community-derived project is infectious and no-one can deny that the the addition of greater language support is an valuable one for Ubuntu users of whatever language.

"A real OpenType font must be created and refined, people need to test it, to find where it breaks. And there are more variants - we have to do the Bold font, the Italic and Bold Italic, and by the time these will be finished there most likely be some Condensed variants too". Tom states on his blog, continuing "I need designers, typographers and testers to pitch in, we have a bit more than 6 months, it’s enough, but not a lot of time for a community project."

Interested? Were I familiar enough with Hebrew I know I would be!

Find out more information @ http://tombigel.com/2010/08/29/ubuntu-font-hebrew-subset-now-has-an-issue-on-launchpad/

Image, source | Tom Bigelajzan

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PyTask - what's coming in the next release (and how you can help!)

It's been a little while since we last mentioned the simple & straightforward task application 'Pytask' so i'm here with a small update and a bit of a favour...

First up what can you look forward to in coming releases?

• Indicator applet
• Docky applet (maybe, havent hacked on docky code yet)
• Ability to fetch and use info from launchpad
• Some new UI stuff to make it more flexible
• Working Ubuntu One sync 

The developer also had some awesome news for fans of GTG! : -

"Also... we are working to get Pytask and GTG tasks useable between the two apps, so you will be able to access the same tasks from BOTH applications. Since both apps already do this in a similar way, its just a matter of tweaking some code to get it to work."

Where you can help
PyTask, when it adds the indicator applet support, will need a slick monochrome icon in-order to look the part on your Ubuntu desktop. That's where you guys n' girls come in: create a mono icon (both dark and light) for PyTask and we'll put the best ones up here for some final critiquing before PyTask's developer Ryan picks the final one.

Install latest stable release
In the mean time, if you're wondering what all this PyTask malarkey is about, you can install the stable release (without the neat stuff above) using the PyTask PPA: -

• sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nisshh/pytask-releases
• sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install pytask

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BURG fan? Put your talents to work and help create this theme

Bored? Nothing better to do? Why not help out Manu Järvinen who mailed us a plea for help on turning his rather swish BURG theme idea into a boot loading beauty.

“I am a designer who does not like to code. But what I do like is to design. So I designed some graphics for a BURG bootloader theme. And now I need help from someone to make it real. And, since I am a designer, I don't like to write either. So as I want to learn Gimp, I made a couple of slides to tell everyone what I need.”

We’re always keen to help out - particularly when something as sexy as this is at stake - so follow the prompts below to get clued up, get the tools and get started!

Download the BURG theme graphics here.

“In the package there is also Gimp file of the icons. All you designers can do anything you want with them. Maybe even design another BURG bootloader theme, who knows.”

For reference here's the theme on it's own. “This is how it should look like when you boot up your computer:” says Manu, continuing “if more than one person wants to tackle this offer, I encourage [you] all to collaborate together in order to achieve the best possible result (especially for making that rounded loading bar possible! :)”Manu finishes of his mail to us with this little beau: 

“And here's a mockup of what I would love to see the BURG becoming in the future. [note: yes, they are very little compressed jpgs (high quality, high filesize, not-so-web-comfortable), but please keep them that way. Otherwise the gradient color banding would be too visible - especially on a laptop screen - which would look UG-LY]”

Over to you guys!

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Call for Mock-ups: OMG! User Awarding System needs a Trophy Viewer

OMG! OMG! OMG! We are close to releasing.... a beta.

After porting the daemon to Mono with Chris Szikszoy (Docky fame) and with the support of David Siegel and Alex Launi (both from Do Fame and more) the daemon is almost stable.

You can check out the code by running the following in a terminal: -

• bzr branch lp:omg

The OMG! team has been working on a trophy set to release within the next 2 weeks.

WE ARE MISSING AN ACHIEVEMENT VIEWER !!!

So guys please if you feel like mocking up something throw designs at us here. Even better would be if you want to hack it with us. Since the OMG! daemon uses DBus you can hack the UI in any language you feel like. (Python, Mono, Vala, whatever...)

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Help design a new Ubuntu 10.10 countdown banner

In a post to the Ubuntu-Art mailing list Canonical's Matthew Nuzum has opened the call for this cycles 'countdown banner' submissions.

A design already submitted by Immanuel Peratoner 

"As in past releases we'd like to create a new count down banner for syndication across the web. If you want to make a highly visible contribution to Ubuntu, this is your chance." 

"Around the same time that Maverick Beta launches it is our intention to release a banner that says something like "32 more days until Ubuntu 10.10" Each day the banner will decrease by one until release day which is on the 10th of October when it will it will say "It's almost here" (or similar). Then when the release is ready it will announce "it's here!""

Users can get involved by submitting a set of images they think suitably embody Ubuntu 10.10 and the 'social from the start' message that 10.10 seems to, once again, be going for.

"The community and Canonical staff will choose the official banners and maybe give some guidance in case a change is needed to polish it up."

Guidelines

• Width 180px, Height 150px
• No flash, no PHP
• Try to steer clear of Meerkat graphics

Other ways to approach it... 

Matthew Nuzum did express interest in contributors developing countdown 'widgets' for the Android homescreen and a Facebook 'block' similar to that used during the 10.04 cycle. 

Deadline

Tuesday, Augst 24th. 

Submit

Attach your designs to the countdown banner wiki page @ wiki.ubuntu.com/Website/MaverickCountdownBanner

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OMG Video: Desktop Recording in Ubuntu - No Sammich For You!

While on vacation this last month, I gathered up all the requests for Ubuntu help and advice that I have received over a year or so and decided I would attack them here by popularity. The most popular "request" was.. sudo make me a sandwich (alternately, sammich)

Sorry guys, you need my private key to ssh in as root ;-)

The second most popular request is: How do you capture your desktop in Ubuntu?

Here's two ways of capturing your computer screen - Easy and Challenge Mode:

To answer that I have put together a video tutorial which helps people learn the easy way to do desktop recording (gtk-recordmydesktop), and the more difficult way I do it, using ffmpeg from the terminal.

You will probably notice that I did not record sound in this tutorial - I used Audacity to narrate the desktop captures during the editing process.

I hope you enjoy and find this useful, and I owe many thanks to FakeOutdoorsman and andrew.46 from the Ubuntu forums for making this possible.

Which method did you know? The easy, the difficult, or both ways?

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Help create Ubuntu’s new sound theme

Michael Forrest has posted details of an exciting new contest for Ubuntu users to take part in. Building upon the enormous success that the bi-annual wallpaper submission competition has garnered, attention has now turned to that oft-forgotten part of the desktop experience called ‘the sound theme’. 

“As much as we love you The Old Ubuntu Startup Sound, it's time to say goodbye.”

Michael has a full brief listed on his blog which, if you’re serious, you should refer to.

A reduced number of sounds are being sought, comprising of: -

• Desktop Ready (log-in screen)
• Desktop Login (desktop)
• Instant Messaging
• Email
• Error

The soundscape should be “subtle, restrained and professional” , have “flawless production quality” and be submitted as 44.KHz 16 bit Wav. The deadline for submission is Monday 18th October 2010.

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What’s in a weather indicator?

We at the Indicator-Weather project need you to do some forecasting for us. (World groans - ed)

Whilst we’ve got a pretty kicking preview that works but what we really need is to find out what you guys want  from a weather indicator. By having all our bases covered when it comes to features, options and cool stuff we can ensure we a super-awesome weather notification applet is freshly baked in time for October 10th and the release of the Maverick Meerkat into the wild!

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Vote now for an awesome new Ubuntu help platform

Spend a minute today to help make the lives of yourself, other Ubuntu users and even the dear developers who toil so hardy over code that little bit easier by voting up a proposal for a new Ubuntu-orientated ‘Stack Overflow’-esque site.

“Stack… what?”

Wikipedia sums it up neatly: -

“Stack Overflow is a website featuring questions and answers on a wide range of topics in computer programming. Users are able to ask and answer questions, and, through membership and active participation, to vote questions and answers up or down and edit questions and answers in a wiki fashion.”

Replace ‘computer programming’ with ‘Ubuntu questions’ and you’re pretty much there.

The Ubuntu-specific resource will allow users of all skills the ability to ‘to ask questions of one another in order to share ideas, solutions...” and, through the use of tags, search and voting etc build up a high quality resource for users to refer to/be referred to when in need.

Ubuntu Stack Exchange

Currently the proposal for this Ubuntu-knowledge pool is sat in ‘Area 51’ - Stack Exchange’s so-called ‘staging zone’. Here proposals for new Q&A sites are mooted, designed and voted into existence.

How to help? To plagiarise the words of Iain Farrell: -

1. Visit the Ubuntu proposal page on stackexchange.
2. Register and vote for this proposal.

Because this idea is so awesome I'm going to repeat it for you one more time: -

1. Visit the Ubuntu proposal page on stackexchange.
2. Register and vote for this proposal.

Once you’re done don’t forget to spread the word. This has the potential to be a fantastic resource platform for users and developers a like.

Via | Ian Farrell

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Daily 5: Five ways to help spread Ubuntu

Love Ubuntu? Help spread the word.

1. Slap an Ubuntu sticker on your laptop

“What? A sticker? On my laptop?”

It’s all about visibility and if you’re the type to flout about in cafes and coffee shops with your laptop then becoming a techno-billboard is a great way to stir interest in ‘Ubuntu’.

Admittedly, this is a very acute way of raising the profile of Ubuntu in social situations but think how synonymous the Apple logo, Dell logo, etc are on the back of a laptop. By showing off your OS choice on the back, and thus diverging from the norm, people will at least notice it. And who knows - they might even ask what it’s about.

2. Make a kick-ass YouTube Video

It probably seems like everyone and their dog has made a YouTube video showing off wobbly windows and 3D cubes but the over-exposed Ubuntu upload on YouTube still provides an important service. Such videos also hold a special place in my heart: it was how I first found out what Linux really was.

The power of these videos shouldn’t be undersold. For every by-the-book video of well intentioned compiz cube demos there are also well thought out and unique takes on what Ubuntu is. The ‘Ubuntu Ads’ project is a great place to see, and contribute, some inspiring user-created adverts, but there is much more out there too.

Put your creative wiles to the test and create something too!

3. Make some awesome materials for Spread Ubuntu project

If you’re a dandy hand at design then put your paw to creating some great marketing materials for the SpreadUbuntu project. Other users can download and use your work. Whether you want to create CD labels, leaflets for workshops and Linux classes or just giant release party posters you’ll be sure to find something to do.

Check out http://spreadubuntu.neomenlo.org for ideas and tips.

4. The Ubuntu Test

Nothing will make people more inclined to use Ubuntu than knowing that they can use Ubuntu. Load up a USB stick with a persistent install and lend it to some friends and family. Let them play around in Ubuntu to show that the big scary world of ‘not-windows’ isn’t actually that scary at all.

Make use of some of the ‘5 Windows-only app equivalents’  to really prove that there is very little you can do in Windows that you can’t do in Ubuntu.

5. Ubuntify your life

If all else fails go blatant: Cover yourself head-to-toe in Ubuntu merchandise - Ubuntu t-shirt, tote bag, lanyard and anything else you can pin some Ubuntu Badges on.

When at home use an Ubuntu mouse mat, drink out of an Ubuntu mug and cuddle up at night with a limited edition Lynx toy.

You could even get an Ubuntu Tattoo like Denham Coote from South Africa…

Picture credits from top | Getch, SpreadUbuntu, Denham Coote

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Your Meerkat Needs You! Help Hunt down geeky app descriptions in the software centre

When installing new applications using the Ubuntu Software Centre how many times have you actually read the software description beforehand? Did it make sense, tell you what you needed to know or was it a blur of disjointed technical jargon with meaningless versioning numbers trailing at the end?  Hell, was it even in the right category?!
These may sound like minor contrivances to those adept and learned in installing software in Ubuntu but for newcomers and those not versed in the Ubuntu method of installing application the role clear, concise and, perhaps above all else, relevant information plays can not be understated. How is a user expected to know which of two applications is better if one reads like a lexicon of nerd?

Fixing poor descriptions of Software Centre applications is listed as a papercut milestone for Ubuntu 10.10 because, as one tester during Canonicals' user testing day put it: “Software centre descriptions are geeky.”

The Issue

Jargon. That’s the issue here. Technical, nerdy, self-indulgent jargon in application descriptions causes problems for new users. Not only are they already feeling daunted by the unfamiliar computing environment they not have to battle with a bunch of alien terms in application descriptions.

Who said Ubuntu was for Human Beings, huh?

Example

How would you describe Pidgin? I bet my jelly babies that it wouldn’t be like this: -

• graphical multi-protocol instant messaging client for X

Seriously. It’s there. In the Software Centre. No lie. And it has been like that for a long time. A somewhat odd choice of words when compared with the flat-out informative blurb on the Pidgin website: -

• Pidgin is an easy to use and free chat client used by millions. Connect to AIM, MSN, Yahoo, and more chat networks all at once.

Help to find more

At the time of writing a mere 12 such issues have been reported but like fish in the sea there are plenty more out there just waiting to be caught.
Helping is easy. Just open up the Ubuntu Software Centre and search for your favourite application. Read the description, check the category make sure everything is up-to-par.

It might help , when reading the application description in your head, to imagine your sister or nephew reading it; would they understand it? 

If it’s overly technical or badly written then file a papercut bug. You can read about how to do that correctly @ https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PaperCut#How to report a bug for 100 'paper cuts'. Be sure to check the list of bugs currently reported.

Papercuts Hall Of Fame

We love Paper-cut patcher-uppers here on OMG! Ubuntu! - just like the following cool kids have already filed, fixed & sorted out some papercuts. Your name could easily soon be amongst them.

Marcus Carlson , Saïvann Carignan , Scott Howard , Travis Watkins , Chow Loong Jin ,  Jean-Baptiste Lallement , Scott Ritchie , Mackenzie Morgan , Andrew Higginson , Ted M Lin , Torrey Rice , Conn O Griofa , Luke Symes , Andrew Starr-Bochicchio , Iain Churcher , Alexey Fisher , Yves Kurz , Matt Perry, Alex Launi  , Andrew ,Dries Harni , Jonathan Thomas , Iain Lane , Xiegai Shan , Mirco Müller , Alexander Sack , Neil J. Patel , Chris Cheney , Chris Halse Rogers , Cody Russell , Didier Roche , Bryce Harrington , Martin Pitt, Robert Ancell, Jonathan Riddell , Michael Vogt , Sebastien Bacher , Ken VanDine , Marcel Stimberg, Jean-Louis Dupond , Dries Harnie , Luca Ferretti .

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Support GNOME by shopping at Amazon

I have an ever burgeoning lmental list of things I've always meant to post and the following has been one of them.

The GNOME foundation provide Amazon referral links for your browser. That is, every time you search for a product using the referral link and end up buying something GNOME get a paid a referral fee based on the amount  you spend. The best bit is that it costs you absolutely nothing extra but helps keep GNOME in servers, ballpoint pens and developers.

And it’ll make you feel good.

I’ve used it as my default Amazon search for good few months now and it’s an easy way to ‘give’ something back in appreciation of all the great things that GNOME do - without it even needing any effort on your part!

Firefox & Chrome/ium

Install the GNOME Amazon plug-in directly in Firefox by clicking the link below and agreeing to to the pop-up that follows.

• http://www.gnome.org/friends/amazon/ (click on the ‘add firefox search plug-in')

Chrome/ium users can use the GNOME referral plug-in by installing the “Firefox plug-in” as above.

To use start typing ‘Amazon’ into the smart bar and then hit the tab button to enable the Amazon GNOME-specific search: -

Other browsers & methods

Users of other browsers, such as Epiphany, can add Smart Bookmarks from the GNOME site.

If you don’t fancy installing anything extra but still want to help use the GNOME Amazon store @ gnome.org/friends/amazon where you can browse for items directly on the page.

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OS X Burning tool ‘BURN’ coming to Linux

Popular OS X disc burning utility ‘Burn’ could find its way on to Linux - with a bit of help.

The developer of Burn is eager to port the application over to Linux, having already successfully got Burn up and running on both GNU Step & the GNU Step derived ‘Etoile’. (The Etoile LiveCD uses Ubuntu has a base with the Etoile Desktop Environment on top, fact fans).

To successfully build Burn for Linux he needs  to create a native GTK GUI - something he lacks knowledge in so if you’re a Burn fan and would love to see the simplistic styling's of the premier OS X burning app rocking up on Linux then do lend a hand if you can @ burn-osx.sourceforge.net/Pages/English/contact.html

Kudos to Steven F.

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Test drive, err, Testdrive’s new GTK Frontend

A demo version of Andres Rodriguez’s GSoC work on a new GTK front-end for Ubuntu Development testing application TestDrive is now available for brave users to try out.

User should note that the Front-end is ‘only a demo and still contains lots of bugs’.

What is test drive?

I’ll let the Test Drive Launchpad blurb explain: -

“TestDrive is a project that makes it very easy to download and run the latest daily Ubuntu development snapshot in a virtual machine. Actually, it can be configured to download and run any URL-access ISO in a virtual machine.

But the primary goal is to provide a very simple method for allowing non-technical Ubuntu users to test and provide feedback on the current Ubuntu release under development.”

Test the new frontend

Currently users have to install two PPA’s in-order to test: -

• sudo add-apt-repository ppa:testdrive/ppa
• sudo add-apt-repository ppa:testdrive-gtk/ppa
• sudo apt-get install testdrive testdrive-gtk

Once install you can Launchd TestDrive via Applications > System Tools > TestDrive GTK Front-end

Via | Andres Rodriguez

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How do you use Caffeine? (The app, not the stimulant)

If you use Caffeine - the screensaver and sleep inhibiting application, not the alkaloid psychoactive stimulant - then you may be able to help its development by answering one very simple question: 'How do you use it?'

What do I mean by that? 
Caffeine has several methods with which to inhibit the screensaver/power-saving kicking in:

• You can click on the tray icon to active
• You can right-click on the tray icon and set a 'timer': a short period of time for which Caffeine will be activated
• You can set Caffeine to automatically active when certain applications are open and in use

Killer feature

In my eyes this last feature is the 'killer' feature of Caffeine. I can set it to automatically kick-in when I'm using Totem or Chrome. I don't have to remember to click anything, turn anything on etc - inhibiting happens automatically. You can set pretty much any - and as many - processes to invoke the inhibiting powers of Caffeine as you like. 

It's this feature that Caffeine developer Tommy Brunn is specifically asking OMG! readers about. He wants to know which method you use from the list above and, if it's not the last one, why not. 

Don't be shy or elusive in your responses; real life reasons are exactly what's required here. Leave you comments, reasonings, musing & insights below. 

Installing Caffeine 

If you don't currently use Caffeine you can install it using the commands below: -

• sudo add-apt-repository ppa:caffeine-developers/ppa
• sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install caffeine

If you're feeling brave you can install the development version of Caffeine which make use of an Indicator Applet so, as such, forfeits the timer menus & the one-click activation of the stable release

• sudo add-apt-repository ppa:caffeine-developers/caffeine-dev
• sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install caffeine

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We're NOT Mac OS X!

Those who installed Lucid Lynx got a surprise - from pre-releases through to the full release of 10.04, Ubuntu's windows buttons have swapped sides! Interesting how this default setup of these buttons now mirror those of the OS X.

The following short tutorial will explain how to switch your minimize/maximize/close window buttons from the left side back to the right side, without using the command line! Farewell counter-intuitiveness, hello happy computing.

Update: No, I don't think Ubuntu is turning into a Mac. I also could give two flying fracks what side my buttons are on, personally.. but this was a popular request upon the advent of Lynx. So... I just thought I'd poke fun at the random similarity to Mac OS X, assuming nobody would take it seriously. Strangely enough, a lot of you did. Meh, I really hate explaining a joke, it takes the fun out of it. 8-)

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Ubuntu 10.10 Application Menu now available for testing [PPA]

You will have likely already heard that Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition is introducing “global menu” –esque  application menus into the panel (think OS X if you’re confused).

If you want to help to test the global menu in Ubuntu Lucid you can install the menu using the commands underneath, however do note that: -

• XUL applications (such as Firefox and Thunderbird) and OpenOffice are NOT targets for Maverick, as they will require more work.
• The focus is on testing GTK and Qt applications

Install the indicator menu… applet… thing

To install and test the global menu… thing in Ubuntu 10.04 add the following PPA: -
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:canonical-dx-team/une

Now run: -
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install appmenu-gtk libqtgui4 indicator-applet-appmenu indicator-appmenu

• Once installed you' need to manually add it to your panel
• Right click on the panel, and add the "Indicator Applet Appmenu" applet. Note: you won't see any change on the panel yet, but if you add the applet a second time it will exit so you can remove it (choose: delete & don't reload)
• To test the global menu with an application type the following into a terminal: 
GTK_MENUPROXY="libappmenu.so" gnome-terminal
• In the terminal that opens run the application(s) you wish to test by typing the respective command (gwibber, vlc, etc) and hitting enter. 

The wiki advising users on what and how to test recommends that: -

“When testing we purposely enable the Global Menu AND keep the old menu in place. That way it is obvious to you if anything is broken. Unity will also pull in indicator-datetime, so you will end up with two clocks too. Please don't file bugs on double menus and clocks, it's like that on purpose!”


For more information on what specifically to test refer to: wiki.ubuntu.com/DesktopExperienceTeam/ApplicationMenu

Here's a quick video demo of the menu in action: -

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Help test Ubuntu 10.10's proposed network indicator applet [PPA]

The brave (and foolhardy) amongst you may wish to help test the Indicator Network applet being proposed for inclusion Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition.

Test it out in Lucid
You can test Indicator Network in Lucid by adding the following PPA. Bear in mind that the applet is very young, buggy & not intended as a stable replacement for the current Ubuntu default.

With that in mind you can install as follows: -

• sudo add-apt-repository ppa:indicator-network-developers/ppa
• sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install indicator-network

The network menu uses 'Connection Manager' (Connman) rather than 'network manager' meaning in-order to test you will have to disable the current network applet so you need to disable Network Manager from starting during boot: -

• sudo mv /etc/init/network-manager.conf /etc/init/network-manager.conf-disabled
• sudo mv /etc/xdg/autostart/nm-applet.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/nm-applet.desktop.disabled

Now reboot and upon login the new network indicator will load. Click on it to select a network and, if applicable, a window will open prompting you for the passphrase.

For more commands/help/info refer to the ConnMan wiki @ wiki.ubuntu.com/ConnMan

Play around, find bugs and report them over @ bugs.launchpad.net/indicator-network

Changing back
Once you've had your fun/horrible time you may wish to switch back to Ubuntu's current default. This is as easy as pie.

Enable network manager: -
sudo mv /etc/init/network-manager.conf-disabled /etc/init/network-manager.conf
sudo mv /etc/xdg/autostart/nm-applet.desktop.disabled /etc/xdg/autostart/nm-applet.desktop

Remove indicator-network
sudo apt-get remove indicator-network connman 

Now reboot and upon login the trusty old Network Manager will once again be in charge.

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Design a new icon for CoverGloobus

CoverGloobus creator Jordi Hernàndez is on the hunt for a new icon for CoverGloobus – the desktop coverart-and-then-some application that we rave about at least once a week. Well, almost!

The team currently use the Gloobus Preview icon for CoverGloobus but feel that it deserves its’ own identity and icon. If you think you can come up with something distinctive and fitting then the team want to see it!

Based on the response to our last icon-call for music application Guayadeque (and the beautiful icon that you guys created) this shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

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