GetDeb.net V2 Beta - Software for Ubuntu Linux - Updates for Ubuntu 9.10

via getdeb.net

Getdeb is a really cool open source software catalog which allows one-click installation on Ubuntu Linux systems. This is a good place to check when you want to install a Linux program, but it is archived in non-deb format. You may find the same software here and install it more easily.

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Install Picasa in Ubuntu with Google Linux Software Repositories

Using the Testing Repository

Using the Testing Repository is just like using the regular Google repositories; just replace the word "stable" with "testing" in the repository path.

Note: The Testing Repository is meant to supplement the regular Google repositories. If you want access to all the available software, you must include both the testing and regular repositories in your package manager configuration.

For instance, to configure Apt, you would add the following lines to your configuration file:

# Google repository
deb http://dl.google.com/linux/deb/ stable non-free

# Google testing repository
deb http://dl.google.com/linux/deb/ testing non-free

Note that you also need to follow the other steps specified in the regular repository configuration guides, such as importing the Google package signing key.

Then, for example, you can install the latest test version of Picasa by doing: 
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install picasa
via google.com

Ubuntu 9.04 comes with a very powerful digital photo editor called GIMP. GIMP is comparable to Adobe Photoshop in its feature set. However, sometimes you might just want to do quicker, simpler edits like crop, resize, red-eye removal, auto-adjust, etc. For such tasks, Picasa is easier to use. Above are the instructions to install Picasa 3 in a way which will enable auto-updates. This is the best practice when installing Linux software.

Actually, rather than editing your configuration file, it's even simpler if you go to System > Software Sources > Third party Software then click the "Add" button, paste the first deb line, etc.

Then copy the text from the package signing key, paste it into text editor and save with a name like Google_PGP_Key. Then click Authentication > Import Key File, navigate to the file you just saved, and select it. You should now see an entry that says "Google, Inc. Linux Package Signing Key." Then you can run the apt-get commands in the Terminal. Now you have Picasa 3, with auto-updates - yay!

Tagged edit image install Linux multimedia photo Picasa Ubuntu

Installing Dropbox in Ubuntu 9.04 with Update Support

I installed Dropbox in Ubuntu 9.04 so I could access my files in the cloud. The process was kind of a hassle, because of a few details which were not well-documented. There are a couple of approaches you can take. You can download the .deb package and then double-click it to install. This works, but you won't get automatic updates through Synaptic. I decided to add the 3rd-party Software Source and Key, so that I can get automatic updates. The procedure goes like so: open System > Administration > Software Sources, go to the Third-Party Software tab, click Add, then paste in:

deb http://linux.getdropbox.com/ubuntu jaunty main

then do the same thing with

deb-src http://linux.getdropbox.com/ubuntu jaunty main

Exit the window. Don't worry about the warning message. Then go to Terminal and paste

gpg --keyserver pgp.mit.edu --recv-keys 3565780E
 then hit Enter. This will import the keys to authenticate the PPA. Then type 
apt-get update 
and hit Enter, this will refresh the package list. Next, type 
sudo apt-get install nautilus-dropbox
 and hit Enter. This will actually install the application. After it's installed, type
dropbox start -i

to start Dropbox. You may have to logout then back in first. I have found that the Dropbox app does not automatically start on startup, so instead of opening the Terminal every time, I created app launcher by right-clicking on the desktop and selecting "Create Launcher." Enter the command above and you are good to go.

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Tagged cloud storage Dropbox install Linux package Ubuntu

Success: Ubuntu 9.04 on Fujitsu U810 with Dual Monitors

I liked some things about Fedora 11, but ultimately I ditched it. The blue color theme did not appeal to me, and I was having no luck enabling dual-monitor support. So I decided to have another go with Ubuntu 9.04 using Unetbootin. In a previous post, I said that the Live CD on a USB flash drive option didn't work. Well, turns out I was wrong. I just didn't follow the correct procedure. What you need to do is run Unetbootin, select Ubuntu 9.04 > Live CD and make sure you have your flash drive specified as the target. Then go do something else for awhile as Unetbootin downloads the ISO, unpacks it and writes it to your flash drive. You'll need at least a 1GB flash drive for this to work. Then when Unetbootin asks if you want to reboot, say yes if you are already on the machine you wish to install Ubuntu on, otherwise exit. Plug your drive into the target machine, boot up and select boot options from the BIOS menu. Make sure USB is at the top of the list.

Installing Ubuntu from the Live CD is a smooth, simple process; much easier than installing Windows. I picked the entire disk option, chose a login name and password, and let the installer do its thing. Booting into Ubuntu went smoothly, but initially graphics support was limited to just the screen of the U810 and not the external monitor. I followed this procedure to enable dual-monitor support. This time, I did a little more research on the Import Key step. Turns out that I did this wrong before. I saved the HTML page as a file, but really you should only save the key text as a file. No file extension is required and any name will do. I left a comment about it on the tutorial page.

So now I have dual-monitor support with the full monitor resolution. Sweet! I have set up my printer drivers as well. My printer is a Dell 3110cn which I purchased specifically because it supports Linux. Some printers, especially budget ones, don't support Linux. So make sure it supports Windows, Mac, and/or Linux before you buy a printer, then you will avoid disappointment.

I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself at the moment!

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Tagged dual monitor Fujitsu U810 install Linux Ubuntu Unetbootin