How To Install MATE Desktop Environment on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and How To Use Ubuntu Ambiance Theme on MATE Desktop Environment

MATE Desktop Environment 1.2.2 On Ubuntu 12.04 LTS

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MATE Desktop Environment has been growing popular. In the earlier version, I found that this Gnome 2 Fork was messy, absoulutely unstable and wasn't ready yet for everyday computing. So do in the 1.2 version for Ubuntu Oneiric Ocelot, I found this DE was still unstable, especially if I used Ubuntu Ambiance theme, the desktop will be crashed (panel lost etc).

I almost gave this DE up until I got a suprise when I took an experiment with MATE 1.2.2 on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. This Destkop is amazingly quite stable and ready to use for now. Even, we can use Ubuntu Ambiance theme with no problem. But, to be known, we can't just use official Ubuntu Ambiance theme for MATE. If we use official Ubuntu Ambiance Theme, the panel will look incomplete and messy.

Hapilly, there is a project to provides a customized version of Ubuntu Ambiance Theme specialzed for XFCE and LXDE. I suddenly temembered that MATE and XFCE and LXDE now is very similar. They are DE with gtk2 so I thought how about using Ambiance Theme For XFCE and LXDE on MATE Desktop, and the result was really good.

Because of the success, I decided to remove the XFCE and LXDE configurations in the theme and then renamed the theme to be : Light-Themes-MATE, and I packed the theme into a Debian package so we all can install it easily on our MATE desktop. Here is the theme you can download and install :

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/72782740/debian/light-themes-mate-12.04-all.deb

MATE Installation

MATE installation instruction can be found at http://mate-desktop.org/install/

How To Install Mac OS X Lion Theme On Lubuntu / LXDE

Lubuntu 12.04 with Mac OS X Lion Theme, xcompmgr & cairo-dock

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Mac OS X is the special one in the Desktop market. So many people admire it because of its beauty, safety (yes, it is an UNIX) and its profesional image as “an OS for profesional modern art designer”. Yeah, Mac OS X has beautiful look and I do like its look-n-feel. And so, there are so many theme patcher to make our Microsoft Windows or Linux OS become Mac OS X in the appearance.

In Linux Desktop, there are some project specialized in designing theme transformation pack to make our Linux desktop to be looked like Mac OS X. The most popular project probably is Mac4Lin. But, all of those projects was designed only for GNOME or sometimes support XFCE and how about LXDE? Our Star in the current lightweight Linux desktop? (Yes, LXDE is the most light-but-complete Linux desktop for now).

Until now, there is no project that officially support LXDE. Basically, LXDE uses gtk (now still stay with gtk2) and any gtk theme can be used in LXDE. The problem is, LXDE uses openbox as its window manager. And as the logical reason for its ligthweight, openbox has limitation. Openbox doesn't support complex theming by using high resolution png images so we couldn't build sophisticated theme for openbox. However, we could still build window theme with color for openbox and we could try to resemble any theme we want, although it will never be pitch-perfect same as a clone. And so, there is an openbox theme tried to resemble Mac OS X theme and we could use it to transform our LXDE desktop to be looked like Mac OS X Lion.

After experimenting with previous Mac4Lin theme, I've successfully transform my Lubuntu 12.04 to be Mac OS X Lion style and so then I pack them into DEBS and we could transform our Lubuntu to be looked like Mac OS X easily. Here are the steps to transform Lubuntu to be looked like Mac OS X Lion :

1. Download and install Mac OS X Theme For LXDE
   GKT Theme
   http://dl.dropbox.com/u/72782740/debian/macosx-lxde-0.1-all.deb
   Wallpapers (Only For Lubuntu)
   http://dl.dropbox.com/u/72782740/debian/macosxlion-wallpapers-lubuntu-0.1-all.deb
2. Download and install Mac OS X Lion Icon Theme
   http://dl.dropbox.com/u/72782740/debian/mac-lion-icons-0.1-all.deb
3. Install Cairo Dock and XCompmgr
   sudo apt-get install cairo-dock xcompmgr
4. Move the Panel to the top and remove Window List (Task Bar) Applet, Application Launch Bar Applet, Minimize All Windows Applet and Desktop Pager Applet.
5. Check the Strecth option of Spacer Applet between Menu Applet and system applet in order to get wide space between Menu and System Tray Applet.
6. Change the gtk and icon theme into Mac OS X, and change the Lubuntu logo into Apple logo by right clik at the Menu applet and point the image logo to /usr/share/icons/Mac-Lion-Icons/places/24/start-here.png
7. Add Cairo Dock and xcompmgr as additional autostarted startup applications in LXDE by editing this :
   sudo leafpad /etc/xdg/lxsession/Lubuntu/autostart
   At the end, add these lines :
   @xcompmgr
   @cairo-dock
8. Save and Exit, and then Reboot the System
9. Now, we have Lubuntu with Mac OS X like look :*

[Solved] Can't Install Nvidia-173 / Nvidia-96 Driver On Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (Nouveau Driver Review)

GNOME Session Fallback Running Compiz with Ring Switcher

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Unity 3D Failed

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GNOME Shell Failed

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There are many Linux users that still stay with old Nvidia graphic cards and old Pentium 4 / 3 CPUs. In the past, in their era, those GPUs are great and well supported by Linux. But, time passed and GPU technology changed rapidly. From AGP architecture with 32 MB Memory, changed into PCI-Express with more than 512 MB Memory and then CrossFire with multiple GPU work together to fulfil extreme need in gaming world. The newer Nvidia GPUs are well supported by current Linux releases. In Ubuntu, the driver for those GPUs called nvidia-current.

In the previous Ubuntu releases, older Nvidia GPUs are also well supported with the driver called nvidia-96 and nvidia-173. Those drivers are built to handle older Nvidia cards, and built from official Nvidia proprietary driver. Sadly, Nvidia-173 and Nvidia-96 can't be installed in the current Ubuntu 12.04, and now I still stay with P4 CPU with Nvidia GeForce 5200 FX, and how about this? We couldn't play Supertux or Supertuxkart any more? Oh I hope no.

Apparently, alongside proprietary drivers, there is an open source project to build “universal” driver for -especially older- Nvidia graphic cards called Nouveau driver. That's why, when we have computers with Nvidia cards, the monitor resolution will be perfect-match appeared to its maximum resolution. So I just tried to install Supertux etc, and also tried to run Compiz in fallback mode, and the results is amazing! With the current Nouveau driver, my old Nvidia 5200 FX cards could dance delightfully and now I can run almost all 3D games in Linux. Also, I can run Compiz on GNOME Fallback with high performance. I can run woobly window, magic aladin lamp etc etc. The only failures are in Unity 3d and GNOME Shell. I couldn't run those shells using Nouveau driver.

Here is the machine I used to test Nouveau in Ubuntu 12.04 :

CPU : Pentium 4 (2,4 Ghz)

GPU : NVidia 5200 FX (128 MB)

RAM : 2 GB DDR1

What Is The Best Ubuntu Derivative ?

Kubuntu 12.04 LTS

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Lubuntu 12.04 LTS

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Ubuntu 12.04 LTS

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Xubuntu 12.04 LTS

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For several years, Ubuntu has became the most popular Linux distribution. This distro, with its controversies, offers us ultimate easy to use Linux desktop. But, time passed and everything changed, so does Ubuntu.

Since 11.04, Ubuntu brings us Unity shell, and then so many people gave their personal opinion about this. Personally, for me, Unity is not as bad as people spoke about this. As its habit, Ubuntu offers us ease in all things. Of course, I still prefer to Gnome Session Fallback than Unity or Gnome Shell. If we really don't like Unity, or Gnome Shell, or Fallback mode, there are Ubuntu derivatives built with different Desktop Environtments with their specified target. So which is the best?

UBUNTU

Ubuntu is the main desktop. It uses GNOME with Unity Shell as a layer. However, Unity is an option and it is optional. We could change it into GNOME Shell or Fallback session (or even Pantheon or Cinnamon). The best thing of Ubuntu, for me, is in its apperaance. The Ambaince theme and the warty-final-ubuntu wallpaper is exactly awesome elegant Linux Desktop than ever. The sad thing, Ubuntu is little bit heavy to run in older CPUs (Pentium 4, Pentium 3)

KUBUNTU

Kubuntu is the Ubuntu twin or original spinoff with KDE (K Desktop Environment). It offers very familiar user interface for those who still like with Microsoft Windows UI (One Panel at the bottom, menu at the bottom left).

In the earlier version, Kubuntu worked great. I've used it and I've satisfied. But, with the birth of KDE4, Kubuntu has changed into so modern and sophisticated desktop than others. Now, with KDE 4.8.2, you will see Kubuntu just look like Windows 7 with grey colored theme.

For you ex-Windows users who still not familiar with GNOME, Kubuntu is the best choice :)

XUBUNTU

Xubuntu is the Ubuntu derivative with XFCE desktop environment. At the birth, this distro built to fulfil the need of fast Linux desktop computing, and yes, Xubuntu undertook this dutty very well in the early years.

But now, with its complex connection to GNOME components, Xubuntu is no longer light and fast. Even, you need to have minimum 512 MB RAM to run Xubuntu if you want this distro run well in your PC. As my experience, this distro even runs slowly than Ubuntu.

But, for you oldschool GNOME 2 freak, XFCE is almost perfect. For this reason, Linus Torvalds has switched his desktop to XFCE after his disastisfaction to GNOME 3 and or KDE4.

LUBUNTU

Lubuntu is the youngest Ubuntu derivative, but it is absolutely awesome. Using Openbox as its window manager, Lubuntu is Ultimately very Fast even in older CPUs. I've used this distro and until now I have been satfisfied. I recommend this distro for you all who still have older CPUs and you will see this distro is really amazing (not to be exaggerated).

But, alongside its lighweight, Lubuntu just offers us simple computing, like, there is no USB icon in our desktop if we plug a USB pendrive/SD/miniSD card. But, this is not a big deal. We could eject our removable devices by file manager.

CONCLUSION

So, what is the best Ubuntu derivative? I have no answer except this cliches rhetoric : It depends to your need. What is exactly you want? Elegance? Fancy desktop? Simplicity? Or fast computing? Ubuntu family has the choices.

How To Fix Inappropriate Faenza Icon Theme Distributor Logo / Start Here Logo In Gnome Session Fallback in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS

Ubuntu 12.04, GNOME Session Fallback, Faenza Icon Theme

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Faenza Icon Theme is a very popular icon theme in Linux desktop. But, strangely, in Ubuntu 12.04 GNOME Session Fallback mode, this theme doesn't work perfect. The distributor logo doesn't appear perfect if we use Faenza Dark (it just appears orange square Ubuntu logo, not white circle Ubuntu logo). So, how to fix this? After explored, I found that the start-here logo has been moved into apps directory not in places like before. So what we have to do? What we have to do is not simple but it worked good in my machine.

Here are the steps :

1. Go to /usr/share/icons with nautilus with administrator mode. We could do this by terminal :
   sudo nautilus /usr/share/icons
2. Make file search by clicking search button, and search files named icon-theme.cache. When searching process done, remove 'em all.
3. Install Faenza Icon Theme. We have to download the newer version specified for Precise from HERE.
4. Remove Humanity Icon Theme (by terminal)
   sudo rm -rf /usr/share/icons/Humanity -v
5. Make a soft link for Humanity icon theme to Feanza icon theme
   sudo ln -s /usr/share/icons/Faenza /usr/shar/icons/Humanity -v
6. Remove these icons and replace them with another appropriate icons
   sudo rm /usr/share/icon/ubuntu-mono-dark/22/distributor-logo.svg -v
   sudo rm /usr/share/icon/ubuntu-mono-dark/22/start-here.svg -v
   Then, make soft link for the replacement into Faenza-Dark icon theme
   sudo ln -s /usr/share/icons/Faenza-Dark/places/24/start-here-ubuntu.png /usr/share/icons/ubuntu-mono-dark/apps/22/start-here.png -v
   sudo ln -s /usr/share/icons/Faenza-Dark/places/24/start-here-ubuntu.png /usr/share/icons/ubuntu-mono-dark/apps/22/distributor-logo.png -v
7. Logout and Login back to the GNOME Session Fallback and now we have our ultimate Classic GNOME back in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS.

Ubuntu 12.04 Review

No Dodge Window

Ubuntu Linux 12.04 LTS has came. It is too late to make a review but it's okay. Better too late than nothing, right? So lets go to the point, what are new in this LTS relase.

As my experience, Ubuntu 12.04 comes with some great and minus things :

1. PAE kernel. This is  is a feature to allow (32-bit) x86 processors to access a physical address space (including random access memory and memory mapped devices) larger than 4 gigabytes. For me, this new kernel surprisingly makes Ubuntu more responsive than ever.
2. No more dodge window. Unity launcher, apparently has became popular launcher in Linux desktop. But, sadly, the best thing in this app, Dodge Window, is removed in the 12.04. If you used Ubuntu 11.04 and Ubuntu 11.10 with Unity, you will aware this. Dodge window is a cool feature that will hide itself when an app window is being maximized and will appears automaticaly when app window then being unmaximized. I don't know the reason, but based on Shuttleworth blog, it is pure a technical reason. (Lets pray this feature will be presented again in the future)
3. Indicator Applet included as default in GNOME Session Fallback (Classic Mode). Indicator applet is a very cool applet and a part of the Ubuntu Ayatana project.
4. Ubuntu Software Center now become lighter and finally I could use it as a replacement for gdebi (though gdebi is still better and fast).
5. Nouveau driver works better. I could run Compiz perfect though I couldn't run Unity 3D and Gnome Shell :)
6. Network Manager came with a small problem with Broadband connection. You have to go to System Settings and switch Broadband Connection on in every system rebooting to use it.
7. There is a little incomapibilty issue with Faenza Icon Theme in GNOME Session Fallback.

Overall, I felt satisfied by this Debian-Testing-Based release. My old CPU runs faster. My old Nvidia GPU runs better and the new wallpaper look pretty and profesional as before. This is the machine I used to test :

CPU : Intel Pentium 4 2,4 GHz CPU

Memory : 2 GB DDR1

GPU : Nvidia GeForce 5200 FX 128 MB