trayzz_: how do i display the fonts i have installed graphically

Since 8.04 Hardy Heron, Ubuntu has included gnome-specimen in the universe repository. As long as that repository is enabled, you can install it simply at the command line with sudo apt-get install gnome-specimen or searching for gnome-specimen in Synaptic. It will be listed in the Applications > Graphics menu.

You’ll get a window with a list of all of your installed fonts on the left, a field to change some preview text and its size, and a preview of that text using the currently highlighted font. A large blank field on the lower right gives you the opportunity to add lines of preview text to compare how they look in different fonts. In my example below, I compared both FreeSans Medium and Droid Sans Regular with Ubuntu’s default display font, Sans Regular, all in 12pt.

sudo apt-get install firefox-3.5

You can also install by way of Synaptic by searching for the firefox-3.5 package name.

That’s assuming one has the universe repository enabled. This will install FF 3.5 as Shiretoko, it’s developmental codename. It was decided to retain the Shiretoko name to differentiate it from FF 3.0 which is the default browser for Jaunty. It is planned that FF 3.5 will be the default for Karmic.

When FF 3.5 (Shiretoko) is first run, it will make a copy of your current ~/.mozilla/firefox directory to ~/.mozilla/firefox-3.5 so that all of your settings, preferences, add-ons, etc. from FF 3.0 will be the same in FF 3.5. Although, as in the past, new versions of Firefox may prevent some previous extensions from being seen as compatible. There is a workaround for this which I’ll cover briefly in my next post.

You’ll see it listed in the Internet menu as Shiretoko Web Broswer with a Firefox-less globe icon. Once installed, both versions will coexist happily on your computer. The only thing to remember is that any changes you make to one will not be mirrored by the other since they won’t share the same settings directory.

For the more advanced users who are brave enough, one can move the new directory to a new name and create a symbolic link to the original so that settings are shared between the two.

mv ~/.mozilla/firefox-3.5 ~/.mozilla/firefox-3.5-original
ln -s firefox firefox-3.5

Whenever Shiretoko looks to ~/.mozilla/firefox-3.5 it will actually find the ~/.mozilla/firefox directory. The only drawback to this is FF 3.0 and FF 3.5 constantly checking plugins when switching from one to the other.

The answer to enabling that option is to simply create a directory.

mkdir ~/.config/autostart

Now the option is no longer grayed out and you can have gufw start for your every session.

You can install it from Ubuntu’s repositories. Make sure you have the universe repos enabled. You can find it in Synaptic or at the command line, issue:

sudo apt-get install gufw

It will need to download ufw and iptables if you don’t already have those.

Ubuntu CTO Matt Zimmerman posted a great article on his blog to explain why Ubuntu is based off of Debian’s unstable branch.

Dustin Kirkland, a Core Developer working on the Ubuntu Server, posts on his blog about increasing the security of the new encrypted home directory by using a 2-factor authentication, and commenting on the use of biometrics and fingerprint readers. It’s a follow-up to an earlier post describing how to mount an encrypted home directory when using a Jaunty LiveCD.

Efraín Valles, fellow Ubuntu enthusiast, wrote on his blog about the GNU/LINUX CDs application at Facebook to help spread the use of Linux to the “not-so-linux crowds” (IE: your Windows-only friends).

This Ubuntu Tweak 0.4.4 makes it easier to find the option of turning on Metacity’s compositing feature for those people who either don’t like Compiz or can’t get 3D support (*cough* ATi *cough* fglrx *cough*) to turn it on. Metacity provides a subtle amount of desktop effects like transparency and shading that can make the desktop a little less…. plain.

This new version also brings thumbnail management in easy reach. Nautilus makes thumbnails for a large variety of media files that, over time, can waste hard drive space. For those concerned with privacy, they can also show what you’ve been looking at and when. Being able to reduce the sizes of the thumbnails, and dictating how long they’re allowed to exist, can be a big help.

File Type Manager has been added to make it easier to assign applications to different file types. Unfortunately, this feature isn’t available to Hardy Heron users. Intrepid Ibex users can bask in the glow that they have one more option that us lowly LTS supporters don’t have.

But that’s not all. Intrepid users will also enjoy the benefit of an expanded selection of available Scripts and Third-Party Sources. Scripts now have image controls such as one-click conversion and set as wallpaper. There are also more Move To, Copy To, and Link To options. The Third-Party Sources also include the highly sought after OpenOffice.org 3.0.0 for Intrepid PPA.

When I install a new system, I usually spend my time making tweaks the old fashion way since I know where to find them. However, there are times when it’s nice to have most of the tweaks I make gathered together in one place. My process for a new install these days are: 1) Install Ubuntu; 2) Update; 3) Install Ubuntu-Tweak.

And while looking at the current list of available software listed under Third-Party Sources, I noticed a listing for OpenOffice.org 3.0. The downside is that it’s only available for Intrepid Ibex users, but it offers a much easier way of installing OO.o 3.0.0 onto Ubuntu 8.10 desktops without having to hack it on.

Other new sources include Ubuntu Chinese, Amarok, and Banshee.

UPDATE: A bugfix was released only two days later bringing Ubuntu Tweak to 0.4.3. It addressed using Ubuntu Tweak without having compiz installed. It also provided additional translations for Bulgarian, Czech, Faroese, French, German, Italian, and Polish languages.

Ubuntu Tweak is authored by a university student from China going by the name of Tualatrix. Wanting to make a contribution to the GNU/Linux and Open Source community, he took what he learned about Gtk+ development and applied it to providing this little application.

Ubuntu Tweak provides a “one-stop-shop” for many things including startup options, desktop effects, personal settings, system behavior, and the installation of other applications through Ubuntu’s repositories or third-party sources. Whether its changing the settings for the desktop icons, setting up keyboard shortcuts, or installing popular applications, such as Gnome Do, Google applications, Opera, or Skype, Ubuntu-Tweak makes it very simple.

The official homepage is http://ubuntu-tweak.com where announcements about development and releases are made. There’s an entire page dedicated for collecting suggestions for future versions. The Downloads page details two ways to obtain Ubuntu Tweak. One is by downloading and installing a deb package. The other is by including Tualatrix’s personal package archive source repository maintained at Launchpad. You can also snag it from its Google Code page.

The only downside is that it is geared specifically for Ubuntu with the Gnome environment. Kubuntu and Xubuntu users, and other Gnome flavored Linux distribtutions, are currently not supported. But all three of the latest version of Ubuntu, Gutsy, Hardy, and Intrepid, are supported.