Building a new Slim (and rather cheap) Desktop

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Installing Linux Mint 13 Maya Cinnamon/MATE/XFCE Edition

Hi, after more than a year, finally get my hands on the blog. First is sharing my experience installing the latest Derivation of Ubuntu LTS, Linux Mint 13 or Maya.  Without further ado, here's my setup after installing the out-of-box, vanilla Linux Mint:

1. update repos
1. gimp
sudo apt-get purge Gimp*
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:otto-kesselgulasch/gimp

2. grub customizer
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/danielrichter2007/grub-customizer/ubuntu precise main
3. handbrake
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/stebbins/handbrake-releases/ubuntu oneiric main
4. sudo apt-get update
2. download & install
1. ubuntu tweak
https://launchpad.net/ubuntu-tweak/0.7.x/0.7.1/+download/ubuntu-tweak_0.7.1-1~precise1_all.deb
3. install apps from Ubuntu Tweak
1. cheese
2. shotwell
3. audacious
4. audacity
5. themes: community, shiki
6. comix
4. install from package manager
1. mc
2. gnome-disk-utility
3. gparted
4. gimp
5. grub-customizer
6. handbrake
7. k3b
8. kid3
9. wine
10. dosbox
11. virtualbox
12. scummvm
13. p7zip-rar
5. install firefox add-on
1. scrapbook
2. downthemall
3. brief
4. easy youtube video downloader

Installing Compiz in Linux Mint 13 MATE

On one of my machine I installed Linux Mint 13 MATE and try to activate Compiz, Here's my setup:

1. install compizconfig-settings-manager
2. configure compiz
1. open Control Center - Startup Applications, and add a new post "Compiz"
2. use command "compiz --replace"
3. run Configuration Editor or in a terminal type “mateconf-editor”
4. Go to /desktop/mate/session/required_components/windowmanager and replace "marco" with "compiz".
3. run CompizConfig Settings Manager, activate
1. composite
2. gnome compatibility
3. open gl
4. enhanced zoom desktop
   Zoom In: Button4
   Zoom Out: Button5
5. negative
6. desktop cube
7. rotate cube
8. window decoration
9. compiz library toolbox
10. mouse position polling
11. scale
    initiate window picker: topright
12. shift switcher
13. place window
14. move window
15. resize window

Make Windows use UTC

One of the issue of installing dual boot PC for Linux & Windows is different time settings. While Windows uses local time from your PC, Linux uses UTC.  

Here's what I got after googling the net, a remedy for Windows (to use UTC):

Note: This method was not initially supported on Windows Vista and Server 2008, but came back with Vista SP2, Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2.
To make MS Windows calculate the time from the hardware clock as UTC.

Via regedit:
Run regedit and navigate to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\TimeZoneInformation

Right-click in the right-side panel and select New > DWORD Value. Create the key named RealTimeIsUniversal and give it a value of 1.

Using a registry file
Create a file named WindowsTimeFixUTC.reg with the following contents and then double click on it to merge the contents with the registry:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\TimeZoneInformation]
"RealTimeIsUniversal"=dword:00000001

see complete source:

Things To Do after Installing Mint 9 (update)

Just installed Mint 9 (Ubuntu 10.04 LTS) on friend's machine. What should I install afterwards? Let's see, here are some suggestions:

1. ubuntu-tweak (http://ubuntu-tweak.com/); Tweaking your Ubuntu (duh...)
   
   1. download the package for Ubuntu 10.04/10.10, install
   2. go to source center, activate sources for:
      
      1. ubuntu-tweak
      2. grub-optimizer Please stick to my previous article (http://a-aria.blogspot.com/2011/02/grub-customizer.html)
      3. shotwell (Yorba)
      4. your favourite browsers (Firefox/Chrome/Opera)
         
   3. don't forget to refresh
   4. go to Package Manager to install next applications
      
2. grub-optimizer; editing you grub2 preference.
   
3. shotwell; manage your photos, better than f-spot
4. firefox; the latest browser, also update the add-ons from inside your firefox.
   
   1. adobe flash plug-in; flash player; already installed
      
   2. downthemall; download manager
   3. brief; RSS reader
   4. scrapbook, scrapbook MAF creator; html capture utility
5. Any other things you want to cram to your drive ;)
6. Last not but not least, go to your update manager. Update everything
7. Optional: run your aptoncd and backup your application. I will cover about aptoncd restoration later
   

There, that's my preference. How about you? drop me a line if you have other preferences

Installing Libre Office on Mint

Install Libre Office (after uninstalling openoffice).

Do this at terminal:

sudo apt-get remove openoffice*.*
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install libreoffice

For complete article you may read http://www.webupd8.org/2011/01/install-libreoffice-in-ubuntu-from.html

Grub Customizer

Ubuntu user can edit their entry of Grub2

Just add ppa:danielrichter2007/grub-customizer to Synaptics Repositories and install grub-customizer

You can get the detail at https://launchpad.net/~danielrichter2007/+archive/grub-customizer