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Ubuntu Tips and Tricks
Valuable tips to making your Ubuntu experience the best it can be!
Having already made a review on the newly released Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope, I would like to express a number of basic Ubuntu tips, which many of you may have heard of before but for the sake of the Ubuntu beginners, bear with me! These tips and tricks which I am going to explain will work practically on most Ubuntu distro’s, but not on all of them.
Right, let’s start. Also, before I commence, if you have any other tips and tricks that would be useful to newcomers, feel free to leave it in the comments below!
Alter the colour of your Ubuntu
In order to change the colour of your Ubuntu, use the following command:
sudo apt-get install gnome-color-chooser
In future you can then discover the colours, under System >> Preferences.
How to convert Ext2/Ext3 file system to Ext4 (in 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope)
- Make sure you have Ubuntu 9.04 installed so that you have an Ext3 file-system.
- Back-up all of your valued data.
- To convert the partition, reboot from the real CD, and run this code:
sudo bash
tune2fs -O extents,uninit_bg,dir_index /dev/sda1
e2fsck -pf /dev/sda1
In this case, the partiton you need to convert is /dev/sda1.
- Next, you must change Ext3 to Ext4 quite simply like below,
# /dev/sda1
UUID=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX / ext3
relatime,errors=remount-ro 0 1
Change this code to:
# /dev/sda1
UUID=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX / ext4
relatime,errors=remount-ro 0 1
No doubt you can tell that all that has changed is Ext3 and Ext4! You now MUST save the changes.
If you are upgrading from ext2 to ext4, when converting the partition use this code instead:
sudo bashtune2fs -O extents,uninit_bg,dir_index,has_journal /dev/sda1
e2fsck -pf /dev/sda1
That should be it for most people, all you need to restart your computer and voila, you are now running from an Ext 4 file system. However, if you come across the dreaded error 13 when restarting, it might be because it did not like one of the updates. This might help though,
sudo bashmount /dev/sda1 /mnt
grub-install /dev/sda --root-directory=/mnt --recheck
You have now successfully completed the conversion!
Finding valuable system information
To find useful system information:
Applications>> System Tools >> System Monitor
Or
sudo apt-get install sysinfo
How to download YouTube videos, and then convert them from .flv to .avi
sudo apt-get install youtube-dl ffmpeg
- Then use this code to download the video,
youtube-dl -o example.flv "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQyZLehrIUw"
- To convert the video to .avi format
ffmpeg -i example.flv example.avi
Just to let you know, you should edit the name of the video and video link. Mine is just an example, however it is a good video on one of the Britain’s Got Talent shows exposing the new hit wonder, DJ Talent. =)
How to kill processes rapidly
Many users tend to use the conventional kill, ps|aux or killall commands like
sudo killall firefox
However, there is a much better command that is a lot quicker and responsive, PKILL. If PKill searches for “Firefox”, it will amazingly find any process related to Firefox and dispose of it straight away. In addition to PKILL, pstree is a similar command that puts all the processes in a tree-like order, systematized by whoever is the program owner.
Initiate OpenOffice even more briskly
OpenOffice matches Ubuntu perfectly, a cost-free program with great features. Though, it also has the tendency to open very slowly in comparison to other programs; this really does agitate users. To make OpenOffice open faster, all you need to do is go to Start-up manager, well that is what it is called in version 9.04, and in other distro’s it is normally named the Sessions program.
System >> Preferences >> Startup Applications in order to find the program.
Then, add a new entry and in the command field, put in
openoffice -nodefault -nologo
The only thing that required now is to restart your system. It is now cached, so when the Gnome desktop begins, OpenOffice will also start, as it is basically moving it to a start up program and therefore making it start up super-fast.
Again, feel free to share new, valuable tips in the comment box below, as well as feedback on the tips and tricks I have composed.
I appreciate the tips, however, Ubuntu is supposed to be easy to use. Telling users to type strange commands is not easy. Please find a way to do these things that are easy and someone can point and click to do. I know Ubuntu wants to replace the Windows desktop (my husband won’t shut up about it) but it won’t do it until it’s easy to use or easier than Mac or windows.
@Susan Myers
Alter the color of Ubuntu: System>>Administration>>Synaptic Package Manager–>Search “gnome-color-chooser”—>Check box—>Apply
–Locate color chooser in System >> Preferences.
Convert ext2/ext3 to ext4: Back up important data–>Run Live CD—>Manual partiioning—>Select Ext4—>Restore data
System Information: Applications>> System Tools >> System Monitor
Download/Convert Youtube vids: Go this website (http://www.getdeb.net/app/PyTube)–>Click on the version you need (probably 32-bit)—>Click pytube (next to Download)—>Open with GDebi Package Installer—>Install package
—Pytube should be in Applications>>Sound & Video; you can search and download youtube videos from the application and convert a lot of other formats (for your iPod, .AVI, .MPEG, etc.)
Kill applications: Right-click on a panel (where there is free space)–>Add to Panel–>Force Quit—>Add;
–Now whenever an application is frozen, just click the little broken window icon on your panel and then click on the frozen program; Click “Force Quit”
Quick OpenOffice launch: Open any OpenOffice program (e.g., word processor); In Openoffice–>Tools—>Options—>Memory—>Enable systray quickstarter—>OK
—This requires about 196 Mb of RAM (according to http://bit.ly/fd2Oz); Now you’ll have a little open office logo in your panel
I believe that covers just about all the tips/tricks via “point and click”. I understand that most people probably wouldn’t want to bother with the command line but if you put in a little bit of time in the terminal you’ll really appreciate its ease of use (not to mention speed and power) compared to point and cilck.
@ Susan Myers
I understand where you are coming from and I have to admit, I can understand that it can be very confusing for Ubuntu beginners to start using all these codes. Thank you for the feedback though, really do appreciate it!
@Anon
Wow, thankyou very much for your contribution. This will definately help a lot of readers who do not understand Ubuntu so well. I will try and integrate the “point and click” strategy in future tutorial posts, thanks again!
@Susan Myers, as described by @Anon, there is a graphical way to do these things, but more often than not, the command line makes it quicker and easier. I run an Ubuntu server, and the only way for me to do things with it is the command line, it is very easy to use when you get used to it.
Do NOT upgrade to ext4 yet! There are at least two major issues with ext4 as it exists in ubuntu’s kernel right now, one causing data corruption (not talking about the fsync ‘bug’), the other causing hard lockups (even when not used as the root fs: even a thumbdrive mounted as ext4 can cause it).
@TechCombo Writer: I don’t mean this as an insult, but it’s really important to read the release notes for relevant material when writing this sort of tutorial. You probably haven’t experienced the issues involved, but some of your readers almost certainly will.
Cheers!
–Carey Underwood
*takes out mouse*
*points on Susan*
*clicks-and-holds*
*drags to big X*
*releases mouse button*
*missed X*
*no action*
“sudo tell susan to get a Mac”
Seriously, talking to computers requires learning a new language, but that’s better than having to converse with them by sign language for the rest of your life.
No need to do anything special to download youtube videos.
http://www.getmiro.com and follow the instructions for installing Miro to Ubuntu. Use the search youtube option and even created saveable channels from youtube.
Denis
is it possible to just download or convert video from other sites?
and how it is with flash videos?
@cwillu Thanks for the heads up! It’s true I haven’t actually experienced any of those issues you listed, but I’m sure, as you said, many people encounter this problem! Appreciate the feedback.
@Harleqin nice metaphor
You are correct in saying that talking to computers is a new language, because effectively it’s like talking to a reallly smart person, who can do literally anything. But I think Susan is right in saying that Ubuntu is meant to be easy to use and not many complications.
@Denis Thanks for your input and feedback!
@mweh A lot of people tend to use http://keepvid.com/ to download videos and convert them from .flv to ipod. I believe keepvid is capable of downloading and converting flash videos.
Thankyou for your feedback!
@ Susan Myers
These codes are easy. They are actually a lot easier than constant clicking through multiple gui’s just to get to what you want. But fear not you can also use your gui’s and be satisfied but don’t be afraid to learn how to use a computer another way. If you stand behind the old “this is suppose to be done this way so I can understand” then you will never grow in your abilities and will always stand behind it.
just a little comment re : Susan Myers question, instead of typing just copy and paste
as for downloading flv ( youtube vids for example ) just wait till it has fully buffered and then go to places/ computer / filesystem / tmp and its in there just copy file to whatever folder you wish.
just remember people you all learnd how to use windows / mac this is just the same as any thing anyone is new to, you just gotta learn how to use it
great site by the way esp for newcomers, keep up the good work
Another command line to quick start OpenOffice, this time with a resident icon in the systray is:
ooffice -quickstart -nologo -nodefault
Works on Karmic.
Helpful tips. Thanks