Linux Newbie Backup

make ubuntu top/window bar and menu transparent

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 05:23:00 -0400

top panel:

http://www.linuxandlife.com/2012/05/ubuntu-panel-transparent.html

window title bar and menu(in the comment):

http://ubuntuguide.net/ubuntu-unity-enable-transparent-panel-and-windows-title-bar

http://www.jameswigley.com/2012/04/27/making-ubuntu-unity-look-beautiful-by-enabling-transparency/

create application shortcut/icon in the desktop

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 04:49:33 -0400

in Ubuntu 12.04, just

gnome-desktop-item-edit —create-new ~/Desktop

type in name and command, click on the icon on the left to configure icon picture

add Chrome Apps to desktop and launcher

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 11:21:00 -0400

First, go to your chrome apps page, and right-click on the app you would like to add to desktop, and select ‘Create Shortcut’.

Next, check the ‘Desktop’ and press ‘Create’.

Now, you can see a icon of the app on your desktop. If you wanna put it in launcher, just drag the icon to launcher. This is what it looks like:

You can also create desktop shortcut for website with an icon(if you can put up with the low and ugly resolution, as is shown in the above picture). All you need to do is to drag the bookmarked website from bookmark bar to apps page, and then go to the first line of this post.

btw, I was using KSnapshot to capture the images of screen.

thunderbird minimize to tray

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 11:00:47 -0400

minimize to tray:

install add-on ‘minimize to tray revived’
configure the add-on

automatic launching when startup:

in Startup Applications, add command ‘thunderbird %u’
however, I have NOT find a way to open thunderbird in system tray without opening the window.

completely uninstall pidgin

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 08:52:39 -0400

first:

sudo apt-get remove —purge pidgin

then, open your home, show all hiden files, find the .puple folder and finally remove this folder.

linux laptop mode

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 01:37:00 -0400

if:

your laptop is unreasonably hot and the fan is running at full speed all the time;
or you would like to save your battery when AC is not plugged in.

to install:

sudo apt-get install laptop-mode-tools

to configure:

sudo gedit /etc/default/acpi-support

sudo gedit /etc/laptop-mode/laptop-mode.conf

to control in terminal:

sudo laptop_mode start

sudo laptop_mode stop

arrage the desktop windows side by side

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 09:05:00 -0400

try :

Ctrl + Super + Left / Right

and you can maximize/restore the window by:

Ctrl + Super + Up / Down

it’s useful to review all the shorcuts at Settings>Keyboard

keyboard shortcuts for copy and paste in ubuntu terminal

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 09:01:14 -0400

for COPY:

Ctrl + Shift + C

for PASTE:

Ctrl + Shift + V

use command line to adjust screen brightness

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:13:00 -0400

use command line to adjust the brightness of laptop screen (when you cannot find any other way to adjust the brightness):

sudo setpci -s 00:02.0 F4.B=30

‘30’ is the value of brightness. Smaller the number is, the darker the screen is. The minimum is 00, and the maximum is FF.

However, the change is not saved, if you wanna save your change, you should

sudo gedit /etc/rc.local

insert a row of code right above the ‘exit 0’

setpci -s 00:02.0 F4.B=**