Installing Ubuntu One on Kubuntu

Ubuntu One is easy to install on Kubuntu: open Konsole and type:

sudo apt-get install ubuntuone-control-panel-gtk

This command will install the following six packages

1. python-ubuntuone-client
2. python-ubuntuone-control-panel
3. python-ubuntuone-storageprotocol
4. ubuntuone-client
5. ubuntuone-control-panel
6. ubuntuone-control-panel-gtk

Alternatively, search for ubuntuone-control-panel-gtk in KPackageKit and install Ubuntu One from the software manager.

Sources & References:

• Ubuntu One: Ask Ubuntu Question 58983

Quick Tip - Installing Plasma Themes from .tar

If you download a Plasma theme as a .tar package, you can install it by extracting the package to the ~/.kde/share/apps/desktoptheme/ directory.

Restart the Desktop Theme application (System Settings > Workspace Appearance > Desktop Theme) to access and apply your new theme.

Sources & References:

• None

ttf-mscorefonts-installer Package - Don't be Fooled!

So, you think that by installing the ttf-mscorefonts-installer package via KPackageKit that you now have access to the Microsoft fonts? Well, if you have installed the package via the software manager, it's worth checking that it's been properly installed!

To check, open a terminal and type:

locate Arial

If you return to your command prompt without listing any files or directories, the package hasn't been installed even though KPackageKit lists it as an installed package. This may be the result of a bug in KPackageKit that prevents the user from accessing (or, even seeing) the End User Licence (EUL) Agreement.

There are a couple of ways of fixing this, but I found the easiest was to purge the existing package (using the terminal):

sudo apt-get purge ttf-mscorefonts-installer

And then reinstall the package (again, using the terminal rather than KPackageKit):

sudo apt-get install ttf-mscorefonts-installer

Now the Microsoft EUL Agreement screen should appear:

The MS End User Licence Agreement

• Hit TAB to highlight the < OK > option in the EUL Agreement screen and press Enter.
• Select < Yes > in the next (Configuring ttf-mscorefonts-installer) screen.
  
  
  Select "Yes" to continue with the Installation
• When the package has finished installing (you return to your command prompt), force the cache to reload:
  
  sudo fc-cache -f -v
  
  
• Now check that your fonts are installed:
  
  locate Arial

Now you should be able to select the fonts for use in the System Settings and application properties dialogs.

Sources & references:

• None

Kubuntu 11.04 on Inspiron 6400

I've been so impressed with Kubuntu that I'm installing Kubuntu 11.04 on my DELL Inspiron 6400 - the installation process worked flawlessly, but, once I'd restarted my machine, I couldn't log in!

Taking a couple of deep breaths and bringing my mounting panic under control, I realized that I had to select a desktop to log into! Below the user name & password dialog boxes, there are two buttons (one to shutdown the machine, and another to select a desktop session): the three options are default, plasma, and failsafe. Selecting the Plasma option logged me into Kubuntu.

First panic over - now all I have to do is:

1. Apply the updates
2. Get my wireless card working.
3. Mount my shared drive and apply the shutdown fix.
4. Install & configure Opera
5. Install & configure Thunderbird
6. Install & configure KeePassX...

Well, you get the idea...

Sources & References:

• None

Kubuntu - Fixing WiFi

When I loaded Kubuntu on my Inspiron 1501 this week, I experienced the perennial WiFi problems that seem to plague every Ubuntu installation. Loading the correct driver was a piece of cake - I've done it so many times - but even though I could see all the available networks, I just couldn't connect!

Eventually, I abandoned the default application (the plasma-widget-networkmanagement) and installed the Gnome front-end for Network Manager - problem solved.

Well, sort of...

Despite being able to connect to my network, I kept receiving error messages about the system being unable to unlock the Gnome keyring. I'd also have to supply the wireless manager my network password every time I rebooted. This can get kind of tedious very quickly! Strangely, most of the solutions posted online recommend setting an empty value for the default keyring password - right, like that's going to happen!

Actually, there's a much simpler (and far more secure) way to allow the wireless applet access to the keyring.

• Open the Autostart System Settings dialog (Menu > Computer > System Settings > Autostart > Advanced Tab).
• Click the Add Program... button.
• In the Choose Application search dialog, type Gnome Keyring.
• Click the Application tab and in the Command: dialog, type - gnome-keyring-daemon
• Click Ok.
• Close the Autostart Settings dialog.

Next time you reboot, you'll be asked for your network password but, thereafter, your wireless should connect automatically. Moreover, with this solution there is no need to have blank passwords either, so it's a much more secure method of automating connection.

Sources & References:

• Network Manager: Home Page

Kubuntu - CIFS Mounts Hang at Shutdown

One of the problems I've experienced with my recent installation of Kubuntu is something I've come across before: the process that unmounts CIFS shares hangs at shutdown, delaying the power-down sequence by several minutes (some users report even longer delays!).

After some effort, I finally understand what causes the problem and discovered a fix that works on my test machine (signs of Linux maturity perhaps?). However, I had to dig very deep to resolve the issue: I came across the following solution on page 7 of my Google search (after following pretty much every link on the first six pages) and the answer wasn't even on a direct link, but a link from a link! The actual instructions are in post #160 of the bug report, demonstrating the benefits of persistence!

The problem is well documented and caused by an error in the shutdown sequence. It seems that the Network Manager is closed before the share(s) are dis(un)mounted - the effect of this sequence is that, once the Network Manager has been closed, there is no longer a network over which to make or receive a call to unmount. There are several solutions posted on the Internet, most revolve around scripts for unmounting the CIFS shares that are then symlinked to earlier processes in the shutdown sequence - I tied them all, but none worked (for me). Kudos then to c0l2e, the author of the following:

"found a better fix via /etc/init/dbus.conf

add the pre-stop script:

pre-stop script
trap "TERM signal" TERM
/bin/umount -a -t cifs -f -l
trap - TERM
end script

It works for me and few tested notebooks and desktop PC."
(c0l2e post #160 - Ubuntu Bug Reports: Bug #211631)

I can confirm that this solution works for a DELL Inspiron 1501 and that my Kubuntu installation now closes in under fifteen seconds.

Sources & References:

• Ubuntu Bug Reports: Bug #211631

Kubuntu - I Think It's Love

A couple of days ago I resumed my search for a suitable alternative to Unity. Whilst I haven't given up entirely on the possibility that, post-Lucid, Canonical's latest user interface will be my choice of desktop environment, I thought that it wouldn't hurt to be prepared for the worst.

If I'm honest, I've led a pretty sheltered Linux existence and I've only ever used two Linux desktop environments: Gnome & Unity. This inexperience coupled with my continued ambivalence towards the latest incarnation of Ubuntu, seemed like the perfect opportunity to take Mark Shuttleworth's advice and give one of the other DEs a peek. So, for no better reason than not knowing any better, I decided to start with Kubuntu.

I think that it might be love.

Sure, I've had some early issues to deal with, but Kubuntu 10.04 is running contentedly on my DELL Inspiron 1501 and the environment can only be described as, beautiful - I'm already considering migrating my two stable machines to the interface!

If you haven't experienced KDE, it's well worth downloading an image and creating a startup disk.

Sources & References:

• Kubuntu: Homepage