gegls from outer space

:)

hint: under ubuntu, hit alt-f2

Skype under WINE

Sure, there's a skype for linux, but it doesn't support Video or Skypecasts or Games, etc. So I decided to try skype under wine. There isn't much documentation for it on the wine AppDB (it's old data), but it actually works amazingly well, considering it's a complicated program which uses one of the worst-implemented parts of WINE, the sound system.

You have to choose the Windows 98 option for it to log you in. It logs in, and looks nice and pretty, and you can even call people and the call works--the only problem is: people can't hear you, because WINE's audio input is horrible ;)

I tried calling my house with skypeout, and it worked. I even could hear myself talking on the phone. But nothing worked to get the audio input working... This looks promising though :) Wine is updated frequently, and maybe one of the next updates will get there...!

Also, no video, or skypecasts. So it's not any more useful than Skype for Linux. But it looks cool ;)

Another blogger is trying Compiz Fusion out

Another blogger is blogging about compiz fusion, inspired by yours truly. I will be following his experience, and editing my howto accordingly.

Take a look at his blog: http://pixel-death.blogspot.com

Hopefully, he will have a good experience with CF :)

How exactly to get Compiz Fusion running with no knowledge of linux and no linux install

Important update: I added the installation of Restricted Drivers. This is necessary for compiz to work! :)

UPDATE 2: I changed the links for the wallpaper and panel BG because uploadingit.com is offline right now.

Thanks to user "alex", I have decided to make a complete tutorial to get from Windows to my basic setup. This actually shouldn't take more than a day or two, which is not bad, considering you're installing an entire new operating system.

I. Obtaining Ubuntu

1. Go to the Ubuntu Download Page and get Ubuntu 7.04, typing all the requested information in.
2. When your ~700MB download is finished, burn the ISO image to a disc with your favorite CD burning software.
3. This part might be difficult for those with not so good computer knowledge, but you have to get your computer to launch off the cd. It depends on how your computer is made, but you might need to change the boot order in the BIOS. Or, you might have to do a key command to boot off the cd.
4. When you've booted off the ubuntu cd, you'll have an option to "Install or boot Ubuntu". Go ahead and choose that, you won't lose any data yet.
5. The CD will boot, and give you a working desktop environment. This is all running off the cd, and as a result nothing is saveable, and no settings are retained after reboot.
6. Double-click the install icon on the desktop.
7. Follow the instructions. When it comes to partitioning, if you want to keep windows, then DON'T choose the option to completely format the drive, otherwise do.
8. Install Ubuntu on your system. This might take only 20 minutes, depending on the state of your hardware.
9. Restart your computer, and if you have windows and ubuntu installed, choose the first option for ubuntu. Log in.
10. You've installed ubuntu!

Now on to the next step!

++
II. Installing the proprietary graphics driver (skip if you have intel or another that's already supported)

1. Open up System>Administration>Restricted Drivers Manager.
2. If you have an nVIDIA card, it will show up on the list. Install it by following the easy instructions. Make sure it's enabled.
3. As prompted, restart your computer.

++

III. Getting the wallpaper and the panel candy and setting up your black theme

1. First, download my green wallpaper here.
   
2. Right-click the desktop and choose "Change desktop background."
3. Browse to the folder in which you've saved my wallpaper, and choose it.
4. Now get this png image.
5. Right-click the panel on the top, and choose "Properties". In the Background tab, choose the png as the background image. You might have to make the panel thinner for it to look good. That's in the general tab.
6. Go to the System>Preferences>Theme menu item. Choose the option "Customize".
7. Under the Controls tab, choose Glossy
8. Under the Colors tab, make the:
1. Windows/Background #3E3E3E
2. Input boxes/Background #4A4A4A
3. Selected Items/background #616161
4. And all the text items white.
9. Under the Window Border tab, choose Glossy
10. Under Icons, choose Tangerine.
11. Close the Theme Details window, and choose "Save theme..." and save your theme.
12. Now, to fix a little bug with the tooltips, get Gnome Color Chooser (to install, download and double-click)
13. Open up Gnome Color chooser (system>preferences) and under the Specific tab>Tooltips make Background #565656.
14. To fix some bugs with Firefox, do this (terminal):
1. cd /usr/share/firefox/res
2. sudo cp forms.css forms.css.bak
3. sudo gedit forms.css
4. (text editor): replace all instances of " background-color: -moz-Field " with background-color: #ffffff; //-moz-Field
5. replace all instances of " color: -moz-FieldText; " with " color: #000000; //-moz-FieldText; "
6. Save and quit.
   

Now you have a black theme and a nice wallpaper/panel! On to Compiz Fusion!

IV. Installing Compiz fusion through Trevinho's Eyecandy Repository, and installing Avant-Window-Navigator (dock)

We are going to use terminal commands, because it is faster that way. Don't be afraid, these aren't hard to use.

1. Open up a Terminal window (applications>accessories>terminal)
2. type into the terminal: sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list
3. Type in your password (it will appear that nothing is happening, but the password is being received)
4. A nice text editor with a bunch of text in it already should open up. Go to the very bottom of this and add the following five lines:
   # Treviño’s Ubuntu feisty EyeCandy Repository (GPG key: 81836EBF - DD800CD9)
   # Many eyecandy 3D apps like Beryl, compiz and kiba-dock snapshots
   # built using latest available (working) sources from git/svn/cvs…
   deb http://download.tuxfamily.org/3v1deb feisty eyecandy
   deb-src http://download.tuxfamily.org/3v1deb feisty eyecandy
5. Save the file and close the text editor. Type into the terminal: gpg --keyserver subkeys.pgp.net --recv 81836EBF
6. Type into the terminal: sudo apt-get update
7. Type into the terminal: sudo apt-get upgrade
8. You might get a bunch of updates now, so just wait until they're done.
9. Now type into the Terminal: sudo apt-get install compiz-fusion-plugins-extra compiz fusion-plugins-main compiz-fusion-plugins-unsupported compizconfig-settings-manager avant-window-navigator emerald emerald-themes
   
10. That should install the dock, and compiz-fusion.

V. Launching Compiz Fusion and the dock

1. Type into the terminal: compiz --replace ccp && emerald &
2. You should now have wobbly windows! try it out. If it doesn't work, you might have to adjust some settings, but it should work fine.
3. Under System>Preferences>CompizConfig Settings Manager you can change your settings. You will have to enable the plugins before they work (of course).
4. Under Applications>Accessories>Avant Window Navigator you can launch the dock.
5. You can adjust your panel settings so that the bottom panel is deleted, and the trash can is moved up to the top panel, etc, but I'm not going to get into that.
6. Now, to get it so that you can close the terminal without stopping your compiz fusion, type alt-F2 and run the same command as if you were in a terminal.
   

VI. Installing my Emerald theme (for window decorations)

1. Download my theme here.
   
2. Go to System>Preferences>Emerald Theme Manager.
3. Choose "Import..."
4. Choose my .emerald file you downloaded.
5. Choose it in the list now.
6. You should have a sleek black window decoration now!

VII. Making it so Compiz Fusion starts on boot

I'm sorry, but I'm not sure about this yet. Eventually, there will be a tray icon that works pefectly, but not yet. Just wait... This is alpha software. You can search the forums for a solution. I'm sure there's one somewhere :)

OK! You're done!

Keep in mind that your Ubuntu install won't play DVD's or mp3's, etc, yet. You have to research that elsewhere :) For help you can go to the Ubuntu Forums.

If you want to install a new program, you can go to Applications>Add/Remove applications and choose applications to install. They'll download and install automatically.

And finally, to get out of compiz, do alt-f2 and type metacity --replace. That should dump you back into the default ubuntu window manager. I would suggest quitting Avant-window-navigator first though, since it doesn't run properly without compiz.

Tell me how it works !

EDIT: Due to questions about gmail notifier, I felt obliged to hack it. Here's a fix for it to work with dark themes.

Also, follow these instructions, and your firefox controls will look better!

Flash Calculator

I made a flash calculator at school a few months ago, so I'd like to show it to you. Here it is: http://uploadingit.com/files/21766/advcalculator.swf

:) Enjoy.

PS: though it doesn't really look like it, the box that doesn't seem to align with the numbers on top is supposed to be a glass effect, but it didn't work. Don't have flash here at home to fix it.

Playing Halo Trial without Windows (or Mac.. hehe)

This is a video I made of me playing halo trial with WINE on ubuntu. Although there are a few annoyances, it works quite nicely and is fun to play. Halo trial is downloadable off the Microsoft website. I did not need to change wine in any way to play it, though I did turn off CompComm so that I have more memory space to play.



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CompComm now known as Compiz Fusion

The official name of the Beryl/Compiz merge is now Compiz Fusion. I'll live with it. :) We'll see how a logo can be created... I may make my idea of the logo... sounds fun!

This final naming means that packages may be available soon for download (for those who don't like compiling) ... Looking good!

CompComm: A Quick Demonstration

Here's a little video I made of my desktop with CompComm. More info on the youtube page. Low Quality version also available there.

Cool screenshot of my black desktop theme

You've gotta love this.

EDIT: Find all the info (except the wallpaper is different) here: http://forums.opencompositing.org/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=844

I didn't like the wallpaper anyway.