Make VLC media player function properly
VLC media player sometimes doesn't function properly on the new sound system Pulse Audio. Let it function on the old audio system ALSA:
a. Start VLC media player
b. panel:
Settings - Preferences... - Audio - Output modules
c. Tick: Advanced options (in the lower right corner)
d. Audio output module: change it into "ALSA audio output".
e. Click "Save" and close VLC.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
10. Improve backward compatibility
Improve backward compatibility
Install an extra library file to improve backward compatibility for some applications.
System - Administration - Synaptic Package Manager
search word: libstdc++5
(the first letter is an L)
Tick it and press Apply.
Install an extra library file to improve backward compatibility for some applications.
System - Administration - Synaptic Package Manager
search word: libstdc++5
(the first letter is an L)
Tick it and press Apply.
9. Install Brightness Applet
Install the Brightness Applet on your laptop
a. Right click with the mouse on the upper panel
b. Choose Add to panel....
c. select Brightness Applet.
a. Right click with the mouse on the upper panel
b. Choose Add to panel....
c. select Brightness Applet.
8. give yourself full USB rights
Give yourself full user rights on USB devices
Particularly using scanners can be tricky, because as a user you don't have full rights over all USB devices. A security feature, but an annoying exaggeration. Remedy this as follows:
System - Administration - Users and Groups
Click on your user name
Click on the button "Unlock"
Properties button - tab User Privileges
and make sure that every category is ticked.
Are there other user accounts but yours? Then repeat these steps for the other accounts. But, of course, for those others don't tick "Administer the system". That's a privilege that belongs only to the administrative user account (you).
Particularly using scanners can be tricky, because as a user you don't have full rights over all USB devices. A security feature, but an annoying exaggeration. Remedy this as follows:
System - Administration - Users and Groups
Click on your user name
Click on the button "Unlock"
Properties button - tab User Privileges
and make sure that every category is ticked.
Are there other user accounts but yours? Then repeat these steps for the other accounts. But, of course, for those others don't tick "Administer the system". That's a privilege that belongs only to the administrative user account (you).
7. Make NumLock turn on automatically
Activate the numeric section of your keyboard (not for laptops).
Note: This instruction does not apply to laptops.
It's useful for NumLock to be switched on automatically when you start Ubuntu. As follows:
System - Administration - Synaptic Package Manager
Search word: numlockx
Tick it and press the Apply button.
Note: This instruction does not apply to laptops.
It's useful for NumLock to be switched on automatically when you start Ubuntu. As follows:
System - Administration - Synaptic Package Manager
Search word: numlockx
Tick it and press the Apply button.
6. install full multimedia support
Install full multimedia support (mp3, Adobe Flash Player, Sun Java, Microsoft fonts, etc.) following this guide
5. increase font size in Firefox
Fonts too small on the web pages you view in Firefox?
Increase the fonts as follows:
Keep the Ctrl key pressed and press as many times the plus key (+) in the numeric keypad, until the desired size is reached. Reduce size: keep the Ctrl key pressed and press the minus key (-).
This will increase, however, both text and images on web pages. Thus, the images often become ugly. Limit the increase therefore to "text only".
As follows: Firefox toolbar - View - Zoom - tick: Zoom Text Only.
Handy add-ons (such as Adblock and NoScript) are installable in Firefox as follows:
Firefox toolbar - Tools - Add-ons - Get Add-ons - Browse All Add-ons.
Note: keep the number of add-ons limited, because otherwise Firefox will become noticeably slower.
Increase the fonts as follows:
Keep the Ctrl key pressed and press as many times the plus key (+) in the numeric keypad, until the desired size is reached. Reduce size: keep the Ctrl key pressed and press the minus key (-).
This will increase, however, both text and images on web pages. Thus, the images often become ugly. Limit the increase therefore to "text only".
As follows: Firefox toolbar - View - Zoom - tick: Zoom Text Only.
Handy add-ons (such as Adblock and NoScript) are installable in Firefox as follows:
Firefox toolbar - Tools - Add-ons - Get Add-ons - Browse All Add-ons.
Note: keep the number of add-ons limited, because otherwise Firefox will become noticeably slower.
4. read about the bugs
Stay updated about all the new bugs and report bugs if you find any.
This improves your knowledge and keeps you involved in ubuntu activities :)
This improves your knowledge and keeps you involved in ubuntu activities :)
3. turn on subpixels
If you have a TFT display (LCD), turn on the subpixel rendering:
System - Preferences - Appearance - Fonts
Put the dot at: Subpixel smoothing (LCDs).
System - Preferences - Appearance - Fonts
Put the dot at: Subpixel smoothing (LCDs).
2. install restricted drivers
Make sure all hardware is working properly and install missing drivers.
Drivers installation is usually not necessary, because they are already present in the Linux kernel. One exception is the proprietary restricted drivers for Nvidia and ATI graphics cards. For optimal performance of your Nvidia or ATI graphics card, you'll want to install the closed source restricted driver (the proprietary driver).
The Restricted drivers manager alerts you automatically about the availability of restricted drivers for your graphics card, by a notification in the system tray in the upper panel of your screen (on the right). Click on the notification icon and follow the steps. If there is no automatic alert, perform a manual check: System - Administration - Hardware Drivers.
The required driver is then automatically downloaded from the internet, from the software repositories of Ubuntu, and (also automatically) installed. Afterwards you will have to do a full reboot of your computer. Ubuntu will issue an alert for that.
Do you have a graphics card of the brand ATI or Nvidia, which is so new that the proprietary restricted driver version in the software repositories of Ubuntu is too old? Then you can use the latest restricted driver of ATI or Nvidia. An easy tool named Envy (envyng-gtk) will take care of downloading and installing the latest ATI or Nvidia driver for you.
This package is in the Universe software repository of Ubuntu: in order to access that respository, you must first enable all repositories, both official and semi-official.
You can install envyng-gtk as follows:
System - Administration - Synaptic Package Manager
Search word: envyng-gtk
Tick it and press the Apply button.
After the installation: start envyng-gtk through Applications - System Tools.
Note: The use of envyng-gtk is an "emergency measure". If everything works fine with the somewhat older restricted driver for ATI or Nvidia from the repositories of Ubuntu, then you should stick with that one. Only the restricted driver in the repositories is tested for stability in Ubuntu.
Drivers installation is usually not necessary, because they are already present in the Linux kernel. One exception is the proprietary restricted drivers for Nvidia and ATI graphics cards. For optimal performance of your Nvidia or ATI graphics card, you'll want to install the closed source restricted driver (the proprietary driver).
The Restricted drivers manager alerts you automatically about the availability of restricted drivers for your graphics card, by a notification in the system tray in the upper panel of your screen (on the right). Click on the notification icon and follow the steps. If there is no automatic alert, perform a manual check: System - Administration - Hardware Drivers.
The required driver is then automatically downloaded from the internet, from the software repositories of Ubuntu, and (also automatically) installed. Afterwards you will have to do a full reboot of your computer. Ubuntu will issue an alert for that.
Do you have a graphics card of the brand ATI or Nvidia, which is so new that the proprietary restricted driver version in the software repositories of Ubuntu is too old? Then you can use the latest restricted driver of ATI or Nvidia. An easy tool named Envy (envyng-gtk) will take care of downloading and installing the latest ATI or Nvidia driver for you.
This package is in the Universe software repository of Ubuntu: in order to access that respository, you must first enable all repositories, both official and semi-official.
You can install envyng-gtk as follows:
System - Administration - Synaptic Package Manager
Search word: envyng-gtk
Tick it and press the Apply button.
After the installation: start envyng-gtk through Applications - System Tools.
Note: The use of envyng-gtk is an "emergency measure". If everything works fine with the somewhat older restricted driver for ATI or Nvidia from the repositories of Ubuntu, then you should stick with that one. Only the restricted driver in the repositories is tested for stability in Ubuntu.
1. Apply all available updates
Apply all available updates. Afterwards reboot your computer (not always necessary, but do it just to make sure).
you can install available updates whenever a notification message comes on screen
you can install available updates whenever a notification message comes on screen
11 things to make sure and to do on new installation of ubuntu desktop
11 things to make sure and to do on new installation of ubuntu desktop
1. apply all updates
2. install restricted drivers
3. turn on subpixels
4. read about the bugs
5. increase font size in Firefox
6. install full multimedia support
7. make NumLock turn on automatically
8. give yourself full USB rights
9. install Brightness Applet
10. improve backward compatibility
11. make media player VLC function properly
all these are explained in different posts.
1. apply all updates
2. install restricted drivers
3. turn on subpixels
4. read about the bugs
5. increase font size in Firefox
6. install full multimedia support
7. make NumLock turn on automatically
8. give yourself full USB rights
9. install Brightness Applet
10. improve backward compatibility
11. make media player VLC function properly
all these are explained in different posts.
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