How To Use Multiple Monitors In Xubuntu / Xfce (Extended Display Instead Of Mirror)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xubuntu-multimonitor-setup.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="xubuntu dual screen" border="0" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xubuntu-multimonitor-setup_thumb.png" title="xubuntu dual screen" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In multi monitors setups, Xubuntu / Xfce clones (mirrors) instead of expanding the display to the external monitor. So here are two ways of getting proper multi monitor support in Xfce / Xubuntu.</b></div><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><h2>I. Xubuntu 13.04, 12.10 or 12.04 only: use the Xfce 4.12 PPA to get proper multi-monitor support</h2><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Xfce 4.11 (Xubuntu 13.04 and 12.10 use Xfce 4.10 by default) has implemented support for extended desktop mode, so <b>using the Xfce 4.12 PPA in Xubuntu 13.04, 12.10 or 12.04</b> (this is a development PPA which provides some development packages), <b>you'll get proper multi-monitor support by default.</b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Using this PPA, in the Xfce Settings Manager, under "Display", you can select the position of each monitor (left of, right of, below, above or the same), and if you want to mirror the displays or not:</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xubuntu-xfce-multi-monitor.png"><img alt="Xubuntu multi monitor display settings" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xubuntu-xfce-multi-monitor_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>To add the PPA and upgrade these packages in Xubuntu 12.10 or 12.04, use the commands below:</b></div><pre class="linux-code"><code>sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xubuntu-dev/xfce-4.12<br />sudo apt-get update<br />sudo apt-get dist-upgrade</code></pre><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Once the packages have been successfully upgraded, open the Settins Manager, and under "Display", <b>uncheck the "Mirror displays" option to extend your display to the external monitor(s)</b>, then select the displays position, etc.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />There's also a minimal display dialog (thanks to Simon Steinbeiss for the tip!) you can use once you've added the above PPA, in case you need to quickly change monitor settings, which you can run using the following command (you can create a shortcut for it if you often change your monitor layout, .e.g. when using a laptop with external monitors):</div><pre class="linux-code"><code>xfce4-display-settings -m</code></pre><br />Here's what you'll get:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xfce-mini-displays.png"><img alt="Xfce mini display settings" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xfce-mini-displays_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><h2>II. Any Xubuntu / Xfce version: Use Arandr to extend the display instead of cloning (mirror) it</h2><br /><b>1.</b> Install Arandr, a simple GUI for XRandR:<br /><pre class="linux-code"><code>sudo apt-get install arandr</code></pre><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>2.</b> Then, open Arandr and move the monitors to the desired position using drag and drop:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/arandr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/arandr_thumb.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><i>By default, the monitors might be displayed one above the other, so drag the first one to be able to see both of them.</i><br /><br />When you're done, select <i>Layout > Apply</i>. <br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>3.</b> The changes are not saved and will be lost once you logout / restart the computer so to make them permanent, from the Arandr menu select <i>Layout > Save As</i>, enter a name for this layout and save it.</div><br />This creates a script under <i>~/.screenlayout</i> using the name you've used above (unless you've selected a different path).<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>4.</b> Add this script to your startup items: <i>Session and Startup > Applications Autostart</i> - click "Add", under "Name" enter whatever you want and under "Command", enter the exact path to the script created under step 3 and you're done:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xubuntu-multiscreen.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xubuntu-multiscreen_thumb.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Your Xubuntu computer's display should now be extended to the external monitor(s), instead of using the default clone (mirror) option, each time you log in.</div>

How To Use Multiple Monitors In Xubuntu / Xfce (Extended Display Instead Of Mirror)

In multi monitors setups, Xubuntu / Xfce clones (mirrors) instead of expanding the display to the external monitor. So here are two ways of ...

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How To Use Netflix In Ubuntu Through Wine (PPA Available)

<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Netflix is finally working on Linux! No, there's no native Linux Netflix application, but with a patched Wine build, you can now use Netflix under Linux.</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a title="Netflix on Ubuntu" href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/netflix-ubuntu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" rel="image_group"><img alt="netflix ubuntu" border="0" height="180" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/netflix-ubuntu_thumb.jpg" title="netflix ubuntu" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Thanks to a campaign by <a href="http://www.iheartubuntu.com/">IHeartUbuntu</a> to get Netflix running on Ubuntu and the work of Erich Hoover, Ubuntu users can now use Netflix through Wine (with some patches) and Microsoft Silverlight, all installable from a PPA.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>For those who are not familiar with <a href="https://netflix.com/" rel="nofollow">Netflix</a>, this is an on-demand TV shows & movies streaming service available in USA, Canada, South America, UK, Ireland, Sweden, Danmark, Norway and Finland.</i></div><br /><br /><br /><h2>Install Netflix Desktop application (with patched Wine) in Ubuntu</h2><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a title="Netflix on Ubuntu" rel="image_group" href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/netflix-ubuntu-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="netflix ubuntu" border="0" height="200" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/netflix-ubuntu-1_thumb.png" title="netflix ubuntu" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I like to test everything I post, but <b>since Netflix is not available where I live, I was unable to test this</b>. Hopefully it will work for you using the instructions below.</div><br /><b>To add the PPA and install the patched WINE and everything required to use Netflix in Ubuntu Raring, Quantal, Precise or Oneiric, use the commands below:</b><br /><pre class="linux-code"><code>sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ehoover/compholio<br />sudo apt-get update<br />sudo apt-get install netflix-desktop</code></pre><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The commands above will install a patched WINE which doesn't overwrite your current Wine installation, along with a Netflix web app that automatically downloads and installs Firefox for Windows and Microsoft Silverlight. The Netflix app is available for both 32bit and 64bit while the patched Wine package is only available for 32bit, but it should work on 64bit thanks to Ubuntu's multi-arch support.</div><br /><b>If you get the following error on 64bit: </b><br /><pre class="source-code"><code>netflix-desktop : Depends: wine-compholio (> 1.5.16) but it is not installable</code></pre><div style="text-align: justify;">make sure the universe, multiverse and restricted repositories are enabled via Software Sources (on the first tab). To open Software Sources in Ubuntu 12.10, go to <i>System Settings > Software Sources</i> or, in Ubuntu 12.04 or older, you can access it via Ubuntu <i>Software Center > Edit menu > Software Sources</i>. Then run an "sudo apt-get update" and try to install netflix-desktop again and it <a href="http://i.imgur.com/63LAA.png" rel="nofollow">should work</a>.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Once installed, you can launch the Netflix Desktop web app through Dash / the menu</b>. By default, the application runs in full screen but you can exit full screen mode by pressing F11.</div><br /><br /><h2>Using Netflix Desktop app & patched Wine in other Linux distributions</h2><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>For other Linux distributions</b>: to get Netflix to work, see the instructions available @ <a href="http://www.iheartubuntu.com/2012/11/netflix-on-ubuntu-is-here.html">iheartubuntu.com</a> and <a href="http://www.compholio.com/wine-compholio/">compholio.com</a> (use the patches from compholio!).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fuduntu users: the patched Wine is <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/113644080780903084842/posts/UzD5cXDgirn">already available</a> in the Fuduntu repositories, so all you have to do is install Firefox for Windows and Microsoft Silverlight to be able to use Netflix.<br /><br />For <b>Arch Linux</b>, Netflix Desktop can be installed via <a href="https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/netflix-desktop/">AUR</a>.</div><br /><br /><h2>Using the custom Netflix Wine build for other websites that require Silverlight</h2><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a title="Silverlight in Firefox under Wine" rel="image_group" href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/firefox-wine-silverlight-ubuntu.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="firefox ubuntu silverlight" border="0" height="168" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/firefox-wine-silverlight-ubuntu_thumb.png" title="firefox ubuntu silverlight" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Tip: since the Netflix Desktop web app comes with just a window titlebar (no menu, tabs, address bar, etc.), if you want to use this custom Wine build with other websites that require the Microsoft Silverlight plugin, launch Firefox for Windows (Wine) from the newly created desktop shortcut. Or, to launch it from Unity's Dash, search for "Mozilla Firefox" (the native Firefox application for Linux should show up as "Mozilla Firefox Browser" so the names are not identical).<br /><br />Alternatively, in the Netflix Desktop web app, you can use F11 (to exit full screen), then press ALT + V and from the <i>View > Toolbar</i> menu, enable the Menu Bar and Navigation Toolbar.</div><br /><b>Update:</b> the Netflix Desktop app for Ubuntu has a Launchpad page now, so if you encounter bugs, report them @ <a href="http://bugs.launchpad.net/netflix-desktop">http://bugs.launchpad.net/netflix-desktop</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i>thanks to <a href="http://www.iheartubuntu.com/2012/11/ppa-for-netflix-desktop-app.html">iheartubuntu.com</a> for the info and screenshots</i></div>

How To Use Netflix In Ubuntu Through Wine (PPA Available)

Netflix is finally working on Linux! No, there's no native Linux Netflix application, but with a patched Wine build, you can now use Net...

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XBMC Media Center 12.0 Beta 1 Released With Raspberry PI And Android Support

<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://xbmc.org/">XBMC</a> Media Center, a free, open source digital media hub and HTPC (Home theatre PC) software has <a href="http://xbmc.org/natethomas/2012/11/15/xbmc-12-0-frodo-beta-1/">reached</a> version 12.0 beta 1. <b> </b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Besides new features and improvements, the latest XBMC 12.0 beta 1 codenamed "Frodo" is now available on some new platforms like Raspberry PI or Android.</b></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xbmc-12.png"><img alt="Xbmc 12 Ubuntu" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xbmc-12_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><b>Here's what's new in the latest XBMC 12.0 beta 1:</b><br /><ul><li>HD audio support, including DTS-MA and Dolby True-HD, via the new XBMC AudioEngine</li><li>Live TV and <a href="http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=PVR/Backend">PVR</a> (personal video recorder) support. This allows users with a TV tuner to watch live TV, listen to radio, view an EPG, schedule recordings, and more</li><li>h.264 10bit (aka Hi10P) video software decoding for anime</li><li>64bit support in OSX to match the 64bit support in Linux</li><li>Improved image support, allowing the database to accommodate numerous additional image types</li><li>Improved Airplay support across all platforms</li><li>Advanced Filtering in the library</li><li>Advanced UPnP sharing</li><li>Raspberry PI is now fully supported</li><li>Initial support for Android</li><li>More </li></ul><br /><br />Below you can see a few XBMC 12.0 beta 1 (running in Ubuntu) screenshots:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xbmc-12-video.png"><img alt="XBMC 12.0 Ubuntu" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xbmc-12-video_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xbmc-12-video-addons.png"><img alt="XBMC 12.0 Ubuntu" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xbmc-12-video-addons_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xbmc-12-music.png"><img alt="XBMC 12.0 Ubuntu" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xbmc-12-music_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xbmc-12-pvr.png"><img alt="XBMC 12.0 live video pvr" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xbmc-12-pvr_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><h2>Install XBMC 12.0 beta 1 in Ubuntu</h2><br /><b>The latest XBMC 12.0 beta 1 can be installed in Ubuntu (12.10, 12.04 or 11.10) using the following commands:</b><br /><pre class="linux-code"><code>sudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc/unstable<br />sudo apt-get update<br />sudo apt-get install xbmc</code></pre><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Even though XBMC 12.0 beta 1 comes with initial Android support, <b>there are no Android builds available on XBMC download page</b> and the XBMC Android <a href="http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=XBMC_for_Android_specific_FAQ">FAQ</a> advices the users to compile it. But if you want to download pre-built Android binaries, <b>you can download XBMC 12.0 for Android from <a href="http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=29737205">xda-developers</a></b>.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Here are a few <b>screenshots with XBMC 12.0 running</b> on my <b>Android</b> phone:</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xbmc-android.png"><img alt="Xbmc android" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xbmc-android_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xbmc-android_2.png"><img alt="XBMC android" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xbmc-android_2_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xbmc-android_3.png"><img alt="XBMC Android" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/xbmc-android_3_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><br /><b>For other Linux distributions, Windows, Mac OSX, iOS and AppleTV2, see the XBMC <a href="http://xbmc.org/download/">downloads page</a>.</b>

XBMC Media Center 12.0 Beta 1 Released With Raspberry PI And Android Support

XBMC Media Center, a free, open source digital media hub and HTPC (Home theatre PC) software has reached version 12.0 beta 1.   Besides ne...

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How To Install Avant Window Navigator In Ubuntu 12.10 Quantal Quetzal

<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Avant Window Navigator, a very popular dock a while back, has been deleted from the official Ubuntu 12.10 repositories, so to make it easier to install, I've uploaded it to the main WebUpd8 PPA.</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/avant-window-navigator.png"><img alt="Avant Window Navigator" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/avant-window-navigator_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><a name='more'></a>Please note though, that since AWN hasn't been updated in a long time, some applets won't work!</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Although the application isn't used as much as a few years ago, it's can still be useful on various desktop environments / shells like GNOME Shell, Xfce, GNOME fallback session and so on. So here's how to install it in Ubuntu 12.10.</div><br /><br /><h2>Install Avant Window Navigator In Ubuntu 12.10 Quantal Quetzal</h2><br /><b>To add the main WebUpd8 PPA and install Avant Window Navigator in Ubuntu 12.10, use the following commands:</b><br /><pre class="linux-code"><code>sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8<br />sudo apt-get update<br />sudo apt-get install avant-window-navigator</code></pre><br />For older Ubuntu versions, you don't need to add our PPA since AWN is available in the official repositories so you can install it via Ubuntu Software Center.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">In other AWN-related news: today I've pushed a <b>patch from BZR to the DockBarX PPA which fixes the DockBarX Avant Window Navigator applet</b>:</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/avant-window-navigator-dockbarx.png"><img alt="Avant Window Navigator DockBarX" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/avant-window-navigator-dockbarx_thumb.png" /></a></div><br />To install it, see our previous DockBarX article: <a href="http://www.webupd8.org/2012/10/dockbarx-sees-new-release-now-available.html">DockBarX Sees New Release, Now Available For MATE Desktop Too</a><br /><br /><br /><i>You may also want to see: <a href="http://www.webupd8.org/2010/10/video-how-to-customize-avant-window.html">Video: How To Customize Avant Window Navigator - Lucido Style</a></i>

How To Install Avant Window Navigator In Ubuntu 12.10 Quantal Quetzal

Avant Window Navigator, a very popular dock a while back, has been deleted from the official Ubuntu 12.10 repositories, so to make it easier...

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How To Use Hybrid Suspend In Ubuntu

<b>Firstly, here's what hybrid suspend does:</b><br /><ul><li>initially, the computer is suspended to RAM, which is quick to suspend / resume but it also uses some power</li><li>if the computer doesn't wake up after a configurable amount of time, suspend to disk is used so the computer stops using any power (it's the same as if it was powered off) - this is also known as hibernation</li></ul><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Basically, <b>using the hybrid suspend method from this article, the system initially enters suspend which is quick to resume and after the time you set, the system hibernates so it no longer uses any battery power</b>. This is useful if for example you close the lid when you move from one room to another (between meetings, classrooms, etc.) and you need the system to resume quickly, but you also want to preserve battery power if you don't use it.</div><br /><a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: justify;">There is another "true" hybrid suspend method (available in Linux kernel 3.6 - Ubuntu 12.10 uses Linux kernel 3.5, so it's not in Ubuntu by default yet) in which the system suspends to both the RAM and hard disk in the same time, which is useful to get both a quick resume / suspend and be able to resume the computer in case of power loss or if the system runs out of battery, but the "true" hybrid suspend uses battery power so I prefer the hybrid suspend method in this post.</div><br /><br /><br /><h2>Set up hybrid suspend in Ubuntu</h2><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJX2-u7drTqrRFzLlH-H0SBFGs1a-D7kxO3XYiWh1ZWECR-J4j9SsQm3YeyoTOXPkIuY5lZ9c9VvFNRiSucyrpzgEHRZVUbHPxxl0w8ZOA4jEFgWqPnpku-q33YjVzZtA_yoOHxdFi0PGy/s1600/ubuntu-hybrid-suspend.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="suspend ubuntu" border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJX2-u7drTqrRFzLlH-H0SBFGs1a-D7kxO3XYiWh1ZWECR-J4j9SsQm3YeyoTOXPkIuY5lZ9c9VvFNRiSucyrpzgEHRZVUbHPxxl0w8ZOA4jEFgWqPnpku-q33YjVzZtA_yoOHxdFi0PGy/s320/ubuntu-hybrid-suspend.png" title="suspend ubuntu" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Before proceeding, please note that I've tested this in Ubuntu 12.10 and it's known to work in Ubuntu 12.04 as well, but I don't know if it works in older Ubuntu versions.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Firstly, check if your system supports hybrid suspend by running the following command in a terminal:</div><pre class="linux-code"><code>sudo pm-is-supported --suspend-hybrid && echo "hybrid suspend is supported" || echo "your system doesn't support hybrid suspend"</code></pre><br /><br />To enable hybrid suspend in Ubuntu, create a file called "<i>/etc/pm/config.d/00-use-suspend-hybrid</i>" - you can do it using the following command:<br /><pre class="linux-code"><code>sudoedit /etc/pm/config.d/00-use-suspend-hybrid</code></pre><br /><i>The above command uses the default (usually "nano") command line editor, but you can use a graphical text editor like Gedit if you want (e.g.: "gksu gedit /etc/pm/config.d/00-use-suspend-hybrid").</i><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">And paste the following in the newly opened file (use "Ctrl + Shift + V" to paste in a terminal):</div><pre class="source-code"><code># Always use suspend_hybrid instead of suspend<br />if [ "$METHOD" = "suspend" ]; then<br />METHOD=suspend_hybrid<br />fi<br />PM_HIBERNATE_DELAY=900 # time in seconds until hibernate (suspend to disk) occurs; 900 means 15 minutes</code></pre><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Then, adjust the "PM_HIBERNATE_DELAY" value to whatever you want (this is the time in seconds until hibernate - suspend to disk - occurs), save the file (to save the file in Nano command line text editor and then exit, use: Ctrl + O, Enter, Ctrl + X) and your system should now use hybrid suspend instead of the regular suspend method.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Update: There's also a second method - "true" hybrid suspend</b>, which writes the image to both disk and RAM from the beginning, having the benefits that resuming will always be fast and that the machine will not wake up for a short time to hibernate for real. To use it, instead of he code above, paste the following in the <i>/etc/pm/config.d/00-use-suspend-hybrid</i> file:</div><br /><pre class="source-code"><code># WORKAROUND: always set the default hibernate mode first (normal mode)<br /># (not required if you have the patch mentioned by Rohan below (http://askubuntu.com/a/344879/169))<br />HIBERNATE_MODE=platform<br /><br /># Always use hibernate instead of suspend, but with "suspend to both"<br />if [ "$METHOD" = "suspend" ]; then<br /> METHOD=hibernate<br /> HIBERNATE_MODE=suspend<br />fi<br /><br /># Make sure to use the kernel's method, in case uswsusp is installed etc.<br />SLEEP_MODULE=kernel</code></pre><br />Then save the file (to save the file in Nano command line text editor and then exit, use: Ctrl + O, Enter, Ctrl + X) and that's it, your computer should now use "true" hybrid suspend.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i>info via <a href="http://askubuntu.com/questions/145443/how-do-i-use-pm-suspend-hybrid-by-default-instead-of-pm-suspend">AskUbuntu</a> and <a href="http://daniel.hahler.de/use-hybrid-suspend-method-by-default">daniel.hahler.de</a></i></div>

How To Use Hybrid Suspend In Ubuntu

Firstly, here's what hybrid suspend does: initially, the computer is suspended to RAM, which is quick to suspend / resume but it also us...

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Skype 4.1 For Linux Released, Adds Option To Chat With Windows Live Messenger Users

<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Skype 4.1 for Linux</b> has been released yesterday. Unfortunately, there's no official changelog, but one new feature is obvious: an option to <b>sign in with a Microsoft account and chat with your Windows Live Messenger friends from Skype</b>.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/skype-4.1-linux.png"><img alt="Skype 4.1 ubuntu" src="http:///netupd8.com/w8img2/skype-4.1-linux_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">When you start Skype 4.1 for Linux, you'll have two login options: one using your regular Skype account and another option to log in using your Microsoft (Windows Live Messenger) account. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you choose the WLM option, you will be asked to merge your Skype and Live accounts if you haven't done this already. This is only done once and don't worry, you can still sign in using your regular Skype account if you want: simply sign out and you'll get both login options again.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once you've logged in using your Microsoft account, you'll be able to talk to both your Windows Live Messenger and Skype friends from a single interface.</div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/get-skype/on-your-computer/linux/">Download Skype 4.1 for Linux</a></div><br /><br /><h2>Skype 4.1 Ubuntu fixes</h2><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">If you get an <b>error when installing Skype 4.1 or you can't install it at all due to dependency issues</b>, firstly remove any previous Skype version you may have installed:</div><pre class="linux-code"><code>sudo apt-get remove skype skype-bin</code></pre>And then try to install the downloaded Skype .deb file.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>If you're using Ubuntu 64bit and the tray / indicator icon no longer shows up</b>, make sure sni-qt is installed for 32bit architecture:</div><pre class="linux-code"><code>sudo apt-get install sni-qt:i386</code></pre><br />For other issues, including green, scrambled or black video image, see the Skype 4.1 <a href="http://pastebin.com/raw.php?i=rKXfyfC6">known issues</a>.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Thanks to bhaismachine for the tip!</i></div>

Skype 4.1 For Linux Released, Adds Option To Chat With Windows Live Messenger Users

Skype 4.1 for Linux has been released yesterday. Unfortunately, there's no official changelog, but one new feature is obvious: an optio...

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elementary OS Luna Beta 1 Available For Testing

<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>After more than a year and a half since 'Jupiter', elementary OS 0.2 Luna beta 1 has been released today.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Build on top of Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and using its own shell called "Pantheon", elementary OS Luna introduces a huge number of changes, including new default applications created especially for eOS or a new window manager called "Gala".</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementaryos-luna-beta1.png"><img alt="elementary OS luna beta 1" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementaryos-luna-beta1_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><b>Let's take a quick look at what's new in elementary OS Luna beta 1:</b><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0-_hZ542qsM" width="560"></iframe><br />(<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-_hZ542qsM">direct video link</a>)</center><br /><br /><br /><h2>Pantheon shell</h2><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Pantheon</b>, the "shell" used by default in elementary OS Luna beta 1 uses a brand new <b>window manager called Gala, based on libmutter,</b> which features smooth animations and very interesting workspace switcher and expose features which you've seen in video we've posted above.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-super-s.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="elementary os luna beta 1" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-super-s_thumb.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Workspace switcher<u><br /></u></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-super-w.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="elementary os beta 1" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-super-w_thumb.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Expose</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>For system settings, elementary OS 0.2 Luna uses Switchboard</b>, which comes with its own "plugs" - below you can see the desktop settings Switchboard plug:</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-system-settings-desktop.png"><img alt="elementary os luna system settings" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-system-settings-desktop_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-syste-settings-switchboard.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="elementary os switchboard" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-syste-settings-switchboard_thumb.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Switchboard</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The top panel is called Wingpanel</b>, and even though it doesn't follow the same "wing" design like in the <a href="http://www.webupd8.org/2011/01/install-wingpanel-from-ubuntu-ppa.html">first versions</a>, it's nevertheless a nice addition to Luna, especially thanks to the beautiful design used by the indicators:</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-wingpanel.png"><img alt="Wingpanel" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-wingpanel_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>For the menu / application launcher, Pantheon uses Slingshot</b>, which follows the same design as the indicators and comes with two modes: one that displays large, uncategorised icons which will remind you of Unity and another one which displays the applications in categories:</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-slingshot.png"><img alt="Slingshot" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-slingshot_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">At the bottom of the screen you'll notice a dock - it's called <b>Plank</b> and follows the "stupidly simple" elementary OS philosophy so there just a few configuration options (available in Switchboard). Plank supports some of Unity's features like badges, progress indicators or quicklists:</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-plank-dock.png"><img alt="Pantheon Plank" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-plank-dock_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">And finally, <b>for the login screen, elementary OS Luna uses LightDM</b>, with its own greeter (theme) and a really cool effect which again, you can see in our video above. Here's the login screen:</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-login-screen.png"><img alt="elementary os luna login screen" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-login-screen_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><h2>Default applications</h2><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">elementary OS Luna beta 1 continues to use Midori as the default web browser, Shotwell for managing photos, Empathy IM client, Totem for playing videos as well as Ubuntu Software Center.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>For the default file manager, elementary OS 0.2 Luna beta 1 uses Pantheon Files</b>, a <a href="http://www.webupd8.org/2011/05/elementary-file-browser-marlin-is-now.html">Marlin</a> fork which not only looks great, but it already has most features you'll need in a file manager. There are even plugins for Ubuntu One or Dropbox available, though they aren't installed by default:</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-pantheon-files.png"><img alt="Pantheon files" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-pantheon-files_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Geary, a new email client written in Vala</b>, developed by Yorba (the team behind Shotwell) and the elementary team, <b>has been added by default in eOS Luna</b>, replacing Postler. The application integrates with the desktop: you'll get new mail notifications, attachment handling and so on, but its feature list is not that great yet. Hopefully, the application will receive enough attention until the final release, because is has the potential of becoming one of the best Linux email clients.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-geary.png"><img alt="Geary" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-geary_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><br /><b>Noise</b>, a Beatbox fork (the two players might merge though), <b>is the default music player </b>and offers multiple views, equalizer, iPod sync, Internet radio support, Last.fm integration and other features you'll need in a music player:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-noise.png"><img alt="Noise music player" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-noise_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Other new default applications include: Scratch (text editor) and Pantheon Terminal, Maya (calendar):</b></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-maya.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="elementary os luna maya" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-maya_thumb.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maya - calendar app<u><br /></u></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-pantheon-terminal.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pantheon terminal" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-pantheon-terminal_thumb.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pantheon Terminal</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-scratch-text-editor.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Scratch text editor" src="http://netupd8.com/w8img2/elementary-luna-scratch-text-editor_thumb.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scratch - text editor</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This is obvious, but it deserves to be mentioned anyway: <b>elementary GTK and elementary icon theme, designed by Daniel Fore, are of course used by default</b>. Also, there's no way to change these in Switchboard, but you can use the same tools that are available for Ubuntu if you want to do this.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Since it's based on top of Ubuntu 12.04, Luna uses the Linux kernel 3.2.0-32, Xorg 1.11.4 and GTK 3.4.</div><br /><br /><br /><h2>Conclusions</h2><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">elementary OS 0.2 Luna beta 1 is not only beautiful, but it's also fast, lightweight and uses a consistent look throughout most of its default applications. And this is just the first beta, so Luna should improve further until the final release, for which, by the way, the date is not yet known.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The decision to drop Compiz and use Gala (which uses libmutter) by default seems very inspired because Gala offers a nice touch to the desktop with its beautiful animations: not too intrusive but also not something that goes unnoticed, along with cool workspace switcher and expose features. And on top of that, it seems quite stable too.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The default applications are extremely fast and lightweight, especially those developed by the elementary OS team - maybe too lightweight for some users (read: lack of options), but hey, you can't have it all. </div><br /><br /><br /><h2>Download elementary OS 0.2 Luna beta 1</h2><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>elementary OS 0.2 Luna is in beta, so you will find bugs! Don't use it on a production machine!</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To read the official release notes, see how you can contribute or download elementary OS Luna beta 1, see announcement @ <a href="http://elementaryos.org/journal/luna-beta-1-released">elementaryos.org</a></div>

elementary OS Luna Beta 1 Available For Testing

After more than a year and a half since 'Jupiter', elementary OS 0.2 Luna beta 1 has been released today. Build on top of Ubuntu 12....

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