Ubuntu On The Beast Just Got Fantastic For ME!

By /
Before we start:
  • Ubuntu = the operating system running my computer.
    The most common operating system for PCs is Microsoft's Windows, Ubuntu does the same but licence free and far FAR better
  • "The Beast" = the name given to family laptop because it is large and glows.
So, now we know what I'm talking about, what am I talking about?

Ubuntu does what every other operating system does BUT, what I love about it is that, it is "compartmentalisd" - there is no one overarching system that is in control of everything AND there is no one company in control of everything. I know for some that is the issue with using Ubuntu and other "open source" systems but for me it is the joy, freedom and fresh air that I get on my desktop.

Let me give you example of what I mean by describing what I mean by "just got fantastic" in this post's title.

I use Google Reader to subscribe and follow a whole stack of blogs and news sources, one of which is UbuntuGeek which recently posted How to install globalmenu in Ubuntu ... - the what? Aha, let me explain by comparing Apple OSX (the operating system running on Apple PCs) with Microsoft Windows. Every Windows program you open has it's own title bar (program name and sometimes what page/document you have open) PLUS it's own menu (File, Edit, ... Help). You know the thing if you're a Windows users AND you probably think it's the only way to display title/menu but no, Apple OSX does it differently. On OSX they have one menu bar that is permanently displayed on the very top of the screen and when you use a program that one menu bar changes to reflect the appropriate menu options.

Very different approaches. Windows assumes you want each menu to be available on top of each program window whilst OSX assumes you want the menus to be displayed in a consistent place every time. As a side note it's interesting to see how Google's Chrome browser takes a different approach to both.

By default, Ubuntu works the way Microsoft Windows does, each program has it's own "File, Edit ... Help" menu displayed under the title bar of each program. But, I can very easily follow the instructions on the UbuntuGeek post and after, installing one program with a log off/on (not re-boot), I have the OSX way of doing it. If I don't like that then I can remove the program and go back to the Microsoft Windows way of menu placement.

So I did install the OSX way and I love it ... now. It took some getting to used to (about 30 minutes of me looking for the menu and not quite sure where to click) but now it makes so much more sense and is so much quicker - I s'pose it comes down to Apple design approach vs Microsoft functionality approach.

But you know the best thing - this only affects me, I haven't changed the way the menus work for the rest of the family (yet :-)

So, I now have the Global Menu a la Apple OSX, and I already had the AWN manager (fancy docking/task bar at the bottom of the screen that looks, well, Apple Mac-y) and with a few tweaks I managed to make it work much nicer with large icons, launch programs (not just what I was currently running), time, weather, log off etc etc. That means the top toolbar (where the Global Menu is) now only contains ... the global menu and a clock.

One more step to gain that Apple OSX smoothness through cracking design for which I needed Twitter's help to discover:


A few minutes later I knew that Apple called it Expose, thanks to @DrewBroadley:


... a quick search brought me to:


Following those instructions I now have Expose for Ubuntu - no installation required, it was always there waiting for me to configure it, doh!

I am now running an Ubuntu desktop that has the best of Apple OSX design tied with the freedom for me to turn on/off major parts of that design as I want. The only issue is there are so many other things I could fiddle with ... eek :-)

That's why I love Ubuntu, it's MY desktop!

Comments

Post a Comment

Be kind

Popular articles

Make Your Public Event Calendar Usable To All

Image
If you run a sports club, this post is for you. If you are on a community committee, this post is also for you If you host events, this is for you. If you put on shows, this is for you. In fact, if you do anything that has a date/time component that you'd like to share with people, this is for you . Yep, probably for all of us. Sharing calendars can be both: an effective way of letting everyone know a complete and utter technical pain in the bottomly region If you've posted up an events page onto your website you know how difficult it is to keep up to date, how the readers have to keep coming back to get the latest changes and don't even think about integrating with somebody else's "events page". Ok, so we all know the problem. What's the solution? iCalendar (normally shortened to iCal) ... yep, it's a geek word that you will come to know and love just as much as RSS. In fact, think of it as RSS for calendars. But that's enough geekery, if you want

The Difference Between One Million And One Billion

Image
It's feels like a billion is just a bit bigger than a million. Obviously it's bigger but it fits on the same scale as a million, surely. It doesn't. A billion is so so so much bigger than a million. I've trawled the internet finding graphics and videos that show the VAST difference between one million and one billion. Oh, and just to finish with a different misconception about space starting with the classic opening line from the great Douglas Adams and The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy : “Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.”

[Updated] Pubs of 2024 Monmouth

Image
"Back in the day", yada yada yada, yes we all know there were more pubs than people, there was a pub every two houses, the largest number of pubs per square mile than anywhere in the known universe, there was a pub named after each and every one of us, and yet, YET we only ever went to same one every time. Monmouth has changed, it now only has 10 pubs.  "Ten! Ten? It used to be ten pubs just in the top of town. There were ten pubs I'd walk past to get to my local." Yes, yes ... times change, we now have 10 pubs in Monmouth . Oh, and the Mayhill but that seems to be more a ghost pub, it can be seen but only in the dark and no-one will believe if you say you went in. Monmouth, a town in Wales (YES, it is in Wales ), a town that has a population of around 10,317 (as at 2021). A town who's 1980's population was, well, I don't know, despite a century of censuses being taken, it's impossible to find (1991: 8,206 | 2001: 8,877 | 2011: 10,508 | 2021: 1

Catastrotivity, The How To

Image
Exurb2a on teh Interwebs (don't ask me I'm not down wiv da kidz) is a a channel/person/"content creator" that I've only recently discovered and I very glad I have. His videos cover everything, are productions of genius with a lot to say, and can be very funny through some quite deep stuff. He also did, a few years ago, a mini series called Catastrotivity . In 6 episodes of about 10 mins each he gives you the OK, the "Go do it", the "Don't listen to them!" that he's learned over the years of creating. It's is very VERY good. Whilst the above is YouTube you can also get it as a podcast via Spotify, I did, you should.

Reflections In Blue

Image
Of course "Reflections In Blue" Is a jazz album. Art Blakey and his Messengers Would love you to hear it. Coooool.