HowtoForge - Linux Howtos and Tutorials - Desktop

Running The Latest Firefox Version On Debian Squeeze

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:45:20 +0100

Running The Latest Firefox Version On Debian Squeeze

We all know that Debian is a production like GNU/Linux operating system, thus the software available by default in the repository servers is not always the newest version. I created this tutorial to help those interested in running the latest version of the graphical Internet browser Mozilla Firefox.

Installing Opera Widgets On Ubuntu Unity Desktop (Ubuntu 11.10)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:55:00 +0100

Installing Opera Widgets On Ubuntu Unity Desktop (Ubuntu 11.10)

Opera Widgets, unlike most other browser plugins, can be downloaded to serve as browser-independent desktop widgets. These are managed through Opera Widget Manager, so the Opera process remains open (without running the browser). This tutorial explains how to use Opera Widgets as desktop widgets on Ubuntu 11.10.

Creating Your Own Distributable Ubuntu DVD (Relinux)

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:21:34 +0100

Creating Your Own Distributable Ubuntu DVD (Relinux)

This article is about how to create a DVD image of your machine with the exact same software included on the disk. This can be done using a software called Relinux. Relinux is a fork of the recently discontinued Remastersys.

Dualbooting Windows 7 And Linux Mint 12

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:21:38 +0100

Dualbooting Windows 7 And Linux Mint 12

Dualbooting means having installed two operating systems on one hard disk and being able to boot from any of them. This tutorial will explain how to install Linux Mint 12 alongside Windows 7 - the procedure however should be the same for all Ubuntu based distributions and only slightly different for every other.

Use Minitube To Watch Youtube Videos On Your Desktop (Linux Mint 11)

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:19:20 +0100

Use Minitube To Watch YouTube Videos On Your Desktop (Linux Mint 11)

This article is about how to watch YouTube videos on your desktop with a tool called Minitube. Minitube is a piece of software with a nice GUI that lets you enter keywords into a searchbar just like on youtube.com to display a list where you can choose your desired video from. It is then played directly in the graphical interface without the need to install any flash player for your browser or even open it.

Introduction To The Enlightenment 17 Window Manager For X (Ubuntu 11.10)

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:06:11 +0100

Introduction To The Enlightenment 17 Window Manager For X (Ubuntu 11.10)

This tutorial is supposed to show some features of the Enlightenment window manager as an alternative to the often used Gnome and KDE managers. I will install Enlightenment on a desktop computer with Ubuntu 11.10 installed. Apart from the login screen however, all of the controls shown on the screenshots should be the same for every installation of enlightenment, whatever distribution you install it on. Enlightenment is already included in the Ubuntu repositories, therefore Ubuntu users and those of any Ubuntu derivatives won't have any problems installing it. It is also available for download for most other distributions though.

Enabling Compiz On Linux Mint 12 (GNOME Classic)

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:45:23 +0100

Enabling Compiz On Linux Mint 12 (GNOME Classic)

This tutorial shows how you can enable Compiz on a Linux Mint 12 Lisa desktop (the system must have a 3D-capable graphics card - I'm using an NVIDIA GeForce 8200 here). With Compiz you can use beautiful 3D effects like wobbly windows or a desktop cube on your desktop. Compiz is not supported on GNOME 3 yet, that's why this how-to is applicable only for the classic GNOME desktop.

The Perfect Desktop - Pinguy OS 11.10 (Beta)

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:38:49 +0100

The Perfect Desktop - Pinguy OS 11.10 (Beta)

This tutorial shows how you can set up a Pinguy OS desktop that is a full-fledged replacement for a Windows desktop, i.e. that has all the software that people need to do the things they do on their Windows desktops. The advantages are clear: you get a secure system without DRM restrictions that works even on old hardware, and the best thing is: all software comes free of charge. The Pinguy OS developer has stated that there propably will not be any further release of Pinguy 11.10 due to some instabilities of the components used. This Perfect Desktop tutorial therefore refers to the currently released beta version of Pinguy OS 11.10.

How To Encrypt Mails With SSL Certificates (S/MIME)

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:58:50 +0100

How To Encrypt Mails With SSL Certificates (S/MIME)

This article is about how to use the S/MIME encryption function of common e-mail clients to sign and/or encrypt your mails safely. S/MIME uses SSL certificates which you can either create yourself or let a trusted certificate authority (CA) create one for you.

Install GNOME 3 (With Mint GNOME Shell Extensions) Or Mate On Ubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot)

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:35:47 +0100

Install GNOME 3 (With Mint GNOME Shell Extensions) Or Mate On Ubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot)

This tutorial shows you how you can install the GNOME 3 desktop on Ubuntu 11.10 with the shell extensions that are used in the Linux Mint 12 release (Lisa) (these shell extensions are called Mint GNOME Shell Extensions - mgse). These shell extensions give GNOME 3 the look and feel of GNOME 2. For those who prefer GNOME 2 this tutorial shows how to install Mate from the Linux Mint repositories on Ubuntu 11.10. Mate is a GNOME 2 fork.

Creating Your Own Distributable Ubuntu DVD

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:14:01 +0100

Creating Your Own Distributable Ubuntu DVD

This article is about how to create a DVD image of the Ubuntu distribution on your machine with the exact same software included on the disk. This can be done using a software called Remastersys. Remastersys allows you to either create iso-backups of your whole system, including the home folder, or just backups of the installed software, leaving the home folder aside.

Enabling Compiz On Xubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot)

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:48:22 +0100

Enabling Compiz On Xubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot)

This tutorial shows how you can enable Compiz on a Xubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot) desktop (the system must have a 3D-capable graphics card - I'm using an NVIDIA GeForce 8200 here). Xubuntu uses the Xfce desktop environment which is a fast and stable alternative for those that are not happy with Unity or Gnome 3. With Compiz you can use beautiful 3D effects like wobbly windows or a desktop cube on your desktop.

Indicate Mail Accounts On Your Desktop (Ubuntu)

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:15:45 +0100

Indicate Mail Accounts On Your Desktop (Ubuntu)

This article is about how to get informed about new mails without actually opening your mail client using a handy indication tool called popper. Popper is silently running in the background and gives you a notice when a new mail arrives at your mail account, containing the mail's sender, subject and the time it arrived. Popper does not actually display the mail's content - it only gives you the information mentioned above. I have tested it on Linux Mint 11, but it should work fine with all other Ubuntu derivatives.

The Perfect Desktop - Linux Mint 12 (Lisa)

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:29:40 +0100

The Perfect Desktop - Linux Mint 12 (Lisa)

This tutorial shows how you can set up a Linux Mint 12 (Lisa) desktop that is a full-fledged replacement for a Windows desktop, i.e. that has all the software that people need to do the things they do on their Windows desktops. The advantages are clear: you get a secure system without DRM restrictions that works even on old hardware, and the best thing is: all software comes free of charge. Linux Mint 12 is a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu that has lots of packages in its repositories (like multimedia codecs, Adobe Flash, Adobe Reader, Skype, Google Earth, etc.) that are relatively hard to install on other distributions; it therefore provides a user-friendly desktop experience even for Linux newbies.

The Perfect Desktop - OpenSUSE 12.1 (GNOME)

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:11:05 +0100

The Perfect Desktop - OpenSUSE 12.1 (GNOME)

This tutorial shows how you can set up an OpenSUSE 12.1 desktop that is a full-fledged replacement for a Windows desktop, i.e. that has all the software that people need to do the things they do on their Windows desktops. The advantages are clear: you get a secure system without DRM restrictions that works even on old hardware, and the best thing is: all software comes free of charge.