YouTube Auto Buffer for Google Chrome

YouTube Auto Buffer & Auto HD & Remove Ads (originally developed by JoeSimmons) is if course a very popular greasemonkey script for firefox. It does exactly what the name suggests, autobuffers youtube videos, removes ads and helps you select the default resolution for all. The problem which was there earlier was the fact that this script was unavailable for google chrome.

However I learnt today that a really awesome developer sizzlemctwizzle has come up with the perfect solution. There’s no need to install greasemonkey if you are on google chrome. Just install the script. The script is on this page but for your benefit here’s the direct download link. Just click on this link and it will be installed.

Of course if you are using firefox, first install greasemonkey from here and then install the script from the userscripts page.

Gnome Globalmenu

Global Menu is the globally-shared menu bar of all applications launched in your desktop session.

In other words, it works more like the menu bars you see on a Mac. Its very useful and works brilliantly. Although support for many apps are missing, its in constant development and improvements are likely to be seen very soon. The installation guide for the app is quite exhaustive and doesnt need any explanation, so I’ll direct you to the guide: www.code.google.com/p/gnome2-globalmenu/wiki/InstallingonUbuntu

Okay, so after you have installed it, you need to add this applet to the panel. Right click on the GNOME panel, select Add to Panel and then select Global Menu panel Applet from the list. Thats all. Try it out. And of course if you dont like it, you can remove it the usual way by typing sudo apt-get remove gnome-globalmenu

Ubuntu + Yahoo…what next?

Canonical, the company which runs Ubuntu has entered into a revenue sharing deal with Yahoo! As per terms of the deal, the default search engine for Firefox in Ubuntu 10.04/Lucid Lynx will be Yahoo! (Official confirmation of this deal can be found here by Rick Spencer, Ubuntu Desktop Team manager at Canonical.

I will repeat here what I have already expressed on Ubuntu forums.

I had been a Windows user for many years. My first introduction to computers was with Windows. However I switched OSes just to be part of the ‘community driven’ open source projects. I switched mainly because with Ubuntu I knew my thoughts, my opinions would be given its due importance. Whenever a new release of Ubuntu comes out, I feel good, coz I know that I have contributed (even though to a tiny tiny tiny extent to the development of the OS).

Without a doubt, Ubuntu wouldnt be what it is today without the support of Canonical. In the same way without the support of the community/developers (most of whom I believe are not Canonical employees) I dont think Ubuntu could have been this popular/awesome an OS.

I think all of us agree on the fact that Google is the best (okay if not the best, undoubtedly the most popular) search engine out there. And now, canonical, knowingly is asking us to use Yahoo! as the default search engine. I know that I can change the option with just 2 clicks but frankly speaking Canonical expects us to use Yahoo! (that is exactly the reason why they have entered into the deal) knowing that they are asking or lets say expecting users to use an inferior (or a less popular) search engine by default (after all, they wont be able to earn any money if a user didnt use yahoo). Frankly, I am a bit uncomfy with that. Just to make my point clear, I am not at all worried with the 2 clicks change. (it takes many many more clicks for me to even get Ubuntu working, for me that is, when i install it afresh. codecs, other softwares I prefer etc etc.) what i am worried about is the fact that now, Ubuntu ‘expects’ us to use a particular search engine for Firefox. In other words, Ubuntu, lets say Canonical, (coz clearly it seems as though Ubuntu NOW is more of a product of all the hard work of canonical than of the community) is expecting us to use the OS in a certain way. Forgive me if u think this is silly, but isnt this asking users to use the OS in a particular way the domain of Microsoft and Apple?

About consulting the community, I think (or so I thought, seems that i was mistaken) Ubuntu is a community driven OS backed by a company called Canonical. Now we definitely dont have the right to interfere with the functioning of the company, (eg. we dont have any say if Mark Shuttleworth steps down as the CEO of Canonical and appoints someone else, which he did or if Canonical ties up with some other company for better distribution of Ubuntu) but we, as users of an open-source operating system, do have a right to discuss and debate about the development of Ubuntu.

I thoroughly and absolutely appreciate what Mark Shuttleworth and Canonical have done for Ubuntu. As i always say, Ubuntu would never have been what it is today without their help. But certainly that doesnt mean, that Canonical can enter into a deal with another corporate giant relating to the functioning of the OS (the browser in this case) without consulting or at least having the courtesy to inform the community (which has so strongly supported it so far in all its endeavours) beforehand. I feel hurt that way.

Going mainstream doesnt mean giving up on values but retaining them and striving to maintain them. i am willing to put up a Pepsi/Coca Cola wallpaper on my desktop if that brings canonical money, since apparently Canonical is SO desperate for financial support.

I hope and I pray, Ubuntu doesnt lose its values, and the support of its community, something which made it stand out in the first place.

Sorry, if you think I got a bit emotional with all of this, but Ubuntu is something I feel strongly about.

HTML 5

By now many of us are familiar with HTML 5. If not, check out the wikipedia page here.

So I happened to bump into a page which actually has HTML 5 demos. The site’s called www.html5demos.com

This is cutting edge stuff, take a look.

Watch online TV

For many of us, living outside the US or the UK, watching online TV is kind of boring. Simply because getting links to TV channels is such a big task without Hulu or iPlayer. Fortunately SopCast Player is a video player which will allow you to watch online/internet TV with absolute ease. The program has an inbuilt list of channels, and even allows you to add extra/custom channels.

As the official site describes it, SopCast Player is designed to be an easy to use Linux GUI front-end for the p2p streaming technology developed by SopCast. SopCast Player features an integrated video player, a channel guide, and bookmarks. Once SopCast Player is installed it simply “just works” with no required configuration.

The download link is here but I suggest that you follow the instructions given on the wiki page (worked perfectly for me).

Here’s a screenshot of SopCast:

Give it a try.

Flash for 64 bit

Adobe has finally come up with a 64 bit version of flash which can be installed without any tweaks. Ubuntuforums has helped me out with installing the recent beta version of flash 64 bit.

First up, you need to clean your computer of anything ‘flash’. To do that type these one by one in the terminal…

#!/bin/bash
sudo apt-get remove --purge flashplugin-installer
sudo apt-get remove --purge flashplugin-nonfree gnash gnash-common mozilla-plugin-gnash
sudo apt-get remove --purge iceweasel-flashplugin mozilla-flashplugin firefox-flashplugin
sudo apt-get remove --purge swfdec-mozilla libflashsupport nspluginwrapper iceape-flashplugin
sudo apt-get remove --purge xulrunner-flashplugin midbrowser-flashplugin xulrunner-addons-flashplugin
sudo rm -f ~/.mozilla/plugins/*flash*
sudo rm -f /usr/lib/firefox-addons/plugins/*flash*
sudo rm -f /usr/lib/firefox/plugins/*flash*
sudo rm -f /usr/lib/iceape/plugins/flashplugin-alternative.so
sudo rm -f /usr/lib/iceweasel/plugins/flashplugin-alternative.so
sudo rm -f /usr/lib/iceweasel/plugins/npwrapper.libflashplayer.so
sudo rm -f /usr/lib/midbrowser/plugins/flashplugin-alternative.so
sudo rm -f /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/*flash*
sudo rm -f /usr/lib/xulrunner-addons/plugins/flashplugin-alternative.so
sudo rm -f /usr/lib/xulrunner/plugins/flashplugin-alternative.so
sudo rm -f /var/lib/flashplugin-nonfree/npwrapper.libflashplayer.so


(Source – Ubuntuforums)

And then install the 64 bit build of flash as directed here.

The instructions are pretty simple and easy to follow. So get the latest flash installed.

GIMP tutorials

Just wanted to let you know of a really cool site which has some awesome GIMP tutorials. And for once, its comprehensible! Check it out here: Tankedup-Imaging and browse through the ‘Gimp Tutorials’ category there.

Add random colours to burn effect of Compiz

The default burn effect of Compiz can get a bit boring after sometime. So, here’s something to ‘lighten’ things up.

First up, go to GNOME Menu > System > Preferences > Compiz Config Settings Manager

You will now have to go to the Animations Add-on option:

Next, select the Random Colored Fire option:

Thats it! Now close the window and watch the magic unfold!

If you havent activated Compiz or configured it, please go through this post.

How to install Google Chrome

Google has finally released a proper version of Google Chrome browser (finally users of Linux OSes can have a go at Chrome and not Chromium, the development version). Mind you though Chrome is still in beta but since I’ve been using it for around a month now, I can safely say, its quite stable. It has both 32 bit and 64 bit versions and comes in .deb as well as .rpm packages. Which basically means that now we dont have to add Chrome to the repositories and do all sorts of weird things to get Chrome to work.

For us Ubuntu users, .deb packages are far easier to install, so I’ll mention just that.

First up, go to this page and select your package depending on what type of processor and OS you have and the file you are comfortable with. I recommend going for the .deb file (be it 32 bit or 64 bit) unless of course you are comfortable with .rpm files.

Next click on “Accept and Install” and wait for the file to complete its download. Then just double click on the file and Install it. The Google Chrome browser should be located under GNOME menu > Internet.

Thats it! Enjoy the power of Chrome…

Transparency (contd.)

This is actually a continuation of the Transparency post (already covered in another post) which can be found here.

The type of transparency which I’m going to mention today will change the transparency of the panels without changing the transparency of the docks (which you might be using). So basically this is transparency in the truest sense.

First up you need Compiz installed. For that check out this post.

Open Compiz (GNOME Menu > Preferences >CompizConfig Settings Manager). This is what you’ll see:

Now do you notice that small tab which says “Opacity, Brightness and Saturation”? Click on that tab and it will open with this:

Notice carefully, you can see a “New” button on this window under ‘Window specific settings’. This image will help you out:

After you click on “New”, type the following exactly as is:

(class=Gnome-panel) & !(type=Menu | PopupMenu | Dialog | DropdownMenu)

Set the value to around 70, I have found best results with 67. But do check which value suits you best.

Next if you want to change the transparency of the windows, this is how you do it:

First up, install Ubuntu Tweak. If you havent installed it already, the guide for the installation is here.

Now coming to the panel window transparency. Open Ubuntu Tweak from GNOME Menu > System Tools > Ubuntu Tweak. Go to the Desktop >Windows option and select the settings as given here (change the values to suit your needs):

I have set active and inactive windows transparency to 1.00 and 0.75 respectively. Try it out and check what suits you best.

Thats it! This will give you transparency in the truest sense.