In Ubunlog we have thought that, since we have been talking a lot about customization lately, it might be a good idea show what editors' desks look like that we actively collaborate on the blog. It is true that one of the great advantages that Linux offers is the possibility of customize pretty much every aspect of the operating system until it matches our visual preferences, and this article is about that. Specifically, of what have we done to get an attractive desktop.
Hay many desktops available for Ubuntu, not just Unity or the official flavors. Each one will use one or the other depending on their tastes or needs, or the resources of the machine they use to run the operating system. This time it is my turn to talk about mine, so without further ado I go on to tell how my life has been in this Ubuntu until today.
My beginnings in Ubuntu
My first contact with Ubuntu was quite some time ago, specifically with Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Lucid Lynx. At that time I had only used Windows and had been raved about Linux, so I decided to give it a try. I looked for a number of programs that could help me replace what I used regularly and installed it on my computer.
The surprise that I got was quite big. One of the things that surprised me the most was that drivers were installed automatically with the operating system and that I didn't have to waste time looking for them, so that just being able to start working as soon as the installation was finished was a pretty big point in Ubuntu's favor. Graphics drivers were another matter, but with the help of the third-party driver installer that was solved.
My marriage to Lucid Lynx lasted two happy years. I had customized it quite a bit, installed a However, and I was delighted with GNOME 2. I later installed Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, and I was not prepared for what I found. Accustomed as I was to GNOME 2, the environment and its menus, suddenly I find something that had more to do with Ubuntu Netbook Remix than with what I knew to date.
Unity had arrived, and with it began my Ubuntu distancing. Unity did not convince me at all, Kubuntu did not call me anything and Xubuntu at that time had a design that I did not like. He wanted to try other things to see what he found. I installed Debian, but it was not for me. I later installed Linux Mint 14, and with this distro I was a loyal user for a long time.
I really liked Linux Mint whole with pre-installed base, which saved me a lot of time looking for programs that I used on a regular basis. The Linux Mint Software Manager was another great hit for me, and for a long time I had dual installations of Linux Mint and Windows on all my computers.
However, my union with Linux Mint ended when I upgraded my desktop and bought a new laptop. I wanted something inexpensive that dedicate solely and exclusively to my work, so that the after-dinner was only for my free time. With Linux Mint, for some strange reason, even installing Linux Mint 17 XFCE was consuming a lot of resources from my laptop, so I had no choice but to look for another alternative.
My reunion with Ubuntu
Looking for something to replace Linux Mint 17 I came across Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, and the truth is that this time Xubuntu did convince me. Although I was going to spend an hour or two trying to customize it, this time it seemed to me that the graphical environment had a lot to offer me, asking for very little in return.
When installing it on my laptop it worked very, very well, without consuming hardly any resources and, taking into account that this computer has a mechanical hard disk and not an SSD, the graphical environment moves and opens the programs much better than I expected. And, of course, much better than Linux Mint had. This time I had come back to stay, at least for quite a long time.
The customization I use
I have tried different icon packs: Numix Circle, Buttonized, Ultra Flat Icons… I have recently come across one that I think is the best I have tried so far. For my icons I use Squared Icons, which you will be able to install using this PPA:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:noobslab/icons2 sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install square-icons
If you use Linux Mint or Debian, then you have to use these others:
sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/noobslab/icons2/ubuntu precise main" sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys F59EAE4D sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install square-icons
As customization for the window manager I use Arc Theme, that We showed you how to install just a few days ago. For the rest, I use a fixed desktop background. I am not too fan to use applications like Variety or Wallch, although I understand that there are those who find them useful. In my specific case - although this data is somewhat anecdotal - it is the complete drawing of the cover of one of my favorite albums, the Demons and Wizards of the British group Uriah Heep.
The programs I use the most
As with almost everyone, there are various basic programs I can't live without. The first and one of the main ones is Spotify:
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-keys D2C19886 echo deb http://repository.spotify.com stable non-free | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/spotify.list sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install spotify-client
Another program that I need for my day to day is Google Chrome browser:
wget -q -O - https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo apt-key add - sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google.list' sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install google-chrome-stable
And of course for my local music and video needs VLC is a black:
sudo apt-get install vlc
For my daily work I declare myself fan Haroopad absolute, an editor markdown to whom, how blogger, I get a lot out of it. You can download a self-installing DEB package from here. To these should be added the GIMP image editor, which comes pre-installed with Xubuntu and which I also use on a daily basis.
And this is, more or less, a summary of how is the distro What do I have on my computer? and my journey through the exciting world of Linux. I hope you liked it and gave you an idea for your computer.