Some Gimp Path tools

http://sourceforge.net/projects/gimp-path-tools/files/scripts/

Also, some good tutorials can be found here http://www.gimpusers.com/tutorials

more scripts and help here http://www.gimphelp.org/scripts

and here
http://www.gimpchat.com/

Rocking Gnome-Shell 3.2 Extensions

FP Murphy has some great gnome-shell-extensions  http://www.fpmurphy.com/gnome-shell-extensions/ and one of the best tutorials on customising http://blog.fpmurphy.com/2011/03/customizing-the-gnome-3-shell.html

 

 

Use Gnome-Shell 3.0 themes with Gnome-Shell 3.2

In order to use 3.0 themes instead of 3.2 theme, you need to add theses few lines at the beginning of gnome-shell.css file in the particular gnome-shell theme folder :

.icon-grid {
    spacing: 36px;
    -shell-grid-item-size: 118px;
}

.contact-grid {
    spacing: 36px;
    -shell-grid-item-size: 272px; /* 2 * -shell-grid-item-size + spacing */
}

.icon-grid .overview-icon {
    icon-size: 96px;
}

You can now use search engine in Activities View without freezes.

Gnome-Shell Animation Speed Control

Found a neat Gnome-Shell extension based upon this hack

You can check it out from git:

git clone https://github.com/bboozzoo/gnome-shell-extension-animation-speed-control.git

Then do the following:

cp -r animation-speed-control@bboozzoo.gmail.com into ~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions

mv org.gnome.shell.extensions.animation-speed-control.gschema.xml to /usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas

Run as root:

glib-compile-schemas /usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas

Enable extension using gnome-tweak-tool

Usage:

By default the animation speed is unchanged, the slow down in Shell toolkit (St) is set to 1.0 (default speed).

To increase the animation speed (i.e. apply inverse slowdown), set the speed value to less than default 1.0.

For example, to have the animations run at double speed, run:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.animation-speed-control speed 0.5

For animations to be twice longer:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.animation-speed-control speed 2

For almost ‘instant’ animations:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.animation-speed-control speed 0.001

NOTE: running glib-compile-schemas resulted in this error message

warning: undefined reference to
 warning: undefined reference to
 warning: undefined reference to
 warning: undefined reference to

This is because of a bug in glabels.

You can fix it manually by doing this

gksudo gedit org.gnome.glabels-3.gschema.xml

and changing reference to glabels in lines 6-9 to glabels-3

Swop Windows View and Applications View in Gnome Shell

If you want to avoid the annoying lag between Windows View and Applications View in Gnome Shell, try this hack:

Open viewSelector.js

gksudo gedit /usr/share/gnome-shell/js/ui/viewSelector.js

At line 407:

 addViewTab: function(id, title, pageActor, a11yIcon) {
        let viewTab = new ViewTab(id, title, pageActor, a11yIcon);
        this._tabs.push(viewTab);
        this._tabBox.add(viewTab.title);
        this._addTab(viewTab);
        this._activeTab= viewTab;
    },

And line number 469:

 _switchDefaultTab: function() {
        if (this._tabs.length > 0)
            this._switchTab(this._tabs[1]);
    },

Save and reset Gnome-Shell

Alt-F2 r

Configure Gnome Shell Extensions (Themes) with gsettings

Get all current Gnome Shell extensions settings:

gsettings list-recursively |grep "org.gnome.shell.extensions"

Example output:

org.gnome.shell.extensions.alternate-tab behaviour 'all_thumbnails'
org.gnome.shell.extensions.alternate-tab first-time false
org.gnome.shell.extensions.dock autohide true
org.gnome.shell.extensions.dock hide-effect 'resize'
org.gnome.shell.extensions.dock hide-effect-duration 0.29999999999999999
org.gnome.shell.extensions.dock position 'left'
org.gnome.shell.extensions.dock size 48
org.gnome.shell.extensions.auto-move-windows application-list @as []
org.gnome.shell.extensions.native-window-placement strategy 'natural'
org.gnome.shell.extensions.native-window-placement use-more-screen true
org.gnome.shell.extensions.native-window-placement window-captions-on-top true
org.gnome.shell.extensions.icon-manager desaturation-factor 1.0
org.gnome.shell.extensions.icon-manager top-bar @as []
org.gnome.shell.extensions.user-theme name ''

Modify settings with following command:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.[name] [key] [value]

Example

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.dock size 60

Androbuntu

AndroBuntu is an open source utility for remote control of a GNOME desktop, targeted specifically at Ubuntu Linux.

Features:
- Uses the XFree86 "media keys" for playback and volume control
- Scripted "bedtime mode" button, which blanks the computer screen, shuts off lights, and starts an alarm clock app (currently hardcoded to NightClock)
- X10 device control
- A "beam text blurb" function that will append to a pre-specified file on the server

The remote control is implemented by the use of two modules together: Ubuntu server and Android client. This app is the Android client part. The Ubuntu server module can be downloaded from the project's page: http://code.google.com/p/androbuntu

Download

AndroBuntu 0.1.0 seem to be the latest available version. Below you can find file(s) assigned to this version:

• AndroBuntu_0.1.0.apk (52 KB, ↓ 1702)

Cpu frequency applet for Gnome-shell

git clone https://github.com/yuyichao/gnome-shell-cpufreq

then cd into gnome-shell-cpufreq

and

sudo ./install

Use gnome-tool to turn the applet on.

File browsers - Rodent and Emporer

Emperor is a new orthodox file manager for the GNOME desktop. It uses a two-pane “Commander”-style layout familiar to users of Total Commander, Krusader, or Midnight Commander. Emperor strives to bring this style of file management to the modern GNOME desktop by using GIO and GVfs, the technologies that are used in Nautilus and across the GNOME desktop to access the file system

http://code.jollybox.de/emperor.xhtml

Rodent Gamma release 4 (aka xffm-4.7.4) is now available in source tarball and debian packages for i386 and amd64 architecture (these .deb files built on debian-squeeze also work in ubuntu, xubuntu and kubuntu).



mutex/hashtable cleanups... Fix segfault on remote X connection... more pdf viewer options for debian... Add cancel button to find dialog to stop all the multiple threads that may be running.... additonal use of XInitThreads() ... Error control: fallback icons for population elements... disable gtk-icontheme-selection button if no Rodent theme found... Fixed the open with dialog: commands are saved in the temporary cache ...Open with no longer sets default mimetype application, this is done with CONTROL-click on the menu item. Open with should append the application ... Menu items that may set default application now have a tooltip to that effect... update translations ... fix for broken gtk_widget_hide in 2.24 which does not cover all the functionality available in gtk_widget_hide_all (won't hide top level popup menu items).



This release fixes several segfault conditions as well as enhancing the applications menu. Now setting the default application for any particular mimetype is as easy as control-click.



Documentation has also been updated to reflect changes and enhancements to Rodent Filemanager.



Download from http://sourceforge.net/projects/xffm/files/



http://xffm.org/

Keeping Compiz Cool

Right now, I know a lot of people are getting hot headed about the Ubuntu 11.04 upgrade. There are issues with Unity and Classic that can be resolved by keeping cool. Some of the known workarounds are doing the circuit. Here are some quick fixes you may not already know about.

1. Get your Classic Desktop back

This works for the classic desktop. The absense of desktop effects tab in System >> Preferences >> Appearance should provide a clue. Compiz needs a basic set of plugins activated in order to work, they are Composite, OpenGL, Window Decoration, Move Window & Resize Window. You can turn them on using CCSM.

Then: in the terminal

compiz --replace ccp &

to launch compiz and

gtk-window-decorator --replace & disown

to reload the window decorator.

2. Delete .compiz-1 and clear the compizconfig-1 from cache.

rm .compiz-1 && rm .cache/compizconfig-1

3.  Reset Unity

unity --reset

4. Reset Compiz

gconftool --recursive-unset /apps/compiz-1
gconftool --recursive-unset /apps/compizconfig-1

5. Another basic classic setup which can be saved via the ccsm preferences export option is the following:

Window Management: Grid, Move Window, Resize Window, Put, Scale, Place, Ring, Shift

Utility: Regex, Scale, Title Bar, Mouse Polling, Resize, Session

Image Loading: tick which you want

Extras: Annotate, Screenshot

Effects: Annimations, Addons, Window Decoration, 3D Windows, Cubic Reflections/Deformation

Desktop: Rotate Cube, Viewport Switcher, Desktop Cube, Expo, Show Desktop,

Accessibility:  Opacity & Brightness, Zoom Desktop, Enhanced Zoom

General: Composite, Gnome, OpenGL

6. Reinstall compiz

sudo apt-get remove compiz* --purge
sudo apt-get install compiz

7. Compile Compiz from scratch

If you experienced trouble you can always try compiling compiz yourself, using this script which works flawlessly.

sudo apt-get install git-core

git clone git://anongit.compiz.org/users/soreau/scripts

./build_compiz++

./compiz-addons

8. Fix your Decorator

emerald is no longer being developed, so you will need to use the gtk-decorator

compiz --replace ccp &

gtk-window-decorator --replace & disown

9. Install a patched Emerald

Check this post

Ubuntu Narwhal just a creature with a horn attached?

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="369" caption="Designed by Committee"][/caption]

Frankly the introduction of the misnamed Unity into the mainstream Ubuntu distro default desktop is yet another distraction from productivity. "Are my buttons on the right, no they on the left side" issue which results from the well-known duck-billed platpus school of design, yep, the Narwhal is also one of nature's creatures which looks like it got designed by a commitee. Instead of tackling some of the basic infrastructure problems that affect Ubuntu Linux in several important desktop areas, (see below) the community appears to be caught up with the need to present desktop eye candy that does absolutely nothing for productivity.

In the process we lose the desktop while gaining what is essentially yet another widget shell interface. Superstructure sheen, superficial glitz. Totally unnessary in terms of development IMHO. Hopefully Gnome will get its act together and we will all figure out a way to keep Classic Gnome on our desktops instead of having Unity foisted on us, replacing the default Ubuntu-Desktop session with the next upgrade.

Surely it is a question of choice? Will there be freedom in our package-kit, or will update-manager simply kill our default ubuntu-sessions, forcing us to use the NextStep-centric dock?

I was looking forward to Wayland, since at least there is the possibility of near perfect resolution,  but this is unlikely to be included in Narwhal or the near future, so there really is not much progress happening in Ubuntu apart from the  introduction of an alternative to the Gnome Shell which we already have. Mind you, since we can already install Unity, are we going to see the rise of Unity variants? Vote for freedom, Unity really needs to be an optional extra, like Gnome Shell. Something we can install or remove at leisure, otherwise, I'm afraid, Ubuntu Linux is going to be replaced by Linux Mint as people's distro of choice, at least having a peppermint flavoured varient isn't all that bad, you can simply change appearance.

Here are some of my current Ubuntu gripes

basic desktop networking

Try configuring Samba, a piece of software that is so huge and complicated it deserves to have a distro all of its own. The NFS kernel server may not be any easier, but at least it works.

desktop audio and video production

While the lack of any killer apps in this department hasn't stopped Linux fans from coming up with their own, Jack is seriously old. It is one of my pet infrastructure hates, relying on an applications that is not actually supported by the distro in order to open any one of the many Linux audio tools.

drag 'n drop extensibility

Try dragging files from one application to the next. Or pasting an audio clip into your favourite email programme. Do we still have to think about this one?

productive media folders

Over the past few distros, we've seen the addition of one or two extra  folders in the default home folder. I would have thought making home folders more media friendly would have been a focus, but no, we still have to install tools like Gloobus previews. Media folders like Music and Video have absolutely no intelligence other than the fact they are folders to which some apps like Banshee may relate, then again, why bulk up with Banshee, a relative whale of a programme.

In short, stop tackling superstructure, because what we really need is integrated infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure,infrastructure, infrastructure,infrastructure, infrastructure,infrastructure, infrastructure,infrastructure, infrastructure,infrastructure, infrastructure,infrastructure, infrastructure,infrastructure, infrastructure integrated...............,

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Unnecessary addition of unicorn horn?"][/caption]

Unity and Application neutrality

News that Unity is going to be the default shell in Natty Narwhal has raised some questions about the road ahead for Ubuntu developers. On the one hand, there are some good reasons for adopting Unity as an alternative to Gnome Shell. The Unity interface which is associated with Ubuntu Netbook allows for Compiz to remain relevant, as both KDE and Gnome Shell are Compiz independent and are moving away from Compiz. On the other hand, Mark Shuttleworth has admitted that file management in Unity is not where it should be and future editions will have to rely on Nautilus.

The wisdom of deploying a single launcher for applications as Unity does, raises all sorts of issues to do with the overall look and feel of Ubuntu. While the Unity launcher is arguably an example of application neutrality, with a caresol that does not favour any one application, the design brings no immediately obvious benefits to the user. Cairo-dock for instance is a lot more attractive and there are already quite a few docks which perform better.

Is the design of Ubuntu being dictated to by the need to entertain a complex and diverse community with design objectives which are instantly realisable?  Instead of focusing on difficult productivity issues, for example, drag 'n drop and ease of use (The lack of a common drag 'n drop library is a case in point)? Ubuntu may be getting sidetracked by the plethora of handheld devices -- the need to compete on cutting edge hardware, instead of servicing the vast majority of users who have desktop machines.

What happens when Gnome eventually releases its next desktop? Will we end up with parallel development or will development within Gnome suffer because of Unity? I have my reservations and can't help wondering if the focus around Unity is merely a distraction from the work which needs to be done in Gnome in order to compete with Windows 7 and OSX.

Here is what Gnome Developers had to say about the decision.

Reset gnome-panel defaults

gconftool --recursive-unset /apps/panel

rm -rf ~/.gconf/apps/panel

pkill gnome-panel

AwOken Icon theme for Ubuntu

DOWNLOAD

THANKS Elsoftwarelibre

Reinstall Gnome default notifications

Tyler Mulligan comes up with some of the more left-field tips and tricks south of Ubuntu. I really enjoy his blog. This tip  was preened from a posting on Ubuntu Forum's and raises questions about exactly where Ubuntu osd-notify is heading. Surely not just a blinking irritation in which the only hack available is changing the colour, position, shape and timing of the damn thing.

More humanised and personalised information would be a start. Different levels of information from techies to casual users, would be a bonus. But if you want the power to click through, using the notification system to excute programes,  scripts, and whatever, you'll have to "reinstall" the default gnome notifications system. Which means osd-notify is really just a diversion from the real thing. Nevertheless a sign of healthy competition and development going on in Linux

HERE IS HOW TO DO IT

Nautilus subversion integration tool and a workbench

Found a cool Nautilus Subversion Integration tool that allows one to execute SVN commands using Gnome scripts.

sudo apt-get install nautilus-actions

Requires Zenity and Subversion.

Link to download the scripts

Also, found the SVN Workbench  from Tigris.org - Open Source Software Engineering Tools

sudo apt-get install python-svn

sudo apt-get install svn-workbench

Also a newer beta version of Nautilussvn which imitates TortoiseSVN on Windows.