Wallpaper Changer With Multi-Monitor Support `SyncWall` 2.0.0 Released, Available In PPA

SyncWall, a Qt wallpaper changer with multi-monitor support, was updated to version 2.0.0 recently and the new version is now available in the main WebUpd8 PPA for all supported Ubuntu versions.

SyncWall doesn't support downloading wallpapers automatically, like Variety Wallpaper Changer for instance, but it has some interesting features that aren't available in other similar apps (that I know of anyway): for instance, SyncWall can span a single wallpaper over multiple monitors (you can do this with a single wallpaper from the Appearance settings, but that doesn't work when using a wallpaper changer). Also, the application can synchronize your current wallpaper across your local network.

Here's a quick list of the most important SyncWall features:

* change wallpapers automatically / manually (optionally, this can be done via keyboard shortcuts); * multi-monitor support - for instance, it can span a single wallpaper over multiple monitors; * synchronize wallpaper between workstations; * configurable wallpaper change interval / time of day; * supports special effects for the wallpapers (blur, sharpen, desaturate, glow and so on); * several resizing methods and background filling; * available for Linux, Windows and Mac OS X; * should work with most Linux desktop environments: KDE 3/4, GNOME / GNOME 3 (includes Unity), Xfce, LXDE, Enlightenment, Openbox, Fluxbox, IceWM, Blackbox, WindowMaker and FVWM (it doesn't support Cinnamon and MATE though).

What's new in SyncWall 2.0 compared to the previous version available in the main WebUpd8 PPA:

* added option to start SyncWall automatically on Linux; * direct synchronization of wallpapers across network (sharing the same file is not used any more); * display name of current wallpaper in window header; * change layout for better handling on small screens (laptops); * global keyboard shortcuts to change wallpaper, open main interface or change image offset (you enable these in the SyncWall preferences); * images can now be rated - images with higher rating are displayed more often; * addition of a simple database backend for image data to speed up display; * addition of image alignment defined graphically by user (in order to display best part of images); * addition of an horizontal alignment parameter; * addition of several resampling methods; * updated app icons; * many bug fixes (for instance, the invisible tooltips bug should be fixed, among many others).

Please note that SyncWall tries to automatically detect the desktop environment, but this can fail sometimes. If the wallpaper doesn't change, manually select the desktop environment in the SyncWall Preferences, on the Startup tab. For Unity, select GNOME 3 as the DE. to span a single wallpaper across multiple monitors, in SyncWall select Preferences > Display Parameters and on the "Basic" tab, check the "Multi monitor support" box, then in the "Multi monitor" display drop-down, select "Extend image (one file for all monitors)":

Install SyncWall in Ubuntu

Ubuntu users can install SyncWall by using the main WebUpd8 PPA. Add the PPA and install SyncWall using the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install syncwall

ClassicMenu Indicator 0.9 Released With New Configuration Options

ClassicMenu Indicator is, like the name says, a classic, old GNOME style menu available as an AppIndicator so it can be used in Unity, as an alternative for those who dislike Dash, but it should also work in other desktop environments.

ClassicMenu Indicator 0.9 was released yesterday and comes with bug fixes as well as new options:

new configuration options available in the indicator menu:

* switch between the Ubuntu logo icon or the ClassicMenu indicator icon; * hide/show menu icons; * hide / show hidden items; * use alternate menu;

use desktop-specific menu if available (uses $XDG_MENU_PREFIX). This fixes the menu on e.g. Xubuntu.

Note: When changing some of the new configuration options, it will take a while until the changes are applied.

to install open terminal and enter these commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:diesch/testing

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install classicmenu-indicator

thats it.

Automate Tasks In Linux Using Actionaz, A Powerful Tool That Can Emulate Clicks, Key Presses And More [Updated]

Actionaz is task automation tool written in C++ / Qt, available for Linux and Windows. Using it, you can run repetitive tasks automatically, all without having to know any programming languages.

The tool can emulate mouse clicks or key presses, display message boxes, edit text files, download a file, play a sound, etc. For example, Actionaz can launch an application, perform some repetitive task and then close it, all automatically. Actionaz is somewhat similar to the popular Windows AutoHotkey or the Linux AutoKey tool, but it should be easier to use since you can create tasks from the GUI, without having to write the automation scripts yourself. However, advanced users can extend its functionality by using ECMAScript (JavaScript). Actions supported by Actionaz include: show a message box, move the cursor along a path, emulate mouse clicks or key presses, execute commands or start a process, kill a process, play a sound, open / download URL, show a notification, power options (restart, stop or suspend the system), find an image on the screen, read and write file content and many more.

install it via command line:

sudo apt-get install actionaz

Please note that the latest Actionaz version is not available in the Ubuntu / Debian repositories.

if you want to install the latest version, use the commands below:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install actionaz

Dukto LAN File Transfer Tool Is Easy To Use, Multi-Platform

Dukto R6 is an open source, multi-platform LAN file transfer tool, useful to transfer files form one computer to another without having to worry about configurations, operating systems, clients, servers and so on.

Dukto doesn't require any configuration: simply install it on the machines you want to transfer files from/to, launch the application and that's it. The application will automatically display all the computers in your local area network running Dukto and you can start transferring files. By default, the files you receive are saved in your home folder but you can change that from the Dukto settings. Besides being able to transfer files and folders on your LAN, Dukto also supports sending text snippets so for instance you can easily send a link from one computer to another in your LAN.

Officially, Dukto is available for Linux, Windows and Mac OS X but there are also some unofficial ports for iOS, Blackberry, Android or Maemo. Dukto R6 features: * supports sending and receiving files or folders as well as text snippets on your LAN; * multi-platform; * multi-transfer support; * zero configuration; * clients auto-discovery; * transfers log; * shows your IP addresses on the IP connection page; * full Unicode support; * Windows 7 taskbar integration with progress and transfer indicator; * Metro style UI with configurable colors. There is one issue with Dukto though: its security: the application doesn't use any passwords, no encryption, etc., so its developer recommends using it only on trusted local area networks.

Open Source Download Manager uGet Turns 11, Celebrates With New Release

You likely download tens, if not hundreds, of files from the web every week — from images, app installers and documents to videos, music and other media. While most modern browsers are well equipped to handle the load, with some even offering basic management features like pausing and resuming downloads, some of you will prefer the advanced resources offered up by a dedicated desktop app. The open-source download manager uGet is one of the most versatile download helpers available on Linux. It includes features for managing, queuing, organising and downloading files en-masse from a host of different sources, including FTP, HTTP and BitTorrent.

uGet’s latest release hit the download servers today, and adds additional actions to an already sizeable slate of features. Version 1.10.4 includes:

* Magnet Link Support * GnuTLS support * In-App Update Checker * “Message Banner” to deliver information on the project * Fixes for crashes when loading a large list of urls * Improved translations & language support

In addition to the release the project is also celebrating its 11th birthday — and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than giving its latest release a whirl. Ubuntu users will find precompiled builds of the download assistant on the official project homepage, as well as links to further information.

how to install the mate desktop on ubuntu

Below we only show the latest LTS and the normal release. If you are using an other version of Ubuntu replace the name in “precise main” by one of quantal (12.10), raring (13.04). Example for raring would then be “raring main”.

Ubuntu Precise Pangolin (12.04 LTS) repository

Add ONE of the following repos to /etc/apt/sources.list via the following command:

sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://packages.mate-desktop.org/repo/ubuntu precise main"

sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://repo.mate-desktop.org/ubuntu precise main"

sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://mirror1.mate-desktop.org/ubuntu precise main"

Ubuntu Saucy Salamander (13.10) repository

Add ONE of the following repos to /etc/apt/sources.list via the following command:

sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://repo.mate-desktop.org/ubuntu saucy main"

sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://packages.mate-desktop.org/repo/ubuntu saucy main"

sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://mirror1.mate-desktop.org/ubuntu saucy main"

MATE Installation (Precise/Quantal/Raring/Saucy)

Then run the following command to update your repositories and install MATE:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get --yes --quiet --allow-unauthenticated install mate-archive-keyring

sudo apt-get update

# this installs base packages

sudo apt-get install mate-core

# this installs more packages

sudo apt-get install mate-desktop-environment

thats it log out or restart your computer and select mate at the login screen when logging in and your set.

Customizing Your Bash Prompt

In this tutorial I will show you how you can change the look and behavior of the prompt to show more details or use a different coloring style. I will explain how to try all these examples and how to make changes permanently by adding them inside the Bash configuration file. Please note that this stuff is Bash-specific and it won't work in other shells.

Introduction

By default, the prompt may look something like this:

And the command to set such a prompt would be:

PS1='\[\033[0;31m\]$(returncode)\[\033[0;37m\]\[\033[0;35m\]${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\[\033[01;31m\]\h\[\033[01;34m\] \W \$\[\033[00m\] '

In this tutorial I'll try to explain what all these strange characters do by starting with basic examples and going from there. To try the commands in this tutorial, type them in your terminal. If you want to make changes permanently, put the desired line inside the $HOME/.bashrc file.

The $HOME/.bashrc File

To set the prompt permanently instead of only the current session you will have to copy the respective commands inside the $HOME/.bashrc file, which is executed by Bash every time it starts an interactive session.

The $PS1 and $PS2 Environment Variables

PS stands for INS. The $PS1 variable is the one holding the prompt format. The $PS2 variable is used for multi-line commands, and it is usually set to the greater than character (>):

Changing the Look of Your Prompt

Let's start with the simplest example:

export PS1="$ "

As simple as that, your prompt will always look like this:

Now let's add the current user and the machine hostname. We can do this in two ways, both having the same result. Here's the first:

export PS1="$USER@$HOSTNAME$ "

In this case we use the environment variables $USER and $HOSTNAME, which will be expanded into their actual values. The second way would be:

export PS1="\u@\h\\$ "

Here we use the \u escaped character for the user and \h for the hostname, and \\$ which will expand into either $ or # depending on whether you are a normal user or root. Now let's also include the current path:

export PS1="$USER@$HOSTNAME:\w\\$ "

We used \w for the current working directory.

Colors

So now that we know how to change the information our prompt will show us, let's see how we can use colors to customize it. As an example, here is the code for the prompt that I use:

export PS1="\[\033[01;33m\][$USER@$HOSTNAME]\[\033[0;00m\] \[\033[01;32m\]\w$\[\033[0;00m\] "

It looks like this:

Bash uses colored codes for various colors, for example \033[01;32m for foreground green, \033[01;34m for foreground blue or \033[01;41m for background red. You can try various colors by typing in a terminal something like PS1="\033[01;35m$USER@HOST$ ". Notice at the end the code to reset the color formatting after the prompt, so that the commands introduced by the user will be in the default color rather than the prompt color. This code is \[\033[0;00m\].

Additionally, you can create variables inside .bashrc which will hold these codes:

export FGGR="\[\033[01;32m\]" // foreground green export BGRE="\[\033[01;41m\]" // background red # ...

You can now use these variables inside the prompt customization string.

More Examples

I provide some examples on configuring your prompt, along with screenshots for each of them.

Example #1

PS1='\e[1;33;47m\u \e[1;32;47mon \h \e[1;35;47m\d \@\e[0;0m\n\e[1;34m[dir.= \w] \# > \e[0;0m'