From











Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Lucid Lynx)

Also see info about the most recent LTS version, Precise Pangolin (12.04 LTS).

Introduction

On April 29, 2010, Ubuntu 10.04 LTS was released.

It is codenamed Lucid Lynx and is the successor to Karmic Koala (9.10) (Karmic+1).

Lucid Lynx is an LTS (Long Term Support) release. It will be supported with security updates until April 2013 for the desktop version and until April 2015 for the server version.

This guide is maintained at the Linux Center of the University of Latvia.

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General Notes

General Notes

This is the original Ubuntuguide. You are free to copy this guide but not to sell it or any derivative of it. Copyright of the names Ubuntuguide and Ubuntu Guide reside solely with this site. This Ubuntu help guide is neither sold nor distributed in any other medium. Beware of copies that are for sale or are similarly named; they are neither endorsed nor sanctioned by this guide. Ubuntuguide is not associated with Canonical Ltd nor with any commercial enterprise.

Ubuntu allows a user to accomplish tasks from either a menu-driven Graphical User Interface (GUI) or from a text-based command-line interface (CLI). In Ubuntu, the command-line-interface terminal is called Terminal, which is started: Menu -> Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal.

Text inside the grey dotted box like this should be put into the command-line Terminal.

Many changes to the operating system can only be done by a User with Administrative privileges. 'sudo' elevates a User's privileges to the Administrator level temporarily (i.e. when installing programs or making changes to the system). Example:

sudo bash

'gksudo' can be used instead of 'sudo' when opening a Graphical Application through the "Run Command" dialog box or as a menu item. Example:

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

Many file management tasks can be accomplished with root Administrative privileges by starting the Nautilus file manager in a similar fashion. (Use 'gksudo' if starting Nautilus from a menu item.)

gksudo nautilus

or

sudo nautilus

"man" command can be used to find help manual for a command. For example, "man sudo" will display the manual page for the "sudo" command:

man sudo

While "apt-get" and "aptitude" are fast ways of installing programs/packages, you can also use the Synaptic Package Manager, a GUI method for installing programs/packages. Most (but not all) programs/packages available with apt-get install will also be available from the Synaptic Package Manager. In this guide, when you see

sudo apt-get install package

you can search for package in Synaptic and install it that way.

Many instructions use the text editor "nano" (which is universally available in Linux). However, it is often easier to use the text editor "gedit" in Ubuntu instead.

"Menu" refers to the menu bar at the top (or bottom) of the desktop, akin to the Start menu in Microsoft Windows or the Menu bar of the Apple Macintosh.

If you are using the 64-bit version, replace any "i386" with "amd64"

Other versions

How to find out which version of Ubuntu you're using

Open the command terminal and type:

lsb_release -a

How to find out which kernel you are using

uname -a

Newer Versions of Ubuntu

Ubuntu has a six month release cycle, with releases in April and October.

Maverick Meerkat (10.10), released in October 2010. This is not an LTS version.

Older Versions of Ubuntu

See this complete list of older and newer versions.

Other Resources

Ubuntu Forums has a large community for online solutions and specific help.

Ubuntu Resources

Gnome Project

Gnome is the default desktop in Ubuntu, and a list of Gnome projects is available.

Ubuntu Screenshots and Screencasts

New Applications Resources

Other *buntu guides and help manuals

Kubuntuguide -- Kubuntu uses the popular KDE desktop environment

Lubuntu -- Lubuntu can run with as little as 256 Mb RAM. It is better for older machines with limited resources.

official Ubuntu Server Guide -- a good starting reference for server packages

Ubuntu Doctors Guild -- a collection of tips for using (K)ubuntu Linux in health care environments

SkoleLinux -- a collection of (open-source) educational tools for Debian/Ubuntu Linux

Installing Ubuntu

Warning: During installation, there is an advanced option (Ready to install -> Advanced) to install the GRUB2 bootloader into the same partition into which the (K)Ubuntu OS is installed but not to change the MBR (Master Boot Record). Pay careful attention during this step if your system uses a boot partition, uses multiple OS (more than 2), or chainloads bootloaders. For systems with such a boot partition, it is best not to overwrite the MBR.

Hardware requirements

Ubuntu Lucid Lynx runs well with as little as 384 Mb RAM. (The GUI installer requires a minimum of 256 Mb RAM, while the alternative text-based installer can run using only 192 Mb RAM.) Netbooks can run Ubuntu Lucid Lynx.

The installation takes between 3-4 Gb hard drive space, and 8 - 10 Gb will be needed to run comfortably. (However, at least 25-30 Gb will likely be needed for routine usage.)

If you have an older computer with less memory than this, consider Lubuntu (if 160 Mb RAM or greater), PuppyLinux (if 256 Mb or greater), or DSL (if minimal RAM, limited hard drive space, running from a USBdrive, or running from within another OS).

Fresh Installation

Download the latest ISO image from Ubuntu 10.04 LTS.

See this guide for burning the ISO image to a CD ("LiveCD").

Use the LiveCD for installation.

Another method involves installing the Server version first and then installing the Ubuntu desktop.

The Alternate CD version also allows the use of the same fast text-based installer used in the Server version (requiring less RAM), and there are more installation options than on the Desktop CD ("Regular Download").

A LiveCD can also be transferred to a USB flashdrive (using usb-creator) and the USB flashdrive then used to install Ubuntu on systems without CD drives. (Also see the Ubuntu Community documentation.)

Dual-Booting Windows and Ubuntu

A user may experience problems dual-booting Ubuntu and Windows. In general, a Windows OS should be installed first, because its bootloader is very particular. A default Windows installation usually occupies the entire hard drive, so the main Windows partition needs to be shrunk, creating free space for the Ubuntu partitions. (You should clean up unnecessary files and defragment the drive before resizing.) See changing the Windows partition size.

After shrinking a Windows partition, you should reboot once into Windows prior to installing Ubuntu or further manipulating the partitions. This allows the Windows system to automatically rescan the newly-resized partition (using chkdsk in XP or other utilities in more recent versions of Windows) and write changes to its own bootup files. (If you forget to do this, you may later have to repair the Windows partition bootup files manually using the Windows Recovery Console.)

Newer installations of Windows use two primary partitions (a small Windows boot partition and a large Windows OS partition). An Ubuntu Linux installation also requires two partitions -- a linux-swap partition and the OS partition. The Linux partitions can either be two primary partitions or can be two logical partitions within an extended partition. Some computer retailers use all four partitions on a hard drive. Unless there are two free partitions available (either primary or logical) in which to install Ubuntu, however, it will appear as if there is no available free space. If only one partition on a hard drive can be made available, it must be used as an extended partition (in which multiple logical partitions can then be created). Partition management can be done using the GParted utility.

If there are only two existing primary partitions on a hard drive (and plenty of free space on it) then there will be no problem installing Ubuntu as the second operating system and it is done automatically from the Ubuntu LiveCD. Allow the Ubuntu LiveCD to install to "largest available free space." Alternatively, if there is an extended partition with plenty of free space within it, the Ubuntu LiveCD will install to this "largest available free space" as well.

The main Windows partition should be at least 20 Gb (recommended 30 Gb for Vista/Windows 7), and a Ubuntu partition at least 10 Gb (recommended 20 Gb). Obviously, if you have plenty of disk space, make the partition for whichever will be your favoured operating system larger. For a recommended partitioning scheme, see this section.

Alternatives include:

Wubi (Windows-based Ubuntu Installer), an officially supported dual-boot installer that allows Ubuntu to be run mounted in a virtual-disk within the Windows environment (which can cause a slight degradation in performance). Because the installation requires an intact functioning Windows system, it is recommended to install Ubuntu in this manner for short-term evaluation purposes only. A permanent Ubuntu installation should be installed in its own partition, with its own filesystem, and should not rely on Windows.

EasyBCD, a free Windows-based program that allows you to dual-boot Windows 7/Vista and Ubuntu (as well as other operating systems) by configuring the Windows 7/Vista bootloader.

Installing multiple OS on a single computer

Warning: During installation, there is an advanced option (Ready to install -> Advanced) to install the GRUB2 bootloader into the same partition into which the (K)Ubuntu OS is installed but not to change the MBR (Master Boot Record). Pay careful attention during this step if your system uses a boot partition, uses multiple OS (more than 2), or chainloads bootloaders. For systems with such a boot partition, it is best not to overwrite the MBR.

Example, from the Desktop version GUI installer, a point in the installation will be reached:

Summary -> Advanced -> Device for boot loader installation: /dev/sda6

In this example, this setting will cause the GRUB2 bootloader to be installed into /dev/sda6 only (the partition into which the new (K)Ubuntu OS is being installed). The MBR (Master Boot Record) will not be changed. However, if the default setting of /dev/sda is allowed, then GRUB2 will not only be installed into partition dev/sda6 (into which the (K)Ubuntu OS is installed) but also the MBR (MasterBootRecord) will be changed so that the copy of GRUB2 stored there will be designated as the master bootloader for all Operating Systems on the entire computer. This may be undesirable if you wish to use bootloaders other than GRUB2.

If you want to install more than 2 operating systems on a single computer, check out these tips. Also see these tips regarding manipulating partitions.

Use Startup Manager to change Grub settings

Grub is a bootup utility that controls which OS to load by default and other bootup settings. You can change Grub settings from Startup Manager, a GUI that is able to manage settings for Grub (Grub Legacy), Grub 2, Usplash, and Splashy. Also see the Ubuntu Community help page for Startup Manager usage instructions. Install:

sudo apt-get install startupmanager menu

Run:

Menu -> System -> Administration -> Startup Manager

Note: You can also edit the Grub settings manually from the command-line interface.

Dual-Booting Mac OS X and Ubuntu

Also see these tips for installing multiple OS.

Mac OS X has a similar structure to Linux (it is BSD Unix based). Dual-booting Mac OS X and Ubuntu detailed instructions can be found here.

Installing Mac OS X after Ubuntu

If you decide to dual boot with OS X, choose ext2 as your partition type during the Ubuntu installation. (For this the Super Grub Disk CD is a useful utility. You can download the Super Grub .iso image file at forjamari.linex.org and burn the image to a CD-ROM.)

Once you have installed Ubuntu, edit the Grub start-up list:

sudo nano /boot/grub/menu.lst

and add the following lines:

title Mac OS X root (hd0,0) makeactive chainloader +1

Reboot your Mac and go to the terminal in Max OS X (if you have any issues booting, boot from your Mac OS X DVD). Press F8 and enter -s. Enter:

fdisk -e /dev/rdisk0 flag 2 <--note that flag 2 is my Mac partition number two quit y reboot

If are still unsure whether it is working correctly, use the Super Grub Disk CD and make grub active.

Installing Ubuntu after Mac OS X

If you get an error message during boot such as HFS+error in the bootloader, you can also use the Super Grub Disk for recovering Linux GRUB and the Windows MBR (Master Boot Record).

Once you have installed Ubuntu, edit the Grub start-up list:

sudo nano /boot/grub/menu.lst

and add the following lines:

title Mac OS X root (hd0,0) makeactive chainloader +1

If you have issues with Mac OSX or Windows in GRUB, try changing the Mac OS X Grub entry

change root (hd0,0) to root (hd0,1)

This means you will boot into partition number 1. You can try any partition number until you get it right.

Upgrading Jaunty or Karmic to Lucid

Also see the official Ubuntu desktop upgrade documentation.

There are several methods for upgrades from the command-line interface (Terminal) (which can be used for both the desktop and server editions of Ubuntu/Kubuntu).

This is the preferred method:

sudo apt-get install update-manager-core sudo do-release-upgrade

You can also use the update-manager (all editions):

sudo apt-get install update-manager sudo update-manager -d

You can also use:

sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get upgrade sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

(Note: the first two lines simply make sure your current distribution is current before upgrading the entire distribution, and are optional.

Reinstalling applications after a fresh install

If you upgrade your Ubuntu system with a fresh install, it is possible to mark the packages and services installed on your old system (prior to the upgrade) and save the settings ("markings") into a file. Then install the new version of Ubuntu and allow the system to reinstall packages and services using the settings saved in the "markings" file. For instructions, see this Ubuntu forum thread. In brief:

On the old system: Synaptic Package Manager -> File -> Save Markings

Save the markings file to an external medium, such as USB drive.

Complete the backup of your system's other important files (e.g. the /home directory) before the fresh install of the new system.

In the freshly installed new system, again open Synaptic Package Manager -> File -> Read markings and load the file on your USB drive (or other external storage) previously saved.

Note: Many packages, dependencies, and compatibilities change between version of Ubuntu, so this method does not always work. Automated updates remains the recommended method.

Here are some of the steps I have sometimes needed to take when performing upgrades.

Add Extra Repositories

Software packages and programs are freely available for download at multiple online sites with standardized structures, called repositories. There are repositories officially sanctioned and monitored by the Kubuntu/Ubuntu developer community, while other repositories are independently provided, without official sanction or supervision (and should be used with caution). Additional information is available from the Ubuntu Repository Guide.

Types of Repositories

There are four major package repository types in Ubuntu:

main - Supported by Canonical. This is the major part of the distribution.

restricted - Software not licensed under the GPL (or similar software license), but supported by Canonical.

universe - Software licensed under the GPL (or similar license) and supported by users.

multiverse - Software not licensed under the GPL (or similar license), but supported by users.

There are also these additional types of repositories:

Lucid-updates - Updates to official packages.

Lucid-backports - Current version software from Maverick Meerkat (Lucid+1) that have been backported to Lucid Lynx.

Lucid-proposed - Proposed updates & changes (bleeding edge stuff).

Third party repositories

Software developers often maintain their own repositories, from which software packages can be downloaded and installed directly to your computer (if you add the repository to your list). Many of these third party repositories and software packages have never been reviewed by the (K)Ubuntu/Debian community and can present a security risk to your computer. Trojans, backdoors, and other malicious software can be present at any unregulated repository. When using repositories not endorsed by the (K)ubuntu/Debian community, make sure you have utter confidence in that site before enabling the repository and installing a software package from it.

Add Repositories using Synaptic Package Manager

This is the preferred method.

Menu -> System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager -> Settings -> Repositories.

Here you can enable the repositories for Ubuntu Software and Third Party Software.

For Third Party Software select Add -> enter the repository's address. It will have a format similar to:

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid main restricted deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid main restricted

Example: To add the Medibuntu repository, Add:

deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ lucid free non-free

Download the repository key to a folder. Example: The Medibuntu key can be downloaded from http://packages.medibuntu.org/medibuntu-key.gpg Then add the key from:

Menu -> System -> Administration -> Synaptic Manager -> Settings -> Repositories -> Authentication -> Import Key File...

(Alternatively, you can manually add the key from the command line Terminal. See Add Repository keys.)

Refresh the package list from the new repository:

Synaptic -> Reload

Manually add repositories

Do this at your own risk. Modify the default Ubuntu sources.list only if you understand what you're doing. Mixing repositories can break your system. For more information see the Ubuntu Command-line Repository guide.

Create a backup of your current list of sources.

sudo cp -i /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list_backup

Note: sudo - runs the command with root privileges. cp = copy. -i = prompt to overwrite if a file already exists.

Edit the list of sources:

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

or using a graphical editor:

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

Note: To use your local mirror you can add "xx." before archive.ubuntu.com, where xx = your country code. Example: deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu licid main restricted universe multiverse indicates a repository for Great Britain (gb).

Here is a sample sources.list. At the end have been added repositories for Medibuntu and Google:

#deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 10.04 LTS _Lucid Lynx_ - Release i386 (20100429)]/ lucid main restricted # See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to # newer versions of the distribution. deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid main restricted deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid main restricted ## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the ## distribution. deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates main restricted deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates main restricted ## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu ## team. Also, please note that software in universe WILL NOT receive any ## review or updates from the Ubuntu security team. deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid universe deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid universe deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates universe deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates universe ## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu ## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to ## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in ## multiverse WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu ## security team. deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid multiverse deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid multiverse deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates multiverse deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates multiverse ## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from the 'backports' ## repository. ## N.B. software from this repository may not have been tested as ## extensively as that contained in the main release, although it includes ## newer versions of some applications which may provide useful features. ## Also, please note that software in backports WILL NOT receive any review ## or updates from the Ubuntu security team. deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-backports main restricted universe multiverse deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-backports main restricted universe multiverse ## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from Canonical's ## 'partner' repository. This software is not part of Ubuntu, but is ## offered by Canonical and the respective vendors as a service to Ubuntu ## users. deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu lucid partner deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu lucid partner deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu lucid-security main restricted deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu lucid-security main restricted deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu lucid-security universe deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu lucid-security universe deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu lucid-security multiverse deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu lucid-security multiverse ## Medibuntu - Ubuntu 10.04 "lucid lynx" ## Please report any bug on https://bugs.launchpad.net/medibuntu/ deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ lucid free non-free deb-src http://packages.medibuntu.org/ lucid free non-free # Google software repository deb http://dl.google.com/linux/deb/ stable non-free

Download and add the repository keys to your keyring. See Add repository keys.

Refresh the packages list from the new repositories:

sudo apt-get update

Add repository keys

Download the gpg keys for the repositories and automatically add them to your repository keyring:

Example: To obtain and add the Medibuntu repository key:

wget --quiet http://packages.medibuntu.org/medibuntu-key.gpg -O - | sudo apt-key add -

Example: To obtain and add the Google repository key:

wget --quiet http://dl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub -O - | sudo apt-key add -

Note: wget - retrieves a file from a network location. --quiet = no output. -O = Output downloaded item to terminal. The | (pipe symbol) is used to capture the output from the previous command (in our case the screen) and use it as an input for the piped command (i.e. apt-key, which adds it to the keyring).

Alternatively (and perhaps more easily), you can use apt-key directly:

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys KEY

where KEY is the missing key code printed in apt-get output, e.g. EF4186FE247510BE.

Note: Key servers often use port 11371. Make sure your firewall allows port 11371 to be open.

Package Installation and Updates

Apt and Package Basics

Read Add Extra Repositories

Most new users will use the Synaptic Package Manager to install packages. These instructions are for installing packages from the command-line Terminal. Terminal can be started:

Menu -> Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal

Install packages:

sudo apt-get install packagename

Example:

sudo apt-get install mpd sbackup

Remove packages:

sudo apt-get remove packagename

To remove all dependencies:

sudo apt-get autoremove

Example:

sudo apt-get remove mpd sbackup

Search for packages:

apt-cache search <keywords>

Examples:

apt-cache search Music MP3 apt-cache search "Text Editor"

Update the apt package database after adding/removing repositories:

sudo apt-get update

Upgrade packages:

sudo apt-get upgrade

Upgrade the entire distribution (e.g. from Karmic to Lucid):

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Installing .deb packages

Debian (.deb) packages are the packages that are used in Ubuntu. You can install any .deb package in your system. .deb files can generally be installed from your file manager (Nautilus) merely by clicking on them, since file associations with the default installer is already set in Ubuntu. These instructions are for those who wish to install packages from the command-line terminal (Terminal).

Install a downloaded Debian (Ubuntu) package (.deb):

sudo dpkg -i packagename.deb

Remove a Debian (Ubuntu) package (.deb):

sudo dpkg -r packagename

Reconfigure/Repair an installed Debian (Ubuntu) package (.deb):

sudo dpkg-reconfigure packagename

*Example:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure mpd

Handling (Tar/GZip) and (Tar/Bzip2) archives

(Tar/GZip) archives end in ".tar.gz" and (Tar/Bzip2) archives end in ".tar.bz2". Bzip2 is the newer, more efficient compression method. These files can generally be automatically extracted by merely clicking on them from your file manager (Nautilus), since file associations with the appropriate archival utilities are set by default in Ubuntu. These instructions are for those who wish to use the command line Terminal.

To extract:

tar xvf packagename.tar.gz

Note: tar is an application which can extract files from an archive, decompressing if necessary.

-x means extract. -v means verbose (list what it is extracting). -f specifies the file to use.

Decompressing ".gz" files

gunzip file.gz

Decompressing ".bz2" files

bunzip2 file.bz2

Note: You can also decompress a package first by using the command gunzip (for .gz) or bunzip2 (for .bz2), leaving the .tar file. You would then use tar to extract it.

To create a .gz archive:

tar cvfz packagename.tar.gz folder

To create a .bz2 archive:

tar cvfj packagename.tar.bz2 folder

Installing a package from source

Make sure you have all the necessary development tools (i.e. libraries, compilers, headers):

sudo apt-get install build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r)

Note: "uname -r" lists the current kernel you are using

Extract the archive that contains the source files:

tar xvf sourcefilesarchive.tar.gz

Build the package using the package's script (in this case the configure script), compile the package (make), and install the compiled package into your system (make install):

cd /path/to/extracted/sourcefiles ./configure sudo make sudo make install

Note: typing ./ before a filename in the current folder allows the Linux shell to try and execute the file as an application even if it is not in the path (the set of folders which it searches when you type a command name). If you get a "permission denied" error, the file is not marked as being executable. To fix this:

sudo chmod +x filename

Example: In the above instructions, configure is the shell script to build the package from source. To be sure the configure script is executable:

sudo chmod +x configure

Create a .deb package from source files

If your build from source is successful, you can make a Debian (Ubuntu) package (.deb) for future use:

Install package tools:

sudo apt-get install checkinstall

Rebuild package using "checkinstall":

cd /path/to/extracted/package ./configure sudo make sudo checkinstall

Keep the resulting ".deb" file for future use. It can later be installed using:

sudo dpkg -i packagename.deb

Note: These are basic instructions that may not always work. Some packages require additional dependencies and optional parameters to be specified in order to build them successfully. Also see these Ubuntu wiki instructions. More info about .deb package structure can be found here.

Aptitude

Aptitude is a terminal-based package manager that can be used instead of apt-get. Aptitude marks packages that are automatically installed and removes them when no packages depend on them. This makes it easy to remove applications completely. To use Aptitude, replace apt-get with aptitude in the command line. Example:

sudo aptitude install packagename sudo aptitude remove packagename sudo aptitude update sudo aptitude upgrade

For an ncurses-based graphical user interface, type

sudo aptitude

For more information, see the aptitude documentation.

Synaptic Package Manager

While "apt-get" and "aptitude" are fast ways of installing programs/packages, you can also use the Synaptic Package Manager (Menu -> System -> Administration -> Synaptic Manager), a GUI method for installing programs/packages. Most (but not all) programs/packages available with apt-get install will also be available from the Synaptic Package Manager. This is the preferred method for most desktop users. In this guide, when you see

sudo apt-get install package

you can simply search for package in Synaptic and install it that way.

Menu -> System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager Search for the name of the program/package. You can also search for a word in its description.

-> Mark for Installation -> Apply

The selected program(s) will be automatically installed, along with its dependencies.

Ubuntu Software Center (Add/Remove Programs)

Not all packages available from apt-get, aptitude, and Synaptic Package Manager are available in the Ubuntu Software Center. However, it is the easiest interface for new users of Ubuntu and directs them to preferred packages.

Menu -> Applications -> Ubuntu Software Center Search for the sort of program you want to add. Example: type MP3 to see a list of mp3 software.

-> Mark for Installation -> Apply

The selected program(s) will be automatically installed.

Manual Updates

Manually, from Terminal (command line interface):

sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get upgrade

or

Use Synaptic Package Manager:

Menu -> System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager -> "Reload" then "Mark all upgrades"

If there are packages available for updating, you will be prompted whether to install them.

Automated Updates

Use Synaptic Package Manager:

Menu -> System -> Administration -> Synaptic Manager -> Settings -> Preferences -> General -> Reloading Outdated Package Information -> Automatic

Repair broken packages

If a package installation fails (which can cause a Package Manager to freeze or become locked), or if a package has unsatisfied dependencies causing a similar condition, then run one (or both) of the following commands from the command-line terminal:

sudo apt-get install -f sudo dpkg --configure -a

Desktop Add-ons

There are many add-on icons, themes, wallpapers, 3-D effects, and other customizations available for the GNOME desktop.

Gnome Eye-Candy Resources

Gnome Look has wallpapers, splash screens, icons, and themes for windows managers (including Metacity and Compiz) and other applications.

Ubuntu Wallpaper

Download free Lucid Lynx wallpapers.

Change Plymouth Splash Screen

This is the initial splash screen you see at bootup. Different Plymouth themes can be found by searching for plymouth-theme in a Package Manager. Install a new one and then:

sudo update-alternatives --config default.plymouth sudo update-initramfs -u

and manually select the theme you wish to use.

Plymouth does not reliably work with nVidia drivers and during bootup a blank screen may result for several seconds.

Metacity

Metacity is the default desktop compositing manager in Gnome. It is lightweight, streamlined and does not have many configurable options, but has multiple themes available at Gnome Look.

Compiz Fusion

Compiz Fusion is available as a separate Windows Manager, to allow advanced desktop effects such as the rotating cube desktop. Many Ubuntu users choose to run Compiz, which is quite fast in Ubuntu. Install:

sudo apt-get install compiz compizconfig-settings-manager compiz-fusion-plugins-main compiz-fusion-plugins-extra emerald librsvg2-common

To change to Compiz as the Window Manager:

Select Compiz Configuration:

Menu -> System -> Preferences -> CompizConfig Settings Manager

Note: You must logout and log back in for the change to take effect.

Fusion Icon

Fusion Icon is a tray icon that allows you to easily switch between window managers, window decorators, and gives you quick access to the Compiz Settings Manager. This allows quick toggling of 3-D desktop effects (that may not be compatible with some applications).

sudo apt-get install fusion-icon

Menu -> Applications -> System Tools -> Compiz Fusion Icon

You can then easily access CompizConfig Settings Manager from the icon.

Rotate the Compiz Cube

Set the CompizConfig Settings Manager to enable the "Desktop Cube" and "Rotate Cube" and "Viewport Switcher" options. Click on the icon for each to customize settings. For example, to change the appearance of the cube, click on the Desktop Cube icon to access its settings. You can set the hotkey buttons for rotating the cube in the "Viewport Switcher" settings. Otherwise, hold down the Ctrl+Alt+Left mouse button and drag the mouse (or touchpad) the direction you want to rotate the cube.

Remember, the cube rotates between desktops. It's not a cube unless you have at least 4 desktops running. You will not get a cube if you are only using 2 desktops (you will get a "plate"). You can still rotate the sides of the plate, of course, but it will not be a cube. (Recent users from the Windows OS may have no experience with the concept of simultaneous desktops, but they are nice once you learn how to use them).

When running Compiz fusion as the Windows Manager, you must change the default number of desktops from within CompizConfig Settings Manger. To enable 4 desktops:

CompizConfig Settings Manager -> General -> General Options -> Desktop Size -> Horizontal Virtual Size -> 4

When you start an application, you can assign it to any one of the 4 desktops by right-clicking the upper left corner of the application window and choosing the "To Desktop..." option. Rotating the cube shows the different desktops. You can also go to a desktop using the taskbar icon which shows the 4 desktops.

Emerald

Emerald is the theme engine for Compiz Fusion. Multiple themes are available. (These themes originated from the Beryl project before it merged with Compiz to form Compiz Fusion.) The Emerald Theme Manager for Compiz Fusion can be installed:

sudo apt-get install emerald

Google Desktop

Google Desktop for Linux was a proprietary suite of Google widgets and applications. It was discontinued in September 2011.

gDesklets

gDesklets are similar to Windows widgets and Google gadgets and provide information such as weather, system resources, and news. For more information refer to this gdesklet installation tutorial. Install:

sudo apt-get install gdesklets

Dock applications

Avant Window Manager, Cairo Dock, gnome-do and Wbar are dock-like applications for Ubuntu Linux. A dock represents running programs as icons at the bottom of the screen (as is done on the Mac OS X desktop), instead of by toolbar panel segments (as is done in Windows and other Linux window managers). See this brief comparison of dock applications.

Avant Window Navigator

Avant Window Navigator requires that a desktop composition manager (such as Metacity, Compiz, Xcompmgr, KDE4 (Kubuntu), or xfwm4 (Xubuntu)) be installed and running.

Install and upgrade proprietary nVidia or ATI graphics drivers so that the compositing manager functions properly.

Install AWN:

sudo apt-get install avant-window-navigator awn-manager

(Note: If you are using Gnome (Ubuntu) and do not already have a compositing manager installed (such as Compiz), Metacity will be installed as part of the installation.)

Enable automatic startup of AWN at bootup:

Menu -> System -> Preferences -> Startup Applications -> Add...

avant-window-navigator

Select which applets should run from the dock menu by default:

Menu -> Applications -> Accessories -> Avant Window Navigator Manager You can drag application icons onto the list, then activate or deactivate the applets from the list.

Cairo Dock

Cairo Dock can be used either with a desktop compositing manager (such as Metacity for Gnome, Compiz, or the KDE4 Window Manager) or without one. See the Ubuntu installation instructions for details. It is available from the repositories:

sudo apt-get install cairo-dock cairo-dock-plug-ins

Gnome Do

Gnome Do is a docking utility for Gnome. Install:

sudo apt-get install gnome-do

From the preferences pane of gnome-do select the Docky look and feel to get the dock (rather than the default Quicksilver-like) look and feel.

wbar

wbar is a quick-launch bar (not a dock) that has an appearance similar to Avant Window Manager and Cairo Dock. It is GTK (Gnome) based but can work in all desktop environments. It does not require a compositing manager to be installed and is therefore quicker and more suitable for low-end hardware systems. It is the default in the Google gOS desktop and is available as a .deb package from Google. Download and install (from the command-line Terminal):

wget http://wbar.googlecode.com/files/wbar_1.3.3_i386.deb sudo dpkg -i wbar_1.3.3_i386.deb

Start wbar with custom start options (e.g. by pressing alt+F2). Here is an example:

wbar -isize 48 -j 1 -p bottom -balfa 40 -bpress -nanim 3 -z 2.5 -above-desk

Here is another example:

wbar -above-desk -pos bottom -isize 60 -nanim 1 -bpress -jumpf 0.0 -zoomf 1.5

For a full list of command-line startup options, see:

wbar --help

Tip: If you want the "wave" effect just increase the -nanim value. I like the icons to just pop up so I don't use it, but with 9 icons 5 there is a nice "wave" effect.

Obviously, you could create a menu item with the command line options (similar to the examples above), or a batch file that can be automatically started at system startup (as a cron event or startup session).

You can also change wbar startup options by editing the configuration file:

sudo gedit /usr/share/wbar/dot.wbar

See this example configuration file. However, not all options are able to be set from the configuration file and must be run from the command line. For more info see this wbar guide.

wbarconf

A simple wbar configuration utility can be downloaded as a .deb package and installed:

wget http://koti.kapsi.fi/~ighea/wbarconf/wbarconf_0.7.2-1_i386.deb sudo dpkg -i wbarconf_0.7.2-1_i386.deb

Virtualization

Virtualization allows a second operating system (OS), such as Windows or OS X, to be run from within (K)Ubuntu. This requires extra RAM (because both (K)Ubuntu and the virtualized second OS require separate amounts of RAM) and a license for the second OS. If you wish to run a virtualized instance of Windows XP, for instance, you must have a license for Windows XP.

VirtualBox

VirtualBox is a fast and complete virtualization solution owned and maintained by Sun Microsystems. There is a free and fully open-source edition available under the GNU GPL license.

Install the open-source edition:

sudo apt-get install virtualbox-ose virtualbox-ose-source virtualbox-guest-additions

You can also add the QT-version (if using KDE/Kubuntu, for example):

sudo apt-get install virtualbox-ose-qt

Start VirtualBox:

Menu -> VirtualBox OSE PC virtualization solution

For usage instructions, see the End-user documentation. For information on installing Virtualbox in Windows so that Ubuntu can then be installed within in a virtual machine running in Windows, see this page.

Proprietary versions of VirtualBox

A few additional features that are not yet in the OSE version, such as a USB device interface, are available in the proprietary version of VirtualBox. To install a proprietary edition of VirtualBox:

Add the security key:

wget -q http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian/sun_vbox.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -

Add the repository string to your repository list and update:

echo "deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian lucid non-free" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/virtualbox.list sudo apt-get update

Install:

sudo apt-get install virtualbox

VMWare

VMWare is a commercial virtualization platform that currently offers two free products: VMWare Player and VMWare Server (the latter with a free renewable yearly license). VMWare Player can play virtual appliances that have already been created, whereas VMWare Server (which has a broader range of features) allows the creation of virtual machines. In general, VMWare Server is recommended unless you only need to play an appliance. (Appliances will also run in VMWare Server). Users that wish to run servers (or processes) that need to be available to a network from within the virtual machine should use VMServer. If you wish to install a new OS within a virtual machine (other than in an appliance), you will need VMWare Server.

VMWare Player

Installation instructions are on the website, or at the Ubuntu community wiki. In brief, to install the free VMWare Player:

Install pre-requisites:

sudo apt-get install build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r)

Get the binary package/installation script, give it executable privileges, then run the installation script:

wget http://download3.vmware.com/software/vmplayer/VMware-Player-2.5.3-185404.i386.bundle chmod +x VMware-Player-2.5.3-185404.i386.bundle sudo ./VMware-Player-2.5.3-185404.i386.bundle

Run:

Menu -> Applications -> System Tools -> VMWare Player

Create an Ubuntu Appliance

While any edition of Ubuntu can be installed in a virtual machine, the minimal installation option (F4) of the Ubuntu Server creates a highly-efficient edition (previously known as JeOS) optimised for use within a virtual appliance (which can then be played using VMWare Player or other virtual machine client). See this walkthrough.

A virtual appliance for VMWare Player (using this JeOS minimal server) can also be built using vmbuilder.

VMWare Server

Install pre-requisites:

sudo apt-get install build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r)

Download the server source files for your architecture (32-bit or 64-bit) from the VMWare Server website and retrieve your license key by email.

Extract the files, give execution privileges to the install script, and run the install script:

tar xvf VMware-server-2.0.1-156745.i386.tar.gz cd vmware-server-distrib chmod +x vmware-install.pl sudo ./vmware-install.pl

VMWare Package

VMWare Appliances (that include an Ubuntu/Debian OS) can be created using VMWare Server and the VMWare Package utility. These appliances can then be deployed to users who can play them using VMWare Player. Install:

sudo apt-get install vmware-package

Keyboard errors in VMware guest

After installing VMWare 6.5, and installing a guest OS, the Function, arrow and Del/End/etc keys do not function. This is a bug with VMWare´s code. Add this line to ~/.vmware/config (create file if necessary) to fix this issue:

xkeymap.nokeycodeMap = true

KVM

KVM is the free open source virtualization solution implemented as a Linux kernel module (in the recent kernels) for computers whose processors contain virtualization extensions (Intel VT or AMD-V). See the Ubuntu installation instructions. Install:

sudo apt-get install kvm

Qemu (without KVM)

If your computer does not have the virtualization extensions, you can still run the QEMU virtualization platform. See this Ubuntu community documentation. It can be installed from source code.

Xen

Xen is an efficient open-source virtualization ("hypervisor") platform (which includes a merge with QEMU). It is the basis for the Amazon EC2 Cloud and is generally intended for use on a server (or on "baremetal" systems, i.e. no OS yet installed). It is free open source under a GPL license. The latest desktop (and installation instructions) is available from the website. (A commercial version is also offered by Citrix.) Implementation in Ubuntu requires some modification, currently. For more info, see the Ubuntu community documentation. Install:

sudo apt-get install xen-hypervisor xen-docs convirt

A Xen virtual machine host can also be installed automatically with certain 64-bit CPUs, using the 64-bit Ubuntu Server LiveCD. (A (K)Ubuntu desktop can then later be added -- see Ubuntu server).

Virtual Machine Manager

Virtual Machine Manager is an application to allow viewing of all instances of virtual machines on your system. It includes a secure implementation of VNC. This and other virtual management tools are available as an integrated package in (K)Ubuntu. Install:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-virt-mgmt

Crossover for Linux

Codeweavers' Crossover Office for Linux is a subscription-based commercial package that allows many Windows programs to be run on Ubuntu without the need for a Microsoft OS license or a complete virtualization system. See the website for more info. Codeweavers releases older versions of this product into the free package Wine.

Wine

Wine is a free open-source package that is similar to (and implements many elements of) CrossOver for Linux. Like CrossOver for Linux, no Microsoft license or virtualization platform is required to run Windows programs. See these instructions for installing the latest version of Wine.

sudo apt-get install wine

Also consider installing Microsoft's TrueType fonts:

sudo apt-get install msttcorefonts

PlayOnLinux

PlayOnLinux is a Wine frontend which simplifies the installation and launch of many Windows programs, particularly games. Install:

sudo apt-get install playonlinux

Internet Explorer 7

Internet Explorer 7 can be installed with PlayOnLinux. Select "Internet Explorer 7" from the "Internet" section of PlayonLinux.

Internet Explorer 6 & 7

Internet Explorer 6 & 7 can function under Wine, albeit imperfectly. For most purposes, Firefox can be used (with the User Agent Switcher plugin) to mimic Internet Explorer.

Make sure you have Wine and cabextract packages:

sudo apt-get install wine cabextract

Download the Winetricks installation script:

wget http://winetricks.org/winetricks sudo chmod +x winetricks

Install with winetricks:

sh winetricks ie6 sh winetricks ie7

Note: Winetricks is automatically installed with the current version of Wine.

Transgaming Cedega

Cedega is a commercial application (similar to CrossOver Office and Wine), for installing and running some Windows applications, specifically games, without the need for virtualization or a Microsoft license. It provides 3D support, software acceleration support, and a high level of DirectX support. Installation instructions are found on the website.

Mono

Mono is a free open source project sponsored by Novell to allow .NET programs to function in Linux ((K)Ubuntu) and Mac OS X. . Several GNOME applications (like Tomboy, F-Spot, and Banshee) require mono to be installed, so mono may already be installed by default on your system. The most recent version is available here.

sudo apt-get install mono-2.0-devel

Moonlight

See Moonlight plugin for Firefox

DosBox

DOSBox is a DOS-emulator that emulates CPU:286/386 realmode/protected mode, Directory FileSystem/XMS/EMS, Tandy/Hercules/CGA/EGA/VGA/VESA graphics, and a SoundBlaster/Gravis Ultra Sound card (for sound compatibility with older games). You can "re-live" classic games that otherwise won't run on newer computers.

sudo apt-get install dosbox

ScummVM

ScummVM allows certain classic graphical point-and-click adventure games to run (provided you already have their data files). ScummVM replaces the executables shipped with the games, allowing play on Linux operating systems (for which they were not originally designed).

sudo apt-get install scummvm

Edutainment Applications

There are many superb applications that can be installed with a single click.

Menu -> Applications -> Ubuntu Software Center-> Education

Below are a few examples that can be installed from this menu:

Celestia -- a free planetarium and space simulator for the desktop

Stellarium -- an astounding planetarium for the desktop

K3DSurf -- a program for modeling 3,4,5, and 6 dimensional models.

Bibletime-- a Bible study tool using the QT platform

Zekr -- an Islamic Quran study tool (available in Utilities)

Oregano -- a program for electrical engineering schematics

RlPlot -- a high quality graph generator

Mnemosyne -- a flash-card tool

Gramps -- map your family-tree and co-operate with genealogy projects

Games

There are some phenomenal games for (K)Ubuntu Linux.

There are hundreds of free, open-source games available in (K)Ubuntu. Most (including the KDE Games collection and the Gnome Games collection) can be accessed through the Games section of your Package Manager.

Examples are:

Wing Commander Privateer

The Linux version of this free version of Wing Commander can be downloaded as a binary here. It is a DOS program that runs in DosBox.

Vdrift

Vdrift is a free open source 3-D racing game, similar to Need for Speed, with realistic physics, multiple drift tracks, and multiplayer games. Support for joysticks, mice and keyboard is included. A binary package for Linux is available from the website.

Action

Incredible action games (including those from the Top 25) are available in Ubuntu. Many can be installed using:

Menu -> Applications -> Ubuntu Software Center -> Games

Examples are:

Alien Arena -- a multi-player first person shooter action game with free servers. (Package: alien-arena) (Server: alien-arena-server)

OpenArena -- an open-source multi-player first person shooter action game, with free servers. (Package: openarena) (Server: openarena-server)

Tremulous -- a Halo-like multiplayer first person shooter action game. The repositories have the current version. (Package: tremulous) (Server: tremulous-server)

Sauerbraten - a multiplayer graphics-rich first person shooter game evolved from Cube. (Package: sauerbraten) (Server: sauerbraten-server)

Nexuiz -- an open-source multi-player first person shooter game with free servers and tournaments. (Package: nexuiz) (Server: nexuiz-server) A 35 map add-on community pack is also available here. To install it, extract the map pack to /home/username/.nexuiz/data (or ~/.nexuiz/data ).

Note: Many of these games require advanced graphics. Make sure you have the necessary hardware drivers activated.

UrbanTerror

UrbanTerror is a multiplayer first person shooter action game (with an integrated server). It uses the open-source quake 3 engine and features many real weapons and free-to-use servers for multi-player functionality. "Not recommended for adolescents in Germany." Download and install the binary using these instructions.

Doom

Skulltag, ZDoom, and PrBoom (Freedoom) are versions of Doom2. For Doom3, see Doom3 on Ubuntu.

Skulltag

Skulltag is an updated version of ZDoom that includes network play. See the website for simple (K)Ubuntu installation instructions. (You can use the Freedoom Iwad (see below) if you don't have an original Doom2.wad.) Note: Most of the modules require dependencies from the Universe repositories. Make sure you have the Universe repositories enabled (Synaptic Package Manager -> Settings -> Repositories -> Edit Software Sources -> Community-maintained Open Source software (universe) -> (ticked)).

Install prerequisites:

sudo apt-get install timidity timidity-interfaces-extra

Then add the skulltag repositories, update, and install Skulltag and DoomSeeker (the Skulltag online server utility):

echo "deb http://skulltag.net/download/files/release/deb/ jaunty multiverse" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/skulltag.list sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install skulltag doomseeker-skulltag

If you don't have a doom2.wad, tnt.wad, or plutonia.wad already, you can copy the freedoom.wad to your ~/.skulltag folder:

cd ~/.skulltag wget http://mirror.cinquix.com/pub/savannah/freedoom/freedoom-iwad/freedoom-iwad-0.6.4.zip unzip freedoom-iwad-0.6.4.zip cp freedoom*/doom2.wad . rm freedoom-iwad-0.6.4.zip

If you need more help (regarding the Skulltag-server, firewalls, and port forwarding with Skulltag, for example), see these additional tips.

Skulltag runs on any platform, with any graphics, and on almost any computer. There are thousands of add-ons, maps, and gameplay modes, giving a nearly endless variety of gameplay. The interface makes obtaining and playing the modifications very easy. This is my favorite game of all time (and I have been playing it for years).

PrBoom

PrBoom is a free open source port of the original first person shooter action game, Doom2. It does not have the advanced options of ZDoom. Freedoom is a free Iwad (set of maps) to replace the original Doom2.wad.

sudo apt-get install prboom freedoom timidity timidity-interfaces-extra

There are thousands of extra maps (Wads) available for this game. It is easiest to keep a directory for your wads in your home directory:

mkdir /home/user/wads

or alternatively, use the /usr/share/games/doom folder, giving universal privileges to the folder:

chmod -R 777 /usr/share/games/doom

Place your doom2.wad, tnt.wad, or plutonia.wad (from your original game) into this folder. If you don't have one, you can copy the Freedom version of doom2.wad from /usr/share/games/freedoom into this folder. Place any new .wad's you have downloaded from the Internet into this folder as well. Then run the game using both the original iwad map as well as your new .wad map (you will only see the new map).

prboom -iwad /home/user/wads/doom2.wad -file /home/user/wads/new_wad.wad

Note: Only doom2.wad, tnt.wad, or plutonia.wad can be used as an iwad. You must have one of these in addition to any new wad you wish to use. When in doubt, use doom2.wad.

Note: this game can also be installed using Menu -> Applications -> Ubuntu Software Center -> Games as Freedoom, but you must also install timidity and timidity-interfaces-extra.

eDuke32 (DukeNukem)

eDuke32 is a version of DukeNukem able to be played on (K)Ubuntu Linux. Follow the installation instructions here.

MMORPG

Spring

The Spring Project is a scripting engine platform to develop and play free multiplayer games such as Star Wars Imperial Winter and Complete Annihilation. Install:

sudo apt-get install spring

Regnum Online

Regnum Online MMPORG -- see basic installation instructions and the help forum as needed.

PlaneShift

PlaneShift is a free full-immersion online fantasy game (MMPORG). Client downloads and patches are available here.

Make the downloaded binary installation file executable:

cd /directory_where_downloaded chmod +x PlaneShift-v0.5.4-x64.bin

Run the executable binary as root (this must be done from the command line Terminal):

sudo ./PlaneShift-v0.5.4-x64.bin

Follow the instructions for installation. When prompted whether to manually set permissions, answer "no."

During installation, most users have recommended installing this game to your /home directory as a single user installation, instead of to /opt for all users. This avoids permissions problems. I was able to install to /opt, but it takes some effort.

Make sure your user belongs to the games group:

Menu -> System -> Administration -> Users and Groups -> user -> Manage Groups -> games -> Properties -> Group Members -> user (ticked) -> OK

Register for a free account at PlaneShift Registration.

If you installed the game to the menu, it will be in

Menu -> Applications -> Lost & Found -> Client and Setup

To run it from the menu, I had to edit the menu entries by checking the box: "Run in terminal." Alternatively, run it from the command-line Terminal:

sudo /opt/PlaneShift/pssetup sudo /opt/PlaneShift/psclient

Notes: This game ran very slowly for me on a 32-bit installation with a DSL connection and I gave up. The 64-bit installation worked better.

Dolphin (Wii emulator)

The Dolphin emulator is an open-source cross-platform Wii emulator that allows many Wii game disks to be run on many operating systems. (Whether the Wii Netflix disk will run under the Dolphin emulator has not yet been established.) (The Dolphin-emulator has no relationship to the KDE Dolphin file manager). Installation instructions are here.

DosBox (DOS emulator)

DosBox is a DOS emulator that enables older DOS programs (and games) to be run. Install:

sudo apt-get install dosbox

Tweak the DosBox settings if necessary. For more info, read the DosBox instructions (man dosbox in a command-line terminal).

Internet Applications

Internet applications enable you to make full use of your Internet connection. Web browsers, Email clients, Instant Messengers, and more are included in this category.

Web Browsers

Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox is the ubiquitous web browser. Based on open source components, it is trademarked and cannot be altered or re-distributed with any change that involves the name or trademarks. Install the current version:

sudo apt-get install firefox

Firefox Plug-ins

Adblock Plus plug-in (block ads in a web page)

Adblock Plus blocks ads that appear in web pages. You can subscribe to a free filter service, and can add ads to block with a single click.

sudo apt-get install xul-ext-adblock-plus

You can also add this extension from Firefox -> Tools -> Add-ons -> Get Add-ons -> Search All Add-ons -> AdBlock Plus. (This method will also ensure that automatic updates are installed by Firefox.)

Noscript plug-in (controls scripts)

The Noscript plugin is considered one of the most important security measures for browsing the Internet. Most viruses and trojans gain access to computers from the Internet through scripts. This plugin allows you to choose which scripts to allow and blocks the rest.

Add this extension from Firefox -> Tools -> Add-ons -> Get Add-ons -> Search All Add-ons -> Noscript. (This method will also ensure that automatic updates are installed by Firefox.)

RefreshBlocker plug-in (prevents redirects)

RefreshBlocker allows the user to decide which websites (and pages) will be allowed to redirect (based on META tags within the webpage). Although Firefox (as of version 3.5) blocks all directs by default, the behavior is not customizable; it is therefore preferable to turn off the Firefox redirect control and use RefreshBlocker instead.

Add this extension from Firefox -> Tools -> Add-ons -> Get Add-ons -> Search All Add-ons -> RefreshBlocker. (This method will also ensure that automatic updates are installed by Firefox.)

Turn off the Firefox automatic redirect blocker:

Firefox -> Enter about:config in the browser location bar -> right-click on "accessibility:blockautorefresh" -> Toggle to change the value from true to false

User Agent Switcher plug-in for Firefox

The User Agent Switcher plugin allows a browser to masquerade as another browser, allowing (most of the time) browser-specific content to be displayed.

You can add this extension from Firefox -> Tools -> Add-ons -> Get Add-ons -> Search All Add-ons -> User Agent Switcher. (This method will also ensure that automatic updates are installed by Firefox.)

Video DownloadHelper plug-in for Firefox

The Video DownloadHelper plugin allows the download of videos (including Flash videos) from sites like YouTube.

You can add this extension from Firefox -> Tools -> Add-ons -> Get Add-ons -> Search All Add-ons -> Video DownloadHelper. (This method will also ensure that automatic updates are installed by Firefox.)

Unplug Download Management

The UnPlug add-on lets you save video and audio which is embedded on a webpage.

You can add this extension from Firefox -> Tools -> Add-ons -> Get Add-ons -> Browse All Add-ons. (This method will also ensure that automatic updates are installed by Firefox.)

Lucifox (eBook reader extension)

Lucifox (Lucidor for Firefox) enables e-books to be read and e-book catalogs to be browsed in a Firefox window.

To install, go to the website and click "Download Now."

Java Runtime Environment (JRE) for Firefox plug-in

This package also installs the Java Runtime Environment. (JRE is also installed when OpenOffice or ubuntu-restricted-extras is installed.)

sudo apt-get install sun-java6-jre sun-java6-plugin

Note: You must accept the license to use this product.

Adobe Acrobat Reader for Firefox Plug-in

This plugin is allows you to view Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files within the Firefox browser.

Read Add Extra Kubuntu Repositories and enable the Lucid partner repository:

deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu lucid partner

then install Adobe Reader:

sudo apt-get install acroread

Alternatively, this plugin is also available from the Medibuntu repository. Add the Medibuntu repository to your repository list:

deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ lucid free non-free

then install:

sudo apt-get install acroread mozilla-acroread acroread-plugins acroread-fonts

Adobe Flash Player for Firefox Plug-in

To install the official Adobe Flash plugin (Flash 10) for Firefox:

sudo apt-get install adobe-flashplugin

Gnash Plug-in (Open source Flash Player replacement)

Gnash is available in a 64-bit version as well as a 32-bit version. It is the open source replacement for Adobe Flashplayer.

sudo apt-get install gnash

After installing, change your web browser's Preferences -> Applications so that SWF and SPL files use Gnash.

VLC plug-in for Firefox

This package allows the popular VLC player to play media within the Firefox browser.

sudo apt-get install mozilla-plugin-vlc

Gecko MediaPlayer Plug-in for Firefox

Gecko MediaPlayer is a browser plugin for all Gecko-based browsers (Firefox, SeaMonkey, IceApe, Opera) that allows Mplayer to play multimedia within the browser. Install:

sudo apt-get install gecko-mediaplayer

An alternative is to use the mplayer plugin for Firefox. Install:

sudo apt-get install mozilla-mplayer

Kaffeine Plug-in for Firefox

This package allows the Kaffeine media player (often used in KDE-based desktops) to play multimedia within the Firefox browser.

sudo apt-get install kaffeine-mozilla

Helix player plug-in for Firefox

This package installs the Helix player (the open source player that plays Real Player content in Linux) as well as the plugin that plays RealMedia within the Firefox browser.

sudo apt-get install mozilla-helix-player

Moonlight plugin for Firefox

Moonlight is part of the Novell Mono project that is an open source implementation of Silverlight (the Microsoft multimedia presentation platform). It is based on FFMpeg. It is made to work best with the Firefox 3 web browser, as a plugin (but also works with other mozilla browsers). Version 2.2 is available as a plugin for mozilla-based browsers:

sudo apt-get install moonlight-plugin-mozilla

The stable version 2.4 is available here. The Moonlight 3.99 plugin (compatible with most Silverlight 3/4 content) is here.

Netflix under Moonlight

Netflix streaming requires both the capabilities of Silverlight 2.0 and Digital Rights Management modules. Although the current version of Moonlight 2.0 will run most Silverlight content (including Netflix content), Netflix has not yet released Digital Rights Management modules for Linux. Please contact Netflix directly for further information or sign a petition. An HTML5 Netflix plugin (currently being developed by Google for the Chrome browser) may soon be available. Another alternative is the Netflix Android app which can be used in a virtual Android environment.

FireFTP for Firefox

FireFTP is a Firefox extension for FTP transfers.

Firefox Widgets

Turn off browser bar drop-down list in Firefox

This is the most frequently asked problem regarding Firefox. To turn off the location browser bar drop-down list (and therefore not show your browsing history):

Firefox -> about:config (in the location browser bar) -> browser.urlbar.maxRichResults -> right-click -> Modify -> set value to 0

IceCat

IceCat is Firefox distributed without the Mozilla trademark restrictions. It is endorsed by the Debian project (on which Ubuntu is based). It is formerly known as IceWeasel and is also known as IceApe Browser. Install the current version:

sudo apt-get install iceape-browser

SeaMonkey

SeaMonkey is an open-source integrated internet application suite (including web browser, IM (IRC) client, Email client, RSS/News reader, and web development tools). It is based on the same components as the Mozilla products and shares the trademark and branding restrictions. There are many plugins, similar to those for Thunderbird and Firefox. Install:

sudo apt-get install seamonkey

IceApe

IceApe is an open-source integrated internet application suite (including web browser, IM (IRC) client, Email client, RSS/News reader, and web development tools). It is based on the same components as the Mozilla product SeaMonkey, but has no restrictive trademark licensing, and is endorsed by the Debian project (on which Ubuntu is based). Install the current version:

sudo apt-get install iceape

Opera

Opera is a proprietary browser and internet suite (currently free on PCs) also used in some mobile devices and gaming consoles. It includes email, an address book, IRC chat, integrated BitTorrent, and webfeeds. A limited number of plugins are also available. Download from the website and follow the instructions or install from the Opera repository:

echo "deb http://deb.opera.com/opera/ stable non-free" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/opera.list wget -O - http://deb.opera.com/archive.key | sudo apt-key add - sudo apt-get install opera

Chromium

Chromium is the open-source browser on which the Google Chrome browser is based. Install:

sudo apt-get install chromium-browser

Start Chromium:

Menu -> Applications -> Internet -> Chromium Web Browser

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is Google's web browser. Based on the Chromium browser, Google adds the Google name and logo, an auto-updater system called GoogleUpdate, RLZ, and other Google add-ons. Download and install it here.

Download Managers

MultiGet

MultiGet is a GTK-based free-standing download manager utility.

sudo apt-get install multiget

Usenet Clients

Pan

Pan is a Gnome-based Usenet reader and nzb binary downloader. Install:

sudo apt-get install pan

Kwooty

Kwooty is a Usenet reader and nzb binary downloader for KDE4. Installation instructions from source or PPA repositories are at the website.

Email Clients

Evolution

Evolution is the default Gnome-based email client in Ubuntu. If not installed:

sudo apt-get install evolution

Evolution and PGP

Email messages can be encrypted in PGP and sent by email using Evolution. See this tutorial for an example how to configure it.

Thunderbird

Mozilla Thunderbird is a licensed and trademarked free open-source email client that is compatible with Firefox. Install:

sudo apt-get install thunderbird

The newest version of Thunderbird (version 3.1 or later recommended) is available by adding the PPA repositories (prior to installing):

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-mozilla-security/ppa/ubuntu lucid main deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-mozilla-security/ppa/ubuntu lucid main

Lightning calendar extension

Lightning is the calendar extension for Thunderbird (with functionality similar to the stand-alone application Sunbird). It is currently available in a 32-bit version only. (If using a 64-bit OS, install the Sunbird calendar client instead.) Install by clicking on the Linux download at the website.

Enigmail

Enigmail is an add-on to Thunderbird that allows you to easily encrypt your email using OpenPGP, which is included in the kernel by default. It also allows you to create and manage the encryption keys. Go the website and click "Download Now". (64-bit versions are found here.) Install:

Thunderbird -> Tools -> Add-ons -> Install -> select downloaded file

or

sudo apt-get install enigmail

Also see these tips for instructions on setting up e-mail with PGP encryption.

New Mail Icon for Thunderbird

"New Mail Icon" is an experimental tray add-on which notifes you of new mail. Download from the website. Install:

Thunderbird -> Tools -> Add-ons -> Install -> select downloaded file

KMail

KMail (Kontact Mail) is the default email client included with Kontact in KDE (Kubuntu). Kontact includes email, an address book, a calendar, reminders, pop-up notes, a link to the Akregator News/RSS reader, time-tracking, and more. Install:

sudo apt-get install kontact

Newsreaders

Akregator

Akregator is the default news/RSS reader included with Kubuntu (KDE). Usage instructions are found in the Handbook. Install:

sudo apt-get install akregator

RSSOwl

RSSOwl is a Java-based RSS | RDF | Atom Newsfeed Reader.

Install java and in order to use the internal browser, install the packages xulrunner and firefox:

sudo apt-get install sun-java6-jre firefox xulrunner

Change to your "opt" directory:

cd /opt

Download the zip-archive into your opt directory:

sudo wget http://downloads.sourceforge.net/rssowl/rssowl-2.0.4.linux.zip

Extract the archive and remove the extracted file:

sudo unzip ./rssowl-2.0.4.linux.zip && sudo rm ./rssowl-2.0.4.linux.zip

Make a startscript:

sudo gedit /usr/bin/runRSSOwl.sh

add the following lines to your startscript file /usr/bin/runRSSOwl.sh and save it afterwards.

#!/bin/bash cd /opt/rssowl ./RSSOwl

Make the startscript executable:

sudo chmod u+x /usr/bin/runRSSOwl.sh

To start RSSOwl:

runRSSOwl.sh

Instant Messengers

Empathy

Empathy is an open source IM application. It is the default in the Ubuntu (Gnome) desktop. You can access multiple services with it. If not already installed, you can install it:

sudo apt-get install empathy

Pidgin

Pidgin is an open source IM application. It is the previous default in the Ubuntu (Gnome) desktop. You can access multiple services with it.

sudo apt-get install pidgin

Kopete

Kopete is the default Instant Messenger application for Kubuntu. You can access multiple services with it. Install:

sudo apt-get install kopete

Kopete Styles

Additional styles for Kopete are available from KDE-look. Install from:

Kopete -> Settings -> Configure -> Chat Window -> Style -> Get New...

GoogleTalk on Kopete

Kopete can be configured to work with GoogleTalk Instant Messaging (but not VOIP) using the Jabber protocol. See these GoogleTalk instructions.

Konversation (IRC client)

Konversation is the default Kubuntu Internet Relay Chat (IRC) client. It functions similar to the venerable mIRC. "A little less action and a little more Konversation." -- Elves Install:

sudo apt-get install konversation

aMSN

aMSN is an MSN Messenger utility that functions like the original client. It is alternative to Pidgin for MSN users. Install it:

sudo apt-get install amsn

To enable Drag-and-Drop capabilities to aMSN for easy file transfer see Ubuntu Geek.

Emesene

Emesene is an MSN messenger client that uses a simplified interface similar to the original client. It is alternative to Pidgin for MSN users. Install it:

sudo apt-get install emesene

FTP Clients

You might wish to use a dedicated FTP client instead of the one in your browser. Also see these FTP tips.

Filezilla

Filezilla is the ubiquitous free open-source FTP client and server for all platforms.

sudo apt-get install filezilla

Filesharing / P2P

Do not share copyrighted material or content that is otherwise illegal to share.

Transmission (BitTorrent Client)

Transmission is the GTK-based default BitTorrent client in Ubuntu (Gnome).

sudo apt-get install transmission

KTorrent

KTorrent is the default BitTorrent client in Kubuntu. See these additional tips. Install:

sudo apt-get install ktorrent

Be sure to have your firewall ports open (by default 6881 and 4444).

Azureus

Azureus is a Java-based BitTorrent client.

sudo apt-get install azureus

QTorrent

QTorrent is a PyQT-based BitTorrent Client that is supposed to be very fast.

QTorrent

Apollon (P2P Filesharing)

Apollon is an older BitTorrent client oriented towards KDE. It uses plugins for compatibility with multiple networks.

sudo apt-get install apollon gift

MLDonkey (P2P eMule/eDonkey2000)

MLDonkey is a P2P file sharing program (and network) that is able to use different network protocols. To install the MLDonkey core server, follow these instructions.

MLDonkey GUI frontends

Install the Gnome GUI frontend for MLDonkey:

sudo apt-get install mldonkey-gui

Another GUI is called Sancho.

KMLDonkey is the KDE (Kubuntu) frontend for MLDonkey.

sudo apt-get install kmldonkey

Videoconferencing and VOIP

Videoconferencing and voice over Internet (VOIP) applications are merging into integrated applications. Most of these applications now allow placing calls to non-Internet based telephones for a small fee.

Ekiga

Formerly known as Gnomemeeting, Ekiga is a SIP compliant fully functional open source integrated VOIP and videoconferencing program.

sudo apt-get install ekiga

Skype

Skype is a proprietary integrated VOIP and video conferencing program similar to Ekiga. Also see instructions on how to record Skype conversations.

Install pre-requisites:

sudo apt-get install libqt4-dbus libqt4-network libqt4-xml

To get the most recent version, download and install the 32-bit version:

wget -O skype-ubuntu-current_i386.deb http://www.skype.com/go/getskype-linux-beta-ubuntu-32 sudo dpkg -i skype-ubuntu-current_i386.deb sudo rm skype-ubuntu-current_i386.deb

Many users (including me) have noted that they cannot get their microphone inputs to work with any version later than 2.1.0.47. Install:

wget -O skype-ubuntu-current_i386.deb http://download.skype.com/linux/skype-debian_2.1.0.47-1_i386.deb sudo dpkg -i skype-ubuntu-current_i386.deb sudo rm skype-ubuntu-current_i386.deb

or

wget -O skype-ubuntu-current_amd64.deb http://download.skype.com/linux/skype-ubuntu-intrepid_2.1.0.47-1_amd64.deb sudo dpkg -i skype-ubuntu-current_amd64.deb sudo rm skype-ubuntu-current_amd64.deb

How to install Skype on a 64-bit system

The current version of Skype for 64-bit systems is a masqueraded 32-bit module. To use on a 64-bit system you might still need to install the needed packages:

sudo apt-get install ia32-libs lib32asound2 libqt4-core libqt4-gui

Then download and install the current Skype .deb package from the Skype website:

wget -O skype_ubuntu-current_amd64.deb http://www.skype.com/go/getskype-linux-beta-ubuntu-64 sudo dpkg -i skype_ubuntu-current_amd64.deb sudo rm skype_ubuntu-current_amd64.deb

If the 64-bit version doesn't work for you, use the 32-bit version:

wget -O skype_ubuntu-current_i386.deb http://www.skype.com/go/getskype-linux-beta-ubuntu-32 sudo dpkg -i --force-architecture skype_ubuntu-current_i386.deb sudo rm skype_ubuntu-current_i386.deb

Installing Skype repository

It is possible to install Skype by adding the repository and installing from there. This has an advantage of maintaining updates automatically.

Install the respository security key. (This requires an open port 11371 in your firewall for the keyserver.)

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver pgp.mit.edu --recv-keys 0xd66b746e

Add the Skype repository, update, and install Skype:

echo "deb http://download.skype.com/linux/repos/debian/ stable non-free" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list > /dev/null sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install skype

Wengophone

Wengophone is an integrated VOIP and videoconferencing client available on many platforms. Wengophone was initially an open-source GPL-licensed package ('Wengophone Classic'). Both the Classic version (available as a .deb file) and the current proprietary binary version are available from the website. Wengophone Classic has now been rebranded as QuteCom, however. To install the current version as an Ubuntu/Kubuntu package, see these instructions.

Download and install the older Wengophone Classic version (.deb package):

wget http://download.wengo.com/wengophone/rc/wengophone-0.958m-1.i386.deb dpkg -i --force-architecture wengophone-0.958m-1.i386.deb

Gizmo5

Gizmo5 is an Internet soft-phone application, similar to Skype, that uses the SIP protocol. Install (.deb package):

wget http://download.gizmo5.com/GizmoDownload/gizmo-project_3.1.0.79_libstdc++6_i386.deb dpkg -i --force-architecture gizmo-project_3.1.0.79_libstdc++6_i386.deb

UPDATE: Gizmo5 Has Been Acquired by Google. New user signup has been suspended and will return when they re-launch. To receive information about the re-launch enter your email address at the main page.

Asterisk VOIP PBX system

Asterisk is an enterprise-grade, free open source PBX and telephony system for VOIP.

sudo apt-get install asterisk

Kiax

Kiax is an LGPL-licensed open source IAX (Inter-Asterisk eXchange) application. It is used for making VoIP calls from an Asterisk PBX. The current version must be installed from source files. See the website for download and installation instructions, or see this Ubuntu Launchpad site.

OpenSIPS / OpenSER (SIP server)

OpenSIPS is an open-source SIP server that allows connections to be made through the Internet for VoIP, IM, and other communications protocols. While there are many public SIP servers, these are subject to spoofing and other "impersonation" problems. A company may wish to host its own SIP server to avoid the problems inherent in public services whose trustworthiness can not be determined. OpenSIPS is the successor to OpenSER (which is the version in the repositories). Install OpenSER 1.3.2 from the repositories:

sudo apt-get install openser

Alternately, the newest version of OpenSIPS can be downloaded as a .deb package from the website and installed. Installation and usage instructions are on the website.

Web meetings

Web meeting software allows video conferencing among many clients, with one server as host.

BigBlueButton

BigBlueButton is a free open source chat/video/audio and desktop sharing platform similar to GoToMeeting, WebEx, DimDim and similar products. Developed by GoogleCode, it utilises all open-source modules. A Moodle plugin is also available. See these installation instructions and these additional detailed instructions.

WebHuddle

WebHuddle is a free, open source Java-based browser client (and server) for web meetings. To install the server, first install pre-requisites, including Java, JBOSS Application Server, and xvfb.

sudo apt-get sun-java6-jre jbossas4 xvfb

For more details on setting this up in (K)Ubuntu, see this.

TeamViewer

TeamViewer is a proprietary cross-platform package that enables up to 25 participants to share a desktop for online meetings and provides a mechanism for users to control a PC's desktop remotely. Presentations can be viewed through most Internet web browsers, as well. A free .deb package can be downloaded here.

Privacy

An interesting perspective on Internet privacy techniques can be found here.

PGP (Message Encryption)

PGP (OpenPGP and GnuPG) is a tool to encrypt your messages (such as email) to be unlocked only by someone who has a key to unlock it.

Enigmail with Thunderbird

By far the easiest method for encrypting email is using the Enigmail add-on for the Thunderbird email client. It creates PGP key pairs, stores and retrieves keys from keyrings, and encrypts and decrypts messages automatically.

Seahorse

Seahorse is the GUI for Gnome to manage the key pairs and other options of GnuPG. It can also manage your SSH keys. For more info see this tutorial. Run:

Menu -> Applications -> Accessories --> Passwords and Encryption Keys

Tor (Network Privacy)

Tor is a project to allow privacy while using the Internet and to limit usage tracking. It routes your traffic through several anonymous nodes, so that your usage appears to come from an IP other than your own. (There are always risks when using the Internet that even Tor can not help with, though. Read this.) Using Tor can slow down your Internet usage significantly, depending on how much traffic is being passed through the Tor network (routine file-sharing or large downloads will also significantly reduce performance of the Tor network.)

Install the Privoxy http proxy:

sudo apt-get install privoxy

Install Tor by following the instructions here. Note that the instructions require port 11371 on your firewall to be open to use the gpg keyserver (and download the key for the debian package). Then see the Tor installation guide for details.

For more installation tips, see this page.

Vidalia (Tor interface)

Vidalia is the recommended Qt4-based GUI frontend for Tor. If not installed with Tor, install:

sudo apt-get install vidalia

Torbutton (Firefox plug-in)

Once Tor is installed and running properly, Torbutton allows you to choose whether to use Firefox through the Tor anonymizing network or not. Install the .xpi extension directly from the website.

DNS Servers and Search engines

Most users rely on the DNS server of their ISP (Internet Service Provider). DNS queries can be recorded, however, and theoretically correlated by an ISP to the data traffic to/from an IP address serviced by that ISP. A somewhat less trackable solution is to use a DNS service that does not belong to your ISP. This can belong to any another commercial ISP or to a third party service such as OpenDNS, Comodo, ScrubIT, Google (though slightly less secure due to Google's own tracking mechanisms), another free DNS service, or (for maximum security) a publicly-available international DNS server. For example, a Verizon customer could use the AT&T DNS servers or the OpenDNS servers. An AT&T customer could use one of the Verizon servers or the Google servers. It is important to use a reliable DNS provider, however, as man-in-the-middle DNS redirection and DNS cache poisoning attacks are increasingly common. Stick to one of the major DNS services (just not your own ISP's DNS service).

The DNS server setting can be changed in the router's settings (recommended) or individually for each computer. If changing on an individual computer, use the Network Manager or Wicd settings, or edit /etc/resolv.conf manually and change the nameservers to the addresses you desire to use:

sudo gedit /etc/resolv.conf

Many search engines track your search requests (notably Google, Bing, and Yahoo) and keep logs of the searches they receive from your IP address. DuckDuckGo.com is a filtered search engine that has made its reputation not only by promising not to track searches, but also by providing a secure (encrypted), Tor-capable and anonymized search portal. Point your browser to https://duckduckgo.com. It can be used with your Torbutton turned on.

Many censorship/filtering/tracking techniques (that use deep packet inspection) cannot be used with secure (SSL/TLS encrypted) websites (denoted by https:// ). Use them whenever possible. For example, use the secure Wikimedia portal for Wikipedia (and other Wikimedia services) instead of the insecure portal(s).

Many websites keep logs of referring http headers (which can be correlated with cookies to track your browsing activities). To turn off the passage of referral headers in Firefox, see this info.

Certificate verification

Certificate authorities charge a fee to store and verify certificates. However, many websites use self-signed certificates that are not registered with any certifying authority. A free system of certificate "network notaries" has emerged called Perspectives. A certificate's validity (even if self-signed) can be checked using a Firefox plugin. For more info see this article.

CAcert.org is a free certifying authority that maintains weak certificates that are recognized by many open source operating systems, but not by Firefox or most browsers. (For browsers that do not include CAcert.org recognition, certificates appear to be self-signed certificates.) While Debian incorporates CACert.org's root certificate by default, Ubuntu derivatives do not (Canonical was originally founded with funds earned from Thawte, a certifying authority founded by Mark Shuttleworth.)

Proprietary Extras

Proprietary software helps you maximize your Internet experience, but is not open source. The software available includes Multimedia Codecs, Java Runtime Environment, and plug-ins for Firefox.

Restricted Extras

The Ubuntu Restricted Extras will install Adobe Flash Player, Java Runtime Environment (JRE) (sun-java-jre) with Firefox plug-ins (icedtea), a set of Microsoft Fonts (msttcorefonts), multimedia codecs (w32codecs or w64codecs), mp3-compatible encoding (lame), FFMpeg, extra Gstreamer codecs, the package for DVD decoding (libdvdread4, but see below for info on libdvdcss2), the unrar archiver, odbc, and cabextract. It also installs multiple "stripped" codecs and avutils (libavcodec-unstripped-52 and libavutil-unstripped-49). This is a single command approach.

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

Note: Installation only works completely and properly when done from the command-line Terminal. The entire package will not usually install completely from within a Package Manager.

Photos and Graphics

Manage and edit your photos, create stunning 3D drawings and graphics, or convert between formats.

GIMP (Image Manipulator)

Gimp is a powerful, full-featured, free open-source graphics and image editor, similar to Adobe Photoshop.

sudo apt-get install gimp

There is an extra set of brushes, palettes, and gradients for The GIMP.

sudo apt-get install gimp-data-extras

See these instructions to create an alpha transparency layer (transparent background) for any image using Gimp.

Dia (Diagram editor)

Dia is a free open source GTK-based diagram creation program for Gnome. It is similar to Visio.

sudo apt-get install dia

Kivio (Diagram editor)

Kivio is an open source flow-chart and diagram creation program that is part of the KOffice Suite for KDE. It supports Dia stencils.

sudo apt-get install kivio

Inkscape Vector Illustrator

Inkscape Vector Illustrator is an open source drawing program similar to Illustrator and CorelDraw.

sudo apt-get install inkscape

Digikam (Photo Organiser)

Digikam is a comprehensive open source digital photo organiser and editor. Install it:

sudo apt-get install digikam kipi-plugins digikam-doc

F-spot (Photo Organiser)

F-spot is a comprehensive open source digital photo organiser and editor for the Gnome desktop. Install it:

sudo apt-get install f-spot

Google Picasa (Photo Organiser)

Google Picasa is a photo editor and organiser similar to Digikam. It allows uploads to a Google web server for online exchange. For more info, see the Picasa for Linux FAQ. A self-installing .deb file is available at Picasa 2.7 downloads.

Shotwell (Photo Organiser)

Shotwell is a new photo organiser for the Gnome desktop. See these installation instructions.

Tesseract (Optical Character Reader)

Tesseract is a command-line optical character reader. Install:

sudo apt-get install tesseract-ocr

Ocropus is a document-analysis engine that uses Tesseract. Install:

sudo apt-get install ocropus

Cuneiform (Optical Character Reader)

Cuneiform is an optical character reader. Install (multiverse repositories must be enabled):

sudo apt-get install cuneiform

Pdfocr is a tool to use Cuneiform for OCR and then to add the resulting text file layer back to the PDF file to make it searchable.

Xsane (Scanning utility)

Xsane is a full-featured scanning utility. Install:

sudo apt-get install xsane

Gnome-Scan (Scanning Utility)

Gnome-Scan is a simple utility for scanning (still in alpha stage). Install:

sudo apt-get install gnomescan

Gwenview (Image Manipulator)

Gwenview is the quick image manipulator installed by default in Kubuntu (K menu -> Graphics -> Gwenview Image Viewer). Simple cut-and-paste, resizing, and format conversion are some of the graphics files manipulations that can be accomplished. Install:

sudo apt-get install gwenview

OpenClipart (ClipArt Library)

OpenClipart is a utility to provide access to a large library of free PNG, SVG, and OpenOffice clipart. It includes a utility for OpenOffice Gallery. Files are installed to /usr/share/clipart. Install:

sudo apt-get install openclipart

It is also possible to only install a single collection (openclipart-png, openclipart-svg, or openclipart-openoffice.org) in case you don't want the entire collection (or the utilities). For example:

sudo apt-get install openclipart-png

Screencasts and Desktop Recording

Several utilities allow you to capture your desktop (and then create a screencast from it).

FFMPEG with x11grab

FFMPEG includes x11grab, a module for screen capture. This method gives the best results for screencaptures and is one of the most flexible methods, allowing a variety of audio inputs and audiovisual output formats. FFMPEG must be installed first (sudo apt-get install ffmpeg). See here for more details. In brief, an example command to capture to an .avi file using the X264 video codec and lossless 16-bit sound would be:

ffmpeg -f alsa -ac 2 -ab 192k -i pulse -f x11grab -s 1024x768 -r 30 -i :0.0 -acodec pcm_s16le -vcodec libx264 -vpre lossless_ultrafast -threads 0 /home/user/capturedvideo.avi

recordMyDesktop (Desktop Session Recording)

recordMyDesktop is a desktop recording utility, which has both pyGTK and a pyQT4 GUI frontends available. Recordings are saved in Theora video/Vorbis audio files. Only the Gtk version is available from the repositories (but it works well with KDE/Kubuntu nevertheless). To install with the gtk GUI:

sudo apt-get install gtk-recordmydesktop

Using recordMyDesktop with PulseAudio

If you have not installed Pulse Audio Controls and Volume utility, they are useful for monitoring your pulse audio devices:

sudo apt-get install pavucontrol paprefs padevchooser

Change the recordMyDesktop settings so that the capture device is the one you select through pulse audio:

gtk-recordMyDesktop -> Sound Quality (ticked) -> Advanced -> Sound -> Device: pulse

This sets recordMyDesktop to use whichever input device(s) are selected through pulse audio. If you have several input devices, all of them will be recorded. This is an easy way to mix inputs.

Istanbul (Desktop Session Recording)

Istanbul is a desktop recorder for the Gnome desktop. It records your session into an OGG Theora video file.

sudo apt-get install istanbul

xvidcap (Desktop Session Recording)

xvidcap is a utility to capture your desktop as a video. Install:

sudo apt-get install xvidcap

WebCamStudio

WebCamStudio creates a virtual webcam that can mix several video sources together and can be used for live broadcasting. See the website for installation instructions.

Wink (Presentation Editor)

Wink is a open source tutorial and presentation editor. It allows you to capture screenshots and use them for presentations. Download the .tar.gz source package, install using these instructions, and follow one of the user guides.

wget -O winkcurrent.tar.gz http://www.digital2b.com/mirror_wink/wink15.tar.gz

Note: Wink is a 32-bit application. If you are running a 64-bit system, make sure ia32-libs is installed first:

sudo apt-get install ia32-libs

Freeseer (Presentation capture)

Freeseer is a utility to capture output from a projector or other display device (including another computer). See these installation instructions.

Screencast Demos

See this Screencast section.

rtmpdump (Capture streaming video)

Rtmpdump allows the capture of many types of streaming video. Current installation instructions are at the website.

Here are old installation instructions:

sudo apt-get install build-essential checkinstall libssl-dev wget http://rtmpdump.mplayerhq.hu/download/rtmpdump-2.3.tgz tar xvf rtmpdump-2.3.tgz cd rtmpdump-2.3 make SYS=posix sudo checkinstall sudo ldconfig

When prompted during installation, name the package rtmpdump.

Video Applications

Capture, record, edit, and convert video using these applications. Also see this list of open source video applications. Trivia: The movie Avatar was created at Weta Digital on a super-computer comprised of 4,000 servers running Kubuntu Linux, co-ordinated by the open-source Sun Grid Engine.

OpenShot

OpenShot is a GTK-based non-linear video editing suite for Linux. Install:

sudo apt-get install openshot

PiTiVi (Non-linear Video Editing Suite)

PiTiVi is a simple, limited-capability open source video editor that will be the default in newer versions of Ubuntu. It uses the GStreamer/Fluendo framework. Install:

sudo apt-get install pitivi

Avidemux (Video editor/processor)

Avidemux is a free, GPL-licensed open source cross-platform video editor and processor. Using mencoder as a backend, it allows cropping, trimming, special effects, and conversions between many filetypes (MPG/DVD, AVI, MP4, ASF). Install the GTK-based version:

sudo apt-get install avidemux

Kino (Non-linear Video Editing Suite)

Kino is a widely used GUI-based non-linear video editing suite for Linux. It imports video files into (and then uses) the DV (Digital Video) format for editing.

sudo apt-get install kino mjpegtools

KdenLive (Non-linear Video Editing Suite for KDE)

Kdenlive is a GUI-based non-linear video editing suite for KDE based on FFmpeg and the MLT video framework. It has tools for DV, video4linux, and screen capture. Install:

sudo apt-get install kdenlive mjpegtools

Cinelerra (Non-linear Video Editing Suite)

Cinelerra Community Version is a complete high-end open source video editing suite that is a derivative of a similar commercial system. Follow the installation instructions for Ubuntu.

LiVES (Video editor/processor)

LiVES is a free, GPL-license open source video editor and processor that is promoted as being useful for VJ editors. Install:

sudo apt-get install lives

OpenMovieEditor

OpenMovieEditor is a free, open source movie editing program for basic movie making. Install:

sudo apt-get install openmovieeditor

Blender

Blender is a free GPL-licensed 3D graphics and modeling tool that has been used in several animation projects. Install:

sudo apt-get install blender

Stopmotion (Animation)

Stopmotion is an open-source program for creating stopmotion animation. Install:

sudo apt-get install stopmotion

Animata (Animation)

Animata is an interactive-animation (similar to Flash video) design platform that uses the fltk libraries. It is built from source using the SCons package (which is a make replacement).

Make sure you have the usual components for compiling from source code installed:

sudo apt-get install ia32-libs build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r) gcc cmake gettext

Install the fltk and scons libraries:

sudo apt-get install libfltk1.1 libfltk1.1-dev scons

See these details. Download the Animata source code, extract, and then from the directory into which Animata was extracted run scons:

scons

Webcam Applications

To display your webcam on your screen, take photos from it, or to create other effects, install one of these webcam applications:

Cheese (sudo apt-get install cheese) is a Gnome-based webcam application with many options and a re-sizable window.

Kamoso (sudo apt-get install kamoso) is a KDE-based webcam application.

Camorama (sudo apt-get install camorama) is a Gtk-based webcam application that has been around for years.

Xawtv (sudo apt-get install xawtv) is a Gtk-based application. Because the Xawtv window can be arranged so that only the webcam image is shown, it is my favorite webcam display for screencasts. (Click on "X" in the window bar -> Advanced -> No Border (ticked) .)

Any of these applications can be used in either Ubuntu or Kubuntu.

Audio Applications

Audacity (Audio Editor and Recorder)

Audacity is the leading cross-platform free open source (GPL-licensed) audio recorder and editor. It can be used to record, splice, edit, and manipulate sound files similar to tools found in recording studios. Install:

sudo apt-get install audacity

Ardour (Digital Audio Workstation)

Ardour is a free, GTK-based professional-grade digital audio workstation for high end audio manipulation and mixing. Install:

sudo apt-get install ardour

Rosegarden (Digital Audio Workstation)

Rosegarden is a midi/audio interface for synthesizers, as well as a digital audio studio for recording, editing, and notating music. It is often used in combination with Audacity. Install:

sudo apt-get install rosegarden

Hydrogen (Drum synthesizer)

Hydrogen is an advanced drum machine for Linux. Install:

sudo apt-get install hydrogen

EasyTag (ID3 editor)

EasyTag is a utility for editing the ID3 tags of mp3 and other music files. Install:

sudo apt-get install easytag

Run:

Applications -> Sound & Video -> EasyTAG

PuddleTag (ID3 editor)

PuddleTag is a comprehensive utility for editing the ID3 tags of mp3 and other music files. Install:

sudo apt-get install python-qt4 python-pyparsing python-mutagen python-configobj python-musicbrainz2 wget -O puddletag_current.deb http://sourceforge.net/projects/puddletag/files/puddletag_0.9.12-1_all.deb sudo dpkg -i puddletag_current.deb

UbuntuStudio (Ubuntu distribution customized for multimedia editing)

UbuntuStudio is an official derivative of Ubuntu that pre-packages many multimedia editing packages. (Each of the packages can also be installed independently.) See the website for a full list of the premier audiovisual software packages available for Ubuntu Linux.

Install all the audio applications found in UbuntuStudio:

sudo apt-get install ubuntustudio-audio

Install all the video applications found in UbuntuStudio:

sudo apt-get install ubuntustudio-video

Install all the graphics applications found in UbuntuStudio:

sudo apt-get install ubuntustudio-graphics

Audio / Video conversion

Here is a nice review of some of the applications that enables conversion and handling of these types of files. Some specific examples and suggestions are here.

FFMPEG video / audio conversion

FFMPEG is the swiss-army knife of video and audio format conversion. It succeeds when no other program can. It is free and open source. If it not yet installed on your system as part of another package (it is used by many video/audio editors), then install it:

sudo apt-get install ffmpeg

To convert many different formats, read the FFMPEG documentation. Also see this tutorial.

Example: To convert a saved Flash video (.flv) to an MPEG-2 format playable on a DVD, convert:

ffmpeg -i samplevideo.flv -target ntsc-dvd samplevideo.mpg

Then use K3b (or Gnomebaker) to write the mpg file to a New DVD Data Project.

For PAL use -target pal-dvd. For widescreen, use -target film-dvd. For other conversion tips, see this forum. (Note: Most Flash video has very low resolution, with a screen size of 360x270, for example. You may see a slight diminishment in resolution if you wish to convert it to 720x480 (which is the NTSC standard size) or other screen size. You can keep the original screen size and resolution by omitting the -target parameter.) If your original file is 16:9 widescreen and you desire a 4:3 letterbox output for playing on an overscanned TV, you may need to pad the file so that the widescreen is not compressed (see this forum):

ffmpeg -i samplevideo.flv -target ntsc-dvd -s 648x364 -padleft 36 -padright 36 -padtop 58 -padbottom 58 samplevideo.mpg

You can also use the WinFF GUI and add the command (as above) as a "Preset," for subsequent use. For example:

Video converter (WinFF) -> Edit -> Presets -> Preset Name: Letterbox -> Preset Label: 16:9 Widescreen to 4:3 Letterbox Preset command: -target ntsc-dvd -s 648x364 -padleft 36 -padright 36 -padtop 58 -padbottom 58 Ouput file extension: mpg -> Category: DVD -> Add/Update -> Save

To convert to MPEG-4 (mp4) files, use

ffmpeg -i samplevideo.flv outputvideo.mp4

FFMpeg requires that multiple restricted extra codecs be installed. This can be done in a single easy step from the command-line Terminal:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

FFMPEG GUI

WinFF is a free, GPL-licensed open source GUI frontend for FFMPEG. Install:

sudo apt-get install winff xterm

Run:

Menu -> Applications -> Sound & Video -> WinFF

Join video segments

Individual video segments (MPEG-2, for example) can easily be joined:

cat samplevideo1.mpg samplevideo2.mpg samplevideo3.mpg > samplevideo123.mpg

You can then write the resulti