Ubuntu’s latest release called Precise Pangolin has managed to please its many admirers and silence the naysayers. Unity, the most contentious part of Ubuntu so far has turned out to be a dark horse in Canonical’s race for desktop domination. With new features like the HUD, video lens and more, Ubuntu 12.04 has even had the BBC waxing eloquent about its charm. That said, not everyone is happy with the latest release. There are, as always, some criticisms regarding the lack of a new icon theme and the absence of any major game-changing feature. Of course, the overall outlook towards Ubuntu 12.04 'Precise Pangolin' is positive and there is absolutely no doubt that this is the best release by Canonical so far.

As with every new release, many users are kind of on the fence about upgrading their operating system to the latest version. Fears, doubts, and stability affinity are some roadblocks that a new Linux user faces when he or she hears about the word upgrade. If you too are undecided whether to upgrade or not to, here’s a list of the reasons which will help you pick a side.


Reasons Why You Should Upgrade to Ubuntu 12.04

1. You get the latest of all apps: Yes, the latest Firefox, Nautilus, and Thunderbird are enough reasons to make you choose the Pangolin. With the latest kernel, you have faster boot times, better driver support and more. Also, Ubuntu’s Software Center has been upgraded to the latest version making it much faster than its earlier version.

2. Improved Unity: Unity in 11.10 was, to an extent, a half-baked desktop experience. Applications were not integrated properly, nor was the launcher completely done. With Ubuntu 12.04, you’ll find most of the default applications support quick lists, thus making the desktop much more usable.

3. The Video Lens: Whether you want to explore your huge movie collection or want to discover some cool online videos, the Video Lens on the Unity desktop makes every videophile happy. You can easily browse through or search videos from your own videos collection (files from your Videos folder) and open them up using the default media player.

4. Improved Privacy: For many users, the Dash is more of an embarrassing history reminder than an intelligent desktop search engine. For those who worry about their privacy a lot, the settings let you delete your entire track record or history from a limited time frame.

5. HUD: Replacing the traditional menubar comes HUD, an intelligent and adaptive tool that allows you to perform important application-related tasks without clicking the mouse. Simply press the Alt key and key in the command you want.

6. A Great Set of Wallpapers: Admit it, who doesn't love to dress up their computer? If the aforementioned features don’t interest you much, then at least upgrade for the amazing set of community wallpapers that come with Precise. And yeah, change the wallpaper and you’ll see the login screen adapt it as its skin instantly.

7. Improved Multi-Monitor Support: Work with 2 or more monitors like a boss with Ubuntu’s latest offering.



Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Upgrade to Ubuntu 12.04

1. You hate Unity: If you’re using the pre-Unity Ubuntu, then chances are that the new incarnation of the Canonical marvel doesn't appeal to you much. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn't really manage to like the whole Unity thing. In that case, it’s okay; it’s better to stay with your current version. Gnome 2 isn't that bad after all.

2. Your upgrade experience hasn't been good so far: Admit it, the upgrade experience isn't the smoothest of all. There are some small issues here and there usually; however, there are rare cases when the upgrade messes things up real bad. If your computer has been a victim of such circumstances a lot of times, then it’s better to stay with the earlier version rather than upgrade. Also, if you’re on a computer that demands a lot of uptime then it’s better to stick with the older version.

3. You don’t need awesome features: Okay, no matter how much you hate Unity, Ubuntu 12.04 is something that will make you change your mind. It’s stable, fast, and comes with a lot of amazing features that neither Linux Mint nor any other distro have at this moment. So, if you’re on the fence about upgrading, we’d say by all means go to ubuntu.com right now and upgrade!

Tired of Shuttleworth's bold endeavors? Find Fedora, Mint, and other Ubuntu alternatives relatively insipid? If yes, then it’s time you put in a little time to create your own custom spin that looks and works as you want it to. Oh, but before you imagine yourself typing in cryptic commands in a dark corner of your room, stop worrying. Creating a custom Linux live CD is not as hard as it sounds. Thanks to an amazing set of tools, you can create your own custom Linux live CD or USB in about an hour.

So, if you’re itching to showcase your Linuxian invention to the world, here’s a small how-to article on that:

Ubuntu users can benefit from a cool customization tool called Ubuntu Customization Kit, which, once installed, lets users create custom Ubuntu Live CDs according to their needs. The great thing about UCK is that it’s very easy to use, and anyone with little computing experience can create his or her own distribution without any major hassles. Moreover, since the application comes with a nicely designed GUI, you can swiftly move through all the complex tasks. That said, the app doesn't just cater to the needs of new users, it also allows experienced users to customize their distro with some cool scripts along with the possibility to customize root filesystem.

To get started, simply install UCK by typing in or pasting the following command in the terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T):

Open the launcher (Super key) and type ‘uck’ without the quotes. Then once the application shows up, follow the instructions and create the distro of your dreams.

Also, if you get stuck, How-To Geek has a detailed guide about using UCK.

If you’re known among friends as an expert tweaker, then Remastersys will help you share your expertise with your friends without the hassles of cryptic coding. The application, once installed, will help you backup your whole system on to a live CD or USB, which can then be installed as a distro on a separate computer. Since Remastersys blacklists NVIDIA and AMD proprietary drivers, installing your custom distro on a different computer won’t be such a big issue. The maximum size of the ISO is 4GB, which, in our opinion, is more than enough for any Linux user to showcase their distro-making talent.

For Fedora fanboys and fangirls, Revisor is a popular tool that helps them create customs spins of their favorite distribution. Users can customize the packages and personalize the distro any way they want. Then, once you’re done customizing your respin, you can load it onto a USB stick or a DVD and share it with friends. Furthermore, if your respin appeals to a certain user group, you can submit it to Fedora Spins project page and watch it grow. In fact, some of the spins like Electronic-Lab were created specially for people who need all the packages related to their work.

To install Revisor, simply enter the following commands in your terminal:

SUSE Studio is quite similar to the aforementioned Fedora Spins project; however, SUSE Studio is much more easy to use as it lets users create their Live CDs/USBs online. Once you’re done customizing, you can export your custom operating system as a virtual machine, Live USB disk, CD/DVD image, hard disk image and more. Moreover, you can build and deploy directly to cloud services such as Amazon EC2. Finally, once you’re done with your masterpiece, simply upload it to the SUSE Studio gallery where new users can try out your work.

Though Dropbox, YouSendIt and other innovative cloud services that make it easy to relay files across the World Wide Web, they’re a bit inconvenient when it comes to sharing huge amounts of data. Also, if you’re hosting a university website, it’s much easier to set up a local FTP server and share some files within your network. Thus, there’s no doubt that FTP is still relevant despite the numerous other advances in the file-transfer technologies.

Before we go deeper into FTP clients, here are some of the basic concepts that you need to know about:

FTP, which stands for File Transfer Protocol is a standard for exchanging program and data files across a network. The network could be the World Wide Web or simply a local area network (LAN).

FTP Sites: An FTP site is a website that hosts files that you could download. You can access them like regular websites except for the fact that you have to use 'ftp://' instead of 'http://'.

Anonymous FTP: Anonymous FTP means that you can access the files on an FTP site even if you don’t have an account on the server.

Archive: An archive is the files that are made available by the server for download.

Okay, now that you know what the basic terms are, here’s a list of some of the best FTP clients out there for Linux:

FileZilla is an open-source, cross-platform FTP client for Linux. With an easy-to-use GUI and powerful features, it is undoubtedly the best FTP software available for this platform. FileZilla comes with a tabbed user interface that lets you view all the details of the files that are being transferred. Not only does the application support plain FTP, it can also handle FTP over SSL/TLS (FTPS), and SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP).

If you’re planning to transfer large files over the network, don’t worry; FileZilla handles those things perfectly well by allowing you to resume files larger than 4GB. On the UI front, it does look a bit cluttered; however, once you get used to it, you won’t be thinking of any other FTP clients. Moreover, the drag and drop support comes in really handy for new users.

For all those command-line junkies out there, LFTP is a sophisticated file transfer client. The open-source application comes with support for FTP as well as HTTP. Other interesting features include bit torrent support, SOCKS support, background jobs, bookmarks, aliases, and transfer-rate throttling. Before you start using it make sure you read the manual first.

Licensed under GPL, gFTP is a free multi-threaded file transfer client for Linux and other UNIX-based computers. Written in C, the free application supports FTP, FTPS, HTTP, HTTPS, SSH, and FSP protocols. Translated in many languages, you can use gFTP as a command-line client, as well as a full-fledged GUI program.

Developed in 1990, NcFTP first started as an alternative to the default ftp program in UNIX. Despite being a command-line software, it is used by many people around the world, and is, in fact, one of the most mature and stable software of this list.

NcFTP runs on a large number of platforms including Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Available in two variations, NcFTP client and NcFTP server, the free tool is licensed under clarified Artistic License. Before you get started with it, make sure you peruse first the FAQ and manuals found on their website.

If you’re a KDE user, Kasablanca is the perfect tool for you. The open-source KDE client comes with features like ftps encryption, advanced bookmarking system, fxp, and drag-and-drop support. Apart from being multi-threaded, Kasablanca also features an interactive transfer queue and an advanced bookmarking system. Although not as popular as FileZilla, Kasablanca is frequently used by many KDE users from around the world.

Despite all the excitement that comes with buying a new computer, it is rather hard to bid adieu to the old one, even more so, if you've invested a lot of money and time in building it. That said, it’s not always the case that we have to throw the old one out of the window. If we’re a bit tech-savvy, we can utilize the outmoded personal computer as a secondary device; however, with the latest versions of Windows and Mac being incompatible with outdated computers, it’s not always possible to resuscitate a dying PC.

Don’t worry though, because this is where our friendly neighborhood Linux operating system steps in. Linux, apart from being a popular desktop and server operating system, can be used to turn a computer into a torrent downloader, firewall or a full-fledged media server. So, if you too are looking to bring your old PC to life, here are some handy tips that could help you do it with the help of Linux:

If your home has more than 2 computers, it’s not too late to start thinking about your network’s security. A firewall functions like the security guard at your door by keeping a watch on everyone who goes in and out. By allowing only legitimate connections to pass through and blocking connections based on a certain set of rules, the firewall secures the network from most kinds of threats that lurk around on the Internet.

Linux can be used in this case to turn your old machine into a watchful firewall device. To do that, all you have to do is download a firewall distribution and install it. Here’s a list of the best firewall distributions to get you started: 5 Best Linux/BSD Firewall Distributions

If you use your brand new computer mainly for your work, you might not have the time to manage all your torrent downloads. Thankfully, though, your good old PC can transform itself into a full-fledged torrent downloading machine. To get started simply download your favorite distribution, install it, and then start up your preferred bit torrent client. If you’re new to the world of torrents, we recommend you check out our earlier article (How to Use BitTorrent in Linux) wherein we've explained the basics of the file-sharing program in great detail.

If you have a printer at home, it’s not a bad idea to turn your old computer into a print server. You can then use the computer to handle all your printing jobs regardless of the fact that other computers in your house are running Windows, Mac, or Linux.

If you have a lot of movies, music, and TV shows loaded on to one of your computers, and you want to share it with the rest of the family, here’s a nifty little tip for you. Use your old computer, install Linux on it, and store all your media files in there. You can then share those files with the rest of the devices in your house using a simple Linux setup.

Though you might not want to spend any more money on a dying computer, it’s not that bad an idea to invest in a hard disk with a slightly large capacity. To get started, you’ll need your favorite distribution and a small amount of free time. Once you’re set up, there’s no need for any more tinkering.

There are days when your friends pop in for a drink or two and they ask you if they could browse the net from your computer. Then suddenly the possessive, prissy devil on your shoulder comes up with some fancy excuses for not letting them do so. If you’re one of those people who value their privacy yet want to keep their friends, keeping a small web-browsing kiosk at home is not a bad idea. It doesn't matter how old a computer is, just load one of the lightweight Linux distros around and then install Chrome on it. Not only will it be easier for your insistent friends to browse the web, it will also be a useful tool that all your family members can use for browsing the web quickly.

Love monitoring your computer system? So do we. Geeks, nerds, and ninja coders are known to be quite obsessed about what goes on behind the scenes. Geeks usually try to make sure their computer system is working efficiently, while coders on the other hand, use system monitoring to test out the memory footprint of their newly created app. Not only does system-monitoring help you weed out the misbehaving apps, it also helps you learn more about the way your computer handles different processes.

While on Windows the traditional ‘Task Manager’ is used by millions of Redmond fans worldwide, its Linux-based counterpart, that is the ‘System Monitor’, isn't too far behind. What’s more, Linux offers its users with more spam-free, quality options to choose from in this department. So, if you’re looking for the best system monitoring software/tools for Ubuntu, or any other Linux distribution for that matter, read on as we cover the finest in the genre.

In 2009, Linux Magazine had to say the following about this amazing little tool called Conky: “[Conky is] one of the best maintained, and definitely one of the most useful, programs in the world of open source". Always staying true to that apt description, Conky has proved to be one of the most popular system monitoring tools not just for Linux, but also for FreeBSD and OpenBSD. Unlike the clunky Windows 7 widget system, Conky blends in perfectly with the desktop, thus giving it a sleek, overlayish look. Once installed, the software lets you monitor your CPU, RAM, swap space, hard-disk space, temperature, battery power, and even display Tweets.

Apart from being incredibly lightweight, the open-source tool is also admired for its customizability. Users can tweak their Conky config file to make the monitor look and behave any way they want. Despite not being so popular with the non-geeky audience, Conky has a huge following among Ubuntu users. In fact, many threads in Ubuntu forums are inundated with posts of people bragging about their awesome Conky setups.

To get started with conky, simply install it by typing in/pasting the following command in your terminal (Works for Ubuntu, Debian, and Mint):

Once installed, you can tweak it as much as you want. If you want to make it look really posh, don’t forget to go through our earlier article where we've listed some of the best Conky scripts/configs.

As ugly as it looks, GKrellM is, in fact, an extremely useful system monitor. It is a single-process stack of system monitors that support various themes. Once installed, you can use it to display hostname, clock, uptime, disk space, RAM, CPU, temperature and lots of other important data. What’s more, GKrellM also lets you monitor your IMAP and POP mailboxes. The main advantage of using GKrellM over other system monitors is that it runs all the monitors (RAM, CPU, mail etc.) as a single process.

To install it on your Ubuntu box, type in or paste the following command:

If you like monitoring your system without closing your current windows or opening new ones, then the System Load Indicator is just the right tool for you. Taking advantage of Ubuntu’s indicator menu, the free tool lets you keep an eye on processor usage, RAM usage, network usage, swap space, hard disk space and more. The indicator is a Vala port of GNOME’s system monitor.

htop is an interactive process viewer for Linux. Similar to, yet more powerful than the popular ‘top’ utility, this command-line tool lets you monitor all the running processes as well as kill the misbehaving ones. The app looks more or less like an interactive chart; the process that uses the most resources moves to the top. Use the arrow keys to scroll through individual processes and use F9 to kill the naughty ones.

With the advent of Internet TV and YouTube, the popularity of the traditional podcast is currently on the decline. Also, the huge fan following and dominance of iTunes and iPods has restricted the popular medium only to the classes. That said, it’s not as if podcasts are obscure; in fact, notable celebrities like Stephen Fry, Jeremy Clarkson, and Ricky Gervais have gained huge popularity through this then-evolving medium. Moreover, the vogue of this format was such that even the German Chancellor Angela Merkel once launched her own video podcasts.

Even though, now, as the medium is losing the fame that it once enjoyed, it’s not completely outmoded. In fact, there are some highly popular shows like The Linux Action Show and Linux Outlaws that still enjoy a huge fan following. So, if you’re one of those people who’re still hooked on to the medium then here’s a list of the best podcast software/tools for Linux.

gPodder is a free and open-source podcast aggregator for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X. It downloads and manages your audio and video content and also lets you listen to it directly without the need for any external application.

gPodder supports RSS, Atom, YouTube, SoundCloud, Vimeo, and XSPF feeds. And don’t worry if you have nothing to listen to at the moment, the podcast directory feature lets you look for the best podcasts around without leaving the app. Furthermore, if you use gPodder on multiple devices you can easily sync between them using the gpodder.net service.

Miro is a FOSS video player that also acts as a full-fledged podcast manager. With a sleek, easy-to-use interface, Miro scans and plays songs/videos from your music library, converts and syncs files with Android and Kindle Fire, and yeah, lets you find, browse, and manage podcasts. Not only can you listen to/watch your favorite shows, you can also convert them to your favorite formats and transfer them to your mobile device.

Amarok is perhaps the best media player available on the Linux platform. Equipped with a feature-laden podcast manager, the KDE-based player lets you discover, manage and play shows without the need for any other player.

Banshee is currently the default music player in Ubuntu, and it too, like the aforementioned Amarok, comes with some solid podcast management and playback features. The open-source application connects with the popular Miro Guide to give you a great selection of all the latest audio and video shows. You can either stream them directly or download them to your computer. Furthermore, as Banshee supports a lot of phones, you can later transfer those files to your mobile device.

Rhythmbox is the soon-to-be default player in Ubuntu. Like Banshee and other mature music players, Rhythmbox too has a well-designed podcast manager that lets you stream and download the latest content without any hassles.

Tired of all those clunky GUI apps? Then, here’s a nice selection of some of the best command line podcast clients:

According to the website, “Podget is a simple podcast aggregator optimized for running as a scheduled background job (i.e. cron), with support for folders and categories, importing servers from OPML lists & iTunes PCAST files, automatic playlist creation and cleanup.”

So, in short, don’t expect anything fancy with this application; however if you’re a fan of everything Bash, then this is the perfect app for you.

BashPodder is a command-line utility that lets you download and aggregate your favorite podcasts, across all platforms. The app is quite mature and stable despite having just a few lines of code. To install, all you need to have is a Bash shell and some time to get used to the program. Once you’re set up, you can start subscribing to, and downloading your favorite podcasts right away. Though not an application for the faint-hearted, BashPodder still is one of the best CLI-based podcast aggregators around.

VLC is perhaps one of the most versatile and feature-loaded media players around. The open-source, cross-platform software is known for its ability to play videos encoded in most of the well-known video and audio formats. Apart from being a media player, VideoLAN Client, or VLC, can also act as a streaming media server, a CD-ripper, a screen-capture tool and much more. Although many people use the renowned media tool as a video player, its amazing prowess in other areas often goes overlooked. So, if you’re one of those people looking to get the most out of this popular media player, read on as we cover the best tips and tricks for your VLC.

VLC can also act as an audio and video converter, thus allowing you to switch your media to and from different formats like MP3, OGG, and MP4. To get started with file conversion, simply press Ctrl+R or if you aren't a big fan of keyboard shortcuts, simply go to the Media option in the menubar. Then, select the file or files you want to convert by using the Add button. Once you’re done adding them, hit the Convert/Save button. Now, a new window will pop up letting you choose the destination and the output format. Choose the appropriate settings and hit the start button.

Ever love a scene so much that you want to share it with your friends? Or maybe not a complete scene, just a particular moment? Don’t worry, VLC takes care of it perfectly by letting you take screenshots of videos without any complex button-pressing. To take a screenshot, simply press Shift+S or, from the menubar, go to Video, and hit the ‘Take Snapshot’ button. Once you hit the button, you’ll see a small thumbnail of the screenshot at the left corner of your video. The image will be saved in your Pictures folder.

If you’re an audiophile and you prefer to listen to your tunes on VLC, then the open-source application can also act as a full-fledged music player. Apart from displaying the cover art and other information of the currently playing song, VLC comes with a completely functional graphic equalizer. The best way to get started with it is by using the pre-loaded presets and then moving on to individual fine-tuning. To open the equalizer, press Ctrl+E while on the main window; or, from the menubar, go to Tools and click the option that says Effects and Filters.

If you want to record your own videos for uploading on YouTube or sending a video message to your friends, VLC can act as a full-fledged video recorder. Just fire up VLC and press Ctrl+C. Then, select the appropriate capture device (which is your webcam) and start recording.

If you are a keyboard junkie like me, here are some of the essential shortcuts you need to know:

To jump to a specific time in the video, just use the Ctrl+T shortcut and enter the time you want to jump in to.

If you are a music aficionado you can listen to some free and CC-licensed tunes from Jamendo. To get started, first you have to open the playlist menu by using the Ctrl+L shortcut. On the left pane, you’ll find various options like My Computer, Devices, and so on. Just scroll down a bit and select the option that says Internet. Now, go to the Jamendo Selections option and select your favorite genre. If you were clueless as to where to start, I’d recommend you to try out the ‘Top 20 popular songs this week’. Also in the Internet menu you’ll find other choices like Freebox TV, Free Music Charts, and more.

When it comes to applications, Windows and Mac offers a huge variety of choices to its users. However, when it comes text-editing applications, Linux beats those two platforms hands down. Not only does Linux provide a huge variety of quality text editing applications, it also makes sure that their source code is available for everyone. The reason behind this is the fact that Linux, as an operating system, has more developers using it than the so-called “normal” users.

That said, the massive progress that Ubuntu has made in the usability department has made the text editor a tad outmoded. People usually prefer using word processors like LibreOffice or AbiWord for most of their office work, making most text editors a developer-only tool. Whatever be the case, the massive amount of choice users have in this department has left many new users a bit confused. To remedy that, here we are again with a list of the creme de la creme of text-editing applications for Ubuntu.

Gedit is the only text editor you’ll need if you’re a casual user or even let’s say a hobbyist programmer. The application has been around for a long time and its stability is something that cannot be outmatched by many other apps in the genre. The sleek and clean text editor lets you code or write in a nice, customizable interface.


Though Gedit's simplicity is enough to make a notepad lover green with envy, is powerful under-the-hood features make it stand out from the rest of the crowd. Furthermore, Gedit lets you add more features by enabling some great plugins that come with the default install. And finally, if you’re a coder, then Gedit comes with code highlighting and some cool plugins that will make your life much easier.

Especially designed for programmers, TextAdept is a simple, lightweight text editor for Ubuntu. With a minimalist design, the open-source app comes with support for Java, Python, Ruby, and a bunch of other programming languages.


Though still in development, TextAdept is quite stable. However, the lack of essential features like print menu makes it unsuitable for daily use. To install TextAdept, you’ll first have to install the PPA. To do that, simply type in/paste the following commands:

Scribes is another one of those minimalist text editors that never ceases to amaze. Apart from syntax highlighting and snippets support, Scribes also comes with features like automatic indentation, autocorrect, remote editing, and plug-in support. One of the most appealing things about this app is that it doesn’t have any toolbar or menubar, thus letting you focus just on your code or text. However, you won’t miss out on your most-needed menus and buttons, as the essential toolbar can be revealed by simply hovering over the top right corner of the window (Yep, more or less like Unity’s launcher).


To install scribes, you have to first add the scribes ppa to your repository list. Since being in heavy development the app is not that stable; so, expect some breakage here and there.

Sublime Text 2 is quite simply one of the most beautiful-looking text editors around. The UI is simple, clutter-free without any unnecessary menus whatsoever. That said, don’t let its good looks lead you into thinking that the app is just another text editor. Quite contrarily, Sublime Text 2 is a text-editing powerhouse which, once installed, will make your coding/writing a whole lot productive.


The app features an amazing code-completion feature, which is perhaps the best I've seen on any Linux application. Another great feature is the Ctrl+P combo, which, once invoked, will give you a swift way to search through all your projects. Also, thanks to the tabbed interface, you can work on multiple files at once. Finally, before you bicker about the issues you faced after you downloaded the app, it’s important to remember that the app is still in beta.

Oh, and much to the disappointment of many coders, the app is not open source and requires you to shell out $60 for a license. But if you’re searching for the perfect text editor on Linux platform, you won’t mind shelling out the dough. To install, simply type in the following commands in your terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T).

Note: The one you’ll install is a trial version.

You may also check out our previous list of excellent text editors for Linux:

For Linux users who enjoy a fragmentation-free and virus-immune laptop, there’s barely anything that makes them whine as much as their Redmond-loving counterparts. Linux, on a fully compatible machine, achieves a perfect blend of performance and stability. That said, there are some of us who want more than perfection, they want optimum performance and a beast-like computing speed. I know, overclocking is a bit risky, but tweaking isn't.

Earlier, we told you about the most amazing desktop-tweaking tools out there for Linux. In today’s article, though, our focus will be on Linux laptop users. We've heard them whining about their empty batteries and their always-plugged workdays, and yeah, as always, we couldn't help doling out some useful advice to those folks.

In most of the devices, including cellphones, the display is the biggest culprit when it comes to reduced battery life. A brightly lit laptop won’t really help you get through a whole workday. The best solution to this problem is to dim the screen as much as possible. If, in certain cases like movie-watching or reading you need a bright display, you can turn the brightness up for that period and them dim the screen back when you’re finished.

It’s not just the display that hurts the battery, it’s also those CPU-hogging programs that make you reach out for the charger sooner than expected. That said, it’s not always easy for a user to spot that the CPU is under a load. It takes a real slowdown or freezing to realize that the program has become a mess and needs to be killed.

Don’t worry yet, as you can always keep an eye on your CPU or RAM by using any of the following methods:

1. Take a look at the system monitor if you feel the slightest of difference in performance. From there, you can kill any misbehaving task.

2. Ubuntu users can install the System Load Indicator from a ppa, which, once installed, will let you take a look at the performance right from the indicator menu. To install, go to the terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and paste/type in the following commands.

The computer’s power management scheme is one of the most important factors that decide the fate of your battery. In the power management settings window, always make sure you choose a balanced plan that helps you get through a whole workday without looking for an adapter. Another great way to take advantage of this setting is by making sure that the laptop goes into suspend mode as soon as the lid is closed. Though, it might not be a suitable setting for folks who are a tad impatient, it still is one of the most effective ways of saving battery life. To access the power management settings in Ubuntu, open the Dash (Super/Windows key) and type in the word “Power” without quotes.

If, instead of shutting down your laptop, you put it on suspend mode, always make sure you’re connected to a charger. If not, then put the computer in hibernate mode and go for a nice nap. That way, neither would you lose any precious battery life nor would you lose your current work.

Most of the battery loss also occurs due to overheating laptops. The overheating issue is something that affects a lot of laptops. To remedy that problem, simply use a laptop cooling pad, a simple accessory that saves your computer from overheating. It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on the temperature; to do that, simply install the system monitor indicator that comes with various temperature sensors.

Or, if all you want is a simple hardware sensor, then try out the following indicator applet:

Finally, always remember to update your computer. The Linux kernel is continuously improving, and so are the distributions. In Ubuntu 12.04 for example, users will get to see an improved support for battery life. So, make sure you don’t ignore your computer when it badgers you to give it a big update.

Ubuntu Linux got a new look when the much-debated Unity was unveiled to users. The modern, search-based interface was liked as much as it was hated, making it one of Canonical’s most controversial decisions. The problem with Unity was not just that it was a new interface; the main issue this reborn Ubuntu faced was of basic usability gone wrong. So, as obvious as it may seem, many people are trying hard to disencumber themselves from this ‘innovation’. While most of those efforts are spent making alternative distros, some are busy tweaking the desktop.

When it comes to alternatives, there are many; in fact, there’s a horde of distros waiting to be tried out by non-geeky audiences. That said, despite its flaws, many people still prefer sticking to Ubuntu Linux, mainly because of its more mainstream nature as well as the more user-friendly aspects of it like the Software Center and Ubuntu One.

So, if you’re one of those Ubuntu fans who can’t stand the look of the new default desktop, there’s a thing or two you can do to give your screen a revamp. Here are some of the best desktop-tweaking tools for Ubuntu Linux:

Though not intended for the ‘normal’ users, CCSM is one of the best tools when it comes to desktop tweaking. It lets you customize your desktop in every way possible. The popular tool divides customizations into broad categories like General, Desktop Effects, Window Management, and most important of all, Accessibility. Each category houses a myriad of small settings that affect the behavior of the desktop in one-way or the other. Most of those settings let you change the numeric value of that property, so that you can fine-tune your desktop as much as possible. Don’t worry though, as there’s usually a ‘Restore Defaults’ button that can be used in case things go wrong.

Coming to the tweaking part, CCSM lets you change almost all the aspects of your desktop. From hiding the launcher to making it smaller, you can change almost everything. The other interesting thing about CCSM is that it lets you add/remove as many desktop effects as you want. This can be very useful if you’re itching to create that perfect balance between performance and aesthetics.

To install Compiz Config Settings Manager on your computer, simply type in/paste the following commands in the terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T), and once installed, use the launcher to search for the term ‘ccsm’.

While not a tweaking tool in the true sense, DesktopNova still is a great tool to spice up your boring desktop. This simple little application lets you automatically switch the wallpapers without you having to worry about anything. Once installed, DesktopNova lets you specify which folder you want to load the images from. Then, you can set the interval at which the images will change. Usually, an interval of 15-20 minutes is a great idea. Oh, and make sure you keep the daemon running once you’re done with the settings.

To install the application you’ll need to install the repository first. To do that type in or paste the following commands in your terminal:

Then type in/paste the following command to install the software:

Ubuntu Tweak, perhaps the most famous third-party tweaking tool for Linux, brings the best out of your brand new Ubuntu desktop. The open-source application, once installed, lets you change the splash screen, login background, and hide/reveal certain elements of the desktop. Apart from letting you change security settings, tweaking panels and stuff, Ubuntu Tweak also lets you manage your applications and remove them when needed. The app recently released a brand new version allowing users to tweak their brand new Unity desktops. With it, you can dress up your desktop in pretty themes like Faenza and others without having to go through any hoops.


To install the software, simply go to their website HERE and hit the 'Download Now' button.


Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

We’ve already written a detailed guide on how to backup your Android devices; however, we haven’t touched much upon the backup process for apps and data. The backup process for apps and data is quite different, and sometimes tedious, when compared to contacts syncing or bookmarks syncing. Don’t worry though, as we’ve got it all covered in this article.

Backing up apps can be a tiresome job, even more so if you have a lot of them installed on your Droid. There are a few applications that will help you backup your apps, but most of them require root access. In this article, we’ve listed some of the best apps to take backups, two of which don’t require root, and one requires. So, whether you’re a geeky rooter, or a fledgling Droid-fanboy, there’s no excuse when it comes to backups.

On a side note, if you’re on the fence whether to root your phone or not, do check out our earlier article where we’ve highlighted all the pros and cons of rooting on Android.

App Backup And Restore is a highly rated backup app for Android that lets you backup and restore your device without the need for rooting. Once installed, you can use this app to backup apps to SD card, and restore them in case things go wrong. For protected apps, there’s an option to backup the market link so that all your apps will be with you even after a fresh install.

Other important features include batch backup, restoring apps from SD card, and multi-version backup. What’s more, you can also send APK files by email so that you won’t lose those important apps.

Rated 4.6 stars out of 5 in the marketplace, App Backup And Restore is freely available for download from the marketplace HERE.

This next app lets you backup all your important data, including your apps, photos, homescreens, etc. right to the cloud. Though in Beta, MyBackup Pro is the perfect, and perhaps the most easy-to-use backup app for non-rooters. Once installed, the app lets you backup applications, SMSes, MMSes, System Settings, Alarms, Music Playlists, and even call logs to the cloud or to your trusted little SD card.

If you have rooted your phone, there’s something in it for you as well. Rooted users can take advantage of advanced features like freezing of bloatware or system apps, wipe cache of applications, uninstall applications, link apps to Android Market, unfreeze applications and force-close applications.

Though not free, MyBackup Pro is rated 4.6 out of 5 stars in the marketplace. However, if you want to try before you buy, you can always grab the free trial version HERE.

One of the most powerful tools in the Android Marketplace, Titanium Backup Pro is more than just a backup tool. The root-only app allows you to backup, restore, and freeze all of your applications and data. The app comes with a barrage of interesting features which include, but are not limited to, Dropbox sync, multi-user app data, encryption, cache cleaning, apps freezer, integration of system apps into ROM, zero-click batch restores, and the ability to send backups by email.

One great thing about Titanium is that despite being a geeky tool, it is so simple to use that even an Android novice can figure out most of its features. Oh, and just because it’s geeky doesn’t mean that it’s not popular; Titanium has been rated 4.8 stars out of 5 in the marketplace, which is a very high score, even for a non-root app. Oh, and don’t forget, the app has over 3.5 million users and has been translated in over 28 languages. Definitely worth your every penny. You may download Titanium Backup Pro HERE.

Over the years, people have pinned Windows down as the slowest of all operating systems. While Mac still remains a class product, our beloved Ubuntu Linux has shot to fame because of its amazing speed and power, even on low-end systems. Windows, after months, or sometimes weeks of usage, tends to bloat and behave like a sluggish car beyond repair. Ubuntu on the other hand, tends to stay as agile as it was when you first installed it, making it one of the most preferred operating systems on low-end computer users.

That said, grass isn’t always green in the Ubuntu Linux world. As with every operating system, perfection eludes the open-source distribution, thus making issues like slowdown and incompatibility more prominent. These problems, however, cannot be pinned down as Ubuntu’s fault because most of them arise from incompatible hardware, especially graphics cards. So, if you too, in some point in time have faced, or are facing issues of slowdown and choppy graphics, here are some simple tips to help you alleviate those problems and in effect make Ubuntu Linux run faster.

About three years ago, when I went to purchase a new graphics card, the vendor recommended me ATI, telling me that it’s much better than the almost-omnipresent NVIDIA, and that I won’t be disappointed by the performance. I couldn’t agree more with him as I too had read a lot about ATI, but never had the chance to try it out. So, I went home with a sparkling grin, installed it, and tried out the latest game that was available out there, and boy, I was thoroughly impressed with it. The card ran as smooth as butter on Windows, but then, once I installed Ubuntu on my computer, that’s where the problems began. Not only did I have a tough time installing the drivers, I also had trouble getting the card to work just enough to play movies.

However, sticking to ATI paid off, as graphic support for my card has improved by miles over the last couple of years. Though not as good as it is on Windows, it is still quite satisfactory when you have a lot of RAM.

If you ever have faced similar issues in the past, I don't need to tell you how important it is to update your graphics drivers.

If upgrading your graphic card doesn’t help alleviate the problem, then it may be good idea to move to something lighter. While XFCE is a perfect desktop for extremely low-end and dated computers, for those stuck with an incompatible or old graphic cards, the Qt-based Unity 2D comes in really handy. The light environment brings the best features of Ubuntu without using too much of your RAM.

With the advent of Ubuntu Software Center, the classic-yet-powerful apt has lost its prominence. Though as good as Ubuntu’s new app store is, apt-get is almost ten times faster thus saving you a lot of valuable time that’s usually spent while updating and installing applications.

Ubuntu doesn’t bloat like Windows, but having a dozen of start-up applications surely slows it down. To remedy that problem, it’s always a good idea to check which apps you have added to your start-up list. To do so, open the launcher (Super Key/Windows Key) and type in the words ‘startup applications’. Once the ‘Settings’ window opens, chose which applications should load when Ubuntu starts up.

Sometimes, especially if you’re a web addict, the browser cache tends to pile up and slow down the computer. A simple solution to this problem is clearing the cache by going to your browser’s settings menu.

Preload is an adaptive readahead daemon, which, once installed, monitors the applications you run, analyzes that data, and, by predicting which application you’ll run next, loads the predicted program into your memory. Of course, this won’t dramatically speed up your computer, but you’ll certainly see some improvements. To install preload, open the terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and type in/paste the following command:

Ubuntu, with its ease of use and beautiful design, has managed to become a desktop that is not just for geeks anymore. These days, more and more non-technical users are switching to Ubuntu, making it the fastest growing Linux distribution in the world. Now, as Ubuntu’s demand is soaring, the recently switched users are looking for applications that will help them perform simple tasks like video editing and music management.

While there is no dearth of music management apps on Ubuntu, video editing is an area that hasn’t seen much progress yet. Nevertheless, there are some great video editors for our beloved distro, which are quite as good as the ones you’ll find on Windows and Mac. So, if you’re looking for a great way to edit that holiday video you just shot, read on as we list the best video editing software applications for Ubuntu.

OpenShot is quite undoubtedly the best video editor on not just Ubuntu but also on Linux in general. Written in Python, the open-source video editor comes with a lot of amazing features. OpenShot includes support for many video, audio, and image formats, including, but not limited to: MKV, MOV, VOB, MP4, and MPEG.

The thing I love about OpenShot is that it is a complete application. What I mean by that is, you can make a whole movie without the need for any other software. From video transitions to scrolling movie-style credits at the end, OpenShot does pretty much everything you need from a video-editor.

If you’re a moviemaker, then OpenShot might not prove to be as great as Final Cut Pro or even Lightworks, but it will certainly serve as great bare bones editing tool for vloggers and budding filmmakers. Oh, but don’t make the mistake of writing off OpenShot as a simple video-editor. It also packs in a lot of advanced features like the famous Ken Burns effect, along with 20 other cool effects that will definitely add a little spunk to your movie.

To install, open the terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and type in/paste the following command:

sudo apt-get install openshot

Avidemux is a non-linear video editor that allows users to edit and transcode videos. Written in C++, the open-source application comes with some great features that make it one of the most popular video-editing applications on this platform. Though not as easy to use as the aforementioned OpenShot, Avidemux does come with a well-designed interface. On the features front, the application includes support for video effects, transcoding, Optical Character Recognition ( OCR ) of subtitles, and much more.

The best feature of Avidemux is its ability to run as a GUI program as well as a command-line program. This saves a lot of time, especially for folks who love doing everything using the shell. Oh, and yeah, Avidemux also has multi-threading support, so expect it to run breezing fast once you install it on your desktop.

Install: sudo apt-get install avidemux

This is one of my personal favorites when it comes to quick, no-fuss video editing. PiTiVi comes with a basic interface allowing you to edit your videos and add some effects to it. This open-source application, which was also included as a default app in Ubuntu, is quite simply the most easy-to-use video editor around.

With PiTiVi, you can trim, snap, split, and cut a clip, and then, you can export it to various formats. You can also merge the video with a different audio clip, a feature that can be useful for a lot of people who like remixing videos and uploading them on YouTube.

Though the application is not as feature-loaded as OpenShot or Avidemux, it is still the perfect tool for anyone who is not that familiar with the basics of video editing. Don’t expect it to be your companion in Hollywood though. However, if you’re looking for a simple tool that can edit your family videos, PiTiVi is your best bet.

Install: sudo apt-get install pitivi

Apart from the aforementioned apps, there are some other good tools like Cinelerra, Kdenlive and Kino, but they don’t integrate that nicely with Ubuntu’s GNOME-based desktop. Nevertheless, they’re great choices too, especially if you’re looking for some powerful video editing tools.

The tech industry went through a lot of ups and downs last year, and our ever-expanding FOSS world too, wasn’t all that immune from these huge changes. From the introduction of Unity to the sudden rise of Mint, the Linux community went through a game-changing phase last year.

2012 too promises to be as tumultuous as last year, thanks to all the great things the Linux community has lined up for us. Though many of these changes would be welcomed with open arms, some of them are bound to get flak from the users. Whatever the response may be, the expectations from the FOSS community are higher than ever.

So, if you’re busy guessing what the FOSS world will bring in 2012; don’t rack your brain; just read on as we list some FOSS-related predictions for this year.

With the much-hyped transformation of GNOME and the birth of Unity, every distro has managed to get its own unique identity. Earlier, major desktops the likes of Ubuntu, Fedora or SUSE, all looked and worked pretty much the same way since most of them ran GNOME 2.x. Now, because that has changed, people have more choices, bringing along some tough competition amongst the distros.

Ubuntu’s fall from the top spot on DistroWatch shocked many people in the Linux community. And, even though Canonical congratulated Mint on its success, losing the coveted throne must have come across as a bitter shock for them. It is therefore quite imminent that Ubuntu will try to snatch back the spot from Mint. So, grab your popcorn and expect to see some tough neck-to-neck competition this year.

The competition might be tough, but Ubuntu is a seasoned player with a huge community backing it. Leaving behind the tepid response Unity got, Ubuntu will be hitting a milestone this year by presenting at CES for the first time. Oh, and don’t forget, we’ve two more releases lined up for this year. Precise Pangolin itself seems so promising, we can only guess how mature and stable Ubuntu will be by 12.10.

While Ubuntu is busy polishing its not-so-nicely reviewed Unity interface, Linux Mint, which we talked a lot about last year, is basking in the verdant glory of its sudden rise. Though on top now, Mint doesn’t seem like a player who’ll get complacent. Expect some big things from the minty fresh distro this year.

Rumor mill is abuzz with stories of a new $200 Nexus tablet that will compete directly with Kindle Fire. If that is true then the iPad will be facing its mortal enemy in another big battle. The Nexus tablet, if it comes out this year, will surely thwart Kindle Fire’s winning streak and maybe, put a dent in Apple’s tablet computer monopoly.

SOPA might play spoilsport

We’ve already told you why SOPA, the draconian anti-piracy bill sucks so bad. In that article, we also mentioned how the bill will affect FOSS projects. Now, FOSS may not be as affected as the whole Internet will be, it will still make a significant impact on the fledgling community that now consists of more contributors than ever before.

According to a report by netmarketshare.com, Linux’s desktop market share saw a growth of almost 50% last year. This year too, if all goes well, we will see Linux growing more and more whilst taking on giants like Apple and Microsoft. This growth, as gradual as it may seem, is still a huge achievement for Linux, especially in a market that is locked in tight by giant corporations like Microsoft and Apple.

As we say goodbye to a momentous 2011, it’s time to reflect on some of the big happenings in the FOSS world. Apart from Android’s rise, Torvalds’s rant, and a tasty ice cream sandwich treat, the year also saw some big changes taking place for popular Linux distributions. While many of the changes ranged from annoyingly buggy to downright unusable, a few pleasant minty surprises did manage to cleanse the Linuxiens’ palettes.

With the advent of Unity, Linux Mint, then a familiar name only amongst developers, tinkerers, and hackers, made its foray into the desktops of the so-called ‘normal’ users. Thus began a game for the top spot in the users’ hearts. And, even though Ubuntu somehow managed to keep its head high by the end of 2011, it finally had to settle on a modest second spot on the coveted DistroWatch list.

The distro scene in 2011, though mired in controversy, was a witness of some of the boldest -- and perhaps game-changing -- decisions ever taken in the FOSS community. Earlier, when Fedora, Ubuntu, Mint, and Suse offered pretty much the same interface, there was a little competition -- and also little uniqueness -- amongst the individual distros. However, once Unity and GNOME Shell entered the scene, each distro now had something different to offer. Fedora went with GNOME 3, Ubuntu stuck by Unity, and Mint, well, Mint did something a little different. Mint made combined the best of both interfaces and brought a modern, stable, and a beautiful desktop for its users.

Thus, having witnessed what is perhaps the best ‘distro war’ ever, it’s time to showcase the winners who braved the storm and emerged strong enough to be featured in our list of top 10 Linux distributions of 2011.


10. Mageia
Founded in September 2010, Mageia is a fork of the once-popular Mandriva Linux. The distribution was started by former employees of Mandriva, which is a publicly traded Linux and open source company based in France. Mageia comes with a slightly customized KDE giving it a certain edge over other distributions that ship a plain vanilla version of the desktop environment. Having said that, Mageia is still in its nascent stages, and it would take some time before it reaches the level of maturity that other KDE-based distros have reached. Though not as popular as Kubuntu, or even Chakra, Mageia does have the potential to become a solid KDE-based distribution in the future.

9. Chakra
When it comes to KDE-based distributions, there are many users who prefer Chakra over Kubuntu. Forked from Arch Linux, Chakra is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful-looking distributions to come out in 2011. What makes Chakra so special -- especially when compared to Kubuntu -- is that it includes a customized KDE interface that is absolutely gorgeous, and yet, it’s one of the most user-friendly ones we’ve seen this year. Again, the popularity of Chakra is not as widespread as Kubuntu’s, but it does seem to be gaining a huge amount of following amongst KDE fans.

8. Arch Linux
Currently on the 6th spot on Distrowatch, Arch Linux is one of the most powerful distros around. Operating on a rolling-release system, the distribution provides the simplicity and minimalism that every Linux fanboy demands. Thanks to its amazing package manager called Pacman, users are able to install or update any package, at any time they want. So, if you want the bleeding edge of everything that’s made in the Penguin Land, Arch Linux is the one for you.

7. Debian
Cringing at the sight of Unity? Not a big fan of the whole ‘user friendly’ thing are you? Then, ditching Unity for Debian is something you should add to your To-Do list right now!

Debian brings the classic, plain and simple GNOME interface back to your desktop. Of course, since Ubuntu is based on Debian, you won’t have to learn new things. Most of the things remain the same, including the beloved package manager. The installation, however, might not be as user-friendly as it is on Ubuntu, but it’s not that hard either. Love it or hate it, Debian is still the sweetheart of many Linuxiens around.

6. Fedora
Fedora still is one of the most popular distros around. It enjoys a large user base and its stability is something that is envied by even the most dedicated Ubuntu fanboys. Having said that, 2011 was a bit on the disappointing side for Fedora users, especially with the introduction of the contentious GNOME Shell. Being the first distro to feature the highly awaited GNOME revamp, Fedora became a punching bag for many users disappointed by GNOME 3. Moreover, GNOME 3 also made a lot of Fedora fans seek out other distros, thus affecting the RPM-based project’s popularity. Nevertheless, Fedora still is a hot favorite of not just developers but also end users who benefit a lot from the customized ‘spins’ that the community provides with each release.

5. OpenSUSE
Novell’s openSUSE is still one of the most popular Linux-based distributions around. Its familiar green interface and the dreaded YaST have given the distro a unique identity and branding. That said, SUSE’s popularity is a bit on the decline, especially with the rise of Ubuntu and all its friends. This year though, the green distro managed to stay sane by not switching to Unity or GNOME Shell thus earning itself a number 5 spot on the list. The KDE-based distribution is still a hot favorite amongst many developers as well as end users.

4. Xubuntu
Though ranking low on Distrowatch, Xubuntu does prove to be a great viable alternative for people using lightweight machines. The Ubuntu-based distribution comes with the thin-and-clean XFCE, a desktop Linus Torvalds switched to once GNOME Shell came out. With a minimalist interface, XFCE also serves as a full-fledged user-friendly desktop for anyone who’s tired of the current trend amongst the distributions. Ranking fourth on our list, Xubuntu promises a usable and stable desktop experience without sacrificing the familiarity of Ubuntu.

3. Ubuntu
2011 was the most happening year for Canonical. Ubuntu, Canonical’s flagship product swerved into new territories by introducing the controversial Unity interface. Unity, which came along with Ubuntu 11.04, received a lot of flak from not just developers but from end users as well. The clumsy, and sometimes unusable interface made many loyal Ubuntuers switch to Mint.

The only reason Ubuntu manages to land the third spot on our list is the release of Ubuntu 11.10. Oneiric Ocelot, which improved Unity in a lot of areas, did bring a lot of smiles on the faces of frustrated Ubuntu users. That said, Ubuntu still lacks the polish and more importantly the ‘precision’, which, hopefully, the next version might bring to the table.

2. Kubuntu
Whilst the Linux world was going bonkers over Unity and GNOME shell, KDE was only desktop that was stable yet modern. A lot has been said about KDE, more so because it too started off on a controversial note, but then went on to become one of the most beautiful-looking and stable desktop environments around.

Kubuntu is a distro that brings all the goodness of KDE without sacrificing the familiarity and stability of Ubuntu. Loaded with some awesome applications like Amarok, Dolphin, and Kopete, Kubuntu proves to be the perfect alternative to the Unity-ridden Ubuntu. The reason Kubuntu wins the second spot is the fact that, unlike Canonical and GNOME, it didn’t try to do anything radically different this year. It just stuck to what it has been doing all along, and improved upon it. If you’re looking for a modern, aesthetically pleasing, stable desktop, Kubuntu is your best bet.

1. Linux Mint
Like on Distrowatch, here too Linux Mint enjoys the number 1 spot. The Ubuntu-based distribution, which saw a huge spike in popularity this year, has suddenly become the hot favorite of many Linux users. Thanks to Unity, users and Ubuntu loyalists alike migrated to this little-known distro in large numbers. The simplicity and the stability of this minty-fresh distro is such that we too have been waxing eloquent about its feature. Simply put, Linux Mint is the hottest Linux success of 2011.

What’s your top 10 Linux distros of 2011?

Which 10 distros do you think were the absolute best in 2011? Share your list with us in the comments section below.