Ambiance Evolution - Another "Customized" GTK2 Theme for Ubuntu Unity!

Okay, this is another theme that's based on the already existing Ambiance theme (created by the Ubuntu developers) in Ubuntu Linux. Although as far as I know, most GTK2 themes should work in Unity desktop despite the "visual" differences between Gnome classical desktop and Unity.

So you should be able to use this in Gnome desktop in Natty Narwhal as well. Anyhow, the main difference in this theme comparing with the original Ambiance (heck, there's even a Gnome3 theme as well!) is the lack of borders which makes it looks awesome btw :).

Other than that, it also has darkened tool-bars, better looking buttons, smooth transition between tool bars and title bars, enhanced/new sliders are among few of its main features.

Enough bragging Gayan!. Where can I get it?

Parley... :). Okay, um, first download the zip package from here. Then extract the content to ./themes folder in your Home.

If you don't have Nautilus elementary installed, then it is advised to edit the "gtk-2.0" file in this Ambiance theme (use your text editor) and delete the line which says " include "nautilus-elementary.rc" " which can be found at the end of the file.

If you want more information, then I recommend visiting simplegreat, the artist who created this awesome theme.

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Miro 4 Is Released, How To Install it in Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal?

Miro is one of the best open-source media player applications that is available for lots of different types of platforms such as GNU/Linux, MS Windows and Mac OSX. Not just the gorgeous looking GUI but with Miro you can even convert multimedia files with ease as well.

Although I've written about it in the past (when it was at 3.6 version) but according to the developers themselves you should consider upgrading to the latest version (4) since it brigs major improvements/features when considering its predecessors.

Few of the noticeable "enhancements"...

*. Sync multimedia files with Android devices.

*. Android and Amazon MP3 store support.

*. Unity's appindicator integration.

*. Share files in any PC/Laptop that has Miro installed (over the network as well) - DHT support.

*. Shuffle/Repeat playback options.

*. Watched/unwatched "filter" for video feeds.

*. New volume slider (only for Mac OSX).

*. Important media option added.

These are just a few of the main features to mention. So, if you want to install the Miro version 4 in Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal, then open your Terminal and enter the below command.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:pcf/miro-releases
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install miro

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Does Skype Keep Aborting After Logging in (Under GNU/Linux)?

Although I don't use Skype at all yet there have been a bit of a discussion especially concerning Skype 2.2.0.25 keep crashing (although many refer to its as a crash, it seems what really happens is that it simply being aborted within the console) under GNU/Linux, MS Windows and even on Mac OSX as well.

Even Skype developers themselves quoted concerning the issue by saying...

"A small number of you may have had problems signing in to Skype. This predominantly affects people using Skype for Windows. We have identified the problem and will issue a fix in the next few hours."  

Source: Skype (read this for instructions on how to fix it under all the operating systems, until they officially fix it).

So in GNU/Linux this is what seems to be happening. Once you log-in to their VOIP servers using your user name and password... then within like 5-6 seconds Skype automatically log-out/exist it self automatically!. For some, a re-installation seems to be the answer but for most it will not fix it.

What the Skype! :)...

But luckily, there is a way to fix this which I saw when reading this ask Ubuntu post. So, until the developers fix this annoying bug, if you use Ubuntu or any other GNU/Linux distribution and experiencing this "tragic" :) issue, then this is how you can fix it.

Open your Terminal and enter the below command.

rm ~/.Skype/shared.xml

Now re-login to your online Skype VOIP account... if everything went well, it should be fixed. 

1. Okay, for the sake of completion :)... under MS Windows, simply delete the below file.

c:\Documents and Settings\*user*\Application Data\Skype\shared.xml

2. In Mac OSX, use the below command.

rm ~/Library/Application\ Support/Skype/shared.xml

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How To Install Music On Console (MOC) Player in Ubuntu?

Although if you have a lot of (thousands) of audio libraries to "taken care of", then seriously, avoid this. But if you don't need a lot of features or would like to play some audio files in an Ubuntu Server (without a GUI) based purely on the console, etc then, MOC or Music on console music player for GNU/Linux is a pretty decent application.

MOC lets you browse and create a simple playlist using your favorites audios + it has a file manager of its own which is very similar to Midnight commander (if you've ever used it). It comes with several different color themes which you can choose from and can play a lot of popular audio formats such as mp3, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, Musepack, Speex, WAVE, AIFF, AU, etc as well.

When combined with keyboard shortcuts such as pressing "q" in your Keyboard will exit the player without having to close the entire console window... it can be quite easy to use, I think :). 

Few other main features to mention...

*. Icecast, Shoutcast... streaming support.

*. A mixer of its own!.

Well, it ain't pretty, but, it's what it is :P...

*. OSS, JACK, and ALSA output.

*. Change audio levels.

*. Few color themes as mentioned before.

If you use Ubuntu 11.04 (10.10/10.04) and want to install Music on console player, then simply open your Terminal and enter the below command.

sudo apt-get install moc

The last update seems to have come around 2009... so it's like frozen at the moment. But, then again, there isn't much to "enhance" either. Anyhow, if you know a PPA, please let me know :). Have fun with it!.

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LCDs and DC Jacks, Two Lucrative Laptop Repairs

Two of the most common problems that customers bring to repair other that viruses are damaged LCDs and broken DC Jacks. Here in Southern California I can charge upwards of $145 for a installed replacement LCD and $95 for an installed DC Jack. I usually jump on Google Shopping,  eBay, or locally on Craigslist for the best part prices.  Both issues are easy to diagnose.
A cracked LCD will show the tell tale black 'ink blot' when held at an angle to the light. The lights and sounds on the laptop will work and the screen may even be very dimly lit but will display nothing. Replacement is as easy, but varies by model. Remove the bezel (the plastic frame around the LCD) and the 2 or 3 cables connecting it to the board. If your unsure of how to disassemble the laptop there are a plethora of videos across Youtube with specific instructions. Only tools needed are a small philips and flathead  screwdrivers.
If the laptop is not charging (look for the indicating led) or will not turn on, the problem could be the jack. The problem is obvious when the jack is jammed inside or moves freely when plugged into the AC adapter. DC Jack repair involves removing the motherboard. There's about 25-40 screws to take out holding the laptop together and the board inside. Be alert and remember where the 10 or so wire cables connections were pulled from. Grab the jack with a pair of pliers and gently pull side to side as you heat the solder on each pin connecting it to the board. Use a desoldering tool the suck out the excess solder left over. Seat the new jack flat against the board and solder it secure.

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ScribeFire - A Blogging "Client" Addon for Your Web Browser

If you have a blog or a web site then the usual tasks would be to open your Web browser and logging into your account then click on your "post editor" and then click on "create new posts", etc before you can do anything else :). Although once you get used to it, it's not a big deal anymore but if you'd like to simply install a web browser extension that takes your directly to your Blogging service which should speedup the process, etc, then ScribeFire is an excellent option.

Again, this is a browser extension... not a blogging client for your desktop. But when setup, ScribeFire can certainly makes it easy/speedup things a bit without a doubt.

Main features...

*. Very recently they updated to the version 1.7 which brings numerous bug fixes and Addbull monetization support for Bloggers.

*. Supports a lot of Blogging services such as - Blogger, Wordpress, LiveJournal, TypePad, Windows Live Spaces, Tumblr, etc (anything that supports the MetaWeblog or MovableType APIs).

*. Edit/Delete existing posts.

*. Create new posts.

*. Upload pictures.

*. Fully featured post editor (spell check, insert links, Bold/Italic texts, etc).

*. Supports major web browsers such as Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera.

Once installed, the setting up process is pretty simple as well. If you want to give it a try, then please visit this official ScribeFire website for more (including downloading links for various web browsers, etc).

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Install Agave in Ubuntu - Excellent Color Palettes Creator for GNU/Linux!

I think anyone would agree on the fact that both colors and our emotions (buggers... control our lives one way or the other :P) are bound together, non-"removable", almost!. Whenever we see a color, our minds reacts to it in different ways. So, even by a slight change in colors (say in your house) can have a massive effect in the level of emotions.

Although I'm not much of an artist but if you are or if you aren't still wouldn't it be nice if there is an application that has the ability, once given/input an initial color then to automatically generate similar colors that "goes" with it?... Then you'll love the simple yet elegant color palette creator for GNU/Linux called Agave!. Even if you're too lazy to pick an initial color, Agave has built in base colors that you can use to start your "projects" :).

Or, if you found beautiful looking colors while browsing web or in an image in your GNU/Linux Laptop/PC HDD, etc and wanting to know the color code... then Agave has a built it "eyedropper" that can "read" any color within your computer screen (web browser, application, image... anything on your screen).

Changing colors (from codes to hue/brightness, etc) to creating your own palettes ... Agave is an excellent app for you artists :).

If you use Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal or older versions, you can easily install it by issuing the below command in your Terminal window.

sudo apt-get install agave

 If you're using Fedora Core then open your package manager via: System → Administration → Add/Remove Software

and search for "agave" then simply follow your on screen instructions to install it.

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