Supported Ubuntu versions

• Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex
• Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope

Other Ubuntu versions

This howto is available for many versions of Ubuntu. If you do not use Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron, choose between the links below the one that fit you:

• Additions to a default Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex install
  

• Additions to a default Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron install
  

• Additions to a default Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon install
  

• Additions to a default Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn install

Installing in a click

Last Ubuntu versions enable you to install software by clicking on a link in your browser. If you want to install only some of the software list in this page, you can do it by simply clicking on the links put on the packages' names. This is not a security breach, since these packages are installed using apt-get and your configured repositories. It's only a little helper for lazy people :D

Source: Thanks to Cedynamix for his article Le protocole apt, qu'est-ce-que c'est ?.

Configuration of apt repositories list

/usr/bin/sudo /bin/cp /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.orig

Fetch the name of your Ubuntu distribution :

source /etc/lsb-release

Remove the ability to get packages from the install CD-Rom:

/usr/bin/sudo /bin/sed -i -e 's/^\(deb cdrom:\)/#\1/' /etc/apt/sources.list

Enable the partner repository (aka. commercial repository) of Canonical Ltd.:

/usr/bin/sudo /bin/sed -i -e "s/^# \(.*${DISTRIB_CODENAME} partner.*\)$/\1/" /etc/apt/sources.list

Add the Medibuntu repository witch contains various heavily needed packages:

echo "## MEDIBUNTU
deb http://fr.packages.medibuntu.org/ ${DISTRIB_CODENAME} free non-free

# Dépôts de sources (uniquement utiles pour télécharger les sources avec apt-get source. Dans ce cas enlever les #)
# deb-src http://fr.packages.medibuntu.org/ ${DISTRIB_CODENAME} free non-free" \
    | /usr/bin/sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list

We install the GPG key signing the medibuntu repository:

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

Once the apt sources configured, we update the list of available packages:

sudo apt-get update

Local Area Network with a DNS server managing dot local (.local) extension

If a DNS server managing the ".local" extension is present on your LAN, change extension ! On my own, I use dot lan (.lan) for my local network DNS. This will avoid you a lot of trouble with Avahi.

Installing restricted software

Ubuntu help you installing multimedia software, java and many other things by providing a meta package. To install it, use this command line:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

Once this done, we add the java fonts:

sudo apt-get install sun-java6-fonts

If needed, we install the Java plugin for web browsers :

source /etc/lsb-release
CLEAN_DISTRIB_RELEASE=$(echo ${DISTRIB_RELEASE} | sed -e 's/\.//g')
if [ ${CLEAN_DISTRIB_RELEASE} -gt "810" ]; then
  sudo apt-get install sun-java6-plugin
fi

And we set the Sun Java Virtual Machine as the default Java environment:

sudo update-java-alternatives --set java-6-sun

sudo apt-get install mozilla-plugin-vlc

Last, but not least, if you want to be able to read DVD movies, you will need gxine and DVD decryption librairies:

sudo apt-get install libdvdcss2 libdvdnav4 libxine1-ffmpeg gxine

Installing missing software

If your Internet connection was down during your Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex installation, some packages can miss from your system.

• To complete the language support (for English only):

  sudo apt-get install openoffice.org-help-en-us

/usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/apt-get install samba

/usr/bin/sudo /usr/sbin/adduser $USER sambashare

Source: Thanks to Yostral for his reply to the post "plus de menu dossiers partagés" on the Ubuntu french speaking forums.

Enhancing OpenOffice.org aspect on Xubuntu

If you use Xubuntu, you can use the following command line to enhance Open Office interface aspect:

sudo apt-get install openoffice.org-gtk openoffice.org-style-tango

Source: Thanks to Oxdot for his help.

Various enhancements

Fastening applications launch

Preload is a daemon running in background and loading the most used applications of your system into memory. By doing so, it reduce the applications launch time at the cost of a light memory consumption. To use it, you only need to install the preload package:

/usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/apt-get install preload

Source: Thanks to UbunBloX for the article Preload : Amélioration des performances du système.

Desktop effects

Since Gutsy, desktop effects are available by default. In order to enable them, go in the "Visual effects" tab of "System -> Settings -> Appearance". If the default settings are not sufficient for your needs, you can tweak them using the compizconfig-settings-manager :

sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager

Software need desktop effects

If your computer hardware allow you to use desktop effects, i encourage you to test the following software

Gnome Do

Gnome Do is a clone of the KDE tool Katapult. It allow to launch quickly a software, a Pidgin dialog, or open a bookmark, simply by typing the first letters of its name. For example, by typing the first letters of one of your Pidgin contacts, you can directly open a dialog window with him/her.

To install Gnome Do, use this command line:

/usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/apt-get install gnome-do gnome-do-plugins

Gnome Do is now available in the Software -> Accessories menu. Once launched, you can use it by stroking <Super> + <Space> key combination. By default, the <Super> key is the Windows key of your keyboard.

Note: starting from Intrepid Ibex, Gnome Do is automatically added to software launched at session opening.

Avant Window Navigator

Avant Window Navigator is  a dock cloning the one available on Mac OS X. To install it, use this command line:

/usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/apt-get install avant-window-navigator awn-manager python-awn \
                                       awn-applets-c-core awn-applets-c-extras \
                                       awn-applets-python-core awn-applets-python-extras

Avant Window Navigator is now available in the Software -> Accessories menu. Once launched, it shows at the bottom of your screen.

Tip: add Avant Window Navigator to the software launched at your session opening.

Hard disk checkup

In order to avoid to think when your hard disk has a problem, this command line simplify the correction of errors during the repair of a partition with problems :

/usr/bin/sudo /bin/sed -i -e 's/\(FSCKFIX=\).*/\1yes/' /etc/default/rcS 

Don't worry, it is not dangerous. It do what you would have done by hand if you were confronted to the problem. Only professional file system rescuers should have this setting to No (for me, it is clearly a rest of the days where Linux was made for geeks by geeks)).

Source: Thanks to Cep for his post E2FSCK au mauvais moment.

Colorized Man pages

If you want to have a little color in your man pages, you can install the page reader most :

/usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/apt-get install most

And use it as your default page reader :

/usr/bin/sudo /usr/sbin/update-alternatives --set pager /usr/bin/most

Source: Thanks to the author of the blog This is (not) my idea for his article Ubuntu: Trucs et astuces #2.

Installing additional tools

If this software list does not fit your needs, you can read the yekCim article on this subject : Logiciels sous Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon.

Essential ones

The tools listed below are the ones that really miss to the default setup of Ubuntu. You should not hesitate to install them :

In short, just use this command line to install all of this:

sudo apt-get install audacious filezilla miro \
             fortunes liferea thunderbird \
             nautilus-open-terminal ttf-xfree86-nonfree \
             unace vim-gnome wine xchat unace unrar \
             alltray comix dvdrip easytag soundconverter

We install Intrepid Ibex specific packages :

source /etc/lsb-release
CLEAN_DISTRIB_RELEASE=$(echo ${DISTRIB_RELEASE} | sed -e 's/\.//g')
if [ ${CLEAN_DISTRIB_RELEASE} -le "810" ]; then
  sudo apt-get install filezilla-locales
fi

Nice ones

You do not really need the following tools, but some are really usefull and having them close to your hand does not hurt:

sudo apt-get install agave gnochm kompozer drapes subtitleeditor \
                     flashplugin-nonfree amsn realplayer

Other softwares

sudo apt-get install openssh-server fail2ban build-essential mlview

Games

If you want more informations on games available on Intrepid Ibex, you can read yekCim guide on this subject : Jeux sous Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon.

2D games

• atomix : A thinking game where you must build molecules using atoms... Review your chemistry and have fun.
• beneath-a-steel-sky : A point-and-click in a science-fiction universe.
• btanks : A tanks battle multi-player game with a cartoon touch (Thanks to Devil505 for his post Combat de chars d'assaut entre amis).
  
• defendguin : Defender for linux... Save the penguins !.
• fillets-ng : A commercial reflexion game became free. You guide a couple of fish across various levels.
• flight-of-the-amazon-queen : A point-and-click where you are a pilot flighting over the amazon jungle.
• flobopuyo : A Puyo Puyo clone, a well known Tetris-like.
• freeciv-client-gtk : A Civilization II clone. A very good game. (To enable sound effects, install freeciv-sound)
  
• frozen-bubble : A nice puzzle game where penguins replace Bubble Bobble ghosts.
• gweled : A puzzle game really nice, for coffee pauses :
• mirrormagic : A thinking game where you use mirrors to reflect a laser ray.
• njam : A multiplayer PacMan (but you can also play alone). If you are into oldies, this game is for you.
  
• pathological : A thinking game where to need to match balls of the same color. Pleasant ;
• pingus : A game where you must save a bunch of stupid little pets.... black, white, and yellow ;) (nope, not the blue, white and green ones).
• powermanga : A shoot-them-up with a quite slow ryhtm, but it is really addictive. You can by new weapons, new ships, ... And the graphics are beautiful.
• ri-li : A game where a train must get its wagons back in a railroad maze. Very cute ;)
• wormux : Worms for Linux... Blow up your friends :D
• xwelltris : A 3D tetris. Strange.
• wesnoth-all : One of the best turn by turn strategy game of the world (yep, even compared to Heroes of Might and Magic) (ttf-sazanami-gothic is recommended).

3D accelerated games

Edubuntu

If you are installing Edubuntu, here are some packages that can be useful to you:

• childsplay, childsplay-plugins, childsplay-plugins-lfc: Simple games for children.
• tuxtype, tuxtype-data-nonfree : A software were Tux learn you to type on the keyboard.
• tuxpaint, tuxpaint-stamps-default : A painting software for children.
  

In short:

sudo apt-get install childsplay childsplay-plugins childsplay-plugins-lfc \
                     tuxtype-data-nonfree tuxtype \
                     tuxpaint tuxpaint-stamps-default