Recent Notifications Applet Can Now Blacklist Applications

Recent Notifications is a GNOME applet that collects recent messages sent with libnotifiy to a notification daemon, such as notify-osd.

Just one day after we wrote about the Recent Notifications applet, it got a cool new feature but we never got to write about it because of the many news that came up this week.

The feature I'm talking about is an option to blacklist applications within the applet. For example if you get a lot of notifications in Pidgin, simply right click a Pidgin notification in Recent Notifications and select "Blacklist Pidgin" - the same goes for any application. If you want to remove an application from the blacklist, right click the Recent Notifications applet and uncheck the app you want to remove from the "Blacklist" tab:

But that's not all; the applet got no less then 8 updates since our post last week. Most of them were bug fixes, but there are also a few other minor features that were introduced, like debug messages or set the message limit.

If you didn't try Recent Notifications applet already, you really should! Add the Recent Notifications PPA and install the applet in Ubuntu using the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jconti/recent-notifications
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install recent-notifications

Never Miss A NotifyOSD Notification With "Recent Notifications" GNOME Applet

Don't you wish you could see the recent NotifyOSD notifications? I know I would - for instance I use a nifty application called Android Notifier that displays NotifyOSD notifications on my computer when I get a new SMS or call on my Phone, but if I'm doing something else when that happens and I miss the notification, there's no way to see it on my computer. And that's just an example, there are many other applications which display NotifyOSD notifications that you might like to see later on in case you've missed the actual notification (like some Twitter clients, etc.).

Recent Notifications Applet

Well, that's what the Recent Notifications applet was created for: it displays the recemt NotifyOSD notifications. The applet is very simple and doesn't come with tons of features but does its job very well: its icon turns green when you have some unread notifications, you can sort the notifications by application, copy text or link from a notification (useful at times) and that's about it. Simple, easy to use yet so useful!

Here's another screenshot - Recent Notifications lets you copy the text or link from a notification as well as directly visit the link:

Something like this should really be default in Ubuntu!

Install the Recent Notifications applet in Ubuntu

Recent Notifications applet comes with a PPA for Ubuntu Karmic, Lucid and Maverick. Add the PPA and install Recent Notifications using the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jconti/recent-notifications
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install recent-notifications

Once installed, right click a GNOME panel, select "Add to panel" and add "Recent Notifications".

DockBarX Applet 0.43 Released With Helpers, Media Buttons [PPA]

DockBarX, an amazing Gnome panel / Avant Window Navigator taskmanager applet was updated to version 0.43 today, this new release bringing media buttons for all music players that show up in the Ubuntu Sound menu and DockManager support which means that you can use the Docky helpers in DockBarX.

To enable the Helpers, in DockBarX Preference (Applications > Accessories), on the "Plugins" tab, enable "Use DockManager", then click on "Helpers" and enable some plugins. The media buttons are enabled by default but if you want to turn them off, uncheck "Use media buttons" on the Plugins tab.

Other changes in DockBarX 0.43:

• Prism applications are separated from each other instead of being grouped together now.
• Small visual changes to window list and group menu. The look when using DockbarX without compositing is imporved a bit.
• DockbarX uses its own log now. When reporting bugs, include the file ~/.dockbarx/log/dockbarx.log (or any other of the numbered log files in that directory depending on how many times you restarted dockbarx since the bug last occurred)

Here are some more screenshots featuring the latest DockBarX 0.43 used both with Avant Window Navigator and a regular Gnome panel:

Install DockBarX 0.43 in Ubuntu from the WebUpd8 PPA

DockBarX 0.43 is not yet available in the official DockBar PPA, but as usual we've uploaded the latest version to the WebUpd8 PPA (for Ubuntu Karmic, Lucid, Maverick and Natty). Add the WebUpd8 PPA and install DockBarX 0.43 using the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install dockbarx dockbarx-themes-extra

The above command will install both DockBarX and an extra themes package. If you want even more themes (and you use Avant Window Navigator / Faenza icons), see: DockBarX Theme Pack For Avant Window Navigator / Faenza Users.

To be able to use the Helpers, you also need to install the following packages:

sudo apt-get install dockmanager dockmanager-daemon libdesktop-agnostic-cfg-gconf libdesktop-agnostic-vfs-gio

For Zeitgeist support, add the Zeitgeist PPA and upgrade to the latest Zeitgeist:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:zeitgeist/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

And finally, if you want to use DockBarX in Avant Window Navigator, you need to install the AWN DockBarX applet:

sudo apt-get install awn-applet-dockbarx

Tip: to be able to use the Window Previews feature, firstly enable it from DockBarX (Applications > Accessories > DockBarX Preference, on the Window List tab enable "Show previews") and then in CompizConfig Settings Manager make sure the "KDE Compatibility" plugin is enabled and that both options for this plugin (Support Plasma Thumbnails and Support Present Windows) are enabled.

If you're not using Ubuntu, you can download the latest DockBarX 0.43 via Gnome Look.

Report any bugs you may encounter @ Launchpad!

Window Applets 0.2.10, Released

Window Applets is a package that comes with two Gnome panel applets: Window Title and Window Buttons which are basically controls for windows that are placed on the Panel instead of the window. They provide a clever way to increase vertical screen space.

New features / changes in Window Applets 0.2.10:

• Disabled applet hiding by default (it was causing confusion with new users)
• Added option to override button orientation (automatic/default, horizontal and vertical)
• Added option to reverse button order
• Updated themes: Ambiance-Maverick, Radiance-Maverick (thank you Cierreics)
• Saturate title icon and darken text on inactive
• Select a more apropriate non-custom title text color
• Added options to set both active and inactive font/color
• Added experimental option to show window action menu on title right click. Warning: Overrides applet menu over title.

To install Window Applets 0.2.10 in Ubuntu, you can use the WebUpd8 PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install gnome-window-applets

Then, right click the Gnome Panel, select "Add to panel" and add "Window Title" and "Window Buttons".

Jupiter 0.0.46 Released With SATA Link Power Management And USB Autosuspend Support

Jupiter is a Gnome applet you can use on your netbook or laptop to switch between maximum, high performance and power saving mode, change the resolution and orientation of the screen, enable or disable the bluetooth, touchpad, WiFi. Jupiter also comes with Eeepc SHE (Super Hybrid Engine) support.

Jupiter 0.0.46 was released today with device power management (for devices that support it such as PCI devices, etc.), SATA Link power management and USB Autosuspend support. For info about these as well as other tips and tricks to use less power on your netbook / laptop, see LessWatts.org.

As usual, the latest Jupiter version is available in the Jupiter WebUpd8 PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/jupiter
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install jupiter

If you own an Asus Eeepc, also install jupiter-support-eee to get SHE support:

sudo apt-get install jupiter-support-eee

Jupiter is included by default in Fuduntu, a Fedora 14 remix made by Fewt, the Jupiter developer. It is also installed by default in Aurora, ex-Eeebuntu (actually, Jupiter was especially designed for Eeebuntu).


If you don't want to use our Jupiter PPA or don't use Ubuntu, download Jupiter from Sourceforge.

Get Your Favourite Gnome Panel Applets And ALT + F2 Run Dialog Back In Ubuntu 11.04 (Unity)

As you probably know, the Ubuntu 11.04 panel doesn't let you add applets - it's not that panel is locked like it was in Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition, it simply doesn't support applets (it doesn't have such a feature) as the top Unity panel is not a Gnome panel.

However, if you have a Gnome panel applet that you just can live without (like CPU Frequency Scaling Monitor which you can see in my screenshot or Jupiter which is a must for a netbook), you can use a simple "hack" to use it: simply open a terminal and type:

gnome-panel

If you want it to start each time your computer boots, simply add it to your Startup Applications.

This should make both the top and bottom Gnome panels show up - you can delete one of them and/or move them wherever you want (top, bottom, right) and further tweak them so they don't interfere with the way Unity looks/behaves.

In my screenshot I've only kept the top panel which is set to autohide and "Expand" is unchecked. That means that my panel (which only holds one applet) will automatically hide and it will only take a few pixels of the top Unity panel when I need it.

Using a Gnome panel also means you'll get the ALT + F2 Run dialog back (nothing happens when you press ALT + F2 in the default Unity setup).

Idea thanks to garvinrick4 @ Ubuntuforums.

Window Applets 0.2.9 Finally Gets Emerald Support, Comes With 4 New Themes

Window Applets are 2 Gnome panel applets that display the window tile and buttons.

Because we got a lot of comments from people not understanding what Window Applets does, here's a short description (and a new screenshot - hopefully it's clear now): 

You can set Window applets to control only maximized windows (but Window Applets can control non-maximized windows too) and remove the maximized windows titlebar, thus gaining some extra vertical space, but still see the window title and control the windows using the Window Applets. Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook edition has something similar by default, but what's so great about Window Applets is that the Window Title and Window Buttons are 2 separate applets so you can place each wherever you want (like for instance: the Window Title in the middle of the panel and Window Buttons on the right, after the Session Indicator applet). 

Also, unlike the Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition applet, "Window Applets" supports themes for the buttons on the panel - and comes with a lot of themes by default, as well as many other customizations.

Window Applets 0.2.9

Window Applets 0.2.9 was released yesterday, adding 4 new themes: Blubuntu, Equinox Glass, Plano and New Hope. Also, starting with the latest version, Emerald is finally working with Window Applets.


Here are the complete Window Applets 0.2.9 release notes:

• Major code cleanups, rearangements and optimizations
• Added plaintext settings backend (enable by setting PLAINTEXT_CONFIG to 1)
• Fixed desktop detection (+ got rid of potential segfaults)
• Bugfix: hide_on_unmaximized causes buttons to not reappear if disabled when currentwindow not present
• Changed theme model from 16 to 24 images (added 2 new unfocused states) and made it backwards compatible
• Fixed Compiz detection for maximized windows. Coincidentally this also makes Emerald work
• Added new themes: Blubuntu, Equinox-Glass, Plano, New-Hope
• Bugfix: Ensure the title gets truncated if it runs out of space
• Forced the Expand option due to GTK+ bugs. It can be disabled in gconf-editor, but then you should also set a fixed title_size
• Bugfix: Icon padding wrong on different panel orientations

Install Window Applets 0.2.9 in Ubuntu

I've been waiting for T. Scott Barnes's Misc PPA to get an update with the latest Window Applets but unfortunately the update didn't came (yet) so I've uploaded the latest Window Applets 0.2.9 in the WebUpd8 PPA.

To add the WebUpd8 PPA and install Window Applets 0.2.9 (available for Ubuntu 10.04 and 10.10), use the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install gnome-window-applets

Then, right click the Gnome Panel, select "Add to panel" and add "Window Title" and "Window Buttons". The applets are set to only be displayed for maximized windows so for chaging their settings, maximize a window so you can actually see the applets, then right click each of the two applets and select "Prefereces", then set everything to suit your needs.

If the Window Buttons applet doesn't show up on the panel after the installation even when maximizing a window, run the following command:

killall gnome-panel

And it should then work.


For other Linux distributions, see Window Applets page @ Gnome Look.

Thanks to Hadret for the debianization! You can install Window Applets in Debian by using Hadret's repository.

DockBarX 0.40 Has Been Released

DockBarX 0.40 has been released last night, bringing the following changes:

• The default theme has changed. The new default theme DBX is made by BigRZA. It's made to look good with Radiance and Ambiance. (The old default theme is still included under the name Old.)
• Another theme by BigRZA, Sunny Colors is also included by default
• The theme Human bar is removed since it was pretty much an older version of the new default theme.
• Number of entries in recent and most used menus are increased to eight (for real this time).
• A few new languages and updates to translations.

(The new default theme in DockBarX 0.40)

For those who are not familiar with DockBarX: it's a taskbar with grouping and group manipulation which works as an applet for both the GNOME Panel (see the images above) and Avant Window Navigator (image below):

As usual, I've uploaded the latest DockBarX 0.40 in the WebUpd8 PPA, along with an updated extra themes package (it's required to upgrade to the latest dockbarx-themes-extra version if you've ever installed it or else you'll get an error when installing DockBarX) and the AWN applet. With this update, I've also uploaded packages for Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal (for all the DockBarX related packages).

To add the WebUpd8 PPA and install DockBarX and the extra themes, use the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install dockbarx dockbarx-themes-extra

To also install the Avant Window Navigator applet:

sudo apt-get install awn-applet-dockbarx

Install Gnome2 Globalmenu In Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat

Having so many posts on "global menus", you probably know by now what a "global menu" is. If not, take a look at the above screenshot.

Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition comes with a global menu (not Gnome2 Globalmenu but its own "global menu") which works with some Qt applications as opposed to Gnome2 Globalmenu, however Gnome2 Globalmenu is still better for GTK applications (for now anyway) as it allows far more customizations then the Ubuntu global menu. But this is not a post on pros and cons for these 2 applications but about installing Gnome2 Global menu in Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat.

You could already install Gnome2 Globalmenu in Ubuntu 10.10 but you had to manually download and install 4-5 .deb files which is not exactly user friendly. Besides, a new version was released a couple of days ago and it's not available in the Gnome2 Globalmenu PPA - reason for which I've decided to upload this new version (0.7.10 - unfortunately I didn't find any changelog for this version and also I don't see any visible new features) to the WebUpd8 PPA.

Install Gnome2 Globalmenu in Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat

Before installing, please note that the latest version - 0.7.10 -, does not come with XFCE packages anymore (that's because of the Gnome2 Globalmenu, not due to my packaging).

Important: I've experienced some issues with the Linux Mint 10 default theme (Mint-X theme) so if you want to use this theme, it's better not to install/upgrade to the latest Gnome2 Globalmenu! However, all the other themes I've tried worked!

1. Add the WebUpd8 PPA and install the latest Gnome2 Globalmenu, use the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install gnome-globalmenu

Or use Y PPA Manager to add the PPA :)

2. Restart the computer. Do not just log out - that won't work. And finally, right click the Gnome Panel, select "Add to panel" and add "Global Menu Panel Applet".


For older Ubuntu versions, you can use the Gnome2 Globalmenu PPA.

Panflute: Control Your Favourite Music Player From The Gnome Panel

Your favourite music player is not supported by the new Ubuntu 10.10 sound menu or not using Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat yet? Then try Panflute, a gnome Panel applet and daemon which can control whatever music player is currently running. It can play/pause/stop, display/rate songs, display artist/song title, song change notifications and more. Each of these can be removed from Panflute so you can show only the song info or controls that you want.

The latest Panflute 0.7 adds support for music players such as Clementine, Decibel, Pithos, and Qmmp along the already supported Amarok, Rhythmbox, Guayadeque, Audacious, Banshee, Exaile, Listen, MOC, Muine, Quod Libet, Songbird and VLC.

Panflute 0.7 also comes with an option to control the player volume, seek using the mouse scroll wheel on the time display and more.

To install the latest Panflute 0.7 in Ubuntu Karmic, Lucid or Maverick (from the official Panflute PPA), use the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kuliniew/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install panflute-applet

Then right click the Gnome Panel, select "Add to panel" and add Panflute.

[Thanks to LFFL!]

Window Applets 0.2.8 Released With 6 New Themes

Window Applets are 2 Gnome panel applets which can display the maximized window title and buttons on the panel (and hiding them on the actual window). This can be very useful for getting more vertical screen space for maximized windows (see the screenshot). Since this is separated into 2 applets, it means you can place the title and buttons independently, wherever you want on the panel.

Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition features a similar applet by default, however UNE 10.10 doesn't allow you to customize anything about it: you can move it around or use a different theme for the buttons - as opposed to Window Applets which comes with many default themes, allows you to customize the button order and other options.

The latest Window Applets 0.2.8 (which has been released yesterday) comes with 6 new themes: Radiance, WoW, Ambiance-X-Studio, Sorbet, Ambiance-Maverick, Radiance-Maverick, a new option to expand the applet and of course, bug fixes.

Install Window Applets in Ubuntu

There is a PPA which provides the latest Window Applets 0.2.8 for Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat and 0.2.7 for Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx (sorry, the Maverick version won't work in Lucid!):

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tsbarnes/misc
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install gnome-window-applets

Once installed, right click a Gnome panel, select "Add to panel" and search for "Window Buttons" and "Window Title", then add both of these applets to the panel. You can then right click the applets to select a new theme and tweak other settings.

DockBarX Gets Closer To Version 0.40 Stable (DockBarX 0.39.8 aka 0.40 RC, Released)

DockBarX is a taskbar with grouping and group manipulation which works as an applet for both the GNOME Panel and Avant Window Navigator. DockBarX 0.39.8 (codename 0.40 release candidate) has just been released, bringing 2 changes:

• The tooltip for pinned programs with no open windows shows name and description now, just as normal Gnome launchers do.
• The width of the window list frame is slightly smaller.

DockBarX 0.39.8 (0.40 RC) also fixes many bugs, including pinning WINE, MONO and KDE applications related bugs and so on. A complete list of changes is available @ DockBarX Gnome-Look page.

Install DockBarX and Avant Window Navigator DockBarX applet in Ubuntu

DockBarX has its own PPA but it hasn't been updated with the latest version and also that PPA doesn't have the AWN DockBarX applet.

But the WebUpd8 PPA has been updated with the latest DockBarX 0.40 RC (aka 0.39.8) and our PPA also provides the AWN DockBarX applet (thanks to Hadret!).

To install the latest DockBarX 0.40 RC (0.39.8) in Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala, 10.04 Lucid Lynx and 10.10 Maverick Meerkat, use the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install dockbarx dockbarx-themes-extra

The last command above will install DockBarX as well as a package which has a lot of extra DockBarX themes (thanks to T. Scott Barnes for this package!)

To install the Avant Window Navigator DockBarX applet (which you can see in the screenshot above) in Ubuntu, run the following command (make sure to also add the WebUpd8 PPA and install DockBarX as explained above):

sudo apt-get install awn-applet-dockbarx

Important: to use DockBarX with AWN, you obviously need to install AWN. See how to install Avant Window Navigator in Ubuntu.

Debian Repository for DockBarX and AWN DockBarX Applet

Hadret maintains a Debian repository for both DockBarX, the extra DockBarX themes and the AWN DockBarX Applet (among many other packages which include Nautilus Elementary, covergloobus, Gloobus Preview, deadbeef, Equinox Engine and themes, Faenza icon theme, Zeitgeist, Mint Menu, NotifyOSD and others - all for Debian). You can find instructions for adding and using Hadret's Debian repository @ http://hadret.rootnode.net/

How to enable live Window previews for DockBarX

To enable live window previews in DockBarX (like you can see in both screenshots in this post), you need to install CompizConfig Settings Manager:

sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager

Then go to System > Preferences > CompizConfig Settings Manager and enable the "KDE Compatibility" plugin (even if you're in GNOME), and also make sure all the "KDE Compatibility" plugin options are enabled. Then also enable window previews in DockBarX and it should work (Applications > Accessories > DockBarX Preference, on the "Popup Window" tab, check the "Show previews" option).

DockBarX is very close to the 0.40 final release. Please report any bugs you may find @ Launchpad

How To Reset The Gnome Panels, Compiz Settings And More

Sometime things break. It can be Compiz, the Gnome panels and so on. And if you cannot access their options, you cannot remove the faulty settings so one way to solve this would be to completely reset their settings.

But I've actually wrote this post for something trivial: because I receive A LOT of emails asking how to restore the sound icon (part of Indicator Applet) or some other Gnome Panel applets / indicators to their original state. Well, here it is:

Before reseting the Gnome Panel, if you just have some icon display issue, firstly try to restart the panel:

killall gnome-panel

If that fails, reset the Gnome Panels (will add both the Gnome panels and applets just like they were when you first intalled Ubuntu / other Linux distribution). Open a terminal and paste this:

gconftool-2 --recursive-unset /apps/panel
killall gnome-panel

To reset the Compiz settings, the command is similar:

gconftool-2 --recursive-unset /apps/compiz
compiz --replace

The "gconftool-2 --recursive-unset" command should work with any application which stores its settings in Gconf (to see them all, press Alt + F2 and enter: gconf-editor). But it will (obviously) only reset the settings stored in Gconf so if you reset the Rhythmbox settings for example, the library won't be removed. And since I brought Rhythmbox into discussion, here is how to reset its music database:

Ubuntu 9.10 and newer:

rm ~/.local/share/rhythmbox/rhythmdb.xml

Older Ubuntu versions:

rm ~/.gnome2/rhythmbox/rhythmdb.xml

Ubuntu Tweak also includes an option to reset the Gconf settings, starting with version 0.5.6.

Talika 0.50 Brings Changes To Icons, Pin Apps Via Drag And Drop, More

Talika is a GNOME Panel applet that lets you switch between open windows using icons. 

So what's new in Talika 0.50? The most important changes have been made to the icons such  as custom icons for the launchers (right click a launcher (pinned app), and select "Change icon)), better default icons, option to use monochrome icons and so on. The "Pin" feature has also received a lot of attention and you now have pin options for pinnable applications, support for pinning apps via drag and drop and better pinning support for OpenOffice and WINE apps.

Other changes in Talika 0.50 include options to show tasks from multiple monitors, lots of new UI customization options and many more.

Like you probably know, because Talika doesn't have an official Ubuntu PPA, we maintain one and the new Talika version has already been uploaded to the PPA so Ubuntu users (Karmic, Lucid and Maverick) can easily install Talika 0.50 using the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/talika
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install talika

Talika 0.50 is also available in the main WebUpd8 PPA.

If you're not using Ubuntu Karmic, Lucid or Maverick or not using Ubuntu at all, you can download Talika from HERE.

Latest DockBarX Finally Works In Ubuntu Karmic Again

This is just a small update to let Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala users know that the latest DockBarX finally works with Karmic again. M7S has done an amazing job, releasing quite a few DockBarX version the last week in which a lot of bugs were fixed.

Besides the bug which caused launching DockBarX to fail under Ubuntu Karmic, 2 other Karmic bugs were fixed (since the last Karmic working version): right clicking on group buttons / on DockBarX to launch the preferences.

We've uploaded the latest DockBarX 0.39.6.1 for Karmic (an also updated the Lucid and Maverick packages) in the WebUpd8 PPA, along with the DockBarX AWN applet and the extra themes. To install all of these, see THIS post.

DockBarX 0.39.5 Brings A New Related Files Context Menu Entry, Optimizations

DockBarX already had Zeitgeist integration, but the latest 0.39.5 brings a new "Related" context menu entry which is similar to the "Related" Avant Window Navigator applet so you can finally have this in DockBarX too, even if you don't use it in AWN:

This submenu contains files that has been used recently (within the same day) by programs other than the one the button belongs to, but can be opened by the program. Example: If you recently opened a picture in eog, you can open it in gimp by right clicking gimp's group button and finding the picture in the "Related" submenu. (Unless, of course, you've also opened the file in gimp recently, then you'll find it in the recent menu instead).

To be able to use this new feature, you will have to install Zeitgeist:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:zeitgeist/ppa && sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install zeitgeist libzeitgeist-1.0-0

Other changes in DockBarX 0.39.5:

• Recent and Most used works for OpenOffice now. It is a bit of a hack (technically, the submenu is populated with recent files that can be opened by OpenOffice instead of files recently opened by OpenOffice), so don't expect it to work perfectly.
• The number of items in "Recent" and "Most used" submenus has been increased to eight and the timespan from which the Resent and Most used files are searched are increased from 14 days to 30 days.
• Rules added for programs that couldn't be pinned automatically, like amarok 1.4 or thunderbird 2.
• Launching is more compatible with freedesktop standards. This means among other things that launching multiple files should work with most programs now.
• Launchers should be more stable now, since they no longer use different systems depending on if they were added by dragging an icon from gnome menu or by using "Pin application" option in the group button menu.

Install DockBarX In Ubuntu (Lucid and Maverick only - it fails to start in Karmic - sorry!):

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8 && sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install dockbarx

Then right click a GNOME panel and select "Add to panel", then add DockBarX. Also, remember that you can now access the DockBarX preferences by going to Applications > Accessories > DockBarX Preference.

You can also install a bunch of extra themes using the following command:

sudo apt-get install dockbarx-themes-extra

To use DockBarX in Avant Window Navigator, see this post.

If you're not using Ubuntu, download both DockBarX and the extra themes package from Gnome Look. There is also a Debian repository with the latest DockBarX thanks to Hadret.

Indicator Weather Update Brings Many Changes, Bug Fixes

The latest Weather Indicator (which we've covered here) 10.07.16 got a lot of changes:

• Extended forecast now displays temperatures with the right unit
• A Nice assistant has been made with an Ubuntu-ish first run mode
• Sunlight/Sunset support with day/night icons
• Autostart. The applet starts automatically on startup so you no longer need to start it manually each time
• The Applet can find your location for you
• Label support
• Many bugfixes

Also, better Ubuntu integration and couchdb support will come very soon.

Indicator Weather Setup Assistant

The application name changed from "weather-indicator" to "indicator-weather" so if you previously installed Weather Indicator, you stopped receiving updates for a while now so you must install the new application.

Install Indicator Weather in Ubuntu

To install Indicator Weather in Ubuntu, simply paste the following commands in a terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:weather-indicator-team/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install indicator-weather

Then you can start the initial setup assistant by going to System > Preferences > Weather Indicator Preferences.

Update January 16, 2011: I've replace the old PPA (which no longer exists) with a new PPA that provides new versions of Weather Indicator!

How To Use Cardapio Menu With Docky And Avant Window Navigator

Cardapio is a main menu replacement for GNOME which comes with a lot of useful features and plugins. It can run as a GNOME panel applet or as a stand-alone application.

This post will explain how to use Cardapio in Docky or Avant Window Navigator (thanks to a comment from tvst).

Before proceeding, make sure you have the latest Cardapio version:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:cardapio-team/unstable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install cardapio

1. Use Cardapio with Docky

To use Cardapio with Docky, simply paste the following command in a terminal:

gconftool -s --type string /apps/docky-2/Docky/Items/DockyItem/DockyItemCommand 'cardapio show-near-mouse'

Now clicking the Docky icon on the left of Docky will launch Cardapio.


In case you want to reset this, use the following command:

gconftool -s --type string /apps/docky-2/Docky/Items/DockyItem/DockyItemCommand ''

2. Use Cardapio with Avant Window Navigator (AWN)

To use Cardapio with Avant Window Navigator, right click on the desktop, select "Create launcher", under "Name" enter "Cardapio" and under "Command", enter:

cardapio show-near-mouse

You can also customize the icon: simply browse for any icon you want such as "/usr/share/pixmaps/gnome-gmenu.png" or whatever icon you want.

Now drag-and-drop the newly created launcher onto Avant Window Navigator.

Faster Cardapio

For both Docky and Avant Window Navigator: the first time you launch Cardapio, it takes some time to start but then it launches really fast. To make it work fast from the first time you launch it, create a new Startup Applications item (System > Preferences > Startup Applications), under "Name" enter "Cardapio" and under the command field, enter:

cardapio hidden

Thanks to tvst for the tip!

Sezen Applet Updated, Categories Now Displayed Horizontally

Just a small update: I've uploaded a new BZR build of the Sezen Applet to our Unreleased / Git builds PPA. If you install the Sezen Applet from our PPA, all you have to do is run:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

And then restart the GNOME Panel:

killall gnome-panel

If not, see the instructions in our initial post.


New in this Sezen Applet build:

• Sezen Applet will now show up as "Find" on the panel instead of "Library"
• The categories are now displayed horizontally for less ugliness and better usability
• The code has been synced with the stand-alone Sezen app

DockBarX 0.39.4 Released

DockBarX, a taskbar with grouping and group manipulation which works with both the GNOME Panel and Avant Window Navigator, reached version 0.39.4. The new version brings some WINE fixes: better pin and it now recognizes WINE application launchers automatically.

Another change in DockBarX 0.39.4 is the complete redesign of the preferences dialog which now takes less space so it's a lot more usable on a netbook.

Starting with this version, we won't support DockBarX in the WebUpd8 PPA - until now we did this because the official DockBarX PPA didn't package it for Karmic users but unfortunately the latest version doesn't work on Karmic (I have no idea why) thus packaging it ourself became useless.

Install DockBarX 0.39.4 (Ubuntu Lucid only!):

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:dockbar-main/ppa && sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install dockbarx

The DockBarX PPA now also provides a package of some amazing extra themes you can install using the following command:

sudo apt-get install dockbarx-themes-extra

To install DockBarX in Avant Window Navigator, see THIS post.