Creating Your Own Distributable Ubuntu DVD (Relinux)

This article is about how to create a DVD image of your machine with the exact same software included on the disk. This can be done using a software called Relinux. Relinux is a fork of the recently discontinued Remastersys.

1 Preliminary Note

The image created with Relinux can under no circumstances be greater than 4 GB, which is why you will need to exclude the home folder as well as possible other folders too big to include. Furthermore, at the time of this article’s writing Relinux is only compatible with GRUB2, needs an X11 display and installs metacity.

I have tested Relinux on Linux Mint 11 and it works properly on my machine.

I do not issue any guarantee that this will work for you!

Read more at HowtoForge

Bringing Ubuntu (GNOME) Classic To 12.04 LTS?

A discussion for Ubuntu 12.04 LTS has been ignited about bringing back an “Ubuntu Classic” option that would attempt to mimic the old GNOME 2.x experience. Meanwhile in the Fedora camp there is a discussion about a Unity desktop port to their distribution.

While Ubuntu’s Unity interface has come a long way since it made its full-on debut a year ago, it’s still not desirable to everyone. Likewise, GNOME 3.x is maturing, but not everyone is happy there with the radical changes from the GNOME 2.x desktop that many have become to know and love.

Read more at Phoronix

Orion: A New, Clear GTK 2/3 Theme

Orion is a new, clear GTK3 theme created by Satya, who’s also behind other beautiful GTK and GNOME Shell / Cinnamon themes like Evolve, Shine, Minty, Ambiance Blue and others.

The GTK3 theme is powered by the Unico GTK3 engine, comes with a modified Boomerang Metacity theme and is compatible with GTK 3.2 (both GNOME Shell and Unity). Orion also includes a GTK2 theme, for compatibility with GTK2 applications.

Read more at Ubuntu Vibes

Ubuntu swaps application menus for HUD control system

The Ubuntu operating system is to replace its application menus with a “head-up display” (HUD) box.

Users control the HUD interface by typing in the command they want carried out.

Developers of the Linux-based software say they will initially offer the HUD as an option, allowing users to “hide” their menu bars.

They say that using the HUD is faster than “mousing through a menu” and makes applications feel more powerful.

Read more at BBC

The Latest Ubuntu Interface: We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Menus!

Canonical’s Mark Shuttleworth is getting a lot of notice for a blog post he has up, that defends the Heads-Up Display (HUD) interface that the upcoming version 12.04 LTS version of Ubuntu will feature. Shuttleworth’s post characterizes the interface as a big new step for Ubuntu, and he offers a screenshot and a video illustrating it. Some users are guaranteed to balk at it, though, as it veers away from the menu-driven desktop computing interface that graphical operating systems have used for so many years.

Read more at OSTATIC

Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter Issue 249

Welcome to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter, Issue 249 for the week
January 16 – 22, 2012.

== Links to UWN ==

* Wiki page: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue249

== In This Issue ==

* Vacant Developer Membership Board seat: Call for nominations
* Java packages in Partner archive to be removed on 2012-02-16
* New Forum Council Members
* Ubuntu 12.04 Development update
* Results for the Americas Regional Membership Board Meeting January 19, 2012
* Ubuntu Stats
* LoCo News
* Launchpad News
* Forums News
* Syncing from Debian
* Ubuntu Certification – Website Improvements
* Let’s chat about Unity
* Community Team Goings On
* Hacking On Accomplishments
* Three Ways to Tweak Ubuntu Linux’s Unity Desktop
* Ubuntu TV vs. Google TV: Battle of the Linux-based Smart TV
* Get Your Own Private Ubuntu Cloud In 5 Days
* Lubuntu News Round-Up
* Full Circle Magazine – Python Special Edition Volume 03
* Full Circle Podcast Episode 28 A Year in Comedy
* Updates and Security
* And much much more!

Red Hat joins Ubuntu in patching Linux kernel exploit

Red Hat and Canonical have released patches for a vulnerability in Linux kernels 2.6.39 and above that enables attackers to gain root access on a system. Proof-of-concept exploit code was posted last week after “CVE-2012-0056″ was exposed — thanks to Linus Torvalds announcing a kernel patch before Linux distro projects had had time to apply it.

A kernel patch submitted on Jan. 17 by Linux overseer Linus Torvalds designed to repair a privilege escalation vulnerability quickly spawned the publication of proof-of-concept exploit code. The patch was publicized before Linux distro projects had time to apply their own patches — leaving any distro with Linux kernels 2.6.39 and above vulnerable to root access exploits.

Read more at LinuxDevices

Planet Ubuntu Update

Dear Ubuntu Community,

During UDS-P, it was brought to the attention of the Community Council that blogs being syndicated to Planet Ubuntu included former Ubuntu Member blogs.

In order to update the what Planet Ubuntu aggregates to the public, the Community Council, with the help of Alan Bell, compared the Planet Ubuntu Blog list with the current Ubuntu members list, and removed the blogs belonging to those with lapsed memberships. Current Ubuntu Members whose blogs are syndicated to Planet Ubuntu were then matched with their Launchpad IDs. We also want to remind everyone that the “nick” field of the planet config is for your Launchpad ID.

If you are an Ubuntu Member, and you feel your blog has been removed from Planet Ubuntu in error simply add your blog with the updated information back to Planet Ubuntu.

If your Ubuntu Membership has lapsed accidentally and your blog has been removed from Planet Ubuntu please contact the membership boards (ubuntu-membership-boards@lists.ubuntu.com) to be readded to the Ubuntu Members team and then simply add your blog with the updated.

More information on adding your blog to Planet Ubuntu can be found at: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PlanetUbuntu

If you have questions or concerns please feel free to email the Ubuntu Community Council at: community-council@lists.ubuntu.com

On behalf of the Ubuntu Community Council, Milo Casagrande

Ubuntu readies new Unity

With Ubuntu 12.04 scheduled for release in April 2012, the Ubuntu developers have released a test version of Unity 5.0, the newest version of Ubuntu’s desktop interface.

This release is still in development and not recommended for day-to-day use, but here are a few of the things you can expect if you decide to give Unity 5.0 a spin.

One of the most welcome changes to Unity are the improvements to the Launcher. Chief among these are additional options for rearranging icons on the Launcher and setting the Launcher’s behaviour, including making the Launcher ever-present on the desktop.

Read more at mybroadband

Linux for migrants: Zorin OS

Some Linux distributions try to find their own way in arrangement of the user desktop. Take, for example, Ubuntu with Unity. Whatever is your opinion about this Desktop Environment, you can’t deny that it brought some fresh ideas as to how to organize the user’s desktop.
At the other pole are Linux distros which intentionally adjust their look to something familiar to users of other operating systems, being it Windows or Mac. Zorin OS is one of those. The intent of such distros is to smooth the transition for users wishing to migrate from Windows to Linux.
Zorin OS exists in several options. Some of them are not free-of-charge, but there are some, namely Core, Lite and Educational, which are free.
This is not my first approach to Zorin OS. I have already written about Zorin OS 4 before. I enjoyed the system, although it lacked stability that time. Did it improve?

Read more at Linux notes from DarkDuck