Tutorial of the Week

[K.Mandla]

This week's star is another oldie-but-goodie -- tseliot's "HOWTO: Kernel Compilation for Newbies."

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=56835

This is one of the longest-running kernel compilation threads in the forum, and it comes from a highly repuatable and knowledgable member. It's a great place to start learning about the core element of your Ubuntu system, and how to modify it to your liking.

Thanks to alloftheabove for nominating it.

Cheers!

[K.Mandla]

This week's selection is a massive treatise on what seems like the simplest of topics -- the Fluxbox right-click menu. But as RedSquirrel shows in "HOWTO: get a Fluxbox menu (and customization)," there's a lot more to a good Fluxbox menu than just a single click.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=371144

This is a particularly useful howto, with lots of code boxes, screenshots, colored-text subsections and step-by-step instructions. If you've ever wanted to use Fluxbox, or just wanted a better menu, you'll like this tutorial.

See you in a week!

[K.Mandla]

This week's tutorial dives straight to the core of your Ubuntu system in the cryptically-yet-aptly-named tutorial "HowTO Ubuntu System," pieced together by ajmorris.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=842307

In what is quite possibly the longest post in the forum (that doesn't involve nesting quote tags, of course ), ajmorris describes a horde of common terminal commands and what they'll do for you in your Ubuntu system.

This is definitely one of those tutorials you'll want to skim through, then bookmark for later. It's also something that newcomers and gurus will appreciate, since chances are it has some new-to-you stuff in it. Take a look, and then punch the thank-you button. Putting the list together was a saintly act in and of itself.

See you next week.

[K.Mandla]

This week's tutorial pick is another attempt to lure you away from run-of-the-mill desktop environments. ~LoKe's "HOWTO: Set up AwesomeWM 2.1" is a great tutorial on setting up a tiled window manager, and how to adjust it to your personal style.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=678902

Tiling window managers aren't for everyone, but they do have an appeal to the space-conscious, and to fans of desktop efficiency. And as ~LoKe's screenshots show, it's far from boring. Try it out and see if it tickles your fancy.

Cheers!

[K.Mandla]

This week's highlighted tutorial is definitely in the cool-stuff-you-can-do-with-Ubuntu category: easybake's "HOWTO: Use your webcam feed as a wallpaper using Xwinwrap."

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=883176

In the tutorial, easybake gives (wait for it ...) easy instructions on how to pipe your webcam input into MPlayer, through Xwinwrap and display the results on your Compiz-enabled desktop. Threads like this are the reasons you use Linux!

easybake's instructions are also neatly presented with code boxes and step-by-step instructions, which means setup should be a breeze for newbies and veterans alike.

Enjoy!

[K.Mandla]

This week's pick is a fantastic collection of customization tips -- LinuxIsInnovation's "HOWTO: Customize Ubuntu A-Z."

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=856190

Aside from that, the thread needs no further explanation -- just take a look at the screenshots. If you want your desktop to truly express your individuality, get started with some of the ideas LinuxIsInnovation shares. There will be something there you like.

Cheers!

[K.Mandla]

Better late than never, this week's tutorial pick is an unusual one, and one that requires specific hardware. Specifically, it's "HOWTO: Wii remote in Ubuntu 8.04," by Rhubarb.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=836231

In a very clean and organized tutorial, Rhubarb explains how to set up a Wii remote as a mouse or pointer for an Ubuntu Hardy system. Provided you own a Wii (or perhaps just a remote), it should be fun to set this up, and maybe even useful at times. Either way, it's a good example of a proper tutorial.

Enjoy!

[K.Mandla]

The tutorial of the week for Sept. 15, 2008, is a cool trick that allows networked machines to share a scanner -- PhrankDaChickenGeek's "How To: Share a Scanner over the network":

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=679028

Phrank's instructions for setup are easy to follow, and the thread is receiving regular updates. If you have a networked machine with a scanner to share, this might be just the thing you were looking for.

Cheers!

[K.Mandla]

This week's tutorial selection is very fresh -- it's memorygap's "HOWTO: Animated .gif as a background."

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=926519

It's a simple trick that will require a little elbow grease to work, but it's another nifty thing you can do with your desktop. And memorygap's instructions are clean and easy to follow, with plenty of code boxes and steps to help newcomers and experienced users get it installed.

Enjoy!

[K.Mandla]

If you like dark themes, and you're a Firefox user, you'll enjoy the tutorial of the week for Sept. 29, 2008. It's element_G's "HOW TO: Firefox 3 and dark themes":

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=873486

This is another good example of a brief but useful tutorial that is neatly arranged and easy to follow. If you don't care for whiter, brighter Firefox themes, or if you want something to build your own theme from, this thread might be useful to you.

See you next week!