Linux Mint, not Ubuntu, is the most popular Linux distribution?

By 7 Comments

The Best Linux Distribution?

One always wonders which Linux distribution is best. Answer to this question is really very different as it depends upon the likes of person. Some people like core Linux which is more command line oriented while some want Linux to be usable by humans :)

Ubuntu and Linux Mint fall in the category of easy to use and ideal for beginners to learn Linux. Since these are preferred by beginner level user, these are very popular. But who is popular them all? Well, till now Ubuntu used to be the most popular Linux distribution but it seems that Linux Mint have taken the top position from Ubuntu.

Who decides the most popular Linux distribution?

According to distrowatch.com (a website keeping a tab on different Linux distribution) Linux Mint took the first position this week. The data are calculated by page visit of the related distribution website which (some reader) might not take for granted as the measure of popularity but one should remember that distrowatch.com is a respected website and is considered as a reliable source on the distribution measurement.

Here is what was shown on the distrowatch.com

It would be interesting to see that how long Mint stays at the top position.

What could be the reason for the downfall of Ubuntu?

It is not a secret that Ubuntu’s decision to stick with Unity has irked its loyal user and Unity, not being the typical desktop environment, has also scared off the new Linux users. Now when Ubuntu has added the option of Gnome shell, in my opinion, it should get back its lost glory.

Which Linux distribution in your opinion is the best?

How To Install Gnome 3 in Ubuntu 11.10

By Leave a Comment

April 2011 saw a change in Ubuntu where it launched Unity instead of Gnome as its default desktop environment. That did not went down well with many users who wanted to use the newly launched Gnome 3 in Ubuntu. Ubuntu 11.04 did not provide support to Gnome 3 officially. Enthusiast users did find a way to install Gnome 3 though but it resulted in breaking the Unity environment completely which means that a user could have used either Unity or Gnome 3 not both. [Read more…]

How to upgrade to Ubuntu 11.10 Beta from Ubuntu 11.04

By Leave a Comment

Pic Courtsey: uniquetipsonline.com

Ubuntu released the second beta version of Ubuntu 11.10 OneiricOcelot last week. Final version is scheduled to release on 13 October 2011. 11.10 has some compelling improvements over its predecessors 11.04. If you want to be one of the early followers and want to upgrade it, follow the instructions below:

  • Press Alt+F2 to open the command box
  • Type “update-manager -d” (without the quotes)
  • Please mind the space between manger and -d
  • Update Manager should open up and tell you: New distribution release ‘11.10’ is available.
  • Click Upgrade and follow the on-screen instructions.

Enjoy Ubuntu 11.10.

Sources: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/OneiricOcelot/TechnicalOverview/

Related articles

Ubuntu 11.10 Release Schedule

By 1 Comment

The Ubuntu lovers might want to synchronise their calendar with Ubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot) release schedule which goes as follows:

June 2nd, 2011 – Alpha 1 release
July 7th, 2011 – Alpha 2 release
August 4th, 2011 – Alpha 3 release
September 1st, 2011 – Beta 1 release
September 22nd, 2011 – Beta 2 release
October 13th, 2011 – Final release of Ubuntu 11.10

Ubuntu 11.10 is the 15th Ubuntu operating System. And like 11.04 it will have Unity as its desktop environment.

How to solve: No wireless network in Ubuntu 11.04 : Centrino Wireless-N 1000

By 52 Comments

Official Ubuntu circle with wordmark. Replace ...
Image via Wikipedia

Wireless and Ubuntu never go hand in hand. No version of Ubuntu has worked out of box for all wireless hardware. This post is meant for people who has Centrino Wireless-N 1000 wireless adapter. If you do not know what is the make of your hardware, follow this link: Know your Network Adapter.

If your network Adapter is of Broadcom BCM 43XX series, you may want to follow this link: Wireless problem with Broadcom in Ubuntu 11.04

Problem Detection:

Now if you are still here I assume that you have a Centrino Wireless adapter from Intel. Run the following command:

 sudo rfkill list 
1: phy0: Wireless LAN
    Soft blocked: yes
    Hard blocked: no
2: acer-wireless: Wireless LAN
    Soft blocked: yes
    Hard blocked: no

Instead of acer-wireless, there may be other result as well. If it says Soft blocked: YES that means the wireless is turned off in software. Follow these solutions.

Solution 1:

If you are connected to Ethernet (Wired Network) disconnect it and type this command:

sudo rfkill unblock all 
sudo rfkill list all

Solution 2: 

If the above command does not solve the problem. Try with this command (replace the acer with your result in previous command output ):

sudo rmmod -f acer-wmi 
sudo rfkill unblock all 
sudo rfkill list all

Make the changes permanent:

If the above mentioned solution worked then you might want to make it permanent by amending a few lines in the configuration file so that you don’t need to type these commands again and again on each boot. Type the following commands (again replacing “acer”): 

sudo su 
echo "blacklist acer-wmi" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf 
exit

Hopefully this works for you all! Questions, suggestions and feedbacks are welcomed. If you liked the post then please acknowledge it by liking/voting/commenting on the post. Enjoy :)

Sources: Ubuntu Forums

Related articles

How to shutdown the computer in Gnome 3 on Ubuntu 11.04

By 12 Comments

The new and dashing looking Gnome 3 is really a treat to eye-candy lovers. With the obvious improvements there are some changes as well in the Gnome3. One of those major changes is the turn off or shut down option. In previous version the shut down option was on the top right corner, under the user name drop down. In the new version it seems that Gnome has replaced this option. True to an extent. Because the options you will see in the drop down is Lock Screen, Switch User, Log Out, Suspend but no Turn off option.

The Trick: Click on the top right corner (user name) and press Alt. Now you can see that Suspend option has been changed to Power Off… When you click on this Power Off, it gives you the option of Cancel, Restart and Power Off.

Alternate: As suggested by fdeschape:

  • open UBUNTU SOFTWARE CENTER
  • search for “gnome-shell-extensions-alternative-status-menu”
  • install it and then log out and log back in
  • It will be there in status menu

If you liked the post, don’t forget to rate/like the post. Its a token of appreciation that helps me in keeping my enthusiasm. Feedback, suggestions and a simple word of thanks is more than welcomed. Enjoy :)

See Also:

Related articles

How to install Gnome 3 on Ubuntu 11.04

By 29 Comments

The default desktop in Ubuntu 11.04 is its own Unity. While some people liked Unity, many just don’t like it in comparison to good old GNOME. The latest version GNOME 3 has been released and is supported by Fedora 15 and OpenSUSE. While Ubuntu has decided to stay away from GNOME, it does not mean that you cannot enjoy the new, sleek and smart-looking GNOME 3. In looks I found GNOME 3 better than Unity. While in functioning (in my opinion) both are similar. GNOME3 can be installed by means of an external PPA.

Follow these simple steps to install Gnome 3:

Installing the GNOME3:

Open the terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and type the following command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gnome3-team/gnome3

Now run this command to update the system:

sudo apt-get update

Now upgrade the system with the following command:

sudo apt-get upgrade

Use the following command to install Gnome 3 shell:

sudo apt-get install gnome-shell

Running the GNOME3:

Restart your computer. While at login (after clicking the user name and before entering the password), form the bottom of the desktop, out of various available options like Ubuntu, Ubuntu Classic etc choose Gnome Shell. If you choose Ubuntu you will still be in Unity, not in GNOME. Here is a snapshot of my GNOME3 desktop.

A word of warning:

This installation of GNOME3 may break the Unity system. Don’t panic. A simple un-installation of GNOME3 will fix the problem.

Uninstall GNOME3:

Uninstalltion of GNOME3 is done by running the following command:

sudo apt-get install ppa-purge sudo ppa-purge ppa:gnome3-team/gnome3

To get rid of the Ugly themes:

As suggested by a reader staticvoid if you don’t want to be greeted by ugly themes when your pc restarts do:
sudo apt-get remove gnome-accessibility-themes
sudo apt-get install gnome-themes-standard

If you liked the post, don’t forget to rate/like the post. It is a token of appreciation that helps me in keeping my enthusiasm. Feedback, suggestions and a simple word of thanks is more than welcomed. Enjoy :)

See Also:

How to: Automatically mount a Windows partition in Linux on each start-up
How to solve: No wireless networks in Ubuntu 11.04
How to know if I’m running 32 bit or 64 bit Ubuntu?
How to extract .tar.bz2 and .tar.gz file in Linux