Ceci est une ancienne révision du document !
Q What consequences are there if I run Dolphin or GwenView (both are designed for KDE and are provided in Kubuntu), on the standard Ubuntu with the Unity desktop?
A (Thanks to SeijiSensei in the Ubuntu Forums) Installing the first KDE program will bring in a lot of additional libraries because KDE relies on a different toolset, Qt. That said, on any reasonably modern computer, you'll have sufficient disk space to store those libraries, and performance should be on a par with running a full KDE system like Kubuntu.
Q Is there a simple software that can make audio sound files (like a 20Hz sine wave)? I need to create tones to test speakers.
A (Thanks to Autodave in the Ubuntu Forums) Audacity can do that. Go to Generate and then Tone. You can input the frequencies that you want into the box. It defaults to a 30-second recording, but you can also change that.
Q In order to install VLC, I need an Ubuntu One Account, which I have. But, Software doesn't recognize my account at all.
A (Thanks to howefield in the Ubuntu Forums) If this is the screen (see image) that you are getting, then it is the snap version that you are trying to install. The difference between this and the .deb package version is that the snap version is a “daily” snapshot of the software, while the deb package is the version released with 16.04 last year.
Please note in the screenshot that there are 2 icons for VLC. Revealing the details for each would show one marked as the “daily” version, in other words the snap package. It won't install without an SSO account, which, in any event, will fail due to a current bug regarding installing snaps from the Software Centre. You can use the command line:
sudo snap login xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.com
[sudo] password for you:
Password: (This is the SSO password)
Login successful
snap install vlc
vlc (stable) daily from 'videolan' installed
Q I'm looking for a wireless keyboard and mouse for use with a home theater PC running Ubuntu 16.04 that will work from a distance of ten to fifteen feet.
A (Thanks to mgarrett682 in the Ubuntu Forums) I ended up going with the Logitech MK235 keyboard/mouse combo. It works exceptionally well from twice as far as the old Microsoft keyboard/mouse combo did with the old Microsoft 10 htpc.
Top questions at Askubuntu
If you are nervous about clicking on a short goo.gl URL, you can get information about it quite easily. Copy the URL, paste it into your browser's address bar, and add a plus-sign. Now goo.gl will tell you where it goes, as well as statistics about its use. (Thanks to askleo.com for the tip.)
* Script or function to return how many days from now until a given date https://goo.gl/Vax50k
* Is an internal HDD with Ubuntu automatically bootable from an external USB case? https://goo.gl/cKjaOl
* How do I install old programs saved from Windows? https://goo.gl/3jCvpY
* Open Ubuntu Browser from Terminal https://goo.gl/M4nR2G
* Will Ubuntu automatically adjust to the leap second at the end of the year (2016)? https://goo.gl/UYRMnU
* How do I install Python 3.6 using apt-get? https://goo.gl/JTDoik
* Why doesn't my Wi-Fi adapter show up as wlan0 in 16.04? https://goo.gl/20WGfQ
* Can I access the originating $USER variable from within a script run with `sudo`? https://goo.gl/t5v14V
* Why are desktop folders suddenly showing file dates? https://goo.gl/mqsGew
Tips and Techniques
Cutting the Cord
For some time, I have been thinking that my satellite TV subscription costs more than it’s worth. Then they told me about a further price increase!
Therefore, my current project is “cutting the cord,” which is only slightly related to Linux.
My TV viewing includes news, business news, sports, political satire, and kids' shows for my ward. I don't watch any scripted comedy or drama, so I have no interest in Netflix, for example.
News, business news and kids' shows are widely available on the Internet. The political satire I enjoy is carried on channels which broadcast “over the air” (OTA) in my area. Sports are broadcast on radio. I seldom sit and watch sports; mostly I turn up the sound and do something on my computer while the game is playing.
So “cutting the cord” required a few steps: • I contacted my ISP to get a faster Internet connection, • I used some Amazon gift certificates to buy a Sennheiser wireless headset, model RS 135, to use with my radio receiver, • I built an antenna to receive OTA broadcasts, • I bought an “Android TV Stick,” specifically a Sunvell T95K Pro Android 6.0 TV Box. It has not yet arrived, but I'm very hopeful about its performance, • I cancelled my TV subscription.
I seriously considered getting the latest Raspberry Pi rather than the Android TV Stick. However, a fully-functional version of the Pi actually costs more, and offers lower performance. The Stick has Kodi for playing my existing videos, and Youtube for new content.
It's still a work-in-progress, so I will give a future update. Can I actually save money without losing anything significant? Stay tuned.