Tweaking Ubuntu Netbook Remix 10.10 on a Dell Mini 9
I recounted the installation yesterday.
I am not a big fan of desktop environments. I also don’t like the “remix” style desktop, with the huge icons and the automatically maximized application windows (see the pictures in yesterday’s post).
I use my netbook as a small laptop, not as a big padtop. I commonly run at least three applications, sometimes more, and prefer a standard interface in which I can easily switch between applications.
My first tweak was to download and install the wicd network manager (commonly pronounced “wicked”). It far outperforms the default Gnome Network Manager. Wicd loads more quickly and is more reliable.
In particular, at least on this netbook (I’m using it right now), Gnome Network Manager did not want to connect to a wireless network unless I also used the Gnome desktop. If I restarted the computer, I would have to start up Gnome, connect to the wireless network, then exit Gnome and return to Fluxbox until the next restart or power off. (No, I don’t understand why, but it was mildly inconvenient.)
Wicd reliably connects regardless of the destop environment or window manager I use.
Here’s a picture of the wicd connection dialog under Fluxbox (the background is a picture I took during our one Virginia Beach snowfall last year):
Once I verified that wicd was working, I removed the Gnome Network Manager. (Wicd had disabled it, but I wanted it gone.)
In addition to wicd and Fluxbox, I downloaded and installed
- Konqueror, to use as a file manager because it handles networking better than the default Nautilus file manager,
- the GIMP image editor, which is no longer part of the default installation but should be (the GIMP is also available for Windows and Mac; excellent video tutorials are at Meet the GIMP).
- Kolourpaint, which I find far superior to default Gnome Paint program.
- KSnapshot, a screenshot program which is more versatile than its GNOME equivalent.
- the Opera browser, which I have discussed extensively here,
- Gkrellm, a system monitoring tool, and
- Xscreensaver, removing the Gnome screensaver, which is exceedingly lame.
I also restored my home folder and my Fluxbox configuration files from the backup on my file server.
Here’s a shot of the Fluxbox menu with Gkrellm running in the slit, with my restored menu and transparency settings:
After all this, I have used only 3,967,704 of 26,913,012 1k blocks or 16% of the drive and have a fully functional installation with multiple browsers, graphics programs, an office suite, and all kinds of other good stuff.
I know I shall do a little more tinkering. In particular, I’m trying other email programs. I’m still loyal to Opera’s M3 for mail, but, since this is not my primary email computer, I am experimenting with slimming down the load I place on Opera by moving mail to another application.