Installing and Playing Nexuiz, the open-source multiplayer first person shooter.
With a selection of 240 community created maps and 9 weapons you will defiantly be satisfied with the First Person Shooter action. I haven't been able to stop playing Nexuiz since I started. If you are curious The logo is based on the Chinese character "力", meaning strength.
Installation/Running
Nexuiz is available in Synaptic but it doesn't give you the latest version. We will have to download the file from the official website. Since the program is multi-platform it is very easy to install and run.
1. Download the 376MB ZIP File from HERE and just save it to your Home Directory.
2.After the download is finished, right click the zip file and click extract here.
3.You should now have a folder Called Nexuiz in your Home Directory.
4.Open the folder and find the file called nexuiz-linux-glx.sh or something similar that matches your architechture, it is in the main folder.
5.Right click and choose Run In Terminal.
6. You should soon be greeted with the Nexuiz intro screen.
7. Hit escape to get the 3 menu's to open
8.First you must customize your character, this is done in the Multiplayer Pane, then the player setup tab
9. I suggest to practice with some bots yourself first. You can either play a single player game or click the create button to make a custom game of your own.
EDIT: There is also a .Deb available Here, if you want the easy route.
http://www.getdeb.net/search
TIPS!!!
I have been playing Nexuiz for about 8 months now and I am fully addicted, here are some things that I have learned that will help you out.
-Make keyboard shortcuts for your main weapons (rocket launcher, Nex or sniper)
-To add color to your name use ^1 ^2 and so on before your name, Example ^1 would be red
-Dont use foul language or be an asshat, use common sense and don't shoot your team mates.
-Use your resources to learn new things. Here are just a few
http://nexuizninjaz.com/
http://www.bddempire.com/xeno/
http://ouns.wikispaces.com/
-You will notice people will be jumping all over the place, this is done by shooting the laser at your feet to get a burst of energy to propel you forward. This can also be used with the rocket launcher and hagar. It uses allot of your health and armor. Laser uses roughly 20HP and rocket 80HP.
You can find more answers to your Nexuiz problems at the links above, or just do a Google search.There are various different servers with many types of game play. My favorite is CTF or capture the flag, it introduces team play and organization.
I have recently became part of a Clan. Clans allow you to be part of a dedicated team who trains and plays official matches with other Nexuiz Clans. You can find me [GT]CANADIANLINUX on GALTS GULTCH CTF. Make sure you have some spare time before you begin playing because you might be a while. Check out this video of my Team Captain [GT]SHAGGY who puts a large emphasis on SPEED.
My Top 5 applets for the python program Screenlets.
Installation
Screenlets is availble in the Universe Repository so you can just install it using Synaptic, search for screenlets. Or, you can get a .deb download at http://get-deb.net. After installation it is available in the gnome menu under Accessories>Screenlets.
My Favorite Applets.
5: Ring Sensors - Display various system information in a nice looking ring.
3: Main Menu - Displays a Gnome-Menu on your desktop that is very easy to navigate.
Tip: To have your screenlets applets startup automatically, in the screenlets manager window check the box for Auto Start on Login.
Installing Phun, the 2D physics sandbox game.
Installation
The easiest way to install Phun is going to http://getdeb.net/app/Phun and downloading the .deb for your version of Ubuntu. The version at the time I am writing this was 0.0.35. There are tutorials on the phun website at http://www.phun.at/
Quick Tip Saturday: Running multiple X sessions. Get to your desktop during fullscreen games!
I am going to post short "quick tips" every Saturday to go over small but important tricks and tips for Ubuntu, so come back every Weekend!
Today I am going to go over the ability to run multiple X sessions. Just as you can have multiple terminals (tty1, tty2....,tty6), You can have multiple instances of X (ctrl-a;t-F7, ctrl-alt-F8, Ctrl-Alt-F9). I know a few full screen games that wont allow you to get to the desktop without closing it.
Instructions
1. Make sure you have another user account created to switch over to.
2. Ensure that the User Switcher Gnome-Panel applet is added to the panel. If it isn't, right click on the panel and add it.
3.Click on the User Switcher icon, and choose another user account.
4.You will soon see your login screen, login with the other user account.
5.Once you are at the desktop you will be able to get back to your other desktop by pressing ALT-CTRL-F7 all at once, your screen will flash and you will be back to the original users desktop. On my system I pressed ALT-CTRL-F9 to get back to the newly created X session. It will be one of the ALT-CTRL-Function Key combinations.
This is very handy when you are in a full screen application or game and you want to check something online but don't want to close what you are doing. Interested in alternate desktops? Start a second X session, say Fluxbox, Openbox, IceWM, or XFCE. It really doesn't slow your system down too much having another X session running.
Have a nice weekend
Installing the Hotwire Graphical Terminal.
Hotwire is a GUI based terminal that uses auto completion to make long commands very easy. Hotwire is perfect for beginners as it provides a very easy to learn interface. It is also meant for advanced users who are already terminal experts. Its does not replace the Terminal completely but it will provide a more efficient process. Now a user doesn't need to memorize all the terminal commands to unleash its power. The user just has to launch a normal program and select what they want to do within it.
An example would be the "ls" command. When you type this into Bash or the Terminal you get a list of the contents of the present directory. Typing ls in Hotwire returns a window full of clickable contents, complete with sizes, modification times, ownership and permissions info, and even thumbnail icons. Nice efficient tool if you learn how to use it. There is a Windows port of hotwire as well.
Recently hotwire was added to the GNOME Desktop Environment section of the Universe Repository. So once again this installation will be simple. Fire up Synaptic, search for hotwire. After installation hotwire will be in the system tools section of the gnome-menu. I suggest to put a keyboard shortcut for hotwire. Check out the hotwire tutorial link that is in the main window of the program.
Battle of the Docks, Cairo Dock Vs Avant Window Navigator.
Ever since I have been using Linux it became default to install a dock for my desktop. I generally replace my window list that is usually in the gnome panel, with a dock. In order for the dock to have its clean finish you do need to have composite enabled (Compiz), There are many how-to's online that will guide you through a Compiz installation.
For a long time I have been using Avant Window Navigator or AWN and was very impressed with its clean look and all around feel. Just recently I gave Cairo Dock a try. The abandoned GNOME-Dock project which is similar to AWN but has its own unique feel. Here are screenshots of both of them running on my system with basic themes.
Both look pretty much the same "out of the box". However, I will go over the pros and cons for the overall functions of both docks.
Avant Window Navigator
Pros:
-Great default theme
-You can easily download new themes from http://gnome-look.org
-Preferences window has easy navigation.
-Tons of applets come in the extra-applets package
-I like the 3D turn effect available
-Very clean look
-It is a part of the Google Code project so it is very easy to get information.
-Only used about 3.5mb of RAM
Cons:
-Difficult at times to right click the bottom left corner for the preferences window to open up.
Cairo Dock
Pros:
-Comes with 11 themes by default.
-preferences with has very advanced features to tweak the dock in every way possible
-Comes with a very nice looking clock widget that has themes at gnome-look
-nice right click menu that has a great interface with lots of options.
Cons
-If it has additional themes, i didn't find any.
-Used more ram than AWN.
-Website for Cairo Dock is not as organized as the google project website for AWN.
-Overall look was not as nice.
After using both programs, i still like using Avant Window Navigator rather than Cairo Dock. Avant's applets are much better, and the custom themes from gnome-look are great. Cairo dock still seems a bit plain, like the Gnome Dock did. Each has a few things that the other doesn't, but overall AWN is the winner in my mind.
Installation
Avant is available in the Universe repository so just fire up Synaptic and search for avant. Make sure you download the applets as well.
EDIT: As noted by a developer in a comment to this post. The Awn developers have a Personal Package Archive (PPA). Check out that link for installation instructions too. Thanks for the information moonbeam. More information available at their wiki
Cairo Dock has a .deb package available Here, version 1.6.0.1 was the latest verion! Download the plug-ins .deb also.
EDIT: Thanks for the comment. Cairo's official website is HERE
More information on Cairo Here
Thanks for the support!
I greatly appreciate the feedback and the people who have been coming back to check out my new posts. I created an email address so everyone can email me with questions and more feedback. You can now contact me at ubuntusos@gmail.com for anything regarding my blog. Keep coming back as I will be improving the detail in my next posts and making. If you are interested in link exchanging with me let me know.
Using the "history" command to get a list of executed terminal entries.
This is a very simple terminal feature that can be very useful and save you plenty of time. When you need to execute a recently used command you could just simply hit the UP arrow to allows you to individually see your recent commands as you press the button. The history command is just an extension of the UP arrow, except you get a whole list of past entries listed by the date they were entered. Simply enter history in the terminal
I'm not sure how many entries it keeps by default, but for myself i was able to see the first command I entered upon installation of Hardy.
Bash also allows for incremental search on the history list. Use
ctrl+r for a backward/reverse search or ctrl+s to perform a forward search. As you type the first few letters of the command, the last command from the history list that matches with your string would be displayed.Checkout http://www.ss64.com/bash/history.html for full information on expanding the history command.
Enabling and using the Skydome effect for Compiz Fusion.
I enjoy having compiz enabled on my desktop anytime I am not using 3D applications. A cool feature of compiz that im sure everyone has seen before is the Cube Effect see mine below.
Enabling Skydome
First we obtain a good skydome image, you could create your own if you wanted to. A good source for everything Gnome is Gnome-Look. Search for Skydome, the images are under the Compiz section. Save a Skydome like this one to your hard drive.
Now open the Compiz Setting Manager. If installed it should be located in the gnome-menu under Preferences (if not installed VIA Synaptic). Once you open the window we are going to make sure that both the Desktop Cube and Rotate Cube effects are enabled. Click on Desktop Cube to edit the settings.
Under Skydome Image browse hard drive for the saved Skydome image. Make sure the checkbox is checked to enable it. Now when you hold ALT+CLRL and drag the mouse (default key bind) You will see an animated background. Play around with zoom, speed...etc in Desktop Cube and Rotate Cube, to get the perfect effect.
Check up on system procesess with Htop.
Htop is an interactive process viewer for Linux. It gives you detailed information such as CPU and RAM usage of your running processes. It becomes a very handy tool to make sure your system performing well. It is very similar to the top command only it gives much more information. The comparison from Htop Sourceforge website:
Comparison between htop and top
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Installation
Htop is easy to install as it is a Utility in the Universe Repository. Open Synaptic Package Manager and search for htop. After installation you can use Htop by entering htop in a Terminal, there is also a gnome menu enty under System Tools.
Quickly terminate any application that isn't responding with Force Quit.
There is a great feature that comes default in Ubuntu and Gnome called Force Quit. It happens to everyone, once in a while certain applications become unresponsive and freeze (ie..Firefox... ). Instead of opening up your System Monitor, looking for the process and killing it. In 2 clicks you can have this application terminated. Force Quit is an icon that goes on your gnome menu like I have below.
Installation
To add this icon Right click on the main part of your gnome panel and choose Add To Panel. Look for Force Quit and click add. Thats it!!! Now whenever a program freezes click this icon and then click inside the window of the application you want to terminate.
How to create and restore a list of all installed applications.
Today I am going to go over a method of getting all your applications back before you go ahead and reinstall/format. It is not an application itself, its just a command entered into the terminal. Im sure everyone has reinstalled their Ubuntu desktop before and had to do some hard thinking to get everything back. Open a terminal by clicking on the Gnome menu > Accessories > Terminal. This command bellow creates an output file in the present working directory called installed software.
Enter this command in the Terminal as I have bellow.
dpkg --get-selections > installed-software
For me the file that was created will be located in my home directory. Put this file somewhere safe because you will need it to restore the packages on a new installation!
Restoring
Lets say you reinstalled your system and now want all your Applications back. Copy the installed-software file to your new system home folder VIA a USB key or external HD of some kind. Open a Terminal and type this command when the installed software file is in the present working directory (ie...Home). You can edit the list to add or remove selected packages too.
dpkg --set-selections < installed-software
When its done, follow it with;
apt-get dselect-upgrade
Installing gFTP, the efficient FTP Client for Linux.
gFTP is a lightweight FTP client written in C using GLib and GTK+. It has both a terminal and GUI option to make everybody happy. I prefer gFTP over other clients like filezilla due to its simple look and its easy navigation and setup. Another great thing about gFTP is that it is licenced under the GNU Public License Agreement.
gFTP features
-simultaneous downloads,
-resuming of interrupted file transfers,
-file transfer queues,
-downloading of entire directories,
-FTP and HTTP proxy support,
-remote directory caching,
-passive and non-passive file transfers,
-drag-n-drop support,
-bookmarks menu,
-support FXP transfers,
-stop button, and many more features.
Installation
gFTP is in the network section of the Universe Repository so installation is easy. Open synaptic package manager and search for gftp. After installation look in you gnome-menu under Internet > gFTP.
The preferences window is available under the FTP menu > Options, it makes all you FTP needs easy to configure.
Installing the new 0.5 release of Gnome Do
Gnome Do is if you don't know already is a launcher program for Linux. It is very similar to popular Quicksilver on the Mac. Using a keyboard shortcut you can quickly access basically anything you need. With the addition of plug-ins, Gnome Do is a powerful machine!
These are just the official plug-ins.
With the new version of Gnome-Do, the main improvement is the addition of the preferences menu. It makes enabling and disabling features a breeze.
Installation
First you need to edit the /etc/apt/sources.list file. Open a Terminal and type;
sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list
When the text editor opens scroll to the bottom of it and add these lines to the document.
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/do-core/ubuntu hardy main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/do-core/ubuntu hardy main
Save and Exit the sources.list file. Now we must update the list. We can do by going back to the Terminal, type these commands.
sudo aptitude update
Now install Gnome-Do
sudo aptitude install gnome-do
When finished you will have gnome-do in your gnome menu under Accessories >GNOME Do
I also suggest to add gnome-do to you startup list. The default key to open Gnome Do is Super+Space Bar or Windows Key+Space Bar. Right click on the upper right corner of the gnome do GUI and click Preferences. Check the option to Start Gnome Do at login. The other theme "glass frame" looks nice too. Check out the development website at
http://do.davebsd.com/
Using EasyTAG to Edit ID3 tags for various media.
EasyTAG is a utility for viewing and editing tags for MP3, MP2, MP4/AAC, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MusePack, Monkey's Audio and WavPack files. Its simple and nice GUI makes tagging easier. Very usefull program I have been using for my music files.
Installation
Once again this is an easy installation, EasyTAG is in the multimedia section of the repository. Just open synaptic package manager and search for easytag. After installation you can find EasyTAG in your gnome menu under Sound and Video > EasyTAG
Changing startup settings with Startup-Manager
Startup-Manager or SUM is an easy to use interface used to configure some settings for grub and splash screens. It can be a long and touchy job when manually editing grub and usplash files. Startup-Manager simplifies the process, but be careful, you are running the program as a root user. Just make sure you know what you are doing before you change anything. Most features are straightforward.
Overall the features include
-Timeout in Seconds of Bootloader
-Default Operating System to load
-Display Resolution of GRUB.
-Bootloader appearance settings such as backround and colors
-Protect GRUB with a password
-Number of kernels to show
-Enable/disable memtest86+
-Change usplash design
Installation
This program is easy to install as it is available in the utilities section of the universe repository. So as long as it is enabled (which it should be) just open synaptic package manager and search for startupmanager. After installation the program is found in the gnome-menu under Administration
How-To install and use Checkgmail.
Checkgmail is a small program that automatically checks the status of your gmail account. It installs an icon on your system tray that changes from grey to red when you have new mail. It is fast, secure and uses minimal bandwidth via the use of Atom feeds.
Each message can be opened directly in a browser window, and many common email operations can be carried out on messages directly within Checkgmail, without the need to use the Gmail website. The GUI preferences window makes configuration easy. As you can see below there are many different options available.
Installation
Installation is easy as it is in the email section of the multiverse repository. Just open up synaptic package manager and search for gmail. When the installation is finished you should have a new icon in your gnome menu under Internet>Checkgmail. To get the application to start up every time you log in we need to edit the sessions menu. Click on your gnome menu. Go to Preferences>Sessions and click the add button in the right corner. Enter checkgmail for the Name, and checkgmail as the Command as I have bellow.
Welcome to Ubutnu-SOS
This is my go at an Ubuntu blog, I will try to add a new post to it at least 3 times a week. I've been a Windows user since the Windows 3.1 days. Over the past few years I have migrated to a 100% Ubuntu user. The features Linux and Ubuntu amazed me and I am excited to share this information. Come back frequently to read my informative How-To's and articles to keep updated in the world of Ubuntu.
