Questions related to configuration of Ubuntu software.
93
votes
10answers
55k views
How do I reset my Unity configuration?
I've been messing around with Unity and broke something, how do I "start over"?
46
votes
12answers
109k views
How do I add a DNS server via resolv.conf?
Is /etc/resolv.conf useless in 12.04?
I see that DNS server info is stored in Network Manager now. The nmcli command line tool can list that for you.
If I want to add one more dns server, will ...
42
votes
6answers
8k views
Prevent gedit from creating files with the '~' (tilde) suffix
I have observed that in gedit if I edit a file, another file is created in the same directory (the one with the same filename and a '~' suffix). The extra file remains even if I close gedit.
I ...
37
votes
5answers
32k views
How do I modify the power options?
When I press the power button a dialog opens, but I want to shutdown the system without receiving "Do you really really want to shutdown?". How can I choose a direct shutdown action on a pressed power ...
34
votes
5answers
29k views
How do I configure Unity 2D?
There are several options to configure Unity 3D via "CompizConfig Settings Manager" respectively its "Ubuntu Unity Plugin".
But how do I access Unity 2D's settings?
If you are looking to ...
32
votes
5answers
38k views
How do I reset GNOME to the defaults?
I was playing around with some settings, and now I need to reset GNOME to it's defaults - how do I do that?
27
votes
4answers
24k views
How do I enable auto-login in LightDM?
I want user foo to auto-login using LightDM (which has been used by Ubuntu since version 11.10). How would I do that?
26
votes
7answers
1k views
What precautions should I take when exposing my desktop directly to the internet?
I've always used my Ubuntu desktop behind the security of a router with NAT, but there have been a few times when I've had to plug it directly into an active cable modem.
In general, what precautions ...
26
votes
4answers
2k views
How do I configure Ubuntu for a public computer?
How would you set up Ubuntu on a computer that will be used as public computer in a library?
I need the following features and user restrictions:
On boot, a guest user should automatically be ...
23
votes
9answers
2k views
How to keep “dot files” under version control?
Etckeeper is a great tool for keeping track of changes to your configuration files in /etc A few key things about it really stand out. It can be used with a wide variety of VCSs: git, mercurial, ...
21
votes
0answers
1k views
How can I most easily migrate all my apps and settings from one Ubuntu install to another? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How to migrate user settings and data to new machine?
I'll be setting up 10.04 on three computers and don't want to go through and manually download and configure all ...
20
votes
6answers
16k views
How to set VLC as default video player?
Can't seem to set VLC as the default video player. I have gone to System Settings -> System Info -> Default Applications, and changed "Video" to VLC media player.
However, all movies still open with ...
18
votes
3answers
11k views
How do I install Ubuntu-Tweak?
I have heard a lot about Ubuntu-Tweak and how it is great for power users, but I don't know how to install it.
How do I do that?
17
votes
2answers
3k views
Is there any GUI tool for Upstart
Is there currently any GUI based application to show currently running services, with buttons to start and stop services?
It doesn't necessarily need to be able to set boot up behaviour.
17
votes
0answers
999 views
Safe way to rename my computer/hostname? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How do I change the computer name?
I'd like to rename my computer. What's the recommended way to do this? Is there anything likely to break after I rename it?
16
votes
7answers
21k views
How do I get permissions to edit system configuration files?
I can't seem to edit and save config files in the root system (eg: /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.config); it just says "permission denied" or the save option is blocked in the text editor.
I'm pretty sure I'm a ...
16
votes
3answers
338 views
Is it possible to switch Ubuntu back to base-2?
Beginning with (Lucid) 10.10, Ubuntu began using base-10 to represent storage sizes. For me, working with Windows all day and then going to work on my Ubuntu notebook, it is very irritating to have to ...
14
votes
4answers
6k views
Default save directory for gnome-screenshot?
Are there any sort of configuration options for specifying the default save location for gnome-screenshot, or is this hard-coded into the source code?
It used to be ~/Desktop, which seems to have ...
14
votes
2answers
2k views
How can I see what happens during the boot process?
On my machine booting takes more than a minute which is annoying when I see that Windows 7 boots in 20 seconds.
Here is what I get when the machine is booting.
How can I see what happens when ...
14
votes
4answers
5k views
How can I delay a specific program on startup?
How to delay a program such as cairo-dock (No openGL) or firefox
Sometimes it crashes when started with other startup apps.
I want it to start 10 seconds late so it will not crash.
Thank you,
(I'm ...
14
votes
3answers
1k views
Fixed columns' width in Nautilus
In Ubuntu 11.10 the nautilus version has a new feature, as you can see: it adapts the column's width to the content of the column itself (at least for the Name column).
This behavior is not always ...
13
votes
5answers
4k views
How to speed up SSH login?
From outside of my house, whenever I login to my Ubuntu server using SSH, it takes about 6 seconds for me to get the prompt for password, however when I login to my web hosting server it takes about 1 ...
12
votes
3answers
6k views
How can I restore configuration files?
I would like to restore LightDM to its default state, because for some reason
/etc/lightdm/unity-greeter.conf is now an empty file.
Deleting /etc/lightdm/unity-greeter.conf and then running sudo ...
12
votes
2answers
6k views
How do I configure irssi?
I am using irssi client for IRC chat and I would like to know how to configure the ~/.irssi/config file so that I can put in my username and password (I have a registered Nick in the IRC). Also I'd ...
11
votes
2answers
3k views
What is kernel configuration?
Running PowerTOP on an Ubuntu 10.10 system, one of the suggestions are
Enable the CONFIG_PM_ADVANCED_DEBUG
kernel configuration option. This
option will allow PowerTOP to collect
runtime ...
11
votes
3answers
2k views
Can I make PDF the default for 'print to file'
I am using 10.04 and I use the 'Print to File' feature a lot but it's annoying to have to change the output option to to PDF each time. Is there a way to make it the default?
10
votes
4answers
571 views
Why limit the number of open files and Running processes in Linux?
I do not have much knowledge about operating system internal workings, so why do we have limits for maximum number of open files and running processes in Linux?
I would appreciate it if anyone could ...
10
votes
5answers
1k views
Is it safe to delete every hidden folder in the home directory?
My $HOME (otherwise known as '~') directory has lots of hidden configuration folders.
Is it safe to delete all of them?
To be specific
Will the OS break if I do so?
Will my ...
10
votes
3answers
5k views
What's the recommended way to configure a Synaptics touchpad device?
I want to increase the scroll area by moving the so-called RightEdge a bit towards the middle. Right now I'm doing this via a one-liner that's called at session start (added via ...
10
votes
2answers
628 views
What does rc, in bashrc, nanorc stand for?
Is there any long-form, if at all? Or is it just a tradition from the 80's?
9
votes
5answers
2k views
How can I disable Ctrl+Q for all applications (system wide)?
A lot of applications like Firefox, Chrome etc, get closed when I accidentally press Ctrl+Q instead of Ctrl+W because of the proximity of the Q and W keys on the keyboard. Is there a way this shortcut ...
9
votes
3answers
2k views
How to set the Default Browser from the Command Line?
Tried to set the default browser using the GUI tools but this didn't work overall. Is there a way to configure the system wide default browser from command line?
9
votes
1answer
8k views
Where is syslog.conf?
I tried to move my stuff from CentOS to Ubuntu. Here is a problem I met: I would like find the corresponding CentOS /etc/syslog.conf file in Ubuntu? Basically, the file is used to control where those ...
9
votes
2answers
3k views
Autoconnecting Bluetooth Devices
Is there a way to set the Bluetooth in Ubuntu to autoconnect to devices it is paired to when it is turned on. Furthermore, is there a way to automatically change the sound output to a Bluetooth ...
9
votes
2answers
152 views
Change printer sleep time
Background: Brother HL-2270DW printer configured with my Xubuntu 12.10 over my home network. Whenever it finishes printing something, the fan keeps running for about 2 hours before going to sleep.
...
9
votes
3answers
3k views
How do I enable Alt + middle mouse button window resizing in Xubuntu?
As of the 11.10 release I've switched from vanilla Ubuntu to Xubuntu for a plethora of reasons. Thus far I'm loving XFCE and have nearly everything configured the way I like it. The one thing that's ...
9
votes
2answers
2k views
How to remove menu items?
I want to remove these items from the System menu:
Help and Support
About Gnome
About Ubuntu
I can't do this with Main Menu (bad naming, should be menumanager or so).
9
votes
3answers
5k views
Re-mapping keyboard keys
I am using a keyboard with the "fn" key. This is on a laptop.
So my FN + Up/down/left/right keys are mapped to brightness/volume. I would much rather them be mounted to page up/down, home/end. And ...
9
votes
0answers
7k views
Where is /etc/X11/xorg.conf? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Where is the X.org config file? How do I configure X there?
Where is the xorg.conf file in Ubuntu 10.04?
I couldn't find it in /etc/X11/xorg.conf
8
votes
3answers
2k views
How to associate file extension (not file type) for a particular application?
I use taskcoach to create a list of my tasks.
The data I entered was saved, say, in tasks.tsk on my Desktop. Internally, this is an XML file of specific structure.
Now whenever I open it, it opens ...
8
votes
2answers
2k views
How to delete all the settings for Deja Dup
When I upgraded to 11.04 Deja Dup started behaving strangely, it would begin a new full backup everytime the computer was started because it was looking for a drive and folder which I had removed some ...
8
votes
5answers
926 views
How can I revert a config file back to the originally installed version after I have edited it?
I want to revert a file in /etc/ back to its originally-installed form. I have edited the file since it was installed. How can I revert this config file? Apt is smart enough not to overwrite edited ...
8
votes
5answers
19k views
How to setup static IP in Ubuntu Server 12.04?
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
ifconfig
sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces
auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
address 192.168.1.150
netmask 255.255.255.0
network 192.168.2.0
broadcast ...
8
votes
3answers
7k views
How do I set the correct monitor resolution with Nvidia drivers for a monitor that does not send EDID?
I keep having trouble getting the correct monitor resolution - every time I reinstall, I happen to use a newer Ubuntu release and the old tricks I used to know no longer work. Instead of leaving a ...
8
votes
1answer
293 views
Changing the Dash button to open a lens rather than shortcuts?
I would like to change the default Dash opening screen from shortcuts (the "Home" page) to the Applications lens. Or at least to rebind the super key to achieve that effect.
8
votes
1answer
309 views
How can I run gedit with a different configuration
I want to use gedit as a programming IDE and as a regular text editor. Would I be able to make some .desktop file to load a different configuration?
7
votes
4answers
33k views
Where is .bashrc?
I feel stupid asking, but I can't seem to find the answer to this anywhere. I'm trying to follow these instructions to edit my bash prompt,but there is no .bashrc in either my user directory ...
7
votes
2answers
6k views
How to set all locale settings in Ubuntu
A remote installed application has some encoding problems and on my local machine it is running fine.
What is the best way to "copy" my locales to the remote machine?
The locales on my personal ...
7
votes
3answers
2k views
What is the equivalent user for nobody:nobody from CentOS?
I am converting from centOS and am used to having a nobody:nobody user:group for running services. Does Ubuntu have a similar best practice user:group combination for running a service?
7
votes
2answers
7k views
Reset gnome font configuration?
How do I reset the font settings - actual font and size - to their default?
(I changed some values in System->Preferences->Appearance->Fonts)
This is particularly important with the new Ubuntu font ...
