How to safeguard the panels of Xubuntu Linux for public use computers

Remove and modify the items in panels of Linux desktop is a common problem in Internet cafe's and libraries. A solution is available with Xubuntu Linux to prevent removing the items from desktop panel accidentally by users. 

Follow the steps below,

1. Configure the panels before start the process. Add/remove/edit items from panels.

2. Apply the following command,

sudo cp /home/vimal/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-panel.xml /etc/xdg/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/

3. Apply the following command to edit the file.

sudo leafpad /etc/xdg/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-panel.xml

4. Find following line at the top of the file.

<channel name="xfce4-panel" version="1.0">

Insert # symbol at the start of the line.

5. Copy the following line and paste after the line above mentioned line.

<channel name="xfce4-panel" version="1.0" locked="*" unlocked="root">

 
Save the file. 
 

6. Restart your system.

Information courtesy:  
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/xfce#TOC-Safeguard-the-panels-kiosk-mode- 

How to recover gnome-shell

If you found that your gnome-shell task bar missing?
And your desktop seems plain and not able to access applications menu.
You can recover your lost desktop. Follow the steps.

Apply the key combinations, Ctrl + Alt + T 
A terminal will open. Enter the following commands,

sudo su
gnome-shell --replace

You can see that, your desktop panels and menus appear again

Change grahical Ubuntu boot splash into text mode

gedit /etc/default/grub

Find the word "quiet splash".
Remove the word "quiet splash".

Save the file.

Update the grub.

update-grub

How to create Ubuntu Live CD/DVD using Remastersys

This tutorial is for creating a Live CD/DVD based on Ubuntu 12.04. You can also try latest version of Ubuntu Live CD/DVD by using the following instructions.

Step 1
Install Ubuntu 12.04 in a PC or using a Virtual Box application.
Upgrade the system by installing latest packages, apply the following commands,

sudo su
apt-get update
apt-get upgrade

Install the additional applications (e.g. Gimp) for your Live CD/DVD.

Step 2
Remove the uncessary packages using bleachbit. Otherwise the size of Live DVD will be heavy. Install bleachbit using the following command,

apt-get install bleachbit

Open Bleachbit from Applications > System Tools

To use bleachbit, see the documentation here.

Step 3
Installation of Remastersys in Ubuntu 12.04. Apply the following commands.

sudo su
wget -O - http://www.remastersys.com/ubuntu/remastersys.gpg.key | apt-key add -

gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

Add the following lines in the file, save and close.

#Remastersys Precise
deb http://www.remastersys.com/ubuntu precise main

You can add repository for latest version of Ubuntu from here, 

Update the package repository and install Remastersys

apt-get update
apt-get install remastersys remastersys-gtk

Remastersys will appear in Applications > System Tools > Administration
  
See the screen shots below,

Main screen of Remastersys.

 

You can assign name of your project.

You can export user settings to Live DVD.

You can click on appropriate buttons to build Live DVD. You need Internet connection to run Remastersys. Certain packages to be installed from Internet to build the Live DVD. The output will be in .iso format, you can locate it from /home/remastersys. Burn the .iso file in a DVD and boot from computer.

How to install Gnome Classic desktop in Ubuntu 12.04

Execute the following command in a terminal,

sudo apt-get install gnome-session-fallback

Log out and select Gnome Classic from login session.

How to change boot splash in to text mode

You can change Ubuntu traditional graphical boot splash into text mode. See the following commands,

gedit /etc/default/grub

Find the following line,

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

Delete the words "quiet splash" . See the modified line below,

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=""

Then update the Grub,

sudo update-grub

New Version of LibLiveCD - DSpace, Koha & Drupal

New release of LibLiveCD version 1.3. This version of CDROM is made available today on

http://sourceforge.net/projects/liblivecd/files/Version-1.3

 The current version of LibLiveCD contains lUbuntu 12.04 LTS, DSpace-1.8.2,
Koha-3.8.6 & Drupal-7.16. All these three software are pre-configured and
pre-installed on a livecd. The total size of the LibLiveCD is 696 MB.
Drupal Content Management Open Source Software is added considering the
requirements of libraries to create their library websites with dynamic
look.

Along with DSpace, Koha & Drupal the CD also contains following server
related software preinstalled and pre configured such as:-

 Apache2 Web Server, OpenSSH Server, VSFTP Server, MySQL Server, PostGreSQL
Server, Dovecot/Exim4

Mail Server, SquirrelMail Web Mail Client and Minimum desktop environment.

 To input multilingual data in DSpace/Koha, IBUS input method is also
installed on the CD. Teamviewer 7 is pre installed to share desktop,
Abiword for editing/reading word documents, gnumeric for using spread
sheets, vim/medit/gedit for text editing and epdfview for reading PDF files.

 Openoffice/Libreoffice and multimedia related software are excluded
from the CD and these can easily be installed
by running "System Tools-Synaptic Package Manager".  If the synaptic
?reload? does not work try changing
repositories links to http://archives.ubuntu.com/ubuntu instead of
http://in.archives.ubuntu.com/ubuntu and then search and install any other software required.

lUbuntu operating system (Lightweight Operating System) is chosen
considering requirements from libraries where libraries have low configuration desktops in their libraries but still wish to initiate their library web sites,
complete library automation as well as wish to create digital libraries.

Please follow proper installation steps to install livecd if you wish
to have dual boot i.e. windows as well as linux installation on your machines.

If you are installing livecd on a machine which is running under proxy
and if you are unable to browse Internet then on every boot you will have to manually set current date and time. To set current date and time manually run the following command on every boot to set systems current date and time.

root@localhost:date -s "09 NOV 2012 03:35:00"

Please change current date and time as above so that machines behind
proxies can run Internet successfully.


Please write to dlrg at drtc.isibang.ac.in
<http://ncsi.iisc.ernet.in/mailman/listinfo/lis-forum> for any
comments/suggestions.