Skip to main content

Setting up Corporate Ubuntu Desktops

This guide has been updated for Ubuntu Hardy 8.04.1. The following is the official installation guide:

[WWW] https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/installation-guide/i386/index.html

The preseed method will enable a more automated install. You will want to enter the proxy a local apt-cacher server if you have one to speed up the updates and installs of new packages.

Post Installation Tasks

Updating and Installing Packages

  • In Synaptic, configure proxy as needed. If you have an apt-cacher service running on the proxy server, it will make your updates much faster if the packages have already been downloaded by a prior machine.

  • Click on Reload

  • Click on Upgrade

  • Install ubuntu-restricted-extras

  • Install ttf-liberation

  • Apply

Configure Desktop to Remove Annoying Stuff

  • In System -> Administration -> Login Window -> Accessibility, uncheck the sounds

  • In System -> Preferences -> Sounds -> Sounds, uncheck Play System Sound to remove annoying sounds

If you want to change the desktop wallpaper for everyone:

  1. In the desktop, type Alt-F2

  2. gksudo gconf-editor

  3. Enter your password if prompted

  4. Choose /desktop/gnome/background from the tree on the left

  5. Change the picture_filename key to (e.g.) usr/share/backgrounds/ubuntu-calendar.png

  6. Right click and Set As Mandatory or Set As Default. Mandatory means users cannot change the wallpaper.

You will also want to change the default fonts to the liberation fonts. It makes the menus and fonts in your applications more compact.

The scripts below will set the default fonts and settings without going through the GUI. Just change the mandatory to defaults if you want to allow users to change it. 

sudo gconftool-2 --direct --config-source xml:readwrite:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.mandatory --set /apps/nautilus/preferences/desktop_font --type string "Liberation Sans 9"
sudo gconftool-2 --direct --config-source xml:readwrite:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.mandatory--set /desktop/gnome/interface/document_font_name --type string "Liberation Sans 9"
sudo gconftool-2 --direct --config-source xml:readwrite:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.mandatory--set /desktop/gnome/interface/font_name --type string "Liberation Sans 9"
sudo gconftool-2 --direct --config-source xml:readwrite:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.mandatory--set /desktop/gnome/interface/monospace_font_name --type string "Monospace 9"
sudo gconftool-2 --direct --config-source xml:readwrite:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.defaults --set /desktop/gnome/sound/event_sounds --type bool "false"

Adding a New User

  1. System -> Administration -> Users and Groups, Unlock (You will asked for your password.)

  2. Add User as Desktop User Profile. This user will not be able to install new packages.

Adding a Printer

  1. System -> Administration -> Printing

  2. New Printer -> HP JetDirect

  3. Enter the IP of the network printer

  4. Change Printer Options to a default media size of Letter instead of A4 if you are in the Philippines.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Get uptime alerts in Telegram

You will be configuring 3 services. The assumption is that you have accounts already for these services. UptimeRobot — source of the uptime/downtime notifications. It currently supports email, Twitter, Slack, Pushover, Pushbullet and others but not Telegram. We will use the webhook notification as the way to send messages to Telegram. IFTTT — bridges UptimeRobot and Telegram by providing the webhook for UptimeRobot and triggering a message to Telegram. In IFTTT terminology: IF {event trigger from UptimeRobot}, then {send message to Telegram group} Telegram — destination of the notification. You will need to create a group for this. Telegram Configuration In Telegram, create a new group, if needed. You may opt to use an existing group. Go to @IFTTT and follow the instruction so link your Telegram account to your IFTTT account. Send /connect_group to @IFTTT and connect the group where you want to send the notifications. IFTTT Configuration Sign in to IFTTT and add a ne...
1 comment
Read more

iReport Default Date Parameter

If you want to set a default date for a jasperreports parameter, you can enter the following in the default value expression of the parameter. new Date() However, if you wanted the default to be relative from today, for example, 3 days ago, you will need to do go outside of the standard java date libraries (Date, Calendar) because JR parameter does not allow you to have multiple statements. You can write your own utility package or you can use Joda , a replacement library for the JDK date and time library. To use Joda in iReports, you need to extract the jar file and add it to Options -> Classpath. You may also drop the jar file in iReports' lib directory. You will also need to add this library to your application or report server. For setting a default date 5 days prior from today, use this: new org.joda.time.DateTime().minusDays(5).toDate() or this if you want the time part set to the beginning of the day: new org.joda.time.LocalDate().toDateTimeAtStartOfDay().minusDays(5).to...
5 comments
Read more

Oracle Apps on Mozilla Firefox

You actually don't need to install JInitiator (jinit 1.3.1.21) to run Oracle Applications on Firefox if you already installed the Sun JRE 1.4.2 and above. You will need to edit pluginreg.dat On Windows, that file is located at %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox. Make a copy of the existing one first in case something goes wrong. Search for NPJava14.dll because Oracle runs on Java 1.4. This will appear whether you have installed Java 5 or 6. You will need to add the following line to at the end of the plugins. 6|application/x-jinit-applet;version=1.3.1.21|Java||$ Then update the count at the top of the section. Your modified pluginreg.dat will look like: C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_09\bin\NPJava14.dll|$ |$ 1160594743000|1|5|$ Java Plug-in 1.5.0_09 for Netscape Navigator (DLL Helper)|$ Java(TM) 2 Platform Standard Edition 5.0 Update 9|$ 7 0|application/x-java-applet;version=1.4.2|Java Applet||$ 1|application/x-java-bean;version=1.4.2|JavaBeans||$ 2|application/x-java-applet;version=1.4.1|J...
1 comment
Read more