Because my friend Dr. Mike really likes Ubuntu Gnome, I decided to give it another try and apply the rule that using a distro continuously makes it easier to solve problems as they come up. And as in other cases this turned out to be true. The desktop I hated became not so bad, and then pretty good, and then attractive and convenient. And as everyone knows, the install is easy and perfect, and with the addition of some software I prefer, the system works really well in virtual. I am using 18.04.1.
NO TERMINALS!
Puzzle #1. How do you get single click instead of double click to open stuff?
Puzzle #2. How do you use the supplied file manager so it can function as if it has a split screen? (Opening a second window is verboten.)
Puzzle #3. How do you accomplish auto-login?
Please do not post answers. Just post that you solved 1,2 and/or 3. PMs are welcome.
After a while, the answers will be posted, if anyone is interested in playing Waldo Does Ubuntu.
Just curious why you downloaded 18.04.1 instead of 18.10? Do you prefer the LTS versions?
Also, are you using regular Ubuntu? As far as I can tell Ubuntu Gnome is a discontinued flavour of Ubuntu. Note that vanilla Ubuntu is (slightly-customized) Gnome now, just wanted to clarify.
Just downloaded Ubuntu long term, and it looks like Gnome to me. :)
Waldo here. I have solved the puzzle and all three are possible in Gnome. My prize should be an admission from buster that Gnome is a better desktop than Plasma. :)
Quote from: buster on February 07, 2019, 10:38:00 PM
Just downloaded Ubuntu long term, and it looks like Gnome to me. :)
It is Gnome-based (which I mentioned above) but my point was that there used to an actual Ubuntu Gnome flavour (like Kubuntu, a separate distro) which I thought was still available until now.
Anyway, "better" is really pretty subjective. I think it all depends on what you like in a desktop. AFAIK nobody has done a side-by-side comparison of KDE and Gnome to see which features one might have that the other doesn't. Even look-wise you can make KDE look almost exactly like Gnome though I don't think that works the other way.
But I'm going to try your challenges. And as a side note, Mr. MIke, I'm pretty sure that Buster already knew they were all possible or he wouldn't have said to not to post the answers :)
#3 can be solved by choosing this option during the install. Probably not the answer you were looking for but wanted to point out that it's a super-easy one if you plan ahead :)
Don't know #2 and couldn't figure out but the others were easy.
#3 can be solved by choosing this option during the install."
Generally the case with many installs. But with this iso that I got, there was no live version to start with, and a super efficient quick install - place, name, password, and off we go. Used vmware.
So I went looking, and solved it. But this morning I found the easy way to do it, and feel embarrassed just a wee bit.
Checked all 7 of my Linux installs.
Mouse: Most popular place to look is in the file manager's preferences - MX, Lite, Mint, and deepin. Mageia hides it in System Setting's hardware. Suse has it as the default. Gnome has it in plain sight, if you know where to glance, which I finally managed.
Auto-login is easy in all. Use such things as MX Tools, Settings, Administration, Accounts. Each is sort of unique but easy to find.
Split-screen: Plasma wins by a mile. It's right in the file manager 'view' - Mageia, Suse and Mint get an A. MX and Lite I don't think can get it because of xfce's lightness. Deepin split-screen defies my searching. Gnome has a usable substitute that gets the job of moving files done.
I thought the puzzles were specifically for the Gnome desktop using Ubuntu since that was the topic. Anyway, when you're not sure where something is, I suggest using search either at the program launcher if available or in the search specific to settings for your choice desktop.
I still want to know how Mr. Mike did the split screen in Gnome. I'm using Ubuntu 18.10 and couldn't find that feature.
These are skills that are only taught to the exceptional students, such as Mike and myself. Though he may be bluffing, Harry did figure it out though, and the answer can come say tomorrow? Unless anyone wants more time?
Quote from: Jason Wallwork on February 08, 2019, 07:31:47 PM
....
I still want to know how Mr. Mike did the split screen in Gnome. I'm using Ubuntu 18.10 and couldn't find that feature.
Easy as pie. Take the window of interest, click and hold on the top bar of the window and drag it to either the right or the left of the display. Once the mouse cursor hits the side, you can release it and the window will occupy that half of the display. :)
Sounds like you're bluffing, too, Harry. You said you found a usable substitute but that breaks the very rules you set :) But you did remind of a feature I like in Plasma. You should show my topic (https://forums.plugintolinux.ca/index.php/topic,702.0.html) some love by mentioning the split screen there, too :)
Quote from: fox on February 08, 2019, 07:53:57 PM
Easy as pie. Take the window of interest, click and hold on the top bar of the window and drag it to either the right or the left of the display. Once the mouse cursor hits the side, you can release it and the window will occupy that half of the display. :)
Buster said "How do you use the supplied file manager so it can function as if it has a split screen?". I interpreted that as, and it looks pretty true based on his puzzle answer to it, that he meant a split file manager. As in showing two windows inside the file manager looking at different folders. He also said you can't use more than one window.
First I would never bluff on a puzzle. That is unfair to those working on it. Second, my solution does a couple of things. It gives you a pretty good substitute for Plasma's wonderful spit screen inside the home folder, which is great for moving a pile of stuff from say Downloads into a new file in Music. And it does NOT need any other folders to be opened. Dr. Mike did not solve the puzzle. He found a solution to the process that mimics Window's method. which requires 2 distinct windows open to move files, unless the files happen to be sitting on the desktop.
I thought you were bluffing on having found a solution to do it in Gnome. You mentioned that you had found a "usable substitute" for Gnome. Are you saying you have found a way to do it without a substitute?
Nope. I can do it with one window. Open one window, drag it to the right of the display as I noted earlier, and that window will occupy half of the display. Unless you meant something else by "split screen"?
I see my honour is being impugned again! A sad day for innocent gentlemen. An assault on proper societal intercourse.
THE SPLIT VIEW SUBSTITUTE FOR GNOME SOLUTION
This is much simpler than the instructions sound. And you can do everything almost as easily as in Plasma. Be sure to read carefully Mike.
Open the file folder and navigate to a place you wish to move a file to.
Go to the top of the folder, right click 'Home' and click 'open in new tab'.
Navigate to the place you wish to move the file from in the new tab.
Drag the file to the destiny tab.
Note 1: You can have 3 or 4 tabs open if you have a lot of moving in a big reorganization project.
Note 2: Sorry Mike if I wasn't clear, but we are not talking desktop, but rather split view or screen within the file folder.
Note 3: After using it for awhile it becomes second nature, and is close to how plasma works. The 3 or 4 tabs is nice.
Now I see that you meant "split view" and not "split screen", though it is really neither, but rather a single screen with tabs) to make it easier to move a file to a different place. Assuming that all you want to accomplish is to move files around, let me suggest something else:
- navigate to your file (or files) and select
- right-click and choose "Move to ..."
- this brings up a folder window where you can easily select a move destination
- navigate to your destination and click on "Select" box at the top of that folder
I apologize if I misunderstood.
Your method certainly works Mike. Personally, and I think all Plasma users would agree, the split view in Plasma is quicker and easier. Drag and drop is instant. And the navigation is visual. The tabs in Gnome I see as second best. And I would use your method if necessary.
As well of course if you don't care where the file goes in music or videos, you can drag the file to the list on the left and sort later. Often enough for an album for example.
I assume you're talking about music or video files. You can add frequently used folders to the favourites list on the left side of the Files menu in Gnome. My list is quite different from the default.
Quote from: buster on February 09, 2019, 09:47:59 AM
Your method certainly works Mike. Personally, and I think all Plasma users would agree, the split view in Plasma is quicker and easier. Drag and drop is instant. And the navigation is visual. ....
I also like a true split window for moving around files, but I don't know that it's any faster. You have to set up your split (or your tabs) before you can use it. With my right-click method, nothing has to be set up first other than getting to file first. I think that this takes more time than actually moving the file. For this reason, I like the Mac solution better, where one can right-click on a folder and drill to any enclosed folder without opening additional windows.
Quote from: fox on February 09, 2019, 01:01:07 PM
For this reason, I like the Mac solution better, where one can right-click on a folder and drill to any enclosed folder without opening additional windows.
It's not a right-click, but if you're in the Details view mode, you can drill down to enclosed folders within Dolphin. And if you right-click on the the title that says Places, and choose Folders in the drop down list, you can drill down on the left, too. Does Gnome do this, too?
I don't think Gnome Files has any of these features, at least I can't find them on my Ubuntu installation. One could, of course, install Dolphin in Gnome, though I suspect it would bring in many Plasma/Qt dependencies with it. I think one can also install Midnight Commander to get the split screen and drilling. None of these are quite like the Mac version, however. To do what I used to do in it requires a utility (free), but one can right-click on the desktop and just move through the folders, which open to the right of the parent folder. I used that all the time and I miss it. You can set which folders appear with the right-click on the desktop, move from there and even open a file that way.
Installed Dolphin in Ubuntu 18.10 guest and it does work.
I used the default software manager so I don't know if other dependencies came but that's probably likely as it took longer than I expected to install. After a minute, I got bored of waiting when it looked like it was stuck at 78% and did something else for a few minutes. When I came back it was successfully installed.
Everything is there except the ability to do previews though it looks different, and I mean other than the different looking icons/colors which are a result of the specific theme. Below you see me comparing Dolphin in Ubuntu 18.10 guest to Dolphin running in my Kubuntu 18.10 host. The other thing is that it is stuck on double-click to open folders/files even if Gnome is set to single-click. May not be a problem for many since this is the Gnome default anyway. Also seems to open just as quick as Files in Gnome.
"The other thing is that it is stuck on double-click to open folders/files even if Gnome is set to single-click."
Odd. Gain split view, lose single click. Hmmm.
So I also installed Dolphin, hoping I could find a way to say, "Hey Jason! Here's how you get single click." Then gloat a while and grin. But, alas, he seems to be 100% correct.
The Ubuntu is good, and we would all use it, except for the existence of Plasma, xfce, deepin, and other distros that can give us, in my opinion, more. 5 or 10 years ago it would be the obvious choice.
Sorry Mike, but I think Ubuntu may disappear on my system. But I can understand how those raised on Apple would love it. Linux is all about choice.
To each his or her own, and one of the best things about Linux is that you get choice. I know that we have several Plasma fans in the club, and I have tried it on several occasions. Even now, I have openSUSE Leap 15 as a second distro on my home iMac, and I have installed Plasma on Ubuntu on a Mac mini. I have also tried KDE Neon. Plasma is very flexible; I recognize that. I want to like it and it's OK, but I like Gnome better. Some of it is because of design choices, some of it is because of the associated applications. I could probably modify Plasma enough to make it look just like Gnome, but why do that when I'm happy with Gnome. In fact, Ubuntu 18.10 with Gnome is the first distro where I haven't modified anything at all; I even like the default desktop and the default Yaru theme. But I can appreciate Plasma and with you being a Windows user, I can understand why it appeals to you.
Incidentally, there are lots of Mac themes out there for both Gnome and Plasma, and I never install them. If I wanted my system to look like a Mac I would just use the Mac OS. For the same reason, I have no interest in Elementary, although I have tried it.
That's cool that you prefer Gnome but just want to make it clear that it's not just the look that we like though, we've pointed out that Dolphin, for example, has more features than Files in Ubuntu.
Plasma has more features for configuration pretty much in every instance over Gnome. I'm not speaking of the additional apps like Kmail, for example, but the core itself. I used to find that it was so configurable that there were too many options but since Plasma has come out, I find they've streamlined these options so it's not as confusing.
It's also not really a Windows attraction necessarily because, and without adding any additional themes, you can use a layout that is very close to Gnome. The Netrunner distro has Plasma set up to do this by default, the whole icons fill the screen "feature" of running programs. Windows wasn't the first to come up with the concept of having menus and I'd almost argue with the tiles since Windows 8 that it has almost as much in common with Gnome.
I think Gnome is great if you like simplicity. Pantheon is even more simplified. Plasma is better if you want more control and options. But I think they all serve their purposes - just wanted to put it out there that this thread was started by pointing out some features that Gnome either doesn't have that Plasma does or where the defaults are better. But it's kind of what Buster was pointing out in the beginning - I guess if you use a desktop long enough you tend to like what it has and not notice what it doesn't and appreciate things that might have bothered you once.
Thinking on that last point, I initially didn't like the default single-click of Plasma. But I tried it for a few weeks and now I pretty much expect it, so much so that when I booted into Windows 10 and realized it didn't use double-click by default, I was annoyed. But it's easy enough to turn on.
One of the other features of Gnome is gnome shell extensions. There are hundreds of these that do all kinds of simple functions. One of them, making the menubar always visible, is set by default in Ubuntu. I use a few others, force quit, recent (recent files), openweather and GSconnect. But there are many others that work the same way as applets in Plasma. I like a tidy desktop, and prefer to have my applets in a menubar, rather than on the desktop. I think that there are more of these in Gnome than there are applets in Plasma. Whether these make up for the lesser flexibility of Gnome I couldn't say.
The only thing I find lacking in Gnome is the Mac-type drilling through folders. I can't think of any other functions missing in Gnome that I would want. The three that Buster mentioned are not of interest to me. (I can see the value of single-click but I'm not used to it and I don't think it's noticeably faster than double-click.) But again, to each his or her own.
Quote from: Jason Wallwork on February 14, 2019, 04:15:27 AM
....
Windows wasn't the first to come up with the concept of having menus and I'd almost argue with the tiles since Windows 8 that it has almost as much in common with Gnome.
....
No, Windows wasn't. I believe it was Macintosh System 6. In its early days, Windows copied a lot from the Mac OS.
I don't see much similarity between the Windows 8 tiles and Gnome, other than the fact that both make application icons visible that can be single-clicked to open. Older versions of Windows have this, too and the xp/Win 7 implementation is more like Gnome (i.e. small icons on a menubar). But once again, I'm pretty sure that the Mac OS had these before either Windows or Linux.
Well, Linux only goes back to 1991 so yes, Macintosh had a GUI before it. However, Unix had a GUI before Macintosh which was basically ported to Linux, the X Window System. But what I mean is that having pop up program launchers (in a menu format) like in Plasma isn't really Windows-like as many might claim.
Quote from: buster on February 09, 2019, 09:11:21 AM
....
And you can do everything almost as easily as in Plasma. Be sure to read carefully Mike.
....
Read this carefully, Buster...
You can't do everything as easily in Plasma as you can in Gnome. Try force-quitting an application in Plasma without using the command line (a no-no for Buster), shutting down Plasma or forcing a shutdown. In Gnome there is a force-quit extension that works in the GUI; no such thing in Plasma to my knowledge. I was in openSUSE Leap 15 and wanted to update my files. I made the mistake of trying to do it through Discover. That's a pretty buggy Plasma app if I ever saw one, and I should have known better from experience. At any rate it froze, and I couldn't force-quit it without grepping its PID number in the command line and then issuing a kill command (again in the command line).
Incidentally, openSUSE has an online update app (I think it's part of YAST). Once I killed Discover and went to online update, the operation went smoothly.
I'm not sure where Buster made that comment you quoted Fox as I can't find the post but perhaps I missed it. Or maybe he deleted it?
In any case you can force-quite Plasma applications just by using KSysGuard. No need to go to the command-line. I believe it comes with the Plasma desktop by default.
Another trick that works on every desktop using X is Ctrl-Alt-Esc. A skull and crossbones appears. Click on the application with the offending window. Poof! This is very old so can't guarantee that it shuts down everything related to that application but the window is gone :)
Regarding Discover, I used to have trouble with it and then I discovered that it was one of the repos that I had added that was causing the freezes specifically for Spotify.
I discovered this by doing an update in the terminal. Once I realized what was happening, I checked the Spotify website and realized they had released a new version and their repo had moved. I haven't had a crash in Discover in months now since I fixed that. Admittedly, it should be able to handle a broken repo more gracefully then it does.
Quote from: Jason Wallwork on February 17, 2019, 12:43:16 PM
I'm not sure where Buster made that comment you quoted Fox as I can't find the post but perhaps I missed it. Or maybe he deleted it?
In any case you can force-quite Plasma applications just by using KSysGuard. No need to go to the command-line. I believe it comes with the Plasma desktop by default.
....
Buster made the comment in this very thread, here (https://forums.plugintolinux.ca/index.php/topic,701.msg4550.html#msg4550)!
Quote from: Jason Wallwork on February 17, 2019, 12:43:16 PM
....
In any case you can force-quite Plasma applications just by using KSysGuard. No need to go to the command-line. I believe it comes with the Plasma desktop by default.
Another trick that works on every desktop using X is Ctrl-Alt-Esc. A skull and crossbones appears. Click on the application with the offending window. Poof! This is very old so can't guarantee that it shuts down everything related to that application but the window is gone :)
....
I just tried them both from openSUSE Leap. KSysGuard was installed by default, and Ctrl-Alt-Esc works exactly as Force quit does in gnome. You learn something new every day. :)
Funny though, when I had the problem with Discover, I googled for a solution. Ctrl-Alt-Esc came up, but I thought it would sign me out so I didn't try it. KSysGuard didn't come up at all in my search.
Quote from: Jason Wallwork on February 17, 2019, 12:43:16 PM
....
Regarding Discover, I used to have trouble with it and then I discovered that it was one of the repos that I had added that was causing the freezes specifically for Spotify.
....
Admittedly, it should be able to handle a broken repo more gracefully then it does.
I didn't add any repos to my openSUSE Leap partition and I don't have Spotify. I've had problems with Discover before, but I can't remember what they were. Still not impressed with it, although I don't care for the gnome version of this in Ubuntu either (Ubuntu Software). Give me Synaptic anyday.
Quote from: fox on February 17, 2019, 02:00:10 PM
Quote from: Jason Wallwork on February 17, 2019, 12:43:16 PM
I'm not sure where Buster made that comment you quoted Fox as I can't find the post but perhaps I missed it. Or maybe he deleted it?
In any case you can force-quite Plasma applications just by using KSysGuard. No need to go to the command-line. I believe it comes with the Plasma desktop by default.
....
Buster made the comment in this very thread, here (https://forums.plugintolinux.ca/index.php/topic,701.msg4550.html#msg4550)!
Oh, okay. I'm thinking he meant that the part about you confusing split-view in file manager with split-view on the desktop.