With the coming of a new year, it is time to take a look at the Linux computer offerings and see which distributions you can get shipped to your doorstep. I just recently ordered a new desktop from one of these vendors, and I will publish a review as soon as I have thoroughly tested it.
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How to Install a Preview of Ubuntu TV

At CES, Canonical announced its latest major project that it is calling Ubuntu TV “TV for human beings”. Much of the Ubuntu TV interface will be based on the groundwork that has already been established with the development of Unity, Canonical’s revolutionary, and sometimes polarizing, desktop environment.
In keeping with tradition, Ubuntu TV is free and open source. Therefore, you can install it now, while keeping in mind that it is still under heavy development. If you have the time and wherewithal, you can try installing it from source. If not, there is also a PPA available with binary packages.
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How to Install and Configure ownCloud
It is difficult to read any tech news and not see something about “the cloud”, cloud computing, cloud hosting, or at least something that mentions the word “cloud”. Many businesses have moved their entire software operations into the cloud, and many individual users rely on cloud service providers for email, documents, and file storage.
There are a plethora of file storage and file sharing services available on the web. Many of them are free for a limited amount of space (often around 2 to 5 GB). For a lot of people, this type of service is sufficient, but if you want your own file storage system, need a lot more space, do not want to pay a third party service, and already have your own web hosting account for your website, ownCloud is a free and open source option you should definitely consider.
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How to Make GTK3 Apps Look Presentable in KDE4
With the release of Gnome 3, many developers of GTK apps have begun to port their programs from GTK2 to GTK3. If you have used Ubuntu 11.04, you will notice that many of the popular GTK2 themes did not yet have GTK3 equivalents, which left the few GTK3 applications looking awful.
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How to Run Startup Scripts in KDM before KDE Starts
KDE has an easy-to-use system for configuring programs or scripts to run at startup. Linux distributions also have methods of starting programs at boot, but there are some unique instances when it would be ideal to start a script at the moment KDM starts, in between the start of X and the start of your desktop environment.
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How to Use KVM with Virtual Machine Manager
Virtualization has many uses. You can use it to test another operating system, run applications that your OS does not support, or even maintain virtual servers within one or more virtual machines.
KVM (kernel-based virtual machine) is a Linux virtualization tool that makes use of hardware-assisted virtualization (also called native virtualization) using processor technology such as Intel VT-x and AMD-V. Red Hat’s Virtual Machine Manager now has support for KVM, making it easy to setup a virtual machine with a free graphical interface. It is also available for Fedora, Gentoo, FreeBSD, Ubuntu, and many other operating systems.
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When KDE 4 was first released, it was met with both hope and dismay, depending on the person you asked. Some loved everything from the new interface to the improved functionality. Others called it a significant step, but one in the wrong direction.
Although some might consider it blasphemous, the default KDE desktop is not a style everyone automatically likes. If it were, KDE-Look.org would not be filled with desktop themes, window manager themes, and more. KDE is all about customization, and the ability to make it look however you want is part of that.