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| Image by Nemo’s great uncle |
Once in a while, you may want to do some maintenance on your Ubuntu machine and clean up unnecessary files that are chunking up large storage space in your hard disk.
Here are 8 ways that you can use to clean up your Ubuntu:
Popularity: 1% [?]
In Ubuntu, the Archive Manager (or file-roller) has make it easy for anyone to compress and zip up a file or folder, but if you have a large file, say 20Gb, and you want to back it up to the CD/DVD, you will find that no amount of compression can you reduce the file size to fit into 1 CD/DVD. In such case, it is a better solution to compress and split the large file into several smaller files and store them separately. This also applies if you want to share a large file on a file-sharing site. Splitting the compressed file into several smaller files will make it easier for others to download.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Image by Chris.JP
Previously, I have talked about the way to play playstation game in Ubuntu. For those who are a fanboy of Super Nintendo (SNES), I didn’t forget about you too. Here is how you can play SNES game in Ubuntu Hardy.
There are several popular SNES emulators for Linux, namely: ZSNES, SNES9X, BSNES, SNEmul. We will be using ZSNES because it is the best among the rest and works great in Ubuntu.
Popularity: 2% [?]
If you have files that are bigger than 4GB in size, you will find that you can’t back them up to your external hard disk, even though it has 1TB of storage space. The reason being, when you first bought the hard disk, it is pre-formatted with FAT32 format, and in case you don’t know, FAT32 has a 4GB file size restriction. This means that it can’t store files that are bigger than 4GB in size.
A good way to overcome this is to reformat the external hard disk to NTFS format. NTFS does not has a 4GB file restriction and can be accessed easily from Windows, Mac and Linux (with the help of NTFS-3G).
Popularity: 3% [?]
eCryptfs is a encryption application for Linux that you can use to encrypt your files/folders and prevent others from viewing it. eCryptfs does not require its own partition. You can easily create a dynamic encrypted private directory on your Home folder that will shrink or grow in size according to the files you add to it. Whatever files you place in the private directory will be encrypted and safe from the public eyes.
Popularity: 8% [?]
The Ubuntu team has released Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 6 for testing. This will be the final alpha build for Intrepid Ibex before we see the beta release.
What has changed in the backend?
This alpha 6 release is shipped with the latest Gnome 2.23.92, which is a testing and development series for the upcoming Gnome 2.24. Hopefully, we can see the 2.24 in action in the beta release of Ubuntu Ibex. Other new stuffs include the new Linux kernal 2.6.27 and the X.Org7.4 which is said to have better hardware support and can allow the great majority of users to run without a /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.
Samba 3.2 was also found in Intrepid Ibex with clustered file server support, encrypted network transport, IPv6 support, and better integration with recent versions of Microsoft Windows clients and servers.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Image source: noeren
Ubuntu released the Intrepid Ibex alpha 6 for public testing last week. If you want to install and test the new Ibex on your system, but do not want to burn the iso file into a CD (either because your computer does not has a CD-ROM or you find it a waste to burn into a CD that you might use only once), here’s a neat way to create a bootable USB thumb drive where you can use it to boot up Ubuntu Ibex and install it in your system.
Popularity: 11% [?]
If you have always feel that the font in Ubuntu looks strange and ugly, it is because the font smoothing option is not turned on by default.
To get a nice smooth font in your Ubuntu Hardy, do the following:
In the terminal, type:
sudo ln -sf /etc/fonts/conf.avail/10-autohint.conf /etc/fonts/conf.d/
Once it is done, log out and log in again. You should see a noticeable change in the font.
The font before smoothing
The font after smoothing
[via Ubuntu forum]
Popularity: 13% [?]
Previously available only in Windows and Mac, Dropbox has recently launched a new version for Linux.
In case you are wondering, Dropbox is an online storage site that allows you to back up and sync your files right from your desktop. It comes with a desktop application that you can install in your OS and backing up files is just a simple drag and drop to the Dropbox folder in your hard drive. Any files added/removed from the folder will be automatically sync with the online server as long as you are connected to the Internet.
Popularity: 15% [?]
If you are constantly confused over the command line, and wanted to look for an easy way to tweak your Ubuntu, then Ubuntu Tweak is definitely the application for you.
Ubuntu Tweak allows you to tweak many desktop and system settings without going to the terminal. It provides a single access point for you to change some of the hidden Ubuntu settings that are not available during your default desktop installation.
UT is currently designed for Ubuntu GNOME desktop only.
Popularity: 11% [?]
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