How to Simulate Left Mouse Click With Keyboard Shortcut in Ubuntu [Quick Tip]

settings-no-left-mouse-clickThe Problem: I am a keyboard person. I love to use the keyboard to navigate through webpage and scroll up/down the content. It becomes a hassle when I have to shift my hand to the mouse every time I want to click a link or select an item.

The Solution: Need to bind a keyboard shortcut for the left mouse click, and probably move the cursor around.

Apparently, this is very easy in Ubuntu (probably in other Gnome based distro too). Many tutorials will tell you to install xbindkeys and go through complex steps to map the shortcut key.

Here is one quick and dirty way:
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How to Use Linux Mint Gnome Shell Extensions (MGSE) In Ubuntu

mgse-mint-logoIn our review of Linux Mint 12, we were impressed with the implementation of the Mint Gnome Shell Extensions (MGSE) and how it make the user-interface easy to use again. Now, if you are using Ubuntu and you don’t want to go through the hassle of installing Linux Mint from scratch, here’s how you can implement the MGSE in Ubuntu (assuming you are using Gnome Shell as your desktop manager).
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Linux Mint 12 “Lisa” Review

linuxmint-logoLinux Mint has always been known as the great alternative to Ubuntu. In fact, after Ubuntu implemented the Unity desktop, many people switched ship and flocked to Linux Mint as their next “easy-to-use and user-friendly” distro. According to DistroWatch, Linux Mint has even overtaken Ubuntu as the most popular distro. Well, that was Linux Mint 11, which is still based on Gnome 2, the desktop that most people are familiar with. What about Linux Mint 12?
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Gnome Pie Is A Slick Application Launcher For Gnome [Linux]

gnome-pie-mainThere are thousand and one ways to launch application in Linux. You can use the Application menu, via the dock, use a app launcher like Synapse or Gnome Do or simply press “Alt + F2″ and type the name of the application. Gnome Pie is yet another application launcher that allows you to quickly launch your applications, except that it is slick and highly configurable.

Gnome Pie has a slightly different setting as other application launcher. It is keyboard shortcut based and it appears as a group of applications instead of a single application.
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An Easier Way to Generate A Public/Private SSH Key Via a GUI [Linux]

seahorse-mainPreviously, I showed you the way to generate a public/private SSH key so you can connect to your remote host securely. The method that we used is via the terminal, which can be rather unfriendly (and scary) to the Linux newbies. Here is an easier method of setting up your public/private SSH key, with a GUI.

I am not sure about any other distro (as I have not tried them all), but in Ubuntu, the default keyring manager (also known as seahorse) comes with the ability to create public/private SSH key and help you set it up in the server.
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How to Use KVM with Virtual Machine Manager

kvm logoVirtualization 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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How to Generate A Public/Private SSH Key [Linux]

ssh-iconIf you are using SSH frequently to connect to a remote host, one of the way to secure the connection is to use a public/private SSH key so no password is transmitted over the network and it can prevent against brute force attack.
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More Gnome Shell Tips And Tricks

gnome-shell-logoWe have covered plenty of Gnome Shell tips here in Make Tech Easier, but we also know that those are not enough to satisfy all of you. So here you are, more Gnome shell tips and tricks for you.

Install Gnome Tweak Tool

Before we begin, it is best that you have Gnome Tweak Tool installed in your system. This is the only software you ever need to tweak and customize your setting.
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5 Alternatives to Unity in Ubuntu Oneiric

unityalternatives-smallWith the past few releases, Ubuntu has been focusing more and more on their homegrown desktop Unity. Some people love it, but a lot of us don’t. Fortunately, as with all things Linux, there are many alternative options. For those of us who just can’t find a way to unite with Unity, here are 5 great options that you might find you like better.
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How to Get Great Looking Fonts in KDE

kde-fonts-mainText appearance is probably one of the most underrated features of any computing experience. It is easy to overlook fonts because words are all around us, and we expect them to be pleasing to the eyes and easy to read, but probably only notice when they are not.

In reality, a font can make or break a desktop’s appearance and accessibility. KDE makes it incredibly easy to install and configure fonts, but since I could not find any one document that lists all of the features and functionality, MakeTakeEasier comes to the rescue again.
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