Ubuntu in Debian Software Sources

Besides Ubuntu as an OS on my machine, I'm also using Debian GNU/Linux 7 Wheezy for months now. I'm enjoying using this latest stable version of Debian because it really is a stable version. I never encounter a single error while using it. That's the main reason why I choose to use it for some stuff I'm doing. If you are looking for a stable OS and have never use Debian before, I highly recommend to install and use it.

In Debian stable, I can get many software and applications which are complete enough (at least for me) for everyday regular tasks. Although for some applications I used to use in Ubuntu I have to find alternatives, but they are there. Software versions in Debian stable are a bit outdated compared to those in some other Linux distributions but that's not really a problem because most of the time I don't really need new features that comes with the newer version of most applications.

But today I was thinking of adding some more software and also to get some more up-to-date version of apps. I was adding software sources from Debian Testing (currently Jessie repo) by using the powerful Synaptic Package Manager app. Then I open the software sources utility to add lines to software sources list. While I was clicking tabs in Software sources window, I noticed something strange, but funny :)

Youtube Video Thumbnail Image Hotlink

Youtube, the most popular video sharing website owned by Google, is also one of the best content resources for web publishers, bloggers, and also app developers. You can easily embed videos available on Youtube directly on your websites or apps so you users or audience could watch videos without having to go Youtube video page.

Youtube also lets you put the video thumbnail images on your page so you can show them to help users preview the videos that might be interesting for them to watch. Here is the link format if you want to get Youtube video thumbnail images.

zonColor 1.6.5: Glossy Icons, Desklets, Modern UI, LXDE, more...

After some testing in 1.6 releases, I finally decided that zonColor is ready for a stable version of zonColor Themes Pack 1.6.5. This update is aimed to be compatible with latest version of various desktop environments (GNOME/GTK 3.8, Unity 7.0, Cinnamon 1.8, MATE 1.6, Xfce 4.10), along with additional features, theme components/templates, improvements, tweaks, and fixes.

One of differences in 1.6 compared to its previous releases 1.x, as previously noted, is in order to be compatible with GNOME/GTK 3.8, zonColor 1.6 introduces creation of actual GTK themes for color variant, rather than just make use of GTK-color-scheme feature that has been removed from GNOME/GTK 3.8.

For this release, I included some additions, one of them is new icons. Some people may like flat, square-framed icons, but me, I like icons that looks natural, 3D-shaped, shiny and glossy, and easy to be distinguished. This is a work in progress -- for now, I created icons for some apps, but for future releases I plan to create other icons too. And I also plan to include more than one icon template, so that users can have more choices of icon shape/style in creation of icon theme variant.

Razor-qt zonColor Theme

I've been playing around with a new desktop environment called Razor-qt. It is a lightweight desktop that reminds me of LXDE. But, unlike LXDE, it is based on Qt, the technology used by KDE desktop. But unlike KDE, Razor-qt is much lighter and faster. So I may call this LXDE in Qt world :)

The official website at http://razor-qt.org/ describes Razor-qt like this:

Razor-qt is an advanced, easy-to-use, and fast desktop environment based on Qt technologies. It has been tailored for users who value simplicity, speed, and an intuitive interface. Unlike most desktop environments, Razor-qt also works fine with weak machines.

After using it for sometime, I think I really like it. Fast, responsive on my weak machine, and easily configurable. I enabled zoncolor GTK theme on Razor-qt desktop session. Then I browse the default Razor-qt themes available (there's four pre-installed ones in latest release 0.5.2), which are beautiful. And then I quickly think to create a new one, to match the zoncolor theme to make them look integrated.

Based on the default theme, here is the zoncolor Razor-qt theme.

zonColor Update: GTK, I love you?

I have spent a lot of time lately working on next major updated version of zonColor Themes Pack. Currently, my primary focus is on new features for GTK themes of zonColor.

The big concern about zonColor GTK themes is due to the latest update version of GTK, where starting from GTK 3.8, they have stopped support for GTK color scheme (here is the announcement).

That was a disaster! Why? Because, for applying color customizations, zonColor GTK themes (versions 1.1 and earlier) rely on this feature, so that users can quickly and instantly apply color scheme to the currently active GTK theme, without having to generate a new GTK theme (unlike recoloring of icon themes and wallpaper that require to generate new ones).

zonColor 1.1 Update: Ubuntu Phone Wallpaper, "start-here" Icons, More

Recently, Canonical announced a big project at CES event, Ubuntu for phones, a mobile operating system aimed to provide a user experience as in Ubuntu desktop edition, on smartphones. This "Ubuntu Phone OS" created hype among geeks and enthusiasts, hoping this could be an alternative to big players like Google Android and Apple iOS among other.

One of interesting things about this Ubuntu phone OS is its visual design. It looks beautiful, simple but elegant. This design includes a gorgeous welcome screen image aka wallpaper that looks consitent with Ubuntu desktop OS visual design, with its timer clock at the center.

Inspired by the Ubuntu Phone design, some creative artists created wallpaper design for desktop, bringing the phone welcome screen design into desktop PCs.

Download full resolution

For zonColor 1.1 update release, I decided to include "Ubuntu Phone OS"-inspired wallpapers (including template) into zonColor Themes Pack. It is a slightly modified version of "Inspire" wallpaper by Michał Prędotka (http://mivoligo.com/d/inspire-wallpaper), with some adjustment so that it can be recolored, like other wallpaper templates in zonColor.

Here is some other color variants of the wallpaper.

Set Nemo as Default File Manager in Ubuntu

Nemo is a file manager application developed by Linux Mint team. It is a fork of Nautilus, the GNOME's file manager. In the beginning, Nemo was just Nautilus 3.4 (Nautilus version which is forked to become Nemo) with different name.

With rapid development and improvement, Nemo now become a full-featured file manager with lots of features, more customizable, and looks beter (in my opinion) than its original (Nautilus).

Nemo is the default file manager in Linux Mint, to handle folder and also handle the desktop. You can also easily install Nemo in Ubuntu if you want which is just apt-get away using a PPA (read more: How to install Nemo in Ubuntu),

When you install Nemo in Ubuntu, it doesn't set itself as the default file manager, Nautilus remains as the default one. If you want to integrate Nemo into Ubuntu system (as the default folder handler), you have to do it manually.

Here I want to share simple command to set Nemo as the default file manager in Ubuntu.

zonColor 1.0.5 Update: Xfce Color-Scheme Support, New Xfwm Theme

Today I decided to release updated version zonColor Themes Pack 1.0.5. This time is to bring some love to Xfce desktop.

The latest release provides ability to apply GTK-color-scheme setting on Xfce session, giving exactly the same experience as applying GTK color scheme in a GNOME-based desktop session. Thanks to TiZ, a gnome-look user, for his effort and information about this possibility for Xfce session.

GTK color scheme can be applied to the latest Xfce 4.10 desktop (i.e. Xubuntu 12.10). Earlier version (e.g. Xfce 4.8 used in Xubuntu 12.04) cannot used this, though.

Introducing zonColor Themes Pack: Full Set Themes with Unlimited Color Variants

Started with "only" GTK-Themes, later added with icon themes, zonColor themes is now become a complete set of themes (including app) for GTK-based Linux desktop (Ubuntu, etc), comes with its special feature: you can set any color you like for the themes, as many color variant themes as you want. With included app, you can now easily apply colors for themes easily, with just few mouse-clicks.

Currently, zonColor Themes Pack includes GTK themes, icon themes, wallpapers, theme-sets (metatheme - mix-and-match of theme components) and some other theme-related utilities, including simple, straight forward little app.

Version 1.0 is the first initial release of the complete set, replacing previous version.

You can download zonColor Themes Pack 1.0 from this page.

Click here to see some screenshots.

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zonColor Themes Pack: Complete Themes, Unlimited Color Variants by fanDigital

PS: Still, sorry for my English :)

zonColor Themes Pack Screenshots

Here are some more screenshots of zonColor Themes Pack, in various dekstop environment/session.

Keep in mind that the colors used are just examples, using some presets included in this pack. You can create your own variants, with your very own colors.

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zonColor example themes used in Ubuntu Unity desktop: