quick tip

By default, Ubuntu displays one's name on the Unity panel in the top-right corner, but, for various reasons, there are persons more conformable with a no name/no face top bar.

Hiding the username is a simple task, which can be easily accomplished via dconf-editor:

• first, install dconf-editor
  

  sudo apt-get install dconf-tools

Weeks ago, the new LightDM has landed, bringing in Precise Pangolin shiny new features and an overall polish in the login experience.

One of the new introduced features is its default ability to display, at login, as a background, the user's desktop wallpaper, a fancy features for most of us, but, there are folks who prefer to keep their wallpaper only for them and not displayed prior to the password typing, blocking unwanted eyes (especially on multi-users computers).

Usually, after Ubuntu is installed on a machine, the user adds various programs (via PPA, Ubuntu Software Center, etc), performs the regular updates (via the Update Manager), install/delete then reinstall a particulate application, ending with numerous unneeded packages that can make the system slower, or just waste useful disk space.

Ubuntu is a full-fledged OS that runs on thousands of hardware configurations and, is natural, to work properly on various systems, as opposed to slightly faulty computers (the wireless card is not recognized, the hibernation doesn't perform in optimal parameters, etc).

Consequently, Ubuntu comes to help with Ubuntu certified, a set of tests thoroughly checked against computers sent from numerous hardware manufacturers, test that are to enlighten a possible Ubuntu-powered hardware buyer.

Days ago, the handy tool filled with numerous tweak options, Ubuntu Tweak 0.6, was released.
LightDM displays, at login, the Unity greeter that is based on Ubuntu's default wallpaper and, while it can be changed by modifying a text file, Ubuntu Tweak 0.6 offers an easier alternative.

If you want to change the login wallpaper, open Ubuntu Tweak-->Tweaks-->Login Settings (take a look here for how to install it), then

There are moments when are waiting particular updates of different applications (new features, security enhancements, etc) and we keep running the Update Manager over and over again, until the update arrive.

Ubuntu 11.10 introduced a handy feature, that after you select it, indicates the new updates by automatically running and displaying the Update Manager, so need for a constant search for updates.

There are situations when, after you just installed Ubuntu and properly configured the partitions, the swap is not recognized, meaning the system doesn't "see" it, so, you can't use that swap partition (the system will not perform as good as it should).

Ubuntu 11.10 introduced a lighter Startup Applications Preferences, composed only from the extra installed apps, like Diodon, Synapse, etc in order to probably facilitate an easy access and understanding of how to enable/disable various apps when the computer starts.

This may seem inappropriate for some of the more knowable users, who want to disable specific default apps/services (like for instance, Bluetooth).

qBittorrent is a Qt-based BitTorrent client featuring a polished uTorrent-like interface, a powerful search engine, many configuration options and more.

qBittorrent 2.9 was released few weeks ago with numerous improvements still lacking appindicator support, but provides a systray applet, which leads to a less proper integration in Ubntu 11.04's Unity panel (you can, of course, enable the "old" systray in the panel).

GNOME Terminal is a powerful tool, but there are little tricks designed to make our life easier.

There are commands that require sudo rights, some of the usual commands known (consequently we enter them in terminal with sudo in front, like, for, instance, sudo apt-get upgrade) and others lesser known (in this case we need to reintroduce the command again preceded by sudo).

!! is a handy command that repeats the last entered command useful for above mentioned cases making one's entering mistakes painless, so, if one types in terminal