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How to + Ubuntu 7.10 + Cairo

How Tos, Linux, Linux Applications, Open Source Applications, Ubuntu Desktop October 18th, 2007

I just got a chance to install and configure the official Ubuntu 7.10 release and I’m lovin’ it like McDonald’s. With any fresh distro load there are some things you’ll want to install to customize your desktop. One of first things you want to do is install the ‘ubuntu-restricted-extras’ and ‘w32codecs’ from Synaptic Package Manager. This new release comes with compiz-fusion already installed, all you need to do to customize it is load the ‘compiz-settings-manager’ from Synaptec. Another cool piece of software you might want to install is an application doc/launcher such as Avant or Cairo. I’m starting to like Cairo better than Avant now so I’ll post a link to the cairo-dock deb packages, you can get them here (you want to load the dock and plugins packages). After you load cairo-dock, I noticed it doesn’t show up in the menu but you can launch it by pressing Alt+F2 and type ‘cairo-dock’ in the box. You can drag items from the Applications menu into the dock. If you want to make this launch automatically when you log in go to system -> preferences -> sessions, then on the startup tab click ‘Add’, for name type in ‘cairo dock’ and for command type ‘cairo-dock’ and click ok. Then next time you log in it should launch for you. If your a gnome user like I am you can do some more customizing by going to http://www.gnome-look.org/ to find some cool themes, backgrounds, icons and junk like that.

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Reader's Comments

  1. austin | November 1st, 2007 at 3:05 pm

    how do i install it please help me ??????????????????

  2. eric | November 1st, 2007 at 3:14 pm

    The restricted packages you can install from Synatic under ‘System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager’ and then search for the packages by name. I posted a link to the .deb package for Cairo, just double click on it to install it. When your finished installing it you launch it by pressing Alt+F2 and type ‘cairo-dock’ in the box.

  3. austin | November 1st, 2007 at 6:20 pm

    hey i installed it and it didnt work i typed it in like you said and it said no such file or directory i installed it believe me it is green in the synaptic package manager also

  4. christian | November 7th, 2007 at 5:24 pm

    i installed cairo but cant figure how to run it ? i try alt+F2 typing cairo-dock and it dosent work

  5. eric | November 8th, 2007 at 10:09 am

    Cairo dock requires a composite manager such as compiz or beryl. Make sure compiz or beryl is configured and running correctly which requires installing video drivers for your 3D graphics card. If you can get your plugins to work, such as wobbly windows or rotating cube, then its running correctly, if not cairo dock will not launch.

  6. Enigmattic | November 29th, 2007 at 9:13 pm

    WOW! I thought Cairo Dock was dead!!!
    It’s improved so much since I last used it!!
    Thank you very much!

  7. Web Site Design | November 30th, 2007 at 4:15 pm

    Web Site Design…

    I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting…

  8. Fatih | January 15th, 2008 at 6:12 am

    This is the easiest explanation of cairo-dock installation. Great job and really cairo-dock rules. 100% faster than Avant

  9. John Carpenterwoodsmith | February 2nd, 2008 at 9:48 am

    Thanks for the good explanation!

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