Jupiter Applet Officially Switches To Python [Quick Update]

A quick update for Jupiter users: Jupiter 0.1.2 has been released and it now uses Python by default instead of C#. The latest Jupiter comes with an Ubuntu AppIndicator as well as a notification area applet for those who don't use Ubuntu, so there's no need to use PyJupiter anymore. 

The new version also brings support Glidepoint touchpads and bug fixes.

Jupiter running in Ubuntu (AppIndicator)

Jupiter in Fuduntu (Tray applet)

If you're using the WebUpd8 PPA and have either PyJupiter or Jupiter installed, there's no need to remove any packages, just run a regular update (dist-upgrade may be needed if you run it from the command line) and you should get the new Jupiter 0.1.2. The "pyjupiter" package is now a metapackage so you can remove it if you want.

To install Jupiter in Ubuntu 12.04, 11.10, 11.04 or 10.10, use the commands below:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/jupiter
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install jupiter

The latest Jupiter 0.1.2 is also available as a RPM: download.

For other Linux distributions, you can get the Jupiter source via SourceForge.

second screenshot via Fewt

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Jupiter Applet Ported To Python, Gets Ubuntu Indicator Support

Jupiter is an applet designed to improve laptops / netbooks battery life. It can be used to switch between maximum, high performance and power saving modes, change the screen resolution and orientation, enable or disable bluetooth, touchpad, WiFi (if available) and so on. If you own an Asus EeePC netbook, there's also a separate package that adds support for Asus Super Hybrid Engine (SHE) as well as some other EeePC tweaks.

Jupiter applet is written in Mono and it comes with a systray icon only, so to use it in Ubuntu you have to whitelist Jupiter to get it to work. Jorge Luis Betancourt Gonzalez has re-written Jupiter applet in Python (there are no more Mono dependencies) and added Ubuntu appindicator support, so there's no need to whitelist the systray anymore. The new Jupiter applet written in Python is called pyJupiter.

This isn't an official Jupiter port to Python, though Fewt, the Jupiter developer, is considering switching Jupiter to Python. Update: Jupiter has officially switched to Python so there's no need to use pyJupiter anymore. Just install Jupiter as usual.

For now, the Jupiter indicator only comes with Ubuntu mono light (for dark panels) icons but if you want to use it with a light panel, you can download Ubuntu mono dark Jupiter icons from HERE (to use them, copy the icons to the /usr/share/pixmaps folder).

Install pyJupiter in Ubuntu

Update: Jupiter has officially switched to Python so there's no need to use pyJupiter anymore. Just install Jupiter as usual.

To install pyJupiter in Ubuntu 12.04, 11.10, 11.04 or 10.10 (it doesn't work properly in Ubuntu 10.04), use the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/jupiter
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install pyjupiter

Note: Installing pyJupiter will remove Jupiter, so you can't have both in the same time.

If you own Asus EeePC netbook, also install jupiter-support-eee - required for SHE (Super Hybrid Engine):

sudo apt-get install jupiter-support-eee

Many thanks to Jorge Luis Betancourt Gonzalez and to Ernesto Acosta from desdelinux.net!

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Rhythmbox Confirmed As Default Music Player In Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin, Jupiter Might Be Included Too

In an Ubuntu-Desktop mailing list message, Jason Warner (Ubuntu Desktop Manager) has confirmed that Rhythmbox will be the default music player in Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin, replacing Banshee:

Thank you all for sending feedback on the default music player for 12.04. It is clear the right decision for 12.04 is to make Rhythmbox the default music player. Thank you, above all else, for keeping the conversation cordial and making the decision about what is best for Ubuntu.

As a reminder, among the reasons behind this decision are: stability, startup speed, cd space, GTK2/GTK3 and arm support - for more info, see: this and this.

See the whole thread here.

Update: the Default Apps Discussion blueprint has been updated a few seconds ago and it points out that even though Ubuntu 12.04 will switch to Rhythmbox starting with alpha 1, the Banshee GTK3 port and stability on ARM will be reviewed around Precise beta 1 and it will then be discussed if Ubuntu Precise will stay with Rhythmbox or switch back to Banshee.

But there's something even more interesting regarding the default application selection in Ubuntu 12.04: the Default Apps Discussion blueprint has been updated a few minutes ago by the same Jason Warner and it mentions that Jupiter Applet might also be included by default as a way to solve power issues:

I would also like to get Jupiter applet in by default. Jupiter uses a systray whitelist. We can use that, create an indicator or possibly a system settings. We'll need to work with design on how best to get this in for Precise.

The weird part is that the blueprint also says that Tomboy and Gbrainy will be removed along with Banshee, so if Jupiter itself will be used (and they won't just use some Jupiter features integrated into the System Settings), Ubuntu 12.04 won't be mono-free, since Jupiter uses Mono (and it would be the only app that uses Mono on the CD). Sure, the blueprint doesn't indicate that Jupiter will definitely be included by default in Precise, but the blueprint update still seems a bit awkward (only from the CD space point of view, Jupiter is an amazing application). But then again, maybe Jason somehow isn't aware of the fact that Jupiter uses Mono.

For those not familiar with Jupiter, this is an applet designed for netbooks and laptops that you can use to switch between maximum and high performance and power saving mode, change the screem resolution and orientation, enable or disable the bluetooth, touchpad, WiFi and so on. It also provides Asus EeeePC SHE (Super Hybrid Engine) support.

Many have reported battery life improvements while using Jupiter, here's an example (read the whole thread).

In the same blueprint, it was also confirmed that FreeRDP and Remmina will replace rdesktop and vinagre in Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin.


What do you think about these changes?

Rhythmbox news via Ubuntu Dicas.

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Jupiter Applet Finally Available For Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot

Jupiter is an applet designed for netbooks and laptops that you can use to switch between maximum and high performance and power saving mode, change the resolution and orientation, enable or disable the bluetooth, touchpad, WiFi and so on. If you own an Asus EeePC netbook, there's also a separate package that adds support for Asus Super Hybrid Engine (SHE) as well as some other EeePC tweaks.

Jupiter doesn't work by default in Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot due to some Mono changes, but you can now use it thanks to a "hack" provided by WebUpd8 reader mtron. If you want to help getting Jupiter to work in Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot without this "hack", get the Jupiter source code from HERE.

Please note that because of a bug in Unity 2D, the Jupiter icon won't show up in the systray (it works just fine in Unity 3D though).

But, like I've said, you don't have to wait for this fix to get Jupiter working in Oneiric because I've applied mtron's tweak to the Jupiter packages available in the Jupiter WebUpd8 PPA.

Add the Jupiter WebUpd8 PPA and install it using the commands below:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/jupiter
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install jupiter

If you own Asus EeePC netbook, also install jupiter-support-eee - required for SHE (Super Hybrid Engine):

sudo apt-get install jupiter-support-eee

I've tweaked Jupiter to whitelist itself (this has been available since Ubuntu Natty) for the Unity systray so if you run Unity, after starting Jupiter for the first time you'll have to log out and log back in to see its icon in the notification area (systray). That's of course not the case if you've whitelisted the whole systray.

Bonus: if you want to use monochrome icons for Jupiter (light/dark), get them from HERE. For Ubuntu 11.10, you'll have to resize the icons to 24x24px (use the "nautilus-image-converter" package for easily resizing all the icons with 2 clicks; yes, it work with Nautilus 3 too).

If you're not using Ubuntu, you can download Jupiter via SourceForge (.rpm files available). To get it working with the latest Mono, use "/usr/bin/mono --runtime=v4.0.30319 /usr/bin/jupiter.exe" to run it (the Mono runtime version may be different for your Linux distribution).

Update: I've tweaked the package and it should now work with Unity 2D as well as Xubuntu too (Oneiric Ocelot).

Many thanks to mtron for the tip on how to get Jupiter to work in Ubuntu Oneiric!

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