Ubuntu GNOME Shell Remix 12.04 Available For Download

Ubuntu GNOME Shell Remix is unofficial Ubuntu remaster in which Unity has been replace with GNOME Shell. Besides this, Ubuntu GNOME Shell Remix also comes with some applications that are a part of GNOME and aren't installed by default on Ubuntu, such as Evolution, GNOME Sushi, Contacts or Cheese.

Ubuntu GNOME Shell Remix is intended for those who don't want/need Unity and want a clean GNOME Shell from the start, without having to remove Unity and other packages that depend on it. 

One note though: using Ubuntu GNOME Shell Remix 12.04 doesn't mean you can't use some Ubuntu-specific applications - for instance, Ubuntu one and Ubuntu Software Center are installed by default so there's only a different shell, but the features you like about Ubuntu are still available.

Because of some changes made in the latest Ubuntu 12.04, Ubuntu GNOME Shell remix doesn't come with GDM and uses LightDM by default (but it doesn't use the Unity Greeter and instead, it comes with the LightDM GTK greeter by default), so it's not a pure GNOME 3.4 experience, but it's the closest you can get while using Ubuntu.

Download Ubuntu GNOME Shell Remix 12.04

Thanks to Jan Hoffmann for the tip!

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Zukitwo, Zukini, Holo Theme Packs Updated For GNOME 3.4 [Ubuntu PPA]

Zukitwo, Zukini and Holo (unofficial) GTK2/3/GNOME Shell themes have been updated to work with GNOME 3.4 (so they work in Ubuntu 12.04) and are now available in the WebUpd8 themes PPA.

To be able to install the themes below using the WebUpd8 themes PPA, firstly add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/themes
sudo apt-get update

Zukitwo is a GTK2/3/GNOME Shell/Xfwm4 theme pack that comes with two GTK theme variants: light and dark. Zukitwo for GNOME Shell uses a transparent top bar and a beautiful message tray, giving GNOME Shell a glassy look. Both Zukitwo and Zukitwo-Dark GTK themes work with Unity, though the top panel font is a bit blurry with Zukitwo (this doesn't occur with Zukitwo-Dark).

Here are some Zukitwo screenshots:

Zukitwo Dark

Zukitwo GNOME Shell theme

Zukitwo GTK & Zukitwo GNOME Shell

To install Zukitwo from the WebUpd8 Themes PPA in Ubuntu, use the command below:

sudo apt-get install zukitwo-gtk-theme zukitwo-dark-gtk-theme

For other Linux distributions, download Zukitwo from DeviantArt.

Zukitwo Colors is a theme pack based on Zukitwo that comes with GTK2, GTK3 and GNOME Shell themes in 7 colors from Shiki-Colors (Brave, Dust, Human, Illustrious, Noble, Wine and Wise), as well as a color-neutral GNOME Shell theme (Zukitwo-Colors) and Metacity/Mutter themes for Dust (Zukitwo-Dust):

One of the Zukitwo Colors theme

To install Zukitwo Colors in Ubuntu, use the command below:

sudo apt-get install zukitwo-colors-theme

For other Linux distributions, download Zukitwo Colors from GNOME Look.

Holo is GNOME 3 theme pack created by Tiheum (the Faenza icon theme designer) that tries to mimic the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich theme. The theme doesn't support GNOME 3.4 officially, so Régis Montoya has ported it to the latest GNOME version:

Note: Holo is especially designed for GNOME Shell and doesn't work properly in Unity!

To install Holo theme pack in Ubuntu, use the command below:

sudo apt-get install holo-theme

For other Linux distributions, download Holo unofficial port to GTK3.4 via GitHub. The original Holo GTK/GNOME Shell theme can be downloaded via DeviantArt.

Zukini is yet another GTK2/3/GNOME Shell theme pack created by lassekongo83 (the Zukitwo theme designer):

Zukini GNOME Shell theme

Zukini GTK theme

To install Zukini in Ubuntu, use the command below:

sudo apt-get install zukini-theme

For other Linux distributions, download Zukini from DeviantArt.

To use any of the GTK themes above in Ubuntu, you can use Unsettings, Ubuntu Tweak, etc.

For GNOME Shell themes, you'll need the User Themes GNOME Shell extension which is a part of the "gnome-shell-extensions" package available in the WebUpd8 GNOME 3 PPA - for how to install it in Ubuntu, see our previous post: Official GNOME Shell Extensions, Weather, System Monitor, MediaPlayer And GPaste Available For GNOME Shell 3.4 [PPA - Ubuntu 12.04]

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Wallch: Wallpaper Changer For GNOME 3 / Unity

Wallch is an automatic wallpaper changer that works with GNOME 3 (and Unity). It features desktop/sound notifications, random image and time changing, live earth wallpaper (a 'live' picture of the earth updated every half hour), taking screenshots or webcam image.

The application also comes with Unity launcher support, so you can start or stop Wallch, select the next or previous wallpaper or start the live earth wallpaper from the Unity launcher:

Recently, the application got a new feature to automatically use a picture from Wikipedia of the day as wallpaper, as well as folder monitor and a redesigned UI. You also have an option to save the current picture of the day for later use.

To activate the picture of the day wallpaper or live earth wallpaper, firstly make sure the regular wallpaper changer is stopped (if started, click "Stop" in the main Wallch UI), then select Edit > Extras and you'll find a button to activate the live earth wallpaper or picture of the day. Here, you'll also find the folder monitor which adds any images you copy to a given folder to the Wallch wallpaper list.

Wallch live earth wallpaper

Install Wallch wallpaper changer in Ubuntu

The latest Wallch 3.0 is available in the Ubuntu 12.04 LTS repositories so to install Wallch, click the button below:

Or run the following command in a terminal:

sudo apt-get install wallch

Wallch is also available for Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot, but it's an older version. To add the Wallch PPA and install it in Ubuntu 11.10, use the commands below:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:wallch/wallch-ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install wallch

For other Linux distributions, you can download the Wallch source from HERE.

thanks to Leon Vs for the tip!

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Bluebird Theme Ported To GTK3 (Works With GTK 3.2 And 3.4)

Bluebird GTK3 - Ubuntu 11.10

Bluebird, a simple yet stylish theme that was used by default in Xubuntu 10.10 is now available for GTK3 (it supports GTK 3.2 and 3.4) and works with both Xubuntu (Xfce) and Ubuntu (GNOME / Unity).

The theme is not 100% GTK3 ready and there's no Unity integration unfortunately (no maximized window buttons or a custom top panel), but it's pretty usable already.

Bluebird - Ubuntu 12.04 (GTK 3.4)

Install Bluebird GTK2/3 theme

If you like Bluebird and want to install it in Ubuntu/Xubuntu 11.10 or 12.04, you can use our Themes PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/themes
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install bluebird-gtk-theme

The old GTK2-only Bluebird theme is also available in our Themes PPA for Ubuntu Lucid, Maverick and Natty so if you use one of these Ubuntu versions, you can install Bluebird GTK2 using the same commands.

Once installed, use GNOME Tweak Tool, Ubuntu Tweak or MyUnity to apply the new theme (for both GTK and window).

For other Linux distributions: you can download Bluebird via GIT:

git clone https://github.com/shimmerproject/Bluebird ~/.themes/Bluebird

If you don't use Ubuntu, make sure you've installed Unico GTK3 engine (as well as Murrine GTK2 engine) or else Bluebird will not look properly.

via Xubuntu @ Google+

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Orion GTK3 Theme Updated For GNOME 3.4

Orion, a cool, light GTK3 theme pack is now available for GNOME 3.4 (which includes Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin) and is compatible with the latest Unico GTK engine. The new release also brings support for Openbox.

Orion includes GTK2/3, XFCE and Openbox themes and is fully compatible with GNOME Shell (though it doesn't include a GNOME Shell theme, but you can use Elegance for instance, by the same author) and Unity.

Install Orion GTK3 theme

To install Orion in Ubuntu 12.04 or 11.10, you can use Satya's themes PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:satyajit-happy/themes
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install orion-gtk-theme

For other Linux distributions, download Orion GTK3 theme for  GTK 3.4 via DeviantArt.

via G+

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GNOME 3.4 ISO Images Available For Download

If you want to try the latest GNOME 3.4 with all its applications, including Boxes, Documents, Web (Epiphany), Contacts and so on, there is now a GNOME 3.4 live CD available for download.

The ISO image is based on Fedora and comes with basically no modifications from the original GNOME 3.4. You can test the ISO either in a visualization software such as VirtualBox (I've just tried it in the latest VirtualBox 4.1.12 and GNOME Shell works without having to install the guest additions) or by writing in to an USB drive.

Download GNOME 3.4 ISO image

via ossblog.it

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Official GNOME Shell Extensions, Weather, System Monitor, MediaPlayer And GPaste Available For GNOME Shell 3.4 [PPA - Ubuntu 12.04]

A quick update for Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin users running GNOME Shell: I've updated some of the extensions available in the WebUpd8 GNOME 3 PPA to the latest version which works with GNOME Shell 3.4.

The updated extensions that work with GNOME Shell 3.4 available in the WebUpd8 GNOME 3 PPA are: the official GNOME Shell extensions (now it's a single package), GNOME Shell Weather, GPaste (clipboard tool), System Monitor and MediaPlayer. More will follow.

Initially, I wasn't planning on updating them since they are available on extensions.gnome.org, but I've got quite a few requests for this. One thing that's not available for extensions installed through GNOME's extensions website is update support so the PPA should be useful for those who want to use the latest version of the above mentioned extensions.

Installation

To be able to install the extensions, you'll have to firstly add the WebUpd8 GNOME 3 PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/gnome3
sudo apt-get update

Then, install the official GNOME Shell extensions (includes the following extensions: Dock, User Theme, Alternative Status Menu, Alternate Tab, Drive Menu, SystemMonitor, Gajim, Workspace Indicator, Apps Menu, Auto Move Windows, Native Window Placement, Places Menu, windowsNavigator ):

sudo apt-get install gnome-shell-extensions

To install the GNOME Shell Weather Extension:

sudo apt-get install gnome-shell-extensions-weather

For installing GNOME Shell System Monitor (this is a different extension than the official GNOME Shell System Monitor), use:

sudo apt-get install gnome-shell-system-monitor

To install GPaste clipboard tool, use:

sudo apt-get install gnome-shell-extensions-gpaste

And to install GNOME Shell Mediaplayer extension:

sudo apt-get install gnome-shell-extensions-mediaplayer

To enable the extensions, you'll need GNOME Tweak Tool so install it if you haven't already:

sudo apt-get install gnome-tweak-tool

Then, restart GNOME Shell by pressing ALT + F2 and entering "r" (or log out and log back in), open GNOME Tweak Tool and enable the extensions you want to use.

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GNOME 3.4 Has Been Released

GNOME 3.4 has been released today, bringing many important changes such as video calling for Empathy, smarter pop-ups and message tray, a much improved Epiphany browser, a new menu for some GNOME applications, new scrollbars and more.

GNOME applications

GNOME Documents, Web (Epiphany) and Contacts have a new look in GNOME 3.4 and have gained some new features:

- Epiphany has been renamed to "Web" and is comes with a beautiful new interface which is consistent with the rest of GNOME 3.4 applications. The application also got a redesigned toolbar, a new progress bar and a new "super menu":

- Documents: besides an improved interface, the latest GNOME Documents gained an option to create collections of documents and printing support

- Contacts got an improved layout, inline linking suggestions and a new avatar selector:

- Empathy got a new audio and video calling interface which is fully integrated into GNOME Shell as well as Windows Live Messaging and Facebook chat support:

Also, Empathy now integrates better with Contacts app - for instance, it displays linking suggestions.

- There's also a new GNOME application called "Boxes" which is used to easily connect to remote machines or use virtual machines:

Application menus

Some GNOME applications which include Documents, Contacts and Web now use a new menu which is displayed on the top GNOME Shell bar and which contains items that affect the whole application. In the future, more applications will make use of this new menu.

Also, as you can see in the screenshot above, some GNOME applications no longer use a titlebar when maximized, increasing the screen real estate.

More!

Other smaller, but still significant changes include:

- Smaller scrollbars:

- The Activities Overview now supports searching for documents:

- GNOME 3.4 uses an animated background which becomes lighter / darker, depending on the time of day:

Other changes:

• Refreshed Adwaita theme
• Better, smoother videos for the built-in GNOME screen recorder (to use it, press CTRL + ALT + Shift + r)
• The notification popups are smater and also, the message tray is displayed if you haven't interacted with your computer for a while
• Smooth scrolling
• Undo functionality for Nautilus
• GTK 3.4 got basic support for touch events
• Better Wayland support
• Improved system settings: prettier power settings, the network panel allows you to forget the configuration of individual networks, enhanced Wacom graphics tablet support, easier navigation

At the time I'm writing this post, the GNOME 3.4 live images are not ready yet, but if you want to give the latest GNOME 3.4 a try, check out http://www.gnome.org/getting-gnome/ later on to download a live GNOME 3.4 ISO.

Update: GNOME 3.4 is now available in the Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin repositories (well, most of it; for instance Boxes is not available).

via Gnome 3.4 release notes

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SyncWall: Wallpaper Changer With Multi-Monitor And Synchronization Support

SyncWall is a cross-platform wallpaper change written in Qt which supports multiple monitors and wallpaper synchronization between workstations.

SyncWall features:

• change wallpapers automatically / manually (configurable a keyboard shortcut)
• configurable wallpaper change interval / time of day
• several resizing methods and background filling
• supports special effects for the wallpapers (blur, sharpen, desaturate, glow and so on)
• basic multi-monitor support (note: I haven't tested this because I only have one monitor)
• synchronize wallpaper between workstations
• automatic desktop environment detection
• can quietly start in the notification area (minimized)

According to its official website, SyncWall supports GNOME / GNOME 3 (Unity included), LXDE, XFCE, KDE3, KDE4 and others. However, there's currently a bug that affects KDE4 users, but there's a work-around: you must manually select the image SyncWall generates under ~/.SyncWall in the plasma configuration and set it to "center" (this is only required the first time).

To get SyncWall to automatically change your wallpaper, firstly make sure you've added some wallpapers (on the "Preview" tab). Then, under Preferences > Scheduling, check the "Change Interval" box, then enter the wallpaper change interval. You can also set SyncWall to automatically change the wallpaper based on the time of day:

To get the wallpaper synchronization to work between workstations, you must manually copy the wallpapers on each machine, under the same folder (same path). Then, in the SyncWall Preferences, click "Network", enable "Synchronize with server", enter the server IP and that's it.

Please note that SyncWall tries to automatically  detect the desktop environment, but this can fail sometimes. If the wallpaper doesn't change, manually select the desktop environment in the SyncWall Preferences, on the Startup tab. For Unity, select GNOME 3 as the DE.

Install SyncWall in Ubuntu

Because Ubuntu automatically creates an AppIndicator for all Qt applications that use a notification area icon, the original Syncwall package doesn't work properly under Ubuntu 11.10+ (with Unity): if you select to minimize it at startup, you can't activate the main window again unless you reset the SyncWall settings. To fix this, I've added a patch to the package available in the WebUpd8 PPA, so you can select "Show SyncWall" from the notification area / appindicator menu.

You can install SyncWall in Ubuntu (12.04, 11.10, 11.04 and 10.10; sorry, the Ubuntu 10.04 package wasn't build correctly) using the main WebUpd8 PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install syncwall

To get SyncWall to start when you log in, search for "Startup Applications" in Dash / menu, click "Add", under Name enter "SyncWall" and under command: "syncwall". If you want SyncWall to start hidden (minimized, in the notification area), on the SyncWall Preferences tab, check the "Start in notification tray" box.

For other Linux distributions and Windows, download the SyncWall from SourceForge.

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`Window Applets`, Finally Available For GNOME 3 (Classic / Fallback)

Window Applets is a pack of two GNOME panel applets that lets you put the window title and buttons on the top panel. Since GNOME 3, Window Applets stopped working but today, a new version has been released with support for the GNOME 3 classic / fallback panel.

The Window Buttons applet is basically like the Ubuntu window buttons displayed on the top panel for maximized windows, except it's for the classic GNOME session and it's highly customizable:

• you can move it anywhere you want on the panel
• many built-in themes, more available on Gnome-Look.org
• select if you want it to control all windows or only maximized windows
• automatically hide for non-maximized windows
• change the button order
• hide some of the buttons
• more!

Window Title applet supports the same customizations as the Window Buttons applet, except it's, well, for the window title.

For now, the Window Applets pack only works with the classic GNOME 3 session (GNOME Panel), but according to its developer, this will change:

The new version has been ported to Gnome 3 classic. It is not yet possible to run it in Gnome Shell or Unity, but this will change!

I'm not sure how it could work with Unity since the top panel is not a GNOME panel and it can't be customized (fork it?), but we'll see. Until then, there is a GNOME Shell extension for this, though it's not as customizable as Window Applets: Get Unity-Like Window Buttons On The Top GNOME Shell Bar

Window Applets video

To see exactly what "Window Applets" is and how it works, here's a video I've recorded (in Ubuntu 11.10):


(direct link to video)

Install Window Applets in Ubuntu 11.10 or 12.04

Firstly, you'll need the GNOME 3 Classic / Fallback session - to install it in Ubuntu 12.04 or 11.10, use the following command:

sudo apt-get install gnome-session-fallback

Just like the GNOME 2 version (still available for Ubuntu Lucid, Maverick and Natty), the latest Window Applets for GNOME 3 is available in the main WebUpd8 PPA so if you're using Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot or 12.04 Precise Pangolin with the classic GNOME session, install it using the commands below:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install gnome-window-applets

Once installed, ALT + right click (if that doesn't work, try ALT + SUPER + right click) a GNOME panel, select "Add to panel" and add "Window Buttons" and/or "Window Title".

Note: by default, Window Buttons applet is set to show up on the panel for all windows, but it only controls maximized windows. You can change this and other settings by right clicking the applet and selecting "Preferences".

By the way, to get Indicator Applet for GNOME Classic in Ubuntu 11.10, see THIS post (this is already available in Ubuntu Precise, there's no need for a PPA).

For other Linux distributions, download the Window Applets source code via GNOME Look.

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A More "Classic GNOME" Session Lands In Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

The Indicator Applet port to GTK3 has finally landed in Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin. This, along with some changes to the GNOME Panel default settings, finally "fix" the Classic (fallback) GNOME session in Ubuntu 12.04:

As you can see in the screenshot above, the theme still needs some fixes. But it's great to finally have a fully working Classic GNOME 3 session without having to use PPAs.

Here is how it used to look (no indicators, Ubuntu Sound menu or Messaging menu, just a notification area):

Also, the bug that was causing Compiz to fail when using the Classic GNOME session seems to have been fixed so Compiz should now work as long as you computer supports it.

Ubuntu 12.04 uses Unity 2D as the fallback session by default, so if you want to use the Classic (Fallback) GNOME Session, you'll have to install it:

sudo apt-get install gnome-session-fallback

Then log out and select "GNOME Classic" from the login screen:

If you want to use AppMenu (global menu) on the panel, install it using the command below:

indicator-applet-appmenu

Then ALT + right click (if that doesn't work, use ALT + SUPER + right click) on the panel, select "Add to panel" and add "Indicator Applet Appmenu".

If you want to install Indicator Applet with GTK3 support in Ubuntu 11.10, see THIS post.

via +Jeremy Bicha

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GNOME Components Version Clarifications For Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

Back at the Ubuntu Developer Summit, it was decided that Ubuntu 12.04 will continue to use some GNOME 3.2 applications and will only pick up some GNOME 3.4 components like GNOME Games, Gedit and others. 

Jeremy Bicha has posted an update on the versions of some GNOME components for the upcoming Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin.

3.0:

• Totem: as expected, Totem will stay at version 3.0 because starting with version 3.2, it uses Clutter which means it won't work for those who aren't using 3D drivers,
• GDM: will stay at 3.0 because it requires a lot of patching, but Ubuntu uses LightDM now anyway so this shouldn't be an issue for most Ubuntu users.

3.2:

• Evolution: according to Jeremy, Evolution will continue at version 3.2 because it's better tested than 3.4 which will get some big changes under the hood,
• Aisleriot Solitaire,
• Disk Utility,
• GNOME Keyring,
• System Settings (GNOME Control Center, GNOME Settings Daemon): using 3.4 is possible, but System Settings requires a patched Unity Greeter which probably won't be done in 2 weeks (Feature Freeze is on February 16) because the Ubuntu developers have a lot of work to do already, so Ubuntu 12.04 will probably use version 3.2,
• GNOME Shell: because it needs the new settings, GNOME Shell will probably stay at version 3.2 (3.2.2.1) in the Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin repositories.

3.4:

• everything not mentioned above should be upgraded to version 3.4 in Ubuntu Precise Pangolin, like the latest Nautilus which includes support for undo/redo or "show file in folder" and the inclusion of GNOME Boxes in the Ubuntu repositories. Further more, bug fixes and even some features will be backported for Precise.

These are the versions expected for the GNOME components in the official Ubuntu 12.04 repositories. Ubuntu Precise users will, however, be able to use newer versions for some of the applications mentioned above, by using the GNOME3 Team PPA.

For more info, see Jeremy's blog post.

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Holo: Android Ice Cream Sandwich Like Theme Pack For GNOME 3 (GTK/Shell)

Holo is a cool new GNOME 3 theme pack created by Tiheum (the Faenza icon theme designer) that tries to mimic the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich theme.

Holo was initially called "Ice Cream Sandwich" and only included a GNOME Shell theme, but a recent update brought matching GTK3 and GTK2 themes too.

The GTK3 theme uses a nice gradient for the menubar, accompanied by an elegant  Metacity theme, which unfortunately doesn't work in Unity for now. The GTK2 theme doesn't look so good as the GTK3, but luckily, most applications have already been ported to GTK3.

Install Holo theme pack

Ubuntu 11.10 or 12.04 (only tested in 11.10) users can install Holo from the WebUpd8 Themes PPA, using the commands below:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/themes
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install holo-theme

For other Linux distributions or manual Ubuntu installation: to install Holo, download it from DeviantArt, extract it and copy the folder to the ~/.themes/ folder (".themes" is a hidden folder in your home directory so press CTRL + H to see it; if it doesn't exist, create it).

Then, to apply the new theme, use GNOME Tweak Tool or Ubuntu Tweak 0.6+. After changing the Metacity theme, press ALT + F2 and enter "r" to reload GNOME Shell (or log out and log back in).

Remember, the Metacity (window) theme doesn't work in Unity for now so only install it if you're using GNOME Shell (the GTK theme does work in Unity obviously, but with both the titlebar and menu missing in Unity, the theme won't look like its supposed to anymore). This will hopefully be fixed in a future release.

Note: Holo requires Unico GTK3 as well as Murrine and Pixbuf GTK2 engines, so make sure they are installed before using the GTK theme.

via +Fabio Lo Brutto

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Orion: A New, Clear GTK 2/3 Theme

Orion is a new, clear GTK3 theme created by Satya, who's also behind other beautiful GTK and GNOME Shell / Cinnamon themes like Evolve, Shine, Minty, Ambiance Blue and others.

The GTK3 theme is powered by the Unico GTK3 engine, comes with a modified Boomerang Metacity theme and is compatible with GTK 3.2 (both GNOME Shell and Unity). Orion also includes a GTK2 theme, for compatibility with GTK2 applications.

As usual, Satya has uploaded the theme to his themes PPA so if you use Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot, you can install it using the commands below:

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:satyajit-happy/themes
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install orion-gtk-theme

For other Linux distributions, download Orion via DeviantArt.

Note: the theme is still work in progress.

Thanks to Satya for the tip!

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Epiphany 3.3.4 Released With New Menu And Toolbar, More

Epiphany 3.3.4 has been released today with many user interface changes which bring it closer to the mockups we've seen about a month ago.

The new version features a much cleaner, unified user interface that's optimized to offer the user as much vertical space as possible. The old-style menu and statusbar have been removed, being replaced with a menu integrated into the top GNOME Shell bar (that will be used by the whole GNOME application stack: Music, Documents, etc.), a new "super menu" and a Nautilus-like floating statusbar.

The application menu, which is displayed on the top GNOME Shell bar uses the new Epiphany brand: "Web" (see screenshot above), and is only used for actions that affect the entire application, and not just the currently focused window.

Epiphany 3.3.4 also uses a new toolbar which displays the back/forward buttons, the location bar, a Firefox-like reload button and a menu button that opens a "super menu", while the zoom buttons, menu, etc. are gone. Here's the new "super menu":

The super menu, as opposed to the application menu, displays actions related to the current page/window and some parts of it are temporarily, like the bookmarks menu which is going to use the new Epiphany Overview.

More features on the way

Even more new features are on the way! For instance, the Epiphany Overview, a feature that will replace traditional tabs in Epiphany, is not yet available in Epiphany 3.3.4, but should be ready for the GNOME 3.4 release. The same goes for the new SQLite history backend and a "surprise gift in the Web Application cam".

You can download the latest Epiphany source files from HERE. Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin users can install it via the GNOME 3 PPA - but note that for some of the new features, you need GNOME Shell 3.3.4.

What do you think?

via/screenshots: blogs.gnome.org/xan

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Cinnamon 1.1.3 Released With Panel Autohide, More

Cinnamon is a GNOME Shell fork created by Clement Lefebvre, the Linux Mint founder, which tries to offer a layout similar to GNOME 2: a bottom panel with launchers, GNOME2-like systray and notifications and more.

Cinnamon 1.1.3 has been released today, bringing some new features as well as many improvements and bug fixes:

• panel autohide
• the Overview Hot Corner or icon can be disabled
• menu improvements, including: right click the icons in the menu to "Add to panel", "Add to desktop", "Add/Remove to/from favorites" or configuring the "Menu" text
• Panel Launchers now have tooltips
• themes in ~/.themes are now detected
• thumbnails from theme.json files in Gnome Shell themes are now used
• windows in overview now feature icons for easier recognition

For a complete list of changes, see the release announcement.

To enable/disable bottom panel autohide, change the menu text and so on, you'll need to use dconf-editor. Install it using the following command:

sudo apt-get install dconf-tools

Then launch dconf-editor and navigate to org > cinnamon. Here you'll find all the available options.

Install Cinnamon

Installing Cinnamon won't break GNOME Shell so the two can be installed and used side-by-side.

For Ubuntu 11.10, you can download Cinnamon deb files via its GitHub page - install both "cinnamon" as well as "cinnamon-session".

For Linux Mint 12, use the following command:

sudo apt-get install cinnamon-session

Once installed, log out and select "Cinnamon" in the login screen.

For other Linux distributions such as Arch Linux, Fedora, OpenSuse, etc., see the Cinnamon download page.

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Create A Wallpaper Slideshow With XML Background Creator For GNOME 3

"XML Animated Background Creator" is a Nautilus script to easily generate XML wallpaper slideshows (wallpapers that change automatically) for GNOME 3.

There used to be many such applications for GNOME 2, but they can't change the background anymore because they still use GConf, while the background settings are now stored in DConf. And since XML Animated Background Creator is easy to use and install on any Linux distribution, I've upgraded it to work with GNOME 3 (it works with any "shell": Unity, GNOME Shell, fallback session).

To install XML Animated Background Creator, download the Nautilus script, extract it in your home folder and run the following commands in a terminal:

cd ~/XMLBACK
./install.sh

For Fedora, open the install.sh file and replace "gksu" with "beesu" (also, make sure beesu is installed: "sudo yum install beesu").

To create a XML slideshow background, copy all the wallpapers you want to use in your new XML background in a folder, then right click the folder and select Scripts > create xml background. 

XML Animated Background Creator will then prompt you to select the time between each wallpaper (5 minutes by default), the transition duration (5 seconds by default), and xml file name. At the end, it also asks you if you want to use the newly generated .xml background file as your wallpaper.

Extra tip: in GNOME 3, you can't select a XML slideshow wallpaper through the Appearance dialog. You don't have to do this manually if you're using XML Background Creator since the script asks you if you want to apply a newly created .xml background file, however, if you want to manually set an XML wallpaper in GNOME 3, use the following command:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri 'file:///path/to/background.xml'

Where /path/to/ is the path to your background.xml (or whatever you've called it) file.

Credits for the script: algalord (I've only modified it slightly to get it to work with GNOME 3)

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