Telstra has revealed the addition of almost one million new mobile services in the six months to December 2011, but Sensis revenues plummeted 24 percent in 12 months.
Alternatively, if you are patient enough, you can download the packages specified from the online Ubuntu repository. For instance, the package build-essential is available from here. Download these packages and copy them onto a CD or memory stick and then copy them over onto your Linux computer. You’ll find this easy to do; when you insert removable media a file browser window opens up automatically and it is pretty intuitive to drag and drop files.
Once the packages are on your computer you can try to install them by calling up a terminal from the Applications/Accessories menu. Use commands like these –
cd desktop
sudo dpkg –i build-essential_11.3ubuntu1_i386.deb
where the item after –i is the filename of the package downloaded. You’ll need to do this for each package, but note this approach may drive you mad. You need to watch the output carefully because it will advise if the package installed successfully or if it failed to install for any reason, most likely because dependant packages are missing. You’ll thus need to find and save these packages too, transfer them to your Linux computer and reattempt the process.
Browse the web
Ok, this is really part of the last thing to do, but it merits its own heading.
Whatever your wireless adapter you’ll no doubt find equally useful help by searching Google with a similar term. Once you have followed all the instructions make sure everything is working by firing up Firefox; click the icon on top of the screen that looks like a little red fox circling the earth. Check out some of your favourite web sites. You’re now surfing the web on your Ubuntu box.
Update your system
No matter how recent the CD you installed Ubuntu from it’s likely there’s an update to some component. Click the System/Administration/Synaptic Package Manager menu to find out what’s new as well as discover new, free, software you can have. Click the icon labelled “Mark All Upgrades” and also check the boxes next to any other piece of software you may find useful. Click Apply when ready and Synaptic will kindly download and install all these new items.
Ramp up the GUI effects
Windows Vista sports a new user interface; it’s the first thing you notice about it. For many people, that eye candy is exciting but simultaneously a letdown when you realise the performance hit your PC takes for using it.
Ubuntu is also extremely flashy, with a system called Compiz Fusion under the hood. This is a compositing window manager that, like Vista, uses 3D graphics, exploiting the power of modern video cards. Unlike Vista, Compiz is faster and much more responsive.
Now, sure, you have an operating system on your computer so you can perform real tasks – the mundane things like making up your budget in a spreadsheet – but everyone loves to see a slick interface, especially if showing it off.
By default, Hardy Heron has a number of animations. Click on menus or minimise and restore windows to see a sample of these. Yet, at the moment, Compiz is being fairly restrained for what it can really do.
David Bass
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