Kubuntu Post Installation Recommendations

This section is part of Kubuntu and Ubuntu Linux Distribution Reference.

Install rar and unrar utilities

File compression often used by newsgroups and torrents

sudo apt-get install rar unrar

install configure vncserver on KDE

Go to the xxx by clicking the following path:

• KMenu -> Applications -> System -> Software Center

In the search box type "X11VNC" and click to install "X11VNC Server." Now in the X11VNC Server description page click the "Launch" button (should be on the left side of the dialog below the image.

Once you have launched the program you will be able to set passwords and configure the server.

Oddly enough, access to the server control for X11VNC Server is in the following:

• KMenu -> Applications -> Internet -> X11VNC Server

Kind of a stupid place for it.

Quick Access Plasma widget

sudo apt-get install plasma-widget-quickaccess

Plasma Customization

You can change some behaviors to make Plasma more traditional to the KDE feel some users prefer.

• Right click on KMenu and choose "Switch to Classic Menu Style"

Classic is ripped from Windows XP style start menu while "Launcher Style" is a ripoff of Windows Vista/7. Lets just call it what it is. Now to have more control over icons install:

sudo apt-get install kdeplasma-addons

see: http://chakraos.org/wiki/index.php?title=Plasma_Desktop_Basics

Other package managers

gdebi is a simple tool to install deb files. apt does the same, but only for remote (http, ftp) located package repositories. It has a graphical user interface but can also be used in your terminal. TO install it there will be some dependencies needed. See below:

apt-get install gdebi

The following extra packages will be installed: gdebi-core gir1.2-atk-1.0 gir1.2-freedesktop gir1.2-gdkpixbuf-2.0, gir1.2-gtk-3.0 gir1.2-pango-1.0 gir1.2-vte-2.90 gksu gnome-icon-theme, humanity-icon-theme libcairo-perl libgksu2-0 libglib-perl, libgnome-keyring-common, libgnome-keyring0 libgtk2-perl libgtop2-7, libgtop2-common libpango-perl libvte-2.90-9 libvte-2.90-common

The following NEW packages will be installed: gdebi gdebi-core gir1.2-atk-1.0 gir1.2-freedesktop gir1.2-gdkpixbuf-2.0, gir1.2-gtk-3.0 gir1.2-pango-1.0 gir1.2-vte-2.90 gksu gnome-icon-theme, humanity-icon-theme libcairo-perl libgksu2-0 libglib-perl, libgnome-keyring-common libgnome-keyring0 libgtk2-perl libgtop2-7, libgtop2-common libpango-perl libvte-2.90-9 libvte-2.90-common

Basically, using apt-get allows you to pull down packages from a server and install. gdebi allows you to install packages that you have manually or previously downloaded and put on your system.

File Managers

Nautilus is Gnome’s default file manager and Dolphin is KDE’s default file manager. Nautilus File Manager and Dolphin File Manager both have their positives and negatives. It is personal preference. You can easily download and install Nautilus on KDE by looking for a "nautilus" package in the package manager. It is GTK+ based so there will be dependencies needed.

Dolphin is already part of Kubuntu KDE desktop and has more customization options than Nautilus, for example, Dolphin includes "Split" and "Preview" buttons that Nautilus lacks. Dolphin has many configurable settings into one drop-down menu button called "Control". Dolphin is Qt-based so if you try to install on Gnome Ubuntu there will be dependencies needed.

Dolphin has been included with KDE since KDE Software Compilation 4. Dolphin replaces Konqueror. Konqueror was a file manager and web browser (reminds MSIE.) Now it is a web browser only. To install konqueror see below under web browsers.

A quick way to open a folder having sudo. (open folder as root)

• Go to "Configure Dolphin" > Services tab and click Download New Services. Search for root and find the service named Root Actions. Click Install.

Other web browsers

Firefox

Firefox is considered a superior web browser when coupled with the NoScript and Ghostery plugins. Some web sites are not Firefox friendly.

• Firefox is included with Kubuntu during installation. (verified: Kubuntu 14.04 LTS)

If you opted not to install Firefox during the Kubuntu installation, or for some other reason you are missing Firefox, it is easy to install after the fact:

apt-get install firefox

You may not get the most recent version of Firefox available, what you will get is the most recent version Ubuntu has on their repository. This is better than what Debian users get. See more information on Installing Firefox for Linux.

Chromium

There are other web browsers that run under KDE Linux including: Chromium and Google Chrome.

Install Chromium, the open source version of Google Chrome.

sudo apt-get install chromium-browser

Chrome

I don't think Chromium has Adoble Flash built-in like Google Chrome does. This would be due to the licensing. You can install the full version of Google Chrome which has closed source components such as Flash. The following Google Chrome installation process has been verified to work on: (verified: Kubuntu 14.04 LTS) To install the commercial version "Google Chrome" for Debian Linux do the following:

Google Chrome for 64bit Linux

wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
sudo gdebi google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

Google Chrome for 32bit Linux

wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_i386.deb
sudo gdebi google-chrome-stable_current_i386.deb

Google Chrome will have some dependencies: Requires the installation of the following packages: indicator-application libappindicator1 libappindicator3-1 libdbusmenu-gtk3-4 libindicator3-7 libindicator7

Konqueror

Konqueror is a pretty good lightweight and reasonably capable web browser. It used to be a familiar part of KDE. Now it is not included by default, but you can still get it easy enough. To install Konqueror on KDE:

sudo apt-get install konqueror

Now konqueror is not a file manager, it is a web browser. It will show up in K menu Applications -> Internet as a web browser.

Opera

Opera is available as a .deb package for Debian / Ubuntu Linux to be downloaded from their web site.

• http://www.opera.com/download/guide/?os=linux

sudo gdebi opera-stable_27.0.1689.76_amd64.deb

Replace "opera-stable_27.0.1689.76_amd64.deb" with the exact name of the .deb package you downloaded. It may be newer than what it was when this information here was created. Things just keep getting newer and better!

Plugin Support: Various Browsers

Adobe Flash is built in the Google Chrome web browser. For other browsers you can install Flash Player, see: Install Update Flash Plugin Ubuntu.

Java is infrequently needed. If you feel you must have it:

sudo apt-get install icedtea-plugin

The Ubuntu Synaptic package manager

Synaptic comes with Ubuntu and Muon package manager comes with Kubuntu because it is for KDE. If you prefer Synaptic you can install it too. You can have them both.

sudo apt-get install aptitude synaptic gdebi-core software-properties-gtk

Those pesky encrypted DVDs

DVD encryption is lame. It is easy to crack and only holds up the end user experience when wanting to watch a movie!

sudo apt-get install kubuntu-restricted-extras libavcodec-extra
sudo apt-get install libdvdread4
sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/install-css.sh

Backgrounds, Screensavers, and other frivolous stuff

Fun fun fun!

sudo apt-get install kscreensaver
sudo apt-get install kde-wallpapers
sudo apt-get install vlc

External Resources

Some of this page was sourced from the following excellent article: 20 cool things to do after installing Kubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr

Adept is a graphical package management system for KDE and you can learn more about it on the article: Installing Additional Applications

Guide: Install/Uninstall .deb files on About.com

To install a .deb file, simply Right click on the .deb file, and choose Kubuntu Package Menu->Install Package.

Alternatively, you can also install a .deb file by opening a terminal and typing:

sudo dpkg -i package_file.deb 

To uninstall a .deb file, remove it using Adept, or type:

 sudo apt-get remove package_name