Maximus and Chromium

I know I said I wasn't supporting Ubuntu Netbook Remix on the site for Karmic but this fix is pretty important so I'll bend the rules a bit.

Ubuntu Netbook Remix users are installing Chromium and finding that maximus doesn't work properly. Chromium instances are not being created or launching maximized.


- Chromium by default uses a slick interface that doesn't use a title bar (compact boarders). This is what is inhibiting maximus. To fix this you need to tell Chromium to use system title bar and borders.

Click the wrench and select Options.

- in the options menu under the Personal Stuff tab
- check the Use system title bar and borders box

Due to the Mini's screen size you may not be able to see the option on the bottom of the window. It's directly below the Use GTK Theme button. You may not be able to see it but you should be able to click it. Depending on your personal setup you should be able to move the window by using you mouse while holding the alt key. Try turning off compiz or disabling y-constraint.

This also works for Google Chrome, but big boys and girls use Chromium. Now we just have to bug the Chromium developers to show netbooks some love and allow for the Options menu to be properly resized and moved when used on a small screen.

Have a question or problem that this article doesn't cover? Ask our Ubuntu Mini 9 Google Group for help.

Chromium is Now Complete

Chromium the open source web browser on which Google Chrome is based is finally complete. When I first wrote about Chromium back in July, I found it to be a very fast and capable browser, but it lacked the features I needed to be productive on the web. Since then Chromium has finally reached the maturity level to compete with other major browsers, it now features:
- native GTK theming
- flash playback
- bookmark sync (through your google account)
- extensions



It will only be a matter of time until we see the most popular features of Firefox, Opera and other browsers make their way to Chromium via extensions. Until then I'll just enjoy Chromium's fast startup time and rendering engine.

For those not yet running Chromium installing the ppa is incredible simple in Ubuntu 9.10.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:chromium-daily/ppa

- to automatically add the Chromium PPA and GPG Key

sudo apt-get update

- update your sources

sudo apt-get install chromium-browser

- install the browser and it's dependencies

If you running an older version of Ubuntu use this guide to manually install the Chromium Daily Build PPA.

sudo apt-get chromium-browser installs the chromium-codecs-ffmpeg package by default. This package contains only the free ogg, vorbis and theora codecs needed for the HTML5 audio/video tags. If you want to install the free ogg, vorbis, theora codecs, as well as, the non-free H.264, MP3 and AAC codecs install the chromium-codecs-ffmpeg-nonfree package.

In a terminal type:

sudo apt-get install chromium-browser chromium-codecs-ffmpeg-nonfree

- to install the browser and non-free codec together

sudo apt-get install chromium-codecs-ffmpeg-nonfree

- to install the non-free repository after installing the Chromium browser.

You may be asking why I'm writing about Chromium when Google just announced Google Chrome Beta for Linux? I prefer to support Chromium because it is open source software and receives features before Google Chrome. The only real difference between the two browsers is the non-free codecs, and installing them in Chromium is easy. If you're not ready to take the Chromium plunge, you can install the Google Chrome browser by clicking here, n00b.

Have a question or problem that this article doesn't cover? Ask our Ubuntu Mini 9 Google Group for help.

Chromium Head Now Gone

Chromium is the open source project behind the Google Chrome web browser. While still in development, it is shaping up to be a feature rich browser. Like all software, Chromium's development has been marked with bugs and regressions. [chromium-bug] 18385 has to be the oddest software bug I've seen, the close button (X) has been replaced with a small head.


- Supposedly, this was done as a passive-aggressive motivation to get someone to create the Linux close/min/max/restore buttons. While others are calling it a feature.

The good news is that in the newest Linux Chromium build 3.0.198.0 (22605), the passive-aggressive feature has been fixed. The X has returned and Linux users finally have proper close/min/max/restore buttons. I personally think the head should be stay and be used as the incognito mode icon.



As a side note, [chromium-bug] 18385 has one of the funniest reports I've come across.

What steps will reproduce the problem?
Look at what the X button is supposed to be

What is the expected result?
an X button

What happens instead?
Some guys head

If you'd like to try Chromium use this install guide.
Use This guide to enable flash.

Have a question or problem that this article doesn't cover? Ask our Ubuntu Mini 9 Google Group for help.

Chromium, Now with Real Flash Support

Chromium now has "official" support for 3rd party plugins.

Chromium is the open source project behind the Google Chrome web browser. While still in development, it is shaping up to be a feature rich browser. Last time we wrote about it, there was a short lived work around to get Flash working. Updates to the browser quickly broke the hacked Flash support. This morning, I updated Chromium and noticed this in the start screen.


- Click to enlarge

Plug-ins (e.g. Flash) are part-way implemented and will cause frequent crashes. Use --enable-plug-ins to turn them on if you're okay with that; the browser is otherwise quite stable.

To install Chromium use this guide.

To Enable Plugins (e.g. Flash)
In a terminal type:

alacarte

-This will bring up Ubuntu's menu editor


- In the editor, navigate to the Applications>Internet>Chrominum Web Browser
- Right click the entry for Chromium and select Properties


- In a Launcher Properties box, add --enable-plugins in the command box
- The command to launch Chromium should now read: chromium-browser --enable plugins
- Click close

Enjoy!

Have a question or problem that this article doesn't cover? Ask our Ubuntu Mini 9 Google Group for help.

Install Chromium

Chromium is the open source project behind the Google Chrome web browser. While Chromium is still in development, it is shaping up to be a feature rich browser. It's already fast, has native theming support for Linux, flash support, and extensions.

Like the installing Firefox 3.5 guide, this how-to will use a Personal Package Achieve (PPA) to install and update Chromium as development continues.



Step 1: Add The PPA
- Go to the PPA for Ubuntu Chromium Daily Builds Webpage
-Select your distro, the PPA has builds for Hardy (8.04), Intrepid (8.10), Jaunty (9.04) and Karmic (9.10).


- Add the Chromium daily build repository for your distro to your source list
in a terminal:

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

- Paste, save and exit

Step 2: Add The Repository Key:
- Copy the key from this public key server page (use the 1024R Link)

- Paste it into a text file

- paste, save and exit

- Go to Software Sources (System->Administration->Software Sources)

- Under the Authentication Tab select "+ Import Key File..."
- Navigate to where you have saved the PPA key.
This will leave you in the root area of your hard disk, if you saved the key in your Home folder you will have to navigate to it. (File System->Home->user folder)
- Import the key

- Update your Repositories
in a terminal type:

sudo apt-get update

Install Chromium
in a terminal type:

sudo apt-get install chromium-browser

I watched an episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicals on Hulu and a couple of YouTube videos. Playback is decent, but I'd really like to know what you think of it.

Have a question or problem that this article doesn't cover? Ask our Ubuntu Mini 9 Google Group for help.