Mint 12 Tips & Tricks Guide (updated Jan 10)

[chazdg24]

Bimsebasse,

Congratulations and thanks for the guide. It has eased my life tremendously . Instead of constantly repeating the same information to a growing list of new users, I just point them at your guide and they are happy.

One little thing you may want to include. In the gnome-shell-extensions-weather set up instructions, you may want to add a note that users in the U.S.A. should use their postal zip code instead of trying to find a functional WOEID. I struggled with this for some time before I found this site http://edg3.co.uk/snippets/weather-location-codes/ and read this line

All US Postal Codes are already valid Location IDs, so they do not require a search.

Thanks techogeek, will do - I've been working a lot lately and the little computer fiddling spare time I've had has gone into slowly moving this whole thing into a wiki. Will include your comment in the tip when it gets updated.

I did just that a few days ago and now my weather will not update. I changed back and it still won't update. I deleted the code and inserted it several times but nothing will fix it (I had this problem before and that worked but not now). Any thoughts how to fix this or should I start a new thread?

[crzen]

@chazdg24 I'm not sure whats going on with the weather extension. Mine uses my zip code and it seems to be working fine with updating. Even with the next day forecast. Try reinstalling it and see if that helps.

[chazdg24]

@chazdg24 I'm not sure whats going on with the weather extension. Mine uses my zip code and it seems to be working fine with updating. Even with the next day forecast. Try reinstalling it and see if that helps.

I decided to leave it alone. Today it is working fine.

[aristotelis]

At first i want say your guide for tips are one of the most complete i ever seen.
And that the reason you sent you this message about a problem i have.
This is not serious but is very annoying.
The opacity from the "file scroll selection" are gone and i can't see behind the selection.
This is a picture for to be more clear.

[tejota]

First of all thanks for the guide, helped me a lot!

However I learned about it when searching for a way to turn the Smart Overview off, which should be the "2f" tip, but it isn't.. Been trying to find about it but no luck in google, the toggle in Advanced Settings, under Shell Extensions doesn't work... Does anyone know how to do it?

Update: when I type "gsettings list-recursively org.gnome.shell" I don't see anything related to the overview thing in enabled-extensions..

Update 2: Actually, by "Smart Overview" I mean the Overview, I thought they were the same thing. I want only to use the Menu

[talora]

Very nice tips. However, I had a problem with 2g (Less spacing between notification area icons): now, the user menu appears before the clock and the "infinite" (activities) menu - and I liked to have it at the right bottom of the bar. Is there any way to fix that?

Thanks a lot!

Regards,

Luis Talora

[kelebek333]

At first i want say your guide for tips are one of the most complete i ever seen.
And that the reason you sent you this message about a problem i have.
This is not serious but is very annoying.
The opacity from the "file scroll selection" are gone and i can't see behind the selection.
This is a picture for to be more clear.

Open, Menu => Other => Advanced Settings
Select Theme tab
Change GTK+ theme to Mint-Z

[bimsebasse]

First of all thanks for the guide, helped me a lot!

However I learned about it when searching for a way to turn the Smart Overview off, which should be the "2f" tip, but it isn't.. Been trying to find about it but no luck in google, the toggle in Advanced Settings, under Shell Extensions doesn't work... Does anyone know how to do it?

Update: when I type "gsettings list-recursively org.gnome.shell" I don't see anything related to the overview thing in enabled-extensions..

Update 2: Actually, by "Smart Overview" I mean the Overview, I thought they were the same thing. I want only to use the Menu

My bad, I changed the tip (the culprit is the Native Window Placement extension, not the Smart Overview extension) but forgot to change the table of contents accordingly. I'm not sure what you're after? If you want to disable the Smart Overview extension, that's easily done in Advanced Settings. If you want to "disable" the overview see the disalbe hot corner tweak. I wouldn't recommend hacking system files to completely remove shell's overview if that's what you're after.

[bimsebasse]

Very nice tips. However, I had a problem with 2g (Less spacing between notification area icons): now, the user menu appears before the clock and the "infinite" (activities) menu - and I liked to have it at the right bottom of the bar. Is there any way to fix that?

Thanks a lot!

Regards,

Luis Talora

The tweak shouldn't reorder panel buttons, just lessen spacing between them - I think you have accidentally edited something else. Attach your .css if you want me to take a look.

[tejota]

@ bimsebasse

Thank you for your help. You're right, I was confusing Smart Overview with the Overview screen itself.

I do not like the Overview for a couple of reason (the main one being its performance) and would like to use the Menu only.

I'm kind of disappointed that there is no easy way to turn it off entirely, since they are clearly overlapping

I have followed the steps and hidden the 'hot corner', now do you know how can I remove the overview icon (the 'infinite' symbol) and maybe change the keyboard shortcut for the "Win" button to open the Menu. I've been looking for these without much success.

I'll post here if I find the solution before your response, thanks again!

EDIT: remapping the win key can be done by following this: viewtopic.php?f=205&t=92153&p=529202&hilit=win+key#p528943

[labeent]

Hallo,
I have request. I need applet for Switch off computer on my Cinnamon panel. Location would be best on top right.
Can You help me?
It's for my little daughter - she can not even read and standard shutdown is very difficult for her now,
I always did it trigger off the PC for her in Gnome2 .
Thank You for Your answers and I'm sorry - I speak english a little only.

[bimsebasse]

I'm kind of disappointed that there is no easy way to turn it off entirely, since they are clearly overlapping

They're only overlapping in Mint - default ("vanilla") Gnome Shell doesn't have a menu button and thus doesn't have two application menus.

I have followed the steps and hidden the 'hot corner', now do you know how can I remove the overview icon (the 'infinite' symbol) and maybe change the keyboard shortcut for the "Win" button to open the Menu. I've been looking for these without much success.

See 2e on how to change the overview icon, if you want it to disappear you can either delete the used icon or you can give a wrong path in the css.

[esteban1uy]

Hallo,
I have request. I need applet for Switch off computer on my Cinnamon panel. Location would be best on top right.
Can You help me?
It's for my little daughter - she can not even read and standard shutdown is very difficult for her now,
I always did it trigger off the PC for her in Gnome2 .
Thank You for Your answers and I'm sorry - I speak english a little only.

There's a more simple solution for that.
Open gedit and paste the following code:

Code: Select all

#!/usr/bin/env xdg-open

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Exec=dbus-send --system --print-reply --dest=org.freedesktop.Hal /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.SystemPowerManagement.Shutdown
Name=Shutdown
Comment=shutdown the machine now
Icon=/usr/share/icons/gnome/scalable/actions/system-shutdown-symbolic.svg

Save it as shutdown.desktop in your desktop folder. Then go to your desktop, right-click that file, select Properties and make it executable.

Now, everytime your little daughter double-clicks that shutdown icon in her desktop, her computer will shutdown immediately!

PS: my little brother doesn't read also, but he knows that clicking the "red button" (the shutdown icon in the favourites, depending on the icon theme) at the cinnamon menu makes my laptop shutdown in 60 seconds! On the other hand, why did you choose cinnamon for your daughter desktop? You can have Ubuntu Sugar Remix installed in her computer with just a couple of clicks (sudo add-apt-repository ppa:sugarteam/ppa then sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install ubuntu-sugar-remix) and it's great for little children, specially those who can't read.

[burning_daylight]

I've migrated to Mint12 recently and can't find how to hide some application icons from tray(top panel)?

[ibm450]

i know im off topic, but, personally i have found mint kde 12 to run alot smoother then mint12 gnome.

[dnairb]

I have a problem with the "Disable the Show Desktop panel icon" trick in MGSE.
When I edit the file as detailed, and reload the shell, the "Show Desktop" button is removed, but the window list icons have moved to the top panel.
Is there a way of removing the "Show Desktop" button while keeping the Window List on the bottom panel?

[labeent]

Hallo,
I have request. I need applet for Switch off computer on my Cinnamon panel. Location would be best on top right.
Can You help me?
It's for my little daughter - she can not even read and standard shutdown is very difficult for her now,
I always did it trigger off the PC for her in Gnome2 .
Thank You for Your answers and I'm sorry - I speak english a little only.

There's a more simple solution for that.
Open gedit and paste the following code:

Code: Select all

#!/usr/bin/env xdg-open

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Exec=dbus-send --system --print-reply --dest=org.freedesktop.Hal /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.SystemPowerManagement.Shutdown
Name=Shutdown
Comment=shutdown the machine now
Icon=/usr/share/icons/gnome/scalable/actions/system-shutdown-symbolic.svg

Save it as shutdown.desktop in your desktop folder. Then go to your desktop, right-click that file, select Properties and make it executable.

Now, everytime your little daughter double-clicks that shutdown icon in her desktop, her computer will shutdown immediately!

PS: my little brother doesn't read also, but he knows that clicking the "red button" (the shutdown icon in the favourites, depending on the icon theme) at the cinnamon menu makes my laptop shutdown in 60 seconds! On the other hand, why did you choose cinnamon for your daughter desktop? You can have Ubuntu Sugar Remix installed in her computer with just a couple of clicks (sudo add-apt-repository ppa:sugarteam/ppa then sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install ubuntu-sugar-remix) and it's great for little children, specially those who can't read.

Thank You very much. I did everythink, what You write, but it's not working. But we have applets for this action today:

Code: Select all

http://cinnamon-spices.linuxmint.com/applets

.

Thank you for your efforts

[bimsebasse]

I have a problem with the "Disable the Show Desktop panel icon" trick in MGSE.
When I edit the file as detailed, and reload the shell, the "Show Desktop" button is removed, but the window list icons have moved to the top panel.
Is there a way of removing the "Show Desktop" button while keeping the Window List on the bottom panel?

Hmm, not sure what happened there - when I did it the window list stayed put

[dnairb]

I have a problem with the "Disable the Show Desktop panel icon" trick in MGSE.
When I edit the file as detailed, and reload the shell, the "Show Desktop" button is removed, but the window list icons have moved to the top panel.
Is there a way of removing the "Show Desktop" button while keeping the Window List on the bottom panel?

Hmm, not sure what happened there - when I did it the window list stayed put

What is interesting is that I booted into the live USB system and tried this tweak. The result was the same as I described above. The problem then is not with any other tweaks or extensions I have installed, only the "Window List" extension.

EDIT: further to this, i am running the 32-bit CD version.
The md5sum of the linuxmint-12-gnome-cd-nocodecs-32bit.iso file matches that reported here: http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=92.
The files on the USB stick also match the md5sum.txt file.

I must admit I'm stumped!

[esteban1uy]

I must admit I'm stumped!

For a fast fix, just go to line 704 of extension.js and change bottomPosition = false to bottomPosition = true, but if you want a more detailed explanation keep reading.

What happens here is not something related to the "trick" itself but a known problem with the loading order of the extensions under Gnome-shell (that's why Cinnamon is much better than Gnome-shell!).
It happens that windowlist extension uses a really faulty mechanism to detect if it is running at a bottom or at a top panel: it simply checks if the bottompanel extension is already running at loading time. Look at this part of windowlist extension code:

Code: Select all

function init(extensionMeta) {
    // Find out if the bottom panel extension is enabled   
    let settings = new Gio.Settings({ schema: 'org.gnome.shell' });
    let enabled_extensions = settings.get_strv('enabled-extensions');
    if (enabled_extensions.indexOf("bottompanel@linuxmint.com") != -1) {  <=========================ATTENTION!!!!!!!
        bottomPosition = true;
    }
    else {
        bottomPosition = false;  <=========================CHANGE TO "TRUE" TO FORCE WINDOWLIST TO THE BOTTOM
    }   
    imports.gettext.bindtextdomain('gnome-shell-extensions', extensionMeta.localedir);       
    windowList = new WindowList();
    button = new ShowDesktopButton();
    appMenu = Main.panel._appMenu;   
}

But when you edit windowlist code (or any extension's code) you not only modify the behaviour of that extension but the loading order of the whole set of extensions, because Gnome-shell loads extensions by their creation/last modification date (such lazy coders ).

Please do the following:
Press Alt and F2 keys simultaneously, at the prompt type lg, that will open the "Looking Glass" (when you're ready to close it just press Esc key).
Now, at Looking Glass, go to the pane named "Errors" and take note of the order your extensions are loaded and post it here.
I bet we will find something weird at it.

@bimsebasse: I can't resist it... I told you!