Download the Google Gadgets source

wget http://google-gadgets-for-linux.googlecode.com/files/google-gadgets-for-linux-0.10.3.tar.bz2

Install the dependencies

sudo apt-get install libdbus-1-dev libmozjs-dev libxml2-dev libgstreamer0.10-dev libgstreamer-plugins-base0.10-dev libltdl3-dev libxt-dev libxul-dev libgtk2.0-dev librsvg2-dev libcurl4-openssl-dev

I’ve added the “libxt-dev” which was missed in the Google instructions.

Configure the build

./configure --prefix=/usr

Google advises to add the prefix to avoid library linking problems.

Make the application

make

Install the application

sudo make install

And start it

ggl-gtk

I haven’t seen any major updates to the last release yet. All I can say is that it feels a bit faster.

Look at my Current install page for an overview of what I install after the default install.

Very positive is that it’s FAST. Not only Gnome works smoothly, but Firefox is just incredible. I’ve visited sites that I know have a lot of, very slow, javascript and they worked just amazingly fast. The bug that the passwords for multiple wireless networks are lost seems to be fixed.

It looks good, not special, but I knew that. I’m a bit disappointed about the suspend/resume not working. I hope that will be fixed before the release, because I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the fast resume in the beta.

If you have the same problem, just search for the flash update in your Update Manager and install it. Richt click in the list, select “Uncheck all” and select only the flash update. After a restart of firefox you should be OK.

In my install the Update Manager started complaining that  it wanted to do a Partial update. Don’t worry, just click “Close”.

Overall 8.10 is running extremely well. There are a few bugs that are annoying:

• NetworkManager forgets the password if you use multiple wireless networks.
• The dimming of the screen still doesn’t work right. If I plug in then it will dim to a fixed value, even if I selected it to be at a lower value. And plugging it in will select a higher value.
• Suspend and Wakeup works very good on my Sony. But it seems that changing anything during sleep kills the stability. I mean stuff like: unplug, or plug, the AC or attached (yes, or detach) an external monitor. I understand that’s complicated stuff: you wake up and the world has changed. I have that every day.
• I still had to do some tweaking to make the external monitor work. What’s good: at least it tried to adjust the Virtual setting in xorg.xonf.
• Compiz still can’t handle more then 2048×2048. Is it just me, or is that a bit outdated?

What I miss in the release is the USP, the killer app, … Of course it’s faster, uses less memory, works better with the hardware, but what makes this release special? It should have been the theme, but that is too weak for me.

It’s going to be a good release. Probably it will bring Ubuntu up to the level where XP was after about 7 or 8 years: stable and just working. Let’s hope the next release will take that step extra that pulls it above M$ and Apple.

I don’t get the rave about the NewHuman theme. For me it shows all the same problems as the other dark themes: some applications (try CompizConfig) just don’t work with it.

But overall the release looks promising. I’m really looking forward to the final!