Welcome to CobberLinux

Welcome to CobberLinux.

Please take time to read this post plus the links (internal and external) provided to gain a better understanding of the purpose of CobberLinux.

What is CobberLinux (Cobber for short)?

Cobber is a project to create a uniquely Australasian version of Linux. Cobber is based on Debian and uses DebianLive to build a LiveDVD/LiveUSB system including installer.

How much does Cobber cost?

Nothing, it is/will be free and will always remain free if you download it. I intend to provide DVD and/or USB media with Cobber on it and because I am (currently) the only person here I will need to charge for media and postage.

How is Cobber uniquely Australasian?

The intent of Cobber is to provide a Linux system that suits Australian, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinean users without containing unnecessary bloat (e.g. translations that are not required or academically correct for the country/culture such as American English). While this will take time it is hoped that each country/culture group can develop translations that suits the national and cultural languages of the peoples using Cobber. The intention is to produce a LiveDVD and LiveUSB installer with the appropriate localisation settings (e.g. timezone, area, keyboard, languages) already in place allowing users a quick and easy installation.

Cobber is the first Linux distro, feel free to provide proof that I am incorrect if you can, that encourages work translating upstream (see point 2 below). Doing this helps all Linux users not just end users of Cobber. While our aim is to produce a uniquely Australasian Linux we also believe in giving other Linux users the choice to use Australasian translations in their preferred distro.

How can I/you help Cobber achieve its goals?

1. You can help Cobber achieve its goals by joining the Cobber Community.
2. You could also join other Linux communities such as Gnome, KDE, MATE, XFCE, and LXDE and help translate these environments into your language. By joining these communities you not only help Cobber but you will help Linux in general. For Australian English translation/localisation I am using the Oxford English Dictionary and the Australian National Dictionary.
3. If translation isn’t something you feel you can help with there are also visual aspects of Cobber such as artwork, backgrounds and screen savers that are open for enthusiastic people to share their artistic talents with others.
4. Like any operating system Cobber is always going to encourage people with programming skills to help.
5. You could test development versions of Cobber and help to iron out any bugs that limit its usability.
6. Take part in any polls listed so we can develop a system that suits the majorities purpose.

What versions of Cobber will be available?

For the Australian edition there will be 1 major version and various testing versions. It is expected that each countries edition users will name its versions. The Cobber (Australian edition) dists are:

Uluru=Stable
Maralinga=Testing
Canberra=Unstable
Experimental=Experimental (Experimental is not for general use).

This isn’t set in stone, if anyone can give suggestions they will be considered through a community forum.

Tutorial: How To modify the Floating Feet Screensaver to make your own.

I was asked recently how can someone modify the Floating Feet screensaver that is used in Gnome2 and MATE. Gnome had the Feet symbol, MATE has the target and Debian has the swirl. Read on to find out how to make it work using your icon.

1. As root open up /usr/share/pixmaps so you can copy an icon of your choice into the folder. I copied a png image of the Australian flag into the folder.
2. Now, as root, open up /usr/share/applications/screensavers/ folder. MATE calls the file you need to copy Floating Feet. Right click copy and then right click paste, then rename the new file to whatever you want to call it (this works on my machines). I called mine FloatingFlags. Why? Well I couldn't open it with Pluma if it was Floating Flags but I could as FloatingFlags.

3. Again as root in your terminal type pluma /usr/share/applications/screensavers/FloatingFlags.desktop and the file will open in Pluma MATE's text editor. If you use another text editor just replace pluma in the command with the one you use.

4. When you have this file open you will see

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Floating Feet
Name[en_AU]=Floating Feet
Comment=Bubbles the MATE foot logo around the screen
Comment[en_AU]=Bubbles the MATE foot logo around the screen
Exec=/usr/lib/mate-screensaver/floaters /usr/share/pixmaps/mate-logo-white.svg
TryExec=/usr/lib/mate-screensaver/floaters
StartupNotify=false
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Screensaver;
OnlyShowIn=MATE;

To get your picture to show you need to either modify a line or add a line. I chose to modify and add a new line like this as shown in the bold text.

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Floating Flags
Name[en_AU]=FloatingFlags
Comment=Bubbles the Australian Flag around the screen
Comment[en_AU]=Bubbles the Australian Flag around the screen
#Exec=/usr/lib/mate-screensaver/floaters /usr/share/pixmaps/mate-logo-white.svg
Exec=/usr/lib/mate-screensaver/floaters /usr/share/pixmaps/Flag_of_Australia.png
TryExec=/usr/lib/mate-screensaver/floaters
StartupNotify=false
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Screensaver;
OnlyShowIn=MATE;

Now save your file and check to see it works.

Australian flag screen saver

How to align MATE panel applets.

This come up on the MATE forum recently and Atarixle posted a brief how to so people could sort their applets in an order they like. So here’s the link to the post in question.

Happy New Year and Uluru-MATE beta preview

Just a quick post to wish everyone a happy new year. I hope this year brings to you what you want/deserve.

Cobber is moving along between the holiday break, work, and university studies. I have a new install of Uluru-MATE beta. Yes, that’s right Cobber Uluru is now in Beta.

Here are some screen shots for you to look at.

Tutorial: How to set custom time and date in Gnome and MATE.

This tutorial was prompted by a question in MATE forums about how to set a custom time and date in MATE.

1. In Gnome open up gconf-editor, in MATE 1.4 open up mateconf-editor, in MATE 1.6 open up dconf-editor.

2. Navigate to apps > panel > applets > clock or clock_screen0 > prefs. For MATE 1.6 it is at org > mate > panel > objects > clock > prefs.

3. Find the format key and set it to custom.

4. Find the custom_format key and set it to your desired setting (mine is %A, %B %d, %Y. %I:%M %p) using parameter information from this site.

Check out the screen shot for the correct keys and the outcome in the top right corner.

Cobber icon needed.

Calling graphic artists, Cobber is at a stage where I would like Cobber to have its own icon that defines it from other Linux distributions.

Ubuntu has the circle, Linux Mint has the Green LM square, Debian has the swirl. I would like Cobber to have something Australasian (maybe a Thumbs Up) for its defining icon. I would also like for this icon to be done by Australian/New Zealanders to keep with Cobber’s “Australasian” mission. So if there are any budding graphic artists out there who want to be part of the Cobber family please either respond to this thread or send me a message

Cobber Background and Screensaver pictures of Australia

A few weeks ago I put out a call for pictures for Cobber on one of my favourite forums. The response has been excellent and soon I will create the deb packages required by Cobber and post them on the Cobber sourceforge page.

So far I have been given pictures by Mattner, Monkeybucket, and had offers for more by other members of Australia’s premier 4wd community forum. The pictures are stunning and will be posted here (I will edit this post) as well to show the transformation of Cobber with the help of various dedicated Australian communities.

Here’s a picture just to tease you. This one is from Mattner.

Tutorial: How to create your own Screensaver using native Linux tools. (MATE)

What’s the point of this tutorial?

This tutorial is it is here for those who wish to work with what is already installed on their system and wish to have a screen background that changes at predetermined intervals. It is for those who want to understand the already natively available and installed system. It has been tested on Gnome 2 and MATE It is based on the script and setup for the background named “Cosmos” which comes pre-installed in Gnome 2  and MATE..

Please note: This is just 1 way of doing this, there are many more ways and formats possible. Choose what is the best for you. This tutorial isn’t here to dictate to anyone what is the best method for you to use. Instead, as has already been stated, it is here for those who wish to work with what is already installed on their system. Please do not turn this tutorial into a “my way is the best way” discussion, instead treat it like the technical tutorial it is.

1: Preliminary work.
Follow the instructions in this post.

2: Finding the required files.
Taken from this post.

Now you have your slideshow setup and in the right place you need to go to Places > Search for Files. Search for Cosmos and you will find:

cosmos-slideshow.desktop (a configuration file in /usr/share/applications/screensavers)

cosmos (the folder containing the Cosmos backgrounds which you will have noticed is used as the basis of the slideshow background)

cosmos.xml (again used as the basis for the background slideshow)

3: Modifying the file.
Open cosmos-slideshow.desktop by opening a terminal and typing or pasting.
Code:

gksudo gedit /usr/share/applications/screensavers/cosmos-slideshow.desktop

Now you have that open change the following ITALIC entries to suit your screensaver.

Code:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Cosmos
Comment=Display a slideshow of pictures of the cosmos
Exec=/usr/lib/gnome-screensaver/gnome-screensaver/slideshow –location=/usr/share/backgrounds/cosmos
TryExec=/usr/lib/gnome-screensaver/gnome-screensaver/slideshow
StartupNotify=false
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=GNOME;Screensaver;
OnlyShowIn=GNOME;
X-Ubuntu-Gettext-Domain=gnome-screensaver

Save the file with A NEW NAME, this is so you don’t lose cosmos.

4: Telling Linux that you have a new Screensaver.
Now that you have done that press Alt-F2 and in the dialogue box type in gconf-editor. Go Apps > gnome-screensaver. On the opposite pane you should see a list go down until you see “mode”, tap on mode twice and you will get another dialogue box appear, enter single into the Value line and click ok. Open the Screensaver preferences choose you new screensaver and your done.

Test it out and let us know how you go.

If you have any hints or suggestions regarding this format please feel free to make them and I will adjust this post accordingly.

n.b. This tutorial is posted in a few places on the net, I originally posted it on Ubuntu forums when I was an Ubuntu user. I then posted it in what was called Open Ubuntu Forum. Because I have no control over forums (Ubuntu forums were talking about getting rid of old posts at one stage) I have decided to post tutorials I have written on my own blog. At least that way I know they are still around for people to use if they so wish.