Essential Ubuntu Apps

This is the distilled version of Lifehacker's recent Top 10 Ubuntu apps.
A handy console app, just hit F12 (or what ever key you configure the shortcut to) and a console drops down from the screen top aka Quake style.
sudo apt-get install yakuake
Great keystroke launcher, has loads of plugins (such as google contacts, google docs etc) and can index a small (<3000)>$ sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.listpaste this text to the end of the file and save
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/do-core/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/do-core/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
add the keys
$ gpg --no-default-keyring --keyring /tmp/gnome-do.keyring --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv A5D19FDCAA6ABB440CD3464628A8205077558DD0
$ gpg --no-default-keyring --keyring /tmp/gnome-do.keyring --export --armor  A5D19FDCAA6ABB440CD3464628A8205077558DD0 | sudo apt-key add -
$ rm /tmp/gnome-do.keyring
then install it
$ sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install gnome-do
Handy GUI with loads of settings that you would have otherwise never known about.
$ sudo apt-get install ubuntu-tweak
That's it for now, they are all very handy.. whats next?
  • Still waiting for S-Video out support for my ATI graphics card.. fglrx is not an option at the moment
  • Testing out open office to be sure I know how to use all the features I used to use in MS office before making the big switch.. TOCs in text citations etc
  • Might have to test out a windows emulator just incase.. looking at Wine winehq.org or VirtualBox virtualbox.org