Install softwares ,media ,and games on Ubuntu by just a click

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With this tutorial we will try to show you how to install softwares by clicking on a link in your browser. If you want to install only some of the software list in this page, you can do it by simply clicking on the links put on the packages’ names.

Configuration of apt repositories list:

First, we create a backup of our original sources.list:

/usr/bin/sudo /bin/cp /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.orig

We remove the ability to get packages from the install CD-Rom:

/usr/bin/sudo /bin/sed -i -e 's/^(deb cdrom:)/#1/' /etc/apt/sources.list

We enable the partner repository (aka. commercial repository) of Canonical Ltd.:

/usr/bin/sudo /bin/sed -i -e 's/^# (.*intrepid partner.*)$/1/' /etc/apt/sources.list

We add the Medibuntu repository witch contains various heavily needed packages:

echo "## MEDIBUNTU
deb http://fr.packages.medibuntu.org/ intrepid free non-free
# Dépôts de sources (uniquement utiles pour télécharger les sources avec apt-get source. Dans ce cas enlever les #)
# deb-src http://fr.packages.medibuntu.org/ intrepid free non-free" 
    | /usr/bin/sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list

We install the GPG key signing the medibuntu repository:

wget -q http://packages.medibuntu.org/medibuntu-key.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -

Once the apt sources configured, we update the list of available packages:

sudo apt-get update
Installing restricted software

Ubuntu help you installing multimedia software, java and many other things by providing a meta package. To install it, use this command line:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

Once this done, we add the java fonts:

sudo apt-get install sun-java6-fonts

And we set the Sun Java Virtual Machine as the default Java environment:

sudo update-java-alternatives --set java-6-sun

If you want to be able to read movies included in web pages (some of it, nevertheless), you need to install the Mozilla Firefox’s VLC plugin:

sudo apt-get install mozilla-plugin-vlc

Last, but not least, if you want to be able to read DVD movies, you will need gxine and DVD decryption librairies:

sudo apt-get install libdvdcss2 libdvdnav4 libxine1-ffmpeg gxine

Essential ones

The tools listed below are the ones that really miss to the default setup of Ubuntu. You should not hesitate to install them :

• alltray : This small software allow you to create a notification icon for any software (this is great with FileZilla and Totem).

• audacious : A better Beep Media Player. WinAmp fans, this is for you.

• comix : A comics archive reader. It is a great tool to display images from an archive without extrating it.

• dvdrip : A tool to backup your DVD movies as DivX by using transcode (Who am I kidding ?). It is very simple and really powerfull.

• easytag : A great tool to edit your MP3 and Ogg Vorbis ID3 tags.

• filezilla : A great FTP client (and its locales filezilla-locales).

• fortunes : The fortunes cookies to enlighten your day :D.

• liferea : Gnome RSS feed reader. If you are into web applications, take look at Tiny Tiny RSS (and at my howto Install Tiny Tiny RSS on Debian 4.0 Etch).

• thunderbird : The e-mail client made by Mozilla. Make your Junk mail disappear XD.

• miro: A movie podcasts reader. There are some great feeds availables.

• nautilus-open-terminal : allow you to open a terminal from the Nautilus context menu.

• ttf-xfree86-nonfree : Multiverse non-free fonts.

• unrar : This tool allow you to extract RAR archives.

• unace : This tool allow you to extract ACE archives.

• vim-gnome : The Gnome user interface for my favorite text editor: Vim.

• wine : A free implementation of the Windows API. Allow you to play many Windows games.

• xchat : My favorite IRC client.

In short, just use this command line to install all of this:

sudo apt-get install audacious filezilla filezilla-locales miro 
             fortunes liferea thunderbird 
             nautilus-open-terminal ttf-xfree86-nonfree 
             unace vim-gnome wine xchat unace unrar 
             alltray comix dvdrip easytag

Good ones

Some of thoses softwares are usufull just try them

• agave : This software is a color composer, it allow you to find colors that go well together (Thanks to the author of the news Agave, un simple compositeur de couleurs).

• kompozer : A WYSIWYG HTML editor to create your Internet site.

• opera : A nice web browser, available in “parner” repository (recommends flashplugin-nonfree).

• amsn : A MSN Messenger clone for Linux. I have to say that the newest versions are really nice.

• gnochm : Microsoft Windows help files reader.

• drapes : A little software that take place in the notification area and regularly change your background by picking in your image library.

• subtitleeditor : I often play video with subtitles. This little tool is a great subtitle editor that can be used to resynchronize subtitles with the video (I just love the fact that this software show the sound volume graphic).

• realplayer : Le lecteur multimédia de la société Real Média… pour lire les fichiers rm.

in brief :

sudo apt-get install agave gnochm kompozer drapes subtitleeditor 
                     flashplugin-nonfree opera amsn realplayer

Games with just a click , nice ehhh

2D games

• atomix : A thinking game where you must build molecules using atoms… Review your chemistry and have fun.

• beneath-a-steel-sky : A point-and-click in a science-fiction universe.

• btanks : A tanks battle multi-player game with a cartoon touch (Thanks to Devil505 for his post Combat de chars d’assaut entre amis).

• defendguin : Defender for linux… Save the penguins !.

• fillets-ng : A commercial reflexion game became free. You guide a couple of fish across various levels.

• flight-of-the-amazon-queen : A point-and-click where you are a pilot flighting over the amazon jungle.

• flobopuyo : A Puyo Puyo clone, a well known Tetris-like.

• freeciv-client-gtk : A Civilization II clone. A very good game. (To enable sound effects, install freeciv-sound)

• frozen-bubble : A nice puzzle game where penguins replace Bubble Bobble ghosts.

• gweled : A puzzle game really nice, for coffee pauses :

• mirrormagic : A thinking game where you use mirrors to reflect a laser ray.

• njam : A multiplayer PacMan (but you can also play alone). If you are into oldies, this game is for you.

• pathological : A thinking game where to need to match balls of the same color. Pleasant ;

• pingus : A game where you must save a bunch of stupid little pets…. black, white, and yellow ;) (nope, not the blue, white and green ones).

• powermanga : A shoot-them-up with a quite slow ryhtm, but it is really addictive. You can by new weapons, new ships, … And the graphics are beautiful.

• ri-li : A game where a train must get its wagons back in a railroad maze. Very cute ;)

• wormux : Worms for Linux… Blow up your friends :D

• xwelltris : A 3D tetris. Strange.

• wesnoth-all : One of the best turn by turn strategy game of the world (yep, even compared to Heroes of Might and Magic) (ttf-sazanami-gothic is recommended).

3D accelerated games

• alien-arena : A FPS where aliens fight humans…Creepy. Its community is very active.

• chromium : A great OpenGL shoot-them-up. (Begin with “fish in the barrel” difficulty).

• glest : A Real Time Strategy game really nice.

• gltron : A 3D tron game. Beautiful.

• lincity-ng : A SimCity clone for Linux.

• nexuiz : A quality FPS.

• extremetuxracer : One of my favorite game, involving Tux and a beautiful music.

• rrootage : A shoot-them-up in wire 3D and a bunch of final Boss. Beautiful !. Only problem : it is in japanese. A read of the man page is mandatory before playing.

• supertux : A super-mario like where Tux is the heroe.

• supertuxkart : A Super Mario Kart clone where Tux is the heroe.

• torus-trooper : A wired 3D shoot-them-up. Very fast, very fun and very addictive. One of my favorites.

• tremulous : A FPS where many species are at war.

• vegastrike : A space combat simulation in the spirit of Wing Commander Privateer, X2 : The threat…

Hope that you found this tutorial helpfull .

Many thanks for howto landure and everyone that helped to make this tutorial.

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