EDIT: Updated to use the newest ATI drivers released on August 18



- First you must have 'kernel-source' and 'compat-expat1' so install it. Assuming you have smart (if not here is a guide):

sudo smart install kernel-source compat-expat1

- Open your terminal and type the following::

x86:
Download ati-driver-installer-8.28.8-x86.run to your Home folder or move it there after it downloads.
Then in the terminal type these 2 lines:

sudo chmod -x ati-driver-installer-8.28.8.run
sh ./ati-driver-installer-8.28.8.run --buildpkg SuSE/SUSE101-IA32

x86_64:
Download ati-driver-installer-8.28.8-x86_64.run to your Home folder or move it there after it downloads.
Then in the terminal type these 2 lines:

sudo chmod -x ati-driver-installer-8.28.8.run
sh ./ati-driver-installer-8.28.8.run --buildpkg SuSE/SUSE101-AMD64

All:
Then install the package that was created: (If upgrading fglrx add the '--replacepkgs' flag)

sudo rpm -Uhv fglrx_6*.rpm

THIS NEXT PART YOU NEED TO WRITE DOWN because we are shutting down x
Do this in the terminal:

su
init 3

Log in as 'root' for the user name when prompted and enter password then:

sax2 -r -m 0=fglrx

(That is the number zero) click the OK button when prompted and then type:

reboot

After being noticed by QuinnStorm (of XGL/compiz repo fame), some patches were added to the .deb and she put it to her repo. The patches include:

• Changing the word 'Computer' to 'Menu'
• Replacing the little computer icon with the Ubuntu logo
• Schemas added
• 'Recently Used Applications' replaced with 'Places'
  
• 'Install Software' correctly opens synaptic
  

If you don't already use her repo for XGL (which you should), here are quick instructions:

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

Add this line to the bottom:

deb http://xgl.compiz.info/ dapper main

Then open the terminal and type these 2 lines to add the gpg keys:

gpg --keyserver subkeys.pgp.net --recv-keys 0x31a5f97fed8a569e
gpg --export --armor 0x31a5f97fed8a569e | sudo apt-key add -

And finally do:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

The SLED menu is listed as 'gnome-main-menu', just 'sudo apt-get install' it:

sudo apt-get install gnome-main-menu gcontrol

Then when you right-click and choose 'Add to Panel', you will have the 'Main Menu' choice in the Misceleneous section.

The latest contribution to GNOME by Novell has been the menu overhaul known as 'SLAB' in their upcoming commercial distribution SLED. If you want to try it out you don't have to download and install the SLED pre-release you can add it to Ubuntu. Just like XGL, SLAB is open source.


First we need to take care of some dependencies. Open your terminal and type this (all one line):

sudo apt-get install libgnome-desktop-dev libpanel-applet2-dev libgtop2-dev libdbus-glib-1-dev network-manager-dev libhal-storage-dev libiw-dev libgnome-menu-dev libresmgr-dev libavahi-core-dev banshee f-spot mono

Next download and install this .deb file made by cbudden here.

Then download and install slab.schemas.zip and extract it to your Desktop and do this in your terminal:

cd ~/Desktop
gconftool --install-schema-file=slab.schemas

Now when you right-click on your panel up top and choose 'add to panel' you will notice that in the 'Miscellaneous' section there is an option called 'Main Menu'... this is the one-button SLAB menu. You will also notice that there is now a control panel for Ubuntu. Right-click on programs and 'add to favorites' or drag and drop to modify it.

I played around with my panels a little but my top panel still seems so bare!


If you want to check out the cvs source and try to compile it:

cvs -z3 -d :pserver:anonymous@anoncvs.gnome.org:/cvs/gnome login
(hit enter for password)
cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@anoncvs.gnome.org:/cvs/gnome co -P slab
 

Thanks to the SLAB thread in the Ubuntu forums.

XGL is great but when I discovered that tvtime didn't work with it I disabled it. Well, I decided to try xawtv instead after being told in a forum. It worked so I made a video.

Sacha Cohen is a comic genius and here are some clips of him as Ali G. Big ups.