Any fellow Linux users on here?

[Outdated]

I tried to create a guest session account, but I'm not able to transfer the desktop layout as I arranged it under the admin account to it, and creating a regular user account.....

Is there any reason that the users have to have their own accounts?

If not you can just make the default user a non-administrative account, and go in to firefox's settings and stop it from saving logins and passwords. Auto login at boot, freely accessible computer.

 

[tkcartoonist]

Is there any reason that the users have to have their own accounts?

If not you can just make the default user a non-administrative account, and go in to firefox's settings and stop it from saving logins and passwords. Auto login at boot, freely accessible computer.

Not so much the logins I don't want saved: if someone were to, say, make a word document, I'd like to have it set up so that that document is gone once someone logs off. I'd also like to have some of the programs mentioned earlier in this thread be easily accessable and not buried in the app launcher, which is why I'd like to put those programs on the desktop or panel and stay there once it reboots. The people who are interested in this computer run a shelter, so I expect different people coming and going a lot, and I'd prefer to not have whatever they're working on staying on the system.

I know I'm doing a poor job explaining this, but I was thinking of having this set up similar to a school library computer.

 

[Judge]

So I found someone that may be interested in this computer, but I'm still trying to solve this problem. I tried to create a guest session account, but I'm not able to transfer the desktop layout as I arranged it under the admin account to it, and creating a regular user account, while I am able to make the layout arrangement I want, has a password requirement plus created files are saved even after logout. I tried one of the methods that @Outdated linked to, but I wasn't getting much luck. Anyone know the best way to make this whole setup work? I should mention that the computer has Linux Mint 21.2 Cinnamon on it.

Probably the only thing I don't like about Linux Mint is both a strength and a weakness. That it has very few options in terms of customization, unless other distros which have unlimited access to Gnome Extensions. Though I can't say I've heard of a gnome extension that manages user sessions.

 

[Outdated]

Not so much the logins I don't want saved: if someone were to, say, make a word document, I'd like to have it set up so that that document is gone once someone logs off.

Log in as root and change ownership and read/write permissions of the home folder, then nothing can be saved.

 

[tkcartoonist]

Log in as root and change ownership and read/write permissions of the home folder, then nothing can be saved.

I'll give that a shot.

 

[Judge]

Not really surprising, but a bit frustrating that while a third-party theme (Gnome Extension) can be used, the case of security-drive applications like Timestamp and the Synaptic Package Manager, they don't react to such themes in whole or in part. In using a theme that is based on the appearance of Mac OS "Mojave", these two programs remain in the default mode of Pop!OS 22.04 to "light" instead of the dark mode that is set with "WhiteSur-Dark" that applies to most everything else.

Oddly enough while these apps remain in light mode, their window buttons work in accordance with the WhiteSur-Dark appearance as set up in Gnome Tweaks.

Equally strange are a few apps like Firefox, which retains the Pop!OS 22.04 window buttons rather than the Mac styled ones. While my other browser (Brave) render the Mac window buttons just fine.

And while the WhiteSur-Dark mode is applied in the "appearance" setting of Gnome Tweaks, if I access the Pop!OS display settings, it remains locked in light mode, reflecting those exceptions like Timeshift and the Synaptic Package Manager that also remain in light mode.

Of course with a simple change in Gnome Tweaks, if I change the appearance from WhiteSur-Dark to Pop-Dark, all applications conform to the dark mode. Though the window buttons also revert to Pop!OS, which are not quite as elegant as the Mac OS equivalent.

I suppose the only thing left to ponder besides replacing the entire theme package (if this is just a programming glitch) is whether or not the light or dark appearance for Pop!OS can be locked using the dConf Editor? I'm not sure...but just wondering if it would circumvent apps like Timeshift and the Synaptic Package Manager to show up in the dark mode along with everything else?

The more I think about it, it would seem the best thing to do is to simply switch the appearance setting in Gnome Tweaks to "Pop-Dark" which would make ALL apps working properly in dark mode, as well as a consistency of ALL apps having the same windows buttons.

 

[Judge]

Another thing that dawned on me is that both Timestamp and the Synaptic Package Manager both have one critical thing in common. They require password authentication to access, as does the Firewall. Its appearance also shows up in light instead of dark per the WhiteSur-Dark choice used in Gnome Tweaks. Though the Firewall also carries the Mac style windows buttons. Go figure!

Would this have any bearing on an inability of third-party themes to work under such security concerns? Makes me wonder if this is par for the course in Linux regarding any customized themes.

 

[Judge]

Wow...made quite an observation today in examining all the nuances (and not so pretty stuff) associated with third-party themes and overall interface modifications.

While I absolutely love the Mac OS icons, there's just too many inconsistencies regarding other visual aspects of a Mac-like interface. The biggest one I discovered was how for whatever reasons the font rendering is degraded when I put it all into "full-Mac mode" using Gnome Tweaks.

When I reset everything but the icons to Pop-Dark, it seemed most everything seemed to look better. Particularly all fonts rendered at every size. Another discovery I made was that I did have the option of changing the Mac "finder" icon, which to me seems juvenile at best. So I changed it to one more pragmatic- an icon with a simple folder image.

At this point I have no desire to change anything else, visually speaking. I think I finally got this whole theme modification thing out of my system. Being reminded of that saying, "Be careful what you wish for. You may get it."

 

[Angular Chap]

Finally, a cream that gets to the ROOT of the problem!

 

[Judge]

Finally, a cream that gets to the ROOT of the problem!

View attachment 114605

Indeed. For noobs using Linux distros with Nautilus as the file manager. Where you must first give yourself root authority before it shows up in the file manager. Even when it isn't so apparent in Pop!OS.

A little terminal humor to apply:

sudocrem apt install nautilus-admin

 

[Judge]

Anyone using a common Gnome Extension known as "Dash-To-Dock" ? It can be quite unstable at times with Pop!OS22.04. I further added another extension designed to integrate animated dock icons (just like how they work with a Mac OS). Works and looks ok, but I have learned that there are other functions in the Dash-To-Dock Extension best left alone.

I know there's yet another extension designed to fix some of this directed specifically at the Pop "Cosmic" OS which does work well, though with far less bells and whistles. And it won't work with the program that animates the dock icons to enlarge and go up and down when you so a mouseover on them.

I love the customization abilities of Linux distros like Pop!OS that can run all these gizmos, but beware that as third-party extensions they don't necessarily run optimally.

https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/307/dash-to-dock/
https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/5222/dash-to-dock-animator/
https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/5004/dash-to-dock-for-cosmic/

 

[Outdated]

Indeed. For noobs using Linux distros with Nautilus as the file manager.

That thing is seriously broken. Has been for nearly 10 years now.

Try recursively changing ownership of a folder that has many other folders and files in it. (eg: music folder)
That was the final straw with Gnome for me.

 

[Judge]

That thing is seriously broken. Has been for nearly 10 years now.

Try recursively changing ownership of a folder that has many other folders and files in it. (eg: music folder)
That was the final straw with Gnome for me.

I've only encountered a permissions issue once or twice where it put the lock icons on all the files on a USB drive. Sadly I don't recall how I was able to change the permissions back to what they were originally.

During one of the many times I reinstalled Pop!OS22.04 I also switched the file manager from Nautilus to Nemo. Of course it helped that both programs are used commonly in Ubuntu-based versions of Linux. I just didn't get a lot of time to use it as I kept crashing Pop!OS for unrelated reasons (changing system icons that weren't part of a specifically installed theme).

Having first gotten accustomed to Linux Mint, I found the Nemo file manager better than the Nautilus one Pop!OS provides. Interestingly enough though, in the next incarnation of Pop!OS, it will not have Gnome at all, being replaced entirely by "Rust".

https://www.linuxuprising.com/2018/07/how-to-replace-nautilus-with-nemo-file.html

 

[Judge]

It would seem that I've come to a point where I can cut all ties with Windows. Mostly given that I took notice of Gimp 2.10's native file format (XCF) to use to print photos. Up to now I had been trying other graphics formats that just didn't print properly using Gimp 2.10. Forcing me to always go back into Windows and print directly from Photoshop 5.5.

But using the XCF format seems to print just fine. Of course before printing I always merge all the layers into one image so I can make minor modifications if necessary when printing.

Funny to think after all this time I pretty much ignored the XCF format because I really didn't know much about it, and generally confine my images to .PSD, .JPG and .PNG.

The printing functions for Linux are quite different than the interface Windows uses, but it seems that Linux and Gimp 2.10 provide everything I really need to get color and b/w prints the way I want them.

 

[Outdated]

The printing functions for Linux are quite different than the interface Windows uses, but it seems that Linux and Gimp 2.10 provide everything I really need to get color and b/w prints the way I want them.

This is the specific, and only, reason why Mac has dominated the print and graphic design industry.

Windows uses the local printer driver to for image formatting including fonts and layouts. So you design everything just how you want it, you print a copy to make sure, then you send it to someone with a different printer and on their computer all your fonts have changed and images have shifted position and alignment, etc.

Linux (and Mac) does all the image formatting itself and always sends the exact same thing to a printer instead of expecting the printer itself to do the work.

 

[Judge]

One thing for sure, it's a joy to watch Linux simply recognize whatever printers you have hooked up and on...and that the OS instantly configures it all without any drivers. So little fuss compared to Windows.

 

[Outdated]

One thing for sure, it's a joy to watch Linux simply recognize whatever printers you have hooked up and on...and that the OS instantly configures it all without any drivers. So little fuss compared to Windows.

Yep, just plug it in and it works, no mucking around installing stuff and rebooting.

The only devices I've ever consistently had real trouble with are Canon scanners. Anything else at all, just plug it in and start using it.

 

[Judge]

Yep, just plug it in and it works, no mucking around installing stuff and rebooting.

The only devices I've ever consistently had real trouble with are Canon scanners. Anything else at all, just plug it in and start using it.

I've got two made by HP. One is a laser printer, the other a color inkjet HP Envy 5530.

One problem I do have with the inkjet printer is that in Linux it doesn't seem to want to recognize it hooked up to a USB port. Yet it does fine using wireless at 2.4 Ghz. The laser printer OTOH is connected to a USB port and works just fine in Linux and Windows.

The laser printer was never a difficult hardware peripheral to install, but my HP inkjet printer is hardware & software from hell where Windows is concerned. Up to now I always would temporarily initiate the 2.4Ghz through my router, then reboot with my Windows 10 SSD and print things in Photoshop 5.5. But the results I get on photopaper are generally quite good with the right paper.

Looks like I don't have to any more....and will try to get more used to printing in Gimp2.10 by saving my master .PSD images temporarily to the XCF format to print.

I'm just wondering if all the major ink tank printers will run just as well using "CUPS" in Linux. Might be time to upgrade, though the reality is that I seldom print much these days.

 

[Outdated]

I'm just wondering if all the major ink tank printers will run just as well using "CUPS" in Linux. Might be time to upgrade, though the reality is that I seldom print much these days.

My father was a keen amateur photographer and used to enter lots of competitions and he usually won a few prizes.

He had an A3 size 6 colour bubble jet printer and it worked really well on a few different papers. They took a long time to dry though. He'd only do one print at a time and have them laid out over his desk, his bed, his dresser, everywhere.

This was 15 years ago, he had both Windows and Linux. Windows like you because of Photoshop when he wanted to edit things but Linux handled memory and printing a lot better.

One problem I do have with the inkjet printer is that in Linux it doesn't seem to want to recognize it hooked up to a USB port.

Some of them are designed like that, you plug it in to the usb once so that your computer can recognise it, but after that it's a wireless printer. They still seem to work sweet though. And you can print straight from your phone.

 

[Jacks Brain]

I'm on OpenSuse for obscure Blender/old hardware reasons. I think one of my old hard drives died yesterday, now I'm trying to learn TestDisk so I can recover as much as possible. I sure hope there's a way to recover multiple files at once, cause I don't think I'm going to be able to do thousands of images individually.