5 tips to make ubuntu lucid beta really lucid

1. Disable nouveau driver from loading
while booting into ubuntu press tab and add the following text to disable nouveau

 nouveau.blacklist=true

This will disable the nouveau driver from getting loaded. nouveau driver when booting into ubuntu corrupts display and the session becomes unusable with a hang. This option will force ubuntu to avoid loading buggy nouveau driver

2. Minimize, Maximize and Close buttons on right of titlebar

To move the titlebar icons  minimize, maximize and close buttons to right

gconftool-2 --set /apps/metacity/general/button_layout --type string :minimize,maximize,close   



If you want to do it graphically, rather than command line, launch gconf-editor (from quick launch by pressing Alt +F2) and search for metacity then edit the textbox button_layout under general to have value :minimize,maximize,close

for more see

http://www.ubuntugeek.com/quick-and-easy-title-bar-button-side-switching-in-ubuntu-10-04-lucid9-10-karmic.html

3. Control Alt Backspace to kill X server

To enable ctrl + alt + backspace to restart X server, goto System --> Preferences --> Keyboard --> Layouts --> Options --> Key sequence to kill the X server and tick the checkbox

Control + Alt + Backspace

After this pressing Control + Alt + Backspace will restart X server

for more see

http://www.ubuntugeek.com/how-to-enabledisable-ctrlaltbackspace-in-ubuntu-9-10-karmic.html

4. Enable icons in menus

To enable icons in menus,

gconftool-2 --set /desktop/gnome/interface/menus_have_icons --type boolean True

See the icons in the context menu in desktop below after enabling menus

5. Disable update notifier from popping on your face

gconftool-2 --set /apps/update-notifier/auto_launch --type boolean False

Here ends the tips, the following are some general screenshots under Ubuntu Lucid beta after customizations from above tips

---

Screenshot of nautilus with Ubuntu ambiance theme

Screenshot of nvidia-settings after enabling nvidia from Hardware Drivers and pressing control + alt + backspace to restart X server (to enable control + alt + backspace to restart X server, see 3rd tip above)

After restarting X, the user name in live session is ubuntu and password is blank password

Enjoy Ubuntu Lucid though it is in beta now

:)