Ubuntu Hacks

Gamers love mice with more buttons than the Space Shuttle because the extra buttons can be mapped to provide quick access to common functions, but getting them working under Linux can be a bit tricky. Open the Xorg configuration file at /et...

When you press a key on your keyboard, it detects the key press and sends a corresponding "keycode," which is then matched using a lookup table that converts the keycode to a character. However, many modern keyboards have a variety of additional keys...

Most laptops today include a touchpad as a method of controlling the mouse pointer. These touchpads have various configuration options that most people aren't even aware of. Here's how to get all these advanced features working under Linux. ...

At best, nothing happens. At worst, something horrible happens. Find out how to get it right, whether you want to clone your display or spread it across multiple monitors. Laptops give us the ability t...

When Ubuntu starts up, it displays a progress bar, the Ubuntu logo, and scrolling messages showing what service is being started. Usplash, the userspace bootsplash system, allows you to customize the background, text, and progress bar of the splash s...

Learn how to take advantage of proprietary drivers to configure your video card for top speed. Modern graphics cards are actually quite powerful little computers in their own right. Squee...

Most computer users don't even think about fonts. They just expect them to work and assume that text will look the same whether it's viewed onscreen, printed, or sent to another user in a document. However, font management is actually a surprisingly ...