Finally!!! An almost stable (96%) catalyst version 12.3 available for GNOME 3...

no more lagging during the transition between working and activity mode

windows 7 aero effect working perfectly under vmware

catalyst version 12.3

virtual desktop movement is quite smooth

Update (13/04/2012)
Solved laggs/slow windows movement in GNOME3 by adding this line

export CLUTTER_VBLANK=none

into ~/.profile or into /etc/profile file. Restart X server or reboot system.

ref: ATI Catalyst - ArchWiki.

How to always use a text-based location bar in nautilus 3...

Open terminal and type the command below

    $ gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences always-use-location-entry true

To switch back

    $ gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences always-use-location-entry false

Fixes for common issues on Linux Mint 12...

System: Dell Studio XPS 16 - 1647
OS: Linux Mint 12 - Lisa 64-bit

Problem 1:
Broadcom BCM43224 (0596) Wifi card not working out of box (bug #873511).

Solution:
Install driver from Jockey and then edit config file

    $ sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

to blacklist the drivers (for my case I need to blacklist both bcma and brcmsmac) by adding the text below at the end of the file

    blacklist bcma
    blacklist brcmsmac

and then reboot.

Problem 2:
Unable to pair devices, send, receive and browse files via bluetooth.

Solution:
System update fixed pair devices issue, however sending file only works one way (PC to device). Browsing files in device is still not working (bug #879923).

Problem 3:
No sound from headphone jack.

Solution:
An old issue since Julia.

Worth to highlight:

• ATI proprietary driver ver 11.12 performance still sluggish on GNOME 3
• A nice shell extensions from ppa:webupd8team/gnome3
  • gnome-shell-extensions-pidgin
  • gnome-shell-extensions-workspace-indicator
• AWN works great on GNOME 3

My Linux Mint 12 hiccup experienced...

Laptop Model: Dell Studio XPS 16 - 1647

1) Issues when using ATI proprietary FGLRX driver (via Additional Drivers or manual download)

• Sluggish performance on windows movement and mode switching between desktop and activity
• Windows 7 guest OS under VMWare with Aero effect enable crashed even when I'm not using a fullscreen mode

2) No sound from headphone jack (old issue since Julia)

3) Unable to pair, send file and browse other devices via bluetooth

4) Broadcom STA wireless driver not working, tried solutions found on forums yet I'm still stuck with it (working fine on Julia and openSUSE 12.1)

At the end of the day, I've revert back to Julia with ATI proprietary FGLRX driver version 10.10. A combination that works perfectly for my laptop. ATI sucks!!! I wish I could have change my graphic card to NVIDIA, unfortunately it's not easy and almost impossible for laptop.

Make the internet safer for your kids with ScrubIT...

This solution is suitable for parents who can't afford to buy the "net nanny" product. No installation is required.

What is ScrubIT?
ScrubIT is a FREE recursive DNS server that regulates what comes into your home or business. ScrubIT “scrubs” the internet so you don’t have to be concerned about what your family members or employees will be confronted with.

Who should use it?
ScrubIT is perfect for any home or business that is tired of the plague of pornographic and malicious websites.

Why is it FREE?
You're saying "Where's the catch?", good news, there is none! As far as we know, ScrubIT is the only public recursive DNS server to actively filter pornography. It’s a FREE service provided by people who care about the freedom found in the internet, but balance those sentiments with a desire to protect our children and employees.

*Summary were copied partially from ScrubIT website.

Installing LibreOffice on Linux Mint 10...

1) Remove OpenOffice

    $ sudo apt-get purge openoffice*.*

2) Installing via Ubuntu ppa

    $ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa
    $ sudo apt-get update
    $ sudo apt-get install libreoffice
    $ sudo apt-get install libreoffice-gnome
    $ sudo apt-get install language-support-en

3) Or installing via deb installers

• download the installer from here
• extract tarballs LibO_xxxx_install-deb_en-US.tar.gz
• go to folder LibO_xxxx_install-deb_en-US/DEBS and run

    $ sudo dpkg -i *.deb

• go to folder LibO_xxxx_install-deb_en-US/DEBS/desktop-integration and run

    $ sudo dpkg -i *.deb

Ubuntu 11.10 basic GNOME Shell tweaks...

1) Install GNOME Shell and gnome-tweak-tool, then restart your machine and choose GNOME for your session

$ sudo apt-get install gnome-shell gnome-tweak-tool

2) Install Cantarell font

• Download font from here
• Copy font into /usr/share/fonts folder
• Run command below:

$ sudo fc-cache -f -v

3) Gnome-tweak-tool settings

• Desktop - turn off everything
• Fonts:
  
  • Default font - Cantarell
  • Window title font - Cantarell Bold
• Shell - Arrangement of buttons on the titlebar - All
• GTK+ theme - Adwaita (default)

4) Remove overlay scrollbars

$ sudo apt-get remove overlay-scrollbar liboverlay-scrollbar3-0.2-0 liboverlay-scrollbar-0.2-0

5) Fix Alt+F2

• Go to System Settings -> Keyboard -> Shortcuts -> System, remapping Alt+F2 to Show the run command prompt.

6) Disable Global Menu

$ sudo apt-get remove appmenu-gtk3 appmenu-gtk appmenu-qt

7) Change LightDM background via LightDM Manager

• Download LightDM Manager from here.
• Install dependencies (not sure why we need to do this manually on 11.10)
• Install LightDM Manager

    $ sudo apt-get install python-launchpad-integration gtk2-engines-pixbuf
    $ sudo dpkg -i simple-lightdm-manager_0.2-public7_all.deb

8) Fix on Conky script to make it work with GNOME Shell (credit to sgaap)

    own_window_class Conky
    own_window yes
    own_window_type conky
    own_window_transparent yes
    own_window_hints undecorated,below,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager