Castellini on Computers - Computer help for beginners » login

Customizing the Ubuntu Login screen – Video Tip

Rick — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:11:01 +0000

I personally don't mind the orange and black themes of Ubuntu. If you do, however, you can quickly change the look of the Ubuntu login them by downloading new ones from the Internet or using some of the extra options in Ubuntu.

To download new themes, I suggest starting at Gnome Look. Gnome Look offers hundreds of new themes you can use at no cost to customize Ubuntu to look the way you want it. Once at the Gnome Look web site, follow these steps to get your new login theme(s) installed.:

Click GDM Themes from the options on the left of the screen
Browse around and find a theme you like. I like to start by looking in the highest rated or most downloads tab.
You can click any thumbnail (small picture) to see a larger view of a potential candidate.
Once you decide on a theme, look for the download option and click it.
Save the theme to a known location on your computer.
Close your browser and download windows.
Click System ---> Administration --> Login Window from the menus
Enter your password
Click the Local tab
Click the Add button on the right
Navigate to and click the theme you downloaded.
Click the Install button.
Your new login theme should appear (in alphabetical order).
Repeat steps 10-13 for any other themes you downloaded and need to add.
Now click the radio button next to the theme you want to use for your login screen
Click OK

The next time you login into your computer, your new theme will be used. See all these steps in action by watching the video below!

Web mail…remember web mail

Rick — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:39:58 +0000

Believe it or not, there are still folks out there using dial-up Internet. As email attachments grow in size with full-size pictures and videos, even email can be difficult for dial-up users.

Picasa vs. Elements – I challenge you to a duel!

Rick — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 20:35:38 +0000

Photoshop Elements is hands down the best consumer program for image editing. However, it is one of the worst for cataloging and sorting your photos. This is not an opinion. It is a fact.

To prove it I will challenge anyone who uses Photoshop Elements to sort and organize their photos to a duel of the image cataloging programs.

I encourage anyone who thinks that PSE is a better cataloging program to name one way that it is better, and I will reply with a way that same thing can be done in Picasa in fewer steps and/or faster. If I or Picasa falls short, I will provide two examples of things that can be done easier in Picasa than PSE.