Making Firefox look better in Ubuntu

I love Firefox, and have it as main Browser in every OS I use. But I think it has two major (appearance) problems in Ubuntu when compared to how it looks in Windows. I'll explain how to solve those two problems now:

The space between elements in the Bookmarks bar

In Firefox by default there is a lot of space between elements in the main bookmarks bar. It looks like this (sorry if the image is to small, but you can click on it):

I have the same bookmarks in Windows, but there I have more bookmarks visible... How is that? The problem is the default space between them. it is quite easy to solve with an add-on. This one would let us configure this space, among other things.
https://addons.mozilla.org/es/firefox/addon/roomy-bookmarks-toolbar/

It is Roomy bookmarks toolbar and you just have to open this link from Firefox and click on the "Add to Firefox" button.
Once installed, you can just go to "Tools/Add-ons" and then in Roomy click on "Preferences".
In the Tab of "Bookmarks Settings" you have the option of "Bookmarks Spacing". Try the different options till you find the one that fits you.
You may have notice that the labels of the bookmarks have disappeared. This can be easily undone f you go to "Labels Settings" and check the "Always show bookmarks labels". Again, set it as you like. Play a little with the options.
This is how it looks like now for me:

Before I had 13 bookmarks. Now, I have 16. Not a big difference, I could still make it smaller so more would fit, but it is just the perfect amount for me.

The folder Icon is missing in Bokmarks bar for sub folders

It may seem an stupid thing, but I don't know why it got me quite annoyed. I'm referring to this problem:

(Sorry for the quality. I really couldn't take a snapshot, so I had to make it with my phone :-/ )

If you look carefully you'll see those missing folders icons I mean... I want it to look like this:

 (Quite better don't you think? :D )

To accomplish that you have to create a file named: userChrome.css
The content of the file should be this one:

@namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul");
menu.bookmark-item > .menu-iconic-left {
  visibility: visible;
}

If you want, you can just download it from here: userChrome.css
But... Where to put this file?
In this path: /home/[your_user]/.mozilla/firefox/[firefox_user]/chrome/userChrome.css I'll explain with more detail.
Well, you have to go to your home folder. There, you have to go to ".mozilla".
In Linux/Ubuntu the hidden folders start with ".". if you are in Ubuntu (13.10 in my case) you can make it appear by pressing "CRTL + H". You'll see lot of folders appearing.
Then you have to go "Firefox" folder. In there there will be a folder with an strange name. It vary on every user. My folder is like "0ixfh36p.default". Get in there.
Now, you have to look for the "chrome" folder. In my case it didn't exist so I had to create it. Now, you just have to put the file "userChrome.css" in there.
After doing that, you just have to restart Firefox to see it correctly displayed!

And that's all. Enjoy your Firefox now.

Installing a GUI in Ubuntu Server

Ubuntu Server is not supposed to be used with a GUI. But, in some cases, it can be quite useful to have one at hand, for some specific tasks.

I use my server as big centralized storage, among other things. A normal problem I have to face is to copy some files to an external drive. It can be done by commands, yes, but in some cases, when you have to select many files, it can be not exactly comfortable.

For cases like this I decided to install a GUI (a desktop environment). Of course I chose a light GUI, no need for more. Thats why I go for Lubuntu. But for me it is very important to have it disabled by default, because it is only going to be used in very special cases. So it has to be disabled from auto-start. This way, we can login normally without the guy but whenever we need it just use a command and start it.

I have Ubuntu Server 13.10 x86

Installing the GUI

There are two ways for installing the GUI.

1. When installing, you choose the option lubuntu-desktop essential when it ask you about specific packages to install
2. Haven't test it but I assume it is pretty much the same if you already have install your server and just do:
   

   sudo apt-get install --no-recommend lubuntu-desktop

Once you do this, lubuntu will start automatically when you restart the computer. That is not what we want.

 

Disabling the GUI from autostart

This is the point were I have more problems. You'll find many options if you look about it, but the only one that worked for me was this one.
This solution depends on GRUB. It is as easy as following this steps:

Edit /etc/default/grub:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Find the line saying this:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

And change it to:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="text"

Now save it.
Then just execute:

sudo update-grub

And that's all. Next time you start the system, it will be in "text" mode.

But how to start it whenever you want?

 

Starting the GUI

To start the GUI again, we just have to run the next comand once logged in the comand line ("text mode"):

sudo service ligthdm start

Hope all this works for you.

Welcome, First Post

Well, it's been a while since I decided that it would be a good idea to have my own blog. My own blog about technology, I mean.

In here, I'll post things that I think can be useful for others. The way I'll write it is as it is being created for the "future me". Don't tell me you haven't found yourself searching a solution to a problem you already solved, but you don't remember how you did it! Well, my solution to that problem is to write it down.

Instead of writing it privately, I think it can be interesting (maybe) for someone else. In any case, I hope it'll be useful to me.