FOSSwire

Kubuntu (and some other KDE-based distributions) features a special System Settings application which takes the place of the full KDE Control Centre application, which is used for setting all sorts of KDE preferences and changing different settings on the system.

However, many people like the older KDE Control Centre layout, especially if you're a longer time KDE user or can't find the option you're looking for in the System Settings applet. Unfortunately, it's nowhere to be seen on the menu.

To launch the original KDE Control Centre, go to your desktop and press Alt-F2. Now type kcontrol and press Enter. You should get the original, unadulterated KDE Control Centre.

If you want to now make KControl available on the menu, you will have to add it manually using the Menu Editor. Press Alt-F2 again, but this time enter the command kmenuedit to bring up the menu editor.

Right-click a suitable category, I'll pick Utilities, and click New Item.

Name it whatever you find suitable, and under the Command box, type kcontrol. You can also click the generic file icon in the top right to set a custom icon for the new entry. Once you're done, hit Save and next time you'll be able to access the 'real' KControl when you need it, or all the time if you prefer, with a lot more ease.

Recent releases of Ubuntu have a feature where the installation CD can be used as a repository for installing software, just like any repository on the web.

The advantage of this, obviously, is it means that you can save bandwidth for some packages that haven't been updated since the release, or even sometimes be able to install new packages without an internet connection at all. The main disadvantage - the CD has to be in the drive.

And when you get asked for that CD when installing something, and you really don't feel like finding it on your messy desk, or wherever it's hiding, it can be frustrating.

Thankfully, it's pretty easy to switch off the support for installing from the CD. In Ubuntu (the normal Gnome version), go to System > Administration > Software Sources. On Kubuntu, head to the Adept Manager application, then go to Adept > Manage Repositories.

In both cases, you'll get a dialogue looking something like this. Go to the Third Party Software tab.

In there, simply untick the entry starting with cdrom: (the top one in my screenshot) and close. You might be asked to reload the software lists, so do so.

And that's it. The CD should be disabled, and you'll always go online to download new packages.