Using UbuntuTweak to keep programs up to date

I use UbutuTweak to help me set options in Ubuntu, including my GTK login splash. But while reading the latest posts on a thread in the Ubuntu Forums about installing Google Gadgets I came across a post that surprised me.

Well, I installed Ubuntu-Tweak and enabled an option to keep Compiz-Fusion and GoogleGadgets updated to the latest and greatest. It brought in a bunch of updates and now it works perfectly.

No more black boxes where they should be. I’m a happy camper… Thanks for the suggestions.

I wasn’t even aware that Ubuntu Tweak had been updated, but sure enough, I found that they had released an update on 3 July. Not only is it faster than older versions, they’ve added a way to not only add and remove third-party applications through a custom repository, they also give you the opportunity to use that same repository to make sure you have the latest versions of the apps, including Avant Window Navigator (AWN), GnomeDo, Google Gadgets and UbuntuTweak itself.

Plus, as of version 0.3, UbuntuTweak now supports other GNOME-based GNU/Linux distros! Woot!

Some people may dislike the idea of UbuntuTweak using a third-party repo to install files, like Automatix 2 used to do, let alone use their custom repo to update apps, but most of the apps they can watch for updates for are things that you may not install from the Ubuntu repos. If you don’t want them watching apps you installed from other sources you don’t have to have UbuntuTweak watch for updates, but they’re a great way to keep programs installed from a downloaded .deb file up to date.

You can even use UbuntuTweak to play with the development version of Compiz Fusion, allowing you to play with the new desktop sphere.

Youuuuge thanks to crjackson for pointing this new ability in UbuntuTweak out to me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to add UbuntuTweak’s RSS feed to my Evolution subscription list so I don’t miss news like this again.

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