The next version of Ubuntu's free Linux operating system, dubbed "Intrepid Ibex," is due out Oct. 30, but the beta release is up for grabs. Although the desktop hasn't been reshaped, the features tweaked just a little bit, and most of the work focused on compatibility and usability (not that those are bad things, by any means), there are still some neat new tools and tweaks that are worth checking out. Read on for our picture-filled take on the new Ubuntu.

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By default, the latest version of Ubuntu comes with the Tracker search and indexing tool installed, enabled, and, as the How-To Geek points out, occasionally eating up some serious CPU cycles. Over at his blog, the Geek shows newcomers to Ubuntu (and other Linux distros with Tracker installed) how to scale back Tracker's needs, limit where it searches, or just uninstall the thing entirely. Ubuntu users, are you finding Tracker useful on your desktop, or do you hope to see it downgraded to an optional installation in the next release (which is right around the corner)? Let us know in the comments.

Linux enthusiasts never stop hearing about how the open-source operating system lacks support for popular games. That's often true, but that doesn't mean there aren't good games to be found. Playdeb, a custom repository for Ubuntu systems, makes it easy to find and install up-to-date games, some with graphics rivaling those of commercial fare. If you don't want to add Playdeb to your sources, you can click to install individual game at the site's games list using the AptURL tool. That list doesn't (at the moment) include all the games, but you can see the full list in Synaptic Package Manager by choosing the Getdeb.net categories.

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If your memory or mistyping leaves you without the right password to get into an account on a Linux computer, there's no need to reformat. Make Magazine's Hacks Blog gives a step-by-step account of the command line fix you can make by booting into "single user mode." The fix is written from an Ubuntu perspective, but applies to most any Linux system that boots with the GRUB manager. It's also a reminder that even a password-protected Linux box isn't truly protected from the curious, so consider encrypting your data or taking other measures. Photo by Carl Johan.

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One helpful Ubuntu hacker blogger posts a guide to getting Google Chrome working as a stand-alone app in Ubuntu, using the latest version of the Windows translator WINE and a stand-alone copy of Chrome's installer. You'll definitely need your terminal open for this one, and the result isn't exactly flawless—no https support, problems with pop-ups, and a bit slower than you'd get in Windows—but it is a neat way for dedicated Linux users to check out what all the fuss is about. If you're not about to mess with WINE, try putting an emulated Chrome in its own window with our guide to running Windows apps seamlessly in Linux, or wait until the open-source browser eventually makes its way onto the open-source OS.

One of Firefox 3's notable improvements was shipping with themes that matched the native operating system. In Ubuntu, that meant tiny, vaguely cartoonish orange arrows, which, while colour-coordinated, was a disappointment to some. The Strata Human 1.0 Firefox theme does a nice job of adding the larger, rounded buttons of XP and Windows, with a perfectly-matched orange-brown coloration. If that back button looks a bit too big to you, Gina's shown us how to take it down a peg. Strata Human 1.0 is a free download for Firefox 3.

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No, you won't actually have a Mac at the end of this transformation tutorial and, yes, it's just a tad bit, well, excessive. But if you're going to go through the effort of turning your Linux desktop into a Leopard clone, you may as well give it the full ride. Going beyond previously-posted guides, Make Tech Easier tackles how to transform your menu bar, add a dock and retractable widgets, create a floating stack over your places menu—even your boot-up screen is given the cold-steel apple and a minimalist progress bar. If you've got the time, it's at least worth the confused faces on your friends' and co-workers' faces.

The Tombuntu blog points out a seriously helpful package available in Ubuntu's extended repositories that make creating super-efficient 7-Zip archives simple and fast, whether you're right-clicking or working with a command line. Run this command to install it:

sudo apt-get install p7zip

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Linux.com writes up a helpful guide to creating your own custom system recovery boot disc using an Ubuntu 8.04 CD image, a little command line work, and a few recommended emergency tools, including the partition format/restore tool GParted, e2undel, a file recovery tool, and anything else you might need if your hard drive, RAM, or anything else on your system suddenly decides it doesn't want to work. The guide requires a good bit of command line work, but it also lets you add whatever programs you'd like to have when you come back from the brink, and helps you strip out programs you don't to boot faster. For a similar (but pre-compiled) hard drive-fixing tool, check out Gina's guide to using the System Rescue CD.

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Right-clicking a folder in Nautilus, the default file browser in Ubuntu and other GNOME-based Linux distributions, gives you a "Permissions" tab that aims to be simplistic, but can be somewhat confusing for anyone trying to open up a folder. The Tombuntu blog points out a one-click tweak to enable an "advanced," straight-forward permissions dialog. Launch the gconf-editor (using Alt+F2) and browse to the following preference:

/apps/nautilus/preferences/show_advanced_permissions

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