Ubuntu 12.04 LTS is a great platform for web development, and its new web apps feature makes it even better. With this feature, Ubuntu can provide a single platform for managing all your web development projects, from start to finish. To get started with Ubuntu’s new web apps feature, you’ll need to install the Ubuntu Software Center and the Ubuntu Web Apps package. Once you’ve installed these tools, you’ll be able to create a new project and add an app to it. To add an app to a project, open the Ubuntu Software Center and click on the Add App button. You’ll then be able to select the app you want to add and its associated files. After you’ve added the app and its files, click on the OK button to close the Software Center. Now that you have Ubuntu’s new web apps feature installed, you can start using it in your projects! To use this feature, simply open a new project and add an app as described earlier. When you’re ready to start developing your project, just press Ctrl+Alt+T (or right-click on any file in your project and choose “Open in Terminal”).

Install Ubuntu’s new web app feature – included by default in the upcoming Ubuntu 12.10 – to see unread email in your messaging menu, control music playing on websites from the sound menu, and more.

This feature makes web apps first-class citizens of Ubuntu’s Unity desktop. The preview release supports over 30 websites, including Gmail, Twitter, Reddit, Facebook, Google Docs, Google Calendar, and Angry Birds.

Installing Web Apps Integration

To install this feature in Ubuntu 12.04, launch a terminal and run the following commands:

Log out and log back in to enable the feature in Ubuntu’s Unity desktop after installing it.

Using Web Apps Integration

Currently, web apps integration only functions with Chromium or Mozilla Firefox. With the feature installed, visit a supported website in one of these browsers and you’ll see an integration prompt.

After you agree, the web app will be integrated with your Ubuntu desktop. Each web app will appear in your Dash, so you can easily search for open them like desktop apps. You can also pin them to your launcher.

Some web apps will appear in your messaging menu and display a count of unread emails, tweets, or other messages.

Music websites like Grooveshark and Pandora will appear in your sound menu, so you can control them without switching to a browser window.

Web apps can display notifications – for example, the BBC news web app displays updated news with desktop notifications.

Web apps are also integrated with Ubuntu’s HUD – you can press Alt and start typing to quickly activate and search their menu items, just as you can with desktop applications.

Supported Websites

Here’s a list of currently supported websites. Visit any of the websites to see an integration prompt.

Mail

Gmail Yahoo! Mail Hotmail (Windows Live Mail) Yandex Mail QQ Mail Mail. ru

Social Networks

Twitter Facebook Google+ LinkedIn Tumblr VK

Music & Videos

Groovershark Pandora Hulu YouTube Last. fm Libre. fm Yandex Music

Games

Angry Birds (chrome. angrybirds. com) Cut the Rope Lord of Ultima Command and Conquer: Tiberium Alliances

News

Reddit Google Reader BBC News CNN News Google News Yahoo! News Yandex News

Other

Thanks to OMG! Ubuntu! for compiling a lot of this information, particularly the list of supported websites!