Install GNOME Activity Journal in Ubuntu

By , Published January 19, 2010

The GNOME Activity Journal (which we’ve covered a bazillion times before, see here) is getting better and better by the minute!

Developer Seif Lotfy posted the following video of it in action and i can confirm that it as every-bit as enjoyable to use as it is to look at! Take a peek at the video – it’s quite short – or skip directly to the installation instructions below.


How To Install Zeitgeist & GNOME Activity Journal In Ubuntu

This method deals with installing the development, in-progress and bleeding edge version containing the latest bug-fixes, features and performance. For installing from development ‘snapshots’ you will want to see here.

I’m going to assume you already have bzr installed. If you don’t then you’ll need to install it. [You can click here to do so]

First you’ll need to get and install Zeitgeist – the engine behind GAJ.
You may wish to use the bleeding edge version inorder to get the latest bug-fixes, optimal performance and new features. Open a terminal and carefully copy the following commands.

  • bzr branch lp:zeitgeist
  • cd zeitgeist
  • ./autogen.sh
  • make && sudo make install
Make Zeitgeist auto-start-up when you login to save you the hassle of manually starting it.
  • System > Preferences > Startup Applications
  • New Item
  • Browse through to your Zeitgeist folder and select ‘zeitgesit-daemon.py’
  • Click ‘okay’
Now let’s grab the Activity Journal itself: -

  • bzr branch lp:gnome-activity-journal
You can run it using: -
  • cd gnome-activtiy-journal
  • ./gnome-activity-journal
It may be helpful/easier for you to create a shortcut to the GNOME Activity Journal.
  • Right-click the main menu on the upper GNOME panel
  • Choose ‘Edit Menus’
  • Click ‘Accessories’ in the left hand pane
  • Now click the ‘New Item’ button on the upper right hand side
  • Give it a name (Like, maybe, ‘GNOME Activity Journal’?)
  • For the command you will need to click ‘browse’ and navigate to your GAJ directory
  • select ‘gnome-activity-journal’ and click ‘Ok’
Updating
You can easily update both Zeitgeist and GAJ by navigating to the relevant folders in a terminal and issuing ‘bzr pull‘.
Article originally appeared on omgubuntu.co.uk

Related posts:

  1. Gnome Activity Journal Gets A New Look
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  • Anonymous

    Ooo looks nice. Installing now…

  • http://twitter.com/gebagu Grigori

    hmm, don’t know… isn’t the concept of the activity journal kind of contradicted to the new paradigmm of «working in the cloud». don’t get me wrong i really like the idea, and i think it’s really usefull. but i think users tend to use multiple devices more often and the concept of the activity journal should really deal with this phenomenon. i think that would be a great opportunity for the linux-desktop.

    would be nice if there was a frontend, similar to the activity journal, showing me not only the files i changed at this or that date on the device i’m actually using, it should show me the files i changed on all the other devices too, even if they are not present in a shared directory. think this could be a great way of tracking and presenting all of my virtual activities, not depending on the device they took place on. and it would even meet the zeitgeist ;)

  • Anonymous

    Nice, but can you set certain folders/files as “hidden” so it doesn’t pick them up? For example there are some confidential details of things on my laptop that I wouldn’t want people to see if they stumbled across this.

  • Anonymous

    Nice, but can you set certain folders/files as “hidden” so it doesn’t pick them up? For example there are some confidential details of things on my laptop that I wouldn’t want people to see if they stumbled across this.

  • https://launchpad.net/~rmyeid Rami Eid

    Thanks for the post, it is gnome-activity-journal and not gnome-activity-monitor. http://live.gnome.org/action/show/GnomeActivityJournal

    • http://omgubuntu.co.uk/ d0od

      Whoops! Corrected now. I didn’t notice the change.

    • http://omgubuntu.co.uk/ d0od

      Whoops! Corrected now. I didn’t notice the change.

  • https://launchpad.net/~rmyeid Rami Eid

    Thanks for the post, it is gnome-activity-journal and not gnome-activity-monitor. http://live.gnome.org/action/show/GnomeActivityJournal

  • https://launchpad.net/~flimm Flimm

    The activity journal is in lp:gnome-activity-journal, not -monitor, and lp:gnome-zeitgeist has been reset to empty for some reason.

  • https://launchpad.net/~flimm Flimm

    The activity journal is in lp:gnome-activity-journal, not -monitor, and lp:gnome-zeitgeist has been reset to empty for some reason.

  • Anonymous

    bzr branch lp:gnome-zeitgeist

    This results in a blank folder for me. Well, the .bzr is there as expected, just no other files.

    • Anonymous

      That is due to a name change that the poster did not deem notable. try (Lifted from https://launchpad.net/gnome-activity-journal)To download it:mkdir ~/zeitgeist; cd ~/zeitgeistbzr get lp:zeitgeist; bzr get lp:gnome-activity-journalNow to start it:~/zeitgeist/zeitgeist/zeitgeist-daemon.py &~/zeitgeist/gnome-activity-journal/gnome-activity-journalFinally, to update it when there are new changes:cd ~/zeitgeist/zeitgeist; bzr pullcd ~/zeitgeist/gnome-activity-journal; bzr pull

    • Anonymous

      That is due to a name change that the poster did not deem notable. try (Lifted from https://launchpad.net/gnome-activity-journal)To download it:mkdir ~/zeitgeist; cd ~/zeitgeistbzr get lp:zeitgeist; bzr get lp:gnome-activity-journalNow to start it:~/zeitgeist/zeitgeist/zeitgeist-daemon.py &~/zeitgeist/gnome-activity-journal/gnome-activity-journalFinally, to update it when there are new changes:cd ~/zeitgeist/zeitgeist; bzr pullcd ~/zeitgeist/gnome-activity-journal; bzr pull

  • http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/ Christer Edwards

    I don’t mean to completely hijack this post, but I’ve written up an article on the same topic that seems to be a little more accurate. (It simply looks like this article is a little dated is all).

    http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2010/01/19/preview-gnome-activity-journal-zeitgeist-on-ubuntu-9-10/

  • http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/ Christer Edwards

    I don’t mean to completely hijack this post, but I’ve written up an article on the same topic that seems to be a little more accurate. (It simply looks like this article is a little dated is all).

    http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2010/01/19/preview-gnome-activity-journal-zeitgeist-on-ubuntu-9-10/

    • http://omgubuntu.co.uk/ d0od

      I must have written it on auto-pilot – i’ve corrected the “mistakes” now.

    • http://omgubuntu.co.uk/ d0od

      I must have written it on auto-pilot – i’ve corrected the “mistakes” now.

  • http://owaislone.org/ Owais Lone

    Which GTK theme are you using? :P

  • http://owaislone.org/ Owais Lone

    Which GTK theme are you using? :P

  • http://www.fully-faltoo.com Pratyush

    Hi, I tried to install it but stuck at third command: “./autogen.sh”

    It states that there is no such directory or file.

    • TomBous

      I’ve got the same problem… (on karmic)

    • TomBous

      I’ve got the same problem… (on karmic)

  • http://www.fully-faltoo.com Pratyush

    Hi, I tried to install it but stuck at third command: “./autogen.sh”

    It states that there is no such directory or file.

  • http://seifsallam.co.cc/ Seif Sallam

    Great but once again his called “Seif Lotfy” not “Lofty”

    • http://twitter.com/albertjohansson Albert Johansson

      +1 “LoTFy” not “LoFTy”.

      But still. I love your blog. And keep up the good covering of Docky too!

      • http://omgubuntu.co.uk/ d0od

        Arrgh! I’m gonna write his name on a sticky note and stick it above my monitor. I know why i mis-stype it – my mother used to talk about some guy she knew who’s nickname was “lofty” because his job was doing something to lofts (which is the British word for “attic”)

        OMG!TRIVIA!

    • http://twitter.com/albertjohansson Albert Johansson

      +1 “LoTFy” not “LoFTy”.

      But still. I love your blog. And keep up the good covering of Docky too!

  • http://seifsallam.co.cc/ Seif Sallam

    Great but once again his called “Seif Lotfy” not “Lofty”

  • Mohan

    Don’t want to be grammar/spelling Nazi but you have a couple of mistakes “action and i can confirm that it as every-bit njoayble”
    :)

    I need to install this and try it out.

  • Mohan

    Don’t want to be grammar/spelling Nazi but you have a couple of mistakes “action and i can confirm that it as every-bit njoayble”
    :)

    I need to install this and try it out.

  • http://profiles.google.com/idkness Micah Butler

     cd gnome-activtiy-journal needs to be changed to cd gnome-activity-journalcd gnome-activity-journal

  • http://profiles.google.com/idkness Micah Butler

     cd gnome-activtiy-journal needs to be changed to cd gnome-activity-journalcd gnome-activity-journal

  • http://profiles.google.com/idkness Micah Butler

     cd gnome-activtiy-journal needs to be changed to cd gnome-activity-journalcd gnome-activity-journal

  • http://profiles.google.com/idkness Micah Butler

     cd gnome-activtiy-journal needs to be changed to cd gnome-activity-journalcd gnome-activity-journal

 
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