Installing Microsoft Truetype fonts on Ubuntu

"You can install the MS core fonts by installing the msttcorefonts package. To do this, enable the “Universe” component of the repositories. This is done by default in Feisty. After you do that, use the following command from the command line:

$sudo apt-get install msttcorefonts

This will give you the core fonts, but if there are other TrueType fonts that you want installed, it is as easy as copying the font files to the ~/.fonts/ directory.

After installing new fonts, you will have to log out and log in again to be able to see and use the new fonts. If you want to avoid this, you can regenerate the fonts cache by issuing the following command:"

$sudo fc-cache -fv

Thanks to Carthik's Ubuntu blog.

Lost Sidebar in Thunderbird (folders & calendar)

While using Thunderbird, I clicked on the left somewhere, and all of a sudden my folders and my mini-calendar were gone. What happened? I attempted to click and drag on the very left edge where the edge of the window was, but that didn't work.

Tried all the options in the view menu, looked for other menus. Nothing.

Googled it, and came up with nothing.

Went back into Thunderbird, tried again. This time, it worked. My folder list and calendar re-appeared.

BFI sometimes works. You just have to try harder.

The reason this happened is that the resize is "sticky". You can make the width of the folders panel smaller to a certain point, then BANG, it's gone. The same goes for resizing it from nothing to something. If you only drag the mouse a small distance, the folder frame will not resize. If you drag it to a certain width, then the folder pane will pop back up.