The Geeky Linux :: Ubuntu/Linux blog :: Open source Tips and Tricks :: Linux Howtos and Tutorials

Some times we may need to use a stop watch timer in order to calculate the time taken by something against some other thing to compare between two things. For example, if you need to check the speed of loading pages between Firefox 4 and Google chrome in linux.

As you are using linux, there is always a simple and better way to do this. For doing this you do not have to install a separate software. You can use your terminal as a stop watch timer. Yes, you have heard it right. I repeat " You can use your terminal as a stop watch timer". Let's have a look at how to use the terminal as stop watch timer.

Some times you may want to know which linux distribution you are using. You may tell that while starting the Linux desktop we can see which linux distribution you are using as each linux distro has different boot splash screen and they will show the name while booting. But if you want to know which version of Ubuntu you are using like version 9.04 or 10.10 etc or if you want to know the code name given by Canonical for the Ubuntu which you are using?( Ubuntu uses code name for different versions of it. For example, Ubuntu 10.10 known as Maverick Meercat and next version 11.04 known as Natty Narwahl).In Ubuntu and other gnome based distros we can use "System Monitor" or softwares like  Ubuntu Tweak not only provides an easy way to view sytem information but a single stop destination for managing your system. But the "System Monitor" utility is only available for Gnome and if you are using KDE or any other desktop environment?There will be some apps but it will be different from one another. So what is the universal solution which will work with all the linux distros?