News, Tutorials, Howtos for Ubuntu Linux
This tutorial shows how to disable your laptop’s built-in webcam in Ubuntu 24.04, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 20.04, and Ubuntu 18.04.
If you rarely use the webcam in your laptop, then it’s a good choice to disable it for privacy and security reasons. Some laptops have physical buttons to do the job, but most others do NOT.
Besides covering your webcam with a sticky note, here’s how to configure your Ubuntu to soft-block using Kernel module option.
Looking to control music from your Sonos devices in Ubuntu? Noson is a fast and smart controller for your SONOS devices that is written with QML/C++.
With Noson app, you can browse your music library and play track or radio on any zones. You can manage grouping zones, queue, and playlists, and fully control the playback.
The snap package of Noson, universal Linux package format runs in sandbox, is available in Ubuntu Software:
For those who hate Ubuntu Software, run command in terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) to install Noson snap:
snap install noson
For those who prefer traditional .deb package, Noson is also available to install via in the PPA repository for Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 24.04, and Ubuntu 24.10 on Intel/AMD CPU platform.
1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for ‘terminal’ from app launcher. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jlbarriere68/noson-app
type your password (no asterisk feedback while typing) when it prompts and hit Enter to continue.
2. Then check updates and install the software either via Synaptic package manager or by running commands in terminal:
sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install noson-app
Once installed, launch the software and it automatically searches for your Sonos devices.
To remove Noson Sonos controller, run command in terminal:
sudo apt-get remove --autoremove noson-app
To remove the PPA, launch Software & Updates and navigate to Other Software tab, then remove the source line and reload.
Handbrake 1.1.1, the first bug-fix release for Handbrake 1.1 series, was released yesterday.
Handbrake 1.1.1 release highlights:
The official HandBrake PPA has built the 1.1.1 release for Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 17.10.
The Ubuntu 16.04 and Ubuntu 14.04 builds are broken at the moment, check the PPA link before getting started.
1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching “terminal” from app launcher. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:stebbins/handbrake-releases
Input your password (no visual feedback while typing due to security reason) when it prompts and hit Enter to continue.
2. Then use Synaptic package manager or run following commands to install the video transcoder:
sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install handbrake-gtk handbrake-cli
Note: If you installed the distribution build of HandBrake from Ubuntu Software, you need to remove it before installing the new release from PPA.
To remove the software, simply run command in terminal:
sudo apt-get remove --autoremove handbrake-gtk handbrake-cli
And launch “Software & Updates -> Other Software” to remove PPAs.
Adobe Brackets code editor 1.13 was released a few hours ago with some great new features.
Brackets 1.13 release highlights:
The official .deb packages are available for download at the link below:
Just grab the .deb that matches your OS tyle, then click install via Gdebi package manager.
Or run command in terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) to install the downloaded package:
sudo dpkg -i ~/Downloads/Brackets.Release.1.13*.deb; sudo apt-get -f install
CopyQ, an advanced clipboard manager with editing and scripting features, reached the 3.5.0 release a few hours ago.
CopyQ 3.5.0 release highlights:
The software has an official PPA repository that contains the latest packages for Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.10, Ubuntu 18.04 so far.
1. To add the PPA, open terminal from application launcher and run command:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:hluk/copyq
Input your password (no visual feedback while typing) when it prompts and hit Enter to continue.
2. After added the PPA repository, install CopyQ either via Synaptic package manager or by running commands in terminal:
sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install copyq
Once installed, start the clipboard manager from application launcher and you’ll see the icon in system tray area.
Uninstall:
To remove the software, either use Synaptic package manager or run command:
sudo apt-get remove --autoremove copyq
To remove PPA repositories, launch Software & Updates and navigate to Other Software tab.
For those who want to try out the latest Cinnamon Desktop 3.8, without downloading Linux Mint 19, here’s how to install Cinnamon 3.8.x via PPA in Ubuntu 18.04.
Cinnamon 3.8 will be included in the upcoming Linux Mint 19. This Gnome based desktop environment has received better support for GTK+ 3.22 and client-side decorated windows, fully ported to Python 3, backported various changes from upstream GNOME, and more.
For Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, a stable PPA has built the Cinnamon 3.8 packages, so the desktop can be easily installed via following steps.
1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcuts, or by searching for ‘Terminal’ from app launcher. When it opens, run command:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:embrosyn/cinnamon
Input your password (no visual feedback) when it prompts and hit Enter. Read the PPA description and finally hit Enter to add the PPA.
2. Then run command to install Cinnamon Desktop 3.8:
sudo apt-get install cinnamon
3. Finally restart your computer. When you’re at Gnome login screen, click on your username and then click the gear button to select ‘Cinnamon‘ desktop session.
To remove Cinnamon desktop, open terminal and run command:
sudo apt-get remove --autoremove cinnamon cinnamon-*
And launch Software & Updates then navigate to Other Software tab to remove PPAs.
The latest Mesa 3D graphics library 18.1.1 now can be easily installed in Ubuntu 18.04 LTS via PPA.
For those sticking to the open-source drivers and need graphics performance improvements (e.g. for playing games), Canonical’s Timo Aaltonen has pushed Mesa 18.1.1 in the x-updates PPA.
1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for ‘Terminal’ from software launcher. When it opens, run command:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/updates
Type your password (no asterisks while typing due to security reason) when it prompts and hit Enter to continue.
2. After adding the PPA, do system update via command:
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
apt-get update is not required any more in Ubuntu 18.04 since adding PPA automatically refreshes system repositories.
3. Finally check your driver version via command:
glxinfo | grep "OpenGL version"
To restore changes and downgrade to the default drives shipped in Ubuntu 18.04, run command:
sudo apt-get install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/updates
Ubuntu used to show media playback controls in the Sound menu of system tray. The functionality has been removed since Ubuntu switched to Gnome Desktop.
In Ubuntu 18.04, you can easily re-enable the feature via a Gnome Shell extension called Media Player Indicator.
1. To install the extension, open Ubuntu Software, search for and install Media Player Indicator:
Once installed, all MPRIS Version 2 capable media players, including VLC, SMPlayer, Audacious, Clementine, Rhythmbox, and more, will be listed in the system tray menu after you launched the media players.
2. To configure the Gnome extension, launch the settings via either Ubuntu Software or Gnome Tweak Tool:
MKVToolNix 24.0.0, free and open-source Matroska software, was released 2 days ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.10.
MKVToolNix 24.0.0 “Beyond The Pale” release highlights:
The official apt repository offers the latest packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.10, and Ubuntu 18.04 so far.
Open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching it from app launcher. When it opens, do following steps:
1. Run command to add the repository:
sudo sh -c 'echo "deb https://mkvtoolnix.download/ubuntu/ $(lsb_release -sc) main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/bunkus.org.list'
Replace $(lsb_release -sc) with xenial for Linux Mint 18.x. And input your password (no visual feedback while typing) when it prompts and hit Enter.
2. Then install the key:
wget -q -O - https://mkvtoolnix.download/gpg-pub-moritzbunkus.txt | sudo apt-key add -
3. Finally either upgrade the software via Software Updater (Update Manager):
or run command to install the software packages:
sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install mkvtoolnix mkvtoolnix-gui
Uninstall:
To remove the repository, launch Software & Updates utility and navigate to Other Software tab.
To remove MKVToolNix, use Synaptic Package Manager or run following command:
sudo apt-get remove --autoremove mkvtoolnix mkvtoolnix-gui
A new monthly release of HPLIP, HP developed Linux drivers for HP inkjet and laser based printers, was announced earlier today.
HPLIP 3.18.6 is a small release that only adds 3 new printers support:
To install the software, download the package “hplip-3.18.6.run” from the link below:
Then open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T or search for “terminal” from app launcher. When it opens, run command:
cd ~/Downloads/ && chmod +x hplip-3.18.6.run && ./hplip-3.18.6.run
Input your password (no visual feedback while typing) when it prompts and hit Enter.
Then follow the terminal outputs, answer some questions to build and install HPLIP on your system. When everything is done, plug/re-plug your printers and enjoy!
