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Archives For November 30, 2017

HP Linux Imaging and Printing HPLIP 3.18.3 Released

Last updated: March 12, 2018

HP Linux Imaging and Printing

HPLIP, an HP developed Linux drivers for HP inkjet and laser based printers, reached the 3.18.3 release with new devices and Linux distributions support.

HPLIP 3.18.3 added following new devices support:

HP DesignJet Z2600 PostScript
HP DesignJet Z5600 PostScript
HP PageWide XL 8000ps Printer
HP PageWide XL 8000 Blueprinter
HP PageWide XL 5000 Printer
HP PageWide XL 5000 MFP
HP PageWide XL 5000 Blueprinter
HP PageWide XL 4500 Printer
HP PageWide XL 4500 MFP
HP PageWide XL 4000 Printer
HP PageWide XL 4000 MFP
HP PageWide XL 5100ps
HP PageWide XL 5100ps MFP
HP PageWide XL 5100ps MFP Blueprinter
HP PageWide XL 6000ps
HP PageWide XL 6000ps MFP

The new release also added support for Manjaro 17.1.4 (64 bit), Fedora 27 (64 bit), and Linux Mint 18.3 (32 bit and 64 bit)

Download / Install HPLIP 3.18.3:

To install the software, download the package “hplip-3.18.3.run” from the link below:

HPLIP Download Page

Then open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T or search for “terminal” from app launcher. When it opens, run command:

cd ~/Downloads/ && chmod +x hplip-3.18.3.run && ./hplip-3.18.3.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!

In Howtos, News HP Print Driver for Linux, HPLIP

LiVES Video Editor 2.8.8 Released (How to Install)

Last updated: March 11, 2018

LiVES, free and open-source video editor and VJ tool, reached the 2.8.8 release today. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.10, Ubuntu 18.04.

Changes in LiVES 2.8.8 include:

Fix “undo render to same clip” after rendering to selection.
Add new libav_stream playback plugi
Set openGL playback plugin (if present) as the default for new installs.
(Multi monitor support) always show dialog windows on the gui monitor.
Re-enable audio recording from external sources (was inadvertantly disabled).
Fix possible problems with layout reloading (regression).
Reset to correct playback position when stop is pressed during / after pause (multitrack),
Increase size of playback area in multitrack mode.
Increase preview window size for video part open.
Add quick transcode menu option (beta).
Keep showing framebar when not playing (can be overriden in prefs).
Show audio source in framebar (overridden by pref).
Optimise redrawing of audio waveforms in clip editor.
Implement external audio trigger for recording.
Theme fixes for buttons.
Various optimisations.
Scale many widget sizes based on screen resolution.
Fix crash in multitrack parameter adjustment for effects with repeated channels.
Ctrl + mouse scroll can be used to zoom in / out in multitrack.
Disable ctrl-q (quit) accelerator during playback to prevent accidental triggering.
Updates for libav 3.5.

How to Install LiVES 2.8.8 in Ubuntu:

Other than building the software from source, you can install it from unofficial PPA in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.10, Linux Mint 18.x and their derivatives by following steps:

1. Open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T and run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/lives

Type in your password (no visual feedback while typing due to security reason) when it asks and hit Enter.

LiVES PPA

2. Then upgrade the software from an existing release via Software Updater:

or simply run commands in terminal to install or upgrade LiVES:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install lives lives-plugins

Uninstall:

To remove the software, simply run commands:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove lives lives-plugins

The PPA can be removed via Software & Updates utility under Other Software tab.

In Howtos, News LiVES, video editor

First Beta of Ubuntu 18.04 LTS Released (Opt-in Flavors)

Last updated: March 10, 2018

Ubuntu 18.04

The first beta of Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic Beaver LTS (Long Term Support) was released last night.

Ubuntu 18.04 Beta 1 features images for Kubuntu, Ubuntu Budgie, Ubuntu Kylin, Ubuntu MATE, and Xubuntu.

NOTE the pre-releases of Ubuntu 18.04 are not recommended for anyone needing a stable system or anyone who is not comfortable running into occasional, even frequent breakage. They are, however, recommended for those who want to help in testing, reporting, and fixing bugs.

Changes in Xubuntu 18.04 Beta 1 include:

Removed the GTK Theme Configuration tool
Replaced the Sound Indicator with the Xfce PulseAudio Plugin.
Replaced Application indicator with Status Notifier Plugin
Replace some desktop applications: Evince -> Atril, File Roller -> Engrampa, GNOME Calculator -> MATE Calculator.

Changes in Kubuntu 18.04 beta 1 include:

Replace Dragonplayer with VLC as default media player.
Muon package manager is shipped by default once again.
Replace Amarok with Cantata Qt5 as default music player.
Drop Telepathy instant messaging client from the defaults.

Changes in Ubuntu MATE 18.04 Beta 1 include:

MATE desktop 1.20
Uses Indicators by default in all layouts.
Brisk Menu switches to a dash-style launcher for Mutiny or Cupertino layout.
Minimal installation support and more and more other changes.

Changes in Ubuntu Budgie 18.04 Beta1 include:

Better font handling for Chinese and Korean users
Play mp3 out of the box.
New applets available via Budgie settings, Budgie welcome.
New exciting GTK+ theme by default called Pocillo
Minimal installation.

Future releases of Ubuntu 18.04:

April 5th	Final Beta
April 19th	Final Freeze / Release Candidate
April 26th	Final release of Ubuntu 18.04

In News Ubuntu 18.04

Visual Studio Code 1.21 Supports Moving Files Across Windows

Last updated: March 9, 2018

Visual Studio Code IDE

A new update of the Visual Studio Code IDE was released. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu.

The 1.21 release of Visual Studio Code features:

New Notifications UI to easily manage and review VS Code notifications.
Integrated Terminal splitting allows to work with multiple open terminals at once.
Markdown preview now supports bidirectional scrolling.
Text buffer optimizations for large files.
Centered editor layout that maximize your code viewing screen real estate.
Drag & drop, copy & paste across open VS Code windows.
HTML path completion – IntelliSense for file paths in common HTML elements.
Language Packs in the Marketplace – Install new display languages from the Marketplace.
Deploy Azure Functions tutorial – Learn how to create and deploy serverless Azure Functions.
PREVIEW: Horizontal search results – You can now view search results in a horizontal panel.

How to Install VS Code 1.21 in Ubuntu:

The official .deb package for Debian/Ubuntu is available for download at the link below:

Download VS Code (.deb)

Grab the deb and install it via either Gdebi package manager or command (Ctrl+Alt+T):

sudo dpkg -i ~/Downloads/code_*.deb; sudo apt -f install

Visual Studio also available as snap package, you can easily install it via this tutorial.

For those who want to receive updates for VS Code via Software Updater utility, add the Microsoft repository via following steps (64bit only):

1. Open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to add the repository:

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/vscode stable main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.list'

2. Download and install the repository key via commands:

curl https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | gpg --dearmor > microsoft.gpg

sudo mv microsoft.gpg /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/microsoft.gpg

Uninstall Visual Studio Code:

To remove the code editor, either use Synaptic Package Manager or run command:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove code

And remove the Microsoft repository by launching Software & Updates utility and navigating to Other Software tab.

In Howtos, News Visual Studio Code

Liferea Feed Reader 1.12.2 Released with Plugin Installer

Last updated: March 8, 2018

A new bug-fix release for Liferea 1.12 was released earlier today. A plugin installer plugin was introduced that allows easy discovery and installation of 3rd party plugins.

Full changes in Liferea 1.12.2 include:

Adding a plugin installer plugin that allows discovering and automatically installing 3rd party plugins
Drop language from user agent to increase privacy
Add transmission-gtk and aria2 as download tool options
New command line option --disable-plugins (-p) to start with all plugins disabled.
Fix that Liferea not showing up in GNOME Software
Correctly print error message when failing to unlock GNOME keyring
Fix that CSS style for GTK link colors not used
Redirect location updates and adds HTTP 308 (RFC 7538) support
Fix unable to set unread items in bold
Fix broken OPML feed list entries
Add Norwegian feed list
Translation updates.

How to Install Liferea 1.12.2 in Ubuntu:

For Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.10, Ubuntu 18.04, and derivatives, the new release is available in a third-party PPA repository.

1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for ‘terminal’ from app launcher. When it opens, run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps

Type your password (no visual feedback while typing) when it asks and hit Enter.

2. Then upgrade Liferea via Software Updater utility:

or run commands one by one to install the Linux feed reader:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install liferea

Finally launch the news reader from your application launcher and enjoy! (Log out and log back if you don’t see the icon).

Uninstall Liferea:

To remove the software, either use your system package manager or run command:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove liferea

To remove the PPA repository, open “Software & Updates” utility and navigate to Other Software tab.

In Howtos, News Feed Reader, liferea

Video Cutter & Joiner ‘VidCutter’ Now Available as Snap

Last updated: March 7, 2018

The snap package of VidCutter, a free and open-source video cutting and joining software, now is available.

Which means you can search for and install the software directly from Ubuntu Software app:

Snap package, the universal Linux app packaging format, runs in sandbox and comes with most required libraries bundled. It runs in all current Ubuntu releases.

For Ubuntu 16.04 and Ubuntu 14.04, you need to first install the snapd daemon by opening terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T and running command:

sudo apt install snapd snapd-xdg-open

Then you can install the snap in ALL current Ubuntu releases either via Ubuntu Software or by running command in terminal:

snap install vidcutter

Once installed, launch it from your application launcher and enjoy!

In Howtos, News vidcutter, video cutter

Ubuntu 16.04.4 LTS Released (How to Install HWE Stacks)

Last updated: March 3, 2018

Ubuntu 17.04

A new point release of Ubuntu 16.04 LTS was released last night for its Desktop, Server, and Cloud products, as well as other Ubuntu flavors.

Lukasz Zemczak announced in the Ubuntu Release mailing list:

“Like previous LTS series’, 16.04.4 includes hardware enablement stacks for use on newer hardware. This support is offered on all architectures except for 32-bit powerpc, and is installed by default when using one of the desktop images. Ubuntu Server defaults to installing the GA kernel, however you may select the HWE kernel from the installer bootloader.

As usual, this point release includes many updates, and updated installation media has been provided so that fewer updates will need to be downloaded after installation. These include security updates and corrections for other high-impact bugs, with a focus on maintaining stability and compatibility with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS.“

Ubuntu 16.04 LTS

To upgrade from a previous Ubuntu 16.04 release, either run Software Updater and install all available updates or run command in terminal (Ctrl+Alt):

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

Then check result via command:

cat /etc/issue

How to Install HWE Stacks in previous Ubuntu 16.04:

The new point release ships with an updated kernel and X stack (HWE Stacks) by default for the desktop in its ISO images.

These HWE Stacks were released in the LTS point releases as a means to enable newer platforms and components.

For those upgrading from a previous release, you need to manually install the stacks via command:

sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-hwe-16.04 xserver-xorg-hwe-16.04

For any reason, you can uninstall HWE stacks by following this tutorial.

In Howtos, News hardware enablement stacks, Ubuntu 16.04

Parole Media Player 1.0 Released! Install it in Ubuntu 17.10

Last updated: March 1, 2018

Xfce’s Parole media player reached the 1.0 stable series earlier today! Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 17.10 and Ubuntu 18.04.

Xfce 1.0.0 brings a new feature and following bug-fixes:

Added “Automatic” video output option. This uses the autoimagesink to provide the best available video sink for the environment, eliminating the dreaded ‘Could not initialise Xv output’ error.
Fixed 32-bit crashes when using the MPRIS2 plugin
Fixed crash on “Clear History” button press
Fixed appdata validation
Fixed full debug builds and resolved implicit-fallthrough build warning
Replaced stock icon by freedesktop.org compliant option

How to Install Parole 1.0.0 in Ubuntu 18.04, 17.10:

Ubuntu 18.04 includes the new release package in its main repository archive, just search for and install ‘parole’ in Ubuntu Software.

For Ubuntu 17.10, you can install or upgrade to the new release via an unofficial PPA. No updates for Ubuntu 16.04, since Parole now requires GTK+ >=3.20.

1. Open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for “Terminal” from app launcher. When it opens, run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps

Type in your password (no visual feedback when typing due to security reason) when it prompts and hit Enter.

parole ppa for zesty

2. Then upgrade the media player via Software Updater utility:

or run following commands to install / upgrade it:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install parole

For those who don’t want to add PPA, grab the .deb package from HERE.

Uninstall:

Run following command to purge the PPA repository which also downgrade installed packages to the stock version in your Ubuntu:

sudo apt-get install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps

In Howtos, News parole media player, xfce4

VirtualBox 5.2.8 Released with Linux Kernel 4.15 Support

Last updated: April 18, 2018

Virtualbox

Oracle VirtualBox 5.2.8 was released a day ago. For Linux guests, Kernel 4.15 now is supported and black screen issue when 3D enabled is fixed.

Changes in Virtualbox 5.2.8 include:

Added support for FSGSBASE, PCID, INVPCID CPU features for guests
fixed EMM386 issue with detecting suitable page frame base
Linux: prevent VM window from jumping and auto-resizing to tiny size after resizing it on HiDPI screen
Linux: fixed seamless regression caused by wm_class functionality
Front end: switched to https downloads
Fixed crash while opening New machine wizard
Added support for distinguishing recording sources in the PulseAudio mixer on the host when multiple VMs are running
Various fixes for the DirectSound backend
Added better file seeking support and fixed playback of recorded files with certain players (e.g. Firefox)
Various fixes for Windows guest surround setups and HDA emulation
Fixed an issue where the serial port parameters in the emulation and host serial port got out of sync
Fixed overwriting certain INQUIRY data for the DVD/CD drive attached to a AHCI controller
Fixed handling VMDK images created by Amazon EC2 VM export
Fixed PXE boot regression in e1000
Added a workaround for older guests which do not enable bus mastering for the virtio PCI device
3D: add environment variable to configure presenting 3D content on main thread
Windows hosts: fixed indiscriminate binding of NDIS5 bridged driver, that caused PPPOE malfunction
Windows guests: fixed incorrect function error when using shared folders in certain applications
Linux 4.15 support, fixed black screen when 3D enabled in Linux guests
Linux guests: suppress setuid and setgid in shared folders

How to Install Virtualbox 5.2.8 in Ubuntu:

1. If you’re still running with VirtualBox 5.1.x, open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T or from application launcher. Remove old Virtualbox via command:

sudo apt-get remove virtualbox virtualbox-5.1

2. Download & install the latest Virtualbox package from the link below:

Download VirtualBox for Linux

3. If you’ve added the Oracle VBox repository, you can directly install the 5.2 release from Synaptic Package Manager or via apt command, after removing the old version.

To add the repository, do:

Open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to add the repository:

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian $(lsb_release -sc) contrib" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/virtualbox.list'

for Linux Mint 18.x, replace $(lsb_release -sc) with xenial in the code.

Virtualbox Official Linux repository

Setup the keyring so to trust the updates from the repository:

wget -q https://www.virtualbox.org/download/oracle_vbox_2016.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -

wget -q https://www.virtualbox.org/download/oracle_vbox.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -

Finally install virtualbox 5.2 via commands:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install virtualbox-5.2

With the repository added, you can simply install the future 5.2 series updates via Software Updater.

In Howtos, News Virtualbox

How to Display File’s Checksums in Properties Dialog Box

Last updated: February 27, 2018

After receiving an installation file from the download server, we check its checksums to verify data integrity.

Other than running a Linux command or using a graphical tool, a Nautilus (the default file browser in Ubuntu Gnome) extension, nautilus-gtkhash, is available for computing checksums and showing them in file’s properties dialog box.

To install the extension, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command: