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Archives For November 30, 2020

How to Search, Install, Remove Snap Apps in Command Line

Last updated: April 24, 2024

This simple tutorial shows how to search for, install, remove, and list installed Snap applications in Ubuntu from command line.

Snap is an universal Linux package format developed by Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu. Though many users hate the Snap apps, it’s hard to keep away from it since many popular applications (e.g., VLC, Spotify, VS Code, Android Studio) offer official Ubuntu binaries through Snap rather than classic deb package.

As Ubuntu Software still sucks and does not load application pages quite often, you can run followings command instead to search for & install snap applications.

1. Searching for Snap Apps in Terminal:

Simply open terminal from system application launcher. You can then either run snap find or snap search command follow with app name to query the store for available packages.

Both commands below do the same searching for GIMP packages:

snap find gimp

snap search gimp

For the verified publisher, you’ll see a green check mark after the publisher name.

2. Command to Install a Snap App:

To install a Snap application package, simply run snap install command follow with the package name.

After searching for an app, you can then select install one from available packages by running command (VLC for instance):

snap install vlc

Some applications support for installing with --classic flag to access files outside user’s home directory. So, the command could be:

snap install vlc --classic

Usually, we install Snap applications from the stable channel. There are also beta, edge, candidate channels include packages for testing purpose. For example, install VLC from its Beta channel, use command:

snap install vlc --channel beta

3. How to List installed Snap applications:

To list all installed snap applications, simply run snap list in terminal.

snap list

While “core” and “core18” are snap core packages, “snap-store”, “snap-store-proxy”, and “snap-store-proxy-client” relates to the Ubuntu Software.
All others are user installed packages, though “gnome-3-xxx” packages were installed automatically as dependency platform.

Snap apps update automatically when new release packages published. So, there may be old packages present in your system after using them for a period of time. To list all of them, use command:

snap list --all

Old packages should be marked as ‘disabled’.

4. How to Remove Snap Apps via command:

To remove a snap package, simply run snap remove command follow with package name.

In the case, I’m going to remove VLC snap package via command:

snap remove vlc

NOTE that the dependency platform (e.g., gnome and wine) won’t to be removed while removing the snap that requires it.

The previous remove command will leave a snapshot of app data on your system. Use --purge flag will clear all the app data:

snap remove --purge vlc

By running snap list --all command in terminal, you may see some old versions of app packages left in system marked as “disabled”. To remove one of the disabled package, there’s a ‘revision‘ flag can do the job. For example, remove chromium marked as rev 2254:

snap remove chromium --revision=2254

Thanks to @Fernando, the command below will free up disk space by removing all the old disabled snap packages:

snap list --all | awk '/disabled/{system("sudo snap remove " $1 " --revision=" $3)}'

Summary:

In brief you can run snap find APP_NAME or snap search APP_NAME to search for available packages. Use snap install PACKAGE_NAME or snap remove PACKAGE_NAME to install or remove an application. And run snap list to list all installed snap applications.

In command skills snap

TV-Lite – GTK 3 IPTV, Sopcast, Acestream Player for Linux

Last updated: January 18, 2024

TV-Lite is a free open-source IPTV player with Sopcast and Acestream handling capabilities, which runs in Linux and Windows.

TV-Lite aims to be a replacement for the older TV-Maxe. It so far uses VLC for media playback, and need Acestream and / or Sopcast for this program to be able to handle the respective stream types.

UPDATE Jan 2024: the app has NOT been updated for a period of time. And PPA support ends for Ubuntu 22.10 at the moment.

How to install TV-Lite in Ubuntu via PPA:

There’s an Ubuntu PPA maintains the software packages for Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 20.10, and Linux Mint 20.

1.) Open terminal from system application launcher, and run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tv-lite/ppa-git

2.) You can then install the player via command:

sudo apt install sp-auth tv-lite

Once installed, open the player from system app menu and you can add following line into Menu -> “Manage subscriptions” for free TVs.

https://is.gd/freeiptvall

How to Remove TV-Lite:

To remove the IPTV player, open terminal and run command:

sudo apt remove sp-auth tv-lite

And remove the Ubuntu PPA via command:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:tv-lite/ppa-git

In App Review IPTV

How to Install PHP 8.0 & PECL Extensions in Ubuntu 20.04, 18.04, 16.04

Last updated: April 24, 2024

Want to install PHP 8.0 as well as many PECL extensions in your Ubuntu Server? Well there’s a well trusted PPA that contains the packages for all current Ubuntu releases.

Ondřej Surý, a Debian Developer who maintains the official PHP packages in Debian, is maintaining an Ubuntu PPA that contains the latest PHP 5.6, PHP 7.0, PHP 7.1, PHP 7.2, PHP 7.3, PHP 7.4, and PHP 8.0 packages as well as PECL extensions for all current Ubuntu releases.

1.) Simply open terminal or connect to your remote Ubuntu server, and run command to make sure software-properties-common is installed:

sudo apt install software-properties-common

2.) Then run command to add the php PPA repository by running command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php

For non-UTF-8 locales, run LC_ALL=C.UTF-8 add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php

3.) If you are using php-gearman, you need to run command to add the gearman PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/pkg-gearman

I’m using Nginx web server, and it’s recommended to add the Nginx stable PPA instead:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/nginx

If you’re using Apache2, adding the apache2 PPA is recommended:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/apache2

4.) Finally refresh system package cache and install php 8.0 packages via command:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install php8.0-fpm libapache2-mod-php8.0 php8.0-mysql php8.0-xml

There are also many other packages available, e.g., php8.0-amqp, php8.0-apcu, php8.0-memcache, php8.0-memcached, and more. Just add or remove package names after “sudo apt install” depends what you need.

In all previous commands, you can replace php8.0 with php7.4, php7.3, php7.2, php7.0, or php5.6 to install a specify version of PHP packages

Uninstall PHP:

To remove an Ubuntu PPA, add --remove flag in adding PPA command. For instance, remove php PPA via command:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:ondrej/php

Instead of removing Ubuntu PPA, you can also purge PPA which also downgrade installed packages to the stock version in Ubuntu repositories.

sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:ondrej/php

To remove a php package, simply run command:

sudo apt remove Package_Name_Here

In Howtos PHP

qBittorrent 4.3.3 Released! How to Install in Ubuntu 20.04, 20.10

Last updated: January 22, 2021

qBittorrent

The qBittorrent 4.3.3 was released a few days ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 20.10, Ubuntu 18.04, and Linux Mint 19.x / 20.

This release contains mainly bug-fixes. Because Xcode doesn’t support C++17, Mac OS 10.13 (High Sierra) is no longer supported. And Ubuntu 18.04 is highly to be dropped in the next release.

qBittorrent 4.3.3 release highlights:

New languages Azerbaijani, Estonian support.
Unify global speed dialogs for normal/alternative speeds.
Increase maximum global speed limits ~2 GiB/s.
Save fastresume when setting torrent speed limits.
Group several torrent options into one dialog.
Capitalize locale names.
Improve content file/folder names handling.
Drop notification about move storage finished or failed.
Reload “missing files” torrent instead of re-checking.
Remember dialog sizes.
Improve detection of file extension string.
WEBUI: Don’t call non-existent elements.
Update “Keep top-level folder” in WebUI options.
LINUX: Use legacy ‘data’ directory only as a fallback.
Bump project requirement to C++17.

How to Install qBittorrent 4.3.3 via PPA:

The official qBittorrent PPA has built the new release packages for Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, and Ubuntu 20.10.

1. To add the PPA, open terminal by either pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard or searching for “Terminal” from application menu. When it opens, run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:qbittorrent-team/qbittorrent-stable

Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it prompts and hit Enter to continue.

2. If an old version was installed on your system, upgrade it via Software Updater,

upgrade qBittorrent

or run following commands to install /upgrade qBittorrent in terminal:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install qbittorrent

Uninstall:

To remove qBittorrent PPA, either go to Software & Updates -> Other Software, or run command in terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:qbittorrent-team/qbittorrent-stable

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

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove qbittorrent

In Howtos qbittorrent

How to Change Firefox Frame Rate for High Refresh Rate Monitor

Last updated: April 24, 2024

Running Ubuntu with high refresh rate monitor? You may found that the Firefox web browser does not match with your monitor’s native refresh rate.

This is a simple tip shows how to change the refresh rate of Firefox, though you have to first set the system refresh rate (Settings -> Displays) to match your monitor.

1.) Open Firefox and type about:config in address bar and hit Enter. And click the button which says ‘Accept the Risk and Continue’.

2.) Next in the filter box, type layout.frame_rate and click edit the key value to your monitor’s native refresh rate (144 in the case).

That’s it. Restart Firefox and enjoy!

via: reddit

In Howtos Firefox

VLC Media Player 3.0.12 Released with Apple Silicon Support

Last updated: January 20, 2021

The VideoLAN team announced the release of VLC 3.0.12 as the thirteenth version of the “Vetinari” branch.

The new release features native support for Apple Silicon hardware, the M1 processor in new versions of the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini.

Other changes in VLC 3.0.12 include:

Fix audio distortion when starting playback on macOS
Fix crashes with Direct3D video filters
Fix adaptive streaming resolution settings handling
Add support for RIST protocol
Visual improvements on macOS Big Sur
Several web interface fixes
YouTube &Vocaroo scripts updates
And some security issues

How to Install VLC in Ubuntu:

VLC offers official Ubuntu binary via Snap package, which can be installed directly through Ubuntu Software.

Just install the package which will update automatically to the latest though it’s still 3.0.11 at the moment of writing.

In News vlc media player

[PPA Update] GIMP 2.10.22 with Python Script Support in Ubuntu 18.04

Last updated: January 19, 2021

For Ubuntu 18.04 users sticking to the PPA build of GIMP image editor 2.10.22, now the Python Script support is back.

Since old GTK2 and Python 2 libraries being removed from Ubuntu universe repositories, the Python script support was excluded due to lack of dependencies when I was uploading the GIMP packages into PPA.

Ubuntu 18.04 was neglected, though. It meets all the dependencies to build the requested feature. So I added it back. Hope it’s not too late for you :). And the package was totally built via the rules from otto-kesselgulasch’s PPA.

Install GIMP 2.10.22 via PPA in Ubuntu 18.04:

NOTE I do only basic image editing with GIMP, and I can’t go further test for the function though it seems working.

1.) Open terminal from system application launcher. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/gimp

Type user password (no asterisk feedback) for sudo prompts and hit Enter to continue.

2.) If an old version of GIMP .deb package was installed, upgrade it via Software Updater (need to install gimp-python manually) utility.

or run apt commands in terminal to install GIMP:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install gimp gimp-gmic gimp-python

If an old version was installed, it’s recommended to run sudo apt upgrade which will also update the required babl, gegl libraries.

How to Restore:

To restore GIMP to the stock version in main Ubuntu repository, run command to purge the PPA:

sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/gimp

In Howtos gimp

Scribus 1.5.6.1 Available to Install via PPA in Ubuntu 20.04, 20.10

Last updated: April 24, 2024

For those prefer installing applications via apt method, the desktop publishing software Scribus 1.5.6 is finally made into PPA available for Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 20.10, and Linux Mint 20.

Scribus 1.5.6 was released a few months ago as the latest development release for the next major version 1.6.0. It features:

Introduce a context-sensitive Content Palette
A new PDF-based output preview
Improved dark UI themes support.
Support for PDF 1.6 export, including embedded OpenType fonts.
And much more.

How to Install Scribus 1.5.6.1 via PPA:

Besides non-install Appimage and community maintained flatpak package, the official PPA now contains the packages for Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 20.10.

1.) Open terminal from system application launcher. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:scribus/ppa

2.) Then run command to install the software package:

sudo apt install scribus-ng

Uninstall Scribus:

To remove the scribus package, simply run command in terminal:

sudo apt remove --autoremove scribus-ng

To remove the Ubuntu PPA, either run command in step 1.) with --remove flag, or open Software & Updates and remove relevant line under Other Software tab.

In Howtos scribus

Youtubedl-gui: New Graphical YouTube Downloader based on Youtube-DL

Last updated: April 24, 2024

UPDATE 2024: The app seems DISCONTINUED! The last update was about 3 years ago

Youtubedl-gui is a simple new graphical interface for the popular command-line YouTube downloader youtube-dl.

The tool is quite simple to use, just paste the video URL, select audio quality and format, video resolution and format, and click download! And of course, there’s an option to change the destination folder of your downloads.

Once you click download, a small dialog will pop up with the process bar.

How to Install Youtubedl-gui in Ubuntu:

Just note for legal reasons you need permission to download videos from youtube.

The software developer maintains an Ubuntu PPA contains the packages for Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 20.10, and Linux Mint 20.

Open terminal from system application launcher and do following steps one by one:

1.) Run commands one by one to install the latest youtube-dl if you don’t have it:

sudo wget https://yt-dl.org/downloads/latest/youtube-dl -O /usr/local/bin/youtube-dl

sudo chmod a+rx /usr/local/bin/youtube-dl

2.) Add the developer’s PPA by running command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mordec13/youtubedl-gui

3.) Finally install the tool:

sudo apt install youtubedl-gui

Uninstall Youtubedl-gui:

For any reason, you can remove the software easily via command:

sudo apt remove youtubedl-gui

And remove the Ubuntu PPA either via Software & Updates -> Other Software or by running command:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:mordec13/youtubedl-gui

In App Review YouTube Downloader

Scorewriter MuseScore 3.6 Released with New Fonts, Improvements

Last updated: January 16, 2021

MuseScore, free open-source sheet music player and editor, released the new major version 3.6 with many new features, improvements and bug-fixes.

New features in MuseScore 3.6 include:

New default notation fonts “Leland”
New default text font “Edwin”
New dialog suggests trying out the new engraving defaults
Automatic score ordering and bracketing
Automatic vertical justification of staves
Added Mountain Dulcimer instrument and 3-string tab presets
Added portamento for FLUID synthesiser
Added Petaluma notation font
Added mnemonics for “Save”, “Save As” and “Resource Manager”

The new release also features many UI and performance improvements including:

Improved the vertical staff justification algorithm
Improved functionality and appearance of ‘Add Palettes’ button
Implemented a new “Export” dialog
Added extended fermata symbols to MusicXML I/O
Added heavy, reverse end and heavy double barlines
Added a harmony duration interpretation
Added support for triple sharp and triple flat

And much more other improvements, tons of bug-fixes. For details, see the link below.

How to Get MuseScore 3.6 in Ubuntu Linux:

For Linux users MuseScore 3.6 is only available as Appimage package so far.

MuseScore in Github (Appimage)

Just grab the package, right-click and go to its Properties. Under ‘Permissions’ tab check the box which says ‘Allow executing file as program‘. Finally click run the Appimage to launch the scorewriter.