UbuntuHandbook

Kodi 18.9 Released with HTTP Access Workaround [PPA]

Last updated: October 25, 2020

Kodi media center released one more update for the 18.x “Leia” a day ago, with a quick workaround to the third-party HTTP2 and SSL changes that impacted internet access from Kodi by scrapers, streaming addons, etc.

Okay, one more roll of the “Leia” die, although this one is really driven by circumstances beyond our control. Technical changes by Cloudflare caused significant issues with HTTP access to any site using them – metadata sources, for example – and we need to put in a quick workaround before everyone gets too upset; while 19.x “Matrix” is close, it’s not close enough to leave these issues unaddressed. So, as we’re building that new code, we thought that we might as well fix a couple of other regressions while we’re here.

Changes in Kodi 18.9 also include:

Fix memory leaks in TexturePacker
Fix event server unable to send raw key strikes
Fix issues around directory navigation and incorrectly-set start directories
Fix MediaCodec OES/EGL rendering

How to Install Kodi 18.9 in Ubuntu:

Kodi Team PPA has made the new release packages for all current Ubuntu releases and derivatives.

1. Open terminal either from application menu or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc/ppa

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

2. Then either upgrading Kodi from an existing version via Software Updater:

or refresh system package cache and install Kodi 18.9 via commands:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install kodi

Uninstall:

To remove the Kodi PPA repository, simply open Software & Updates -> Other Software.

To remove Kodi, run command:

sudo apt remove --autoremove kodi kodi-data kodi-bin

In News Kodi

Enable ‘Drag & Drop’ Between Desktop and File Browser in Ubuntu 20.04

Last updated: April 24, 2024

Since the desktop icons are handled by an extension instead of Nautilus file browser, drag’n’drop action between desktop and file browser does no longer work.

Fortunately, a fork of the original Desktop Icons extension now is available with several enhancements, including Drag’n’Drop.

It’s called Desktop Icons NG, and features:

Drag’n’Drop, both inside the desktop, between desktop and applications, and nautilus windows
Allows to use “Open with…” option with several files
When hovering or clicking on an icon with a name too large to fit, it shows the full name
Doesn’t hang the compositor when there is too much activity in the desktop folder

Install Desktop Icons NG extension:

1. If you’re first time installing a Gnome Shell extension, first open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to install recommended packages:

sudo apt install chrome-gnome-shell gnome-shell-extension-prefs

2. Then go to extensions.gnome.org/…/desktop-icons-ng. Turn on the toggle icon and install the extension.

Don’t see the toggle icon? Click the link to install browser extension and refresh the web page.

3. Open Extensions tool from app launcher. Disable the built-in ‘Desktop Icons’ extension and enable the new installed ‘Desktop Icons NG’ extension.

For the extension settings, simply right-click on Ubuntu Desktop and select the last option.

In Gnome Shell desktop icons

Ubuntu 20.10 Released! How to Upgrade from Ubuntu 20.04 to Ubuntu 20.10

Last updated: October 23, 2020

Ubuntu 20.10 Groovy Gorilla was officially released! Here’s how to upgrade from Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.

Ubuntu 20.10 will be supported for 9 months until July 2021. It features Linux Kernel 5.8, desktop images for Raspberry Pi 4, and GNOME 3.38 on Ubuntu Desktop.

Other changes include:

Airtime Queue limits for better WiFi connection quality
USB 4 (Thunderbolt 3 protocol) support added
Intel Gen11 (Ice Lake) and Gen12 (Tiger Lake) graphics support
Initial support for AMD Family 19h (Zen 3)
Initial support for POWER10
Toolchain update: GCC 10, LLVM 11, Python 3.8.6, etc.
nftables is now the default backend for the firewall.
The latest OpenStack, updated apps, and more.

Upgrade Ubuntu 20.04 to Ubuntu 20.10:

Ubuntu 20.10 ISO images are available to download at releases.ubuntu.com/20.10.

If you want to upgrade to Ubuntu 20.10 Groovy Gorilla from Ubuntu 20.04, do following steps one by one.

1. Back up all your important data. And you may also create a system restore point via TimeShift which is available in Ubuntu Software.

2. Open Software & Updates and do:

select download from Main Server in the first tab.
disable all third-party PPAs in the second tab.
select ‘Notify me of a new Ubuntu version: For any version‘ in the third tab.

3. Open Software Updater and install all system updates! Restart after installation if it asks.

4. Open Software Updater again, and it should prompt that Ubuntu 20.10 is available to upgrade.

5. Click on the Upgrade… button. Type your password when it prompts. You will be presented with the Release Notes for the release you’re about to upgrade to.

Click on the Upgrade button. It will download the upgrading tool and show you a Distribution Upgrade window allows you to monitor progress. If everything goes OK, you’ll be prompted to restart the system to complete the upgrade.

In Howtos, News Ubuntu 20.10

KeePassXC 2.6.2 Released with ‘Always on Top’ Option

Last updated: April 24, 2024

KeePassXC, KeePass Cross-Platform Community Edition, released a new update today with new menu option to keep window always on top.

Besides the ‘Always on Top’ menu option, KeePassXC 2.6.2 also features:

Move show/hide usernames and passwords to view menu
Add command line options and environment variables for changing the config locations
Include TOTP settings in CSV import/export and add support for ISO date times
Mask sensitive information in command execution confirmation prompt
Change “Add key” keyboard shortcut to Ctrl+H.
Various bug-fixes, and stability improvements.

How to Install KeePassXC 2.6.2 in Ubuntu:

The official upstream PPA has made the new release packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, and Ubuntu 20.10.

1.) Open terminal either by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard, or by searching for ‘terminal’ from system application launcher.

When terminal opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:phoerious/keepassxc

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

2.) Then either update the software package using Software Updater

or run command to install the software:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install keepassxc

Uninstall:

You can run the PPA repository simply by running command in terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:phoerious/keepassxc

And if you want, remove keepassxc password manger via command:

sudo apt remove --autoremove keepassxc

In News KeePassXC

Install Microsoft Edge Browser (Stable) in Ubuntu / Debian via Official Repository

Last updated: April 24, 2024

Microsoft Edge web browser finally adds Linux support after more than a year of dev and beta tests. Here’s how to correctly add the Microsoft repository and install Edge browser in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 11, and their based systems.

After this tutorial, you should be able to open the latest stable Edge from start menu (activities overview). And, with the Microsoft repository it allows to keep it up-to-date by receiving updates via “Software Updater”.

How to Install Microsoft Edge in Ubuntu:

For those who don’t want to struggle with Linux commands, just download the latest version of .deb package from THIS PAGE, then double-click to install via “Software Install”.

1. Download & install the GPG Key:

Before adding the repository, you need to first download & install the GPG key so system will accept signatures from Microsoft.

Press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, paste the command below and hit Enter to run:

wget -O - https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/microsoft.gpg

The command will download the key from Microsoft, then convert it into encrypted GPG, and finally store the file under “/usr/share/keyrings/” directory.

Download, convert, & install the key

IMPORTANT: After downloaded the key, terminal may stuck with blinking cursor! It’s waiting for you to type user password for sudo command, because the “[sudo] password for $USER:” prompt is somehow not displayed. Just type your password (no feedback) and hit Enter.

2. Add Microsoft Edge repository:

After installing the GPG key, run the command below one by one to add the repository to your system.

a.) Remove old repository if any via command:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft-edge*.list

b.) Add the stable repository:

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/microsoft.gpg] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/edge stable main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft-edge.list'

The command will create and write the source line into “/etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft-edge.list” file, signed by the key installed via step above.

Add microsoft repo, sign the key

3. Finally refresh package cache and install Edge browser:

After all, update the system package cache via command:

sudo apt update

And install the web browser:

sudo apt install microsoft-edge-stable

Once installed, search for and open it from activities overview screen and enjoy!

How to Remove Edge & its repository:

With the repository, it allows to receive updates for Edge using “Software Updater” utility. If you want to remove it, open terminal and run command to delete the source file:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft-edge.list

Also, remove the key file if you want:

sudo rm /usr/share/keyrings/microsoft.gpg

To remove the Edge web browser, run command:

sudo apt remove --autoremove microsoft-edge-stable

In News Microsoft Edge

Firefox 82 Released with Faster Page Loading, Picture-In-Picture Improvements

Last updated: October 20, 2020

Firefox web browser 82.0 was released today with improved picture-in-picture, faster page loading and start-up time.

Firefox 82.0 release highlights:

New look and position for the Picture-In-Picture button.
Picture-In-Picture now has a keyboard shortcut for Mac users.
Improve resource usage during video playback, battery life for Windows user.
20% faster when loading websites with flexbox-based layouts.
17% quicker when restoring a session.
10% quicker when opening new windows in Windows.
Explore new articles when you save a webpage to Pocket from the Firefox toolbar.
WebRender support on more Windows machines.
Various security fixes and more.

Get Firefox 82 in Ubuntu:

The latest packages will be made into security & updates repositories for all current Ubuntu releases in a few days.

At that time, you can upgrade Firefox through the Software Updater utility:

If you can’t wait, download the Linux package from mozilla website.

In News Firefox

qBittorrent 4.3.0 Released with Better HiDPI, Enhanced Theming Support

Last updated: October 19, 2020

qBittorrent BitTorrent client 4.3.0 was released as a new major version with new features and various bug-fixes.

The new release uses Qt 5.15.1 which offers far better HiDPI support. Theming support has been enhanced, however previous theme bundles will not work properly before the provider updated them.

What’s new in qBittorrent 4.3.0:

Many UI elements colors are themeable now
Allow changing GUI icons from theme bundles
Notify user when torrent moving finished
Shortcut CTRL + I opens Statistics window
Add RSS functionality in Web UI
Drop “.unwanted folder” feature
Expose libtorrent peer_turnover, max_concurrent_http_announces, no_connect_privileged_ports settings
And various bug-fixes

How to Install qBittorrent 4.3.0 via PPA in Ubuntu:

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

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,

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 News qbittorrent

Free Scorewriter MuseScore 3.5.2 Released with Audio Export Fixes

Last updated: October 18, 2020

MuseScore, free open-source sheet music player and editor, released version 3.5.2 with bug-fixes.

MuseScore 3.5.2 release highlights:

Fix unexpected page stretching in “Edit style” dialog.
Fix an issue of harmony playback preferences.
Fix audio export (FLAC, OGG, WAV) on Windows
Fix a potential crash that could occur when resizing the Piano Roll.
Edits to system text/tempo marking after save and reload of score did not propagate to all parts.

Download / Install MuseScore 3.5.2 in Ubuntu:

Single executable Appimage package is available for download:

Right-click on the Appimage, then go to Properties -> Permissions, check the box ‘Allow executing file as program’. Finally run the Appimage to launch MuseScore 3.5.2 and enjoy!

Also MuseScore flatpak package has been updated, and you can install it via following commands.

1.) Open terminal and run command to install flatpak framework in Ubuntu:

sudo apt install flatpak

2.) Add the flathub repository which hosts the flatpak package:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

3.) Finally install MuseScore via command:

flatpak install flathub org.musescore.MuseScore

If an old version of this package installed, update it via command:

flatpak update org.musescore.MuseScore

(Optional) To remove MuseScore flatpak package, run command:

flatpak uninstall org.musescore.MuseScore

In News

CopyQ Clipboard Manager 3.13.0 Released with New Script / Commands

Last updated: October 17, 2020

CopyQ, free open-source advanced clipboard managing software, released version 3.13.0 with new script function and command line options.

CopyQ 3.13.0 release highlights:

New focusPrevious() script function to activate window that was focused
before the main window.
Export now write data to a temporary file before saving.
Display command are now also applied on item preview
New command line option “tray_menu_open_on_left_click” to check default mouse
button behavior for tray icon.
New command line option “activate_item_with_single_click” to activate items
with single click.
New command line options “filter_regular_expression” and “filter_case_insensitive” to change the item search behavior.
New command line option “native_menu_bar” to disable native/global menu bar.
Updated icons and various bug-fixes.

How to Install Copyq 3.13.0 in Ubuntu:

The official PPA repository has made the latest packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, and Ubuntu 20.10.

1. To add the PPA, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) from application menu and run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:hluk/copyq

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

2. Then install CopyQ either via Synaptic package manager or by running commands in terminal:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install copyq

Once installed, start the clipboard manager from application menu 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.

In Howtos, News clipboard manager

CoyIM – A GTK+ Chat Client Focus on Safety and Security

Last updated: April 24, 2024

Looking for an XMPP Jabber client for Linux? CoyIM is a free open-source GTK+ client that focus on safety and security.

CoyIM is written in Go programming language with GTK+ framework. It works on Linux, Windows, and Mac OS. The chat client has built-in support for Tor, OTR and TLS.

The Tor support allows users to become anonymous while chatting, OTR makes end-to-end encryption of communication possible, and TLS adds another layer of encryption for the communication with chat servers.

CoyIM features:

Support of the latest OTR.
Detection of Tor (if installed) and connection through it.
Use of Tor Onion Service for a known server.
Use separate Tor circuits for each account.
Insert random delays before connecting each account.
SRV lookup for the server over Tor if available.
Import from Pidgin, Adium, Gajim or xmpp-client.
Save all your configuration in an encrypted file.

How to Install CoyIM:

For Ubuntu 18.04 and Ubuntu 20.04, you can simply install the chat app from the universe repositories by running command in terminal:

sudo apt install coyim

For the latest release, as well as Windows / Mac OS packages, go to the official download page:

The Linux package is a single executable file. Simply add executable permission via file’s Properties > Permissions dialog and then run it to launch the software.

In App Review XMPP