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:
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.
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.
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:
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.
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:
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.
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:
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!
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.
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.
Vivaldi web browser released new stable 3.4 version that features configurable context menus, automatic reloading pages, and Vivaldia, the real 80s arcade-style game.
Automatic reload pages. Right-click on a tab, move over Periodic Reload menu entry and select reload interval.
Capture a screenshot directly into a new note.
New plus icon to select a custom image for non-synced profiles.
Drag’n’drop support creating Speed Dial folder
Vivaldia, a real 80s arcade-style game
How to Install Vivaldi 3.4 in Ubuntu:
The official Ubuntu .DEB packages are available for download at the link below:
Grab the deb matches your OS, then install it via Ubuntu Software or Gdebi package manager. Or run command in terminal:
sudo apt install ./Downloads/vivaldi-stable*.deb
Vivaldi also has an official apt repository, with it you can install the browser and get future updates through Software Updater utility.
Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut or by searching for terminal from application menu. When it opens, run following commands one by one:
