UbuntuHandbook

Ubuntu 18.04.4 Released with Kernel 5.3 [How-to Install]

Last updated: February 13, 2020

Ubuntu 18.04

The fourth point release Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS was released. Here’s how to install the new Linux Kernel 5.3 and Xorg in your current Ubuntu 18.04 machine.

Ubuntu 18.04.4 comes with an updated “hardware enablement stack” (HWE) from Ubuntu 19.10, including Kernel 5.3 that enables the latest hardware and peripherals available from IBM, Intel, and others.

It was announced last night:

The Ubuntu team is pleased to announce the release of Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS (Long-Term Support) for its Desktop, Server, and Cloud products, as well as other flavours of Ubuntu with long-term support.

Like previous LTS series, 18.04.4 includes hardware enablement stacks for use on newer hardware. This support is offered on all architectures 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.

…

How to Upgrade to Ubuntu 18.04.4:

Besides downloading the ISO image, installing all available updates via Software Updater will bring you to the latest point release in the current Ubuntu 18.04 machine.

If you never installed the “hardware enablement stack” in your Ubuntu 18.04 machine, you may also do:

To install the 5.3 Kernel, you may need to run following command in terminal:

sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-hwe-18.04

Or run command to install both new kernel and Xorg Server stack:

sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-hwe-18.04 xserver-xorg-hwe-18.04

Once installed, restart and enjoy!

How to remove the new hardware enablement stack:

To remove the new v5.3 kernel, first reboot and choose previous kernel from Grub boot-loader > Advanced options. Then run command:

sudo apt remove linux-image-unsigned-5.3*generic linux-image-5.3*generic

To remove the new Xorg packges, run command:

sudo apt remove xserver-xorg-*-hwe-18.04

And you DO HAVE to install back the old xorg packages via command:

sudo apt install xorg

In Howtos, News Ubuntu 18.04.4

Plasma 5.18 LTS Released! How to Install in KUbuntu 19.10

Last updated: February 12, 2020

KDE Plasma 5.16

KDE Plasma desktop 5.18 LTS was released a day ago. Now it’s available to install it in (K)Ubuntu 19.10 via PPA.

Plasma 5.18 is an LTS (Long Term Support) release that will be updated and maintained by KDE contributors for the next two years. It features:

New Emoji Selector (press Windows key + the peroid (.))
New Global Edit mode
Better support for GTK applications using client-side decorations.
Audio Volume System widget improvement.
Optional User Feedback settings (disabled by default).
Redesigned the Application Style settings.
Fractional scaling improvement on X11

How to Install Plasma 5.18 in (K)Ubuntu 19.10:

Open terminal either by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard or by searching for ‘terminal’ from application menu. When it opens, do:

1. Add Kubuntu Backports PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kubuntu-ppa/backports

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

2. Install Plasma 5.18 in Kubuntu 19.10:

Either install all system update via Update Manager, or run command in terminal:

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

3. For non-Kubuntu user:

Run command to install Plasma desktop:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install plasma-desktop

or install full KDE desktop environment via command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install kubuntu-desktop

Uninstall:

You can purge the Kubuntu Backports PPA, which also downgrade Plasma desktop to the stock version (5.16.5) in Ubuntu 19.10 repository.

sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:kubuntu-ppa/backports

In Howtos, News KDE Plasma 5

Firefox 73 Released with Global Zoom Level Setting

Last updated: February 11, 2020

Mozilla Firefox 73.0 was released today. The new release features new global zoom level setting and High Contrast Mode improvement.

While per-site zoom is still available, Firefox 73.0 adds a new global default zoom level setting, which is available in about:preferences under ‘Language and Appearance’.

For user with low vision rely on Windows’ High Contrast Mode, without disabling background images websites in High Contrast Mode are now more readable.

Firefox 73.0 release highlights:

New global zoom level setting.
High Contrast Mode improvement.
Audio playback improvement
WebRender will roll out to laptops with Nvidia with drives newer than 432.00 and smaller than 1920X1200 screen resolution.
Various security fixes.

Download / Install Firefox in Ubuntu:

While Ubuntu 20.04 already contained the new Firefox package in the main repository, Firefox 73.0 will be available to upgrade via Software Updater utility in a few days for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, and Ubuntu 19.10. Check HERE.

Or you can install the Firefox 72 Snap package (runs in sandbox) simply from Ubuntu Software. It can be installed alongside the pre-installed Firefox, and will be automatically update to the latest.

Also Mozilla Firefox website offers non-install (extract and run the executable) tarball for all Linux desktop.

In News Firefox

OpenShot 2.5 Released with Hardware Encoding/Decoding Support

Last updated: February 15, 2020

OpenShot Video Editor

OpenShot video editor 2.5.0 was released a few days ago with exciting new features hardware acceleration support.

OpenShot 2.5.0 brings experimental support for hardware acceleration. You will see some new options available if you have a supported encoder/decoder. This can result in a huge performance improvement on some systems.

It has also completely rewritten the keyframe system to deliver real-time interpolated values, and no longer cache the entire value set.

Other changes in openshot 2.5.0 include:

Export and Import of EDL and XML.
Improved Thumbnail generation via a local HTTP server
Blender 2.8+ support
Ability to recover previous saves
many fixes and improvements to SVG support.
Improved preview window resizing in OpenShot
Disable metrics until opt-in
Export, built, and Cross-platform improvements.

How to Install OpenShot 2.5.0 in Ubuntu:

OpenShot has an official PPA repository that contains the latest packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.10 ~~though it’s not updated at the moment for the new release~~.

1.) You can add the PPA repository by running command in terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T), so to receive future software updates via Software Updater utility.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:openshot.developers/ppa

2.) Then install the video editor via commands:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install openshot-qt

Alternatively you may simply download the 64-bit .appimage file from OpenShot website:

OpenShot Downloads Page

Right-click on the .appimage and make it executable in the file ‘Properties > Permissions’. And finally run the .appimage to launch Openshot video editor 2.5.0.

In Howtos, News OpenShot Video Editor

Install Ephemeral web browser Easily via Snap in Ubuntu

Last updated: April 24, 2024

UPDATE: Ephemeral DISCONTINUED since 2022. And, it’s no longer available in Ubuntu Software as Snap package.

Ephemeral, a private-by-default, always-incognito browser for elementary OS, now can be easily installed in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher via Snap package.

Ephemeral is a stripped down private browser that’s perfect for avoiding persistent cookies or web trackers. Close the window and all traces of your browsing are removed from your device.

Ephemeral is developed by Cassidy James Blaede, co-founder & CXO at elementary, Inc. It is designed and developed on and for elementary OS. And the community build Snap package made it available to install in Ubuntu.

To install Ephemeral web browser in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.04, Ubuntu 20.04, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command:

snap install ephemeral

The software package should also be available in Ubuntu Software, though I don’t see it in my case.

Once you installed the web browser, launch it from system application menu and enjoy!

To remove Ephemeral web browser, run command:

snap remove ephemeral

In App Review private web browser

Tunic – Install Ubuntu from Running Windows without USB

Last updated: April 24, 2024

Want to install Ubuntu on your computer but don’t have an USB drive on your hand? An open-source tool Tunic may help.

Tunic is a tool that can install Ubuntu or Linux Mint over or alongside an existing Windows install, straight from Windows, without requiring to boot from external media like a flash drive or making BIOS configuration changes.

The software asks all questions at beginning, so you don’t have to babysit the install. It supports Linux Mint, Ubuntu, and most official Ubuntu flavors. And all the process is automated, it downloads the iso image, installs Grub with Secure Boot support, alculates Linux equivalent values for your Windows locale and user account, and finally reboots and runs the installer.

Features of Tunic include:

Shrink C: volume to make space for Linux, so you can dual boot them.
Disables Windows fast start.
Provide tools to assist with freeing up space for Linux.

And, requirements include:

64-bit Windows 10
Single drive hosting the C: volume
4 GB RAM or higher.
At least 15 GB of free disk space
UEFI
Administrator user permissions
Internet access for downloading iso image.

As a new project, it may have bugs! BACKUP your data before getting started! For more about Tunic, as well as the download link, go to its project page in Github.

In App Review

RawTherapee 5.8 Released! How to Install it in Ubuntu 19.10

Last updated: February 5, 2020

RawTherapee

RawTherapee 5.8, cross-platform raw photo processing system, was released a day ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.10, Linux Mint 19.x.

RawTherapee 5.8 release highlights:

New Capture Sharpening tool to automatically recover detail lost to lens blur.
CR3 support: image data is decoded, though metadata is not supported yet.
Improvements of various camera models
Speedups and optimizations to various tools
Better memory management and various bug fixes.

Download / Install RawTherapee 5.8 in Ubuntu:

The official Linux Appimage, single executable to launch the software (non-install), is available for download in the previous link.

For Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.10, Linux Mint 19.x, you can also install RawTherapee 5.8 via this unofficial PPA.

1. 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:dhor/myway

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

2. After that, upgrade the software via Software Updater if a previous version was installed:

or run commands one by one in terminal to install RawTherapee:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install rawtherapee

How to Remove:

To uninstall the free raw developer, run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove rawtherapee

And remove the PPA via Software & Updates utility under Other Software tab, by removing the line says “http://ppa.launchpad.net/dhor/myway/ubuntu”.

In Howtos, News RAW processor

Gotify-Indicator: Send & Receive Messages in Ubuntu Desktop

Last updated: May 14, 2024

Gotify Indicator is a simple tool in the system tray area to send and receive messages via your own Gotify server.

Gotify is a server that can send and receive messages. It works as a push notifications server. It’s a free open-source tool written in Go language, and features a web UI, allowing to sending messages via a REST-API, subscribing/receiving messages via a web socket connection, and managing users, clients and applications.

Gotify also features iOS and Android app, a command line tool for pushing messages. While, Gotify-Indicator is a third-party indicator for Gotify in the Linux Desktop. With it you can send and receive messages directly from your computer. So you can send messages to other devices that are connected to the same server.

How to Install Gotify indicator in Ubuntu:

NOTE: The PPA package support until Ubuntu 22.04, check the PPA link below.

The developer maintains the software packages in the PPA repository for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, and Ubuntu 22.04.

1.) Open terminal either by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard or by searching for ‘terminal’ from application menu. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:atareao/atareao

Type user password when it prompts and hit Enter to continue.

2.) Then install the tool via command:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install gotify-indicator

Once installed, open it from your system application launcher and you’ll see the indicator in system tray area. Setup the notification sending and receiving service (see top picture) and enjoy!

Uninstall:

To remove the PPA as well as the software package, run commands in terminal one by one:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:atareao/atareao

sudo apt remove gotify-indicator

In App Review, Howtos Gotify, push notification server

CopyQ Clipboard Manager 3.10 Released (How to Install)

Last updated: February 3, 2020

CopyQ clipboard editor released version 3.10.0 a day ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.10.

CopyQ is a free open-source clipboard editor with editing and scripting features. It monitors system clipboard and saves its content in customized tabs. Saved clipboard can be later copied and pasted directly into any application.

Changes in CopyQ 3.10.0 include:

Use environment variable COPYQ_DEFAULT_ICON=1 to show the original
application icon.
Avoid updating menu unnecessarily
Require at least Qt 5.5
Use non-native color and font dialogs which fixes showing these in Gnome/Gtk
Fix GUI with fractional scaling
Improve clipboard/selection synchronization
Avoid reading clipboard in parallel in the monitor process

How to Install Copyq 3.10.0 in Ubuntu:

The official PPA repository has made the latest packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.04, Ubuntu 19.10, and Linux Mint 18.x, 19.x.

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, CopyQ

First Person Shooter Urban Terror Available to Install as Snap

Last updated: April 24, 2024

Urban Terror, free multiplayer first person shooter, now can be installed easily via Snap package in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher.

Urban Terror is a freeware multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by FrozenSand. It can be described as a Hollywood tactical shooter; somewhat realism based, but the motto is “fun over realism”. This results in a very unique, enjoyable and addictive game. It is available for Windows, Linux and Macs.

To install Urban Terror Snap in Ubuntu:

The game now can be easily installed as Snap (runs in sanbox) in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher. Simply search for and install Urban Terror from Ubuntu Software (or App Center in 24.04).