UbuntuHandbook

HandBrake 1.3.3 Released with Improved Intel QSV Support

Last updated: February 23, 2021

HandBrake video transcoder 1.3.3 was released today with a number of bug-fixes and improvements.

Fixed ISO 639-2/B language codes in MKV
Improved support for sources where pixel format cannot be quickly identified
Improved Intel QSV memory footprint
Improved Intel QSV H.265 memory buffer size
Improved support for out-of-order SSA subtitles
Improved flatpak package support
Updated libraries: FFmpeg 4.2.3
Miscellaneous bug fixes and improvements

How to Install HandBrake in Ubuntu:

HandBrake has an official PPA which so far supports for Ubuntu 19.10 and Ubuntu 20.04.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:stebbins/handbrake-releases

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

2.) Once the PPA is updated with the new release packages, you can run following commands one by one to install it on your system:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install handbrake-gtk

(Optional) To remove the handbrake PPA repository, either go to Software & Updates -> Other Software, or run command:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:stebbins/handbrake-releases

In addition, HandBrake also available to install in Ubuntu via Flatpak package.

In News handbrake

GIMP 2.10.20 Released with Better PSD Support

Last updated: June 13, 2020

GIMP image editor 2.10.20 was released a few days ago with some new features as well as important bug-fixes.

GIMP 2.10.20 release highlights according to the release note:

Tool-group menus can now expand on hover
Non-destructive cropping now available by cropping the canvas rather than actual pixels
Better PSD support: exporting of 16-bit files now available, reading/writing channels in the right order
On-canvas controls for the Vignette filter
New filters: Bloom, Focus Blur, Lens Blur, Variable Blur
Blending options now built into filter dialogs
Over 30 bugfixes

How to Install GIMP 2.10.20 in Ubuntu:

Ubuntu PPA:

It seems that the otto’s PPA is not being updated, while it’s still at v2.10.14.

Snap package:

The community maintained GIMP Snap package is still v2.10.18 at the moment. If you’ve installed it on your system, it will be auto-updated once the new package published.

Flatpak package:

GIMP 2.10.20 Flatpak package was made into flathub repository on June 7 once the source tarball was available. You can install it by running following commands one by one in terminal:

1.) Open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to install flatpak:

sudo apt install flatpak

2.) Add the flathub repository by running command:

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

3.) Finally install GIMP flatpak via command:

flatpak install flathub org.gimp.GIMP

(Optional) To update installed GIMP Flatpak package, run command:

flatpak update org.gimp.GIMP

To remove GIMP flatpak package, run command:

flatpak uninstall org.gimp.GIMP

In News gimp

How to Install Gnome Software as Ubuntu Software in Ubuntu 20.04

Last updated: June 12, 2020

Ubuntu Software in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS now is really Snap Store. For those who want to revert back the previous Gnome Software, this simply tutorial may help.

1.) Gnome Software is available in the universe repositories. You can install it easily by running command in terminal (press Ctrl+Alt+T to open terminal):

Once installed, you can launch Gnome Software, which is marked as ‘Software’, from ‘Show Applications’ menu.

2.) To make Gnome Software into Ubuntu Software.

Snap Store itself is a Snap application, you can remove it by running command in terminal:

snap remove snap-store

Run command to edit the .desktop file of Gnome Software:

sudo -H gedit /usr/share/applications/org.gnome.Software.desktop

When file opens, do:

Change value of Name to Ubuntu Software.
Change the value of Icon to ubuntusoftware (no space between the 2 words)

Save the file and Ubuntu Software is now Gnome Software.

In Howtos

How to Install Flatpak Apps in Software Center in Ubuntu 20.04

Last updated: June 12, 2020

This simple tutorial shows Ubuntu beginners how to enable searching and installing Flatpak applications from Software Center in Ubuntu 20.04.

Snap, Flatpak, and Appimage make more and more applications install or run easily in Ubuntu and other Linux Desktops. While Appimage is non-install package and Snap has been made into Ubuntu Software out-of-the-box, this quick tip shows how to make Flatpak packages available to search and install in Software.

1.) First open terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard. When terminal opens, run command to install flatpak plugin:

sudo apt install gnome-software-plugin-flatpak

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

2.) Add the main flathub repository by running command:

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

3.) Finally restart your computer. In Ubuntu 18.04 and Ubuntu 19.10, you should be available to search for and install applications in Flatpak format.

For Ubuntu 20.04, since Ubuntu Software has switched from Gnome Software to Snap Store, you have to launch Gnome Software rather than Ubuntu Software to install applications.

In Howtos gnome software

Vivaldi 3.1 Released with Built-in Note-Taking Tool

Last updated: June 11, 2020

Vivaldi web browser 3.1 was released today with full-page notes manager, configurable menus, and speed improvements.

The new release ships with a note-taking tool with a full-blown notes editor. It’s available both in left-sidebar and start page.

The note manager features:

Text formatting, Markdown support
WYSIWYG Editor
Find text, undo / redo, full-screen editing
automatically attach screenshots, web url.
sync notes across devices.

Vivaldi 3.1 also features configurable menus. Go to Settings → Appearance → Menu, there you can drag and drop to add, remove, rearrange menu items. Also the new release includes faster startup and better handling of tabs.

Download / Install Vivaldi in Ubuntu:

The official Ubuntu .DEB packages are available for download at the link below:

Grab the deb matches your OS type, then install it via either Ubuntu Software or Gdebi package manager. Or run command in terminal:

sudo dpkg -i ~/Downloads/vivaldi-stable_3.1*.deb

You may also add the official Vivaldi apt repository to your system, to be able to receive the browser package updates via Software Updater utility.

Open terminal by either pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard or searching for terminal from application menu. When it opens, run following commands one by one:

1. Download and install the repository keyring:

wget -qO- https://repo.vivaldi.com/archive/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo apt-key add -

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

2. Add Vivaldi repository via command:

sudo add-apt-repository 'deb https://repo.vivaldi.com/archive/deb/ stable main'

3. Finally check updates and install the web browser via command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install vivaldi-stable

Or upgrade from an old version via Software Updater utility.

(Optional): To remove Vivaldi apt repository from you system, launch Software & Updates and navigate to Other Software tab.

In News Vivaldi

How to Install Shotwell 0.30.10 in Ubuntu 20.04

Last updated: June 12, 2020

While the default Shotwell photo organizer is old in Ubuntu 20.04, here’s how to install the latest stable 0.30.10 via PPA repository.

Changes from the pre-installed Shotwell 0.30.8 to Shotwell 0.30.10 include:

Modify web publishing authentication to comply with Google’s requirements
Fix YouTube OAuth scope
New and updated translations.

For those who want to upgrade to the latest stable Shotwell 0.30.10, the unofficial PPA has made the package for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.

1.) Open terminal either by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard, or by searching for ‘terminal’ from ‘Show Applications’ menu. When terminal opens, run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:sicklylife/shotwell

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

2.) Then either upgrade Shotwell via Software Updater (Update Manager).

Or run command to install the new photo organizer package:

sudo apt install shotwell

(Optional) For any issue, you can purge the PPA to revert back the stock Shotwell 0.30.8 by running command:

sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:sicklylife/shotwell

In Howtos shotwell

How to Install Mumble 1.3.1 via PPA in Ubuntu 19.10, 18.04

Last updated: June 10, 2020

Open source low latency and high quality voice chat application Mumble 1.3.1 was released a few days ago. Here’s how to install it via PPA in Ubuntu.

Mumble 1.3.1 is the first bug-fix release for the 1.3 series after 9 months of development. There’s a security fix that safeguards from potential attacks against OCB2.

Other changes include fixes to crash on multiple monitors, high CPU usage for update-check, OpenSSL error, manual placement plugin improvement, and more. See release note for details.

How to Install Mumble 1.3.0 in Ubuntu:

Mumble Team PPA has built the new release package for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.10, and even Ubuntu 14.04.

1. Open terminal either from application menu or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard. When it opens, paste below command and hit Enter:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mumble/release

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

2. If an old release was installed, simply upgrade Mumble via Software Updater:

Or run commands one by one in terminal to check updates and install the chat utility for gamer:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install mumble mumble-server

Uninstall Mumble:

You can purge the PPA which also downgrade the VoIP chat app to the stock version via command:

sudo apt-get install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:mumble/release

To simply remove mumble, either use system package manager or run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove mumble mumble-server

In News mumble

KDE Plasma 5.19 Released with Improved Wayland Support

Last updated: June 19, 2020

KDE Plasma 5.19 was released today with many new features, stability improvements, and better Wayland support.

KDE Plasma 5.19 release highlights:

New wallpaper
New collection of user avatars.
Consistent system tray applets.
Rewritten system monitor widgets.
New configurable file indexing options for individual directories
New option to configure mouse / touchpad scroll speed on Wayland.
Overhaul system settings pages
Redesigned info center, added information about graphics hardware.
KWin Window Manager improvements
Discover now displays app version and easy to remove Flatpak repositories.
Updated KSysGuard that support systems with more than 12 CPU cores
Screen rotation for tablets and convertible laptops works on Wayland.

Download / Install Plasma 5.19:

The new release packages ~~will be made into Kubuntu Backports PPA in a few days.~~

For live images, source tarball, go to KDE Plasma 5.19 release note.

In News plasma 5.19

Mixxx 2.3 Beta Released! How to Install in Ubuntu 20.04

Last updated: June 9, 2020

Free DJ mixing software Mixxx 2.3 beta was released. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.10, Ubuntu 20.04.

See what’s new in this beta for next major Mixxx 2.3 series:

Hotcue colors and custom labels
Serato, Rekordbox metadata import.
Intro/Outro cues and silence detection
Add deck cloning (also known as “instant doubles”) by dragging and dropping between decks
Revamped LateNight skin
Multi-threaded analysis
Add FFmpeg audio decoder, bringing support for ALAC
And many other changes!

How to Install Mixxx 2.3 Beta in Ubuntu:

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mixxx/mixxxbetas

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

2.) Then either upgrade Mixxx using Software Updater (Update Manager), or run command:

sudo apt install mixxx

Uninstall Mixxx Beta:

You can purge the PPA repository to remove the beta package and back to stable series by running command:

sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:mixxx/mixxxbetas

In Howtos, News Mixxx Beta

How to Hide Grub Boot Menu in Ubuntu 20.04, 21.10 (Updated)

Last updated: July 17, 2021

This simple tutorial shows how to hide / disable the Grub boot menu while booting Ubuntu.

You can do the job easily via Grub-Customizer (available in Ubuntu Software) under General Settings tab. However, you need to also disable “look for other operating systems” option.

Any time you want to show the Grub menu, press ESC while booting up will NO longer show dual-boot (multi-boot) systems other than Ubuntu.

NOT OK with Grub-Customizer settings? Re-enable “show menu” and “look for other operating systems” options, save changes, and do following steps one by one.

Hide boot menu by manually editing the config file:

In most Linux including Ubuntu, you can edit the /etc/default/grub file along with scripts under /etc/grub.d to control how the Grub boot menu works.

1.) Firstly, open terminal from system app launcher. Run command to edit the configuration file:

sudo -H gedit /etc/default/grub

For Ubuntu flavors / Linux Mint, replace gedit with your favorite text editor.

When the file opens, you need to set following lines:

GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden – Hide the boot menu. Though it still wait a few seconds you set by GRUB_TIMEOUT.
GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=countdown – Hide boot menu and show countdown. Even set GRUB_TIMEOUT=0. It counts 3,2,1.
GRUB_TIMEOUT = 0 – It will boot the default OS immediately. However, you may set it to 3 or 5 so you can press ESC (F4 or hold Shift) during the time to show the boot menu if need.
GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=true – Disable “/etc/grub.d/30_os-prober” because it overwrite the value of GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE. However, it will no longer find other OSes other than Ubuntu.
GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT=0 – Set timeout if last boot failed. Without the key, it will show and stop at boot menu waiting user action.

2.) Step 1. will do the job after applying changes. However, it will no longer display other operating systems if any in your machine.

In case you want to boot other OS once in a while. Modify 30_os-prober file instead of disable it via “GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=true”.

To do so, run command:

sudo gedit /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober

And set quick_boot=”0″. So it will no longer overwrite “GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE” value you set in step 1, while also find other OSes on your machine.