Archives For November 30, 1999

For Thunderbird users who don’t like Snap package, here’s step by step guide shows how to replace the pre-installed snap version of the mail client with classic Deb package in Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

Like Firefox, the Thunderbird Email Client in Ubuntu 24.04 has been replaced as Snap package that runs in sandbox! If you don’t like the change, then here are 2 other choices:

  • Mozilla Team PPA
  • Mozilla’s official Linux Tarball.

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This tutorial shows how to install and setup Veyon for classroom management in Ubuntu 22.04/20.04 and Debian 12, though it should also works in Windows 10 & 11.

Veyon is a free and open-source software for monitoring and controlling computers across multiple platforms. It supports monitoring all computers in one or multiple classrooms, view or control computers, and broadcast the teacher’s (or student’s) screen in real-time.

Besides the basic monitor, control, screen sharing features, the program also can do:

  • Lock student computers screen.
  • Power on/off, reboot student computers.
  • Send message, start app, open website, take screenshot, and transfer files to student computers.


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GNOME, the popular Linux desktop environment, announced new 46 stable release this Wednesday!

The new GNOME 46, code-name“Kathmandu”, will be default desktop for Ubuntu 24.04 and Fedora 40 planned for next month, and optional for Arch, Manjaro, etc.

The Files, aka Nautilus, in the release features new global search, that can be triggered either by Ctrl+Shift+F or top-left search icon. It supports searching multiple locations simultaneously, including locations outside user home. Other changes for ‘Files’ include:
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Oracle announced the release of JDK 22 GA this Tuesday.

JDK 22 delivers 12 enhancements that are significant enough to warrant their own JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs), including seven preview features and one incubator feature. They cover improvements to the Java Language, its APIs, its performance, and the tools included in the JDK.
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Mozilla announced a new monthly release of its Firefox web browser on March 19.

In the new release, the caret browsing mode, keyboard navigating just like in text editor, also works in the built-in PDF viewer.

The Qwant search engine has been expanded to all languages in the France region along with Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland.

In MacOS, Firefox now uses the macOS fullscreen API for better user experience for fullscreen spaces, menubar and the Dock. In Windows, it populates the taskbar jump list more efficiently, for a smoother overall browsing experience.

Firefox Caret Browsing setting option


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The default wallpaper for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Noble Numbat, was finally released this Tuesday!

Similar to the one for current Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, the new wallpaper uses gradient color background (from purple in top-left to orange in bottom right?) with mascot in center.

I can’t say how it looks! Just see the image below for the new wallpaper:


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This tutorial shows how to disable USB, either the full sub-system or for certain USB ports, in Ubuntu 24.04 or Ubuntu 22.04.

For server or production machines, disable USB can be useful for data privacy, virus protection, and other security reasons. For Ubuntu and most other Linux, here I’m going to show you how to disable USB via 3 ways:

  • Disable whole USB sub-system
  • Disable USB storage only – Only disable access for USB flash drive and other storage devices.
  • Disable specific USB port

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For Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, the top 8 photo images that won the wallpaper competition are out! They will be shipped by default in the .iso image as optional wallpapers for Ubuntu 24.04 Desktop.

Ubuntu Desktop team started the wallpaper competition for Ubuntu 24.04 on Feb 8. The submissions are grouped into 4 categories, including Mascot Theme, Digital / Abstract Art, Nature, Other. Each category has 2 winners and they are:

NOTE: The images here are optimized for faster loading. For original images, please scroll down and go to the competition web page.

This simple tutorial shows how to install 7-Zip file archiver in Ubuntu Desktop.

7-Zip is a popular free open-source file archiver with a high compression ratio. Ubuntu Linux can get it in few different packages:

  • p7zip – a command line port of 7-Zip for POSIX systems, including Linux, when 7-Zip was Windows-only. Discontinued since 2016, but still popular and working good.
  • p7zip-desktop – fork of p7zip with a graphical interface.
  • 7zip – 7-Zip for Linux, command line version.

NOTE: If you just want to do compress and/or extract .7z files, then Ubuntu supports the feature out-of-the-box with the Nautilus file manager.

Option 1: p7zip-desktop (GUI)


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QMPlay2, the free open-source Qt media player, released version 24.03.16 few days ago.

QMPlay2 is a Qt based media player that uses FFmpeg as backend for most video and audio codecs support. It also supports Audio CD, raw files, Rayman 2 music and chiptunes, as well as ALSA, PulseAudio or PipeWire sound servers. And, it has built-in a browser to search & play YouTube videos.

The most recent 24.03.16 release added better support for FFmpeg 6.1, and experimental Vulkan Video decoder support. So, since this release, the media player now supports hardware accelerated video playback through following APIs:

  • Vulkan Video (needs FFmpeg 6.1).
  • CUVID (NVIDIA only)
  • DXVA2 (Windows Vista and higher)
  • D3D11VA (Vulkan, Windows 8 and higher)
  • VDPAU/VA-API (X11 for VDPAU, Linux/BSD only)
  • VideoToolBox (macOS only).

QMPlay2 YouTube browser


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