Archives For November 30, 1999

Gscan2pdf 2.5.7, GTK tool to produce PDF / DjVu from scanned document, was released today. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.04.

Changes in Gscan2pdf 2.5.7 include:

  • Recognise “Document Table” as flatbed for imagescan backend.
  • Use option name as label for those options with no title.
  • Extended edit profile functionality in scan dialog to frontend options.
  • Close device when switching frontends so as not to block SANE for the new frontend.
  • Allow tool processes to immediately continue working on subsequent pages despite errors on previous ones.
  • Fix infinite loop scanning reverse pages
  • Updated translations.

How to Install gscan2pdf 2.5.7 in Ubuntu:

The official Ubuntu PPA has made the new release packages for all current Ubuntu releases, and their derivatives.

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:jeffreyratcliffe/ppa

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

2. For those who have a previous release installed, upgrade it through Software Updater:

For the first time, you can either install it via Synaptic Package Manager or by running following commands in terminal:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install gscan2pdf

How to Remove:

To remove gscan2pdf, either use your system package manager or run command:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove gscan2pdf

And the PPA can be removed via Software & Updates utility, under Other Software tab.

This quick tutorial shows how to move Application Menu button from bottom to the top on the left panel (dock launcher) in Ubuntu 19.10 Gnome Desktop.

Ubuntu Dock (the left panel) now is more customizable in Ubuntu 19.10. It finally offers option to move the position of the ‘Show Applications’ button.

1.) Open Ubuntu Software, search for and install dconf editor:

2.) Launch dconf editor from application menu, when it opens, navigate to org -> gnome -> shell -> extensions -> dash-to-dock.

There scroll down, find out and turn on the toggle of ‘show-apps-at-top‘.

For those familiar with Linux commands, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run single command to move it to the top:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.dash-to-dock show-apps-at-top true

If you want to move the ‘Application Menu’ button back to bottom, run command:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.dash-to-dock show-apps-at-top false

Now it’s easy to move the Trash Can icon from the desktop to the left panel (dock app launcher) in Ubuntu 19.10 with Gnome 3.34.

The default left panel with favorite application launcher icons in Ubuntu 19.10 is handled by Gnome shell extension ‘Ubuntu dock‘ (modified version of Dash-to-dock). Now it finally offers option to show or hide the Trash Can icon.

1.) First open Ubuntu Software, search for and install Dconf editor.

2.) Launch dconf editor, and navigate to org -> gnome -> shell -> extensions -> dash-to-dock.

Then scroll down, find out the key says show-trash and turn it on.

3.) You may also hide the Trash icon from the Desktop.

Navigate to org -> gnome -> shell -> extensions -> desktop-icons, and turn off the toggle for show-trash.

For those familiar with Linux commands, you can do the job by running single command in terminal:

1. To add trash can to the panel:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.dash-to-dock show-trash true

You can replace true with false in the command to remove the icon.

2. To remove trash icon from the desktop:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.desktop-icons show-trash false

This is another tutorial shows how to send the application launcher icons to the Desktop in Ubuntu 19.10.

Where Ubuntu stores the application icons:

Ubuntu stores the application shortcut icons as .desktop files. Most of them are available in /usr/share/applications directory, and few in .local/share/applications.

Since Ubuntu 19.04, you can no longer drop and drop or even copy and paste files directly from file manager to the Desktop, because Nautilus file manager is replaced by a Gnome Shell extension to handle the Desktop.

However, the .desktop files can be directly placed into user’s “Desktop” folder. Like Windows, all files in that folder will be displayed on the Desktop.

1.) Open “Files” (Nautilus file manager) and navigate to the Desktop folder.

2.) Right-click on “Files” in left panel and open a new file manager window.

3.) In new file manager window, navigate to Other Locations -> Computer -> usr -> share -> applications.

There choose the app launcher files as you want, drag and drop them to the Desktop folder that you opened in step 1.).

4.) Finally right-click on each file in the desktop, and select ‘Allow Launching’.

This quick tutorial shows how to restore the type-to-seek (type-ahead) functionality in Ubuntu 18.04 Nautilus file browser.

The type ahead functionality is removed in upstream Nautilus and unavailable in Ubuntu since Ubuntu 17.10 Artful.

For those sticking to the search functionality, Lubomir Brindza has made a patched for Nautilus in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher.

To install the patched Nautilus package, open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut or by searching for ‘terminal’ from application menu.

When terminal opens, run following commands one by one:

1.) Paste command and hit run to add the PPA. Type user password (no asterisk feedback) for sudo prompts and hit Enter to continue.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:lubomir-brindza/nautilus-typeahead

2.) Then check updates and upgrade Nautilus package with the patch:

sudo apt update

sudo apt upgrade

The PPA also contains the patch for Ubuntu 19.04 and Ubuntu 19.10, it is however a little older than default Nautilus version so far, and you may either wait the PPA to be updated or download & install the packages manually (see the previous link).

Uninstall:

To uninstall the patch and restore Nautilus file browser to its original status, simply purge the PPA via command:

sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:lubomir-brindza/nautilus-typeahead

Opera Web Browser 64 Released! (How to Install)

Last updated: October 8, 2019

Opera web browser 64 stable was released today. The new release features more accessible privacy and security functionality, and enhanced snapshot tool.

According to the release note, Opera 64 includes following changes:

  • Add “Block Trackers” to EasySetup
  • Count blocked trackers in popup
  • Snapshot tool enhancements:
    • save a website directly to PDF
    • capture the entire website all the way to the bottom
    • improved the blurring function and the drawing tool
    • allows to add text in three fonts
    • new emojis and more other changes.

How to Install Opera 64 in Ubuntu:

The Opera team offers snap package (runs in sandbox), which is always up-to-date (auto-updates itself). You can simply install it in Ubuntu Software:

Also Ubuntu native .deb package is available for downloading at the link below:

To receive future updates through Software Updater, add the official Opera apt repository via following steps:

1. Open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to add the opera repository:

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://deb.opera.com/opera-stable/ stable non-free" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/opera.list'

2. Get the key:

wget -O - http://deb.opera.com/archive.key | sudo apt-key add -

Finally either install Opera via following command or upgrade the browser via Software Updater:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install opera-stable

Uninstall:

For the Opera snap package, simply remove it from Ubuntu Software.

For the Opera apt repository, launch Software & Updates and navigate to Other Software tab.

To remove traditional opera package, either use your system package manager or run command in terminal:

sudo apt remove --autoremove opera-stable

Oracle Java 13 was released a few weeks ago. Here’s how to easily install it in Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Linux Mint 18.x, 19.x, and higher.

To check out new features and enhancements in Java 13, see the announcement.

The ‘Linux Uprising’ team has made an installer script that automatically downloads and installs Oracle JDK 13, and sets Java 13 as the default Java version (setting JAVA_HOME, etc.).

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:linuxuprising/java

Type your login password (no asterisk feedback) for sudo prompt and hit Enter to continue.

2.) Then check updates and install the script via 2 commands:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install oracle-java13-installer

The command will automatically downloads Java 13 source tarball, installs on 64-bit Ubuntu, and also sets it as default.

Check the result via command: java --version

(Optional) You can remove the PPA repository via Software & Updates utility under Other Software tab.

And remove Java 13 if you want via command:

sudo apt-get remove oracle-java13-installer

This quick tutorial shows how to install the latest Gthumb image viewer and organizer 3.8.1 in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.04, and Ubuntu 19.10.

Gthumb is a free open-source image viewer and organizer with editing options for the Gnome desktop. The latest so far is Gthumb 3.8.1 that features stability improvement and updated translations.

While Ubuntu main repository offers an old version of the software, here’s how to install the latest Gthumb 3.8.1 via Dariusz Duma’s PPA.

1.) Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut or by searching for terminal from application menu. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:dhor/myway

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

2.) If an old version was installed, upgrade Gthumb using Software Updater:

or run commands in terminal to install the image viewer:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install gthumb

Uninstall:

To remove the PPA, either open Software & Updates and navigate to Other Software tab. Or run command in terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:dhor/myway

And you can remove Gthumb via command:

sudo apt remove gthumb gthumb-data

Due to legal reason, Ubuntu does not have multimedia codec installed out of the box, though they are available in the universe repositories.

When you’re going to play music or video via the default media players (Rhythmbox and Totem), it prompts to install the decoder:

And Ubuntu Software pops up with a list of software packages after clicked the button.

For those don’t want to be interrupted again, or you don’t know which to install, simple run following single command in terminal.

1.) Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for ‘terminal’ from application menu. When it opens, run command:

sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras

Type user password for sudo prompts and hit Enter. Run sudo apt update first if required

The command will install gstreamer, ffmpeg, dvd reading and navigation libraries, mesa and intel video acceleration drivers, and other most required software libraries.

That’s it. Enjoy!

How to Disable Overlay Scrollbars in Ubuntu 19.10

Last updated: September 30, 2019

Now it’s easy to disable overlay scrollbars in Ubuntu 19.10, since Gnome 3.34 added the key to toggle overlay scrolling.

Disable the overlay scrollbars makes GTK+ application windows always have the scrollbar visible when continuous text, pictures, or any other content can be scrolled.

1.) Open Ubuntu Software, search for and install dconf editor.

2.) Launch dconf editor, then navigate to org/gnome/desktop/interface.

Scroll down and find out the line says ‘overlay scrolling‘. Turn it off and done.

(Optional) For those familiar with Linux command, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run single command to disable the overlay scrolling:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface overlay-scrolling false

And restore changes via command:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface overlay-scrolling true