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Archives For November 30, 1999

Gnome MPV 0.16 Released, How to Install it in Ubuntu 18.04

Last updated: January 25, 2019

Gnome MPV, GTK+ frontend for mpv video player, released version 0.16 a day ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher.

Gnome MPV 0.16 release highlights:

  • Split up the General tab in the preferences dialog
  • Improve behavior when toggling playlist under tiling window managers
  • Move app menu items to primary menu
  • Use separate MPRIS DBus connection for each window
  • Add support for MPRIS property LoopStatus
  • Add option --mpv-options for setting arbitrary mpv options from the command-line

How to Install Gnome MPV 0.16 in Ubuntu:

You can install the latest Gnome MPV via the flatpak (containerised software package) which is available in Flathub repository.

1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut or from software launcher. When it opens, run command to install flatpak daemon:

sudo apt-get install flatpak

2. Then add the flathub repository via command:

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

3. Finally install Gnome MPV from the repository:

flatpak install flathub io.github.GnomeMpv

Once installed, launch Gnome MPV from application menu or video file’s context menu and enjoy!

Uninstall:

To remove the flatpak package, simply run command:

flatpak uninstall io.github.GnomeMpv
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How to Set Custom Blank Screen / Lock Screen Time in Ubuntu 18.04

Last updated: January 21, 2019

In Ubuntu 18.04 Gnome Shell Power settings, you can choose how long when system is inactive to turn off the screen, though only from 1 minute to 15 minutes and ‘Never’ are available in the drop-down box.

For those who want to increase or set a custom time for “Blank screen” as well as “Lock screen” options in Privacy settings, this tutorial may help.

1. Open Ubuntu Software, search for and install dconf Editor.

2. Launch dconf Editor, navigate to org.gnome.desktop.session, and change the value of idle-delay:

  • Disable ‘Use default value’ switch
  • Type a number in Custom value box(1800=30 minutes in pic.)

3. Then navigate to org.gnome.desktop.screensaver, and change the value of lock-delay:

  • Disable ‘Use default value’ switch
  • Type a number in Custom value box (2700=45 minutes in pic.)

Note that after applying the changes, the Power and Privacy settings will display incorrectly. And it will override previous steps if you change the values in the 2 settings page.

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How to Change the ‘Show Applications’ Grid Icon in Ubuntu 18.04

Last updated: January 20, 2019

For those boring with the default ‘Show Applications‘ button in Ubuntu 18.04 left panel, here’s how to replace it with your desired icon without installing a new icon theme.

In Ubuntu 18.04 Gnome Shell, the ‘Show Applications’ button in the bottom-left corner relies on view-app-grid-symbolic.svg icon file located in /usr/share/icons/Adwaita/scalable/actions/.

By replacing the icon file, you’ll get a brand new ‘Show Applications’ icon in the dock.

1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut, or from applcation menu.

2. Paste the following command and hit run to backup the original icon file:

sudo cp -p /usr/share/icons/Adwaita/scalable/actions/view-app-grid-symbolic.svg /usr/share/icons/Adwaita/scalable/actions/view-app-grid-symbolic.svg.bak

Type user password (no asterisks feedback) when it prompts and hit Enter.

3. Prepare your desired .svg icon file. In my case, it’s gnome-launcher.svg located in my ‘Downloads’ folder.

4. Copy your .svg to the original file location:

sudo cp /path/to/your/svg /usr/share/icons/Adwaita/scalable/actions/view-app-grid-symbolic.svg

In my case, the command is:

sudo cp ~/Downloads/gnome-launcher.svg /usr/share/icons/Adwaita/scalable/actions/view-app-grid-symbolic.svg

5. Finally, run command to refresh the icon cache:

cd /usr/share/icons && sudo gtk-update-icon-cache Adwaita

Or simply log out and login back to apply the change.

How to Restore:

As you’ve made a backup in step 2, simply copy the file back via command:

sudo cp -p /usr/share/icons/Adwaita/scalable/actions/view-app-grid-symbolic.svg.bak /usr/share/icons/Adwaita/scalable/actions/view-app-grid-symbolic.svg

And refresh icon cache or log out and back in.

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Inkscape 0.92.4 Released, How to Install it in Ubuntu 18.04

Last updated: January 19, 2019

Inkscape, free and open-source vector graphics editor, released version 0.92.4 a few days ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10.

Inkscape 0.92.4 features stability improvements and bug-fixes. The key improvements include:

  • Align multiple objects as a group relative to a single object
  • Write image data to standard output and read from it
  • Experience extensions working faster within complex documents
  • See improved speed when deselecting a path with many nodes
  • Ungroup text elements won’t result in changed font size of children
  • Able to print and / or print correct paper size with printers (especially Canon, EPSON, Konica Minolta)
  • See improved performance of the measure tool when grids are visible
  • See proper opacity of partially transparent embedded bitmap images in PDF export
  • Able to Shift/Ctrl-click on control handles of shapes without crashing
  • Build Inkscape with up-to-date poppler library 0.72.0 – useful for Mac users building with Homebrew

Install Inkscape 0.92.4 via Snap in Ubuntu:

Snap is a containerized software package runs in most Linux desktop. It bundles most required libraries and automatic update itself when a new release is available.

For Ubuntu 18.04 and higher, the official Inkscape snap package can be easily installed from Ubuntu Software Center:

Inkscape snap can be launched either from application menu, or by running command in terminal:

snap run inkscape

Install Inkscape 0.92.4 via PPA in Ubuntu:

For Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, and higher, the new release is available to install via its official PPA.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:inkscape.dev/stable

Type user password (no asterisks feedback) when it prompts and hit Enter.

2. Then upgrade inkscape from an existing release via Software Updater:

or run command in terminal to check updates and install the editor:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install inkscape

Uninstall:

To remove the PPA repository, open Software & Updates and navigate to Other Software tab.

To remove Inkscape, either use Synaptic package manager or run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove inkscape
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Install ‘Entangle’ – Tethered Camera Control & Capture App in Ubuntu

Last updated: April 22, 2024

Entangle is a free tethered camera control & capture software. Here’s how to install it in all current Ubuntu releases, including Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 24.04, and Ubuntu 20.04

Entangle provides a graphical interface for “tethered shooting”, aka taking photographs with a digital camera completely controlled from the computer. The 2.0 release, “Sodium”, features:

  • Document some missing keyboard shortcuts
  • Fix upper bound in histogram to display clipped pixel
  • Option to highlight over exposed pixels in red
  • Disable noisy compiler warning
  • Remove use of deprecated application menu concept
  • Fix image redraw when changing some settings
  • Update mailing list address in appdaat
  • Add more fields to appdata content
  • Fix reference counting during window close
  • Use correct API for destroying top level windows
  • Fix unmounting of cameras with newer gvfs URI naming scheme
  • Avoid out of bounds read of property values
  • Fix many memory leaks
  • Workaround for combo boxes not displaying on Wayland
  • Fix race condition in building enums
  • Fix setting of gschema directory during startup
  • Set env to ensure plugins can find introspection typelib
  • Dependency libraries, and translation updates

How to install entangle 3.0 in Ubuntu / Linux Mint:

The app is available in system repository for all current Ubuntu releases. Simply launch Ubuntu Software (or App Center), then just search and click install ‘entangle’:

For choice, you may press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal, then run the commands instead to install the software:

sudo apt install entangle

Run sudo apt update first to refresh cache if the package is not found.

For old Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, and Ubuntu 18.04, you may run the commands below to add this PPA before using apt install command:

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

Uninstall:

To remove the software, run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove entangle
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Enable Quick Filter Search Box in Synaptic Package Manager

Last updated: May 5, 2024

For those prefer installing and removing Ubuntu packages via Synaptic package manager, you must have noticed the ‘Quick filter’ search function has been replaced by a search button.

This quick tutorial is going to show you how to re-enable the ‘Quick filter’ function in Synaptic package manager in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 16.04, and higher.

UPDATE: The tutorial is still working in today’s Ubuntu, including Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 23.10, and Ubuntu 24.04.

The quick filter search box is offered by ‘apt-xapian-index‘, which is a ‘recommends’ dependency package for Synaptic. Installing synaptic via Ubuntu Software or apt command without --install-recommends will exclude that optional dependency package.

So, the solution is just install the package and re-build search engine index by doing the following steps one by one:

1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut or from application launcher. When it opens, run command to install apt-xapian-index:

sudo apt install apt-xapian-index

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

2. Then rebuild the search engine index via command:

sudo update-apt-xapian-index -vf

Finally open or re-open Synaptic package manager, and you’ll see the search box back. Unfortunately for perfectionist, the original ‘Search’ button seems not easy to be removed from tool-bar.

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MuseScore 3.0.1 Released with Redesigned New Score Wizard

Last updated: January 16, 2019

Free Scorewriter MuseScore released version 3.0.1 yesterday with some improvements and numerous bug-fixes.

MuseScore 3.0.1 redesigned New Score Wizard for easy searching templates, better score previews, and accessibility improvements for blind users. The new release also features better import of 2.X scores, better automatic placement of hairpins and dynamics, and reworked Mixer UI.

There are also dozens of issues fixed in the release, including:

  • Properties were not saved properly in a number of cases
  • Layout was broken after operations with measure rests and tuplets
  • Time signatures appeared incorrectly in some cases and might lead to crash
  • Using the implode tool on notes connected with slurs led to crashes
  • Editing a barline was applied incorrectly
  • Context menu on instrument names didn’t appear
  • Pages with landscape orientation were cropped when printing
  • Playback went crazy on saving
  • Tempo was applied incorrectly in certain cases involving fermatas
  • Slurs were lost or detached in some cases
  • Autoplacement couldn’t be switched off for stems and arpeggio

How to Install MuseScore 3 in Ubuntu:

MuseScore is available via Snap (available in Ubuntu Software), Ubuntu PPA, and Gnome Flatpak.

As there are not updated to MuseScore 3.0.1 at the moment, you may download the Appimage (single executable package), and run the file to launch the software.

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Install and Keep HexChat IRC Client Updated via Snap in Ubuntu

Last updated: January 15, 2019

HexChat IRC Client now is available to install via Snap package in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, and higher.

HexChat is a free, open-source, and extensible IRC Client based on XChat. It supports features such as: DCC, SASL, proxies, spellcheck, alerts, logging, custom themes, and Lua scripts.

HexChat offers official Snap package, which is a containerized software packages bundles all required libraries, and auto-update itself.

Install HexChat via Snap in Ubuntu:

For Ubuntu 18.04 and higher, the snap package can be easily installed from Ubuntu Software:

For Ubuntu 16.04, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to install snapd first:

sudo apt-get install snapd

Then install the HexChat snap package via command:

sudo snap install hexchat

Note if you installed both HexChat legacy and Snap packages, you’ll see two launch icons from software menu. To make sure you’re running HexChat snap package, launch it from terminal via command:

snap run hexchat

Uninstall:

To remove the IRC client, either use Ubuntu Software or run command in terminal:

sudo snap remove hexchat
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How to Install OpenSCAD in Ubuntu 18.10 / 18.04

Last updated: January 14, 2019

This quick tutorial shows you how to install OpenSCAD, the programmers solid 3D CAD modeller, in Ubuntu 18.10, Ubuntu 18.04.

OpenSCAD is a software for creating solid 3D CAD models. Unlike most free software for creating 3D models (such as Blender) it does not focus on the artistic aspects of 3D modelling but instead on the CAD aspects. Thus it might be the application you are looking for when you are planning to create 3D models of machine parts but pretty sure is not what you are looking for when you are more interested in creating computer-animated movies.

OpenSCAD is not available in Ubuntu 18.04 and 18.10 universe repositories due to build failure. Fortunately, the OpenSCAD releases PPA contains the software package for Ubuntu 18.04, which also works in Ubuntu 18.10.

1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut or from software launcher. When it opens, paste following command and run to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:openscad/releases

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

2. For Ubuntu 18.10, open Software & Updates and navigate to Other Software tab. Then do:

  1. Highlight the openscad repository line.
  2. Click Edit button to bring up setup dialog.
  3. Change the value of “Distribution” from cosmic to bionic
  4. Save the changes, and close the window.

3. Finally either install OpenSCAD via Synaptic package manager, or run following 2 commands one by one in terminal:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install openscad

Uninstall:

To remove the PPA repository, open Software & Updates -> Other Software (see pic. in step2) and simply remove the repository line.

To remove OpenSCAD, run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove openscad

In addition for those feeling OK with Gnome Flatpak (containerized software package), the software is also available in Flathub.

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LiVES Video Editor 2.10.2 Released with New Icons (PPA)

Last updated: January 12, 2019

LiVES video editor and VJ tool released version 2.10.2 a few days ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, and Ubuntu 18.10.

LiVES 2.10.2 release highlights:

  • Fix serious bug in lives_popen() – may prevent saving of new sets.
  • Add in part of the fix for multi_encoder3 which was overlooked in 2.10.1
  • Fix regression in get_extension().
  • Fix regression in get_frame_count().
  • Add new icons.
  • Correctly reset video playback plugin after cancelling quick transcode.
  • Improved youtube downloading.

How to Install Lives 2.10.2 in Ubuntu:

1. Open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut and then run command to add the unofficial PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/lives

Type in your password (no visual feedback while typing due to security reason) when it asks and hit Enter.

2. Then upgrade the software from an existing release via Software Updater:

or simply run commands in terminal to install or upgrade LiVES:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install lives lives-plugins

Uninstall:

To remove the software, simply run commands:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove lives lives-plugins

The PPA can be removed via Software & Updates utility under Other Software tab.

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