UbuntuHandbook

How to Encrypt Your Home Folder in Ubuntu 24.04

Last updated: July 23, 2024 — 1 Comment

This is a step by step beginner’s guide shows how to encrypt your home directory in Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

As you may know, the new installer in Ubuntu 24.04 only supports encrypting the entire disk. If you want to dual boot Ubuntu with another OS in single disk, there’s no option so far to encrypt only the Ubuntu file-system partition.

In the case, you may choose to encrypt your home folder to keep personal data and files safe.

There’s NO visible difference after encrypted your home directory. You can login just like before, read and write files, run apps and play games. Because, it’s automatically decrypted using your password.

But, if you lost your computer/laptop, then no one can access your files in the home folder, without the login password or the encryption passphrase. Accessing from another operating system will show something like the screenshot below shows you:

Encrypted home is not accessible from other machine or OS

In Howtos security, ubuntu 24.04

How to Install Chromium (Deb Edition) in Ubuntu 24.04 | 22.04

Last updated: May 5, 2024 — 2 Comments

This tutorial shows how to install the most recent Chromium web browser as native .deb package in Ubuntu 24.04 and Ubuntu 22.04.

Like Firefox and Thunderbird, the popular Chromium web browser in Ubuntu repository is a Snap package that runs in sandbox environment.

For those who don’t like Flatpak and Snap packages, there are few other sources to install the Chromium browser via native Deb package.

Debian and Linux Mint repositories are the trustworthy repositories that I used to use, which however either has few different dependency libraries or lacks of arm64/armhf platform support.

So, in my opinion an Ubuntu PPA can be the better choice for beginners. It’s easy to install and maintain, though less trustworthy since Chromium does not have an official PPA.

Chromium Browser (.deb package)

In Howtos chromium browser, web

How to Install & Use NVIDIA Driver in Ubuntu 24.04 | 22.04

Last updated: May 3, 2024 — Leave a comment

This is a step by step beginner’s guide shows how to install NVIDIA proprietary driver in Ubuntu. And, how to switch between Intel/AMD and NVIDIA GPU, run specific app/game with NVIDIA while leaving others rendered by integrated graphics card.

While installing Ubuntu, the wizard provides an option to install the NVIDIA proprietary driver alongside. If you didn’t enable that option, then here’s how to manually install it afterward.

In Howtos nvidia

How to Make Apps Start at Center in Ubuntu 24.04

Last updated: May 1, 2024 — Leave a comment

In Ubuntu desktop, most app windows by default start at top-left of screen. It’s quite annoying, since you have to move app window before it’s ready for use.

So, in this tutorial I’m going to show you how to tweak you desktop, to make it start app window at screen center automatically.
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In Howtos Gnome

Fix Missing App Icon in Left Dock / Panel in Ubuntu 24.04

Last updated: June 17, 2024 — 19 Comments

Got app windows that do not show their icons on left (or bottom) dock panel? This tutorial may help to fix the issue in Ubuntu 24.04.

App icons that you see in system app launcher are handled by .desktop files. This kind of config file usually include a line Icon=app-icon-name, so Ubuntu and many other Linux can find and display the icon image for the app in start menu (or application menu).

If the icon file is missing from both system icons directory (usually /usr/share/icons and /usr/share/pixmaps) and user’s local icons folder (.local/share/icons), then it shows universal executable icon (the gear icon with gray square background, see the image above) instead.

In Howtos dash to dock, ubuntu 24.04

Top things to do After Installing Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat

Last updated: April 27, 2024 — 2 Comments

After doing a fresh install of Ubuntu system, users usually have to do a list of configurations before the system is ready for use. And, here are a list of the top things I can tell for the Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

1. Install back some default apps

If you didn’t choose “Extended selection” option while installing Ubuntu 24.04, then you’ll find that many apps are missing!

There’s no office suite, no video/music player, no email app … If you need some of them, then just launch the new App Center from left panel, then search and install any of them back.
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In Howtos ubuntu 24.04

How to Install Ubuntu 24.04 Desktop [Step by Step Guide]

Last updated: May 7, 2024 — 8 Comments

This is a step by step beginner’s guide shows how to install Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Desktop Edition, in PC or laptop using an USB stick.

Ubuntu 24.04 is a long term support release with 5 years support (and other 7 years security updates via Ubuntu Pro). It features a new desktop installer. So, I re-write about this how to guide for beginners, with Windows 10/11 dual boot support.

NOTE: The new installer so far does NOT allow encryption for manually added partitions! Meaning encryption ONLY works when using entire disk for Ubuntu. See the bug reports here and here.
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In Howtos ubuntu 24.04

Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat is Available to Download

Last updated: April 25, 2024 — Leave a comment

Ubuntu 24.04, code-name Noble Numbat, is finally released!

It’s a new Long Term Support (LTS) release with 5 years of support until 2029, and another 7 years of support through ‘Ubuntu Pro’ (can be enabled in welcome or Software & Updates dialog).

Meaning users of Ubuntu 24.04 can keep receiving security updates until 2036!

Ubuntu 24.04 features Linux Kernel 6.8, and it will keep updating to new kernel series in next point releases. The new kernel introduced Intel Shadow Stack, and stable Intel Meteor Lake graphics support. KVM now allows up to 4096 vCPUs. And, there are many other new features as well as hardware support, see this page for details.

In News ubuntu 24.04

Audacity 3.5.0 Released! Cloud Saving, Beat Detection & Pitch Shifting

Last updated: April 25, 2024 — 2 Comments

Audacity, the popular free open-source audio editor, release version 3.5.0 (then 3.5.1 with quick-fixes) few days ago.

Audacity 3.5.0 is a major release with new features. They include a new cloud-saving feature. By going to menu ‘File -> Save To Cloud …’, user can save Audacity project to audio.com via a free account. So, user can access the project from any other devices, and/or share and collaborate with others.

NOTE: this feature does NOT work in my PPA package, since it’s built with Debian upstream rule that disables network access! If you do prefer this feature, please leave comment below, or use the official AppImage package instead.

In News audacity

How to Install VokoscreenNG in Ubuntu 24.04 | 22.04

Last updated: April 24, 2024 — 2 Comments

This tutorial shows how to install the most recent VokoscreenNG screen recording app in all current Ubuntu releases, including Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 24.04.

VokoscreenNG is a free and open-source application for recording your desktop, window, or an area in Linux and Windows desktop. It can record sound from multiple sources, and record from built-in webcam or camera. For Linux, the app works on both Wayland (however with limited features) and classic Xorg sessions.
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In Howtos video recording, vokoscreenNG