UbuntuHandbook

How to Install Sweet Home 3D 7.5 in Ubuntu 24.04 | 22.04

Last updated: September 26, 2024 — 2 Comments

This is a step by step guide shows how to install Sweet Home 3D, the free interior design software, in Ubuntu and other Linux.

Sweet Home 3D is a popular free open-source software to create & edit your home plan and furniture layout in 2D and 3D. It’s available in Ubuntu system repositories, but old!

To install the latest version of the software, you can choose:

either download official Linux tarball, and manually create app shortcut icon.
or install the Flatpak package, which runs in sandbox environment.

In Howtos sweet home 3d

Check SATA/NVMe SSD Disk Health & Other Info in Ubuntu 24.04 | 22.04

Last updated: September 24, 2024 — Leave a comment

This tutorial shows you how to check the health status, amount of read/written data, temperature, media error, and other useful info of your SSD in Ubuntu.

For Windows, there’s a popular CrystalDiskInfo utility for reading and monitoring HDD/SSD disk status. For those who’re looking for free open-source alternatives for Linux, here are 3 options:

Option 1: smartctl command line utility.
Option 2: GSmartControl – Graphical app based on smartctl + GTK3.
Option 3: QDiskinfo – Qt app with CrystalDiskInfo style user interface.

In Howtos CrystalDiskInfo, SSD

Ubuntu 24.10 Beta is Out! See What’s New in the Release

Last updated: September 21, 2024 — Leave a comment

The Beta release of Ubuntu 24.10, code-name Oracular Oriole, is out last night on Sep 20.

This is a short-term release with 9 months support. It so far features Linux Kernel 6.11 and GNOME 47 desktop.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary, the new release includes a “Warty Brown” accent color and new optional wallpapers in the “Appearances” settings page. There’s also an anniversary logo that you can see in the login screen.

And, the release now by default plays the original startup sound at login. While, there’s a toggle option in “Sound” settings page to turn it off.

The sound comes from the warty-startup.oga file under “/usr/share/sounds/Yaru/stereo” directory. Without logging out and back in, you may run command below in terminal to play it out:

/usr/bin/canberra-gtk-play --id="warty-startup"

Anniversary logo in login screen

In News Ubuntu 24.10

Disable Password Authentication Popups in Ubuntu 24.04

Last updated: September 21, 2024 — 4 Comments

When launching some apps (e.g., GParted, Synaptic, or Grub Customizer), install/uninstall packages with App Center or Software Updater, it always pops-up a dialog asking for admin password to authenticate.

This is great for security! But for ~~lazy men~~ those who don’t want to type user password again and again after logged in (or unlocked screen), it may be OK to disable the authentication window when using their computers at home or other safe places.

Password Authentication Pop-up in Ubuntu

In Howtos password, security

GNOME 47 Released! Will be Default in Ubuntu 24.10 / Fedora 41

Last updated: September 19, 2024 — 1 Comment

GNOME, the popular free open-source Linux desktop environment, finally released new major 47 version a day ago on Wednesday!

If everything goes well, the new GNOME 47 desktop will be default in upcoming Ubuntu 24.10 and Fedora Workstation 41, and optional in Arch, Manjaro Linux, etc.

The new release features accent colors in the “Appearance” settings page. With it, user can change the Default Blue color of toggle buttons, slide bars, check-boxes, selection borders, etc., as easy as a single mouse click.

Ubuntu has the feature since 22.04. It has 10 colors while GNOME 47 has 9. They include Blue (default), Teal, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Pink, Purple, Slat. And, so far the accent color does NOT apply to the folder icons.

In News Gnome

Scrcpy 2.7 Adds Gamepad Support for Gaming on Android

Last updated: September 17, 2024 — Leave a comment

Scrcpy, Android screen mirroring and controlling app, released version 2.7 few days ago.

Scrcpy is a popular free and open-source application for Windows, Linux, and macOS. It can mirror the Android screen on PC, and allows to control the device with keyboard and mouse.

With the new 2.7 release, user can now use game controllers (e.g., PS4/PS5, or XBox gamepad), which are connected into the computer, to play Android games.

Scrcpy on Ubuntu

In News Android, Android Remote Control

Linux Kernel 6.11 Released! How to Install in Ubuntu 24.04

Last updated: February 21, 2025 — Leave a comment

Linux Kernel 6.11 was released! Linus Torvalds announced it 2 days ago on Sunday:

“I’m once again on the road and not in my normal timezone, but it’s Sunday afternoon here in Vienna, and 6.11 is out.

The last week was actually pretty quiet and calm, which is nice to see. The shortlog is below for anybody who wants to look at the details, but it really isn’t very many patches, and the patches are all pretty small. Nothing in particular stands out – the biggest patch in here is for Hyper-V Confidential Computing documentation. …”

In News kernel

Enable KDE Plasma 6 Style Floating Bar in Ubuntu 24.04

Last updated: September 16, 2024 — Leave a comment

This tutorial shows how to enable floating top panel in Ubuntu 24.04, Fedora 40, Arch, Manjaro and other Linux with GNOME 46/47 Desktop.

Unlike traditional system panel which is usually stick to screen edge, floating bar (or panel) looks kinda like a desktop widget. It floats on the desktop, and usually has a small distance from the top or bottom edge.

Some systems, such as Windows 11, Zorin OS, Deepin Linux, include options to enable floating taskbar. The KDE Plasma 6 desktop even use it as default, which also automatically switches to solid panel style, when a window approaches or is maximized.

In Howtos Gnome

Try Out the New Security Center in Ubuntu 24.04

Last updated: September 14, 2024 — Leave a comment

Ubuntu is working on a new desktop security center and prompting-client. Here’s how to try it out in current Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

It’s an experimental new feature that will land in next Ubuntu 24.10. Which, provides graphical interface to make it easier for users to control the file/folder access permission for Snap apps.

For example, when browsing web via Firefox (the preinstalled Firefox is a Snap package). You found a good image and want to save it to local folder, or you just want to download something. Before the downloading process starts, it will pop-up a dialog as the screenshot shows you, asking for user permission to allow writing to the file or folder.

Pop-up for file/folder access permission

In App Review security

VirtualBox 7.1.0 Released! Modern New Icon / UI, Initial Arm Support

Last updated: September 12, 2024 — 4 Comments

Oracle finally announced the release of new major VirtualBox 7.1.0 after almost 2 years since the last feature release.

The release introduced a new logo icon with flat design, and re-fined the UI with modern look and feel. The Preferences and VM Settings dialog now include Basic and Expert tabs that will show/hide some extra settings.

It improved the font in Settings/Preferences to make the text more easy to read, as well it provides a “Search Box” in the dialog for searching settings. And, each VM now has new splash screen at very beginning of startup.