UbuntuHandbook

Firefox 59 Released with Faster Page Load Time

Last updated: March 14, 2018

Firefox 55

Mozilla Firefox reached the new stable 59.0 release last night. The new release focus on improvements to page loading time, firefox screenshots, and more.

Changes in Firefox 59.0 include:

Faster load times for content on the Firefox Home page
Faster page load times by loading either from the networked cache or the cache on the user’s hard drive (Race Cache With Network)
Improved graphics rendering using Off-Main-Thread Painting (OMTP) for Mac users (OMTP for Windows was released in Firefox 58)
Drag-and-drop to rearrange Top Sites on the Firefox Home page, and customize new windows and tabs in other ways
Added tools to annotate and crop your Firefox Screenshots
Enhanced WebExtensions API including better support for decentralized protocols and the ability to dynamically register content scripts
Improved Real-Time Communications (RTC) capabilities.
Implemented RTP Transceiver to give pages more fine grained control over calls
Implemented features to support large scale conferences
Added support for W3C specs for pointer events and improved platform integration with added device support for mouse, pen, and touch screen pointer input
Added the Ecosia search engine as an option for German Firefox
Added the Qwant search engine as an option for French Firefox
Added settings in about:preferences to stop websites from asking to send notifications or access your device’s camera, microphone, and location, while still allowing trusted websites to use these features
And various security fixes.

Upgrade to Firefox 59 in Ubuntu:

The distribution builds will be available in a few days, check the link before doing following steps.

For Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, and Ubuntu 17.10, simply launch Software Updater (Update Manager) and you’ll see Firefox in the update list after checking for updates.

If you don’t see the Firefox update, make sure “security” and “updates” repositories are enabled by Software & Updates utility:

That’s it. Enjoy!

In News Firefox

Gscan2PDF 2.0 Released! Now It’s Ported to GTK+ 3

Last updated: March 13, 2018

Gscan2pdf, a simple GUI tool to produce PDFs or DjVus from scanned documents, reached the 2.0 release a few days ago. The new release has switched from GTK+ 2 to GTK+ 3.

Changes in Gscan2PDF 2.0 (and 2.0.1) include:

Fixed editing OCR output
Fixed displaying image after undoing
Fixed displaying image after deleting page
Fixed text in progress bars
Fixed warning message clearing all pages if no scanner detected
Switch from gtk+-2 to gtk+-3, requiring the reimplementation of GtkImageview in pure Perl, as C library not compatible with gtk+-3.
Fixed ghosting if flatbed only source option but not set.
Fixed setting preferences if frontend not set to libsane-image-perl and no scanner available.

How to Install Gscan2pdf 2.0.1 in Ubuntu:

The developer’s PPA contains the new release packages for Ubuntu 18.04 so far. Ubuntu 16.04 and Ubuntu 17.10 packages are in process.

Open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for “terminal” from app launcher. When it opens, do following steps:

1. Add the PPA via command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jeffreyratcliffe/ppa

Type in your password (no visual feedback while typing 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.

In Howtos gscan2pdf

HP Linux Imaging and Printing HPLIP 3.18.3 Released

Last updated: March 12, 2018

HPLIP, an HP developed Linux drivers for HP inkjet and laser based printers, reached the 3.18.3 release with new devices and Linux distributions support.

HPLIP 3.18.3 added following new devices support:

HP DesignJet Z2600 PostScript
HP DesignJet Z5600 PostScript
HP PageWide XL 8000ps Printer
HP PageWide XL 8000 Blueprinter
HP PageWide XL 5000 Printer
HP PageWide XL 5000 MFP
HP PageWide XL 5000 Blueprinter
HP PageWide XL 4500 Printer
HP PageWide XL 4500 MFP
HP PageWide XL 4000 Printer
HP PageWide XL 4000 MFP
HP PageWide XL 5100ps
HP PageWide XL 5100ps MFP
HP PageWide XL 5100ps MFP Blueprinter
HP PageWide XL 6000ps
HP PageWide XL 6000ps MFP

The new release also added support for Manjaro 17.1.4 (64 bit), Fedora 27 (64 bit), and Linux Mint 18.3 (32 bit and 64 bit)

Download / Install HPLIP 3.18.3:

To install the software, download the package “hplip-3.18.3.run” from the link below:

Then open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T or search for “terminal” from app launcher. When it opens, run command:

cd ~/Downloads/ && chmod +x hplip-3.18.3.run && ./hplip-3.18.3.run

Input your password (no visual feedback while typing) when it prompts and hit Enter.

Then follow the terminal outputs, answer some questions to build and install HPLIP on your system. When everything is done, plug/re-plug your printers and enjoy!

In Howtos, News HP Print Driver for Linux, HPLIP

LiVES Video Editor 2.8.8 Released (How to Install)

Last updated: March 11, 2018

LiVES, free and open-source video editor and VJ tool, reached the 2.8.8 release today. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.10, Ubuntu 18.04.

Changes in LiVES 2.8.8 include:

Fix “undo render to same clip” after rendering to selection.
Add new libav_stream playback plugi
Set openGL playback plugin (if present) as the default for new installs.
(Multi monitor support) always show dialog windows on the gui monitor.
Re-enable audio recording from external sources (was inadvertantly disabled).
Fix possible problems with layout reloading (regression).
Reset to correct playback position when stop is pressed during / after pause (multitrack),
Increase size of playback area in multitrack mode.
Increase preview window size for video part open.
Add quick transcode menu option (beta).
Keep showing framebar when not playing (can be overriden in prefs).
Show audio source in framebar (overridden by pref).
Optimise redrawing of audio waveforms in clip editor.
Implement external audio trigger for recording.
Theme fixes for buttons.
Various optimisations.
Scale many widget sizes based on screen resolution.
Fix crash in multitrack parameter adjustment for effects with repeated channels.
Ctrl + mouse scroll can be used to zoom in / out in multitrack.
Disable ctrl-q (quit) accelerator during playback to prevent accidental triggering.
Updates for libav 3.5.

How to Install LiVES 2.8.8 in Ubuntu:

Other than building the software from source, you can install it from unofficial PPA in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.10, Linux Mint 18.x and their derivatives by following steps:

1. Open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T and run command to add the 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.

In Howtos, News LiVES, video editor

First Beta of Ubuntu 18.04 LTS Released (Opt-in Flavors)

Last updated: March 10, 2018

The first beta of Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic Beaver LTS (Long Term Support) was released last night.

Ubuntu 18.04 Beta 1 features images for Kubuntu, Ubuntu Budgie, Ubuntu Kylin, Ubuntu MATE, and Xubuntu.

NOTE the pre-releases of Ubuntu 18.04 are not recommended for anyone needing a stable system or anyone who is not comfortable running into occasional, even frequent breakage. They are, however, recommended for those who want to help in testing, reporting, and fixing bugs.

Changes in Xubuntu 18.04 Beta 1 include:

Removed the GTK Theme Configuration tool
Replaced the Sound Indicator with the Xfce PulseAudio Plugin.
Replaced Application indicator with Status Notifier Plugin
Replace some desktop applications: Evince -> Atril, File Roller -> Engrampa, GNOME Calculator -> MATE Calculator.

Changes in Kubuntu 18.04 beta 1 include:

Replace Dragonplayer with VLC as default media player.
Muon package manager is shipped by default once again.
Replace Amarok with Cantata Qt5 as default music player.
Drop Telepathy instant messaging client from the defaults.

Changes in Ubuntu MATE 18.04 Beta 1 include:

MATE desktop 1.20
Uses Indicators by default in all layouts.
Brisk Menu switches to a dash-style launcher for Mutiny or Cupertino layout.
Minimal installation support and more and more other changes.

Changes in Ubuntu Budgie 18.04 Beta1 include:

Better font handling for Chinese and Korean users
Play mp3 out of the box.
New applets available via Budgie settings, Budgie welcome.
New exciting GTK+ theme by default called Pocillo
Minimal installation.

Future releases of Ubuntu 18.04:

April 5th	Final Beta
April 19th	Final Freeze / Release Candidate
April 26th	Final release of Ubuntu 18.04

In News Ubuntu 18.04

Visual Studio Code 1.21 Supports Moving Files Across Windows

Last updated: March 9, 2018

A new update of the Visual Studio Code IDE was released. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu.

The 1.21 release of Visual Studio Code features:

New Notifications UI to easily manage and review VS Code notifications.
Integrated Terminal splitting allows to work with multiple open terminals at once.
Markdown preview now supports bidirectional scrolling.
Text buffer optimizations for large files.
Centered editor layout that maximize your code viewing screen real estate.
Drag & drop, copy & paste across open VS Code windows.
HTML path completion – IntelliSense for file paths in common HTML elements.
Language Packs in the Marketplace – Install new display languages from the Marketplace.
Deploy Azure Functions tutorial – Learn how to create and deploy serverless Azure Functions.
PREVIEW: Horizontal search results – You can now view search results in a horizontal panel.

How to Install VS Code 1.21 in Ubuntu:

The official .deb package for Debian/Ubuntu is available for download at the link below:

Grab the deb and install it via either Gdebi package manager or command (Ctrl+Alt+T):

sudo dpkg -i ~/Downloads/code_*.deb; sudo apt -f install

For those who want to receive updates for VS Code via Software Updater utility, add the Microsoft repository via following steps (64bit only):

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

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/vscode stable main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.list'

2. Download and install the repository key via commands:

curl https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | gpg --dearmor > microsoft.gpg

sudo mv microsoft.gpg /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/microsoft.gpg

Uninstall Visual Studio Code:

To remove the code editor, either use Synaptic Package Manager or run command:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove code

And remove the Microsoft repository by launching Software & Updates utility and navigating to Other Software tab.

In Howtos, News Visual Studio Code

Liferea Feed Reader 1.12.2 Released with Plugin Installer

Last updated: March 8, 2018

A new bug-fix release for Liferea 1.12 was released earlier today. A plugin installer plugin was introduced that allows easy discovery and installation of 3rd party plugins.

Full changes in Liferea 1.12.2 include:

Adding a plugin installer plugin that allows discovering and automatically installing 3rd party plugins
Drop language from user agent to increase privacy
Add transmission-gtk and aria2 as download tool options
New command line option --disable-plugins (-p) to start with all plugins disabled.
Fix that Liferea not showing up in GNOME Software
Correctly print error message when failing to unlock GNOME keyring
Fix that CSS style for GTK link colors not used
Redirect location updates and adds HTTP 308 (RFC 7538) support
Fix unable to set unread items in bold
Fix broken OPML feed list entries
Add Norwegian feed list
Translation updates.

How to Install Liferea 1.12.2 in Ubuntu:

For Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.10, Ubuntu 18.04, and derivatives, the new release is available in a third-party PPA repository.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps

Type your password (no visual feedback while typing) when it asks and hit Enter.

2. Then upgrade Liferea via Software Updater utility:

or run commands one by one to install the Linux feed reader:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install liferea

Finally launch the news reader from your application launcher and enjoy! (Log out and log back if you don’t see the icon).

Uninstall Liferea:

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

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove liferea

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

In Howtos, News Feed Reader, liferea

Video Cutter & Joiner ‘VidCutter’ Now Available as Snap

Last updated: March 7, 2018

The snap package of VidCutter, a free and open-source video cutting and joining software, now is available.

Which means you can search for and install the software directly from Ubuntu Software app:

Snap package, the universal Linux app packaging format, runs in sandbox and comes with most required libraries bundled. It runs in all current Ubuntu releases.

For Ubuntu 16.04 and Ubuntu 14.04, you need to first install the snapd daemon by opening terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T and running command:

sudo apt install snapd snapd-xdg-open

Then you can install the snap in ALL current Ubuntu releases either via Ubuntu Software or by running command in terminal:

snap install vidcutter

Once installed, launch it from your application launcher and enjoy!

In Howtos, News vidcutter, video cutter

Ubuntu 16.04.4 LTS Released (How to Install HWE Stacks)

Last updated: March 3, 2018

A new point release of Ubuntu 16.04 LTS was released last night for its Desktop, Server, and Cloud products, as well as other Ubuntu flavors.

Lukasz Zemczak announced in the Ubuntu Release mailing list:

“Like previous LTS series’, 16.04.4 includes hardware enablement stacks for use on newer hardware. This support is offered on all architectures except for 32-bit powerpc, and is installed by default when using one of the desktop images. Ubuntu Server defaults to installing the GA kernel, however you may select the HWE kernel from the installer bootloader.

As usual, this point release includes many updates, and updated installation media has been provided so that fewer updates will need to be downloaded after installation. These include security updates and corrections for other high-impact bugs, with a focus on maintaining stability and compatibility with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS.“

To upgrade from a previous Ubuntu 16.04 release, either run Software Updater and install all available updates or run command in terminal (Ctrl+Alt):

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

Then check result via command:

cat /etc/issue

How to Install HWE Stacks in previous Ubuntu 16.04:

The new point release ships with an updated kernel and X stack (HWE Stacks) by default for the desktop in its ISO images.

These HWE Stacks were released in the LTS point releases as a means to enable newer platforms and components.

For those upgrading from a previous release, you need to manually install the stacks via command:

sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-hwe-16.04 xserver-xorg-hwe-16.04

For any reason, you can uninstall HWE stacks by following this tutorial.

In Howtos, News hardware enablement stacks, Ubuntu 16.04

Parole Media Player 1.0 Released! Install it in Ubuntu 17.10

Last updated: March 1, 2018

Xfce’s Parole media player reached the 1.0 stable series earlier today! Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 17.10 and Ubuntu 18.04.

Xfce 1.0.0 brings a new feature and following bug-fixes:

Added “Automatic” video output option. This uses the autoimagesink to provide the best available video sink for the environment, eliminating the dreaded ‘Could not initialise Xv output’ error.
Fixed 32-bit crashes when using the MPRIS2 plugin
Fixed crash on “Clear History” button press
Fixed appdata validation
Fixed full debug builds and resolved implicit-fallthrough build warning
Replaced stock icon by freedesktop.org compliant option

How to Install Parole 1.0.0 in Ubuntu 18.04, 17.10:

Ubuntu 18.04 includes the new release package in its main repository archive, just search for and install ‘parole’ in Ubuntu Software.

For Ubuntu 17.10, you can install or upgrade to the new release via an unofficial PPA. No updates for Ubuntu 16.04, since Parole now requires GTK+ >=3.20.

1. Open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for “Terminal” from app launcher. When it opens, run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps

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

2. Then upgrade the media player via Software Updater utility:

or run following commands to install / upgrade it:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install parole

For those who don’t want to add PPA, grab the .deb package from HERE.