UbuntuHandbook

[Quick Tip] Pin App Shortcuts to the Desktop in Ubuntu 18.04

Last updated: September 13, 2018

This quick tutorial is for those who want to pin application shortcut icons to the default Gnome Desktop in Ubuntu 18.04, while you can’t drag and drop icons from applications menu to the desktop.

1. First, open Gnome Tweaks (if not available, install it via Ubuntu Software) and navigate to Desktop tab and enable ‘Show icons’ on desktop.

2. Open Files (Nautilus file browser) and navigate to Other Locations -> Computer -> usr -> share -> applications.

There drag and drop any application shortcut to the desktop.

Click to run the desktop icon, and select ‘Trust and Launch’. The shortcut icon will display correctly once the application launches.

To remove a desktop shortcut, simply move the icon to trash. Only the shortcut will be removed, not the original item.

That’s it. Enjoy!

In Howtos Ubuntu 18.04

KeePass Password Safe 2.40 Released with New Features

Last updated: January 10, 2021

KeePass Password Safe 2.40 was released a few days ago with some new features and various improvements.

KeePass 2.4.0 release highlights:

Added automatic completion support for the user name box and the auto-type sequence boxes in the entry editing dialogs
Added automatic completion support for the URL and user name boxes in the ‘Open From URL’ dialog
Added option ‘Group path’ in the ‘Find’ dialog
Added read-only mode for the entry string dialog
The internal data viewer now supports zooming images via Ctrl+Add, Ctrl+Subtract, and the mouse wheel with Ctrl.
Added option ‘Remember master password (in encrypted form) of a database while it is open’
Enhanced compatibility check for DLL plugins.
Added URL opening event for plugins.
On Unix-like systems: added support for opening the local help file with KChmViewer.
Added workaround for initial input focus problem in the master key prompt dialog.
Added workaround for Mono not always raising the FormClosed event properly.
TrlUtil now remembers the last translation file directory.
There are also various bug-fixes and code optimizations.

How to Install the Latest KeePass in Ubuntu:

The software package has been made into an Ubuntu PPA available for all current Ubuntu releases and derivatives.

1. Open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for “Terminal” from app launcher. When it opens, run following commands to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/keepass2

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

2. Then upgrade KeePass password safe via Software Updater if you have a previous version installed:

Or run commands to install / upgrade the software:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install keepass2

Uninstall:

The PPA repository can be removed via Software & Updates utility under Other Software tab. To remove KeePass password safe, simply run command:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove keepass2

In Howtos, News KeePass2, password manager

Shutter 0.94.2 Released with Some Bug Fixes (Ubuntu PPA)

Last updated: September 11, 2018

Shutter screenshot tool got a maintenance release a day ago with some bugs fixed. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 16.04.

Shutter 0.94.2 includes following changes since the 0.94 release:

Remove ITmages, Minus, TwitPic upload plugins since the services down.
Fix error in vygme plugin
Add support for Gyazo uploads
Fix insecure perl system calls
Use reverse-DNS style AppStream ID
Convert all JSON modules to JSON::MaybeXS instead of discouraged JSON modules
Fix the issue that right click > “show in folder” results in “There was an error executing xdg-open”

How to Install Shutter 0.94.2 in Ubuntu:

It seems the official Shutter PPA won’t update for the new release packages. So I uploaded the packages into an unofficial PPA with support for Ubuntu 18.04 and Ubuntu 16.04.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/shutter

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

2. Then upgrade Shutter via Software Updater utility:

or run commands one by one in terminal to install or upgrade the tool:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install shutter

For Ubuntu 18.04, the PPA also includes libgoo-canvas-perl to fix the ‘Edit’ option. And for system tray icon, run command:

sudo apt install libappindicator-dev && sudo cpan -i Gtk2::AppIndicator

Unintall

For any issue, you can revert back to Ubuntu build of Shutter by purging the PPA via command:

sudo apt-get install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/shutter

In Howtos, News screenshot tool, shutter

HandBrake Video Transcoder 1.1.2 Released with Various Bug Fixes

Last updated: September 10, 2018

The open source video transcoder HandBrake 1.1.2 was released a day ago with various bug-fixes.

Changes in HandBrake 1.1.2 include:

Fixed Blu-ray title name where reading from raw device
Improved handling of broken units in Blu-ray source (skip and continue reading)
Fixed rare crash related to preview images, anamorphic, and default preset values
Fixed jitter produced by 59.94 fps to 29.97 fps frame rate conversion
Fixed duration of silence buffers (may improve audio/video sync for some sources)
Updated libraries: libdvdread 6.0.0, libdvdnav 6.0.0 (DVD decoding)
Fixed potential crash where $HOME directory is missing
Fixed legacy preferences causing preset window being shown at every launch
Fixed preset name and menu display on Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr
Fixed default destination file name for Blu-ray source to not include MPLS number
Fixed queue reloading in Flatpak sandbox
Fixed toolbar icons alignment and use correct art for lower pixel density
And some fixes for Mac OS and Windows.

How to Install HandBrake in Ubuntu:

The software has an official PPA repository for current Ubuntu releases. As usual, HandBrake 1.1.2 will be available via PPA a few days later.

At that time, open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T or from software launcher, and run following commands one by one to install the latest handbrake:

1. Run command to add the PPA repository:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:stebbins/handbrake-releases

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

2. Refresh system repositories cache via command:

sudo apt update

3. Remove Ubuntu build of handbrake if installed:

sudo apt remove --autoremove handbrake

4. Finally install the video transcoder from the PPA:

sudo apt install handbrake-gtk handbrake-cli

Uninstall:

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

To remove HandBrake, run command in terminal:

sudo apt remove --autoremove handbrake-gtk handbrake-cli

In addition, the latest HandBrake also available as Flatpak (containerised software package) for 64-bit Ubuntu.

In Howtos, News handbrake, media converter

Liferea Feed Reader 1.12.5 Released with Important Fix

Last updated: September 8, 2018

A new bug-fix release for Liferea 1.12 series was released today. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 16.04, and derivatives.

This is a bugfix release. It includes an important bug fix that solves a possible endless loop on using “Next Unread” which several users experienced as endless high CPU usage. If you are affected by this: please upgrade!

This release also switches the keyring integration from GnomeKeyring to libsecret and introduces a flatpak JSON.

Changes in Liferea 1.12.5 according to the changelog:

Webkit browser now supplies ‘Liferea’ component in user agent
Added “Mark All As Read” button to headerbar plugin
Added flatpak JSON
Added item list column drag and drop reordering
Move from GnomeKeyring to libsecret
Correct instapaper sharing link
Update sharing links
Fix consistent over usage of CPU (trigger by “Next Unread” loop)
Dropping Inoreader support (API broke)

How to Install Liferea 1.12.5 in Ubuntu:

For Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Linux Mint 19, 18.x, the new release is available in the unofficial PPA repository.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps

Type your password (no asterisks feedback while typing) when it prompts 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:

As the PPA also contains many other software packages, you may remove it by launching Software & Updates and navigating to Other Software tab.

If you want to remove the Liferea news reader software, either use your system package manager or run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove liferea

In Howtos, News liferea

Install League Of Legends in Ubuntu via Snap for Testing

Last updated: March 14, 2025

For those who want to play League of Legends in Ubuntu desktop, the game has been made into Snap, containerised software package designed to work within most Linux desktop.

UPDATE 2025: League Of Legends for Linux is over! See this thread for details.

The game package is based on wine platform, and it is using the wine-base-staging to use the latest changes released from winehq.org.

The snap so far is available for testing purpose. If you’re interested in this, do following steps to help testing it in Ubuntu 18.04 or Ubuntu 16.04:

1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T shortcut key or by searching for ‘terminal’ from software launcher.

2. When terminal opens, run command to install the wine platform if you don’t have it:

snap install wine-platform

3. Then install the Lol snap package via command:

snap install leagueoflegends --edge --devmode

NOTE for Ubuntu 16.04, install snapd via command sudo apt install snapd if previous commands do not work.

4. Once installed, launch the game from your software launcher.

On first launch you’ll be prompted to choose the game installer region and the download process starts:

Lol will finally launch if everything goes well. And you can report issues at snapcraft.io.

Uninstall:

To remove Lol snap package, run command in terminal:

snap remove leagueoflegends

In Howtos, News install lol in Ubuntu, League of Legends

Mozilla Firefox 62.0 Released with New Features and Improvements

Last updated: September 6, 2018

Mozilla Firefox 62.0 was released a day ago with new features, performance improvements, and various security fixes.

Firefox 62.0 release highlights:

Firefox Home (the default New Tab) allows to display up to 4 rows of top sites, Pocket stories, and highlights
“Reopen in Container” tab menu option appears for users with Containers that lets them choose to reopen a tab in a different container
A preference allows users to distrust certificates issued by Symantec. (go to about:config in the address bar and set the preference “security.pki.distrust_ca_policy” to 2.)
Added FreeBSD support for WebAuthn
Improved graphics rendering for Windows users without accelerated hardware
Support for CSS Shapes, allowing for richer web page layouts. This goes hand in hand with a brand new Shape Path Editor in the CSS inspector.
CSS Variable Fonts (OpenType Font Variations) support, which makes it possible to create beautiful typography with a single font file
AutoConfig is sandboxed to the documented API by default. You can disable the sandbox by setting the preference general.config.sandbox_enabled to false.
Added Canadian English (en-CA) locale, and various bug-fixes.

Download / Install Firefox in Ubuntu:

As usual, Ubuntu Mozilla Team will publish the new Firefox release packages through Ubuntu security & updates repositories.

So just wait and Firefix 62 will be available for upgrade via Software Updater in 2 or 3 days.

In Howtos, News Firefox

IntelliJ IDEA 2018.2.3 Support Opening HTML in Microsoft Edge

Last updated: September 5, 2018

Jetbrains announced the release of IntelliJ IDEA 2018.2.3 a day ago with various bug-fixes and some improvements for v2018.2.

IntelliJ IDEA 2018.2.3 release highlights:

Ability to open HTML files in Edge using the Open in Browser action.
Fixed IntelliJ IDEA freezes.
Git: The built-in SSH doesn’t fail when Git protocol version 2 is enabled.
Fixed regressions in Mercurial support.
Docker: the IDE now validates Command line options and reports unknown options.
Docker: volume mounting now works on Windows using Linux containers.
Minor Gradle bug-fixes.

How to Insall the Latest IntelliJ IDEA in Ubuntu:

It’s quite easy to install the latest IDEA packages in Ubuntu since Jetbrains offers official snap (containerised software package) package in snappy store.

Simply open Ubuntu Software, search for and you’ll see IDEA ultimate and community packages available for install.

NOTE for Ubuntu 16.04 users who never installed a snap package, make sure snapd is installed by running command in terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T):

sudo apt install snapd snapd-xdg-open

In Howtos, News IntelliJ IDEA, java

LiVES Video Editor 2.10.0 Released! How to Install it in Ubuntu

Last updated: September 4, 2018

LiVES 2.10.0, free and open-source video editor and VJ tool, was released earlier today. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 16.04.

Changes in the LiVES 2.10.0 according to the changelog file:

Fix regression issues with youtube download.
Ensure audio waveform is redrawn after running fade audio.
Fix crash when adjusting cross-linked real time effect parameters (e.g LADSPA effects).
Fix an instability caused by NULL messages in the message cache (regression).
Fix possible crash when the real time effect parameters window is open during rendering.
Fix hang when clearing matches in the MIDI / JS learner window (GUI issue).
Improve the MIDI / JS tab in Preferences.
Add pref for creating a dummy alsa MIDI output port.
Add “OMC notify” to MIDI / JS mapper (MIDI -> OSC, sends USER1 notify event to all listeners).
Code cleanup. Standard checkbuttons and check menuitems now have their state set in the creation function.
Remove “use_mnemonic” parameter for widget functions. Use widget_opts.mnemonic_labels instead.
Amend the autolives toy so it can be triggered via OSC (and move to vj menu, add startup options).
MIDI channel can now used as a filter instead of a parameter to be matched.
Device mappings can now be shipped with builds.
Improved a/v synch with pulse audio.
Correct some minor GUI issues.
-noset startup option now has a permanent effect.
Add -asource [internal | external] startup option.
Fix bug in setting loop mode via OSC.
Fix broken framerate after pause / unpause during realtime playback.
Updated translation to Czech.

How to Install LiVES 2.10.0 in Ubuntu:

For Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Linux Mint 18.x and 19, you can easily install the latest packages from the unofficial PPA.

1. Open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T shortcut key and then 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, VJ tool

Flameshot – Another Great Screenshot Tool for Ubuntu Linux

Last updated: March 14, 2025

Flameshot is a simple yet powerful screenshot tool with annotation feature. Other than Shutter, it’s another of my favorite screen capturing tools for Ubuntu desktop so far.

Flameshot is written by C++ with Qt5 framework. It offers a system tray icon with ‘Take Screenshot’ and ‘Configuration’ menu options.

While selecting a screen area to capture, many editing tool buttons appear at the bottom. And you can press right-click to show color picker, and Space to open the side panel.

Other software features include:

Customizable appearance.
DBus interface.
Upload to Imgur.

How to Install Flameshot in Ubuntu:

The software is available in all current Ubuntu system repositories. Simply launch Ubuntu Software (or App Center), then search and install the package.

NOTE: the screenshot tool is available in App Center for both Snap (run in sandbox) and native Debian package formats. Choose either one that you prefer.

For choice, the software provides official packages for Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu, AppImage, and Flatpak, available to download under “Assets” in the link below:

Download Flameshot (under Assets)