UbuntuHandbook

The First Beta of Ubuntu 16.10 Yakkety Yak Released

Last updated: September 29, 2017

The Ubuntu Team has announced the first beta release of Ubuntu 16.10 Yakkety Yak, feathers images for Lubuntu, Ubuntu GNOME, Ubuntu Kylin, Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu Studio.

This pre-release includes the v4.4 kernel, LibreOffice 5.2, and a number of software updates that are ready for wider testing. These images are still under development, so you should expect some bugs.

Ubuntu 16.10 Beta 1 Release Highlights:

Lubuntu still uses LXDE since LXQT is still in development.

Ubuntu GNOME 16.10:

includes GNOME 3.20
Select apps have been updated to their GNOME 3.22 Beta 1 (3.21.90) versions.
GTK 3 version of LibreOffice 5.2 by default.
GNOME’s Initial Setup utility is included and enabled.
Empathy is no longer installed by default for new installs.
The new Characters character map utility is installed by default.
The experimental wayland session is included.

Ubuntu Kylin 16.04 fixed many internationalization and localization bugs.

Ubuntu MATE 16.10:

Migrated to GTK 3.20
Updated to MATE Dock Applet 0.74
Updated many MATE packages for improved GTK 3.20 support
Removed MATE Heads-Up Display (HUD)

Ubuntu Studio 16.04 included dgedit, drumgizmo, gpick, calibre, pdf-shuffler, plume-creator. Replaced recordmydesktop with vokoscreen, and gnome-color-manager with dispcalgui. Also an updated list of packages included.

Future releases for Ubuntu 16.10:

September 22nd	Final Beta
October 6th	Final Freeze, Release Candicate
October 13th	Final release of Ubuntu 16.10

In News Ubuntu 16.10

PyCharm 2016.2.2 Released with Fixes and Performance Improvements

Last updated: August 27, 2016

The PyCharm Team announced the release of PyCharm 2016.2.2 on August 25. Now it’s available in PPA for upgrade in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 12.04, and derivatives.

The new release fixed several major problems in the debugger and in the code analysis subsystem. It updates bundled JSHint version to 2.9.2, provides better exclude rules for indexing for Node.js, usability, UI, editing performance improvements, and various bug fixes. See the release note for details.

How to install PyCharm 2016.2.2 in Ubuntu / Linux Mint:

Both the professional and community version with Unity menu-bar integration are available in Mystic Mirage’s PPA for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 12.04, and the old Ubuntu 15.10, 15.04.

GetDeb repository also contains the professional version of PyCharm IDE for Ubuntu 16.04 and Ubuntu 14.04.

1. Add the PPA

Open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mystic-mirage/pycharm

2. For those who have a previous release installed, launch Software Updater and upgrade the IDE:

Or install the PyCharm IDE professional via command in terminal:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install pycharm

Replace pycharm with pycharm-community in the code to install the community version.

3. (Optional) To remove PyCharm IDE, simply run command:

sudo apt remove pycharm pycharm-community

And the PPA repository can be removed via Software & Updates utility (Other Software tab).

In News IDE, PyCharm

How to Install Avidemux 2.6.13 in Ubuntu 16.04

Last updated: April 4, 2019

Avidemux video editor has reached the 2.6.13 release recently with lots of bug-fixes and improvements. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 16.04 LTS via PPA.

Changes in Avidemux 2.6.13:

updated Toolchain for Win64 and OS X
Linux AppImage available (universal linux64 binaries)
Update to libav* 3.0.2
Improved copy mode for h264/h265 video
AAC/ADTS import/export
new video filter : ivtcDupeRemover to remove duplicate after 3:2 pulldown
Revamped refresh screen
ASS/SSA fixes
Improved logo filter with alpha channel
ShaderLoader, load your openGL shaders as filters
Compatibility with newer gcc
Partial filter available only for one in/one out video filters
Add go fwd/go backward 60 sec buttons

Install Avidemux 2.6.13 in Ubuntu 16.04:

The Qt and CLI version of Avidemux 2.6.13 has been made into the ~~GetDeb Apps repository~~, available for Ubuntu 16.04 and Linux Mint 18. To install it, do below steps:

For those prefer the GTK version, wait Avidemux 2.6.13 to be made into Thanh Tung Nguyen’s PPA

1. Add GetDeb repository by opening terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and running the command:

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu xenial-getdeb apps" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/getdeb.list'

2. Install the key so to trust the packages from that repository:

wget -q -O- http://archive.getdeb.net/getdeb-archive.key | sudo apt-key add -

3. Finally update system package index and install Avidemux video editor:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install avidemux2.6-qt

4. (Optional) To remove Avidemux, use command:

sudo apt remove avidemux2.6-qt && sudo apt autoremove

And the GetDeb repository can be removed via Software & Updates utility (Other Software tab).

In Howtos, News avidemux video editor, video editor

Shotwell 0.23.5 Adds Hyperlinks on Tags, Remove Buttom Toolbar Option

Last updated: August 21, 2016

The Gnome photo management software, Shotwell 0.23.5, was released a few days ago with user experience improvements, bug fixes, and translation updates.

Shotwell 0.23.5 adds an option under View menu allows users to hide the bottom toolbar. Tags below the thumbnails now behave like hyperlinks, so that clicking it brings you to the page with all other photos with that tag.

Other changes in the 0.23.5 release:

Remove obsolete files
Plugins: Load icons and GtkBuilder files from GResource
Fix .desktop file generation
Use Gtk.MessageDialog’s printf-style API for strings
Add SQL indexes to PhotoTable
Add Language headers to po files
Update INSTALL file
Really remove reference to external hmac_sha1
Disambiguate strings for time ranges
Implement linked tags
Make it more clear that something failed if SSL conncetion was not possible
Add option to filter by saved search
Explicitly link plugins to their dependencies
Fix typo in GSettings schema
Re-add –disable-extra-plugins configure option
Fix settings migrator and thumbnailer path
Bump debian compat for proper –libexecdir parameter

How to install Shotwell 0.23.5 in Ubuntu 16.04:

For Ubuntu 16.04 LTS and derivatives, you can install or upgrade to Shotwell 0.23.5 using Jens Georg’s PPA.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yg-jensge/shotwell

2. Then updated package index and upgrade shotwell:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install shotwell

3. To restore the stock Shotwell 0.22 version, run command to purge the PPA:

sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:yg-jensge/shotwell

In Howtos, News photo manager, shotwell

How to Install Rhythmbox 3.4 in Ubuntu Gnome 16.04 via PPA

Last updated: September 4, 2016

Gnome’s default music player, Rhythmbox, has reached the 3.4 release. It has been made into the universe repository (to be default) for Ubuntu 16.10 Yakkety.

Rhythmbox 3.4 comes with a new remote web control plugin, allows users to control the basic music playback remotely via a web browser.

Other changes in Rhythmbox 3.4:

Grilo plugin now uses Grilo 0.3
Soundcloud plugin fetches more search results and allows pausing
No longer uses webkit (partly due to OpenBSD W^X enforcement)
Slightly better handling of keyboard shortcuts for playback
Core and some plugin data files compiled into binaries using GResources
Memory leak and plugin fixes, translation updates, etc.
See more in NEWS page.

Install Rhythmbox 3.4 in Ubuntu 16.04

Besides building the new release from source, you can install Rhythmbox 3.4 in Ubuntu Gnome 16.04 via a third-party PPA repository.

Tried both official Rhythmbox 3.4 build in Ubuntu 16.10 daily and the PPA backports in Ubuntu 16.04, there are a few issues found in my case:

No menu (global or title bar menu) in Unity Desktop
new web control plugin does not work in my browser

If you intend to install Rhythmbox 3.4 via PPA, follow below steps:

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:fossfreedom/rhythmbox

2. Update package index and install the 3.4 packages:

sudo apt update; sudo apt install rhythmbox rhythmbox-plugins

~~DO NOT use apt upgrade, because the PPA also contains GTK 3.20 backports you may not want.~~

~~3. Remove the PPA after installation, via either Software & Updates -> Other Software or the command below:~~

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:vascofalves/gnome-backports && sudo apt update

4. (Optional) To revert back to Rhythmbox 3.3, purge the PPA via ppa-purge

sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:fossfreedom/rhythmbox

In Howtos rhythmbox, rhythmbox remote control

EME – A New Elegant Markdown Editor for Ubuntu Linux

Last updated: August 19, 2016

EME is an open-source markdown editor developed with Node.js and Electron framework. Works on Linux, OS X, and Windows.

The editor provides a simple user interface with editor only, preview only, or both editor and preview mode as you wish. A Focus Mode allows to focus right on the paragraph you are writing. Vim Mode offers the powerful vim key bindings support for the editor.

EME Markdown Editor with Numix GTK theme

Other Features:

Export to HTML/PDF
Supporting math typesetting
Developer Tools, and Chrome based.
Key bindings support

As a one month old project, request new features and report bugs at its project page.

Download EME Markdown Editor:

Pre-compiled 64-bit DEB binary for Ubuntu is available for download at the link below:

Download EME_xxx_amd64.deb

Grab the latest .deb package and then click install it via Ubuntu Software. Finally launch the markdown editor from Unity Dash / App Launcher and enjoy!

(Optional) To remove the editor, use Synaptic Package Manager, or run apt remove command in terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T):

sudo apt remove eme

In App Review markdown editor, vim key

Nvidia 370.23 Adds TITAN X Support, Over-clocking in GTX 1000 Series

Last updated: August 18, 2016

The Nvidia driver for Linux has reached the 370 series by releasing the 370.23 beta driver. TITAN X (Pascal) and GTX 1060 6GB are officially supported. Over- and under-clock GPUs feature added for GTX 1000 series and later.

Nvidia 370.23 also brings the “PixelShiftMode” MetaMode option, enabling support for 4K and 8K pixel shift displays.

Other changes include:

a Vulkan bug fix revolving around X11 swap chains
fix a mode-setting regression from 367.35
fix OpennGL / OpenGL ES driver crash and CUDA device querying crash
enable persistence mode by default for all GPUs when the daemon is started
See the official announcement for more details.

How to install Nvidia 370.23 in Ubuntu 16.04, 14.04:

The Graphics Driver Team has made the new 370 driver series into PPA, available for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 12.04, and also the next Ubuntu 16.10.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:graphics-drivers/ppa

Type in password when it asks and hit Enter.

2. Update system package index via:

sudo apt update

3. Finally launch Additional Drivers utility, select the nvidia-370 driver and click Apply changes.

After installing the new driver, restart your computer to take effect.

In Howtos, News Nvidia 370, Nvidia Linux

Oracle Virtualbox 5.1.4 Available for Upgrade

Last updated: August 17, 2016

The second maintain release for the Virtualbox 5.1 series, Virtualbox 5.1.4, now is available for upgrade in the official Virtualbox Linux repository.

Oracle has not yet announced the release of Virtualbox 5.1.4 at the moment. The changelog will be available once it’s ready in the wiki page, and Linux binaries will be available for download in the Linux download page.

Those who have enabled Virtualbox Linux repository, Virtualbox 5.1.4 is now available for upgrade in Software Updater:

How to install Virtualbox 5.1.4 in Ubuntu

The new release is ready for upgrade for all current Ubuntu releases, include Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 12.04, and their derivatives.

1. For those who don’t have VBox Linux repository enabled, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command:

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian xenial contrib" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/virtualbox.list'

replace xenial with trusty or precise for Ubuntu 14.04 or Ubuntu 12.04 and their derivatives.

2. And setup the key via command:

wget -q -O - http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian/oracle_vbox_2016.asc | sudo apt-key add -

For Ubuntu 15.10 and older, use the old key:

wget -q https://www.virtualbox.org/download/oracle_vbox.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -

3. After adding the official Virtualbox Linux repository, launch Software Updater and you will be able to upgrade Virtualbox after checking for updates:

In Howtos, News Virtualbox, Virtualbox 5.1

StepMania 5.0.12 Released with Enhancement and Bug Fixes

Last updated: August 14, 2016

StepMania, an open-source and advanced cross-platform rhythm game, has reached the 5.0.12 release after a month and two weeks of release candidate testing.

StepMania 5.0.12 is probably the last maintain release for the 5.0 series. The developers are no focusing on the development of StepMania 5.1 branch.

Changes in StepMania 5.0.12:

Fixed bug that allowed pausing by pressing Select then Back. Pausing requires pressing the same button twice.
Default theme ignores holding Select, or Start during gameplay. The pause menu must be used to back out of a song.
Select Music
Added AllowHoldForOptions preference. When this is set to 0 (off), going to the player options screen requires pressing Start a second time, instead of holding it.
Fixed bug that deleted a warp on the same beat as a stop when saving.
Ready and Go announcer sounds no longer play simultaneously.
Fixed cmake settings so that player profiles can be loaded from USB drives once again.
Fixed crash in loading profiles from USB drives.

How to install StepMania 5.0.12 in Ubuntu:

Besides running the official Linux binary (non-install version in previous link), an unofficial PPA with stepmania packages for Ubuntu 16.04 and Ubuntu 14.04 is available. And below is how to install the StepMania 5.0.12 via the PPA.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/stepmania

Type in your password when it asks and hit Enter.

2. Update package index and install the game:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install stepmania

For those who don’t want to add PPA, grab the .deb packages of stepmania-data and then stepmania for 5.0.12 from HERE.

In News stepmania, stepmania ppa

How to Install Vuze BitTorrent Client 5.7.3 in Ubuntu 16.04

Last updated: April 4, 2019

Vuze BitTorrent client (previously Azureus) has recently reached the 5.7.3 release with many new features, UI improvements, and some bug-fixes.

While Ubuntu 16.04 offers only Vuze 5.7.2 through a snap package in Ubuntu Software, here’s how you can install the 5.7.3 release via the traditional .deb package.

Vuze 5.7.3 new features:

Remember last configuration view
Support for additional DHT stats/operation views
Subscription’s can now be named and marked as anonymous during creation
Added share ratio to archived files view
Network indicator for discovered tags
Menu option to revert redirected files within a download
DHT latency estimate added to views
Added simpler way to set download thumbnails
Added option to make subscription downloads non-public
Concurrent subscription downloads
Support for anonymous subscriptions
See more at the wiki page.

Install Vuze 5.7.3 in Ubuntu 16.04:

1. Add Getdeb repository: