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Archives For November 30, 1999

How to Install Ksnip Screenshot Tool via PPA in Ubuntu 22.04, 20.04

Last updated: April 24, 2024

For those prefer native DEB to Flatpak and Snap packages, here’s how to install the latest ksnip screenshot tool using PPA in Ubuntu 20.04 and Ubuntu 22.04.

Ksnip is a free and open-source Qt-based screenshot tool with editing feature. I use the app regularly to add annotations (e.g., arrow, rectangle, border and drop shadow) to my images. And, it’s working good in Ubuntu on both Wayland and Xorg session.

The software is available in Ubuntu universe repositories though it’s always old. The developer team maintains the latest packages via Linux universal Snap (available in Ubuntu Software) and Flatpak that run in sandbox.

Native DEB package is also available to download at github releases page. However, the latest version (v1.9.1 so far) does not work on Ubuntu 20.04 due to outdated QT5 library. It will work on Ubuntu 21.10, though users need to manually install the missing “libqt5x11extras5” package.

To add Ubuntu 20.04 support, I uploaded the software package into this unofficial PPA along with packages for Ubuntu 21.04 and Ubuntu 21.10. Though there’s already an Ubuntu PPA so far contains only Ubuntu 20.04 package.

Install Ksnip for Ubuntu PPA:

Firstly, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open a terminal window. When it opens, run the commands below one by one.

1. Add Ubuntu PPA.

Copy and paste the command below into terminal and hit Enter.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/ksnip

It will ask for password authentication without visual feedback. After typing user password and hitting Enter, it adds the PPA into system and updates the package cache automatically.

2. Install / Update Ksnip:

After adding the PPA, run command below to install the screenshot tool as well as dependencies:

sudo apt install ksnip

If an old DEB package exist in your system, you may also launch “Software Updater” to upgrade the app.

Uninstall Ksnip & remove PPA:

To remove ksnip, run command in terminal:

sudo apt remove --autoremove ksnip

Also remove the Ubuntu PPA by running command:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/ksnip

Alternatively, remove the repo line using “Software & Updates” under “Other Software” tab.

In Howtos screenshot tool

How to Record Your Desktop Screen in Ubuntu 21.10 Wayland with Kooha

Last updated: October 28, 2021

Looking for how to record Ubuntu desktop in Wayland session? Here’s how to do it in Ubuntu 21.10 using Kooha.

Ubuntu switched to “Wayland” session since Ubuntu 21.04. However, many apps, e.g., Kazam, Peek and vokoscreen-NG, do not support it. Some apps including OBS-Studio claim to support for Wayland, but either record blank screen or just refuse to work!

The best solution in my opinion is switch back to Xorg session. To do so, simply log out, select your user and then choose “Ubuntu on Xorg” via bottom-right gear button menu. All the apps will work once you login with Xorg.

For those sticking to the default Wayland, Kooha is one of good choices until GNOME’s “in-shell” screenshot & screencast UI is out.

Kooha screen recorder

How to Install Kooha in Ubuntu:

The simple screen recorder allows to capture the full-screen, selected app window, and a selection screen area. It saves video into WebM, MP4, GIF, and MKV formats.

The steps below is only recommended for Ubuntu 21.10 which has properly Pipewire support that is required by Kooha.

1. Setup Flatpak daemon:

The app is available to install as Flatpak package. So you have to first make sure he flatpak daemon is installed. Press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal, then run command:

sudo apt install flatpak

Next, add the flathub repository by running command in terminal:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

2. Install Kooha screen recorder:

After that, run the command below in terminal to install the screencast app:

flatpak install flathub io.github.seadve.Kooha

Upgrade the Pipewire service:

Kooha requires pipewire server, xdg-desktop-portal, and WebRTC (Firefox). There are properly installed and enabled in Ubuntu 21.10 out-of-the-box (at least in my case). The recorder somehow refuses to work with built-in pipewire, but the updated package from this Ubuntu PPA will make it work!

1.) Firstly, press Ctrl+Alt+T to open terminal. Then run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:pipewire-debian/pipewire-upstream

Type user password when it asks (no asterisk feedback) and hit Enter to continue.

2.) Next, either run sudo apt upgrade to upgrade all system packages or use apt command to install the audio & video server:

sudo apt install pipewire

Finally, restart your computer.

Start recording via Kooha:

In the next boot, search for and open Kooha from activities overview screen. When it opens, toggle recording system sound, microphone, mouse cursor, and finally click on “Record” button.

It will pop-up the dialog to either choose full-screen. You need to click the “Built-in display” or other monitor (if any) and then click “Share” to start recording.

Record full-screen – Need to click select display

Or, choose “Single Window” and select between all opened app windows.

Kooha record app window

When recording starts, the app window counts up with button to stop. Though it also has keyboard shortcut Ctrl+R to toggle record.

How to Uninstall Kooha:

To remove the Kooha screen recorder app, open terminal and run command:

flatpak uninstall --delete-data io.github.seadve.Kooha

And to restore the stock pipewire system service, run command to install ppa-purge and purge the Ubuntu PPA will do the trick:

sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:pipewire-debian/pipewire-upstream

That’s all. Enjoy!

In Howtos wayland

Battle for Wesnoth 1.16.0 Released! How to Install in Ubuntu

Last updated: October 26, 2021

After more than 2 years of development, the new major Battle for Wesnoth 1.16.0 was finally available to download.

With Wesnoth 1.15.x development releases, it introduced new campaign: Wings of Victory, an Intermediate level Drake campaign with 11 scenarios. A new new single player or coop survival scenario, Isle of Mists is added.

The add-on World Conquest II (now called World Conquest) has translations support. And users now has ability to add translated titles and descriptions to add-ons.

It has overhauled the Dunefolk to improve balance against the six Default factions. Most of the Dunefolk faction’s units have new and-or updated animations. There is also a new unit called falconer, which is a branch in the skirmisher line.

For multiplayer, it added roll N chat command, new Information button in the lobby to show server related information and ongoing tournaments being held. It’s possible to press F1 to view in-game help in the multiplayer lobby. And, the Private Replay checkbox is available in the game create screen.

It also merged several experimental AI candidate actions (CAs). The campaign AI Controller feature is now deprecated, and has been removed from mainline campaigns.

Other changes in Battle for Wesnoth 1.16.0 include:

Many changes to unit stats across the board
Several new fauna units added.
Many new zombified sprites, monsters, animations, and so forth.
Campaign changes and fixes.
WML and lua API changes.
Require system higher than Windows 7 / macOS 10.11

How to Install Battle for Wesnoth 1.16.0 in Ubuntu Linux:

The Windows EXE, macOS dmg and source tarball are available to download at the link below:

Download Wesnoth 1.16

Linux user may play the game via Steam or itch.io. It’s also available to install separately via the universal Flatpak package in Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 21.10, Ubuntu 18.04 and even older releases. And below will tell you how:

1.) Setup Flatpak daemon.

Firstly, search for and open terminal from start menu (activities overview). When it opens, run command to install the daemon:

sudo apt install flatpak

For old Ubuntu releases, e.g., Ubuntu 16.04 and Ubuntu 18.04, you need to add this PPA first.

Next, add the Flathub repository that hosts the software packages via command:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

2.) Install Battle for Wesnoth as Flatpak.

After setting up the daemon, run the command below in terminal:

flatpak install flathub org.wesnoth.Wesnoth

Both Wesnoth 1.14.x and 1.16 are available in the repository. You need to type number to choose which to install, and type y to confirm.

When everything’s done successfully, launch the game from start menu (searching from activities overview) and enjoy!

Uninstall Wesnoth Flatpak:

For any reason, you may run command in terminal to remove the package:

flatpak uninstall --delete-data org.wesnoth.Wesnoth

And clear unused runtime via flatpak uninstall --unused command.

In Howtos game

This Extension Adds MacBook Style Notch in GNOME 40 in Ubuntu 21.10

Last updated: October 22, 2021

Sounds ridiculous, but it’s true! GNOME now has an extension to add Apple iPhone & MacBook look like but USELESS notch in your screen.

I’m not an Apple fan and don’t know why to add an ugly notch on laptop screen. Though an extension “iNotch” is available to add it in GNOME 40. It does nothing buts add a blank area in top-center, with a camera lens icon as well as tally light.

As Apple’s hardware notch does, it however covers the clock and the cursor disappears when it enters the notch. Though, the drop down calendar menu still works when you click on the area in top-bar.

Notch in Ubuntu 21.10 screen

How to Install iNotch in Ubuntu 21.10:

The extension so far supports only GNOME 40. It’s tested and works in Ubuntu 21.10, and should work on Fedora 34 and Arch Linux.

1.) First, in case you’re first time installing GNOME Extension in Ubuntu 21.10, open terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard, and run command to install the required packages:

sudo apt install chrome-gnome-shell gnome-shell-extension-prefs

Note: sudo command will ask for user password authentication while no asterisk feedback.

2.) Next, go to the extension web page and turn on the slider icon to install it:

iNotch Gnome Extension

Don’t see the toggle icon? Install browser extension via ‘click here to install browser extension‘ link and refresh the page!

NOTE: The built-in Firefox in Ubuntu 21.10 is SNAP package that does NOT support installing Gnome Extensions. Use another web browser or install Firefox via classic DEB via command:

sudo apt install firefox

After installing the extension, restart GNOME Shell (Log out and back in if you’re in default Wayland session) to apply change.

How to Remove the Notch:

Search for and open “Gnome Extensions” app from activities overview screen. Then you can turn on / off as well as remove the extension:

That’s all. Enjoy!

In Howtos

How to Install Anbox to Run Android Apps in Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 21.10

Last updated: December 10, 2023

ANBOX IS NO LONGER IN ACTIVE DEVELOPMENT! Try the popular Waydroid instead!

Want to run Android apps in Linux? Here’s how to do it using the Anbox container in Ubuntu 20.04 and Ubuntu 21.10.

Anbox, Anbox in a box, is a free and open-source software that runs the full Android system in a container, abstracts hardware access and integrates core system services into a GNU/Linux system.

There’s another solution “Waydroid” to do the similar things in Linux. It’s said to have better performance, though it requires Wayland session. For those stick to Xorg, here’s how to install and use Anbox.

Load Kernel modules:

Anbox requires ashmem_linux and binder_linux kernel modules.

1.) If you have the SecureBoot enabled (check via sudo mokutil --sb-state command), open terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard, and run command to sign the kernel module:

sudo kmodsign sha512 /var/lib/shim-signed/mok/MOK.priv /var/lib/shim-signed/mok/MOK.der /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/staging/android/ashmem_linux.ko

2.) Next load the modules one by one via command:

sudo modprobe ashmem_linux

sudo modprobe binder_linux

3.) Finally verify the kernel modules via command:

lsmod | grep -e ashmem_linux -e binder_linux

Install Anbox:

The software is available to install via official Snap and classic DEB packages, though I recommend the snap package this time. Because, the DEB is not well supported. User needs to manually mount binder, download and load Android image, and troubleshoot other issues. And it ultimately failed to run in my case.

To install Anbox snap, press Ctrl+Alt+T to open terminal, and run command:

snap install anbox --beta --devmode

After installation, you may try to launch Anbox by searching it from activities overview screen. However, it does not launch in my case until installed the Google Play Store. If so, try running the command below in terminal to start it:

anbox launch --package=org.anbox.appmgr --component=org.anbox.appmgr.AppViewActivity

Install Google Play Store:

Anbox has a few built-in applications except Google Play Store, because Google will only permit certified devices to ship with their applications. Thankfully, there’s an installer script to automatically install it for you.

1.) Firstly, open terminal and run command to install some required libraries:

sudo apt install wget curl lzip tar unzip squashfs-tools

2.) Next, download the script via wget command:

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/geeks-r-us/anbox-playstore-installer/master/install-playstore.sh

3.) Add executable permission:

chmod u+x install-playstore.sh

4.) And run the script will download the package and install Play Store:

./install-playstore.sh

Now, search for and open Anbox from activities overview screen. When it opens, go to settings and grant all permissions to Google Play Store, and finally open the Play Store to install Android apps.

How to Remove Anbox:

To remove the software, simply run command in terminal:

snap remove --purge anbox

You may also remove the “anbox” and “anbox-work” folders in user’s home directory.

In Howtos Android

GIMP 2.99.8 Released with .jxl File Support, How to Install in Ubuntu

Last updated: October 21, 2021

GIMP image editor released new development version 2.99.8 for the next 3.0 series with some great new features.

GIMP 2.99.8 introduced multiple layers support for its Clone, Heal and Perspective Clone tools. There are as well 2 new modes in particular:

When sourcing from multiple selected drawables then cloning into a single drawable, the pixel source is the composited render of source layers.
When cloning while multiple drawables are selected, each drawable clones from itself to itself, i.e. every drawable is both its source and target.

The release added support for loading and exporting JPEG-XL (.jxl) files via the libjxl library. And it supports larger-than-4GiB PSD files and loading up to 99 channels, as well as PSB files with width and height up to 300,000 pixels.

Thanks to Windows Ink support, GIMP now has more more graphics tablets or touch input devices support. Other changes in GIMP 2.99.8 include:

Selection cue fixed on Wayland and macOS
Clicking anywhere on the toolbox or on Wilber’s drop area now returns the focus to the canvas
Dropped the thumbnail icon feature.
Memory leak fixes and plug-in improvements.

How to Install GIMP 2.99.8 in Ubuntu Linux:

GIMP rolls out new nightly build of the flatpak package for Linux. After installing flatpak daemon, run the command below will install GIMP nightly build:

flatpak install --user https://nightly.gnome.org/repo/appstream/org.gimp.GIMP.flatpakref

For GIMP 2.99.8 Beta as Flatpak, see this how to install guide.

There are also third-party Ubuntu PPA for those don’t like flatpak. Though it’s not updated at the moment, check HERE.

In Howtos

How to Remove Trash Icon From Left Dock Panel in Ubuntu 24.04

Last updated: May 4, 2024

This simple tutorial shows how to remove the trash icon from the dock in Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat.

Different to the previous releases, Ubuntu 24.04 puts the trash icon on left dock instead of the desktop. However, I don’t use the trash icon in either location. Instead, I removes files using right-click menu options, and go to trash via file manager left sidebar.

If you also find it useless, then here’s how to remove it either via a single command or by a graphical configuration tool.

In Howtos Gnome

Prevent Software Updater Installing Firefox Snap in Ubuntu MATE 21.10

Last updated: October 19, 2021

The “Software Updater” utility in Ubuntu MATE 21.10 tries to remove native Firefox package and install the SNAP version instead. If you’ve done that, here’s how to revert to Firefox DEB package and prevent the misbehavior.

As you may know, Ubuntu is switching Firefox from native DEB to the universal SNAP package. Ubuntu 21.10 now has Firefox SNAP out-of-the-box, while its flavors are still having the classic deb package.

However, in Ubuntu MATE 21.10 the “Software Updater” has a bug. It tries to remove pre-installed Firefox package by marking it as “Duplicate packages to be removed”.

Software Updater Tries to Install Firefox SNAP

If you clicked “Install Now” button without attention. The default Firefox web browser will be replaced with the SNAP app:

Revert to pre-installed Firefox DEB:

By going to the app “menu -> Help -> About Firefox” will tell if you’ve done that mistakenly.

The Firefox SNAP app

And, you may press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal, and run command to remove the Snap if installed:

sudo snap remove --purge firefox

Then install the native Firefox deb package by running command:

sudo apt install firefox

Prevent Software Updater from installing Firefox Snap:

Thanks to N0rbert, run the single command below in terminal to do the trick until the upstream fixed the bug.

sudo apt-mark manual firefox

The command will work on all Ubuntu flavors, though I found the issue only in Ubuntu MATE so far.

That’s it. Enjoy!

In Howtos Firefox

Top 10 Things to Do After Installing Ubuntu 21.10 Desktop

Last updated: October 15, 2021

Everyone needs to tweak the default desktop environment before getting ready to work! And here are the top 10 things that I’ve done after installing Ubuntu 21.10 Impish Indri.

1. Install Media Codec:

If you didn’t enable ‘Install third-party software …‘ check-box during the installing process, you need to install the multimedia codecs for audio and video playback with built-in apps.

To do so, open terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard and run command:

sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras

As you see in terminal outputs, it will also install codecs for Chromium based browser, Microsoft TrueType core fonts, as well as non-free package to handle rar archive.

2. Enable ‘Click-to-minimize’ dock panel click action:

Clicking app icon on the dock panel will do nothing for the focused app window by default. Though I think most people want it act as minimize the current window.

Open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run the single command will do the trick:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.dash-to-dock click-action minimize

3. Remove Default Firefox Snap, and install back the classic Deb package:

In the final release of Ubuntu 21.10, the default Firefox web browser has been switched to the Snap package runs in sandbox. However, it does not support for installing Gnome extensions!

So I have to remove it by running command in a terminal window:

sudo snap remove --purge firefox

And then install back the classic deb package via command:

sudo apt install firefox

4. Tweak the Dock Panel Appearance:

Also for the left dock panel, there are a few tips to tweak its appearance. Open terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T key combination on keyboard, and run the command below:

Move ‘Show Applications’ (9 dots icon) to the top:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.dash-to-dock show-apps-at-top true

Shorten the panel to make it compact:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.dash-to-dock extend-height false

Move dock to the bottom, though you may do it via System Settings:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.dash-to-dock dock-position BOTTOM

Disable USB and other removable device icons from panel:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.dash-to-dock show-mounts false

For those prefer a graphical configuration tool, all the above commands can be done via Dconf Editor tool.

5. Enable Gnome Extensions Support:

The most extensions for Gnome is to be installed via web browser by visiting extensions.gnome.org, though you have to install something to enable it.

Open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to install chrome-gnome-shell and Gnome Extensions app:

sudo apt install chrome-gnome-shell gnome-shell-extension-prefs

After that, you may visit the web site and install browser extension for the first time and install your prefer Gnome Extensions.

And by searching for ‘Gnome Extensions’ from activities overview, you can open the app to manage them.

6. Install Gnome Tweaks:

Besides the default system settings, Gnome Tweaks is the must have configuration tool for GNOME desktop, especially for changing themes and fonts.

To install the tool, open terminal and run command:

sudo apt install gnome-tweaks

7. Manage desktop icons:

Ubuntu 21.10 now defaults the trash icon into dock panel, though the Home icon present in the desktop out-of-the-box. User may choose to hide it or change the icon size via new settings menu.

Simply right-click blank area on the desktop and choose “Desktop Icons settings” will open the page to manage desktop icons.

8. Modern desktop appearance via blur effect:

The default top bar and overview screen is a little bit ugly. To make them look good, try “Blur my Shell” Gnome Shell Extension.

After doing step 5, you may click the link below to install it:

Install Blur my Shell

Ubuntu 21.10 with Blur effect

9. Enable Gnome Shell Theme Support:

To be able to switch between dark and light menus, notifications, etc, and try out different Gnome Shell themes, you have to install the User Themes extension.

Install User Themes Extension

After that, use Gnome Tweaks to change Shell themes under Appearance tab.

10. Switch back Xorg Session:

Ubuntu defaults to Wayland session since Ubuntu 21.04. However, some applications are still not working good with Wayland. If you’re sticking to those apps, you may choose to switch back “Ubuntu on Xorg” from the login screen via bottom right gear button.

That’s all. If you have more tips to improve the Ubuntu desktop appearance, please leave comment in the bottom!

In Howtos Ubuntu 21.10

How to Upgrade From Ubuntu 21.04 to Ubuntu 21.10 Impish Indri

Last updated: October 15, 2021

Ubuntu 21.10 officially released! Here’s what’s new and how to upgrade from the previous Ubuntu 21.04.

Ubuntu 21.10, codenamed “Impish Indri”, is the new short-term release with 9 months support. It features Linux Kernel 5.13 with new hardware support. And it ships GNOME Desktop 40 with a redesigned activities overview screen. Workspaces are now arranged horizontally. Three-finger touchpad gestures are supported out-of-the-box to toggle overview and switch workspaces.

For Ubuntu Server 21.10, it integrates OpenStack Xena, QEMU 6.0, PHP8, libvirt 7.6, Kubernetes, and Ceph with advanced life-cycle management tools.

Other changes include:

Wayland session available while using the Nvidia proprietary driver.
PulseAudio 15 introduces support for Bluetooth LDAC and AptX codecs.
Better audio quality with HFP Bluetooth profiles.
Toolchain update: gcc 11.2.0, glibc 2.34, LLVM, golang 1.17.x.
See more changes here.

Download / Upgrade to Ubuntu 21.10:

For those want to do a fresh install, download Ubuntu 21.10 from the official website.

How to Upgrade From Ubuntu 21.04 Desktop to Ubuntu 21.10:

Before getting started, it’s always recommended to backup important data and switch to open-source driver via “Additional Drivers” utility. Also, disable third-party PPAs via “Software & Updates -> Other Software”. And it’s better to purge Ubuntu PPAs that contains updated graphics & multi-media libraries, e.g, FFmpeg, Mesa.

1.) First, search for and open “Software Updater” utility and install all available updates. And restart your computer if required.

2.) Press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard, and run command to launch the Software Updater with checking system upgrade:

update-manager -c

It will open up ‘Software Updater’ and indicate that Ubuntu 21.10 is available for upgrade. Don’t see the prompt? Try opening “Software & Updates” and select notify me for any version under ‘Updates’ tab.

3.) After clicking on “Upgrade” button, it will bring up the ‘Impish Indri Release Note’ dialog.

4.) Click “Upgrade” again and it opens the “Distribution Upgrade” wizard indicates the process.

5.) After ‘Preparing to upgrade’ and ‘Setting new software channels’, it will ask for confirm again for upgrading the system.

Now, it starts downloading the new packages and installing the updates! And, it will ask for confirm to clean up obsolete packages. After all, restart computer when it indicates restart to complete upgrade.

How to Upgrade From Ubuntu 21.04 Server to Ubuntu 21.10:

To upgrade Ubuntu Server, firstly connect to command console, and install the update-manager-core package via command:

sudo apt install update-manager-core

Make sure the Prompt line in /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades is set to normal via command:

cat /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades |grep Prompt

If the value if not normal, you need to edit the file and change it.

Finally, start the upgrade tool and follow onscreen instructions via command:

sudo do-release-upgrade