App Review | UbuntuHandbook

Wavemon – Display Live WiFi Signal Strength in Terminal

Last updated: June 15, 2025

wifi hotspot

Looking for a wireless network manager? Wavemon is a command line ncurses-based wireless network monitoring application for Linux.

Wavemon displays live signal and noise levels, packet statistics, device configuration and network parameters of your wireless network hardware. It should work with all devices supported by the Linux kernel.

Wavemon is available in Ubuntu universe repositories. Simply open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to install it:

sudo apt install wavemon

Then run wavecom command in terminal to start the monitor. For more information run man wavemon.

While the software packages in Ubuntu repositories are always old. You can get the latest release from the link below:

Wavemon in Github

In App Review wifi signal strength

SameBoy – Powerful Game Boy Emulator Available as Snap

Last updated: March 19, 2020

The latest version of SameBoy, powerful Game Boy Emulator, available to install via Snap package in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher.

SameBoy is an open-source user friendly Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Super Game Boy emulator for macOS, Windows and Unix-like platforms.

SameBoy is extremely accurate and includes a wide range of powerful debugging features, making it ideal for both casual players and developers.

In addition to accuracy and developer capabilities, SameBoy has all the features one would expect from an emulator – from save states to scaling filters.

SameBoy is available to install in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher via Snap (runs in sandbox) pacakge. Simply search for and install it from Ubuntu Software.

You can also run command instead to install the Game Boy Emulator in terminal:

snap install sameboy

Once installed, launch it from your system application menu and enjoy!

In App Review Game Boy Emulator

Fill Ubuntu Console With Hollywood Melodrama Technobabble

Last updated: March 17, 2020

Want to make your Ubuntu look like a busy-looking console? Hollywood is a utility that will split your console into a multiple panes of genuine technobabble, perfectly suitable for any Hollywood geek melodrama. It is particularly suitable on any number of computer consoles in the background of any excellent schlock technothriller.

Hollywood is open source software, created by Dustin Kirkland in 2014 and has been used by NBC News, on Saturday Night Live, in cybersecurity commercials for Experian, Full Frontal by Samantha Bee, Map Men, and magazine articles such as this one from Texas A&M University.

How to Install Hollywood in Ubuntu:

Hollywood is available in Ubuntu main repositories, though it’s always old.

The Hollywood PPA contains the latest packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.10, and Ubuntu 20.04.

1.) Open terminal from system application menu, then run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:hollywood/ppa

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

2.) Then refresh system package cache and install the utility via following 2 commands:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install --install-recommends hollywood

To start hollywood, run command hollywodd either in terminal (toggle fullscreen mode vi F11) or TTY console (Ctrl+Alt+F3). And stop it via Ctrl+C.

Uninstall:

To remove the PPA, either use Software & Updates utility or run command in terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:hollywood/ppa

To remove Hollywood utility, run command:

sudo apt remove hollywood

In App Review hollywood

Internet Radio Player Shortwave 1.0 Released (Howto Install)

Last updated: March 15, 2020

Shortwave, an internet radio player desktop application for Linux, released its first stable version 1.0 today. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher.

Shortwave is a new desktop radio app for Linux built with Rust. It provides access to a station database with over 25,000 stations. It features:

Create your own library where you can add your favourite stations
Easily search and discover new radio stations
Automatic recognition of songs, with the possibility to save them individually
Responsive application layout, compatible for small and large screens
Play audio on supported network devices (e.g. Google Chromecasts)
Seamless integration into the GNOME desktop environment
Import stations from Gradio.

How to install Shortwave in Ubuntu:

For Ubuntu 18.04 and higher, Shortwave radio player can be easily installed via Flatpak from flathub repository.

First do following steps to setup flathub repository if you’re first time installing a flatpak package in Ubuntu:

1.) Open terminal either from system application menu or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard. When it opens, run command:

sudo apt install flatpak

2.) Add the flathub repository which hosts the flatpak package:

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

Then install Shortwave flatpak package via command:

flatpak install flathub de.haeckerfelix.Shortwave

Once installed, launch the internet radio player from your system application menu and enjoy!

(Optional) To remove Shortwave, simply run command in terminal:

flatpak uninstall de.haeckerfelix.Shortwave

In App Review internet radio, shortwave

Mechvibes: Play Mechanical Keyboard Sounds When You Type

Last updated: March 8, 2020

Mechvibes is a desktop application that plays mechanical keyboard key-press sound when your type on your keyboard.

It’s a side project that I made for myself since when I use my own mechanical keyboard at late night or in the office and my parents and my coworkers hate that a lot because the sound of the keyboard is very loud (especially in quiet places). So if you are facing this issue just like me then this product is for you!

With Mechvibes, you can:

Set custom keyboard sound set by recording any sound you like
Use your laptop keyboard or non-mechanical keyboard at work and still hear your loved sound.
Use this app as any purpose as you want

How to Install Mechvibes in Ubuntu:

The software can be easily installed in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher via Snap package in Ubuntu Software utility.

Once installed, launch the software from system application menu. And you may read the official document about Mechvibes Editor.

In App Review play key-press sound

Colorpicker: Mininal But Complete Color Picker App

Last updated: June 15, 2025

There are quite a few color picker applications for Ubuntu Linux. Colorpicker is another one written with Electron, and works in Linux, Windows, and Mac OS.

The colorpicker tool features:

pin app window to the foreground.
A picker opens an eyedropper to pick a color from your desktop
Colorsbook, a color manager
show three bar of shading — hue bar, natural bar and lightness bar
Toggle Opacity range
Show colors from the clipboard

How to Install ColorPicker in Ubuntu:

The software is available in Ubuntu Software as Snap package (runs in sandbox). Simply search for and install colorpicker app and enjoy!

For choice, it offers AppImage for Linux, exe for Windows, dmg for macOS, which are available to download at Github releases page under Assets section.

In App Review color picker

Delta Chat – Telegram / Whatsapp Like Messenger over Email

Last updated: March 2, 2020

Delta Chat is a free open-source Telegram or Whatsapp like messenger that works on Linux, Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android.

Delta Chat doesn’t have its own servers but uses the most massive and diverse open messaging system ever: the existing e-mail server network.

Chat with anyone if you know their e-mail address, no need for them to install the software! All you need is a standard e-mail account.

Download Delta Chat:

The software offers deb, appimage, and flatpak packages for downloading on its website:

Delta Chat Download

Install the messenger, login via your Email address and enjoy!

For Gmail, you’ll need to turn on “Less secure app access” in account settings > security web page.

In App Review messenger

Notable – Markdown based Note-taking App for Linux

Last updated: June 15, 2025

Notable is an open-source Markdown-based note-taking application that works in Linux, Mac OS, and Windows.

Notes are written and rendered in GitHub Flavored Markdown, no WYSIWYG, no account required, no proprietary formats, and the app isn’t bloated.

Notable has a pretty user interface and it features:

Markdown editor, the same one VS Code uses.
Notes and attachments stored locally on your disk
Dark theme support.
Zen mode that provides a minimalistic editing and reading experience
Import Evernote and Boostnote notes
Export notes to Markdown, HTML or PDF.
Fuzzy search, attachments, synchronization with Dropbox, and more.

How to Install Notable in Ubuntu:

Notable is available to install in App Center (or Ubuntu Software for 22.04 and earlier) as snap package, which runs in sandbox.

For choice, you may go to the Github releases page via link below to download .deb, .exe, .dmg, .AppImage and source tarball:

Download Notable

Scroll down a little, click download the ‘notable_x.x.x_amd64.deb‘ packages under Assets, then install it either via Gdebi package installer or simply double click on the deb.

Finally open the software from your system application menu and enjoy!

In App Review note-taking app

Remote Touchpad: Control Mouse & Keyboard from Your Phone

Last updated: June 15, 2025

Remote Touchpad is an open-source utility allows to remote control the mouse and keyboard connected to your computer from the web browser of a smartphone or any other device with a touchscreen.

Remote Touchpad supports Flatpak’s RemoteDesktop portal (for Wayland), Windows and X11.

The app is stupid easy to use. Just launch it, then you’ll see a terminal window opened with an URL along with QR code:

Then use your phone to scan the QR code. As long as you keep the terminal window, you’ll be able to use your phone (tested in iPhone) screen as touchpad input for the computer.

Option 1: Install via Snap package

The utility is available as Snap package. You can simply search for and install remote touchpad in Ubuntu Software for 22.04 and earlier, or App Center for 24.04 and higher:

Option 2: Install via Flatpak package

It also available to install via Flatpak package in the Flathub repository.

Linux Mint and Fedora (with 3rd party repository enabled) can search & install the package from either Software Manager or GNOME Software.

While, Debian/Ubuntu users may run the 2 commands one by one to install:

Enable flatpak support:
```
sudo apt install flatpak
```

Install the app package:

flatpak install https://dl.flathub.org/repo/appstream/com.github.unrud.RemoteTouchpad.flatpakref

Once installed, launch the utility from your system application menu. And, log out and back in if the app icon is not visible.

Then go to the displayed URL (input in a web browser address bar) or scan the QR code in your phone and enjoy!

In App Review control mouse via phone, control touchpad via phone

Install Ephemeral web browser Easily via Snap in Ubuntu

Last updated: April 24, 2024

UPDATE: Ephemeral DISCONTINUED since 2022. And, it’s no longer available in Ubuntu Software as Snap package.

Ephemeral, a private-by-default, always-incognito browser for elementary OS, now can be easily installed in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher via Snap package.

Ephemeral is a stripped down private browser that’s perfect for avoiding persistent cookies or web trackers. Close the window and all traces of your browsing are removed from your device.

Ephemeral is developed by Cassidy James Blaede, co-founder & CXO at elementary, Inc. It is designed and developed on and for elementary OS. And the community build Snap package made it available to install in Ubuntu.