News, Tutorials, Howtos for Ubuntu Linux
This tutorial shows how to disable USB, either the full sub-system or for certain USB ports, in Ubuntu 24.04 or Ubuntu 22.04.
For server or production machines, disable USB can be useful for data privacy, virus protection, and other security reasons. For Ubuntu and most other Linux, here I’m going to show you how to disable USB via 3 ways:
This simple tutorial shows how to install 7-Zip file archiver in Ubuntu Desktop.
7-Zip is a popular free open-source file archiver with a high compression ratio. Ubuntu Linux can get it in few different packages:
NOTE: If you just want to do compress and/or extract .7z files, then Ubuntu supports the feature out-of-the-box with the Nautilus file manager.
GNU Octave, the free open-source application for numerical computations, released new major 9.1.0 version! Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 23.10, and Ubuntu 24.04.
The GNU website has not yet announced the new release, but it’s available in the download page.
According to the changelog, the new Octave 9.1.0 overhauled dec2base, dec2bin, and dec2hex. They now accept negative inputs and fractional inputs.
It re-architected the inputParser function to get a 60% performance improvement. And, the perms function has been made faster. The audiowrite function now supports writing to MPEG audio formats (including MP3) if the sndfile library supports it. The current directory of oruntests now changes to the directory containing the files with the tests for the duration of the test.
The release features new functions, including isenv, ismembertol, isuniform, tensorprod.
The disable_diagonal_matrix, disable_permutation_matrix, and disable_range functions have been removed! Replacements are optimize_diagonal_matrix, optimize_permutation_matrix, and optimize_range
Operators, such as .+, .+=, **, and .**= are removed. Replacements are +, +=, +=, ^, and .^=. And, following function are obsolete:
idx_vector::bool()all_ok(const Array&) in Array-util.h.octave_base_value::count
This simple tutorial shows how to install Beta version of your Flatpak app package from Flathub Beta repository in Ubuntu Linux.
Flatpak now is one of the top popular package formats for Linux. It runs in sandbox, allowing to easily manage software permissions and installing latest apps without worrying about dependency issues.
Most software developers publish their Flatpak app packages through Flathub repository. And for testing purpose, Flathub also provides a Beta repository.
There used to be beta.flathub.org web page for browsing and installing beta apps. The page however does no longer present in the website, though the beta apps are still installable.
For those who prefer the native .deb app packages, here’s new unofficial PPA for installing the most recent Kdenlive video editor 24.08.1 in Ubuntu 24.04.
Since version 24.02, the Kdenlive video editor is finally ported to Qt6 plus KDE Frameworks 6, which brings big performance improvements, but also a few regressions.
Due to this change, the developer team discontinued the official Kdenlive PPA, since KF6 is NOT yet made into Ubuntu repositories.
The official packages are now only Flatpak and AppImage, that run in sandbox. For those who prefer the .deb package format, here’s the new unofficial PPA for choice.
Kdenlive 24.04 with Qt5 and KDE Frameworks 5
This tutorial shows how to turn off your laptop’s built-in display for using external monitors in Ubuntu Desktop.
When working with multiple monitors, it can be useful to disable the built-in screen for saving power. You can set lid close action to do nothing then just close the laptop lid.
However, the lid close action may not work properly in some laptops, or you need to use the built-in keyboard and touch-pad. In the cases, here are a few other ways to do the job.
Continue Reading…
KeePassXC password manager announced the new 2.7.7 release this Sunday! Here are the new features and how to install instruction for Ubuntu.
The new KeePassXC 2.7.7 features official support for Passkeys. It’s a type of login credential, that provides a faster, easier, and more secure ways to login to websites and services without having to enter a password.
image from keepassxc website
For Ubuntu, Fedora Workstation, and other Linux with GNOME Desktop, there’s an extension to help you focus on reading on the screen.
It’s Reading Strip, a free and open-source app written in JavaScript. With it, a horizontal (and/or vertical) strip will be displayed and follow around your mouse cursor.
By settings its background color and opacity, it can highlight the sentence to help focus on reading for people affected by dyslexia.
It also supports focus strip mode, that hides (blurs) the previous and next ones on screen. Which, is great for helping children focus on reading very well.
ReadingStrip Focus mode
As mentioned above, reading strip is available as an extension for GNOME Desktop. It so far supports for GNOME from version 3.36 to 44. Sadly, GNOME 45 is not supported due to bug. Meaning it works for all current Ubuntu LTS (20.04 and 22.04), Fedora 37/38, Debian 12, RHEL 9.
For Ubuntu 22.04, first search for and install “Gnome Shell Extension Manager” from Ubuntu Software.
Install Extension Manager in Ubuntu 22.04+
Then, launch the tool and use it to search & install “Reading Strip” under Browse tab.
For Ubuntu 20.04 and other Linux with GNOME, just open web browser and go to the extension page via the link button below:
Install the browser extension if it prompts, refresh, and finally use the ON/OFF switch that page to install the GNOME Shell Extension.
NOTE: Debian and Ubuntu may also needs to open terminal and run command sudo apt install chrome-gnome-shell to install the agent package first.
After properly installed the extension, an indicator applet should appear in top-right system tray area.
By clicking on the applet icon or using Ctrl + Super (Windows Logo) + Space key combination can toggle on/off the feature.
To change the strip size, background opacity, color, and/or enable focus mode, just install either Gnome Extensions or Extension Manager from either Ubuntu Software or Gnome Software.
Then, click on setting for the Reading Strip extension and do the changes as you want.
That’s all. Enjoy!
For users who prefer native .deb package, LibreOffice 24.2 is finally available to install via Ubuntu PPA!
LibreOffice is the default office suite for Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and many other Linux. And, the latest so far is LibreOffice 24.2.x release series that was released a month ago.
The office suite provides official packages for Linux through Flatpak, Snap, Deb/RPM, and AppImage.
However, for Ubuntu users who prefer the native Deb package format, the LibreOffice Fresh PPA maintained by Ubuntu Team members, is a better choice.
“OTOH, it is _way_ _better_ to use packages from this PPA than using the *.deb files that The Document Foundation provides upstream, which are intentionally build against a very old baseline for maximum compatibility. So, _if_ you want to be on the bleeding edge, do it here, not with upstream *.debs.”
And now the PPA finally is updated that contains LibreOffice 24.2.1 for Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 23.10, and Ubuntu 24.04. While the Ubuntu 20.04 build is stuck at the last v7.6.5.
This tutorial shows how to disable certain CPU cores in Ubuntu to save power and prevent your machine from overheating.
There are a few tools to manage CPU frequency and save power in Linux today. They include power-profile-daemon (Gnome built-in power mode settings), TLP laptop battery life saving tool, auto-cpufreq, and more.
Besides limiting CPU frequency, turn off few CPU cores is another choice to cool down your PC or laptop. And, Motherboard BIOS settings page usually have a corresponding option. For choice, here’s how to do the job in Ubuntu Linux.
