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Vivaldi 2.1 Released with AV1 Support, Improved Quick Commands

Last updated: October 25, 2018

Vivaldi web browser 2.1 was released today with focus on Quick Commands improvements and various other changes.

Vivaldi 2.1 release highlights:

Enable support for AV1

Quick Commands improvements including:

Notes search
UI Zoom and support for command line parameters
Open items in a new tab via modifier keys

Numerous fixes, Updated translations, and Upgraded Chromium to 70.0.3538.77

For more, see the release note.

How to Install Vivaldi 2.1 in Ubuntu:

The official Ubuntu .DEB packages are available for download at the link below:

Grab the deb matches your OS, then install it via Ubuntu Software or Gdebi package manager. Or run command in terminal:

sudo dpkg -i ~/Downloads/vivaldi-stable_2.1*.deb; sudo apt -f install

In addition, after installed the .deb package, you can enable Vivaldi apt repository (Softare & Updates -> Other Software) to receive future updates through Software Updater:

In Howtos, News Vivaldi

Firefox 63 Released! How to Install it in Ubuntu

Last updated: October 24, 2018

Mozilla Firefox 63.0 was released one day ago. All current Ubuntu releases can install it through security & updates repositories.

Firefox 63.0 release highlights:

Performance and visual improvements for Windows users.
Faster tab switching, reactivity improvements for macOS users.
Opt to block third-party tracking cookies or block all trackers and create exceptions for trusted sites
WebExtensions now run in their own process on Linux
Added search shortcuts for Top Sites: Amazon and Google appear as Top Sites tiles on the Firefox Home (New Tab) page.
The Ctrl+Tab shortcut now displays thumbnail previews of your tabs

Upgrade to Firefox 63 in Ubuntu:

The Ubuntu Mozilla Team has published the new Firefox packages for Ubuntu 18.10, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 14.04, and their derivatives.

Simply open Software Updater (Update Manager), and install the updates after checking for updates:

If you don’t see the Firefox updates, go to Software & Updates -> Update and make sure security & updates repositories are enabled.

In Howtos, News Firefox

Linux Kernel 4.19 Released, How to Install it in Ubuntu

Last updated: October 23, 2018

Linux Kernel 4.19 LTS (Long Term Support) was released yesterday. Instead of Linus, Greg KH announced the new 4.19 release and wrote lots of words:

While it was not the largest kernel release every by number of commits, it was larger than the last 3 releases, which is a non-trivial thing to do. After the original -rc1 bumps, things settled down on the code side and it looks like stuff came nicely together to make a solid kernel for everyone to use for a while. And given that this is going to be one of the “Long Term” kernels I end up maintaining for a few years, that’s good news for everyone.

A small trickle of good bugfixes came in this week, showing that waiting an extra week was a wise choice. However odds are that linux-next is just bursting so the next -rc1 merge window is going to be bigger than “normal”, if there is such a thing as “normal” for our rate of development.

And speaking of development, there’s that other thing that happened this release cycle, that ended up making it such that I’m the one writing this instead of Linus. Allow me the guilty pleasure of taking a few minutes to talk about that….

…

What’s New in Kernel 4.19 (via omgubuntu.co.uk):

An alternate mode driver for USB Type-C/DisplayPort Type-C support
Better support for Intel’s Low Power Subsystem (LPSS)
Support for Qualcomm Adreno 600 series hardware
Initial support for Intel Icelake graphics
Armada atomic mode-setting
Ongoing DRM improvements
x86 KVM improvements
In-kernel GPS subsystem
General touchscreen improvements
Initial support for the 802.11ax WLAN
Various Filesystem improvements
Obligatory Linux power management tweaks
Continued Y2038 prep

How to Install Linux Kernel 4.19 in Ubuntu:

There are a few third-party tools, e.g., UKTools and Ukuu, make it easy to install the latest Kernel in Ubuntu.

You can also manually download the Kernel 4.19 Ubuntu binary packages at:

Depends on your OS type, download and install the packages in turns:

linux-headers-4.19.0-xxxxxx_all.deb
linux-headers-4.19.0-xxx-generic(/lowlatency)_xxx_amd64(/i386).deb
linux-modules-4.19.0-xxx-generic(/lowlatency)_xxx_amd64(/i386).deb
linux-image-xxx-4.19.0-xxx-generic(/lowlatency)_xxx_amd64(/i386).deb

Select generic for common system, and lowlatency for a low latency system (e.g. for recording audio), amd64 for 64bit system, i386 for 32bit system, or armhf, arm64, etc for other OS types.

Also you can download and install the kernel binaries via terminal commands:

For 64-bit OS:

cd /tmp/

wget -c http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.19/linux-headers-4.19.0-041900_4.19.0-041900.201810221809_all.deb

wget -c http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.19/linux-headers-4.19.0-041900-generic_4.19.0-041900.201810221809_amd64.deb

wget -c http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.19/linux-image-unsigned-4.19.0-041900-generic_4.19.0-041900.201810221809_amd64.deb

wget -c http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.19/linux-modules-4.19.0-041900-generic_4.19.0-041900.201810221809_amd64.deb

sudo dpkg -i *.deb

for 32-bit OS:

cd /tmp/

wget -c http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.19/linux-headers-4.19.0-041900_4.19.0-041900.201810221809_all.deb

wget -c http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.19/linux-headers-4.19.0-041900-generic_4.19.0-041900.201810221809_i386.deb

wget -c http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.19/linux-image-4.19.0-041900-generic_4.19.0-041900.201810221809_i386.deb

wget -c http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.19/linux-modules-4.19.0-041900-generic_4.19.0-041900.201810221809_i386.deb

sudo dpkg -i *.deb

Once installed, restart your computer and enjoy!

Uninstall Linux Kernel 4.19:

Restart your machine and select boot with the previous kernel in boot menu ‘Grub2 -> Advanced Option for Ubuntu’. Then run command to remove Linux Kernel 4.19.0:

sudo dpkg --purge linux-image-4.19.0-041900-generic linux-image-unsigned-4.19.0-041900-generic

In Howtos, News Linux Kernel

How to Install Shutter Screenshot Tool in Ubuntu 18.10

Last updated: April 21, 2019

Shutter, the popular Linux screenshot tool, is finally removed from the final release of Ubuntu 18.10 repository.

For those who want to install Shutter in Ubuntu 18.10. This unofficial PPA offers the latest packages that include:

Shutter 0.94.2 released a month ago with Gyazo uploads and some bug-fixes.
libgoo-canvas-perl and its dependencies to make ‘Edit’ option work.
libgtk2-appindicator-perl for system tray app indicator working.

Install Shutter in Ubuntu 18.10:

1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut or by searching for ‘terminal’ from application menu. When it opens, run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/shutter

Type your user password (no asterisks feedback) when it prompts and hit Enter to add the PPA.

2. Then install shutter via command:

sudo apt install --install-recommends shutter

--install-recommends is required for application indicator. And you can add --install-suggests flag in the command for more functions.

Once installed, open shutter from software launcher and enjoy!

Uninstall:

To remove shutter screenshot tool, run command in terminal:

sudo apt remove --autoremove shutter

And go to Software & Updates -> Other Software to remove third-party PPA repositories.

In Howtos screenshot tool, shutter, Ubuntu 18.10

SMPlayer 18.10 Released with 4K Youtube Videos Support

Last updated: October 21, 2018

SMPlayer media player 18.10 was released a day ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.10, Ubuntu 18.10, Ubuntu 16.04, and their derivatives.

SMPlayer 18.10 optimised the internal code for YouTube, so it now supports resolutions up to 4K. In addition, support for age restricted videos has been fixed.

How to Install SMPlayer 18.6 in Ubuntu:

For all current Ubuntu releases and their derivatives, do following steps to install or upgrade SMPlayer via the PPA repository.

1. Search for and launch “terminal” from application menu. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:rvm/smplayer

Type your user password (no asterisks feedback while typing) when it asks and hit Enter.

2. Then upgrade SMPlayer using Software Updater (or Update Manager):

or run commands in terminal to install (or upgrade) the media player:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install smplayer smtube smplayer-themes

Uninstall:

To remove SMPlayer, run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove smplayer smtube smplayer-*

And remove the PPA via “Software & Updates” utility under “Other Software” tab.

In Howtos, News SMPlayer

How to Install Avidemux 2.7.1 in Ubuntu 18.10 via PPA

Last updated: October 19, 2018

The latest Avidemux video editor 2.7.1 now can be installed in Ubuntu 18.10 easily via PPA (unofficial) repository.

The new package name has been renamed to avidemux2.7, thanks to Thanh Tung Nguyen. Unfortunately, I can’t build the VapourSynth plugin at the moment due to lack of time (I’m new to computer languages, and one small issue can take me a few hours to solve).

1. For Ubuntu 18.04 and Ubuntu 16.04 with avidemux2.6 installed, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and remove it first via command:

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

2. Add the PPA repository by running command in terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/avidemux

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

3. Finally install Avidemux 2.7.1 via command:

sudo apt install avidemux2.7-qt5

For Ubuntu 16.04, run sudo apt update to refresh cache first.

Uninstall:

To remove the software package, run command in terminal:

sudo apt remove --autoremove avidemux2.7-qt5

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

In Howtos avidemux video editor, Ubuntu 18.10

How to Upgrade Ubuntu 18.04 Desktop to Ubuntu 18.10

Last updated: October 18, 2018

Ubuntu 18.10 Cosmic Cuttlefish was finally released today. Here’s how to upgrade from Ubuntu 18.04 to Ubuntu 18.10.

Ubuntu 18.10 is a short-term release with 9 months support. It features Linux 4.18 kernel, X.Org Server 1.20.1, Mesa 18.2.2, and new default desktop theme ‘Yaru’.

Preparation:

Before getting started, you need to do some preparations:

Backup your bookmarks, documents, and other important data.
It’s recommended to remove proprietary drivers and use the open-source drivers instead.
Purge or remove third-party PPA repositories (Software & Updates -> Other Software)

To upgrade to Ubuntu 18.10:

1. Open Software & Updates and navigate to Updates tab.

Then select “For any version” from the drop-down menu of ‘Notify me of a new Ubuntu version’

2. Install all available system updates by running commands in terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T):

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

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

3. Start Update Manager and you’ll see Ubuntu 18.10 available for upgrade (Restart first if required):

sudo update-manager -c

4. Click the Upgrade button and confirm in the next release note dialog:

The upgrading process starts and it may take a few hours depends on your device and internet speed.

In Howtos, News Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10

How to Install FFmpeg 4.0.2 in Ubuntu 18.04/16.04 via PPA

Last updated: June 21, 2019

FFmpeg 4.0 “Wu” was released months ago as a new major release. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, and/or Ubuntu 18.04.

FFmpeg 4.0 release highlights:

Intel QSV accelerated overlay filter
NVIDIA NVDEC GPU-based decoding for H264 / MJPEG / HEVC / MPEG-1/2/4, VC1, VP8, and VP9 formats.
OpenCL overlay filter
VA-API MJPEG and VP8 decoding support
AV1 Support through libaom
AMD AMF H.264 and HEVC encoders
And many other new filters, and accelerated code path improvements.

How to Install FFmpeg 4.0 in Ubuntu:

FFmpeg 4.0.2 is available in Ubuntu Software via SNAP package (Runs in sandbox).

To upgrade from the Ubuntu build FFmpeg 3.x, the unofficial PPA contains the latest packages for Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 16.04, and Ubunu 14.04.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jonathonf/ffmpeg-4

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

2. You can then upgrade FFmpeg libraries via Software Updater:

Or run commands in terminal:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install ffmpeg

How to Restore:

For any reason, you can downgrade FFmpeg to the stock version in Ubuntu universe repositories by purging the PPA via command:

sudo apt-get install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:jonathonf/ffmpeg-4

In Howtos ffmpeg, FFmpeg 4

How to Install Grub Customizer 5.1.0 in Ubuntu 18.10

Last updated: October 15, 2018

Grub Customizer, the graphical tool for configuring Grub boot-loader, got a new release a few days ago. The PPA adds support for Ubuntu 18.10 Cosmic Cuttlefish.

Grub Customizer is a simple tool that features:

add, remove, edit boot-loader menu entries.
Set default OS entry, kernel parameters, etc.
Change background image, text font, resolution, etc.
Reinstallation of the bootloader to Windows MBR

The most recent 5.1.0 release features:

New app icon
command option -v to display version info.
Traslation updates and some internal changes

How to Install Grub Customizer 5.1.0 in Ubuntu:

For Ubuntu 18.10, and current 3 Ubuntu LTS releases (14.04, 16.04, 18.04), install the new release packages via following steps:

1. Open terminal either from App Launcher or via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut. When it opens, paste below command and run to add the official PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:danielrichter2007/grub-customizer

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

2. Then update package lists and install the software:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install grub-customizer

You can skip sudo apt-get update in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher, since step 1 adding PPA do it automatically.

Once installed, launch it from application menu and enjoy!

Uninstall:

To remove the software, run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove grub-customizer

And open Software & Updates and navigate to Other Software tab to remove third party PPA repositories.

In Howtos, News grub customizer, Ubuntu 18.10

sFTP Client Available to Install via Snap in Ubuntu 18.04, 16.04

Last updated: October 14, 2018

sFTP client, a full-featured FTP/SFTP/FTPIS/FTPES/SSH client, now can be easily installed in Ubuntu via Snap package.

sFTP Client uses the most modern libraries and uses the latest technologies (after-all who would ever like an out-dated / old fashioned app), thats why we use the latest frameworks and latest modern designs.