Howtos | UbuntuHandbook

How to Encrypt An Existing Ubuntu 24.04 System

Last updated: January 13, 2025 — 7 Comments

This is a step by step tutorial shows how to encrypt Ubuntu, while preserving its data, after you installed it on your computer.

While installing Ubuntu 24.04, if you didn’t choose to use the entire disk, then there’s no graphical option to enable encryption. You can however manually encrypt the full Ubuntu system afterward.

So, on every boot of the Ubuntu system, it asks to input password to unlock boot entry (if /boot partition is also encrypted), then asks again to unlock disk partition before user being able to login.

it asks password twice to unlock boot entry & then root partition

In Howtos Disk Encryption, security

How to Install NVIDIA 560 / 555 Series Driver in Ubuntu via PPA

Last updated: November 10, 2024 — 2 Comments

NVIDIA Linux driver has reached 560 release series. Here’s how to install it or the 555 series in Ubuntu 24.04, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 20.04, and their based systems.

NVIDIA 560 so far is the latest new feature branch driver for Linux. It added support VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) on notebooks with the open kernel modules, as well as for Wayland on pre-Volta GPUs.

As well, there are multiple concurrent clients support to NvFBC direct capture, PipeWire backend to NvFBC, and EGL_KHR_platform_x11 and EGL_EXT_platform_xcb on Xwayland. See release note for more.

For NVIDIA 555, it uses GSP firmware by default on all GPUs that support it, which acts like a CPU embedded into the GPU that can offload GPU initialization and management tasks.

The 555 driver enabled HDMI 10 bits per component support by default. It also has better Wayland support. It now has less screen tearing, and supports linux-drm-syncobj-v1 protocol for explicit synchronization in EGL. For more about the new driver, see the release page.

In Howtos nvidia

Install RetroArch Game Emulator 1.20 in Ubuntu 24.04 | 22.04

Last updated: January 9, 2025 — Leave a comment

This tutorial shows how to install and setup RetroArch (v1.20 updated) to play classic video games, including Arcade, Atari, Commodore, Nintendo, Sony Playstation games, in Ubuntu PC or laptop.

RetroArch is a free open-source cross-platform front-end for emulators, game engines, media players, and other applications. It’s the reference frontend for the libretro API, that offers several uncommon technical features, such as multi-pass shader support, real-time rewinding, and video recording.

In Howtos game

Enable, Disable, Configure Firewall in Ubuntu 24.04 [Beginner’s Guide]

Last updated: August 5, 2024 — Leave a comment

This is a beginner’s guide shows you how to enable, disable, and configure firewall in Ubuntu using UFW.

Firewall is a network security system that monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic, and decides whether to allow or block specific traffic based on pre-defined security rules.

Linux Kernel has the Netfilter subsystem, which is implemented as a packet filter and firewall. Iptables (and nftables, the successor of iptables) is the user-level command line tool to configure the firewall by adding/removing netfilter rules.

Iptables (and nftables) is much more flexible but really hard for beginners. UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall), the user-friendly front-end for iptables, is which I’m going to talk about below.

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

In Howtos firewall

Disable Update Notifier Indicator (Refresh Icon) in Ubuntu 24.04

Last updated: July 27, 2024 — Leave a comment

Ubuntu 24.04 has a new circular arrow indicator icon in top right system tray, when there are available system updates. By clicking on it allows to quickly launch Software Updater (Update Manager) tool for installing updates.

If you don’t like that indicator icon, here’s how to disable it, as well as stop checking for updates automatically.

Indicator icon reminding there are system updates

In Howtos ubuntu 24.04

Use Android / iPhone to Remote Control Ubuntu Desktop

Last updated: July 19, 2024 — 2 Comments

This simple tutorial shows how to use your Android or iOS Phone as remote input (e.g, touchpad, send command) for Ubuntu and other Linux Desktop.

KDE community has an popular free open-source software project called KDE Connect. It enables ability to communicate between your computer (Linux, macOS, and Windows) and mobile devices (Android and iOS) in local network.

With it, you can send photos, videos, and files between paired devices, share clipboard, and do remote actions such as:

- Send remote commands, such as log out, power-off, restart, and custom commands.
- Use your phone as touchpad for PC.
- Slideshow remote
- Remote Multimedia control

There are as well features to send SMS from PC, “Ring” your phone to help find it, and browser your files on Mobile Phone. However, the features may NOT work due to either permission issues or requirement of running mobile app in foreground.

In Howtos GSConnect, KDE Connect

Enable Top Panel for Multiple Monitors in Ubuntu 24.04 | 22.04

Last updated: July 28, 2024 — 5 Comments

Have Ubuntu computer connected with multiple monitors? Here’s how to make the top panel show in all displays!

GNOME, the default desktop in Ubuntu, so far only shows the top-panel in the primary display. There is a multi-monitors-add-on extension, allowing to make it work in all displays. However, it’s no longer in development and supports end at GNOME 3.38.

Thankfully, there’s open-source fork of that extension with GNOME from version 42 to 46 support, meaning for Ubuntu 22.04 and Ubuntu 24.04, Debian 12, Fedora Workstation, RHEL 9 , and other Linux with recent GNOME.

In Howtos Gnome

How to Easily Setup Home Media Server in Ubuntu 24.04 | 22.04

Last updated: July 10, 2024 — 1 Comment

This simple tutorial shows how to easily turn your Ubuntu or Debian into home media server, so that you can listen to the music, watch photos and videos that are stored in Linux PC remotely using your mobile phones and/or smart TVs.

GNOME, the default desktop in Ubuntu and Fedora Workstation, has built-in option to enable this feature. It uses Rygel home media solution as backend.

It automatically transcode media to a format compatible with the client device. And, client machines that supports DLNA/UPnP, such as Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox, smart TV, Android, iOS, can access them through the local network.
Continue Reading…

In Howtos multimedia, network

How to Install Dolphin Emulator 2412 in Ubuntu 24.04 | 22.04

Last updated: December 2, 2024 — 1 Comment

This tutorial shows how to install the latest dolphin emulator (2412 updated) through either Flatpak or PPA repository in Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 22.04, and Ubuntu 24.04.

It’s been 8 years since the latest major 5.0 release series. The Nintendo video game console emulator finally announced Dolphin 2407, which uses new date-based versioning scheme. 2407 means version released in July of 2024.

According to the announcement, it adopts a rolling release cycle, and will roll out new releases every few months. The development releases will have sub-numbers, for example, Dolphin 2407-144 means dev build with 144 commits after 2407. And, hotfix releases will have the addition of a suffix, so it can be Dolphin 2407a.

In Howtos Dolphin Emulator, game

Show Spotify Playback Info in Top-bar in Ubuntu 24.04

Last updated: July 2, 2024 — Leave a comment

Spotify users? Here’s an extension that can display the current track information in Ubuntu top-bar.

It’s spotify-tray, a free open-source tool available as GNOME Shell Extension, that can show title, artist, and/or album of current playing song or podcast in top-panel.

The extension is very simple and customizable. You can control:

Where (left, center, or right) to display the playback info in top-bar.
What to display, including track, artist, album, custom text, emoji (via built-in selector).
Display in static mode, or horizontally scrolling marquee.