Luminance HDR 2.6.1, free and open-source HDR imaging software, is available to install in Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 20.10, Linux Mint 20.
Before it’s officially announced the new release source tarball now is available to download. And Luminance HDR 2.6.1 is a bug-fix release the features:
Better UI for last step of HdrWizard
Fix highlights glitch
Fix save/load response cure even from the command line
Fix scrolling of progress area in BatchHDR
Some other bug-fixes and translation updates.
How to Install Luminance HDR via Ubuntu PPA:
The Dariusz Duma’s PPA was maintaining the software package. It however seems not being updated except for auto-build packages.
For those sticking to an Ubuntu PPA, there’s an alternative unofficial PPA available for Ubuntu 20.04 only and you can run following steps one by one to get it in your Ubuntu.
1.) Open terminal from system application menu and run command to add the PPA:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps
2.) Then install the HDR creator via command:
sudo apt install luminance-hdr
Uninstall:
To remove the software package, simply run command:
sudo apt remove --autoremove luminance-hdr
And to remove the Ubuntu PPA, open Software & Updates navigate to Other Software tab and remove the relevant line.
The Python programming language 3.10 is finally released on Oct 6. Here’s how to install it via PPA in Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Linux Mint 19.x/20, and derivatives.
Python 3.10 has 18 months support with bug-fix updates until the next 3.11 release. After that, it will be supported with 5 years of security updates until October 2026.
New major features and changes compare to Python 3.9:
Deprecate and prepare for the removal of the wstr member in PyUnicodeObject.
Allow writing union types as X | Y
Parameter Specification Variables
Precise line numbers for debugging and other tools.
Add Optional Length-Checking To zip.
Parenthesized context managers are now officially allowed.
Deprecate distutils module.
Explicit Type Aliases
Structural Pattern Matching
Require OpenSSL 1.1.1 or newer
Remove Py_UNICODE encoder APIs
Add optional EncodingWarning
Install Python 3.10 via Ubuntu PPA:
The ‘Deadsnakes’ Team PPA has build the packages for current 2 Ubuntu LTS. NOTE for Ubuntu 16.04, the package stuck at Python 3.10 alpha 6 due to old SSL library.
1.) Open terminal from system application menu, and run command to add the PPA:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:deadsnakes/ppa
Type user password (no asterisk feedback) for sudo prompts and hit Enter to continue.
2.) Then refresh system package via command:
sudo apt update
3.) Finally install Python 3.10 via command:
sudo apt install python3.10
Once installed, check via python3.10 --version command or just run python3.10 to access the IDE in terminal.
Uninstall Python 3.10:
To remove the programming language, run command:
sudo apt remove --autoremove python3.10
And remove the Ubuntu PPA via Software & Updates utility under Other Software tab.
Looking for detailed information about a software package, e.g., maintainer, dependencies, sources, installed size, etc?
There are a few tools to tell the information of software packages in classic .deb format in Ubuntu Linux. And here I’m going to show you one by one.
1. apt show command:
For all packages in system apt repositories (including enabled PPAs) and manually installed .deb packages, apt show command will output the information about:
Package version
Maintainer
Installed-sized
Package dependencies
Apt-sources: where the package was installed from, or which source offers the package.
And a brief description about the software package.
For example, apt show gnome-feeds command will output something as the picture shows.
If you downloaded the deb binary and installed it manually, there will a line says ‘APT-Manual-Installed: yes‘.
2. Check package details via Synaptic Package Manager
The Synaptic Package Manager offers “Properties” button. After searching for and selecting a software package, you’re able to check details via that button.
Different to apt show command, Synaptic shows both the libraries that the software package depends on and the system packages that depends this package.
As well, it lists all the files the package will install (or installed).
To install Synaptic Package Manager, run command in terminal:
sudo apt install synaptic
3. Gdebi Package Installer
If you just grab a deb package from the web, and want to check all included files and if all dependencies are satisfied, then Gdebi Package Installer is recommended for you.
And the tool can be installed via command:
sudo apt install gdebi
4. Uncompress Deb and check details.
Also for the manually downloaded deb package, you can either open it via “Archive Manager” or extract it.
Usually you’ll see data.tar.xz which includes all files to be installed, and control.tar.xz includes a few scripts to run before/after installing or removing the deb. And there’s a document file called “control” that includes some information about the deb.
Gnome Feeds, a free and open-source news reader with a neat user interface, now is available to install via Ubuntu PPA for those prefer the classic apt method.
Gnome Feeds is a GTK+3 application written in Python 3. It features a simple responsive user interface based on Purism’s libhandy library. Feeds can be added via URL address and support importing and exporting large feed collection from and to OPML.
The software has been made into main repositories since Ubuntu 20.10 Groovy. For request, I’ve uploaded the latest packages into the unofficial PPA for Ubuntu 20.04, Linux Mint 20, and Ubuntu 20.10, with Ubuntu 18.04 excluded as libhandy requires at least GTK 3.24.
NOTE: It’s recommended to install the official Flatpak package, while the PPA offers unofficial .deb binary package for choice.
1.) Open terminal from your system application launcher, then run command to add the PPA:
This simple tutorial shows how to install VeraCrypt and create encrypted hard drive, USB stick in Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Linux Mint 20, Ubuntu 20.10.
VeraCrypt is a free and open-source disk encryption software based on TrueCrypt 7.1a. It works on Linux, Windows, and Mac OS.
With VeraCrypt, you can:
Creates a virtual encrypted disk within a file and mounts it as a real disk.
Encrypts an entire partition or storage device such as USB flash drive or hard drive.
Encrypts a partition or drive where Windows is installed.
For arm64, armhf, ppc64el packages, there’s an unofficial PPA maintained by the administrator of “XUbuntu Developers” team.
1.) To add the PPA, open terminal from system application launcher and run command:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:unit193/encryption
2.) Then refresh system package cache and install the encryption software via commands:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install veracrypt
How to Create an Encrypted Disk via VeraCrypt:
Once installed the software, open it from system application launcher. Then click on the “Create Volume” button to start creating an encrypted disk.
Then either select “Create an encrypted file container” for a virtual encrypted disk within a file, or “Create a volume within a partition/drive” to encrypt non-system partition, external hard drive, or entire USB stick.
Then follow the setup wizard to choose volume type, encryption algorithm, volume password, file system type, and finally click “Format”.
When everything’s done, mount the volume and you’ll be able to access it via Nautilus file browser.
This is a beginner’s guide shows how to install and setup Tor service and Tor Browser in Ubuntu 24.10, Ubuntu 24.04, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 20.04, and their based systems, .e.g, Linux Mint 22/21. It should also work in Debian 11/12, and old Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 16.04.
Tor, The Onion Router, is a free and open-source service enables people to browser the internet anonymously. While Tor in Ubuntu main repositories is always old, here’s how to install the LATEST version and receive updates via its apt repository.
How to Install Tor via the Official Apt Repository:
Tor has an official apt repository that supports for all current Ubuntu and Debian releases.
1.) Open terminal either from start menu or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard. Then run command to enable the usage of https support for apt package manager:
sudo apt install apt-transport-https
Type user password (no asterisk feedback) for sudo prompt and hit Enter. NOTE: In recent Debian/Ubuntu, this command is no longer required since apt now support https out-of-the-box!
This command will create tor-project.list file under apt sources directory, and write the content under double quotation marks into it.
NOTE 1: For arm64 (e.g., Rasperry Pi), 32-bit Ubuntu 18.04/16.04, you have to remove arch=amd64 from the command. NOTE 2: For Linux Mint and other Ubuntu based systems, replace $(lsb_release -sc) in the command with the Ubuntu code-name that your system based on, e.g.,
noble for Ubuntu 24.04, Linux Mint 22, etc.
jammy for Ubuntu 22.04, Linux Mint 21, etc.
focal for Ubuntu 20.04, Linux Mint 20, etc.
Run cat /etc/os-release to tell if you don’t know which Ubuntu version your system is based on.
3.) The keyring updates regularly and there’s no valid command to install it so far. As an alternative, download the latest keyring .deb package from the link below:
4.) Finally, refresh system package cache by running command:
sudo apt update
The output should include something looks like: “Get:x https://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org …”
Then, install tor package via command:
sudo apt install tor
Or update it, if an old version was installed, via Software Updater
5.) Once installed, you can check Tor version and if it’s running via commands:
tor --version
systemctl status tor
NOTE: In case the service is not in active status, try systemctl daemon-reload then start with systemctl start tor.
How to Install Tor Browser in Ubuntu:
If everything goes OK, let’s now install the Tor web browser.
1.) Simply open terminal and run command:
sudo apt install torbrowser-launcher
UPDATE: Due to package bug in Ubuntu 22.04, it may refuse to launch. To workaround it, open ‘terminal’ and run command to edit the ‘__init__.py‘ (2 underscores before & after ‘init’) file:
2.) Then search for and open Tor Browser from system application launcher. It will automatically download & install the browser in your system.
For choice, you may open Tor Browser Launcher to select mirror, change listening port, and reinstall Tor browser.
3.) Once the download process finished, select ‘Configure’ if you’re in a Country censors Tor or behind proxy in next window, or select ‘Connect’:
When everything’s done, the Tor browser starts. That’s all. Enjoy!
Uninstall Tor and Tor Browser:
To remove Tor Browser, open terminal and run command:
sudo apt remove torbrowser-launcher
To remove Tor network service, run command:
sudo apt remove --autoremove tor
The ‘Software & Updates -> Other Software‘ seems no longer display software repositories added via “signed-by” argument. To remove the repository, use command to remove the source file:
Parole, Xfce’s default media player, released version 4.15.0 a few days ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 20.04, Linux Mint 20, and Ubuntu 20.10.
Parole 4.15.0 features a in-window popover Playlist instead of a slide-out panel. The shuffle functionality now utilizes a sort filter instead of randomly selecting the next track, making it possible making the playback history more accurate.
The new release also features improved DVD support, including a menu option to activate the subpicture menu, DVD menu load automatically if playback does not start successfully.
Other changes include:
Each dialog ported to CSD with some cleanup and default buttons marked as “suggested”.
Add new icon.
Fix build and missing-prototypes errors.
Play control improvements and translation updates.
How to install Parole 4.15.0 in Ubuntu:
The unofficial PPA has made the new release package for Ubuntu 20.04 and Ubuntu 20.10. Ubuntu 18.04 is not supported at the moment due to a compile issue.
1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T shortcut key or by searching for “Terminal” from application menu. When it opens, run command:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps
Type user password (no asterisk feedback when typing due to security reason) when it prompts and hit Enter.
2. Then either upgrade the media player via Software Updater utility:
or run following command to install / upgrade it:
sudo apt install parole
For those who don’t want to add PPA, grab the .deb package from HERE.
Uninstall:
Run following command to purge the PPA repository which also downgrade installed packages to the stock version in your Ubuntu:
Once the PPA is updated with the new release packages, you can do following steps one by one to install it:
1. Open terminal either by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard or by searching for ‘terminal’ from software launcher. When it opens, run command:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:sunderme/texstudio
Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it asks and hit Enter to add the PPA.
2. If the stock version in Ubuntu main repository was installed, remove the texstudio-doc, texstudio-l10n (if any) package before upgrading the software:
sudo apt-get remove texstudio-doc texstudio-l10n
3. After adding the PPA, you can either upgrade it via Software Updater:
or run commands in terminal to install or upgrade the software:
It’s not recommended to remove Whisker Menu on Xfce desktop unless you use another application menu. You can however purge the PPA, which will downgrade the app menu to the stock version:
Want to disable the top panel, left dock launcher, search box, and other Gnome UI elements in Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 22.04, and Ubuntu 24.04 LTS? You can now do it via a Gnome Shell extension.
Just Perfection is an extension allows you to get a super minimal GNOME desktop. It offers a list of options to toggle on / off the visibility of Gnome top bar, Dash (dock launcher), Search (search box in both Activities view and ‘Show Applications’), Hot Corner, OSD (notification pop-up), Workspace popup and workspace switcher, Background Menu, App Gesture.
It also overrides the current GNOME shell theme while user themes extension is not required.
To install the extension in Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 22.04, and Ubuntu 24.04., do following steps one by one:
1. Open terminal and run command to install chrome-gnome-shell package if you don’t have it.
Don’t see the toggle icon? Click the link which says “Click here to install browser extension” to install browser extension and refresh the web page.
NOTE 1: the extension by default disable all the available options. If you want to re-enable any of them, press Ctrl+Alt+T to open terminal and run command:
gnome-tweaks
to bring up Gnome Tweak tool (install it via sudo apt install gnome-tweaks command) and change the settings in Extensions tab.
NOTE 2: At the moment of writing, the extension supports for Gnome from 3.36 to 46. Check the ‘Shell version…’ drop-down box before installing it on your system.
