Want to try out the Cinnamon Desktop Environment? Without installing Linux Mint, you can get the desktop packages in Ubuntu via a few commands.
Cinnamon is available in Ubuntu main repositories, though the package version is however a little old. You can simply run the command in step 2 to install it if you don’t stick to the latest features.
The Wasta Linux team maintains an Ubuntu PPA that contains Cinnamon 4.8 packages for Ubuntu 20.04.
1.) Open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to add the Ubuntu PPA:
Miss Realtek rtlwifi drivers or get ‘No WiFi Adapter Found‘ issue? There’s now an Ubuntu PPA that contains the most recent rtlwifi drivers for Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and derivatives.
Without building from the source code, the “Linux Mint Türkiye” team maintains a PPA that contains the most recent wireless drivers with DKMS support for rtl8723bu, rtl8822bu, rtl8188eu, rtl8188fu, rtl8192cu, rtl8192du, rtl8192ee, rtl8192eu, rtl8192fu, rtl8723au, rtl8723bu, rtl8723de, rtl8723ds, rtl8723du, rtl8812au, rtl8814au, rtl8821ce, rtl8821cu, rtl8822bu devices.
If you have a RealTek USB WiFi Adapter or a laptop / notebook with built-in chipset in the previous list, do following steps may help you install the drivers in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 24.04, Linux Mint 20/21/22.
1.) First open terminal either from the system application launcher or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard.
3.) Then open Synaptic package manager, click Reload button refresh package cache, search either rtl or dkms.
Scroll down to find out the list of driver packages, then right-click on the one for your chipset and select ‘Mark for Installation’, finally click on Apply button to install it.
Or you can run command in terminal to install the driver (replace rtl8723de-dkms in the code):
sudo apt install rtl8723de-dkms
4.) The wireless network should work immediately after you installed the driver. You can manually unload and re-load the kernel module via commands (replace rtl8723de-dkms in the code):
Gnome photo manager and image viewer gThumb 3.11.2 was released a few days ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 20.10, Linux Mint 20, Pop!_OS 20.04 via PPA.
gThumb 3.11.2 features minor UI improvements including:
a proportional zoom increment in image viewer
keep the same pixel under the pointer after zooming
read color profiles from png files as well.
Media viewer: use accurate seeking when clicking on the progress bar.
Media viewer: show the pointed time when hovering over the progress bar.
Browser: added support for back and forward mouse buttons.
Preferences: added option to show/hide the statusbar.
Rename files: added a button to revert to the last used template.
And there are some bug-fixes, new or updates translations in the release.
How to Install gThumb via PPA in Ubuntu:
The Dariusz Duma’s PPA seems not being updated except for auto-build packages. So again… I uploaded the gThumb 3.11.2 packages into the unofficial PPA, available for Ubuntu 18.04 (not tested), Ubuntu 20.04, and Ubuntu 20.10.
The packages were backported from the Debian Unstable / Ubuntu 21.04 build from this page.
NOTICE: I offer no warranty for any package in this PPA. While they may work for me, you use them at your own risk.
1.) To add the PPA, open terminal and run command:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps
2.) You can then either upgrade photo manager from an old version via Update Manager (Software Updater), or run command in terminal:
sudo apt install gthumb
Uninstall gThumb & the Ubuntu PPA
To remove gThumb photo manager and image viewer, run command:
sudo apt remove --autoremove gthumb gthumb-data
To remove the Ubuntu PPA, either run the apt-add-repository command with --remove flag, or use Software & Updates -> Other Software.
KeePass password manager 2.47 was released user interface and integration enhancements and minor new features and improvements.
KeePass 2.47 release highlights:
Save search parameters as profiles, access via menu ‘Find’->’Search Profiles’.
Add ‘XPath expression’ search mode.
Add ‘Histop’ option in Find dialog.
Add ‘Help’ button in Find dialog.
Add auto-type matching option ‘Consider similar dashes as identical’.
Add commands ‘Copy Group (Encrypted)’, ‘Copy Group (Unencrypted)’ and ‘Paste Group’.
Added {TIMEOTP} placeholder, generates a time-based one-time password.
Enhanced XML key file format.
Add command ‘Print Key File Backup’.
Add command ‘Create Key File’.
Add Argon2id key derivation function.
Add support for importing Dashlane 6.2039.0 JSON files.
Add a few more options in the import/export dialog.
Plugins can now disable/enable specific Mono workarounds.
How to Install KeePass 2.47 in Ubuntu via PPA:
Although there’s a Linux native community fork KeePassXC available, KeePass2 is still available to install via an Ubuntu PPA. So far, the PPA supports for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, and Ubuntu 20.04.
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:
