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Darktable 4.8.1 Released with Various Bug-Fixes [Ubuntu PPA]

Last updated: July 26, 2024 — Leave a comment

Darktable, the popular raw image processing software, released new 4.8.1 version few days ago.

This is the first minor release for the current 4.8 release series, which contains only bug-fixes. The release fixed the issue that export without high quality sampling but with up-scaling activated, crash when using the -d imageio option, and image jump if collection is empty.

There are as well fixes for importing/exporting issues, including large image exports due to a bug in finalscale module, JPEG2000 loading issue due to unspecified color space, and empty lighttable when importing from command-line. For more, see the official release note.

In News photo

Linux Mint 22 is Available to Download! Based on Ubuntu 24.04

Last updated: July 26, 2024 — Leave a comment

Linux Mint, the popular Linux Distribution for desktop PC and laptops, finally rolls out the new 22 major release images.

Linux Mint 22, code-name “Wilma”, is based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. It features Kernel 6.8, Cinnamon Desktop 6.2, and supports until 2029.

The stable release .iso images were rolled out few days ago on July 21 through the Linux Mint Community page. Most download mirrors have include the new .iso images in their websites.

If everything’s going well, the official website should update the download link and announce the release very soon.

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Ubuntu 24.10 Wallpaper Contest Opens for 20th Anniversary

Last updated: July 20, 2024 — Leave a comment

Wallpaper Contest for the upcoming Ubuntu 24.10, Oracular Oriole, is open, accept artwork for the 20th anniversary!

Like the last wallpaper contest, the artwork submissions are separated into 4 categories. Each category will have 2 winners, and finally 8 mixed images will be included in the Ubuntu 24.10 disc image as optional wallpapers.

With Ubuntu 24.10, Ubuntu is reaching the 20th anniversary. So, this time the contest includes a category that’s specially for the two decade anniversary of Ubuntu. While 3 others are Mascot Theme, Digital / Abstract, and Photography.

image by romactu1 from 24.10 wallpaper contest

In News Ubuntu 24.10, wallpaper

Blender 4.2 LTS Released with EEVEE Render Engine, Extensions Support

Last updated: July 18, 2024 — Leave a comment

Blender, the popular free open-source 3D animation software, announced new 4.2 release few days ago this Tuesday!

Blender 4.2 is a Long Term Support (LTS) release with 2 years support for critical fixes. It introduced new EEVEE render engine, which is completely rewritten from scratch.

The new engine features screen space global illumination, real displacement, better Subsurface Scattering, much more stable Dithered volumetrics result while navigating the scene, motion blur in 3D viewport, as well as:

Virtual Shadow maps,
unlimited BSDFs and unlimited number of lights,
New Transparent Shadows option,
multi-trheaded shader compilation,
Shadow Map Raytracing and more.

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Audacity 3.6.0 Released with New & Master Effects [Ubuntu PPA]

Last updated: July 18, 2024 — Leave a comment

Audacity audio editor announced new major 3.6.0 release few days ago. Here are the new features and how to install guide for Ubuntu users.

The new release features new Master Effects. By clicking “Effects” button in app window, it will now show you Realtime Effects and Master Effects options for choice. While, the new Master Effects allows to apply effects to the entire project at once.

In News audacity, Audio

GNOME 47 Finally Adding Accent Color Support

Last updated: July 16, 2024 — Leave a comment

GNOME 47, the next release of the popular Linux Desktop environment, is in alpha stage now!

GNOME 47, which is scheduled to be released on Sep 14, 2024, will be the default desktop for next Ubuntu 24.10 and Fedora Workstation 41 if everything goes well.

The first alpha development released was out a few days ago. Which, introduced accent color support!

Ubuntu since 22.04 already has the feature out-of-the-box. Under “Appearance” settings page, there are some big dots with different colors under “Style” section. They are called accent colors. Choose one from there will apply the color to all toggle switches, check-boxes, slider-bars, selection borders, etc in the desktop.

In News Gnome, Ubuntu 24.10

Linux Kernel 6.10 Released with Many New Hardware Support

Last updated: July 15, 2024 — 2 Comments

Linux Kernel 6.10 was finally released a day ago on this Sunday. Linus Torvalds announced on this page:

“So the final week was perhaps not quote as quiet as the preceding ones, which I don’t love – but it also wasn’t noisy enough to warrant an extra rc. And much of the noise this last week was bcachefs again (with netfs a close second), so it was all pretty compartmentalized.

In fact, about a third of the patch for the last week was filesystem-related (there were also some btrfs latency fixes and other noise), which is unusual, but none of it looks particularly scary.”

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OBS Studio 30.2 Adds Native NVIDIA NVENC Encoder for Linux, Multitrack Video Streaming

Last updated: July 14, 2024 — Leave a comment

OBS Studio, the popular free open-source live streaming software, announced new major 30.2.0 release a day ago.

The new release has some improvements for Linux support. They include native NVENC encoder interface for NVIDIA GPU hardware accelerated encoding, and NVENC AV1 support. And, Linux shared texture support to the NVENC encoder, QuickSync encoder, as well as VA-API encoder.

OBS Studio 30.2.0 also added multi-track video streaming support, aka Enhanced Broadcasting on Twitch.

To improve the experience for viewers with poor network conditions or those watching on older devices, the streaming service usually creates multiple video qualities of original high-quality source content.

Now, OBS Studio itself can produce multiple video qualities, though, it so far supports only Windows and requires NVIDIA GTX 900, GTX 10, or RTX 20 series GPU or newer or an AMD RX 6000 series GPU or newer. And, it will collect info, such as OBS version and audio/video settings, CPU, GPU, Memory, and OS info and set to the streaming service.

In News network, OBS Studio

Firefox 128.0 Adds Translation support for Selected Text

Last updated: July 10, 2024 — Leave a comment

Firefox web browser announced new 128.0 release one day ago on Tuesday.

This is a new monthly release that introduces some handy new features. They include context menu option to translate a selection of text. Rather than translate full web page, user can now highlight single or a selection of text, then use right-click and select to translate the text.

In News Firefox, web

Linux Mint 22 Beta is Available for Testing

Last updated: July 3, 2024 — Leave a comment

Linux Mint, the popular Linux Distribution, announced version 22 Beta release this Monday!

The new release is based on Ubuntu 24.04, features Cinnamon Desktop 6.2, and supports until 2029.

Thanks to the upstream changes, the release now is powered by Linux Kernel 6.8 with updated drivers and modern hardware support. The default PulseAudio is replaced by the low latency Pipewire sound server. JPEG-XL (.jxl) is supported out-of-the-box with the default Pix image viewer. The boot splash and login screen have better HiDPI support.