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The First Alpha of Ubuntu 17.10 Is Available for Opt-in Flavors

Last updated: June 30, 2017

The first alpha of Ubuntu 17.10 Artful Aardvark was released earlier today. It features images for Lubuntu, Kubuntu, and Ubuntu Kylin.

The pre-release uses the kernel and graphics stacks of Ubuntu 17.04, which include Linux Kernel 4.10, X.Org Server 1.19.3 display server, and Mesa 17.1.2 3D Graphics Library. The systemd init system, however, was upgraded to the latest systemd 233.

Download Ubuntu 17.10 Alpha 1:

NOTE the pre-release images are not recommended for anyone who need a stable system. However, they are recommended for developers or users who want to test by finding, reporting, and/or fixing bugs, or people want to see how the current snapshot of Ubuntu 17.10 will look and behave.

LUbuntu 17.10: cdimage.ubuntu.com/lubuntu/releases/artful/

KUbuntu 17.10: cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/artful/

Ubuntu Kylin 17.10: cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntukylin/releases/artful/

Future releases of Ubuntu 17.10:

July 27th Alpha 2 (for opt-in flavors)
August 31st Beta 1 (for opt-in flavors)
September 28th Final Beta
October 19th Final Release

via: fridge.ubuntu.com

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digiKam 5.6.0 Released, How to Install it in Ubuntu

Last updated: April 24, 2024

The digiKam photo management software has reached the new stable 5.6.0 release with exciting new features and more than 81 issues closed.

New features in digiKam 5.6.0 according to the announcement:

  • The HTML gallery and Video Slideshow tools are back and available via tools menu.
  • database shrinking is also possible for MySQL databases.
  • improved the grouping items feature
  • support for custom sidecars
  • Geolocation Bookmarks has been rewritten to work with bundle version of digiKam (e.g., Appimage).

How to Install digiKam 5.6.0 in Ubuntu 17.04:

Due to requirement of higher Qt5 library version, digiKam 5.6.0 is only available for Ubuntu 17.04 through PPA.

1. Open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T, then run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:philip5/extra

Type your password when prompts and hit Enter.

2. Then upgrade digiKam via Software Updater (Update Manager):

or simply run commands in terminal to install /upgrade the software:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install digikam

Install digiKam 5.6.0 in Ubuntu 16.04:

For Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 16.10, and old versions download the AppImage from the link below:

AppImage is a single executable package, give its permission from file’s ‘Properties’ window:

Then run the file to launch digiKam (don’t see ‘Run’ option? go to menu Edit -> Preferences -> Behavior -> Run Executable text files when they are opened):

The first launch will ask you if to install a shortcut for the AppImage.

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Winamp Like ‘Qmmp’ Music Player 1.1.9 Released

Last updated: June 4, 2017

Qmmp, Qt-based multimedia player, has reached the 1.1.9 (and 0.10.9) release with some performance improvements and bug fixes.

Qmmp 1.1.9 and 0.10.9 are different version series with same changes. Qmmp 0.10.x is released for Qt4, and Qmmp 1.1.x is for Qt5.

Changes in Qmmp 1.1.9 and 0.10.9:

  • using relative skin path for portable configuration;
  • improved WASAPI support;
  • fixed cursors support in the skinned user interface;
  • fixed freezing when using DirectSound output;
  • fixed documentation;
  • fixed issue with ‘jump to track’ dialog when single click activation is enabled;
  • fixed tray icon tooltip (1.1.9 only);
  • fixed FLAC bitrate calculation;
  • fixed segmentation fault in the ffmpeg plugin;
  • translation updates.

How to Install Qmmp 1.1.9 (0.10.9) in Ubuntu:

The Qmmp release PPA has built the packages for Ubuntu 12.04, Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 16.10, and Ubuntu 17.04.

1. Open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and then run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:forkotov02/ppa

Type in password (no visual feedback) when it prompts and hit Enter.

2. Run commands to check updates and install the latest Qmmp packages:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install qmmp qmmp-plugin-pack

The commands will install Qt4 version of Qmmp 0.10.9 in Ubuntu 12.04 and Ubuntu 14.04, and install Qt5 version of Qmmp 1.1.9 in Ubuntu 16.04 and higher.

For Ubuntu 16.04 and higher users who want to install Qmmp Qt4, run following commands instead:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install qmmp-qt4 qmmp-plugin-pack-qt4

Uninstall:

To remove Qmmp multimedia player, simply run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove qmmp qmmp-qt4 qmmp-plugin-* && sudo apt-get autoremove

For the PPA repository, go to System Settings -> Software & Updates -> Other Software tab.

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How to Install VLC 2.2.5 in Ubuntu 16.04, 14.04

Last updated: May 12, 2017

VLC media player 2.2.5 was released recently with a great number of improvements. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 14.04, and Ubuntu 16.04.

It has been almost one year since the last VLC 2.2.4 was released on June 2016. VLC 2.2.5 features:

  • Fix green line rendering on Windows with AMD drivers
  • Fix mp3 playback regression on macOS and 64bit Windows leading to distortion for some media
  • Fix screenshots size
  • Improved lua scripts for various websites
  • Various security improvements in demuxers and decoders
  • Security hardening for DLL hijacking environments
  • Fix scrolling sensitivity on Sierra
  • Fix screen recording on Windows
  • See the changelog for details.

How to Install VLC 2.2.5 in Ubuntu / Linux Mint:

Besides building VLC 2.2.5 from the source tarball, Ubuntu 14.04, 16.04, and Linux mint 18 users can install it from the unofficial PPA.

1. Open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching “Terminal” from start menu. When it opens, run command to add PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jonathonf/vlc

Type in your password (no visual feedback due to security reason) when prompts and hit Enter.

2. (IMPORTANT) Remove old VLC version to avoid a package conflict:

sudo apt remove vlc vlc-nox

3. Finally run commands in terminal to check updates and install VLC 2.2.5:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install vlc

How to Restore:

To restore VLC media player to the stock version in your main Ubuntu repository, run command to purge the PPA:

sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:jonathonf/vlc
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GIMP 2.8.22 Released with Various Fixes [Ubuntu PPA]

Last updated: May 12, 2017

GIMP, The GNU Image Manipulation Program, got another maintenance release for the 2.8 series a few hours ago with drawing performance improvement and 10 years old CVE bug fixed.

GIMP 2.8.22 release highlights:

  • improve drawing performance in single window mode, especially with pixmap themes
  • Fix CVE bug in the ICO plug-in which allowed context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via an ICO file with an InfoHeader containing a Height of zero.
  • Avoid creating wrong layer group structure when importing PSD files
  • Prevent a crash in PDF plug-in if images or resolution are large
  • stop parsing invalid PCX files early and prevent a segmentation fault
  • Fixes for Mac OS, translation updates and build fixes.
  • See the changelog for details.

How to Install GIMP 2.8.22 via PPA in Ubuntu:

Otto Meier promised to maintain the latest GIMP packages in the PPA repository, so far, available for Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 16.10, Ubuntu 17.04.

Although GIMP 2.8.22 is NOT available in the PPA at the moment of writing (be patient, there’s always a small delay for maintainer to test and upload the packages), you can add the PPA via following steps:

1. Open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for “Terminal” from start menu. When it opens, run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:otto-kesselgulasch/gimp

Type in your password (no visual feedback due to security reason) when it asks and hit Enter.

2. After that, upgrade GIMP once the new release is published in the PPA:

For those who want to build GIMP from the source, grab the tarball from HERE.

How to Restore:

For any reason, you can easily restore GIMP to the official build (old) in main Ubuntu repositories, by running command to purge the PPA:

sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:otto-kesselgulasch/gimp
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How to Install Linux 4.11 Kernel in Ubuntu / Linux Mint

Last updated: May 7, 2017

Linux 4.11 Kernel was officially released on April 30th. Linus Torvalds announced in lkml.org:

So after that extra week with an rc8, things were pretty calm, and I’m much happier releasing a final 4.11 now.

We still had various smaller fixes the last week, but nothing that made me go “hmm..”. Shortlog appended for people who want to peruse the details, but it’s a mix all over, with about half being drivers (networking dominates, but some sound fixlets too), with the rest being soem arch updates, generic networking, and filesystem (nfs[d]) fixes. But it’s all really small, which is what I like to see the last week of the release cycle.

…

Linux 4.11 Kernel release highlights:

  • Enable frame-buffer compression by default for Skylake device and newer.
  • Adds DP MST audio support in Intel’s DRM driver.
  • Initial Geminilake graphics support.
  • ASPEED AST2500 display support.
  • Better Turbo Boost Max 3.0 support.
  • New ARM SoCs and boards support.
  • Realtek ALC1220 is now supported
  • Radeon/AMDGPU and various other DRM driver updates.
  • Improvements and updates to KVM, Xen, TurboStat, Raspberry Pi, TPM2, and more.

How to Install Kernel 4.11 in Ubuntu:

The mainline kernel PPA built the Linux 4.11 build .deb packages a few days later, available for download at the link below:

You can also use UKUU, a simple graphical tool to install latest Linux Kernels in Ubuntu.

To get Linux 4.11 Kernel from command console, run following commands one by one:

for 64-bit system:

cd /tmp/

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.11/linux-headers-4.11.0-041100_4.11.0-041100.201705041534_all.deb

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.11/linux-headers-4.11.0-041100-generic_4.11.0-041100.201705041534_amd64.deb

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.11/linux-image-4.11.0-041100-generic_4.11.0-041100.201705041534_amd64.deb

sudo dpkg -i *.deb

for 32-bit system:

cd /tmp/

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.11/linux-headers-4.11.0-041100_4.11.0-041100.201705041534_all.deb

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.11/linux-headers-4.11.0-041100-generic_4.11.0-041100.201705041534_i386.deb

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.11/linux-image-4.11.0-041100-generic_4.11.0-041100.201705041534_i386.deb

sudo dpkg -i *.deb

After installed these debs, restart and enjoy!

Uninstall:

To remove Linux Kernel 4.11, first restart and select boot with previous kernel (from Grub boot-loader -> Advanced Options) and then run command:

sudo apt-get remove linux-headers-4.11* linux-image-4.11*
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MuseScore 2.1 Released! New Input Modes & Huge List of Fixes

Last updated: May 2, 2017

MuseScore 2.1, a free music notation software, was released today with new note input modes and a huge list of bug-fixes.

According to the release note, MuseScore 2.1 brings than 350 new features, improvements, and bug fixes. It mainly features:

  • New note input modes:
    • Rhythmic input: enter rhythm first, pitches later.
    • Semi-real-time MIDI input – a limited form of real-time input.
  • Much better support for SFZ sample libraries in Zerberus synthesizer
  • New “Regroup Rhythms” command under Layout menu
  • And so many bug fixes, improvements.
  • There are also known incompatibilities with the 2.0 release. See the release note.

How to Install MuseScore 2.1 in Ubuntu:

MuseScore has an official stable PPA for Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, and higher.

Though the PPA is not ready for the new release at the moment, you can download the AppImage from the link below:

Then make the file executable from its context menu -> Properties window:

Finally run the file to start MuseScore 2.1:

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Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Has Reached the End of Life

Last updated: April 29, 2017

Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin LTS (Long-Support Term) reached the end of its life yesterday on April 28 2017.

The news team announced on the Ubuntu Fridge a month ago:

Ubuntu announced its 12.04 (Precise Pangolin) release almost 5 years ago, on April 26, 2012. As with the earlier LTS releases, Ubuntu committed to ongoing security and critical fixes for a period of 5 years. The support period is now nearing its end and Ubuntu 12.04 will reach end of life on Friday, April 28th. At that time, Ubuntu Security Notices will no longer include information or updated packages for Ubuntu 12.04.

If you want to upgrade your Ubuntu 12.04 LTS installation, you may first upgrade to Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, supported until April 2019, and then to Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, supported supported until April 2021.

For users who can’t upgrade immediately, Canonical has announced an extended support package for Ubuntu Advantage customers:

Following the end-of-life of Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, Canonical is offering Ubuntu 12.04 ESM (Extended Security Maintenance), which provides important security fixes for the kernel and the most essential user space packages in Ubuntu 12.04. These updates are delivered in a secure, private archive exclusively available to Ubuntu Advantage customers.

All Ubuntu 12.04 LTS users are encouraged to upgrade to Ubuntu 14.04 LTS or Ubuntu 16.04 LTS. But for those who cannot upgrade immediately, Ubuntu 12.04 ESM updates will help ensure the on-going security and integrity of Ubuntu 12.04 systems.

Users interested in Ubuntu 12.04 ESM updates can purchase Ubuntu Advantage at http://buy.ubuntu.com/

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Firefox 53 Released with Stability Improvements

Last updated: April 20, 2017

Mozilla Firefox has reached the 53.0 release. It features two new ‘compact’ themes and separate process for graphics compositing.

Firefox 53.0 release highlights:

  • Graphics stability for Windows users with compositor process separation (Quantum Compositor)
  • Two new ‘compact’ themes available, dark and light
  • Reader Mode now displays estimated reading time for the page
  • New visual design for audio and video controls
  • Drop Windows XP, Vista, and 32-bit Mac OS X support.
  • Drop Linux support for processors older than Pentium 4 and AMD Opteron
  • Various security fixes. See the release note

Install Firefox 53 in Ubuntu:

The new release will be made into official Ubuntu repository soon, available for Ubuntu 12.04, Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 16.10, Ubuntu 17.04, and derivatives.

Just keep your Ubuntu up-to-date by installing regular updates via Software Updater, and you’ll get Firefox 53 once it’s published in THIS PAGE.

For non-install version, go to the official FTP download page:

Grab the Linux package, extract and run executable file to launch Firefox 53.

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Skype for Linux 5.1 Beta Released [Linux Repository]

Last updated: April 4, 2017

A new beta release, Skype for Linux 5.1, was announced a few hours ago.

There are many new features and improvements coming with Skype for Linux Beta 5.1. However, only following changes are mentioned in the announcement:

  • Updated to Electron 1.6.2
  • Improved installer scripts that register the Skype update repository for you
  • Many smaller improvements and bugfixes

How to Install Skype 5.1 in Ubuntu / Linux Mint:

Skype website offers DEB packages for download at the link below:

You can also add the official Skype repository to install and receive updates via Software Updater utility, by following the steps below:

1. Open terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T or searching for “terminal” from the Dash. When it opens, run command:

dpkg -s apt-transport-https > /dev/null || bash -c "sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get install apt-transport-https -y"

Type in your password when it prompts and hit Enter. The command will check if the ‘apt-transport-https’ package is installed.

2. Run command to install the GPG key:

curl https://repo.skype.com/data/SKYPE-GPG-KEY | sudo apt-key add -

3. Add Skype repository to your system:

echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://repo.skype.com/deb stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/skype-stable.list

After adding the repository, you can install Skype for Linux either via Synaptic Package Manager or by running command:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install skypeforlinux

And future updates will be available in Software Updater along with other system updates.

How to Uninstall:

To remove the Skype repository, go to System Settings -> Software & Updates -> Other Software tab.

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