News | UbuntuHandbook

The First Beta of Ubuntu 16.10 Yakkety Yak Released

Last updated: September 29, 2017

The Ubuntu Team has announced the first beta release of Ubuntu 16.10 Yakkety Yak, feathers images for Lubuntu, Ubuntu GNOME, Ubuntu Kylin, Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu Studio.

This pre-release includes the v4.4 kernel, LibreOffice 5.2, and a number of software updates that are ready for wider testing. These images are still under development, so you should expect some bugs.

Ubuntu 16.10 Beta 1 Release Highlights:

Lubuntu still uses LXDE since LXQT is still in development.

Ubuntu GNOME 16.10:

includes GNOME 3.20
Select apps have been updated to their GNOME 3.22 Beta 1 (3.21.90) versions.
GTK 3 version of LibreOffice 5.2 by default.
GNOME’s Initial Setup utility is included and enabled.
Empathy is no longer installed by default for new installs.
The new Characters character map utility is installed by default.
The experimental wayland session is included.

Ubuntu Kylin 16.04 fixed many internationalization and localization bugs.

Ubuntu MATE 16.10:

Migrated to GTK 3.20
Updated to MATE Dock Applet 0.74
Updated many MATE packages for improved GTK 3.20 support
Removed MATE Heads-Up Display (HUD)

Ubuntu Studio 16.04 included dgedit, drumgizmo, gpick, calibre, pdf-shuffler, plume-creator. Replaced recordmydesktop with vokoscreen, and gnome-color-manager with dispcalgui. Also an updated list of packages included.

Future releases for Ubuntu 16.10:

September 22nd	Final Beta
October 6th	Final Freeze, Release Candicate
October 13th	Final release of Ubuntu 16.10

In News Ubuntu 16.10

PyCharm 2016.2.2 Released with Fixes and Performance Improvements

Last updated: August 27, 2016

The PyCharm Team announced the release of PyCharm 2016.2.2 on August 25. Now it’s available in PPA for upgrade in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 12.04, and derivatives.

The new release fixed several major problems in the debugger and in the code analysis subsystem. It updates bundled JSHint version to 2.9.2, provides better exclude rules for indexing for Node.js, usability, UI, editing performance improvements, and various bug fixes. See the release note for details.

How to install PyCharm 2016.2.2 in Ubuntu / Linux Mint:

Both the professional and community version with Unity menu-bar integration are available in Mystic Mirage’s PPA for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 12.04, and the old Ubuntu 15.10, 15.04.

1. Add the PPA

Open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mystic-mirage/pycharm

2. For those who have a previous release installed, launch Software Updater and upgrade the IDE:

Or install the PyCharm IDE professional via command in terminal:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install pycharm

Replace pycharm with pycharm-community in the code to install the community version.

3. (Optional) To remove PyCharm IDE, simply run command:

sudo apt remove pycharm pycharm-community

And the PPA repository can be removed via Software & Updates utility (Other Software tab).

In News IDE, PyCharm

How to Install Avidemux 2.6.13 in Ubuntu 16.04

Last updated: April 4, 2019

Avidemux video editor has reached the 2.6.13 release recently with lots of bug-fixes and improvements. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 16.04 LTS via PPA.

Changes in Avidemux 2.6.13:

updated Toolchain for Win64 and OS X
Linux AppImage available (universal linux64 binaries)
Update to libav* 3.0.2
Improved copy mode for h264/h265 video
AAC/ADTS import/export
new video filter : ivtcDupeRemover to remove duplicate after 3:2 pulldown
Revamped refresh screen
ASS/SSA fixes
Improved logo filter with alpha channel
ShaderLoader, load your openGL shaders as filters
Compatibility with newer gcc
Partial filter available only for one in/one out video filters
Add go fwd/go backward 60 sec buttons

Install Avidemux 2.6.13 in Ubuntu 16.04:

The Qt and CLI version of Avidemux 2.6.13 has been made into the ~~GetDeb Apps repository~~, available for Ubuntu 16.04 and Linux Mint 18. To install it, do below steps:

1. Add GetDeb repository by opening terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and running the command:

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu xenial-getdeb apps" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/getdeb.list'

2. Install the key so to trust the packages from that repository:

wget -q -O- http://archive.getdeb.net/getdeb-archive.key | sudo apt-key add -

3. Finally update system package index and install Avidemux video editor:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install avidemux2.6-qt

4. (Optional) To remove Avidemux, use command:

sudo apt remove avidemux2.6-qt && sudo apt autoremove

And the GetDeb repository can be removed via Software & Updates utility (Other Software tab).

In Howtos, News avidemux video editor, video editor

Shotwell 0.23.5 Adds Hyperlinks on Tags, Remove Buttom Toolbar Option

Last updated: August 21, 2016

The Gnome photo management software, Shotwell 0.23.5, was released a few days ago with user experience improvements, bug fixes, and translation updates.

Shotwell 0.23.5 adds an option under View menu allows users to hide the bottom toolbar. Tags below the thumbnails now behave like hyperlinks, so that clicking it brings you to the page with all other photos with that tag.

Other changes in the 0.23.5 release:

Remove obsolete files
Plugins: Load icons and GtkBuilder files from GResource
Fix .desktop file generation
Use Gtk.MessageDialog’s printf-style API for strings
Add SQL indexes to PhotoTable
Add Language headers to po files
Update INSTALL file
Really remove reference to external hmac_sha1
Disambiguate strings for time ranges
Implement linked tags
Make it more clear that something failed if SSL conncetion was not possible
Add option to filter by saved search
Explicitly link plugins to their dependencies
Fix typo in GSettings schema
Re-add –disable-extra-plugins configure option
Fix settings migrator and thumbnailer path
Bump debian compat for proper –libexecdir parameter

How to install Shotwell 0.23.5 in Ubuntu 16.04:

For Ubuntu 16.04 LTS and derivatives, you can install or upgrade to Shotwell 0.23.5 using Jens Georg’s PPA.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yg-jensge/shotwell

2. Then updated package index and upgrade shotwell:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install shotwell

3. To restore the stock Shotwell 0.22 version, run command to purge the PPA:

sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:yg-jensge/shotwell

In Howtos, News photo manager, shotwell

Nvidia 370.23 Adds TITAN X Support, Over-clocking in GTX 1000 Series

Last updated: August 18, 2016

The Nvidia driver for Linux has reached the 370 series by releasing the 370.23 beta driver. TITAN X (Pascal) and GTX 1060 6GB are officially supported. Over- and under-clock GPUs feature added for GTX 1000 series and later.

Nvidia 370.23 also brings the “PixelShiftMode” MetaMode option, enabling support for 4K and 8K pixel shift displays.

Other changes include:

a Vulkan bug fix revolving around X11 swap chains
fix a mode-setting regression from 367.35
fix OpennGL / OpenGL ES driver crash and CUDA device querying crash
enable persistence mode by default for all GPUs when the daemon is started
See the official announcement for more details.

How to install Nvidia 370.23 in Ubuntu 16.04, 14.04:

The Graphics Driver Team has made the new 370 driver series into PPA, available for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 12.04, and also the next Ubuntu 16.10.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:graphics-drivers/ppa

Type in password when it asks and hit Enter.

2. Update system package index via:

sudo apt update

3. Finally launch Additional Drivers utility, select the nvidia-370 driver and click Apply changes.

After installing the new driver, restart your computer to take effect.

In Howtos, News Nvidia 370, Nvidia Linux

Oracle Virtualbox 5.1.4 Available for Upgrade

Last updated: August 17, 2016

The second maintain release for the Virtualbox 5.1 series, Virtualbox 5.1.4, now is available for upgrade in the official Virtualbox Linux repository.

Oracle has not yet announced the release of Virtualbox 5.1.4 at the moment. The changelog will be available once it’s ready in the wiki page, and Linux binaries will be available for download in the Linux download page.

Those who have enabled Virtualbox Linux repository, Virtualbox 5.1.4 is now available for upgrade in Software Updater:

How to install Virtualbox 5.1.4 in Ubuntu

The new release is ready for upgrade for all current Ubuntu releases, include Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 12.04, and their derivatives.

1. For those who don’t have VBox Linux repository enabled, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command:

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian xenial contrib" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/virtualbox.list'

replace xenial with trusty or precise for Ubuntu 14.04 or Ubuntu 12.04 and their derivatives.

2. And setup the key via command:

wget -q -O - http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian/oracle_vbox_2016.asc | sudo apt-key add -

For Ubuntu 15.10 and older, use the old key:

wget -q https://www.virtualbox.org/download/oracle_vbox.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -

3. After adding the official Virtualbox Linux repository, launch Software Updater and you will be able to upgrade Virtualbox after checking for updates:

In Howtos, News Virtualbox, Virtualbox 5.1

StepMania 5.0.12 Released with Enhancement and Bug Fixes

Last updated: August 14, 2016

StepMania, an open-source and advanced cross-platform rhythm game, has reached the 5.0.12 release after a month and two weeks of release candidate testing.

StepMania 5.0.12 is probably the last maintain release for the 5.0 series. The developers are no focusing on the development of StepMania 5.1 branch.

Changes in StepMania 5.0.12:

Fixed bug that allowed pausing by pressing Select then Back. Pausing requires pressing the same button twice.
Default theme ignores holding Select, or Start during gameplay. The pause menu must be used to back out of a song.
Select Music
Added AllowHoldForOptions preference. When this is set to 0 (off), going to the player options screen requires pressing Start a second time, instead of holding it.
Fixed bug that deleted a warp on the same beat as a stop when saving.
Ready and Go announcer sounds no longer play simultaneously.
Fixed cmake settings so that player profiles can be loaded from USB drives once again.
Fixed crash in loading profiles from USB drives.

How to install StepMania 5.0.12 in Ubuntu:

Besides running the official Linux binary (non-install version in previous link), an unofficial PPA with stepmania packages for Ubuntu 16.04 and Ubuntu 14.04 is available. And below is how to install the StepMania 5.0.12 via the PPA.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/stepmania

Type in your password when it asks and hit Enter.

2. Update package index and install the game:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install stepmania

For those who don’t want to add PPA, grab the .deb packages of stepmania-data and then stepmania for 5.0.12 from HERE.

In News stepmania, stepmania ppa

digiKam 5.1.0 Released, How to Install it in Ubuntu 16.04

Last updated: April 24, 2024

After one month of development, the digiKam team announced the release of its photo management software digiKam 5.1.0 last night with new RAW cameras support and bug fixes.

DigiKam 5.1.0 brings a new huge bugs triage and some fixes, LibRaw 0.18 to support new lead RAW cameras, Mysql database interface consolidation, speed-up startup operation. Also the option to enable or disable the scan for new items at startup is back in Setup/Miscs dialog page.

New supported RAW cameras in Digikam 5.1.0:

Canon 80D, 1300D, 1DX MkII
Fujifilm X-Pro2, X70, X-E2S
HTC One A9 and M9
Leica M and X-U
Nikon D5
Olympus Pen F, SH-3
Panasonic DMC-GX80/85, DMC-TZ80/81/85/ZS60, DMC-TZ100/101/ZS100
PhaseOne IQ150, IQ180 IR, IQ3
Samsung Galaxy S7
Sony ILCA-68, ILCE-6300, RX1R II, RX10 III

Install / upgrade to digiKam 5.1.0 in (K)Ubuntu 16.04:

1. Add Philip Johnsson’s PPA

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:philip5/extra

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

2. install or upgrade digiKam.

For those who have the previous 5.0 release installed, launch Software Updater and upgrade digiKam to 5.1.0 release after checking for updates.

Or just run commands below one by one in terminal to update package index and install/upgrade the software:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install digikam5

3. (Optional) Remove digiKam 5.1.0

To remove the software, use Synaptic Package Manager or simply run apt command with remove flag:

sudo apt remove digikam5 && sudo apt autoremove

And the PPA can be removed or disabled via Software & Updates utility under Other Software tab.

In Howtos, News digikam, digiKam 5.1.0

Ubuntu 14.04.5 Released with Kernel 4.4 and 16.04 X Stack

Last updated: August 5, 2016

The Ubuntu Team has announced the release of Ubuntu 14.04.5 LTS. It’s the fifth and final point release that includes new hardware enablement stack (HWE) from Ubuntu 16.04 LTS.

The Ubuntu team is pleased to announce the release of Ubuntu 14.04.5 LTS (Long-Term Support) for its Desktop, Server, Cloud, and Core products, as well as other flavours of Ubuntu with long-term support.

We have expanded our hardware enablement offering since 12.04, and with 14.04.5, this point release contains an updated kernel and X stack for new installations to support new hardware across all our supported architectures, not just x86.

As usual, this point release includes many updates, and updated installation media has been provided so that fewer updates will need to be downloaded after installation. These include security updates and corrections for other high-impact bugs, with a focus on maintaining stability and compatibility with Ubuntu 14.04 LTS.

Upgrade to Ubuntu 14.04.5:

Ubuntu 14.04 users can easily upgrade to the 14.04.5 point release by running a regular system update via Software Updater.

Or run the commands in terminal:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

Note that the updated hardware enablement stack, Kernel 4.4 and X graphics stack from 16.04, will be available through the update only for those who installed Ubuntu 14.04 using the 14.04.2 or newer disc image.

Those who installed Ubuntu 14.04 from the original or 14.04.1 disc image will keep the original Trusty stack. Anyone wishing to opt into the new Kernel and X graphics stack may do so by running the command below in terminal:

sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-lts-xenial xserver-xorg-core-lts-xenial xserver-xorg-lts-xenial xserver-xorg-video-all-lts-xenial xserver-xorg-input-all-lts-xenial libwayland-egl1-mesa-lts-xenial

For Sever edition, run this command instead:

sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-lts-xenial

In News Ubuntu 14.04

Howto-Upgrade: Firefox 48 Released, Multi-Process Enabled

Last updated: August 3, 2016

Mozilla Firefox 48.0 was released on Tuesday. The biggest change is that Electrolysis (E10S), the multiple processes architecture, is beginning to be enabled by default.

Electrolysis is the project name for Mozilla’s efforts to split Firefox into multiple processes to improve responsiveness, stability, and security. The first phase of this work was to split Firefox into a UI process and a content process.

Besides enabling E10S for some users. Firefox 48 also features:

Download Protection: potentially unwanted software and uncommon downloads.
Add-ons that have not been verified and signed by Mozilla will not load
Better Canvas performance with speedy Skia support for Linux
WebRTC embetterments:
- Delay-agnostic AEC enabled
- Full duplex for GNU/Linux enabled
- ICE Restart & Update is supported
- Cloning of MediaStream and MediaStreamTrack is now supported
Searching and various security improvements, and more at release page.

How to upgrade to Firefox 48 in Ubuntu:

The new Firefox release will be made into Updates/Security repositories very soon, available for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 14.04, and Ubuntu 12.04. (Check out THIS PAGE)

At that time, just launch Software Updater and install available updates after checking for updates.