digiKam, KDE’s photo management software, released version 8.2.0 this Sunday.
The new release includes most recent Libraw library, updates runtime libraries to Qt 5.15.11, KDE frameworks 5.110, Exiftool 12.70, and Exiv2 28.1.
For Windows user, digiKam now has new Windows installer compiled under Windows with VCPKG tool-chain and based on Qt6 and KF6 frameworks.
Besides toolkit updates, digiKam 8.2.0 also has about 250 bug-fixes. They include slow Geolocate, tags not saving on exit, failed to database creation on MariaDB, slideshow does not prevent monitor turning off, various crashes, and other bugs. See NEWS file for more details.
Get digiKam 8.2.0
The software provides official packages for Linux, Windows, and MacOS, available to download at the link below:
It’s “hplip-3.23.12.run“. Once you downloaded the file, right-click on blank area in the ‘Downloads’ folder and select “Open in Terminal“.
When terminal opens, run the commands below one by one will start the installing process for the new driver package:
Add executable permission for the file:
chmod u+x hplip-3.23.12.run
Run the file, follow the on-screen prompt and answer some questions:
./hplip-3.23.12.run
In the terminal output, answer questions by typing ‘y’, ‘n’, etc. Until the command’s done without error, you can plug or re-plug your HP printer for the new driver to work.
Install HPLIP 3.23.12 in Ubuntu 23.10
The .run installer so far does not support Ubuntu 23.10! However, running the commands above will generate the source folder in your ‘Downloads’ folder. Right-click on that folder and select ‘Open in Terminal’, then 23.10 user can try running the commands below one by one to build from source:
1. Firstly, in the terminal window run single command to install the build dependency packages:
3. Finally, make and install by running the 2 commands below one by one:
make -j4
sudo make install
NOTE: in command -j4 will start 4 threads in parallel to speed up the process. You can skip it, or change number 4 depends on how many CPU cores you have.
After installed HPLIP 3.23.12, plug or re-plug your HP printer, then you can either refresh the driver in system ‘Printer’ settings page, or launch “HP Device Manager” to set up your printer.
Uninstall HPLIP 3.23.12
As mentioned above, running the installer will create a source folder in user ‘Downloads’ folder.
Right-click on that source folder and select “Open in Terminal”. Then run the uninstall script in pop-up terminal window to remove HPLIP:
MPV media player released version 0.37.0 yesterday! Here are the new features and Ubuntu PPA for installing the .deb package in Ubuntu, Linux Mint.
MPV 0.37.0 has big improvements for Apple users. It added Vulkan support in vo_gpu and vo_gnu_next. And, it now supports VideoToolbox hardware decoding, a low-level framework that provides direct access to hardware encoders and decoders.
The release also added support for delivery system ISDB-T for dvb streaming, support SPDIF passthrough for OSS audio, and can play up to 64 channels.
For libmpv library, the release added new mpv_time_ns() to allow more precise time based on nanoseconds.
For command line, MPV 0.37.0 added new options, they include:
--hdr-peak-percentile and --libplacebo-opts for vo_gpu_next.
--term-remaining-playtime for player.
--x11-wid-title for x11.
--subs-match-os-language to replace ‘auto’ option for player.
--video-crop for vo.
--window-corners, --window-affinity, --title-bar, --backdrop-type for win32.
The new release will be available in Ubuntu Software (App Center) in next few days as Snap package.
For those who prefer the classic .deb package format, here’s the PPA for Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 23.04, and Ubuntu 23.10.
1. Firstly, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open a terminal window. When it opens, paste the command below and hit run:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/mpv
Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it asks and hit Enter to continue.
2. Linux Mint 21 user needs to run command in terminal to manually refresh the package cache:
sudo apt update
3. Finally, install mpv media player v0.37.0 by running command:
sudo apt install mpv
To verify, run mpv --version command in terminal.
Tips: for hardware video acceleration, first make sure your graphics driver support it, then edit ‘/etc/mpv/mpv.conf‘ file and add hwdec=auto. For the missing header-bar, use gpu-context=x11egl.
Uninstall:
You can choose to purge the PPA repository, which will also downgrade mpv to the stock version in system repository. To do so, open terminal and run command:
Shotwell photo viewer and organizer released new 0.32.3 version a day ago with minor updates.
The release came with some bug-fixes and minor changes, they include:
Fix asking twice on closing viewer with modified image
Do not try to reload photo on shutdown
Do not abort if new thumbnail size does not exist
Open fullscreen windows on correct monitor
Do not show toolbar if mouse is on another monitor
Do not leak zoom buffers
Remove length limit for GPhoto import
Be more robust against invalid UTF-8 filenames
Drop some old work-arounds
As well, there’s new/updated translations included in this release. They include: id.po, courtesy of Andika Triwidada; eu.po, courtesy of Asier Sarasua Garmendia; hu.po, courtesy of Balázs Úr; sl.po, courtesy of Martin Srebotnjak.
How to Install Shotwell 0.32.3 in Ubuntu
Shotwell is available to install in Ubuntu via a few different ways.
Snap package
Canonical (the company behind Ubuntu) maintains Shotwell as Snap package, which runs in sandbox. However, it’s stuck at 0.32.1 at the moment of writing.
The snap package is available to install in Ubuntu Software (or App Center for 23.10).
Flatpak package
Shotwell is also available to install as Flatpak package, another universal Linux package format runs in sandbox. It’s marked as maintained by the Shotwell developers, but NOT verified.
The Flatpak is at version of 0.32.2 at the moment of writing (check HERE). Ubuntu user can press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal, and run 2 commands one by one to install it:
Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it asks and hit Enter to continue.
2. Next, launch Software Updater (Update Manager), then install the updates for the software package.
Or, run command in terminal to install/upgrade the Shotwell package:
sudo apt install shotwell
NOTE: Linux Mint user may need to run sudo apt update first to refresh package cache.
Finally, either right-click on your photo images to select open with the photo manager, or search for and launch shotwell from ‘Activities’ overview and enjoy!
Uninstall Shotwell 0.32.3
For any issue, it’s recommended to purge the Ubuntu PPA. Which, will remove PPA and downgrade shotwell to the pre-installed version.
To do so, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command:
For the Snap package, just remove it from Ubuntu Software or App Center. While, Flatpak package can be removed by running the command below in a terminal window:
For users of Audacity 3.4.x, the popular audio editor and recorder app just announced the second update for this release series.
It’s Audacity 3.4.2 that includes following bug-fixes:
Fix crash when opening projects with zero-length clips.
Fix a crash when clearing loops.
Fix Nyquist-related crashes.
Fix a crash when closing Audacity.
When exporting a file, the sample rate of the tracks is now considered, and last-used sample rate is remembered.
Copy-pasting now pastes into audio again by default. Though, there’s an option to change in Preferences.
Mix and render now also resets the gain for the resulting track.
Fix clips shifting to the right when effects are applied to them.
Fix clicks occurring when overdubbing a project with muted tracks.
Fix files being exported without a file extension in rare cases.
Show all sample rates possible for MP2 exports.
Fix pasting into labels.
Fix copying when “select all audio if selection required” is enabled.
Fix GTK detection and compilation for wxWidgets 3.2.4.
Fix EQs in macros.
Fix builds on armhf.
How to Install Audacity 3.4.2
Audacity is available to install Ubuntu Linux through a few different ways. They include AppImage, Ubuntu PPA, and Flatpak. Just choose either one that you prefer.
Option 1: AppImage (official)
It provides official macOS .dmg, Windows .exe, and Linux .AppImage packages available to download at the link below:
For Linux, click expand the “Assets” section and choose download the .AppImage package.
Then, right-click on the .AppImage file and go to its ‘Properties’ dialog. Add executable permission by enable ‘allow executing file as program‘. Finally, right-click on it and select “Run” to launch Audacity.
Option 2: Ubuntu PPA
For choice, I’ve uploaded the new release package into unofficial PPA for Ubuntu 22.04, 23.04, and Ubuntu 23.10 with amd64, arm64, and armhf support.
1. First, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When terminal opens, run command to add the PPA:
OBS Studio, the popular live streaming software, announced new 30.0 release yesterday. Here are the new features and how to install guide for Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 23.04/23.10, and Linux Mint 21.
OBS-Studio 30.0 is a big release with many new features. They include WHIP/WebRTC output, support for Intel QSV H264, HEVC, AV1 on Linux, “Safe Mode” that runs without scripting, and websockets, 10-bit capture and HDR playback support for Decklink devices.
Other changes include:
Redesigned the status bar
Full-Height docks option in the “Docks” menu
Add shader cache to improve startup time on Windows
Add application audio capture on macOS
Rework the virtual camera on macOS
Add YouTube Live Control Room Panel when streaming to YouTube
Option to hide OBS windows from macOS Screen Capture’s “Display Capture”
Arrange filters via drag & drop
Ability to set FFmpeg Options for VAAPI
And, there are tons of other changes and bug-fixes, see the release page for details.
How to Install OBS Studio 30.0 in Ubuntu
The release page (see the link above) provides Windows .exe, Mac OS .dmg, and Ubuntu .deb packages for downloading under ‘Assets’ section.
For Ubuntu and Linux Mint, there’s also an official PPA available to make it easy to keep the software up-to-date.
The PPA supports the new release for Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 23.04, Ubuntu 23.10, and their based systems. While, Ubuntu 20.04 does not longer supported due to FFmpeg version mis-match.
1. Firstly, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open a terminal window. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:obsproject/obs-studio
Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it asks and hit Enter to continue.
2. Then, either use Software Updater to update the software package (if an old version was installed).
Or, use apt command to install/upgrade the software package:
sudo apt install obs-studio
NOTE: Linux Mint may need to run sudo apt update first to update package cache.
Once installed, search for and launch OBS Studio from ‘Activities’ overview or start menu depends on your desktop environment and enjoy!
NOTE: OBS Studio in Ubuntu 22.04 and higher with Wayland, looks kinda borderless, due to Qt theming issue. If you prefer the classic header-bar and window border, see this tutorial to enable xcb plugin
Uninstall OBS Studio
To downgrade the software to the stock version that your system repository provides, run command:
PTBatcherGUI can now also queue user defined assistant and user defined output sequences.
PTBatcherGUI: Added option to generate panorama sequences from an existing pto template.
Assistant: Added option to select different output options like projection, FOV or canvas size depending on different variables (e.g. image count, field of view, lens type).
Allow building with epoxy instead of GLEW for OpenGL pointer management.
Several improvements to crop tool (outside crop, aspect ratio, …).
For all current Ubuntu releases, including Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 23.10, and their based systems, I’ve made the unofficial package into this PPA repository, not only for x86_64 but also 32-bit/64-bit ARM support!
I also sync the packages into the apps PPA, use either one as you prefer.
1. First, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/hugin
Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it asks and hit Enter to continue.
2. Update system package cache for Ubuntu 18.04 and Linux Mint, though it’s done automatically while adding PPA in Ubuntu 20.04+:
sudo apt update
3. Finally, either run the command below in terminal to install the panorama photo stitcher:
sudo apt install hugin
Or, upgrade the software (if an old version was installed) via Software Updater (Update Manager) app:
Uninstall hugin:
To remove the software package, simply run command:
sudo apt remove --autoremove hugin hugin-data
And, remove the PPA either by running command in terminal:
Tilix terminal emulator released version 1.9.6 few days ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 23.04, and Ubuntu 23.10.
Tilix is a tiling terminal emulator, which uses the VTE GTK+ 3 widget for various features, such as split horizontally or vertically, transparent background, background images, quake mode support, custom hyperlinks, experimental trigger and badge support.
The development of Tilix is moving slowly now due to lack of maintainers. The new 1.9.6 is released more than 20 months after the last stable. And, it only includes minor new features and bug-fixes:
Add close button to search box.
Replace variables in custom link commands
Follow system color-scheme for default theme-variant
Add compatibility with Nautilus 43
Avoid shell injection in open-tilix plugin
Fix GLib critical warnings on startup
Update to GtkD 3.10.0
Tilix search box has close button.
How to Install Tilix 1.9.6 in Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 23.10
The new release provides prebuild package for Linux, which is available to download at the link below:
It’s ‘tilix-1.9.6_x86_64-linux-gnu.tar.gz‘ for 64-bit modern PC and laptop. Just download the package, extract, and run the executable to launch the terminal emulator.
Ubuntu PPA
The official tarball does NOT include run-time libraries. You have to manually figure out “error while loading shared libraries …” errors.
To make the life easy, I’ve upload the new packages into this unofficial PPA, build against the rules from Debian Unstable. So far, it supports Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 23.04, Ubuntu 23.10, on both x86_64 and AArch64(arm64).
1. First, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/tilix
Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it asks and hit Enter to continue.
2. Linux Mint 21 users need to refresh system package cache manually, by either running the command below or using “Refresh” button in Update Manager:
sudo apt update
3. Finally, either run command to install the terminal emulator:
sudo apt install tilix
Or, update it through Software Updater (Update Manager) utility.
NOTE: Upgrading from v1.9.5 may cause following error pop-up at launch, but I don’t know how to correct the issue.
Thanks to @oswald_c, you may fix the issue by enabling ‘Run command as a login shell’ to enable it‘ option under default profile of “Preferences” dialog. See the screenshot below:
Uninstall Tilix
To downgrade Tilix to stock version in your system repository, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to purge the PPA:
GIMP image editor announced a new stable release for the 2.10 series few days ago. Here’s how you can install it in Ubuntu 24.04, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 20.04, and Ubuntu 23.10.
First of all, GIMP 2.10.38 includes Windows Ink drivers support for better tablets support on Windows. It also backports some small features from GTK3 to GTK2, with some improvements for Windows users. They include:
Use native Windows API for converting keystrokes to characters,
Fix keyboard input when using IMEs,
Fix mouse events in presence of transparent windows on the desktop,
Win32 IME Fixes, and more.
Besides the improvements for Windows users, the release also includes various bug-fixes, including that GIMP crashes every time on exit in my case in Ubuntu 24.04. See release note for more about GIMP 2.10.38.
(Old content for GIMP 2.10.36) The new release also has some new features. They include Adobe Swatch Exchange (ASE) and Adobe Color Book (ACB) palettes support.
Gradient Tool now has an “FG to Transparent (Hardedge)” option, to generate a gradient from the foreground color to transparency, with hard-edge transitions between the 2 colors. Which, as well includes a “Repeat” option to alternate repetitive colored shapes.
If you already installed an old version of the Flatpak package, try to update it by running command:
flatpak update org.gimp.GIMP
Option 2: Snap package
Like Flatpak, Snap is also an universal Linux package format runs in sandbox environment. It’s easy to install by simply search & click installing in App Center (or Ubuntu Software for 22.04 & earlier).
Option 3: Ubuntu PPA
For those who prefer native .deb package format, I’ve upload the new release package into this unofficial PPA for Ubuntu 24.04, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 20.04, and Ubuntu 23.10, with amd64, arm64 and armhf support.
1. First, open terminal (press Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to add PPA:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/gimp
Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it asks and hit Enter to continue.
2. Linux Mint users need to manually refresh system package cache, though, it’s done automatically in Ubuntu while adding PPA. To do so, run command:
sudo apt update
3. Finally, either run command to install GIMP 2.10.38:
sudo apt install gimp gegl libgexiv2-2
For Ubuntu 20.04, also run sudo apt install libgexiv2-2 to update the runtime library. Or run sudo apt upgrade if GIMP refused to run after installation.
Or, use “Software Updater” (Update Manager) to upgrade your current GIMP to the latest.
Uninstall GIMP
If you installed GIMP via the official Flatpak package, run command below in terminal to uninstall it:
flatpak uninstall --delete-data org.gimp.GIMP
Also run flatpak uninstall --unused to remove useless runtimes.
For the Snap package, simply use Ubuntu Software or App Center to uninstall it.
For the PPA package, either run command to purge PPA and downgrade to the stock version:
