News | UbuntuHandbook

Firefox 76 Released with Audio Worklets Support

Last updated: May 5, 2020

Mozilla Firefox 76 was released today with improved online account protections and Zoom support.

Firefox 76 features Lockwise password manager improvements, including protection to saved passwords in “Logins and Passwords” page, display vulnerable password alert and website breach alert, and automatically generate secure, complex passwords to more sites.

Other changes include:

Picture-in-picture: double-click to go full-screen, again to reduce the video size.
Audio Worklets support: allow audio processing like VR and gaming, join Zoom calls without additional downloads
WebRender now available by default on modern Intel laptops with a small screen for Windows.
And various security fixes. See release note for more.

Download / Install Firefox 76 in Ubuntu:

If you prefer upgrading the pre-installed Firefox package, v76 package will be available in a few days for all current Ubuntu releases. At that time, upgrade Firefox via Software Updater (Update Manager):

And Firefox snap and flatpak packages, both run in sandbox, are now updated for Ubuntu 18.04 and higher.

In News Firefox

HandBrake 1.3.2 Released with Improved H.265 Support

Last updated: May 4, 2020

HandBrake video transcoder 1.3.2 was released a day ago with many improvements and bug-fixes.

According to the release note, HandBrake 1.3.2 release highlights include:

Improve support for H.265 video in AVI container
Fix point to point end detection
Fix QSV HEVC encoder on older Intel hardware.
Fix upstream FFmpeg issue where passing through AAC ADTS audio could produce invalid MKV output in rare cases
And many fixes for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.

How to Install HandBrake in Ubuntu:

HandBrake has an official Ubuntu PPA. It is however not updated timely, and Ubuntu 18.04 is no longer supported due to old system libraries.

The github release page offers official flatpak packages that work on 64-bit Ubuntu 18.04 and higher.

HandBrake Flatpak

Grab the .flatpak and install it via command:

flatpak install /path/to/package_name.flatpak

NOTE: flatpak runs in sandbox and HandBrake flatpak package requires Gnome 3.36 runtime platform. See more at this page.

In News handbrake

Qmmp 1.4.0 Released with Sleep Mode Inhibition, Socks5 Proxy Support

Last updated: April 29, 2020

Qmmp, qt-based audio player with winamp like user interface, released version 1.4.0 last night with lots of changes.

Qmmp 1.4.0 is a big release that features YouTube plugin, sleep mode inhibition plugin, socks5 proxy support, and much more other changes including:

add feature to auto-hide empty service menus.
add option to disable two passes for equalizer.
add fast mute function for most output plugins.
add shared CUE parser.
added feature to transit between playlists.
add SOCKS5 proxy support.
added Ogg Opus support in the ReplayGain scanner.
improve qsui plugin, ffmpeg plugin, lyrics, cdaudio plugin, m3u support.

Qmmp

How to Install Qmmp 1.4.0 in Ubuntu:

The official Qmmp PPA has made the packages for Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 19.10, Ubuntu 18.04, and Ubuntu 16.04.

1. Open terminal either by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard or by searching for ‘terminal’ from app launcher. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:forkotov02/ppa

Input your password (no asterisk feedback while typing) and hit Enter to continue.

2. If an old version exists on your system, upgrade Qmmp using Software Updater:

Or run commands to install or upgrade Qmmp and its plugins:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install qmmp qmmp-plugin-pack

Uninstall:

You can manage the PPA repository via Software & Updates utility, under Other Software tab.

To remove Qmmp music player, either use your system package manager or run command:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove qmmp qmmp-*

In News qmmp

Opera 68 Released with Built-in Instagram Support

Last updated: April 22, 2020

Opera 68 was released today as the new stable version of the popular web browser. The new release features built-in messenger Instagram support.

Opera 68 release highlights:

Built-in Instagram support in the left sidebar.
Search in open tabs (Ctrl+Space).
Improved duplicate tabs highlighter
Improved workspaces feature.
Display grey padlock or warning sign for secure (https) or insecure pages.

How to Install Opera 68 in Ubuntu:

The Opera team offers snap package (runs in sandbox), available to install in Ubuntu Software:

Also the native Ubuntu .deb package is available for downloading at the link below:

Download Opera for Linux

Grab the .deb package, and double-click to install it.

If you installed Opera via the .deb package, you may also add the official apt repository via following steps to receive future software updates.

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

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://deb.opera.com/opera-stable/ stable non-free" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/opera.list'

2. Get the key:

wget -O - http://deb.opera.com/archive.key | sudo apt-key add -

Finally either install Opera via following command or upgrade the browser via Software Updater:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install opera-stable

Uninstall:

For the Opera snap package, simply remove it from Ubuntu Software.

For the Opera apt repository, launch Software & Updates and navigate to Other Software tab.

To remove traditional opera package, either use your system package manager or run command in terminal:

sudo apt remove --autoremove opera-stable

In News Opera

System Cleaner BleachBit 4.0.0 Released with Python 3 Port

Last updated: April 21, 2020

Free open-source system cleaning tool BleachBit 4.0.0 was released a few days ago. Now it’s running on Python 3 instead of Python 2.

Changes in BleachBit 4.0.0 include:

Add cleaner for Discord.
Clean more of Google Chrome: IndexDB.
Clean more of Firefox: cookies, history.
Clean much more of Opera.
Clean much more of gPodder.
Improve responsiveness of application window while cleaning.
Fix cleaning VLC.
Support for Python 3.
Clean dnf autoremove
Other improvements and many bug-fixes.

Install BleachBit 4.0.0 in Ubuntu:

While BleachBit in Ubuntu universe repositories is old. You can download the latest version from the link below:

BleachBit for Linux

Grab the .deb for your Ubuntu edition, Ubuntu 20.04 is not supported at the moment, then click install via Ubuntu Software or Gdebi.

In News BleachBit, system cleaner

Audacious Audio Player 4.0.2 Released with Qt UI Fixes [Ubuntu PPA]

Last updated: April 16, 2020

Audacious music player

The second bug-fix release for Audacious 4.0 was released a day ago. Here’s how to install it in all current Ubuntu releases.

While the first bug-fix release brings KDE Plasma 5.18 compatibility, Audacious audio player 4.0.2 includes mainly bug fixes and tweaks for the Qt interface:

Fixed a regression where the Enter key did not work in the playlist.
Fixed the seek bar changing width as the time counter increments.
Fixed the title bar getting stuck showing “Buffering”.
Added a workaround to ensure that the toolbar is not hidden on startup.
Fixed the Composer field not being saved when updating ID3v2 tags.

How to Install Audacious 4.0.2 in Ubuntu:

The unofficial PPA contains the latest packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.10, and Ubuntu 20.04.

1. Open terminal by either pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard or searching for ‘terminal’ from application menu. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps

Type your password (no asterisk feedback) when it prompts and hit Enter to continue.

2. Then run commands one by one in terminal to install or upgrade the audio player:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install audacious audacious-plugins

Uninstall:

The PPA repository also contains some other applications. You may remove the PPA either by going to Software & Updates utility -> Other Software tab, or by running command in terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps

To remove audacious, either use your system package manager or run command:

sudo apt remove --autoremove audacious audacious-plugins

In Howtos, News audacious

Celluloid (Formerly Gnome MPV) 0.19 Released [Ubuntu PPA]

Last updated: April 11, 2020

Celluloid, a GTK+ frontend for mpv formerly called Gnome MPV, released version 0.19 a few days ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.10, and Ubuntu 20.04.

Celluloid 0.19 release highlights include:

Retain window maximization state across sessions.
Retain loop state across sessions.
Implement playlist search.
Update the list of shortcuts in Keyboard Shortcuts dialog.
Deprecate --mpv-options.
Add support for configuring dead zone
Make window sizing work correctly with HiDPI displays.
Translation updates and other changes.

How to Install Celluloid in Ubuntu via PPA:

Celluloid media player is available to install via Flatpak package in Flathub repository.

For those prefer native Ubuntu .deb package, the formerly Gnome MPV PPA now maintains the Celluloid packages for Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.10, and Ubuntu 20.04.

1.) Open terminal either by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard or by searching for ‘terminal’ from application menu. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xuzhen666/gnome-mpv

Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it prompts and hit Enter to continue.

2.) Then install the MPV frontend via command:

sudo apt install celluloid

For Ubuntu derivatives, you may need to run sudo apt update to refresh package cache first.

Uninstall Celluloid:

To remove the media player, open terminal and run command:

sudo apt remove celluloid

And remove the PPA repository via command:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:xuzhen666/gnome-mpv

In Howtos, News gnome mpv

PyCharm IDE 2020.1 Released with Interactive Rebasing

Last updated: April 9, 2020

PyCharm IDE

PyCharm IDE 2020.1 was released a day ago as the first major release in 2020. The new version features interactive rebasing, smarter debugging, and JetBrains Mono font.

PyCharm 2020.1 release highlights:

Interactive Rebasing: Commits can get messy, which is why you need to be able to rebase your branch. Now, PyCharm allows you to do so visually and with unprecedented ease.
Smarter Debugging: PyCharm’s debugger now makes it easy to see what’s happening in the middle of a complex statement. When stepping in, the debugger will ask you exactly what part of the statement you want to investigate further.
JetBrains Mono: PyCharm helps you read your code by navigating your project effectively, and now also by presenting your code in a font designed specifically for it.
Django Template Imports: PyCharm Professional Edition makes life easy for web developers by offering code completion (and debugging) in Django templates. We’ve made a couple improvements on this front: auto import for custom tags and better completion.

How to Install PyCharm 2020.1 in Ubuntu:

Jetbrains offers official Snap package for Linux desktop, which runs in sandbox and always updated.

For Ubuntu 18.04 and higher, simply open Ubuntu Software, search for and install pycharm packages:

For those prefer native .deb package, keep an eye on the unofficial PPA though it’s not updated at the moment of writing.

In News PyCharm

GTK+ eBook Reader Foliate 2.0.0 Released!

Last updated: April 8, 2020

Modern new GTK eBook reader Foliate 2.0.0 was released a few days ago with great new features and improvements.

Foliate 2.0.0 features new selection popover, redesigned interface which works better with smaller screen. The headerbar and progress bar now auto-hide.

Other changes include:

E-reader style navigation.
A new location popover (Ctrl + L).
A new traditional menubar, which may be displayed depending on the desktop environment
Ability to zoom in and zoom out.
Continuous scrolling layout.
New built-in themes.
Ability to select text across pages.
Option to use a traditional titlebar and menubar
And much more other changes. See the release note.

How to Install Foliate 2.0.0 in Ubuntu:

The software offers native Ubuntu .deb package available to download at the link below:

Foliate releases (.deb)

Grab the package, then either double-click to install it, or open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command:

sudo dpkg -i ~/Downloads/com.github.johnfactotum.foliate_*.deb

Once installed, launch the software from your system application menu and enjoy!

(Optional) To remove the software, simply run command in terminal:

sudo apt remove --auto-remove foliate

Foliate is also available via Flatpak and Snap (both runs in sandbox) which can be directly installed from Ubuntu Software.

In News ebook reader

Mozilla Firefox 75.0 Released with Flatpak Support

Last updated: April 7, 2020

Mozilla Firefox 75.0 was released today. Ubuntu security & updates repositories has published the packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, and Ubuntu 19.10.

Mozilla Firefox 75.0 comes with revamped address bar, which brings clean search experience. On Linux, the behavior when clicking on the Address Bar and the Search Bar changes: a single click selects all without primary selection, a double click selects a word, and a triple click selects all with primary selection.

The new release also brings official Flatpak support, improves HTTPS compatibility, and various security fixes. See release note for details.