Archives For November 30, 1999

gImageReader 3.3.1, open source GTK/Qt front-end of tesseract-ocr, was released a few days ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.04, and derivatives.

gImageReader 3.3.1 release highlights:

  • Allow specifying a DPI to assume for image sources when exporting to PDF
  • Allow to choose whether to sanitize hyphens when exporting to PDF
  • Attempt to map 639-2 language codes to ISO 639-1 to set spelling language
  • Allow specifying character whitelist / blacklist for recognition
  • Various other improvements, bug-fixes, and translation updates.

How to Install gImageReader 3.3.1 in Ubuntu:

The PPA repository has made the new release packages for Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.04, and derivatives.

1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut or from application menu. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:sandromani/gimagereader

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

2. You may remove old gImageReader package if installed from Ubuntu Software:

sudo apt remove --autoremove gimagereader

3. Finally install the latest packages via command:

sudo apt update; sudo apt install gimagereader-gtk

For qt version, replace gimagereader-gtk with gimagereader-qt in last command.

Uninstall gImageReader:

To remove the software, open terminal and run command:

sudo apt remove --autoremove gimagereader-qt gimagereader-gtk

And remove the PPA repository by going to Software & Updates -> Other Software tab.

Free open-source multi-platform flight simulator FlightGear 2019.1 was finally released today. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher.

FlightGear 2019.1 release highlights:

  • METAR interpretation: Change CAVOK visibility to 9999.0 metres
  • Add the ability to control the turbine engines spin down factor
  • Add the ability to set up the starter and acceleration times of a turbine
  • Yasim ground friction (stiction) changes
  • fgcommands “add-aiobject” and “remove-aiobject” for adding/removing objects to the AI subsystem.
  • Support for DDS Texture Cache
  • New experimental Compositor rendering framework
  • Some Boeing 777 update, and other more.

How to Install FlightGear in Ubuntu:

FlightGear is available in Ubuntu Software by default, but always old. To get the most recent version, you can:

  • either install or upgrade FlightGear via PPA repository.
  • or install the Flatpak package (runs in sandbox).

NOTE: Both PPA repository and Flatpak package are not updated at the moment. The new release packages will be available in a few days.

1. To add the PPA, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:saiarcot895/flightgear

Then you’ll be able to either upgrade FlightGear through Software Updater,

or install the simulator via command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install flightgear

(Optional) You can remove the PPA either via the first step command with --remove added in the end, or by going to “Software & Updates -> Other Software” tab.

2. FlightGear Flatpak package is available in Flathub repository, where also contains how to install instructions.

A new major update IntelliJ IDEA 2019.2 was released a few days ago with a lot of exciting new features and improvements.

IntelliJ IDEA 2019.2 release highlights:

  • Java 13 Preview support:
    • support for the Switch Expressions preview feature and its new syntax.
    • support for the Text Blocks preview feature
  • Much improved startup times
  • Work smoothly with large files.
  • New modern borderless UI on Windows 10.
  • Integrate with Async profiler (macOS and Linux), and with Java Flight Recorder.
  • See announcement for more details.

How to Insall the Latest IntelliJ IDEA in Ubuntu:

It’s quite easy to install the latest IDEA packages in Ubuntu since Jetbrains offers official snap (containerised software package) package in snappy store.

Simply open Ubuntu Software, search for and you’ll see IDEA ultimate and community packages available for install.

NOTE for Ubuntu 16.04 users who never installed a snap package, make sure snapd is installed by running command in terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T):

sudo apt-get install snapd

Then install the package via command (you may replace community in the code with ultimate):

sudo snap install intellij-idea-community --classic

Xfce’s lightweight Parole media player released the third bug-fix update for the 1.0 series today. Here’s how how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.04, and their derivatives.

Parole 1.0.3 release highlights:

  • Drop deprecated OnlyShowIn keys in desktop actions
  • Ensure the time divider is shown/hidden correctly
  • Fix closing of Parole process with Ctrl-Q
  • Fix Gtk-CRITICAL when closing main window
  • Change text ‘…’ to ‘…’ for consistency with other Xfce apps
  • Change text ’60 seconds’ to ‘1 minute’
  • Move appdata to metainfo

How to Install Parole 1.0.3 in Ubuntu 18.04, 19.04:

The unofficial PPA has made the new release package for Ubuntu 18.04 and Ubuntu 19.04.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps

Type user password (no asterisk feedback when typing due to security reason) when it prompts and hit Enter.

2. Then upgrade the media player via Software Updater utility:

upgrade parole media player

or run following commands to install / upgrade it:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install parole

For those who don’t want to add PPA, grab the .deb package from HERE.

Uninstall:

Run following command to purge the PPA repository which also downgrade installed packages to the stock version in your Ubuntu:

sudo apt-get install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps

Linux Kernel

Ubuntu mainline kernel packages for Linux 5.2 finally available to download & install in 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.

Due to build failure, Ubuntu mainline kernel packages for Linux 5.2 missed 32-bit & 64-bit packages for a few weeks.

Linux Kernel 5.2 release highlights:

  • Nouveau suppport for GeForce GTX 1650.
  • Intel Icelake graphics considered production-ready.
  • Intel Comet Lake support
  • Improved AMD Ryzen laptop support.
  • Better Logitech wireless device support.
  • New “RTW88” 802.11ac WiFi driver.
  • Various other improvements and updated drivers.

At the moment, Linux 5.2 series is at the second 5.2.2 maintenance release. And here’s how to install it in Ubuntu, Linux Mint.

How to Install Linux Kernel 5.2.2 in Ubuntu:

The mainline kernels do not include any Ubuntu-provided drivers or patches. They are not supported and are not appropriate for production use

The mainline kernel packages for Linux 5.2.2 are available for download at the link below:

Download Kernel 5.2.2

Depends on your OS type, download and install the packages in turns:

  1. linux-headers-5.2.2-xxxxxx_all.deb
  2. linux-headers-5.2.2-xxx-generic(/lowlatency)_xxx_amd64(/i386).deb
  3. linux-modules-5.2.2-xxx-generic(/lowlatency)_xxx_amd64(/i386).deb
  4. linux-image-xxx-5.2.2-xxx-generic(/lowlatency)_xxx_amd64(/i386).deb

Select generic for common system, and lowlatency for a low latency system (e.g. for recording audio), amd64 for 64bit system, i386 for 32bit system, or armhf, arm64, etc for other OS types.

Alternatively you can download and install the kernel binaries via terminal commands (Ctrl+Alt+T):

For 64-bit OS:

cd /tmp/

wget -c https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.2.2/linux-headers-5.2.2-050202_5.2.2-050202.201907231250_all.deb

wget -c https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.2.2/linux-headers-5.2.2-050202-generic_5.2.2-050202.201907231250_amd64.deb

wget -c https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.2.2/linux-image-unsigned-5.2.2-050202-generic_5.2.2-050202.201907231250_amd64.deb

wget -c https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.2.2/linux-modules-5.2.2-050202-generic_5.2.2-050202.201907231250_amd64.deb

sudo dpkg -i *.deb

for 32-bit OS:

cd /tmp/

wget -c https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.2.2/linux-headers-5.2.2-050202_5.2.2-050202.201907231250_all.deb

wget -c https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.2.2/linux-headers-5.2.2-050202-generic_5.2.2-050202.201907231250_i386.deb

wget -c https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.2.2/linux-image-5.2.2-050202-generic_5.2.2-050202.201907231250_i386.deb

wget -c https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.2.2/linux-modules-5.2.2-050202-generic_5.2.2-050202.201907231250_i386.deb

sudo dpkg -i *.deb

Once installed, restart your computer and enjoy!

Uninstall Linux Kernel 5.2.2:

Restart your machine and select boot with the previous kernel in boot menu ‘Grub2 -> Advanced Option for Ubuntu’. Then run command to remove Linux Kernel 5.2.2:

sudo dpkg --purge linux-image-5.2.2-050202-generic linux-image-unsigned-5.2.2-050202-generic

PyCharm IDE

PyCharm 2019.2 was released today with exciting new features, initial Python 3.8 support, improved Jupyter Notebook experience, and many more other changes.

PyCharm 2019.2 release highlights:

  • Improved Jupyter Notebook integration. Some of the most requested features have been implemented.
  • Syntax highlight support for many other languages, C#, C++, Groovy, Lua, Makefiles, and more.
  • cURL format is now supported for HTTP requests.
  • Add support for some major Python 3.8 features.
  • Full-text search across multiple data sources
  • Improved debugging and variable refactoring experiences.
  • For more details, see the release note.

How to Install PyCharm 2019.2 in Ubuntu:

Jetbrains offers official Snap package for Linux desktop, which keeps the IDE always up-to-date.

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

For Ubuntu 16.04, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and install snapd daemon via command:

sudo apt install snapd snapd-xdg-open

Then install PyCharm snap package via command:

sudo snap install pycharm-community --classic

In the command replace pycharm-community with pycharm-professional for the professional edition.

Uninstall:

To remove the PyCharm snap package, either use Ubuntu Software or run command in terminal:

sudo snap remove pycharm-professional pycharm-community

Gscan2pdf 2.5.5, GTK tool to produce PDF / DjVu from scanned document, was released yesterday with bug-fixes, some improvements, and updated translations.

Gscan2PDF 2.5.5 changelog:

  • Fix occasional error messages when clearing all pages
  • Only set paper to Manual if not applying profile
  • Update OCR view switching between pages with and without OCR output
  • xz compress log file if xz available
  • Fix bug applying paper after profile set SANE_INFO_INEXACT
  • When saving current settings as new profile, actually set the profile
  • If a device throws an error when opening it, add it to a session blacklist
  • option tolerance to cover buggy backends that return inexact options without setting SANE_INFO_INEXACT
  • Update translations.

How to Install gscan2pdf 2.5.5 in Ubuntu:

The official Ubuntu PPA has made the new release packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10, Ubuntu 19.04 and their derivatives.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jeffreyratcliffe/ppa

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

2. For those who have a previous release installed, upgrade it through Software Updater:

upgrade gscan2pdf

For the first time, you can either install it via Synaptic Package Manager or by running following commands in terminal:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install gscan2pdf

How to Remove:

To remove gscan2pdf, either use your system package manager or run command:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove gscan2pdf

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

gnome shell

Xsnow, let it snow on your desktop, now is working on Gnome, KDE, FVWM desktop in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher.

Xsnow is a handy command tool that brings Christmas to your desktop. However, it does not work properly in Ubuntu since Ubuntu 12.04 Precise.

Now a brand new Xsnow based on the original xsnow-1.42 is available to work on many desktop environments, and a simple graphical interface is available for those who are not familiar with command line.

Finally, a working xsnow for Gnome, KDE, etc. Based on the original xsnow-1.42 created by Rick Jansen, after the xsnow-2019 conference in Antas (Spain) we now have available a xsnow that works on many desktop environments, even Raspian. By request of many beta-testers, a graphical front end has been created as well.

For Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10, Ubuntu 19.04, and higher, download the package from the link below:

Download Xsnow (.deb)

Select download i386.deb for 32-bit OS, amd64.deb for 64-bit OS, or armhf.deb for Raspberry pi.

Then double-click to install via Ubuntu Software, or run command in terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T):

sudo dpkg -i ~/Downloads/xsnow_*.deb

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

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

sudo apt remove xsnow

Virtualbox

Oracle Virtualbox 6.0.10 was released today with many improvements and fixes to Linux hosts and guests.

Virtualbox 6.0.10 release highlights:

  • Fix guest display resolution resize issue with recent Linux hosts.
  • Fixed guru meditation when raw mode is enabled
  • Fixed possible VM crash under certain circumstances
  • Fixed “unrecoverable error” problems in OHCI emulation.
  • USB: improve captured device identification
  • Support UEFI secure boot driver signing on Ubuntu and Debian hosts
  • Fix focus grabbing problems with recent Qt versions.
  • Share folder fixes for Windows hosts and guests.
  • Linux kernel module build fixes for various kernels
  • Remember Linux guest screen size after a guest reboot

How to Install Virtualbox 6.0.10 in Ubuntu:

For all current Ubuntu releases, you can either download the official .deb binary from the link below:

Download Virtualbox for Linux

or install VBox from its official apt repository:

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

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64] http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian $(lsb_release -sc) contrib" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/virtualbox.list'

For Linux Mint, you HAVE to replace $(lsb_release -sc) in the command with bionic for Mint 19.x, or xenial for Mint 18.x.

2. Then download and install the repository key via command:

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

3. Refresh system package cache via command:

sudo apt update

4. Finally install Virtualbox 6.0:

sudo apt install virtualbox-6.0

Uninstall:

To remove it, simply run command in terminal:

sudo apt remove --autoremove virtualbox-6.0

And go to Software & Updates -> Other Software to remove apt repositories.

Firefox 55

Mozilla Firefox 68.0 was released a few days ago with dark mode improvements, new features, and security fixes. Here’s how to install it in all current Ubuntu releases.

Firefox 68.0 release highlights:

  • Window controls, sidebars and toolbars will be dark with dark mode in reader view.
  • New reporting feature to report security and performance issues with extensions and themes.
  • Redesigned extensions dashboard for easy accessing to information about your extensions
  • Redesigned extensions now displays user count and ratings for each extension.
  • Add cryptomining and fingerprinting protections to strict content blocking settings
  • Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) update download support.
  • Camera and microphone access now require an HTTPS connection.
  • And various security fixes. See release note for details.

Upgrade to Firefox 68 in Ubuntu:

Firefox 68 has been will be made into Ubuntu universe repositories for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, and higher in a few days. Check HERE, and do following to upgrade it once available.

For all current Ubuntu releases, simply open Software Updater and install the updates after checking for updates.

If you don’t see the Firefox updates, go to Software & Updates and make sure the security and updates repositories are enabled in Updates tab.