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Install Visual Studio Code via Official Snap in Ubuntu 18.04

Last updated: April 8, 2019

Visual Studio Code IDE

MicroSoft and Canonical (the company behind Ubuntu) finally announced the official Snap package of Visual Studio Code IDE.

Which means you can install VS Code easily from Ubuntu Software and keep it always up-to-date automatically, though the old Snap package maintained by an independent developer was available for nearly two years.

4th April 2019, London, UK – As of today, Microsoft Visual Studio Code is available for Linux as a snap, providing seamless auto-updates for its users. Visual Studio Code, a free, lightweight code editor, has redefined editors for building modern web and cloud applications, with built-in support for debugging, task running, and version control for a variety of languages and frameworks.

Snaps are containerised software packages designed to work across cloud, desktop, and IoT devices. They work natively on most popular Linux distributions and feature automatic updates and rollback functionality, enhanced security, and greater flexibility for developers working within Linux environments.

Install VS Code via Snap in Ubuntu 18.04 / Higher:

Simply open Ubuntu Software, search for and install visual studio code:

Install VS Code via Snap in Ubuntu 16.04:

For Ubuntu 16.04, the snap packages are not integrated in Ubuntu Software.

Open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to install snapd first:

sudo apt-get install snapd

Then install the VS Code IDE via command:

sudo snap install code --classic

Uninstall:

Depends on your system edition, remove VS Code either via Software Center or run command in terminal:

sudo snap remove code
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Hugin 2019 Released! How to Install it in Ubuntu 18.04/16.04

Last updated: April 6, 2019

Hugin panorama stitcher 2019.0.0 was released today. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10, Ubuntu 19.04.

Changes in Hugin 2019.0.0 include:

  • Added raw import: It converts the RAW images to TIFF using a raw converter.
  • Fixes for align_image_stack with EXR images.
  • Added option for range compression.
  • New hotkeys for mask editor (change zoom level with 0, 1 and 2).
  • Expression parser can now read also all image variables.
  • line_find: Ignore lines with low distance to each other to get better coverage.
  • pano_modify: Added new switch --projection-parameter to set projection parameters.
  • Store program settings according to XDG base dir specification (Linux only, needs wxWidgets >= 3.1.1).

How to Install Hugin 2019 in Ubuntu:

For all current Ubuntu releases, do following steps to install the panorama stitcher via an unofficial PPA.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps

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

2. Then run commands to check updates and install Hugin 2019:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install hugin

or upgrade it via Software Updater if a previous release was installed.

Uninstall:

To remove Hugin panorama stitcher, run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove hugin hugin-tools

To remove PPA, launch Software & Updates and navigate to ‘Other Software’ tab.

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How to Install SuperTuxKart 0.10 RC1 in Ubuntu 18.04, 16.04

Last updated: April 5, 2019

The first release candidate of the open-source kart racing game, SuperTuxKart 0.10 RC1, was released today.

Since the last beta, SuperTuxKart rc1 features:

  • Networked multiplayer (over LAN or the net) is now ready for general use
  • Replace the old mansion track with the new upgraded Ravenbridge Mansion track.
  • Add the Black forest add-on to the official STK track set!
  • Also numerous bugs have been fixed.

How to Install SuperTuxKart 0.10 in Ubuntu:

The followings steps will install the RC1 release at the moment for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10, Ubuntu 19.04.

This also works for the final SuperTuxKart 0.10 once it’s released.

1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcuts, or by searching for ‘terminal’ from app launcher. When it opens, run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:stk/dev

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

2. For Ubuntu 16.04 and Linux Mint, you need to run command to refreah system package cache:

sudo apt update

3. Finally install the game via command:

sudo apt install supertuxkart

Once installed, open the game from your system application launcher and enjoy!

Uninstall:

To remove SuperTuxKart, open terminal and run command:

sudo apt remove –auto-remove supertuxkart supertuxkart-data

To remove the PPA, open Software & Updates -> Other Software, and remove the repository line:

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WPS Office 2019 For Linux Released with Improved HiDPI Support

Last updated: April 3, 2019

WPS office for Linux 2019 was released with numerous new features and performance improvements. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04.

WPS Office is developed by Zhuhai-based Chinese software developer Kingsoft. The office suite is made up of WPS Writer, WPS Presentation, and WPS Spreadsheet. The latest 2019 release features:

  • New skin style, icons, control points, Supports high resolution screen and custom appearance.
  • New pages, integration of recently opened documents, local templates, document templates, online templates, etc.
  • Document area supports preview effect when setting font size.
  • New built-in browser.
  • Support Home Page, Collection Document Search, Common Location, Cloud Documents, etc.
  • Support personal center, displaying account details and modifying account information.
  • Support for inserting SVG format pictures.
  • Support insertion of QR Code and bar code.
  • Support multi-window, multi-label free splitting and combination, and free management of labels.
  • Support setting areas for dates/times in charts.
  • Support Uygur typesetting.
  • Optimize skin and appearance settings to support custom appearance.
  • And many other new features and bug-fixes.

Download / Install WPS 2019 in Ubuntu:

Go to official WPS Linux download page, scroll down and select download amd64.deb for 64-bit OS, or i386.deb for 32-bit OS.

Then open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and install the package via command:

sudo dpkg -i ~/Downloads/wps-office*.deb

Uninstall:

To remove the office suite, run command in terminal:

sudo apt remove --auto-remove wps-office
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Vivaldi Browser 2.4 Released with Moving Toolbar Buttons Support

Last updated: March 27, 2019

Vivaldi web browser released version 2.4 today. The new release supports drag & drop moving toolbar icons by holding Shift key.

Vivaldi 2.4 release highlights:

  • Toolbar buttons now is movable.
  • Option to reset toolbar.
  • Bookmark a selection of tabs via the context menu (right-click)
  • Support managing people and guest profiles
  • Basic Calculator in Quick Commands
  • Allow double-click to rename tab stack
  • Make it possible to sync the content of the bookmarks bar
  • And many more other changes. See the previous link for details.

How to Install Vivaldi 2.4 in Ubuntu:

The official Ubuntu .DEB packages are available for download at the link below:

Grab the deb matches your OS, then install it via Ubuntu Software or Gdebi package manager. Or run command in terminal:

sudo dpkg -i ~/Downloads/vivaldi-stable_2.4*.deb

In addition, after installed the .deb package, you can enable Vivaldi apt repository (Softare & Updates -> Other Software) to receive future updates through Software Updater:

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Free Software Planetarium Stellarium 0.19.0 Released (How to Install)

Last updated: March 24, 2019

Stellarium released version 0.19.0 today. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10, and higher.

Stellarium 0.19.0 features 5 new sky cultures, many new DSO textures, code refactoring, and many other changes including:

  • Add new type of computation for AstroCalc/Phenomena tool
  • Add GUI options to change constellations and asterisms font size
  • Add Chinese medieval sky culture.
  • Add DSO textures
  • Add scripting graphics tool
  • Add classifications support for sky cultures
  • Add support 2 southern deep sky catalogues
  • Add armintxe, paleolithic sky culture and landscape
  • Add Maya constellations
  • Add 2 Babylonian skycultures

How to Install Stellarium 0.19.0 in Ubuntu:

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:stellarium/stellarium-releases

Type user password (no asterisk feedback while typing) when it prompts and hit Enter.

2. Then upgrade Stellarium from an existing release with Software Updater utility:

Or run following commands to install the software for the first time:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install stellarium

Uninstall:

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

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove stellarium

And remove the PPA via “Software & Updates” utility under Other Software tab.

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Avidemux 2.7.3 Released with Various Decoder Fixes (Ubuntu PPA)

Last updated: March 22, 2019

Avidemux video editor released a new bug-fix version just 11 days after the last, with decoder fixes and misc small improvements

Avidemux 2.7.3 release highlights:

  • Vapoursynth is now dynamically loaded to avoid error popup
  • ASF/WMV demuxer fix
  • BMP decoder fix
  • Re-enabled PNG decoder
  • Basic save current state when crashing
  • Misc small improvements

How to Install Avidemux 2.7.3 in Ubuntu:

There are a few ways installing the latest the video editor in all curren Ubuntu releases.

  • Appimage, single executable (enable it in file properties dialog) to launch the editor.
  • Flatpak, community maintained package that runs in sandbox.
  • Native Ubuntu (.deb) packages via an unofficial PPA.

For Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, and higher, heres how to install Avidemux 2.7.3 via the unofficial PPA.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/avidemux

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

2. Then run following 2 commands to refresh package cache and install the video editor:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install avidemux2.7-qt5 avidemux2.7-qt5-data avidemux2.7-plugins-qt5 avidemux2.7-jobs-qt5

Uninstall:

To remove the native Ubuntu .deb package of Avidemux 2.7, run command in terminal:

sudo apt remove --autoremove avidemux2.7-*

And remove the PPA via Software & Updates utility under ‘Other Software’ tab.

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Mozilla Firefox 66.0 Released with Sound Auto-Play Blocked

Last updated: March 21, 2019

Mozilla Firefox 66.0 was released two days ago. Now it’s available in main repositories of Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10.

Firefox 66.0 release highlights:

  • Block sound auto-play. You can add exceptions, or turn the feature off.
  • Easier search via a redesigned new tab in Private Windows
  • Basic support for macOS Touch Bar
  • Title bar is hidden by default in Linux (Unfortunately I still see it in Ubuntu build).
  • Search from the tab overflow menu
  • Scroll anchoring keeps content from jumping as images and ads load at the top of the page
  • Redesigned certificate error pages
  • Improved extensions to load web page faster
  • Enabled AV1 support on 32-bit Windows and MacOS.

Upgrade to Firefox 66 in Ubuntu:

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.

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KeePassXC 2.4 Released with High-DPI Scaling for 4K Screens

Last updated: March 20, 2019

After two beta releases, KeePassXC password manager 2.4.0 finally goes stable. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, and higher.

KeePassXC 2.4.0 enables coordinate system scaling for high-DPI displays, adds new database wizard, implements advanced search, and

  • Automatic update checker
  • KeeShare database synchronization
  • Improve favicon fetching; transition to Duck-Duck-Go
  • Remove KeePassHttp support
  • Linux: Prevent Klipper from storing secrets in clipboard
  • Linux: Enable use of browser plugin in Snap build
  • TOTP QR Code Generator
  • Allow toolbar to be hidden and repositioned
  • Increase max allowed database timeout to 12 hours
  • Password generator uses existing password length by default
  • Browser Integration Enhancements

How to Install KeePassXC 2.4.0 in Ubuntu via Snap:

The official snap package (runs in sandbox and auto-updates itself) has been updated.

The snap can be easily installed in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher via Ubuntu Software:

For Ubuntu 16.04, run command to install snapd daemon first:

sudo apt-get install snapd

Then install the snap package via command:

sudo snap install keepassxc

How to Install KeePassXC 2.4.0 in Ubuntu via PPA:

For those who don’t prefer snap packages, the official KeePassXC PPA contains the most recent .deb packages for Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10.

The 2.4.0 release package will be made into PPA in 2 or 3 days. Check the previous link before getting started.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:phoerious/keepassxc

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

2. Then upgrade KeePassXC via Software Updater:

or run commands one by one in terminal to install the latest package:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install keepassxc

Uninstall:

To remove the PPA, open Software & Updates and navigate to Other Software tab.

To remove KeePassXC .deb package, run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove keepassxc
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Kid3 Tag Editor 3.7.1 Released, How to Install in Ubuntu

Last updated: March 18, 2019

Kid3 audio tag editor released version 3.7.1 today. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10, and higher.

Kid3 3.7.1 primarily brings bug fixes and usability improvements. Most new features target the Android version, which now supports a dark theme, a better file selection dialog and more configuration options.

  • Support max-, min-, unq- aggregation when renaming directories.
  • Android: Support dark and light themes.
  • Android: Support opening files with Kid3 from other apps.
  • Android: Settings for formats, character replacements and import profiles.
  • Improved support format codes in file name for cover.
  • Fixed support setting of ID3v2 version for DSF files.
  • Avoid jumping around frames while deleting.
  • Removal of multiple tags where not all tags are removed.
  • Setting of a simple string as value for IPLS frame with TagLib.
  • Adapted to Discogs server update.

How to Install Kid3 3.7.1 in Ubuntu:

The official Kid3 PPA contains the latest software packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10, and higher.

Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut or by searching for ‘terminal’ from software launcher. When it opens, do following steps one by one.

1. Copy and paste following command in terminal and hit run to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ufleisch/kid3

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

2. Then you can upgrade Kid3 from a previous version via Software Updater:

or run commands one by one in terminal to install or upgrade to the latest tag editor:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install kid3-qt

For KUbuntu, you may replace kid3-qt with kid3 in the last command for KDE integration.

Uninstall

To remove the PPA repository, either open Software & Updates -> Other Software tab, or run command:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:ufleisch/kid3

To remove the audio tag editor, either use your system package manager or run command:

sudo apt remove --autoremove kid3 kid3-*
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