1. Home/
    2. Archives /
  2. News

Archives For News

Free open-source software updates and Linux news

Handbrake Video Transcoder 1.2.1 Released (Ubuntu PPA)

Last updated: February 19, 2019

Handbrake video transcode 1.2.1 was released a few days ago with numerous bug-fixes and improvements.

Handbrake 1.2.1 release highlights:

  • Fixed potential crashes due to use of uninitialized variables
  • Improved minimum duration to only apply to DVD and BD sources
  • Fixed incorrect video rotation where rotation flagged as none
  • Fixed yadif deinterlace filter not properly deinterlacing all frames
  • Fixed missing frame at the end of encodes from m2ts sources
  • Fixed detection of MPEG-1 video in program streams
  • Fixed decoding of MPEG-1 video in DVD sources
  • Fixed Apple VideoToolbox encoding issues related to pyramidal B-frames
  • Fixed lapsharp filter corrupting frame edges
  • Improved NLMeans performance
  • Improved AMD VCE encoding to enable placing key frames at chapter markers
  • Improved calculation of final frame duration
  • Improved support for BT.2020 color space
  • Fixed channel mapping for AAC 5.1 encoding
  • Fixed display of special characters in preset names
  • Fixed exporting presets to sanitize system reserved characters
  • Miscellaneous bug fixes and improvements

How to Install Handbrake in Ubuntu:

The official HandBrake PPA offers the latest packages for Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10, and Linux Mint 19.x.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:stebbins/handbrake-releases

Type user password (no asterisks feedback) when it asks for sudo command and hit Enter to add PPA.

2. Then install the video transcoder via command:

sudo apt install handbrake-gtk handbrake-cli

Linux Mint needs to run command sudo apt update first to refresh system package cache.

Uninstall:

To remove the software, open terminal and run command:

sudo apt remove --autoremove handbrake-gtk handbrke-cli

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

In Howtos, News ,
 

Sigil Epub Ebook Editor 0.9.11 Released (How to Install)

Last updated: February 18, 2019

Sigil ebook editor released version 0.9.11 a few days ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10, Ubuntu 16.04, and Linux Mint 19.x.

Sigil 0.9.11 release highlights:

  • Sigil’s ini preference files will be utf-8 encoded (Make backups before upgrading).
  • Restore ability to click in the Preview window to reposition to the same point in Code View.
  • Update Sigil’s gumbo parser to fix all known bugs and greatly speedup parsing
  • Add support for internal but unmanifested opf metadata link resources under epub3
  • Extend “Open With” context menu to allow up to 5 external editors per resource type
  • And various bug-fixes.

How to Install Sigil 0.9.11 in Ubuntu:

The new release can be easily installed in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.10, Ubuntu 18.04, Linux Mint 19 via PPA (unofficial) repository.

1. Open terminal by either 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:ubuntuhandbook1/sigil

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

2. Then you can upgrade Sigil editor from an existing release via Software Updater:

Or install /upgrade Sigil via commands:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install sigil

Uninstall:

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

To remove Sigil epub editor, either use system package manager or run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove sigil sigil-data
In Howtos, News
 

Qmmp 1.3.0 Released with History Plugin / TAK Support

Last updated: February 10, 2019

Qmmp, Qt-based multimedia player, released version 1.3.0 with many new features, improvements, and bug-fixes.

Qmmp 1.3.0 release highlights:

  • Add history plugin.
  • Add mono to stereo converter
  • Add mpg123-based decoder
  • Add PulseAudio volume control
  • Add cover edition feature
  • Add playlist reading/writing optimization
  • Add TAK support
  • Add feature to send listened tracks to ListenBrainz
  • Improvements to skinned plugin, qsui plugin, http plugin, stream browser.
  • Removed mpris1 support, and various other changes.

How to Install Qmmp 1.3.0 in Ubuntu:

Qmmp 1.3.0 is available to install via its official PPA, for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10, Linux Mint 18.x and 19.x.

1. Open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T or from app launcher, and then run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:forkotov02/ppa

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

2. If a previous version exists, 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

For qt4 version, use qmmp-qt4 and qmmp-plugin-pack-qt4 instead in the last command.

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 Howtos, News ,
 

Visual Studio Code 1.31 Released! No Restart on Extension Install

Last updated: February 7, 2019

Visual Studio Code IDE 1.31 was released recently with new features, tree UI improvements, menu updates, and more.

Visual Studio Code 1.31 release highlights:

  • No longer required to reload VS Code when you install or enable an extension.
  • New tree widget
  • Improved keyboard navigation
  • Added cut command in Explorer context menu.
  • More navigation actions added to Go menu.
  • Added keyboard navigation in Linux with custom menus
  • Full multiline issue details in the Problems panel.
  • References: Show History command for the References view.
  • Semantic selection for HTML, CSS, and JSON.
  • Terminal text automatically reflows as panel width changes.
  • Custom user input for task and debug configuration.

How to Install VS Code 1.31 in Ubuntu:

The easiest way is to install the community maintained Snap package, containerized software package, which available in Ubuntu Software:

The 1.31 snap package is not available at the moment, though it auto-updates itself once you installed it.

You can also install the official .deb package which is available for download at the link below:

Grab the deb and install it via either Gdebi package manager or command in terminal(Ctrl+Alt+T):

sudo dpkg -i ~/Downloads/code_*.deb; sudo apt -f install

For those who want to receive updates for VS Code via Software Updater utility, add the Microsoft repository via following steps (64bit only):

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

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/vscode stable main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.list'

2. Download and install the repository key via commands:

curl https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | gpg --dearmor > microsoft.gpg

sudo mv microsoft.gpg /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/microsoft.gpg

3. Finally install the IDE via command:

sudo apt-get install code

Uninstall Visual Studio Code:

To remove the code editor, either use Synaptic Package Manager or run command:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove code

And remove the Microsoft repository by launching Software & Updates utility and navigating to Other Software tab.

In Howtos, News
 

Vivaldi Browser 2.3 Released with Tab Stack Feature

Last updated: February 6, 2019

Vivaldi web browser released version 2.3 today with great new features, performance improvements, numerous bug-fixes.

Vivaldi 2.3 release highlights:

  • Option to automatically create a tab stack: ‘Settings → New Tab Position → As Tab Stack with Related Tab’
  • Add an option to show frequently visited pages in the URL Drop-Down: “Settings → Address bar → Address Field Drop-Down Menu → Include Frequently Visited Pages”
  • Custom screenshot file name
  • Save webpage as MHTML is enabled
  • Spinner favicon when a tab is loading
  • Passwords should be viewable in Settings
  • Add confirmation dialog on exit
  • Middle-click on tab Trash pastes buffered text into History search field
  • See the release note for more details.

How to Install Vivaldi 2.3 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_2.3*.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:

In Howtos, News
 

Flowblade Video Editor 2.0 Released (How to Install)

Last updated: February 5, 2019

Flowblade video editor 2.0 was released a day ago with the largest changes to workflow and UX.

Flowblade release highlights:

  • Select between 1 – 9 tools to be available via tool menu and shortcut keys 1-9
  • Configurable timeline behaviours: drag’n’drop, composiors autofollow
  • Option to choose between two Workflow Preset options:Standard workflow, file style workflow.
  • New tools: Keyframe tool, Multitrim tool combines Trim, Roll and Slip tool into one, Cut tool, and Ripple Trim tool.
  • Overwrite tool’s name was changed to Move
  • New custom theme requires GTK+ > = 3.22
  • Keyframe editing updates, Edit Action updates, and more.

How to Install Flowblade 2.0 in Ubuntu 18.04:

Flowblade offers official .deb package available for download at:

After downloaded the deb package, click install it via Gdebi (available in Ubuntu Software) package manager and enjoy!

In Howtos, News
 

Kodi 18.0 Released! How to Install it in Ubuntu 18.04/16.04

Last updated: January 30, 2019

Kodi media center, formerly known as XBMC, released the new stable 18.0 “Leia” a day ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Linux Mint 18.x, 19.x, and higher.

Kodi 18.0 is a big release with almost 10,000 commits, 3000 pull-requests. The key features include:

  • Retroplayer gaming and associated game control support
  • Digital Rights Management (DRM) decryption support
  • Music Library – new ways to explore and enjoy your music collection
  • Live TV improvements, support for Zattoo, Teleboy, and Sledovanitv.cz.
  • Full voice functionality on the main Android TV.
  • Improvements to audio and video playback, and Blu-ray support.
  • Mir/Wayland support for Linux

How to Install Kodi 18.0 in Ubuntu:

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

1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut or from application menu. When it opens, paste below command and hit run:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc/ppa

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

2. Remove old Kodi package as it may prevent the new installation:

sudo apt remove --autoremove kodi kodi-data kodi-bin

3. Finally check updates and install Kodi 18.0:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install kodi

For Ubuntu 18.04 and higher, you can skip the apt update command.

Uninstall:

To remove the Kodi PPA repository, simply open Software & Updates -> Other Software.

To remove Kodi, run command in step 2.

In Howtos, News
 

HPLIP 3.19.1 Released with New Printers / Distro’s Support

Last updated: January 29, 2019

HPLIP 3.19.1, HP developed Linux drivers for HP inkjet and laser based printers, was released one day ago with new devices and Linux Distros support.

According to the release note, HPLIP 3.19.1 adds following new devices support:

  • HP LaserJet Managed MFP E82540du
  • HP LaserJet Managed MFP E82550du
  • HP LaserJet Managed MFP E82560du
  • HP Color LaserJet Managed MFP E87640 du
  • HP Color LaserJet Managed MFP E87650du
  • HP Color LaserJet Managed MFP E87660du
  • HP Scanjet Pro 2500 f1

Also 64-bit of Fedora 29, Open Suse 15, Manjaro 18.0, and RHEL 7.2 are now supported.

Download / Install HPLIP 3.19.1 in Ubuntu:

1. To install the software, download the package “hplip-3.19.1.run” from the link below:

2. Then make the downloaded file executable from its Properties dialog:

3. Finally open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T or search for “terminal” from app launcher. When it opens, run command to start installing it:

./Downloads/hplip-3.19.1.run

Type your user password (no asterisks feedback) when it prompts and hit Enter.

4. Then follow the terminal prompts, answer some questions to build and install HPLIP on your system. When everything is done, plug/re-plug your printers and enjoy!

In Howtos, News ,
 

Gscan2PDF 2.3.0 Released with Time Info in Metadata Fixed

Last updated: January 27, 2019

Gscan2pdf, GTK tool to produce PDF / DjVu from scanned document, released version 2.3.0 a few hours ago.

While v2.1.3 does not really fixed the issue that time is always set to 0 UTC. Gscan2pdf 2.3.0 fixed it by optionally also include time information in metadata of PDF or DjVU.

The 2.3.0 release also include following changes:

  • Reduced “bouncing” effect when dragging OCR output
  • Fix update of image viewer/OCR output after deleting a page
  • Support different resolutions in x and y directions.
  • Make post-scan PNG conversion optional
  • Remember size of multiple message window
  • Translation updates.

How to Install gscan2pdf 2.3.0 in Ubuntu:

The official Ubuntu PPA has made the new release packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10, 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 asterisks 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:

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.

In Howtos, News
 

Opera 58 Released with Confirm Dialog Before Closing Window

Last updated: January 24, 2019

Opera web browser released new stable 58 a day ago. The new release features warning dialog before closing window with multiple tabs, and Yandex Zen integration for Russian users.

Changes in Opera 58 include:

  • Display a comfirm dialog when closing window with multiple tabs.
  • Integrate news recommendation service Yandex Zen for Russian users.
  • Add an option in settings for “Always open SD”
  • Enable Chromium toast notifier in Opera
  • Provide feedback popup for users clicking like and dislike icons
  • Review Compatibility Mode
  • Numerous bug-fixes and improvements.

How to Install Opera 57 in Ubuntu:

The Opera team offers snap package (containerised software package), which is always up-to-date (auto-updates itself). You can simply install it in Ubuntu Software:

Also traditional Opera binary package for Ubuntu is available for download at the link below:

To receive future updates through Software Updater, add the official Opera apt repository via following steps:

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 Howtos, News ,