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Visual Studio Code 1.15 Released with Large File Improvements

Last updated: August 11, 2017

Visual Studio Code IDE

Microsoft VS Code IDE has reached the 1.15 release recently. 64-bit installation now has no size limit for large files.

Visual Studio Code 1.15 release highlights:

  • Large file improvements. No size limit on 64-bit, and 300MB limit on 32-bit.
  • Full search for Release Notes, Markdown preview, and Extensions.
  • Source code auto-indenting and new Emmet support.
  • User definable syntax highlighting colors
  • A color picker to easily create colors in your CSS, SASS, and Less files.
  • Added Loaded Scripts explorer
  • Support for Markdown preview plugins
  • See the release note for details.

How to Install VS Code 1.15 in Ubuntu:

The official .deb package for Debian/Ubuntu is available for download at the link below:

Then install it via either Gdebi package manager or command (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

Install VS Code Snap app in Ubuntu:

Microsoft Visual Studio Code is available via Snap app in Ubuntu, though it’s not updated to version 1.15 at the moment of writing, see how to install VS Code vis Snap in Ubuntu.

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Vivaldi Browser 1.11 Released with New App Icon

Last updated: August 10, 2017

The Vivaldi web browser reached the 1.11 stable release today with new application icon and accessibility improvements.

Vivaldi 1.11 release highlights:

  • Advanced reader mode with font, text size, column width and line height, and background setting at the top.
  • Apply custom theme to the reader mode.
  • Turn off animated GIFs easily from the Status Bar.
  • Adjustable mouse gesture sensitivity
  • Optional Speed Dial buttons
  • And the new application icon.
  • See the release note for details.

Download / Install Vivaldi Browser:

For Ubuntu, it offers the DEB package available for download at the link below:

For those who have installed a previous release, and enabled the Vivaldi Linux repository, upgrade the browser via Software Updater:

To manually add the repository, run command to edit the source file:

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vivaldi.list

When the file opens, un-comment or add (if empty) the following line and save it:

deb http://repo.vivaldi.com/stable/deb/ stable main

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Mozilla Firefox 55 Released with WebVR Support

Last updated: August 8, 2017

Mozilla Firefox 55.0 was released earlier today. The new release features WebVR support, faster start time, updated address bar and more.

Firefox 55.0 release highlights:

  • Windows support for WebVR.
  • Option to enable Hardware VP9 acceleration on Windows 10 Anniversary Edition.
  • Significantly faster startup times when restoring lots of tabs.
  • Search with any installed one-click search engine directly from address bar.
  • Added support for stereo microphones with WebRTC
  • Made the Adobe Flash plugin click-to-activate by default
  • And see the release note for more.

How to Install Firefox 55 in Ubuntu:

Although Mozilla website offers non-install version Linux binaries, the best way to get the latest Firefox in Ubuntu is using Software Updater to upgrade it through Ubuntu main (security & updates) repository.

NOTE that there will some delay for the new release being published in main repositories, check the build page.

The security and updates repositories are enabled by default. If you don’t see the Firefox updates even after Ubuntu published it in these repositories, check out the Updates tab in Software & Updates utility.

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Qmmp Audio Player 1.1.10 Released with New Feature & Fixes

Last updated: August 5, 2017

Qmmp, an Qt based and winamp or xmms like audio player, has reached the 1.1.10 (and 0.10.10 for Qt4) release last night.

Changes in Qmmp 1.1.10 & 0.10.10 include:

  • added feature to download playlist from https
  • increased DirectSound buffer size
  • decreased waiting time in the WASAPI plugin
  • improved plugin list in the settings dialog
  • fixed regression in the ‘jump to track’ dialog
  • fixed possible segmentation fault
  • fixed seeking in the ffmpeg plugin
  • fixed null pointer dereference in the mpeg plugin
  • fixed gcc warnings
  • fixed dithering settings
  • fixed 24 bits support in the WASAPI plugin
  • fixed segmentation fault on Ogg FLAC streams
  • fixed XPM skins support
  • fixed Qt 5.9 support in the global hotkey plugin (1.1.10 only)
  • updated translations.

How to Install Qmmp 1.1.10 (or 0.10.10) in Ubuntu:

Qmmp has an PPA repository that offers the latest packages for Ubuntu 12.04, Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.04, and their derivatives.

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

2. Then update and install Qmmp and its plugins:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install qmmp qmmp-plugin-pack

The commands install Qmmp 1.1.10 (Qt5 version) in Ubuntu 16.04 & higher, and Qmmp 0.10.10 (Qt4 version) in Ubuntu 14.04 & Ubuntu 12.04.

For Ubuntu 16.04 and higher users who want to install Qmmp 0.10.10 (Qt4 version), run following commands instead:

sudo apt-get update 

sudo apt-get install qmmp-qt4 qmmp-plugin-pack-qt4

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-plugin-pack
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Install Video Cutter & Joiner ‘VidCutter’ 4.0 in Ubuntu 16.04, 17.04

Last updated: August 2, 2017

VidCutter, a simple and fast video cutter and joiner software, has reached the 4.0 release earlier today.

VidCutter 4.0 features:

  • OpenGL-callback rendering
  • full macOS support back
  • big improvements on the old graphics hardware.
  • much better stability and quality playback
  • improved thumbnailed timeline w/ larger previews
  • loads of fixes and see more here.

How to Install VidCutter 4.0 in Ubuntu:

The developer’s PPA contains the latest packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.04, and their derivatives.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ozmartian/apps

Type in your password (no visual feedback while typing due to security reason) when it asks and hit Enter.

2. Then update and install the app via commands:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install vidcutter

Remove VidCutter:

To remove the software, run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove vidcutter

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

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IntelliJ IDEA 2017.2.1 Released with Lots of Fixes [How-to Install]

Last updated: August 1, 2017

JetBrains’ IntelliJ IDEA Java ide has reached the 2017.2.1 release a few hours ago with lots of bug-fixes and some performance updates.

IntelliJ IDEA 2017.2.1 is the first bug-fix release for the 2017.2 series that fixes:

  • Performance issue while typing
  • 100% of one core CPU usage issue
  • Version 2017.2 can’t load project with character “|” in its name
  • Java 9 compilation fails with error
  • Add feature: showing comments in Database tree
  • Various fixes to Docker, Java. Inspections, Spring, JavaScript, JavaScript. Frameworks, JavaScript. Inspections
  • Some new features and many other fixes, see release note for details.

How to Install IntelliJ IDEA 2017.2.1 in Ubuntu:

The official Linux packages are available for download at the link below:

Grab the package, extract, and run the executable to launch the IDE. You may manually create an application shortcut to be able to start it from app launcher.

For Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.04, Ubuntu 17.10, you can also use the installer script to download the IDE from JetBrains’ web server, install it to /opt/, and automatically create an app shortcut for it.

installer script (.deb) for IntelliJ IDEA Community | IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate

Install the script via dpkg command:

sudo dpkg -i ~/Downloads/intellij-idea-*_2017.2.1-1_all.deb

Alternatively, simply open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run following commands one by one to add the PPA and install the script:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install intellij-idea-community

replace intellij-idea-community with intellij-idea-ultimate in the last command to install the ultimate edition.

Uninstall:

To remove the Java IDE, simply run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove intellij-idea-community intellij-idea-ultimate

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

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Selene Media Converter 17.7 Released (How to Install)

Last updated: July 30, 2017

The open source Selene media converter got a new release a few days ago with enhancements, translation updates, and updated installers.

Selene is an audio/video converter for Linux that supports almost every file format that you are likely to come across and can encode them to popular output formats like MKV, MP4, etc. It aims to provide a simple GUI for converting files to popular formats along with powerful command-line options for automated/unattended encoding.

Selene 17.7 features:

  • Added support for OPUS in WEBM, MKV and OGG containers
  • Added audio tag support for Fraunhoffer AAC encoding
  • Use VLC for playing media instead of internal player
  • MediaPlayer: Center screen and show file name in header bar
  • Updated installers and translations.

How to Install Selene 17.7 in Ubuntu:

The project offers the .deb and .run installers in its release page.

To upgrade the software easily via system Software Updater utility, you can install Selene from the developer’s PPA repository:

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:teejee2008/ppa

Type in your password (no visual feedback while typing due to security reason) when prompts and hit Enter. Supports for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.04, Ubuntu 17.10

2. To install the media encoder for first time, run commands to check updates and install it:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install selene

To upgrade it from an existing release, simply launch Software Updater and install the updates.

Uninstall:

To remove selene media converter, run command in terminal:

sudo apt remove --autoremove selene

And remove the PPA repository via Software & Udpates utility under Other Software tab.

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Second Alpha of Ubuntu 17.10 Available for Opt-in Flavors

Last updated: July 28, 2017

The second alpha release of Ubuntu 17.10 Artful Aardvark now is available for download. Ubuntu 17.10 Alpha 2 features images for Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Ubuntu Budgie, Ubuntu Kylin, and Ubuntu MATE.

Ubuntu 17.10 is still based on Kernel 4.11, which is used in Ubuntu 17.04, however there are a lot of internal updates, such as Python 3 support as default, GNOME’s GDM as default login manager instead of LightDM, and hardware-accelerated video playback.

Download Ubuntu 17.10:

NOTE the pre-release images are not recommended for anyone who need a stable system. However, they are recommended for developers or users who want to test by finding, reporting, and/or fixing bugs, or people want to see how the current snapshot of Ubuntu 17.10 will look and behave.

LUbuntu 17.10: cdimage.ubuntu.com/lubuntu/releases/artful/

KUbuntu 17.10: cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/artful/

Ubuntu Kylin 17.10: cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntukylin/releases/artful/

Ubuntu Budgie 17.10: cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-budgie/releases/artful/

Ubuntu MATE 17.10: cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-mate/releases/artful/

Future releases of Ubuntu 17.10:

August 31st Beta 1 (for opt-in flavors)
September 28th Final Beta
October 19th Final Release
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0 A.D. Alpha 22 Released, How to Install it in Ubuntu

Last updated: July 27, 2017

The twenty-second alpha version of the free and open-source real-time strategy game of ancient warfare, 0 A.D. Alpha 22 “Venustas”, was released a few hours ago.

New Features in 0 A.D. alpha 22:

  • Remake of many models, animations and textures, two new music tracks
  • Configuration-free Multiplayer Hosting
  • Capture the Relic Gamemode
  • Aura and Heal Range Visualization
  • Twelve new maps, including scripted enemies, rising water and a tutorial
  • Espionage Technology, Team Bonuses and Hero Auras
  • Petra AI Diplomacy and Attack Strategies
  • Summary Screen Graphs
  • Cinema Path Editing
  • Buddy System
  • A complete list of changes can be found here.

How to Install 0 A.D. alpha 22 in Ubuntu:

The Wildfire Games team is currently building (and testing) the PPA packages. It will be soon available in the official PPA for Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.04, Ubuntu 17.10, and their derivatives.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:wfg/0ad

Type your password (no visual feedback while typing due to security reason) when prompts and hit Enter.

2. Then upgrade the game from an existing release via Software Updater:

Or simply run commands to update and install the game:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install 0ad 0ad-data

Uninstall:

Purge the PPA via the following command will remove the PPA as well as downgrade 0 A.D. to its stock version in your Ubuntu:

sudo apt-get install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:wfg/0ad

If you still want to remove the game, either use your system package manager or run command:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove 0ad 0ad-data
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HPLIP 3.17.7 Released with Some New Printers Support

Last updated: July 25, 2017

HPLIP, free and open-source HP developed Linux drivers for HP printers, has reached the 3.17.7 release with some new printers supported.

New supported printers in HPLIP 3.17.7:

  • HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 2635 All-in-One
  • HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 2636 All-in-One
  • HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 2675 All-in-One
  • HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 2676 All-in-One
  • HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 2677 All-in-One
  • HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 2678 All-in-One
  • HP DeskJet 2620 All-in-One
  • HP DeskJet 2621 All-in-One
  • HP DeskJet 2622 All-in-One
  • HP DeskJet 2623 All-in-One
  • HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 2200 All-in-One
  • HP DeskJet 3722 All-in-One
  • HP DeskJet Ink Advanatge 3789 All-in-One
  • HP DeskJet Ink Advanatge 3790 All-in-One

How to Install HPLIP 3.17.7 in Ubuntu:

The official .run installer is available for download at the link below:

After downloaded the .run installer, open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for “Terminal” from app launcher. When it opens, run command to install it:

cd ~/Downloads/ && chmod +x hplip-3.17.7.run && ./hplip-3.17.7.run

Follow the terminal prompts to build HPLIP and setup your devices.

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