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Firefox 63 Released! How to Install it in Ubuntu

Last updated: October 24, 2018

Firefox 55

Mozilla Firefox 63.0 was released one day ago. All current Ubuntu releases can install it through security & updates repositories.

Firefox 63.0 release highlights:

  • Performance and visual improvements for Windows users.
  • Faster tab switching, reactivity improvements for macOS users.
  • Opt to block third-party tracking cookies or block all trackers and create exceptions for trusted sites
  • WebExtensions now run in their own process on Linux
  • Added search shortcuts for Top Sites: Amazon and Google appear as Top Sites tiles on the Firefox Home (New Tab) page.
  • The Ctrl+Tab shortcut now displays thumbnail previews of your tabs

Upgrade to Firefox 63 in Ubuntu:

The Ubuntu Mozilla Team has published the new Firefox packages for Ubuntu 18.10, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 14.04, and their derivatives.

Simply open Software Updater (Update Manager), and install the updates after checking for updates:

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

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Linux Kernel 4.19 Released, How to Install it in Ubuntu

Last updated: October 23, 2018

Linux Kernel 4.19 LTS (Long Term Support) was released yesterday. Instead of Linus, Greg KH announced the new 4.19 release and wrote lots of words:

While it was not the largest kernel release every by number of commits, it was larger than the last 3 releases, which is a non-trivial thing to do. After the original -rc1 bumps, things settled down on the code side and it looks like stuff came nicely together to make a solid kernel for everyone to use for a while. And given that this is going to be one of the “Long Term” kernels I end up maintaining for a few years, that’s good news for everyone.

A small trickle of good bugfixes came in this week, showing that waiting an extra week was a wise choice. However odds are that linux-next is just bursting so the next -rc1 merge window is going to be bigger than “normal”, if there is such a thing as “normal” for our rate of development.

And speaking of development, there’s that other thing that happened this release cycle, that ended up making it such that I’m the one writing this instead of Linus. Allow me the guilty pleasure of taking a few minutes to talk about that….

…

What’s New in Kernel 4.19 (via omgubuntu.co.uk):

  • An alternate mode driver for USB Type-C/DisplayPort Type-C support
  • Better support for Intel’s Low Power Subsystem (LPSS)
  • Support for Qualcomm Adreno 600 series hardware
  • Initial support for Intel Icelake graphics
  • Armada atomic mode-setting
  • Ongoing DRM improvements
  • x86 KVM improvements
  • In-kernel GPS subsystem
  • General touchscreen improvements
  • Initial support for the 802.11ax WLAN
  • Various Filesystem improvements
  • Obligatory Linux power management tweaks
  • Continued Y2038 prep

How to Install Linux Kernel 4.19 in Ubuntu:

There are a few third-party tools, e.g., UKTools and Ukuu, make it easy to install the latest Kernel in Ubuntu.

You can also manually download the Kernel 4.19 Ubuntu binary packages at:

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

  1. linux-headers-4.19.0-xxxxxx_all.deb
  2. linux-headers-4.19.0-xxx-generic(/lowlatency)_xxx_amd64(/i386).deb
  3. linux-modules-4.19.0-xxx-generic(/lowlatency)_xxx_amd64(/i386).deb
  4. linux-image-xxx-4.19.0-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.

Also you can download and install the kernel binaries via terminal commands:

For 64-bit OS:

cd /tmp/

wget -c http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.19/linux-headers-4.19.0-041900_4.19.0-041900.201810221809_all.deb

wget -c http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.19/linux-headers-4.19.0-041900-generic_4.19.0-041900.201810221809_amd64.deb

wget -c http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.19/linux-image-unsigned-4.19.0-041900-generic_4.19.0-041900.201810221809_amd64.deb

wget -c http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.19/linux-modules-4.19.0-041900-generic_4.19.0-041900.201810221809_amd64.deb

sudo dpkg -i *.deb

for 32-bit OS:

cd /tmp/

wget -c http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.19/linux-headers-4.19.0-041900_4.19.0-041900.201810221809_all.deb

wget -c http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.19/linux-headers-4.19.0-041900-generic_4.19.0-041900.201810221809_i386.deb

wget -c http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.19/linux-image-4.19.0-041900-generic_4.19.0-041900.201810221809_i386.deb

wget -c http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.19/linux-modules-4.19.0-041900-generic_4.19.0-041900.201810221809_i386.deb

sudo dpkg -i *.deb

Once installed, restart your computer and enjoy!

Uninstall Linux Kernel 4.19:

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 4.19.0:

sudo dpkg --purge linux-image-4.19.0-041900-generic linux-image-unsigned-4.19.0-041900-generic
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SMPlayer 18.10 Released with 4K Youtube Videos Support

Last updated: October 21, 2018

SMPlayer media player 18.10 was released a day ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.10, Ubuntu 18.10, Ubuntu 16.04, and their derivatives.

SMPlayer 18.10 optimised the internal code for YouTube, so it now supports resolutions up to 4K. In addition, support for age restricted videos has been fixed.

How to Install SMPlayer 18.6 in Ubuntu:

For all current Ubuntu releases and their derivatives, do following steps to install or upgrade SMPlayer via the PPA repository.

1. Search for and launch “terminal” from application menu. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:rvm/smplayer

Type your user password (no asterisks feedback while typing) when it asks and hit Enter.

2. Then upgrade SMPlayer using Software Updater (or Update Manager):

or run commands in terminal to install (or upgrade) the media player:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install smplayer smtube smplayer-themes

Uninstall:

To remove SMPlayer, run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove smplayer smtube smplayer-*

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

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How to Upgrade Ubuntu 18.04 Desktop to Ubuntu 18.10

Last updated: October 18, 2018

Ubuntu 18.10 Cosmic Cuttlefish was finally released today. Here’s how to upgrade from Ubuntu 18.04 to Ubuntu 18.10.

Ubuntu 18.10 is a short-term release with 9 months support. It features Linux 4.18 kernel, X.Org Server 1.20.1, Mesa 18.2.2, and new default desktop theme ‘Yaru’.

Preparation:

Before getting started, you need to do some preparations:

  1. Backup your bookmarks, documents, and other important data.
  2. It’s recommended to remove proprietary drivers and use the open-source drivers instead.
  3. Purge or remove third-party PPA repositories (Software & Updates -> Other Software)

To upgrade to Ubuntu 18.10:

1. Open Software & Updates and navigate to Updates tab.

Then select “For any version” from the drop-down menu of ‘Notify me of a new Ubuntu version’

2. Install all available system updates by running commands in terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T):

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

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

3. Start Update Manager and you’ll see Ubuntu 18.10 available for upgrade (Restart first if required):

sudo update-manager -c

4. Click the Upgrade button and confirm in the next release note dialog:

The upgrading process starts and it may take a few hours depends on your device and internet speed.

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How to Install Grub Customizer 5.1.0 in Ubuntu 18.10

Last updated: October 15, 2018

Grub Customizer, the graphical tool for configuring Grub boot-loader, got a new release a few days ago. The PPA adds support for Ubuntu 18.10 Cosmic Cuttlefish.

Grub Customizer is a simple tool that features:

  • add, remove, edit boot-loader menu entries.
  • Set default OS entry, kernel parameters, etc.
  • Change background image, text font, resolution, etc.
  • Reinstallation of the bootloader to Windows MBR

The most recent 5.1.0 release features:

  • New app icon
  • command option -v to display version info.
  • Traslation updates and some internal changes

How to Install Grub Customizer 5.1.0 in Ubuntu:

For Ubuntu 18.10, and current 3 Ubuntu LTS releases (14.04, 16.04, 18.04), install the new release packages via following steps:

1. Open terminal either from App Launcher or via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut. When it opens, paste below command and run to add the official PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:danielrichter2007/grub-customizer

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

2. Then update package lists and install the software:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install grub-customizer

You can skip sudo apt-get update in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher, since step 1 adding PPA do it automatically.

Once installed, launch it from application menu and enjoy!

Uninstall:

To remove the software, run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove grub-customizer

And open Software & Updates and navigate to Other Software tab to remove third party PPA repositories.

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Mesa 18.2.2 Available to Install in Ubuntu 18.04 via PPA

Last updated: October 12, 2018

The latest Mesa graphics driver 18.2.2 is finally available to install in Ubuntu 18.04 via Ubuntu-X PPA.

Mesa 18.2.2 was released a week ago with following changes:

  • Better GTA V support with the RADV Vulkan driver.
  • RADV fix to address a GPU hang encountered by Radeon RX Vega hardware with SteamVR.
  • vkAcquireNextImage2 support within the ANV and RADV Vulkan drivers.
  • ANV now has support for protected memory properties via GetPhysicalDeviceProperties2().
  • The Gallium3D Nine “D3D9” state tracker has increased the number of temp registers as well as other improvements.
  • A new PCI ID added for a Polaris part: 0x6FDF.
  • And various bug-fixes.

How to Install Mesa 18.2.2 in Ubuntu 18.04:

To install the latest Mesa driver, e.g., for gaming, open terminal and do following steps one by one

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/updates

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

2. After adding the PPA, do system update via command:

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

apt-get update is not required any more in Ubuntu 18.04 since adding PPA automatically refreshes system repositories.

3. Finally check your driver version via command:

glxinfo | grep "OpenGL version"

Uninstall:

To restore changes and downgrade to the default drives shipped in Ubuntu 18.04, run command:

sudo apt-get install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/updates
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Guvcview 2.0.6 Released, How to Install it in Ubuntu

Last updated: October 7, 2018

Guvcview (GTK UVC Viewer), a simple tool for capturing & viewing video from webcams and other v4l2 devices, reached 2.0.6 release earlier today.

Guvcview 2.0.6 is a small release with following changes:

  • Add support for resizing the render window from the command line
  • Update to new libavcodec API
  • And some bug fixes.

How to Install Guvcview 2.0.6 in Ubuntu 18.04:

The developer’s PPA so far contains the latest packages for Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10, Linux Mint 19.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:pj-assis/ppa

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

2. If you’ve installed an old version from Ubuntu Software, remove it via command:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove guvcview

3. Finally install the 2.0.6 packages from the PPA repository via command:

sudo apt-get install guvcview

Once installed, launch the UVC viewer from application menu. To check the software version, run guvcview -v command in terminal.

Uninstall:

To remove the software, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove guvcview

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

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Pragha Music Player 1.4 RC Released (How to Install)

Last updated: October 6, 2018

Pragha 1.4 Release Candidate, a lightweight continuation of the Consonance music player, was released a few days ago with new features, performance improvements and some fixes.

After 4 beta releases, Pragha 1.4 RC (1.3.99) may be the last before the 1.4 stable release. The new 1.4 RC features:

  • First implementation of Favorites as a playlist.
  • Sync favorites with Koel and Last.Fm.
  • New Visualizer plugin.
  • Use Alt+Return shortcut to edit the selected song.
  • Add progress indicator to the search entry while it works.
  • Remember last pane used on song info plugin.
  • Allows to customize the styles to the distro packagers.

How to Install Pragha RC in Ubuntu:

There’s an unofficial PPA that contains the latest Pragha packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10, and Linux Mint 18.x/19.

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/pragha

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

2. Then install the music player either via Synaptic Package Manager or by running commands:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install pragha

Uninstall Pragha:

To remove the music player, either use Synaptic Package Manager or run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove pragha

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

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MuPDF 1.14.0 Released, How to Install it in Ubuntu

Last updated: October 5, 2018

MuPDF 1.14.0, a lightweight PDF, XPS, and E-book viewer, was released today with new features, UI improvements and other changes.

Changes in MuPDF 1.14.0 include:

  • Added “Source Han Serif” CJK fallback font.
  • Added more scripts to the Noto fallback fonts.
  • Multi-page PNM support.
  • “mutool show” now supports a path syntax for selecting objects to show.
  • New annotation editing mode in mupdf-gl.
  • Can create, edit, and delete most annotation types.
  • Can create appearance streams for most annotation types, Tx form fields, Ch form fields.
  • And UI improvements, API changes, and other more.

How to Install MuPDF 1.14.0 in Ubuntu:

The unofficial PPA contains the most recent MuPDF packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Linux Mint 18/19 so far.

MuPDF 1.14.0 package is delayed due to a building issue. I’ll update the PPA once a patch for the issue published.

UPDATE: The new release package now is ready to install via following steps in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10, and their derivatives.

1. Open terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T or searching for “Terminal” from start menu. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps

Type in password (no asterisks feedback due to security reason) when it asks and hit Enter.

2. Then install mupdf and mupdf-tools packages either via Synaptic Package Manager or by running following commands in terminal:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install mupdf mupdf-tools

If you have a previous release installed, simply launch Software Updater to upgrade the tool after checking for updates.

To use the PDF/XPS viewer, right-click on your file and select open with MuPDF. You can also set MuPDF as default in the Properties window.

Uninstall:

To restore MuPDF to the stock version available in your Ubuntu’s main archive, run command in terminal to purge the PPA:

sudo apt-get install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps
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Audacity 2.3.0 Released! How to Install it in Ubuntu 18.10, 18.04

Last updated: October 8, 2018

Audacity audio editor and recorder 2.3.0 was released one day ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.10, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Linux Mint 18 and 19.

New features in Audacity 2.3.0 according to the release note:

  • New feature – “Punch and Roll Recording”
  • Pinned-play-head can now be repositioned by dragging
  • Play-at-speed now can be adjusted whilst playing.
  • Toolbars controlling volume and speed can now be resized for greater precision
  • Macros (formerly ‘Chains’) substantially extended
    • New Macro palette
    • Macros can be bound to keyboard keys
  • New commands: New ‘Tools’ menu, and new ‘Scriptables’ commands
  • Nyquist gains AUD-DO command
  • Nyquist effects are now translatable and translated
  • More dialogs have help buttons now
  • Increased legibility of trackname display
  • Half-wave option for collapsed tracks
  • Sliding Stretch
  • Dialog (option) for entering labels
  • And numerous bug-fixes.

How to Install Audacity 2.3.0 in Ubuntu:

For Ubuntu 16.04 and higher, the new release package can be easily installed from this third-party PPA.

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

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/audacity

Type your password (no asterisks feedback while typing) when it prompts and hit Enter to add the PPA.

2. If you have a previous version installed, you can upgrade Audacity via Software Updater after adding the PPA.

or run following commands one by one to check updates and install (or upgrade) audacity 2.3.0:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install audacity

Uninstall:

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

To remove Audacity audio software, either use system package manager or run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove audacity audacity-data
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