By releasing version 3.0.3 RC1, Audacity digital audio editor finally adds official Linux binary support!
It’s the 64-bit Appimage package that runs in most Linux Distributions. Without installing, it’s a single executable that launches the software via double-click.
Other changes in Audacity 3.0.3 so far includes:
switch to 64-bit Windows binary, and drop Windows XP support.
Improved default spectrogram colors
Fix user interface display issue on HiDPI display in Linux.
Fix that font size scales incorrectly.
Fix crashes with Macros on files when the macro-output folder is in an unwriteable location
No error message when attempting to save to SMB drive
Audacity audio editor and recorder is easy to install in Ubuntu Software via Snap package. For those prefer the classic deb package, the Ubuntu PPA has updated for the latest Audacity 3.0.2.
Since Audacity 3.0, it requires the development branch of wxWidgets toolkit 3.1.x. However, Ubuntu provides only the stable v3.0 series packages.
Thanks to Pascal de Bruijn, I’ve successfully built wxWidgets 3.1.3 for Audacity. So the audio editor packages updated for Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 21.04, and Linux Mint 20.
Known issues:
There are however known issues in the PPA build. When starting Audacity in Ubuntu 21.04 or Linux Mint 20, it will popup “An assertion failed” dialog, which indicates:
./src/widgets/FileConfig.cpp(98): assert “mDirty == false” failed in ~FileConfig().
Just click on “continue” button, and the software should start.
Another issue is that the app window slow to open. It takes a few seconds to start due to AlSA issues and warning. However, it works once app window opens!
Install Audacity 3.0.2 via PPA:
Open terminal either from system application menu or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard. When terminal opens, run following commands one by one:
1.) Run command in terminal to add the Ubuntu PPA:
Type user password (no asterisk feedback due to security reason) when it prompts and hit Enter to continue.
2. Then either upgrade from an old release (if exist) via Software Updater, or run following commands one by one to check updates and install (or upgrade) audacity 3.0.2:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install audacity
Uninstall:
To remove the PPA repository, launch Software & Updates utility and remove relevant line under ‘Other Software’ tab. Or simply run command in terminal:
The Audacity audio editor 3.0.0 was released a week ago as the new major release. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu / Linux Mint via Flatpak package.
Audacity 3.0.0 features new all-in-one-file aup3 project file format, improved ‘Noise Gate’ effect, new ‘Label Sounds’ analyzer, and over 160 bug-fixes.
Why Flatpak?
The distribution’s build and Ubuntu PPAs are mostly “incorrectly built packages” as they are built against the wrong wxWidgets (3.0.x), however Audacity 3.0.0 requires wxWidgets 3.1.3.
Though I’m not a fan of the containerized Flatpak package, it’s so far the only ‘correctly’ build binary package since the Snap is still under testing.
Install Audacity 3.0.0 via Flatpak:
Firstly open terminal from system app launcher. When it opens, run following commands one by one.
1.) For Ubuntu 18.04, add the PPA for updated version of Flatpak framework:
The flatpak package won’t replace the classic deb package. If you have more than one app icon in launcher, either remove Audacity installed via apt, or launch Audacity Flatpak via command in terminal:
flatpak run org.audacityteam.Audacity
Remove Audacity Flatpak package:
To remove the software installed via flatpak, simply run command:
Presets for more effects can be imported and exported.
New Multi-View mode for tracks.
Export audio to Opus in Windows, Linux.
Easier to convert labels between point labels and range labels.
New Loudness Normalization effect.
New RMS measurement analyzer.
New Noise Gate effect.
New Spectral Delete effect.
Tons of bug-fixes.
How to Install Audacity 2.4.1 in Ubuntu:
The unofficial PPA has built the new release packages for Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 19.10, Ubuntu 18.04, and Ubuntu 16.04.
1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut or by searching for ‘terminal’ from application menu. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:
Audacity audio editor released version 2.3.3 a few hours ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.04, and Ubuntu 19.10.
Audacity 2.3.3 features over 150 bug-fixes, and following improvements:
Equalization effect now split into two effects, Filter Curve and Graphic EQ.
Presets (using manage button) now active/working.
Can now have two points at same frequency for steep steps.
‘What you hear is what you get’ for exports.
Leading silence (blank space) not skipped over in exports.
Quality setting on AAC/M4A exports.
Some confusing functionality removed.
How to Install Audacity 2.3.3 in Ubuntu:
The unofficial PPA has built the 2.3.3 packages for Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.04, Ubuntu 19.10, and their derivatives, e.g., 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 to add the PPA:
Audacity audio editor and recorder released version 2.3.2 a day ago with some improvements and various bug-fixes. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, and higher.
Include LAME mp3 encoder (though it’s there in PPA build for long time).
New ‘Select’ button in the track panel to select the whole track.
Audacity mod-script-pipe for driving Audacity from Python now comes with Audacity and can be enabled via preferences.
Type to Create a Label is now off by default.
A plug-in installer for Nyquist now provides a file browser for selecting ‘.NY’ files to install.
And over 20 bugs were fixed in the release.
How to Install Audacity 2.3.2 in Ubuntu:
The unofficial PPA has built the 2.3.2 packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10, Ubuntu 19.04, and their derivatives, e.g., Linux Mint 18.x and 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:
Audacity audio editor 2.3.1 was finally released and restored Linux support which was missing in 2.3.0.
Audacity 2.3.1 brings over 20 bug-fixes and following new features / improvements:
Microfades are now an opt-in feature. They were always on in 2.3.0.
The advanced vertical zooming option is now available in the View->Zoom menu.
Regular interval labels now support range labels.
How to Install Audacity 2.3.1 in Ubuntu:
There’s an unofficial PPA contains the 2.3.1 packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 18.10, Ubuntu 19.04, and their derivatives, e.g., Linux Mint 18.x and 19.x.
1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut or by searching for ‘terminal’ from app launcher. When it opens, run command:
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:
Audacity audio editor 2.2.2 was released two days ago with some improvements and several bug-fixes. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.10, and Ubuntu 18.04.
Audacity 2.2.2 release highlights:
Easier zooming in and out with mousewheel, new Zoom Toggle command, and context menu for vertical rulers.
Easy access to change keyboard bindings of menu commands by holding Shift key
Detection of dropout errors while recording with overburdened CPU
The Audacity team does not offer pre-compiled Linux binaries. Other than building from source, a third-party PPA is available with Audacity 2.2.2 packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.10, and Ubuntu 18.04.
1. Open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for ‘terminal’ from app launcher. When it opens, run command:
