UbuntuHandbook

Opera 24 For Linux Released, Install it in Ubuntu 14.04 64-bit

Last updated: June 23, 2014

Opera 24 for Linux, the first Chromium-based build, was finally released today on June 23, 2014, as part of the ‘developer stream’. It has been almost one year since Opera released version 12.16 for Linux in July 2013.

Now, Linux users can get the newest Opera features, including:

Aura-powered UI
Discover
Stash
A wide selection of extensions and themes
Vastly improved Speed Dial and Opera Turbo.
and more.

A 64-bit .deb package is available from the link below:

Download Opera 24 for Linux

Click to install the package via Ubuntu Software Center. During the installing process, it will add the Opera repository into your system so that you can receive future updates by running regular Ubuntu updates via Software Updater. Also, it will install the Pepper Flash Plugin to get flash working.

Tip:

I’ve installed Opera 24 on my 64-bit Ubuntu 14.04 laptop, but it does not launch due to permissions issue (might be).

I can open it by running below command in terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) to open it via root:

sudo opera-developer

Or edit the .desktop file (sudo gedit /usr/share/applications/opera-developer.desktop) and change the exe command to make it look like:

Exec=gksudo opera-developer %U

via: blogs.opera.com

In Howtos Opera, Ubuntu 14.04

Install Note-Taking App Springseed 2.0 in Ubuntu

Last updated: June 23, 2014

Springseed is a native Linux note-taking application that features markdown support, syntax highlighting, and sync with Dropbox. It’s a free and open source software.

Springseed 2.0 was released a few hours ago with following changes:

UI: a dark sidebar with large typography
A word count in the edit mode
various improvements to code syntax support
bug fixes

And now Springseed team has a Google+ and Twitter page.

Version 2.0 works on Ubuntu 13.10 and Ubuntu 14.04. Download the packages from its website and click open with Ubuntu Software Center and finally install it on your system:

Download Springseed

In Howtos note-taking app, Ubuntu 14.04

How to Share A Printer in Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty LTS

Last updated: June 22, 2014

This quick tutorial is going to show you how to share a wired printer in Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty over local network.

To get started, open Printers utility from Unity Dash search results or System Settings.

Once it opens, go to menu Server -> Settings…

Check the box where it says “Publish shared printers connected to this system” to enable network sharing of connected printers.

Finally, right-click on a printer in the list and go to its Properties window. Under Policies tab, make sure all three boxes (Enabled, Accepting jobs, and Shared) are checked.

Now you’re able to connect to this printer from Ubuntu/Windows client using Internet Printing Protocol (ipp://ip.address.or.name/printers/Printername).

In Howtos share a printer, Ubuntu 14.04

Install ClipGrab Video Downloader in Ubuntu 14.04

Last updated: April 4, 2019

This quick tutorial shows you how to install ClipGrab, a simple video downloader and converter, and create a launcher icon in Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty LTS.

ClipGrab is a simple graphical tool that allows you to search and download videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Metacafe, and other video sites. It allows to save original video format or convert to MPEG4, MP3, WMV, OGG.

This free app supports HD 1080p videos after ffmpeg or avconv is installed.

ClipGrab has an Ubuntu PPA, but Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty is not supported yet. Below steps will show you how to install the .tar.gz package from its web site.

For easy way, you can grab the deb directly from ubuntuupdates. Remember to install libav-tools to get HD 1080p support.

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open the terminal. When it opens, run below command so the app will support HP 1080p videos.

sudo apt-get install libc6 libgcc1 libqt4-network libqt4-xml libqtcore4 libqtgui4 libqtwebkit4 libstdc++6 libvorbis0a libogg0 libavcodec-extra-54 libav-tools

2. Download ClipGrab for Linux from its website:

Download ClipGrab

So far, it is clipgrab-3.4.2.tar.gz.

3. Extract the package to /opt/ for global use:

cd /opt/ && sudo tar -xvzf ~/Downloads/clipgrab-*.tar.gz

In file browser, go to Computer -> opt -> clipgrab-3.4.2 and you’ll see the app executable files. Run below command to allow executing them as program and finally click one to launch ClipGrab.

cd /opt/clipgrab-3.4.2/ && sudo chmod +x *

Create a launcher icon for ClipGrab:

Besides “lock to launcher” after you launched ClipGrab, you can create a shortcut icon manually by running below command:

sudo gedit /usr/share/applications/clipgrab.desktop

Paste below content when the file opens. You may change the PATH to exec and icon to yours.

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Name=ClipGrab
Exec=/opt/clipgrab-3.4.2/clipgrab-3.4.2.x86_64
Icon=/home/handbook/Pictures/clipgrab-logo-icon.png
Comment[de_DE]=Videos von Online-Portalen wie YouTube herunterladen und konvertieren
Comment=Download and convert videos from various portals (e.g. YouTube)
Categories=Application;Network

Save the file and done.

In Howtos Ubuntu 14.04

Use WildGuppy in Ubuntu To Adjust Screen Brightness Automatically

Last updated: June 19, 2014

WildGuppy is a simple application that automatically adjusts Ubuntu laptop’s screen brightness depending on one’s sitting environment.

The app changes your laptop’s screen brightness by using camera samples taken at a user definable interval. Besides that, you can always set the brightness manually from Brightness Levels menu. When you choose this option, webcam sampling process will stop!

About the Feeling lucky option, it takes a sample from your webcam at that time you click on it and set the right brightness level and will not take any further samples.

Install WildGuppy in Ubuntu:

It’s recommended to install the app from developer’s PPA. After that, you can receive updates by Ubuntu’s Software Updater.

To add the PPA, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open the terminal. When it opens, run the command below:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:fantasyleague0629/wildguppy

Then install WildGuppy via:

sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get install wildguppy

Works on Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 13.10, Ubuntu 13.04, Ubuntu 12.10 and Ubuntu 12.04.

Make WildGuppy running at startup:

Run command to edit the config file.

sudo gedit ~/.config/autostart/wildguppy-gtk.desktop

Type in your password when prompted. Note that terminal will not display your password when typing, just type in mind and hit enter.

When the file opens, paste below content and save it.

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Exec=wildguppy-gtk
Hidden=false
NoDisplay=false
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true
Name[en_US]=WildGuppy
Name=WildGuppy
Comment[en_US]=
Comment=

via: github.com

In Howtos adjust screen brightness, Ubuntu 14.04

Skype 4.3 Released, How to Install it in Ubuntu 14.04/12.04

Last updated: September 24, 2014

Skype for Linux has been updated to version 4.3.0.37 with updated UI, new cloud-based Group chat experience, and more.

Microsoft finally announced Skype for Linux 4.3 on June 18, 2014. The new release dropped support for direct Alsa support, now it uses PulseAudio for better calling experience. Also Skype 4.3 contains below changes:

An updated UI
Our new cloud-based Group Chat experience
More reliable file transfer support when using multiple devices at once
Greater accessibility by blind and visually impaired users
PulseAudio 3.0 and 4.0 support
Lot of bug fixes
Skype 4.3 release note.

Install Skype 4.3 in Ubuntu or Linux Mint:

Canonical has finally made the latest Skype 4.3 into the partners repository, which means only do step a.), b.), and c.) will install Skype 4.3 in Ubuntu 14.04 and Ubuntu 12.04

~~At the moment, Skype for Linux 4.3 is not available in any Linux repository~~. Below steps will tell you how to install the official .deb package in Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 12.04, and their derivatives.

1. Install required libraries (for 64-bit system)

Skype website only provides 32-bit package for Ubuntu 12.04 and higher. You’re unable to install it directly on 64-bit system due to dependencies issue.

However, install the old skype from Canonical partners repository will also install the required libraries we need for NEW skype.

a.) Press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run commands one by one to remove old skype and .skype folder:

sudo apt-get remove skype skype-bin

rm -rf ~/.skype

b.) Open “Software & Updates” and enable Canonical partners repository under Other Software tab.

c.) Press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run the commands below to install old skype:

sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get install skype

UPDATE: Below steps are no longer required! Just do the above step a.), b.) and c.) will install Skype 4.3 in your system.

c.) Once installed, remove the old skype package:

sudo apt-get remove skype skype-bin

~~2. Download & install Skype 4.3~~

~~Download the “Ubuntu 12.04 (multiarch)” package from: www.skype.com/go/linux~~

~~Click to install the package via Ubuntu Software Center. Or run command below in terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T):~~

cd ~/Downloads/ && sudo dpkg -i skype-ubuntu-precise_*.deb

~~Once installed, you’re able to open Skype 4.3 from Unity Dash result:~~

In Howtos, Linux Mint skype, Ubuntu 14.04

Flickr App ‘Frogr’ Updated to 0.10, Install it in Ubuntu 14.04

Last updated: June 18, 2014

Frogr, a Gnome desktop app for Flickr image/video hosting service, is updated to version 0.10 with bug fixes and new and updated translations.

Frogr is a small application for the GNOME desktop that allows users to manage their accounts in the Flickr image hosting website. It supports all the basic Flickr features, including uploading pictures, adding descriptions, setting tags and managing sets and groups pools.

The latest stable version of Frogr 0.10 (released on June 17, 2014) currently features a basic -yet effective- flickr uploader:

Allow to upload pictures and videos to flickr, specifying details such as title, description, tags, visibility, content type, safety level and whether to “show up on global search results”.
Allow uploading pictures and videos from remote machines, through different protocols (SMB, SSH, FTP…).
Allow loading/saving the work session from/to ‘project’ files.
Allow setting specific licenses and geolocation information for pictures right from the desktop.
Allow specifying sets and group pools for the elements to be added to after the upload process.
Allow to create sets right from frogr, opposite to just adding elements to already existing ones.
Command line interface and integration as MIME type handler for pictures.
Import tags from picture’s metainformation (if present) when loading.
Support for handling multiple Flickr accounts.
Support for specifying HTTP proxies manually.
Integrated with GNOME Shell and the Mac OS X desktops.
Translated to many languages (Check frogr’s module at l10n)

For the detailed changes in Frogr 0.10, check the news file.

Install Frogr 0.10 in Ubuntu:

The new release has been made into Ubuntu 14.10’s universe repository. For Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 13.10, Ubuntu 12.04 and their derivatives, install Frogr 0.10 from PPA:

Press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run the commands below one by one:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mariospr/frogr

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install frogr

In Howtos Flickr App, Ubuntu 14.04

How to Install The Latest Eclipse Release in Ubuntu 14.04

Last updated: January 13, 2016

This quick tutorial is going to show you how to install the latest release of Eclipse, while the Ubuntu repositories has an very old version.

So far, the latest is Eclipse Kepler (4.3.2). You can follow below steps to install it on Ubuntu 14.04 or other Ubuntu releases.

This tutorial does no longer work since Eclipse Installer was rolled out, you may follow the new how-to-install

1. Install Java.

If you don’t have Java installed on your system. Click the link below to bring up Ubuntu Software Center and click install OpenJDK Java 7:

Click Install OpenJDK java 7

Or, install Oracle Java from this link.

2. Download Eclipse from its website

You may check out your OS Type 32-bit or 64-bit by going to System Settings -> Details -> Overview

3. Extract Eclipse to /opt/ for global use

Press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open the terminal. When it opens, run the command below to extract Eclipse to /opt/:

cd /opt/ && sudo tar -zxvf ~/Downloads/eclipse-*.tar.gz

You may replace “eclipse-*.tar.gz” (without quote) to the exact package name if the command does not work.

Don’t like Linux commands? You can do this by opening Nautilus file browser via root: Press Alt+F2 -> run gksudo nautilus.

Once done, you should see the eclipse folder under /opt/ directory.

4. Create a launcher shortcut for Eclipse

Press Ctrl+Alt+T, paste below command into the terminal and hit enter (install gksu from Software Center if below command does not work).

gksudo gedit /usr/share/applications/eclipse.desktop

Above command will create and open the launcher file for eclipse with gedit text editor.

Paste below content into the opened file and save it.

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Eclipse 4
Type=Application
Exec=/opt/eclipse/eclipse
Terminal=false
Icon=/opt/eclipse/icon.xpm
Comment=Integrated Development Environment
NoDisplay=false
Categories=Development;IDE;
Name[en]=Eclipse

Finally open Eclipse from Unity Dash search results and enjoy!

Not clear enough? See the youtube video:

In Howtos eclipse, Ubuntu 14.04

Writing App FocusWriter Adds Support Open XML Files, Install it in Ubuntu

Last updated: June 17, 2014

Full-screen writing program FocusWriter updated to version 1.5.0 with many exciting new features and improvements.

FocusWriter is a simple, distraction-free writing environment. It utilizes a hide-away interface that you access by moving your mouse to the edges of the screen, allowing the program to have a familiar look and feel to it while still getting out of the way so that you can immerse yourself in your work.

FocusWriter features:

TXT, basic RTF, and basic ODT file support
Timers and alarms
Daily goals
Fully customizable themes
Typewriter sound effects (optional)
Auto-save (optional)
Live statistics (optional)
Spell-checking (optional)
Multi-document support
Sessions
Portable mode (optional)
Translated into over 20 languages

The latest release 1.5.0 was released one hour ago on June 17th, 2014 with following new features and improvements.

Added daily progress dialog
Added default themes
Added blurring behind text area
Added drop shadow behind text area
Added duplicating themes
Added keyboard shortcuts to move between paragraphs
Added option to disable byte order mark
Added basic support for Office Open XML files
Added Windows installer
Include dictionaries on Windows
Improved theme dialog
Improved background color when loading theme
Stopped clearing document cache across runs
Synchronized location for open and save dialogs
Switched to hunspell
Switched to QtZip
Refactored daily progress
Refactored document cache
Refactored spell checking code

Install FocusWriter 1.5.0 in Ubuntu:

Press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open the terminal. When it opens, run the commands below one by one will install the writing app from its official PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gottcode/gcppa

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install focuswriter

Works on Ubuntu 14.10, Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 13.10, Ubuntu 12.04 and their derivatives.

For Othe Linux, Window, and Mac OS, go to FocusWriter website.

In Howtos focuswriter, Ubuntu 14.04

Wallch Wallpaper Changer Fixed Frequent Crashes in Ubuntu 14.04

Last updated: June 17, 2014

Wallch 4.12 was finally released with various bug fixes, including the crash when clicking the start button under ‘Wallpaper’. Now it is works like a charm in Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty!

Wallch is a free and open source wallpaper changer for Linux desktops. Besides changing your desktop background automatically, it features:

a live picture of earth updated every 1/2 hour
Picture of The Day (wikipedia).
Wallpaper Clocks – combine beautiful wallpapers with the time and date.
an Unity indicator to control the app from menu

Wallch automatically change desktop background with selected Picture folder

Control wallch via an Unity indicator

The latest release fixed below bugs:

Fixed bug of application crashing on ‘Wallpapers’ when button start was pressed
Fixed bug of window not being able to resize
Fixed bug on wallpaper clocks were the background was always one minute behind system’s time
Fixed bug were shortcuts like Ctrl+Q or Ctrl+P wouldn’t work
More fixes see the launchpad page.

Install Wallch 4.12 in Ubuntu 14.04:

First you may check out your OS type: 32-bit = i386, 64-bit = amd64 by going to System Settings -> Details -> OS type.

Then download the .deb package and click install via Ubuntu Software Center.

Download Wallch 4.12 for Ubuntu 14.04

Once installed, open it from Unity Dash result and enjoy!

In Howtos Ubuntu 14.04, wallch