Ubuntu 24.04 Beta Released, This is What’s New
The Ubuntu 24.04 beta is now available to download — one week later than originally planned! Ubuntu 24.04 will become the next long-term support release (LTS) and this beta will provide developers, testers, and enthusiasts time to try it out, track down bugs, and road test its new features. Beta releases are not intended for everyday use (i.e. you’re not supposed to install it as your main OS or on machines you rely on) but, that said, many folks do. The Noble development cycle hasn’t been without its dramas and hiccups. Devs undertook the largest library transition in Ubuntu’s history (to mitigate 
#News #Ubuntu24_04Lts
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/04/ubuntu-24-04-beta-released
ClamTK is No Longer Maintained
It’s always sad to hear a long-standing bit of open-source software put itself out to pasture (a euphemism for going way of the dodo, which is a metaphor for dying out). A few weeks back iconic IRC client HexChat announced it was no longer under active development. This week the developer of ClamTk announced the app is longer maintained. Its (seemingly sole) dev has chosen to step away for a mix of personal, technical, and modernity-related reasons, adding: – “My goals were to give back to Linux, which gave me a lot, and to get better at programming. I probably
#News #Antivirus #Clamav #Graveyard
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/04/clamtk-is-no-longer-maintained
Firefox Getting ‘Translate Selected Text’ Feature – How to Try It
A handy new translations feature is in the works for Mozilla Firefox that should help speed up translating short snippets of text from one language to another. Firefox 118 introduced a privacy-respecting web page translation feature, and Mozilla devs have continued to improve on it in subsequent releases But sometimes you don’t need or want to translate an entire website but a snippet of text on the page. And given that Firefox translations take place locally to preserve privacy the process of translating every bit of a text on a web page is a little on the slow side (on
#News #Firefox
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/04/firefox-translate-selected-text-feature
Ubuntu 24.04 Improves Power Efficiency on Laptops
The version of Power Profiles Daemon shipping in Ubuntu 24.04 delivers a raft of power efficiency improvements for all laptop users, but those with AMD devices may see the biggest gains. Release notes for the power-profiles-daemon package uploaded to Ubuntu 24.04 this week state that it is “battery-state aware” and that “some drivers use a more power efficient state when using the balanced profile on battery”. The power profiles daemon is low-level but it’s what enable the “power profile” modes in the Quick Settings menu: “balanced” (default), “power saver”, and “performance” (on systems where it’s supported by drivers) — this
#News #Amd #Ubuntu24_04Lts
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/04/ubuntu-24-04-battery-life-improvements
Ubuntu 24.04 Beta Delayed Due to Security Issue
If you were hoping to help test the upcoming release of Ubuntu 24.04 by way of the official beta that was due for release this week, I’ve some bad news: it’s been delayed. However, I think you may have been expecting this. Ubuntu 24.04 beta was scheduled for release on April 4, giving developers, testers, and enthusiasts plenty of time to try out the newest features, find and report issues, check compatibility with real-world hardware, and all of that useful stuff. But owing to a recent security issue — a backdoor was uncovered in recent versions of xz compression library
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/04/ubuntu-24-04-beta-delayed
Linux Mint 22 Adopts PipeWire, New Linux Kernel Cadence
The next version of Linux Mint is set to include a number of modernisations over earlier versions. First up, Linux Mint 22 will ship with Pipewire as its default sound server. Most major Linux distros now use Pipewire. The tech modernises and standardises multimedia processing, is more resource efficient, improves integration between apps and hardware, and supports software made for audio sound systems like PulseAudio and ALSA. Another significant change involves Linux kernel updates. Linux Mint Goes All-In on HWE The Linux Mint 21.x series is based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and uses the “GA” kernel (the one Ubuntu 22.04
#News #LinuxMint
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/04/linux-mint-22-adopts-pipewire-hwe-kernels
8BitDo’s Commodore 64 Mechanical Keyboard Even Has a Joystick
I’m gonna geek out hard here as 8BitDo, makers of retro-themed gaming goods, have unveiled their latest mechanical PC keyboard — and it’s even nerdier than their first, NES-inspired one. I never got around the buying the Famicom/NES version, though reviews of it are fairly positive (not universally but given it’s a mechanical keyboard aimed at gamers rather than knuckle-cracking, coffee-swigging all-night programmers, and it’s relatively affordable, that’s a given). Anyway, I digress. The new edition will pressing all the right keys for geeks of a certain age as it pays visual homage to the indomitable Commodore 64 — a
#News #8Bitdo #Hardware #Keyboards #RetroGaming
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/03/8bitdo-commodore-64-keyboard-is-geektastic
Ubuntu in the Wild: Distro Glimpsed in Nature Film ‘Nocturnes’
It’s been a little while since the last #UbuntuintheWild spot but this one feels like a fitting return given it’s quite literally in the wild! The wilds of the Eastern Himalayan forests, in fact. Nature documentary Nocturnes, directed and produced by Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan, follows scientists as they undertake a research trop deep in to these dense, fertile forests to monitor, assess, and learn more about the lives of hawk moths. I’ll admit: on paper, it doesn’t sound like the most engaging film. But the critical reception suggests it’s worth seeking out. It’s praised for lush cinematography, a
#News #Ubuntuinthewild #Ubuntuontv
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/03/nocturnes-moth-documentary-ubuntu
Ubuntu 24.04 Takes Cheese Off the Menu
Ubuntu is switching its default webcam app from Cheese to Snapshot, which debuted as part of the GNOME Core app lineup in GNOME 45. Snapshot Cheese has been part of Ubuntu’s default software set since 2010, first added in Ubuntu 9.10 Netbook Remix fuelled by rise of netbooks and their dim n’ dire 0.3MP webcams. Once upon a time people (hi 👋) made heavy use of Cheese for instant messaging profile pics, and the app included integrated plugins to upload photos to sites like Flickr. While Cheese remains a fun tool the webcam “novelty” factor has long-since worn off. When
#News #Cheese #PhotographyTools #Snapshot #Ubuntu24_04Lts
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/03/ubuntu-24-04-swaps-cheese-snapshot-webcam-app
Canonical Extends LTS Support to 12 Years
Ubuntu’s long-term support releases just got even longer, with Canonical today announcing they are eligible for up to 12 years of security coverage from initial release. As you know, every Ubuntu LTS release receives 5 years of standard security (and select application) updates for packages in the ‘main’ Ubuntu repo, while subscribing to Ubuntu Pro adds a further 5 years of security coverage for packages in the ‘main’ and ‘universe’ repos. But now there’s Legacy Support, a purchasable add-on for Ubuntu Pro customers. This offers an additional 2 years of coverage, bringing the total LTS support window up to 12
#News #Canonical #UbuntuPro
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/03/ubuntu-lts-12-years-legacy-support
Ubuntu 24.04 Makes Tiny Tweak to Improve Gaming
Gamers can look forward to more epic top-tier titles working in Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. Following a user suggestion, Ubuntu developers have decided to increase the distro’s virtual memory mapping limit. The change will mean games previously reported to crash or exhibit performance issues when run on Ubuntu due to the vm_max_map_count value being low now run better. Games such as Hogwarts Legacy, Payday 2, Counter-Strike 2, DayZ, and Star Citizen are among those which benefit from the value bump — a few of this reportedly refuse to run at all in current versions of Ubuntu. In fact, any game or
#News #Gaming #Steam #Ubuntu24_04Lts
How to Bring Back Ubuntu’s Iconic Login Sound
If you only started using Ubuntu sometime after 2012 then you have my apologies: this article won’t make a whole lot of sense. But if your roots with the distro reach back farther then the following curio might appeal (though that ‘might’ is, I accept, doing a lot of lifting). When I reported on the new IRC-based chat app Linux Mint is building a commenter amusingly referred to IRC adherents as “nostalgia connoisseurs”. In some ways, that label applies to me for writing this post. I am a nostalgic dweeb — sorry/not sorry! 💁🏻♂️ — and the “golden era” of
#HowTo #Customization
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/03/enable-old-ubuntu-login-sound
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Official Wallpaper Revealed (In All Its Crowning Glory)
Esteemed adherents of the arts rejoice, as the official Ubuntu 24.04 wallpaper has finally been unveiled! As you no-doubt know, every new Ubuntu release comes with its own unique desktop background and the upcoming release of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS “Noble Numbat” doesn’t abdicate the responsibility. Indeed, the Ubuntu 24.04 default wallpaper tacks firmly traditional, heeding the formula established in 2017: rich purple gradient, elegant geometric/polygonal edge detailing, and the official mascot image royally positioned in the center: As well as the the “colour” default you see pictured above a darker variant is included for those who prefer nocturnal vibes (i.e.,
#News #DefaultWallpaper #Ubuntu24_04Lts
Firefox 124 Released, Supports Screen Wake Lock API
Mozilla Firefox 124 is now officially available to download. The latest update to the open-source web browser includes a small clutch of improvements including, notably, support for the Screen Wake Lock web API. The Screen Wake Lock API is used by web developers to prevent device screens from dimming or locking when their web-based app/site is running/being used. Firefox is late to adoption as this API has been support by Chromium-based browsers and Apple’s Safari for several years. Firefox View is able to sort of open tabs by recent activity (default) or tab order, making it a touch faster to
#News #AppUpdates #Firefox
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/03/mozilla-firefox-124-released
GNOME 46: The Best New Features
GNOME 46 is released on March 20 and the update will be at the heart of next month’s Ubuntu 24.04 LTS release — wondering what kind of improvements is brings? Well, I gotcha’ covered, innit. In this post I run-through the best GNOME 46 features, changes, and usability enhancements. And there’s a fair bit, including super-charged search features in the Nautilus file manager, streamlining to the Settings app, support for remote login over RDP, and some small but sensible buffs to GNOME Shell notifications. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS will ship with GNOME 46 by default, so if after reading this round-up
#News #Gnome #Gnome46
Mozilla Drops Axe on its Privacy-Friendly Location Service
Mozilla has announced it is retiring its Mozilla Location Service (MLS), which provides accurate and privacy-respecting geolocation data. Developers and third-party projects currently use MLS to provide location data, such as FreeDesktop location framework GeoClue, leveraged by apps like GNOME’s Maps and Weather, have only a few months left to use it. We knew cuts were coming from the new CEO but the axe has fallen ruthlessly quick on this! New API access keys will not be granted going forward (and pending requests deleted), Mozilla say. In late March, POST data submissions will return 403 responses. Finally, on June 12,
#News #Development #Geoclue #Mozilla
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/03/mozilla-location-services-axed
KDE Plasma 6.0.2 Update Delivers More Fixes
The second bug-fix update to KDE Plasma 6 is now available, arriving just over a week after the first one rolled out. KDE Plasma 6.0.2 brings a bunch of band-aids to resolves crashes, quirks, and other odd-ball behaviours reported by users since the KDE Plasma 6.0 stable release landed at the end of February. Among the more notable (read: things that sound annoying to me) issues addressed through this KDE Plasma 6.0.2 update are the following: Check the official change-log for a comprehensive overview of everything altered between v6.0.1 and this v6.0.2 release. Users of Ubuntu-based KDE neon — the
#News #Kde #KdeNeon #KdePlasma6
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/03/kde-plasma-6-0-2-update-delivers-more-fixes
Proton Mail’s New Desktop App is Available for Linux
Proton Mail has released a brand new desktop app for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The app means subscribers to the privacy-focused mail service no longer need to use a web browser to read, send, and manage their mail. For privacy-conscious folks, Proton needs little introduction. Formed by a group of scientists and engineers who met working at CERN in 2014, the company has grown to provide a wide range of secure, privacy-focused online services, including encrypted email, VPN, and cloud storage. On the Proton blog the company explains the rationale behind freeing their webmail service from the confines of a web
#News #EmailClient #PrivacyTools #Proton #Protonmail
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/03/proton-mail-desktop-app-linux
VLC Passes 5 Billion Downloads, Teases Big Changes in Next Release
VLC media player has now been downloaded over 5 billion times across desktop and mobile devices, with the most recent release clocking up an impressive 335 million downloads alone! Jean-Baptiste Kempf, president of VideoLAN, the non-profit company who develop VLC, shared this monumental milestone in a natter with Lowpass newsletter editor Janko Roettgers. Kempf also shared some tantalising teases on what we should expect to find in VLC 4.0, when it finally ships. Also, if you’re interested, you can see VLC download statistics on the video player’s official website. The app passed 3 billion downloads in 2019. VLC was first
#News #Vlc
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/03/vlc-hits-5-billion-downloads
Linux Kernel 6.8 Released, This is What’s New
After a solid couple of months of development the Linux 6.8 kernel has been officially released. This kernel is of particular note to Ubuntu users as it’s the version selected to ship in Ubuntu 24.04 LTS – the GA kernel and thereby supported for the duration of the release. Announcing the release of the latest Linux kernel on the official Linux Kernel Mailing List (LKML) Linux founder Linus Torvalds says: “This is not the historically big release that 6.7 was – we seem to be back to a fairly average release size for the last few year,” he writes. “You
#News #LinuxKernel
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/03/linux-kernel-6-8-new-features
