Canonical Halts Upgrades to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Due to ‘Critical Bug’
Last week, the first point release of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS arrived and upgrades from Ubuntu 22.04 LTS enabled. Upgrade prompts began to show on desktops and Canonical encouraged folks to upgrade. Only, those upgrades didn’t go work out well for everyone. So much so that Canonical has paused upgrades to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS from Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. Yesterday, the ‘noble’ release was edited out of the meta-release-lts file (which is what Ubuntu systems check to ‘see’ new version) thereby preventing anyone from being able to upgrade to 24.04.1 LTS through officially-supported methods. Canonical says it’s halted upgrades “due to a critical bug 
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/09/canonical-halts-ubuntu-24-04-lts-upgrades-again
Ubuntu 24.10 Default Wallpaper Revealed
The default wallpaper of Ubuntu 24.10 ‘Oracular Oriole’ (and the official release mascot artwork) has been unveiled. A visit to the local temple mystic wasn’t required to predict that an oriole would take centre-stage in the Ubuntu 24.10 wallpaper. Animal mascots are a recurring feature of Ubuntu’s default background since Ubuntu 17.10 ‘Artful Aardvark’. So it is – a geometric oriole bird motif sits ensconced within circles, with moons and other arcane symbols (echoing the ‘oracular’ element) surrounding it: It’ll sound twee and a tad pretentious, but I kind of see the circular aspect as a nod to the community
#News #DefaultWallpaper #Ubuntu24_10
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/09/ubuntu-2410-default-wallpaper-design
Audacity 3.6.2 Released with Scores of Bug Fixes
The Audacity 3.6 release in July brought some masterful new features with it, plus all-new Compressor and Limiter filters. But not everyone was pleased to lose access to the older version of those, so Audacity’s devs have brought ’em back in a point release update to the currently Audacity 3.6 stable series. Those who prefer (or just more used to) the original Limiter, Compressor and Classic filters can access them in Audacity 3.6.2 from the new “Legacy” effects section. They’re available to use with new and existing Audacity projects. Audacity 3.6.2 also resolves a sizeable set of bugs, with fixes including: Plus plenty more
#News #AppUpdates #Audacity
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/09/audacity-3-6-2-bug-fix-bonanza
Ubuntu’s New Security Center Readies Stable Release
Ubuntu’s new desktop Security Center app is gearing up for its first stable release, along with a background tool called Prompting Client. I first reported on the creation of Security Center earlier this year and it hasn’t changed a great deal since then. Underlying code has been improved, and the Flutter UI made to look more like Yaru/GTK, but in terms of what it does, not much! The Snap Store description for the app describes it as “Security Center UI for the desktop”, which doesn’t say a great deal about the purpose or why a user might want to install
#News #Canonical #Security #SnapApps
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/09/ubuntus-new-security-center-readies-stable-release
Power Profiles Daemon 0.22 Released, Will Ship in Ubuntu 24.10
A new version of the Power Profiles Daemon has been released with an array of improvements that help improve power efficiency on Linux desktops, in particular AMD devices. For those unfamiliar with it, power-profiles-daemon is a low-level tool that provides power handling over DBus. Ever used the Power Mode options in the Quick Settings menu in GNOME Shell? Those are made possible using this tool. As power-profiles-daemon is now battery-level aware it’s possible for power drivers, like the Intel and AMD P-State drivers, to adjust power management based on the current battery level value. “In particular both the AMD panel power action now uses a progressive
#News #PowerProfiles #Ubuntu24_10
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/09/power-profiles-daemon-0-22-in-ubuntu-24-10
Mozilla Firefox 130 Released with Labs, Overscroll & Web Codecs API
Mozilla Firefox 130 is out with a variety of changes that make this phenomenally popular open-source web browser a touch more productive. On Linux, Firefox 130 enables overscroll animations by default, having added them on other platforms a few years back. This is a familiar visual effect from mobile systems: when you try to scroll beyond the edge content an elastic animation indicates “nu-uh”. To save anyone being confused, the new (on Linux) Firefox over-scroll animations only play if you’re using a touchpad/trackpad to overscroll. You won’t see the effect if using a mouse. To help you get an idea,
#News #AppUpdates #Firefox
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/09/mozilla-firefox-130-new-features
Tauon Music Player Adds Native Support for PipeWire
Tauon music player (once known as Tauon Music Box) now offers native PipeWire audio playback on Linux — albeit experimental for the moment. Fans of this streamlined music player have asked for native PipeWire support for a while, and the app developers have been working on it accordingly. Now, keen to get it out there, the latest Tauon 7.8.1 release ships with native PipeWire support. Now, in case you’re wondering, Tauon already worked with PipeWire through the pipewire-pulse compatibility layer. This update doesn’t require that; Tauon can now interact directly with PipeWire, accessing and benefitting from all of its features.
#News #AppUpdates #MusicPlayers #Pipewire
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/09/tauon-music-player-native-support-for-pipewire
Use Lilypad to Rearrange or Hide Panel Icons in GNOME Shell
You know how on Windows you can collapse icons in the task tray to keep them out of sight? Or on macOS, third-party apps like Bartender let you hide menu bar icons until you need them? Well, Lilypad is a new GNOME Shell extension that does the same thing, just for GNOME Shell. It gives you greater control over what top bar items appear, and in what order. The top panel can fill up fast, especially if you use a couple of GNOME Shell extensions that are long, like a now-playing track info, a time tracking tool like Day Progress,
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/08/how-to-rearrange-or-hide-gnome-panel-icons
Vivaldi 6.9 Lets You Rename Tabs + More
A new version of the Vivaldi web browser is out with an assortment of amiable improvements. Vivaldi 6.9 intros support for renaming tabs and tab stacks, supports drag-and-drop downloads, and offers an improved overview of tabs synced across devices. “This update is all about refining what makes Vivaldi special: giving you powerful tools to personalize your browser, stay organized, and navigate the web your way”, Jon von Tetzchner, CEO of Vivaldi Technologies, says of the release. Support for renaming tabs and Tab Stacks will prove handy for anyone with a sprawling set of tabs open. Not all tabs titles are
#News #AppUpdates #Vivaldi
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/08/vivaldi-6-9-lets-you-rename-tabs-more
First Point Release of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Now Available to Download
After a two-week delay, the first Ubuntu 24.04 LTS point release is now available for download, and the gates on LTS to LTS upgrades officially opened. The first point release delivers an updated ISO, and enables direct upgrades from Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS rolls together all of the bug fixes, security patches, and software updates issued since the initial release back in April. Refreshing the ISO means those who install Ubuntu 24.04 LTS from this point won’t need to download and apply 3 months worth of updates directly after their install completes — saving time. It also makes a
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/08/ubuntu-24-04-1-available-to-download
Final Ubuntu 22.04 Point Release Delayed Until September
Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS is due for release today (August 29), but so was the fifth and final point release of the previous long-term support release, Ubuntu 22.04 — but it’s been delayed. A pair of Ubuntu point releases arriving simultaneously is a rare occurrence, and sure to stretch Ubuntu’s capable, albeit not expansive, QA teams and testing infrastructure a bit thin. To ensure both point releases receive the kind of testing, care, and attention Ubuntu is famed for, the Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS will now arrive 2 weeks later than planned, on September 12th. The breathing room will better ensure any
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/08/final-ubuntu-22-04-point-release-delayed
Windows Update Breaking Linux Dual-boots, Microsoft Shares Temp Fix
I’ve not booted into the Windows partition on my Chuwi laptop for a few months, but having heard that a recent Windows update leaves dual-boot users unable to boot Linux at all, I’m rather relieved I haven’t! As BleepingComputer reported, Microsoft’s latest monthly drop of security updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 included a patch to plug an exploit targeting GRUB2 Secure Boot bypassing. The update for Secure Boot Advanced Targeting (SBAT) blocks ‘old, vulnerable boot managers’ from booting — older versions of GRUB, in particular. Prior to release, Microsoft said the update would not be applied on systems where
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/08/windows-update-breaking-linux-dualboot-fix
Qt App Update Roundup: Calligra, Haruna, and Kdenlive
A number of Qt-based apps popular with Linux users, not just those running KDE Plasma, recently received updates. Rather than pumping out a post for each, I figured I’d collate them in a single post and save you some time. Plus, they all kind of link: write a video script in Calligra, edit video in Kdenlive, then watch it back in Haruna. Also, if you’re a fan (or even a developer) of Qt or KDE software, do let me know about any new features or updates using the tip form. I’m often asked why I didn’t cover the new release
#News #AppUpdates #Kde #QtApps
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/08/qt-app-roundup-calligra-haruna-kdenlive
Microsoft Hands Mono Over to the Wine Project
Microsoft has handed over Mono, the open-source .NET framework, to the WineHQ project — a move that’s surprising if only as a reminder that Mono exists than anything else. An announcement was posted on the official Mono website earlier, with Microsoft calling the project “a trailblazer for the .NET platform across many operating systems [which] helped make cross-platform .NET a reality and enabled .NET in many new places”. The Wine project is now in charge of the Mono project, and new source repos already online. Microsoft plans to keep the existing repos online (some archived) and says binaries will be available
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/08/microsoft-mono-project-to-wine
Check Laptop Battery Health in Ubuntu from CLI
Want to check your battery health in Ubuntu from the command-line, no need to install anything extra? If you use Ubuntu on a laptop you likely keep an eye on your battery level from the top bar (enabling battery percentage in the top bar is something I always do after a fresh install), and jump to the Settings > Power panel when a lick more detail is needed. But while that’s great for finding out what your current battery level is, it doesn’t tell you anything about the health of your battery. For that, Ubuntu includes the ‘Power Statistics’ utility.
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/08/check-laptop-battery-health-ubuntu-command-line
This $149 RISC-V Tablet Runs Ubuntu 24.04
DeepComputing has unveiled an new version of its DC-ROMA RISC-V tablet — and this one runs Ubuntu! The DC-ROMA RISC-V Pad II boasts a 10.1 inch (1920×1200) IPS 10-point touch display, and is powered by the same SpacemiT K1 SoC found in their RISC-V Ubuntu laptop (which launched with a confused set of pricing tiers and availability). That chip comprises eight 64-bit RISC-V cores running up to 2.0 GHz, plus the RVA 22 Profile and 256-bit RVV 1.0 standard to provide “powerful AI capabilities”, and an Imagine Technologies BXE-2-2 GPU, a baseline 800 MHz effort. Memory wise, the base model offers 4GB LPDDR4 RAM.
#Hardware #News #LinuxTablets #Risc-V
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/08/dc-doma-pad-ii-risc-v-tablet-runs-ubuntu
Ubuntu Pausing SRU Kernel Updates During September
Canonical has announced it will not be shipping stable release kernel updates during September. Critical security and bug fixes will, naturally, be packaged up and pushed out to users, but any routine rollup releases that pop-out between the start of September and the beginning of October will… not. In an e-mail to the Ubuntu kernel team mailing list Canonical’s Roxana Nicolescu explains that the temporary pause is due to a “critical infrastructure change”, writing: This adjustment will allow us to focus on ensuring a smooth and stable transition. Our next SRU cycle will start when the infrastructure is back online. The
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/08/ubuntu-pausing-sru-kernel-updates-during-september
LibreOffice 24.8 Released, This is What’s New
A new version of the popular open-source office suite LibreOffice has been released. LibreOffice 24.8 builds on the improvements shipped in the LibreOffice 24.2 release earlier this year. That release updated the versioning scheme to a data-based format, which this one follows. The ’24’ denotes ‘2024’, and ‘8’ the month, August. Under the hood, LibreOffice 24.8 rolls up 6 months worth of developments: 5591 commits from 171 developer, 115 of whom are volunteers. These range from bug fixes and security tweaks to UI changes, new features, and ever-important enhancements to interoperability. That’s not all, either as LibreOffice 24.8 is the
#News #AppUpdates #Libreoffice
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/08/libreoffice-24-8-released-this-is-whats-new
CrowView Note: A Laptop that isn’t a Laptop, Yet is Way More Useful
Ever wished you could use your Raspberry Pi 5, Android smartphone, or mini PC as a laptop? Using the CrowView Note, which launched on Kickstarter last week, you can. From a cursory glance Elecrow’s CrowView Note looks like a regular laptop. It has a 14.1-inch screen, a full-size keyboard, a roomy touchpad, and USB and HDMI ports along the sides (and though you can’t see it, it has a built-in battery too). CrowView Note is an affordable portable monitor with a novel form factor – and as a Pi owner, I dig it But it’s not a laptop. There’s no
#Hardware #News #LinuxLaptops #RaspberryPi
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/08/crowview-note-make-raspberry-pi-laptop
A Newer, Cheaper Raspberry Pi 5 is Available
Launched less than a year ago, the Raspberry Pi 5 has proven widely popular with single-board computing fans and Linux ARM enthusiasts thanks to its increased performance, memory, and PCIe bus for expansion. But until now the Raspberry Pi 5 has only been available in two variants: a $60 model with 4 GB RAM, and a $80 model with 8 GB RAM. Ample memory for resource-intensive workloads (like running a full Ubuntu desktop), but not everyone needs or wants that much memory, at the increased cost, for simpler projects. Which is why the Raspberry Pi has introduced a new $50
#Hardware #News #RaspberryPi #SingleBoardComputers
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/08/newer-cheaper-raspberry-pi-5-2gb-ram
