How Ubuntu Brought This Chromebook Back from the Dead
“It’s alive! It’s aliiiiiive!” Alright, I’m not exactly Dr Frankenstein, but I did exhume the corpse of a forgotten Chromebook from its eternal resting place (my bookcase) to enact a macabre ritual. My goal? To bring it back to life. Thankfully I didn’t need any spare body parts or a maniacal god complex for my resurrection, just a few choice terminal commands and an Ubuntu-based Linux distro called Gallium OS. I’ll get to what Gallium OS is in a bit, but first I need to answer the question you’re probably thinking in your head: “Chromebooks run Chrome OS. It is 
#Feature #Chromebook #GalliumOs #Ubuntu18_04Lts
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/10/gallium-os-on-acer-chromebook
How to Get Nautilus Typeahead Search Back in Ubuntu (PPA)
In this post I show you how to get the Nautilus typeahead feature back on all supported versions of Ubuntu. Nautilus’ type ahead functionality was retired way back in 2013. Ubuntu devs continued to patch it back in to its own builds up until 2017 when they switched to a more ‘vanilla’ GNOME desktop experience. At present when you start typing in a Nautilus window the file manager will perform a full-text search feature in the current folder AND any sub-folders and show you results that match your term. This comprehensive search approach is better at finding things, but it’s not
#HowTo #ProUser #Nautilus
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/enable-nautilus-type-ahead-in-ubuntu
First Ubuntu 22.04 Daily Builds Go Live
And we're off, kids — Ubuntu 22.04 daily builds are now available to download. As always, these development snapshots are intended for developers primarily.
#Dev #News #DailyBuilds #JammyJellyfish #Ubuntu22_04Lts
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/10/download-ubuntu-22-04-daily-build
StarLabs StarLite is an 11-inch Linux Laptop Priced at £400
It feels like every new Linux laptop that comes out these days is bigger, beefier, and (usually) more expensive than the one preceding it — but not with the new StarLabs StarLite (mark IV). This dinky 11.6-inch Linux notebook, the latest from UK-based company StarLab, is modestly priced and moderately spec’d. Consciously so. See, not everyone needs to crunch code, battle orcs, or render 4K video. “More power” is nice, but when all you really do with a laptop is browse the web, e-email, Zoom, video stream, tweet etc, a mid-range laptop will suffice. Problem isL there isn’t an awful
#Hardware #News #LinuxLaptops #Starlabs
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/10/starlabs-starlite-mark-iv-specs-price
GIMP 2.99.8 Released with Clone Tool Tweaks, Support for Windows Ink
A new development version of GIMP is available to download and it comes with a couple of interesting changes. More details, and download links, inside.
#Download #News #AppUpdates #Gimp
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/10/gimp-2-99-8-development-release
How to Upgrade to Ubuntu 21.10
Do the warm reviews for the latest Ubuntu 21.10 release have you intrigued? If they do, here's how to upgrade to Ubuntu 21.10 from an earlier version.
#HowTo #ImpishIndri
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/10/how-to-upgrade-to-ubuntu-21-10
SoftMaker FreeOffice 2021 Has Arrived, Viable Alternative to LibreOffice
Softmaker FreeOffice 2021 is now available to download. As with previous versions of this free (but not open source) alternative to Microsoft Office, the full suite of apps is available across Windows, macOS, and Linux with no feature limitations or patchy coverage. While SoftMaker says this is a “completely revised version” that is “seamlessly compatible with Microsoft Office” file formats, both new and old, it’s hard to know what’s new in FreeOffice 2021 specifically as there’s no official change-log. That said, SoftMaker do mention a couple of highlights — just don’t expect most of the features from last year’s commercial
#Apps #News #Freeoffice #Office #Office&ProductivityApps #Softmaker
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/10/softmaker-freeoffice-2021-released
Dash to Dock v70 Adds GNOME 40 Support
Dash to Dock now supports GNOME 40 — officially. Work to get the popular desktop dock extension jiving with GNOME 40 got underway shortly after the latter’s release in April. Progress was swift as we reported but to try it out users needed to manually install a development version from Github. Well, no more. You can now install Dash to Dock on GNOME 40 from the GNOME extensions site using a compatible web browser. Version 70 of the add-on gains official support for GNOME 40 and its horizontal workspace and application launcher. The dock can be placed on the bottom
#Dev #DashToDock #GnomeExtensions
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/10/dash-to-dock-official-gnome-40-support
PinePhone Pro: Specs, Price & Release Date
Been pining for a premium version of the PinePhone? Well, you’re are in luck — one has just been announced. PinePhone Pro is billed as “the fastest mainline Linux smartphone on the market” and packs some serious performance upgrades compared to the original PinePhone. More powerful, the new model comes outfitted with a six-core ARM processor, 4GB RAM, and 128GB internal memory. Physical hardware privacy dip switches are also included as standard. At the heart of the PinePhone Pro is the Rockchip RK2299S. This 1.5GHz chip is a modified version of the SoC used in the PineBook Pro. ‘Alternations’ to
#Hardware #News #LinuxPhones #Pine64 #Pinephone #PinephonePro
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/10/pinephone-pro-specs-price
The Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Codename is a Jolly Good Choice
The codename for next year’s Ubuntu 22.04 LTS release has been revealed as ‘Jammy Jellyfish’. The new name was posted on Launchpad, home of Ubuntu development, as is tradition. Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is the next long-term support release of Ubuntu and is due for release in April 2022. Planning for the release is just about getting underway so not too much is (yet) known plans for it. We can assume it’ll feature a new kernel, new graphics drivers, update apps, and GNOME 41 (or later).
#Dev #News #JammyJellyfish #Ubuntu22_04Lts
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/10/ubuntu-22-04-codename-jammy-jellyfish
10 Things To Do After Installing Ubuntu 21.10
Here are 10 things to do after you install Ubuntu 21.10 'Impish Indri'. These tasks improve the Ubuntu experience, helping you do more, quicker – dive in!
#List #10ThingsToDo #ImpishIndri
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/10/things-to-do-after-installing-ubuntu-21-10
Ubuntu 21.10 is Now Available to Download
It’s here, folks — Ubuntu 21.10 downloads are now live. Ubuntu 21.10 comes crammed with six months worth of changes including the GNOME 40 desktop, a new GTK theme, a Firefox Snap app by default, PulseAudio 15, and Linux 5.13 to name but a few. This release — the 35th Ubuntu release for those keeping count — is backed by 9 months of security updates, critical fixes, and select software updates. If you install 21.10 (or upgrade to it from Ubuntu 21.04) you can upgrade to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS next April — a release supported for at least five years.
#Download #News #ImpishIndri #Ubuntu21_10
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/10/ubuntu-21-10-is-now-available-to-download
Ubuntu 21.10: What’s New? [Video]
What's new in Ubuntu 21.10 'Impish Indri'? We've handcrafted a short video to showcase the release's biggest changes and major features. Take a look!
#News #Video #ImpishIndri #ReleaseVideo #Ubuntu21_10
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/10/ubuntu-21-10-whats-new-video
Slimbook Battery 4 Released with Improved Power-Saving Features
We spotlighted Slimbook Battery optimiser a couple of years ago, describing it as an essential tool for those looking to get longer battery life on Linux. Today, a major update to the app was released. It said to extend compatibility with a ‘greater number of laptop brands’ and Ubuntu-based distros, and offer improved power-saving prowess! Slimbook Battery 4 can work with the Spanish hardware company’s custom AMD and Intel controller apps. Paired together they unlock even more performance enhancing (or curtailing, depending on your needs) possibilities through a myriad of configuration options. Slimbook Battery 4 boasts a new dark interface
#Apps #News #AppUpdates #Battery #BatteryOptimizer #Slimbook
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/10/slimbook-battery-4-released
Annotator is a Slick Annotation Tool for Linux Desktops
Sometimes I want to annotate an image quickly, but without loading up a full-blown image editing app like The GIMP. Today I found an amazing app that lets me do just that. Annotator by Trevor Williams is something of a cross between the macOS Preview app (which has powerful markup tools built-in) and FOSS-fave Shutter. Indeed, until now, my go-to tool for annotating images on Linux is Shutter (or Flameshot, though it can only annotate screenshots you take using it), though its UI is a little dated and a few features are missing. So when I saw Annotator on the
#Apps #Annotator #Appcenter #Elementary #FlatpakApps #ImageEditors
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/10/best-annotation-tool-for-linux-desktop
GNOME 42 Will Include New System-Wide ‘Dark Mode’ Preference
GNOME 42 is on course to ship with support for a proper ‘dark mode’ toggle. Right now the GNOME desktop lacks a standardised, system-level way for users to indicate to the system, their apps, and even websites they visit that they’d prefer them to use a dark appearance. Now, you’re probably thinking: “Joey, Ubuntu already has a dark mode: I use it” — and you’re not mistaken. Major desktop Linux distros, including Ubuntu and Pop!_OS, do include a dark theme option — but is changing theme the best way to approach this? No. First off, GTK themes aren’t strictly a
#Dev #News #Adwaita #DarkMode #Gnome #Gnome42
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/10/gnome-42-dark-style-preference
Firefox 93 Released with AVIF Support, Insecure Download Protection
Firefox 93 adds support for the AVIF image format, makes form filling more widely accessible in the PDF viewer, and helps protects against insecure downloads by blocking downloads which rely on insecure connections. The AVIF image support is particularly notable as it was supposed to feature in the previous release. For those unaware AVIF is a royalty-free image format that boasts comparable quality to JPEG but at a much reduced file size. Eagle-eyed users may notice that the Firefox download progress bar now respects system colour scheme on Linux desktops. The browser had been applying its own CSS to the
#News #AppUpdates #Avif #Firefox
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/10/firefox-93-now-available-to-download
Microsoft Office 2021 Includes Better Support for LibreOffice Files
We’re used to hearing that the latest versions of out favourite open-source office suites come with better support for Microsoft Office files, but the other way around? That’s a little less common, but it’s happening. Microsoft Office 2021 is due for release on October 5 for Windows and macOS systems. Among the (many) new features Microsoft is talking about is Office 2021’s support for the OpenDocument Format (ODF) 1.3. “The ODF 1.3 format (using the file extensions .odt, .ods, and .odp) is supported in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint alongside the Office Open XML (OOXML) format (which uses file extensions .docx,
#News #Libreoffice #Microsoft #OdfFiles #Office&ProductivityApps
A Quick Look at Ubuntu 21.10’s Yaru Theme Changes
The upcoming Ubuntu 21.10 release features a number of visual changes big and small, and in this post I run through the most notable ones. First up, the one you probably already know about: Ubuntu 21.10 uses the Yaru light theme by default. The ‘mixed’ version of the Yaru theme (dark headers but light control) has been jettisoned and is no longer available. Ubuntu’s Appearance settings pane is updated to reflect the change accordingly: Notice anything else different about the screenshot above? I won’t be surprised if you don’t as it’s a very subtle change. But, the selected row styling
#News #GtkThemes #ImpishIndri #Ubuntu21_10 #Yaru
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/09/ubuntu-21-10-yaru-theme-changes
Bangle.js 2 is a Hackable, Open Source Smartwatch that Runs JavaScript
Looking for an open source smartwatch you’re in total control of? If so, check out the Bangle.js 2 which is currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter. This hacker-friendly piece of horological hardware is the brainchild of Espruino developer Gordon Williams. Much like Williams’ earlier efforts in this area, the Bangle.js 2 runs on JavaScript. Yup, JavaScript; it seems JS really can run everywhere! 😉 Specifically the Bangle.js uses the open source Espruino JavaScript interpreter. This is custom designed software for devices with extremely low hardware resources, like microcontrollers. New apps can be written in JavaScript without an SDK, or compiling, or additional software. They
#Hardware #News #Crowdfunding #Javascript #OpenSource #Smartwatch
