Ubuntu 23.10 Won’t Use a Snap’d Printing Stack After all
Ubuntu was planning to ship the CUPS printing stack as a Snap in 23.10 — but after several months of testing its changed its mind. Accordingly, a DEB-based printing stack will feature in Ubuntu 23.10 “Mantic Minotaur” and in Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. Switching to the CUPS Snap will now happen in the Ubuntu 24.10 release (but work on it will continue in the Ubuntu Core Desktop builds). So what gives? This reversal is undoubtedly disappointing for the devs working on it but it is the right decision for end-users — for the time being. The CUPS Snap doesn’t support all 
#News #Cups #Snaps #Ubuntu23_10
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/ubuntu-23-10-wont-use-cups-snap
Using Mainline Linux Kernels on Ubuntu LTS Releases Gets (A Bit) Easier
There’s a new way to install stable mainline Linux kernel builds on Ubuntu — all thanks to a former Canonical employee and Ubuntu developer. Stéphane Graber has been running mainline Linux kernels on his Ubuntu systems for a while (having found the quality of Ubuntu’s generic kernel lacking of late) and says they are “working surprisingly well”. Thus, he’s put in the effort needed to “scale” up building the latest stable bug fix release of the mainline Linux kernel, applying select changes not yet upstream, and making them available for other Ubuntu users to install on their machines. I’ll get
#News #LinuxKernel
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/mainline-linux-kernel-on-ubuntu-lts-repo
Ubuntu 23.10’s New Development Wallpaper (Sunglasses Advised)
A new temporary wallpaper is being introduced in Ubuntu 23.10 “Mantic Minotaur”, which is currently under active development. The aim of the background is to make it “more obvious when testing the mantic daily that it is not lunar anymore”. There’s precedent for this; Ubuntu 23.04 included AI-generate lobster artwork for the bulk of its daily builds. It visual signpost doesn’t just remind developers and enthusiasts which release they’re working on/testing but makes those watching early-bird Ubuntu 23.10 reviews on YouTube etc aware that what they’re seeing is not the final, finished product. Anyway, here’s how Ubuntu 23.10 daily builds
#News #Defaultwallpaper #Ubuntu23_10 #Wallpapers
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/ubuntu-23-10-temp-wallpaper
Intel Updates its Popular Open Source Mono Font
Intel’s open-source monospace font (called ‘Intel One Mono’) has been updated. “You’re blogging about a frickin’ font update?!”, you scoff (justifiably). But hey: indulge me (if only so I can continue using words beginning with ‘I’ ). Font updates aren’t that exciting but Intel One Mono was created specifically for developers (which means it’s also greta for terminals, which I know a lot of you use on the regular, thus making this post relevant). (I don’t need to assume the font is popular with you folks either: my post about Intel One Mono lingered in the omg sidebar trending widget
#News #Fonts #Intel #MonospaceFonts
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/intel-one-mono-font-update
CrossOver 23 Lets You Run the EA App on Linux
I ain’t much of a modern gamer — as evidenced by the lack of gaming content on this blog! But CodeWeavers sent me over a press release (Danke) to tell me about CrossOver 23, which is the latest update to their commercial version of Wine for Linux, ChromeOS, and macOS (lest anyone read “commercial version of Wine” and be angry: CodeWeavers are contributors to the Wine Project). Naturally there’s some stuff in CrossOver 23 guaranteed to appeal to Linux gamers. Notably, CrossOver 23 supports the EA App on Linux and macOS. Games said to be working through this include The Sims
#Gaming #News #Crossover #Wine
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/crossover-23-ea-app-linux
WPS Office for Linux Gets New Look, Now Supports Ubuntu 22.04+
A new version to the free (but not open-source) WPS Office is available for Linux. It’s been an age since I last mentioned WPS Office on this blog. The main reason for this is I don’t use office software (and if I even need to, LibreOffice suffices). But I am not everyone; WPS Office has its fans – so this post for is for them, and for those interested in alternative Linux office suites. But before I run through “what’s new” in the latest WPS Office Linux release I should recap what WPS Office actually is. That way those who
#News #AppUpdates #Office&ProductivityApps #WpsOffice
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/wps-office-for-linux-updated-2023
KDE Wallpaper Competition Kicks-Off — Win a 13-inch Framework Laptop
Grab crayons, Krita, or anything else you use to create stunning artwork because KDE devs are looking for a new wallpaper — and there are prizes to be won! “Prizes?”, you ask – yes: a 13-inch Framework laptop and your work being used as the default wallpaper in KDE Plasma 6.0 (currently in development and due for release next year). Opportunities like this don’t come up often! What are the conditions? Wallpapers entered in to the KDE wallpaper competition need to be original and made specifically for it – no rehashing your greatest hits or dusted off that DeviantArt classic.
#News #Kde #KdePlasma6 #WallpaperContest
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/kde-plasma-6-wallpaper-competition
Wipeout Racing Game Gets a Rewrite, Here’s How to Build it on Ubuntu
Want to play an improved version of famed futuristic racing game wipEout on Ubuntu? Chances are you do as this game is considered something of a classic. A bona-fide hit on PlayStation when released (it also came to DOS and the Sega Saturn) its success spawned a slew of sequels and imitators on gaming systems that followed. But forget about using ROMs in PSX emulators like Duckstation to relive the magic. The developer of this rewrite says the quality of wipEout’s original code is “abysmal” – which I find comforting There’s a rewrite of the Wipeout source code (made possible
#Gaming #News #Playstation #RetroGaming #Wipeout
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/play-wipeout-rewrite-ubuntu
Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS Released with Updated Kernel, Graphics Drivers
Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS release has been made available to download. The 3rd point release in the Ubuntu 22.04 LTS series, this update rolls together all of the security patches, bug fixes, and software updates issued to the Jammy Jellyfish since the previous point release, into a shiny new ISO image. I.e. it’s a real time saver for those doing a fresh install. Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS also includes a new hardware enablement stack (HWE) composed of Linux kernel 6.2 and Mesa 23.0.4 (a sizeable update in itself). Package updates include GNOME Shell 42.9, LibreOffice 7.5.5 (an uplift over the the 7.3.x series),
#News #PointRelease #Ubuntu22_04Lts
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/ubuntu-22-04-3-lts-released
Firefox Private Translations
Web page translations are available in the latest beta builds of Mozilla Firefox. Google Chrome’s built-in translation capabilities are something I find useful. Whenever I load a web page that’s not in my native tongue (which is English, despite what my typos may suggest) the browser asks if I want to translate the content into English (which, most times, I do). Thus I’m pretty thrilled to see the Firefox 117 beta is testing a website translation feature of its own. And as you’d expect Mozilla’s version looks to to a privacy respecting implementation compared to Google’s take. In the pop-up
#News #Firefox #Translation
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/firefox-117-private-translation
KDE neon’s Experimental Archive Makes Testing KF6 Apps Easier
Keen to kick the tyres on the next wave of KDE software? If so, check out a revamped experimental archive KDE neon developers recently announced. Unstable builds of the Ubuntu-based KDE neon now include KDE Plasma 6 (which is under active development) but apps retooled/built using KDE Frameworks 6 (considered pre-alpha quality at the time of writing) are being more cautiously previewed, siloed in a dedicated archive. To be clear here: you can sample, test, and use KDE Plasma 6 in KDE neon Unstable builds without this archive (as I understand it). But if you want — and want is
#Dev #News #Development #KdeNeon #KdePlasma6
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/kde-neon-experimental-archive
Rhino Linux Delivers an Ubuntu-Based Rolling Release
The first stable release of Rhino Linux is available to download. Rhino Linux is a rolling-release Linux distro based on (remember what site you’re reading) Ubuntu. It’s a community-based project and not an official Ubuntu flavour or remix. I assume (though I may be wrong) there’s some lineage with the Rolling Rhino effort that emerged in 2020. Following a series of (successful) beta builds, Rhino Linux 2023.1 is available to download. This snapshot release is available for 64-bit Intel/AMD systems and ARM64, with specific builds provided for Pine64 and Raspberry Pi devices. There’s no “change log” of features specific to
#News #Distros #RhinoLinux #Rollingrelease
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/rhino-linux-ubuntu-rolling-release-distro
How to Change the Lock Screen Background in Ubuntu
Here’s a quick tutorial for those of you looking to change the lock screen background used in Ubuntu 22.04 LTS through the most recent release, Ubuntu 23.04. Out-of-the-box (as this is the same for any Linux distribution using a modern version of GNOME Shell) the lock screen background is a blurred version of whatever image is set as your default wallpaper. And for most folks, that’s fine. But if you’d rather use a different image as your lock screen background without the blur effect the lock screen normally applies (though blur is still used for the “shield”) you can do
#HowTo #GnomeExtensions #LockScreen
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/change-lock-screen-wallpaper-ubuntu
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Users Can Now Upgrade to Linux Kernel 6.2
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS users can now upgrade to Linux kernel 6.2 using the Software Updater tool. Ahead of the formal Ubuntu 22.04.3 point release due next week (August 10) Canonical has issued an updated kernel to existing LTS existing users to install. It back-ports the Linux 6.2 kernel used in Ubuntu 23.04 “Lunar Lobster”. Typically, HWE updates roll out once the formal point release itself is made. This time the update has arrived earlier – which is great news for those already on the LTS as it means they can benefit from all the new features in Linux 6.2 without
#News #Hwe #LinuxKernel #Ubuntu22_04Lts
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/ubuntu-22-04-linux-kernel-6-2
Easy Way to Fix “Target Configured Multiple Times” Error on Ubuntu
When I run apt update on my Ubuntu laptop it prints a stream of errors about target packages/repos/DEP-11 being ‘configured multiple times’. These errors do not prevent apt from working (so it’s not an issue in that sense) but the lengthy printout looks messy, is annoying to see, and clearly (since I’m being told about it) is something I should fix. But how? I mean, I didn’t intentionally configure the (in my case Google Chrome) repo multiple times so I can’t just “undo” what I did. And I’ve been using Ubuntu long enough to know that idly editing apt files
#Apps #HowTo #Apt #Python
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/fix-target-configured-multiple-times-ubuntu
Thunderbird 115.1 Released with Bug Fixes & UI Buffs
The recent release of Thunderbird 115 (aka “Supernova”) seems to have gone down well with users of all shades, across all platforms — which is always nice to see. To keep things ticking over nicely a scheduled update to the open source email client is rolling out. The update brings a bunch of bug fixes to bear, plus a couple of minor UI tweaks. Thunderbird 115.1 hides the Quick Filter bar by default. I think this gives the e-mail client (in whatever layout you’re using) a sleeker presentation. Still it’s only hidden by default not removed; the Quick Filter bar
#News #AppUpdates #Thunderbird
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/thunderbird-115-1-released-with-bug-fixes-ui-buffs
Linux Mint 21.3 Arrives December + New Edge ISO Planned
With Linux Mint 21.2 release out, development attention turns toward its successor, Linux Mint 21.3, which Mint today confirmed will be released in December. We don’t have a codename for the release (though we do have one of the upcoming Debian-based version of Linux Mint: ‘Faye’) but we do have some loose info about what to (not) expect. “We’ve got many exciting ideas, I’m sure some of the cool new features we have in mind will be implemented, but we want to prioritize some long-term aspects and dedicate some of our time to them,” writes Linux Mint lead Clement Lefebvre.
#News #LinuxMint
8BitDo’s Retro Mechanical Keyboard Hits All The Right Buttons
I’ve never been tempted to use a mechanical keyboard — but 8bitdo’s new NES-styled one might change that. It’s beautiful to look at, has programmable buttons, volume dials, works both wired and wirelessly (200 hour battery life), is an 80% width (i.e. compact but not cramped), has 87 keys, and, best of all, costs a mere $99. The price point alone is certifiable impulse-purchase territory. “Uhm, what’s this keyboard got to do with Ubuntu?”, you ask. Well, nothing – not strictly. See, the software 8Bitdo provide to actually configure the keyboard’s fancier features is not available on Linux (or macOS,
#Hardware #News #8Bitdo #Keyboards #Nintendo
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/8bitdo-nes-mechanical-keyboard-looks-awesome
Mozilla Firefox 116 is Now Available to Download
A new month means and a new version of Mozilla Firefox is available to download. Firefox 116 carries a modest crop of changes that further refine and finesse the famed FOSS browser. Do you use Picture-in-Picture mode (PIP)? If so, you’ll notice that the pop-put window finally has a volume slider. This makes it easy to adjust the sound levels of whatever you’re watching without needing to affect system-wide volume levels – a nice little buff, I think. Sticking with video, Firefox 116 supposedly supports hardware-accelerated video playback on Raspberry Pi 4 for H.264 video content. As there are no
#News #AppUpdates #Firefox
Zorin OS 16.3 Released with Upgrade Tool, LibreOffice 7.5
A new version of Ubuntu-based Zorin OS is available to download. Zorin OS 16.3 introduces a number of refinements that, its developers say, help “elevate your computing experience even further”. On paper, the inclusion of the new Zorin OS Upgrader app is Zorin OS 16.3’s tentpole feature. This tool has been in a year in development. It allows users to upgrade from one version of Zorin OS to another, be it a new version (e.g., a point release like this one) or a different edition (such as going from Zorin OS Lite to Zorin OS Pro). Previously users needed to
#News #Distros #ZorinOs
