Ubuntu’s New ‘App Center’ Lands in 23.10 Daily Builds
Ubuntu’s new “App Center” app has landed in Ubuntu 23.10 daily builds – no Snap channel commands required to try it. The new front-end for installing Snap and Deb package is built using Flutter. Ubuntu made Flutter its ‘default choice’ for app making in 2021. Despite being built in a somewhat unconventional toolkit, the app looks perfectly in-keeping with the rest of the Ubuntu desktop. And that will be a relief to many. The “old” Ubuntu Software/Snap Store app (it was called both during its tenure) was routinely criticised by users for poor performance, high memory usage, and inconsistent behaviour. 
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/09/ubuntu-app-center-app-arrives
Firefox for Linux Adds Rounded Bottom Corners
Mozilla Firefox is bringing rounded bottom corners to its Linux builds. This official support means you’ll no longer need to use a third-party GNOME extension to force rounded corners in the browser. This will help it look more at home on Ubuntu (and other Linux distros shipping GNOME and/or large sets of modern GTK apps) when run windowed. Here’s what Firefox (stable) looks like in Ubuntu 23.10: And here’s what Firefox (nightly) looks like in Ubuntu 23.10: Mozilla’s Emilio Cobos Álvarez explains more about the effort on the code-hub tracking the change: “The implementation is uglier than it needs to
#News #Firefox
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/09/firefox-linux-rounded-bottom-corners
Ubuntu 23.10 Default Wallpaper Unveiled
The default wallpaper set to greet those who install Ubuntu 23.10 ‘Mantic Minotaur’ next month has been unveiled. Ubuntu 23.10’s default wallpaper draws heavily on the motifs afforded by its mythological moniker, perhaps more so than many of us had expected. The ‘mascot’ – typically fashioned from geometric shapes, simplistic lines, or concentric circles – isn’t linearly distinct in this release. Instead, Ubuntu’s designers have encapsulated the mascot image within a maze, just like the Minotaur of legend. This clever intertwining creates a conceptually bold centerpiece for a wallpaper. It manages to look both classical and modern. I feel like
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/09/ubuntu-23-10-default-wallpaper-unveiled
GNOME 45 Arrives in Daily Builds of Ubuntu 23.10
Good news for those looking forward to the upcoming GNOME 45 release – it’s arrived in the Ubuntu 23.10 daily builds! The next stable update to the world’s most-used Linux desktop environment isn’t due to be released until later this month, so what’s made it in Mantic shouldn’t be considered final, finished, or forgone. But Ubuntu 23.10 isn’t due to be released until October anyway, so it all jives nicely. Improvements to libadwaita aimed at enhancing consistency and adaptability bring new full-height sidebars to many of GNOME’s core apps, including Nautilus, Settings, and Calendar: Additionally, the “Activities” label in the
#News #Development #Gnome45 #ManticMinotaur #Ubuntu23_10
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/09/gnome-45-arrives-in-ubuntu-23-10
Papirus Icon Pack Updated with New-Look LibreOffice Icons
A major update to the phenomenally popular Paprius icon set for Linux desktops is now available. Papirus’ September 2023 update adds a bunch of new and updated glyphs, including redesigned icons for LibreOffice that riff on the suite’s own recent icon revamp. Among the newly added apps supported in Paprius v20230901: Additional file/document types are catered for as of this update, with .hwp, .Julia, and .vue among them. If you regularly work with or download these files you’ll appreciate seeing bespoke representations for them in your file manager. Additional file/document types are catered for as of this update, with .hwp,
#News #EyeCandy #Icons #Papirus
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/09/papirus-icon-set-september-update
Is Ubuntu 23.10 Too Minimal?
The next version of the world’s most popular desktop Linux operating system (that’s Ubuntu, for those of you playing dumb) will come with less software available out-of-the-box. Current daily builds of Ubuntu 23.10 instead offer a minimal platform pre-populated with just a handful of apps. These cover only the most basic of basic computing needs. For anything else the idea is that we, the user, fire up the Software Store and install what we want ourselves. As an idea, it’s not without merit. But in practice, I think it’s a possible misstep. Basic as a Feature The Ubuntu 23.10 experience
#News #Opinion #DefaultApps #ManticMinotaur #Minimal #Ubuntu23_10
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/09/ubuntu-23-10-minimal-mistake
Regolith Desktop 3.0 Released with Initial Wayland Support
Regolith Desktop 3.0 has been released for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, 22.04 LTS, 23.10, and both Debian Bullseye and Bookworm. This update to the keyboard-driven, tiling desktop environment also introduces an alpha-quality Wayland-based session based on the Sway compositor (though this is only available if using the DE on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and above, or Debian Bookworm). Notable changes in Regolith Desktop 3.0: An assortment of other bug fixes, code cleanups, and performance optimizations are included in Regolith Desktop 3.0 too, so read through the full release notes if you need more information. Upgrading from an earlier version of Regolith? There
#News #DesktopEnvironments #I3 #Regolith #Sway
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/regolith-desktop-3-0-released-with-initial-wayland-support
Firefox 117 Released With Minor (And I Mean Minor) Changes
Mozilla Firefox 117 is now rolling out to users across Windows, macOS, and Linux. But don’t get too excited about its arrival, okay? Given the rapid release cadence this browser uses, the days of blockbuster, feature-packed Firefox updates are long gone. We still get ace new features, but we get them in dribs and drabs over the course of a year, rather than in a a single, jaw-dropping release. Which is why updates like Firefox 117 may seem unexciting (though I’m not saying this is a bad thing, lest anyone jump me in the comments). Case in point? The headline
#News #AppUpdates #Firefox
Ubuntu 23.10 Fixes Its Blindingly Bright Wallpaper Faux-Pas
I made a little joke — which some people didn’t find funny, alas — about the super bright, glaring white default wallpaper Ubuntu devs added to the Mantic Minotaur daily builds. Well, that joke is now even flatter as, following respectable™ consternation (i.e. a bug report) about the suitability of the background, Ubuntu developers issued an update to the image today. That update dials the brightness down a notch or two — and eyes everywhere will be pleased. Those booting up Ubuntu 23.10 daily builds during the coming weeks will be greeted by the following (non-retina damaging) image: Much better.
#News #Development #Wallpaper
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/ubuntu-23-10-fixes-its-blindingly-bright-wallpaper-faux-pas
Linux Kernel 6.5 Released, This is What’s New
Helping to round off August with aplomb is the official release of Linux kernel 6.5 — just a few days after the kernel celebrated its 32nd birthday too. Linus Torvalds announced Linux 6.5’s arrival on the official Linux Kernel Mailing List (LKML) as he always does, where he says that “nothing particularly odd or scary happened this last week [of development], so there is no excuse to delay the 6.5 release”. Read on for a drop more detail about the many improvements, enhancements, and merriments the latest stable kernel release brings with it. Linux Kernel 6.5 New Features Those running
#News #Amd #LinuxKernel #Xbox
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/linux-kernel-6-5-features
Ubuntu 23.04 Screwed Up 32-bit App Support – And No-One Noticed
Turns out that installing the Steam client from the Ubuntu repos on a new Ubuntu 23.04 install doesn’t work – and barely anyone noticed. Which is kind of surprising given the popularity of Steam, but also kind of not (I’ll get to why in a second). So what’s the rub? This (unintentional) issue stems from Ubuntu’s switch to a new Flutter-based installer. The new installer leverages Subiquity on the backend (which was created for Ubuntu sever installs) and this doesn’t (due to an oversight) enable 32-bit support on desktop installs (32-bit support isn’t required on severs). Problem: Steam for Linux
#News #32Bit #Steam #Ubuntu23_04
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/08/ubuntu-23-04-broke-32-bit-support
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
