FreeCAD 1.0 Released After 22 Years in Development
Good things come to those who wait, and for 3D modelling professionals with a preference for open-source software, the wait for the FreeCAD 1.0 release has been a long one – over 22 years! At long last, this free, open-source alternative to expensive engineering software like Autodesk Fusion360 has emerged from development to issue its first, formal stable release. A major milestone, all told. Not that the lack of a 1.0 release had put people off using it. FreeCAD is in wide use by professionals, students, and creative 3D printers, across Linux and beyond. I even recall mentioning it a 
#News #AppUpdates #Cad #Freecad
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/freecad-1-0-released-open-source-cad-software
Ubuntu? That’s a Bullfinch, Not an Oriole
Something a little lighthearted (unless you’re pedantic about ornithology, in which case don’t be so chirpy) it seems a Bullfinch found its way into Ubuntu 24.10 ‘Oracular Oriole’. Perhaps someone left a window open. If you’ve upgraded to Ubuntu 24.10 you may have noticed that a large number of the supplementary (i.e., non-default) backgrounds feature orioles. Or, as it turns out, what the creator thinks is an oriole. According to a bug recently filed on Launchpad, home of Ubuntu development, one of the wallpapers shipping in Oracular Oriole that is named as being of an oriole, isn’t: When I choose
#News #Random #Ubuntu24_10 #Wallpapers
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/ubuntu-bullfinch-oriole-wallpaper-bug
Blender 4.3 Brings Hardware Accelerated Ray-Tracing to Linux
Feeling creative? After you’ve scanned out slew of changes shipping in the new Blender 4.3 release, you’ll find it hard not to! Blender 4.3 is the latest stable release of the phenomenally powerful open-source 3D modelling software. Its creators say the update builds on the Blender 4.2 LTS release earlier this year with “improvements to existing tools, performance enhancements, and the foundations that will shape the years to come.” I’ll recap the key changes in a second, but first I want to highlight a couple of big things that Linux users will be interested to know… Blender 4.3: Big Linux
#News #AppUpdates #Blender #Vulkan
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/blender-4-3-brings-hardware-accelerated-ray-tracing-to-linux
Ubuntu 25.04 Daily Builds Now Available to Download
A sure-fire way to indicate that development is kicking in to gear, Ubuntu 25.04 daily builds are now available to download. Development formally began on Ubuntu 25.04 ‘Plucky Puffin’ last month, but Ubuntu 25.04 is due for release on April 17, 2025. If you’re wondering what sort of new features Ubuntu 25.04 may offer, these daily builds give everyone ample chance to find out, first-hand. Not that, right now, there’s anything new to see. There’s plans for a new document viewer app in Ubuntu 25.04, but it’s not yet included; Linux 6.14 kernel – yes, 6.14 – is earmarked for
#News #Ubuntu25_04
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/download-ubuntu-25-04-daily-build-iso
Linux Kernel 6.12 Has Landed – And It’s a Big One
Linus Torvalds has announced the release of Linux kernel 6.12, and an eclectic assortment of changes contained within make it one of the most biggest kernel releases for a while. In terms of features, I mean. I didn’t sit bean-counting the code byte-by-byte! In his message to the Linux Kernel Mailing List to announce the release Linus Torvalds notes that the final week of testing threw up some “last-minute reverts, and some random fairly small fixes fairly spread out in the tree.” But the rest of the release? Let’s take a look… Linux 6.12: Key Features Really real-time kernel The headline feature in
#News #LinuxKernel
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/linux-kernel-6-12-has-landed-and-its-a-big-one
Automatic Tiling Added to ‘Tiling Shell’ GNOME Extension
I’d promise to shut up about the Tiling Shell GNOME Shell extension but I can’t because new features are coming thick and fast — the latest: support for automatic tiling. Yes, this nifty workflow wonder is finally able to automatically tile newly opened windows based on the currently active tiling layout (and as you may sick of me re-emphasising: you can switch between different layouts ad-hoc, and create and save your own). Windows auto-tile to the best vacant slot in the layout. But what’s ‘best’? Tiling Shell developer Domenico Ferraro says this will be the ‘vacant tile nearest to the
#News #GnomeExtensions #TilingShell
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/automatic-tiling-added-to-tiling-shell-gnome-extension
Rhythmbox’s New Release Fixes Its Broken DAAP Server + More
A new version of the GTK-based music player Rhythmbox has been released, the first major update in over a year. Rhythmbox 3.4.8 is billed as a ‘minor improvement release’ so there are no shiny new features or (some would say overdue) UI changes to speak of. But there are plenty of bug fixes and smaller quality enhancements worth knowing about. Although primarily used to listen and manage local music files, Rhythmbox supports network shares, podcasts, radio streaming, and integration with online services like Magnatune and Last.FM. In this release the app picks up a number of podcast improvements, including better
#News #AppUpdates #MusicPlayers #Rhythmbox
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/rhythmbox-daap-server-fixed-new-update
Ubuntu 25.04 Plans to Preinstall a New PDF Viewer
Ubuntu 25.04 plans to include a new default PDF viewer app. Evince (aka Document Viewer) is the PDF app that comes preinstalled in Ubuntu at present. But next April’s release of Ubuntu 25.04 ‘Plucky Puffin’ could ship with a new app called Papers. Heard of Papers? It’s a modern GTK/libadwaita app to ‘view, search and annotate documents’ saved in a variety of different formats (not only PDF, but PDF is the certainly most ubiquitous in every-day needs). But what’s wrong with Evince? Why is a new app needed to do something similar to the existing one? And why aren’t developers
#News #Evince #Papers #Pdf #Ubuntu25_04
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/ubuntu-25-04-papers-evince-swap
RISC-V Mainboard for Framework Laptop 13 Available from $199
Framework make the most exciting laptops around —I don’t own one to be able to say they’re good, but the modular components, and upgradeable and repairable ethos is unlike anything else. As news earlier this year that owners would be able to swap their Intel-based mainboard for a RISC-V mainboard underscores. Well, there’s now an update on that front. DeepComputing (makers of the Ubuntu-powered DC-ROMA II laptop and Pad II tablet) just launched an early access program for thee DC-ROMA RISC-V Mainboard, designed for the Framework Laptop 13. The mainboard is also compatible with the Framework and Cooler Master Case
#News #Framework #Risc-V
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/risc-v-mainboard-for-framework-laptop-13-available-from-199
VMware Workstation is Now Free for Everyone, Including Commercial Use
Back in the spring, VMware did something unexpected: it made its desktop hypervisor software free to download and use on Windows, macOS, and Linux. No trial period, no in-app purchases, no feature limitations. The “catch” was that it was only free for personal use. Businesses, educators, freelancers, and developers who planned to use the software for so-called ‘commercial’ purposes were asked to be honest and pay for a license. Now, that’s no longer needed. Both VMware Workstation Pro and its Mac equivalent in Fusion Pro are free for everyone to use for whatever they want, be it personal or commercial.
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/vmware-workstation-free-for-all-part-2
New Linux Timer App Uses MPRIS in an Ingenious Way
MPRIS is something most of us associate with music apps and movie players, but a new app makes use of this freedesktop standard for something less entertaining: timers. Yes, timers. Timing your pizza in the oven, setting a deadline for a task, dedicating time to a hobby, or obsessively counting down to a date (figurative or romantic), MPRIS Timer does it just as well as anything else – with a twist: it shows your timer using MPRIS. MPRIS stands for ‘Media Player Remote Interfacing Specification’. It is a Freedesktop standard that gives app makers an accessible, consistent API to target
#News #Mpris
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/mpris-timer-app-for-linux-is-ingenious
Auto Accent Colour GNOME Shell Extension
For a pinch more personalisation of Ubuntu 24.10 check out Auto Accent Colour, a new GNOME Shell extension that changes the system accent colour based on your current desktop wallpaper. Accent colours are a headline feature in GNOME 47, although not new to Ubuntu users since Ubuntu added its own approach to accent colours back in 2022. Now aligned with upstream, this new GNOME Shell extension is going to interest Ubuntu users who want to go beyond the distro’s handpicked and hardcoded accent colour selection to add a more unique touch to the way their OS looks. Auto Accent Colour
#News #EyeCandy #GnomeExtensions
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/automatic-accent-colour-gnome-shell-extension
Calibre 7.2.1 Brings Read Aloud Fixes, New Audio Overlay
Calibre ebook manager, converter, and reader is out with a new update, and it adds an enticing sounding new feature. For a while now Calibre has offered a ‘read aloud’ feature that does exactly what you think it does: a computer voice reads the text of an ePUB book. Calibre 7.2.1 intros a “new tool to create an audio overlay in EPUB files for all text using the Read aloud facility”. This, it says, enables readers to listen with sentence tracking, and assign different voices to different parts of the book’s text. Interestingly, Calibre say using the new tool can
#News #AppUpdates #Calibre #Ebooks #QtApps
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/calibre-7-2-1-brings-read-aloud-fixes-new-audio-overlay
GNOME 48: Release Date & Development Schedule
GNOME 47 ‘Denver’ proved a decent update to the GNOME desktop, delivering a hearty dose of new features, UI refinements, and app improvements. So as one release gets pushed out the door, work on the next begins. GNOME 48 ‘Bengaluru‘ (named after the host city of the GNOME Asia Summit taking place in December) is scheduled for release on March 19, 2025. The dates for important development milestones along the way to ensure there’s ample opportunity for implementing and testing of key changes, the necessary “freeze” to solidify the desired set of changes, and then more testing to refine and
#News #Development #Gnome48 #Loupe #Showtime #Ubuntu25_04
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/gnome-48-release-date-and-features
Raspberry Pi’s Product Announcements Continue with $12 USB Hub
Raspberry Pi has unveiled yet-another own-brand product, this time a 4-port USB 3.0 hub. We’ve seen the company expand its range of accessories for its single-board computer family over the past few months, going from a case, keyboard, and mouse, to SSDs HATs, SSDs, and SD cards all configured to provide fastest possible speeds. But while the most popular Pi models have a number of on-board USB ports, some folks do need or want more – which is where the company is launching an official Raspberry Pi USB 3 Hub. It cheekily describes as a “high-quality four-way USB 3.0 hub for
#Hardware #News #PcAccessories #RaspberryPi #Usb
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/raspberry-pi-official-usb-hub
Burn My Windows Adds Dreamy New ‘Focus’ Effect
It’s been a while since the gorgeous (if admittedly gimmicky) Burn My Windows GNOME Shell extension gained a new effect for over-the-top window closing and opening animation. But the latest release, Burn My Windows v44, delivers one. The new Focus effect is a relatively subtle one using a blur and fade effect on close, as you can see in this GIF, and on open too (you can choose to turn open animations off): There are options to control the animation time, the blur amount, and the blur quality. The lower the blur quality the faster the overall effect will be, :sys_more_orange:
#News #BurnMyWindows #EyeCandy #GnomeExtensions
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/burn-my-windows-adds-dreamy-new-focus-effect
Mozilla Foundation Axes 30% Staff, Axes Advocacy Division
Sweeping staffing cuts have fallen at The Mozilla Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Mozilla tasked with advocating for web standards, internet privacy, and open-source. A huge 30% reduction in head count at the foundation cleaves away the entirety of the dedicated advocacy division, according to an internal memo seen by TechCrunch but since confirmed to them and other press outlets by Mozilla. “The Mozilla Foundation is reorganizing teams to increase agility and impact as we accelerate our work to ensure a more open and equitable technical future for us all,” Brandon Borrman, vice president of communications at Mozilla is quoted
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/mozilla-foundation-axes-30-staff-axes-advocacy-division
GIMP 3.0 Release Candidate is Ready for Testing
It feels like the next major release of open source image editor The GIMP has been in the works for an eon, but anticipation for its arrival has been building for even longer – but the wait will soon be over. A GIMP 3.0 release candidate is now available to download, giving those eager to see what sort of new features Wilber has planned the opportunity to find out, with fewer bugs and quirks getting in the way than development, snapshot, and beta builds have. I plan to do a proper rundown of the best new features in GIMP 3.0
#News #AppUpdates #Gimp
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/gimp-3-0-release-candidate-is-ready-for-testing
Raspberry Pi Gives its Tiny Touch Display a Big Upgrade
Raspberry Pi has announced a new version of its 7-inch ‘Touch Display’ accessory. And given that the previous model was announced 9 years ago, some kind of update was arguably due for this device. The Raspberry Pi Touch Display 2 runs at a higher-resolution display than its predecessor, and uses a slimmer form factor now that the display driver board is integrated into the enclosure itself, streamlining the end setup. Yet despite those upgrades, the price point hasn’t changed: it still costs $60/£56 No details on the brightness, contrast, etc for the new model, and it’s notably described as offering
#Hardware #News #RaspberryPi #Touchscreen
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/raspberry-pi-touch-display-2
Apple Maps for Web Now Works in Firefox on Linux
Something to file under “won’t please many Linux users, but is nonetheless a good thing™ for choice”, Apple Maps on the web now works on Linux. Apple launched a web-based beta for its homegrown mapping service Apple Maps in July. Initially, it only officially supported Safari on macOS and iOS, and Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge on Windows, macOS, and Android. Mozilla Firefox support was added in August, but only for users on macOS and Windows. And according to the support page that remains the case. Yet… Mozilla Firefox 132 is able load Apple Maps on the web in full on
#News #Apple
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/apple-maps-beta-linux-support-ish
