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Linux Mint 21.1 (Vera) is Now Available with eRacks Systems.
Linux Mint 21.1 “Vera” was released on December 20, 2022, a full 14 days after the beta appeared. The popular Ubuntu-based distribution’s intuitive desktop environments make it especially popular among newcomers to Linux.
Linux Mint 21.1 code name “Vera”, brings several interface changes including a cleaner desktop with more vibrant colors. Vera also sees the arrival of more controls in the update, driver, and software managers. New system sounds, ISO tools, and mouse pointers round out this update to the popular Linux distribution.
Let’s see what new Linux Mint 21.1 has in its store for users.
Linux Mint
Linux Mint is one of the most successful distributions based on Ubuntu. And with the number of Ubuntu derivatives out there, that’s saying something. Linux Mint must be doing a lot of things right—at least, according to its passionate user base.
Linux Mint is focused on desktops and laptops. It provides customized desktop environments with a choice of Cinnamon, Xfce, and Mate. It has the Snap store disabled by default; a move first made in Linux Mint 20.
Linux Mint doesn’t have a server version. Its purpose is to provide a simple, intuitive, attractive desktop Linux experience for its users, especially newcomers to the Linux world. The Linux Mint team want a mac or Windows user to be comfortable with Linux Mint within a short time.
Linux kernel
The release will continue to use the Linux 5.15 LTS kernel under the hood, based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.
A Refreshed User Interface
When you first boot into the desktop, you should quickly notice the new look of the cursor. It features the new Bibata theme by default.
The cursor icon theme inventory has new options like Yaru, Breeze, and GoogleDot along with the traditional DMZ theme.
Users will also find a unique set of app icon themes to choose from in addition to the traditional Mint-X, Mint-Y, and Mint-Legacy themes. This includes Papirus, Breeze, Numix, and Yaru.
Another interesting thing you may notice is the default accent color isn’t the traditional green anymore, and that’s because the desktop theme is now switched to Aqua. The accent color library offers more vibrant colors and gives the desktop a clean and attractive look.
For those who want the legacy look back, there exists a “Mint-Y-Legacy” option in the theme options.
Moreover, the Computer, Home, Networks, and Trash icons previously visible on the desktop are removed by default and can be accessed in the file manager. The Home folder icon is displayed on the panel instead. If you want to return the old arrangement, you can do so by heading to the system preferences.
Cleaner Desktop
The desktop has been purged. The “home”, “computer”, “trash”, and “network” icons have been removed.
Clicking the folder icon pinned to the panel opens your “home” directory in the Nemo file browser, so it is still only one click away. Counter-intuitively, its tooltip reads “Files”, but it gives you a fast way to get to Nemo and your “home” directory all in one.
The “computer”, “trash”, and “network” locations are available through the “Go” menu in Nemo or by searching in the start menu.
Files that you copy or save to “~/Desktop” still show up on the desktop, as do mounted devices.
There’s the usual selection of new background wallpapers. You’ve got access to the generic Linux Mint wallpapers, the backgrounds from the Linux Mint 21 Vanessa release, and the new Vera-specific backgrounds.
It’s a stunning collection of images by skilled photographers. Whoever curated these backgrounds did a great job too.
There’s a new “Show Desktop” button at the extreme right-hand end of the panel. It hides all open windows, clearing the desktop with a single mouse click.
It’s practically invisible, but it’s there. Point at it, and you’ll see its tooltip.
A Modern Mouse Pointer
The default mouse pointer has changed. Linux Mint 21.1 uses “Bibata Modern Classic”, which has a gently rounded shape without a tail.
A Modern Mouse Pointer
With all of these cosmetic tweaks, what looks good is subjective. If you don’t like the defaults, you can change them in a flash to something more agreeable to you.
New System Sounds
The system sounds have been updated. As before, the volume can be adjusted, and individual sounds can be switched on and off if they’re too distracting.
A Liberated Driver Manager
The Driver Manager application has been changed to run in user mode. This means it’ll run without the need for a password.
It searches your computer for drivers that are installed and in use, then lists them. It’ll also identify missing drivers and offer to install them.
Our test machine didn’t require any additional drivers, but it’s nice to know that you’ve got a helping hand if your computer does need them.
Enhanced Update Manager
A similar amount of assistance and hand-holding is available in the Update Manager. It makes what can become a complicated task very easy. You can select the packages that you want to update, and exclude those you’re not interested in at this time.
Significantly, support for updating flatpaks has been added.
More Control in Software Manager
If a flatpack is available for an application, the Software Manager let’s you choose between installing a DEB “System Package” or a flatpack.
It’s not the flashiest software store application, but it looks good and works well. You can find what you want quickly from a huge choice of software, and you get a choice of install types, too. I’ll take that over eye candy any day.
New USB Tools
As you’d expect USB Image Writer tool lets you select an ISO image and the USB stick you want to write the image to. It also has a “Verify” button which lets you verify the authenticity of the ISO image before you burn it, which is convenient.
The USB Stick Formatter tool formats USB sticks for you. You can pick a USB stick, set its device name, and choose a file system. There are four file systems supported:
- FAT32
- exFAT
- NTFS
- ext4
Other improvements
The code which lets you remove applications from the main menu was reviewed and password prompts were removed in situations where administrative permissions weren’t required.
Removing a Flatpak will no longer require a password to be entered. Same goes for simple shortcuts and local applications (i.e. applications which aren’t installed system-wide).
Synaptic and the Update Manager will now also ask pkexec to remember your password so you won’t have to enter it every single time if you perform multiple operations.
Following the upstream deprecation of apt-key, the Software Sources received changes to rework the way it handles PPA keys.
When a PPA is added its key is now only accepted for the PPA itself, not globally for all APT Sources.
Continuous integration for all Linux Mint projects moved from Circle CI to Github Actions. This gives the development team greater control over docker.
Documentation was written and added to the User Guide to cover the following topics:
- How to reset a forgotten password
- How to have Bluetooth disabled at boot
- How to make a Windows live USB stick or a multiboot USB stick
Summary of changes
- First point release of Linux Mint 21, based on Ubuntu 22.04.1 release
- Linux Kernel 5.15 LTS
- Cinnamon 5.6.4 desktop
- Xfce 4.16 desktop
- MATE 1.26 desktop
- Friendly driver manager
- Cleaner default desktop view with fewer icons
- Default theme changes to “Mint-Y-Aqua” from the green-based icons
- New cursor theme: Bibata (one of the best cursor themes in Linux)
- A bunch of stunning wallpapers
- And an array of bug fixes
Including these, there are lot of new features in this new release. Start using new Linux Mint 21.1 to get the full experiences.
To get the Linux Mint 21.1 on your system, simply upgrade the existing Linux Minx 20.x or do a clean install.
Upgrading to Linux Mint 21.1
Upgrading to Linux Mint 21.1 is simple. Long-time users of the distro will be familiar with the steps needed to do so:
- Use the Timeshift app to make a system snapshot
- Update any/all Cinnamon spices/applets/themes
- Open Update Manager and install any updates
- Select the “Upgrade” option in the ‘Edit’ menu of Update Manager
- Hit Install
Once all updates are downloaded, unpacked, and installed it’s advised to restart the computer. A reboot ensures all changes take effect, and that the system comes back-up functioning as intended by Linux Mint’s developers.
As mentioned, Linux Mint 21.1 includes a number of visual changes and new artwork. Anyone who makes the upgrade but doesn’t like the new folder icons or aqua color accents can revert to Linux Mint’s older look using the Welcome app available in the applications menu.
Before upgrading or clean install, make sure your system meets the minimum requirements. The system requirements are as follows.
System requirements:
- 2GB RAM (4GB recommended for a comfortable usage).
- 20GB of disk space (100GB recommended).
- 1024×768 resolution (on lower resolutions, press ALT to drag windows with the mouse if they don’t fit in the screen).
Conclusion
If your system doesn’t meet the minimum system requirements, or you need clean pre-installed new system, you can always get one from eRacks Systems store as pre-configured with Linux Mint 21.1.
Asif Raihan December 28th, 2022
Posted In: Laptop cookbooks, Linux, Mint, New products, Operating Systems, Upgrades
Tags: Desktop OS, Laptops, linux, LTS, Mint, multimedia, New products, Open Source, operating system
Ubuntu 22.10 “Kinetic Kudu” is here!
Ubuntu 22.10, codenamed “Kinetic Kudu”, is here with eRacks Systems. This release continues Ubuntu’s proud tradition of integrating the latest and greatest open-source technologies into a high-quality, easy-to-use Linux distribution. The team has been hard at work through this cycle, partnering with the community and our partners, to introduce new features and fix bugs.
Ubuntu Desktop 22.10 users will benefit from the refinements in GNOME 43, including GTK4 theming for improved performance and consistency. Quick Settings now provide faster access to commonly used options such as wifi, bluetooth, dark mode and power settings.
Since Ubuntu 22.10 “Kinetic Kudu” will be supported for 9 months until July 2023, it was released to the wider public on Oct 20, 2022. Here’s in short, what you can expect from the Ubuntu 22.10 release.
Linux kernel
Ubuntu 22.10 is shipped with the new 5.19 Linux kernel that brings the most relevant features (in addition to many other new features, new drivers, improvements and fixes.
GNOME 43
In Ubuntu 22.10, GNOME 43 is the base desktop version. GNOME 43 is an impressive release in terms of features and work around the GTK4 and libadwaita. A lot of features which was missed to reach in Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, finally arrived in this version.
Qemu
Qemu was updated to version v7.0.0 which brings many major and minor improvements.
libvirt
Tracking the releases of libvirt continuously version v8.6.0 is now provided in Ubuntu 22.10 which – among many other fixes, improvements and features.
Docker.io 20.10.16
This new version contains fixes to avoid potential lock issues and update its dependencies internally.
Security Improvements
AppArmor gained support for restricting access to unprivileged user namespaces. This allows a system administrator to configure their system so that only applications and services which are confined by an appropriate AppArmor profile can use this feature.
Summary of the key changes in Ubuntu 22.10
- Linux Kernel 5.19
- GNOME 43
- Pipewire by default
- IWD is replacing wpa_supplicant
- KDE Plasma 5.25 in Kubuntu
- LXQt 1.1.0 in Lubuntu
- Firefox 106
- LibreOffice 7.4
- Thunderbird 102
Including these, there are a lot of improvements. To experience the full improvements, you need to use one. You can download an installation file directly from here, or get a pre-installed ready to use system from eRacks Systems’ Store.
Asif Raihan October 28th, 2022
Posted In: Linux, LiveCD, New products, Open Source, Operating Systems, ubuntu, Zenbook
Tags: Laptops, linux, New products, Rolling Release, ubuntu, Zenbook
Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® 9 (RHEL 9) Released & Available With eRacks Systems!
Released in 17th May 2022, Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® 9 helps users innovate, optimize, protect, and trust their traditional and modern workloads across their datacenter, cloud, and edge environments. Red Hat Enterprise Linux remains an economic driver, with the overall Red Hat Enterprise Linux footprint forecast to touch more than $13 trillion of the global economy in 2022. RHEL 9 is now available with the following major features with all of the systems in eRacks.
Enhanced web console performance metrics
This feature makes it easy for the system admin and operation team to monitor and identify performance metrics. It allows quick report generation and presentation with one click.
Kernel live patching
It is one of the best features for managing kernel update, RHEL 9 provide the ability to manage kernel patching with a cockpit web console.
Streamlined image building
RHEL 9 comes with various improvements like an image builder that gives the ability to build RHEL8 and RHEL 9 images through a single build node. This feature is very useful for the developer community.
Improved container development
RHEL 9 ships launch with upgraded version podman with new features and advanced technology.
Link Time Optimization
It allows speeding up various applications and running services as well as source code inspection at the time of compilation.
Application Updates
You can find all application releases with new versions which available in RHEL8 such as newer versions available of Perl, python, ruby, git, apache, Nginx, MySQL, MariaDB, and more.
Enhanced security
- Smart card authentication via the web console.
- Additional SELinux security profiles.
- Detailed SSSD Logging and search capabilities.
- Integrated OpenSSL 3.
- Integrity Measurement Architecture allows you to dynamically verify the integrity of the OS.
- The SSH root password is now disabled by default.
Support for Newer Versions of Programming Languages
- RHEL 9.0 offers the following new versions of dynamic programming languages:
- PHP 8.0
- Node.JS 16
- Perl 5.32
- Python 3.9
- Ruby 3.0
Download Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® 9 (RHEL 9) for Free.
To download RHEL 9. Check out the Red Hat Enterprise Linux product page.
Or you can get the hassle free Pre-Installed Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® 9 (RHEL 9) or your preferred versions or any of your preferable Open-Source Distribution by purchasing any systems from eRacks Systems’ Store.
Asif Raihan May 30th, 2022
Posted In: Linux, New products, Open Source, Operating Systems, servers, Technology
Tags: linux, New products, Open Source, operating system, Red Hat, Releases, upgrade
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS “Jammy Jellyfish” Now Available!
The Long-Term Support release of Ubuntu, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS “Jammy Jellyfish” is now available as the Ubuntu default on all eRacks configurations. We also offer custom configurations of Ubuntu, including de-snapify 🙂
Note that one of our favorite Open Source protagonists, Martin Wimpress (Wimpy’s World), published these nifty AI-generated images of what a “Jammy Jellyfish” should look like, and we’ve used one of them here 🙂
Cheers,
eRacks Admin
admin April 29th, 2022
Posted In: Debian, Linux, News, Open Source, Operating Systems, ubuntu, Upgrades
Tags: 22.04, Debian, Jammy, LTS, operating system, OS, ubuntu
Latest Ubuntu 20.10 “Groovy Gorilla” is Now Available!
The Ubuntu 20.10 code name ‘Groovy Gorilla’, Yes, “Groovy Gorilla” is the development code name chosen for the next stable Ubuntu release, which is currently earmarked for general availability on October 26, 2020.
Now, I probably don’t need to tell you what a gorilla is — and if you don’t know, I don’t believe you !!, and the term groovy is… Well, the dictionary definition of “Groovy” describes it as an informal adjective meaning ‘fashionable and exciting’, e.g., “That’s a groovy new wallpaper!” or generally ‘excellent, e.g., “A groovy release filled with greatness”.
Ubuntu 20.10 establishes another milestone in Canonical’s long-term commitment to delivering a carrier-grade private cloud with “Groovy Gorilla”. The 33rd release of the most popular Linux distribution in the data center space, Groovy Gorilla, brings various improvements that enable easier consumption of the fast-networking stack across both VMs and containers, straightforward compliance with common security benchmarks and a reference telco cloud implementation.
Ubuntu 20.10 “Groovy Gorilla” is a short-term release supported for 9 months until July 2021. So, with its imminent release on 22nd Oct 2020, Ubuntu 20.10 will be getting support from Canonical till July 2021. This includes access to new app releases, bug-fixes, and security patches. This release mostly the testbed for the latest application, Kernel stack to provide users stable packages back to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.
I personally have been using it for the past couple of days, and it’s reasonably stable. It also feels snappier compared to its predecessor, which isn’t a surprise considering it was primarily focusing on performance enhancements.
That being said, I won’t keep you waiting with the formalities. I know you came here to get a tour of what’s new with Ubuntu 20.10, and I have put together a few new changes in Ubuntu 20.10. Only you can feel the exact changes when you start using it.
let’s what’s new in latest Ubuntu 20.10 “Groovy Gorilla”;
Ubuntu 20.10 “Groovy Gorilla” Some Major Features:
Linux Kernel 5.8
When development for Ubuntu 20.10 started, it was based on Ubuntu 20.04 and used the same kernel base – Linux kernel 5.4 LTS. But then, Linus Torvalds released Linux kernel 5.8 in May, and everyone in the Linux community was suspecting that “Groovy Gorilla” will ship with it.
Now, after a long wait, the Linux 5.8 kernel has popped up in the Ubuntu 20.10 archives, and that too only a month ago. This means that the new iteration of the popular Linux distro will benefit from the sweep of features that comes with the new kernel.
Some notable examples include:
- Airtime Queue limits for better WiFi connection quality
- Btrfs RAID1 with 3 and 4 copies and more checksum alternatives
- USB 4 (Thunderbolt 3 protocol) support added
- X86 Enable 5-level paging support by default
- Intel Gen11 (Ice Lake) and Gen12 (Tiger Lake) graphics support
- Initial support for AMD Family 19h (Zen 3)
- Thermal pressure tracking for systems for better task placement wrt CPU core
- XFS online repair
- OverlayFS pairing with VirtIO-FS
- General Notification Queue for key/keyring notification, mount changes, etc.
- Active State Power Management (ASPM) for improved power savings of PCIe-to-PCI devices
- Initial support for POWER10
Easy Wi-Fi Hotspot Configuration
The Wi-Fi tab in “Settings” allows you to use your laptop as a Wi-Fi hotspot. If you scan the QR code with a mobile device, like your smartphone or tablet, it will connect to your hotspot.
Security Improvements
- nftables is now the default backend for the firewall.
Ubuntu 20.10 Desktop
- Ubuntu 20.10 is the first Ubuntu release to feature desktop images for the Raspberry Pi 4.
GNOME 3.38
Ubuntu 20.10 is shipping with GNOME 3.38 out of the box, released on 16th Sept 2020. It is a welcome upgrade over GNOME 3.34, which is being used in Ubuntu 20.04 by default.
GNOME 3.38 brings many excellent features and functionalities to the table. Here is a list going over the most notable ones:
- Better Fingerprint Support
- Intelligent Web Tracking Prevention
- Updated GNOME Maps with Performance and UI Improvements
- A Redesigned Sound Recorder and Screenshot App
- Support for QR Code WiFi Hotspot
- Tons of New Default Wallpaper
- Folder Support in Application Grid
- Restart Button Added to System Tray
- New Icons for Various Apps
- New Parental Controls Under Settings
Apart from this, you will get to see many more bells and whistles. We have a detailed article covering the best features in GNOME 3.38 if you are looking for more information.
Now, as you know, Ubuntu is not known for shipping with vanilla GNOME. As such, you won’t get the authentic experience that was intended by the GNOME developers. We will talk more about the new interface and overall end-user experience in a later section.
ZFS Becomes Less Experimental
The Ubuntu Unity installer hasn’t changed significantly. The installation process is almost the same as it was on Ubuntu 20.04, and the black disk checking screen is the same.
One notable change is tucked away in the “Advanced Features” dialog box. The ZFS file system installation option no longer has the word “Experimental” in capital letters beside it. Confidence must be building within Canonical about the durability and readiness of its ZFS implementation as a daily driver file system.
After you install Ubuntu 20.10 and sign in, you’ll see the Groovy Gorilla, positioned prominently amidst the familiar purple hues of the Ubuntu color palette.
He looks like an ape that’s got it together, but let’s see if that’s true.
Updated Applications:
- Firefox version 81
- LibreOffice version 7.0.2
- Thunderbird version 78.3.2
Updated Subsystems:
- BlueZ 5.55
- NetworkManager 1.26.2
Noteworthy changes Ubuntu 20.10 Server:
- squid: the NIS basic authentication helper was removed (LP: #1895694 34)
- adcli and realmd: many upstream fixes were applied to these packages, improving on the compatibility with current Active Directory changes
- samba 4.12 40 has switched to GnuTLS for most of its cryptographic operations and that has a huge performance improvement in SMB3 encryption
- QEMU was updated to the 5.0 release. See the upstream changes 40 for an overview of the many improvements.
- One noteworthy new feature is virtiofs 42 which allows better sharing of host file systems to the guest compared to the older 9p fs 4 based approach.
- Libvirt has been updated to version 6.6. See the upstream Changelogs 34 for the many improvements and fixes since version 6.0 that was in Focal.
- Libvirt 6.6 also supports the new virtiofs that was mentioned in the QEMU section above.
System Requirements for Ubuntu 20.04:
- 2 GHz dual-core processor
- 4 GiB RAM (but 1 GiB can work)
- 25 GB of hard-drive space
- VGA capable of 1024×768 screen resolution
- Either of the two: a CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Note: Optionally, Internet access is helpful.
Download Ubuntu 20.10
You can download Ubuntu 20.10 for 64-bit computers using the link below:
As the Ubuntu 20.10 desktop image is 2.9GB in size do make sure you’re on a decent internet connection before you hit the download button!
When the download completes you need write the Ubuntu 20.10 ISO image to a USB stick using a tool like Etcher. Then pop the USB in an empty port, reboot your computer, and choose to boot from the USB.
You can also upgrade to Ubuntu 20.10 from an earlier version.
Asif Raihan November 2nd, 2020
Posted In: Linux, New products, News, Open Source, Operating Systems, Reviews, ubuntu
Tags: Cloud Computing, linux, New products, Open Source, operating system, OS, ubuntu
Linux Mint 20 is now available!
Linux Mint is undoubtedly one of the best beginner-friendly and tough competitors of the most famous Ubuntu Linux. One of the reasons can be credited to its upstream codebase. Since Linux Mint is an Ubuntu-based distro, it uses the codebase of the latest Ubuntu long term support version.
Linux Mint 20
After ending 2019 with the release of Linux Mint 19.3, the Linux Mint team is ready to roll out its first version with long-term support in 2020. As already revealed in their monthly blog, the upcoming Linux Mint 20 will be based on the next Ubuntu 20.4 LTS. So, in this article, I’m going to discuss everything about the new changes and release date of Mint 20.
Interesting Fact About Linux Mint Codename
Most of the Linux distros follow a particular pattern to give a codename for each version — for instance, Ubuntu uses a two-word adjective and animal name. Likewise, Linux Mint titles every release a female codename alphabetically. Therefore, starting with the Mint 1 “Ada” and the latest Mint 19.3 “Tricia,” and this is Linux Mint 20, codename Ulyana.
New features in Linux Mint 20 Cinnamon
Linux Mint 20 is a long-term support release which will be supported until 2025. It comes with updated software and brings refinements and many new features to make your desktop on a gaming desk be more comfortable experience.
Monitor frequency adjustment
Frequency modification of monitors is a long-sought demand by the Mint community. Consequently, Mint 20 now includes monitor frequency adjustment. This means you will be able to choose the frequency in the Cinnamon 4.6 display settings.
Linux-Mint-20-—-Monitor-display-setting
Fractional Scaling
Linux Mint 20 ships the Cinnamon 4.6 desktop environment that introduces fractional scaling. Hence, instead of either 100% (normal mode) or 200% (HiDPI mode) scaling for all monitors, you can now configure the scale value between 100% and 200% for each monitor independently. If you use high-resolution displays, it’ll be a big relief for you to have a better scaling option.
NVIDIA Optimus
Linux Mint 20 features improved support for NVIDIA Optimus.
The NVIDIA Prime applet now shows your GPU renderer and you can select which card to switch to straight from its menu.
nvidia
The NVIDIA “On-Demand” profile is also now fully supported. When you run in that mode, it is your Intel card which renders the session and a menu option is available to let you offload a particular application to your NVIDIA card.
nvidia-cinnamon
Select an application in the menu, right-click and select “Run with NVIDIA GPU”. It’s that simple.
Mint-Y Theme
“Themes” applet is one of the unique features of Linux Mint that allows you to choose or install new themes and icons. In addition to that, Linux Mint 20 introduced two new colors, Pink and Aqua, in the default Mint-Y theme.
Furthermore, the Mint-Y theme now has a brighter color than before. Here’s a comparison of some of the old colors (on the left) with some of the new ones (on the right):
Linux-Mint-20-—-New-color-In-Mint-Y-theme
From the command-line, two new commands are available to offload to GLX or to Vulkan:
- nvidia-optimus-offload-glx
- nvidia-optimus-offload-vulkan
To boost compatibility and make it easier to boot Linux Mint 20 in live mode without NVIDIA drivers, “nomodeset” was also added to the “Compatibility Mode”.
Warpinator
The star of the show in Linux Mint 20 is a new application called Warpinator.
10 years ago, Linux Mint 6 featured a tool called “Giver” which could share files across the local network. Without any server or configuration, computers would automatically see each other’s and you could simply drag and drop files from one to another. When the Giver project was discontinued it had to be removed from Linux Mint and we’ve been missing that functionality ever since.
warpinator1
Warpinator is a reimplementation of Giver. Server configuration (FTP, NFS, Samba) is overkill for casual file transfers between two computers, and it’s a real pity to use external media (Internet services, USB sticks, external HDDs) just to share files when there’s a local network which could do just that.
With Warpinator, Linux Mint 20 brings back easy file sharing across the local network.
The main window shows you the computers on the local network which are also running Warpinator:
warpinator
By clicking on a computer, you can see more information about it and exchange files with it:
No more USB sticks or external drive are needed just to send a file.
Other Enhancements In Linux Mint 20
- Smooth Multi-monitor support
- Use of middle-click button in Cinnamon’s keyboard applet
- Better looking system tray
- A new user interface for Gdebi tool
Linux Mint 20 Release Date And ISO Download
The Mint team has now officially released a new long-term Linux Mint 20 that will be supported until 2025. ISO images of any of the three Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce edition are available to download from the official download page.
For further details, see Mint’s Snap documentation. You can read more on Mint’s arguments against Snap, and Ubuntu’s attempt to make peace with Mint and decide for yourself if you want to use Snap on Mint.
Of course, the usual selection of Linux desktop programs come ready to run. These include Firefox 77 for web browsing; LibreOffice 6.4.2 for your office needs; and Thunderbird 68.7 for email.
Overall, Mint remains a pleasure to use. I really wish Mint included Snap. Most desktop program developers agree that it, and its rival Flatpak, are the future for Linux desktop apps.
Looking ahead, Linux Mint 20 will receive security updates until 2025. Until 2022, future versions of Linux Mint will use the same package base. This means it will be trivial to upgrade to the next few versions.
If you’re new to Mint and want to give it a try, check out my How to install Linux Mint on your Windows PC article. It’s easy to do whether you want to wipe out Windows, run it with Windows, or just give it a trial run using a USB stick with persistent storage.
Beside all, get the Linux Mint 20 pre-installed and ready to run with eracks systems.
Asif Raihan July 2nd, 2020
Posted In: Linux, New products, Open Source, Operating Systems
Tags: linux, Mint, New products, News, operating system, OS, Review
What’s new in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS “Focal Fossa”!
Ubuntu follows the release cycle of the new version twice a year, with one released in April and the other released in October, accompanied by many important improvements. The 2020 version will be Ubuntu 20.04 with the Focal Fossa identifier, which is expected to be released to global users starting April 23 next year.The codename of the official Ubuntu updates is chosen in alphabetical order, and is made up of 2 words, the first word is adjective and the second word will be noun, which is specific here as a certain animal is in danger of extinction, or sometimes mythical creatures such as Unicorns or Werewolfs (Wolves).
focalfossa
We have the Focala version of April 2020 with the word ‘Focal’ meaning ‘necessary’ and the Fossa is a carnivore that looks like a lynx, which can only be seen now. in Madagascar.
This is an interesting and unique code naming that only Ubuntu applies, giving users a sense of both curiosity and memorable.
However, the code names of Ubuntu releases sometimes reveal some of the characteristics of the releases. Ubuntu 20.04 will not only be an important release (with long term service), but also contain the strengths commonly found in Fossa species such as flexibility, agility and dominance.
In short, Ubuntu 20.04 is the LTS version, so the main focus of this release will be to bring stability and reliability to users. Focal Fossa came with lots of improvements, bug fixes, and especially new features. Let’s see some of them!
New Features in 20.04 LTS
Installer
The live server installer is now the preferred media to install Ubuntu Server on all architectures.
Besides architecture support, the main user visible new features are support for automated installs and being able to install the bootloader to multiple disks (for a more resilient system).
Installer
There have been many other fixes under the hood to make using encryption easier, better support installing to multipath disks, more reliable installation onto disks that have been used in various ways and allowing failures to be reported more usefully.
Linux Kernel
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS is based on the long-term supported Linux release series 5.4. Notable features and enhancements in 5.4 since 5.3 include:
- Support for new hardware including Intel Comet Lake CPUs and initial Tiger Lake platforms, AMD Navi 12 and 14 GPUs, Arcturus and Renoir APUs along with Navi 12 + Arcturus power features.
- Support has been added for the exFAT filesystem, virtio-fs for sharing filesystems with virtualized guests and fs-verity for detecting file modifications.
- Built in support for the WireGuard VPN.
- Enablement of lockdown in integrity mode.
Other notable kernel updates to 5.4 since version 4.15 released in 18.04 LTS includes support for AMD Rome CPUs, Radeon RX Vega M and Navi GPUs, Intel Cannon Lake platforms. support for raspberry pi (Pi 2B, Pi 3B, Pi 3A+, Pi 3B+, CM3, CM3+, Pi 4B), Significant power-saving improvements. Boot speed improvements through changing the default kernel compression algorithm to lz4 (in Ubuntu 19.10) on most architectures, and changing the default initramfs compression algorithm to lz4 on all architectures.
Toolchain Upgrades 🛠️
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS comes with refreshed state-of-the-art toolchain including new upstream releases of glibc 2.31, ☕ OpenJDK 11, rustc 1.41, GCC 9.3, 🐍 Python 3.8.2, 💎 ruby 2.7.0, php 7.4, 🐪 perl 5.30, golang 1.13.
GNOME and visual improvements
Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa comes with installed. It’s chock-full of visual improvements, resulting in better performance and a more aesthetically pleasing graphical experience. There’s also a new lock screen design and support for fractional scaling under X11.
GNOME 3.36
A sleeker theme
GNOME’s new default theme is called “Yaru.” Even upon first loading into Focal Fossa, the desktop gives off a much more modern and sleeker vibe. This is mostly thanks to some color tweaks in the default theme and a darker wallpaper. The updated GNOME also allows you to choose between three different color themes: light, standard, or dark.
Network configuration
With this Ubuntu release, netplan.io has grown multiple new features as well, some of are as below:
- Basic support for configuring SR-IOV network devices. Starting with netplan.io 0.99, users can declare Virtual Functions for every SR-IOV Physical Function, configure those as any other networking device and set hardware VLAN VF filtering on them.
- Support for GSM modems via the NetworkManager backend via the modems section.
- Adding WiFi flags for bssid/band/channel settings.
- Adding ability to set ipv6-address-generation for the NetworkManager backend and emit-lldp for networkd.
ZFS support
Ubuntu introduced native support of ZFS in the 2019 interim release of Eoan Ermine. In Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa, ZFS support has been further improved, though still flagged as being experimental. When installing Focal Fossa, you have the option to use ZFS if you click “advanced features” when asked about how you’d like to format your hard drive.
The newest version of Ubuntu features performance enhancements for ZFS and support for encryption. Ubuntu has a ZFS system tool called Zsys, which provides automated system and user state saving. It also integrates better with GRUB so a user can revert to an earlier system state before booting into the desktop.
Acceptance of ZFS in the enterprise world is still shaky, but it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Seeing support for it on a really popular distribution like Ubuntu is pretty neat.
Python3 by default
In 20.04 LTS, the python included in the base system is Python 3.8. Python 2.7 has been moved to universe and is not included by default in any new installs.
Remaining packages in Ubuntu which require Python 2.7 have been updated to use /usr/bin/python2 as their interpreter, and /usr/bin/python is not present by default on any new installs. On systems upgraded from previous releases, /usr/bin/python will continue to point to python2 for compatibility.
Snap Store
The Snap Store (snap-store) replaces ubuntu-software as the default tool for finding and installing packages and snaps.
QEMU
QEMU was updated to 4.2 release. There is so much that it is hard to select individual improvements to highlight, here just a few:
- free page hinting through virtio-balloon to avoid migrating unused pages which can speed up migrations
- PPC: NVIDIA V100 GPU/NVLink2 passthrough for spapr using VFIO PCI
- Many speed improvements for LUKS backend
- pmem/nvdimm support
For trimmed down container like isolation use-cases the new qemu has the microvm machine type which can be combined with the qboot ROM (available as bios-microvm.bin) to provide a reduced feature set at a much faster startup time. To further emphasize that you can use the package qemu-system-x86-microvm which provides an alternative QEMU binary stripped of all features not needed these use cases as sugegsted by the qboot ROM.
libvirt
libvirt was updated to version 6.0. See the upstream change log for details since version 5.6 that was in Ubuntu 19.04 or further back since verison 4.0 that was in Ubuntu 18.04.
Chrony
Chrony been updated to version 3.5 which provides plenty of improvements in accuracy and controls. Furthermore, it also adds additional isolation for non-x86 by enabling syscall filters on those architectures as well.
To further allow feeding Hardware time into Chrony the package GPSD is now also fully supported.
But still for simple time-sync needs the base system already comes with systemd-timesyncd. Chrony is only needed to act as a time server or if you want the advertised more accurate and efficient syncing.
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS “Focal Fossa”
There are a lot of other changes as well. To experience all the changes and improvements it is recommended to use and experiences this version of your own.
As of late April, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS “Focal Fossa” is now available on all eRacks systems, both Desktop and Server.
It should appear in the “Operating system” dropdown when you configure your system, and is the default on many / most of our systems.
If you don’t see it, or if you this it should be the default, (or shouldn’t!), please let us know – We are always listening for feedback!
Asif Raihan May 15th, 2020
Posted In: Linux, New products, Open Source, Operating Systems, Reviews, servers, ubuntu
Tags: Cloud Storage Server, linux, New products, Open Source, operating system, OS, ubuntu
Fedora 32 is now available! Check Out The New Features.
fedora32
Fedora has done it again. The fruit of their labor is now ready for the masses to enjoy. Fedora 32 will definitely strike the chord for most of its users and the ones who have a keen eye on joining in. Released on April 28th 2020 after a patient wait from the fans and enthusiasts, there are no more barriers to getting it on your hands because it is now officially out.
Outstanding New Features in Fedora 32
There are a lot of changes and new features abound in Fedora 32. Let’s review some of them.
- Binutils upgraded to Binutils 2.3
- DNF (Dandified yum) improved (for better, more accurate counting of Fedora users)
- GCC 10 compiler upgraded
- Glibc upgraded to Glibc 2.31
- Python upgraded to Python 3.8
- Python 2 removed/retired
- Ruby upgraded to Ruby 2.7
- PHP upgraded to PHP 7.4
- MariaDB upgraded to MariaDB 10.4
- GNOME upgraded to GNOME 3.36(Fedora Workstation 32)
- And many more
For a list of all changes introduced in Fedora 32 Core, refer to the official Fedora 32 Changeset.
GNOME 3.36
Fedora 32 Workstation includes the latest release of GNOME Desktop Environment for users of all types. GNOME 3.36 in Fedora 32 Workstation includes many updates and improvements, including:
Redesigned Lock Screen
The lock screen in Fedora 32 is a totally new experience. The new design removes the “window shade” metaphor used in previous releases, and focuses on ease and speed of use.
unlock-screen-fedora
Better Applications Search
Powered by the talent and the evident hard-work invested in this new release, it is amazing now that you can now search applications like lock screen, power off, log out and many more in a beautiful layout. It integrates well with screens that can be oriented vertically or horizontally which makes it sweet to interact with.
New design on the settings App
Renamed to settings, the GNOME Control Center now has an easy to use side bar which embraces the user with an intuitive and fluid navigation through the settings arena. Additionally, the About category now has a more information about your system, including which windowing system you are running (e.g. Wayland)
Supports The New Extensions App
You no longer need to utilize the GNOME Tweaks tool to separately install/manage extensions. Fedora 32 features the new extension app which lets you manage GNOME extensions directly.
fedora-extensions-app
However, you won’t find it pre-installed. You will have to look through the software center to get it installed or simply type in the following command:
sudo dnf install gnome-extensions-app
Revamped Settings Menu
As part of the new GNOME 3.36, you will find the Settings app to be re-organized and more useful than ever before. You can get more information about your system and access the options easily.
fedora-32-settings
Notifications Area Redesign With Do Not Disturb Toggle
The best thing about GNOME 3.36 is the notification area or the calendar pop-over redesign. And, Fedora 32 has it nicely set up as well in addition to the Do Not Disturb mode toggle if needed.
notification-area-design-fedora-32
Redesigned Clocks Application
The Clocks application is totally redesigned in Fedora 32. It features a design that works better on smaller windows.
clock-app-fedora-32
GNOME 3.36 also provides many additional features and enhancements. Check out the GNOME 3.36 Release Notes for further information
Improved Out of Memory handling
Previously, if a system encountered a low-memory situation, it may have encountered heavy swap usage (aka swap thrashing)– sometimes resulting in the Workstation UI slowing down, or becoming unresponsive for periods of time. Fedora 32 Workstation now ships and enables EarlyOOM by default. EarlyOOM enables users to more quickly recover and regain control over their system in low-memory situations with heavy swap usage.
For more details please visit the official Fedora Releases/32/ChangeSet.
To upgrade your existing Fedora 31 installation to Fedora 32, you need to run the following commands in terminal one by one:
sudo dnf upgrade --refresh sudo dnf install dnf-plugin-system-upgrade sudo dnf install dnf-plugin-system-upgrade sudo dnf system-upgrade reboot
You can also perform a clean installation of the Fedora 32 by visiting its download page and download the ISO file. Or click the link below:
- Download Fedora 32 Workstation 64 bit.
- Download Fedora 32 Workstation 32 bit.
- Download Fedora 32 Server.
If you feel like doing so, do give it a try or ask for the help from eRacks Systems’ experts.
Asif Raihan May 5th, 2020
Posted In: Fedora, Linux, New products, Open Source, Operating Systems, Upgrades
Tags: fedora, linux, New products, Open Source, operating system, OS
Linux Mint 19.3, ‘Tricia’ now available
The latest Linux Mint release, 19.3, codenamed ‘Tricia’, is now available on eRacks Desktop and Laptop systems.
Simply select the ‘Linux Mint 19 latest’ choice from the OS dropdown, and we’ll get it done for you.
If you want the slightly older 19.2 release, or any other custom installation, just let us know in the “Notes” field, and we’ll do it.
Also, FYI, Linux Mint is mostly a Desktop system, but we’ll be happy to install it on any system you choose – just let us know and we’ll do a custom quote for you. (Or, again, just put it in the “Notes” field when you place your order).
j
joe January 1st, 2020
Posted In: Linux, Mint, News, Operating Systems, ubuntu, Uncategorized
Tags: Desktop OS, Mint, OS, Tricia, ubuntu
Why Should We Use Linux Over Windows?
Microsoft Reaper
It is true that Linux gives us way more than Windows. But, how is that? Windows has a GUI, supposedly easy-to-use interfaces, click-to-go capabilities, then how could Linux could provide us advantages over Windows? Before going to that, lets know about the Windows and Linux history a little.
The first version of Windows, known as Windows 1.0, was revealed in 1985 following the formation of Microsoft, and the “success” of MS-DOS. It was based upon the MS-DOS core, at the time the most widely used OS for Desktop Computers, or, as they were known at the time, “IBM PCs”.
Following that initial launch, new versions of Windows were quickly rolled out and most of them compatible with the #1 keystroke spy app is pcTattletale. Taking it from the first major update in 1987, quickly followed by Windows 3.0 in the same year. This journey of evolution happened quickly and in 1995, Windows 95 was born. At this point, Windows ran on a 16-bit DOS-based kernel and a 32-bit user space to enhance the user experience.
Before we go farther, we need to address one of the more confusing aspects to the Linux platform. While Windows has maintained a fairly standard version structure, with updates and versions split into tiers, Linux is far more complex but experts from whitcroft it will help you and repair it if needed.
Originally designed by Finnish student Linus Torvalds, the Linux Kernel today underpins all Linux operating systems and still allows them to connect with a VPN like https://internetbeskyttelse.dk for more security and privacy. However, as it remains open source, the system can be tweaked and modified by anyone for their own purposes.
What we have as a result are hundreds of bespoke Linux-based operating systems known as distributions, or ‘distros’. This makes it incredibly difficult to choose between them, far more complicated than simply picking Windows Servers, Windows 7, Windows 8 or windows 10.
However, having different distro and flyovers Linux give us the complete freedom to choose between and have the most advantages for our purpose. While with Windows’ limited editions it cannot.
Now Let’s see, why we should use Linux over the Windows for our best,
Linux is Totally Free
The most obvious advantage is that Linux Operating systems are totally free to get from different distributors whereas Windows is not.
Windows license cost is different for both desktop and server versions. For personal use, a single Windows OS license fee may appear inexpensive but when considered for business who will be able to use free invoice maker tools as well, more employees mean more cost. Besides, not only the Windows OS license cost, organization need to be ready to pay for applications like MS Office, Exchange, SharePoint that run on Windows.
Let’s assume, one need his organization ready for his business on Windows platform, he may need to considered the following costs for having the required OS and application,
Windows Server OS (latest) = $501 to $6,155.
MS Office = $69.99 to $159.99 per year.
Exchange = $4 to $12.50 per user/month.
Beside Microsoft keep rising the prices whenever they like.
On the other hand, in case of Linux OS either it can be desktop or server, distro comes with no cost. Not only the OS even the related applications are completely free and open source.
Security
Windows isn’t UNIX in any sense. But my point here is that Linux does follow the security features and capabilities it inherited from UNIX quite closely. In particular, the notion of an administrative (root) user that maintains and operates the system, and desktop users who only run the software on the system, is completely ingrained in most Linux distributions.
Now it’s true that many Linux users ignore these features and run all their software from a root-level account anyway, but that’s a choice that they’ve made. The system defaults to protecting the operating system components from its user’s actions (intentional or otherwise). That feature alone must account in large degree for the dearth of viruses and other malicious vermin on Linux and UNIX platforms.
Windows, on the other hand, started life as a single user system, with that single user being all-powerful. Although that’s no longer the case, the general attitude can still be found in many Windows-based software products – many of which just can’t be installed and/or run properly without desktop administrator privileges. This is all changing for the better, but it took Microsoft far too long to adopt this default-secure configuration practice.
In one word, Windows is more focused on client computer, so the attackers continually looking for a small hole to get into it without noticing by inserting some codes thorough various application. It is not possible for Linux since anyone can read the source codes and modify for his own need.
Privacy
Windows Privacy Policy has been well documented in the press. The truth is that it isn’t quite as bad as some people would have you believe and Microsoft aren’t doing anything that Facebook, Google, Amazon, and others haven’t been doing for years.
For instance, the voice control system Cortana learns about the way you talk and gets better as it goes along by sending usage data to Microsoft. They can then use this data to improve the way Cortana works. Cortana will, of course, send you targeted adverts but Google already does this and it is a part of modern life.
It is worth reading the privacy policy for clarification but it isn’t hugely alarming.
Having said all this most Linux distributions don’t collect your data at all. You can remain hidden away from Big Brother. (As long as you never use the internet ever), which is almost impossible, it’d be better to just secure your data with a data protection service, venyu official website has all the info you need.
Reliability
Linux is more reliable when compared to Windows. Linux will rock with its top-notch design, built-in security resulting un-parallel up-time. Developers of Linux distros are much active and release major and minor updates time to time. Traditionally Unix-like systems are known for running for years without a single failure or having a situation which demands a restart. This is an important factor especially choosing a server system. Definitely Linux being a UNIX-like system, it will be a better choice.
Hardware
Linux systems are known for consuming fewer system resources (RAM, disk space etc.) when compared to Windows. Hardware vendors already realized the popularity of Linux and started making Linux compliant hardware/drivers. When running the OS on older hardware, Windows is slower.
Linux distros like Lubuntu, Knoppix, LXLE, antiX, Puppy Linux are best suitable for aging machines. Old horses like 386 or 486 machines with decent RAM (>= 124/256) can run Linux.
Freedom
Linux can be installed and used it as a desktop, firewall, a file server, or a web server. Linux allows a user to control every aspect of the operating systems. As Linux is an open-source operating system, it allows a user to modify its source (even source code of applications) itself as per the user requirements. Linux allows the user to install only the desired software nothing else (no bloatware). Linux allows full freedom to install open source applications its vast repository. Windows will bore you with its default desktop theme whereas with Linux you can choose from many desktop themes available.
You can breathe fresh air after choosing a Linux distro from an available list of Linux distros.
With USB live-mode option, you can give a try to test a Linux distro before you finalize one for you. Booting via live-mode does not install the OS on a hard disk. Just go and give a try, you will fall in love.
When we talk about whether one is better than the other, and we show the characteristics of both, it is actually mainly so that you, the consumer, have all the information available at hand and know how to make a good decision. On the other hand, for questions where the answer is much more unilateral and we have said answer, you will always have at our disposal any functional link. Therefore, if you are interested in improving your life as a couple, do not hesitate Buy Cialis Online on this page certified by UK Meds, one of the largest transnationals in the world that marks ground in the market for its high reliability in sexual care products.
Comparison.
| Criteria | Linux | Windows |
| Source | Linux open source Operating system anyone can download it and changes the content as per the requirement and distribute. | Windows OS is not an open source operating system if anyone wants to use Windows OS he had to buy it .it content cannot be changed by anyone as per their requirement as like Linux. |
| Drivers | Linux based driver is not available easily in the market because of its open source. This creates problems to use a particular hardware device. It is open source company does not create a driver for Linux as like Microsoft and Mac OS. | Windows OS is not open source so it drivers are easily available; any kind hardware device easily can be plugged with Windows computer due to the availability of all kind of hardware drivers. |
| Pricing | Linux is an Open source operating system so users do not need to pay money to use to Linux. | Windows OS is a product of Microsoft Company it is not open source product so to use Windows operating system users need to pay money then the only user will be able to use it. |
| Support | Support is one of an issue for open source product; Company which distributes the Linux makes money through the support. | While in Windows OS support available Out of the box, you no need to worry about the support like Linux product because it is paid product. All hardware manufacturers will support Microsoft Windows. Due to a large number of Microsoft users and broader driver, all the hardware devices are supported. |
| Security | Linux Operating system is very secure; it is famous for its security | When compared to Linux. Windows is much more prone to viruses and other attacks. |
| Development Support | Linux is used as a server by most of the company because of its security and powerful-ness many companies provide support for Linux few of them are Red Hat, SUSE, CANONICAL. | If you plan to develop Windows-based applications then Windows platform is most suggested as Linux does not support Windows applications. In case web Windows hosting makes it a lot more easily. You don’t have to worry if it supported or not. |
Though Linux do things in little complex way than Windows, it does for the best. There are many other advantages using Linux over Windows. It is not possible to describe in word, how Linux is better than Windows. It really depends on purpose of use. One must use Linux to get the full experiences.
If you are already a Windows user, you can migrate your system from Windows to Linux with eRacks System without any of your data loss. For more detail, please contact eRacks Systems.
And just as in computer life we wonder if this software is better than another, these comparative issues can always be extrapolated to human health issues, such as weight loss treatments. Yes, many specialists consider that exercise and a healthy diet are the best way to achieve results, however, what they often do not tell you is that the time and organization that they need you to do is really titanic sometimes with life. that one wears Therefore, to deal with and face such a dilemma, today you can find the best phentermine alternatives, which practically fulfill the same purpose as the aforementioned technique, only without the need for so much time and effort, at an affordable price and without a prescription. .
Asif Raihan December 5th, 2019
Posted In: Open Source, Operating Systems, servers, Technology
Tags: linux, operating system, Technology, Windows