International support has finally arrived.

What’s New in the latest MenuLibre?

• Better international support.  All application strings are now exposed for translation, and translated strings for each launcher are now displayed by default.
• Improved launcher loading.  The methods used to read and write launcher settings have been improved, resulting in better accuracy and improved speed.
• Fixed python installer.  Previous versions of MenuLibre have been known to not work for anything but Ubuntu.  This has finally been fixed… package maintainers, go!
• And… lots of obsolete translations.  Unfortunately, revealing all the untranslated strings means that every translation is now out-of-date.  That’s where the translators come in!

Translating MenuLibre

MenuLibre is hosted on Launchpad, which means translations are a breeze.  To create or modify a translation, just head over to https://translations.launchpad.net/menulibre.  Select the translation to modify, and get started!

Translations will also now be synchronized on a daily basis, meaning each new MenuLibre release will contain the latest updates for each translation.  If you have any questions regarding Launchpad translations, check out the help section here.

PPA Updates

There’s been some updates since the last time I wrote about MenuLibre.  In particular, builds are now available for Ubuntu 12.04, 12.10, and 13.04.  Additionally, there are now two PPAs available for use.

MenuLibre Stable will contain frequent package updates for updated, stable software.  This is the one most people will want.  To install it, run the following commands in a terminal window.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:menulibre-dev/devel
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install menulibre

Perhaps you’re the adventurous type, and you want something a bit more bleeding-edge? The MenuLibre Daily PPA is now available. This archive will contain daily updates to the code and translations, making it a great testing ground for what’s next.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:menulibre-dev/daily
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install menulibre

What’s Next?

The next step in the evolution of MenuLibre is full menu-editing (similar to Alacarte) support for traditional application launchers (Gnome 2, MATE, LXDE, Xfce).  This will position MenuLibre a viable replacement for Alacarte in all projects once complete.  But why stop there?

Do you have any suggestions for the next version of MenuLibre?  Interface refinements, feature requests, or bite-sized bugs that are annoying but not worth reporting?  Let me know in the comments!  And thanks for using MenuLibre!

Catfish 0.6.1 is the best and fastest version yet!

What’s New in the Catfish 0.6 Series?

Considering that I never “officially” announced the 0.6.0 release, there’s quite a bit to go on about here.  Here’s some updates from the Changelog.

• Rewritten from the ground up, with an emphasis on speed and maintainability.
• Replaced the ‘find’ system command with Python’s own os.walk.
• The interface has been revamped, improving on the 0.4 series, bringing a styled sidebar and symbolic icons.
• Thumbnail support has been improved.
• Filenames can be dragged and dropped from the Catfish application.
• Files can now be deleted directly from the application interface.
• Operations can now be performed on multiple files at once (including the two new features mentioned above).
• Improved wildcard support.
• Simplified strings for easier translation.
• And finally, Python versions 2 or 3 can be used.

Demo Video

Screenshots are boring, and they don’t show off the power and speed of Catfish.  So here’s the latest version in a great demo video.

PPA Available for Ubuntu 12.04, 12.10, and 13.04

If you want to install the latest version in Ubuntu (or Lubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Mint, etc.), simply add the Catfish-Stable PPA.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:catfish-search/catfish-stable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install catfish

What’s New?

This release mostly addresses a number of bugs that have been plaguing users, but also introduces a few new features and refinements.

• Fixed some build errors and concerns (bugs #9728 and #9744).
• The show/hide playlist button is now stationary.  The window expands and shrinks to accommodate the playlist (bug #9755).
• The mute button now works as a “Toggle Mute On/Off” button (bug #9760).
• The playlist is no longer manipulable while hidden (bug #9762).
• Added full webm file support (bug #9798).
• Fixed aspect ratio calculation (bug #9872).
• Fixed some previously untranslatable strings (bug #9868).
• The timer now updates immediately when seeking (bug #9761).
• Fixed the playlist menu opening offscreen.
• Improved the tray and notifications plugins.
• Locale names are now displayed instead of the codes for audio tracks and subtitles.
• Added (optional) GStreamer 1.0 support.
• Added theming to the player control when in fullscreen (see screenshot below).
• Removed the Power Manager plugin now that Parole has full power-manager support built-in.
• Removed the scrollwheel event from the progress scale.
• Additional minor improvements.

New Feature Screenshots

Download Parole Media Player 0.5.0

Ubuntu 13.04 users, rejoice!  Parole is now available in the repositories.  Everyone else, you can download the source code from the following links.

• http://archive.xfce.org/src/apps/parole/0.5/parole-0.5.0.tar.bz2
• http://archive.xfce.org/src/apps/parole/0.5/parole-0.5.0.tar.bz2.md5
• http://archive.xfce.org/src/apps/parole/0.5/parole-0.5.0.tar.bz2.sha1

SHA1 checksum: c34a33f92534a93c4cb1b92c4c8ab09f36871fe6
MD5 checksum: d8adad20ee95dfca3082812ca44be122

Contributing

If you’re interested in helping out with the development of Parole Media Player, there’s a number of ways you can help.  The easiest, by far, is by reporting bugs at the Xfce Bugzilla.  If you’re having difficulties, there’s a good possibility you’re not alone.  So go ahead, and let us know what’s up!  Similarly, we’re always in need of development support.  If you’ve got some programming chops, head on over to the git repository!  Finally, one of our (perhaps lofty) goals for the next version of Parole is documentation.  If you’re experienced at creating useful and understandable documentation, or if you’re just ready to start, we’ve got a clean canvas waiting for you are the Xfce Documenation site.

So, what do you think of the latest Parole?  Good?  Bad?  Let us know in the comments!

What’s New in Catfish 0.6?

• Completely rewritten from the ground-up.
• Replace the UNIX ‘find’ command with Python’s os.walk.  This makes everything faster and more responsive.  The “Deep Search” button is now also gone.
• The sidebar now uses the theme style as well as symbolic icons (when available).
• The interface has also had a number of other tweaks, further refining it into a professional-grade application.
• File names can now be dragged from the search results into other applications.
• Files can now be deleted from the results window.
• To speed things up, these above items and other file actions can now also be performed on multiple files at once.
• Strings have been simplified and made clearer, making the application easier to translate into other languages.
• Last but not least, this is the first version of Catfish that can be run with either Python 2 or 3.

Catfish is faster, cleaner, leaner, and meaner.

Translations Needed

With the newly-optimized interface and strings, there’s a need for new translations.  There are more strings than ever before, and I think that the number of users is growing as well.  As such, there is a growing need for more localizations than ever before.  And, all of the old translations are no longer compatible...

So, if you or a friend are interested in contributing, improving, or suggesting translations to the next release, check out the Launchpad translations page!  Creating and modifying translations is really as simple as can be with their handy interface.  And hurry, because this next release will likely happen this weekend and will include all completed translations!

What About the Code?

If you’re more interested in looking at or testing the code, you can check it out here.  If you find any bugs, be sure to report them at the Launchpad bugs page.

Thanks for your interest in Catfish!  What do you think?  Let me know in the comments!

Feature-rich and fast Parole Media Player 0.4.0

Bug Fixes

• Fixed compilation bugs #9219 and #9226.
• Fullscreen controls are now displayed on the proper monitor (bug #9270).
• Fixed screensaver inhibition (bug #7407).
• Fixed a bug where Parole would freeze on some subtitles (bug #9194).
• Fixed a bug where Parole would skip every second ogg-vorbis file in the playlist (bug #9562).

New Features and Fixes

• File and location history
• Embedded mode
• Missing codec detection and installation
• Custom subtitle loading
• CD and DVD playlist support
• DVD navigation
• New look for audio formats
• New notification plugin
• Configuration ported to Xfconf
• Improved keyboard shortcuts

File and Location History

Recent files are now easily accessible.  “Recent files” has been added to the Media menu.  The “Open Location” dialog has also been greatly improved.  Additionally, history can be easily cleared.

Embedded Mode

“Embedded Mode” has been a long-requested feature that would trim away bits of the interface for embedding into other applications (e.g. web browsers).  To start Parole in embedded mode, simply use the following command: parole --embedded

A mini-mode Parole Media Player.

Missing Codec Detection and Installation

Another long-requested feature, Parole can now detect if your system is missing a necessary codec, and install it as well.

Parole Media Player can now find and install missing codecs with ease.

Custom Subtitle Loading

Previously, Parole would only open subtitles that were embedded in video files or that had matching file names.  Now, you can select any subtitle file for Parole to load along with your video.

External subtitle support has been greatly enhanced in 0.4.0

CD and DVD Playlist Support

CD and DVD tracks have now been added to the playlist.  This makes it easier than ever to quickly jump to your favorite track or scene.  DVD navigation has also been added to the playlist, so you can move quickly via DVD menus.

New Look for Audio Formats

This is where Parole gets fancy.  We’ve added a whole new look for audio tracks, showing off a big beautiful album art and track details.  We’re pretty proud of this latest feature, be sure to check it out.

Introducing the new audio box widget! Enjoy your album art.

New Notification Plugin

And now that we have album art, we’ve also added it to the newly-introduced notification plugin.  Notifications were previously a part of the tray icon plugin, but since their functionality is separate, it only makes sense for the plugins to be as well.

The new notifications plugin in Parole Media Player.

Configuration Ported to Xfconf

Configuration has moved away from settings files and has been integrated with Xfce Settings.  This means easier deployment of preferred settings and the ability to quickly reset settings if something goes awry.

Parole settings are now stored in the Xfce Settings.

Improved Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts have been a big discussion for this release and have been improved significantly.  You’ll find all the shortcuts below.

General

Playlist

Playback

Where Do I Get It?

Parole’s source code can be downloaded here.  Ubuntu 13.04 users can download it straight from the Ubuntu Software Center.  If you’re running Ubuntu 12.04 or 12.10, Parole can be installed from the Xfce 4.12 PPA below (12.04 users also need the 4.10 PPA).

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xubuntu-dev/xfce-4.12
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install parole

Please test Parole 0.4 and report any bugs you find at the Xfce Bugzilla.  So, what do you think of the latest and greatest Xfce media player?  Let me know in the comments!

Featured image, available under a Creative Commons license from http://www.flickr.com/photos/bayasaa/2693171833/

Ubuntu: Games, TVs, Smartphones, and Surprises

By 14.04 LTS Ubuntu will power tablets, phones, TVs and smart screens from the car to the office kitchen, and it will connect those devices cleanly and seamlessly to the desktop, the server and the cloud. — Mark Shuttleworth

2012 has been a whirlwind year for Ubuntu.  With the announcement of (and even progress towards) Ubuntu for Android, Ubuntu TV, and Ubuntu across multiple platforms, 2013 will set the stage for a unified platform across all devices.  And with the latest countdown, time will only tell what else Ubuntu has in store for 2013.

The other huge news that came out of 2012 was the Value and Ubuntu partnership to bring Steam and many popular games to the Linux platform.  This was something often alluded to, and leaked, and denied, and then it happened.  Now Steam for Linux is available as an open beta for anybody to try out.  As this continues to become more stable and more games come to Ubuntu, more gamers may as well.

Finally, 2013 also means two more Ubuntu-family releases (Raring Ringtail, anyone), featuring the latest and greatest of Linux and open source software.  Now that’s quite a bit to look forward to, and I’m only getting started!

Xfce 4.12

Xfce 4.12 will be released this year, bringing all sorts of new goodies.  The developers have been hard at work fixing bugs and introducing new features to the Xfce family of applications.  Development releases of Thunar, Mousepad, Xfce Settings, Terminal, and more offer some great new features while maintaining minimalism in both appearance and memory usage.

The development branch of Thunar, the Xfce file manager, introduces tabbed browsing (a long-requested feature), gphoto integration (offering better support for Android devices and digital cameras), and additional improvements all around.  The latest versions of exo and tumbler further improve Thunar and Xfdesktop.

There’s plenty more to write about, but I can imagine that most people aren’t as excited about this stuff as I am… moving on!

My Current Projects

Finally, I’m caught up to my own projects.  I’ve been increasingly busy as of late, further refining Parole Media Player, Catfish, and MenuLibre.  Each application is becoming increasingly more stable and feature-full.  And with each commit, I get fired up to add, tweak, or fix something else.

Parole Media Player is (probably) lines of code away from a new release.  We’ve fixed all long-standing bugs, further refined the interface, and added some awesome new features.  Screensaver support is finally fixed, so you can enjoy a full-length movie without wiggling your mouse.  Missing codecs can now be easily found and installed from Parole.  We’ve added an excellent new audio widget that shows album art and track details.  CDs and DVDs can now be quickly and easily navigated by the playlist as well.  If you’re interested, please check out the latest code from the git repository and test it out!  Report any bugs you find here.

I’ve been hard at work rewriting Catfish from the ground-up to be leaner, faster, and more easily extended and maintained.  The experimental code is still private, but here’s a sneak peek!

Finally, MenuLibre is being reworked to add some classic menu editing capabilities (useful for Xfce, LXDE, and other desktop environments).  Hopefully we’ll see this new feature sometime soon in the coming days.  As always, if you’re interested in helping out with any of these projects, let me know.

Happy New Years!

So yeah, 2013.  It’s going to be huge.  And you should do all you can to start it off on the right foot, having a good time with friends, family, or even strangers.  There’s a lot coming up and it will get here when it gets here, right.  Though, if you’re impatient, most of this upcoming software is available online, even in its early development stage.  So, why wait?

Got any big plans for 2013?  Looking forward to the next year and everything that’s to come?  Let me know in the comments!

Cheers!

Just add the PPA (12.04 and 12.10) and install using these simple commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:menulibre-dev/devel
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install menulibre

Now, I’ve just got to find everyone that’s been looking for the Quantal version.  If you know anyone that’s been looking for it, give them the good news!  And should you stumble across any bugs, report them here.  Thanks!

Introducing the Quantal Quetzal

On April 23 of this year, Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Canonical and father of Ubuntu announced the codename for the latest release.  In a blog post that featured the letter ‘Q’ 40 times across a mere 6 paragraphs (an outstanding feat in and of its own), Mark outlined that the Quantal Quetzal would maintain a continued focus on quality and stability across the development cycle.  The Xubuntu Team maintained these goals throughout the development cycle, and put together yet another top-notch operating system.

What’s New in Xubuntu 12.10?

Everything.  Seriously, see the release notes.  But if you really want me to be specific, here’s the latest:

• Linux 3.5.0-17 (based on 3.5.5)
• Xfce 4.10
• Completely rewritten offline documentation
• All configuration launchers are now consolidated in the Settings Manager
• Updated artwork (see below)
• Updated applications: Abiword 2.9.2+svn, Catfish 0.4.0.2, Firefox 16.0.1, gmusicbrowser 1.1.9, gThumb 3.0.2, Parole 0.3.0.3, Pidgin 2.10.6, Thunar 1.4.0, Thunderbird 16.0.1, Transmission 2.61, Ubuntu Software Center 5.3.14.2, and XChat 2.8.8

How about a little demo video?

Screenshots

What would a new Xubuntu release be without the latest from the Shimmer Project?  Check out the screenshots of Xubuntu 12.10 in action.

Sacrifices

There were some interesting challenges presented in this release.  Ubuntu has made the push for GTK+3 and Python 3 to be standard.  This is entirely welcome, but can be costly when some applications still depend on previous versions of the same toolkits.  Some sacrifices had to be made to keep Xubuntu 12.10 on a standard CD-ROM (a task other teams have given up on).  The Live CD bade farewell to several games (only Sudoku and Mines remain), GIMP Image Editor, Gnumeric, Synaptic Package Manager, and the Startup Disk Creator.  Thankfully, these are all easily installable from the Ubuntu Software Center!

Get Xubuntu 12.10 “Quantal Quetzal”

Well, you’ve read about it, you’ve heard about it, now why don’t you install it?  First, check the known issues to make sure you won’t be negatively affected.  If you’re good to go, you can either install from the latest disc image from Xubuntu.org or upgrade from Xubuntu 12.04 using these handy instructions.

So, what are your thoughts of the latest and greatest Xubuntu release?  Let me know in the comments!

About the Ubuntu App Showdown

The Ubuntu App Showdown was a three-week event started on June 18 and ending on July 9.  The event was sponsored by System76 and Qt.  Developers had three weeks to develop an application (or two) that would be evaluated based on the following review criteria:

• Novelty: The application had to be developed by an individual or team and had to be composed of entirely original, open source code.
• Appearance: The application should have been developed with design in mind.
• Stability: The application should run well and smoothly, without crashes or obvious bugs.
• Platform integration: The application should integrate with Unity, utilizing notifications, indicators, progress badges, etc. where needed.
• Innovation: The application should provide some functionality not previously available in Ubuntu.
• Scratches an itch: The application should be useful, and fill a gap that Ubuntu had been missing.

Personal Submission: MenuLibre

If you’re tired of hearing about my fancy menu editing application, you can skip on down to the results.  Otherwise, how about one more round?

I created MenuLibre after being subjected to Alacarte’s bugginess and general lack of appeal.  I wanted something lightweight and good-looking, that even functioned well in this menu-free future we’re entering with Unity and Gnome Shell.  More importantly, I wanted to provide an alternative to Alacarte (for it’s Gnome dependencies) and LXMenuEditor (for it’s java dependencies) for the lightweight desktop environments XFCE and LXDE.

MenuLibre works well, looks good, and is lightweight, both in resource usage and dependencies.  Check it out over at the home page.

Results from the Judging Panel

The original results were announced on August 7th, see my original post here.

1. First Place went to the stylish Google Reader desktop application LightRead.
   • This lucky winner received a System76 Gazelle Professional laptop and Nokia N9 phone.
2. Second Place went to the webapp integrating application Fogger.
   • The Fogger developer (also very lucky) received a System76 Lemur Ultra laptop and Nokia N9 phone.
3. Third Place went to the puzzle game Picsaw.
   • This winner made off with a shiny new Nokia N9 phone.

These results were only the beginning, with the Community Vote starting on August 15th and running for two weeks.  And the winners of the community vote are…

Results from the Community Vote

The community vote consisted of an (extensive) online survey where anyone in the community could vote for their favorite application.  Each Community Vote winner would receive their very own Nokia N9 phone.  The winners have been announced.

1st Place: Ridual

Ridual is a brand new, dual-pane file manager.

2nd Place: OrthCal

OrthCal is an indicator application that helps you keep up with the Eastern Orthodox feasts.

3rd Place: Cuttlefish

In my opinion, Cuttlefish is really the star of the Ubuntu App Showdown.  It enables your computer to perform certain actions (opening/closing applications, disabling bluetooth, muting your computer) based on a variety of stimuli.  It works well, and offers an easy to use interface and a tutorial video on YouTube.

More to Come

There’s a lot of good things that have come from the Ubuntu App Showdown.  We’ve added over 100 applications in a short amount of time, many of great quality.  The approval process is being reimagined and improved based on the large amount of feedback received.  And perhaps most importantly, thanks to the tremendous success of the first App Showdown, we can expect more in the future!  So, if you’ve got an idea for another incredible application, but didn’t get a chance to introduce it in this time around, don’t despair. 

What are your thoughts on the Ubuntu App Showdown?  Do you think it was a big success, or somewhat of a letdown?  Were you secretly rooting for MenuLibre?  Let me know in the comments!

And if you want a refresher about what MenuLibre is all about, just head over to the MenuLibre project page or check out the video past the break!