Enjoy Monitoring Mantic Kubuntu 23.10

[claydoh]

At least it is already part of the changelog on Lauchpad:
"Provide a compatibility symlink so Muon can still launch software-properties."

I still find it humorous that instead of editing the code to look for software-properties-qt instead of the old software-prperties-kde, they used the 'hack' of a symlink.
This is still just a packaging tweak. Albeit probably the best choice for a fix.

[NoWorries]

Yes, muon isn't really being maintained, not for ages. Note that the last release for this was in 2018. Any "dev" work done are packaging tweaks so that it builds and installs correctly, etc, and probably language edits. There has been no change in the actual code in over 5 years.
The is always Synaptic.

Thanks for the reminder that the developers are able to get Muon to work over the past 5 years. I have been encouraged by the fact that on Lunar, Muon works without fault. So I am expecting it to also work correctly on Mantic in time..

[NoWorries]

For some days now I have been dealing with what amounted to unexpected Wayland related messages. The first message that I got, told me to use:

System Settings > Input Devices > Virtual Keyboard and select IBus Wayland. After doing this I got the message.

IBus Notificatioin

Please unset QT_IM_MODULE and GTK_IM_MODULE environment variables and 'ibus-daemon --panel disable' should be executed as a child process of ibus-ui-gtk3 component.

I must admit that this is beyond my capability to do. If anyone on this forum has any suggestion as to how to do what it says, I would be very grateful. In the meantime I will assume that this is a software bug.

[NoWorries]

It is now 2 months to go before the release of Mantic Minotaur.

Mantic updates still continue to improve the reliability of the system. It is now only 2 months before its released. Mantic continues to be very stable. The advances over the last month are illustrated in the table below.

	3 Months to go	2 Months to go
KDE Plasma Version	5.27.6	5.27.6
KDE Frameworks Version	5.109.0	5.109.0
KDE Applications Version	23.04.3	23.04.3
QT Version	5.15.10	5.15.10
Kernel Version	6.3.0-07-generic	6.3.0-07-generic

In the list above, I have the Frameworks version at 5.109 on my HP Laptop. This is because I use the ppa for staging-frameworks. About a week ago, I found that using this frameworks option led to my ASUS Laptop not working because the desktop files had been removed amongst other legitimate packages. With my Mantic desktop restored, I added the ppa for staging-frameworks to illustrate what packages are removed if you approve, ie,

The following packages will be REMOVED
akregator apport-kde ark dolphin gwenview kaddressbook kate kde-cli-tools keditbookmarks khelpcenter
khotkeys kinfocenter knotes konsole konsole-kpart kontact konversation korganizer kross kscreen
ktexteditor-katepart ktorrent kubuntu-desktop kubuntu-settings-desktop libkf5kdelibs4support5
libkf5kdelibs4support5-bin libkf5khtml-bin libkf5khtml5 libkf5krossui5 libkf5parts-plugins libkf5parts5
libkf5texteditor5 libkpim5kontactinterface5 muon okular okular-extra-backends plasma-dataengines-addons
plasma-desktop plasma-wallpapers-addons plasma-widgets-addons plasma-workspace plasma-workspace-wayland
sddm-theme-breeze

So my ASUS Laptop, which has an NVIDIA card with nouveau drivers, still has Frameworks Version 5.108. Also, this Laptop with LO Impress for projections has no white line on the right and bottom edge of the screen. So I use it for any presentations that I am required too do.

My HP Laptop has an AMD video card. When I use the Wayland desktop, LO Impress has a reduced size projection overlayed on the control screen. The auxiliary monitor for projections is blank in this case. For the X11 desktop, all is well with the only problem being the white line on the bottom and right edge of the projection screen. These white lines are a previously reported LO bug.

All other aspects of the Mantic desktop improvements are great and I look forward to further improvements over months ahead.

[NoWorries]

I have been frustrated for some weeks now in that, when I do updates that include staging-frameworks, the solution is to remove 42 packages which are listed in my previous post above. There is also a long list of packages that are no longer required.

Of the packages that need to be upgrade to get Frameworks 5.109 on my ASUS Laptop, I found the culprit files that, when I install with

sudo apt update; sudo apt dist-upgrade

my kubuntu-desktop, plasma-desktop as well as other important files will be removed. This problem only occurs with a NVIDIA graphics card using nouveau drivers. HP Laptop with an AMD graphics card has no problems

I laboriously installed all files for 5.109 which did not threaten to remove important files. Listed below are those files, which with Muon, would remove important files and I will not install.

libkf5texteditor-bin
libkf5parts-data
libkf5krosscore5
libkf5khtml-data
libkf5kdelibs4support-data
ktexteditor-data

For each day that I do updates and I now also open the file that contains the above list and only install those packages which are not on this list.
I just hope that the developers can find the reason for these files causing me problems.

[cookiemuncher]

Yesterday installed Kubuntu 23.10 on an SSD (previously dual booted Peppermint from it without issues).

I initially removed my Windows 11 drive. Booting into the 23.10 presented no problems at all. The problems started when I connected the Windows 11 drive. 'update-grub' detected the Windows 11 install and was added to the GRUB boot menu, but that is all it does as I get a blue screen with reports of errors and needing repairs, etc. from MS. Tried a few things (clearing mobo UEFI keys, etc) but fails each reboot. Secure boot is disabled.

I then installed rEFInd and am able to dual boot as before.
Do I wait for a few days/weeks and try again with the normal dual booting? Do I try Xubuntu 23.10 or Ubuntu 23.10?

chris@kubuntu-2310:~$ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Device 4c53 (rev 01)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Device 4c01 (rev 01)
00:14.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation Tiger Lake-H USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 xHCI Host Controller (rev 11)
00:14.2 RAM memory: Intel Corporation Tiger Lake-H Shared SRAM (rev 11)
00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation Tiger Lake-H Management Engine Interface (rev 11)
00:17.0 SATA controller: Intel Corporation Device 43d2 (rev 11)
00:1d.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Device 43b2 (rev 11)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation H510 LPC/eSPI Controller (rev 11)
00:1f.3 Audio device: Intel Corporation Tiger Lake-H HD Audio Controller (rev 11)
00:1f.4 SMBus: Intel Corporation Tiger Lake-H SMBus Controller (rev 11)
00:1f.5 Serial bus controller: Intel Corporation Tiger Lake-H SPI Controller (rev 11)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GP106 [GeForce GTX 1060 6GB] (rev a1)
01:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation GP106 High Definition Audio Controller (rev a1)
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 15)

[NoWorries]

I assume that you mean 23.10 and not the 10 year old version 13.10. If you are using 23.10, I hope you have success in overcoming your problems with an external drive. It is a shame that grub-customizer is not available for Mantic but it is available for Lunar and I use it for getting a workable grub menu with Mantic, Lunar and Windows.

[jlittle]

I then installed rEFInd and am able to dual boot as before.

Why don't you want to run with rEFInd?

[cookiemuncher]

Why don't you want to run with rEFInd?

Just wondering where the problem might be. OOPS 23.10 and not 13.10 LOL.
I'll do the the regular updates and hopefully the problem will disappear before October.

[notabug]

NoWorries, I've been watching your thread out of interest. Today, I ran across an article on omgubuntu.co.uk I Think Ubuntu 23.10 is Making a Mistake… saying that the release of Ubuntu 23.10 won't come with the usual assortment of applications most Linux users are accustomed to. So far, I don't see where you or anyone else has mentioned the same for Kubuntu 23.10. I'm using Kubuntu 23.04, so I expect what I have already installed to be carried forward as usual. Your thoughts on this....

[claydoh]

No one has talked about this from Kubuntu, as far as I have seen.

Ubuntu's set of software included on a default install has no real effect on what Kubuntu chooses, other than trying to keep to a specific ISO image size.
Kubuntu isn't using the new installer. so there is no need to modify things anyway.

Fun fact: Libreoffice uses 1Gb of space on the OS image, for example
(This is how much it uses when installed, not the size of the compressed packages used to install it)

$ sudo apt install libreoffice libreoffice-kf5
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
.
.
.
0 upgraded, 117 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 258 MB of archives.
After this operation, 983 MB of additional disk space will be used.

But, for Ubuntu as I read it, they are still revamping their default list, and have open discussion on it.

Of course being non-LTS, things are in a sense 'experimental' in prep for ther next LTS. The new install is/was to potentially add a section for selecting additional software to download and install.
Again, no bearing on Kubuntu here at all, not until they create new installer for the "Flavours".

[notabug]

Thanks claydoh. I've only tried Ubuntu a few times, but I've never really liked Gnome.

[NoWorries]

On my system, I have a Lunar iso file which is 4.6 GiB and a Mantic iso file which is 3.9GiB. To prove what files are to be installed, I got the latest Mantic iso and did a trial desktop and used the console to enter the command

sudo ls /usr/applications | sed s/.desktop// - > installed-apps.txt

. The file from this approach I have divided into two parts because of the number of entries. The first is:

org.fre.impl.portal.desktop.kde.desktop
org.fre.Xwayland.desktop
org.kde.ark
org.kde.bluedevilsendfile
org.kde.bluedevilwizard
org.kde.ConfigurePrinter
org.kde.discover.apt.urlhandler
org.kde.discover
org.kde.discover.notifier
org.kde.discover.snap
org.kde.discover.urlhandler
org.kde.dolphin
org.kde.drkonqi.coredump.gui
org.kde.drkonqi
org.kde.elisa
org.kde.gwenview
org.kde.gwenview_importer
org.kde.haruna
org.kde.kate
org.kde.kcalc
org.kde.kcolorschemeeditor
org.kde.kde-add-printer
org.kde.kdeconnect.app
org.kde.kdeconnect.daemon
org.kde.kdeconnect.handler
org.kde.kdeconnect.nonplasma
org.kde.kdeconnect_open
org.kde.kdeconnect-settings
org.kde.kdeconnect.sms
org.kde.kded5
org.kde.kdialog
org.kde.keditbookmarks
org.kde.keditfiletype
org.kde.kfontview
org.kde.khelpcenter
org.kde.kinfocenter
org.kde.klipper
org.kde.kmahjongg
org.kde.kmenuedit
org.kde.kmines
org.kde.knetattach
org.kde.knewstuff-dialog
org.kde.konsole
org.kde.konversation
org.kde.kpat
org.kde.krdc
org.kde.ksudoku
org.kde.ksystemlog
org.kde.ktorrent
org.kde.kwalletd5
org.kde.kwalletmanager5
org.kde.kwin_rules_dialog
org.kde.mobile.okular_chm
org.kde.mobile.okular_djvu
org.kde.mobile.okular_epub
org.kde.mobile.okular_md
org.kde.mobile.okular_tiff
org.kde.okular
org.kde.partitionmanager
org.kde.plasma.browser_integration.host
org.kde.plasma.emojier
org.kde.plasma.settings.open
org.kde.plasmashell
org.kde.plasma-systemmonitor
org.kde.plasmawindowed
org.kde.polkit-kde-authentication-agent-1
org.kde.PrintQueue
org.kde.skanlite
org.kde.spectacle
org.kde.systemmonitor
pavucontrol-qt
python3.11
qapt-deb-installer
qwant-maps-geo-handler
signon-ui
snap-handle-link
software-properties-drivers-lxqt
software-properties-lxqt
software-properties-qt
systemsettings
thunderbird
usb-creator-kde
vim
wheelmap-geo-handler
xdg-portal-gtk.desktop

and the second part is:

apport-kde
apport-kde-mime
breezestyleconfig
defaults.list
geoclue-demo-agent
google-maps-geo-handler
hplj1020
im-config
info
io.snapcraft.SessionAgent
kcm_about-distro
kcm_access
kcm_activities
kcm_audiocd
kcm_autostart
kcm_baloofile
kcm_bluetooth
kcm_bolt
kcm_breezedecoration
kcm_clock
kcm_colors
kcm_componentchooser
kcm_cursortheme
kcmpaths.desktop
kcm_feedback
kcm_filetypes
kcm_firewall
kcm_fontinst
kcm_fonts
kcm_icons
kcm_joystick
kcm_kaccounts
kcm_kamera
kcm_kdeconnect
kcm_kded
kcm_keyboard
kcm_keys
kcm_krunnersettings
kcm_kscreen
kcm_kwindecoration
kcm_kwin_effects
kcm_kwinoptions
kcm_kwinrules
kcm_kwin_scripts
kcm_kwintabbox
kcm_kwin_virtuas.desktop
kcm_kwinxwayland
kcm_landingpage
kcm_lookandfeel
kcm_mouse
kcm_networkmanagement
kcm_nightcolor
kcm_notifications
kcm_plasmasearch
kcm_powerdevilactivitiesconfig
kcm_powerdevilglobalconfig
kcm_powerdevilprofilesconfig
kcm_printer_manager
kcm_pulseaudio
kcm_qtquicksettings
kcm_recentFiles
kcm_regionandlang
kcm_screenlocker
kcm_sddm
kcm_smserver
kcm_solid_actions
kcmspellchecking
kcm_splashscreen
kcm_style
kcm_tablet
kcm_touchpad
kcm_touchscreen
kcm_trash
kcm_updates
kcm_users
kcm_virtualkeyboard
kcm_workspace
kde4
kde-mimeapps.list
kdesystemsettings
kde_wacom_tabletfinder
ktelnetservice5
kwalletmanager5-kwalletd
kwincompositing
libreoffice-calc
libreoffice-draw
libreoffice-impress
libreoffice-math
libreoffice-startcenter
libreoffice-writer
libreoffice-xsltfilter
mimeinfo.cache
okularApplication_chm
okularApplication_comicbook
okularApplication_djvu
okularApplication_dvi
okularApplication_epub
okularApplication_fax
okularApplication_fb
okularApplication_ghostview
okularApplication_kimgio
okularApplication_md
okularApplication_mobi
okularApplication_pdf
okularApplication_plucker
okularApplication_tiff
okularApplication_txt
okularApplication_xps
openstreetmap-geo-handler

So with this list, a new user gets a very good idea of Mantic's capabilities.

[claydoh]

The manifest file, located in the same directory as each iso image also lists all the actual packages that make up the ISO's OS image. For example, this is the current daily ISO's list.

Fun fact: the 'minimal' option in the installer actually is a similar but small list, used to uninstall software from the live image after it has been copied to the drive. So, the minimal option takes longer to install.

[oshunluvr]

Unfortunately, I am not convinced about the advantages of rollbacks as it would take up more disk space. I cannot see any advantage in btrfs formatting for the root partition as the partitions for Linux distributions always give access t previous kernels to boot with if problems arise. I am quite happy to have my Home partitions formatted as btrfs.

~~~

As you can see the btrfs on both Root partitions works if you only have one Linux distribution on your system. However if you have more than one, the last installed Linux distribution is only seen and accessible. From the table above, having one with btrfs and the other with ext4 does not work very well. The access to multiple Linux distributions with the old world formatting works only when both Root systems ext4 formatted.

Rolling back would allow a return to any previous snapshot, which one can do at any time, like just before doing "sudo apt full-upgrade". Rolling back takes about 5 seconds and a reboot. I can think of no place more suited for the use of rolling back than when testing a pre-released distro.

Snapshots take ZERO drive data space unless and until changes are made to the source subvolume. For example, if you snapshot a root subvolume prior to an update, then update, the snapshot consumes the amount of the update - but only what was removed during the update and no more. Deleting the snapshot restores the free space. If drive space is of concern, one can simply snapshot prior to updating, update, and reboot. If all is well, the delete the snapshot immediately.

I keep a weeks worth of daily snapshots. To illustrate this point, I measured the drive space each of my 7 snapshots reported as used and subtracted the amount the previous snapshot contained to get an idea of how much space is actually consumed by having 7 snapshots. My full install uses 31.06GB and the additional amount of 7 daily snapshots is 1.79GB. This does include two new programs I installed this week that account for 1.89GB of newly used space and a removal that freed 166MB. So seven snapshots consume an amount roughly equal to 5.7% (assuming my logic and math are correct, of course). On days where no new programs was added or previously installed programs removed, the space used varies from 2 to 30MB.

As to booting multiple installs, last I checked os-prober does not detect BTRFS installs outside the one os-prober is running on. This does make easily booting multiple installs when using BTRFS a problem. My solution is to use 40_custom entries that simply read the grub menu from other installs, whether on the same BTRFS file system or another. This works very well and has the added benefit of not requiring multiple updates of grub to keep up with kernel changes.

However, obviously what you are doing works for you and since you see no need to be able to roll back from a failed upgrade there's no reason for you to change to BTRFS.