Ubuntu 26.04 LTS adds Snap and web search to the Overview
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS ships with two new extensions installed and active by default, both adding search capabilities to the GNOME Shell Overview. Before you raise an eyebrow: this is not a revival of the Shopping Lens furore. That saw local file and app searches typed in Ubuntu’s then-Unity desktop piped off to third parties (anonymised, but still dodgy enough to earn Canonical a ‘Big Brother’ award). The first new extension is Web Search Provider. This lets you initiate a web search on Google straight from the GNOME Shell Overview. ‘Initiate’ is the important term here as search terms made in […] You’re reading Ubuntu 26.04 LTS adds Snap and web search to the Overview, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission. …

Firefox Nova – our first look at the browser’s big redesign
A new-look Firefox is on the way, with Mozilla designers working on a ‘Nova’ redesign that introduces more curves and colour. First reported by tech blogger Söeren Hentzschel, who published several internal design mockups, Nova gives Firefox a more rounded appearance: tabs and the address bar sport uniform radii, and sit in a segmented, floating island UI element. Everything nestles neatly. Elements like hover effects in the menu and parts of the New Tab Page are similarly rounded. If you look closely at the image above you’ll also spot a set of refreshed icons that (surprise!) are also less angular […] You’re reading Firefox Nova – our first look at the browser’s big redesign, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission. …

Linux Mint shows off its new lock screen/screensaver
Linux Mint is working on a redesigned screensaver and lock screen for the Cinnamon desktop. Based on our first look, it’s a solid improvement. If the word “screensaver” conjures flying star fields or photo slideshows, that’s fair, but in Cinnamon it also acts as the ‘screen locker’. In 2026, ‘saving’ the screen is less of a concern than ‘locking’ it, but many users enjoy seeing a pretty ‘idle’ display. Cinnamon’s new lock screen will, based on designs shared by Linux Mint, convey more information without you needing to unlock. Battery level, time and date, media player controls and unread notifications […] You’re reading Linux Mint shows off its new lock screen/screensaver, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission. …

Xournal++ adds tablet-friendly toolbar mode
If you take handwritten notes on Linux, chances are Xournal++ is something you’ve tried as its solid feature set and stylus support has earned it a loyal following amongst those who’d rather annotate PDFs or sketch equations than type. One criticism that follows it around is its interface. It’s rather pointer-led; lots of menus, buttons and tiny hit targets in toolbars. It doesn’t prevent you from doing what you opened the app to do – write, draw, scrawl and markup – but it’s not ideal. Well, that’s what a new tablet mode toolbar configuration recently merged in Xournal++‘s development builds […] You’re reading Xournal++ adds tablet-friendly toolbar mode, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission. …

Memerist is a new desktop meme generator for Linux
Is the classic image meme dead, or buried under an avalanche of AI slop? Memerist, a new(ish) native meme generator for Linux, emerged on Flathub recently to help dig them out. Memerist is a native (GTK4/libadwaita) app for Linux desktop. It is technically an image editor with a focused set of features, geared to those who want a convenient, local tool to quickly create and share popular memes. While the primary use case is for making memes, Memerist will open any image file. You can use it to add text and simple effects to anything – pursuit of a LOL […] You’re reading Memerist is a new desktop meme generator for Linux, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission. …

GIMP 3.2 issues third release candidate with fresh fixes
GIMP 3.2 RC3 is now available for testing, giving users an opportunity to try the image editor’s upcoming features ahead of the stable release. As this is the third (and likely final) release candidate before GIMP 3.2 launches, the focus is on refinement. The developers say RC3 delivers “a number of bug fixes and final polishes”, improving on the new features added in earlier dev and beta builds. The changes I’ve pilled out below were made between RC2 to RC3. If you’ve not tracked this cycle’s development, don’t come away thinking this is an overview of what’s new in GIMP […] You’re reading GIMP 3.2 issues third release candidate with fresh fixes, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission. …

Linux Release Roundup (February 2026)
February 2026 delivered a fresh batch of Linux app releases, with updates to Ardour, Lutris and Bazaar among the many that filtered out during the month. I covered some of the month’s biggest releases with full-length features, including Firefox 148’s new AI ‘kill switch’, the ONLYOFFICE 9.3 and LibreOffice 26.2 productivity suite updates, and Linux weather app Typhoon’s Qt 6 port. But they weren’t the only software updates to slip out. Below, I run through a fleet of other app updates February played host to. Some updates were of the modest maintenance variety, while others saw more substantial changelogs. Ardour’s […] You’re reading Linux Release Roundup (February 2026), a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission. …

ONLYOFFICE 9.3 makes document editing easier than ever
A new version of ONLYFFICE Desktop Editors, a open source office suite for Windows, macOS and Linux, is out with a fresh set of features and tools. ONLYOFFICE 9.3 adds more signature options for PDF forms, multipage view for documents, new solver tools and regex formulas in the spreadsheets and support for animated GIFs in presentation slides made with the suite’s PowerPoint equivalent. But there’s a less-obvious change lurking within that may have a more appreciable impact on day-to-day document editing. For a closer look at the changes this update brings, read on. ONLYOFFICE 9.3: Highlights ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors provide […] You’re reading ONLYOFFICE 9.3 makes document editing easier than ever, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission. …

Ubuntu 26.04 Snapshot 4 is now available to download
Canonical’s engineers have announced the fourth and final monthly snapshot of Ubuntu 26.04, ahead of next month’s all important beta release. Ubuntu 26.04 Snapshot 4, like all other monthly snapshots, not a blessed build intended for mainstream usage. It’s a “throwaway artifact” that enables the distro’s engineers to fine-tune and hone a new automated build system. Compared to the January release of snapshot 3, there’s more ‘of note’ packed inside of this one, like the Linux 6.19 kernel and more GNOME 50 beta components (Mutter, Files, Settings), though the new Showtime video player is not included – but is coming. […] You’re reading Ubuntu 26.04 Snapshot 4 is now available to download, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission. …

Ubuntu 26.04 ends a 40-year old sudo tradition

Ubuntu 26.04 will show asterisks when you type your sudo password, as Canonical adds a patch to its Rust-based sudo-rs. Here’s what changed and why.

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Ubuntu 26.04 ‘Resolute Raccoon’ default wallpaper unveiled

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS ‘Resolute Raccoon’ has a new default wallpaper. It keeps the purple gradient but drops the sharp geometric angles. Download a high-res copy.

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Typhoon weather app clears up with Qt6 port
The forecast is looking Qt for fans of open-source weather app Typhoon, the latest update to which swaps its creaking GTK3 backend for a lithe Qt 6 one. What’s interesting about this change in Typhoon 1.7.x is that it doesn’t impact the UI in any noticeable way. The app still uses a colourful, borderless window with optional transparency, and conveys weather forecast data via stark white text and glyphs. Archisman Panigrahi, Typhoon’s developer, says the Qt port was needed since GTK3 is being deprecated, but that rewriting the app in GTK4 was a non-starter given it ‘does not play well […] You’re reading Typhoon weather app clears up with Qt6 port, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission. …

Showtime video player edges closer to Ubuntu debut

Showtime video player looks set to make it into Ubuntu 26.04 LTS after a package update fixed a dependency issue that was blocking its inclusion. Totem’s days are numbered.

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Dynamic Music Pill adds slick media controls to the GNOME panel

Add animated media controls to your GNOME panel or dock with Dynamic Music Pill, a slick GNOME Shell extension showing album art, waveforms and track info.

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Firefox 148 released with AI kill switch + more
The Firefox 148 update sees its stable release today, bringing with it a much-request ‘AI kill switch’ to easily disable all AI-powered features within the browser. Mozilla has said future updates to the browser will not re-enable AI features once disabled. Given that Mozilla now measures its success by how much revenue it makes from AI features in its products, Firefox included, that’s a reassuring stance. To disable AI features in Firefox go to Settings > AI Controls. Slide the ‘Block AI Enhancements’ toggle to turn off ChatGPT and other chatbots in the sidebar, AI link previews, the (supposedly) smart […] You’re reading Firefox 148 released with AI kill switch + more, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission. …