FOSS Weekly #23.42: Ubuntu 23.10 Releases, Demystifying Subtitles and More

This edition of FOSS Weekly focuses on Ubuntu 23.10 releases and subtitle handling, among other things.
Warp Terminal

Ubuntu 23.10 and its flavors have been released. A major identified issue is that a 'bug' is not allowing users to install deb files using the software center. To me, it's not a bug but a feature introduced by Ubuntu to push towards total Snap dominance.

Fedora 39 was supposed to be released this week but an issue was identified at the last moment and hence it is pushed to the next week. Better late than broken.

BTW, It's FOSS Pro/Sudo membership is renamed to It's FOSS Plus. The Plus members (previously known as Pro members) will see the Plus logo when logged in. A little cosmetic change to appreciate the support Plus members provide.

It's FOSS Plus logo view

💬 Let's see what else you get in this edition of FOSS Weekly:

  • Raspberry Pi OS is doing away with X11 support.
  • Focusrite has offered its support to a Linux programmer.
  • Tips and tricks on subtitle handling.
  • Many distro releases, with Ubuntu 23.10 being the key one.
  • And other Linux news, videos, Puzzles and, of course, memes!

📰 Linux news

All these Ubuntu flavor releases mean that we also have a major Ubuntu release. Ubuntu 23.10 is a big one with many improvements.

Ubuntu 23.10: The Big Release is Here!
Ubuntu 23.10 ‘Mantic Minotaur’ is now here with GNOME 45 and other fantastic improvements.

🌐 Follow us on Google News

By the way, if you use Google, follow It's FOSS on Google News to get trusted It's FOSS content before other websites in Google search.

It’s FOSS - Google News
Read full articles from It’s FOSS and explore endless topics, magazines and more on your phone or tablet with Google News.

🧠 What we’re thinking about

A report by Sonatype has revealed that very few open-source projects are actively maintained. Among the 1.2 million projects they analyzed, only a meager 11% were being actively maintained.

Report finds few open source projects actively maintained
Sonatype’s annual software supply chain analysis finds open source project maintenance in decline, while 1 in 8 open source downloads have a known risk.

🧮 Tips and Tutorials

Here's how to use the Nix package manager on non-Nix OSes like Ubuntu.

Install Nix Package Manager on Ubuntu and Other Linux
Nix package manager can be installed on any Linux distribution. Here’s how.

A handy trick to convert multiple images to a single PDF file.

How to Convert Multiple Images to PDF in Ubuntu Linux
Easiest way to merge several image files into one PDF file in Ubuntu and other Linux distributions.

📜 For the love of subtitles

Can't live watch without subtitles? Here are a few tips and tools to put your subtitle experience over the top.

And two of my favorite subtitle tools:

📹 What we are watching

An interview of UNIX co-creator Ken Thompson where he also discusses the famous 'grep was created overnight' story.


✨ App highlights

You can use Warehouse to manage the installed Flatpaks on your system.

Warehouse: A Powerhouse Tool to Manage Flatpak Apps
Do you rely on Flatpak applications? Warehouse should help you make things easier.

A new GUI tool for Bluetooth management in works.

An Interesting Bluetooth App for Linux Just Appeared!
All things Bluetooth with this brand new app!

🧩 New quizzes

As 31st October approaches, you'll have more Halloween themed quizzes 🎃

Jigsaw Puzzle: Pick up the Pieces of Halloween Tux
Complete the jigsaw puzzle by arranging the tiles.

Plus users have the advantage of an extra quiz unit.

Puzzle of the Week: Word Scramble #04: KDE Apps
Exercise those ‘little gray cells’ of yours and solve this puzzle.

💡 Quick handy tip

You can move the Firefox View button on the tab bar to anywhere in the toolbar, or even hide it completely.

Just go to “Customize Toolbar” and then drag and drop it to your liking.

If you want it back in the same position, you can press the “Restore Defaults” button on the customize toolbar section.


🤣 Meme of the week

I never learn! One of these days I am going to get stuck in a bind.


🗓️ Tech Trivia

Ubuntu saw its first release on 20th October 2004. That was 19 years ago. Started with the motto of 'Linux for Human Beings', Ubuntu became the front-runner for a beginner-friendly Linux distro.


🧑‍🤝‍🧑 FOSSverse corner

An interesting discussion thread by one of our newer members on finding the best selection tools in a FOSS photo editing app.

Best Selection Tools in a FOSS Photo Editor
Don’t hate me. I’m primarily a Windows user. This might not be the best place to ask because of that. What’s the best FOSS or just freeware with the best selection tools? I have a helluva time selecting objects in the popular free photo editors that I’ve tried like GIMP and Paint.net. Photoshop has,…

❤️ Loving FOSS Weekly?

Share it with your Linux-using friends and encourage them to subscribe (hint: it's here).

Share the articles in Linux Subreddits and community forums.

Become a Pro member and support our work 🙏

Anything else? Please reply to this email :)

About the author
Abhishek Prakash

Abhishek Prakash

Created It's FOSS 11 years ago to share my Linux adventures. Have a Master's degree in Engineering and years of IT industry experience. Huge fan of Agatha Christie detective mysteries 🕵️‍♂️

Become a Better Linux User

With the FOSS Weekly Newsletter, you learn useful Linux tips, discover applications, explore new distros and stay updated with the latest from Linux world

itsfoss happy penguin

Great! You’ve successfully signed up.

Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.

You've successfully subscribed to It's FOSS.

Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.

Success! Your billing info has been updated.

Your billing was not updated.