5 things to do after upgrading to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

However, if you're upgrading from a previous version of Ubuntu, things can be a bit more challenging at first.

Here are 5 things you need to do after upgrading to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Jammy Jellyfish

Do these 5 things after upgrading to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

After installing a new operating system, you will probably expect everything to work as good as it looks. Unfortunately, although Ubuntu 22.04 LTS works fine on fresh installs, upgrading from a previous Ubuntu release leads to some problems.

While the list of things to deal with is not exhaustive, the things listed below are all annoying errors that you'll want to get rid of as soon as possible.

After upgrading to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Jammy Jellyfish, you will need:

1. Remove old software
2. Check AppImage support
3. Confirm VPN Still Working
4. Edit Videos . app
5. Reinstall Mozilla Firefox (or switch browsers)

Below is a more detailed explanation for each edit.

1. Remove old software from Linux computers

Some pre-installed applications are deprecated in Ubuntu 22.04. Therefore, any software on which the application depends needs to be removed from the system. These dependencies take up precious disk space and can be removed from the terminal as follows with the autoremove command:

sudo apt autoremove

Enter the password when prompted, then enter Y to confirm deletion.

2. AppImage Compatibility Check

Some users have noticed and reported problems with the AppImage software.

Like Snaps and Flatpaks, AppImage files are cross-platform compatible packages. However, unlike Snaps and Flatpaks, AppImages (identified with the .AppImage file extension) are not installed. Instead, they simply run, ensuring portability.

However, some AppImages don't seem to work properly with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. To improve the success of these packages, run:

sudo apt install libfuse2

To ensure the best chance for AppImage to run, right click on the .AppImage file in question and select Permissions. Here, make sure Allow executing file as program is selected.

If the problem persists, try another AppImage file. If this works, re-download the file you had the problem with before.

3. Check if the VPN is working

Various applications may require an update after upgrading to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, but some of these are easier to implement than others.

If you've installed NordVPN on Linux, you know it's not a simple process. Upgrading to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS resulted in a directory change that made NordVPN unusable.

To fix this, open Terminal and use the ln command to link the following file paths:

sudo ln -s /usr/bin/resolvectl /usr/bin/systemd-resolve

This fix only needs to be run once. You don't even need to reboot your system. NordVPN will simply be up and running again from this point on.

4. Edit Videos application (Totem)

A major problem with the Videos app (also known as Totem) occurred after upgrading to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. This can happen with both Xorg and Wayland display servers.

When a video file (in any format, including MOV and MP4) is double-clicked in Ubuntu 22.04, Totem will launch and play the file. However, after updating to the latest Ubuntu, this doesn't happen.

There are two fixes for this problem.

1. One option is to simply switch to another app. VLC Player is an obvious alternative.
2. Another way is to delete the file gstreamer1.0-vaapi. GStreamer is a multimedia framework for processing media files. In Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, this appears to be overkill and definitely interferes with the Videos app.

To delete the file, open Terminal and type:

sudo apt remove gstreamer1.0-vaapi

Once done, your video files will open again in the Videos/Totem app.

5. Replace Snap Firefox with a faster version

One of the biggest attractions with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is the change to the Firefox browser. In previous releases, it was pre-installed in the standard way, just like other apps.

With the switch to support for Snap packages, Mozilla Firefox is more secure, runs in a fast managed sandbox, and updates automatically. However, this also makes the software run slower.

Fortunately, there is a way to go back to running Mozilla Firefox the old way.

Start by deleting the Snap version of Firefox in Terminal with

sudo snap remove --purge firefox

To add the 'real' Firefox, you'll need to add the Mozilla Team PPA repository. Once this is added, you have a location to install Firefox. Again in terminal, type

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mozillateam/ppa

Enter your password when prompted.

To install Mozilla Firefox with apt use

sudo apt install -t 'o=LP-PPA-mozillateam' firefox

Note the use of -t 'o=LP-PPA-mozillateam'. This condition ensures that apt uses the PPA you added earlier as the source for the installation.

Once done, you can start using the "real" Firefox, instead of the Snap.

Avoid update problems

You should ensure that the new version of Firefox is not replaced by the Snap version. This can happen when the system automatically updates, because the PPA version has a lower priority than the Snap version.

You can avoid this by specifying a different priority for the Mozilla Firefox PPA installed

In terminal, open gedit

sudo gedit /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozillateamppa

In the blank text file, add the following:

Package: firefox* Pin: release o=LP-PPA-mozillateam Pin-Priority: 501

Save, then exit the file. In terminal, run

sudo apt update

Firefox installed PPA will now be the major version for the next Ubuntu updates.

And if you want to revert back to Firefox's Snap version:

Step 1: Open Software & Updates.

Step 2: Select Other Software.

Step 3: Check the Mozilla Team PPA you added earlier

Step 4: Click Remove

Step 5: Open Terminal and enter:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install firefox

Then Mozilla Firefox managed by Snap will be reinstalled!

If you're lucky, you won't have to do all 5 of these things. But if any of the above problems occur, the provided steps should resolve them.

In most cases, however, you'll almost certainly want to replace Mozilla Firefox with the faster launch version you're familiar with. Unfortunately the Snap version has shortcomings for now, but that will probably be resolved over time.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 16 May 2022