We create and constantly improve tools to help you accomplish complex tasks with a click of a button. Click on a tool title to learn more about it. If you own a Focus, click on an icon to launch a tool. You can find all the tools under Start Menu > Kubuntu Focus Tools.
Anaconda GPU AI Suite Installer
C Compiler Version Switcher
Curated Apps
Extra Software Installer
FocusRx System Repair
Guided Solutions
Help
Kernel Cleaner
Keyboard Color Chooser
Power Profile Utility
Fan Control
Video Sync Utility
Welcome Guide
Welcome WizardYou can see all apps at Curated Apps. This page provides more details about the tools only.
Please read the disclaimer before proceeding. We review and update guided solutions like this regularly. If you have suggestions or requests, please write support@kfocus.org.
Install GPU accelerated deep learning.
This suite guides you through the installation of Anaconda, PyTorch, TensorFlow, Jupyter Notebook, and MX Net. See this article for more details.
Change default C compiler version.
GPGPU toolkits and other applications often require a specific compiler version. This tool empowers you to switch with just a click. It may prompt you to install missing components when you change the version. It will also request authorization to coordinate symbolic links in /usr/bin. Each compiler version has the following components:
| Package | Purpose |
|---|---|
| gcc-<version> | The GNU C Compiler |
| gcc-<version>-multilib | Support for non-default architectures |
| g++-<version> | The GNU C++ Compiler |
| g++-<version>-multilib | Support for non-default architectures |
View curated apps in browser.
This is a direct link to Kfocus Currated Apps page. This can be used to find a preferred app for a specific purpose. For example, if you are looking for a webcam testing tool, look here.
Install extra optional software.
Some third-party software must be installed differently because of license restrictions or alternate installation mechanisms. This tool will help you review and optionally install this software:
Check and repair system configs and libs.
This tool can help you identify and fix undesirable system conditions. FocusRx automatically checks for some issues when you sign in, but you can also run it from the menu or terminal using the focusrx command.
View guided solutions in browser.
HOWTOs and forum posts are a great sources of guidance, but they can be sub-optimal, out-of-date, incorrect, or designed for the wrong hardware. Guided Solutions are HOWTOs designed specifically for your system, and can save you hours of research and trial-and-error.
Remove unused and old kernel files.
This tool checks the number of installed kernels when you sign in. If there are too many kernels, or if the /boot partition is over two-thirds full, it will prompt you to remove old and unused kernels.
If you have full disk encryption, do not ignore this tool. These systems have a separate /boot partition and must be cleaned out to avoid running out of disk space.
Kernel Clean always tries to keep certain preferred kernels. It never removes the running kernel, for example. Other preferred kernels include OEM-kfocus, HWE-generic, and HWE-low-latency.
Change the keyboard LED colors.
Set keyboard color and brightness on the M1 and M2 laptops. This does not work with the Focus XE model, which has a white, hardware-controlled LEDs.
You may set your keyboard LEDs to an exact color and brightness with this tool. The system then restores these settings on reboot. Notice the system does not restore colors that are set with the keyboard shortcuts.
Change the power profile.
Balance performance, cooling, and battery life. Choose a power profile higher in the list for more performance, or lower to extend battery life and reduce heat and fan noise. This only applies to the CPU; use the GPU selection widget in the system tray to switch between high-performance Nvidia to low-power Intel. Also, see the Fan Control tool to specify a preferred fan curve.
| Mode | Purpose |
|---|---|
| High | Maximum performance and responsiveness. Highest power, heat, and cooling requirements. Recommended only when maximum performance is required and plugged in. |
| Normal | High performance with normal responsiveness. Reasonable power, heat, and cooling requirements. Set and preferred when plugged in. |
| Studio | Base performance with maximum responsiveness. Reasonable power, heat, and cooling requirements. Designed for studio work, such as live audio editing with the low-latency kernel. |
| Medium | Good performance with normal responsiveness. Lower power, heat, and cooling requirements. A good choice to reduce heat while retaining performance. |
| Low | Modest performance with normal responsiveness. Lower power, heat, and cooling requirements. Set and preferred when unplugged. |
| Frugal | Restricted performance with normal responsiveness. Lower power, heat, and cooling requirements. |
| Minimal | Restricted performance with normal responsiveness. Lowest power, heat, and cooling requirements. |
GHz is the maximum boot frequency for a mode. Lower values require less power and cooling. Governor may be Powersave or Performance, where the latter is more responsive but uses more power. Kbd LEDs shows if the keyboard LEDs are turned on. This tool does not show the Kbd LEDs column for the XE models because it has hardware-controlled LEDs.
The CPU Power GUI tool found in Curated Apps can be used for more fine-grained control. The Power Profile Utility will display Custom for any frequency targets that do not match any of the defined modes.
Select the desired fan curve.
Set the fan curve for the least noise (Soft) or maximum performance (Linear). Your selection will persist between reboots. A low-power CPU setting combined with a linear fan curve will often provide maximum battery life.
Change video sync settings.
Nvidia GPUs can force a composition pipeline which can eliminate video tearing. However, this can be tricky and time-consuming to configure, especially if you have multiple displays.
This tool senses all attached displays and then configures the pipeline feature for all of them at once. This works even for displays that have different refresh rates, such as 144 Hz for the laptop panel and 30 Hz for an external 4K panel.
We recommend using Medium or High when watching videos. At other times, it is preferable to use Off because this usually provides the best desktop responsiveness.
This setting may interact with the setting found in System Settings > Display and Monitor > Compositor > Prevent Tearing (Vsync). We usually leave this to Automatic and have seen no issues, although Never should also be a safe bet.
View Welcome Guide in browser.
Explore detailed sections to be productive faster with step-by-step help and resources.
Run the welcome wizard again.
Revisit first-run guidance. Includes internet, disk passphrase, avatar, cloud drives, password manager, JetBrains, and extra packages.
This is a partial revision history. See the git repository for all entries.
2022-01-12 c3295358 First publicationWe try hard to provide a useful solution validated by professionals. However, we cannot anticipate every situation, and therefore cannot guarantee this procedure will work for your needs. Always backup your data and test the solution to determine the correct procedure for you.
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