This page shows the documentation for each Kubuntu Focus Tool. We create and constantly improve these tools to help you accomplish complex tasks with a click of a button. These tools are a portion of curated apps which you can see here.
If you are using a Focus system, you can click on a tool icon to launch it immediately. You can also access all tools using Start Menu > Kubuntu Focus Tools
. If you are using a Focus system, and cannot launch a tool by clicking on its icon on this page, please see the Troubleshooting section.
Please read the disclaimer before proceeding. We review and update guided solutions regularly. If you have suggestions or requests, please write support@kfocus.org.
Every Kubuntu Focus model comes with an 11-page Hints Widget. By default, the Hints Widget appears at the top-right corner of the desktop. It provides handy advice for both beginners and seasoned Linux veterans. Highlights include:
Enter Edit Mode
. Then drag the icon from the panel back to the desktop. You can now exit edit mode. Then long-press on the widget icon to resize it.System Settings > Appearance
and then select any of the six Focus themes. When presented with a pop-up that states “The following will be applied by this Global Theme,” make sure to check [x] Desktop and window layout
and then click the [Apply]
button. This will restore the original layout and the widget.Install GPU accelerated AI Machine Learning.
Use this tool to install and test GPU-accelerated Anaconda, PyTorch, TensorFlow, or Jupyter Notebook. See this article for more details.
Change default C compiler version.
Use this tool to switch the compiler tool chain with a click. It may prompt you to install missing components when you change the version. It also requests 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 |
This is useful because AI and other tools often require a specific compiler toolchain version.
View Curated Apps in a new browser window.
Use this tool opens Curated Apps in a new browser window. There, you can find a recommended app for a specific purpose. For example, you can find recommended apps for webcam testing and downloading files.
Change your system's disk encryption passphrase
If for any reason you wish to change your system's disk encryption passphrase, you can use the Disk Passphrase Changer to do so. This tool is part of the Welcome Wizard, and launching it will launch the Welcome Wizard with the disk passphrase page pre-selected.
Install extra optional software.
Use this tool to review and optionally install restricted software. This software must be installed differently because of license restrictions or alternate installation mechanisms:
This tool is now integrated into the Power and Fan
tool discussed above. It is retained here for consistency.
View Feature Guide slideshow in a new browser window.
Use this tools to open the Feature Guide slideshow in a new browser window. This guide complements the Welcome Wizard with additional feature information.
Check and repair system configs and libs.
Use this tool to 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 a new browser window.
Use this tool to open Guided Solutions in a new browser window. 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.
Use the text field at the top to quickly search through all articles!
This tool automatically runs in two stages. First, the kfocus-hw package is installed. Second, a package installation stage is run on the next login. Model optimizations include:
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 prompts you to remove old and unused kernels.
Do not ignore this tool if it appears when you sign in. All 24.04 LTS (Noble) systems and encrypted 22.04 LTS (Jammy) systems have a separate /boot
partition that must be cleaned-up if it gets too full.
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.
This tools empowers you to set keyboard color and brightness on the M1 and M2 laptops. Other models (XE, Ir14, NX) either have hardware-controlled LEDs (XE, Ir14) or none at all (NX).
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.
Adjust power and fan controls.
Use this tool to manage power consumption, performance, and fan noise.
This shows the power modes provided by power-profiles-daemon
. The default on AC is Balanced
. Performance
lowers latency and improves performance a bit, but it also requires more power. The default on battery is Powersave
, and it saves battery but reduces performance.
On laptop models, this shows the screen brightness control which can have a substantial effect on battery life.
This shows frequency governor options. Choose higher in the list for more performance, or lower to extend battery life. Usually there is little performance difference between High
and Normal
, but Normal
is always cooler and quieter.
If you are editing audio or video, pick a mode like Studio
with a performance governor to avoid stutters or drops. You might also install the low-latency kernel.
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. The Kbd LEDs
column is shown only on M1 or M2 models with software LED controls.
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. |
Low | Modest performance with normal responsiveness. Lower power, heat, and cooling requirements. Set and preferred when unplugged. |
Minimal | Restricted performance with normal responsiveness. Lowest power, heat, and cooling requirements. |
On M1, M2, and XE models, you may select a Soft
or Linear
fan curve. On other models, this section shows how to adjust the fan curves in the BIOS.
Adjust power controls on battery and AC.
Power Pincher uses KDE’s power controls to call the Focus power subsystem on plug and replug events. These are the optimizations applied:
Parameter | On Battery | On AC |
---|---|---|
Power Profile | Powersave | Balanced |
Screen Brightness | 20% | 75% |
Frequency Profile | Low | Normal |
Keyboard LEDs | Off | On |
You can see and change some of these settings in System Settings > Power Management
. To reset to the defaults, run kfocus-reset-effects
and direct the system to restore power setting defaults when prompted.
View help in a new browser window.
This tools opens the Reference Pages and FAQs in a new browser window. The Reference Pages are external and internal resources to common questions so you can find better solutions faster.
Restore the system to an earlier state
System Rollback is a snapshotting and recovery system designed specifically for Kubuntu Focus systems. It creates snapshots of the root and boot filesystems (excluding files under /home), and restores them on demand. By default, snapshots are created only upon user request, however automatic snapshot creation can be turned on if desired.
For a full walkthrough of using System Rollback, please see the Rollback Guided Solution.
The Video Sync Utility can eliminate video tearing when using an Nvidia GPU. It detects all attached displays and then configures the Nvidia composition 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.
One could use the Nvidia Settings app to do this manually, but this can be tricky and time-consuming. This is especially true if you use multiple display configurations. This Video Sync Utility automates all of that with a few clicks.
We recommend using the Medium
or High
setting when watching videos. At other times, we usually switch it to Off
because this oftentimes provides the best desktop responsiveness.
This utility may interact with 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.
This tool runs automatically the first time you sign in, and can be invoked again from the application menu. It provides interactive, illustrated guides for the many common capabilities users need:
One can return to this tool at any time using Start Menu > Kubuntu Focus Tools > Welcome Wizard
. This is especially useful if for changing encrypted disk passphrases.
Q: Kubuntu Focus app links do not open. How do I fix this?
A: We configured kfocus-mime to auto-open app links as found on this website. If you are on a Kubuntu Focus system and the links still don't work, important Kubuntu Focus packages may be missing, or the MIME type handler may have been deleted. See Curated Apps Troubleshooting to resolve this issue.
This is a partial revision history. See the git
repository for all entries.
2024-07-02 c83184e4
Switch to kfocus-mime schema2024-06-06 7d99fe08
Update for Noble2024-02-24 50384abe
Add Hints Widget Section2023-11-18 e770b1c6
Add search and help bar2023-11-10 1d77bfaa
Restore Vidsync section2023-10-18 fac730e3
Harmonize language, add auto tools2023-07-13 892f99a9
Update power and fan to latest2023-07-03 9dbdc900
Change four tool icons to white2023-06-17 a7af817b
Revise consolidated fan and power language2023-04-26 baa8e31e
Consolidate fan and power, adjust image2023-06-16 e256ff30
Add section to disable Ubuntu Pro2023-04-26 baa8e31e
Adjust tools format2023-04-20 2e99d64f
Update images2022-06-19 2dcb9325
Adjust units to have spaces from values2022-06-05 efe53a53
Fix image links 22022-06-05 6719f776
Fix image links 12022-01-21 668e16d4
Update titles, images2023-04-25 19f0fa02
Update Power and Fan and image2022-01-12 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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