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Links 25/12/2021: Ruby 3.1 Released and Ubuntu vs Arch Linux



  • GNU/Linux

    • Audiocasts/Shows

    • Kernel Space

      • Etnaviv DRM Driver Will Now Work On IOMMU-Enabled Systems - Phoronix

        It's been a while since last having anything major to report on the Etnaviv Linux driver stack reporting open-source support Vivante graphics IP. With Linux 5.17 is an important step forward with the driver now behaving properly for IOMMU-enabled systems.

        While an IOMMU is important for security reasons and other purposes, the Etnaviv Direct Rendering Manager driver at present hasn't properly dealt with the DMA configuration of the virtual device and that running into issues with an IOMMU.

      • AMD P-State v7 Driver Posted For Delivering Better Ryzen Efficiency In 2022 - Phoronix

        AMD on Christmas Eve posted their seventh iteration of the AMD P-State Linux driver as their new CPU frequency scaling solution for Zen 2+ to make use of ACPI CPPC for ultimately striving toward optimal power efficiency with a focus on mobile and desktop systems.

        This driver was developed in cooperation with Valve and has been out for review since September. Now as we end out the calendar year they are up to the seventh revision of this driver and is appearing that it may be ready for mainline soon.

        The amd-pstate driver has been evolving nicely and now working across more Zen 2 and Zen 3 systems (older processors won't be supported due to needing ACPI Collaborative Processor Performance Controls, the CPPC support must also be enabled from the system BIOS). This driver can make more informed CPU frequency scaling decisions than the much more basic ACPI CPUFreq driver currently used by Ryzen and EPYC systems.

    • Applications

      • Darktable 3.8 Raw Photo Editing Tool Is Out With a Lot of Changes

        The open-source photo workflow and RAW editing Darktable has been updated to version 3.8. Here’s what’s new!

        If you’re sick of paying for photo editing software and are looking for an alternative to Adobe Lightroom, then the new Darktable 3.8 may be for you. It’s a free, open-source RAW photo file editor software for photo editing and file management. Darktable has unique features such as virtual lighttable and darkroom clubbed with complete RAW image editing workflow for complex photography projects.

        The Darktable team has announced its winter feature release just in time for dealing with any holiday photos, bringing Darktable to version 3.8. Here’s a quick update.

      • darktable 3.8.0 released | darktable

        We’re proud to announce the new feature release of darktable, 3.8.0!

      • Krita 5.0 released! | Krita

        This is a huge release, with a lot of new features and improvements.

    • Instructionals/Technical

      • Make MIDI loops on Linux with this open source tool | Opensource.com

        There are many great synthesizers for Linux, and like synthesizers in real life, most of them can be controlled using the MIDI protocol. Digital audio workstations like Ardour, Qtractor, and Rosegarden can send and receive MIDI, and they have a plugin structure that permits loading most synthesizers as a component of the application. I'm a fan of modularity, though, and sometimes a big all-in-one audio workstation is more than what I need. Thanks to the combination of JACK, ALSA, and MIDI, it's entirely possible to open a synth as a stand-alone application and use a stand-alone sequencer to play and record that synth. There aren't many modular sequencers out there, but I use Seq24.

      • How To Find Installation Date and Time of Linux OS - Unixcop the Unix / Linux the admins deams

        Hi guys, In this tutorial, We will illustrate a few ways to find Linux OS’s installation date and time.

      • How to Build My Version of Linux - Invidious
      • How To Fix Lock /var/lib/apt/lists/lock Error [Solved] | Itsubuntu.com

        Ubuntu is one of the most popular and widely used Linux-based operating systems. It is often considered the most preferred operating system among first-time users. In this particular post, we are going to show you the steps to solve the issue “Lock /var/lib/apt/lists/lock Error” while using Ubuntu. It is really frustrating sometimes when you are doing something and you are stuck.

      • How To Install Discord on Fedora 35 - idroot

        In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Discord on Fedora 35. For those of you who didn’t know, Discord is an app for voice calling, video calling, and text messaging like WhatsApp and Telegram. It is a boon to several communities, which helps them to expand their projects, reach out to more people, and maintain a community of fans and followers.

        This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation of Discord on a Fedora 35.

      • How to install Rstudio Desktop or server in Debian 11 Bullseye Linux

        R is an open-source programming language for statistical analysis and graphics whereas RStudio is an IDE for it. Here we will learn the commands to install RStudio along with R Programming language on Debian 11 Bullseye.

        With RStudio integrated development environment the user can use the GUI to start coding in the R language. This means that the IDE can only work if you have R already installed. Although the IDE can only function alongside R, the programming language can function on its own. Therefore it is not possible to replace one with the other.

      • Snowfall on your Linux Desktop this Christmas - TREND OCEANS

        Let us make this Christmas special for you and more of your Linux desktop. Xsnow is a tiny application that lets you experience cold snowfall just like in winter. To be honest, I am feeling cold while staring at my own desktop screen.

      • How to Install and Configure MariaDB 10.7 on Fedora 35 – NextGenTips

        MariaDB Server is one of the most popular open-source relational databases. It’s made by the original developers of MySQL and guaranteed to stay open source. It is part of most cloud offerings and the default in most Linux distributions.

        It is built upon the values of performance, stability, and openness, and MariaDB Foundation ensures contributions will be accepted on technical merit. Recent new functionality includes advanced clustering with Galera Cluster 4, compatibility features with Oracle Database and Temporal Data Tables, allowing one to query the data as it stood at any point in the past.

        Welcome to today’s topic on how to install MariaDB 10.08 on Fedora 35 distribution.

      • How to install the SuiteCRM Customer Resource Manager on Ubuntu Server - TechRepublic

        As your business grows, you'll probably find yourself needing to manage customer relations. With such a platform available to your business, your staff can better manage their clients, customers, opportunities, leads and much more.

      • Flatcar Container Linux on Raspberry Pi |

        Flatcar Container Linux recently announced the Stable support for ARM64.

        Perfectly timed! I had a Raspberry Pi 4 lying around and had just ordered a few more to set up a home lab during the holidays. The newer Pis are yet to arrive, so better utilize the time writing a walkthrough on how to use Flatcar Container Linux on your Pis.

    • Desktop Environments/WMs

      • K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt

        • This week in KDE: Samba printer browsing and more

          Keep in mind that this blog only covers the tip of the iceberg! Tons of KDE apps whose development I don’t have time to follow aren’t represented here, and I also don’t mention backend refactoring, improved test coverage, and other changes that are generally not user-facing. If you’re hungry for more, check out https://planet.kde.org/, where you can find blog posts by other KDE contributors detailing the work they’re doing.

        • KDE's Bug Fixes & Other Desktop Enhancements For Christmas
        • Krita 5.0 improves resource management and includes storyboards

          Krita 5.0 You are here to continue the evolution of this popular drawing application that is also part of KDE. Without making much noise, little by little it has been making a niche in a sector that becomes demanding, and it has also done so by being published as free software.

          Krita 5.0 is a very powerful release, which is good news because it means that the project is alive and well. When it comes to what’s new, we start with the fact that the way the app handles things like brushes, gradients, palettes, and labeling has been completely revamped.

          Those responsible have explained that before they used a fragile model system to manage the resources, so Krita uses a SQLite database from this version as the nucleus to carry out this task. As a result, a large number of labeling bugs and user interface issues should have been fixed, as well as allowing faster application startup and a 200 megabyte reduction in RAM usage.

        • KDE e.V. is looking for an event organiser | KDE e.V.

          KDE e.V., the non-profit organisation supporting the KDE community, is looking for someone to help organise KDE’s event, including our annual global conference Akademy. Please see the call for proposals for more details about this contracting opportunity.

      • GNOME Desktop/GTK

        • World-famous GTK themes for Linux - LinuxH2O

          This guide is based on the statistics of GTK themes, the themes that are world-famous among Linux users. The list you’re about to go through is a compilation of the 5 most popular themes. These themes work on all the distributions such as Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Fedora, POP OS, Manjaro, Kali Linux, Zorin OS, Debian, etc.

          Have you ever wondered about the most popular GTK themes for Linux? The themes, that are famous around the world. The themes that people use no matter where they live. Users can be from India, The United States, Russia, Brazil, France, Spain, Japan, or from some other country.

          So don’t you wanna know what are the famous Linux GTK themes among them!

          To answer that curiosity, I have written this article. Below you will find the top 5 GTK themes for Linux which are being used by users around the earth. So let’s get started!

    • Distributions

      • Merry Christmas from OSMC - OSMC

        The OSMC team would like to wish you a Merry Christmas. We hope you're enjoying the festive break and watching lots of TV with OSMC.

        We hope you and your loved ones are safe.

        While you may be relaxing, we've worked hard on delivering a new OSMC update. We've kept the changes light to ensure a stable experience during an important break.

      • Arch Family

        • Ubuntu vs. Arch Linux: Which Linux Distro Should You Choose?

          Arch Linux and Ubuntu are both top contenders when it comes to being the best Linux distro. Here's a detailed comparison of both these OSes.

          Open-source Linux distros are always fighting it out for the top spot. Nonetheless, there is an ongoing discussion about the clear winner, considering that some of the best distros are aiming to reach the pinnacles of success in the world of open-source distributions.

          Various surveys have rated Arch Linux and Ubuntu as two of the best distros for getting the job done. Nevertheless, it is not suitable to assume why engineers and coders vary in their views about these two distros.

    • Devices/Embedded

    • Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

      • Cascade is a new promising image editor

        Cascade is released under GPL-3.0 License.

      • Open source advent calendar: Android without Google - Market Research Telecast

        This is an advent calendar for techies. In the fully commercialized digital world, almost everything belongs to a large Internet corporation. Their software is neither open nor free. As an alternative, there is this small island of the open source world: software whose code is publicly visible and can be independently checked for possible security gaps and backdoors. Software that can be freely used, distributed and improved. Often the drive for work is simply the joy of providing something useful to society.

        Short portraits of open source projects will be published on heise online from December 1st to December 24th. These are about the functions of the respective software, the pitfalls, the history, the background and the financing. Some projects are backed by an individual, others by a loosely organized community, a tightly managed foundation with full-time employees or a consortium. The work is entirely voluntary, or it is financed through donations, cooperation with Internet companies, government funding or an open source business model. Regardless of whether it is a single application or a complex ecosystem, whether a PC program, app or operating system – the diversity of open source is overwhelming.

      • 4 conscious steps to engage people in your open source community

        Getting people involved in your open source project is important for its health and its growth, but telling people about it isn’t enough. You need to take conscious steps to increase involvement and ensure that initial contributions to a project are followed up, tying people in to the project and making them part of the community.

        If you find this post interesting, you’ll find a lot more about how community and open source are important in my book Trust in Computer Systems and the Cloud, published by Wiley.

        1 – I’m going to be honest: I wouldn’t know where to start with TikTok. My kids will probably be appalled that I even mentioned it, but hey, why not? The chances are that you, dear reader, are younger and (almost certainly) cooler than I am.

        2 – I’m guessing the take-up will be a bit lower here.

        3 – In Real Life. It seems odd to be re-using this term, which had all but disappeared from what I could tell, but which seems to need to re-popularised.

      • CryptPad is an open-source, free collaborative web-based office system

        CryptPad is released as an open-source under the AGPLv3 License.

      • Waistline is a free, privacy-first calorie counter and weight tracker

        Waistline application and source code are licensed under the GPLv3.

      • MintHCM is an open-source Human Capital Management for enterprise

        Human Capital Management or HCM for short, stands for human resources and employee workflow management for the enterprise.

        MintHCM is an open-source human resources management system for enterprises.

        [...]

        MintHCM is released under terms of the GNU Affero General Public License Version 3.

      • Please use me as a resource

        Some of these ideas stick, and many readers have attempted to put them into practice, taking on challenges like starting a business in FOSS or stepping up to be leaders in their communities. It makes me proud to see the difference you’re making, and I’m honored to have inspired many of you.

      • Programming/Development

        • Ruby 3.1.0 Released

          We are pleased to announce the release of Ruby 3.1.0. Ruby 3.1 keeps compatibility with Ruby 3.0 and also adds many features.

          [...]

          Since Ruby 2.6 introduced MJIT in 2018, its performance greatly improved, and finally we achieved Ruby3x3 last year. But even though Optcarrot has shown impressive speedups, the JIT hasn’t benefited real world business applications.

          Recently Shopify contributed many Ruby improvements to speed up their Rails application. YJIT is an important contribution, and aims to improve the performance of Rails applications.

          Though MJIT is a method-based JIT compiler and uses an external C compiler, YJIT uses Basic Block Versioning and includes JIT compiler inside it. With Lazy Basic Block Versioning (LBBV) it first compiles the beginning of a method, and incrementally compiles the rest when the type of arguments and variables are dynamically determined. See YJIT: a basic block versioning JIT compiler for CRuby for a detailed introduction.

          With this technology, YJIT achieves both fast warmup time and performance improvements on most real-world software, up to 22% on railsbench, 39% on liquid-render.

        • Ruby 3.1 Released With Speedy, Experimental In-Process JIT Compiler

          Ruby 3.1 is out this Christmas day as a big feature release for this programming language while retaining compatibility with Ruby 3.0.

          Most exciting with Ruby 3.1 is "YJIT" as a new, experimental in-process just-in-time (JIT) Compiler. Ruby 3.1's new JIT compiler was developed by Spotify for improving the performance of their Ruby on Rails application. YJIT should be very beneficial in improving Rails real-world application performance.

        • The 10 Best IDEs and Code Editors for Linux [Ed: Starting this list with Microsoft proprietary software that spies on everybody is poor taste and misunderstanding of GNU/Linux]

          A code editor provides a text editing interface to write and edit code. It offers basic editing and formatting features to enhance the readability and management of your code. These apps usually lack advanced features and configurations.

          A notable benefit of using a code editor is that it is much lighter than an IDE. Many code editors also provide features like compiling, debugging, and support for most programming languages.

          An IDE is a software development environment that provides tools to develop complex software. It offers various tools like an editor, debugger, and compiler needed in the development cycle.

          Different IDEs provide different features and configurations suitable for specific projects. IDEs are much more advanced than editors and offer features you won’t find in a code editor.

        • Paul E. Mc Kenney: Parallel Programming: December 2021 Update

          It is past time for another release of Is Parallel Programming Hard, And, If So, What Can You Do About It?. But first, what is the difference between an edition and a release?

          The main difference is the level of validation. For example, during the several months leading up to the second edition, I read the entire book, fixing issues as I found them. So where an edition is a completed work, a release is primarily for the benefit of people who would like to see a recent snapshot of this book, but without having to install and run LaTeX and its dependencies.

        • Upgrade Node.js for your Ghost

          When upgrading Node.js, you need to run the update for Node and then also re-install Ghost’s dependencies. This is because Ghost has several binary dependencies which are compiled for the specific Node.js version. Without reinstalling dependencies, Ghost will fail to start with strange error messages.

        • Perl/Raku

  • Leftovers

    • Novelty Christmas Songs You Definitely Need Under Your Christmas Tree

      It’s that time of year again, folks! As the weather changes and the calendar pages start falling off rapidly, another holiday season is upon us. In 2019, we embarked on a somewhat ambitious project: The Twelve Things of Tedium. Ernie, Andrew, and I all contributed four items apiece to create a wonderful holiday project of which we’re all quite proud. The interdisciplinary yuletide extravaganza was fun, but was conspicuously absent in 2020 (we talked about The Gingerbread Man instead). With 2021 wrapping up as yet another unspeakable nightmare, we thought it might be a good time to revisit one of our favorite topics: Christmas novelty songs. So pour yourself a glass of eggnog, gather around the holiday ornamentation of your choice, and crank up the volume as we welcome you, dear readers, to the Tedium Christmas Novelty Song Spectacular.

    • Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

    • Finance

      • How to Buy Monero in Australia - Tech Guide

        Monero is an open-source, decentralized cryptocurrency created in April 2014 that focuses on privacy and decentralization. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and FreeBSD.

    • Civil Rights/Policing

      • Winter Session 2021: A Digital Rights Review

        The Winter session of Parliament saw frequent disruptions over the suspension of 12 members of Rajya Sabha, demanding the resignation of the Minister over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and later the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021. In this post, we take a look at these disruptions and analyse how the Parliament fared with respect to digital rights.

        A look back

        The winter session of the Indian Parliament this year was quite extraordinary. Once again, we saw several days washed out, as the protests about the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha members over their misconduct on the last day of the monsoon session and the Lakhimpur Kheri incident where 8 farmers lost their lives led to multiple adjournments of both the houses.

        The Winter Session saw 12 Bills, including the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 and the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 was passed on the first day itself in both Houses in less than 10 minutes without discussion. The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed within three hours of its introduction in Lok Sabha and within two hours of its introduction in Rajya Sabha. Further disruptions continued, however, with the completion of “essential government business” with the passing of the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the house was adjourned sine die a day ahead of schedule.



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