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Links 04/02/2023: FOSDEM Happening and Ken Thompson in SoCal Linux Expo



  • GNU/Linux

    • Applications

      • HowTo GeekWhy QtFM Could Become My Favorite Linux File Manager

        The Qt file manager called QtFM has great features, such as storing custom commands so you don’t need to open a Linux terminal window to run them. The only drawback is getting it installed. Let’s look at what makes this file browser special and how you can (maybe) try it out.

      • Linux Links10 Best Free and Open Source Zsh Configuration Frameworks

        Zsh has many strengths such as interactive tab completion, regex integration, automated file searching, advanced shorthand for defining command scope, and a very rich theme engine.

        We highly recommend installing a framework with Zsh as it makes dealing with configuration, plugins and themes a lot more straightforward. Frameworks are essentially collections of plugins and themes, which you can enable very easily, without needing to manually configure and make everything work together.

    • Instructionals/Technical

      • HowTo ForgeLinux md5sum Command Tutorial for Beginners (5 Examples)

        While we have already discussed the cksum command line utility, there's another tool that you can use in scenarios where, say, you need to verify the integrity of files during transfers. The tool we're talking about here is md5sum. In this tutorial, we will discuss the basics of this command using some easy to understand examples.

      • H2S MediaHow to Install Sourcetree on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 Linux

        Wine is the solution that we can use to install the SourceTree software on Linux systems including Ubuntu. Here is the tutorial to learn the steps we need to follow to get this free Git Client software.

      • UbuntubuzzHow To Install OnlyOffice Desktop Editors 7.3 on Ubuntu

        This tutorial will help you to add version 7.3 of OnlyOffice Desktop Editor to your Ubuntu computer. You can do it easily using Ubuntu Software or alternatively Terminal. Happy writing!

      • Upgrading system Off-line with ISO and Yum

        Upgrading a system can be a daunting task, especially if it is an off-line system. An off-line system is one that is not connected to the internet and cannot access online resources. The good news is that you can still upgrade your system even when it is not connected to the internet.

      • FOSSLinuxConverting MKV to MP4 on Ubuntu: A Step-by-Step Guide

        Learn how to convert MKV to MP4 on Ubuntu using Handbrake in this step-by-step guide. Convert high-quality MKV videos to widely supported MP4 format for use on various devices.

      • Configuring Yum

        Introduction Yum (Yellowdog Updater, Modified) is a package manager for Red Hat based Linux distributions, including Fedora and CentOS. It helps in managing and updating the software packages on the system, including their dependencies and conflicts. In this article, we will learn how to configure Yum to manage packages on your Linux system.

      • Net2How to Install Microsoft Office on Ubuntu 22.04

        Are you tired of having to use different software just because you prefer using Ubuntu instead of Windows? Look no further, 'cause you can now have the best of both worlds!

      • Yum Commands and Options

        Introduction Yum is a package manager used in Red Hat-based systems like Fedora, CentOS, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. With Yum, users can easily install, update, and remove packages from the terminal. In this article, we'll explore the basic Yum commands and their options, with examples to help you get started.

      • Setting up a YUM Repository

        Introduction YUM (Yellowdog Updater, Modified) is a popular open-source package management system used to install, update, and remove packages in Linux distributions such as Fedora, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), and CentOS. YUM makes it easier to manage packages by resolving dependencies, downloading packages from a central repository, and installing them.

      • C.J. Adams-Collier: IPv6 with CenturyLink Fiber

        In case you want to know how to configure IPv6 using CenturyLink’s 6rd tunneling service.

      • TecAdmintail Command in Linux with Examples

        The tail command in Linux is a powerful tool used for displaying the end of a file. By default, it displays the last 10 lines of a file, but this can be modified by specifying a different number of lines to display.

      • TecAdminWhat is a Orphan Process in Unix/Linux

        An Orphan Process is a process that has lost its parent process, which normally takes care of cleaning up the process's resources. In Unix/Linux, when a parent process terminates, its child processes become Orphan processes and are adopted by the init process, which becomes the new parent.

      • The New StackInstall Minikube on Ubuntu Linux for Easy Kubernetes Development

        Not only is deploying pods and services to a cluster a

    • WINE or Emulation

      • GamingOnLinuxProton 7.0-6 out now fixing EA App, Ubisoft Connect and games on Steam Deck / Linux

        More weekend goodies from Valve have arrived! Proton 7.0-6 is officially out now, fixing up many bugs like with the EA App and Ubisoft Connect. Pulling over a bunch of changes from Proton Experimental, this is a smaller release mainly aimed at fixing up issues across a bunch of games that appeared over the last few months.

  • Distributions and Operating Systems

    • Fedora Family / IBM

      • Use Oracle VM VirtualBox on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

        VirtualBox 7 enables organizations, for the first time, to centrally manage their development and production VMs running on-premises and on OCI instances using any OS that supports VirtualBox, such as Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS.

      • SJVNRocky Linux offers code security patches and info in real-time. | Open Source Watch

        Last year, with the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation (RESF)'s release of Rocky Linux 9, CentOS and Rocky Linux co-founder Gregory Kurtzer also released a completely cloud-native Linux distribution build stack called Peridot. Then, Kurtzer said, "anyone can create, build, enhance, and manage Rocky Linux, or other distros for that matter. Now, CIQ engineers have also released the Rocky Linux 9 errata subsystem as an open-source project, which is fully integrated with Peridot.

        What that means is you can now build and enhance your own take on Rocky Linux, the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) clone with full access to the latest bug fixes, security patches, and feature enhancements. RESF will continue to maintain the project, providing users with more granular control over their systems.

      • SJVNYou can now get Red Hat Enterprise Linux on the Oracle Cloud | Open Source Watch

        Over the years, Red Hat and Oracle have gotten along like cats and dogs. The main reason for this was that in 2006, Oracle released its own version of Linux, Unbreakable Linux, which was little more than a copy and paste of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) with Red Hat's name and Red Hat’s trademarks globally replaced with Oracle's name and trademark. That went over like a lead brick in Red Hat circles. Now, RHEL is available on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI).

    • Open Hardware/Modding

      • peppe8oManaging the Raspberry PI Undervoltage Detected Warning

        Similarly to all electronic computers, the Raspberry PI computer boards need a stable power supply in order to work correctly.

      • AdafruitSee N Say Brain Transplant

        This project replaces the brains of a classic talking toy with a modern, CircuitPython-powered KB2040 microcontroller, with a collection of typical urban sounds and custom illustrations.

      • HackadayScratch Your Itch To Program A Microcontroller

        One of the fun things about “old school” computers is that it was fairly easy to get kids into programming them. The old Basic interpreters were pretty forgiving, and you could do some clever things easily with very little theory or setup. These days, you are more likely to sneak kids into programming via Scratch — a system for setting up programs via blocks in a GUI. Again, you can get simple results simply. With Scratch or Basic, complex things have a way of turning out complex, but that’s to be expected. If you want to try a Scratch-inspired take on microcontroller programming, check out MicroBlocks. It will work with several common boards, including the micro:bit and the Raspberry Pi Pico. You can use it in a browser or download versions for Linux, Windows, Mac, or even Chromebooks.

  • Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

    • SJVNThe Open Source Initiative improves its licensing rules | Open Source Watch

      Back on February 3rd, 1998, shortly after the Netscape web browser source code --Firefox's ancestor--was released, a group of developers came together to label and define a pragmatic, business approach to sharing software code. Of course, there was already "free software," but that term, then and now, came loaded with a particular business/political take that not everyone cares for. So, it was that at the meeting Christine Peterson came up with the term "open source." The group that would shepherd this idea going forward is the Open Source Initiative (OSI).

    • OSI BlogOpen Source Initiative joins the Digital Public Goods Alliance

      OSI to contribute to Digital Public Goods Alliance’s mission to address world’s most pressing economic challenges by furthering adoption of Open Source software.

    • Jonathan DowlandJonathan Dowland: FreedomBox

      Moxie Marlinspike, former CEO of Signal, wrote a veryinteresting blog post about "web3", the crypto-scam1. It's worth a read if you are interested in that stuff.

    • Events

    • Web Browsers/Web Servers

      • Chromium

        • Barry KaulerChromium bumped, more pkgs compiled in OE

          The upcoming Kirkstone-series had chromium 106.0.5249.119, have compiled a later version in OE, and some more packages:

          chromium-x11-109.0.5414.74
          fbgrab-1.5
          gmime-3.2.7
          gtkperf-0.40
          leptonica-1.82.0
          libforms-1.2.3
          libyui-4.1.1
          pointercal-0.0
          stalonetray-0.8.3
          tesseract-4.1.3
          tesseract-lang-4.1.0
          tslib-1.22
          xbindkeys-1.8.7
          xf86-input-tslib-2_1.1.1

          There was interest expressed in tesseract OCR package on the forum, so compiled that. No GUI though. One of the best-looking GUIs for tesseract seems to be gimagereader, but it has lots of dependencies. I could compile it if there is sufficient interest.

      • Mozilla

    • Programming/Development

      • Debugging with Git Bisect

        Git is a powerful version control system that helps developers manage and track changes in their codebase.

      • RlangProbot: building a Mastodon bot

        I have long admired albums2hear, a Twitter bot that posts albums. You can read a bit more about it here. There was no mastodon equivalent and so I decided to build one. You can follow the bot – currently called Albums Albums Albums (or AlbumsX3) – here.

      • Computing UK'Sheer greed': Industry reacts to Oracle's new Java pricing

        'Vendors have worked out a model where they can get more money out of you'

      • Python

        • Tim Bielawa: Querying block device sizes in Python on Linux and Mac OS X

          I drafted this blog post in 2016 (at least), but held off publishing it until I could have it fact checked. Well, 6 years have passed… I am 99% sure the information in this blog post is correct. But if you find an error with my explanation of the userspace-kernel-device dataflow then please send me an email so I can understand it better and update this post.

  • Leftovers

  • Gemini* and Gopher

    • Personal

      • Rubber Soul - moving out/procrastinating

        I'm not sure if I could fully tell you why, but I've had this compulson in my mind that I need to purchase The Beatles - Rubber Soul on vinyl - but specifically around the time that I'm moving in with my partner (next weekend). I guess I've been listening to this album a fair bit recently, and maybe it's just that it reminds me of this moment - and I want to have something material as a kind-of calendar item to mark the moment.

      • After the session

        I seem to have settled in a nice "one page a day" routine with Knives. I'm not sure how many more pages there will be. Something about players gaining a talents. Something about them making plans. Something about finding campaign goals.

      • Tilting at the Belltower

        Robotic lies are spread across the room. My modem howls in silent disbelief. Machines are parrots. Maybe so are we, as chafing bones are slouching to be born in fire, as I draw my final breath and sleep. Perchance to dream. Perchance to scream.

        So gently whispered is this lifelong scream while ghostly passing through my inner room. A chalkboard’s nail. A raspy smoker’s breath. A regent clad in finest disbelief. A crawling insect hatches to get born, and in the skylit evening, so were we.

      • Notes about an overheard conversation while driving home
    • Technical

      • A Tale Of Two Times

        The claim is that "time" disagrees with the documentation for time(1) on OpenBSD, and the evidence for this may look pretty solid

      • Internet/Gemini

        • Silence, please!

          One of those protection rackets, properly known as a performance rights organisation, recently sent out a news letter. There was a short paragraph that caught my attention. Since their business model is to rake in money for their members from all sorts of venues that play their music, they are in fact interested in increasing the number of such venues, including restaurants and shops. Studies, they claimed, have shown that customers enjoy the _right kind_ of music being played in the stores. So, what a win-win situation: entice the venues to play more music, make their customers buy more, and collect larger royalties for the composers.

      • Programming

        • systemd and my bot

          I wrote a bot that connects to Discord last year. It's a nice bot. It keeps facts for channel, it keeps timestamped notes per channel, it also connects to IRC (all of which we don't use) and it rolls dice (which is what we use).


* Gemini (Primer) links can be opened using Gemini software. It's like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter.



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This is a classic way to avoid paying workers
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We're now better off
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Microsoft Mass Layoffs Without Severance Pay Reported Hours After Microsoft Reported Weak Numbers and Microsoft Stock Fell
Microsoft has a bloodbath this month
Another Slew of Fake Articles About 'Linux' and 'Security' From Brittany Day at linuxsecurity.com (Spamfarm/Slopfarm)
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That same media also helps parrot misleading financial claims
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Credibility cannot be purchased
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Over at Tux Machines...
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IRC logs for Wednesday, January 29, 2025
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The Munich-Based EPO is Still Using a Platform That Promotes the Far Right and Rehabilitates Nazism
Active Twitter account
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insights into the pressure examiners are under
LLM Slop Machines Are Not a Win for "Open Source" and If They Get Cheaper, It's Even Worse
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Links 29/01/2025: Data Privacy Day and Growing Tensions in Europe
Links for the day
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More Illegal Patents at the EPO, Legality of Granted European Patents No Longer Matters to the Office
breaking the law for profit
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Over at Tux Machines...
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IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, January 28, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, January 28, 2025
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