Bonum Certa Men Certa

Links 05/03/2023: ScummVM for Android and GNU/Linux 'App Store'



  • GNU/Linux

    • Kernel Space

      • LWNSome development statistics for 6.2

        The 6.2 kernel was released on February 19, at the end of a ten-week development cycle. This time around, 15,536 non-merge changesets found their way into the mainline repository, making this cycle significantly more active than its predecessor. Read on for a look at the work that went into this kernel release.

        The work in 6.2 was contributed by 2,088 developers, which just barely sets a new record; the previous record was the 2,086 developers contributed to 5.19. Of those developers, 294 made their first contribution to the kernel in this cycle, a fairly typical number.

      • LWNRethinking splice()

        The splice() system call is built on an appealing idea: connect two file descriptors together so that data can be moved from one to the other without passing through user space and, preferably, without being copied in the kernel. splice() has enabled some significant performance optimizations over the years, but it has also proved difficult to work with and occasionally surprising. A recent linux-kernel discussion showed how splice() can cause trouble, to the point that some developers now wonder if adding it was a good idea.

        Stefan Metzmacher is a Samba developer who would like to use splice() to implement zero-copy I/O in the Samba server. He has run into a problem, though. If a file is being sent to a remote client over the network, splice() can be used to feed the file data into a socket; the network layer will read that data directly out of the page cache without needing to make a copy in the kernel — exactly the desired result. But if the file is written before network transmission is complete, the newly written data may be sent, even though that write happened after the splice() call was made, perhaps even in the same process. That can lead to unpleasant surprises (and unhappy Samba users) when the data received at the remote end is not what is expected.

      • LWNDebating composefs

        When LWN looked at the composefs filesystem in December, we reported that there had been "little response" to the patches. That is no longer the case. Whether composefs (or something like it) should be merged has become the subject of an extended debate; at its core, the discussion is over just how Linux should support certain types of container workloads. Composefs is an interesting sort of filesystem, in that a mounted instance is an assembly of two independent parts. One of those, an "object store", is a directory tree filled with files of interest, perhaps with names that reflect the hash of their contents; the object store normally lives on a read-only filesystem of its own. The other is a "manifest" that maps human-readable names to the names of files in the object store. Composefs uses the manifest to create the filesystem that is visible to users while keeping the object store hidden from view. The resulting filesystem is read-only.

        This mechanism is intended to create the system image for containers. When designing a container, one might start with a base operating-system image, then add a number of layers containing the packages needed for that specific container's job. With composefs, the object store contains all of the files that might be of interest to any container the system might run, and the composition of the image used for any specific container is done in the manifest file. The result is a flexible mechanism that can mount a system image more quickly than the alternatives while allowing the object store to be verified with fs-verity and shared across all containers in the system.

    • Applications

      • Linux LinksÁsbrú Connection Manager – graphical frontend for SSH

        SSH was designed as a replacement for Telnet and for unsecured remote shell protocols such as the Berkeley rsh and the related rlogin and rexec protocols. Those protocols send information, notably passwords, in plaintext, rendering them susceptible to interception and disclosure using packet analysis. The encryption used by SSH is intended to provide confidentiality and integrity of data over an unsecured network, such as the Internet. The SSH protocol supports port forwarding.

        Ásbrú Connection Manager (Ásbrú) is a user interface that helps organizing remote terminal sessions and automating repetitive tasks. The project began as a fork of PAC (Perl Auto Connector) Manager.

      • Slashdot2023-03-02 Linux Desktop Powers Consider Uniting For an App Store
      • Ubuntu HandbookDarktable 4.2.1 Released with Various Bug-fixes, New Cameras Support

        Darktable, the free open-source photography application and raw developer, released version 4.2.1 a few days ago.

    • Instructionals/Technical

    • Games

      • ScummVMHelp us test ScummVM for Android

        The ScummVM Android port returns with a new update to the Google Play Store, in the beta testing channel. The new version includes all the latest features of ScummVM 2.7.0 as well as Android-specific improvements and bug fixes.

        First off, our team developers have implemented a significant update to the file access system in order to use the Secure Access Framework (SAF) API for secure file access on external memory space, such as SD Cards or USB drives. This effectively should resolve a long-standing issue with modern Android devices, in particular those running Android 11 and above, whereby users could not properly access the game data folders or the save game files in the external storage.

  • Distributions and Operating Systems

  • Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

    • Programming/Development

      • Jason W ComeauClever Code Considered Harmful

        There is something undeniably satisfying about coming up with clever solutions to hard problems. There is a joy when you challenge yourself to use recursion instead of iteration, for example, or when you create elegant, cascading layers of abstraction that ensure code is never duplicated.

        My favourite outlet for this kind of programming is Project Euler.

        Project Euler is a repository of challenges based around advanced mathematics, meant to be solved with software. The catch is that your program should run in under a minute, on 2004-era hardware. That means that a brute-force solution often won’t cut it, and you’ll have to come up with a smarter solution.

      • Stack OverflowStop saying “technical debt”

        We were supposed to release this feature three weeks ago.

        One developer got caught in a framework update. Another got stuck reorganizing the feature flags. A third needed to spelunk a long-abandoned repository to initiate the database changes. The team is underwater. Every feature release will feel like this until we get a few weeks to dig ourselves out of tech debt. We have no idea how to even get the business to consider that.

        Does this sound familiar? It’s a disheartening conversation.

      • 2023-03-03 Niko Matsakis: Trait transformers (send bounds, part 3)
      • CollaboraOxidizing bmap-tools: rewriting a Python project in Rust

        Rewriting bmaptool in Rust to remove Python dependencies, create statically linked binary, and allow the bmap sparse file format to be used in other Rust projects.

      • Y2038, glibc and utmp/utmpx on 64bit architectures

        On January, 19th 2038 at 03:14:07 UTC the 32bit time_t counter will overflow. For more information about this I suggest to start with the wikipedia Year 2038 problem article. That problem is long known and several groups are working on a solution for 32bit systems, but many people don’t know that pure 64bit systems could be affected, too.

        The general statement so far has always been that on 64bit systems with a 64bit time_t you are safe with respect to the Y2038 problem.

      • LWN2023-03-03 Kukuk: Y2038, glibc and utmp/utmpx on 64bit architectures
      • Mark Hansen2023-03-04 CAP Theorem & UI Programming
      • Python

        • [Old/undated] SymPy makes math fun again

          I remember my own struggle with calculus at university. Limits, integrals, differential equations. Lots of practice, lots of homework. Pages and pages of exercises. I loved math, loved the connection between algebra and geometry, loved the very pleasure of solving problems by making different concepts work together. But I hated doing the “paperwork”.

          Taking it seriously, I still studied through the semester, studied harder the week before the exam, studied even harder the night before. I got 62/100. That's 1 point above the lowest possible passing grade.

          Well, maybe math is not for everyone. But wait a minute! The next semester I took part in the Math Olympiad, went through the faculty round, then through the university round, went to the nationals, and even managed to score a few points there. Which counted as a pass on that semester's exam.

        • LWNPython packaging targets

          As we have seen in earlier articles, the packaging landscape for Python is fragmented and complex, though users of the language have been clamoring for some kind of unification for a decade or more at this point. The developers behind pip and other packaging tools would like to find a way to satisfy this wish from Python-language users and developers, thus they have been discussing possible solutions with increasing urgency, it seems, of late. In order to do that, though, it is important to understand what specific items—and types of Python users—to target.

      • Java

    • Standards/Consortia

      • A thorough team guide to RFCs

        Early in my management days, I found myself in an unforeseen situation. A new and unexpected frontend framework was added to our early-stage startup stack from one week to another. We were not in production yet, so the thought of maintaining two utterly different parallel client-side stacks this early wasn’t a problem I was anticipating. Opinions about technical decisions replicate almost as fast as frontend frameworks, so as the news spread, so did the backchannel feelings.

        A few months later, we introduced the Request for Comments (RFCs) practice as a team’s decision-making tool. Over time, we became more aligned, better informed, and technical decision-making became less painful. Since then, RFCs have become one of my favorite tools, and with this guide, you may be able to pilot them with your team as well. Let’s dig in.

  • Leftovers

  • Gemini* and Gopher

    • Personal

      • Homebrewing

        This afternoon I'm bottling a bitter. Should clock in just over 4% ABV. Pale malt, bittered with Northdown and East Kent Goldings, dry hopped with Tettnanger.

        Brewing is a hobby I took up around five years ago, something I'd always wanted to do. I love it. It makes beer cheap, gives a sense of pride in creation. I've never graduated from extract-with-steeped-grains to all grain, and I don't care. What I make tastes good. It makes me happy.

      • Magic Moments: Crows at Dawn; Planets at Dusk

        In a break of routine for some reason I went to work by car on Thursday morning and arrived there maybe a quarter to seven in the morning. The sky was overcast, dawn was well underway. It was cold, just above freezing and windy. On my way from the most distant parking lot to the main entrance I noticed a large group of crows heading East towards some secret meeting place, or whereever the crows were heading. I looked up for a lengthy moment. Several large groups were flying above in what would amount to maybe seven minutes of my walk. Absolutely fascinating, even though I have seen this a few times since I work in this place.

      • Pen Addiction

        Hi, my name is stug and I have a pen addiction. Perhaps a Kaweco pen addiction. Today, the postie brought a package with 2 new pens. Both are Kaweco but they are different materials. The first is the Sport in plastic with the Tamoma Teal colour. The sport is an interesting pen but the lid sort of puts me off. It is pretty bulky and has an octogon shape which helps with the rolling issue. The lid is like two thirds of the pen length. I wanted to get a feel for a sport as it is one of the main models from Kaweco so wanted to see what I was missing. The plastic versions are cheap and light. I can easily use the pen unposted which is good. There are mini convertors for this model. When I used the pen, I was using it with Diamine Blue Black which is becoming my preferred ink colour. It is different while being work appropriate. Well with the sport, I found it was a lighter colour than I expected. Turns out this pen is so light, the colour is more blue. The length is a bit longer than the Liliput. It does not feel as pocketable due to the increased thickness of the lid. The screwing of the cap on and off is a bit off putting with the plastic. It is a bit squeaky too. The colour is not as vibrant as I would like compared to what I saw online but it is still pretty nice. It is a nice pen to load up with an unusual ink I think. I got the extra fine nib and it performs well for me.

      • Weird thoughts of a sleep deprived mind

        After doing the grocery shopping and on my way home i suddenly remembred what i forgot to buy: Diapers! ... Damn... ok, back to the city, but first a quick stop at the pub. I am lucky and its open so i walk to the bar and ask for a coffee, a black one, a really strong one... The pub is mostly empty and the bartender looks not overly busy so i start talking...

      • Coffee and Tea and the Java and Me

        I remain convinced that coffee drinkers don't actually like coffee and only drink it for the caffine. I've tried really nice coffee brewed fancily and while it's marginally better it's still bitter and awful. Versus drinking loose leaf tea brewed semi-decently is legitimately tasty and very different from bad tea—“brewed decently” being the laziest method of putting leaves in a mug and pouring hot water over it, which is how I normally drink tea.

        Most tea drinkers I know including myself would still drink tea if it didn't have caffine; while almost every coffee drinker I know are pretty open in saying they wouldn't drink coffee if it didn't have caffine in it. Also evidenced by it's relatively rare to add a lot of stuff into hot tea; while with coffee it's rather unusual to *not* add anything to it.

    • Technical

      • xkcd://

        I probably should talk about the xkcd:// thing. This form was invented by a past version of he who now types here, perhaps because it is shorter by about ten whole characters, and, why not? Certainly XKCD is important enough to have its own protocol, even (especially) if certain individuals want to remove teapot from the HTTP spec. The // is perhaps not necessary; a shorter xkcd:356 might have been used. However, a large part of the creative intent was to share such links over IRC, so the "link" needs to look a bit like a link, or that I'm rationalizing randomly after the fact. Hence the // in there to make it look like a web-type URL. The form hasn't caused any comprehension problems, but then again I've only used it in IRC channels that are nerdy by the standard of being IRC channels, or more likely it's that folks who have no idea what I'm going on about have gotten good at ignoring me. Of course there is no standards body hashing out these details, it's just me making up stuff as I go along.

      • The Joy of Contained Systems

        I often stop and ponder (as many of us weirdos who actually make things do) on why I am drawn to some things and repelled by other. I haven't found the answer, but I can identify a quality that seems to attract me: containment.

        Perhaps it's the control freak in me, but I love things that are minimal and self-contained (and ideally, self-subsuming or metacircular, but not necessarily). As an example - I like old computers - it's all just there. As much as I adore a modern system with Linux - it is completely out of control, and I can't imagine acutally knowing what's going on.

        Thinking about large chaotic systems such as macroeconomics just makes me want to vomit - especially when some jackass pretends to know something about it, or even worse - 'control' it by enforcing some of the parameters using coersion. But enough of that.

      • A dice roller app for the phone

        I wrote a little web app for dice rolls because I couldn't find a nice and simple, free, privacy-respecting app on my phone's shop. And it seemed simple enough to do to be a feasible little project.

        Little did I know about the tar pit of progressive web apps (PWA). Oh well! I *think* it's solved now, thanks to some advice by @frotz@mstdn.game and the Mozilla Developer Network series on progressive web apps...

      • Headless RaspberryPi Setup

        If you don't want to use a monitor do this to use a serial cable on a pi4:

        echo 'raspberry' | openssl passwd -6 -stdin | awk '{print "pi:"$0}' > /path/to/bootfs/userconf.txt echo -e "uart_2ndstage=1\nenable_uart=1" >> /path/to/bootfs/config.txt

      • DuckDuckGo is promoting the filter bubble to users [Ed: Microsoft DuckDuckGo promoting Microsoft-friendly sites. DuckDuckGo is a scam.]

        Sometime around the past month, DuckDuckGo has begun promoting Reddit during user searches.

      • Science

        • Transitive reduction

          There's this operation on graphs/relations called "transitive reduction" (I didn't learn its name until very recently). It can be used on a graph/relation to compute another (possibly smaller) graph/relation that has no redundant edges (assuming transitivity). And I've been thinking about how to do it for about two years (dam), because I needed it for some POSet things (Scheme €§ poset). Some weeks ago I was walking home, not thinking about anything in particular, and an algorithm just popped into my brain out of nowhere!

      • Programming

        • Using GitHub Actions to maintain Gentoo packages repository [Ed: Microsoft proprietary software or a compiler controlled remotely by the NSA is the wrong way to do this]

          In this blog post, I'd like to share how I had fun using GitHub actions in order to maintain a repository of generic x86-64 Gentoo packages up to date.

          Built packages are available at https://interbus.perso.pw/ and can be used in your `binrepos.conf` for a generic x86-64 packages provider, it's not building many packages at the moment, but I'm open to add more packages if you want to use the repository.


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



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