Bonum Certa Men Certa

Links 23/06/2022: 3,500 Games on Steam Deck Verified or Playable, Gemini on ESP32



  • GNU/Linux

    • Audiocasts/Shows

    • Instructionals/Technical

      • uni TorontoSome network speeds and network related speeds we see in mid 2022

        On 1G connections, anything can get wire bandwidth for streaming TCP traffic (or should be able to; if it can't, you have some sort of problem). On 10G connections, a path between Linux machines without a firewall in the middle should readily run over 900 Mbytes/sec for a TCP connection without any specific tuning (and without Ethernet jumbo frames). We haven't tried to measure our OpenBSD firewalls recently but I don't think they can move traffic this fast yet. SSH connections aren't this fast; we can count on hitting 1G wire bandwidth but generally not anywhere near close to 10G TCP bandwidth with a single SSH connection.

      • [Old] Rohan KumarA look at search engines with their own indexes

        This is a cursory review of all the indexing search engines I have been able to find.

        The three dominant English search engines with their own indexesnote 1 are Google, Bing, and Yandex (GBY). Many alternatives to GBY exist, but almost none of them have their own results; instead, they just source their results from GBY.

        With that in mind, I decided to test and catalog all the different indexing search engines I could find. I prioritized breadth over depth, and encourage readers to try the engines out themselves if they’d like more information.

      • Learning Vim, what am i doing?



        I've been using Linux and the Linux terminal for a long time. I dabble in programming, web development, server management, and all sorts of fun open-source stuff. I've always got by with using nano for everything. I think I used to do stuff before nano, but I can't for the life of me remember what I used then. Maybe just a bunch of 'cat' and gui text editors? Anyway, I've always heard that Vi/Vim is "powerful" and can speed up your coding. I've heard that wars have been fought over emacs vs vi (I've used neither very much). But I've decided to take the plunge. I'm working my way through vimtutor, taking notes, working on mnemonics.

    • Games

  • Distributions and Operating Systems

    • New Releases

      • 9to5LinuxKaOS Linux 2022.06 Released with KDE Plasma 5.25 Desktop and Calamares 3.3 Installer

         Coming two months after KaOS Linux 2022.04, the KaOS Linux 2022.06 released is here with the latest and greatest KDE Plasma 5.25.1 desktop environment, which is accompanied by the latest KDE Frameworks 5.95 and KDE Gear 22.04.2 software suites, all built against the Qt 5.15.5 framework.

        So there you have it! If you want to enjoy the most recent KDE technologies, you can download and install KaOS Linux right now on your personal computer. To top that, KaOS’s Plasma theme Midna has been updated for the KDE Plasma 5.25 desktop environment changes with the addition of a well-integrated virtual keyboard in the login and lock screens.

    • Devices/Embedded

      • Gemini on ESP32

        I received my ESP32 dev board about two weeks ago I think, but I haven't found the time to do this with all the renovation/MA/work/orchestra craziness going on.

        It's slow and I don't know if it can handle multiple requests at the same time. But it seems pretty stable, after I increased the thread stack size from 4K to something more reasonable.

  • Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

    • Web Browsers

      • Chromium

        • Mark NottinghamWhat willwould a Chromium-only Web look like?

          On the face of it, there is some sense to it – after all, most W3C and WHATWG specifications have been written algorithmically (rather than declaratively) for a while now. Why not just converge on a single actual codebase? That way, interop on things like HTML parsing is perfect, but people can still choose the browser with the features (e.g., privacy protections) that they want.

          It’s also not that far-fetched. Microsoft has already ditched their engine for Chromium; we’re all worried about Mozilla’s health and long-term (or even medium-term) viability, and Apple is only one competition judgement away from having to open up iOS to other engines.

          After all, the code is what determines what browsers are capable of and therefore it defines the shape of the Web. Chromium already has a high market share of browser engines; why not just formalise it?

          Putting aside the many arguments one might raise about diversity, risk management, innovation, and so on, I want to focus on one aspect of this potential change – governance.

    • SaaS/Back End/Databases

      • TecMint8 Best MySQL/MariaDB GUI Tools for Linux Administrators

        MySQL is one of the most widely-used open-source relational database management systems (RDBMS), that has been around for a long time. It is an advanced, fast, reliable, scalable, and easy-to-use RDBMS intended for mission-critical, heavy-load production systems and packaged software.

        In this guide, we will share a list of the best MySQL graphical user interface (GUI) tools for Linux systems.

      • RlangBind together two data frames by their rows or columns in R

        Bind together two data frames by their rows or columns in R, To join two data frames by their rows, use the bind_rows() function from the dplyr package in R.

    • Programming/Development

      • Geeks For GeeksWhy Every Developer Should Learn Data Structures and Algorithms?

        Having proper knowledge of Data Structure and Algorithms makes a good identity for a Software Developer. The main reason behind this is that it improves developers’ problem-solving ability to a great extent. So tech giants like Google, Meta, Adobe, Amazon, Netflix, etc. hire software developers with in-depth knowledge of Data Structure and Algorithms as they are more capable of making the right decisions when it comes to problem-solving.

      • Ben Congdon[Reposted] You Need to be Wrong (Sometimes)

        “Well-calibrated” means that if you predict something occurs with X% probability, then that event actually occurs X% of the time. Since predictions are often made on one-off events, another way of expressing calibration is that X% of predictions that you made with X% confidence should resolve in your favor. For example, if you make 100 predictions of 100 independent events, each with probability 75%, then you’d expect that (roughly) 75 of your predictions would be “correct”.

    • Standards/Consortia

      • Preaching to the choir: the web sucks

        I know, I know, you guys wouldn't be reading this unless you somewhat already have come to this conclusion but a little bit of circle-jerking isn't too bad.

        About a month ago I switched back to Firefox. I had been running falkon for a few months and then waterfox-g3 before that. I don't remember why I switched away from Firefox, sometimes you just get that itch to try something new, but I enjoyed my journey through alternative browsers.

  • Leftovers

    • car troubles

      So one of the spark plugs managed to shoot it's way out of the top of my engine, destroying a coil with it and then only having 3 cylinders while going 80 on the highway.

    • Wash Your Steering Wheel

      If you own a vehicle, this is a reminder to wash the steering wheel.

      It's a spot that people often forget about. The weel is usually a dark color, making it a difficult to spot the grime building up. With hands touching it all the time, it's as dirty as a doorknob.

    • Hardware

      • Stacy on IoTThey call it a security drone, but this is a flying multisensor

        The Tando drone has a camera for visually scanning a facility after an alarm has been raised or for general airborne patrol, but I’m most interested in its other features, such as temperature monitoring and air quality sensors that might be more useful in industrial settings. The ability to track the release of dangerous chemicals in a refinery or chemicals plant could be very helpful, for example.

    • Proprietary

      • YLEGoogle is buying more land from the city of Hamina

        Google employs roughly 400 people directly and indirectly in various industries in Hamina.

        In 2020, Google opened its sixth data centre in Hamina in an old paper mill that was formerly operated by Stora Enso. The data centre uses seawater to cool the massive complex and is powered by electricity from three new wind farms.

    • Politics

      • The HillTech executives urge government to share cyber threat intel

        Tech leaders testifying on Wednesday before a House subcommittee on cyber told lawmakers that more coordination is needed between the public and the private sector to identify security threats, including cyber, that stem from emerging technologies like quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

        Ron Green, executive vice president and chief security officer at Mastercard, said that partnership should incentivize the government to share threat intelligence to the private sector so that both sectors are able to mitigate cybersecurity risks posed by U.S. adversaries both at home and abroad.

      • Broadband BreakfastFTC Commissioner Says Agency Report on AI for Online Harms Did Not Consult Outside Experts

        The one dissenting opinion on the report was from Phillips, who said the FTC did not do the study that was required by Congress. As part of the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Congress asked the FTC to conduct a study on how artificial intelligence could address online harms such as fake reviews, hate crimes and harassment and child sexual abuse.

        “I do not believe we conducted the requisite study, and I do not think the report on AI issued by the Commission takes sufficient care to answer the questions Congress asked,” Phillips said in his dissenting statement.

      • New York TimesSaudi Leader Expected in Turkey for First Visit Since Khashoggi Murder

        The rapprochement follows similar moves by other countries to rebuild ties with Saudi Arabia, which drew global outrage over Mr. Khashoggi’s killing and dismemberment inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, 2018.

      • JURISTRussia court upholds Meta ban for ‘extremist activity’

        State news agency TASS reported that the court called the ban “lawful and justified” after Russia’s media regulator, Roskomnadzor, and Federal Security Service (FSB) intervened in support of it. Meta’s lawyers argued that the “extremist” label and the resulting ban were inappropriate as Meta did not promote extremist content and that “refusing to block access to content and labeling state-controlled media were not activities that qualified as extremist.”

        The court’s ruling means that Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram will continue to be largely inaccessible within Russia.

    • Linux Foundation

      • Cardano Foundation joins The Linux Foundation as a Gold Member

        We are delighted to announce our membership with The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source. The Cardano Foundation has joined as a Gold member, becoming the only nonprofit active at this level.

    • Security

      • Privacy/Surveillance

        • Site36Border Security Partnership: EU states consider unprecedented biometrics agreement with U.S.

          In a letter to several EU member states and the Commission, the U.S. government threatens a new condition for visa-free entry. There is confusion in Brussels over a response. Parliament was the last to be informed about the initiative, although it concerns fingerprints and facial images.

        • Business InsiderInside ID.me's torrid pandemic growth spurt, which led to frantic hiring, ill-equipped staff, and data-security lapses as the company closed lucrative deals with unemployment agencies and the IRS

          As it grew rapidly, so did errors, technical hurdles, and strain on its relatively new staff of customer service representatives, nine former ID.me employees told Insider. Helpline queues for the millions of Americans who relied on unemployment benefits in 2020 and 2021 would sometimes number in the thousands because of these strains, they said.

          ID.me's rush to hire and train nearly 1,500 new workers at this time also led to lax verification practices and poor user privacy protections, these people said. Information like passports and social security numbers were often posted in internal Slack channels, and some employees were hired and given access to confidential data without completed background checks. Some chattered about how easy it would be to steal users' information. Most of the former employees who spoke with Insider did so under condition of anonymity for fear of professional repercussions

        • The VergeBrave’s search engine lets you customize your results

          Brave Search has launched a new feature that gives you a way to create or apply custom filters that change the way its results are ranked. It’s called “Goggles,” and it could potentially help uncover sources you might not find right away on traditional search engines like Google.

          Brave has some demos ready for users to try today, including ones that prioritize posts from smaller tech blogs and filter out posts from the 1,000 most-viewed sites on the web. There’s even a Goggle to exclude posts from Pinterest — because Brave clearly knows the frustration of trying to find an image and getting a Pinterest post with no source. Brave says these Goggles are just for demonstrative purposes, and developers can expand on or fork them. It will start deleting these Goggles once users start coming up with their own, but I’m hoping the Pinterest one sticks around.

        • The VergeZuckerberg details his plan to move your digital items across the metaverse

          Mark Zuckerberg announced on Wednesday that Facebook Pay has officially become Meta Pay, but his post is mainly focused on what the company hopes to build in the future — “a wallet for the metaverse.” While Meta Pay is essentially the same tool as it was before, just with Meta branding, Zuckerberg says the company is working on something that will let users manage their identities, items, and payment methods while making their way through the digital world that Meta bets will be the future.

          The company has hinted at these plans before — its May announcement of the Meta Pay rebranded also mentioned that it was “scoping out what a single wallet experience might look like” with regards to making payments and storing your identity and digital items. Zuckerberg’s post, though, focuses mostly on how the company’s metaverse wallet will enable proof of digital ownership; he mentions how it could be used to create and buy “digital clothing, art, videos, music, experiences, virtual events, and more.”

    • Defence/Aggression

      • CNNAmid high-profile hearings, some January 6 committee members beef up security

        When Rep. Adam Kinzinger recently received a letter at his home threatening to execute him, his wife and his baby, the Illinois Republican immediately flagged it for the United States Capitol Police.

        But Kinzinger -- whose high-profile role on the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection has made him a reviled figure on the right and who is no stranger to such violent threats -- was advised by some of his GOP colleagues, who also voted to impeach Donald Trump, to elevate the issue to the FBI as an added precaution, sources said.

        It's just the latest sign of how seriously the threat of political violence is being taken by lawmakers in the Capitol as the select committee publicly reveals the findings of its nearly yearlong investigation into the January 6 [insurrection]. Committee members say they are taking extra security steps -- including requesting security details, which several lawmakers have already been assigned -- amid the heightened concerns over their safety as the public hearings play out.

      • The HillKinzinger: Execution threats over Jan. 6 panel show ‘depravity of what’s existing out there’

        Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said the “constant” death threats he’s received over the course of the Jan. 6 House panel’s hearings reveal the “depravity of what’s existing out there.”

        Kinzinger told host Wolf Blitzer on CNN’s “Situation Room” that threats against him have only increased as the House committee prepares for its fifth hearing on Thursday about the events leading up to a pro-Trump mob storming the U.S. Capitol last year.

        “I even heard a voicemail just this morning that we got last night threatening execution. That kind of seems to be the normal thing nowadays is just threaten execution,” the congressman said.

      • The AtlanticWhat Are Trump Supporters So Afraid Of?

        Such conversations are just part of life in divided America now. We live in a democracy, and there’s no law (nor should there be) against the willing suffocation of one’s own brain cells with television and the internet. But living in an alternate reality is unhealthy—and dangerous, as I realized yet again while watching the January 6 committee hearings and listening to the stories of Republicans, such as Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers and others, describing the threats and harassment they have received for doing their duty to the Constitution.

        And the threats don’t stop with political figures; families are now in the crosshairs. Representative Adam Kinzinger, for example, tweeted Monday about a letter he received in which the writer threatened not only to kill him, but to kill his wife and infant son.

    • Environment

      • Overpopulation

        • CS Monitor'Pray for a miracle': Taps run dry as drought hits Mexican city

          A combination of an intense drought, poor planning, and high water use has left residents of Mexico’s industrial powerhouse to resort to extreme measures that call up images of isolated, poorer areas: storing water in buckets to use a scoopful at a time.

    • Censorship/Free Speech

      • MediumThe Fall Of Reddit: Why It’s Quickly Declining into Chaos

        I only recently found out that Ghislaine Maxwell, wife to Jeffery Epstein, ran one of the most powerful Reddit accounts on the website. In fact, it was the eighth-most popular account by karma on Reddit.

        I won’t get into the implications of that — as it could be an article on its own — but it's only one case of elites having massive power on Reddit.

        The bigger issue is that Reddit has several competing corporate interests.

    • Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

      • Mexico News DailyAMLO to bring up case of Wikileaks founder Assange during meeting with Biden

        “His crime, in quotation marks, was to report serious human rights violations in the world as well as interference of the United States government in the internal affairs of other countries – that’s what Assange did,” he said.

        “He’s the best journalist of our time in the world and, I repeat, he’s been very unfairly treated, worse than a criminal. This is a disgrace for the world,” said López Obrador, known more for attacking journalists rather than trying to protect them.

        “A lot of people don’t know that what he did, with an unorthodox investigation, was to gather [diplomatic] cables, reports from United States embassies, that spoke about acts of interventionism and about crimes committed – flagrant violations of human rights, [exposed] not just [in] texts, but [in] images too.”

      • ReasonJulian Assange's Case Is a Frightening Omen for Press Freedom

        While the ordeal of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange elicits grudging reactions from many American journalists who find him distasteful, his pending extradition to the United States, just approved by the British government, spurs protests around the world. In countries not blessed with a First Amendment, advocates of free speech rightly see Assange's years-long persecution for exposing U.S. government secrets as an attack on transparency and a threat to anybody who embarrasses powerful officials. Comfortable seat-warmers who are cozy with the powers-that-be may hesitate, but real journalists battling censorious politicians recognize Assange as one of them.

      • VOA NewsJournalists Demand Assange Be Released From UK Jail

        Fifteen representatives of journalist and publishers' unions and organizations from six countries gathered in Geneva for the ‘call to free Julian Assange in the name of press freedom’

        The petitioners also called on Swiss authorities, who have said they have worked to protect Assange, to facilitate his release by offering him a safe haven from further prosecution in Switzerland.

    • Civil Rights/Policing

    • Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

      • Simpler Times

        The Internet was not nearly as heavily populated or restricted as it is today, nor was it as filled with bots, spam, tracking, and harmful content of one kind or another. I lived in a very small farming town in those days, and the tight-knit, trusting culture of that town was similar to culture of the early Internet.

    • Monopolies

      • Computer WorldWhat the EU Qualcomm ruling means for big tech antitrust efforts

        This week, Qualcomm successfully appealed against a €997 million ($1 billion) fine imposed by European Union regulators in 2019. The fine was originally given after the European Commission ruled that between 2011 and 2016, the chipmaker had paid billions of dollars to Apple to exclusively use its chips in all of its iPhones and iPads, an act that breaks EU antitrust laws.

        The decision to nullify the fine came after the second highest court in Europe, The General Court, found that “a number of procedural irregularities affected Qualcomm’s rights of defense”, ultimately invalidating the Commission’s analysis.

        The judgement was also very critical of basic aspects of the Commission legal service’s process, including the fact that meetings with third parties had not been recorded, or that the notes of meetings were too general for Qualcomm to properly understand the complaints made against it.



Recent Techrights' Posts

International Troll Alert by Helen Plews
Helen Plews from Cybershow has this new article
The FSF (Free Software Foundation, Inc.) Can Reach Its Funding Goal of $400,000. This Bothers the Imposters and Foes of the FSF.
Software Freedom is something we must perpetually fight for
Linux Foundation Pays for LLM Slop (Puff Pieces Made by Bots) About the Linux Foundation
The so-called Linux Foundation is responsible for the production of spam and slop
General Consultative Committee (GCC) Meeting at the European Patent Office (EPO) Shows Existing Problems
the "real problems" and why "digitalisation" doesn't solve them
Google Has Only Solidified Its Search Monopoly in Africa Since Microsoft's Chatbot/LLM Hype Started
Africa is basically a "Failed Market" to Microsoft
 
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, December 12, 2024
IRC logs for Thursday, December 12, 2024
[Meme] Leave My /home Alone
A new version of Systemd
There's a New Version of Lagrange (Gemini Reader) and Its Developer is Making an IDE/Editor
I share or reciprocate almost anything I can through Gemini Protocol
Nick's Job at OSI: Promote Microsoft, Promote Proprietary Software
This is what Microsoft pays him to do
[Meme] Award-Winning Back-stabbing Opportunists
part of the rebel alliance
Azerbaijan Rejects Microsoft
Azerbaijan seems to have very little interest in Microsoft
[Meme] You Just Grab Him by the CoC
Sponsors of Python Software Foundation... "You don't like Python's corporate sponsor?"
Explaining What Deb Nicholson Does to the Python Software Foundation
Of course the OSI, which Nicholson also occupied, still helps Microsoft attack copyleft
IBM Said to Be Firing People Days Before Christmas
IBM is entering taboo territories
Microsoft Falls to Just 11% in Ivory Coast
Microsoft tried hard to catch up in mobile
Links 12/12/2024: Shell Settles With Greenpeace, DOJ Whistleblower Pilot Program
Links for the day
Gemini Links 12/12/2024: AuraGem TV and Advent of Code 2024
Links for the day
Fake "Linux" News, Produced by Microsoft Chatbots in 'Brittany Day' or "LinuxSecurity" Clothing
She's back at it
Microsoft OSI Promoting GitHub, Which is Proprietary and a Massive GPL Violator
OSI works for Microsoft, speaks for Microsoft, promotes proprietary software
Links 12/12/2024: Another 'Self-driving' Cars Dead End, Infowars Sale Blocked by Court
Links for the day
Links 12/12/2024: "Hey Hi" Hype Debunked, ActivityPub and Gemini Software on Same Server
Links for the day
[Teaser] EPO is Running Out of Brains
EPO has been in the business of offering fake patents
South Korea Has Its Own Alternative to IBM's Proprietary RHEL
Owing to the Open Enterprise Linux Association (OpenELA)
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, December 11, 2024
IRC logs for Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Fresh Rumour of Wave of IBM Layoffs Less Than a Fortnight Before Xmas Day
Unverified and anonymous
Links 11/12/2024: Additional Surveillance Ambitions and Cyberattacks on Sudanese Media
Links for the day
Links 11/12/2024: More Google Layoffs Rumoured for January, 'Linux' Foundation Colonises India
Links for the day
Mozilla's Firefox is Floundering, in the United Kingdom Its Share Fell to 2% This Month
HTTPS is becoming little but a transport layer for Chrome-like browsers, i.e. proprietary things with DRM and perhaps attestation (which means you cannot modify them; you'd get blocked for trying)
Protecting People From So-called 'Social Media' is Not Censorship (No More Than Banning or Restricting Access to Cigarettes is 'Censorship')
it's not censorship when the thing you are censoring [sic] is itself a censorship powerhouse operated by a foreign and hostile nation (or oligarchs of Musk's nature)
[Meme] Solving Real Problems With So-called 'Social Media'?
Feeding and medically treating animals helps, unlike "likes"
Links 11/12/2024: Climate Warming, 'People Can Fly' Layoffs
Links for the day
Gemini Links 11/12/2024: LLMs as Plagiarism, Advent of Code 2024 Momentum
Links for the day
In United Arab Emirates (UAE), Microsoft Now on One in 8 Internet-Connected Devices?
Web-connected clients are becoming scarce that run Microsoft operating systems (Windows)
IBM and Microsoft Hats at Linux Foundation
"Fedora Project Leader Matthew Miller: A change of hats!"
IBM's Latest Fedora Divestment Speaks for Itself
Microsoft must be very pleased with what IBM is doing
Why is UK Press Gazette Jingoistic About Plagiarists and LLM Slop Disguised as Journalism?
Press Gazette appears to be participating in the attack on honest journalism
EPO is Corrupt Like Always, What Changed is the Lack of Media Coverage (No Transparency Means No Democracy)
We need to revive online media and encourage dissent
[Meme] How NOT to Do Activism Online
So many self-professed liberals continue participating and driving traffic (ads) in X
In Central Africa, Which is Bigger Than Europe, Windows is About 5% in Terms of "Market Share"
they apparently got so fed up with colonialism
Communicating Outside of Skinnerboxes and Social Control Media
Tackling collective isolation and miscommunication (or communications being controlled by middlemen)
Number of Libera.Chat Users (Simultaneously Online) Falls to Lowest Figure in Over 3 Years
Notice the downward trend/curve in recent months
[Meme] Social Control Media is NOT Free Speech
It's time to discard that stupid argument that banning an abusive censor is "censorship"
Banning Not Only TikTok... if Not for FOMOC (Fear of Missing on Constituents)
It's a sort of addiction by peer pressure
Shedding Light on How the EPO Sheds Off Staff in Order to Grant Loads of Invalid (Fake) Patents in Europe
The people who decide on these policies lack a background in science
Montenegro's Share of GNU/Linux Reaches All-Time High
We don't really know why, but that's just what the data from statCounter suggests
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, December 10, 2024
IRC logs for Tuesday, December 10, 2024