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Links 20/12/2022: NetBSD 10.0 Beta, SystemRescue 9.06, and DietPi 8.12



  • GNU/Linux

    • ZDNetLinux-based tablets: Pine64 says its PineTab 2 tablet is a 'complete' redesign | ZDNET

      Pine64 has announced it is making the Linux-based PineTab 2, which is the successor to the original PineTab that didn't make it through the post-pandemic chip shortage.

      Pine64, which makes numerous developer-friendly pieces of kit, is billing the PineTab 2 as much more than just a specifications upgrade due to its new design, including a metal chassis that has two "snap-tabs" for easily releasing the back to access internals for repairs and upgrades.

    • Desktop/Laptop

      • Make Use OfThe 3 Best Christmas-Themed Wallpaper Collections for Linux

        Get into the holiday spirit by finding a Christmas-themed, high-quality wallpaper for your Linux desktop.

        With the holiday season in full swing, it is a good time to refresh the Christmas-themed wallpapers on your Linux PC.

        When you have so many wallpaper websites to choose from, how do you know which sites have high-quality images with wintry themes featuring magical views outdoors to full-blown Christmas scenes showing off the lights and action of the big city?

        You'll have no trouble finding a perfect desktop background image to suit your Linux PC with these wallpaper collections.

    • Server

      • NetcraftDecember 2022 Web Server Survey | Netcraft News [Ed: Microsoft is down sharply again, from 5.43% in busiest sites to just 5.37% in one single month]

        In the December 2022 survey we received responses from 1,125,374,532 sites across 271,238,722 domains and 12,234,425 web-facing computers. This reflects a loss of 9.7 million sites, 450,421 domains, and 72,200 web-facing computers.

        Cloudflare continues its growth, gaining 1.5 million sites (+1.44%) and 309,670 domains (+1.21%). Cloudflare now accounts for 9.14% of sites and 9.57% of domains seen by Netcraft, up by 0.21pp and 0.13pp respectively.

        Apache lost 7.4 million sites (-3.03%) and 15,439 web-facing computers (-0.46%). However, it saw a modest gain of 52,986 domains (+0.09%). nginx also saw significant loss of 5.5 million sites (-1.84%), 1.3 million domains (-1.77%), and 82,128 web-facing computers (-1.71%).

        The largest percentage growth this month comes from LiteSpeed, with it gaining 1.1 million sites (+2.01%) and 170,873 domains (+2.03%). OpenResty also saw a significant growth of 1.1 million sites (+1.20%) but lost 135,748 domains (-0.34%).

        In the top million busiest sites, Cloudflare continues its upward trend - gaining 809 of the top million sites, which increases its market share by 0.08pp to 21.08%. The gap between Cloudflare and the leader Apache, which lost 784 sites and 0.08pp market share, is down to just 0.51pp. In second place, nginx gained a modest 428 sites and 0.04pp market share.

    • Audiocasts/Shows

    • Kernel Space

      • The Register UKKernel 6.2 promises multiple filesystem improvements ● The Register

        The forthcoming Linux kernel 6.2 should see improved filesystem handling, including performance gains for SD cards and USB keys, as well as FUSE. As for the next-gen storage subsystems… not so much.

        For a mature OS kernel, there are still considerable improvements being made in Linux's handling of existing disk formats, and this should improve when kernel 6.2 appears at some point in early 2023.

        A patch from Sony engineer Yuezhang Mo makes it quicker to create new files or directories on an exFAT disk with lots of files on it – and the more files there are, the bigger the improvement. This follows the same programmer's earlier patch to improve exFAT handling, in March.

      • InfoQLinux 6.1 Officially Adds Support for Rust in the Kernel

        After over two years in development, support for using Rust for kernel development has entered a stable Linux release, Linux 6.1, which became available a couple of weeks ago.

        Previous to its official release, Rust support has been available in linux-next, the git tree resulting from merging all of the developers and maintainers trees, for over a year. With the stable release, Rust has become the second language officially accepted for Linux kernel development, along with C.

        Initial Rust support is just the absolute minimum to get Rust code building in the kernel, say Rust for Linux maintainers. This possibly means that Rust support is not ready yet for prime-time development and that a number of changes at the infrastructure level are to be expected in coming releases. Still, there has been quite some work work going on on a few actual drivers that should become available in the next future. These include a Rust nvme driver, a 9p server, and Apple Silicon GPU drivers.

    • Graphics Stack

      • CollaboraState of Monado's visual-inertial tracking

        After a two-year hiatus, FOSS XR took place in Minneapolis this past October. Besides being a wonderful place to come together and meet many different awesome people working on open-source XR, the conference held several talks directly related to Monado, our open-source OpenXR runtime. In this post, I'll focus on summarizing some of the key points of the "Visual-inertial tracking for Monado" talk as an overview of its current state.

        In my last blog post, I took a more in-depth look at the details of integrating visual-inertial tracking solutions with Monado and why it was an important component to build. The gist is that new headsets have been coming with only cameras and IMUs as their sensors for tracking, and there hasn't been a clear alternative to their proprietary tracking solutions. Although still not meant for final users, thanks to this module (and thanks to Basalt in particular), we can now get OpenXR apps tracked on a totally open-source software stack on Linux.

    • Benchmarks

    • Applications

      • OMG UbuntuUse ’Corluma' to Control Hue, LIFX - Nanoleaf Lights on Ubuntu - OMG! Ubuntu!

        If you’re rocking some luscious LED smart lights in your home and you want to be able to control them from your Ubuntu desktop, check out Corluma.

        Corluma is a cross-platform light controller app available for macOS, iOS, Android, and — of interest to those of you reading this — Ubuntu-based Linux distributions. While the mobile and Mac versions of the app are paid software the Ubuntu version is free (as in beer).

        The aim of the app is to allow you to control all your lights from one app, without having to configure IFTT, smart assistant integrations, etc. For some of these lights, there aren’t other options for controlling them on Ubuntu.

        So if you’ve LIFX lights, or those pricey (but pretty) NanoLeaf tiles, you can control all of them from within one app, at the same time — an undoubted boon. Better yet, the app works over the local Wi-Fi network so there are no cloud services to sign up to, or logins to faff around with.

        Now, I don’t have any smart lights that are compatible with this app for me to test, so I can’t illuminate (sorry) this post with much first-hand perspective. While I have written about how to control Hue lights on Ubuntu before Corluma is the first tool I’ve seen that encompasses support for more than just Hue.

      • Linux Links5 Best Free and Open Source Address Book Managers

        Address books allow easy access to the user’s friends, family, business associates and others by maintaining their email and other contact details on their computer.

        This article focuses on standalone software. CardOver is tightly integrated with Thunderbird but it can also run independently.

      • LWNGnuPG 2.4.0 released

        Exactly 25 years ago the very first release of GnuPG was published. We are pleased to take this opportunity to announce the availability of a new stable GnuPG release: version 2.4.0.

        This release has a few new features and the binary releases come with an updated Libksba to fix another vulnerability related to CVE-2022-3515.

      • Ubuntu HandbookMuseScore 4 Released! New Mixer, Accent Colors & Muse Sounds Plugin | UbuntuHandbook

        Free and open-source music notation software MuseScore 4 is out after more than 2 year since the last major release.

        MuseScore 4 now have a modern look UI with both light and dark mode, as well as 7 accent colors. It provides a setup dialog to choose between them on first launch, though user can re-configure them along with fonts, background and paper colors by going to Preferences -> Appearances.

    • Instructionals/Technical

      • Make Tech EasierLibreOffice Calc Keyboard Shortcuts - Make Tech Easier

        LibreOffice Calc is a free, open-source spreadsheet program for Linux, Windows, and MacOS. Like Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc provides a simple yet powerful interface that you can use to record and manipulate data tables. LibreOffice Calc can also produce complex tables and analyze them through its extensive built-in wizards.

      • ExplainShell: The Best Alternative for Linux Man Pages

        Look at the following command and tell me what each part of it does:

        $ find . -type f -printf '%s %p\n' | sort -nr | head -10 | numfmt --to=iec-i --suffix=B --format="%.3f" You might be full of confidence if you are a pro Linux user, but things are not that easy for beginners, and even for advanced users, there will be some commands that put them in a loop of confusion.

        Now, you might be thinking there are two ways to break down the above command: first, by directly searching for it on the internet, and second, by manually checking each part of the command on the manual page.

        For now, we will keep the first way aside (because you will rarely find the command’s explanation on the internet); however, the second way, manually checking on the manual page, can be too boring, mentally painful, and time consuming for a Linux user.

        But what if I told you that there is an amazing web-based tool known as ExplainShell, an alternative to the traditional manual page, that can quickly decode each part of the specified commands and give you a beautiful hierarchy with an explanation of each part?

      • UbuntubuzzHow To Import and Use Microsoft PowerPoint Templates on LibreOffice Impress

        This tutorial will help you importing and using Microsoft PowerPoint templates on LibreOffice Impress. This way, you can immediately create beautiful presentations you really need and want just instantly. From this article, you can download a lot of both academic and general purpose templates including those from Oxford, Harvard, and MIT available for free on the net in PowerPoint PPTX format to later import, save, and convert them to Impress ODP format if you wish. Now let's practice!

      • Make Use OfHow to Create a Winter Wonderland on Linux With GNOME Extensions

        Whether you view the snow and cold weather as havoc to winter drivers, naughty words, aching backs, or a delightful way to have a hot beverage in hand, there are three straightforward ways to add a bit of joy to your Linux PC.

      • Linux NightlyHow to Install PyCharm on Ubuntu 22.04 - Linux Nightly

        PyCharm is an IDE developed by JetBrains. It’s used for programming in the Python language, and comes with some convenient features like the ability to connect to a database, create virtual environments, and more. In this tutorial, we will learn how to install PyCharm on Ubuntu 22.04. You will see how to install with Snap package, the official download, flatpak, and with GUI.

      • TechRepublicHow to create a Linux distribution within your web browser with Instantbox

        If you’re a developer — especially one who works with container or cloud-native deployments — you work with Linux. Even though Linux might not be your desktop operating system of choice, it certainly is your container or cloud environment. Because of that, you need to have easy access to a native Linux operating system to serve as your development environment.

        For that, you can always log in to your Docker or Kubernetes server and spin up a new container based on any given Linux image. You could also go the virtual machine route or even use a tool like Multipass.

      • Make Use OfHow to Manage Logitech Unifying Receiver and Devices on Linux

        Do you have a Logitech device and want to use a unifying receiver instead of Bluetooth but struggle to manage it on Linux?

        Solaar is a great tool for managing Logitech devices on Linux. You can use the Logitech Unifying or Bolt Receiver and connect up to six devices on a single unifying receiver.

      • HowTo ForgeHow to Install and Configure GoCD on Ubuntu 22.04

        GoCD is an open-source continuous delivery and automation system.

      • HowTo ForgeHow to deploy Ghost CMS on Rocky Linux 9

        Ghost is an open-source blogging platform to help you create a professional-looking blog.

      • How to Empty a File in Linux

        The more we use a PC, the more files we collect. Some of them are important, while others aren’t, and it’s important to know how (and when) to remove them.

        If you want to empty a file on Linux but don’t want to remove it entirely, you can try a couple of methods. Using the Linux terminal, you can make changes to the contents of a file, stripping it of content.

        The file will remain, allowing you to reuse it for other things. If you want to know how to empty a file in Linux, follow these steps.

      • VideoHow to install Zoom on KDE Neon - Invidious

        In this video, we are looking at how to install Zoom on KDE Neon.

      • UNIX CopHow To Install Zlib on Ubuntu 20.04 | 22.04 LTS

        In this guide, we will show you how to install zlib on Ubuntu systems.

        zlib is a software library used for data compression. zlib was written by Jean-loup Gailly and Mark Adler and is an abstraction of the DEFLATE compression algorithm used in their gzip file compression program. zlib is also a crucial component of many software platforms, including Linux, macOS, and iOS. It has also been used in gaming consoles such as the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Wii, Xbox One and Xbox 360.

        zlib is designed to be a free, general-purpose, legally unencumbered — that is, not covered by any patents — lossless data-compression library for use on virtually any computer hardware and operating system. The zlib data format is itself portable across platforms. Unlike the LZW compression method used in Unix compress(1) and in the GIF image format, the compression method currently used in zlib essentially never expands the data. (LZW can double or triple the file size in extreme cases.) zlib’s memory footprint is also independent of the input data and can be reduced, if necessary, at some cost in compression.

      • UNIX CopHow To Install RustDesk on Ubuntu 20.04 | 22.04 LTS

        In this tutorial, we will illustrate how to install RustDesk into your Ubuntu systems.

        RustDesk is a remote access and remote control software, allowing maintenance of computers and other devices.

        The RustDesk client is available for different operating systems. RustDesk has the aspiration to be an open source alternative for Remote desktop software like TeamViewer or AnyDesk. Therefore, RustDesk is able to function without additional tools like VPNs or port forwardings, even behind firewalls or NATs. RustDesk used to be based on the proprietary Sciter UI runtime library, but in 2022 plans started to replace it with Flutter.

      • UNIX CopHow To Install Gatsby Node Framework on Ubuntu 20.04 | 22.04 LTS

        In this tutorial, we will show you how to install and use Gatsby.js on Ubuntu

        Gatsby is an open-source static site generator built on top of Node.js using React and GraphQL. It provides over 2500 plugins to create static sites based on sources as Markdown documents, MDX (Markdown with JSX), images, and numerous Content Management Systems such as WordPress, Drupal and more. Since version 4 Gatsby also supports Server-Side Rendering and Deferred Static Generation for rendering dynamic websites on a Node.js server. Gatsby is developed by Gatsby, Inc. which also offers a cloud service, Gatsby Cloud, for hosting Gatsby websites.

      • VideoInstall Linux Without Losing Your Windows OS - Invidious

        If you purchased a new laptop recently and want to replace the Windows OS with Linux. In this video I walk through how save the windows OS you paid for incase you ever want to go back. You paid for Windows, so why not keep it.

      • Linux Made SimpleHow to install RStudio on a Chromebook

        Today we are looking at how to install R-base and RStudio on a Chromebook.

      • RoseHostingHow to Install Odoo 16 on Ubuntu 22.04 - RoseHosting

        Take a look at our tutorial and learn more about how to install Odoo 16 on Ubuntu 22.04. Let's dive right in!

      • TecAdminHow to Change Redis Max Memory - TecAdmin

        To configure the maximum amount of memory that Redis will use, you can use the `maxmemory` directive in the Redis configuration file (`redis.conf`). This directive takes an integer value, representing the maximum number of bytes that Redis will use to store data in memory.

      • How to Exclude Words and Patterns in Grep - buildVirtual

        Grep is a powerful command-line tool that allows you to search for specific patterns or words in a file or group of files. It is widely used by programmers, system administrators, and analysts to search for specific patterns in logs, configuration files, and other types of data.

        One useful feature of grep is the ability to exclude certain words or patterns from the search. This can be useful if you want to focus on specific patterns or if you want to exclude certain types of information from the search results.

      • Red Hat OfficialTop 10 Ansible automation guides of 2022 | Enable Sysadmin

        Boost your productivity by automating your most frequent and monotonous tasks with Ansible.

      • ifconfig - command not found ! - buildVirtual

        If you’ve ever tried to use the ifconfig command on a Linux or Unix-based system, you may have encountered the error message “ifconfig: command not found”. This error occurs when the ifconfig command is not recognized by the system, and can be frustrating if you’re not sure how to fix it.

        In this blog post, we’ll take a look at why the “ifconfig: command not found” error occurs and how to troubleshoot and fix it.

      • A Terraform Learning Plan - buildVirtual

        Terraform is a powerful tool for building, changing, and managing infrastructure as code. It allows you to define infrastructure in a high-level configuration language, and then use those configurations to create and manage resources across a variety of cloud providers and on-premises environments. This article aims to detail a Terraform learning plan for those getting started with this great tool.

        Learning Terraform can be a valuable addition to your skill set, as it can help you automate the provisioning and management of infrastructure, making it easier to deploy and maintain applications and services. It is also a key tool in the realm of infrastructure as code, which is becoming increasingly important in modern cloud-based environments.

      • AddictiveTipsHow to use the Signal chat app on a Chromebook

        Singal is a privacy-centric chat application for Linux, Mac OS, Windows, and mobile devices. With it, users can expect encrypted chat messages and many other privacy-respecting features. Here’s how you can use the Signal chat app on your Chromebook.

      • ID RootHow To Install VMware Tools on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS - idroot

        In this tutorial, we will show you how to install VMware Tools on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. For those of you who didn’t know, VMware Tools is a suite of utilities that enhances the performance of the virtual machine’s guest operating system and improves the management of the VM. It includes a number of tools, such as a virtual network driver to improve network performance, a time synchronization utility to keep the guest operating system’s clock synchronized with the host, and a utility to improve the display resolution and colors of the guest operating system.

        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 the VMware Tools on Ubuntu 22.04 (Jammy Jellyfish). You can follow the same instructions for Ubuntu 22.04 and any other Debian-based distribution like Linux Mint, Elementary OS, Pop!_OS, and more as well.

      • grep cheat sheet - buildVirtual

        Grep is a command-line tool that allows you to search for specific patterns or words in a file or group of files. It is commonly used by programmers, system administrators, and analysts to search for specific patterns in logs, configuration files, and other types of data.

        To use grep, you specify the pattern you want to search for and the file or files you want to search in. Grep will then output all lines that contain the pattern.

      • LinuxConfigHow to Install etcd on Ubuntu

        Etcd is a free and open-source distributed and secure key-value store used to store the most critical information of a given distributed system. Etcd is written in Go making it extremely fast in distributed systems without incurring a performance overhead from clustered machines. In this guide, you discover the basics of installing and setting up an etcd cluster on Ubuntu systems.

      • LinuxConfigHow to retrieve hardware information with dmidecode on Linux

        Dmidecode is a free and open source utility we can use to retrieve hardware information on Linux. The tool is available in the repositories of all the major Linux distributions, and is able to inspect and dump the content of the SMBIOS table.

        In this tutorial we learn how to install dmidecode, and how to use it to retrieve information about the hardware configuration on Linux.

      • How to Find the Most Used Commands in Your Linux System

        As a Linux administrator or a normal user, you often have to execute multiple commands in your terminal emulator like Gnome Terminal or Konsole for different purposes.

        But have you ever wondered which command you are executing repeatedly without being aware of it? So, don’t worry if this thought did not come to your mind before or until you found this article.

        In this article, you will learn how to find and list the most (including least) used commands in your Linux system.

      • How to Find and List the Largest Files in Your Linux System

        Hardly, 10 GB of disk space is used for the Linux operating system, and the rest of the space is occupied by your own files when you set up a new Linux system.

        Sadly, more disk space is consumed over time when your system gets cluttered with a lot of unnecessary files, mostly due to large log or backup files.

        However, you have the find and du commands that can help you estimate the file size in your current working directory or whole system, and by piping another command, you can list them based on their size.

        In this tutorial, you will learn how to find and list the largest files and directories in your Linux system using the “find” and “du” commands.

      • How to Grep Files Recursively - buildVirtual

        Grep is a powerful command-line tool that allows you to search for specific patterns within text files. It’s a staple of many Linux and Unix-based systems, and is widely used by system administrators, developers, and others who need to search through large volumes of text data. In this article you will learn how to grep files recursively.

        One common use case for grep is the need to search through multiple files, including files within sub-directories. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how to grep files recursively, including how to search through sub-directories, how to search for an exact match, how to only search within certain file extensions, and how to use the find command instead of grep.

  • Distributions and Operating Systems

    • The Register UKSystemRescue 9.06 is here with the shiny new Xfce 4.18

      SystemRescue 9.06 may only be a point release, but it has some good stuff including the newly released Xfce, MemTest86+ version 6, and a new USB-key-writing tool.

      We took at look at SystemRescue 9 when it appeared, nearly a year ago now. While version 9.06 isn't a hugely different version number, it actually has some significant changes which merit a fresh look.

    • DebugPointEndeavourOS: Your Search for Perfect Arch Distro Ends Here

      A lot went into developing the distribution, which is quite evident if you have ever tried it out. The motto of this distro is to be a "general purpose" Arch Linux distribution for the masses, discarding the Arch Linux installation fear for new users and the superiority of using Arch.

      If you ever tried EndeavourOS, you must have "felt" how "easy" things are to perform on a desktop for the end user, being an Arch distro.

      We review the recent release of EndeavourOS "Cassini" and the distro overall.

    • New Releases

      • It's FOSSEndeavourOS 'Cassini' Releases With New Features and Linux Kernel 6.0

        ndeavourOS is a popular Arch-based Linux distribution that aims to make the Arch experience easy.

        Code-named 'Cassini', it signifies a new phase in EndeavourOS's development that aims to make the OS better than its previous iterations.

        Similar to a previous release, this release is also named after one of NASA's projects.

        Let's see what makes this release so unique.

      • NeowinArch-based EndeavourOS gets 22.12 ‘Cassini’ release bringing official Pinebook Pro support - Neowin

        The second-most popular Linux distribution, according to DistroWatch, has got a new update today. EndeavourOS 22.12 ‘Cassini’ is here and ready for installation, it includes updated software such as Linux kernel 6.0.12 and brings official support for the Pinebook Pro – a Linux-first laptop from Pine64. For those unaware, EndeavourOS is based on Arch Linux and uses a rolling release model rather than point releases that we get for Ubuntu and Linux Mint.

        Development of EndeavourOS began in 2019 following the discontinuation of Antergos – a distro aimed at making Arch easy to install and use.

      • DietPi 8.12 Released

        The December 17th, 2022 release of DietPi v8.12 comes with a new image for the NanoPi R6S and the Radxa ROCK 5B and a couple of improvements and bug fixes.

    • BSD

      • NetBSDNetBSD 10.0 BETA available

        After nearly 3 whole years of development (work started on NetBSD 10 in late 2019), BETA snapshots have finally been published for interested users to test. More changes will be backported from the development branch over the next few months before we tag a final release, so the BETA images will keep getting updated.

        While NetBSD 10.0 is expected to be a major milestone on performance, especially on multi-core systems, currently the BETA builds have some extra kernel diagnostics enabled that may reduce performance somewhat.

    • SUSE/OpenSUSE

      • SUSE's Corporate BlogALP is moving to its next peak: Punta Baretti | SUSE Communities

        ALP is the next generation of Linux, an application-centric, secure and flexible platform designed to focus on workloads while abstracting from the hardware and the application runtime layers.

        Punta Baretti is one of the prototypes based on ALP where we implemented features, approaches and relevant changes. There will be also other deliverables builds all based on ALP to come!

        The products and solutions based on ALP use containerized workloads to isolate different processes at the application layer. These are managed using K3s for Kubernetes-based workloads or Podman for non-k8s workloads. This approach adds extra flexibility while keeping the deployment and management of workloads persistent, easy and stable. ALP’s ‘Zero-Touch’ approach makes systems management, patching, and upgrading more stable, reliable and secure.

    • Fedora Family / IBM

      • Fedora ProjectChanges/Unified Kernel Support Phase 1 - Fedora Project Wiki [Ed: systemd creeping deeper into the stack; see Phoronixcomments here]

        The goal is to move away from initrd images being generated on the installed machine. They are generated while building the kernel package instead, then shipped as part of a unified kernel image.

        A unified kernel image is an all-in-one efi binary containing kernel, initrd, cmdline and signature. The secure boot signature covers everything, specifically the initrd is included which is not the case when the initrd gets loaded as separate file from /boot.

        Main motivation for this move is to make the distro more robust and more secure.

        Switching the whole distro over to unified kernels quickly is not realistic though. Too many features are depending on the current workflow with a host-specific initrd (and host-specific kernel command line), which is fundamentally incompatible with unified kernels where everybody will have the same initrd and command line. Thats why there is 'Phase 1' in title, so we can have more Phases in future releases

      • Enterprisers ProjectIT hiring strategies - and 5 illuminating interview questions to ask candidates in 2023

        Finding the right talent - and keeping it - is critical to the health and success of IT organizations today. With the new year comes an opportunity to reflect on how your organization’s hiring practices have served you to date: Is hiring taking too long? Are you asking the right questions during interviews? Can you promote from within instead of opening a new role?

      • Enterprisers ProjectDigital transformation: 5 trends to watch in 2023

        The history of digital transformation is layered and has determined business processes for years. From automated technologies to AI-driven data insights, business leaders must understand the past, present, and future of digital transformation.

    • Debian Family

      • LinuxiacTails 5.8 Comes with a Wholly Redesigned Persistent Storage

        Tails 5.8 OS now ships with a complete redesign of the Persistent Storage, Wayland by default, and a better Unsafe Browser.

        Tails (The Amnesic Incognito Live System) is a Debian-based distro that differs from all other Linux distributions in that it is a live system solely focused on privacy. It is intended for security paranoids looking for maximum personal security and anonymity on the Internet. But, of course, this has its drawbacks.

        For example, because Tails is pre-configured to run everything through the Tor network, the speed of operations requiring a network connection is much slower than on a regular Linux distro.

        Today, the Tails Project has announced the general availability of Tails 5.8 with yet another dose of novelties. So, let’s have a look at them.

      • TailsTails - Tails 5.8 is out

        Tails 5.8 is the most important release of Tails in years. It includes both major redesign of existing features, important usability improvements, and hardened security.

        This work has been made possible by donations from users like you. If you like these changes and want more, donate now to fund our work in 2023.

      • NeowinTails 5.8 now available with much improved Persistent Storage - Neowin

        The Tails Project has announced the availability of Tails 5.8. The team has said that this release is the most important one in years as it brings a “major redesign of existing features, important usability improvements, and hardened security.” Perhaps the most notable change is the complete redesign of Persistent Storage, which hasn’t changed that much since 2012.

        With the new Persistent Storage update, you no longer have to restart after creating a Persistent Storage space or when you activate a new feature. You can change your Persistent Storage password with the updated application, and you can choose to create a Persistent Storage space from the Welcome Screen if one isn’t yet set up.

      • ID RootDebian vs. Ubuntu Comparison - idroot

        In this tutorial, we will show you the differences between Debian and Ubuntu. For those of you who didn’t know, Debian and Ubuntu are two popular open-source operating systems that are widely used on servers and other computer systems. While both distributions have many similarities, there are also some key differences between them that may make one a better choice for a particular use case. Overall, Ubuntu and Debian are a popular choices for users who value open-source software, community support, and frequent updates. It is suitable for a wide range of use cases, including desktop computing, server administration, and embedded systems development.

    • Mint/Ubuntu Family

      • Beta NewsYou should replace Windows 11 with Linux Mint 21.1 on grandma’s PC this Christmas

        Grandmothers can be great ladies, but let's be honest -- they aren't very good at using computers. It's not their fault though -- they didn't grow up with them. That's why every time you visit grandma for Christmas, she asks you to fix her computer.

        If you are sick of removing malware from grandma's PC, there is a simple solution -- install Linux! Yes, by formatting grandma's hard drive and replacing Windows with Linux, she will have the best Christmas ever.

        But what Linux distribution should you install on grandma's computer? Well, Linux Mint 21.1 was officially released earlier today and it is a great option for beginners. The latest version of the operating system, code-named "Vera," is based on Ubuntu 22.04 and uses Linux kernel 5.15. Best of all, Linux Mint 21.1 will be supported until 2027.

      • Make Use OfLinux Mint 21.1 Released With Decluttered Desktop, Other Improvements

        The Linux Mint development team has announced the release of Linux Mint 21.1, codenamed "Vera." The release will likely be a welcome holiday gift for its users.

      • NeowinLinux Mint 21.1 out now with a theme overhaul and more - Neowin

        At the start of the month, Neowin wrote that Linux Mint 21.1 Beta was available with a new theme and that the final release would come out around Christmas. Living up to that promise, the Mint team has now released the final stable version of Linux Mint 21.1 ‘Vera’ in Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce editions. Those running the Beta can just apply updates to get to the final version while those on Linux Mint 21 will be able to upgrade soon.

        If you want to see the new theme and mouse cursor, check out the coverage from the Beta release. Those are not the only new features in this update, however. With this update, the Driver Manager has been made more friendly. You no longer need to type your password to launch it and it will display dedicated screens if you’re in offline mode or if it detects installation media. The Driver Manager now also lists dummy packages with “exotic dependencies” and test mode to help developers troubleshoot issues.

      • DebugPointLinux Mint 21.1 "Vera" is Officially Released. This is What’s New

        Linux Mint 21.1 “Vera” is officially out and it is available to download and upgrade.

        Following a successful BETA release, the Linux Mint team officially released the first point release of Linux Mint 21 series. Being a first point release, it brings all the initial bug fixes since the major release earlier this year and some interesting customizations.

        Let’s brief the release highlights.

      • LinuxiacLinux Mint 21.1 Vera: The Best Mint Release Yet

        Linux Mint 21.1 “Vera” has just been released, boasting numerous new features and a polished design. It’s the best Mint release yet – see why.

        Linux Mint is a free and open-source Ubuntu-based distro designed to be easy to use and provide a comfortable, modern computing experience. Mint is a popular choice for beginners and experienced users because of its simplicity, stability, and user-friendly interface.

        Each new release strengthens Linux Mint’s reputation as the best desktop-oriented Linux distribution. However, its latest release, Linux Mint 21.1, has exceeded all users’ expectations. Here’s why.

      • Linux MintLinux Mint 21.1 'Vera' Xfce released! - The Linux Mint Blog

        Linux Mint 21.1 is a long term support release which will be supported until 2027. It comes with updated software and brings refinements and many new features to make your desktop even more comfortable to use.

      • Linux MintLinux Mint 21.1 'Vera' MATE released! - The Linux Mint Blog

        Linux Mint 21.1 is a long term support release which will be supported until 2027. It comes with updated software and brings refinements and many new features to make your desktop even more comfortable to use.

      • Linux MintLinux Mint 21.1 'Vera' Cinnamon released! - The Linux Mint Blog

        Linux Mint 21.1 is a long term support release which will be supported until 2027. It comes with updated software and brings refinements and many new features to make your desktop even more comfortable to use.

      • It's FOSSLinux Mint 21.1 Arrives with a Ton of Visual Changes and Improvements

        This release is similar to the usual point releases. However, it includes various changes to the look, feel, and features that could look subtle but will affect the user experience.

        Let's take a look at the major highlights. We focus on Linux Mint's Cinnamon edition.

      • LWNLinux Mint 21.1 ("Vera") released [LWN.net]

        Linux Mint has announced the release of version 21.1 of the distribution in three editions: Cinnamon (what's new), MATE (what's new), and Xfce (what's new). Mint 21.1 is based on Ubuntu 22.04 and uses kernel version 5.15.

      • GhacksLinux Mint 21.1 Long Term Support Release is out

        The releases share some of the improvements while others are environment-specific. Generally speaking, users of the Linux distribution may notice "cleaner and more modern looks". The team highlights more vibrant accent colors and that it cleaned up the desktop to only show essential icons. The computer, trash and network icons were removed, but remain accessible via the File Manager. The home folder has been removed from the desktop as well. It can be accessed via the main menu or by using the keyboard shortcut Super-E.

        As far as colors are concerned, use of accent colors on the panel was removed and the team decided to switch to yellow folders instead of the classic green color used in previous versions of the Linux distribution. Linux Mint users may pick their favorite desktop color to customize the look.

        Linux Mint users who prefer the classic look may enable the Mint-Y-Legacy theme in the theme options to restore it. This restores the Linux Mint 20.2 look and feel.

        Another change that users may notice is that there is a new default mouse pointer theme. It is called Bibata, and designed to "give a fresh new look to the operating system". Traditional DMZ-White and DMZ-Black mouse pointer themes are available next to a alternative pointer themes such as GoogleDot-Black, GoogleDot-White, or XCursor Pro. Speaking of icons, Linux Mint 21.1 includes alternative icon themes. Next to Mint-X, Mint-Y and Ming Legacy themes, users may choose one of four installed alternative icon themes: Breeze, Papirus, Numix and Yaru.

      • UbuntuManage Debian, Ubuntu, and derivative Linux distributions with Landscape Scripts | Ubuntu

        What are you tinkering with over your vacation? Perhaps you have ambitions to have a beautiful homelab, launch pet projects on a public cloud, or build do it yourself home automation. Ubuntu has broad community and commercial support, making it the logical choice when you need to provision machines and containers with a mix of proprietary and open source software. Once your homelab, home automation, or public cloud projects are running, you can deploy Landscape beta. Landscape beta is a Linux dashboard which can be deployed on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure’s Always Free tier in 5 minutes, and manage machines anywhere. This self-hosted Linux systems management software can administer a variety of Linux distributions. Canonical maintains a Landscape Scripts Github repository where we aggregate community scripts for common tasks in any language. If you write shell scripts that make managing your Raspberry Pis or virtual machines easier, consider forking the Landscape Scripts repository and contributing to open-source software by submitting a Pull Request with your own scripts or script ideas.

      • UbuntuSee for yourself: the benefits of chiselled Ubuntu images in action with an ASP.NET shop demo [Ed: Now it truly looks as though Microsoft bought Canonical, based on how Canonical is behaving]
    • Devices/Embedded

    • Open Hardware/Modding

      • CNX SoftwareT-Camera S3 - An ESP32-S3 board with camera, display, PIR motion sensor, and microphone - CNX Software

        LilyGO has launched a new ESP32-S3 WiFi & BLE camera board with the T-Camera S3 also featuring a small display, a PIR motion sensor, and a microphone, as well as an optional plastic shell.

      • ArduinoThe Infineon team’s XXL Chatbot offers you yuletide greetings | Arduino Blog

        Infineon is one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers, but the company is made up of regular people like any other. Many of those people just happen to be engineers and they like to build gadgets and gizmos like the rest of us. Following a water cooler discussion about who had the biggest 3D printer, the Infineon team decided to build this delightful XXL Chatbot to offer yuletide greetings.

        The adorable robot was designed after the Infineon Chatbot avatar that offers virtual assistance on the Infineon website. While that internet Chatbot can respond to natural language questions, this XXL Chatbot can only emote through its animated eyes and chest-mounted RGB LED matrix. The team 3D-printed the robot’s body in several sections on a Creality Ender-5 Plus and the assembled figure is quite large, hence the “XXL” designation.

    • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

  • Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

    • Libre ArtsLibre Arts - Hugin 2022

      New annual release of Hugin, free/libre panorama maker, has arrived with UX improvements.

      It’s been a long time since Hugin has seen active development. However, the few people still working on this project do make regular releases with useful changes. This release (see the official notes here) mostly got contributions from Thomas Modes, JohnsWork, and Bruno Postle.

      The most user-visible changes in this release are split buttons in the Assistant mode. They provides a kind of presets to simplify accomplishing particular tasks.

    • Web Browsers/Web Servers

      • Mozilla

        • MozillaMozilla to Explore Healthy Social Media Alternative

          In early 2023, Mozilla will stand up and test a publicly accessible instance in the Fediverse at Mozilla.Social. We’re eager to join the community in growing, experimenting, and learning how we can together solve the technical, experience, and trustworthiness challenges inherent in hyper-scale social systems. Our intention is to contribute to the healthy and sustainable growth of a federated social space that doesn’t just operate but thrives on its own terms, independent of profit- and control-motivated tech firms. An open, decentralized, and global social service that puts the needs of people first is not only possible, but it’s absolutely necessary.

          Our Pledge for a Healthy Internet describes our hopes for the Internet, and what it can become: a powerful tool for promoting civil discourse and human dignity. One that elevates critical thinking and reasoned argument, that honors shared experience and individual expression and brings together diverse and global communities to work together for the common good. Today we see the rising tide of the Fediverse, through Mastodon, Matrix, Pixelfed, and many others as a promising next step in that direction. Together we have an opportunity to apply the lessons of the past to build a social experience for humanity that is healthy, sustainable, and sheltered from the centralized control of any one entity.

    • SaaS/Back End/Databases

      • PostgreSQLPostgreSQL: pgAdmin 4 v6.18 Released

        The pgAdmin Development Team is pleased to announce pgAdmin 4 version 6.18. This release of pgAdmin 4 includes 13 bug fixes and new features. For more details please see the release notes.

        pgAdmin is the leading Open Source graphical management tool for PostgreSQL. For more information, please see the website. Notable changes in this release include:

      • PostgreSQLPostgreSQL: pg_ivm 1.4 released

        IVM Development Group is pleased to announce the release of pg_ivm 1.4.

      • Will Kahn-Greene: NormConf 2022 thoughts

        I went to NormConf 2022, but didn't attend the whole thing. It was entirely online as a YouTube livestream for something like 14 hours split into three sessions. It had a very active Slack instance.

        I like doing post-conference write-ups because then I have some record of what I was thinking at the time. Sometimes that's useful for other people. Often it's helpful for me.

      • Data Scientist × Data Analyst - Avi Alkalay

        Analysts inform, explain and visualize DATA THAT EXISTS in order to help business executives make strategic decisions. Thus, data analysts live in business meetings, talk to a lot of people and create data visualizations to help others understand what is going on. Tools: SQL, BI, spreadsheets, PowerPoint.

        Scientists infer and calculate INFORMATION THAT STILL DOESN’T EXIST, such as the future, usually in order to optimize each and every business transaction. Example: if you like this one product, you might also like that other product. Example: according to data from surroundings, this house price should be around $X. Example: I learned how cars look like, so there is 98% chance there is a car in this photo. Thus, they create or improve digital products using machine learning and applied statistics. To create such improved user experiences, first data scientists use advanced exploratory data analysis techniques, create data visualization only for themselves, only for their better comprehension of what is going on. Tools: SQL, Pandas, math and statistics, git, programing, containers, Linux.

    • FSF

      • FSFFSF job opportunity: Deputy director

        The Free Software Foundation (FSF), a Massachusetts 501(c)(3) charity with a worldwide mission to protect computer user freedom, seeks a motivated and talented Boston-based individual to be our full-time deputy director.

        Reporting to the executive director, the deputy director plays a critical role in ensuring the value-added execution of key operational and business functions. This position assists with leading the organization in close partnership with the executive director. The ideal candidate is calm under pressure with proven ability to manage multiple moving priorities and stakeholders, all with attention to detail and rigor.

    • GNU Projects

      • GNUGNU Common Lisp - News: GCL 2.6.13 is released [Savannah]

        Greetings! The GCL team is happy to announce the release of version 2.6.13, the latest achievement in the 'stable' (as opposed to 'development') series. Please see http://www.gnu.org/software/gcl for downloading information.

        This release consolidates several years of work on GCL internals, performance and ansi compliance.

        Garbage collection has been overhauled and significantly accelerated. Contiguous block handling is now as fast as or perhaps faster than relblock handling, leading to the now implemented promotion of relblock data to contiguous after a surviving a number of gc calls. Relblock is only written once during gc. Heap allocation is fully dynamic at runtime and controllable with environment variables without recompilation. While SGC is supported, it is found in practice to be less useful with modern large memory cores and is off by default.

        GCC on several platforms defaults to code which must lie within a common 2Gb space, now an issue with heaps routinely larger than this. Error protection for code address overflow is in place on most machines. The variable si::*code-block-reserve* can be set to a static array of element type 'character to preallocate a code block early within an acceptable range. On amd64, compile-file takes a :large-memory-model-p keyword (with compiler::*default-large-memory-model-p*) to compile somewhat slower code which can be loaded at an arbitrary address.

        The COMMON-LISP package is fixed to the ansi standard. A CLTL1-COMPAT package is defined to support earlier applications, and is used in non-ansi builds.

      • GNUGNU Parallel - News: GNU Parallel 20221222 (-#039;ChatGPT') released [Savannah]

        GNU Parallel 20221222 ('ChatGPT') has been released. It is available for download at: lbry://@GnuParallel:4

        Quote of the month:

        GNU Parallel absolutely rocks. -- Austin Mordahl@Stackoverflow

        - New in this release:

        - --results works on more file systems (e.g. fat) Joblog gives the same exit code as bash.

        News about GNU Parallel:

        - Programação Shell Linux: Paralelismo de processos com GNU parallel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duheTWLIrp8

        - Talk Python: Data Science from the Command Line https://talkpython.fm/episodes/show/392/data-science-from-the-command-line

        GNU Parallel - For people who live life in the parallel lane.

        If you like GNU Parallel record a video testimonial: Say who you are, what you use GNU Parallel for, how it helps you, and what you like most about it. Include a command that uses GNU Parallel if you feel like it.

    • Programming/Development

      • Barry KaulerMeta-quirky Kirkstone git repository created [Ed: Outsourcing to Microsoft proprietary prison some more]

        This is based on the Kirkstone 4.0 release of OpenEmbedded/Yocto, iteration 4.0.5.

        As reported, it took four 24-hour days and three hours, a long time, but more experimenting is planned to reduce that.

        Anyway, won't have to do a complete recompile for awhile. If any individual package needs to be recompiled, or a new package added, it can be done without a complete recompile.

      • Git Commands Cheatsheet - buildVirtual

        Welcome to my Git Commands Cheatsheet!

      • SpiderMonkey Newsletter (Firefox 108-109) | SpiderMonkey JavaScript/WebAssembly Engine

        SpiderMonkey is the JavaScript engine used in Mozilla Firefox. This newsletter gives an overview of the JavaScript and WebAssembly work we’ve done as part of the Firefox 108 and 109 Nightly release cycles.

      • OpenSUSEGood Commit Messages Give Devs Meaning, Purpose - openSUSE News

        Adding clarity to commit messages significantly helps fellow developers, and this short blog will share some best practices for writing quality commit messages for openSUSE and open-source contributions.

        Commit messages communicate vital information between team members, and since open-source software is one big team focusing on open collaboration, it’s imperative to communicate context in these messages.

        Why?

        The “Why?” may be obvious to you now, but it might not be to others; especially those who might not even be involved yet with your code. Well-crafted commit messages help developers remember aspects of a previous commit and help future developers understand what changed and the purpose for the change.

      • Godot EngineGodot Engine - Status of the OpenGL 3 renderer

        Last year we announced that we were planning on creating an OpenGL-based renderer to complement the current Vulkan-based renderers. At that time, we thought that we wouldn't have it ready until 4.1. However, we are now confident that we will be shipping 4.0 with an OpenGL-based renderer; it just won't be feature complete. As a reminder, an OpenGL-based renderer is still crucial so we can support older platforms, and Web export. There is a Vulkan-like web API called WebGPU in development, but it currently isn't widely supported yet, so WebGL remains the best option for targetting web games.

        At the time of writing this article, all planned 2D features and most basic 3D functionalities are now supported by the OpenGL 3 renderer. As it is much newer, the OpenGL 3 renderer hasn't been tested as widely as the Vulkan-based renderer. We expect it will have more bugs for the time being.

        Our goal is for the OpenGL 3 renderer to have broad compatibility and good performance on a wide range of hardware. Accordingly, it won't receive all the fancy new features that the Vulkan-based renderers bring.

      • TecAdminHow to Set Session Timeout in PHP: A Guide for Newbies - TecAdmin

        As a web developer, you might need to create websites with user logins, comment sections, and other features that require users to keep their accounts active. As such, it’s important to implement a way of limiting the time that users can spend on your website. This is called setting session timeout in PHP. Without this restriction, users can stay logged in on your website indefinitely.

        This blog post will explain what session timeout in PHP is and why you would need it. Then we’ll provide step-by-step instructions for implementing session timeout in your own website projects. So keep reading to learn more!

      • More Flexibility for Workflows in the OBS and SCM Integration - Open Build Service

        Right in time for the holiday season, we have prepared you a gift for the continuous integration between OBS and SCMs. We are introducing placeholder variables and for your workflows configuration files, a customizable location. Let’s see how this new flexibility helps you in your work.

        [...]

        Whenever a webhook event comes in, OBS downloads the workflows configuration file and parses it. This was previously static, but you can now use placeholder variables to tell OBS to replace them with data from the webhook event payload.

      • Dirk EddelbuettelDirk Eddelbuettel: RcppDE 0.1.7 on CRAN: Several Updates

        RcppDE is a “port” of DEoptim, a popular package for derivative-free optimisation using differential evolution optimization, from plain C to C++. By using RcppArmadillo the code becomes a lot shorter and more legible. Our other main contribution is to leverage some of the excellence we get for free from using Rcpp, in particular the ability to optimise user-supplied compiled objective functions which can make things a lot faster than repeatedly evaluating interpreted objective functions as DEoptim does (and which, in fairness, most other optimisers do too). The gains can be quite substantial.

      • Perl / Raku

        • RakulangDay 21: Raku and I: Journey begin … - Raku Advent Calendar

          It has been ages since I last blogged about Raku. The only time, I have blogged about when I took part in The Weekly Challenge . But then this also changed recently as I finally found time to contribute to the weekly fun challenges but no blogging still.

          I would say it is all about my mental state, since I have so much to talk about. Recently I was approached by a very dear friend and senior member of Raku Community if I am interested in contributing to the Raku Advent Calendar 2022 . So as you guessed it rightly so, I have a compelling reason to get back to blogging.

      • Python

        • VideoThis Python Code Should Be Illegal, Do This Instead - Invidious

          Writing Python code like this is bad practice, use list comprehensions instead

        • TecAdminPython - How to find local IP address - TecAdmin

          An IP address is a unique identifier that computers use to communicate with each other on a network. It stands for Internet Protocol, and it’s a set of numbers that identify each device connected to a network. Without an IP address, your computer wouldn’t be able to access the internet. It’s essential for communication between computers and networks, as it helps to direct data to the right place. An IP address is like a street address for your computer — it’s how computers can find each other. Every computer on the internet has a unique IP address,

  • Leftovers

    • Please help me share my NEXT million words in 2023 | Stop at Zona-M

      As of today, this blog contains almost one million, two hundred twenty thousand words, in about 2200 posts all 100% free of charge, advertising or tracking.

    • DedoimedoDedoimedo - A Place to Learn a Lot About a Lot

      After fourteen years, I have moved dedoimedo.com to a new hosting provider. Why, you ask? Well, it's a long story. In the past year, I noticed a whole bunch of problems with my previous hosting provider. Namely, there were SSL termination issues, about which I already wrote. Then, the provider deprecated their ticketing system in favor of a "live" chat thing. Except, you end up sitting there like a monkey, waiting for hours for someone to respond. The site performance dropped after a migration to a "new" infrastucture. Weird redirections pointing to a problem with the loadbalancers or such. And worst of all, half of my pages suddenly had become de-indexed on search engines, as the the provider seems to be blocking Google crawler and alike. Enough.

    • Proprietary

      • Climate Contradiction: Microsoft Invests $1 Billion In Climate Innovation, $2 Billion In Oil, Coal-Fired Utilities [Ed: And yet, TFIR keeps shilling Microsoft and keeps perpetuating climate lies for Microsoft, as Spamnil did no more than a year ago]

        Microsoft shareholders voted on an As You Sow resolution asking the company to disclose how the company’s 401(k) retirement funds manage the growing systemic risk created by investing in companies contributing significantly to climate change. The proposal earned an 11.2% vote last week at Microsoft’s annual general meeting, achieving the threshold needed to continue dialog with the company and resubmit the resolution next year, if necessary.

        [...]

        Rather than addressing growing employee concern about climate change across its full range of investment options, the company offers a difficult-to-use alternative of a self-directed option, which charges additional fees, and outsources investment risk to employees.

    • Linux Foundation

      • BGRGoogle Maps just got a new competitor from Linux, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and TomTom [Ed: They keep conflating Linux with 'Linux' Foundation, which in many ways even harms Linux adoption and misrepresents GNU/Linux users]

        There’s no question that Google Maps is the most popular navigation app on mobile devices. Google Maps has two big rivals: Waze, which Google owns, and Apple Maps, available only on iPhone. But if some of Google’s biggest competitors have their way, Google Maps might soon get a decent alternative that could make the entire geo-location industry more interesting.

        The Linux Foundation unveiled the Overture Maps Foundation a few days ago. The project aims to develop an open-source mapping system that could become the backbone of other mapping services that compete against Google Maps.

      • Linux Foundation Forms Open Mapping Initiative

        The Linux Foundation has formed the Overture Maps Foundation, “a collaborative effort to develop interoperable open map data as a shared asset.”

        Overture Maps aims to create an “easy-to-use ecosystem of map data,” according to the website. And, through development of a Global Entity Reference System, Overture will work to “simplify interoperability” and “combine resources to build map data that is complete, accurate, and refreshed as the physical world changes,” the announcement says.

      • PR NewswireThe Linux Foundation's AgStack Project to Build World's First Global Dataset of Agricultural Field Boundaries [Ed: 'Linux' Foundation as front group for IBM et al, misusing the name of a kernel]

        The Linux Foundation, a global nonprofit organization enabling innovation through open source, today announced that its AgStack project will host a new open source code base, alongside a fully automated, continuous computation engine, to create, maintain and host a global dataset of boundaries' "registry" for agricultural fields to aid in such things as food traceability, carbon tracking, crop production, and other field-level analytics.

      • PR NewswireAutomotive Grade Linux Showcases Open Source Technology and Software Defined Vehicle at CES 2023

        Automotive Grade Linux (AGL), a cross-industry effort developing an open source platform for all connected car technologies, will be at CES 2023 in the Las Vegas Convention Center, West Hall Booth #4141 from January 5-8, 2023.

    • Security

      • PIADo You Still Need an Antivirus? - PIA VPN Blog [Ed: Poorly composed.]

        Last, but certainly not least is Linux, an open-source operating system that renders it intrinsically safe and transparent. Malware which targets Linux systems is exceedingly rare, so if you’re considering a safer OS for your next machine, you might want to check it out.

        Linux, by design, uses the principle of least privilege, wherein every user can only enter specific areas of the system. This limits catastrophic disruption in the event of a malware attack since the malicious code will be barred entry in sensitive system areas.

        Even if Linux malware infects the system, it shouldn’t be able to affect the OS core, not without help. Linux is the least common OS among everyday users, compared to Windows and macOS, making it less attractive as a target for attacks.

        That said, Linux is still the de-facto OS used in enterprise and mission-critical environments. Servers running Linux distros are constantly hit by DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks, viruses, spyware, ransomware, and worms. Zero-day attacks are also recorded.

      • Bruce SchneierTrojaned Windows Installer Targets Ukraine - Schneier on Security [Ed: Every country, including Ukraine, should not be using Windows at all]

        Mandiant is reporting on a trojaned Windows installer that targets Ukrainian users. The installer was left on various torrent sites, presumably ensnaring people downloading pirated copies of the operating system...

      • LWNSecurity updates for Tuesday [LWN.net]

        Security updates have been issued by Fedora (mujs) and SUSE (kernel and thunderbird).

      • CISACISA Releases Six Industrial Control Systems Advisories | CISA

        CISA released six Industrial Control Systems (ICS) advisories on December 20, 2022. These advisories provide timely information about current security issues, vulnerabilities, and exploits surrounding ICS.

      • Privacy/Surveillance

        • Make Tech EasierEpic Games to Pay Record FTC Fine for Children’s Privacy Violations - Make Tech Easier

          Epic Games will have to start changing its tune. After making Apple the bully in its fight against the App Store ecosystem, the FTC has fined Epic Games $275 million for violating the children’s privacy law with Fortnite and will have to refund $245 million for practices that tricked users into paying unwanted charges.

          [...]

          The Depart of Justice on behalf of the FTC filed two separate settlements and is forcing Epic Games to create strong privacy settings for minors. Along with accusing the FTC of tricking minors into unwanted charges and retaining children’s information without parental consent, it also left voice and text chat open on the Fortnite game by default.

    • AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

      • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

        • Public KnowledgeElection Disinformation 2022: The Battlefield Shifts Again - Public Knowledge

          After the presidential election in 2020, Public Knowledge reported on how effectively digital platforms had countered the “election misinformation war,” meaning the torrent of election misinformation flowing across their platforms. We concluded, as we did during the COVID-19 pandemic, that “in a high-stakes and high-visibility situation, platforms will develop new standards and solutions to problems they previously claimed were impossible to solve.” Days after that election, we theorized that the dominant platforms had taken sufficient accountability for the content on their platforms that Americans could safely get to the polls and vote. But we warned of a new risk: that an extended vote-counting period – due in part to COVID-19 precautions that encouraged early and mail-in voting – would allow misinformation to erode trust in the results after the election.

          We published that blog post two months before the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6. On that day and in the weeks since, we have learned a great deal about the potential for violence stemming directly from election-related networked disinformation. (Misinformation – that is, false information that isn’t deliberately misleading – holds the potential for harm. However, because of its role in elections, in particular, we will focus here on networked disinformation: deliberately false information seeded and spread in the interest of power or profit, in this case to influence elections.) We have seen how election-related conspiracy theories and disinformation, long after the actual election, can be used to justify a record-breaking number of new laws designed to suppress voting or distort the electoral process, and to further the campaigns of election-denying political candidates seeking to take over the administration of elections. We’ve also seen harassment, intimidation, and threats directed at the people – including volunteers – that administer U.S. elections.

    • Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

      • Internet Freedom Foundation2022 Year In Review: A recap of how sustained legal efforts advanced digital rights

        The legal team at IFF has been working hard to address important digital rights issues, such as internet shutdowns, mandatory imposition of Aarogya Setu, illegal website blocking, unlawful spying and use of facial recognition technology. In 2020 and 2021, we brought these issues to the attention of Constitutional Courts. This year, we are seeing the fruits of our labour, with positive outcomes from cases filed in previous years and additional victories that have advanced the digital rights of every Indian. For example, Mr. Tanul Thakur's case against the illegal ban on his website was filed in 2019 and saw positive outcomes in 2022. Additionally, our sustained efforts have resulted in 5 more important victories this year, all of which we have summarised in this post below.

        Clearly, litigation is a process that requires patience and sustained support over the years. If you believe in the efforts that we describe, please support us. Our members enable us to perform the important task of defending digital freedoms in courts. We are grateful to the litigants for trusting us with their cases and our network of collaborating lawyers who spent countless hours working pro bono.

    • Monopolies

      • Public KnowledgePublic Knowledge Responds to Omnibus Spending Package - Public Knowledge

        Today, Congressional leadership unveiled a roughly $1.7 trillion deal to fund the U.S. government through fiscal year 2023. The package includes provisions that would benefit consumers by taking steps towards promoting adoption of broadband through device access and assisting greater antitrust enforcement, but, unfortunately, abandons popular antitrust bills designed to rein in Big Tech. Public Knowledge looks forward to working with the new Congress next year to promote a competitive marketplace for Big Tech, help close the digital divide, and better protect consumers.

  • Gemini* and Gopher

    • Personal

      • Star Log 2022-12-19 Evening (Fairbanks, AK, US)

        Last night my family and I visited some relatives for a movie party. The skies were clear, and the location was about 20 miles outside of the Fairbanks light pollution. So, while everybody else watched the movie, I snuck outside for some stargazing. I did not have any astronomy equipment with me, so it was a naked-eye session. It was also -17 ℉ (-27 ℃), but fortunately I had brought most of my cold-weather gear, and I was able also to warm up in the Suburban when necessary.

    • Technical

      • Programming

        • Don't Quote Me

          Another option (at the cost of time, complexity, and other drawbacks) would be to use a YAML library to modify test.yml. An advantage is that the substitutions can be better controlled; if test.yaml were ever modified (and how would you know?) to have a key such as EXAMPLE_MAIL_CONTACT_FILE, this new key would be mangled by the simple substitution on EXAMPLE_MAIL_CONTACT. This would not be the case with the substitutions confined to non-key portions of the YAML.

          On the other hand, YAML libraries can be complicated and may do undesirable things such as to reorder your carefully organized Ansible configuration stanzas. In that case, I've used simple regex modifications, similar to the above, combined with a very careful review of the diff. This was suitable for a one-time bulk edit of the YAML.

        • Embedding Wren, pt2

          It's Xmas time, which, amongst other things, means I have no guilt about working on the side project for a few days...

          So I'm back on the EH500!

          The last time I picked this up was in the Summer, so I decided to finish embedding Wren and get the rest of the "console" exposed to script.

        • GCC code generation quirks

          I've been stuck upside down in a peculiar pit of hell, a strange combination of pure joy and absolute frustration. Some of you know I've succumbed to a monumental bucket list project, trying to harness and integrate a C compiler (gcc for now) into a Forth/Lisp/Smalltalk-like interactive environment, with function-level compilation and immediate linking, image, sources integration, and all the good stuff.


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



Recent Techrights' Posts

KillerStartups.com is an LLM Spam Site That Sometimes Covers 'Linux' (Spams the Term)
It only serves to distract from real articles
Did Microsoft 'Buy' Red Hat Without Paying for It? Does It Tell Canonical What to Do Now?
This is what Linus Torvalds once dubbed a "dick-sucking" competition or contest (alluding to Red Hat's promotion of UEFI 'secure boot')
 
Links 21/11/2024: TikTok Fighting Bans, Bluesky Failing Users
Links for the day
Links 21/11/2024: SpaceX Repeatedly Failing (Taxpayers Fund Failure), Russian Disinformation Spreading
Links for the day
Richard Stallman Earned Two More Honorary Doctorates Last Month
Two more doctorate degrees
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, November 20, 2024
IRC logs for Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Gemini Links 20/11/2024: Game Recommendations, Schizo Language
Links for the day
Growing Older and Signs of the Site's Maturity
The EPO material remains our top priority
Links 20/11/2024: Politics, Toolkits, and Gemini Journals
Links for the day
Links 20/11/2024: 'The Open Source Definition' and Further Escalations in Ukraine/Russia Battles
Links for the day
[Meme] Many Old Gemini Capsules Go Offline, But So Do Entire Web Sites
Problems cannot be addressed and resolved if merely talking about these problems isn't allowed
Links 20/11/2024: Standing Desks, Broken Cables, and Journalists Attacked Some More
Links for the day
Links 20/11/2024: Debt Issues and Fentanylware (TikTok) Ban
Links for the day
Jérémy Bobbio (Lunar), Magna Carta and Debian Freedoms: RIP
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Jérémy Bobbio (Lunar) & Debian: from Frans Pop to Euthanasia
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
This Article About "AI-Powered" is Itself LLM-Generated Junk
Trying to meet quotas by making fake 'articles' that are - in effect - based on plagiarism?
Recognizing invalid legal judgments: rogue Debianists sought to deceive one of Europe's most neglected regions, Midlands-North-West
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Google-funded group distributed invalid Swiss judgment to deceive Midlands-North-West
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 20/11/2024: BeagleBone Black and Suicide Rates in Switzerland
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, November 19, 2024
IRC logs for Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Links 19/11/2024: War on Cables?
Links for the day
Gemini Links 19/11/2024: Private Journals Online and Spirituality
Links for the day
Drew's Development Mailing Lists and Patches to 'Refine' His Attack Pieces Against the FSF's Founder
Way to bury oneself in one's own grave...
The Free Software Foundation is Looking to Raise Nearly Half a Million Dollars by Year's End
And it really needs the money, unlike the EFF which sits on a humongous pile of oligarchs' and GAFAM cash
What IBMers Say About IBM Causing IBMers to Resign (by Making Life Hard/Impossible) and Why Red Hat Was a Waste of Money to Buy
partnering with GAFAM
In Some Countries, Desktop/Laptop Usage Has Fallen to the Point Where Microsoft and Windows (and Intel) Barely Matter Anymore
Microsoft is the next Intel basically
[Meme] The Web Wasn't Always Proprietary Computer Programs Disguised as 'Web Pages'
The Web is getting worse each year
Re-de-centralisation Should Be Our Goal
Put the users in charge, not governments and corporations in charge of users
Gemini Links 19/11/2024: Rain Music, ClockworkPi DevTerm, and More
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, November 18, 2024
IRC logs for Monday, November 18, 2024