Bonum Certa Men Certa

Links 19/05/2023: New Beta of deepin Linux and PipeWire 0.3.71



  • GNU/Linux

    • Desktop/Laptop

      • Beebom7 Best Linux Laptops to Buy in 2023 | Beebom

        Linux laptops are still considered pretty niche since not a lot of people are interested in using Linux, let alone purchasing a fully-fledged Linux machine. Although, we have seen the trend shifting lately with more people switching to Linux now than ever before. If you are one of those who’s been using Linux for quite some time and want to buy a Linux laptop, here are all the options you have in the market right now.

        There are not many Linux laptop manufacturers out there, but the ones that are already there are doing an excellent job with the hardware selection. This list contains laptops from the likes of System76, KDE, Star Labs, and others.

      • Beta Newsdeepin Linux V23 can replace Windows 11 on your PC

        If you are dissatisfied with Windows 11 or macOS, and intrigued by Linux, deepin, a distro from China, could be a great choice to switch to. It's one of the most beautiful operating systems around, and sports a well-designed user interface.

        The newest version of that operating system, deepin V23 Beta, is now ready to be downloaded. This updated version of deepin comes with a number of new features including DDE changes, terminal, cross-version upgrades, and application compatibility.

    • Audiocasts/Shows

      • Tux DigitalLinux Out Loud 63: Linux Onboarding

        This week, Linux Out Loud chats about improving onboarding for new linux users. Welcome to episode 63 of Linux Out Loud. We fired up our mics, connected those headphones as we searched the community for themes to expound upon. We kept the banter friendly, the conversation somewhat on topic, and had fun doing it.

    • Kernel Space

      • LWNThe ongoing trouble with get_user_pages()

        The 2018 Linux Storage, Filesystem, and Memory-Management (LSFMM) conference included a session on get_user_pages(), an internal kernel interface that can, in some situations, be used in ways that will lead to data corruption or kernel crashes. As the 2023 LSFMM+BPF event approaches, this problem remains unsolved and is still the topic of ongoing discussion. This patch series from Lorenzo Stoakes, which is another attempt at a partial solution, is the latest focus point.

      • LWNThe rest of the 6.4 merge window

        Linus Torvalds released 6.4-rc1 and closed the merge window on May 7. By that time, 13,044 non-merge changesets had found their way into the mainline repository for the 6.4 release. A little over 5,000 of those changesets came in after our summary of the first half of the merge window was written. Those changes brought a long list of new features and capabilities to the kernel.

      • BootlinYocto Project 4.2 released – Bootlin contributions inside

        The Yocto Project has published its new release: 4.2, also known as "Mickledore". It features improved Rust support, BitBake engine improvements, support for Linux 6.1 (the latest Long Term Support kernel), new QEMU features, testing improvements and of course many other new features and package updates. See the release notes for all details.

    • Graphics/Multimedia

      • The Register UKAsahi Linux developer warns the one true way is Wayland ● The Register

        Hector Martin, one of the lead developers of Asahi Linux, is warning that Wayland is the future of graphical desktops on Apple Silicon Macs.

        In a lengthy post on Mastodon, one of the lead developers of the Asahi Linux project to port Linux to Apple Silicon-powered Mac computers has asked users not to use X.org, saying: "we absolutely do not have the bandwidth to spend time on it."

        Martin warns that the future of graphical desktops on Apple Silicon is Wayland and nothing but Wayland. Xwayland will be supported, so that X.org apps will run under Wayland based desktops, but the developers hope that people will use only Wayland-based environments on Asahi Linux and related distros.

        Up to a point, this is not such a shock for the nascent Linux ecosystem on Arm-ISA-based Macs. These machines have a single family of GPUs, which is closely integrated with the main processor, so there are no questions about which GPU vendor to choose, or what drivers a machine is running – because you have no choice. Additionally, the laptop models' displays, as well as Apple's own external screens, are all hi-DPI devices, or as Apple calls them "retina displays". These effectively mandate the use of fractional scaling – something that X.org does not support well. The Apple Silicon market is a closed one, without the free choice of mix-and-match GPUs and displays found in commodity PCs.

      • PipeWire 0.3.71

        This is a bugfix release that is API and ABI compatible with previous 0.3.x releases.

      • Free Desktoplibei 1.0.0

        libei 1.0.0 RC1 is now available. libei is a library to send Emulated Input (EI) to a matching Emulated Input Server (EIS) which can receive those events with libeis, also part of this project.

      • Dave AirlieDave Airlie (blogspot): lavapipe and sparse memory bindings

        Mike nerdsniped me into wondering how hard sparse memory support would be in lavapipe.

        The answer is unfortunately extremely.

        Sparse binding essentially allows creating a vulkan buffer/image of a certain size, then plugging in chunks of memory to back it in page-size multiple chunks.

        This works great with GPU APIs where we've designed this, but it's actually hard to pull off on the CPU.

        Currently lavapipe allocates memory with an aligned malloc. It allocates objects with no backing and non-sparse bindings connect objects to the malloced memory.

    • Instructionals/Technical

      • Paul HeinleinStatic Addresses in OpenStack Networking

        When you launch a virtual machine on an OpenStack-managed network, the VM generally receives a random address in the active subnet. A researcher at work, however, needed a system for launching instances that have static addresses so he could preconfigure the local /etc/hosts file with all his machines.

      • Richard W.M. Jones: nbdkit’s evil filter

        If you want to simulate how your filesystem behaves with a bad drive underneath you have a few options like the kernel dm-flakey device, writing a bash nbdkit plugin, kernel fault injection or a few others. We didn’t have that facility in nbdkit however so last week I started the “evil filter”.

      • FOSSLinuxTroubleshoot boot problems by reinstalling GRUB on Linux

        The GRand Unified Bootloader, or GRUB, is a crucial component that manages the boot process for Linux systems. Sometimes, due to system errors, updates, or disk corruption, GRUB may malfunction, leading to boot issues. Fortunately, reinstalling GRUB can resolve these problems and get your system up and running again.

      • TecAdminTR Command in Linux: A Guide with Practical Examples

        In the realm of Linux, the `tr` command is a vital tool that users can employ for text processing. TR, short for translate, is utilized to translate or delete characters from standard input, writing to standard output. It may seem simple on the surface, but the `tr` command offers a great depth of functionality.

      • Red HatBuild lean Node.js container images with UBI and Podman

        Building a container image for your Node.js application might sound like a trivial task, but there are some pitfalls you’ll want to avoid along the path to containerizing your application. It is all too easy to accidentally include sensitive files, run more than one process in the container, run as root, or ship bloated container images. Because all of these mistakes reflect an image constructed without due care, reducing bloat reduces them all.

        This post focuses on the “bloated container images” mistake that’s pretty easy to make when building Node.js application container images. Keep reading to learn about container image layers, how you can slim down a Node.js container image based on Red Hat’s Universal Base Images by over 70% (see Figure 1), and even more best practices for building containers.

      • FOSSLinuxA comprehensive guide to Linux Bootloader installation

        The GRand Unified Bootloader, more commonly known as GRUB, is the default bootloader for most Linux distributions. It's the first software that runs when a computer starts and is responsible for loading the operating system into memory. GRUB is especially useful in multi-boot setups, as it allows users to choose from multiple operating systems during startup.

      • Make Use OfManage Package Dependencies on Linux Like a Pro With the ldd Command

        Learn dependency management using the ldd command to better administer your Linux machine and installed packages.

      • Open Source For UWhat Are Subreapers In Linux?



        Zombie and orphan processes are popular concepts that are commonly discussed among system programmers and operating system developers. So what are zombie processes and why does the kernel maintain them? To answer this question, we have to first understand the basics of process cleanup/termination in the Linux kernel.

        In Linux, a process is a running instance of a program or application. It can be seen as an individual task that is being executed on the system. Every process in Linux has a unique process ID (PID), which is a number assigned to it by the operating system. The PID can be used to identify and manage the process. If we close or terminate a program or application, the process exits/terminates.

      • Make Use Ofwhich vs. whereis vs. whatis in Linux: What Are the Differences?

        You might have used which, whereis, and whatis commands on Linux several times. All three commands help you find information about other Linux commands. These commands look similar, but they do have some differences.

        Here's a detailed comparison of the which, whereis, and whatis commands on Linux.

      • HowTo Geek6 Linux Terminal Mistakes Beginners Make

        The Linux command line traces its family tree all the way back to 1969, and it’s still the most efficient way to perform certain tasks. Just make sure you avoid these common mistakes, if you’re just starting out.

    • Games

      • Boiling SteamNew Steam Games with Native Linux Clients with Super Bunny Man and Halftime Heroes – 2023-05-17 Edition

        Between 2023-05-10 and 2023-05-17 there were 19 New Steam games released with Native Linux clients.

      • OMG UbuntuLutris Update Adds Proton Support, Itch.io Integration & More

        A new version of Lutris, the open-source game launcher for Linux, is available to download.

        For those not acquainted with it, Lutris makes it easier to install, launch, and play games on Linux by integrating multiple gaming platforms, including Steam, GOG, and Humble Bundle (amongst others), into a swish-looking, unified “interface”.

        Lutris supports native Linux games, Windows games run through compatibility layers like Wine and Proton, and games run using emulators. Through one UI, gamers can manage their libraries, install dependencies, configure graphics settings, and apply tweaks to improve gaming on Linux.

  • Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

    • GNU Projects

      • LWNThe end of the accounting search [LWN.net]

        Some things, it seems, just cannot be hurried. Back in 2007, your editor first started considering alternatives to the proprietary accounting system that had been used by LWN since the beginning. That search became more urgent in 2012, and returned in 2017 with a focused effort to find something better. But another five years passed before some sort of conclusion was reached. It has finally happened, though; LWN is no longer using proprietary software for its accounting needs.

        The system used until now — QuickBooks — was a legacy from the beginnings of the company in 1997. It has long exhibited a full litany of the sorts of misbehaviors endemic to proprietary systems. Regular (paid) updates were forced, despite the fact that new versions brought little in the way of new capabilities. Crashes were frequent; QuickBooks users know to make backups every few minutes to avoid losing work. The software had arbitrary limits meant to force "upgrades" to the "enterprise" version. More recently, Intuit has discontinued support for the desktop version entirely in an effort to force all users to its online, paid-by-the-month service.

        Enough was finally enough; your editor took some time to go back and review the various systems that had been considered in the past. It turned out that the scripts developed to pry data out of QuickBooks still worked — at least, after a somewhat belated update to Python 3. In the end, the option that won out was GnuCash.

    • Programming/Development

      • Linux HintStrcpy() Function in C Language

        Practical tutorial on how to use the strcpy() function to copy the strings, its input and output arguments, and the data types that are used by each one.

      • Linux HintSetting Decimal Precision in C

        How to implement the decimal precision in C to adjust the precision of floating-point variables and set it in the functions of the standard inputs and outputs.

      • Linux HintCase-Insensitive String Comparison in C++

        Practical tutorial on what the case-insensitive string in C++ language is and how we compare the case-insensitive strings in C++ programming language.

      • Linux HintBit Masking in C++

        Tutorial on what bit masking is and how to implement it in C++ programming language and the different operators to carry out the various bit masking operations.

      • Linux HintCall Base Class Function in C++

        How to utilize the "call base class” function capability to call a method from a derived class to avoid code repitition and make the new class more efficient.

      • Linux HintC++ Cout Format

        The different formats to use for the cout object in C++ to calculate the sum of two variables in cout by utilizing it with the stream insertion operator.

      • Linux HintC++ Multiple Inheritance

        Tutorial on the use of multiple inheritance in C++ by implementing the basic implementation of multiple inheritance and performing the arithmetic operations.

      • Linux HintElse-If Statement in C++

        The concept of if-else-if conditional statements in C++ to check multiple conditions and the value of a variable that is already declared in the program.

      • Linux HintSizeof() Operator in C Language

        Practical guide on how to use the unary sizeof() operator in C language to determine the size of an object and how to use the operator in the most common cases.

      • Linux HintAppending of Vector to Vector in C++

        Various methods of appending of vector to vector with the same data type, either “integer” or as “string”, using the vector.insert() and std::copy() methods.

      • Linux HintStatic Methods in C++

        Practical tutorial on what the static method in C++ programming language is, how to use it in the C++ language, and how to define the static method in C++.

      • Linux HintHow to Use the C++ Memcpy Function

        Practical tutorial on how to use the memcpy() function in the C++ programming language to transfer a certain number of bytes from one memory address to another.

      • Linux HintFibonacci Sequence in C++

        Guide on how to create a Fibonacci sequence in C++: using the for-loop to generate the Fibonacci series and using the while-loop to create the Fibonacci series.

      • Linux HintRandom Access Files in C++

        Practical tutorial on how to use random access file function in C++ to randomly access any random file which lacks the order rather than those sequential ones.

      • Linux HintPostgreSQL Dblink Extension

        How to use the Postgres dblink extension to facilitate the connection to a remote PostgreSQL database and creating the dblink connection on the client machine.

      • Python

        • LWNMicroPython 1.20: Python for microcontrollers

          The MicroPython programming language implements a sizable subset of Python that can run on microcontrollers, thus bringing Python's easy-to-learn syntax, readability, and versatility to the embedded world. With its recent 1.20 release, MicroPython introduces a new package manager, reduces its code size, and adds support for many new boards, including the Raspberry Pi Pico W. The project has come a long way since its inception ten years ago, making it an easy-to-use tool for developing software for resource-constrained environments.

          The MIT-licensed MicroPython was created in 2013 by Damien George as a Kickstarter project, along with the pyboard, a microcontroller board to run it on. LWN looked at MicroPython on the pyboard in 2015. There are still updated versions of the pyboard available in the MicroPython store; they are the official MicroPython boards and their sales support the ongoing development of the project.

        • LWNFaster CPython at PyCon, part one [Ed: Guido van Rossum sold out and gave Microsoft control in exchange for some undisclosed large sum]

          Two members of the Faster CPython team, which was put together at Microsoft at the behest of Guido van Rossum to work on major performance improvements for CPython, came to PyCon 2023 to report on what the team has been working on—and its plans for the future. PEP 659 ("Specializing Adaptive Interpreter") describes the foundation of the current work, some of which has already been released as part of Python 3.11. Brandt Bucher, who gave a popular talk on structural pattern matching at last year's PyCon, was up first, with a talk on what "adaptive" and "specializing" mean in the context of Python, which we cover here in part one. Mark Shannon, whose proposed plan for performance improvements in 2020 was a major impetus for this work, presented on the past, present, and future of the Python performance enhancements, which will be covered in part two.

        • 6 Best Python IDEs available for Ubuntu Linux for coding [Ed: What's awful about this list is that it starts with Microsoft's proprietary spyware instead of a "true" editor for Python]

          While working in Python programming language, if we have a robust IDE (Integrated Development Environment) according to needs, it can surely enhance the coding experience, productivity as well as efficiency of a developer. Well, it is not like you have to be on Windows or MacOS to use the popular Python IDEs, even Ubuntu Linux users can have that because most of them are compatible and support Linux systems as well.

        • Net2Environment Variables in Python

          Environment variables are essential elements in Python programming that store key-value pairs at the system level. They play a crucial role in enhancing the security and flexibility of applications.

        • Linux HintPython Itertools.Islice() Function

          To slice a sequence efficiently in Python, use the “itertools.islice()” function with “start”, “stop”, and “step” values.

      • Shell/Bash/Zsh/Ksh

      • Rust

        • Taking Rust to the Cloud: Blazingly Fast File Sharing

          "rustypaste" is a self-hosted and minimal file upload/pastebin service written in Rust. In this post, I will be talking about its features and telling the story behind how I deployed it to shuttle.rs to make it publicly available for free use.

  • Leftovers



Recent Techrights' Posts

Microsoft Windows "Market Share" Measured Around 2.7% in Iraq, Plunges to 6.5% in Saudi Arabia
Microsoft isn't on the agenda in Iraq
Video: The Rise of GNU/Linux and Free Software as Seen by RMS in 2004
DTP's founder argued that when Windows goes below 85% "market share", it'll lose its grip in the monopoly sense
When (Almost) One-Man Operations Are Disguised as Medium-Sized Companies
the CEO hides in the US (hiding from his ex-wives, 4 daughters from those wives, and Sirius staff that he defrauded)
Microsoft Actually in Trouble, Microsofters Unable to Obey Judges' Orders
For the second time in a week, Microsofters are unable to obey orders
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
 
Google Throwing Out the Search Engine With the Bathwater is a Complete and Utter 'Shi---ow' as the Company Drowns in Debt, Layoffs, and Worse
The mainstream media almost never mentions GAFAM debt
Next Month 'New Techrights' Turns Two
Next month, on the fourth week, it'll be 2 years since the migration
Operating Systems' Statistics in New Zealand: GNU/Linux Up, Windows Down to All-Time Lows
Remember all this when the media says that Microsoft became like 10 times more valuable in those 15 years (from 400 billion to 4,000 billion in alleged "worth")
GNU/Linux Share in Sweden Has Doubled Since PewDiePie, A Swede, Recommended It
months ago he moved to GNU/Linux, then told others to consider doing the same
GNU/Linux Hits Record High in Portugal
GNU/Linux picking up in Portugal
Gemini Protocol is Not Dying, It's Growing
When people say things like "Gemini Protocol is dying" the data does not support them
GNU/Linux is Thriving This Summer
It is meanwhile acknowledged, even by Microsoft pushers, that many GNU/Linux PCs will get sabotaged next month
The End of Microsoft's Reign in Spain: Windows Falls to All-Time Lows in Spanish Web Traffic
Windows sank to new lows in Spain
The Bots Never Sleep: In The Weekends, Slopfarms Dominate Google News, Majority of Entries in Google Are Fake Articles About 'Linux'
Google is fast becoming an ocean of plagiarism; the same goes for Google News, which was supposed to have extra quality control
Russia's Yandex Has Caught Up With Bing in Terms of "Market Share"
Microsoft has been firing loads of Bing workers for over 2 years already
Canada: GNU/Linux Up to Records Highs, Windows Down to Record Lows
Microsoft already announcing some plans to shut down Vista 11
Gemini Links 02/08/2025: Transducers in Typed Racket and American ISPs
Links for the day
Links 02/08/2025: Microsoft Already Kills Vista 11 SE, Smartphone Sales Down, Truth Gets "You're Fired!" in the US
Links for the day
Russia: GNU/Linux Rises to Highest Adoption Level Since Invasion of Ukraine
Moving up in the north
Microsoft's Latest Financial Report: We "Gained" 300 Million Dollars in "Goodwill" and Liabilities Grew by 32 Billion Dollars
Microsoft's debt has reached an all-time high
The Register US = The Register MS
Formerly The Register UK
Weeks After Microsoft Shut Down Its Operations in Pakistan Windows Falls to All-Time Lows
Only less than a month ago it was quietly revealed, based on laid-off staff, that Microsoft shut down in Pakistan
Criminal Behaviour is the Standard Operating Procedure at Microsoft
In the future I'll be able to tell how, when dealing with SLAPPs from Microsofters, their Microsoft services failed me and sometimes even blocked my contacts
GNU/Linux Rises to All-Time Highs in Europe
many people will get fired for buying Microsoft
All-Time Highs for GNU/Linux on the Client Desktop/Laptop, Based on Steam Survey
GNU/Linux rose to 2.89% in Steam
Links 02/08/2025: Blaugust 2025 and "Russia Declares Navalny Memoir ‘Extremist’"
Links for the day
Free Software is Not a Business Model
Go ahead, ask your friend, "how do you plan to monetise your children?"
LLM Slop Harms Real Literature, Real Web Sites, Real Journalism
LLM slop is a parasite and it'll run out of legitimate outputs
Upcoming OSI Scandal Series
The OSI is a rogue actor because it serves Microsoft in exchange for money
Slopwatch: The Issue Persists, But the Consensus in the Media Changes as Google Enrages It With LLM Plagiarism
We've meanwhile assessed the latest output from Linuxiac
IRC Proceedings: Friday, August 01, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, August 01, 2025
Links 02/08/2025: İstanbul Retail Inflation Reaches 42.48%, US FBI Opens Office in New Zealand
Links for the day
Gemini Links 02/08/2025: ZFS, LLM Hype, and Fake Modules
Links for the day
Links 01/08/2025: Health, Conflict, and Attacks on Freedom of the Press
Links for the day
Microsoft's Debt Exploded by 15.4 Billion Dollars in the Past 9 Months Alone (Despite All the Layoffs)
As of minutes ago, at 6PM on a Friday, the numbers are made public
Meeting (Webchat) With Maria Arranz Gomez, Florian Grundies, Jürgen Janda and Konstantinos Kortsaris Confronts EPO Management About Breaking Promises and Crushing Workers
The lack of consistent messages suggests plans other than what's advertised and the lack of consultation (secrecy) likewise
Links 01/08/2025: "The Great British Firewall" and U.S. Army Sponsors Palantir
Links for the day
For Second Day in a Row, Top Story in The Register MS is "Microsoft Says"
The editor in chief exercises control over everybody else
LLMs as Attack Method Against Free Software and Programming
DDoS in "hey hi" (slop) clothing
Stability and Reliability, Backward Compatibility
I don't fancy relying on social control media as "sources"
What "the News" Looks Like in 2025
The "says" (or "sez") phenomenon
History Will Be Distorted, Sometimes Intentionally, Under the Guise of Intelligence (Manipulated/Curated Slop)
Militarised misinformation or military-grade chaff is a national security threat, even domestically
Financial Engineering Companies: A Company Worth 4 Trillion Dollars Would Not Borrow 100+ Billion Dollars at Interest Rates Like Today's
Many headlines perpetuate the lie Microsoft had just 2 waves of layoffs
Microsoft is Googlebombing "Linux" While Paying Former News Sites to Publish SPAM
How much lower will IDG sink?
Google as a 'Bullshit Generator' Disguised as Intelligence
It'll probably cause Google to get sued a lot, both by individuals and companies
As Expected, Google in the UK Now Experiments With Slop Instead of Web Search
At this point more people ought to stop and think: Does Google's search engine deserve trust?
The Data You Don't Give Away is Your Advantage
stop sharing data that does not need to be shared
Being Obedient or Doing the Right Thing
The world always changes for the better because of people who think "Outside the Box", not the cogs
Gemini Links 01/08/2025: Happy Hacking Keyboards and New Gemini Arrivals
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, July 31, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, July 31, 2025
Sabotaging Linux on Behalf of Microsoft With UEFI 'Secure' Boot (De Facto Remote 'Kill Switch'), Then Defaming, Stalking and Harassing Critics of 'Secure' Boot for 12 Years, Then SLAPPing Their Spouses and Them
The sorts of stubborn lunatics we've been dealing with
Moving on in Techrights, Geeks Gonna Geek
In the coming weeks we plan to focus (as we explained last week) on patents, GNU/Linux issues, and the occasional philosophical essays
Slopwatch: Google News Has Lost the Plot
Almost the majority of articles returned for "Linux" are fakes
Links 31/07/2025: Australia Restricts YouTube Access, Personal Privacy at Risk
Links for the day
Links 31/07/2025: Spotify Collapses and Spotify Now Forcing Some Users to Undergo Face-Scanning
Links for the day
A Lot of Supposedly "Successful" Businesses Are Just Debt-Racking Vessels Without Any Prospects of Financial Sustainability
The probability of bankruptcy of any business is more than 0%
theregister.com: The Voice of Microsoft US?
It basically sold out
Yes, You Can Love and Adore Things Whilst Also Criticising Them
Is society being divided and groomed/primed to be resistant to constructive criticism?
Links 31/07/2025: War in Ukraine, Security News, and Cyberattacks Against Journalists on the Rise
Links for the day
Gemini Links 31/07/2025: Fake Money and Gemini Diaries
Links for the day
An Illusion and Cult Worship of Magnitude (Ubiquity as "Victory")
GNU has been around for over 40 years and it'll likely continue to exist for another 40 (in some form)
Google: From Pointing to Relevant Sites to Pointing to Social Control Media to Actually Parroting Social Control Media as "Facts"
Google has become a misinformation company
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, July 30, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, July 30, 2025