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Links 20/08/2023: Budgie 10.8 Desktop and Linux 6.5 RC7



  • GNU/Linux

    • Audiocasts/Shows

      • Going LinuxGoing Linux #444 €· Welcome to Linux! - Desktops

        We review some of the most popular Linux desktop environment options. Included are KDE Plasma, Gnome, Cinnamon, MATE, XFCE, LXDE, Budgie, Pantheon and Deepin.

        Episode Time Stamps
        00:00 Going Linux #444 €· Welcome to Linux! - Desktops
        01:18 Bill broke KDE on his computer
        02:08 Larry fixed a 13 year old laptop with LXLE
        09:29 Definition: Linux desktop environments

    • Kernel Space

      • Linux mailing listsLinux 6.5-rc7
        So it's Sunday afternoon, just not in the usual timezone where I do
        these releases, since I've been traveling.
        
        

        But apart from the timezone difference, everything looks entirely normal. Drivers (GPU, networking and sound dominate - the usual suspects, in other words) and architecture fixes. The latter are mostly arm devicetree fixlets, but also some x86 cleanups and fallout from the embargo last week.

        Not a huge amount of patches, and I really get the feeling that a lot of maintainers are on vacation. But I will be optimistic and also blame it all being quiet on things working fairly well.

        So I think this will be the last rc unless something nasty comes up. Do keep testing,

        Linus
    • Graphics Stack

      • Mike Blumenkrantz: Yep

        Finally a default value for gl_PointSize.

        Long-term fans of the blog will recall that I’ve previously raged against the insane concept that pointsize must be written many times prior. In fact, it remains the second most blogged about topic in SGC history right behind

        Big Triangledescriptor management, the topic that modern graphics-related blogs must cover above all others.

        Finally with maintenance5 we can be freed from these unjust shackles that have bound us for so long. No more* shall complex logic be unnecessarily injected into the compiler stack to add senseless writes to this output.
        * except all that code still has to exist and run to handle drivers that don’t support maintenance5

        Beyond the obvious benefit of having a fixed default pointsize (sanity), let’s check out some other benefits.

        Shader Reduction

        Previously all zink-emitted shaders would have a pointsize write, even those that were never used for drawing points. This resulted in unnecessary shader i/o at the hardware level. Nobody wants unnecessary shader i/o at the hardware level.

        Now, however, it’s possible to use heuristics during linking to delete all unnecessary pointsize writes any time there is no XFB emission.

        How much performance improvement will this yield?

    • Applications

      • Linux Links8 Best Free and Open Source Search Engines for Big Data

        Big Data is an all-inclusive term that refers to data sets so large and complex that they need to be processed by specially designed hardware and software tools.

      • Linux Links7 Best Free and Open Source Linux Speed Reading Tools

        The software featured in this group test is based on spritzing. Read text without moving your eyes, and therefore rapidly increase your reading speed.

      • Sparky GNU/LinuxPenguins’ eggs

        There is a new application available for Sparkers: Penguins’ eggs What is Penguins’ eggs? penguins-eggs is a console tool, under continuous development, that allows you to remaster your system and redistribute it as live images on usb sticks or via PXE. It supports: Debian, Devuan, Ubuntu and major derivatives: Linuxmint, KDE neon, etc.

      • Make Use Of10 Ways to Secure Your Samba Server on Linux

        SMB (Server Message Block) protocol is a cornerstone of file and printer sharing in connected environments. However, the default configuration of Samba can pose significant security risks, leaving your network vulnerable to unauthorized access and cyberattacks.

        If you're hosting a Samba server, you need to be extra cautious with the configurations you have set in place. Here are 10 critical steps to ensure your SMB server remains secure and protected.

        Linux is great for hosting servers. However, whenever you're dealing with servers, you have to tread carefully and be extra aware as Linux servers are always a lucrative target for threat actors.

        It is paramount that you put sincere effort into fortifying your network and hardening your Linux servers. Besides properly configuring Samba, there are a few other measures you should take to ensure your Linux server is safe from the crosshair of adversaries.

    • Instructionals/Technical

    • Desktop Environments/WMs

      • 9to5LinuxBudgie 10.8 Desktop Released with New Trash Applet, Budgie Menu Improvements

        Budgie 10.8 comes with a new applet called Budgie Trash Applet that was previously available as a third-party applet, but not it comes pre-installed by default with the new Budgie release. Apart from the usual functionality of such an applet, the Budgie Trash Applet also features support for restoring trashed files.

        Another interesting change in Budgie 10.8 is support for the StatusNotifier specification in the System Tray Applet, which enables applications to show their icons and menus in the system tray area in a modern way that is expected from a desktop environment in 2023.

      • Beta News Budgie 10.8 takes Linux desktop experience to new heights
        Exciting news, y’all! Budgie 10.8 has landed, and the Linux desktop environment is packed with features that promise to transform how we interact with our desktops.

        First off, the Budgie Menu has received quite the makeover. If you've ever scratched your head wondering why certain apps are in the 'Other' category, you're not alone. The team listened to feedback, and now, applications have found more fitting categories. Plus, there’s a nifty fix for non-Latin text crashes, thanks to a switch to C for the Application Indexer's fuzzy scoring function. And, let's say goodbye to the Utilities category; its apps have found a new home in System Tools.

      • LinuxiacBudgie Desktop 10.8 Released, Here’s What’s New
        Budgie Desktop is a modern, user-friendly desktop environment for Linux operating systems built on GNOME technologies. It is designed to provide a clean, elegant user interface while lightweight and efficient.

        Initially developed by the Solus Project, the desktop has gained popularity and has been widely adopted by other Linux distributions. Currently, it is developed by the Buddies of Budgie organization.

        Nearly seven months after version 10.7 was released at the beginning of the year, Budgie 10.8 is here, so let’s see what’s changed.

      • K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt

        • Are we transparent enough?
          For me this was surprising, so I would like to raise a few questions here that might as well be answered with: "sure, we are", and I just did not see it because I am a bit out of touch with KDE development news (and modern ways of communication in general). Personal and biased opinion follows. But here are the questions first:

          Are we handling such a prominently user-facing (as in in your face) changes transparently enough?

          How do we decide for such (as in groundbreaking) new defaults?

          Have the users (as in many of them) been asked?

          So, now for the personal opinion...

      • GNOME Desktop/GTK

  • Distributions and Operating Systems

    • Top 10 Best Linux Server Distros for Powerful Performance

      Linux servers are renowned for their robustness, enhanced security features, and ability to handle heavy traffic, making them an optimal choice for businesses and organizations. These servers offer dynamic versatility and scalability, allowing diverse customization options and the ability to adapt to varying load conditions.

    • BSD

    • SUSE/OpenSUSE

      • DaemonFC (Ryan Farmer)I Managed to Make Fallout 4 Work in openSUSE Leap.

        So, openSUSE Leap 15.5 being an enterprise-like system with slow moving releases, it’s been something of a chore to set up for a laptop, especially one where I occasionally want to play Windows games.

        Even after installing the vulkan packages and Wine Stable 8.0, and the media codecs from the “Packman” repository with “opi”, when I launched Fallout 4 Game of the Year Edition this time, I ended up with no voices and no soundtracks.

        When I ran it with wine Fallout4.exe, it complained that it could not find a Windows Media Audio codec for gstreamer.

    • Devices/Embedded

      • CNX SoftwareSetting up a private LoRaWAN network with WisGate Connect gateway

        In this guide, we’ll explain how to set up a private LoRaWAN network using the Raspberry Pi CM4-based RAKwireless’ WisGate Connect gateway and Docker or Portainer to install NodeRED, InfluxDB, Grafana, and other packages required to configure our gateway. The WisGate Connect is quite a versatile gateway with Gigabit and 2.5Gbps Ethernet plus several optional wireless connectivity options such as LoRaWAN, 4G LTE, 5G, WiFi 6, Zigbee, WiFi HaLoW, and more that can be added through Mini PCIe or M.2 sockets, expansion through WisBlock IO connectors and a 40-pin Raspberry Pi HAT connector. We’ll start by looking at the gateway features in detail, but if you already know all that, you can jump to the private LoRaWAN network configuration section.

    • Open Hardware/Modding

  • Leftovers

    • Ruben SchadeSpelling misatkes (cough)

      I’m trying to train myself to stop misspelling these words:

      • acknowlege → acknowledge
      • discernable → discernible
      • existance → existence
      • eshew → eschew
      • maintanance → maintenance
      • vaccum → vacuum
      • vechile → vehicle

      My success rate thus far is hovering around… 50%? I’m at the point now where I remember both spellings, but forget which one I’m supposed to be using.

    • UNIX CopWhat is Web Security and Why It Is Important for Your Website? [Ed: Linkspam disguised as article? This is very poorly done SEO stuny.]

      Businesses of all kinds are finding it increasingly challenging to protect their customers’ financial and private details as technology advances.

    • Zach Oglesby: Change

      As the old saying goes, “The only constant in life is change.” My life has been ruled by it, moving around as a kid, life in the military, and the same old stuff we all deal with as we age and grow.

      For the last 15 years, my wife has been the only constant in my life. We met in Delaware while I was stationed there. We fell in love, got married, and I scooped her away from the only home she had ever known to go live in Spain with me.



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