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Links 25/08/2023: Linux the Kernel Turns 32 and Rust 1.72.0



  • GNU/Linux

    • Server

      • Kubernetes BlogKubernetes v1.28: Introducing native sidecar containers

        This post explains how to use the new sidecar feature, which enables restartable init containers and is available in alpha in Kubernetes 1.28. We want your feedback so that we can graduate this feature as soon as possible.

        The concept of a “sidecar” has been part of Kubernetes since nearly the very beginning. In 2015, sidecars were described in a blog post about composite containers as additional containers that “extend and enhance the ‘main’ container”. Sidecar containers have become a common Kubernetes deployment pattern and are often used for network proxies or as part of a logging system. Until now, sidecars were a concept that Kubernetes users applied without native support. The lack of native support has caused some usage friction, which this enhancement aims to resolve.

      • Kubernetes BlogKubernetes 1.28: Beta support for using swap on Linux

        The 1.22 release introduced Alpha support for configuring swap memory usage for Kubernetes workloads running on Linux on a per-node basis. Now, in release 1.28, support for swap on Linux nodes has graduated to Beta, along with many new improvements.

        Prior to version 1.22, Kubernetes did not provide support for swap memory on Linux systems. This was due to the inherent difficulty in guaranteeing and accounting for pod memory utilization when swap memory was involved. As a result, swap support was deemed out of scope in the initial design of Kubernetes, and the default behavior of a kubelet was to fail to start if swap memory was detected on a node.

        In version 1.22, the swap feature for Linux was initially introduced in its Alpha stage. This represented a significant advancement, providing Linux users with the opportunity to experiment with the swap feature for the first time. However, as an Alpha version, it was not fully developed and had several issues, including inadequate support for cgroup v2, insufficient metrics and summary API statistics, inadequate testing, and more.

    • Kernel Space

      • 9to5LinuxHappy 32nd Birthday, Linux!

        On August 25th, 1991, the 21-year-old Finnish student Linus Benedict Torvalds made his now-famous announcement on the comp.os.minix newsgroup that he’s working on a free operating system for 386(486) AT clones, just as a “hobby.”

        It’s been 32 years since he made that announcement and he probably never dreamed that the so-called “hobby” would turn into something so huge and used by millions of computer users around the globe.

      • LWNKernel security reporting for distributions

        The call for topics for the Linux Kernel Maintainers Summit went out on August 15; one proposed topic has generated some interesting discussion about security-bug reporting for the kernel. A recent patch to the kernel's documentation about how to report security bugs recommends avoiding posting to the linux-distros mailing list because its goals and rules do not mesh well with kernel security practices. That led Jiri Kosina to suggest a discussion on security reporting, especially with regard to Linux distributions.

        The linux-distros mailing list is a closed list for reporting security bugs that affect Linux systems; as might be guessed, the participants are representatives of various distributions. It has some fairly stringent requirements regarding the maximum embargo period (14 days) after a bug is reported before it must be publicly disclosed; it also places requirements on the reporter to post the full details to the oss-security mailing list once the embargo has run its course. These policies have clashed with kernel bug reporting along the way. Examples include a 2018 embargo that went awry, an even longer embargo botch in 2021, and a 2022 discussion of the problems.

      • LWNAn ioctl() call to detect memory writes

        It is the kernel's business to know when a process's memory has been written to; among other things, this knowledge is needed to determine which pages can be immediately reclaimed or to properly write dirty pages to backing store. Sometimes, though, user space also needs access to this information in a reliable and fast manner. This patch series from Muhammad Usama Anjum adds a new ioctl() call for this purpose; using it requires repurposing an existing system call in an unusual way, though.

        The driving purpose for this feature, it seems, is to enable an efficient emulation of the Windows GetWriteWatch() system call, which is evidently useful for game developers who want to defend against certain kinds of cheating. A game player who is able to access (and modify) a game's memory can enhance that game's functionality in ways that are not welcomed by the developers — or by other players. Using GetWriteWatch(), the game is able to detect when crucial data structures have been modified by an external actor, put up the modern equivalent of a "Tilt" indicator, and bring the gaming session to a halt.

        Linux actually provides this functionality now by way of the pagemap file in /proc. The current dirty state of a range of pages can be read from this file, and writing the associated clear_refs file will reset the dirty state (useful, for example, after the game itself has written to the memory of interest). Accessing this file from user space is slow, though, which runs counter to the needs of most games. The new ioctl() call is meant to implement this feature more efficiently. The Checkpoint/Restore In Userspace (CRIU) project would also be able to make use of a more efficient mechanism to detect writes; in this case, the purpose is to identify pages that have been modified after the checkpoint process has begun.

      • LWNFollowing up on file-position locking

        LWN recently covered a discussion on file-position locking that demonstrated the hazards that can result from unexpected concurrency. It turns out that this discussion had not yet fully run its course. Since that article was written, additional changes intended to address a performance regression evolved into a core virtual filesystem (VFS) layer API change to carry out some much-delayed housecleaning.

        At the end of the previous article, a change had been merged into the mainline to unconditionally take the file-position lock (which ensures that only one thread is manipulating the current file read/write position at any given time). The article noted that the performance impact of this change had not been measured. That changed on August 3, when Mateusz Guzik reported that there was indeed a performance change — specifically, a 5% regression on a test he had run. VFS layer maintainer Christian Brauner initially discounted the report, but also said that the problem, if it truly existed, could be mitigated by only taking the position lock for directories (and not for regular files). The original locking problem had only affected directory reads, so the fix is only needed there as well.

      • LWNA new futex API

        The Linux fast user-space mutex ("futex") subsystem debuted with the 2.6.0 kernel; it provides a mechanism that can be used to implement user-space locking. Since futexes avoid calling into the kernel whenever possible, they can indeed be fast, especially in the uncontended case. The API used to access futexes has never been seen as one of Linux's strongest points, though, so there has long been a desire to improve it. This patch series from Peter Zijlstra shows what the future of futexes may look like.

        A futex is a 32-bit value stored in user-space memory that is, presumably, shared between at least two threads or processes. When used as a lock, a futex can be acquired with a single compare-and-swap instruction, without kernel involvement. The kernel comes into the picture, though, in the contended case, where a thread must block until a futex becomes available. Waiting for a futex and waking threads that are waiting are some of the features provided by the futex() system call.

      • OMG UbuntuNew Repo Brings Mainline Linux Kernel to Ubuntu LTS Releases

        Stéphane Graber has been running mainline Linux kernels on his Ubuntu systems for a while (having found the quality of Ubuntu’s generic kernel lacking of late) and says they are “working surprisingly well”.

        Thus, he’s put in the effort needed to “scale” up building the latest stable bug fix release of the mainline Linux kernel, applying select changes not yet upstream, and making them available for other Ubuntu users to install on their machines.

        “The general goal behind those kernel builds is to provide a recent stable mainline kernel with wide hardware support and a configuration that’s optimal for running Incus containers and VMs”, Graber says.

    • Graphics Stack

      • MacRumorsApple Silicon Macs Running Linux Receive Major Gaming Update

        The Asahi Linux project is a collaborative effort aimed at bringing the Linux operating system to Macs that contain M1 or M2 chips. The OpenGL ES 3.1 drivers represent the first time that conformant GPU drivers have been made available for Apple's newest hardware running on the Linux platform.

        Conformant drivers meet specific industry standards, ensuring that they function correctly with various applications. The OpenGL ES 3.1 drivers have apparently undergone extensive testing, including tens of thousands of individual tests, to ensure that they meet the necessary criteria. The drivers are recognized as conformant by Khronos, the organization responsible for overseeing the standards related to OpenGL.

      • Tomeu Vizoso: Etnaviv NPU update 5: Harder convolutions!
        Progress

        Managed to squeeze some time between holidaying to hack on the NPU driver and got something out of it.

        Since the last update I have: [...]

    • Applications

    • Instructionals/Technical

      • Make Tech EasierHow to Customize LightDM with Themes and Backgrounds

        LightDM is one of the login screens that you can use on your Linux machine. It’s a robust and reliable program, and while it does a great job of getting you from login to the desktop, one could argue the visuals are a little bland. The following will show you how to customize LightDM with themes and backgrounds to dress up that dull look.

      • How to Install and Configure Samba in Ubuntu

        Effortlessly sharing files among different systems over a network is a fundamental part of network management.

      • DomainToolsHunting Subdomains at DEF CON 31

        A contingent from DomainTools decided to tackle a more down-to-earth competition. When we saw the Recon-Aacharya Challenge to find subdomains, we couldn’t resist—this is the stuff we eat, sleep, and breathe around here! This contest was part of Recon Village (“An Open Space with Talks, Live Demos, Workshops, Discussions, and CTFs with a common focus on Reconnaissance.”) which makes sense, since enumerating infrastructure such as subdomains is a common form of both red and blue team reconnaissance. Other Recon Village items of note this year included a Jeopardy-style open source intelligence (OSINT) CTF with challenges around harvesting information and credentials from target organizations, finding password dumps, etc; and there were also a variety of fascinating talks and live demos.

      • Linux JournalA Brief Story of Time and Timeout

        When working in a Linux terminal, you often encounter situations where you need to monitor the execution time of a command or limit its runtime. The time and timeout commands are powerful tools that can help you achieve these tasks. In this tutorial, we'll explore how to use both commands effectively, along with practical examples.

      • University of TorontoOne challenge in reducing TLS certificate lifetimes down to 90 days

        Back in March, the Chrome team said that they wanted to reduce the maximum TLS certificate duration down to 90 days (because I'm not always completely in touch with the TLS ecology, I only found out about this recently). In general I'm in favour of short TLS certificate lifetimes and in automation for TLS certificate renewals and deployment, so you might expect me to be all in favour of this. But I actually think that this proposal would cause real problems and get significant pushback from people.

      • TecMintHow to Use /proc File System to Monitor Your Linux System

        Today, we will delve into the contents of the /proc directory to develop a better understanding of its functionalities. It’s important to note that the /proc directory is a common feature across all Linux distributions, irrespective of their flavor or architecture.

        One misconception that we must immediately clarify is that the /proc directory is NOT a conventional file system in the traditional sense of the term.

      • TecMintHow to Install and Setup Zsh (Z Shell) in Fedora

        The command-line interface is a powerful tool for interacting with your Linux system to perform various tasks efficiently. The default shell in many Linux distributions, including Fedora, is Bash (Bourne Again Shell).

        There are alternative Linux shells that offer enhanced features, improved customization, and a more user-friendly experience. One such shell is Zsh, also known as the Z Shell.Table of ContentsToggleWhat is Zsh?Installing Zsh in Fedora SystemMaking Zsh as Default Shell in FedoraInstall Oh-My-Zsh in FedoraChoosing an Oh-My-Zsh Theme for FedoraAdding an Oh-My-Zsh Plugin for Fedora

      • TecMintHow to Set Filesystem (Disk) Quotas on Ubuntu

        Filesystem quota is a standard built-in feature found in Linux Kernel. Quotas determine the amount of space a file should have to support user activities. The disk quotas also limit the number of files a user can create on the system.

        Filesystems that support the quota system include xfs, ext2, ext4, and ext3 to mention a few. The assignment of quotas is specific to the filesystem and for each user. This article bears all you need to know about working with the quota filesystem in a multi-user Ubuntu environment.

      • Own HowToHow to install Spotify on Debian 12

        Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming sites that you can play different kind of music.

        Browser is not the only option that you can use when it comes to listening music on Spotify on your Linux distro.

      • VituxHow to Install Wireguard VPN on Ubuntu 22.04

        Wireguard is an open-source VPN protocol alternative to IPSec, IKEv2, and OpenVPN. Wiruguard is designed for Linux and Unix operating systems.

      • Installing Nagios: Step-by-Step Guide to Get You Started

        Nagios is a powerful open-source monitoring system that helps IT professionals monitor their network infrastructure, servers, applications, and services. Its extensible nature and robust features make it a popular choice for maintaining the health and performance of various components in a networked environment.

      • idroot

        • ID RootHow To Install Netdata on Debian 12

          In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Netdata on Debian 12. 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.

        • ID RootHow To Install OBS Studio on Fedora 38

          In this tutorial, we will show you how to install OBS Studio on Fedora 38. For those of you who didn’t know, OBS Studio, short for Open Broadcaster Software Studio, is a powerful open-source software designed for video recording and live streaming.

      • HowTo ForgeHow to Install FreeIPA Server with Docker on Debian 12

        FreeIPA is an open-source identity management solution for Linux/Unix operating systems. In this guide, you will install and set up the FreeIPA server on Debian 12 machine via Docker.

      • HowTo ForgeHow to Integrate Sudoers with FreeIPA Server

        Sudo is an application that allows you to get root or administrator privileges on Linux and Unix operating systems. In this tutorial, you will learn how to integrate Sudoers and FreeIPA with two scenarios.

      • AdafruitNEW GUIDE: Use Docker to Compile Linux for ESP32-S3 #AdafruitLearningSystem @Adafruit @BlitzCityDIY

        In this guide, you’ll setup and install Docker, run a test Dockerfile to create a test container, run the ESP32-S3 Linux Dockerfile, upload the compiled files to the ESP32-S3 and then perform the ultimate skateboard trick: boot Linux on an ESP32-S3!

    • Games

      • GamingOnLinuxKentucky Route Zero has a big upgrade improving it on Steam Deck

        Kentucky Route Zero: PC Edition has seen it's first major update since the release of Act V in 2020, and now it should be a better experience on the Steam Deck.

      • GamingOnLinuxWhisker Squadron: Survivor takes Star Fox and adds a lil Vampire Survivors

        Taking the rail shooter goodness inspired by Star Fox, making it a bit more rogue-lite and blending in the Vampire Survivors styled gems to pick up and choose a random power-up, Whisker Squadron: Survivor is ace. Note: key provided for me.

      • GamingOnLinuxNo Man's Sky - Echoes Update is out adding a secret society of robotic aliens

        Well this is quite an expected update, No Man's Sky - Echoes is live as another free upgrade for players and it's a pretty big update for the game full of new content. No Man's Sky is Steam Deck Verified and playable on Linux desktop with Proton.

      • GamingOnLinuxSweet beekeeping sim APICO update 3.0 heads to the ocean

        What do beekeeping and ocean exploration have in common? Well they will both be in the APICO 3.0 update that's planned to arrive this "fall".

      • GamingOnLinuxRespawn now properly looking into Apex Legends bans on Linux & Steam Deck

        Around five days ago I reported on Apex Legends doing a ban wave which for the second time hit a bunch of players on Linux and Steam Deck playing it with Proton. Now at least the developer Respawn is looking into it.

      • GamingOnLinuxDeathbulge: Battle of the Bands musical comedy RPG is out now

        Love a bit of music, comedy and absurdity? Deathbulge: Battle of the Bands has plenty and it's officially out now with full Linux support and it's Steam Deck Verified too. Seems players on Steam are liking it too with a Very Positive rating.

      • It's FOSSRoblox on Linux Returns With Wine Support: Rejoice, Gamers! âš¡

        Roblox is making a comeback to Linux!

        Just a few months prior, we reported that Roblox's new anti-cheat software, 'Hyperion' was all set to block Wine usage by default, a bummer indeed.

        However, that is all set to change in light of recent developments. Allow me to take you through the situation.

        What's Happening: You see, back in May, Roblox introduced a new anti-cheat software that blocked Wine usage by default, and the change was not a mistake but intentional.

      • [Old] WiredMinecraft Creator Explains Controversial $2.5 Billion Sale to Microsoft

        On Monday morning, tech giant Microsoft announced that it has acquired Persson's indie gaming company, Mojang, maker of Minecraft, the hit game that lets you build your own virtual worlds, and Persson took to his blog to explain his part in this highly contentious move. Rumors of such a deal first emerged last week, leaving many of Minecraft's loyal fans wondering why Persson, who has been a vocal critic of Facebook's acquisition of Oculus VR, would sell to a corporate giant like Microsoft.

    • Desktop Environments/WMs

      • TecMint13 Best Lightweight Desktop Environments for Linux in 2023

        The word Open Source can be attributed to the Linux community which brought it into existence along with the introduction of Linux (successor of then-existing Unix Operating System).

        Although ‘Linux‘ in itself came into existence as only a base Kernel, its open-source nature attracted a huge society of developers worldwide to contribute to its development.

  • Distributions and Operating Systems

    • New Releases

      • Bleeping ComputerKali Linux 2023.3 released with 9 new tools, internal changes

        Kali Linux 2023.3, the third version of 2023, is now available for download, with nine new tools and internal optimizations.

        Kali Linux is a Linux distribution created for ethical hackers and cybersecurity professionals to perform penetration testing, security audits, and research against networks.

        With this release, the Kali Team says there are not many new features, with most of the changes done internally to increase the overall reliability and optimization of the project.

      • It's FOSSKali Linux 2023.3 Release is All About Technical Changes and New Tools
        Kali Linux is the go-to option for pen testers worldwide, being a penetration-testing-focused distro, it offers a sizeable library of tools that cover a variety of use cases.

        Just a few months prior, we had covered the 2023.2 release of Kali Linux that offered some neat improvements.

        And now, we have yet another release in the form of Kali Linux 2023.3 that focuses more on the back-end.

        Let's dive in and see what's on offer.

    • PCLinuxOS/Mageia/Mandriva/OpenMandriva Family

      • Linuxiac OpenMandriva ROME 23.08: A Superb Rolling-Release Distro
        OpenMandriva is a desktop-centric distribution that often stays out of the spotlight – completely undeserved. With roots traced back to the once legendary Mandrake, it has much to offer even to the most discerning Linux users.

        In recent years, OpenMandriva has relied on the established point release model. However, at the beginning of 2023, the project decided to bet also on the rolling release approach with its ROME releases.

    • SUSE/OpenSUSE

    • Fedora Family / IBM

      • Hectic GeekAlmaLinux vs Rocky Linux: What you need to know

        The variability of server OS, especially if speaking about open-source variants, is rather big. Among all these differences the most used are considered to be Red Hat, Debian, and CentOS.

        [...]

        For firms and organizations which are searching for functional and reliable distribution, AlmaLinux can be a fantastic choice for enterprise OS. It is accessible and free and will fantastically suit those companies that aren’t planning to overpay for any additional services.

        Alma functions perfectly as a base for creating an app-focused, secure, and user-friendly system architect. It will work flawlessly in any system whether it is virtual, cloud-based, or physical.

      • Red Hat OfficialRed Hat extends training course lab access for continuing skill development

        Continuous improvement is at the core of our mission at Red Hat, and input from you, our learners, has been instrumental in helping us understand needs and expectations as we evolve our offerings. As part of Red Hat’s commitment to delivering flexible, hands-on and relevant training on our open source technology, we are introducing an extension to the access period for lab environments accompanying most of our training courses that include a virtual environment. This initiative is a direct response to the valuable insights you have provided, and we designed it to help reinforce your knowledge and improve expertise after completing a Red Hat Training course.

        You now benefit from an additional 45 days of lab access following the end of your instructor-led Red Hat training course, providing a practical opportunity to review course topics at your own pace without feeling rushed. By spending more time on exercises and revisiting concepts, you can solidify your understanding and continue to apply your newfound knowledge to real-world use cases, even after the training course has officially concluded.

    • Devuan Family

      • DevuanFormer Debian leader Bruce Perens gives Devuan another thumbs up!!

        "I was the 2nd Debian project leader. These days, I prefer to run Devuan, a true Debian derivative engineered the way I would probably have decided to make it. It's efficient and trouble-free. Thanks to the Devuan developers for all of the work!"

        Bruce Perens
        Open Source Champion

    • Debian Family

    • Canonical/Ubuntu Family

      • Open Source For UMixtile Blade 3 Embraces Ubuntu 22.04 - Open Source For You

        In a recent development, Mixtile has announced that after various evaluations, the Ubuntu 22.04 version has been optimised for the Mixtile Blade 3, ensuring top-tier performance, reliability, and compatibility. Customers can now expect every Mixtile Blade 3 unit to come pre-installed with the Ubuntu desktop right out of the box. But for those looking for alternatives, Mixtile has got you covered, offering both Armbian and Debian as viable options.

        It emerges as an economical, power-efficient Single Board Computer (SBC). It’s powered by the state-of-the-art 8 nm Rockchip RK3588 CPU. Tailored for fast-paced development, artificial intelligence (AI) -application prototyping, and edge computing challenges, its architecture allows scalability by seamlessly clustering several units. With a 4-lane peripheral component interconnect express(PCIe) Gen3 port, it promises swift communication with other processing nodes, positioning it as a beacon of high-performance computing with an eco-friendly stance.

    • Devices/Embedded

      • Business Wire Wind River Linux is Selected by ZEEKR for Future EEA Development

        Wind River Linux, which includes a comprehensive suite of tools and lifecycle services for building and supporting intelligent edge solutions, will be embedded in the future ZEEKR Electronic and Electrical Architecture (ZEEA) platform.

        “The role of software is increasingly important for the automobile industry. Software can unlock new possibilities to grow value for both car makers and consumers,” said Avijit Sinha, chief product officer, Wind River. “Wind River Linux can help automotive innovators like ZEEKR implement modernized development frameworks that leverage AI in the cloud and at the edge, combined with software lifecycle management capabilities, to enable them to accelerate their innovations and drive the realization of software-defined vehicles forward.”

    • Open Hardware/Modding

      • CyberprawnThe Colorful Charm of Amiga Utility Disks

        Excellent dive into Amiga boot/utility disks, how they crammed so much onto one floppy, and the cool menus designed for them.

      • ArduinoArduino speaks without any special hardware

        In this case, the Arduino can speak any number, from zero to nine, out loud through the speaker. This is possible because those are very short words (most only a single syllable) that are recognizable when the quality is very low. This audio quality wouldn’t be suitable for music or even general language, but it is enough for a sequence of numbers. By reducing the audio quality as much as possible and making the clips short, Harden was able to create audio files small enough to fit in the 32KB flash memory of the UNO‘s ATmega328 microcontroller with room to spare for the sketch.

      • Raspberry PiGetting to grips with Bluetooth on Pico W

        You can simply continue sending data using the GAP, however, it only allows one-way communication, and each payload can only contain 31 bytes of data. You can send data both ways, gain more security, and generally get more features by connecting with a Generic Attribute Profile (GATT). The GATT defines the services and characteristics. In BLE terminology, a characteristic is a piece of data, and a service is a collection of characteristics. To use services, a device has to have a GATT that defines which services and characteristics they offer. These GATTs are predefined – here’s a list of them.

        If you want to create a Bluetooth peripheral, the first thing you need to do is decide what GATT you want to use.

      • JCSAdding Wi-Fi to the Macintosh Portable

        Over the past year or so, I've been working with other BlueSCSI developers to add Wi-Fi functionality to their open-hardware SCSI device, enabling Wi-Fi support for old Macs and other vintage computers going back some 36 years.

        This article was originally supposed to be titled "Adding Wi-Fi to a PowerBook 100" since that laptop is much more reasonable to lug around, but its logic board died while working on this and I'm in the process of bringing it back to life.

      • HackadayHackaday Prize 2023: Ubo Project: Building For Builders

        The Ubo Pod by [Mehrdad Majzoobi] is a very highly polished extension pack and enclosure for the Raspberry Pi 4, which shows you how far you can go to turn a bare PCB into something that rivals the hardware offerings from Google and others. Gadgets like the Sonos speakers and Amazon or Google’s covert listening devices (aka Echo, Alexa, or whatever they’re branded as) are fun to play with. Still, the difficulty of hacking custom applications into them and god-forbid adding one’s own extension hardware, makes them fairly closed ecosystems. Add in the concerns of privacy and data security; they look less and less attractive the closer you look. Luckily the Raspberry Pi and its friends have improved the accessibility to the point where it’s positively easy to create whatever you want with whatever hardware you need, and to that end we think [Mehrdad] has done a splendid job.

      • CNX SoftwareYouyeetoo YY3568 devkit review – Part 1: Unboxing, specifications, and Android 11 testing

        Youyeetoo has sent us a review sample of their YY3568 “Bundle 5” devkit with the Rockchip RK3568-powered YY3568 SBC, an 11.6-inch touchscreen display, a MIPI camera module, and all accessories required to get started. We were especially interested in using it to play with the 1 TOPS NPU in the Rockchip RK3568 in Linux, but we’ll start the Youyeetoo YY3568 review with an unboxing, some specifications, and a quick review with Android 11 before switching to Debian 10 in the second part of the review.

    • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

  • Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

    • Ted Unangstflak is activated

      ActivityPub August rolls on. Now with more (some) ActivityPub support in flak.

    • Events

      • PostgreSQLPGConf.EU 2023 Registration is open

        Hello from PostgreSQL Europe!

        We are glad to announce that registration for PGConf.EU 2023 is now open.

        This year, PGConf.EU comes to Prague, Czechia, and takes place on December 12–15.

        Please see our registration page for details:

        Early bird discount registration is available until September 23rd or as long as supplies last using the discount code EARLYBIRD.

      • Joe BrockmeierJoe Brockmeier: Catch me at Ohio LinuxFest (OLF)

        Ohio LinuxFest (or OLF these days) is returning to Columbus, Ohio on September 8th and 9th. Happy to announce that I’m going to be doing the Friday keynote, “Open Source Can’t Win.” Wait, you might say, hasn’t open source already won? It’s popular to say that open source has won – but the truth is that open source can never win. Not permanently, at least.

        Open source is mainstream, and a popular choice with developers, users, admins, companies, and government. But as open source has grown in popularity, complacency has crept in. Many people have forgotten, or never knew, the “why” of open source and open computing.

      • Linux Foundation's Site/BlogAnnouncing the Schedule for GraphQLConf
    • Web Browsers/Web Servers

      • DaemonFC (Ryan Farmer)Mozilla Bricking Firefox ESR Deliberately. This Code Breaks Tor Browser Too.

        What seems to have happened is that they patched support for ffmpeg 4 out of Firefox and BACKPORTED it to 102 ESR for no reason, meanwhile they also didn’t add support for ffmpeg 6.

        (Even though ffmpeg 4 is a currently supported stable branch upstream.)

      • TorNew Alpha Release: Tor Browser 13.0a3 (Android, Windows, macOS, Linux)

        Tor Browser 13.0a3 is now available from the Tor Browser download page and also from our distribution directory.

        This release updates Firefox to 115.2.0esr, including bug fixes, stability improvements and important security updates. Android-specific security updates from Firefox 117 are not yet available, but will be part of the next alpha release scheduled in two weeks.

    • Productivity Software/LibreOffice/Calligra

    • Programming/Development

      • Burkhard StubertPorts-and-Adapters Architecture: The Pattern

        The ports-and-adapters architecture should be the standard architecture for HMI applications. Its parts are loosely coupled, cohesive, easy to test and easy to extend. We can apply the reverse Conway manoeuvre to create self-dependent teams with minimal dependencies on other teams. I’ll motivate the ports-and-adapters or hexagonal architecture with USB ports and adapters and look at the architecture pattern from the production, testing and team perspective. I’ll apply the architecture to the HMI terminal of a harvester.

      • Jamie BrandonImplementing interactive languages

        Suppose I want to implement an interactive language - one where code is often run immediately after writing. Think scientific computing, database queries, system shells etc. So we care about both compile-time and run-time performance because we'll usually experience their sum.

      • [Old] uni ArizonaAn Overview of the Icon Programming Language; Version 9

        Icon is a high-level programming language with extensive facilities for processing strings and structures. Icon has several novel features, including expressions that may produce sequences of results, goal-directed evaluation that automatically searches for a successful result, and string scanning that allows operations on strings to be formulated at a high conceptual level. Icon also provides high-level graphics facilities.

        Icon emphasizes high-level string processing and a design philosophy that allows ease of programming and short, concise programs. Storage allocation and garbage collection are automatic in Icon, and there are few restrictions on the sizes of objects. Strings, lists, and other structures are created during program execution and their size does not need to be known when a program is written. Values are converted to expected types automatically; for example, numeral strings read in as input can be used in numerical computations without explicit conversion. Icon has an expression-based syntax with reserved words; in appearance, Icon programs resemble those of Pascal and C.

      • [Old] uni ArizonaA Brief Introduction to Icon

        Icon is a very high-level imperative language with a rich repertoire of string and structure processing facilities. It is available on a wide range of computers and is in wide use.

        In Icon, values, not variables, are typed. Built-in data types include numerics, character sets, strings, sets, lists, associative tables, records, and procedures. The aggregate types - sets, lists, tables, and records - can hold values of any type. Tables can be indexed by values of any type. Numerics, character sets, and strings are atomic values; operations on them produce new values. Aggregates use pointer semantics; operations on them can change existing values as well as produce new ones. Strings and aggregates can be of arbitrary size, and their sizes can change during execution. Memory management is automatic.

        Icon has an expression-oriented syntax; even control structures are expressions. Procedures consist of zero or more expressions separated by newlines or semicolons. Icon programs consist of one or more procedure definitions, and execution begins by calling the procedure named main.

      • DataGeeekTime Series Forecasting by Comparing Many Models: EUR/TRY Rates

        The Turkish central bank president has changed, and she has started to execute new economic policies. Regarding that, the Turkish Lira-related currency rates have risen. Therefore, I wonder how the Euro to Turkish lira exchange rates will look by the end of the year.

        While we will model the exchange rates, we will benefit from multiple model screening techniques via the tidymodels and modeltime packages. The models we will use to compare: [...]

      • RlangPlotting Multiple Lines on a Graph in R: A Step-by-Step Guide

        Graphs are powerful visual tools for analyzing and presenting data. In this blog post, we will explore how to plot multiple lines on a graph using base R. We will cover two methods: matplot() and lines(). These functions provide flexibility and control over the appearance of the lines, allowing you to create informative and visually appealing plots. So, let’s dive in and learn how to plot multiple lines on a graph in R!

      • Chris HannahUsing a Swift LSP in Neovim

        I spent quite a bit of time trying to work out how to get a Swift LSP working in Neovim the other day. Enough time that I wanted to share it here.

        I won’t go into too much detail about what an LSP is, how it works, or its benefits. There are a lot of other people who can do a much better job of that than me.

        However, I would like to say that this is just how I have it working myself. There are bound to be many other ways you can get a Swift LSP working in Neovim. It just happens that this is a pretty simple configuration, that I will likely also improve in the future.

      • Python

        • LWNA per-interpreter GIL

          "Subinterpreters", which are separate Python interpreters running in the same process that can be created using the C API, have been a part of Python since the previous century (version 1.5 in 1997), but they are largely unknown and unused. Eric Snow has been on something of a quest, since 2015 or so, to bring better multicore processing to Python by way of subinterpreters (or "multiple interpreters"). He has made it part of the way there, with the adoption of a separate global interpreter lock (GIL) for each subinterpreter, which was added for Python 3.12. Back in April, Snow gave a talk (YouTube video) at PyCon about multiple interpreters, their status, and his plans for the feature in the future.

          We have looked in on the subinterpreter work a few times along the way; beyond the article when Snow started his quest, he presented a status update at the 2018 Python Language Summit and there were some further discussions back in 2020. On April 7, 2023, two weeks before Snow gave his talk, the steering council accepted PEP 684 ("A Per-Interpreter GIL") for inclusion into Python 3.12.

      • Rust

        • Rust Blog Announcing Rust 1.72.0

          The Rust team is happy to announce a new version of Rust, 1.72.0. Rust is a programming language empowering everyone to build reliable and efficient software.

        • LWNRust 1.72.0 released

          Version 1.72.0 of the Rust compiler has been released. Changes include improved diagnostics and the removal of a limit on const evaluation...

    • Standards/Consortia



Recent Techrights' Posts

Microsoft Market Share Falling to New Lows in Aruba
Being below 20% in America is the exception, not the norm
Streaming in a Few Minutes: Julian Assange Press Conference
They test the microphone now.
Debian Project Still Has a Lot of Explaining to Do...
Assange was actually a Debian Developer
Sheriff of Cork & Debian Edward Brocklesby or Brockelsby Street confusion
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
"Conviction for a Crime he Did Not Commit," Said Jennifer Robinson
Robinson is the kind of woman accomplisher we should look up to
An Extended Statement on Julian Assange
Assange's release was not important enough to "make the cut" for News, only "tweets" and other Social Control Media nonsense.
 
Links 26/06/2024: More on Hey Hi (AI) Bubble Fading, RIAA Steps in
Links for the day
Gemini Links 26/06/2024: UAF Botanical Garden and YouTube Workarounds
Links for the day
[Video] Julian Assange Arrives Safely in Australia
even the person on the air cried
[Meme] When Ian (of Debian) Was Still Alive
I wasn't always a Debian Developer...
"Julian Assange is Free"
Published ~34 minutes ago
GNU/Linux Userbase Surging in Iceland
Maybe there's something big going on, like people deleting Vista 11 in droves and installing GNU/Linux instead
Jennifer Robinson: "After 14 years of legal battles, Julian Assange can go home a free man”
She explains the implications for the general freedom of the press
Judge: Assange Leaves Court 'A Free Man'
on his way to Australia now
Julian Assange verdict: guilty, not guilty or blackmailed
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
12 Months Ago the FSF Said It Would Issue a Statement on IBM Taking RHEL Proprietary
Statement never happened
Microsoft's Bing Fall From 2.6% Before LLM Hype to Just 0.79% Right Now in Russia
statCounter's data
[Meme] Speaking Truth to Power (Still Easier in the West Than in Russia/BRIC)
Different people, different outcomes
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, June 25, 2024
IRC logs for Tuesday, June 25, 2024
The Plot to Silence (or Deplatform) Techrights
This past month I've been spending time working on the text of an online publication
[Meme] Julian Assange's Lawyers Need to Ensure Assange Maintains Freedom to Publish
Let's ensure he can continue to publish
Trying to Make Blogs (Independent and Mostly Decentralised Platforms) What Comes After Social Control Media
Social Control Networks 'stole the thunder' of blogs, but can we get back to blogs?
Julian Assange Has Landed
There will probably be some press interviews some time this month or next month
L is for Linux and Lao
Lao should really have something called LaOS
[Meme] Need More Sites Like Wikileaks, Not Less
On US government vs Wikileaks
We Know Who Stands to Gain From the Demise of the Press
the Assange release was a win for his family, but likely a dire loss for press freedom
[Meme] Think Twice Before Exposing or 'Embarrassing' Powerful People and Interests
The United States government has basically won the Assange case
The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is Openwashing, Ben Cotton (Fedora) Acknowledges It, Fails to See How Bribes Led to That
As if... it "just happened"
Links 25/06/2024: RAM Stress, COVID Graft
Links for the day
Gemini Links 25/06/2024: Hey Hi Punditry and Right to Repair
Links for the day
Links 25/06/2024: Julian Assange Freed From Prison, "AI" Bubble Imploding Some More
Links for the day
Three Points About Julian Assange Plea Deal
There is still a secret problem
[Meme] EFF Became a 'Bunch of Pussies' Working for GAFAM (and Sponsored by GAFAM)
It won't protect people, except very rich people's interests
IBM Does Not Care for the Blind (Wayland Harms Accessibility)
What a punch in the gut
Who Is This Backup FOR, the NSA?
As Admfubar put it, "backups for everyone..."
Tux Machines Past 20: Still Thriving
Now 20 years and 2 weeks old
[Meme] Microsoft is Coming /Home
"LOL, REAL SORRY!!!"
Microsoft's Siege of Libya Coming to an End
One might be tempted to guess the users deleted Windows and installed something else
Gemini Links 25/06/2024: Old Computer Challenge; An Opinionated GNU/Linux Guide
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, June 24, 2024
IRC logs for Monday, June 24, 2024
IEEE Computer Society on Andrew Tanenbaum, Winner of ACM Award, Who Also Inspired Linux Development
10 years ago
New Talk by Dr. Richard Stallman Published Two Days Ago By CeSIUM - Centro de Estudantes de Engenharia Informática da Universidade do Minho (Portugal)
The FSF no longer mentions Richard Stallman's talks, but we will
FSF Looking to Raise Money by Adding 200 New Members by July 19
The FSF is in good shape, according to Alexandre Oliva
Not Only Does It Not Add Security... (UEFI as a 'Bug Door')
SecureCore?
Data From Monaco Should Alarm Microsoft
Just how many people are deleting Windows and installing something else this year?
Name the Threats and Threat Actors
Looking back to 2006, there was Novell and gregkh (partly salaried by Microsoft), so these are familiar territories
Linux in Central Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger)
Vast area, vast number of "Linux users" (if one counts Android as such)
[Meme] Gagging One's Own Staff as a Signal of Corporate Distress
Censorship at Microsoft
The "Other" SPLC
You know you're winning the debate when censorship is explored
Staying the Course
censorship isn't easy against sites that understand ways to resist it
The 'All-Seeing' Microsoft Eye
Microsofters are observing us closely
Links 24/06/2024: Long COVID and "How I Write Blogs"
Links for the day
Microsoft: By Default, Destroy Linux
Here is what the very "polite" Microsoft Boccassi had to say
Allegations That Microsoft is Covering Up Employee Dissatisfaction and Using a Survey to Catch 'Risk' to the Cult Mentality
This favours or gradually socially-engineers a company for sociopathy
'Linux Hint' Inactive for Nearly a Month (It Used to be Very Active)
Their Twitter account hasn't been active for a long time and it's not too clear what's going on
An Unexpected GNU/Linux Trend
Burkina Faso is changing and not just politically
Android (Linux) at New Highs in Burkina Faso, Now Measured at 72% (Windows Was Measured at 98% 15 Years Ago)
based on this month's estimates
With 0.76% for ChromeOS and 3.7% for GNU/Linux (4.5% Total) Burkina Faso Approaches 5% for 'Linux'
More if one counts Android as "Linux"
Gemini Links 24/06/2024: Being Dull and OpenSSH Autoban
Links for the day
EPO Issues in The Hague
a report dated 4 days ago about a meeting that took place 12 days ago
[Meme] Garbage in, Garbage Out (EPO Patent Quality)
"Get back to work"
When the Employer Makes You Too Sick to Go to Work (New EPO Document)
"registering when you are sick"
Perens on a Stick
Remember what Novell did and how few (barely anyone) sided with Novell
Andrew Tanenbaum Gets an Award for His Work on MINIX
ACM one week ago
Twitter's Fall to Irrelevancy in Europe
Musk bought a dud
[Meme] 'Useless' Kids of EPO Examiners
malnourished?
Granting Loads of Monopolies in Europe (to Foreign Corporations of Epic Size and Far Too Much Power Inside Europe) is Vastly More Important Than Raising European Kids Properly?
"Efficiency" first? Whose? Corporations or families? No wonder so many young families are hesitant to have any kids these days; that's particularly true in east Asia and also in north America, not just Europe
[Meme] Putin's Red Flags
Firefox ESR or Firefox USSR
The Corporate/Mainstream Media and Even Social Control Media is Distorting the Record About What Mozilla Actually Did (It Originally Surrendered to Vladimir Putin)
Mozilla being avoided for purely technical reasons (sites not being compatible with it) is one thing. Foolishly, Mozilla is giving people more political reasons to also shun Mozilla. This is suicide.
GNU/Linux Up Some More This Morning, Windows Down Sharply Even in Rich Countries
Microsoft is in trouble in the Muslim world
United Arab Emirates (UAE) Rising... Towards 5% for ChromeOS and GNU/Linux
the latest numbers show it growing from about 0.1% to around 2.4% for GNU/Linux, plus 2.01% for Chromebooks (ChromeOS), i.e. about 5% in total.
Techrights in the Coming Decade: The Free Speech (Online) Angle
Free speech is a fundamental tenet of a free society
Links 24/06/2024: New Research, New Attacks on Justices Sceptical of Patent Maximalists, European Commission for Copyright Maximalists
Links for the day
[Meme] 12 Years a Fedora Volunteer
IBM gives me a 'free' Fedora badge as recognition
IBM Slavery: Not a New Problem
When IBM got rid of Ben Cotton it showed the world how much it valued Fedora
Why They Want to Abolish Master/Slave Terminology (Because This is What They're Turned Free Software Into)
It used to be about community; GAFAM turned that into exploitation and worse
Roy and Rianne's Righteously Royalty-free RSS Reader (R.R.R.R.R.R.) Version 0.2 is Released
They say summer "officially" started some days ago
Torvalds' Number Two Quit Linux a Decade Ago and Has Since Then Earned an Honorary Doctorate
Revisiting Fuzix and Alan Cox
GNU/Linux Reaches All-Time High in Tunisia
Based on statCounter
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, June 23, 2024
IRC logs for Sunday, June 23, 2024
Edward Brocklesby (ejb) & Debian: Hacking expulsion cover-up in proximity to Oxford and GCHQ
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
You Know the Microsoft Products Really Suck When...
"Qualcomm and Microsoft go 'beyond the call of duty' to stop independent Copilot+ PC reviews"
IBM and "Regime Change"
Change of regime is not the same as freedom
Microsoft Windows in Nicaragua: From 98% to Less Than 25%
Operating System Market Share Nicaragua
Techrights in the Coming Decade: The Community Angle
Somebody needs to call them out on their BS
Techrights in the Coming Decade: The Software Angle
Gemini Protocol has just turned 5 - i.e. roughly the same age as our Git repositories
Techrights in the Coming Decade: The Patent Angle
Next month marks 10 years since we began covering EPO leaks
Wookey, Intrigeri, Cryptie & Debian pseudonyms beyond Edward Brocklesby
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock