๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ Bulletin for Monday, December 14, 2020
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โฆฟ Video: EPO Strike Disrupts โBusiness as Usualโ | Techrights
โฆฟ Thanks for All the Fish and Goodbye, Twitter | Techrights
โฆฟ IRC Proceedings: Sunday, December 13, 2020 | Techrights
โฆฟ Coming Soon: Techrights/TechBytes Videos (With Some EPO Focus Too) | Techrights
โฆฟ EPO Googlebombing, Manipulating the Media, and the Latest Fluff | Techrights
โฆฟ Video: The EPOโs Media Strategy | Techrights
ไทผ Bulletin articles (as HTML) to comment on (requires login):
http://techrights.org/2020/12/14/epo-strike-downfall/#comments
http://techrights.org/2020/12/14/goodbye-twitter-2020/#comments
http://techrights.org/2020/12/14/irc-log-131220/#comments
http://techrights.org/2020/12/14/techbytes-videos-resumption/#comments
http://techrights.org/2020/12/14/tony-reacts-to-epo-strike/#comments
http://techrights.org/2020/12/14/video-the-epos-media-strategy/#comments
ไท Followed by Daily Links (assorted news picks curated and categorised):
http://techrights.org/2020/12/14/linux-5-10/#comments
http://techrights.org/2020/12/14/nutyx-20-12-0/#comments
ไทฉ ๐๐๐๐ 62
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
(โน) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2020/12/14/epo-strike-downfall/#comments
โ โง โโโโ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ 12.14.20โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โโโ โง
โ Video:_EPO_Strike_Disrupts_โBusiness_as_Usualโโ โ
Posted in Europe, Patents at 5:07 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
EPO_strike (direct link, or as iframe below; works in a few browsers)
Summary: EPOnia_discovers_that_nobody_is_working_on_December_15th_and_that_itโs
merely_the_start_of_a_long_conflict (video above, transcript below)
The examiners refuse to work (view_video_in_Caption_Generator)
They say enough is enough
Even the Berlin site
They call EPOTIF โgamblingโ
And they probably know where weโve stashed all the money
COVID-19 will keep them stranded at home
Thereโs nothing they can do
Mr. President
Stoneheart
โProductionโ has decreased
Even CNIPA is better than us
My father fought for his peopleโฆ only family members allowed here nowโฆ *burps*
I told you Bergot was a bloody disaster!
Just like the rest of those idiotsโฆ
We need EUIPO talent, not INPI talentโฆ
Iโve already drained the whole place
Who else can we hire for blind loyalty?
Issue some more press releases about โdiversityโ
Along with those stupid press releases about buzzwords
Just make sure they add my photo to them
Sir, the whole EPO site is already full of your mugs
Itโs all about me, idiot! Iโm so awesome!
Sir, only 3% of our staff trusts youโฆ
Thatโs libel. I need to ask Mercer.
Iโm all about social dialogue!
I met those sons of bitches one by one
Told them about my dadโs legacy
And how things were going to change
While we pile up the cash in the bank
Now we might need to get a submarine to smuggle it somewhere else
Benoรฎt and I had it all figured out!
Now the UPC is failing and we stuff the justice ministry with our Stalin
At least we got Thierry Breton in the Commission
That son of a bitch owes me a big one!
Benoรฎt and Thierry go way backโฆ
I told himโฆ
Blackmail all member states to ratify the UPCA
Fuck their fucking constitutions!
Maybe I can pay them with some of EPOTIF to look the other way
The nations in eastern Europe are cheaper to bribe
I have a Doyen in Croatia with a fake EQE certificate
Heโs talking about your boyfriend again
At least Iโm not COVID-positive
Sometimes I wish I was to be honestโฆ
For sympathy
In a press release
Go write a bunch of fluff about โ4IRโ and other crap regarding abstract patents
Make sure it says EPO is world leader or something
Iโm just going to inject myself with something โ
ไทฉ ๐๐๐๐ 232
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
(โน) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2020/12/14/goodbye-twitter-2020/#comments
โ โง โโโโ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ 12.14.20โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โโโ โง
โ Thanks_for_All_the_Fish_and_Goodbye,_Twitterโ โ
Posted in Site_News at 9:43 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
After nearly a million tweets itโs time to say โgoodbyeโ
๐ธ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด_๐ณ๐ด๐
๐ฒ๐
๐ธ๐ฟ๐
๐ธ๐พ๐ฝ_โฆTwitter_dyingโฆ_
Summary: Today I quit Twitter (the account will be rendered just a bot) and
hereโs why; in short, Twitter as a Web site (with Web pages) is shutting down
officially
TEN DAYS ago we wrote about Twitter's_latest_suicidal_move (after cutting off
third-party access by APIs, deprecated entirely in 2018 โ akin to IBM cutting
off CentOS users!). Why they do this one can guessโฆ and it seems to boil down
to business/profit rather than popularity or widespread use. No money? Goodbye!
โTwitter continues to show complete and utter disregard for the very people who
made its business exist.โLong story short, today is the last day Twitter can be
accessed as a Web site rather than a program (proprietary JavaScript or
official โappโ). That leaves so many people out in the cold and makes pervasive
surveillance obligatory.
But something even more irksome happened some hours ago. Twitter has a serious
bug which prevents me from reading replies to tweets, which are automatically
exported there. I typically check replies once a day, but this time I cannot
see anything older than an hour. In effect, people are telling me something,
but I cannot see that. Twitter is preventing it. These people might think that
I snub them. So much for social, eh? Social control mediaโฆ
Sinister plotโฆ calling it social.
So the new so-called โpolicyโ is, โno replyโ does not imply ignoring; it just
means I am not present.
๐ธ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด ๐ณ๐ด๐
๐ฒ๐
๐ธ๐ฟ๐
๐ธ๐พ๐ฝ โฆGoodbye trainโฆ Either way, in light of these events, I will
no longer access Twitter, not even to check notifications (seeing that Twitter
prevents much of this anyway). Months ago the_account_became_write-only, in
effect just a bot (copies of posts in Diaspora). Over a week ago I started
implemented my own โsucklessโ, self-hosted and JavaScript-free platform as
well. It updates in real time (e.g. this_page_for_today).
Itโs hardly a secret that any time one accesses such a site (Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube) it gives its corporation more value and another opportunity to harvest
data about peopleโs minds. Iโve figured that, for now, treating the account
there as a mere bot is the best compromise. Totally disappearing or deleting
the account would mean loss of data or deletionism. Those things present a
problem in their own right.
Techrights was never in Twitter. From now on neither will I; there will be a
bot there, sure, but itโll get disregarded as irrelevant and wonโt be accessed
by me. Twitter continues to show complete and utter disregard for the very
people who made its business exist. This abuse/exploitation ends today. For me
at least. Itโll be interesting to see what the_FSF will do, knowing they deemed
Twitter โOKโ just because JavaScript wasnโt mandatory (thatโll end today). Free
software supporters wonโt be able to access Twitter without proprietary
software by the end of the day (Richard_Stallman_and_I_spoke_about_that_in
person back when this wasnโt the case). Iโve downloaded my full Twitter archive
(itโs over 5GB, compressed). I have some fond and some bad memories. Now that
account is just a bot. Not my problemโฆ and also Twitterโs own fault. โ
ไทฉ ๐๐๐๐ 316
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
(โน) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2020/12/14/irc-log-131220/#comments
โ โง โโโโ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ 12.14.20โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โโโ โง
โ IRC_Proceedings:_Sunday,_December_13,_2020โ โ
Posted in IRC_Logs at 2:21 am by Needs Sunlight
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#techrights_log_as_HTML5 #boycottnovell_log_as_HTML5
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ยง Bulletin for Yesterdayโ โพ
Local_copy | CID (IPFS): QmbHQS5itmbUekP3QFagQqT2gXkX5PJ2UD3mpmkjBE6KvP
ไทฉ ๐๐๐๐ 429
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(โน) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2020/12/14/techbytes-videos-resumption/#comments
โ โง โโโโ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ 12.14.20โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โโโ โง
โ Coming_Soon:_Techrights/TechBytes_Videos_(With_Some_EPO_Focus_Too)โ โ
Posted in Site_News at 5:52 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
It would be like Season 11 by now (but we skipped many seasons)
๐ธ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด ๐ณ๐ด๐
๐ฒ๐
๐ธ๐ฟ๐
๐ธ๐พ๐ฝ โฆTechBytes 2015โฆ
Summary: After almost half a decade of stoppage weโre planning to resume audio/
video publication
ABOUT a decade ago (just a little more than a decade) we started a podcast and
then made videos of various kinds. Thatโs a very time-consuming process and we
stopped some years ago. The above banner, for instance, goes back to 2015.
We should take note that SUEPO also did something similar earlier this year,
but it was short-lived (a video or a pair of videos got produced only once). It
started and sort of ended around May. Weโre not making fun or anything; just
stating a fact.
โYesterday I was told by an EPO insider that among โstaff of the EPO, nearly
all read your blogโ (I estimated that to be about half, not โnearly allโ).โLast
week we debated internally whether to get back to producing stuff as audio/
video. Iโm not camera-shy, though I generally prefer privacy where possible. We
used_to_have_a_guest_line-up (Tim and I are pictured here; his face is
blurred).
Yesterday I was told by an EPO insider that among โstaff of the EPO, nearly all
read your blogโ (I estimated that to be about half, not โnearly allโ).
Earlier today I prepared Downfall humour_about_the_Office and also installed a
video/audiocast production chain on Debian GNU/Linux (10/โBusterโ), which I
shall experiment with in days to come. There are all sorts of things we can do
beyond HTML and the text-only versions we introduced back in October. There are
certain things which can only be done โproperlyโ in multimedia form. Not merely
reading whatโs on a screenโฆ
Our hardware (โequipmentโ) for recording has always been subpar (like built-in
laptop microphone), but quality of sound never implied quality of the
underlying substance. Thereโs no plan to buy โprofessionalโ โequipmentโ for
these purposes. โ
ไทฉ ๐๐๐๐ 492
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
(โน) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2020/12/14/tony-reacts-to-epo-strike/#comments
โ โง โโโโ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ 12.14.20โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โโโ โง
โ EPO_Googlebombing,_Manipulating_the_Media,_and_the_Latest_Fluffโ โ
Posted in Europe, Patents at 1:58 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
๐ธ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด_๐ณ๐ด๐
๐ฒ๐
๐ธ๐ฟ๐
๐ธ๐พ๐ฝ_โฆAntรณnio_Campinos_photo_op_Brazilโฆ_
Summary: A quick look at todayโs (or this afternoonโs) Public Relations efforts
of the EPO
SO THE EPO has decided to double down on software_patents_in_Europe, but it
wonโt say that in these words. Watchtroll (Rebecca Tapscott) has just published
โEPO Study Examines Trends in Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologiesโ and
itโs not the first such piece in recent days (second or third from that site
alone). Those are EPO-connected spinners who published puff pieces for and by
Team Battistelli, as we noted here before.
๐ธ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด_๐ณ๐ด๐
๐ฒ๐
๐ธ๐ฟ๐
๐ธ๐พ๐ฝ_โฆWatchtroll_PR_serviceโฆ_
Another ridiculous photo op of Antรณnio_Campinos was published earlier today in
the EPOโs site (probably just a few hours ago; their CMS is strange/lousy with
timestamps). More than 1 โnewsโ item per day got published since the strike
(which is less than a day away) was first announced to Campinos and his
cohorts. Someone_is_very_nervous, thatโs for sure, so they have just published
(warning: epo.org link) this photo of โTonyโ, who can speak Portuguese (but his
motherโs tongue is French). The video is actually 4 days old, so the whole
anniversary might be older. What else happened 4-5 days ago? Oh, yeahโฆ ask
SUEPO. โ
๐ธ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด_๐ณ๐ด๐
๐ฒ๐
๐ธ๐ฟ๐
๐ธ๐พ๐ฝ_โฆSUEPO_and_INPI_Brazilโฆ_
ไทฉ ๐๐๐๐ 540
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
(โน) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2020/12/14/video-the-epos-media-strategy/#comments
โ โง โโโโ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ 12.14.20โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โโโ โง
โ Video:_The_EPOโs_Media_Strategyโ โ
Posted in Europe, Patents, Videos at 5:30 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Recorded before this last_article
http://techrights.org/videos/epo-campinos.ogv
ไทฉ ๐๐๐๐ 562
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โ โง โโโโ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ 12.14.20โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โโโ โง
โ Links_14/12/2020:_Linux_5.10,_TTOS_Linux_1.1.2_in_Reviewโ โ
Posted in News_Roundup at 6:45 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
๐ธ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด ๐ณ๐ด๐
๐ฒ๐
๐ธ๐ฟ๐
๐ธ๐พ๐ฝ โฆGNOME bluefishโฆ
ยง Contentsโ โพ
* GNU/Linux
o Distributions
o Devices/Embedded
* Free_Software/Open_Source
* Leftovers
* ยง GNU/Linuxโ โพ
o โ Linux_Weekly_Roundup_#108โ โ
We had a relatively peaceful week, but I have a feeling
we can expect at least a few major releases this year.
Endless OS 3.9.1, Mageia 8-beta2, GeckoLinux 999.201205,
and GeckoLinux 152.201210 have been released this week.
o โ 9to5Linux_Weekly_Roundup:_December_13th,_2020โ โ
Big thank you again to all the donors and to everyone who
followed us on social media. You guys rock! You know who
you are and youโre awesome for helping me keep this Linux
news website alive during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This week has been quite interesting with not so many
exciting Linux news, but a few of them very interesting.
TUXEDO Computers is relentless in launching new Linux
laptops, Valve was awesome at enabling support for the
Cyberpunk 2077 video game on Linux, and Linus Torvalds
brought us the Linux 5.10 LTS kernel.
o ยง Desktop/Laptopโ โพ
# โ Public_lightweight_sway_developer_desktop_with_OSTree_and
podman/toolboxโ โ
One and a half year ago I switched to a self-built
OSTree based minimal i3 desktop and never looked
back. Despite running Fedora updates-testing and
finding/reporting lots of regressions, I have never
had a situation where a simple rpm-ostree rollback
would not have saved the day. There is zero cruft
accumulating, neither due to upgrade drift from
config files nor due to piling up added/changed
files in /usr. And development or trying something
out are now more flexible and comfortable than
ever, mostly thanks to the progress in the
container space.
o ยง Audiocasts/Showsโ โพ
# โ Going_Linux_#400_ยท_Listener_Experiencesโ โ
Stories from our listener minions help us to
celebrate our milestone 400th episode! From
chocolate chip cookies to to accessibility on Arch,
we have something of interest to many.
# โ Linux_Action_News_167โ โ
We explain the major changes to CentOS this week
and break down the top four criticisms. Plus Google
makes their Fuchsia intentions a bit more clear,
and why Linux 5.10 is a BIG deal.
# โ Open_Source_Security_Podcast_Episode_239_โ_Door_14:
Backdoorsโ โ
Josh and Kurt talk about backdoors in open source
software
# โ Kubuntu_Rocks_Titan_technology_YouTuber_Chris_Titusโ โ
As you know from our previous post, back in 2019
the Kubuntu team set to work collaborating with
MindShare Management Ltd to bring a Kubuntu
dedicated laptop to the market. Recently, Chris
Titus from the โChris Titus Techโ YouTube channel
acquired a Kubuntu Focus M2 for the purpose of
reviewing it, and he was so impressed he has
decided to keep it as his daily driver. Thatโs
right; Chris has chosen the Kubuntu Focus M2
instead of the Apple MacBook Pro M1 that he had
intended to get. That is one Awesome
recommendation!
# โ Picom_Has_Too_Many_Forks:_Which_Ones_Are_Useful_โ_YouTubeโ โ
There are some many picom forks out there and many
of them are incredibly useful so today weโre going
to go over this absolute mess of forks to see which
ones you should actually look at as well as a bit
of history on how picom and previously compton got
into this state.
# โ Linux_Mint_20.1_Backgrounds_Slideshowโ โ
In this video, we are looking at the beautiful
backgrounds of the upcoming Linux Mint 20.1.
# โ Full_Circle_Weekly_News_#193โ โ
Linux Coming to Apple M1 Macs
https://www.patreon.com/marcan
New Ubuntu Members
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-news-team/
2020-December/002944.html
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/kernel-team/2020-
December/115268.html
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-news-team/
2020-December/002946.html
Manjaro 20.2 Nibia Out
https://manjaro.org/news/
BlackArch 2020.12.1 Out
https://blackarch.org/blog.html
Nitrux 1.3.5 Out
https://blackarch.org/blog.html
KDE Plasma 5.20.4 Out
https://kde.org/announcements/plasma-5.20.3-5.20.4-
changelog/
Cinnamon 4.8 Out
https://9to5linux.com/cinnamon-4-8-desktop-
environment-released-new-features
OpenZFS 2.0 Out
https://github.com/openzfs/zfs/releases/tag/zfs-
2.0.0
Linux Kernel 5.10 rc6 Out
https://www.lkml.org/lkml/2020/11/29/239
System76 Pangolin Announced
https://system76.com/laptops/pangolin
# โ GNU_World_Order_384โ โ
**soma** and **sox**.
o ยง Kernel Spaceโ โพ
# โ You_Can_Now_Install_Linux_Kernel_5.10_LTS_on_Your_Linux
Lite_PC,_Hereโs_Howโ โ
Linux kernel 5.10 is an LTS (Long-Term Support)
release and brings several new features and various
improvements, along with a bunch of updated and new
drivers for better hardware support, so that alone
might be a good reason to upgrade your kernel.
Highlights of Linux kernel 5.10 LTS include support
for the ARMv8.5 memory tagging extension, support
for the SM2 digital-signature algorithm, support
for Amazon Nitro enclaves, reduced latency of
multiple file operations for the EXT4 file system,
and the ability to transmit data on multiple flows
simultaneously.
# โ Linux_Kernel_5.10_is_officially_out_now_as_a_Long_Term
Support_release_|_GamingOnLinuxโ โ
A brand new Long Term Support release is out now
with the Linux Kernel 5.10, the very beating heart
of the whole Linux system which brings plenty of
new features and hardware support.
With it being a new LTS, itโs going to get updates
and bug fixes for a much longer time than usual
providing a good solid base for at least two years
for Linux distributions.
# โ Linus_Torvalds_Releases_Linux_Kernel_5.10_LTS:_Hereโs
Whatโs_Newโ โ
As usual, after two months of development, Linux
creator Linus Torvalds has officially released a
new mainline Linux Kernel 5.10. It is also the
latest Long Term Support (LTS) kernel, which will
be maintained and receive bug fixes for the next
five years until 2026.
Starting with the update on filesystem side, XFS
filesystem now supports timestamps to the Year 2486
instead of earlier limitation to the Year 2038, and
EXT4 supports fast commit mode for faster file
overwrite performance.
# โ Linux_Kernel_5.10_Released._This_is_Whatโs_Newโ โ
A new, stable Linux Kernel 5.10 release is
announced by Linus Torvalds. This is the last
Kernel release of the year 2020 and it is the next
Long Term Support (LTS) Kernel. It brings some
interesting improvements across processors,
graphics, ports, and file system areas.
# โ Linux_Kernel_5.10_LTS_Officially_Released,_This_Is_Whatโs
Newโ โ
After seven weeks of development, Linux 5.10 is
finally here as the latest and greatest kernel
series for GNU/Linux distributions wanting top-
notch hardware support. Not only that, but itโs a
long-term supported (LTS) branch, which means that
it will probably receive support over the next 5
years.
Highlights of Linux kernel 5.10 LTS include support
for the ARMv8.5 memory tagging extension, support
for the SM2 digital-signature algorithm, support
for the ISO 15765-2:2016 CAN transport protocol,
support for the IGMPv3/MLDv2 multicast protocol,
and support for Amazon Nitro enclaves.
# โ The_5.10_kernel_has_been_releasedโ โ
Significant changes in this release include support
for the Arm memory tagging extension, restricted
rings for io_uring, sleepable BPF programs, the
process_madvise() system call, ext4 โfast commitsโ,
and more. See the LWN merge-window summaries (part
1, part 2) and the KernelNewbies 5.10 page for more
details.
# โ Linux_5.10_LTS_Released_As_One_Of_The_Biggest_Kernel
Releases_In_A_Whileโ โ
As expected, Linus Torvalds today officially
released Linux 5.10. Besides being the last kernel
release of 2020, this is a significant milestone in
that itโs also a Long Term Support (LTS) kernel to
be maintained for at least the next five years and
also is a huge kernel update in general with many
new features.
Linux 5.10 features new hardware support including
early bring-up around Intel Rocket Lake and Alder
Lake, continued work on Intel Gen12/Xe Graphics, a
number of storage/file-system improvements, and
more. See our 10 most interesting features of Linux
5.10 or our complete Linux 5.10 feature overview.
# โ Linux_Kernel_5.10_LTS_Releasedโ โ
Linux Kernel 5.10 LTS is now officially available
for the download. It is the latest Long Term
Supportโ release and the team is planning to
maintain Linux 5.10 until 2026 .
# โ Linux_5.10โ โ
Ok, here it is - 5.10 is tagged and pushed out.
I pretty much always wish that the last week was
even calmer than it
was, and that's true here too. There's a fair
amount of fixes in here,
including a few last-minute reverts for things that
didn't get fixed,
but nothing makes me go "we need another week".
Things look fairly
normal.
It's mostly drivers - as it should be - with a
smattering of fixes all
over: networking, architectures, filesystems,
tooling.. The shortlog
is appended, and scanning it gives a good idea of
what kind of things
are there. Nothing that looks scary: most of the
patches are very
small, and the biggest one is fixing pin mapping
definitions for a
pincontrol driver.
This also obviously means that the merge window for
5.11 will start
tomorrow. I already have a couple of pull requests
pending - you guys
know who you are, and thank you.
The most notable thing about the 5.11 merge window
will be obvious to
anybody who takes a look at the calendar:
realistically speaking, we
only have one week before the holidays are upon us,
and everybody is
much too distracted. That means that I will be
particularly strict
about the whole "the merge window is for things
that are ready
*before* the merge window starts".
Now, I'm sure you all want to go off for holidays
too, and I'm
actually surprised that I don't have more early
pull requests pending.
So I think the whole "everything you send me should
have already been
done" is something we can all sign up for. But
exactly _because_ of
the timing, I will simply not be very interested in
any new late pull
requests that come in the second week of the merge
window: I expect to
still be handling some of the backlog that week
_anyway_, but I
certainly do not want to get more of it.
So if it's not already in linux-next, and if you
aren't happy sending
it in this upcoming week because it's not quite
done yet, you should
basically plan on not getting it into 5.11 at all.
There will be
releases after that one, don't worry.
This has _technically_ been the rule before too,
it's just that I
generally haven't been all that hard-nosed about
it, and have let
things slide if it wasn't _too_ egregious. This
time around I have
fairly clear reasons why I'm just going to enforce
that "it had better
be ready before the merge window even opened" rule.
If my overflow handling then ends up being
interrupted by the
holidays, I may end up delaying rc1 just to catch
up, but I hope and
expect that that won't even be needed. We'll see.
But even if it does
happen, it most certainly will _not_ mean that I
will take pull
requests that came in after the holidays.
Actual fixes that would be valid even outside the
merge window are
obviously not affected by that rule.
Linus
# โ Linux_Kernel_5.10_LTS_Released,_This_is_Whatโs_Newโ โ
An all-new Linux kernel release is here, so in this
post we do our level best to rundown the core
changes and key features ticking away at the heart
of it.
Linux 5.10 is the latest mainline kernel update (as
of December 14) and the latest โLong Term Supportโ
release too. Kernel devs plan to maintain Linux
5.10 all the way until 2026 โ one year longer than
Linux 5.4 LTS.
Linus Torvalds, Linux founder, announced the Linux
5.10 release on the Linux Kernel mailing list with
his usual low-key flare, stating: โOk, here it is โ
5.10 is tagged and pushed out. I pretty much always
wish that the last week was even calmer than it
was, and thatโs true here too.โ
# โ AMD_Smart_Access_Memory_/_Resizable_BAR_On_Linux_Still_Ripe
For_Improvement_โ_Phoronixโ โ
Following Mesa 21.0 beginning to see AMD Smart
Access Memory optimizations, I ran some benchmarks
looking at the current state of S.A.M. / Resizable
BAR support on Linux with Radeon graphics.
As has been outlined previously, the Linux kernel
has actually supported resizable BAR for a while
(or Smart Access Memory as referred to by AMD)
while on the user-space driver side just this past
week with Mesa 21.0 did we begin seeing the
mentioned RadeonSI improvements. Details on
verifying if Resizable BAR support is enabled on
Linux can be found via this forum thread.
# โ Open-Source_Graphics_Driver_Updates_For_Linux_5.11_Have
Lots_Of_Intel_+_AMD_Presents_โ_Phoronixโ โ
While there are a lot of driver improvements
throughout, as usual those on Intel HD/UHD/Iris/Xe
Graphics and AMD Radeon graphics with their first-
rate open-source graphics drivers have a lot of
grand improvements to find with the forthcoming
Linux 5.11 cycle.
While Linux 5.10 isnโt even out yet (it should be
released tonight barring any last minute problems),
due to Direct Rendering Manager co-maintainer David
Airlie of Red Hat going on holiday for the next
week, he sent in the DRM feature pull early to
Linus Torvalds. This includes all of the big ticket
features expected on the DRM side with the Linux
5.11 cycle.
o ยง Applicationsโ โพ
# โ Announcing_CuteVNCโ โ
Having a single screen connected to my PC, I was
wondering if I could use my nice BQ M10 tablet
running UBports as an additional screen. The idea
was that if I could convince the X server to create
a new virtual display, and then run the x11vnc
server on it, I could then connect the tablet to it
and enjoy my desktop on two screens. Yes, the M10
has not such a big display, but it couls still be
useful to host a window with a mail or a chat
client, so that I would not need to switch between
applications just to check if new emails or chat
messages have arrived (and I hate instant
notifications, so I tend to disable them in every
program that allows me to).
Anyway, I digress. I found some articles, and
specifically this question, that show how one can
add a new virtual screen and connect to it via VNC.
I tried it and it kind of worked, but there were
some visual artifacts that annoyed me (most likely
due to the AMDGPU drivers), so Iโll defer the
creation of a demo video till when Iโll have
figured out a better setup. But the main point is
that the idea, in principle, can work.
o ยง Instructionals/Technicalโ โพ
# โ How_To_Install_TeamSpeak_Server_on_Ubuntu_20.04_LTS_โ
idrootโ โ
In this tutorial, we will show you how to install
TeamSpeak Server on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. For those of
you who didnโt know, TeamSpeak is a VoIP (voice-
over-Internet Protocol) solution first released in
2001 and most popular with those who play team-
based online games. The software has two parts, a
server, and a client, both of which can be
installed on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
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 โsudoโ to the commands to get root
privileges. I will show you through the step by
step installation of TeamSpeak on Ubuntu 20.04
(Focal Fossa). You can follow the same instructions
for Ubuntu 18.04, 16.04, and any other Debian based
distribution like Linux Mint.
# โ List_or_Show_Tables_in_MySQL_โ_Linux_Hintโ โ
MySQL is one of the most famous open-source and
freely available DBMS (Database Management Software
System). It has an easy-to-use interface and is
famous for its speed. If you are doing a job as a
database administrator in some big organization,
you often need to go through a large number of
databases and their tables. So, in this article, we
are going to learn how we can list or show tables
in the MySQL shell.
# โ Introduction_to_Btrfs_Filesystem_โ_Linux_Hintโ โ
Btrfs (B-Tree Filesystem) is a modern copy-on-write
(CoW) filesystem for Linux. Btrfs aims to implement
many advanced filesystem features while focusing on
fault tolerance, repair, and easy administration.
The btrfs filesystem is designed to support the
requirement of high performance and large storage
servers. It is suitable for petabyte-scale data
centers as well as cellular smartphones.In this
article, I am going to discuss the Btrfs filesystem
and its features. So, letโs get started.
# โ MySQL_Update_Statement_โ_Linux_Hintโ โ
MySQL is an open-source Database Management system,
which can be used for both small and large
projects. Developed by The Oracle Corporation, it
uses standard SQL behind it. In database
management, CRUD operations are a kind of basic
requirement to know.
In this article, we will learn to update the data
in MySQL tables using MySQLโs provided UPDATE
statement. An UPDATE statement is basically a DML
(Data Manipulation Language) statement because it
modifies or updates the data.
# โ How_to_Use_Aircrack-ng_โ_Linux_Hintโ โ
Most of the time, people never think about the
network to which they are connected. They never
think how secure that network is and how much they
risk their confidential data on a daily basis. You
can run vulnerability checks on your wifi networks
by using a very powerful tool called Aircrack-ng
and Wireshark. Wireshark is used to monitor network
activity. Aircrack-ng is more like an aggressive
tool that lets you hack and give access to Wireless
connections. Thinking as an intruder has always
been the safest way to protect yourself against a
hack. You might be able to grasp the exact actions
that an intruder will take to obtain access to your
system by learning about aircrack. You can then
conduct compliance checks on your own system to
ensure that it is not insecure.
Aircrack-ng is a full set of software designed to
test WiFi network security. It is not just a single
tool but a collection of tools, each of which
performs a particular purpose. Different areas of
wifi security can be worked on, like monitoring the
Access Point, testing, attacking the network,
cracking the wifi network, and testing it.
Aircrackโs key objective is to intercept the
packets and decipher the hashes to break the
passwords. It supports nearly all the new wireless
interfaces. Aircrack-ng is an improved version of
an outdated tool suite Aircrack, ng refers to the
New Generation. Some of the awesome tools that work
together in taking out a bigger task.
# โ How_to_do_Network_Configuration_on_Oracle_Linux_8?_โ_Linux
Hintโ โ
Before using the Internet on any device
particularly a computer system, it is always
recommended that you perform certain necessary
network configurations on that device. These
configurations are done to ensure that your
Internet works smoothly and with all the desired
protocols with which you want it to run. Also,
whenever your Internet is lagging or you face some
trouble while connecting to it, you are always
asked to check the network configurations to figure
out if something is messed up over there.
Once you fix the issues with your network
configurations, you can gain back access to your
Internet connection. That is why network
configurations are considered extremely useful in
any operating system. Today, we will be learning
the method through which you can easily do network
configuration on your Oracle Linux 8 system which
is a relatively newer flavor of the Linux operating
system.
# โ Configure_Kubelet_Out_of_Resource_Handling,_or_How_to_Stop
EKS_Kubernetes_Nodes_from_Going_Downโ โ
Kubelet has the ability to specify eviction
thresholds that trigger the kubelet to reclaim
resources. We are going to use them with our EKS
worker nodes.
# โ How_to_install_MuseScore_on_a_Chromebookโ โ
Today we are looking at how to install MuseScore on
a Chromebook. Please follow the video/audio guide
as a tutorial where we explain the process step by
step and use the commands below.
# โ How_to_Search_files_with_case-insensitive_names_in_Linux_โ
TecAdminโ โ
find is the basic Unix command used to search files
recursively under a directory tree. It is default
available in all the Linux operating systems.
All the Linux command line users must be aware
about uses of Linux find command. It The find
command traverse under a directory tree and capable
to search files or directory based on defined
search pattern. It also provides option to search
files with names in uppercase or lowercase or mixed
case.
# โ The_20_Best_Raspberry_Pi_Books_For_Beginner_and_Expert
Developersโ โ
The Raspberry Pi is a cheap, small-sized PC that
connects to a PC screen or TV, and it utilizes a
standard console and mouse. It is a competent
little gadget that empowers individuals of any age
to learn how to program in dialects like Python and
Scratch, thereby making it super beneficial. These
are the coolest things that can be made with a
Raspberry pi โ a Homemade smartphone, Netbook, a
Solar weather station, Twitter Bot, a multi-room
music system, Radio, a portable gaming console,
Microwave, etc. That is why it has become quite
important and has also motivated many programmers
to learn Raspberry Pi, and for that, you will
require a perfect set of Raspberry Pi books to
proceed.
# โ 5_Funny_Linux_commands,_Literally,_we_can_do?โ โ
Every time we come with useful commands or How to?
But this time, I thought, why not show some funny
Linux commands.
Open your terminal and get started for the fun
journey of Linux Terminals. Iโll cover for both
Debian (apt) and RHEL (yum) based distribution.
Fun journey begins : )
o ยง Wine or Emulationโ โพ
# โ 3_New_Games_You_Can_Play_With_Proton_Since_Nov._2020โ โ
This is going to be a short update this time
around. Why only 3 games you might say? I donโt
know, maybe because the biggest game of all time
was supposed to be released in November 2020? Or it
could just mere coincidenceโฆ
[...]
So thatโs it for nowโฆ you can go back to playing
Cyberpunk 2077 (if it works on your machine/
config).
o ยง Gamesโ โพ
# โ OBS_Studio_26.1_rolls_out_with_Virtual_Camera_output_on
Linux_|_GamingOnLinuxโ โ
After only two Release Candidates for testing, OBS
Studio 26.1 has now officially rolled out with some
fun new features for all supported platforms. If
youโre planning to do any sort of video creation on
Linux, OBS Studio is now practically the standard.
Itโs our go-to solution for everything when it
comes to video creation (and plain audio recording
since it has some easy real-time filters) and being
free and open source is a nice big plus.
This release follows shortly after announcing
YouTube as a new sponsor, so they have plenty of
funding to keep bringing on new and advanced
feature releases.
# โ Grab_an_up_to_date_MangoHud_with_NVML,_GOverlay_and
vkBasalt_on_Ubuntu_with_a_new_PPA_|_GamingOnLinuxโ โ
For users on Ubuntu-based distributions, PPAs are
often needed for you to get the latest and greatest
software since if youโre not using Snaps or
Flatpaks (and sometimes they donโt work due to the
containers), a lot of software is stuck in place
until a newer version of Ubuntu.
Whatโs the fuss here then? Well, Ubuntu and Ubuntu-
based distribution users can now grab the excellent
MangoHud gaming overlay, the vkBasalt Vulkan post
processing layer and the GOverlay application for
managing them both in a tidy UI all nicely up to
date from this PPA. The build of MangoHud included
also has NVML (NVIDIA Management Library) enabled,
meaning out of the box it should allow showing GPU
metrics from NVIDIA GPUs.
# โ Quirky_family-friendly_animal_racing_game_Slide_releasing
February_2021_|_GamingOnLinuxโ โ
Enjoy your family-friendly kart-racing styled
arcade games? Slide was pretty good from the demo
we tried back in September, and it now has a
release date. French indie developer Oneiric Worlds
announced itโs going to release February, 17th 2021
for Linux, macOS and Windows.
In Slide, Animal Race, you can play with up to 8
total players, as you each ride cute and colourful
animals in vibrant environments. Jump to avoid
obstacles, use bonuses and master the diving
mechanics on the crazy tracks to outrun the horde!
Or you can just take a tour and enjoy the view,
while listening to the sympho-ethnic soundtrack.
Thatโs up to you. The game is family-friendly and
accessible to beginners and kids thanks to
autopilot options; but to win the race, youโll
truly have to master all the game mechanics.
o ยง Distributionsโ โพ
# โ Best_Free_Linux_Distributions_for_Desktops_and_Serversโ โ
Almost every Linux distribution is available to
download for free. However, there are some editions
(or distros) may ask for a fee in order to purchase
it. For instance, the ultimate edition of Zorin OS
is not free and needs to be purchased.
If you already know about some of the best Linux
distributions available, you probably do not need
this list. It is meant for absolute beginners who
may have had a misconception that Linux distros
need to be purchased.
So, in this article, I focus on the free Linux
distributions that you can try, whether its for
general purpose home usage, i.e. desktop or for a
production-grade server.
# ยง Reviewsโ โพ
# โ Review:_TTOS_Linux_1.1.2โ โ
The TTOS Linux distribution is based on
Debianโs Stable branch and the main edition
of TTOS ships with the KDE Plasma desktop
environment. There are other editions of TTOS
mentioned on the projectโs Downloads page
which ship with a variety of other desktops
such as GNOME and Trinity in case people want
an alternative to Plasma. Though I noticed
these alternative editions are distributed
under separate SourceForge projects, making
them appear to be community editions. I
downloaded the main Plasma edition for my
trial. This edition is available as a 64-bit
(x86_64) build exclusively.
The TTOS website does not provide much
information on what sets this distribution
apart from other projects, the exceptions
being a tool called PerformaSync. Not a lot
of information is presented, but it appears
as though PerformaSync provides on-line
storage and file synchronization, similar to
Nextcloud.
Usually I donโt talk much about project
websites, but this one seems to be unusually
terse and it gave me spare time to poke
around while my copy of their ISO was
downloading. One thing which stood out is the
projectโs logo is saved under a filename
which identifies it as โapple touchโ. Iโm not
sure why TTOS would save their logo filename
as โapple touchโ, but it was one of what
turned out to be several visual quirks of the
project and this puzzle set the tone for my
experience with this distribution.
[...]
If I had to sum up my impressions of TTOS in
a word it would be โunfinishedโ. Despite
being on the DistroWatch waiting list for
over a year, the project feels as though it
is still on the drawing board. The website
offers very little information about the
distribution or its add-on sync product.
There is virtually no documentation, the wiki
is empty, there are no support forums or
mailing lists. The documentation links in the
system installer donโt provide release
information, the welcome screen features
typos and labels that donโt fit on their
buttons. We canโt restart the computer from
within Plasma, which is an unusual
limitation.
The Debian core of the operating system is
pretty solid, with a lot of software
available, but TTOS doesnโt appear to offer
anything over plain Debian with the KDE
Plasma desktop installed. It might actually
be a less pleasant experience since GTK-based
applications are practically unusable with
the default TTOS theme settings. Not to
mention TTOS is a surprisingly heavy
distribution on disk and in memory without a
clear benefit to excuse the extra weight.
This distribution feels like it was rushed
out the door, possibly to promote the
commercial PerformaSync service, without
taking time to test it and polish up the
various issues.
# ยง PCLinuxOS/Mageia/Mandriva/OpenMandriva Familyโ โพ
# โ Mageia_8_Beta_2_Linux_distro_now_available_with_KDE
Plasma,_GNOME,_and_Xfceโ โ
Development of Mageia 8 seems to be moving
along nicely, which is great news for users
of that Linux-based operating system. Back in
August, we shared that the first Beta of the
distribution was available for testing, and
now today, the second Beta arrives. As with
the first Beta, the second is available with
your choice of three desktop environments โ
KDE Plasma, GNOME, and Xfce.
โWe are happy to announce the release of
Mageia 8 Beta 2. After a long time since the
beta 1, we look forward to hearing your
feedback and thoughts so that we can continue
to get Mageia 8 ready for release. As we said
in a previous post, a lot of work had to be
done for the base system upgrade, java,
kernel, and the graphical stack. These
upgrades are now in a state that allows for
the Beta 2 ISOs to be built and tested,โ
explains The Mageia Development Team.
# ยง IBM/Red Hat/Fedoraโ โพ
# โ Fedora_users,_move_to_Debian_or_openSUSE_before_Red
Hat_shafts_youโ โ
Users of the Fedora Linux community
distribution would do well to switch over to
an alternative like Debian GNU/Linux or
openSUSE before Red Hat leaves them in the
lurch too.
# โ Centos_and_the_end_of_a_horrible_year_(Part_IIโ โ
2020 will be for most people one of the worst
years in their living memory. The world is
under lockdown because of SARS-Corona Virus 2
or better Covid-19. As Iโm a member of a risk
group, my social life is already for almost 9
month limited to telephone and video calls.
And on top of all that, in the last month of
2020 two of my favorite software projects
changed directions and removed the main
reasons why Iโm using them. This blog post is
about Centos. The Graylog Blog post was Part
I.
# โ Jens_Kuehnel:_Graylog_or_the_end_of_a_horrible_year_
(Part_I)โ โ
2020 will be โ for most people โ one of the
worst years in their living memory. The world
is under lockdown because of SARS-Corona
Virus 2 or Covid-19. As Iโm part of a risk
group, my social life is for almost 9 month
limited to telephone and video calls.
And on top of it all โ two of my favorite
software projects dramatically changed
directions in December 2020 and removing the
main reasons why Iโm using them. This blog
post is about Graylog. The Centos Blogpost
comes later.
# โ Ben_Cotton:_How_Do_You_Fedora?โ โ
If you follow the Fedoraโ Community Blog,
thereโs a good chance you already know who
Ben is.
Benโs Linux journey started around late 2002.
Frustrated with some issues on using Windows
XP, and starting a new application
administrator role at his university where
some services were being run on FreeBSD. A
friend introduced him to Red Hat Linux, when
Ben decided it made sense to get more
practice with Unix-like operating systems. He
switched to Fedora full-time in 2006, after
he landed a job as a Linux system
administrator.
Since then, his career has included system
administration, people management, support
engineering, development, and marketing.
Several years ago, he even earned a Masterโs
degree in IT Project Management. The variety
of experience has helped Ben learn how to
work with different groups of people. โA lot
of what Iโve learned has come from making
mistakes. When you mess up communication, you
hopefully do a better job the next time.โ
# ยง Canonical/Ubuntu Familyโ โพ
# โ Canonical_Releases_New_Ubuntu_Kernel_Updates_to_Fix
Data_Corruption_Bugโ โ
The Ubuntu kernel updates published on
December 2nd introduced a regression in Linux
kernelโs software RAID10 driver, which, when
used with fstrim, could lead to data
corruption. The bug was also reported by
users on Ubuntuโs Launchpad.
Therefore, Canonical released today a new set
of kernels for Ubuntu 20.10, Ubuntu 20.04
LTS, Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, and Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
systems on all supported architectures to
address the said regression.
o ยง Devices/Embeddedโ โพ
# ยง Mobile Systems/Mobile Applicationsโ โพ
# โ PUBG_Mobile_1.2_beta_APK_download_link_update_for
Android_released_โ_Direct_link,_how_to_download_and
installโ โ
# โ 25+_forgotten_or_hidden_shortcuts_for_your_Android
homescreenโ โ
# โ Top_10_Best_Android_One_Phones_Usas_2020โ โ
# โ LG_Android_11_beta_finally_begins_but_for_one_phone
onlyโ โ
# โ T-Mobile_pauses_Galaxy_S20_update_to_Android_11โ โ
# โ [Update:_Dec._14]_Sony_Android_11_update:_List_of
eligible_devices_&_release_dateโ โ
# โ Ensure_you_WiFi_network_is_ready_for_the_Android_11
QPR1_security_updateโ โ
# โ How_to_FaceTime_on_Android_(or_the_best
alternatives)โ โ
# โ How_to_play_GTA_5_on_Android_devices_through_PS
Remote_Play:_Step-by-step_guide_for_beginnersโ โ
# โ How_To_Download_Cyberpunk_2077_On_Androidโ โ
# โ โFingerprint-jackingโ_attack_technique_manipulates
Android_UIโ โ
# โ Google_Chrome_for_Android_brings_a_new_set_of_menu
iconsโ โ
# โ Doogee_S96_Pro_Review:_Rugged_Android_Phoneโ โ
# โ Infinix_X1_Smart_Android_TV_launched,_price_starts_at
Rs_11,999โ โ
# โ Google_Tests_AI-Powered_โLook_to_Speakโ_Tech_on
Androidโ โ
# โ 5_Android_apps_you_shouldnโt_miss_this_week_โ_Android
Apps_Weeklyโ โ
# โ 24_new_Android_games_from_the_last_week:_The_best,
worst,_and_everything_in_between_(12/07/20_โ_12/13/
20)โ โ
# โ Android_Gaming_Headlines_and_Updatesโ โ
# โ Vote_for_the_Android_Police_2020_Readersโ_Choice
Smartphone_of_the_Yearโ โ
# โ Samsung_Galaxy_A52_5G_with_Android_11_spotted_again:
Expected_launch_date,_price,_specsโ โ
# โ POCO_X3_NFC_receives_new_MIUI_12_update_while_Android
11_waits_in_the_wingsโ โ
o ยง Free, Libre, and Open Source Softwareโ โพ
# ยง Openness/Sharing/Collaborationโ โพ
# ยง Open Access/Contentโ โพ
# โ Open_access:_A_problem_way_beyond_one_nation
one_subscriptionโ โ
The idea of OA emerged with the
philosophy that the investors
(taxpayers) must have seamless access
to the knowledge generated from their
investment. This movement gained
momentum in the early 2000s, largely
fuelled by Budapest (2002), Berlin
(2003), and Bethesda (2003)
declarations. They challenged the
profit-based scientific publication
model that had hijacked research
publications for many decades and
campaigned for scholarly publications
to be free to read and reproduce with
proper citation.
The idea of OA emerged with the
philosophy that the investors
(taxpayers) must have seamless access
to the knowledge generated from their
investment. This movement gained
momentum in the early 2000s, largely
fuelled by Budapest (2002), Berlin
(2003), and Bethesda (2003)
declarations. They challenged the
profit-based scientific publication
model that had hijacked research
publications for many decades and
campaigned for scholarly publications
to be free to read and reproduce with
proper citation.
The rat race of citations and rankings
the Indian Institute of Science (IISc),
Bangalore has been spearheading the OA
movement in India under the leadership
of Prof. Subbiah Arunachalam, known as
โMr. Open Accessโ. Recently, the โopen
access weekโ was celebrated where Prof.
Jean-Claude GUรDON, professor at the
Universitรฉ de Montrรฉal and one of the
signatories of the Budapest
Declaration, was invited as the key
speaker. He emphasised how the
scholarly journals are entirely driven
by the research preferences of an elite
coterie of commercial editors,
reflecting mainly the North-Atlantic
business interests, and largely
ignoring the global south. Journal
ranking, impact factors, citations,
etc. are the tools to attract
researchers and improve market share
and ultimately lead to making โscience
a commodityโ.
# ยง Programming/Developmentโ โพ
# โ Eagleโs_Path:_rra-c-util_8.4_(2020-12-13)โ โ
Iโve released a new version of my collection
of utility libraries, Autoconf macros, and
similar support infrastructure, primarily to
include changes in the upcoming remctl and
INN releases.
# โ Russ_Allbery:_remctl_3.17โ โ
remctl is a simple GSS-API-based RPC system
designed to be as trivial to deploy as
possible for sites already using Kerberos.
I owe various people deeper reviews of remctl
feature changes, but alas this release is not
that. This is a bit of a stopgap maintenance
release primarily to fix a testing problem on
Debian that booted remctl out of testing. The
basic problem is that a lot of test machinery
assumes that every system will have an IPv4
address available, but this is not
necessarily true on modern systems. This
release only fixes the tests that donโt use
Kerberos. The tests that require Kerberos
have much deeper assumptions that the IPv4
loopback will be available, and will require
later work (hampered by the fact that I
personally donโt have such an environment
readily available that also has access to a
KDC and need to construct something in Docker
or some similar container system).
This release also adds support for PHP 8 in
anticipation of a possible Debian migration
(some minor C source cleanup was required,
nothing major), fixes some Python build
system problems, and incorporates the changes
from rra-c-util 8.4.
# โ Speeding_up_the_compilation-startup_cycle_when_fine-
tuning_your_code_|_agateau.comโ โ
Our computers are getting faster and faster,
but compilation and startup times are still
something we want to avoid.
One situation where waiting for compilation
and startup to finish feels like a waste is
when you are fine-tuning an aspect of your
application. For example when you are
adjusting spacing or colors in a user
interface. Having to wait between each
iteration not only costs us time, it also
makes us less likely to do more experiments.
In this article I am going to show a few
tricks to reduce these pains.
# โ Whatโs_new_in_PHP_7.4?_|_LibreByteโ โ
The PHP development team announced, on
november 2019, the immediate availability of
PHP 7.4.0. This release marks the fourth
feature update to the PHP 7 series.
# ยง Perl/Rakuโ โพ
# โ Day_14:_Writing_Faster_Raku_code,_Part_I_โ_Raku
Advent_Calendarโ โ
Last year, in Perl land, I discussed
the result of my attempts to optimize
the performance of an expression parser
which is part of my Perl-based Fortran
source-to-source compiler. An
expression parser takes strings
representing expressions in a
programming language (in my case
Fortran) and turns it into a data
structure called a parse tree, which
the compiler uses for further analysis
and code generation.
I have recently been writing quite a
bit of Raku code but so far I had not
looked at its performance. Out of
curiosity I decided to rewrite and
optimise this Fortran expression parser
in Raku.
# โ The_Twelve_Days_of_Dancer,_2020_Edition_|_Jason
A._Crome_[blogs.perl.org]โ โ
Need some joy this holiday season? Head
over to the Dancer Advent Calendar for
this yearโs Twelve Days of Dancer. With
a little help from our friends, weโve
put together a 12-day mini advent
calendar featuring some great software
built in Dancer, some helpful tips and
tricks, new features, and more.
# ยง Rustโ โพ
# โ Philip_Chimento:_Advent_of_Rust_12:_Typo_the
Ship_Aroundโ โ
Itโs once again time for another
chronicle of teaching myself the Rust
programming language, by doing the
programming puzzles on Advent of Code
2020. Thatโs all I have to say by way
of introductions!
# ยง Javaโ โพ
# โ Enterprise_Java_Transformation_Continues_with
Jakarta_EE_9โ โ
The open-source Jakarta EE Project
released its first major update in a
year on Dec. 8 with the launch of
Jakarta EE 9.
Jakarta EE is an open-source project
run by the Eclipse Foundation. Itโs the
successor to Java EE, which was the
enterprise edition platform of Java,
where development was led by a group of
vendors including Oracle. In February
2018, Oracle announced that it was
going to transition Java EE development
over to the Eclipse Foundation to make
the effort more open.
The Jakarta EE 8 release in September
2019 marked the first release of Java
EE under the direction of the Eclipse
Foundation, but it was only an initial
step as the code itself still used the
javax.* package namespace. That changed
with the release of Jakarta EE 9, with
that Java namespace changing to
jakarta.*, creating a new foundation
for future enterprise releases. Beyond
just the namespace, the process by
which Jakarta EE is put together is
very different from how it was when the
project was known as Java EE.
o ยง Standards/Consortiaโ โพ
# โ fre:ac_is_an_open_source_audio_converter_for_Windows,_Linux
and_Macโ โ
fre:ac supports many audio and video input formats
including FLAC, MP3, AAC, WAV, OGG, OGA, APE, MAC,
WMA, MP1, MP2, M4A, M4B, M4R, AIF, AIFF, AIFC, CAF,
W64, FR64, AU SND, VOC, IFF, SVX, SF, PAF, PVF,
WVE, HTK, AVR, SPX, AC3, MP4, 3GP, AMR, AEA, AT3,
AA3, OMA, OMG, DSF, DFF, DSS, DTS, FLC, F4V, M4V,
ISMA, MKV, MKA, MLP, MOV, MPG, MPEG, QCP, RA, WEBM,
WMV, OFR, AVI, CUE and TAK.
* ยง Leftoversโ โพ
o โ New_Book_Highlights_Need_for_Solidarity_for_Humans_to_Survive
Global_Collapseโ โ
o ยง Educationโ โพ
# โ Rundown_Schools_in_Low-Income_Communities_Face_Long-Term
Closures_Amid_COVIDโ โ
# โ Failing_Students_Need_Support,_Not_Blameโ โ
Students donโt fail because they are lazy. They
fail because something is wrong in their livesโand
right now, so much is wrong.
# โ Academics_must_not_rage_against_โdeath_by_blank_screenโโ โ
I have been reflecting on my own online experience
as both teacher and learner. When I was delivering
programmes to 50 to 100 participants over the
summer, I sometimes taught for hours without seeing
anyoneโs face. I wanted interaction, so I did have
the feeling that I was getting less engagement than
I would expect at โnormalโ times. On the other
hand, I am conscious that when I attend development
sessions as a participant, we are sometimes
encouraged to switch our cameras off (to โconserve
bandwidthโ, according to the explanation at one
event). I also have to admit that my newfound
anonymity had positive aspects: it meant I didnโt
have to stare at the assembled faces or, perhaps
worse, at my own.
So what do my students have to say when I ask about
their blank screens? They tend not to refer to
their own or their peersโ lack of engagement.
Instead, they talk about feeling vulnerable, about
being judged and about concerns they have about
their surroundings. Others say their devices do not
have cameras or that their cameras are broken.
Whether or not this is the case, it is certainly
true that some of our students are accessing
sessions on their phones โ whether by choice or
because this is the only device they have access
to.
But eventually we come back to the core question.
Is presenting a blank screen to the world rude,
unprofessional or disrespectful, as some academics
argue, and so something to be challenged or
โpunishedโ? Or is it, as many students tell me,
safe, inclusive and a way of reducing anxiety
caused by Zoom fatigue?
o ยง Health/Nutritionโ โพ
# โ OSHA_Is_Helping_Employers_Get_Away_With_Underreporting
Health_Care_Worker_Deathsโ โ
# โ Lighter_Coal_Regulations_May_Mean_More_Covid-19_Deathsโ โ
Addressing emission standards, pollution, and
environmental protections are necessities now.
# โ The_Risk_in_Suspending_Vaccine_Patent_Rules [Ed: More
shilling for vaccine monopolies with patents; this is Wall
Street killing people for profit!]โ โ
# โ People_Are_Going_Hungry_as_Trumpโs_Food_Aid_Program_Runs
Out_of_Moneyโ โ
If the programโs funding is not renewed, it will
leave many Americans high and dry for the holiday
season and beyond. And food pantries are already
feeling it. Northern New York stopped receiving
Farmers to Families boxes entirely since August,
months before the program was scheduled to run out,
WCAX 3 reported.
According to Feeding America, a hunger relief non-
profit, the US is seeing record levels of child
hunger, and as many as 17 million children will
experience food insecurity this year alone. And the
organization projects that 15.6 percent of American
households are without enough food, a more than
four percent increase over 2015. This uncertainty
and lack of supplies is pushing American families โ
and food banks โ to the limit.
o ยง Integrity/Availabilityโ โพ
# ยง Proprietaryโ โพ
# ยง Securityโ โพ
# โ [Crackers]_backed_by_Russian_government
reportedly_breached_US_government_agencies
[iophk: Windows TCO]โ โ
Reuters reported that in addition to
[cracking] Treasury and the Commerce
Departmentโs National
Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA), the hackers may
have breached other US government
entities.
Government officials considered the
[crack] dire enough that the National
Security Council held an emergency
meeting at the White House on Saturday.
# โ Suspected_Russian_[attackers]_spied_on_U.S.
Treasury_emails_โ_sourcesโ โ
The U.S. government has not publicly
identified who might be behind the
[attack], but three of the people
familiar with the investigation said
Russia is currently believed to be
responsible for the attack. Two of the
people said that the breaches are
connected to a broad campaign that also
involved the recently disclosed hack on
FireEye, a major U.S. cybersecurity
company with government and commercial
contracts.
In a statement posted here to Facebook,
the Russian foreign ministry described
the allegations as another unfounded
attempt by the U.S. media to blame
Russia for cyberattacks against U.S.
agencies.
[...]
The [attackers] are โhighly
sophisticatedโ and have been able to
trick the Microsoft platformโs
authentication controls, according to a
person familiar with the incident, who
spoke on condition of anonymity because
they were not allowed to speak to the
press.
# โ U.S._Government_Agencies_Hit_by_[Attackers]
During_Software_Updateโ โ
โWe have identified a global campaign
that introduces a compromise into the
networks of public and private
organizations through the software
supply chain,โ FireEye said in a blog
post late Sunday. โThis compromise is
delivered through updates to a widely-
used IT infrastructure management
software โ the Orion network monitoring
product from SolarWinds.โ
The series of attacks could rank it
among the worst in recent memory, as
Austin, Texas-based SolarWinds Corp.
sells technology products to a Whoโs
Who list of of sensitive targets. These
include the State Department, the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the Naval Information
Warfare Systems Command, the FBI, all
five branches of the U.S. military, and
425 corporations out of the Fortune
500, according to the companyโs website
and government data.
# โ Researchers_underline_care_taken_to_craft
SolarWinds_trojan_campaignโ โ
Researchers from FireEye and Microsoft
claim to have discovered a global
intrusion campaign, using the Orion
network monitoring system sold by
SolarWinds, with a trojan being
implanted into a file which was part of
updates for the product; the
compromised file was given the name
SUNBURST. The software runs on Windows.
# โ SolarWinds_product_used_to_attack_private,
public_sector:_FireEye_claimโ โ
American cyber security firm FireEye,
which last week said it had suffered a
breach and lost its attack tools, says
it has identified a global campaign to
compromise public and private sector
bodies through corruption of software
supply chains, using software that runs
on Windows.
# โ Windows_MountLocker_ransomware_working_through
affiliates:_claimโ โ
Researchers from the Blackberry
Research and Intelligence Team say they
have been tracking the activities of
affiliates of the MountLocker
ransomware group, another one of the
numerous ransomware groups that attacks
Microsoftโs Windows operating system.
# โ Attackers_hit_US_Treasury_through_Microsoft
Office_365;_SolarWinds_opens_door_to_othersโ โ
Microsoft software has once again
proved to be the weak link and opened
the path for cyber attacks, this time
to the US Treasury Department and an
entity that deals with Internet and
telco policy.ย The network management
software SolarWinds appears to have
opened the door for other agencies to
be attacked.
# โ Auto_services_firm_Inchcape_hit_by_Windows
Ransomexx_ransomwareโ โ
Automotive services provider Inchcape
Australia appears to have been
compromised by the Windows Ransomexx
ransomware, with the cyber criminals
who hit the company leaking some data
that they stole, on the dark web. The
company has about 1500 employees in
Australia.
# ยง Privacy/Surveillanceโ โพ
# โ GOP_Lawmaker_Claims_โTrump_Is_Listening
to_the_Many_of_Us_Who_Are_Urging_Him_to
#PardonSnowdenโโ โ
The NSA whistleblower has used
his platform to pressure the
president to pardon someone other
than himself: WikiLeaks founder
Julian Assange.
# โ Tech_Giants_Gird_for_Business_Threats
Under_Strict_New_EU_Lawsโ โ
The new Digital Markets Act, set
to be proposed by the European
Union on Tuesday, targets so-
called gatekeeper companies,
platforms with the power to
control distribution in their
markets.
Such platforms will be prohibited
from giving preferential
treatment to their own products
and services, along with other
practices. They wonโt be allowed
to use data from competitors that
sell on their marketplace, for
instance, or use data about
rivals obtained through
advertising activities, according
to a person familiar with the
matter.
# โ Microsoft_patents_tech_to_score_meetings
using_body_language,_facial_expressions,
other_dataโ โ
Microsoft is facing criticism for
its new โProductivity Scoreโ
technology, which can measure how
much individual workers use
email, chat and other digital
tools. But it turns out the
company has even bigger ideas for
using technology to monitor
workers in the interest of
maximizing organizational
productivity.
Newly surfaced Microsoft patent
filings describe a system for
deriving and predicting โoverall
quality scoresโ for meetings
using data such as body language,
facial expressions, room
temperature, time of day, and
number of people in the meeting.
The system uses cameras, sensors,
and software tools to determine,
for example, โhow much a
participant contributes to a
meeting vs performing other tasks
(e.g., texting, checking email,
browsing the Internet).โ
# โ Mobile_ECG_device_firm_AliveCor_sues
Apple_for_alleged_patent_infringementโ โ
Medical device company AliveCor
has levied a lawsuit against
Apple alleging that the Apple
Watch electrocardiogram feature
infringes on a trio of its
patents.
The lawsuit, lodged in the U.S.
District Court for the Western
District of Texas on Monday,
claims that the ECG functionality
on the Apple Watch Series 4 and
later infringes on its
intellectual property related to
use wearable sensors to improve
cardiac monitoring technology.
o ยง Defence/Aggressionโ โพ
# โ ICE_Is_Targeting_Women_in_Sanctuary_With_Obscure_Laws_and
Retaliatory_Finesโ โ
# โ Nothing_To_See_Here,_Just_Marauding_Neo-Fascists_Wearing
Frocksโ โ
# โ โIn_Case_There_Was_Any_Doubt_Regarding_โStand_Byโโ:_Four
People_Stabbed_After_Pro-Trump_DC_Rallyโ โ
โThis is all on you, Republicans. You have enabled
all of this.โ
# โ Four_People_Stabbed_After_Pro-Trump_Rally_Attended_by_Far
Right_Groups_in_DCโ โ
# โ Four_stabbed_after_Proud_Boys,_told_by_Trump_to_โstand_back
and_stand_by,โ_descended_on_DC_for_marchโ โ
The Washington Post reported late Saturday that โin
smaller numbers than their gathering last month,
they roamed from the Capitol to the Mall and back
again, seeking inspiration from speakers who railed
against the Supreme Court, Fox News, and President-
elect Joe Biden. The crowds cheered for recently
pardoned former national security adviser Michael
Flynn, marched with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones,
and stood in awe of a flyover from what appeared to
be Marine One.โ
# โ Russian_nuclear_submarine_test-fires_4_missilesโ โ
A Russian nuclear submarine on Saturday successfully test-
fired four intercontinental ballistic missiles in a show of
readiness of Moscowโs nuclear forces amid tension with the
U.S.
The Defense Ministry said that the Vladimir Monomakh
submarine of the Pacific Fleet launched four Bulava missiles
in quick succession from an underwater position in the Sea of
Okhotsk. Their dummy warheads hit their designated targets on
the Chiza shooting range in the Arkhangelsk region in
northwestern Russia more than 5,500 kilometers (over 3,400
miles) away, the ministry said in a statement.
# โ Will_Donald_Trumpโs_โLegacyโ_Be_A_War_With_Iran?โ โ
While publicly the Pompeo odyssey was linked to
โnormalisationโ of Arab diplomatic ties with
Israel, this was a mere sideshow: Netanyahu is
believed to have sought Saudi backing for a
military confrontation with Iran, which Saudi
sources say the prince was reluctant to support.
# โ Nigeria_school_attack:_Gunmen_who_seized_children_in
Katsina_โsurroundedโโ โ
Ten children are reportedly being held captive,
Garba Shehu said, far fewer than the number staff
reported missing.
About 800 pupils were enrolled at the all-boys
school in Katsina state and about half remain
unaccounted for.
# โ Parents_Pray_for_Hundreds_of_Students_Kidnapped_in
Nigeriaโs_Katsinaโ โ
Attacks by armed gangs, widely referred to as
bandits, are common throughout northwestern
Nigeria. The groups typically attack civilians,
stealing or kidnapping them for ransom. Islamist
militants, who attack security and civilian
targets, are more common in the northeastern part
of the country.
There is growing anger with the precarious security
situation in Nigeria, Africaโs most populous
nation. Late last month, Islamist militants killed
scores of farmers in northeastern Borno state,
beheading some of them.
o ยง Environmentโ โพ
# โ Joe_Biden_should_heed_environmentalistsโ_calls,_become
first_plastic-free_prez:_Activistโ โ
On Tuesday, the Plastic Pollution Coalition,
Greenpeace, and over 500 other activist groups
rolled out the Presidential Plastics Action Plan,
which urges Biden to take eight executive actions
to tackle plastic pollution and become a โPlastic
Free President.โ Among those eight executive
actions are suspensions of subsidies for plastic
producers and termination of government purchases
of single-use plastic, according to the advocacy
group.
# โ A_Roadmap_for_the_Biden-Harris_Administration:_Redesigning
Farm_Systems_for_the_Climate_Crisisโ โ
A just transition for farming must not only
consider reforms to farm policy, but also aligned
reforms in financial, trade, environmental, and
competition policy.
# ยง Energyโ โพ
# โ Russiaโs_Forgotten_Nuclear_Disasterโ โ
Government workers descended on the small
towns in and around Chelyabinsk, twenty of
which were soon evacuated. Around ten
thousand people, mostly peasants, were forced
out, leaving their pets and possessions
behind. Farmers were instructed to slaughter
their cows, destroy fertile farmland, and
kill off their crops. Their livelihoods and
way of life were destroyed, and no reason was
given as to why they had to take such drastic
measures so quickly.
# โ Chinaโs_carbon_neutrality_comes_up_short_against
dirty_Belt_and_Roadโ โ
Chinaโs continuing investments in dirty
energy in developing countries runs counter
to its promise of reaching carbon neutrality
by 2060.
The construction of coal-fired plants carries
weight in Chinaโs Belt and Road Initiative
(BRI), a multi-trillion-dollar project that
aims to fund infrastructure in partnering
countries and increase Chinaโs regional
clout. Between 2000 and 2018, 23.1 percent of
the US$251 billion (NT$7 trillion) invested
by Chinaโs two biggest policy banks on
overseas energy projects was spent on coal
plants, AFP said.
o ยง Financeโ โพ
# โ To_Win_Georgia_and_the_Senate,_Democrats_Need_to_Go_All-In
on_$15_Minimum_Wageโ โ
Georgia is ripe for this kind of economic message.
# โ Bezos,_McConnell,_and_COVID_Capitalismโ โ
She said that six of her co-workers had tested
positive for COVID since October 22, because โsafe
social distancing is not only being ignored but
discouraged,โ adding that โwhen we express our
discomfort to management, we are yelled at about
filling orders faster, or told that we can take a
leave of absence without pay.โ
# โ If_Democrats_Want_to_Succeed,_They_Will_Have_to_Implement
Policies_That_Primarily_Benefit_the_Working_Classโ โ
Progressives cannot just sit by and expect Biden or
the Democratic Party to do the right thing.
# โ The_Effect_of_Tax_Avoidance_Crackdown_on_Corporate
Innovation [Ed: "Innovation" as meaningless buzzword used to
subvert accountability for corporate crimes]โ โ
To constrain the use of intangible assets in tax-
motivated state income shifting, many U.S. state
governments adopted addback statutes. Addback
statutes reduce the tax benefits that firms can
gain from creating intangible assets such as
patents. Using a sample of U.S. public firms, we
examine the effect of addback statutes on corporate
innovation behavior. First, the adoption of addback
statutes leads to a 4.77 percentage point decrease
in the number of patents and a 5.12 percentage
point decrease in the number of patent citations.
Second, the โdisappearing patentsโ resulting from
addback statutes have significant economic value.
Third, after a state adopts an addback statute, a
firm with material subsidiaries in that state
assigns fewer patents to subsidiaries in zero-tax
states, whereas the number of patents assigned to
the other states does not change. Overall, our
findings suggest that addback statutes impede
corporate innovation.
o ยง AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politicsโ โพ
# โ Americaโs_Political_Divide:_A_Modest_Proposalโ โ
The idea of โone Americaโ might be passรฉ.
# โ Donald_Trump_and_the_Triumph_of_White_Identity_Politicsโ โ
And when it comes to the course of US politics,
there is the distinct stench of putrefaction. And,
while Americaโs putrescent corpus decays further,
the unmistakable rasp of circling vultures becomes
inescapable, the smell overwhelming.
Enter: Donald Trump โ the vulture made flesh. And,
as the President-elect circles high above his prey,
awaiting the moment that he and his Wall Street-
Pentagon flock can begin their feast, it remains
for the rest of us to consider just what weโve
lived through, and how the history of this low-
water mark will be written.
# โ Paper_Ballots_Played_a_Key_Role_in_Defending_the_Integrity
of_the_2020_Electionโ โ
# โ The_Israel-Morocco_peace_deal_Donald_Trump_has_brokered_is
riskyโ โ
That old conflict kicked off in 1975, when Morocco
annexed Western Sahara after Spain, the colonial
power, pulled out. Polisario, which the UN
considers the legitimate representative of the
Sahrawi people, resistedโbut they were outnumbered
and outgunned. With Morocco in control of about
two-thirds of the territory, and Polisario
controlling the other third, the UN brokered a
ceasefire deal in 1991 that promised the Sahrawis a
referendum on independence. Morocco, though, has
obstructed the process. The vote has yet to take
place.
# โ MAGA_Protesters_Chant_โDestroy_the_GOPโ_at_Pro-Trump
Rallyโ โ
Despite these protestersโ efforts, the Electoral
College is still scheduled to vote on Monday, and
the vote will make Bidenโs victory official.
# โ House_Democrat_says_a_provision_in_the_14th_Amendment_means
some_GOP_members_shouldnโt_even_be_seatedโ โ
Pascrell cites Article 1, Section 5 of the
Constitution, which gives each chamber of Congress
final authority over membership, as well as Section
3 of the 14th Amendment, which says:
No person shall be a senator or
representative in Congress, or elector of
president and vice president, or hold any
office, civil or military, under the
United States, or under any state, who,
having previously taken an oath, as a
member of Congress, or as an officer of
the United States, or as a member of any
state legislature, or as an executive or
judicial officer of any state, to support
the Constitution of the United States,
shall have engaged in insurrection or
rebellion against the same, or given aid
or comfort to the enemies thereof. But
Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of
each House, remove such disability.
โStated simply, men and women who would act to tear
the United States government apart cannot serve as
members of the Congress,โ writes the longtime Trump
critic.
# โ Chaos_in_Washington_as_Trump_refuses_to_concede,_Republican
leader_suggests_secession_of_pro-Trump_statesโ โ
A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police
Department said they had treated several people
with stab wounds and had arrested six for brawling.
At least one police officer was also injured in the
clashes. In the evening, police shut down traffic
in parts of downtown Washington and sealed off
Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House.
# โ Democrat_asks_Pelosi_to_refuse_to_seat_lawmakers_supporting
Trumpโs_election_challengesโ โ
Pelosiโs office didnโt comment on Pascrellโs
request, but in a Dear Colleague letter sent Friday
evening, Pelosi said the Republicans are
โsubverting the Constitution by their reckless and
fruitless assault on our democracy which threatens
to seriously erode public trust in our most sacred
democratic institutions, and to set back our
progress on the urgent challenges ahead.โ
o ยง Freedom of Information/Freedom of the Pressโ โพ
# โ Rafael_Correa_on_Venezuela,_Assange,_and_โpreventing_the
total_destruction_of_our_homelandโโ โ
o ยง Civil Rights/Policingโ โพ
# โ Let_Everybody_Vote,_Even_If_Theyโre_Incarceratedโ โ
What value is a democracy that actively seeks to
silence the voices of its most vulnerable citizens?
# โ Husband_gave_triple_talaq_from_US_over_phone:_Hyderabad
womanโ โ
Saba Fatima said that he was in touch with her from
Boston, and used to send money for her daily needs.
However, on October 6, she said he called up her
father and โpronounced talaq without any reasonโ.
โSince then, he has not been in touch with me and
has blocked my number. I have tried to reach out to
my mother-in-law, who lives in Dubai, and my
sister-in-law who lives in London. They first
assured me of justice, and later they also blocked
my number,โ she said.
o ยง Monopoliesโ โพ
# โ Anti-trust_suits_notwithstanding,_Google,_Facebook_on_Biden
transition_teamโ โ
Facebook and Google officials have been taken on as
part of the team that is helping the new US
administration effect its transition to power.
# โ Financial_Terms_in_License_Agreements [Ed: "Intellectual
Property Licensing" is nonsensical propaganda; what they mean
is submission to monopolies based on the fiction/lie that
ideas are "property"]โ โ
This chapter in the forthcoming casebook
Intellectual Property Licensing and Transactions:
Theory and Practice (2020, forthcoming), discusses
the financial terms of IP licensing agreements
including fixed payments, running royalties,
sublicensing income, milestone payments, equity
compensation and cost reimbursement, as well as
most-favored and audit clauses. Numerous areas of
recent controversy are addressed including the
establishment of royalty rates through the entire
market value rule (EMVR) versus the smallest
salable patent practicing unit (SSPPU) rule,
royalties for bundled rights, rules of thumb
discredited by the courts, royalty escalation
clauses and more. Examples are drawn primarily from
biotechnology, high-tech and copyright licensing
practice.
# ยง Patentsโ โพ
# โ Olha_que_coisa_mais_linda!_INPI_Brazil_launched_the
English_and_Spanish_versions_of_its_website [Ed: This
patent office gives it away; it doesn't work for its
country but for multinationals]โ โ
INPI Brazil highlighted that the new versions
are addressed to foreigners with the goal of
sharing relevant content on IP and
disseminating information about its
activities.
In this way, INPI Brazil expects to expand
the international scope of its services as
well as to promote further partnerships to
foster innovation and the creation of IP
assets.
The new versions are still in beta phase.
Thus, further improvements may be expected.
# โ German_Bundestag_Approves_Ratification_Bill_on_the
Unified_Patent_Court_Agreementโ โ
The European Patent Office (EPO) is ready to
register the first Unitary Patents. For
Unitary Patents to become available, the UPCA
has to enter into force which requires the
ratification by 13 of the 25 participating EU
Member States, including France, Germany and
Italy. In Germany, the UPC bill will now be
submitted to the German upper house
(Bundesrat) for approval later this year.
Once the German ratification procedure is
complete, itโs anticipated that the final
preparatory steps could be taken to set up
the Unitary Patent Court in 2021. The UPC
could then start its work in 2022.
# โ UPC_โ_Progress_on_German_ratificationโ โ
The EPO has welcomed the news, explaining
that โin Germany, the UPC bill will now be
submitted to the German upper house
(Bundesrat) for approval later this year.
Once the German ratification procedure is
complete, itโs anticipated that the final
preparatory steps could be taken to set up
the Unitary Patent Court in 2021. The UPC
could then start its work in 2022.โ
# โ โThe_German_parliamentโs_quick_UPC_solution_is_riskyโ
[Ed: This is not a solution at all and it'll backfire
on Germany and its credibility worldwide]โ โ
Following a recent vote by the German
parliament, the UPC could go into a
provisional application period. Politically,
this is a good sign. By opening a new unified
court, continental Europe would demonstrate
its ability to act as a community. But the
danger of another constitutional complaint
still hangs over the fast-developing project.
# โ Around_the_IP_Blogs [Ed: Well, this links to some
patently false 'news' about UPC as might be expected
from Team UPC; IP Kat speaks of "threats of new
constitutional complaints, which might stop the project
altogether." The threat is the UPC itself (an attack on
the constitution), not complaints seeking to uphold the
Rule of Law.]โ โ
The German Bundestag has approved draft
legislation to ratify the Unified Patent
Court Agreement and this news hit the IP
Blogosphere. ManagingIP, the European IP
Helpdesk, the HGF blog, and the Juve Patent
Blog each shared their opinion regarding the
future of the UPC, including threats of new
constitutional complaints, which might stop
the project altogether.
# โ FOSS_Patents:_Two_new_FRAND_complaints_filed_with
U.S._district_courts:_Lenovo_v._Nokia_(N.D._Cal.)_and
Ericsson_v._Samsung_(E.D._Tex.)โ โ
Within four days of each other, two FRAND
complaints have been filed in district court.
One of them takes one aspect of the ongoing
Nokia v. Lenovo standard-essential patent
(SEP) dispute to the Northern District of
California, and the other ushers in a
โsequelโ to an earlier Ericsson v. Samsung
patent spat. At this stageโwith the ink
barely being dry on those complaintsโI
primarily just wish to make the complaints
available here and provide some high-level
information. When the defendants have
answered (or moved to dismiss), Iโll go into
more detail. Both appear to be driven by the
notion that a good offense is sometimes the
best defense.
# โ 2020_Patent_Exam_โ_Are_you_Smarter_than_a_2L?โ โ
At the University of Missouri, my patent law
class is practice based โ with students
drafting claims, rejecting claims, responding
to office actions, and participating in a
patent law moot court competition. The class
is pretty much fully packed. Still, I also
give them a short final exam to ensure sure
that they have learned the basics. This
yearโs exam is based upon an actual pending
patent application for the Boss Hammer. Note
โ I played with the actual facts and claims a
bit to make it all more straightforward.
# โ COVID-19_Vaccines:_Patent_Ownership_and_the_Barriers
to_Equitable_Accessโ โ
The race to develop vaccines for COVID-19 has
edged closer to its finishing line with at
least three candidates announcing positive
results from their vaccine trials. While this
may appear to be the light at the end of the
tunnel, the focus now shifts towards equally
challenging issues of availability,
accessibility, and affordability of vaccines.
In this post, I discuss the vaccines
developed by Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and
AstraZeneca-Oxford, the complex ownership
status of their intellectual property, the
bilateral pre-purchase deals struck with
higher-income countries and their
implications on the Global South.
[....]
On 9th November, US Pharma giant Pfizer and
German biotech firm BioNTech became the first
to announce that โBNT162b2,โ the vaccine
developed through their collaborative
efforts, had shown over 90% effectiveness
after the conclusion of Phase III trials.
They will be supplying 50 million doses of
one of the first ever messenger RNA-based
vaccines by the end of 2020 and 1.3 billion
doses by 2021. While no safety hazards have
been noted, the vaccines will require ultra-
cold storage at below -70 degree Celsius
temperature and will only survive for 24
hours at refrigerator temperature (2-
8 degrees Celsius). It is priced at a hefty
price of $39 (nearly INR 3000). Today, UK
gave an emergency approval to this vaccine.
A week later, US-based Moderna declared that
its mRNA-1273, another mRNA-based vaccine,
had shown 95% effectiveness. It is set to be
priced at $25-37 (approx. INR 1900-2800) per
dose depending on quantities purchased.
Similar to Pfizer-BioNTech, this vaccine will
have to be stored frozen at -20 degrees
Celsius. However, it may be kept at
refrigerator temperature for a month making
downstream transportation relatively easier.
The highly anticipated AstraZeneca-Oxford
vaccine, AZD1222, claims 70% efficacy as per
interim data, a figure that is estimated to
increase to 90% if the dosage is altered.
Unlike the other two vaccines, this one
utilizes a genetically modified common-cold
virus. What makes the Oxford vaccine an
attractive candidate is its price, which,
following a no-profit pledge by AstraZeneca,
is to be capped at $3 (approx. INR 222) per
dose. It is also capable of storage at normal
refrigerator temperature giving it a
logistical edge over the other two.
A few other candidates are Russiaโs Sputnik V
and vaccines being developed by Sanofi-
GlaxoSmithKlien, J&J, and Novavax.
# โ Prison_for_over_200_fraudulent_Chinese_patent
applications_yielding_900,000_RMB_in_government
awardsโ โ
According to a news report by ็ฅ่ฏไบงๆ็, on
December 3, 2020, the Peopleโs Court of
Shehong City, Sichuan heard the corruption
and bribery case of defendant Guo, and the
corruption case of defendants Chen, Wu, and
Wu . The court of first instance sentenced
Guo to 6 years and 8 months imprisonment,
fined Guo 400,000 yuan, and ordered him to
refund the economic losses caused by his
corruption. Guo had fraudulently filed and
obtained 231 utility model patents and then
applied for awards of 3,000 RMB (~$459 USD)
each from Shehong County Governmentโs
intellectual property award funds.
The court found that Guo and others used
Shehong local enterprises, farmers,
technology companies and others to file
utility model patents in their names. After
the government awarded the 3,000 RMB to these
companies or individuals, they would transfer
the RMB to Guo. The Court also found that Guo
accepted bribes totaling 251,625 RMB.
Shehong, like many cities, offers awards for
patent grants. Specifically, the Shehong
County Authorized Patent Incentive Measures
(Trial)โ (Shefu Office [2011] No. 91) offered
5,000 RMB per invention patent grant, 3,000
RMB per utility model patent grant, and 1000
RMB per design patent grant. In comparison,
Guangzhou currently offers up to 3,000 RMB
per Chinese invention patent but no awards
designs or utility models. Note that foreign
patents grants yield 20,000 RMB awards in
Guangzhou. (See ๅนฟๅทๅธ็ฅ่ฏไบงๆๅทฅไฝไธ้กน่ต้็ฎก็ๅๆณ for more
details). In contrast, Shanghai is more
generous with up to 50,000 RMB/foreign
patent. (See ไธๆตทๅธไธๅฉ่ตๅฉๅๆณ for more details).
# ยง Software Patentsโ โพ
# โ SmileDirectClub_Patent_on_Business_Is
Invalidated_by_Judgeโ โ
# ยง Trademarksโ โพ
# โ As_Face_Masks,_Shields_Become_a_Fashion_Category_of
Their_Own,_Brands_Are_Rushing_to_File_Trademark
Applicationsโ โ
The U.S. market for face masks is positively
booming. Projected to reach $6 billion in
2021, according to investment bank KeyBanc
Capital Markets, companies are placing their
bets on demand for not only utilitarian face
coverings but decorative, and even luxury-
level ones, as the item of COVID-centric
protective gear has swiftly evolved into a
fashion ornament โ albeit a mandatory one in
most jurisdictions โ and created a new
category of accessory in the process, one
that is being compared to the likes of โitโ
bags and the latest trend in coveted
sneakers.
Since the outset of the global health
pandemic, the notion of logo-laden, designer
face masks has become increasingly less
taboo, and as the practical need to wear a
mask endures, the attitude of many consumers
has shifted. The result? A new emphasis on
the fashion aspects of these necessary
accessories in addition to the purely
functional ones. โFace coverings might be a
matter of practicality in the era of COVID-
19,โ the Los Angeles Timesโ Lindzi Scharf
wrote in September. โBut for the 1 percent,
fancy masks and shields have become a new
opportunity to project individual status.โ
โThis kind of evolution is natural. It may be
inevitable. It is the kind of human impulse
fashion is built to serve,โ the New York
Timesโ Vanessa Friedman asserted in April.
Against that background and in light of a
drastic drop in sales of many of their other
offerings, fashion brands โ from burgeoning
young upstarts to established names in the
high fashion arena โ have clamored to enter
the face mask market to meet mounting
consumer demand.
# ยง Copyrightsโ โพ
# โ MediaFire_Counters_La_Ligaโs_โBaselessโ_Piracy
Accusationsโ โ
A few weeks ago, Spanish football league La
Liga nominated several sites and services for
the US Trade Representativeโs upcoming
โnotorious marketsโ report. The Texan company
MediaFire was highlighted in the cyberlocker
category, characterized as a pirate service.
In a late reply, MediaFire counters the
claims, stating that they are inaccurate and
unsupported.
# โ Pirate_IPTV_Provider_Must_Pay_DISH_$15.8m_in
Damagesโ โ
Back in January, US broadcaster DISH Network
filed a sealed complaint targeting the
Florida-based owner of a pirate IPTV service
operating under several brand names. After
almost a year, the case has now been
concluded. In addition to complying with a
permanent injunction, defendant Robert Reich
has agreed to pay DISH more than $15.8m in
damages.
ไทฉ ๐๐๐๐ 3175
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โ โง โโโโ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ 12.14.20โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โโโ โง
โ Links_15/12/2020:_GNU_Linux-libre_5.10-gnu,_Firefox_84,_Sxmo_1.2.0,_NuTyX
20.12.0โ โ
Posted in News_Roundup at 8:51 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
๐ธ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด ๐ณ๐ด๐
๐ฒ๐
๐ธ๐ฟ๐
๐ธ๐พ๐ฝ โฆGNOME bluefishโฆ
ยง Contentsโ โพ
* GNU/Linux
o Distributions
o Devices/Embedded
* Free_Software/Open_Source
* Leftovers
* ยง GNU/Linuxโ โพ
o ยง Serverโ โพ
# โ Linux-driven_router/gateway_unleashes_5G_NRโ โ
Advantechโs rugged โICR-4453โ 5G NR (New Radio)
router runs Conel OS Linux on a Cortex-A72 SoC with
5x GbE ports, an SFP cage, 2x mini-PCIe, 2x SIM,
and USB, serial, and CAN connections.
Advantech has announced a Linux-driven router and
gateway equipped with a 5G NR (New Radio) modem.
3GPPโs 5G NR spec is a faster air interface for 5G
compared to the 4G LTE infrastructure used by most
5G networks. Supporting extensions of 5G beyond
6GHz, 5G NR is particularly useful for low-latency
โmassive IoTโ applications. (See farther below for
more on 5G NR.)
# โ Kubernetes_1.20_Launchedโ โ
Kubernetes has released version 1.20, featuring 42
enhancements, with 11 enhancements graduating to
stable, 15 moving to beta, and 16 entering alpha.
# โ Kubernetes_1.20:_Granular_Control_of_Volume_Permission
Changes_|_Kubernetesโ โ
Kubernetes 1.20 brings two important beta features,
allowing Kubernetes admins and users alike to have
more adequate control over how volume permissions
are applied when a volume is mounted inside a Pod.
# โ Tomasz_Torcz:_k3s_is_tiny_and_cuteโ โ
After KubeCon Iโve decided to give k3s a try. And
Iโm impressed!
K3s is a small distribution of Kubernetes (k8s),
Linux container orchestrator system. Itโs really
tiny while being functional. One starts with a
single 52MiB binary and after few seconds thereโs a
functional installation with half a dozen of system
pods. Itโs a far cry from OKD and its resource
hunger. Of course, compared to OKD, thereโs much
less functionality in k3s, but enough for most
cases (including mine).
First, Iโm writing now, because only recently
cgroupsv2 support was added to k3s. Previously it
just didnโt work on modern systems, like Fedora.
Second, the etcd database, widely perceived as a
mandatory part of k8s, is optional in k3s! By
default embedded SQLite is used โ enough for simple
scenarios. Iโm particularly happy for Postgresql
support. Yes, you can have your Kubernetes working
with pgsql.
But K3s is not a single-node solution only. Adding
worker nodes is simple; High-Availability solutions
for control-plane looks sound (havenโt tried yet,
but itโs on my TODO).
o ยง Audiocasts/Showsโ โพ
# โ What_Is_Matrix:_Why_You_Should_Be_Using_It_โ_YouTubeโ โ
Iโve been using Matrix for a few weeks now so I
thought Iโd chat about what it actually, how it
works with features like bridging or just general
message sharing and why I absolutely believe that
youโre next chat should at least be bridged to
Matrix
# โ Looking_At_My_Doom_Emacs_Config_โ_DT_LIVE_โ_YouTubeโ โ
Iโve been playing a bit with my Doom Emacs
configuration, so I thought I would go through my
config files and explain what Iโm doing. This could
prove to be quite educational to those of you that
are new to Emacs in general and especially Doom
Emacs.
# โ LHS_Episode_#384:_Goodbye,_2020_|_Linux_in_the_Ham_Shackโ โ
Hello and welcome to Episode 384 of Linux in the
Ham Shack. In this final episode of 2020, we invite
listeners to join us via Discord for a discussion
of amateur radio, technology, open source software
and hardware and the year in review. We also make
some predictions for 2021 and depart into hedonism
for a while as well. We hope you enjoy this
community-driven content, have a safe and happy
holiday season and join us again when we re-start
the show on January 7, 2021.
# โ CentOS_Streams,_Cyberpunk_2077_on_Linux,_Qt_6.0,_Flatpak
App_Store_|_This_Week_in_Linux_129โ โ
On this episode of This Week in Linux, weโve got
some interesting and somewhat Rocky news for CentOS
to talk about. Thereโs a new Flatpak App Store
released this week called Souk. Linux Gaming news
with Cyberpunk 2077 running on Linux thanks to
Proton. Weโve also got many new releases this week
from PAPPL 1.0, OpenRGB, Qt 6.0 toolkit, CRUX
Linux, and QEMU. Then weโll round out the show with
some great deals from Humble Bundle. All that and
much more coming up right now on Your Weekly Source
for Linux GNews!
o ยง Kernel Spaceโ โพ
# โ Linus_Torvalds:_โNothing_that_looks_scaryโ_in_important_new
Linux_kernel_5.10โ โ
Linux creator Linus Torvalds has announced version
5.10 of the Linux kernel with a bunch of driver
updates and a message to developers to hold off
submitting further fixes until 2020โฒs Covid-
stricken holiday season is over.
Linux 5.10 is a big release because itโs the latest
kernel with long-term support (LTS), meaning it
will be supported for at least two years. But often
LTS versions end up with six yearsโ support.
# โ SD_Times_news_digest:_Linux_5.10_released,_GrammaTechโs
DARPA_research_contract,_and_ML_Kit_Entity_Extraction
โ โ
Linux 5.10 has been released. In the new version,
most of the patches are small, Linus Torvalds
explained in a post.The biggest change is fixed pin
mapping definitions for a pincontrol driver.
The fixes span networking, architecture,
filesystems, and tooling. Torvalds also noted that
the merge window for 5.11 will start tomorrow and
that for the release he will be strict about the
merging only thighs that are ready before the merge
window starts.
# โ GNU_Linux-Libre_5.10_Kernel_Released_for_Those_Who_Seek
100%_Freedom_for_Their_PCsโ โ
Based on the Linux 5.10 LTS kernel series, the GNU
Linux-libre 5.10 kernel is now available for the
GNU/Linux community to deblob any proprietary code
and drivers from the upstream kernel release,
providing us with a 100% free/libre kernel.
This release introduces deblobbing for a new
firmware-loading primitive introduced in Linux
kernel 5.10 LTS, disables new blobs in the AMDGPU
open-source graphics driver for AMD GPUs and the
Intel i915 video and Bluetooth HCI drivers, as well
as in the Quallcomm ath11k, Intel iwlwifi, IMX
SDMA, and MLXSW Spectrum drivers.
# โ GNU_Linux-libre_5.10-gnu_After_A_Busy_Time_Deblobbingโ โ
Following yesterdayโs release of the Linux 5.10 LTS
kernel the GNU folks have released their โGNU
Linux-libre 5.10-gnuโ downstream that is the Linux
kernel but without support for loading proprietary
modules as well as preventing closed-source
firmware binaries from being loaded on the system
and related steps in the name of free software.
GNU Linux-libre 5.10-gnu remains popular in the
FSF-endorsed distribution circles like Hyperbola,
Trisequel, and GNU Guix, but for most modern
hardware out there is simply wonโt work or less
than optimally without the closed-source firmware/
microcode support or in some cases missing out on
security updates for hardware as a result.
# โ GNU_Linux-libre_5.10-gnuโ โ
GNU Linux-libre 5.10-gnu cleaning-up scripts,
cleaned-up sources, and
cleaning-up logs (including tarball signatures) are
now available from
our git-based release archive git://linux-
libre.fsfla.org/releases.git/
tags {scripts,sources,logs}/v5.10-gnu.
Tarballs and incremental patches are also published
at
.
The scripts are unchanged since first published for
this cycle, last
weekend.
This was a reasonably busy cycle. A new firmware-
loading primitive was
introduced upstream, precompiled bpf code was added
to the upstream tree
along with corresponding sources; amdgpu had tree
rearrangements beside
the usual addition of new blobs; Intel i915 video
and bluetooth hci
drivers request new blobs (disabled); firmware
loading was disabled in
newly-added drivers for Cadence MHDP8546 DPI/DP
bridge and for Marvell
Prestera switch; IMX SDMA, MLXSW Spectrum; Intel
iwlwifi; Quallcomm
ath11k; Broadcom STM DPFE memory and Intel Haswell
and HiFi2 sound had
some rearrangement in their blob loading code; new
blobs have been
disabled in qcom aarch64 ports.
For up-to-the-minute news, join us on #linux-libre
of irc.gnu.org
(Freenode), or follow me (@lxoliva) on Twister
,
Secure Scuttlebutt, GNU social at
social.libreplanet.org, Diaspora* at
pod.libreplanetbr.org or pump.io at identi.ca.
Check the link in the
signature for direct links.
# โ Kernel_5.10:_Rockchip,_H.264,_Bifrost_&_more!โ โ
Linux Kernel 5.10 has just been released, just as
2020 is about to reach its end. As Linus himself
commented, this was a bigger release than expected.
This underlines the enormous driving force that
open software has: even amidst the chaos and the
uncertainty that this year brought, Linux Kernel
development keeps moving forward at a constant and
relentless pace, which is reassuring and a way of
keeping us grounded and mindful that the world
keeps spinning.
This version will be the next LTS release, you can
find an overview of the significant changes it
contains at LWN: part 1 and part 2.
As with every release, Collabora has contributed a
good number of patches and remains active
developing, maintaining, documenting and testing
many parts of the kernel. Here are some of our
contributions.
# โ Collabora_Shows_More_Love_for_Rockchip_in_Linux_5.10,_Adds
Bifrost_GPU_Support_in_Panfrostโ โ
In Linux kernel 5.10 LTS, Collabora continues to
show their love for the Rockchip media drivers by
improving support for the RK3399 ISP driver, which
is now ready for prime time and will be included by
default in the upcoming Linux 5.11 kernel series,
due for release in mid-February 2021.
They also added support for Mali Bifrost GPUs to
the Panfrost free and open-source driver for Mali
GPUs, improved support for the V4L2 (Video4Linux)
H.264 uAPI by cleaning and stabilizing it to make
it ready for mainstream.
# โ Linus_Torvalds_launches_Linux_kernel_5.10,_warns_devs_not
to_send_5.11_code_too_close_to_Christmasโ โ
Linus Torvalds has released version 5.10 of the
Linux kernel and given developers working on the
project a pre-Christmas deadline to get their
desired additions for 5.11 into his inbox.
Torvaldsโ release announcement for version 5.10
stated: โI pretty much always wish that the last
week was even calmer than it was, and thatโs true
here too.โ But as nothing in the release made him
feel an extra week would be truly necessary, the
new kernel was let loose upon a waiting world and
the project avoided the holiday season collision
that the Linux overseer feared in late November.
But Christmas is not completely saved: Torvalds has
given kernel devs a strict timetable for submitting
changes for version 5.11.
# โ Linux_5.10.1โ โ
I'm announcing the release of the 5.10.1 kernel.
All users of the 5.10 kernel series must upgrade.
The updated 5.10.y git tree can be found at:
git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/
stable/linux-stable.git linux-5.10.y
and can be browsed at the normal kernel.org git web
browser:
https://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/stable/
linux-s...
thanks,
greg k-h
# โ Linux_5.10_Didnโt_Even_Last_24_Hoursโฆ_Linux_5.10.1_Released
Due_To_Bugsโ โ
It was just yesterday evening โ less than 24 hours
ago โ that Linux 5.10 LTS was released but already
the first point release has arrived due to bugs in
the storage code.
Linux 5.10.1 as the first point release normally
doesnโt arrive for a few days or week after the
initial kernel debut, but this time around itโs
coming one day later.
Linux 5.10.1 has just two fixes, both of which
affect the storage code. There is a revert of a
prior โfixโ around RAID DISCARD limits for RAID1
and RAID10 within the Device Mapper code. The
commit simply mentions โIt causes problems :(.โ The
other is fixing the MD codeโs chunk sectors
variable from being an unsigned int to just an int,
also on the basis that โit causes problems :(.โ The
later MD code change ended up breaking mounting of
at least RAID6 setups under Linux 5.10 and was
quickly noticed by upstream developers when moving
to the final kernel release.
# โ Btrfs_Has_Many_Nice_Improvements,_Better_Performance_With
Linux_5.11โ โ
The first set of major file-system material
submitted for the newly opened Linux 5.11 merge
window are the Btrfs updates.
# โ After_Years_Of_Work_With_40+_Revisions,_Intel_SGX_Looks
Like_It_Will_Land_In_Linux_5.11โ โ
Assuming Linus Torvalds has no last minute
objections, the long-in-development Intel SGX
support will be merged into the mainline Linux
kernel.
# โ SD_Express_Support_Coming_With_The_Linux_5.11_Kernel_โ
Phoronixโ โ
Earlier this year work began on preparing SD
Express card/host support for Linux and now with
the Linux 5.11 kernel that will debut in early 2021
is this preliminary support.
SD Express promises faster transfer speeds thanks
to support for PCI Express 4.0 and the NVMe 1.4
protocol. SD Express is to come to SDHC/SDXC/SDUC
memory cards while retaining backwards
compatibility with the legacy SD card interface.
The Linux kernel needed to be adapted obviously and
first initialize with the legacy SD interface and
then checking host/card support for PCIe/NVMe
support before making the connection upgrade.
# ยง Multimedia and Graphics Stackโ โพ
# โ Allwinner_โCedrusโ_Media_Driver_Finally_Sees_Support
For_VP8_Decodeโ โ
Linuxโs Cedrus media driver that provides
video decoding on various Allwinner SoCs is
finally seeing support added for VP8. But
given this addition for Linux 5.11 wonโt be
out as stable until well into 2021 and most
of the world has moved onto VP9, it may not
be too beneficial at this stage.
The Cedrus media driver has been working out
well for various Allwinner SoCs and
supporting the likes of H.264/H.265 decoding.
But with Linux 5.11 is the ability to handle
VP8 content. Unfortunately rather late for
mainline. Cedrus in Linux 5.11 is also seeing
support for the Allwinner R40, V3s, and other
improvements.
# โ Mike_Blumenkrantz:_New_Strategyโ โ
Todayโs exploratory morning post is about
sampling from stencil buffers.
What is sampling from stencil buffers, some
of you might be asking.
Sampling in general is the reading of data
from a resource. Itโs most commonly used as
an alternative to using a Copy command for
transferring some amount of data from one
resource to another in a specified way.
For example, extracting only stencil data
from a resource which combines both depth and
stencil data. In zink, this is an important
operation because none of the Copy commands
support multisampled resources containing
both depth and stencil data, an OpenGL
feature that the unit tests most certainly
cover.
As with all things, zink has a tough time
with this.
# โ Intel_Xe_MAX_Needs_Two_Linux_Kernels_For_Now_โ
Meaning_You_Need_To_Use_A_GPU-Accelerated_VMโ โ
Back in October Intel announced Iris Xe MAX
as discrete graphics for laptops. The overall
Linux state for Xe MAX hasnโt been too clear
and we havenโt had any hardware access to
this Intel laptop discrete graphics hardware
to report our own findings, but their
developers have now cleared up the situation.
The good news is the Xe MAX graphics can be
used for a GPU-accelerated Linux virtual
machine. The bad news is the Xe MAX support
doesnโt yet allow for dGPU usage by the host
outside of a virtual machine context as it
needs โtwo different [Linux] kernelsโ for
operation in conjunction with the integrated
graphics.
o ยง Applicationsโ โพ
# โ Terminal_Emulators_in_Linuxโ โ
As a Linux user, you might have come across the
terminology โterminal emulatorโ. Automatically, you
might be tempted to think that a terminal emulator
is synonymous with the terminal. While these two
are similar in almost every sense, a few subtle
differences exist between these two.
What is a terminal emulator in Linux
The terminal emulator or simply TERM is an
application that mimics or emulates the
functionalities of a conventional terminal window.
It is used to run shell commands, terminal-based
graphical applications, and more.
The terminal emulator allows users to connect and
access remote devices such as servers, routers and
other PCs via command line using protocols such as
SSH or telnet. Once connected or logged in to the
host system, a user can perform administrative
tasks such as installing, configuring, and running
applications as well as carrying out file transfer
between the host and the remote system.
Some emulators such as Terminix and terminator have
a tiling feature allowing you to split multiple
terminal sessions in one terminal window. You can
easily switch from one terminal session to another
and even split the terminal horizontally or
vertically.
# โ Bootterm_โ_a_developer-friendly_serial_terminal_programโ โ
There are plenty of terminal programs to access the
serial console from minicom or screen to Putty. But
Willy Tarreau was not quite happy with those tools,
so he decided to write his own: Bootterm.
[...]
Bootterm C program is still under development, and
Willy plans to implement automatic speed switching
and macros.
# โ Taskline:_manage_your_tasks_with_styleโ โ
If you are a digital minimalist, you are most
likely using or at least tried Taskwarrior; a
command-line minimal yet features-rich to-do app.
Taskline is a new stylish successor for Taskwarrior
with less complicated learning curve. Taskline
turns your terminal into a powerful task management
tool without a hustle.
Unlike Taskwarrior, It features board and timeline
view with a set of useful features that include
backup option and better control over tasks list.
Itโs a minimal lightweight application that does
not require extensive hardware resources to run.
# โ TreeSheets_โ_free_form_data_organizerโ โ
Linux offers a vast collection of open source small
utilities that perform functions ranging from the
obvious to the bizarre. Itโs the quality and
selection of these tools that help Linux stand out
as a productive environment. A good utility
cooperates with other applications, integrating
seamlessly.
It has often been said that information confers
power, and that the most important currency in our
culture today is information. Keeping track of bits
and pieces of information is a minefield.
In part, this is because of passable short term
memory, coupled with what can only be described as
โbrain fogโ. To combat this, we arm myself with
open source software that helps us efficiently
capture a lot of information. We generally prefer
to keep our information local and cloud-free,
primarily for security reasons. And we primarily
advance software which doesnโt tie itself to any
specific company or service, whether itโs Evernote,
Google, or Microsoft.
TreeSheets is an open source tool that organizes
data. The developer claims itโs suitable for any
kind of data organization, such as todo lists,
calendars, project management, brainstorming,
organizing ideas, planning, requirements gathering,
presentation of information, and more.
# โ Version_3.0_of_QSoas_is_outโ โ
After almost two years of development, version 3.0
of QSoas is finally out ! It brings in a number of
new features.
o ยง Instructionals/Technicalโ โพ
# โ 4_Easy_Ways_to_Remove/Delete_a_PPA_on_Ubuntuโ โ
We are all software hunters and would like to
immediately check out the updated app to get new
features.
Most distributors do not have this feature due to
the standard release path.
But this feature is present in Ubuntu and its
derivatives because users can maintain and publish
the latest software as Personal Package Archive
(PPAs).
# โ LFCS_โ_Logging_|_Linux.orgโ โ
System logging is a very important aspect of
maintaining a system and monitoring it for issues.
Making logs, implementing your items to log and
checking those logs can help you keep systems
running smoothly.
# โ mv_command_in_Linux_with_Useful_Example_โ_TecAdminโ โ
mv command is used to move files from one directory
to other directory. Also mv command is used to
rename file in Linux systems. It is an frequently
uses command by the Linux users. You must learn
about mv command in Linux and its parameters.
# โ Set_up_an_Ansible_lab_in_20_minutes_|_Opensource.comโ โ
Being able to build and tear down a public cloud
environment is very useful, but most of us donโt
have easy access to a public cloud. The next best
thing would be to have a lab on your local machine,
but even running on a local machine brings
performance, flexibility, and other challenges.
Most of the time, the additional workloads on our
local machines interfere with doing our daily job,
and they certainly prevent having a readily
available environment to play and experiment with
new software.
My team and I encountered this challenge a few
years ago when we were starting to learn Ansible.
We couldnโt find an environment that we could use
individually, and our frustration with the
situation caused some of us to stop experimenting.
We knew we needed to find a solution.
# โ Adding_an_IP_address_to_a_Bridge_|_Adam_Youngโs_Web_Logโ โ
OpenShift requires a load balancer for providing
access to the hosted applications. Although I can
run a three node cluster, I need a fourth location
to provide a load balancer that can then provide
access to the cluster.
For my home lab set up, this means I want to run
one on my bastion hostโฆ.but it is already running
HTTP and (FreeIPA) Red Hat IdM. I donโt want to
break that. So, I want to add a second IP address
to the bastion host, and have all of the existing
services make use of the existing IP address. Only
the new HA Proxy instance will use the new IP
address.
This would be trivial for a simple Ethernet port,
but I am using a Bridge, which makes it a touch
trickier, but not terribly so.
# โ How_to_Create_and_Manage_Archive_Files_in_Linux_โ_Linux
Foundation_โ_Trainingโ โ
In a nutshell, an archive is a single file that
contains a collection of other files and/or
directories. Archive files are typically used for a
transfer (locally or over the internet) or make a
backup copy of a collection of files and
directories which allow you to work with only one
file (if compressed, it has a lower size than the
sum of all files within it) instead of many.
Likewise, archives are used for software
application packaging. This single file can be
easily compressed for ease of transfer while the
files in the archive retain the structure and
permissions of the original files.
# โ How_To_Install_Nvidia_Driver_on_Debian_10_โ_idrootโ โ
In this tutorial, we will show you how to install
Nvidia Driver on Debian 10. For those of you who
didnโt know, The performance of graphics processing
units (GPUs) mainly depends on drivers. Ubuntu by
default use open source video driver Nouveau which
has limited support and features when compared with
proprietary Nvidia drivers. Installing NVIDIA
drivers on Ubuntu is an easy task that can be done
in less than a minute. Ubuntu includes a tool that
can detect the graphics card model and install the
appropriate NVIDIA drivers. Alternatively, you can
download and install the drivers from the NVIDIA
site.
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 โsudoโ to the commands to get root
privileges. I will show you through the step by
step installation of Nvidia Driver on a Debian 10
(Buster).
# โ How_to_use_Zenkit_To_Do_on_Linux_to_support_your_productive
life_โ_Real_Linux_Userโ โ
If you are a frequent reader of this website, you
will know by now that I am a fan of productivity
applications, such as to do lists and Kanban
boards. In recent months I have paid attention to
the open source To Do applications named Planner
and Super Productivity, both of which I think are
superb productivity applications for Linux, with
both their own specific qualities. In this new blog
post I pay attention to the To Do app from Zenkit,
which is an alternative to the once popular but
decommissioned Wunderlist app, which is not open
source and is only partly free. Although I think
open source as a concept is important, I am not a
closed source purist. In my opinion the
availability of quality closed source applications
are of great importance for a wide acceptance and a
growing success of Linux on the desktop, because it
can attract existing macOS and Windows users who
already use these apps and just can switch over to
Linux without the need to immediately search for
alternatives. In this article I want to share how
to use Zenkit To Do on Linux to support your
productive life.
# โ [Video]_How_to_install_Kubuntu_20.10โ โ
In this video, I am going to show how to install
Kubuntu 20.10.
# โ [Video]_How_to_Homelab_Episode_3_โ_Planning_your_Network
Layout_โ_YouTubeโ โ
The โHow to Homelabโ series helps you plan your
very own home server setup for world domination (or
for even just hosting some apps). In the third
episode, we look into networking and how to plan
your layout.
# โ [Video]_How_to_install_GeForce_Now_on_Ubuntu_20.04_โ
YouTubeโ โ
In this video, we are looking at how to install
GeForce Now on Ubuntu 20.04.
# โ How_to_Easily_Create_Cron_jobs_in_Linux_with_Zeit_โ_Make
Tech_Easierโ โ
Cron allows you to run commands, programs, and
scripts automatically at defined points in time or
on a schedule. Itโs powerful, itโs light, and itโs
also hard to wrap your head around. Thatโs why you
can find front-ends that try to simplify the use of
crontab, and Zeit is one of the best ones.
Zeitโs sole goal is to make adding and managing
your cron jobs very easy. With Zeit, running
commands and scripts is as straightforward as
adding a new entry to a task list. Letโs see how it
allows you to easily create cron jobs in Linux.
# โ How_To_Install_Linux_Kernel_5.10_In_Ubuntu_/_Linux_Mint_|
Tips_On_UNIXโ โ
Linus Torvalds announced the Linux Kernel 5.10
after seven weeks in development and available for
general usage with new features and improvements.
As per Linus Torvalds for Kernel 5.10
I pretty much always wish that the last week was
even calmer than it was, and thatโs true here too.
Thereโs a fair amount of fixes in here, including a
few last-minute reverts for things that didnโt get
fixed, but nothing makes me go โwe need another
weekโ. Things look fairly normal.
This tutorial will be helpful for beginners to
install kernel 5.10 in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, Ubuntu
20.10, Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, and LinuxMint 19.3 /20.
# โ How_to_install_Apache_on_Ubuntu_20.04?_|_LibreByteโ โ
The Apache HTTP Server Project is a community
effort to develop and maintain a โfree softwareโ
HTTP server for modern operating systems (UNIX, GNU
/ Linux, BSD, Windows).
In this post weโre going to configure Apache as a
reverse proxy in front of PHP-FPM service.
# โ How_to_install_Spotify_on_Ubuntu_20.04_LTS_โ_Linux_Shoutโ โ
Spotify is an audio streaming and media services
provider, that allows users to listen to millions
of songs on the go using the Internet. The users
donโt need to download, everything is in the cloud
and what they need is the Spotify client, an
account with it, and of course an internet
connection. In addition, you can create playlists,
incorporate your own music stored locally on the PC
or find out about new records, the latest charts,
and news from the music scene.
There are also ready-made playlists of different
genres arranged in different categories so that
users can play them according to mode or event such
as โsummerโ, โfitnessโ or โromanceโ. โSpotify
radiosโ are just as useful; these are playlists
that match an artist or an album. The free version
i.e โSpotify Freeโ, comes with advertisements
between the tracks, if you want the ad-free version
switched to โSpotify Premium. After having a
subscription, you can also down download your music
to your PC or mobile device such as an iPad or
Android smartphone and listen to it offline.
# โ How_To_Install_and_Use_Skype_on_Linux_System._Itโs_Now
Easierโ โ
Skype is one of the most decent and reliable audio-
calling, video calling, and chatting application
that you can install on your Linux system without
any hesitation. People have been using Skype for
many purposes. Besides getting connected with your
friends and family through Skype, you can also use
it for professional works. Many private companies
consider the Skype application to take the
candidateโs interviews and presentations. As Skype
is a cross-platform application, you can install it
on almost every smart device. The sync speed and
user interface are awe-inspiring. Installing Skype
on your Linux system might give you a havoc free
option to chat and call.
# โ How_to_install_Stencyl_4.0_on_a_Chromebookโ โ
Today we are looking at how to install Stencyl 4.0
on a Chromebook. Please follow the video/audio
guide as a tutorial where we explain the process
step by step and use the commands below.
# โ How_to_use_ECHO_command_in_Linux_โ_LinuxTechLabโ โ
Echo Command in Linux is one of the most used
commands in Bash scripting. It is used to display
the text that has been passed as argument for the
command. Mostly it is used as a input for the next
command or to send output to a file.
# โ Install_Redis_on_CentOS_/_RHEL_โ_The_Linux_GURUSโ โ
Redis is an open-source in-memory key-value data
structure store that can be used as a cache server,
message broker, etc. We can use a number of data
types with redis like strings, lists, maps, sets,
sorted sets, HyperLogs, bitmaps, streams, and
spatial indexes.
# โ Top_4_Simple_way_to_install_Deb_file_on_Ubuntuโ โ
After downloading the .deb file your thinking about
how to install the package on your Ubuntu or
Debian-based system.
Not to think much We are here to guide you just
follow any 5 methods to install the .deb file.
Without taking any more time Letโs Begin.
Method 1: How to install a .deb file using the apt
command
When you download any file .deb file from the
Internet the basic way to install the application
using the apt command.
# โ How_to_Deploy_a_Multi-Tier_Application_with_Kubernetesโ โ
A multi-tier application is an application
distributed among more than one layer. It logically
separates the operational layers. The number of
layers varies with business and application
requirements. In this article, we will see an
application divided into 2 layers, backend and
frontend layer. We will use MongoDB as a backend to
store data and Python Flask as a frontend
Webserver. We will deploy these two applications
using deployments in Kubernetes and have services
to forward requests to them.
# โ How_to_Convert_CentOS_8_to_CentOS_Stream_โ_idrootโ โ
In this tutorial, we will show you how to convert
CentOS 8 to CentOS Stream. For those of you who
didnโt know, For those relying on CentOS 8 to enjoy
the reliability and features of Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 8 but without the licensing costs, etc, that
will end in 2021. At the end of 2021, CentOS 8 will
no longer be maintained but CentOS 7 will stick
around in a supported maintenance state until 2024.
The CentOS Project will be focused moving forward
just on CentOS Stream as the upstream/development
branch of Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
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 โsudoโ to the commands to get root
privileges. I will show you through the step-by-
step migrate your CentOS 8 Linux to CentOS Stream
on CentOS 8.
# โ How_to_Execute_Ansible_Ad-Hoc_Commandsโ โ
In Ansible, Playbook files are usually used in
executing tasks in remote hosts. These tasks range
from installing and configuring services such as
web and database servers to simple tasks such as
checking uptime. However, when it comes to
executing simple tasks in Ansible, ad hoc commands
come very much in handy. Ad hoc commands enable you
to quickly execute simple tasks on the fly without
writing playbook files. In this guide, we show you
how you can make the most of Ansible ad hoc
commands.
# โ How_to_Check_MySQL_Version_โ_TecAdminโ โ
MySQL is an relation database management system. At
the writing time of this tutorial MySQL 8 is the
latest version available. This tutorial help you to
check MySQL server version running on your system.
# โ How_To_Reset_Vagrant_Virtual_Machine_To_Original_State_โ
OSTechNixโ โ
As you may already, Vagrant is an open source
application to build and maintain virtual software
development environments. You can quickly spin up a
virtual machine using a pre-configured Vagrant box
and copy the same Vagrant box to other systems to
deploy a exact replica of the current development
environment. Once youโre done exploring your
development environment, you can simply reset the
Vagrant machine back to itโs original default
state. So you donโt have to download the same
Vagrant box over and over.
# โ How_To_Install_Postman_On_Linux?_โ_Fossbytesโ โ
API development or integration is not an easy task
and takes a lot of effort, especially when
developing/integrating larger APIs. Many steps are
involved in the development process, like
designing, virtualizing, documenting, etc. The most
difficult task is to test out the APIs, but
luckily, there is a lot of software that can save
you time. One such software is Postman.
Postman is a platform that makes the API
development process much easier through its API
Client, Automated Testing, and documentation. In
this article, letโs look at how to install Postman
on Linux.
# โ How_To_Install_Mattermost_on_Ubuntu_20.04_LTS_โ_idrootโ โ
In this tutorial, we will show you how to install
Mattermost on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. For those of you
who didnโt know, Mattermost is an open-source and
self-hosted messaging application used for chat,
file sharing, search, and integrations written in
Golang and React. It an alternative to Slack and
provides a chat service with file sharing, search,
and integrations. It is designed for organizations
and companies and allows teams to communicate and
collaborate securely from everywhere.
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 โsudoโ to the commands to get root
privileges. I will show you through the step by
step installation of Mattermost on Ubuntu 20.04
(Focal Fossa). You can follow the same instructions
for Ubuntu 18.04, 16.04, and any other Debian based
distribution like Linux Mint.
# โ How_To_Encrypt_File_on_Linux_โ_devconnectedโ โ
If you are a conscientious system administrator,
you have probably already wondered how you can make
your files secure.
Nowadays, as system attacks get more and more
frequent, it isnโt probably a bad idea to think
about encrypting your files.
On Linux, there are multiple of encrypting files,
directories or filesystems : namely using the LUKS
disk encryption specification or simple tools such
as GnuPG.
In this tutorial, you will learn how you can easily
encrypt files and directories on Linux using the
GnuPG tool as well as the zip utility.
# โ How_to_Migrate_CentOS_8_Installation_to_CentOS_Streamโ โ
This week, Red Hat created a huge public outcry
over its announcement regarding the future of
CentOS. Red Hat, in a shocking move, is
discontinuing CentOS Project in favor of the
rolling release, CentOS Stream.
The focus now shifts to CentOS Stream as the main
CentOS distribution. In fact, at the end of 2021,
curtains close on CentOS 8 which is a rebuild of
RHEL 8, to pave the way for CentOS Stream which
will serve the upstream branch of RHEL. In short,
there wonโt be CentOS 9 based on RHEL 9 or any
other CentOS point release going forward.
# โ How_to_Resize_Images_with_Right_Click_on_Linuxโ โ
Do you often manipulate images as part of your
daily job?
I personally need to do the graphics work for this
website before uploading it to my blog.
One of the most common image editing tasks is
resizing, which tremendously reduces the image size
from MB to KB.
This allows images to load quickly on the web even
if someone uses a slow internet.
# โ How_to_Install_Linux_Kernel_5.10_LTS_in_Ubuntu_/_Linux_Mint
|_UbuntuHandbookโ โ
Linux Kernel 5.10 was released a day ago as the
latest LTS (Long Term Support) release. Hereโs how
to install in Ubuntu & Linux Mint.
Linus Torvalds announced the release of Kernel
5.10: โOk, here it is โ 5.10 is tagged and pushed
out. I pretty much always wish that the last week
was even calmer than it was, and thatโs true here
too. Thereโs a fair amount of fixes in here,
including a few last-minute reverts for things that
didnโt get fixed, but nothing makes me go โwe need
another weekโ. Things look fairly normal.โ
# โ How_to_Use_Docker_Compose_โ_Tutorial_with_Examples_โ
buildVirtualโ โ
Docker Compose is a tool for defining and running
multi-container applications. A typical example,
and one which we will use later, would be a web
server container and a database container
configured to work together to provide a web
application. Docker Compose then allows you to
start the whole application with a single command!
You start by creating a Dockerfile, to build docker
images of your application โ or you can use
existing images from a registry. You then define
your docker services that you need to run your app
in a docker-compose.yml file (see example later).
Finally, you can run the whole thing using the
docker-compose up command!
# โ How_to_get_your_submicron_wallpapers_back_and_install_the
new_mirrorlist_for_pacman.conf_|_Arcolinux.comโ โ
You can still install the old wallpapers from
Submicron. The repository still exists.
It is just not in the /etc/pacman.conf anymore for
one obvious reason. Everyone has their own set of
wallpapers.
You will need to change your /etc/pacman.conf if
you want to install them via pacman.
# โ How_to_securely_copy_files_between_Linux_hosts_using_SCP
and_SFTP_|_Enable_Sysadminโ โ
There are multiple methods you can use to securely
copy files between Linux hosts. SCP and SFTP are
two you need to know.
o ยง Gamesโ โพ
# โ Ubisoft+_begins_rolling_out_on_Stadia_for_players_in_the_US
|_GamingOnLinuxโ โ
While the selection available to play on Stadia
from Ubisoft isnโt currently very big, Ubisoft+ has
now started rolling out on Stadia and it doesnโt
need Stadia Pro either.
# โ NIGHT/SHADE_is_an_upcoming_18+_LGBTQ_romantic_thriller
visual_novel_|_GamingOnLinuxโ โ
What looks like one to watch โ NIGHT/SHADE is an
upcoming romantic visual novel thriller from
KingAsphy Studio.
โNIGHT/SHADE is a visual novel about overcoming the
toxicity within interpersonal relationships as well
as within oneself. This character driven plot
explores the complexities of love and loss in the
form of a romantic thriller through the eyes of our
main character, Sasha, while he navigates lifeโs
darker elements and tries not to get caught in the
crossfire of two ruthless crime syndicates.โ
# โ Shield_Cat_is_a_thoroughly_charming_in-development_action-
adventure_with_a_free_demo_|_GamingOnLinuxโ โ
With a strange otter/cat as the protagonist, Shield
Cat seems like one to keep on your watch list with
some really charming visuals and you can try the
free demo.
โShield Cat is an Action Adventure game with light
RPG elements. You play as Lance, an otter/cat who
must go on a quest to rescue his friends and the
Cat Kingdom! Along the way youโll solve puzzles,
gain new abilities, meet new friends, and collect
stuff!โ
It feels a bit like a classic Zelda title, one with
plenty of exploration and secrets to find as you
explore. Shield Cat is not a finished game though,
with the developer mentioning itโs still a
prototype but itโs fully playable and quite
enjoyable to run around in. Such a ridiculously
sweet atmosphere I absolutely love it. Thereโs
already a plenty to explore, along with character
ability customization. Shield Cat has all the
makings of the next action-adventure hit.
# โ Direct3D_12_to_Vulkan_translation_layer_VKD3D-Proton
version_2.1_is_out_|_GamingOnLinuxโ โ
The what: paired up with the Wine and Steam Play
Proton translation layers, VKD3D-Proton will
translate Direct3D 12 to Vulkan and hopefully allow
you to run some more advanced Windows-only games
and apps on Linux. VKD3D-Proton is the Valve fork
of the original project from the Wine developers,
with a priority on performance and game
compatibility.
# โ VKD3D-Proton_2.1_Released_With_Improved_GPU-Bound
Performance,_More_Games_Workingโ โ
Valveโs VKD3D-Proton continues speeding along as
their downstream of VKD3D for mapping Direct3D 12
over Vulkan. VKD3D-Proton 2.1 was just released and
besides enhancing the GPU-bound performance there
are more prominent DX12 games now working with this
translation layer.
VKD3D-Proton 2.1 can see around 15% better GPU-
bound uplift in games like Ghostrunner and other
Unreal Engine 4 titles. There are also slight
improvements in fully GPU bound scenarios for both
AMD and NVIDIA graphics, other optimizations that
will benefit RADV, and also lower multi-threaded
CPU overhead with some situations. This release
also makes use of the recent
VK_VALVE_mutable_descriptor_type Vulkan extension
that should also further lower the overhead.
# โ Practice_coding_in_Java_by_writing_a_game_|
Opensource.comโ โ
My article about learning different programming
languages lists five things you need to understand
when starting a new language. An important part of
learning a language, of course, is knowing what you
intend to do with it.
Iโve found that simple games are both fun to write
and useful in exploring a languageโs abilities. In
this article, I demonstrate how to create a simple
guessing game in Java.
o ยง Desktop Environments/WMsโ โพ
# ยง K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qtโ โพ
# โ Kate_is_20_years_old!โ โ
As announced before, Kate turned twenty
today.
Here again my initial request to the KWrite
maintainer about my work on a โMDI KWriteโ
later called Kate (sorry, German & spelling
mistakes)โฆ
Funny enough, if you look at the timestamp of
the mail, it got mailed out at โ18:38:42โ. I
was 18 then, now I am 38 and 42 is always a
good number, I couldnโt have faked that
timestamp better!
# โ KDE_Plasma_Mobile_ends_Halium_support,_shifts_focus
to_phones_running_mainline_Linux_kernel,_enโ โ
Folks have been finding way to run GNU/Linux
distributions on smartphones for years. But
itโs only in the past few years that phone
makers have started to produce phones
designed to run operating systems that use a
mainline Linux kernel.
So projects like Halium arose to simplify the
process of getting a Linux-based operating
system like Ubuntu Touch or KDE Neon to run
on an off-the-shelf Android phone like a
Google Nexus 5X by providing a bridge that
allowed the operating system to communicate
with a phoneโs hardware using the Linux
kernel provided by phone makers and Android
services.
# โ Plasma_Mobile:_Technical_debt_and_moving_forwardโ โ
In August 2015, we announced the Plasma
Mobile project at Akademy 2015 in A Coruรฑa,
Spain. In ~5 years, the project has evolved
quite a lot, from an initial prototype, to
being a fully functional mobile software
system.
The initial prototype was created by
replacing components from the Ubuntu Touch
userspace which ran on the Google Nexus 5
device. This prototype system used the
minimal Android userspace confined in an LXC
container to access various drivers, like
graphics, modem, wifi, sensors among others.
In the following years, we revisited the
initial prototype architecture multiple
times. You can read about some of the details
in the following blogposts by Bhushan Shah.
# โ KDE_Plasma_Mobile_Drops_Halium_Support_In_Favor_Of
Open_Devicesโ โ
# โ Calamares_website_update_|_[bobulate]โ โ
The Calamares team is happy to announce a re-
vamp of the Calamares website. Thanks to Anke
Boersma (better known as the driving force
behind KaOS) the design, layout and
technology behind the website have jumped
forward.
o ยง Distributionsโ โพ
# ยง New Releasesโ โพ
# โ NuTyX_20.12.0_available_with_cards_2.4.123โ โ
21 months after the release of the first
version of NuTyX 11, I am very happy to
announce the new version of NuTyX 20.12.0 and
cards 2.4.123. The 64-bit version is a
complete new project.
The compilation chain is completely rebuilt
in addition to glibc 2.32, gcc 10.2.0 and
binutils 2.34
The xorg-server graphics server version
1.20.10, the Mesa 3D library in 20.3.0, gtk3
3.24.24 and qt 5.15.2 are also in their
latest versions.
The python interpreters are ent 3.9.0 and
2.7.18.
The XFCE desktop environment is updated to
version 4.14.3.
The MATE desktop environment is also updated
to version 1.24, the latest version
available.
The KDE desktop environment is available in
Plasma 5.20.4, Framework 5.76.0 and
applications in 20.12.0. et les applications
en 20.12.0.
Available browsers are: firefox 83.0,
chromium 87.0.4280.88, falkon 3.1.0, epiphany
3.38.2, etc
Many desktop applications have been updated
as well like thunderbird 78.5.1, Scribus
1.5.6, libreoffice 7.0.3.2, gimp 2.10.22,
etc.
Core NuTyX ships with Long Term Support (LTS)
kernels: 4.9.248, 4.14.212, 4.19.163, 5.4.83,
and 5.10.0 and the latest stable version
5.9.14.
# ยง PCLinuxOS/Mageia/Mandriva/OpenMandriva Familyโ โพ
# โ Mandriva_Linux-Based_Mageia_8_Beta_2_Is_Out_With
Major_Package_Updateโ โ
It has been more than a year since the last
stable release of Mageia Linux distribution
as the upcoming Mageia version 8 is still
under development and inching closer to its
stable build slow and steady.
However, as the year 2020 is about to end,
Mageia team has finally announced the second
beta build of the next Mageia 8. The latest
Beta 2 includes updates to packages, Kernel,
Java, and the graphical stack, and the base
system upgrade.
# ยง SUSE/OpenSUSEโ โพ
# โ openSUSE_Leap_offers_Predictabilityโ โ
Users of the community enterprise
distributions can be confident in the
direction of openSUSE Leap for those who
might be hunting for a stable Linux
distribution that offers predictability and
longevity.
Minor releases like openSUSE Leap 15.2
sometimes get compared to a major release.
The minor releases are essentially updates
that people can choose rather than have
forced updates.
Major versions of Leap receive long periods
of maintenance and security updates; the
release cycle has additional overlap that is
greater than that of alternatives. Major
releases are coming roughly every three to
four years and minor releases come usually
once a year, which leads to a life cycle of
about 18 months of maintenance and security
updates per minor release. Many of the
packageโs versions are the same as in
previous minor releases.
Leap aligns with SUSE Linux Enterprise and
its Service Packs (SP), which keeps the
system updated, stable and patched. openSUSE
and SUSE have been collaborating to bring
openSUSE Leap 15.3 and SUSE Linux Enterprise
15 SP3 even closer together to make them
fully compatible.
# โ Board_Elections_โ_Meet_the_Candidates_โ_openSUSE
Newsโ โ
As the openSUSE Board election is drawing
closer, with the ballots opening on December
15 already, we want to invite the openSUSE
community to a โmeet-and-greetโ and QA live
session with the candidates.
In the past weeks there have been passionate
discussions on the election and candidates,
and we felt we had to answer the communityโs
interest with a proper setting.
In this video call the candidates will
introduces themselves, present their openSUSE
board election platforms and answer
questions. While this might sound a bit
formal we really want to keep it very
informal and relaxed for everyone. The goal
is to give the community a better picture of
the candidates so they can decide whom to
vote for.
# ยง IBM/Red Hat/Fedoraโ โพ
# โ Gardiner_Bryant:_Red_Hat_BETRAYS_its_community,_KILLS
CentOSโ โ
# โ Top_5_Free_Linux_Distributions_for_CentOS_Replacement
(Desktop_and_Server)โ โ
The Red Hat, Inc decided to prematurely end
the life of CentOS 8 โstableโ by December
2021 which was earlier planned for EOL as of
2029. CentOS 8 is now replaced by the rolling
release based CentOS Stream. Sever
administrators across the world are in a
decision-making stage based on their
respective infrastructures and dependency. To
help everyone, here are the top 5 free Linux
distribution for CentOS replacement for you โ
applicable for both servers and desktop.
# โ Here_are_the_Worthy_Replacements_of_CentOS_8_for_Your
Production_Linux_Serversโ โ
CentOS is one of the most popular server
distributions in the world. It is an open
source fork of Red Hat Enterprise Linux
(RHEL) and provides the goodness of RHEL
without the cost associated with RHEL.
However, things have changed recently. Red
Hat is converting a stable CentOS to a
rolling release model in the form of CentOS
Stream. CentOS 8 was supposed to be supported
till 2029 but it is now forced discontinued
by the end of 2021.
If you are using CentOS for your servers, it
may make you wonder where to go from here.
# โ Ubuntu_vs._CentOS_for_Small_Businesses_โ
RoseHostingโ โ
Choosing an operating system for your server
or business is not an easy task, especially
if you are looking to use a Linux
distribution. This is because there are
hundreds of versions available for Linux,
each with their own benefits. Out of the
hundreds of options, the most popular choices
for web servers are Ubuntu and CentOS.
Knowing the differences between Ubuntu vs.
CentOS for small businesses can help you
decide which will work best for your
businessโ use case.
# โ Need_a_stable,_RHEL-compatible_alternative_to_CentOS?
Three_reasons_to_consider_Oracle_Linuxโ โ
If you are reading this blog, you are
probably a CentOS user and are in the
position where you need to look at
alternatives going forward.
Switching to Oracle Linux is easy, so here
are a few reasons to consider why you should.
Free to download, use, and distribute โ for
more than 14 years
Since the debut of Oracle Linux release 4, in
2006, it has been completely free to use and
easy to download. Major and update release
have been free for more than 14 years. Errata
releases have been freely available since
2012. Free source code, free binaries, free
updates, free errata, freely redistributable
and free to use in production โ all without
having to sign any documents with Oracle and
without any need to remove trademarks and
copyrights.
Oracle Linux has an equivalent release for
every major Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
version: 4, 5, 6, 7, and most recently 8.
Oracle Linux releases consistently track Red
Hat with errata typically released within 24
hours, update releases usually available
within five business days, and major version
releases within three months.
# โ CentOS-8_End_of_Life_2021-12-31โ โ
Red Hat announced changes to CentOS Linux
release structure last week, and I like
everyone else around is working through what
that means. I have worked with and on CentOS
since 2005, and saw a lot of my work in EPEL
as helping people in that community able to
get things done. This has been a real kick to
the guts for a lot of people, and I do not
have the words to express myself on this.
That said, as a System Administrator, you
have to take the Tango Charlie Foxtrotโs as
they are handed to you, plan what to do next,
and execute as efficiently as possible.
# โ CentOS_8/6_Linux_would_end,_what_are_the_best
possible_alternatives_in_2021?โ โ
Red Hat recently announced that CentOS 8
Linux a head to head version to Red Hat 8
Enterprise version will no longer be
supported and discontinued at the end of
2021. And on its place, the rolling version
CentOS Stream as the downstream branch of
RHEL, launched in 2019, will continue to find
out bugs to make the upstream version more
stable and secure.
However, CentOS 7 running servers, will not
get affected and have the updates in parallel
to the RHEL 7 life cycle. RHEL 7 will end its
last maintenance cycles in 2024.
However, if you are using CentOS 8, then what
are the alternatives in 2021? Unfortunately,
even though if you find the one then
migration of server applications will be
another challenge. Yet, here are some options
to replace CentOS in 2021.
# โ Fedora_34_Gets_Sign-Off_For_Trying_To_Default_To
PipeWire_For_Audio_Needsโ โ
The Fedora Engineering and Steering Committee
(FESCo) has signed off on the proposal for
defaulting to PipeWire with Fedora 34 due out
next spring.
The proposal is for Fedora 34 to default to
PipeWire in place of PulseAudio and JACK.
After Red Hat has been investing in PipeWire
the past several years as the audio/video
stream management solution and designed to
securely fit the needs of Wayland, Flatpak,
and other modern Linux technologies, they
feel itโs ready for the limelight.
# โ Building_a_better_subscription_management_experience
part_1:_Simple_Content_Accessโ โ
Subscription management, in general, can be
anywhere on the spectrum from unnoticeably
simple to unbearably painful depending on
what company youโre working with, how
involved you are with their subscription
components, and oftentimes, how educated you
are in their policies.
Here at Red Hat, we understand it hasnโt been
all rainbows and butterflies when it comes to
managing a Red Hat Subscription. But we are
working on making this process as smooth and
painless as possible for all of our users,
regardless of their role, involvement, or
training levels.
Iโm here to tell you, weโre working with a
goal to achieve โabsolute zeroโ when it comes
to how much we require from our customers in
order to manage their Red Hat Subscriptions.
# โ Red_Hat_Shares_โ_Special_edition:_This_year_in_open
source_(2020)โ โ
Weโve seen the terrifying (COVID-19, โmurderโ
hornets), the hopeful (promising COVID-19
vaccine trial results, a global reawakening
to issues related to racial inequity), the
thought-provoking (โunidentified aerial
phenomenaโ videos released by the U.S.
government), and the downright weird (a puppy
born with green fur, a drumming duck named
Ben Afquack).
While we didnโt film UFOs or train waterfowl
to play percussion instruments, Red Hat
Shares did cover some timely and important
technology topics this yearโfrom edge
computing to Kubernetes to automationโas well
as our first virtual Red Hat Summit.
In our end-of-year issue, check out the top
10 Red Hat Shares stories from 2020, Red
Hatโs 2021 Global Tech Outlook, advice on how
to prepare your IT infrastructure for the
next 10 years, how weโre helping fight COVID-
19, and more.
# ยง Canonical/Ubuntu Familyโ โพ
# โ Linux_Mint_20.1_Beta_Is_Now_Available_for_Downloadโ โ
Linux Mint 20.1 Beta just popped up on the
main download servers of the popular Ubuntu-
based distribution, so I was able to grab the
ISO images to take a look at the changes and
publish a few words and some screenshots
before the Linux Mint team will officially
announce the release on their blog with more
details on whatโs new.
As you know, the Linux Mint team released the
Cinnamon 4.8 desktop environment about two
weeks ago, so the biggest new features is
that the flagship Cinnamon edition of Linux
Mint 20.1 beta comes with Cinnamon 4.8.3 by
default.
# โ Ubuntu_Fridge_|_Ubuntu_Weekly_Newsletter_Issue_661โ โ
Welcome to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter,
Issue 661 for the week of December 6 โ 12,
2020.
o ยง Devices/Embeddedโ โพ
# โ ZimaBoard,_a_new_Hackable_Open_Source_Single_Board_Serverโ โ
Single board computer? Itโs time for Single board
servers. A new product, ZimaBoard, is being
prepared for its crowdfunding campaign to give you
a โhackable single board serverโ.
ZimaBoard: Like Raspberry Pi but focused on home
servers
Single-board computers (SBCs) have been around for
a while performing a range of educational,
commercial, and industrial applications. Their
popularity increased in recent years among
hobbyists and DIY enthusiasts looking for low-cost
devices that get the job done with efficiency.
While Raspberry Pi has started eyeing on the entry-
level desktop market with the recent Raspberry Pi
400 like devices, it is interesting to see someone
focusing on server devices with ZimaBoard. The
makers even term is as โsingle board serverโ
instead of the usual โsingle board computerโ.
# โ Hackboard_2_Is_a_$140_Windows_10_Pro_Single-Board
Computerโ โ
Orders placed now will be shipped on April 30,
2021. The Ubuntu Linux version of the board is
exclusive to CrowdSupply and wonโt be offered once
the funding campaign (which has already reached its
goal) ends. Thereโs nothing to stop you purchasing
the Windows 10 Pro version and switching to a Linux
distro, though.
# โ The_HackBoard_2_Offers_Windows_10_Pro_and_an_Intel_Celeron
N4020โ โ
Anyone looking to get a HackBoard 2 should back the
crowd supply campaign for $140, with Windows 10
Pro, or $99 for the Ubuntu Linux version.
# โ Sxmo_1.2.0_adds_support_for_gesture_controlsโ โ
And then thereโs Sxmo. Described as a โcollection
of simple and suckless X programs and scripts,โ
this made-for-Pinephone software lets you navigate
using the phoneโs power and volume keys. For
example, you can open an application-specific
context menu by tapping the volume up key, then use
the up and down arrows to navigate and the power
button to select your choice.
Itโsโฆ honestly kind of tedious.
Fortunately Sxmo also supports touch input. So you
can, for example, tap the power button once to
bring up an on-screen keyboard and then type out a
search or command.
And now, starting with Sxmo version 1.2.0, you can
also use gesture-based navigation for a bunch of
actions.
# โ A_Phone_That_Respects_Your_Children_โ_Purismโ โ
Even if a child doesnโt have a phone of their own,
they often borrow their parentโs phone to play
games or watch videos. Most phones donโt
distinguish between children or adults when it
comes to the data they collect.
The Librem 5 respects the privacy of you and your
children by running free software that does not
track you. The Librem 5โs hardware kill switches
allow you to disable the network completely with a
flip of the switch so your child doesnโt
accidentally end up online, making it the best
phone for a childโs privacy.
# โ Ultra-compact_Apollo_Lake_net_appliance_has_mini-PCIe_and
M.2_tooโ โ
Axiomtekโs โNA347โ network appliance runs Linux or
Win 10 on a dual-core Celeron N3350 with up to 8GB
RAM, 3x GbE, 2x USB 3.0, HDMI, M.2 for SATA, and
mini-PCIe and nano-SIM for wireless.
Axiomtek has released an even smaller, 146 x 118.2
x 26mm variation on its quad-port, 146 x 118.2 x
33.5mm NA346 network appliance. The NA347 similarly
runs Yocto-based Linux or Win 10 on a dual-core, up
to 2.4GHz Celeron N3350 Apollo Lake SoC with a a 6W
TDP. The 3-port system is designed as an entry-
level SD-WAN, VPN, and security gateway for small
and home offices and other IIoT security
applications
# โ Banana_Pi_BPI-M5_SBC_with_4GB_RAM,_16GB_flash_launched_for
$53โ โ
Last September, we wrote Banana Pi team was working
on an Amlogic S905X3 SBC called BPI-M5 and very
similar to Hardkernel ODROID-C4 board launched in
April 2020. At the time, we noted the Banana Pi
BPI-M5 did add a 16GB eMMC flash on-board by
default, while ODROID-C4 requires booting from a
MicroSD card or a separate eMMC flash module.
# ยง Open Hardware/Moddingโ โพ
# โ Arduino_Blog_ยป_Know_what_time_it_is_anywhere_in_the
world_with_this_Nano_33_IoT-based_NTP_clockโ โ
Kaleb Clark, like many of us, works with
others from all around the globe. While he
could view any number of websites or
commercial options to see what time it is for
these other people, he decided to make a
world clock to get this info at a glance.
What he came up with uses a 3.5โณ SPI TFT
screen to show eight time zones in the
deviceโs main section, plus a pair of 7-
segment displays for two more โslots.โ The
unit runs on an Arduino Nano 33 IoT, which
checks the time over WiFi via the Network
Time Protocol, or NTP.
# ยง Mobile Systems/Mobile Applicationsโ โพ
# โ Android_11_begins_rolling_out_for_Sony_Xperia_1_IIโ โ
# โ Android_11_update_starts_rolling_out_to_Galaxy_Note
20_seriesโ โ
# โ We_asked,_you_told_us:_This_is_your_least_favorite
part_of_Wear_OSโ โ
# โ This_is_Phone_Hub_for_Chrome_OS_โ_Googleโs_promising
attempt_at_deeper_Android_integrationโ โ
# โ Do_the_AirPods_Max_work_with_Android_phones?โ โ
# โ Hands-on:_โAAWirelessโ_aims_to_give_any_car_wireless
Android_Auto_and,_impressively,_it_worksโ โ
# โ Ensure_your_WiFi_network_is_ready_for_the_Android_11
QPR1_security_updateโ โ
# โ Android_11_has_started_rolling_out_to_the_Samsung
Galaxy_Note_20_rangeโ โ
# โ LG_Has_Kicked_Off_Android_11_Public_Beta_Testingโ โ
# โ Android_11โฒs_media_controls_can_be_completely
dismissed_after_the_December_patchโ โ
# โ Sonyโs_first_Android_11_update_is_officially
underwayโ โ
# โ Poll_of_The_Week:_Have_you_received_the_Android_11
update?โ โ
# โ Official:_Nokia_C1_Plus_launched_globally_with
Android_10_Goโ โ
# โ Top_8_basketball_games_for_Android_phone_and
tabletsโ โ
# โ The_5_Best_Pixel_Art_Apps_for_Android_and_iOSโ โ
# โ iPhone_To_Android_Switch:_5_Ways_To_Transfer_Your
Contact_From_iPhone_To_An_Android_Deviceโ โ
# โ How_to_Easily_Transfer_Files_to_Android_TV_Using
Cloud_Serviceโ โ
# โ The_Google_outage_killed_Android_phones,_showing_how
fragile_tech_ecosystems_areโ โ
# โ Lenovo_Tab_P11_Pro_Android_tablet_now_available_for
$500_and_upโ โ
o ยง Free, Libre, and Open Source Softwareโ โพ
# ยง Web Browsersโ โพ
# ยง Mozillaโ โพ
# โ Firefox_84_Is_Now_Available_for_Download_with
WebRender_Enabled_by_Default_on_Linuxโ โ
Firefox 84 had a small release cycle
with only eight beta versions and comes
a month after Firefox 83, which added a
HTTPS-Only mode to make your web
browsing more secure. The biggest
change in Firefox 84 for Linux users
appears to be the enablement of
WebRender by default on Linux/GNOME/
X11.
Yes, youโre reading that right, Mozilla
said that the WebRender feature will be
enabled on GNU/Linux systems using the
GNOME desktop environment and running
on top of X.Org Server (X11), not
Wayland.
# ยง CMSโ โพ
# โ 20_Free_and_Open_Source_Static_Site_Generatorsโ โ
Websites are divided into static and dynamic
websites. Dynamic websites are usually
powered by a CMS (Content Management System)
like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. CMS
builds the page from the database and HTML
templates every time a user requests it. On
the other hand, Static Sites are websites
that are served from a web server to the
client without any changes. Static Sites are
on the rise nowadays because they offer more
speed, security, and simplicity in
development than dynamic websites.
Static Site Generators are a set of tools
which simplify the process of generating
static webpages from HTML, CSS, and Markdown.
The following is a list of the top free and
open source Static Site Generators.
# ยง FSFโ โพ
# ยง GNU Projectsโ โพ
# โ parted-3.3.52_released_[alpha]โ โ
Iโve built a 3.3.52 alpha, this will
become the stable 3.4 release in a
few weeks if nothing critical is found.
Iโll be on vacation for a bit, I
may not do this until mid-January.
Here are the compressed sources and a
GPG detached signature[*]:
http://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/parted/parted-
3.3.52.tar.xz
http://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/parted/parted-
3.3.52.tar.xz.sig
Use a mirror for higher download
bandwidth:
https://www.gnu.org/order/ftp.html
[*] Use a .sig file to verify that the
corresponding file (without the
.sig suffix) is intact. First, be sure
to download both the .sig file
and the corresponding tarball. Then,
run a command like this:
gpg โverify parted-3.3.52.tar.xz.sig
If that command fails because you donโt
have the required public key,
then run this command to import it:
gpg โkeyserver keys.gnupg.net โrecv-
keys 117E8C168EFE3A7F
and rerun the โgpg โverifyโ command.
This release was bootstrapped with the
following tools:
Autoconf 2.69
Automake 1.16.1
Gettext 0.21
Gnulib v0.1-4130-g8183682cc
Gperf 3.1
NEWS
Noteworthy changes in release 3.3.52
(2020-12-14) [alpha]
New Features
Add a new partition type flag,
chromeos_kernel, for use with ChromeOS
machines. This is a GPT-only flag and
sets the type GUID to
FE3A2A5D-4F32-41A7-B725-ACCC3285A309.
Add a new partition flag for Linux Boot
Loader Specification /boot
partitions. The bls_boot flag will set
the msdos partition type to 0xea
and the GPT partition type GUID to
bc13c2ff-59e6-4262-a352-b275fd6f7172.
# ยง Licensing/Legalโ โพ
# โ Open_Source_Software_Copyright_Licenses_Did_Not
Cause_Trademark_To_Be_Abandoned_Under_โNaked
Licensingโ_Theory [Ed: Calling what you dislike
(less money in it) "naked"]โ โ
A California district court dismissed a
trademark infringement defense based on
allegations that the trademark owner
had abandoned its trademark rights
through โnaked licensing,โ but here the
court found the open-source license
granted by the owner of trademarks was
in fact a copyright license, not a
trademark license.
# ยง Programming/Developmentโ โพ
# โ The_20_Best_Node.Js_Books_For_Beginner_and_Expert
Developersโ โ
Node.js is an incredible platform for
creating seamless high performing, and
scalable websites. It is an excellent
platform for connecting a huge range of
devices in recent days through centralized
API. Node.js has a wide range of applications
in recent days for web application building
and development. Thereby, to have a proper
guideline for learning Node.js, a perfect set
of Node.js books is indecipherably important.
People who know basic node application wants
to explore deeper and work with this
interesting tool further.
# ยง Perl/Rakuโ โพ
# โ Closures_as_objectsโ โ
Perlโs object system is not one of its
most admired qualities. Included in the
1993 Perl 5.0 release, objects were a
bolt-on. A big improvement at the time,
in todayโs context the Perl 5 object
system requires too much boilerplate
and is under-powered compared to other
language offerings (no private state,
no type checking, no traits, no
multimethods). Perl programmers have
been trying to upgrade it for years
(Cor is a recent example).
Combining a few concepts can lead to
great power; 60 years ago in the LISP
Programmerโs Manual John McCarthy
showed how a Lisp interpreter could be
created from simple parsing rules, a
few types and just five (!) elementary
functions.
Two things Perl 5 got right was its
lexical scoping rules and support for
anonymous functions (โlambdasโ).
Combine those features and you can make
closures. And just what are closures
good for? Well it turns out theyโre
pretty damn powerful; powerful enough,
in fact to make a better object system
than Perlโs built-in offering.
# โ Raku_Challenge_Week_91_โ_Andrew_Shitovโ โ
Hi, hereโs my Raku breakfast with the
solutions of Week 91 of The Weekly
Challenge.
# โ 2020.50_New_on_Wikipedia_โ_Rakudo_Weekly_Newsโ โ
Ogniloud has added a number of Raku
sections on Wikipedia, specifically to
the Iterator and Iterator pattern
lemmas. What a great idea! Yours truly
is hoping to see more of these high
quality additions to Wikipedia
highlighting Raku features (/r/rakulang
comments)!
# ยง Pythonโ โพ
# โ My_journey_at_Mozillaโ โ
During the spring of 2010, I applied
for a job at Mozilla Labs. They were
looking for a Python developer to re-
write the Firefox Sync service (called
Weave back then) into Python. They
wanted to move all of their web
services from PHP to Python, and looked
for a Python expert to help them.
The interviews went very well, and they
were planning to fly me over for an
onsite day, and then everything went to
a full stop because the
Eyjafjallajรถkull volcano blocked all
transatlantic flights. I was really
worried I would miss that opportunity.
But I was eventually able to fly there,
on Castro street, at the Mozilla Office
that used to be the Netscape office
back in the old days.
# ยง Rustโ โพ
# โ The_Rust_Programming_Language_Blog:_Next_steps
for_the_Foundation_Conversationโ โ
Last week we kicked off the Foundation
Conversation, a week-long period of Q&A
forums and live broadcasts with the
goal of explaining our vision for the
Foundation and finding out what sorts
of questions people had. We used those
questions to help build a draft
Foundation FAQ, and if youโve not seen
it yet, you should definitely take a
look โ itโs chock full of good
information. Thanks to everyone for
asking such great questions!
Weโve created a new survey that asks
about how people experienced the
Foundation Conversation. Please take a
moment to fill it out! Weโre planning a
similar event for this January, so your
feedback will be really helpful.
This post is going to discuss how the
Foundation and the Rust project relate
to one another.
# โ Changes_to_Rust_compiler_team_|_Inside_Rust
Blogโ โ
Here is something very new for our
team: We are rotating the leadership.
Niko Matsakis will be stepping down
from their role as co-lead, and Wesley
Wiser will be joining Felix Klock as
the co-leads for the team.
Niko remains a compiler team member and
will continue his contributions,
especially on the RFC 2229, Polonius
and Chalk projects. Nikoโs blog post
discusses their motivations for
stepping down in more detail.
# โ Advent_of_Rust_13:_Lucky_Numbersโ โ
Itโs time for the 13th installment of
the chronicle of me doing programming
puzzles from Advent of Code 2020 to
teach myself the Rust programming
language.
Looking at the lessons that I learned
from previous days, today I resolve to
be more systematic about debugging. If
I get the wrong answer I will try my
program on the example input first,
before changing up a bunch of other
things.
# โ Starting_a_new_job_โ_The_Lego_Mirrorโ โ
Last week I officially joined the Site
Reliability Engineering team at the
Wikimedia Foundation. Iโll be working
with the Service Operations team, which
โโฆtakes care of public and โuser-
visibleโ services.โ
[...]
P.S.: I created a new userbox about
Rust on mediawiki.org.
# ยง Javaโ โพ
# โ Write_in_XML_with_the_NetBeans_text_editor_|
Opensource.comโ โ
Iโve spent a considerable amount of
time in NetBeans, a Java IDE
(integrated development environment)
maintained by the Apache Foundation. I
find itโs got a good mix of automated
abstraction and manual configuration
that helps me keep my Java projects
organized and optimized. Not all IDEs
give much thought to text files, but
XML is frequently used in Java
projects, so XML support in NetBeans is
an important feature. It occurred to me
that NetBeans, in addition to being an
excellent Java IDE, could make for a
nice XML editor, with the added benefit
of being contained in a familiar
application I already use.
* ยง Leftoversโ โพ
o โ git_rebasing_and_lab_booksโ โ
For my PhD work, Iโve been working on preparing an
experimental branch of StrIoT for merging down to the
main branch. This has been a long-lived branch (a year!)
within which Iโve been exploring some ideas. Some of the
code I want to keep, and some I donโt.
The history of the experimental branch is consequently
messy. Looking it over and considering what a reviewer
needs to see, thereโs a lot of things that are irrelevant
and potentially distracting. And so, Iโve been going
through an iterative process of steadily whittling down
the history to the stuff that matters: some strings of
commits are dropped, others squashed together, and others
re-ordered. The resulting branch is a historic fiction.
o ยง Scienceโ โพ
# โ Neanderthal-specific_Variants_in_Sodium_Ion_Channel_Gene
Associated_with_Sensitivity_to_Pain_in_Modern_Humansโ โ
Over the past decade, genetic archeology has
revealed two branches of the human family tree, one
known since the 19th Century (the Neanderthals) and
the other more recently discovered (the Denisovans,
an Asian relative of the Neanderthal population).
These populations evolved without genetic
intermingling with Homo sapiens sapiens for about
500,000 years, which resulted in the accumulation
of genetic variants specific for these populations.
But the migration of modern human populations out
of Africa and throughout the world resulted in
interbreeding between humans and Neanderthals or
Denisovans about 60,00-40,000 years ago, and as a
result there are genetic sequences inherited from
them in modern human DNA that can be distinguished
on the basis of these population-specific genetic
alterations (see, e.g., Inherited Neanderthal Gene
Encodes Genetic Risk for COVID-19).
Recent work* has found a cluster of genetic
alterations ultimately inherited by modern humans
from Neanderthals in a paper entitled โA
Neanderthal Sodium Channel Increases Pain
Sensitivity in Present-Day Humans,โ published in
Cell Current Biology 30: P3465-69. These
alterations were found in a Neanderthal version of
a gene, the SCN9A gene, that encodes Nav1.7
voltage-gated sodium ion channel involved in nerve
transmission in peripheral nerves and implicated in
pain sensation. In modern humans, mutations in this
gene causing a โloss of functionโ phenotype
(inactivation of this gene) are associated with
pain insensitivity and anosmia, while โgain of
functionโ mutations (increased activity) are
associated with idiopathic small-fiber neuropathy
and increased sensitivity to pain.
o ยง Health/Nutritionโ โพ
# โ The_New_Humanitarian_|_Focus_on_girls_to_confront_COVID-19
costs_in_Bangladeshโ โ
No one comes out of a crisis without being changed
in some way, and this pandemic is a crisis on a
scale we have rarely seen: It has put years of
progress in human development at stake; inequity is
at its worst.
If we have to prioritise one thing, it should be
ensuring that girls donโt go back to despair,
teenage motherhood, and premature death. Girls must
have the chance to flourish and pursue a bright
future in spite of COVID-19.
Girls are profoundly impacted by the pandemic in
multiple ways: by the economic effects on their
families and the resulting food insecurity, by the
increase in domestic violence and child marriage,
or by the closing of schools, among other factors.
In Bangladesh, for instance, research by the Power
and Participation Research Centre and the BRAC
Institute of Governance and Development shows that
COVID-19 is creating millions of โnew poorโ โ
people whose income was 40 percent above the
poverty line but have fallen below it as economies
are disrupted. A recent study by the Centre for
Research and Information, a Dhaka-based non-profit,
estimates that the โnew poorโ now totals 38 million
โ roughly one in five Bangladeshis.
o ยง Integrity/Availabilityโ โพ
# ยง Proprietaryโ โพ
# โ A_Mini_Browser_War_in_Linux [Ed: ECT pushing
proprietary software/malware for GNU/Linux instead of
Freedom-respecting browsers]โ โ
Two new Web browsing alternatives widen the
field of browser choices for Linux users. The
recent introduction of Microsoft Edge for
Linux, and the Dec. 8 release of Vivaldi
version 3.5 offer the freedom to experience a
Google-free vehicle to navigate the Internet.
I reviewed much earlier versions of Vivaldi
several years ago. At that time I was
searching for a powerhouse replacement for
the plain-Jane Chromium browser. I found much
to really like with Vivaldi. The current
Vivaldi is even more impressive.
Back in the days when I still had a thing for
the Microsoft Windows platform, I shunned the
default Internet Explorer browser for
Firefox. Microsoft recently replaced its
outdated Web browser with its own version of
the open-source Chromium Web browser that
Google built out to create its proprietary
Chrome browser.
This new Microsoft replacement is now
available for the Linux platform. Still
undergoing fine tuning in the Dev Channel, it
works remarkably well on Linux OSes, despite
a lot of its moving parts still being a work
in progress, or outright missing.
Nevertheless, Edge on Linux has the potential
for widespread adoption once it matures. It
should be especially attractive to former
Windows 10 users making the transition to
Linux.
# ยง Pseudo-Open Sourceโ โพ
# ยง Privatisation/Privateeringโ โพ
# ยง Linux Foundationโ โพ
# โ HVMI:_Security_Solutions_Thrive_on
Friendly_Hypervisors_โ_Xen_Projectโ โ
This talk was given by Raul
Tosa & Daniel Ticle,
Bitdefender at the Xen
Developer and Design Summit
in July 2020. In July,
Bitdefender open sourced
Hypervisor Memory
Introspection (HVMI). This
talk provided a preview.
Security solutions like
Hypervisor Memory
Introspection (HVMI)
require dedicated
hypervisor support. One
example is the possibility
to apply specific memory
permissions to certain
memory pages, and to be
notified when the guest OS
tries to violate those
permissions.
During the development of
HVMI technology,
Bitdefender required a
hypervisor that was
developed in-house,
codenamed Napoca, which
could be quickly and easily
adapted for HVMI
requirements. As a โhow-toโ
hypervisor support model,
Raul and Daniel previewed
the release of the source
code to the open-source
community with the hope
that it would serve as
inspiration for future
HVMI-related functionality
in Xen Hypervisor.
# โ Prepr_Partners_with_the_Linux
Foundation_to_Provide_Digital_Work-
Integrated_Learning_through_the
F.U.N.โข_Programโ โ
Prepr is excited to
announce a new partnership
with The Linux Foundation,
the nonprofit organization
enabling mass innovation
through open source, that
will give work-integrated
learning experiences to
youth facing employment
barriers.
# ยง Entrapment (Microsoft GitHub)โ โพ
# โ Hacks.Mozilla.Org:_Welcome_Yari:_MDN_Web
Docs_has_a_new_platform [Ed: Mozilla is
outsourcing to Microsoft's proprietary
software again.]โ โ
The most significant difference
with the new platform is that
weโve decentralized the content
from a SQL database to files in a
git repository. To edit content,
you now submit pull requests
against the https://github.com/
mdn/content repo, rather than
editing the wiki using the old
WYSIWYG editor.
# ยง Securityโ โพ
# โ Security_updates_for_Mondayโ โ
Security updates have been issued by
Debian (lxml, openexr, openssl, and
openssl1.0), Fedora (libpri, libxls,
mediawiki, nodejs, opensc, php-
wikimedia-assert, php-zordius-
lightncandy, squeezelite, and
wireshark), openSUSE (curl, openssh,
openssl-1_0_0, python-urllib3, and
rpmlint), Red Hat (libexif, libpq, and
thunderbird), Slackware (p11), SUSE
(kernel, Kubernetes, etcd, helm,
openssl, openssl-1_0_0, and python),
and Ubuntu (linux, linux-aws, linux-
aws-5.4, linux-azure, linux-azure-5.4,
linux-gcp, linux-gcp-5.4, linux-hwe-
5.4, linux-kvm, linux-oracle, linux-
oracle-5.4, linux-raspi, linux-raspi-
5.4, linux, linux-aws, linux-aws-hwe,
linux-azure, linux-azure-4.15, linux-
gcp, linux-gcp-4.15, linux-gke-4.15,
linux-hwe, linux-kvm, linux-oracle,
linux-snapdragon, and linux, linux-aws,
linux-azure, linux-gcp, linux-kvm,
linux-oracle, linux-raspi).
# โ New_Windows_Trojan_Steals_Browser_Credentials,
Outlook_Files_|_Threatpostโ โ
The newly discovered Python-based
malware family targets the Outlook
processes, and browser credentials, of
Microsoft Windows victims.
Researchers have discovered a new
information-stealing trojan, which
targets Microsoft Windows systems with
an onslaught of data-exfiltration
capabilitiesโ from collecting browser
credentials to targeting Outlook files.
The trojan, called PyMicropsia (due to
it being built with Python) has been
developed by threat group AridViper,
researchers said, which is known for
targeting organizations in the Middle
East.
โAridViper is an active threat group
that continues developing new tools as
part of their arsenal,โ researchers
with Palo Altoโs Unit42 research team
said in a Monday analysis. โAlso, based
on different aspects of PyMicropsia
that we analyzed, several sections of
the malware are still not used,
indicating that it is likely a malware
family under active development by this
actor.โ
# โ Committee_or_Community:_Slowing_down_the_future
โ_Open_Source_Securityโ โ
I wrote a blog post about looking back,
and I have a bit of snark in there
where I talk about slowing down the
future. I wanted to explain this a bit
more and give everyone some food for
thought around how we used to do things
and how we should do them moving
forward. There are groups and people
that exist to slow things down.
Sometimes thatโs on purpose for good
reasons, sometimes itโs on purpose for
bad reasons, sometimes itโs not on
purpose at all.
I want to start with the idea that a
lot of standards are there to slow us
down on purpose. This isnโt meant to be
a hot take, this is the actual truth
and itโs a good thing. Standards exist
to help everyone work together. If
standards change too quickly it creates
barriers instead of opportunities.
Imagine if HTTP or TCP/IP changed
drastically every year. It would be
horrible, the internet wouldnโt look
anything like it does today.
Now, there are times when slow change
is the opposite of what we want to do.
Emerging technologies are a great
example of this. Imagine if the Linux
Kernel API changes had to pass a
standards committee. There would be no
progress, development would grind to a
halt and nobody would want to
contribute to such a project. The
project wouldnโt be the success it is
today.
There are some standards groups where
being slow actually helps progress, and
there are some groups that hurt
progress by moving slowly. For the
purpose of this blog post, letโs focus
on new technologies. New technology
needs to move fast and iterate without
a committee telling them what to do.
New technologies should work more like
an open source project to move forward.
In the world of open source itโs easier
to build an example then talk about
what the example does. The work is fast
and the work itself is the discussion.
This model has mostly taken over the
world. It is fast, open, and makes it
easy to help.
# โ Hackers_are_abusing_a_disputed_vulnerability_to
launch_attacks_on_Linux_machines [Ed: This is
ZDNet_FUD being recycled]โ โ
โWe believe PGMiner is the first
cryptocurrency mining botnet that is
delivered via PostgreSQL,โ note the
Palo Alto Networks Unit42 researchers.
The researchers explain that PGMiner
hunts for PostgreSQL installations
whose administrators have forgotten to
disable the default โpostgresโ
administrator user account. It then
brute-forces its way to the accountโs
password, before exploiting
PostgreSQLโs controversial copy from
program feature to start mining.
# โ Why_getting_voting_right_is_hard,_Part_II:
Hand-Counted_Paper_Ballots_โ_The_Mozilla_Blogโ โ
In Part I we looked at desirable
properties for voting system. In this
post, I want to look at the details of
a specific system: hand-counted paper
ballots.
# ยง Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt/Fear-mongering/
Dramatisationโ โพ
# โ SUSE_statement_on_Amnesia:33
vulnerabilities_|_SUSE_Communitiesโ โ
Researchers from Forescout
research labs have published a
set of new software
vulnerabilities that affect
embedded TCP/IP stacks.
The set of vulnerabilities,
called AMNESIA:33, only affects
small parts of the SUSE Linux
Enterprise set of packages.
# โ Anatomy_of_a_Linux_Ransomware_Attack.โ โ
Linux ransomware is on the rise,
but ransomware risk is still
significantly lower for Linux
users than for their Windows- and
MacOS-using counterparts.
Although Linux is becoming an
increasingly attractive target
among ransomware developers and
operators, the vast majority of
ransomware still targets Windows
systems, and as a result of the
privilege system that Linux
adheres to, the impact of a
ransomware attack exploiting a
vulnerable Linux web server is
generally much smaller than a
ransomware attack affecting a
Windows system.
In addition, because Linux is an
open-source OS, Linux source code
undergoes constant scrutiny from
the โmany eyesโ of the global
open-source community. As a
result, vulnerabilities in Linux
that could potentially be
exploited in ransomware attacks
are generally identified and
fixed much faster than security
bugs that exist in proprietary
OSes.
o ยง Defence/Aggressionโ โพ
# โ The_New_Humanitarian_|_Liberian_women_still_wait_for
promised_action_on_rapeโ โ
More than three months ago, Liberian President
George Weah declared rape a national emergency at a
keynote conference, vowing to improve support for
rape survivors and strengthen the countryโs
prosecution system.
But few concrete steps have been taken since and
Weahโs ambitious-sounding promises were quickly
drowned out by the din of campaigning in the run-up
to last weekโs Senate elections: Sexual and gender-
based violence (SGBV) hardly featured as an issue.
The appointment of a Special Prosecutor for rape,
the creation of a National Sex Offenders Registry,
and the establishment of a National Security Task
Force on SGBV are all now stalled initiatives.
โThere has not been any progress made on the
governmentโs part,โ said a disappointed Benita
Urey, a 22-year-old student, blogger, and charity
worker.
o ยง AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politicsโ โพ
# โ Replace_the_Electoral_College_with_a_Ranked-Choice_National
Popular_Vote_for_Presidentโ โ
Democratic principles demand that the president
should be elected by the people on the basis of
one-person, one-vote. But today the Electoral
College will elect the president based on an
anachronistic anti-democratic 18th century system
where some peopleโs votes count a lot more than
others.
For example, Wyoming has a population of 579,759
and three electoral votes. California has a
population of 39,512,223 and 55 electoral votes. Do
the math and you find that a vote in Wyoming counts
3.6 times more than a vote in California in the
Electoral College.
The Electoral College originated in the racist
three-fifths compromise in the US Constitution that
added enslaved people who couldnโt vote to the
population of the slave states, which gave the
slave states disproportionate representation and
power in the federal government. This distortion
continued for another century after slavery during
the years of Jim Crow disenfranchisement of black
voters. The racial bias of the Electoral College
continues to this day by giving extra power to the
smaller states that tend to have disproportionately
white electorates.
It is time to end this insult to the democratic
principle of political equality. Every citizen
should get one equally-weighted vote.
o ยง Monopoliesโ โพ
# ยง Patentsโ โพ
# ยง Software Patentsโ โพ
# โ Adaptive_Streaming_โ_Not_Patent_Eligibleโ โ
In this non-precedential decision, the
Federal Circuit has affirmed the lower
courtโs finding that Adaptiveโs
asserted claims are ineligible under
Section 101. In 2019, Adaptive sued
Netflix in C.D. Cal. for patent
infringement. Rather than filing its
answer, Netflix immediately filed a
motion to dismiss for failure to state
a claim. Fed. R. Civ. Pro. 12(b)(6).
That motion was granted โ case
dismissed.
The patent claims a personal
broadcasting system that transcribes an
incoming video into a more usable
format. Us7047305 (1999 priority date).
I subscribed to Netflix back in 2001 โ
receiving rental DVDs in the mail each
month. Netflix has changed dramatically
โ and one bit of its process appears to
be a user-based translation engine.
Claim 39 at issue here requires a
โbroadcasting serverโ coupled to a
โprocessorโ with the capability of
transcoding an incoming video signal
from a first compression format into a
second compression format โmore
suitableโ for the client device โ and
available in multiple video stream
outputs. A dependent claim includes the
functionality of changing the
compression output โin response to a
change in bandwidth conditions.โ
# โ $2,000_Awarded_for_SITO_Mobile_Prior_Artโ โ
Unified is pleased to announce the
PATROLL crowdsourcing contest winners,
Sachin Srivastava and Preeti Dua, who
split a cash prize of $2,000 for their
prior art submissions for U.S. Patent
9,026,673. The patent is owned by SITO
Mobile R&D IP, LLC, an NPE. The โ673
patent generally relates to the
transmission of multiple digital media
streams from a server to a client
device, e.g., where one media stream
may be a piece of requested media, and
another media stream may be an
advertisement. This patent has been
asserted in district court against
Hulu, Blue Scout Media, and FloSports
for their respective streaming
platforms and content distribution
methods.
# โ Voice_Tech_Corp_patent_determined_to_be_likely
invalid_โ_Unified_Patentsโ โ
On December 14, 2020, the Patent Trial
and Appeal Board (PTAB) instituted
trial on all challenged claims in an
IPR filed by Unified against U.S.
Patent 10,491,679, owned by Voice Tech
Corp, an NPE. The โ679 patent relates
to voice-activated computing. The
patent is currently asserted against
Mycroft AI Inc. for using open source,
voice-related technologies.
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