03.24.22

Links 24/3/2022: Arduino Returns to Linux

Posted in News Roundup at 6:38 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNOME bluefish

Contents

  • Leftovers

    • Peter Czanik: Dealing With Anxiety

      Quite a few people asked me recently how I deal with anxiety. I seem to be less anxious than people around me. First of all: I also have anxiety, just like anybody else. The recent company acquisition & reorganization, the COVID-19 pandemic, the upcoming general elections, or the Russian attack all make sure that once a problem is over, there is a new problem already to worry about. However, sport, music and spending less time reading the news all help to keep my anxiety at bay.

    • Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

      • Sick

        Yesterday afternoon – after I wrote about my negative COVID test in the morning – my wife called that she is sick. I only had 20 minutes of work left then I drove home to her.

        She had fever and we did another COVID test in the evening which also turned out to be negative. As the fever did not go away at night, she called in sick this morning. I also opted to work from home today should she be seriously ill. However around noon she already felt better. Nonetheless we’ll do a couple of tests just to be sure.

    • Integrity/Availability

      • Proprietary

        • USCERT ☛ State-Sponsored Russian Cyber Actors Targeted Energy Sector from 2011 to 2018 [Ed: Microsoft Windows TCO]

          CISA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Energy have released a joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) detailing campaigns conducted by state-sponsored Russian cyber actors from 2011 to 2018 that targeted U.S. and international Energy Sector organizations. The CSA highlights historical tactics, techniques, and procedures as well as mitigations Energy Sector organizations can take now to protect their networks.

        • Threat Post ☛ Dev Sabotages Popular NPM Package to Protest Russian Invasion [Ed: Better headline would clarify that Microsoft is shipping malware through its proprietary software hub]
        • The Register UK ☛ [Older] Work chat app Slack suffers services outage [Ed: Clown computing means a lot of downtime you're not in control of; it's also a lot of other bad things]

          Slack has fallen over for a subset of users, as the messaging platform admitted that “something’s not quite right” with a number of its critical services.

          The outage coincides with the return to work from a three-day weekend for many of the company’s US users.

        • Pseudo-Open Source

          • Privatisation/Privateering

            • Linux Foundation

              • Mar Tech Series ☛ ZenHub Joins the Cloud Native Computing Foundation

                ZenHub, the leading productivity management solution for software teams, today announced that it has joined the Cloud Native Computing Foundation® (CNCF®), which builds sustainable ecosystems for cloud native software. This collaboration gives ZenHub the ability to increase its participation in and give back to the Kubernetes ecosystem that ZenHub’s entire production and CI/CD infrastructure runs on. Additionally, this news reaffirms ZenHub’s commitment to supporting the open source model and the communities that make it the most powerful engine for innovation in the world today.

        • Security

          • CISA ☛ mySCADA myPRO [Ed: proprietary software]

            Exploitable remotely/low attack complexity

            [...]

            Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow arbitrary operating system commands injection.

          • CISA ☛ Yokogawa CENTUM and Exaopc [Ed: Microsoft Windows TCO]

            CENTUM and Exaopc have a DLL injection vulnerability and a DLL planting vulnerability using the DLL search order vulnerability. See this link for further details on this exploit type.

          • USCERT ☛ VMware Releases Security Updates

            VMware has released security updates to address multiple vulnerabilities in VMware Carbon Black App Control software. A remote attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities to take control of an affected system.

          • Privacy/Surveillance

            • The Register UK ☛ [Older] Mobile-based ID wallets for government are coming [Ed: Gartner is not predicting, it is shilling. In this case for mass surveillance profiteers like Microsoft.]

              Many of its other findings will come as no surprise for the enterprise technology world: cut down on the siloed quick-fixes and focus instead a modularity and integration.

              Gartner reckons the 10 trends to look out for include “Anything as a Service” (XaaS), with 95 per cent of new IT investments being made in XaaS over the next three years.

              It helpfully includes IT infrastructure and software services under the XaaS banner as well as cloud subscriptions. An acceleration in the modernization of legacy systems is also predicted (already rolling thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic) as well as “Data Sharing as a Programme” rather than a knee-jerk reaction “driven by high-profile incidents.”

    • Defence/Aggression

    • Environment

      • Energy

        • The Register UK ☛ Ukraine’s nuclear plants: What’s happening with them now? • The Register

          If you’ve been wondering about the fate of Ukraine’s nuclear power stations amid Russia’s full-on invasion of the nation, you’re not alone. Here’s an update from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

          The Chernobyl plant, which is being held by Russian troops, lost its connection to Ukraine’s power grid on March 9, and since then it’s been running its systems on power from diesel generators.

    • Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

      • Listen to the radio and live without commercials

        [Radio Nowy Świat] with about 30 000 patrons and income of more than 3 000 000 euros, and [Radio 357] with about 40 000 patrons and income of about 2 500 000 euros. It is said that two radio stations, which were created from bottom to up by people, with so much money collected by people, it’s a unique thing in the world. I am contributing monthly to one of them also.

        So I am listening to the like-traditional radio (on the Internet) which has an all-day schedule. With professional radio editors, many music genres, types of radio programs. There are also some Polish radio stars, which have recognizable and had an impact on the radio market in Poland. With original content produced by them. But without advertisements. It can spoil you. This situation could go on forever.

      • Vice ☛ Meet the Secretive US Company Building an ‘Unbreakable’ Internet Inside Russia

    • Monopolies

      • Copyrights

        • Public Domain Review ☛ Luigi Russolo’s Cacophonous Futures – The Public Domain Review

          Luigi Russolo (1885–1947) was well into a successful painting career when he turned to music in his 1913 manifesto The Art of Noises (L’arte dei rumori). Announcing an intention to “enlarge and enrich the field of sound”, the Futurist polymath waxed poetic about the modern city’s sonic landscape — “the throbbing of valves, the bustle of pistons”, and “the shrieks of mechanical saws”. For Russolo, the noisy nature of everyday, industrializing Europe offered new ways of perceiving the acoustic world and a means of shaking concert music loose from its stagnant orchestral roots. With significant help from his assistant, Ugo Piatti, Russolo set out to put these ideas into practice, working day and night to “achieve the great ideal of a complete orchestra of noise instruments [intonarumori]”. Within three months, they had built their first creation, a “burster” (scoppiatore), and premiered it before an audience of two thousand at Teatro Storchi in Modena, Italy. Meant to mimic a car engine’s sputter, the instrument, by all appearances a simple wooden box with an enormous speaker cone attached, had a playable range between two octaves, modulated by a crank and lever. This “burster” was soon followed by a “hummer”, a “rubber”, which evoked spatulas scraping rusty pans, and the “crackler” — a sonic chimera sounding like something between a mandolin and a machine gun.

          Little remains today of Russolo’s instruments beyond scattered diagrams and photographs, which have been used on multiple occasions to create playable replicas. Aside from a fragment of the score for Risveglio di una città, none of Russolo’s compositions for the intonarumori survive. Yet, miraculously, two gramophone recordings were produced by Russolo and his brother Antonio in 1921 and have been successfully preserved. In these grainy time-capsules, the intonarumori seem to be in conflict with one another, battling for sonic space alongside traditional instruments at what sounds like the end of a long tunnel. In Corale, an asinine, plodding orchestral score is rendered unsettling by the violent roar of an unidentifiable machine. Serenata features even less of the intonarumori, but their occasional presence turns a sentimental serenade of strings and woodwinds into a carnivalesque nightmare. Tempered by the presence of instruments from the past and by the limits of contemporary technology, the “noise intoners” nevertheless make their intense energy felt through Russolo’s soundscapes.

[Meme] Not Registering for the Oppressor

Posted in Europe, Patents at 6:00 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Not many people used Tony's strike registration tools; See? I told you everyone loves Tony

Summary: Not many EPO workers have taken the bait/trap set up and put there by the person they’re protesting and striking against; the liar, António Campinos, used this trap for more EPO propaganda sheltered inside the intranet (the Office is still governed by lying politicians such as Benoît Battistelli and they still violate fundamental rights, requiring people to register in defiance of an ILOAT ruling only 8 months old)

With EPO Strike Participation in the Thousands, European Patents Plunge in Number

Posted in Europe, Patents at 5:39 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

“Highest result [participation in the strike] since 2016 even during the pandemic”

EPO actions

In the words of the union (SUEPO Central), “we count that at least 40% of non-managerial available staff went on strike.”

Summary: Actions by (and courage of) the examiners at the EPO have yielded a massive difference in so-called ‘production’ (management’s lowering of the quality bar in order to fake ‘growth’)

THE EPO‘s staff union has just released this 2-page publication [PDF] about the strike which took place two days ago. Like Benoît Battistelli before him, António Campinos is shamelessly lying about it. The number of patents — including European software patents — fell sharply. Moreover, many workers participated in the strike, and workers are generally unhappy/dissatisfied with the way things are going.

“In the Administrative Council meeting which took place during the day of strike,” the staff union says, “management carefully avoided to officially communicate on the drop in production figures but cannot hide the reality for long. Mr Campinos even provocatively stated that staff who did not go on strike actually showed that they supported his salary adjustment procedure. As long as Mr Campinos stays in denial mode and does not solve the issues raised in the action plan, SUEPO calls for a continuation of the Work-to-Rule actions.”

“The Administrative Council’s “e” “meeting” (not a meeting but a webchat) was probably the typical gallery of docile cowards. No wonder 0% of surveyed staff said the Administrative Council could be trusted.”The management is hurting; but they’ll never admit it and they’ll instead try to gag the media (preventing coverage by using bribes and blackmail, i.e. the usual).

The Administrative Council’s “e” “meeting” (not a meeting but a webchat) was probably the typical gallery of docile cowards. No wonder 0% of surveyed staff said the Administrative Council could be trusted. Unless they accept that real change is needed (they may need to cooperate behind the scenes with other delegates to avoid being singled out), their role at the EPO will be immortalised as an epic failure. █

Links 24/3/2022: Kernel Focus and Godot 4.0 Alpha 5

Posted in News Roundup at 10:28 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNOME bluefish

Contents

  • GNU/Linux

    • Unix Men ☛ Linux Training Model: What A Linux Course Should Look Like

      Whether you’re an independent developer trying to design a course and sell it or need to make material to introduce employees to using Linux, the first step in making a model is understanding what it should comprise.

      Training models are of different types, and there’s a lot of flexibility in how you can approach teaching the material. However, it is important for any training model to solve a specific problem for the learners and present the material in the simplest manner possible.

      To learn more about how to build training modules, check out this guide.

    • Server

      • Ingo JÃrgensmann ☛ New Server – NVMe Issues – WindfluechterNet Blog

        My current server is somewhat aged. I bought it new in July 2014 with a 6-core Xeon E5-2630L, 32 GB RAM and 4x 3.5″ hot-swappable drives. Gladly I had the opportunity to extend the memory to 128 GB RAM at no additional cost by using memory from my ex-employer. It also has 4x 2 TB WD Red HDDs with 5400 rpm hooked up to the SATA backplane, but unfortunately only two of them are SATA-3 with 6 Gbit/s.

        The new server is a used/refurbished Supermicro server with 2x 14-core Xeon E5-2683 and 256 GB RAM and 4x 3.5″ hot-swappable drives. It also came with a Hardware-RAID SAS/SATA 8-port controller with BBU. I also ordered two slim drive kits (MCP-220-81504-0N & MCP-220-81506-0N) to be able to use 2x 3.5″ slots for rotational HDDs as a cheap storage. Right now I added 2x 128 GB Supermicro SATA DOMs, 4x WD Red 4 TB SSDs and a Sonnet Fusion 4×4 Silent and 4x 1 TB Seagate Firecuda 520 NVMe disks.

        And here the issue starts:

        The NVMe should be capable of 4-5 GB/s, but they are connected to a PCIe 3.0 x16 port via the Sonnet Fusion 4×4, which itself features a PCIe bridge, so bifurbacation is not necessary.

        When doing some tests with bonnie++ I get around 1 GB/s transfer rates out of a RAID10 setup with all 4 NVMes. In fact, regardless of the RAID level there are only transfer rates of about 1 – 1.2 GB/s with bonnie++. (All software RAIDs with mdadm.)

        But also when constructing a RAID each NVMe gives around 300-600 MB/s in sync speed – except for one exception: RAID1.

    • Audiocasts/Shows

      • Bad Voltage 3×43: Self Assembly

        [00:02:00] Jorge is into Flatpak. And there’s quite a lot to talk about here. This is very much about the Linux desktop, distribution of applications, and how things have changed; stuff has certainly happened since the last time we looked at this, and it’s worth getting into. Let’s talk about what flatpak means today.

      • BSDNow 447: Path to BSD

        FreeBSD Foundation Proposals, UNIX: On the Path to BSD, Fujitsu ends its mainframe and Unix services, Install burpsuite on FreeBSD using Linuxulator, new OpenBSD Webzine is out, and more.

    • Kernel Space

      • LWN ☛ Triggering huge-page collapse from user space [LWN.net]

        When the kernel first gained support for huge pages, most of the work was left to user space. System administrators had to set aside memory in the special hugetlbfs filesystem for huge pages, and programs had to explicitly map memory from there. Over time, the transparent huge pages mechanism automated the task of using huge pages. That mechanism is not perfect, though, and some users feel that they have better knowledge of when huge-page use makes sense for a given process. Thus, huge pages are now coming full circle with this patch set from Zach O’Keefe returning huge pages to user-space control.

        Huge pages, of course, are the result of larger page sizes implemented by the CPU; the specific page sizes available depend on the processor model and its page-table layout. An x86 processor will normally, for example, support a “base” page size of 4KB, and huge pages of 2MB and 1GB. Huge pages dispense with the bottom layer (or layers) of the page-table hierarchy, speeding the address-translation process slightly. The biggest performance advantage that comes from huge pages, though, results from the reduced pressure on the processor’s scarce translation lookaside buffer (TLB) slots. One 2MB huge page takes one TLB slot; when that memory is accessed as base pages, instead, 512 slots are needed. For some types of applications the speedup can be significant, so there is value in using huge pages when possible.

        That said, there are also costs associated with huge pages, starting with the fact that they are huge. Processes do not always need large, virtually contiguous memory ranges, so placing all process memory in huge pages would end up wasting a lot of memory. The transparent huge pages mechanism tries to find a balance by scanning process memory and finding the places where huge pages might make sense; when such a place is found, a range of base pages is “collapsed” into a single huge page without the owning process being aware that anything has changed.

        There are costs to transparent huge pages too, though. The scanning itself takes CPU time, so there are limits to how much memory the khugepaged kernel thread is allowed to scan each second. The limit keeps the cost of khugepaged within reason, but also reduces the rate at which huge pages are used, causing processes that could benefit from them to run in a more inefficient mode for longer.

      • LWN ☛ Random numbers and virtual-machine forks [LWN.net]

        One of the key characteristics of a random-number generator (RNG) is its unpredictability; by definition, it should not be possible to know what the next number to be produced will be. System security depends on this unpredictability at many levels. An attacker who knows an RNG’s future output may be able to eavesdrop on (or interfere with) network conversations, compromise cryptographic keys, and more. So it is a bit disconcerting to know that there is a common event that can cause RNG predictability: the forking or duplication of a virtual machine. Linux RNG maintainer Jason Donenfeld is working on a solution to this problem.

        The kernel’s RNG maintains an “entropy pool” from which random numbers are derived. As randomness from the environment is harvested, it is mixed into the pool, keeping the level of entropy up. Every running system has its own pool, naturally, with its own internal state. If two systems were to somehow end up with their entropy pools containing the same data, they would produce the same sequence of random numbers, for a while at least. That is something that should never happen.

        But, as Donenfeld pointed out in a patch set first released in February, there is a way that two systems can end up with the same entropy-pool content. If a running virtual machine is somehow duplicated, the entropy pool will be duplicated with it. This can happen if a machine is checkpointed and restored, or if it forks for any reason. Once the restored or forked machine starts running, it will reproduce the sequence of random data created by the previous instance until the addition of new entropy perturbs the pool.

      • LWN ☛ Toward a better list iterator for the kernel [LWN.net]

        Linked lists are conceptually straightforward; they tend to be taught toward the beginning of entry-level data-structures classes. It might thus be surprising that the kernel community is concerned about its longstanding linked-list implementation and is not only looking for ways to solve some problems, but has been struggling to find that solution. It now appears that some improvements might be at hand: after more than 30 years, the kernel developers may have found a better way to safely iterate through a linked list.

      • CNX Software ☛ Imagination open sources PowerVR Series 1 GPU drivers – CNX Software

        Saying that Imagination Technologies is not exactly popular in the open-source community would be an understatement, but the company has just open-sourced the driver source for Power Series 1 GPUs namely Midas Arcade, PCX1, and PCX2.

        If those names do not ring a bell, it might be because some of you may not have been born when PowerVR GPUs were first unveiled in 1995, and launched in products in 1996/1997. Developed jointly by VideoLogic and NEC, PowerVR was touted as the “future of high-quality 3D graphics for the next generation of interactive entertainment”, “whether you are developing 3D systems for console, PC, or arcade systems”. VideoLogic was renamed Imagination Technologies in 1999.

      • TechRadar ☛ [Older] Is Intel about to make a significant Linux move?

        Intel has quietly acquired a German software developer with the aim of bringing fresh life to a key, decades-old Linux kernel project.

        In a blog post, vice president and general manager of system software engineering at Intel’s Software and Advanced Technology Group, Mark Skarpness revealed that the company had acquired the German firm Linutronix which provides services for Linux-powered industrial systems and also specializes in real-time Linux applications.

        While neither Intel nor Linutronix disclosed the financial terms of the deal, the acquisition is a sign that the chip giant wants to further commit to an incredibly important yet often overlooked Linux kernel project.

    • Applications

      • Linuxiac ☛ Samba 4.16 Removes the Old SMB1 Protocol

        The Samba team has just released version 4.16, which includes removing some of the obsolete components of the SMB 1 file-sharing protocol.

        File shares are essential for collaboration in any network. The Samba suite helps you easily share files between Linux and Windows systems.

        Samba is a sophisticated tool that lets you share files and printers with SMB/CIFS clients from a Linux server or desktop. You may even link that Linux machine to a Windows Domain via Samba.

        Samba 4.16, the project’s current feature update, is now available for users utilizing Samba as an open-source implementation of SMB/CIFS for file/print sharing with Microsoft Windows computers.

      • The Register UK ☛ Samba 4.16 strips out more of deprecated SMB 1 • The Register

        The Samba project just released version 4.16, and with it parts of the veteran SMB 1 file-sharing protocol are being permanently removed.

        Among other changes, Samba 4.16 removes the SMB 1 commands that allow a client to request the server copy a file without sending it over the network, and server-side wildcard expansion. Both are rarely used, and this is the beginning of the end for accessing Samba shares from any 20th-century version of Windows. What’s interesting is the complex story of why.

        SMB 1 was already deprecated and off by default since Samba 4.11. Although SMB over NetBEUI first appeared in LAN Manager in 1987, SMB over TCP/IP is about 30 years old. Microsoft has wanted to banish it for some time. It’s been deprecated since 2015, but as late as XP and Windows Server 2003, it was the only version the OS understood.

      • Its FOSS ☛ 7 Reasons to Try Open Source Secure Messenger ‘Threema’ – It’s FOSS News

        While we have a variety of private WhatsApp alternatives, Threema is one of the best among the options available.

        But, why should you even consider trying it out? Is it the ultimate secure messaging app?

        Well, every secure messenger meets a specific list of requirements of users. So, it would be unwise to select an open-source messenger as the ultimate option.

      • Trend Oceans ☛ Nala: A Beautiful and Structured Frontend for the APT Command – TREND OCEANS

        Do you still ignore the required dependencies and autoremove packages while installing the new application on Linux?

        Initially, you take note of application dependencies and package going to wipe out from your system, but with time, we procrastinate due to the ugly interface of the apt command.

        Nala frontend for apt command, remove that limitation, and provide you with a beautiful, clean, and structured list of packages and dependencies while installing new packages on your Linux system.

    • Instructionals/Technical

      • Fix Audio Issue (Dummy Output) In Intel NUC On Debian 11 – OSTechNix

        After installing the latest Proxmox edition on Debian 11 in my Intel NUC PC, I didn’t have any audio output, but the mic seems to be working. I can able to play audio/video via a Bluetooth speaker, but the front panel 3.5mm audio jack isn’t working. No sound comes through the audio jack. I tried to play audio with an external wired speaker and a headphone, but there is no sound coming out. After searching on Debian Wiki and Intel forum, I finally found a solution to fix Audio issue in Intel NUC PC on Debian 11 bullseye and Proxmox 7.1 edition.

      • Daniel Stenberg ☛ Easier header-picking with curl | daniel.haxx.se

        Okay you might ask, what’s the news here? We’ve been able to get HTTP response headers with curl since virtually the stone age. Yes we have.

      • Install WordPress on Nginx Ubuntu

        Nginx is a well-known web server that is used to serve webpages on the Internet. Nginx, which was first launched in October 2004, quickly became the web server and proxy server of choice for thousands of web developers. It has a number of benefits over its competitor Apache. In this article, we will learn how to install Nginx on Ubuntu and use it to host WordPress.

        Before we begin, let me state unequivocally that this is not a comparison of Nginx vs Apache or any other web server. Apache was introduced in 1999 and offers several useful features. If you wish to install WordPress on Apache, we already have an article on the subject, so check it out.

        Nginx was first launched in October 2004, about 17 years ago. Most web developers favour Nginx because of its capacity to handle multiple concurrent client requests quickly with limited hardware resources, making hosting websites on the Internet less expensive. Nginx can also be used as a reverse proxy, directing client requests to the primary hosting server, which does not have public Internet access, making the hosting server more secure than it would otherwise be.

      • Install Ruby on Rails on Google Cloud – Ubuntu 18.04 Passenger | Nginx

        How to Install Ruby On Rails on Ubuntu 20.04 with MySQL, Nginx, Passenger, SSL. Ruby is a dynamic, open-source programming language that prioritizes simplicity and productivity. It features an easy syntax that is natural to read and write. Ruby on Rails is a widely used web framework for Ruby that was created to help software developers be more productive.

        Nginx is a web server which can provide HTTP transactions and serve static files but cannot run Ruby applications directly. So we use Phusion Passenger which is a free, open-source web application server. It is designed to handle HTTP requests, monitor and manage processes and resources, as well as allow administration, monitoring, and problem diagnosis.

        In this guide, you will set up Passenger to assist Nginx with serving your Ruby on Rails web application and install Let’sEncrypt SSL to secure your application.

      • AddictiveTips ☛ Back up and restore emails in Evolution on Linux

        Evolution is an excellent email client for Linux, and it has a lot of great features. One of the best features that Evolution has is the ability for users to quickly and easily create a complete backup of all of their emails. Here’s how to back up and restore your emails with Evolution.

      • Linux Shell Tips ☛ How to Install Latest PHP 8.1 on Debian 11/10

        Debian is a secure and stable Linux-based operating system distribution offering unmetered server performance to web-based applications. Debian 11 “Bullseye” is profiled with improved security, exFAT file systems support, and multiple languages support as features that go hand in hand with numerous web-based applications.

        Among the features and improvements paraded in PHP 8, the JIT compiler for web apps is most notable. Its benefits include better numerical code performance, better PHP web application code execution and performance, and potentially fast PHP code due to supported C to PHP code migration.

        Other notable new/improved features in PHP 8 include strict type checks, especially for Bitwise/Arithmetic operators, saner numeric strings, nullsafe operator, named arguments, weak maps, throw expression, and constructor property promotion.

      • How to Install OmniDB Server on Ubuntu 20.04

        Databases are a major component of many applications that we use daily. Therefore, it is important to learn how to manage them with tools that facilitate the process. Today, we will talk about one of them. This post is about how to install OmniDB Server on Ubuntu 20.04.

      • Red Hat Official ☛ How to specify the CPU architecture when pulling images with Podman | Enable Sysadmin

        Podman is a daemonless engine for developing, managing, and running Open Container Initiative (OCI)-compliant containers. This is the fifth and final article in a series about using Podman. The series provides content on basic container administration using Podman by manipulating different commands and parameters.

      • How to install Zabbix 6.0 on Oracle Linux 8 – NextGenTips

        Zabbix 6.0 is an open-source tool for monitoring IT infrastructures like networking, servers, cloud services, and virtual machines.

        Zabbix collects and displays basic metrics on a dashboard. It uses flexible notification mechanisms that allow users to configure email-based alerts for all the events that happened. This allows a fast reaction to server problems. Zabbix offers excellent data visualization and reporting using stored data. Zabbix reports and configurations are accessed via a web-based frontend.

      • ID Root ☛ How To Install Rust Programming Language on Manjaro 21 – idroot

        In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Rust Programming Language on Manjaro 21. For those of you who didn’t know, Rust (commonly known as Rust-Lang) is a relatively new, open-source practical systems programming language that runs extremely fast, prevents segfaults, and guarantees thread safety. Rust is being actively used in production by popular organizations such as Canonical, Dropbox, Mozilla, NPM, and many more.

        This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you through the step-by-step installation of the Rust Programming Language on a Manjaro 21.

    • Games

      • GamingOnLinux ☛ Europa Universalis IV Complete Collection available on Humble Bundle | GamingOnLinux

        Ready to dive into a long strategy game this weekend? Humble Bundle has the “Europa Universalis IV Complete Collection” available in a nice bundle. Not entirely complete though, since one of them is a 10% discount but it’s good enough to be mostly complete.

      • GamingOnLinux ☛ War Thunder major update ‘Wind of Change’ out now | GamingOnLinux

        Gaijin Entertainment’s online combat game War Thunder has another massive upgrade with ‘Wind of Change’ out now bringing in lots of enhancements.

      • GamingOnLinux ☛ Ion Fury: Aftershock expansion gets delayed with no set date now | GamingOnLinux

        Voidpoint has confirmed that while they’re deep in development on Ion Fury: Aftershock, it won’t be releasing soon.

      • Video ☛ Linux gaming is better than Windows sometimes – Invidious

        On the last video I showed some of the frustrations and issues with Linux Gaming and PC gaming in general. This video, shows the triumph of Elden Ring going from playing terrible to BETTER than Windows.

      • GamingOnLinux ☛ Shattered Pixel Dungeon arrives on Steam eight years later | GamingOnLinux

        After working on it for eight years and being available on other platforms, Shattered Pixel Dungeon has officially released on Steam with Linux support.

        “Shattered Pixel Dungeon is a Roguelike Dungeon Crawler RPG with pixel art graphics. Every game is a unique challenge, with four different playable characters, randomized levels and enemies, and hundreds of items to collect and use. The game is simple to get into, but strategy is required if you want to win!”

        Quite a sweet game actually, and it’s clear the developer has put a lot of love and thought into this one, feels like a nicely rounded dungeon crawling experience not to be missed. It is massive on mobile platforms, with close to one hundred thousand reviews on Google Play and a very high rating so it’s great to see it land on desktop in an enhanced form. Yet again, I fear for my free time because it’s brilliant in its simplicity and yet there’s loads to it.

      • Godot Engine ☛ Godot Engine – Dev snapshot: Godot 4.0 alpha 5

        We’re continuing on our fortnightly release schedule for alpha snapshots of Godot 4.0 – this time with 4.0 alpha 5. See past alpha releases for details (alpha 1, 2, 3, 4).

        Be aware that during the alpha stage the engine is still not feature-complete or stable. There will likely be breaking changes between this release and the first beta release. Only the beta will mark the so-called “feature freeze”.

        As such, we do not recommend porting existing projects to this and other upcoming alpha releases unless you are prepared to do it again to fix future incompatibilities. However, if you can port some existing projects and demos to the new version, that may provide a lot of useful information about critical issues still left to fix.

    • Desktop Environments/WMs

      • GNOME Desktop/GTK

        • Ubuntu Handbook ☛ GNOME 42 Released! See What’s New in the Desktop of Ubuntu 22.04

          GNOME 42 is out! The upcoming Ubuntu 22.04 LTS will take use it as the default desktop environment.

          If you’ve tried out the latest update of Ubuntu 22.04 development build, you should already see the brand new appearance of the GNOME desktop.

          It introduced the new ‘Appearance‘ settings page, with options to switch between Dark and Light mode. As well, each wallpaper has both dark and light editions that changes automatically.

    • Distributions

      • Barry Kauler ☛ EasyOS French langpack updated

        It is good news for français language users of EasyOS, as forum member esmourguit maintains the fr langpack PET for EasyOS. Today he has sent me an update, in particular updating the translation for JWMDesk.

        EasyOS is released as French, German and English builds, with the intention that it is fully-translated out-of-the-box.
        The German translation has been maintained by forum member L18L; however, the last update of the de langpack was 2020-11-19. Although it is a bit dated, the woofQ build system does pull in other translations — woofQ will find recent translations for the binary packages, including LibreOffice, Firefox and SeaMonkey.

      • Best Linux Distributions for Scientists and IT Professionals

        In the world of Linux distributions, there are categories that have served their purpose to the benefit of everyone in the open-source community. One of the bigger advantages when it comes to using Linux is the ability to choose. In this case, a designated category of distributions for Science.

        Some people may think that Linux is just a distribution of a single operating system. In reality, it’s a plethora of distributions all working together in harmony.

        Distributions as we all know, are variations in terms of flavor that are mostly using a generic base in the form of Ubuntu, Debian, or Arch with distinctions in their varying user interface and experience.

        The problem is that the major distributions are not sufficiently clear on what they are actually delivering. Just to name one popular distro, Linux Mint is a good example that is not very easy to choose for the specialists despite its bells and whistles.

        Distributions that target the related keyword will enjoy the most benefit and in such a case, we’re introducing the best Linux distributions for the science crowd/nerds out there.

      • IBM/Red Hat/Fedora

        • Enterprisers Project ☛ IT leadership: 3 reasons emotional intelligence is vital

          As the effects of the pandemic continue to impact peoples’ lives, IT leaders’ ability to identify, manage, and understand emotions in themselves and in others has never been more important. We need to connect with our people in new, more personal ways to help them cope with stresses many have never encountered before.

          This requires a heavy dose of emotional intelligence. This term, also known as emotional quotient, or EQ, is defined in a few ways. But generally speaking, an emotionally intelligent person has the ability to identify their emotions, apply them to problem-solving situations, and manage them positively.

        • Enterprisers Project ☛ Hybrid and remote work: 3 new leadership rules

          In 2020, most companies empowered their employees to work from their homes, ushering in an era of remote work. While this work model has been met with challenges, it has also become a welcome shift for workers looking for flexibility and a new way to manage work/life balance.

        • OpenSource.com ☛ A guide to implementing DevSecOps

          DevSecOps adoption offers your enterprise improved security, compliance, and even competitive advantages as it faces new threat vectors, a new world of work, and demanding customers. It’s only a matter of time before DevSecOps subsumes DevOps because it offers the same core practices but adds a security focus to each phase of the development lifecycle.

        • OpenSource.com ☛ Making the case for openness as the engine of human progress

          It’s an ambitious manifesto, reaching for global scale, arguing that the future progress of the whole world now depends, existentially, on nations’ and societies’ embrace of open practices. The call is also particularly timely: 1990s-era optimism about burgeoning openness in Western societies is today ceding to a more pessimistic reality. Recent commentators seem to echo George Will, who said September 11, 2001 marked “the end of our holiday from history.”

        • Red Hat ☛ Red Hat Developer roundup: Best of March 2022 | Red Hat Developer

          Welcome to our monthly recap of the articles we published in March 2022! This month, Red Hat Developer readers flocked to articles to help them write code on the platforms they trust. You can learn more about modular Perl in Red Hat Enterprise 8, get into the details of testing and code coverage in the Node.js reference architecture, or dive deeper into Quarkus in the latest installment of our Quarkus from the ground up series.

        • Red Hat Official ☛ Red Hat Insights: What’s new in early 2022

          At Red Hat Summit 2021, we announced an expansion of Red Hat Insights across the Red Hat open hybrid cloud technology portfolio. This brought our predictive analytics and open source expertise-based services to Red Hat OpenShift and Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform, along with expanded capabilities for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

          In the time that’s passed, Insights has not been static. Today, we’re introducing several workflow improvements to Red Hat Insights to further address the complexities of managing across the hybrid cloud, enabling teams to manage holistically instead of using disparate, cloud-specific tools. These updated services provide greater, unified visibility into IT environments and help streamline how you operate and also include the first partner integration as well as new malware detection.

    • Devices/Embedded

      • Open Hardware/Modding

        • CNX Software ☛ Portenta X8 is the first Linux Arduino board – CNX Software

          In simpler times, Raspberry Pi was making Linux SBC’s, and Arduino MCU boards, but after Raspberry Pi got into the MCU business last year, it’s now time for Arduino to introduce its first Linux board with the Arduino Portenta X8.

          The new board since comes with the same STM32H7 Cortex-M7/M4 microcontroller found in the Portenta H7 boards, but add a more powerful, Linux-capable NXP i.MX 8M Mini processor with four Cortex-A53 cores and a Cortex-M4 core, coupled with 2GB RAM and a 16GB eMMC flash.

        • CNX Software ☛ Arduino Braccio++ robotic arm is designed for high-school and university students – CNX Software

          Arduino Education has just launched the Braccio++ robotic arm for advanced students in high school or at university in order to let them experiment with a 6 DOF, industrial, assembly line-inspired robot.

          The new robotic arm provides an upgrade to the Tinkerkit Braccio robot and has been designed to assist in teaching real-world manufacturing techniques,topics such as physics and robotics, and concepts like motions, forces, torque, gear ratio, stability, and weight of payload.

    • Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

      • Open Source Initiative ☛ Open source ‘protestware’ harms Open Source [Ed: It’s not protest, it is malware, and it was shipped by the same platform you are shilling for Microsoft, OSI]

        This week marks one month since the start of Putin’s war against Ukraine. We stated the OSI position at that time—the OSI condemns the attack on Ukraine by the Russian army at the direction of Vladimir Putin—but there is a new development that directly impacts the open source community, and it warrants a new commentary.

      • Programming/Development

        • Rendering the Web with Pictures in Your Terminal : more than you would like to know about HTML, ANSI and the philosophy of communication.

          I’ve often been baffled by the productivity of Open Source developers. But I may have found the secret. Having something else to do. As soon as you need to do something urgently, something non-computer related, programming open source seems really important.

          So, in a new episode of “I should really have done something else with my life”, please welcome the “Offpunk got a new HTML rendering” story, a long meditation on reading HTML and starting meaningful, philosophical discussions.

        • Update

          I’m also working on a mailing list management service, which I’m pretty excited about. I’ve gained a lot of confidence with Razor pages since joining this company, and so I’m building the site without any JavaScript. I really appreciate the snappiness and usability of sites such as SourceHut which make use of as little front-end as possible.

        • Linux Links ☛ 10 Free and Open Source Audio Programming Languages

          In the current DIY environment, many musicians can expect to wear a number of different hats. Of course, musicians and singers play instruments or sing for live audiences and in recording studios. Practicing and rehearsing are also daily activities. They have always worn these hats. But there are many other duties that musicians and singers do themselves that have nothing to do with music; traveling to venues, finding locations for performances, and promoting their careers on websites and social media. They may also want to process and generate sound, and this is where audio programming languages step in.

          Broadly speaking, musicians are generally technically engaged. The instruments themselves (the hardware) often interface with other devices (amps, mixers, mutes), and composers often encounter an array of different technologies to get their music written, performed and/or produced. With their leaning towards technology, musicians may therefore have an interest in audio programming. Because if you are a computer musician, computer scientist, engineer, and just anyone interested in audio, audio programming offers many possibilities with or without writing lines of code.

        • Its FOSS ☛ Budibase: An Open-Source Low-Code Platform to Build Modern Business Apps

          You may come across a variety of tools to help you quickly build apps for your business.

          However, most of the trusted options are often proprietary products. So, you will be locked into their platform without knowing enough about what you utilize to build the apps.

          An open-source solution should be a perfect replacement, giving you peace of mind, and confidence about your critical business apps.

          Budibase is one such impressive solution.

        • Qt ☛ Qt for Android Automotive 6.2.4 released

          We are happy to announce the release of Qt for Android Automotive 6.2.4!

          This release comes with several fixes that improve the stability and developer experience of QAA. Big thanks to our technology preview users for reporting the issues!

        • Python

          • LWN ☛ Python finally offloads some batteries [LWN.net]

            Python has often been touted as a “batteries included” language because of its rich standard library that provides access to numerous utility modules and is distributed with the language itself. But those libraries need maintenance, of course, and that is provided by the Python core development team. Over the years, it has become clear that some of the modules are not really being maintained any longer and they probably are not really needed by most Python users—either because better alternatives exist or because they address extremely niche use cases. A long-running project to start the removal of those modules has recently been approved.

            A 2018 Python Language Summit session was the start of Christian Heimes’s quest to unplug some of the old batteries in the standard library. That discussion led to the first draft of PEP 594 (“Removing dead batteries from the standard library”) in May 2019. It listed more than two dozen modules, scattered across the standard library, to consider for removal.

            The PEP has been floating around in Python space since that time; in general, core developers have been favorably inclined toward the idea, though deciding exactly which modules would be removed was always difficult. The process of removing a module from the standard library starts with deprecation for two release cycles, followed by the actual removal. But the project has struggled with how to handle deprecations in the language over the last few years, as our Python article index entry shows.

        • Shell/Bash/Zsh/Ksh

          • Unix Men ☛ Ways to Learn Python Fast & Efficiently

            Python is a popular programming dialect in the twenty-first era. Understanding Python can help you advance in your computer engineering profession.

            However, as a beginning, we often have problems choosing the best educational journey, and we usually wind up squandering a substantial amount of time trying to figure out which resource is the best. When most developers begin discovering new things, they frequently end up accumulating various courses on their computer or USB drive, which is not a good habit to pursue.

  • Leftovers

    • Drew DeVault ☛ The Netherlands so far

      I moved to Amsterdam in July 2021, and now that I’ve had some time to settle in I thought I’d share my thoughts on how it’s been so far. In short: I love it here!

      I did end up finding housing through the hacker community thanks to my earlier post, which was a great blessing. I am renting an apartment from a member of the Techinc hacker space, which I have joined as a member myself. One of my biggest fears was establishing a new social network here in the Netherlands, but making friends here has been easy. Through this hacker space and through other connections besides, I have quickly met many wonderful, friendly, and welcoming people, and I have never felt like a stranger in a strange land. For this I am very grateful.

      There are many other things to love about this place. One of my favorite things about Amsterdam is getting around by bike. In Philadelphia, travelling by bicycle is signing up for a death wish. In the Netherlands, 27% of all trips utilize a bike, and in Amsterdam it’s as much as 38%. Cyclists enjoy dedicated cycling-first infrastructure, such as bike lanes separated entirely from the roads and dedicated bike-only longer-distance artery roads. The city is designed to reduce points of conflict between bikes and cars, and even when they have to share the road they’re almost always designed to slow cars down and give bikes priority. The whole country is very flat, too, though Dutch people will be quick to tell you about The Hill in their neighborhood, which is always no more than 2 meters tall.

      Getting around without a bike is super pleasant as well. I have my choice of bus, tram, metro, long-distance train, or even free ferries across the river, all paid for with the same auto-recharging NFC card for a low price. Every line runs frequent stops, so during the day you’re generally not waiting more than 5 minutes to be picked up and at night you’re probably not going to be waiting more than 15 minutes at popular stops. When it gets really late, though, you might wait as much as 30 minutes. The inter-city trains are amazing — I can show up at any major station without a plan and there’s probably a train heading to where I want to go in less than 10 minutes. Compared to Amtrak, it’s simply mind boggling.

    • Integrity/Availability

      • Proprietary

        • PR Newswire ☛ Lumen security research reveals threats still lurk in Windows Subsystem for Linux [Ed: This is a Windows issue, not a "Linux" issue; in fact, WSL is clearly an attack on GNU/Linux. WSL dangerous? Good! Than stop using it. Move to GNU/Linux instead.]
        • Forbes ☛ Microsoft Just Gave A Billion Users A Reason To Quit Windows

          Windows 10 and Windows 11 users, you need to take immediate action. A serious vulnerability has been discovered in both platforms which Microsoft has not only failed to patch, but actually made worse. Here’s everything you need to know.

        • Security

          • LWN ☛ Removing SHA-1 for signatures in Fedora [LWN.net]

            Disruptive changes are not much fun for anyone involved, though they may be necessary at times. Moving away from the SHA-1 hash function, at least for cryptographic purposes, is probably one of those necessary disruptive changes. There are better alternatives to SHA-1, which has been “broken” from a cryptographic perspective for quite some time now, and most of the software components that make up a distribution can be convinced to use other hash functions. But there are still numerous hurdles to overcome in making that kind of a switch as a recent discussion on the Fedora devel mailing list shows.

          • Bruce Schneier ☛ Linux Improves Its Random Number Generator – Schneier on Security

            In kernel version 5.17, both /dev/random and /dev/urandom have been replaced with a new — identical — algorithm based on the BLAKE2 hash function, which is an excellent security improvement.

          • UNIX Cop ☛ Linux is Virus Proof! Really?

            Up to now, Linux has been thought to be protected from all types of viruses, malware, and other threats. There is no doubt that the batter security feature consideration was the key reason for Linux to gain quick popularity. But in today’s scenario, things are getting changed day by day.

            Blindly believing that the Linux machines cannot be harmed! Can invite some serious security compromise issues. Let’s try to go through the key aspects that whether Linux security is a myth or fact?

          • LWN ☛ Security updates for Thursday [LWN.net]

            Security updates have been issued by Debian (php-twig), Mageia (abcm2ps, libpano13, and pesign), openSUSE (nextcloud and xen), Oracle (kernel, kernel-container, and openssl), SUSE (java-1_7_1-ibm and xen), and Ubuntu (linux-oem-5.14, openvpn, and thunderbird).

          • Privacy/Surveillance

    • AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

      • Education International, ITUC and the Global Push to inject the 4IR and Transhumanism into Schools

        Ever wonder why the United States of America’s largest teachers’ unions, the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), have been pushing for the privatization of public schools? or why they have also been pushing through ed-tech contracts with Big Tech corporations, such as Microsoft, Google, Apple, and IBM?

        While the NEA and the AFT have recently justified public school partnerships with private ed-tech corporatization on the grounds that virtual “distance learning” is necessary to protect students from COVID-19 infections, these teachers’ unions have a long history of cozying up to Big Tech. These very same Big Tech companies just so happen to also be facilitating the courseware necessary for online education.

        Furthermore, the NEA and the AFT are both members of the Global Union Federation (GUF) known as “Education International” (EI), which appoints delegates to the World Economic Forum (WEF), which likewise partners with Microsoft, Google, Apple, and IBM. Considering these crony corporatist collusions between the NEA, the AFT, EI, the WEF, and Big Tech, it appears that these national and international teachers’ unions are exploiting COVID panic in order to ram through public-private ed-tech partnerships with multinational technology companies that are driving the globalist “Fourth Industrial Revolution” (4IR), which is being spearheaded by the oligarchs affiliated with the WEF.

        [...]

        For nearly thirty years, GUFs like EI and the ITUC have been led by globalist technocrats, such as David Edwards and Sharan Burrow, who both cavort with world governance institutions, including the World Bank, the IMF, the UN, the OECD, and the WEF. As the General Secretaries of EI and the ITUC respectively, former NEA Associate Director Edwards and former EI Vice President Burrow have been signing on to public-private ed-tech partnerships in order to usher in the Social Credit “impact” economy of the transhumanist Fourth Industrial Revolution.

    • Censorship/Free Speech

      • Time ☛ Why YouTube Has Survived Russia’s Social Media Crackdown—So Far

        Six days after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, the YouTube account of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posted a new video.

        In a style part investigative journalism, part polemic, the video’s hosts report that one of President Vladimir Putin’s allies, Russian senator Valentina Matviyenko, owns a multimillion-dollar villa on the Italian seafront. The video contrasts the luxurious lifestyle of Matviyenko and her family with footage of dead Russian soldiers, and with images of Russian artillery hitting civilian apartment buildings in Ukraine. A voiceover calls the war “senseless” and “unimaginable.” A slide at the end urges Russians to head to squares in their cities to protest at specific dates and times. In less than a week, the video racked up more than 4 million views.

    • Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

      • #SocialMediaComplianceWatch: analysis of Social Media Compliance Reports for the month of January 2022

        Google (including YouTube), Facebook, Instagram (both are now under Meta), ShareChat, Snap, Twitter and WhatsApp have released their reports in compliance with Rule 4(1)(d) of the IT Rules 2021 for the month of January, 2022. The latest of these was published by WhatsApp and was published on March 1, 2022. The reports contain similar shortcomings, which exhibit lack of effort on the part of the social media intermediaries and the government to further transparency and accountability in platform governance. The intermediaries have yet again, not reported on government requests, used misleading metrics, and also have not disclosed how they use algorithms for proactive monitoring. You can read our analysis of the previous reports here.

Replacing GAFAM (Pentagon-Connected Companies) With Freedom-Respecting Software

Posted in Free/Libre Software, FSF at 7:37 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Video download link

Summary: “Free/Libre alternatives to GAFAM’s Internet” is the title of this talk

Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

Links 24/3/2022: Finnix 124 and Tor Browser 11.5a8

Posted in News Roundup at 6:29 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNOME bluefish

Contents

  • GNU/Linux

    • Applications

      • Tor ☛ New Alpha Release: Tor Browser 11.5a8 (Windows/macOS/Linux)

        Tor Browser 11.5a8 is now available from the Tor Browser download page and also from our distribution directory.

        This releases fixes bug tor-browser#40802 which caused some users to be unable to access client authorized onion services.

    • Instructionals/Technical

      • Sudo 1.9.10: using regular expressions in the sudoers file

        It has been possible to use wildcards in the sudoers file for many years. This can make configuration easier and more flexible, but it also introduces problems of its own. Regular expressions, introduced in in sudo 1.9.10, allow you to create more fine grained rules. From this blog you will learn about some of the problems when you use wildcards in your sudoers file, and how using regular expressions can resolve those problems.

      • Klara ☛ Should I Upgrade to OpenZFS 2.1?

        When you upgrade an existing FreeBSD installation to 13.1, the new OpenZFS features are not yet available to existing pools and zpool status will indicate “Some supported features are not enabled on the pool.” This is by design as it allows the administrator to determine when the pools are “upgraded”—the assumption is that users will first research the new features and determine if any features will cause any compatibility issues within their environment.

        This write-up provides an overview of some of the new features in the OpenZFS 2.1 series. We’ll then discuss what to consider before upgrading your pools.

      • David Rosenthal ☛ Storage Update: Part 2

        This is part 2 of my latest update on storage technology. Part 1, covering developments in DNA as a storage medium is here. This part was sparked by a paper at Usenix’s File And Storage Technologies conference from Bianca Schroeder’s group at U. Toronto and NetApp on the performanmce of SSDs at scale. It followed on from their 2020 FAST “Best Paper” that I discussed in Enterprise SSD Reliability, and it prompted me to review the literature of this area. The result is below the fold.

      • Rachel ☛ Some people don’t deserve access to the machine room

        Let’s see. You have physical access to a bunch of servers that are not yours. You do something to your workstation. The next thing you know, you can’t reach some of those servers from that workstation. Do you undo what you did to your workstation? No. Do you find another machine? No. Do you ask someone else to also try hitting it? No. Do you try to hop into a machine that IS responding, and then try to poke one of the “dead” machines from it? No. Do you notice the difference between a host that truly is down and one that is just dropping your packets, i.e. ICMP host-unreachables from the router versus… you know, nothing? No.

        What do you do? You let yourself into the server room and start pushing front-panel reset buttons thinking it’ll do something useful.

        It takes a certain kind of individual to go and do things like that.

    • Distributions

      • BSD

        • OpenBSD Webzine: Shell tips

          It is easy to add autocompletion to commands in ksh, however they are limited because they have to be evaluated when the shell is starting.

      • IBM/Red Hat/Fedora

        • Unicorn Media ☛ Fedora Plans to Party for 36 Like It’s 2022!

          If you’re a Fedora user, you might want to mark your calendar for May 12-14. It seems that the distro is planning a party for the release of Fedora 36.

          It wasn’t that long ago that Fedora was considered to be primarily a developers’ distro (“a distro designed by developers for developers,” I often heard), meaning it was popular among those who spent spent their days at the command line building software (therefore knowing “how radio works,” as Firesign Theater might say), but was a bit difficult for mere mortals who only wanted to do simple things such as rocket science (because computer science certainly ain’t that).

      • Debian Family

        • Finnix ☛ Finnix 124 released

          Today marks the release of Finnix 124, the original utility live Linux distribution. Expanding on Finnix 123 from six months ago, this release also celebrates the 22 year anniversary of the first public release of Finnix, version 0.03 on March 22, 2000.

    • Devices/Embedded

    • Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

      • Events

        • Unicorn Media ☛ Free & Online: Open Source 101 on Tuesday (In-Person Meetup in April)

          If there’s one thing that Todd Lewis and the crew at All Things Open do better than present online open source events, it’s staging events that are live and in-person. With the latest omicron surge appearing to be rapidly receding, ATO was able to announce on Tuesday that live open source events will be returning to Raleigh — a city I like to call Silicon Valley East — on April 19.

          But first there’s a big one-day event coming up on Tuesday March 29 to rock your at-home world.

      • Web Browsers

        • Zimbabwe ☛ Scammers can now convincingly fake browser windows, including URL. You can protect against that

          A security researcher found that it is possible to create a Chrome window that looks legit, including a typo-free URL. The BitB attack simulates the browser windows that pop up asking you to log in to continue. We use Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Apple, Twitter and others’ authentication services to make it easier and safer to log into different websites. It is those pop ups that are being simulated by the BitB attack.

          Before the BitB attack was made public, one would have been comfortable with the pop up above. The URL looks legit, there is a padlock indicating a secure website and there are no other obvious warning signs – the page loaded up well and there are no graphic irregularities.

          Now, in the age of the BitB attack, that won’t be enough. That can all be faked. So, are we doomed? Not necessarily, there are still ways to ensure we don’t fall for attacks like these.

        • Hot Hardware ☛ BITB Phishing Technique Creates An Animated Window To Steal Your Passwords

          However, a security researcher has discovered a devious technique for thwarting attempts to detect phishing by analyzing the contents of the address bar. Many websites make use of the OAuth protocol, which enables users to login using extant accounts with major tech companies like Apple, Facebook, and Google.

          Once users click the “sign in” button, a new browser window opens where users can sign in. This new browser window isolates the sign in process so that the website using OAuth never sees users’ sign in credentials. Isolating the sign in process is a desirable security and privacy measure, but a security researcher has shown that bad actors can mimic this particular isolation technique to hide phishing attacks.

      • Programming/Development

        • Carl Svensson ☛ Tables and Strings in COBOL

          I recently came across a blog post dealing briefly with the concept of strings, tables and subscripting in COBOL. While the code in the blog post works just fine, I personally think it’s overcomplicating a very simple use case (subscripting a string) and underselling a powerful COBOL feature (tables). Since I’m a deeply demented man with a lot of free time on my hands, I decided to expand a bit on the subject – if only to give myself a chance of brushing up on my own very rudimentary COBOL knowledge. Feel free to point out any errors.

        • Buttondown ☛ I finally found a use for XML

          Changing the boilerplate sucks though. If I make any tweaks to the initial version of the code, I have to manually change every single file to keep them all in sync. With just a first and final version that’s not too bad, but if I have four intermediates that gets tiring really fast.

        • Aral Balkan ☛ Using bound functions to unit test EcmaScript Modules

          Imagine you have the following EcmaScript module you want to unit test…

        • Perl/Raku

          • Ruben Schade ☛ Version of Perl I use, via @pinkopanterata

            I’m still on Perl 5. I had fun exploring Raku, but Perl 5 still does everything I want, and uses that familiar syntax. I haven’t touched Perl 7 yet, but that’s on the personal project pile.

        • Python

          • Rlang ☛ How to Use R and Python Together? Try These 2 Packages

            Data science is vastly different than programming. We use only four languages – R, Python, Julia, and SQL. Now, SQL is non-negotiable, as every data scientist must be proficient in it. Julia is still the new kid on the block. Many argue which is better – Python or R? But today, we ask a different question – how can you use R and Python together?

            It might seem crazy at first, but hear us out. Both Python and R are stable languages used by many data scientists. Even seasoned package developers, such as Hadley Wickham, borrow from BeauftifulSoup (Python) to make Rvest (R) web scraping packages. Reinventing the wheel makes no sense.

        • Shell/Bash/Zsh/Ksh

          • Python Speed ☛ Please stop writing shell scripts

            That’s when you realize your mistake: bash, and shell scripting languages in general, are mostly broken by default. Unless you are very careful from day one, any shell script above a certain complexity level is almost guaranteed to be buggy… and retrofitting the correctness features is quite difficult.

    • Standards/Consortia

      • EDRI ☛ A conversation about Interoperability and building digital public spaces

        Interoperability is one of the original design principles underpinning the internet, and largely responsible for its scale and unique properties. In recent years, it has also been increasingly seen as a policy measure that can introduce greater market competition and user choice. Important, and contentious interoperability proposals are included in key European digital regulations, including the Digital Markets Act and the Data Act.

      • Wired ☛ A Big Bet to Kill the Password for Good

        After years of tantalizing hints that a passwordless future is just around the corner, you’re probably still not feeling any closer to that digital unshackling. Ten years into working on the issue, though, the FIDO Alliance, an industry association that specifically works on secure authentication, thinks it has finally identified the missing piece of the puzzle.

        On Thursday, the organization published a white paper that lays out FIDO’s vision for solving the usability issues that have dogged passwordless features and, seemingly, kept them from achieving broad adoption. FIDO’s members collaborated to produce the paper, and they span chipmakers like Intel and Qualcomm, prominent platform developers like Amazon and Meta, financial institutions like American Express and Bank of America, and the developers of all major operating systems—Google, Microsoft, and Apple.

        The paper is conceptual, not technical, but after years of investment to integrate what are known as the FIDO2 and WebAuthn passwordless standards into Windows, Android, iOS, and more, everything is now riding on the success of this next step.

  • Leftovers

    • Counter Punch ☛ Progressive Caucus Urges Biden to Use 55 Tools in His Executive Action Toolbox
    • The Nation ☛ The Patience Euphoria Demands

      The second season of Euphoria, an HBO show created by Sam Levinson and adapted from an Israeli show of the same name, begins at a house party on New Year’s Eve. In separate rooms, self-contained dramas play out: a flirtation, a farce, a tragedy, a fight. In the living room, Lexi Howard (Maude Apatow) and Fez (Angus Cloud) shoot the shit about God; Lexi’s sister Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) hides in a bathtub, her hand clamped over her mouth, after nearly getting caught hooking up with the ex-boyfriend of her best friend Maddy (Alexa Demie). In the laundry room, Rue Bennet (Zendaya), the show’s narrator and protagonist, does an unidentified mix of drugs and nearly goes into cardiac arrest. Everyone’s looking for someone they can’t find—there are frenetic, disjointed shots of people dancing, drinking, just barely missing each other—until the party explodes in a sudden act of retribution and violence.

    • NBC ☛ ‘Consciousness of guilt’: Fatal NYC shove suspect may face more legal jeopardy for deleting social media, experts say

      The woman accused of pushing an 87-year-old New York City voice coach to her death may have helped prosecutors by fleeing and deleting her social media and wedding website accounts, legal experts say.

    • Marian Bouček ☛ Digital feudalism and freedom

      What is the solution for the problem then, I asked myself? How can I get the ownership of my hardware, OS, data and apps back? The answer is surprisingly simple and the solution completely free – to use open source, open formats and store data offline. By using open source OS like FreeBSD, I’m no longer forced to update my hardware every time some big tech CEO decides it’s time to pay the price. I can even use a 10-year-old computer if I like. I’m still getting all the important apps I need – a modern browser, music player, text editor, etc. Also by storing my data offline, I can truly own it and control the access to it.

    • NBC ☛ Stephen Wilhite, creator of the GIF, dies at 74

      The death was confirmed in an obituary, which said Wilhite, one the chief architect of America Online, died March 14 — just days after his 74th birthday on March 3. He died of Covid, his wife, Kathaleen, confirmed.

    • Salon ☛ It’s official. We’ve all been saying “GIF” wrong

      Stephen Wilhite, the inventor of the GIF, passed away last week from COVID at the age of 74. In his obituary page we learn some previously unknown bits of information about the inventor such as that he liked camping, traveling, and was known to be a humble and kind man. Left out of the obituary, but made abundantly clear in the majority of the write-ups pertaining to his passing, is that we’ve all been saying GIF wrong.

    • The Verge ☛ Stephen Wilhite, creator of the GIF, has died

      Although GIFs are synonymous with animated internet memes these days, that wasn’t the reason Wilhite created the format. CompuServe introduced them in the late 1980s as a way to distribute “high-quality, high-resolution graphics” in color at a time when internet speeds were glacial compared to what they are today. “He invented GIF all by himself — he actually did that at home and brought it into work after he perfected it,” Kathaleen said. “He would figure out everything privately in his head and then go to town programming it on the computer.”

    • Science

      • Orac ☛ Why are so many clinical trials of homeopathy “positive”?

        I’m a bit tired of blogging about nothing but COVID-19; so I thought I’d take some time to “dunk on a 7′ hoop” and look at homeopathy. Obviously, I’m being sarcastic here, because, no matter how much the precepts of homeopathy violate multiple well-established laws of physics and chemistry, no matter how, for homeopathy to “work,” huge swaths of well-documented physics, chemistry, and biology would have to be not just wrong but spectacularly wrong, or how often clueless academics dismiss skepticism that debunks quackery as too easy and not worthy of their big brains, it’s often not at all easy to explain to the lay public why homeopathy is The One Quackery To Rule Them All, particularly when a homeopath starts touting what looks like a positive controlled randomized clinical trial of homeopathy for some ailment or other, saying something like, “If homeopathy is quackery, explain this, skeptic!”

      • The Verge ☛ NASA announces plans to develop second Moon lander, alongside SpaceX’s Starship

        NASA had originally wanted to pick two companies to develop human lunar landers for Artemis in order to inspire competition and keep down costs. The agency was going to pick the two winners from three finalists: SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Dynetics. But the agency ultimately chose one, primarily due to budget constraints. For the year 2021, NASA had requested $3.4 billion from Congress to fund the development of Artemis lunar landers but only received $850 million, just 25 percent of what was asked. As a result, NASA went with SpaceX, in part because the company had offered the most affordable bid.

        However, the decision to simply pick one company didn’t sit well with the losing finalists. Blue Origin proceeded to sue NASA in federal court over the selection, though the company ultimately lost its case. Despite the lawsuit, NASA administrator Bill Nelson expressed his desire to eventually have two lunar lander providers, with hopes that Congress would fund the initiative. And at one point, it looked as if Congress would direct NASA to make that happen. In October, the Senate Appropriation Committee introduced a bill that would direct NASA to pick a second company to develop a lunar lander for Artemis. However, the most recent budget bill that was signed for 2022 did not force NASA to do that, but it did give the space agency the full $1.195 billion it asked for to develop lunar landers.

    • Education

      • Times Higher Education ☛ The false market in degrees is ruining higher education

        UK universities compete to offer education as a service product in a market system. Metrics – league tables and National Student Survey scores – provide feedback, so that market forces can motivate efficient production and product excellence. What could go wrong with healthy competition to deliver a quality service to discerning and motivated customers? Unfortunately, quite a lot.

    • Hardware

      • Hackaday ☛ Air Football Looks Pro

        If you are an American, you’d probably think of [Silas Hansen’s] project as “air soccer” but most people will prefer air football. Either way, it is like air hockey but more of a football field feel. The project looks great — if you saw this on the shelves of the local toy store, you wouldn’t think anything of it. You can see a video of the game in action, below.

      • Hackaday ☛ Finally, A Mapping Tool For Addressable LED Strings

        Addressable LED strings have made it easier than ever to build fun glowable projects with all kinds of exciting animations. However, if you’re not going with a simple grid layout, it can be a little difficult to map your strings out in code. Fear not, for [Jason Coon] has provided a tool to help out with just that!

      • Hackaday ☛ Brick And Motor Table Saw Delivers Paper Cuts On Demand

        Twenty Two Motors. Fifty gears. Eighty Two Hundred RPM. Hundreds of individual pieces, and one sheet of glossy paper cut into a disk. This isn’t a nightmare driven Rube Goldberg machine. Instead, it’s a Lego monstrosity created by [GazR] of [GazR’s Extreme Brick Machines!], and all of these parts are flying in formation for one Lego slicing purpose. In the video below the break, you can see what very well may be the worlds most powerful Lego and Paper table saw.

      • Hackaday ☛ Lego Car Demonstrates Proper Use Of Ball Wheels

        Wheels are typically just simple cylinders, though fans of I, Robot (2004) may have admired the handsome vehicle featuring ball wheels that was driven by the protagonist. YouTuber [Brick Technology] decided to evaluate the use of spherical wheels with a Lego car design.

      • Hackaday ☛ 3D Printing Concept Car (Parts)

        When you want to fabricate something you either start with something and take away what you don’t want — subtractive manufacturing — or you start with nothing and add material, which is additive manufacturing that we usually call 3D printing. Popular Science recently took a look inside Vital Auto, the British lab that uses 3D printing for high-end concept cars from companies like Rolls-Royce, McLauren, Jaguar, and others. In the video below, [Anthony Barnicott], an engineer for Vital, says that the two technologies — additive and subtractive — work best when used together.

      • Hackaday ☛ Old School Mechanical Pong Still Amazes

        [Tom], of the YouTube channel ThingsTomLike, found a very sweet little mechanical Pong clone at a thrift store. It came in broken, but in only fifteen minutes of your time, [Tom] manages a complete teardown and repair. (Video, embedded below.)

      • Hackaday ☛ Two-Dimensional Polymer Is A New Ultra-Strong Material

        Plastics, by and large, are well-understood materials. Not as strong as most metals, but often much lighter, these man-made polymers have found innumerable applications that have revolutionized the way we live. The properties of plastics have been improved in many ways over the years, with composite materials like fiberglass and carbon fiber proving to have strength and lightness far beyond the simple properties of basic polymers alone.

    • Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

      • Counter Punch ☛ Why, With More Treatment, Suicides and Mental Distress Have Increased? Former NIMH Director’s New Book

        Insel begins by comforting his fellow psychiatrists with his claim that current psychiatric treatments “are as effective as some of the most widely used medications in medicine,” but he then asks this unsettling question: “If treatments are so effective, why are outcomes so dire?”

        Psychiatry defenders and critics alike took notice when Insel candidly acknowledged in 2011: “Whatever we’ve been doing for five decades, it ain’t working. And when I look at the numbers—the number of suicides, number of disabilities, mortality data—it’s abysmal, and it’s not getting any better.” Reported by Gary Greenberg (The Book of Woe, 2013), Insel concluded this 2011 appraisal of psychiatry’s performance with this: “All of the ways in which we’ve approached these illnesses, and with a lot of people working very hard, the outcomes we’ve got to point to are pretty bleak.”

      • Counter Punch ☛ Biden is Not Building Back Better at the VA

        Biden accused Trump of trying “to privatize and dismantle the VA” and pledged that he would never “defund” the nation’s largest public healthcare system because its nine million patients get treatment that is “specialized, supportive, and second to none.”  Referencing his son Beau’s service on military bases with burn pits and his later death from brain cancer, Biden promised an expedited study of such toxic exposures and their possible impact on hundreds of thousands of other post-9/11 combat veterans.

        During his March 1 State of the Union address, the President introduced the widow of an Iraq war veteran from Ohio, who died of lung cancer after being stationed “just yards from burn pits the size of football fields” near Baghdad. He informed Congress that, under his leadership, the VA was now “pioneering new ways of linking toxic exposures to disease” and “helping more veterans get benefits” for respiratory conditions related to their military service. He proposed legislation to further insure that “veterans devastated by toxic exposures in Iraq and Afghanistan finally get the benefits and the comprehensive healthcare that they deserve.”

      • Common Dreams ☛ As GOP Blocks Funds, Federal Agency Ends Covid Coverage for Uninsured

        A federal health agency tasked with covering Covid-19 testing and treatment for uninsured Americans officially stopped accepting claims on Wednesday because it is out of funding, a shortfall caused by congressional lawmakers’ failure to approve new coronavirus aid.

        Martin Kramer, a spokesperson for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), said in a statement Tuesday that “the lack of funding for Covid-19 needs is having real consequences.”

      • TruthOut ☛ Federal Agency Ends COVID Coverage for Uninsured After GOP Blocks Funds
      • TruthOut ☛ Disability Doesn’t Make Us Less Worthy of Life. COVID Policy Assumes It Does.
      • The Nation ☛ A Brief Guide to Trip Sitting

        Text adapted from The Manual of Psychedelic Support, published by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies.

      • The Nation ☛ How the Netherlands Became a Global Cocaine Hub

        In February 2021, customs authorities at the port of Hamburg, Germany, received a tip from colleagues in the Netherlands about a container ship that had recently arrived from Paraguay on a stopover to Amsterdam. With flights grounded because of the pandemic and maritime supply chains backlogged for months, ports around the world were already dealing with unprecedented logistical challenges. In northern Europe, however, they were also under another kind of pressure. In less than a decade, cocaine seizures in the major Baltic ports had gone from being an occasional problem to a frequent phenomenon. When Hamburg officials inspected the Paraguayan containers, which were reported to hold more than 1,700 tins of construction putty, they stumbled upon 17.6 metric tons of cocaine. (By comparison, all the cocaine intercepted either in or en route to Europe in 2020 amounted to just over 100 tons. And in 2021, the US Border Patrol seized about 44 tons.) After Belgian authorities were notified that the same company had another shipment headed to Antwerp, police there found an additional 7.2 tons, bringing the total to 23 tons—the largest cocaine seizure in European history.1

        While the scale of the discovery was shocking, the fact of it was not. The number of cocaine seizures in Europe has been rising steadily, quadrupling between 2009 and 2019. With these hauls representing a fraction of what is actually being trafficked, Europe has become the “epicenter of the global cocaine trade,” in the words of the investigative nonprofit InSight Crime. Most of these shipments go through Antwerp and Rotterdam, the Netherlands, which boast two of the continent’s largest ports. (Antwerp became the main cocaine hub after Rotterdam started tightening security, but an estimated 80 percent of Belgium-bound cocaine still ends up in the hands of Dutch traffickers.) For criminal groups, the ports’ world-class transportation infrastructure makes servicing the nearly 500-million-person European Union market as convenient for them as app-based delivery services are for their customers.2

      • The Nation ☛ Breaking Off My Chemical Romance

        About 19 years ago, at the age of 21, Mark Horowitz was very unhappy. He was studying to be a psychiatrist, but he felt his life was falling apart. Horowitz went to a family doctor and asked for a prescription for antidepressants. “She gave it to me in about 30 seconds,” he said. He cycled through a few different ones, each with its own side effects, before settling on escitalopram, known in the United States as Lexapro, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI.1

      • The Nation ☛ Making Mushrooms Legal

        In November 2020, voters in Oregon passed a pair of historic drug policy ballot measures. The first was Measure 110, a proposal to decriminalize low-level drug possession, with 58 percent in favor; the second was Measure 109, a proposal to grant legal access to psilocybin (the psychoactive component in magic mushrooms) for mental health treatment, with 56 percent in favor. It was an unprecedented turn of events in drug policy. But as always in the United States, businessmen were waiting in the wings.

      • The Nation ☛ A Tale of Two Women Athletes: Why the GOP Wants to Erase Brittney Griner and Lia Thomas

        Brittney Griner is in a Russian jail, awaiting a May trial that could send her to prison for a decade on hashish-oil possession charges. That one of the most prominent basketball players on Earth has become a political prisoner as US-Russia relations disintegrate should be catnip for an opposition party. That fictional opposition party would be demanding information about Griner’s safety, decrying the Biden administration’s ineffectualness in bringing her home, and keeping her name in the headlines to increase pressure on Putin to not treat her like a bargaining chip. But the GOP has kept quiet, and anyone who thinks it is doing so in accordance with the wishes of Griner’s wife for privacy is huffing glue. Brittney Griner is a six-foot-nine Black, queer woman, someone whose identity the GOP seems to only know how to demonize. She also plays for the WNBA, which the GOP probably fears more than Biden himself, given the players’ history of tilting the entire US Senate in 2020 by backing the Rev. Raphael Warnock in his race against Republican white nationalist and WNBA franchise owner Kelly Loeffler. Griner’s identity, her very personhood, has earned her nothing but silence. Brittney Griner of UMMC Ekaterinburg, Satou Sabally of Fenerbahce Oznur Kablo during the Euroleague Women Final Four match between Fenerbahce Oznur Kablo and UMMC Ekaterinburg at Volkswagen Arena on April 16, 2021, in Istanbul, Turkey.

      • Counter Punch ☛ USDA’s Wildlife Services Slaughters Over 400,000 Native Species in 2021

        The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s in-house wildlife killing program just released its 2021 Program Data Report clearly demonstrating its continued preference for lethal “management” of native carnivores like coyotes, wolves, bears, and cougars as well as the continued use of indiscriminate and cruel tools.

        Last year, Wildlife Services—a notoriously secretive program housed within the USDA—killed 404,538 native wild animals. While, for a second year in a row, the overall figure for native species killed by Wildlife Services is significantly lower than years prior to 2020, once again, this decrease is primarily due to the program killing only 3% of the blackbirds and cowbirds it killed in 2019 and earlier. However, much like 2020, the 2021 report revealed no significant decrease in kill statistics for historically persecuted native carnivores such as gray wolves, coyotes, foxes, black bears, cougars, as well as beavers.

      • Pro Publica ☛ Congress Opens Investigation Into FDA’s Handling of a Problematic Heart Device

        A congressional oversight subcommittee is investigating the Food and Drug Administration’s regulation of a high-risk heart pump, citing safety issues detailed by ProPublica.

        The HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device, created to treat patients with severe heart failure, stopped meeting key federal standards as early as 2014. But the FDA took no decisive action even as those problems persisted, and thousands of Americans continued to be implanted with the pump.

      • Atlantic Council ☛ Putin’s invasion of Ukraine threatens a global wheat crisis

        Together, Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global wheat exports. However, following Russia’s attack on its neighbor, both vital supply chains have been crippled. The war will impact global grain markets most acutely in the MENA region, with possibly devastating economic and political ripple effects.

        Following Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian port infrastructure has been destroyed and the Black Sea is now mined and blocked. The impact on Ukraine’s wheat trade has been severe. Nearly 80% of Ukraine’s grain exports flow through its southwestern ports of Odessa, Pivdennyi, Mykolayiv, and Chornomorsk into the Black Sea. Today, even if ships are able to find a place to dock and load bulk grain shipments (which most fail to do), insurance is either prohibitively expensive or unavailable to sustain a voyage.

      • ABC ☛ The U.S. Still Doesn’t Know How To Track A Pandemic

        I attended that conference session, and remember feeling comforted by the country’s investments in scientific infrastructure compared to other countries. But two years on, it’s clear the Global Health Security Index had it wrong — the U.S.’s data systems weren’t standardized, its genomic surveillance was a mess and its inequitable healthcare system led to incomplete datasets.

      • Foreign Policy ☛ ‘War in Ukraine Means Hunger in Africa’

        In the month since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, countries around the world have imposed historic sanctions to punish Moscow for flagrantly violating international agreements. Although it is technically still able to export oil and gas, many potential buyers are already boycotting energy supplies from Russia, the world’s largest exporter of oil, contributing to the highest global crude prices in a decade. Other commodity prices are soaring too: Wheat prices have jumped 60 percent since February, nickel prices are at their highest in more than a decade, and fertilizers and pesticides are now in short supply in global markets.

    • Integrity/Availability

      • Proprietary

        • The Hill ☛ FBI ‘concerned’ about possible Russian cyberattacks on critical infrastructure [iophk: Windows TCO]

          FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday warned the private sector to prepare for potential cyberattacks, saying U.S. agents were “particularly focused on the destructive cyber threat” from Russian agents.

          The FBI director spoke just a day after The White House warned companies to bolster defenses and prepare for potential cyberattacks while the Russian invasion of Ukraine intensifies as it approaches a month since forces entered the country.

          Speaking at the Detroit Economic Forum, Wray mentioned the attack on Colonial Pipelines last year, which shut down one of the largest pipelines on the East Coast for five days. A criminal group based in Russia was responsible for the cyberattack.

        • IT Wire ☛ Ransomware incidents in US much higher than number reported: claim [iophk: Windows TCO]

          The FBI has ranked ransomware outside the top six online threats to Americans in terms of cost in a 2021 report, but a ransomware researcher claims this is misleading as most ransomware attacks are not reported.

        • Broadband Breakfast ☛ Adelstein Departing WIA, Ransomware Still ‘Ongoing Threat,’ USCellular New Board Nominees [iophk: Windows TCO]

          Almost 80 percent of state and local information technology leaders say ransomware is an “ongoing threat,” but more than half of that 80 percent do not have a ransomware incident response plan, according to a national survey from Palo Alto Networks released Tuesday.

          The survey also found that only 31 percent know that they have a completed incident response plan.

        • Krebs On Security ☛ A Closer Look at the LAPSUS$ Data Extortion Group

          Microsoft and identity management platform Okta both this week disclosed breaches involving LAPSUS$, a relatively new cybercrime group that specializes in stealing data from big companies and threatening to publish it unless a ransom demand is paid. Here’s a closer look at LAPSUS$, and some of the low-tech but high-impact methods the group uses to gain access to targeted organizations.

        • The Hill ☛ Microsoft confirms breach by Lapsus$ [cracker] group

          Microsoft said in the post that Lapsus$, also known as DEV-0537, had breached one account, resulting in “limited access” but not to the data of any of the tech giant’s customers.

        • The Verge ☛ A teen is reportedly the mastermind behind the Lapsus$ [cracking] group

          The teenager is apparently based about five miles outside of Oxford University, and Bloomberg says it was able to speak to his mother for ten minutes through a “doorbell intercom system” at the home. The teenager’s mother told the publication she did not know of allegations against him. “She declined to discuss her son in any way or make him available for an interview, and said the issue was a matter for law enforcement and that she was contacting the police,” Bloomberg said.

          Lapsus$ apparently doesn’t just consist of the England-based teenager, though. Bloomberg reports that one suspected member is another teenager in Brazil and that seven unique accounts have been linked with the group. One of the members is apparently such a capable [cracker] that researchers thought the work was automated, one person involved in research about the group told Bloomberg.

        • Silicon Angle ☛ Reports: Okta and Microsoft breached by LAPSUS$ [cracking] group

          Data breaches affecting the tech industry’s largest companies are fairly rare. Major tech firms make significant investments in cybersecurity: Microsoft, for example, spends about $1 billion every year on protecting its network from [crackers]. The recent data breaches targeting tech giants could lead the industry’s major players, as well as smaller companies such as startups, to further expand their cybersecurity operations.

        • India Times ☛ Microsoft accepts cybercriminal group Lapsus$ [acquired] its data

          Microsoft has confirmed that the [cracking] group Lapsus$ had gained “limited access” to the US tech giant’s data. Microsoft accepted the event of [cracking] in a security blog post by the company. The American tech giant has stated that the [cracking] group infiltrated “a single account.” However, Microsoft assured that no customer code or data was compromised in this cyberattack.

        • IT Wire ☛ Okta knew about breach in January, kept mum until Lapsus$ post

          Identity services provider Okta took two months to reveal a breach at a third-party provider and waited until the data that leaked out was exposed by a group of attackers known as Lapsus$.

        • NVISO Labs ☛ Cobalt Strike: Overview – Part 7

          This is an overview of a series of 6 blog posts we dedicated to the analysis and decryption of Cobalt Strike traffic. We include videos for different analysis methods.

        • Silicon Angle ☛ F-Secure announces name of corporate business ahead of company split

          F-Secure Corp. today revealed its new brand for its corporate security business ahead of a move to split its business into two companies later this year.

          The new company will be known as WithSecure. The name was picked to reinforce the belief that facing cybersecurity challenges together produces far better results than trying to protect anything alone and was created in collaboration with F-Secure employees, reseller partners and clients.

        • Bridge Michigan ☛ Ex-Gov. Rick Snyder, 4 others charged in Flint water crisis must testify

          Snyder and the government officials will therefore have to testify in a civil trial brought by four children from Flint against two engineering companies involved in the water crisis. Attorneys for the officials had argued that the Fifth Amendment entitles them to blanket immunity from any questions during the civil trial.

        • Security

          • Techdirt ☛ White House Urges Companies To Protect Data From Russian Hacks With Encryption; While Congress Looks To Effectively Outlaw Encryption

            Earlier this week, the Biden administration urged companies to protect against potential cyberattacks from Russia, which seems like pretty good advice….

          • Privacy/Surveillance

            • The Hill ☛ Sensitive health data of 50 million Americans [cracked] or breached last year: analysis

              The health data of almost 50 million Americans was breached last year, according to a Politico analysis of data from the Department of Health and Human Services.

              Health care organizations in every state except South Dakota reported data breaches in 2021. Half of states, as well as Washington, D.C., saw more than 1 in 10 of their residents have their health information accessed without authorization, Politico found in its analysis of more than six years of data from the department’s Office for Civil Rights.

            • Techdirt ☛ Clearview Is Laundering Its Reputation By Offering Its AI To Ukraine’s Government

              Fresh off its fining by the Italian government for breaking privacy laws (which followed several similar actions by other governments), the facial recognition tech company, that is so odious other facial recognition tech companies want nothing to do with it, is claiming it’s pitching in on the Ukraine war effort. “It will (finally) be used for good,” CEO Hoan Ton That has proclaimed, offering the world a glimpse at how his product — one built by scraping everything possible from websites around the globe — could (theoretically) be used for something else other than helping cops misidentify minorities.

            • EDRI ☛ Italian DPA fines Clearview AI for illegally monitoring and processing biometric data of Italian citizens

              On 9 March 2022, the Italian Data Protection Authority fined the US-based facial recognition company Clearview AI EUR 20 million after finding that the company monitored and processed biometric data of individuals on Italian territory without a legal basis. The fine is the highest expected according to the General Data Protection Regulation, and it was motivated by a complaint sent by the Hermes Centre in May 2021 in a joint action with EDRi members Privacy International, noyb, and Homo Digitalis—in addition to complaints sent by some individuals and to a series of investigations launched in the wake of the 2020 revelations of Clearview AI business practices.

            • EDRI ☛ The European Commission might put a stop to end-to-end encryption

              And that’s the essence of end-to-end encryption: no-one but the sender and the intended receiver can read the message. Of course, you may haggle over the details. If your phone shows notifications, and you’re in a bar with your phone on the table, someone else might read my message when it arrives. If you decide to publish my message on Instagram, the whole world can read it. And if my phone’s been hacked, the message is compromised as well. But the essence remains: by using end-to-end encryption, you prevent anyone but the sender and the intended receiver from reading your message.

            • The Verge ☛ Zoom is making it easy to plug your meeting directly into Twitch

              Zoom says the feature is meant to “streamline the process of sharing content within” communities, which definitely sounds like it expects this to be used for things like company webinars. There are a lot of use cases I can think of for this kind of thing, though — it’d be an easy option for people who want to do a live podcast, share a sermon, or make something like a town hall meeting publicly available. Or heck, just stream your 8AM stand-up if you’re really excited about sharing what you’re working on with the world (though you’d probably want to check company policy to make sure that’s okay).

            • Confidentiality

              • Modernization of crypto isn’t the core mission for DoD and the IC, it’s what enables the mission

                In this Q&A with Brian Morrison, Cyber Systems vice president and general manager for General Dynamics Mission Systems, we discuss cost-effective strategies for crypto mod, how Layer 2 encryption will enable missions such as the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability, and how organizations can keep cryptographic systems compliant with NSA requirements.

                Breaking Defense: Let’s set the scene. What is the steady state right now in cryptographic solutions? Where is modernization needed?

    • Defence/Aggression

      • Common Dreams ☛ Russian Climate Envoy Reportedly Resigns Over Ukraine Invasion

        A top adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly resigned over his opposition to Russia’s war on Ukraine. 

        Bloomberg reports Anatoly Chubais has stepped down as Russian climate envoy, making him the highest-ranking member of Putin’s government to resign over the war.

      • Common Dreams ☛ US High Schooler’s Answer Listing Zero ‘Positive Effects of Imperialism’ Goes Viral

        A Massachusetts student’s response to a homework assignment went viral Tuesday after the high schooler refused to list “positive effects of imperialism” but included a long list of its negative impacts on communities throughout history.

        Cece Walsh, a 15-year-old student at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, a public high school outside Boston, thought of numerous harmful effects of governments which expanding their influence and power by force, including the “genocide of Indigenous peoples,” slavery, “destruction of cultures and traditions,” “forced religion,” and the exploitation of the planet.

      • Common Dreams ☛ Opinion | From Moscow to Washington, the Barbarism and Hypocrisy Don’t Justify Each Other

        Russia’s war in Ukraine—like the USA’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq—should be understood as barbaric mass slaughter. For all their mutual hostility, the Kremlin and the White House are willing to rely on similar precepts: Might makes right. International law is what you extol when you aren’t violating it. And at home, rev up the nationalism to go with the militarism.

      • Common Dreams ☛ Nobel Winner Chastises Normalization of ‘Small’ Nuclear Weapons as ‘Pathetic’

        The head of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons on Tuesday sharply criticized people suggesting that use of so-called “smaller” or “tactical” nuclear weapons could be anything other than catastrophic as she reiterated the urgent need for global disarmament.

        “Yes, even a ‘small’ nuclear bomb would be that bad.”

      • Common Dreams ☛ Russia Says NATO Peacekeepers Inside Ukraine Would Be ‘Dangerous and Reckless’

        Top Russian officials on Wednesday condemned Poland’s proposal to send NATO “peacekeeping forces” into Ukraine as a “very reckless and extremely dangerous” idea that would risk a full-scale war between the alliance and Moscow.

        “This will be the direct clash between the Russian and NATO armed forces that everyone has not only tried to avoid but said should not take place in principle,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in remarks to students and staff at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations as Russia’s deadly assault on Ukraine entered its 28th day.

      • Counter Punch ☛ Cold War 2.0: Much Worse Than the Original Cold War

        The original Cold War, which lasted from the Berlin airlift in 1948-1949 to the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, eventually found Soviet and American leaders, particularly Leonid Brezhnev and Mikhail Gorbachev along with Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, who understood the importance of arms control and disarmament.  Their successes, particularly the Non-Proliferation Treaty (1969); the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty(1972) and the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (1987), paved the way to a detente between Moscow and Washington that enabled the collapse of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union to take place without any threat of serious violence or confrontation.

        In the wake of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, however, a series of U.S. presidents took fateful actions that gratuitously worsened relations with Russia.  President Bill Clinton enlarged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and abolished the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency in the 1990s; George W. Bush incorporated former Soviet republics into NATO and abrogated the ABM Treaty; Barack Obama supported deployment of a missile defense in Poland and Romania; and Donald Trump’s abrogated the INF Treaty.  Trump’s fundamental ignorance and indifference toward arms control played a key role in the gradual unwinding of Russian-American relations.  Trump also scuttled the Iran nuclear accord, which promised a measure of predictability to the Middle East, and walked away from the Open Skies Treaty that had a history dating to the Eisenhower administration in the 1950s.  In creating a Space Force, Trump moved toward an arms race in space.

      • Counter Punch ☛ Ukrainians Took to the Streets to Avert a Nuclear Disaster, Will Americans Do the Same?

        They stood solemnly in the street, waving Ukrainian flags against a backdrop of assorted parked tankers and trucks surrounded by buffers and sandbags — all while the Russian military advanced on the site.

        Just over 24 hours later, an auxiliary building at Zaporizhzhia was engulfed in flames, as Russian troops reportedly fired on — and eventually took control of — the plant.

      • Common Dreams ☛ Opinion | War Crimes and the Lie of American Innocence

        The branding of Vladimir Putin as a war criminal by Joe Biden, who lobbied for the Iraq war and staunchly supported the 20 years of carnage in the Middle East, is one more example of the hypocritical moral posturing sweeping across the United States. It is unclear how anyone would try Putin for war crimes since Russia, like the United States, does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. But justice is not the point. Politicians like Biden, who do not accept responsibility for our well-documented war crimes, bolster their moral credentials by demonizing their adversaries. They know the chance of Putin facing justice is zero. And they know their chance of facing justice is the same.

      • Common Dreams ☛ Opinion | We Must All Rise Together Against Crimes Fueled by Hate

        GuiYing Ma was assaulted as she swept up the sidewalk in front of her Queens home, her head beaten with a rock so that she ended up in a coma for weeks. Christina Yuna Lee was fatally stabbed more than 40 times by a stalker who followed her to her apartment in Chinatown. Michelle Alyssa Go was pushed to her death at a Times Square subway station. In Atlanta last March, eight people were killed at mass shootings at three Asian spas.

      • TruthOut ☛ Sanctions Against Wealthy Russians Are Largely Symbolic and Won’t End the War
      • TruthOut ☛ A New Cold War Won’t Help the People of Ukraine or Anyone Else
      • VOA News ☛ Putin Tells Europe to Pay for Natural Gas in Rubles

        Putin ordered Russia’s central bank to implement the new payment system within a week, saying it must be transparent and will involve the purchase of rubles on Russia’s domestic market.

        Putin also hinted that other Russian exports may be affected.

        Later Wednesday the Russian space agency Roscosmos announced it too will insist its international partners pay it in rubles.

      • Defence Web ☛ US general says China is seeking a naval base in West Africa

        Elsewhere in Africa, China holds a large percentage of foreign debt and also has extended leases on critical infrastructure, including ports and airports, he said.

      • RSF ☛ Chilling account of Radio France fixer who was kidnapped and tortured by Russian soldiers in Ukraine

        “Nikita has given us a chilling testimony that confirms the intensity of the war crimes perpetrated by the Russian army against journalists,” RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire said. “Passing his testimony on to the ICC prosecutor is the least we can do for this courageous young fixer.”

      • ANF News ☛ Jailed Corsican nationalist Yvan Colonna died after being attacked by jihadist

        According to prosecutors, he was working out in the prison gym when Franck Elong Abé, 35, a former jihadist serving time for terror offences, allegedly launched his attack.

        Abé tried to suffocate Colonna with a bin bag after hearing him “blaspheming” and mocking the prophet Muhammed, investigators say.

      • Meduza ☛ Snapshots from underground A photographer captures life in Kharkiv’s subway station bomb shelters as shelling continues

        Before the war came to Kharkiv, Pavel Dorogoy specialized in documentary and archival photography, and captured his hometown’s architecture. Today, Pavel mainly works as a volunteer, but he continues to document life in the city during the war. In early March, he started taking photos and videos in the subway stations in one of Kharkiv’s outlying neighborhoods, where thousands of local residents hide during air raids. According to Pavel, a single station can shelter up to 500 people in the evenings — volunteers prepare food (serving children and women first) and, when not taking turns sleeping under piles of blankets, people try to catch a few moments to themselves. Pavel has been living in the subway throughout the war, along with his wife (a station worker) and their two children. With his permission, Meduza shares Pavel Dorogoy’s photos and videos of life in Kharkiv’s underground.

      • Meduza ☛ Sergey Shoigu, where are you? Amid war against Ukraine, Russia’s defense minister hasn’t been seen in public for 12 days

        It’s been 28 days since Russia went to war against Ukraine. And it’s been 12 days since the public has laid eyes on Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. Indeed, as first pointed out by Mediazona journalist Dmitry Treshchanin, Shoigu hasn’t appeared in public or in the press since March 11. 

      • Meduza ☛ ‘These aren’t our stories’: Meduza asks the Kremlin’s spokesman about the growing number of civilian casualties in Ukraine

        Russia’s war against Ukraine has been raging for almost a month. In that time, the UN Human Rights Office has recorded more than 2,510 civilian casualties in Ukraine: 953 people killed and 1,557 injured. The UN says the actual toll is much higher. During a press briefing on Wednesday, March 23, Meduza’s correspondent asked Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov about the Russian military’s role in the growing number of civilian casualties in Ukraine. He replied as follows. 

      • Meduza ☛ ‘We’ve never been in this situation before’: The Kremlin wants to know what Russian people are most concerned about. Their solution: focus groups.

        Russia’s war against Ukraine has gone on for almost a month now. As pressure from sanctions and other restrictions on the Russian economy grows, Russia’s domestic situation is looking worse and worse — despite the authorities’ successful repression of the anti-war movement through threats and arrests. Meduza has learned of recent efforts by the Russian presidential administration to determine which problems concern the population most. Unfortunately for them, the hard part will be solving them.

      • Meduza ☛ Holocaust survivor killed by Russian shelling in Kharkiv 96-year-old Boris Romanchenko survived four Nazi concentration camps. On March 18, he was killed in his home.

        On March 18, 96-year-old Kharkiv resident Boris Romanchenko, who survived four Nazi concentration camps, died when his apartment was hit by a Russian shell. Romanchenko lived in North Saltovka, a district that’s been under fire since the earlier days of the war. According to his granddaughter, his apartment building “burned down completely.”

      • Meduza ☛ ‘I’d rather lose my life than my freedom’: A mathematician from Ukraine died by suicide in Moscow after trying and failing to escape from Russia.

        On March 20, mathematician Konstantin Olmezov died by suicide in Moscow. Originally from Donetsk, Olmezov moved to Russia to pursue a career as a mathematician. After Russia invaded Ukraine, Olmezov tried to leave the country, but was arrested and sentenced to administrative detention; after being released, he died by suicide. In his suicide note, he wrote, “For me, not being free is worth than death.”

    • Environment

      • RTL ☛ Around 100 groundwater resources currently unusable

        World Water Day has been celebrated annually on 22 March since 1993. Over 50 percent of Luxembourg’s drinking water comes from groundwater. It remains a limited resource, which is continually under threat from a variety of sources, one of which is climate change, says Carole Dieschbourg, Minister for the Environment:

        “We experiencing increased droughts over the past years. We’ve had one slightly more normal year, but previous years were extremely dry. In addition, the rainfall we have had often came at the wrong time and was absorbed by vegetation, so that groundwater sources could not adequately refill.”

        Another threat are nitrate and pesticide residues in the ground. This leads to some groundwater sources being unusable over longer periods of time. As a result, the government has designated special protection areas which are designated by signage or are closed off.

      • Deutsche Welle ☛ Can Spain become a European energy powerhouse?

        Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, has been to Madrid several times and agrees. She is also interested in reviving the MidCat Pipeline (Midi Catalonia) project, a gas link between Spain and France. After building 80 kilometers (49.7 miles) of the pipeline on Spanish territory, construction work stopped in 2019. If completed, the pipeline would have a capacity of 7.5 billion cubic meters of gas and could be the start of something bigger. By comparison, Nord Stream 1 can handle 55 billion cubic meters of gas a year.

      • Digital First Media ☛ Break-in by protesters shut down 4 pipelines across Michigan

        Police said they’ve identified 10 of 18 people they believe were involved in the Oct. 19 break-in at the Vassar area valve station in Michigan’s thumb region — an illegal entry that was broadcast on social media while law enforcement scrambled to find the location. No one has been charged, but local and federal agencies stress the investigation is far from over.

      • Teen Vogue ☛ Radical Climate Action: From Hunger Strikes to Lawsuits to Community Care

        In the spring of 2021, Amokwandoh and three other UK residents sued the government, arguing that the failure to act on climate change was a violation of their “rights to life” as young people. In response, the government said that the claimants “provide no evidence whatsoever that climate change represents a ‘real and immediate risk’ to their lives” and that because of this, the government “cannot be under any positive obligation” to address their concerns.

      • FAIR ☛ ‘She Intended Not to Ignore Things Related to Climate, as There Is Pressure to Do’
      • Counter Punch ☛ Antarctica Crushes Records

        But, they do tweet: “Antarctic climatology has been rewritten,” tweeted Stefano Di Battista, Antarctic researcher (Source: It’s 70 Degrees Warmer Than Normal in Eastern Antarctica. Scientists are Flabbergasted, The Washington Post, March 18, 2022).

        “This event is completely unprecedented and upended our expectations about the Antarctic climate system,” said Jonathan Wille, a researcher studying polar meteorology at Université Grenoble Alpes in France, in an email,” Ibid.

      • The Nation ☛ Who Drives the Climate Train?

        Snow began falling on December 24, big fluffy flakes that made lace on mittens before melting. Within hours it had coated the ashes, the brick chimneys that the flames had left behind, and the jagged remains of roofs strewn across my burned-out town. White mounds soon softened the look of charred cars that are everywhere, while even the scorched trees that stretch to the hilltops were coated in a forgiving winter wonder.

      • Energy

        • Common Dreams ☛ Fossil Fuel CEOs Making ‘Unconscionable Profits’ Amid Ukraine Crisis: Analysis

          While consumers are getting pummeled by skyrocketing gas prices and energy bills, a new analysis out Wednesday found the value of shares held by the CEOs of just eight fossil fuel corporations has surged by nearly $100 million since the start of the year—further evidence, experts say, that oil and fracking executives are capitalizing on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to consolidate their wealth.

          The executives of fracking and liquefied natural gas (LNG) companies Cheniere, EQT, and EOG Resources; pipeline giants Kinder Morgan and Enbridge; and industry powerhouses Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and ExxonMobil see Russia’s deadly assault, which began on February 24, as a “goldmine” and “are in a mad dash to profit” from it, according to researchers at Food & Water Watch.

        • Common Dreams ☛ Opinion | Exposed: The Biggest Non-Profit Funders of Climate Denial

          In its recently released report on climate impacts and adaptation, a working group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change points out the very real danger of climate misinformation—for the first time since its annual assessments began in 2017.

        • Common Dreams ☛ Opinion | Climate Art vs. Wall Street

          In just a couple of weeks, between April 2 and April 10, dozens of climate movement groups are coming together to organize the #DefundClimateChaos Week of Arts Action.  

        • The Nation ☛ Big Oil in the Mackinac Straits Is a Disaster Waiting to Happen

          “Native American sovereignty supersedes Big Oil’s authority.” This was the thought that occurred to me as I made my way home from Lansing, through the Mackinac Straits, the body of water that connects Lake Michigan to Lake Huron, last month. I had just made a presentation to the Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority (MSCA) as part of the Indigenous community’s ongoing battle to shut down a 1950s-era oil pipeline built and operated by the Canadian company Enbridge. 

        • Mr Pogson ☛ Solo EV Update…

          Well, they wouldn’t sell me one and now they’ve published a manual. So, I will never buy one. Key takeaways:

          “The vehicle will not operate at ambient temperatures below -4°F (-20°C).” Give me a break. This is Canada. We go months below -20ºC. How could this be a commuter-car in/near Winnipeg? They say they have a battery management system with both heating and cooling but it can’t handle winter???!

        • Variety ☛ Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova Talks Raising Millions for Ukraine: ‘The Goal Is to Become Putin’s Biggest Pain in the Ass’

          Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova has long been averse to the idea of national borders. Although the Russian-born punk rocker’s career spans roles as a performance artist, musician and activist, the 32-year-old has become known for her activism against the Putin regime — and is what landed her in a prison outside of Moscow for two years in 2012 after she and Pussy Riot denounced the Russian leader during a guerilla music performance. Most recently, it’s even thrown her into the arms of the globalized Web 3.0 world of crypto and NFTs – technology that she sees as a new tool she can use to help spread her fight the power on a larger scale.

        • DeSmog ☛ The Oil and Gas Industry is Using the War in Ukraine to Profit and Push Its Interests

          Editor’s Note: This is part of a new column, Gaslit, which will navigate society’s dysfunctional relationship with fossil fuel disinformation. Have a tip or idea? Get in touch.

          When Russia invaded Crimea, the EU and United States issued a joint statement stressing the importance of promoting U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports for Europe. It was 2014 and “American gas” would save Europe from being dependent on Russian gas imports.

      • Wildlife/Nature

      • Overpopulation

        • Overpopulation ☛ Nine strategies to stop short of 9 Billion – ten years on

          In 2012, as the human population reached 7 billion, Robert Engelman, President of the Worldwatch Institute, advanced 9 strategies to halt global population growth. He suggested that humanity had to stop short of 9 billion to accomplish environmentally sustainable prosperity. Ten years later, we have added 800 million people, corresponding to an annual increase of 80 million, the size of the German population. It is time to assess what we have achieved on his points during this 10-year period, and suggest new ways forward.

    • Finance

      • Common Dreams ☛ ‘Jaw-Dropping’: Wall Street Bonuses Have Soared 1,743% Since 1985

        A new analysis out Wednesday estimates that if the federal minimum wage had grown at the same rate as Wall Street bonuses over the past three and a half decades, it would currently be $61.75 an hour instead of $7.25.

        “Millions of essential workers continue to earn poverty wages, while the reckless bonus culture is alive and well on Wall Street.”

      • Common Dreams ☛ Opinion | Twelve Years Later, Surviving Cancer, and Attacks on the Affordable Care Act

        About five years ago, I walked into a doctor’s office with a cough and walked out with a stage four cancer diagnosis. Without the Affordable Care Act, today I would be bankrupt or dead.

      • Common Dreams ☛ Unless Biden Acts, Student Loan Freeze That’s Saved Borrowers $195 Billion Will End Soon

        Since the moratorium on federal student loan payments was enacted two years ago at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, nearly 37 million borrowers have saved a combined $195 billion, but if President Joe Biden refuses to extend the freeze past May 1—or use his executive authority to cancel student debt—many are likely to struggle with monthly bills, according to an analysis released Tuesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

        “We can do more than pause loans, we can wipe them away.”

      • Common Dreams ☛ Opinion | Let’s Not Stop With the Russian Oligarchy

        No sooner had Roman Abramovich, newly targeted by the United Kingdom’s sanctions on Russian oligarchs, announced that he was selling Chelsea Football Club than the feeding frenzy began. An athletics icon, City grandees, and even a respected Times columnist, each representing different American multi-billionaires, descended on London in a race to buy the club. Meanwhile, a host of London properties belonging to Russian oligarchs entered a long-overdue process of liquidation. What took so long?

      • The Verge ☛ Google will test letting Android developers use their own billing systems, starting with Spotify

        Google is introducing a pilot to let “a small number of participating developers” offer a payment system in addition to Google Play’s. Spotify will be the first and will use both Google Play’s billing system and its own.

      • Hollywood Reporter ☛ Google to Reduce App Commission Fees for Spotify Under Expanded Pact

        Users who download the Spotify app from the Google Play store will soon be able to decide whether to subscribe to the audio streaming service using Google Play or Spotify’s separate payment services, the companies said Wednesday.

        The updated payment feature will roll out later this year and will essentially allow Spotify to lose less in commission fees to Google, should users choose to subscribe to the streaming service via Spotify’s payment service.

    • AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

      • Counter Punch ☛ Commercial Defrauding of Uncle Sam—Biggest Booming Business

        Before getting to the real big stuff, start with how much was stolen or not delivered by the contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan. Just in one program, John Spoko—Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR), estimated that $30 billion of the $100 billion repairs project was purloined. Despite his many damning reports on what was also wasted—like the $40 million natural gas-powered fueling station (there were no natural gas-powered cars in Afghanistan)—no one was indicted, no one was fired, no one missed a promotion. This is according to author Andrew Cockburn, who interviewed Spoko extensively for his new book The Spoils of War: Power, Profit and the American War Machine. In fact, Cockburn writes: “They were giving bonuses to people for stealing our money.”

        Of the $360 billion in annual billing fraud by the health care industry, over $100 billion is fraud on Medicare and Medicaid.

      • Counter Punch ☛ Radical Elders to Organizational Meeting Next Saturday, March 26

        We all know American is moving into a dangerous period of reaction, the world climate is careening out of control threatening human and perhaps all life on earth, wars and US military spending besides also threatening the planet, are sucking up all funding that should be going to address social needs. Meanwhile, elders in this country are under attack as never before as Medicare gets rapidly privatized, Social Security faces major cuts and privatization or phase-out, and even our ability to vote is threatened by racist voter suppression measures being enacted in a majority of states — measures that impact most elder voters or all colors too.

        A group of several dozen of us radical elder activists have for the past year or more been meeting on what to do about the crisis facing Elders, as well as to figure out how to both bring Elders’ issues to the attention of the many movements for social change, peace, labor rights, voting rights, climate crisis, etc., and also to get these organizations and movements take advantage of the half century or more of organizing experience our generation of organizers has to offer.

      • Counter Punch ☛ The Election Fraud Clown Show Rolls On

        Why any single political party that won all the seats in any state would do anything except celebrate their victories is an unfathomable mystery to most thinking individuals. I mean, when your favorite team wins “the big game” do their coaches immediately call for an investigation into the referees? Of course not — they high five, pour Gatorade over the coaches, and appreciate the applause from the stands.

        That would be what normal people would do — but not the right-wing Trump puppets who are still bemoaning the loss of their Great Leader, the guy the American people were smart enough to send packing in what has been called the most secure national election in history.

      • Counter Punch ☛ What To Do With Russiagate in 2022?

        Bringing in our collective death a generation earlier, especially when one is an older person who watches cable news, doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility. Saying this out loud gives me the shivers. But it’s even worse that no one is talking about this death cult. So let’s just call it what it is. The ruling class is not afraid to end all of life on earth. Preferably not today, but yes, within the century.

        Why then talk about the left and Russiagate if we’re all about to die? Because it’s fun. We love the left and we want to talk about the left before we die. Why not? To be clear I don’t see nuclear apocalypse as inevitable or even that likely. A major accident is extremely likely and the harm caused by that will be historical. However, let’s assume just for a moment that no one is crazy enough to wipe the entire planet out yet.

      • Counter Punch ☛ An Engagement Moment for the US and China

        Political Distancing

        Two days before Russia’s invasion, China’s foreign minister Wang Yi said the “sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of any country should be respected and safeguarded,” adding, “Ukraine is no exception.” Nor did China recognize the two “people’s republics” proclaimed by Putin in eastern Ukraine. Right after the invasion, according to China’s ambassador to the United States, Xi called Putin to urge peace talks. The ambassador claimed Xi “received a positive response.” If so, that was obviously a lie. China then abstained from voting on two UN resolutions that condemned Russia’s invasion, one in the UN Security Council and another in the General Assembly.

      • Common Dreams ☛ NY Prosecutor Who Resigned Believes Trump Is ‘Guilty of Numerous Felony Violations’

        The New York Times on Wednesday published the full resignation letter of a prosecutor who abruptly quit last month over the new Manhattan district attorney’s refusal to bring charges against former President Donald Trump.

        “I fear that your decision means that Mr. Trump will not be held fully accountable for his crimes.”

      • Common Dreams ☛ Watch: Bernie Sanders and Barbara Lee Hold Town Hall on War in Ukraine

        U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Barbara Lee are among the speakers participating in a virtual Wednesday night town hall about “the progressive response on foreign policy and the war in Ukraine.”

        The event, scheduled for 8:00 pm ET, will also feature Jewish Currents editor-at-large and City University of New York journalism professor Peter Beinart; former White House staffer Ben Rhodes, who co-hosts the foreign policy podcast Pod Save the World; and Georgia State University professor Maria Repnikova, a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

      • Common Dreams ☛ Calls for Senate to Act Grow as Idaho Governor Signs ‘Heinous’ Anti-Choice Law

        Advocates on Wednesday called on the U.S. Senate to codify reproductive rights nationwide after Idaho’s Republican governor signed into law a six-week abortion ban that incentivizes citizens to collect bounties on healthcare providers.

        “It’s clear that anti-choice lawmakers across the country are more emboldened than ever in advancing their draconian attacks on abortion rights and access.”

      • Common Dreams ☛ ‘Extraordinary Allegation’: Mo Brooks Claims Trump Personally Asked Him to ‘Rescind’ 2020 Election Results

        Critics hit at Rep. Mo Brooks on Wednesday after the Republican from Alabama claimed that former President Donald Trump personally asked him to “rescind the 2020 elections” and keep President Joe Biden out of the White House.

        The public admission—which government watchdog group CREW called “an extraordinary allegation against Donald Trump,” especially given his silence of the exchange until now—came in a statement on Brooks’ U.S. Senate campaign site and followed news that the former president yanked his endorsement of Brooks earlier in the day.

      • Common Dreams ☛ ‘Take the Next Step’: Progressives Mark ACA Anniversary With Calls for Medicare for All

        Progressives on Wednesday marked the 12th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act by praising the landmark legislation while calling for the implementation of Medicare for All in order to ensure that everyone in the United States receives the healthcare coverage they need.

        “Millions remain uninsured, and that’s unacceptable. Healthcare should be a right, not a privilege. The next step is Medicare for All.”

      • Common Dreams ☛ Critics Blast ‘Absolutely Shocking’ Supreme Court Decision on Wisconsin Voting Maps

        In a move that shocked progressive political observers, the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected Wisconsin legislative districts drawn by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and sent the case back to the state’s highest court, which previously approve the voting maps.

        “It appears to dramatically alter the law of redistricting to make it much harder for states to draw majority-Black districts—all through a cryptic shadow docket ruling.”

      • Hungary ☛ The father is male, the mother is female, and the government is protecting families – Hungary’s foreign minister gives a speech in Hungarian at the UN Human Rights Council
      • Hungary ☛ Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister: The Hungarian government’s rhetoric barely differs from an openly pro-Russian stance
      • TruthOut ☛ Oklahoma’s Near-Total Abortion Ban Surpasses Even Texas’s Six-Week Ban
      • CoryDoctorow ☛ Facebook’s genocide filters are really, really bad

        Facebook’s attacks were truly shameless. They told easily disproved lies (for example, claiming that the plugin gathered sensitive personal data, despite publicly available, audited source-code that proved this was absolute bullshit).

      • Marcel Kolaja ☛ Russia demonstrates how AI can be abused

        The forthcoming Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) is one step closer to its adoption. In mid-March, as the opinion rapporteur I presented the draft opinion of the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). Remote biometric recognition, e-proctoring, and artificial intelligence in media. These are priorities for the upcoming negotiations that must not be forgotten in the proposal.

      • Newsweek ☛ Anonymous [Breaks] Into Russian Printers to Deliver Resistance Information

        The materials sent to the printers in Russia include a message telling citizens that President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin, and Russian media have been lying to them about the invasion. It also includes instructions to help them access a free browser that will allow them to bypass state censorship and view “real media.”

      • Why Stop at the Russian Oligarchs?

        At a time when Russian bombs are destroying Ukrainian cities, there is good reason to focus on the oligarchs supporting the Kremlin. But do American multi-billionaires and Saudi princes enjoy less political clout, stash less money abroad, and use their influence any better?

      • Democracy Now ☛ Zelensky May Have to Make “Painful Compromises” to End the War, Says Ukrainian Scholar Volodymyr Ishchenko

        As the U.S. and its allies ramp up punitive sanctions on Russia and military support for Ukraine, they must be combined with active peace talks, says Ukrainian sociologist Volodymyr Ishchenko. This comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to rule out the possibility of using nuclear weapons in what has turned into a long, costly war. We also speak with Ishchenko about the rise of pro-Russian political parties in Ukraine, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to suppress these parties and consolidate Ukrainian media.

      • Common Dreams ☛ 1,000+ Public Defenders Say Jackson’s Background Would Be ‘Incalculable Asset’ to Court

        More than 1,000 former and current public defenders from across the country are calling on the U.S. Senate to swiftly confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, saying her experience working as a public defender would bring a “sorely needed” perspective to the nine-judge panel.

        “Too often, past presidents have communicated through their Supreme Court nominations that in order to be appointed to the nation’s highest court, a lawyer should spend his or her career working at a corporate law firm or as a prosecutor.”

      • Counter Punch ☛ GOP Senators’ Case Against Ketanji Brown Jackson: She Did Her Job

        “Do you support, then, the idea that indefinite detention of an enemy combatant is unlawful?” asked US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), referring to Jackson’s representation of detainees held at the US prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In the course of that representation, Jackson signed an amicus brief asserting — correctly — that the detainees were entitled to challenge their indefinite detention without trial.

        Before storming out of the hearing like one of the kids in Animal House — “you can do whatever you want to us, but we’re not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth the United States of America” — Graham informed Jackson that according to the brief, the government “would have to release these people or try them and some of them, the evidence we can’t disclose because it’s classified.”

      • Common Dreams ☛ Opinion | Jackson Confirmation Hearing Proves GOP Has No Interest Whatsoever in Making America a Better Place

        It’s somewhere between comical and tragic watching the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. 

      • The Nation ☛ The Looming Influence of State Supreme Courts

        While all eyes are on the confirmation hearings for President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, 86 state supreme court battles are quietly brewing across the country. These races rarely receive coverage on cable news, but they could have an even greater impact on Americans’ lives—and on the future of our democracy.

      • Democracy Now ☛ GOP Senators Grill Ketanji Brown Jackson over Critical Race Theory, Child Sexual Abuse Cases

        Republican senators grilled Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson over her views on critical race theory on the second day of her confirmation hearing to become the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. “The Republicans are mischaracterizing, misquoting, taking out of context words and speeches that Judge Jackson has made,” says Alexis Hoag, professor at Brooklyn Law School. The non sequiturs create a distraction for “a woman who is overqualified for this position,” Hoag adds. Hoag is a former federal public defender and also discusses the significance of Jackson’s background as a federal public defender.

      • Democracy Now ☛ Ketanji Brown Jackson: I Was Standing Up for the Constitution by Representing Guantánamo Prisoners

        To begin our coverage of day two of the historic nomination hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, we discuss the attacks by Republicans on her work defending suspects at Guantánamo Bay prison. Given that Jackson was one of hundreds of legal professionals in a project that exposed the lies and brutality undergirding Guantánamo, “to criticize her work in that project is nonsensical to me,” says Baher Azmy, legal director of the Center of Constitutional Rights, who has represented people held at Guantánamo and defended their rights. “Her work should be valorized.”

      • TruthOut ☛ Cruz Asks Ketanji Brown Jackson About Critical Race Theory, Anti-Racist Books
      • TruthOut ☛ GOP Attacks Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Work Defending Guantánamo Prisonsers
      • The Nation ☛ The GOP Goes Down the QAnon Rabbit Hole to Trash Ketanji Brown Jackson

        Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is brilliant, but she’s exceptionally gifted in the art of the long pause. Whenever Republican senators asked ridiculous, offensive questions during two grueling days at her Supreme Court confirmation hearing, questions that might have made a lesser jurist explode, Jackson took her time. A long time, after Senator Ted Cruz brandished almost a dozen books, including Antiracist Baby, to claim that anti-white critical race theory is being taught at Georgetown Day School, where Jackson is on the board and her kids went to school.

      • The Nation ☛ Here’s the Real Reason Ted Cruz Waved My Book in Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Face

        I was rather surprised to see my book The End of Policing being used as a prop by Senator Ted Cruz during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on March 22. Given that Judge Jackson has impeccable credentials and abilities, the strategy of the GOP has been to use her nomination to tar the Democratic Party broadly with the brush of “reverse racism” rather than speak to her actual qualifications.

      • Zimbabwe ☛ You can now book e-passport applications online. Here’s how you do it

    • Misinformation/Disinformation

      • NewYorkTimes ☛ How Russia and Right-Wing Americans Converged on War in Ukraine

        As war has raged, the Kremlin’s talking points and some right-wing discourse in the United States — fueled by those on the far right — have coalesced. On social media, podcasts and television, falsehoods about the invasion of Ukraine have flowed both ways, with Americans amplifying lies from Russians and the Kremlin spreading fabrications that festered in American forums online.

        By reinforcing and feeding each other’s messaging, some right-wing Americans have given credibility to Russia’s assertions and vice versa. Together, they have created an alternate reality, recasting the Western bloc of allies as provokers, blunderers and liars, which has bolstered Mr. Putin.

      • Techdirt ☛ Alaska State Senator Introduces Bill To Ban Fact Checking And Content Moderation. For Freedom

        Let me introduce you to Alaska state Senator Lori Reinbold, who insists in her profile that she believes “in smaller government, and an economy based on free market principles.” She also says that she takes her oath to defend the Constitution “seriously and will fight to protect our inalienable rights.” And apparently, the way she does that is by outlawing fact checking. Senator Reinbold recently introduced a bill in the Alaska Senate that is such a batshit crazy attack on free speech as to be almost a parody. Now, I know, I know that it’s become fashionable among Trumpist legislators to pretend that “free speech” means forcing private companies to host speech that violates their own policies (which seems pretty anti-free market and anti-private property).

    • Censorship/Free Speech

      • EDRI ☛ Propaganda cannot be silenced with censorship, freedom of expression can

        What Russia is doing is unacceptable. The invasion of Ukraine is a massive and tragic humanitarian crisis. Citizens in both countries and beyond are bearing the brunt of it. Virtually every country in the world is responding to Russia’s military aggression with sanctions and measures. You can read the full regulation here. One of these measures was announced two weeks ago: a total blockade of the Russian state media. RT, formerly Russia Today, has since been blocked throughout Europe. This applies to internet access providers but also to social media. RT’s Twitter account is blacked out. RT is not longer found on Google (however, Google references Wikipedia which still includes a link). And even if the link would still be there, internet access provider in Netherlands, Belgium and Poland are now blocking the website.

      • RFA ☛ Tibetan writer released from prison in China after serving 13 years

        A Tibetan writer jailed for 15 years for writings deemed separatist by Chinese authorities has been released two years before finishing his sentence, with no word immediately available regarding his present state of health, Tibetan sources say.

      • ANF News ☛ One artist detained after Aydın Newroz, 5 released on judicial control

        Artists Veysel Ciwan and Serhat Kural, as well as 5 other members of the group performing at the Newroz celebration in Aydın on Saturday, were taken into custody right after the celebration.

        Some of the artists were detained at the bus station and at the airport where they had gone to return to their cities. They were taken into custody because of some songs they sang, which police said were ‘forbidden’.

      • Irish Times ☛ Russian police arrest man for holding up blank sheet of paper
      • CBS ☛ Taliban detains journalists over report on censoring of TV shows

        Kabul, Afghanistan — Taliban intelligence men arrested three staff members of TOLO TV, one of Afghanistan’s largest television stations, a channel executive said Friday.

        The country’s new rulers apparently didn’t like a story the broadcaster aired on their decision to ban foreign drama series from local television, said Khpalwak Sapai, head of TOLONews, who was among the three arrested.

      • The Conversation ☛ Online safety bill: ambiguous definitions of harm could threaten freedom of speech – instead of protecting it

        The UK government’s much anticipated online safety bill has now been released. The bill seeks to impose a duty of care on companies, such as social media platforms, to remove illegal content, and in some cases, “legal but harmful” content, quickly.

        Failure to comply will result in heavy fines or, in extreme circumstances, company executives facing prosecution. Yet what is considered “legal but harmful” content remains unclear.

    • Freedom of Information/Freedom of the Press

      • Counter Punch ☛ Russia’s War on Journalists

        The latest developments, including: – Popular Russian journalists facing criminal charges – The “fifth columnists” propaganda – Hypocrisy of Putin’s fan club on censorship – Russia losing 150,000 IT specialists by April – Dagestan as recruiting ground for Putin’s war – More than 15,000 arrests in Russia for antiwar activities since invasion

      • RSF ☛ RSF relate two years of government assault on Hong Kong’s press freedom

        Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has reconstructed an exclusive timeline of two years of government assault on Hong Kong’s press freedom following the adoption of the National Security Law in 2020 by the Chinese regime.

      • Family of Indian photojournalist killed by Taliban moves ICC for justice

        The family alleges that the photographer was “the victim of crimes against humanity and war crimes, at the hand of anti-government forces, identifying themselves as ‘Taliban’.”

      • NPR ☛ Family of killed photojournalist Danish Siddiqui take Taliban leaders to ICC

        The family of Pulitzer Prize-winning Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui, who was killed last year in Afghanistan, filed a formal complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday to investigate his killing and bring to trial the Taliban’s leadership for “committing war crimes.”

      • Netzpolitik ☛ Russian exile medium Meduza:

        The independent publication Meduza is no longer easily accessible in Russia. Meduza has been reporting from Latvia in Russian and English since 2014. Last year they were classified as a „foreign agent“ by the Russian Government.

        Also, the journalists themselves are in danger because of their work. Meduza staff who has reported from Russia had to leave the country. In Russia, journalists face up to 15 years in prison if they report independently about the war. It is forbidden to name the war as such.

      • Il Fatto Quotidiano ☛ Daniel Ellsberg: “It is outrageous that Biden has continued to pursue Julian Assange’s prosecution”

        The lawyers who were following this at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), were predicting that Donald Trump would prosecute journalists. No president had done that yet, it’s a blatant violation of the First Amendment. It’s obviously unconstitutional, which of course doesn’t slow down Trump, and it is outrageous that Biden has continued to pursue that prosecution. He should have withdrawn the appeal Trump made for extradition of Julian, for prosecution. Biden could just drop it any time, he could do it the next hour. It was very arguably unconstitutional even in my case: I was the first to be indicted under those charges, for leaking, but I had been a former official. I was a source, not a journalist – they don’t regard sources as journalists. You could argue either side in my case, as to whether it was constitutional. In Julian’s [case] there is no argument on the other side: it’s obviously unconstitutional, in America, under our First Amendment. Obama had considered indicting Julian, but had backed off for that very reason, that if they went after Julian on those grounds, they would have no excuse for not going after the New York Times. And they didn’t want to take that on, in part because the New York Times is extremely useful to them, to successive administrations. It basically supports the empire, and doesn’t object to endless amounts of money for so-called defense. It’s a very useful outlet for them, even though it occasionally prints things they would rather not have out.

      • NewYorkTimes ☛ Top Editors to Leave BuzzFeed News Ahead of Newsroom Cuts

        The head of BuzzFeed News and two other top editors are departing the company ahead of cuts to the newsroom.

        Mark Schoofs, who became the editor in chief in 2020, said in a staff email on Tuesday that he would be stepping down. He said Tom Namako, the deputy editor in chief, and Ariel Kaminer, the executive editor of investigations, would also leave the company. Mr. Namako said on Twitter that he was joining NBC Digital as executive editor.

        Mr. Schoofs said in the email that BuzzFeed had subsidized the news division for many years and that the “next phase” for BuzzFeed News was to reach profitability in its own right.

      • Counter Punch ☛ They Just Want the Bombs to Stop Falling

        On the contrary, Bush’s image was rehabilitated from war criminal to statesman by a sycophantic media that adores the myths of American exceptionalism far more than they honour the truth. A grandfather who paints portraits, goes to football games with Ellen DeGeneres, and gets hugs from Michelle Obama. How quickly the focus shifted from the mountains of corpses and rivers of blood he was responsible for.

        His partner in crime across the pond, Tony Blair, would receive a similar makeover. His crimes were rewarded with knighthood. In fact, the only ones punished in this tale of corruption and brutality have been those who revealed it all to the public. Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange. And now Assange sits in a gulag awaiting a terrible fate of extradition to the US.

    • Civil Rights/Policing

      • Counter Punch ☛ Why Women Weren’t Allowed to Act in Shakespeare’s Plays

        Numerous English theatergoers considered seeing women on the public stage for the first time a pivotal moment, including the civil servant and diarist Samuel Pepys. It was just one month after the first female actress played Desdemona that Pepys recorded “the first time that ever [he] saw Women come upon the stage.”

        King Charles subsequently issued a royal proclamation to make it official: “Wee doe … permit and give leave That all the woemens part to be acted in either of the said two Companies for the time to come maie be performed by woemen.”

      • Common Dreams ☛ Bernie Sanders Backs Federally Contracted Call Center Workers on Strike

        U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders joined other labor rights advocates Wednesday in supporting workers at a pair of Maximus call centers in Louisiana and Mississippi who are on strike to demand livable wages, paid sick leave, and freedom to organize a union without interference from the federal contractor.

        “I stand in solidarity with Maximus workers walking out of federal call centers across the country today,” tweeted Sanders (I-Vt.), chair of the Senate Budget Committee. “To my mind, we should not allow greedy corporations to privatize public services or profit from robbing workers of fair pay and benefits.”

      • Counter Punch ☛ What About the Workers? Notes on Class and Class Consciousness

        More recently, Melrod has been a lawyer for people messed up by the police. The murder, in 2013, by a Sonoma County sheriff of a 13-year-old Latino named Andy Lopez—who was carrying a toy gun—was the catalyst that brought Melrod back to the courtroom after a long absence. He has also helped political asylum seekers.

        Like me, Melrod belonged to Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), the organization that opposed the war in Vietnam, and that came apart in 1969, with one faction going into factories to organize workers, and the other faction going underground to make bombs, or to lend support to the bomb makers. For a time, I supported the bomb makers, who were known as the Weather Underground. I used to say “I’m married to the underground.”

      • Counter Punch ☛ The P&O Ferries Mass British Sackings

        The Tory government has been generous to the Dubai-owned P&O Ferries, who were given £33m/$43.4m in emergency funding by the government to ensure freight kept being transported. The government also paid P&O for the furlough of 1,100 British staff during the pandemic.

        Crew were told by P&O to disembark passengers and freight before being sent the video message telling them P&O “vessels will be primarily crewed by a third-party crew provider … Your final day of employment is today”.

      • Techdirt ☛ Qualified Immunity Denied To Officer Who Tased Man In The Genitals

        A Glendale (AZ) police officer (now former police officer… more on that in a bit) isn’t going to be able to walk away from a civil rights lawsuit stemming from excessive force he deployed during a routine traffic stop. An Arizona federal court says there’s enough in dispute that Officer Matt Schneider will have to continue to face the lawsuit filed against him by Johnny Wheatcroft, the vehicle passenger he tased eleven times, including one shot to the groin after Wheatcroft was handcuffed and restrained face down on 108-degree parking lot pavement by two other officers.

      • Techdirt ☛ Sinclair Seattle Reporter Makes Proud Boys Gathering Sound Like Cub Scouts

        Generally, when you talk about disinformation or propaganda, “big tech” companies like Facebook, or media giants like Fox News get the lion’s share of the attention. But as we’ve long noted, local news outlets in the U.S. were hollowed out years ago and replaced with something that looks like news, but is generally just gibberish and propaganda.

      • EFF ☛ EFF Director of Investigations Dave Maass Honored With Sunshine Award For Driving Public Disclosure of Government Surveillance Records

        Maass’ expertise in the use of police tech like automated license plate readers, drones, and camera networks, and his work pushing governments to be more transparent, has earned him accolades by reporters, researchers, and citizens. Today, Maass will receive the Sunshine Award from the San Diego Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SD-SPJ) in recognition of this important work.

        Maass is the driving force behind the EFF-led Atlas of Surveillance project, the largest-ever collection of searchable data on police use of surveillance technologies. Built using crowdsourcing, data journalism, and public records requests in partnership with Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, the Atlas of Surveillance documents the alarming increase in the use of unchecked high-tech tools that collect biometric records, photos, and videos of people in their communities, locate and track them via their cell phones, and purport to predict where crimes will be committed. San Diego County was one of early communities examined in work on the Atlas.

        “San Diego County has long been a hot spot for law enforcement surveillance tech, from handheld face recognition devices to extreme drone ‘first responder’ programs,’” Maass said. “Over the last few years, it’s been a pleasure to help journalists across numerous regional news outlets probe these new technologies, be it through sharing knowledge or documents EFF has collected or elevating the work these reporters have produced. San Diego journalism has not only helped start a dialogue over surveillance tech, it has also helped shape the conversation in favor of accountability, privacy, and civil rights.”

      • The Nation ☛ Black Women’s Voices
      • TruthOut ☛ Starbucks Workers Unanimously Vote to Form Union in Seattle, Company’s Hometown
      • Teen Vogue ☛ Ketanji Brown Jackson Hearing — Ted Cruz Makes ‘The End of Policing’ Book a Best Seller

        During Cruz’s tense exchange with Jackson, where he listed books he claimed were teaching CRT, he pulled out a copy of sociology professor Alex Vitale’s The End of Policing. Since 2020’s racial justice protests, the book has been embraced as a clear-eyed introduction to the abolitionist movement. As AOC jokingly implied in a tweet, the pristine condition of Cruz’s copy suggested that he had never actually read the book, but he took the time to make sure the press got a picture of him holding it aloft, cover visible.

        In a statement to the media, Vitale wrote, “While I’m honored to be included in Sen. Cruz’s list of Critical Race Theory texts, this seems to be just another example of the Senator’s intentional confusing of a specific school of legal scholarship and the broader effort to shed light on the nature and history of racism in America.” Vitale continued, “I can only hope that the Senator’s misguided efforts to suppress this history will backfire and inspire a generation of young people to seek out these ideas that are all too often absent in American schools.”

        And backfire it has. Less than 24 hours since the hearing, the book has rocketed to the #1 best-seller spot in its genre on Amazon. Vitale has been celebrating the kerfuffle on his Twitter account, calling Cruz’s statement “the best endorsement yet for The End of Policing.” And of course, there were memes.

      • EDRI ☛ Private communications are a cornerstone of democratic society and must be protected in online CSAM legislation

        People around the world rely on their private communications for everything from chatting with friends and family, to contacting doctors and lawyers, to blowing the whistle with journalists and organising for social change. What’s more, children in vulnerable positions may actually suffer from weakened technological protections which may prevent them from having confidential communications needed to escape abusive situations. Both UNICEF and the United Nations have issued reports and comments on the importance of privacy and data protection for young people.

      • RTL ☛ ‘What have we done wrong?’ Afghan school girls forced home

        The Islamists claimed that schools needed to be adapted so girls and boys could be segregated, despite the vast majority in conservative Afghanistan already operating separate classrooms.

        The Taliban’s education ministry days ago announced that girls’ secondary schools would reopen for the start of the new academic year on Wednesday.

        But an 11th hour U-turn by the Taliban leadership was a devastating blow for students, parents and even teachers.

      • CBC ☛ Taliban cancels girls’ higher education despite promise

        Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers decided against opening schools to girls above the sixth grade, reneging on a promise and opting to appease their hardline base at the expense of further alienating the international community.

        The unexpected decision, confirmed by a Taliban official Wednesday, came at the start of the new school year in Afghanistan. It is bound to disrupt Taliban efforts to win recognition from potential international donors, at a time when the country is mired in a worsening humanitarian crisis.

      • VOA News ☛ Taliban Renege on Promise to Allow All Afghan Girls Back in School

        The Taliban reopened schools in Afghanistan after the winter break Wednesday but continued a ban on grade seven to 12 girls, saying they still need time to draw up a plan for them in line with Islamic law or Sharia.

        The move swiftly drew domestic and international criticism of the Islamist group for backtracking on its commitment that all girls around the country would be allowed to return to school March 23, which also marks the start of the school year for most Afghan provinces.

      • NYPost ☛ Taliban cancels girls’ higher education despite pledges

        The unexpected decision, confirmed by a Taliban official Wednesday, came at the start of the new school year in Afghanistan. It is bound to disrupt Taliban efforts to win recognition from potential international donors, at a time when the country is mired in a worsening humanitarian crisis.

      • NDTV ☛ Taliban Orders Afghan Girls’ Schools Shut Hours After Reopening: Report
      • Saudi Arabia ☛ Taliban orders Afghan girls schools shut hours after reopening: Spokesman

        The international community has made the right to education for all a sticking point in negotiations over aid and recognition of the new Taliban regime.

      • France24 ☛ Girls’ schools in Afghanistan ordered shut just hours after reopening

        The Taliban had insisted they wanted to ensure schools for girls aged 12 to 19 were segregated and would operate according to Islamic principles.

        The Taliban have imposed a slew of restrictions on women, effectively banning them from many government jobs, policing what they wear and preventing them from travelling outside of their cities alone.

        They have also detained several women’s rights activists.

      • BBC ☛ Afghanistan: Taliban backtrack on reopening high schools for girls

        This chaotic and last-minute policy reversal makes clear the divisions within the group – and underlines how out of touch with the aspirations of modern Afghan society parts of the leadership are.

        Activist Mahouba Seraj, founder of the Afghan Women’s Network, was bemused by the U-turn.

        “The excuse they gave was ‘you don’t have the proper hijab on’. There was no ruling, they just decided this morning that the hijab was not proper, for whatever reason,” she told the BBC.

      • EDRI ☛ Promoting human rights in the digital era

        Digital rights organisation and EDRi member IuRe, in cooperation with other Czech non-profit and public sector partners, has launched a new project, Promoting Human Rights in the Digital Era. The project’s purpose is to alert the public about how digital technologies can encroach on their human rights. In a first for the Czech Republic, the consortium will carry out in-depth research amongst journalists to measure their level of awareness on the issue. The findings will be used to develop specialised, bespoke training for media professionals.

      • US Navy Times ☛ Posting POW footage on social media may constitute human rights violation

        Showing videos of POWs, regardless of the content or under what conditions it is obtained, is a violation of international law, experts say.

        “Articles 13 and 14 of the third Geneva Convention protect POWs from insult and from becoming the object of public curiosity,” Leila Sadat, special adviser on crimes against humanity to the International Criminal Court, told Military Times.

      • Quillette ☛ A Suicide Foretold: How Social Justice Rhetoric is Turning People off Human Rights

        Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration, in 1948, human rights have made their way into mainstream discourse. Irrespective of their political leaning, people who read the news know at least some human rights terminology: presumption of innocence, arbitrary detention, freedom of expression, the right to food, etc. From a linguistic perspective, these terms are clear.

        “The clearer your message, the better chance you have to convince your audience” says a basic rule of advocacy. Yet a look at contemporary human rights paints a disturbing picture. After 75 years of efforts, human rights folks are switching to a new, vaguer rhetoric.

      • Shadowproof ☛ Protest Song Of The Week: ‘Gotterdämmerung’ By Zeal & Ardor

        The article originally appeared at Ongoing History of Protest Music.Zeal & Ardor is the brainchild of Swedish musician Manuel Gagneux. It started as an online project,where Gagneux sought feedback on blending two musical genres that don’t traditionally gotogether. He ultimately paired black metal with spirituals and that led to three studio albums, including a recently released self-titled album.“Lyrically, it’s a continuation of the alternate history narrative we have going on—what if American slaves had turned to Satan instead of God?” Gagneux said. “‘Where ‘Devil Is Fine’ was about life in captivity and ‘Stranger Fruit’ was about the escape, this record is about the many things that come after—being on the run, clandestine ruminations, and grand plan.”As in his previous efforts, the lyrics touch upon themes of religious hypocrisy and race relations. Eventhough it might be written from the perspective of the African American experience, as a black man in apredominately white country and music genre, racism is something that Gagneux has routinely dealt with.One of the album’s more aggressive tracks is “Götterdämmerung.” “This is the title of a movement in a Wagner opera, and Wagner was heavily used by not-so-great people in the ’30s and ’40s in Germany. So I wanted to re-appropriate and reclaim Wagner, even though he himself was a huge dick, too—but dude wrote brilliant music,” Gagneux shared.Politicians co-opting music for their agenda is a trend. For example, back in the 1980s, Bruce Springsteen spoke up when politicians such as Ronald Reagan tried to adopt “Born in the USA” as a campaign theme (missing the point of the lyrics). During Donald Trump’s presidency, many opposed his use of their music at his rallies. Neil Young in particular composed an open letter voicing his displeasure over Trump using his political protest anthem, “Rockin’ in the Free World.”Listen to Zeal & Ardor’s “Gotterdämmerung”:

    • Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

      • Internet Society ☛ What Is the Splinternet? And Why You Should Be Paying Attention

        This is the Splinternet. Where the addresses you normally use on the open Internet can take you to completely different places—or sites can be blocked entirely. It’s where you can’t trust the names and addresses to take you to where they’re supposed to. It’s where borders are added to a borderless system. It’s where the free flow of information becomes restricted and suppressed.

    • Digital Restrictions (DRM)

      • Techdirt ☛ Apple Cripples Its Own Streaming App In Stand Off With Google

        As the battle for streaming market share accelerates, the fighting between companies has increasingly gotten dumber. Such as when AT&T’s streaming TV app was pulled from Roku customer hardware because the two companies couldn’t agree on data sharing parameters. Or when Google TV customers almost lost access to NBC content because those companies couldn’t negotiate like adults either.

      • The Verge ☛ HBO Max adds a shuffle button to help you find something to watch

        HBO Max said the button is one of its most requested features. Streaming rivals like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, among others, have similarly experimented with shuffle functions on their apps. Currently, the shuffle feature is available for 45 series on HBO Max, meaning you have 45 options for mindless streaming next time you’re having trouble finding something to watch.

      • Hollywood Reporter ☛ Netflix Tries to Monetize Password Sharing, But Will It Work?

        On March 16, Netflix said it was testing a new feature in Chile, Costa Rica and Peru that would allow primary account holders to add up to two users outside their households for a small fee. Like past supposed crackdowns on password sharing, it’s not clear whether this new fee structure will ultimately be rolled out wide, but it does serve as another low-lift opportunity for Netflix — whose subscriber growth has stalled in recent quarters — to boost its revenue.

    • Monopolies

      • Copyrights

        • Creative Commons ☛ CC welcomes adoption of AIDA

          On Tuesday, the European Parliament’s (EU) Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in a Digital Age (AIDA) adopted its final recommendations for a Roadmap, laying the groundwork through 2030.

        • Torrent Freak ☛ Illegal IPTV Streaming: Four Receive Prison Sentences Totaling 10+ Years

          Four individuals connected to the illegal streaming of copyrighted content have been handed prison sentences in the UK totaling more than 10 years. Three men and a woman were convicted of fraud and money laundering for offenses against broadcasters including Sky and BT Sport. Assets have also been seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

        • Torrent Freak ☛ RuTracker Found Itself Unblocked in Russia So Immediately Blocked Itself

          Infamous Russian torrent site RuTracker is one of many pirate sites that are permanently blocked by the Russian authorities for failing to remove copyrighted content. However, when the site suddenly became accessible again this month, RuTracker took its own measures to block Russian users.

        • Techdirt ☛ Destiny Community Plagued By Copyright Takedowns, Bungie Insists It Isn’t Them

          We’ve been making the point for years that the way copyright is currently enforced in online platforms is wide open for abuse and error. Between all the collateral damage created by automated copyright bots and all of the chicanery used to silence critics or to baselessly collect revenue on the work of others, there is simply more of this nonsense going on than most people realize.

IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Posted in IRC Logs at 2:33 am by Needs Sunlight

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Posted in News Roundup at 1:18 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNOME bluefish

Contents

  • GNU/Linux

    • Server

      • Cutting Edge Development

        Using the most expensive laptop you can find as a thin client to a rented cluster of virtualized machines which themselves are virtualizing still smaller machines which run software intended to virtualize still smaller machines.

        The workload? Probably capable of running on a raspberry pi.

    • Audiocasts/Shows

      • Video ☛ How to install Google Chrome on Zorin OS 16 – Invidious

        In this video, we are looking at how to install the Google Chrome on Zorin OS 16.

      • Video ☛ Want A Job At Canonical? Write A 5000 Word Essay?!? – Invidious

        We all love canonical here and some us love them so much we want to work for them but they’ve got to filter out some applicants by wasting as much of there time as possible, so why not give them a 50 word written interview so they just leave instead.

      • Forbes ☛ Forget TweetDeck, This Open-Source App Is A Better Twitter Experience

        As you know, I’m challenging myself to use the Steam Deck as my only PC, and so far it has been a moderately successful experiment. I’ve hosted, recorded and edited a 2-hour video chat on this thing. I’ve even used Valve’s chunky Linux handheld to game at 1080p while simultaneously using OBS Studio to livestream at 720p/60.

      • The Linux Link Tech Show Episode 947
      • Jupiter Broadcasting ☛ Linux Action News 233

        A significant follow-up to one of the biggest Linux stories, the Pandora’s box the MIT Technology Review claims open-source devs just opened, and Linux on the M1 finally ships.

      • 270: System76 Interview with Emma Marshall – Destination Linux

        This week’s episode of Destination Linux, we’re going to be talking with Emma Marshall from System76. Then we’re going to check out a new RISC V offering in the market. Plus we’ve also got our famous tips, tricks and software picks. All of this and so much more this week on Destination Linux. So whether you’re brand new to Linux and open source or a guru of sudo. This is the podcast for you.

      • FLOSS Weekly 673: Frontiers of Trust – Drummond Reed, Trust Over IP, SSI

        Drummond Reed, Director of Trust Services with Avast, leads Doc Searls and Simon Phipps through deep dives into SSI, blockchain, KERI (which avoids blockchains), protocols, standards and much more. The biggest frontier for trust is digital identity, specifically of the self-sovereign kind. Great discussion on this episode of FLOSS Weekly.

      • Video ☛ Should Linux Mint “Debian” Edition Be The “Main” Edition? – Invidious

        A couple of days ago, Linux Mint released their latest Linux Mint Debian Edition version 5 codenamed “Elsie.” LMDE is Linux Mint’s hedge in case anything ever happens to Ubuntu that would force Mint to base off of another distro. Maybe, they should go ahead and make the move now.

    • Kernel Space

      • How to write a Vulkan driver in 2022

        An incredible amount has changed in Mesa and in the Vulkan ecosystems since we wrote the first Vulkan driver in Mesa for Intel hardware back in 2015. Not only has Vulkan grown, but Mesa has as well, and we’ve built up quite a suite of utilities and helpers for making writing Vulkan drivers easier. This blog post will be a tutorial of sorts (we won’t have a functioning Vulkan driver in the end, sorry), showing off a bunch of those helpers and demonstrating the latest Mesa best practices for Vulkan drivers.

    • Instructionals/Technical

      • AddictiveTips ☛ How to install a DEB file on Linux

        Are you new to Debian Linux, Ubuntu, or a Linux operating system that uses DEB files? Do you want to install a DEB file on your system but can’t figure it out? Follow this guide to learn how to install a DEB file on Linux.

      • AddictiveTips ☛ How do you delete a directory or file on Linux?

        If you’re new to Linux, you may be wondering how to delete a file. There are many ways to delete files on Linux. In this guide, we’ll cover the terminal method and a few GUI methods.

      • AddictiveTips ☛ How to play Sega Naomi games on Linux

        The Sega Naomi (New Arcade Operation Machine Idea), released in 1998, is a Sega arcade board. The Naomi shares a hardware architecture to the Sega Dreamcast, and as a result, many Naomi games eventually made it to the Dreamcast.

        Naomi is now defunct and not in service anymore. Thankfully, you can play Sega Naomi games on Linux with Retroarch. Here’s how.

        Note: Addictivetips in no way encourages or condones the illegal downloading or distribution of ROM files for the Sega Naomi. If you choose to install Retroarch, please use your own game ROMs you’ve backed up to your PC, legally.

      • Linux Made Simple ☛ How to install Obsidian on a Chromebook

        Today we are looking at how to install Obsidian 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.

      • Make Use Of ☛ How to Install the Brave Browser on Linux

        Brave, the brainchild of Brendan Eich, has taken the Linux market by storm. Brave’s unique operating model, privacy-centric approach, and fast performance promise to be an ideal browser replacement for Linux users.

        If you’re tired of seeing ads popping up everywhere on your browser and want to steer towards a secure browsing experience, Brave is the answer to your woes.

        Without further ado, let’s delve deeper to see how to install the Brave browser on various Linux distros.

      • UNIX Cop ☛ How to install Snap on Rocky Linux 8

        In this post, you will learn how to install Snap on Rocky Linux 8.

        Snap is the self-sufficient package technology developed by Canonical. As expected, it comes integrated in Ubuntu, but it is also possible to install it in other distributions like Rocky Linux.

        Flatpak is Snap’s natural competitor. Both offer packages that can be run on any distribution that supports them thanks to their box technology. That is to say that in a single package are incorporated all dependencies and libraries needed to run without affecting the system.

        Although the repositories of Rocky Linux 8 are extensive and more with EPEL, the truth is that thanks to Snap we can install other applications and further extend the functionality of the system.

      • ID Root ☛ How To Install Nomacs on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS – idroot

        In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Nomacs on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. For those of you who didn’t know, Nomacs is a free, open-source image viewer, which supports multiple platforms. You can use it for viewing all common image formats such as JPEG, PNG, GIF, RAW, etc.

        This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation of the Nomacs image viewer 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.

      • HowTo Forge ☛ How to Install OTRS (CE) Ticketing System on Rocky Linux

        OTRS Community Edition is an open-source helpdesk software written in Perl. In this article, you will learn how to install OTRS Community Edition on the Rocky Linux system. You will be installing OTRS with the MariaDB database and Apache webserver.

      • Linux Hint ☛ How to Use the Redis PING Command

        Redis is a free and open-source NoSQL database that stores data in memory in the form of key-value pairs. It is mainly used as a caching mechanism for other databases as it has low latency. Redis can store data structures, such as strings, hashes, lists, HyperLogs, and geospatial indexes.

        Redis uses a set of commands for managing and working with the databases. One useful command is the PING command. Let us illustrate how we can use the Redis PING command.

      • Linux Hint ☛ How to Use the Redis Protected Mode

        Security is an essential factor in the modern age. Therefore, understanding how to secure your applications and data has become a requirement.

        This article will discuss one of Redis’s security features called protected mode.

      • Linux Hint ☛ Apt List Installed Packages

        The Linux system consists of many built-in tools in it that are used to perform many specified tasks. One of those tools is “Apt” i.e., “Advanced Package Tool”. This tool consists of group utilities to perform installation, update, deletion, and other management activities for Linux software on different Linux operating systems. We can make use of this “apt” package tool on any of the Ubuntu, Debian, and Linux Mint operating systems. Therefore, we have been using this article to explain the use of the “Apt” package in the Ubuntu 20.04 system to list all the installed packages, software, and tools. Let’s take a new start from the terminal shell opening of the Ubuntu 20.04 system via the “Ctrl+Alt+T” shortcut.

        Let’s get started with the system update first. So, we need to update our Ubuntu 20.04 Linux operating system using the Advanced package tool on the terminal. This command must be executed on the shell using the “sudo” rights along with the keyword “update”. On execution, the system asked for the sudo password before processing. We have added our sudo password and pressed the key “Enter”. The system has started updating itself as shown below.

      • How to run Windows 11 in GNOME Boxes (with UEFI and TPM2 emulation) [Ed: Better to just use WINE]

        My old tutorial for installing Windows 10 in GNOME Boxes doesn’t work with Windows 11. Here’s how to install Windows 11 as a virtual machine (VM) inside GNOME Boxes. (Some configuration file changes required.)

        Windows 11 significantly raised its hardware requirements compared to Windows 10. Among the changes, it requires more RAM and storage space. It also requires a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 and a UEFI boot environment.

      • Linux Hint ☛ Redis Exists Command

        Redis is a key-value database that is lightweight and easy to use. To fetch a value in Redis, you have to reference the associated key. Although this is incredibly easy, it does provide one challenge, what happens if the key does not exist?

        To create a simple error handling mechanism in our applications, we can use the Redis EXISTS command to verify the key before executing a query.

      • Linux Hint ☛ How to Check the Redis Version

        There is one database that raises its hand confidently when the topic of low latency comes up: Redis.

        Redis is a free, open-source in-memory database that stores its data in the form of key-value pairs. It is a popular choice for high-performance applications due to its low latency and scalability.

        This tutorial discusses installing the Redis server on your system, checking the version, and upgrading to the latest version.

      • Linux Hint ☛ How to Get the Size of Redis Database

        Redis is incredibly fast, efficient, and reliable. In addition, it is a powerful tool that provides a caching mechanism for applications. This is because it stores the data in memory that does not require a round trip to the disk.

        However, there is one drawback. Redis stores the data in memory which can have significant performance issues for large datasets.

        Therefore, it is vital to keep track of the size of the database stored in the Redis instance and take the necessary actions.

      • Linux Hint ☛ How to Check and Set Max Connections in Redis

        Although Redis is an in-memory database, it allows more than one client to connect to the database. It uses connections from the clients on the configured TCP port or Unix sockets.

        This short article will discuss how to check and increase or decrease the maximum clients supported by the Redis instance.

      • Linux Hint ☛ The Touch Command in Linux

        Any Linux system comes with a handful of tools pre-installed. The touch command is one such tool. The linux touch command is to modify the timestamps in the file metadata such as access and modification times. However, it’s also widely used for creating a new empty file in the desired location. With the proper file permission, the touch command can change the timestamps of any file. If the file didn’t exist prior, then it creates the file instead. In this guide, we’ll dive deeper into the usage of the touch command in Linux.

      • How To Secure Nginx with Let’s Encrypt on Ubuntu 20.04 – RoseHosting

        Securing a website running with Nginx as a web server can be done with Let’s Encrypt, and that is why we are writing this tutorial for you.

        Let’s Encrypt is a Certificate Authority that provides free TLS/SSL certificates valid for 90 days. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and an SSL certificate is a digital certificate that enables encrypted connection and authentication of the website identity. In this blog post, we will use Certbot to obtain a free SSL certificate for Nginx.

      • MakeTech Easier ☛ How to Manage your Finances with Ledger Mode in Emacs – Make Tech Easier

        Ledger Mode is a package in Emacs for the command line accounting program Ledger. This allows Emacs users to utilize Ledger’s powerful features from the comfort of their favorite text editor.

        [...]

        Ledger Mode is simple and intuitive to use. It automatically balances your finances and notifies you when there is any issue with your records. It also allows you to categorize your expenses and sources of income which could, then, be sorted and analyzed from the package itself.

      • HowTo Forge ☛ How to Install Joomla with Nginx on Rocky Linux
      • Video ☛ Linux Essentials – The sar Command – Invidious

        Monitoring the resources of your Linux server and watching for negative trends is one way to stay ahead of potential performance issues, and the sar command will help you do exactly that. In this video, Jay goes over the basics of the sar command. Note: This video was re-uploaded due to a typo in one of the lower-thirds clips

      • How to install OpenSSL 3 on Ubuntu 20.04 – NextGenTips

        OpenSSL 3 contains an open-source implementation of the SSL and TLS protocols. OpenSSL implements basic cryptographic function. The OpenSSL toolkit includes libssl, libcrypto and openssl which is the OpenSSL command-line tool, a swiss army knife for cryptographic tasks, testing, and analyzing.

      • Install Linux Malware Detect on Ubuntu 22.04/Ubuntu 20.04 – kifarunix.com

        Follow through this tutorial to learn how to install Linux Malware Detect on Ubuntu 22.04/Ubuntu 20.04. Linux Malware Detect, LMD, is an opensource malware scanner for Linux designed to be used in shared hosted environments.

      • Unwinding a Stack by Hand with Frame Pointers and ORC

        The Oracle Linux Sustaining team is tasked with identifying and fixing bugs in the Linux kernel. We rely on a rich ecosystem of debugging tools like crash and pykdump to help us pick up the remnants of a crashed kernel and figure out what led to its demise. But operating systems are complex, and sometimes our tools fail us. In these cases, we have to fall back on our understanding of the kernel subsystems and the target CPU architecture, since we find ourselves diving deep into hex dumps and assembly listings.

        Take something as simple as a stack trace. Many developers view these as a given, since computers are quite good at automatically unwinding a stack, looking up symbols, and producing the pretty trace we know and love. But in some exceptional cases (for example, interrupts occurring precisely on entry to a function call) an automatic unwinder can be led astray, producing an incorrect trace. In other cases, a debugging tool may not even recognize a portion of memory as a stack, leaving us without the option to unwind it.

        Until recently, Linux Sustaining engineers have taken comfort in the knowledge that, when code is compiled with frame pointers, they are able to manually unwind the stack with relative ease. But the kernel community (at least, the x86_64 kernel community) is moving away from frame pointers. Increasingly, the community is migrating to an in-kernel debug information format called ORC, which enables the kernel to unwind stacks without relying on the frame pointer. As a result, manually unwinding a stack is no longer a simple matter of following a chain of frame pointers.

        This blog post will first review the use of frame pointers for unwinding a stack on x86_64. Then, we will introduce the ORC format and describe its benefits. Finally, we’ll discuss how stack unwinding works for code built without frame pointers, and with ORC unwind info.

    • Desktop Environments/WMs

      • GNOME Desktop/GTK

        • Beta News ☛ GNOME 42 Linux DE is here with new dark mode, improved screenshotting, and more

          There are many great desktop environments for Linux, such as Cinnamon, KDE Plasma, and MATE to name a few. With that said, only one can be the best, and that is obviously GNOME. I mean, look, there’s a reason Canonical uses it as the default DE for Ubuntu — it’s that good.

          If you are a GNOME fan, I have some extremely exciting news. You see, as of today, GNOME 42 is officially here! There are many new features, such as a new dark mode, improved screenshotting, and support for RDP (remote desktop protocol). There are also performance improvements, updated apps, and new default apps including a beautiful new terminal called “Console.”

        • GNOME 42 Desktop Environment Released With Exciting Features | Itsubuntu.com

          GNOME 42 Desktop Environment is now available for download.

          GNOME 42 is loaded with some amazing new features and improvements. In GNOME 42, GNOME software is being ported to GTK4. You will find Text Editor as the default text editor app replacing the old Gedit text editor.

    • Distributions

      • Canonical/Ubuntu Family

        • OMG Ubuntu ☛ Ubuntu 22.04 Won’t Skimp on Wallpapers After All

          
          Ubuntu devs had planned to push out the next LTS with a miserly 4 alternative desktop backgrounds on disc — one of which is actually provided twice in two variants.

          I don’t think wallpapers make a release but they are a peculiarly trivial aspect for ‘buntz to be stingy in. Imagine: you switch from a Major OS™ after hearing about how great Ubuntu is, and when you go to do something as basic as change the frickin’ wallpaper, your eyeballs are given this…

        • TechRepublic ☛ One of the most beautiful and user friendly Linux distributions gets even better

          Simply put: anyone. ZorinOS makes Linux incredibly easy for any user (regardless of skills) to dive in and not suffer the slightest hitch. For the longest time, my go-to distribution for new users was Ubuntu, but since the release of 16.0, ZorinOS has usurped that title. And with the extra polish (and updated apps) found in 16.1, the title of best Linux desktop distribution for new users belongs to ZorinOS.

          But don’t think this desktop is limited to those with little to no Linux skills. Anyone, no matter the skill level, would be perfectly happy with ZorinOS as their primary desktop operating system.

          Don’t believe me? Download ZorinOS 16.1 now and find out.

    • Devices/Embedded

    • Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

      • Helping Open Source Learners

        Likely most folks browsing Gemini pages (or the simple web 1.0 version of this gemlog) will be familiar with open source software and the community around it, if not be an active participant in working on open source software or an amateur historian on its history and many foibles.

      • Productivity Software/LibreOffice/Calligra

        • LibreOffice Dark Mode on Windows Together with Dark Colibre Icon Theme

          One of the trending UX features right now is dark mode. According to one study, 58% of Americans experience digital eye strain from using computers. One of the factors causing it is blue light radiation from the screen. That’s where the possible idea of ​​a screen that slows down your tired eyes more comes from.

      • Programming/Development

        • Linux Hint ☛ How to Add a Navigation Menu in WordPress

          This tutorial explains how to add a navigation menu in WordPress easily. After reading this tutorial, you will be able to add navigation menus through the dashboard or from the customization screen. The last section also describes the steps to add menus in widget areas.

          The examples described also show how to add dropdown menus in your navigation menu to customize the structure entirely. But remember that abusing submenus may not be convenient for users with vision impairment. All instructions explained in this tutorial include screenshots. Thus, making it easy for all WordPress user levels to apply them.

        • Linux Hint ☛ Scala String Interpolation

          String interpolation in the Scala programming language refers to the process of replacing certain variables or expressions within a string with some other suitable value according to the context. This process is used extensively to deal with strings in the Scala programming language.

          Therefore, in this article, we will discuss all the different string interpolators of the Scala programming language followed by their respective usage in Ubuntu 20.04.

        • Linux Hint ☛ How to Read Files in Scala

          File reading in Scala is used as much as in any other programming language. By using the file reading techniques, we can easily open a file and manipulate it according to our requirements. Scala has multiple ways of reading a file. However, this article will share the three most commonly used file reading methods using the Scala programming language in Ubuntu 20.04.

        • Linux Hint ☛ Check PHP Version Linux

          While working in the computer science field, you must have heard about some programming languages. One of those languages is “PHP” which can be used in various operating systems. It is used to design and create websites or their pages for a better look and feel. You can call it a server-scripting language as well. All the languages came up with many of the versions i.e., old to new. Thus, we have decided to see how we can find out the version of installed PHP on the Ubuntu 20.04 Linux operating system using simple version commands on the shell.

          So, let’s just get started by the login from Ubuntu 20.04 system. After login, try to open your Ubuntu 20.04 terminal console application from its application area using the search activity bar. Write “terminal” and tap Enter. An application named “terminal” will be shown. Click on it to open it. If you want to avoid this complex and long procedure, just use the “Ctrl+Alt+T” shortcut. Let’s get started with the newly launched terminal shell and the system update in it.

        • Linux Hint ☛ Radix Sort (C++)

          A radix or base is a representation of a number that shows how many digits are required to represent a positional number. For example, to represent the binary number, the radix value is 2 (we represent the binary either with 0 or 1). To represent the decimal number, the radix value is 10 (we represent the decimal number with numbers 0 to 9).

        • The Register UK ☛ C isn’t a programming language anymore • The Register

          Aria Beingessner, a member of the teams that implemented both Rust and Swift, has an interesting take on some of those (and other) language’s problems – that C isn’t a programming language anymore.

          Beingessner should know. They’ve previously worked on and written about both Rust and Swift.

          There are many problems with the C language. To pick just a few: it can be difficult to parse; there are competing and subtly incompatible variants; and then there are the complex ways C defines and handles integers and other variables.

          For instance, after much deliberation, a bunch of companies called the Aspen Group settled on a programming model for 64-bit Unix and Unix-like OSes called LP64, also known as “4/8/8″. Unfortunately, 64-bit Microsoft Windows uses a different model, called LLP64 or “4/4/8″.

        • Linux Hint ☛ How to Make an Array of Structs in C

          We will first understand the structures in C and then we will discuss about the array of structures in C. We will also go through the array of structure pointers and how to access the structure members within the array of structure objects.

          Structs are the user defined group of similar or different data types. Similar or different group of data types can be grouped under one name known as structures.

        • Shell/Bash/Zsh/Ksh

          • Linux Hint ☛ Bash Check If Directory Exists

            Directories and folders are the main and quite important parts of any operating system. Without the directories and files, our system doesn’t get completed. The directories are used to store the sub-folders and files that hold data in them for security and personal work. Within the Linux operating system, we have also got the same file system i.e., directories and sub-folders. Bash programming came up with some of the very simple commands and statements to check if the specific directory of a file exists in our system or not. Therefore, we have decided to write this article to check if the directory exists in our Linux system or not.

          • Linux Hint ☛ Bash For Loop Continue

            Bash programming is quite well-known amongst Linux users. Within the bash script, we tend to use many loops, statements, and clauses to perform different operations. The most famous loop is the “for” loop in any programming language. Bash programming came up with the “continue” and “break” statements. If you are using any Linux distribution and want to know about the use of the “continue” clause in the “for” loop, then this article is especially for you.

          • Linux Hint ☛ Bash Nested For Loop

            Loops are the data structure used in many languages to perform some task in iterations i.e., repeatedly until the actual goal is achieved. One of the many loops of programming is the “For” loop. The “for” loop can be used alone and more than one “for” loop in a sequence is said to be “nested”. Therefore, we have decided to use the “nested” for loops in Bash programming within our examples of today’s article. So, let’s start with the opening of the terminal shell in the Ubuntu 20.04 system via the “Ctrl+Alt+T” shortcut.

          • Linux Hint ☛ Bash Sleep 1 Second

            Whenever we have been working on something, we tend to feel hectic after some time. Therefore, we need rest to recover ourselves or refresh the whole work mode. Just like that, sometimes our Linux system also requires sleep for a few seconds. It came up with the “sleep” function to make the processing of anything pause for a specified period. This sleep function can be utilized within the bash script and within the terminal shell to perform the same goal. Therefore, we have decided to discuss the sleep function in Ubuntu 20.04 Linux system. Let’s just get started with the login from an Ubuntu 20.04 system.After the login, you need to open Ubuntu’s terminal application as we have to perform the sleep command in it. To open it, try the “Ctrl+Alt+T” shortcut. If for some reason the shortcut doesn’t work for you, click on the “Activity” menu from the taskbar of Ubuntu’s desktop. The search bar will be opened. Click on the search area, write “terminal” and press the key “Enter”. The application will be shown on your screen. Click on the “terminal” application and it will be launched within no more than 5 seconds according to your system speed.

        • Rust

          • This Week In Rust: This Week in Rust 435
          • Linux Hint ☛ Rust Generics

            Hello Rustaceans. For this one, we will explore what are generics and how to use generic types in the Rust language. Generics trips most new Rust beginners but we will do our best effort to make it as clear as possible.

            If you are interested in exploring more Rust topics, check our Rust list to learn more.

          • Linux Hint ☛ Rust Smart Pointers

            Pointers are not a new thing to any programmer. They are a feature that allows you to use variables to store an address in memory. The address then “points to”, hence pointer, to data stored in that location.

            Smart pointers are pointers with extended capabilities, such as bound checks and automatic memory management. Smart pointers also include additional metadata. Now, the concept of smart pointers is not new, especially to C++ programmers.

            For this article, we will explore various smart pointers as defined in the Rust standard library.

          • Linux Hint ☛ 16 Rust Programming Code Examples

            Programming is all about problem-solving. There is no way you can become a proficient programmer without practicing and building things. In this article we will create projects to get you started in the Rust programming language.

  • Leftovers

    • Mid weak

      I have been fortunate that for the last two years I’ve been working from home, with maybe a once a quarter trip to the mother ship, I mean office. Web work has its advantages.

    • Hardware

      • How I got my holy grail

        It’s been almost two years since I wrote the post about searching for my holy grail – the dual-CPU board Asus P/I-P65UP5[1], which I had between 2003 and 2012 when it burned out.

        For years the board was nowhere to be found. Then it appeared twice in a period of two weeks: one on eBay, one on a local auction portal.

    • Integrity/Availability

      • Proprietary

        • Security

          • Securing Gemini Servers

            In what is bound to be a refreshing break from whining about software I thought I might make a short post on some avenues toward securing gemini servers. There were a few recent instances of path traversal bugs exposing peoples’ servers — what are some options for mitigating that sort of risk?

            Obviously everyone these days uses containers for everything but personally I don’t love them as a technology. All of my old skills go out the window and the options are to sacrifice observability or pull in a whole new ecosystem of tooling that goes out of fashion faster than my wardrobe. I like running a boring Linux server using a long term support release, in my case Debian stable.

          • Purism ☛ Security Self-Sufficiency – Purism

            Many people take Carnegie’s advice to heart when it comes to security. They anchor almost all of their security with a single vendor, and the vendor is more than happy to oblige. Most infosec vendors seem incapable of designing security architectures that don’t put their products at the root of all trust. “Just give us your keys,” they say, “and we’ll take care of the rest.”

            It’s not just that this is the easiest architecture to design, it’s also to the vendor’s benefit if their customers are fully dependent on them. When you outsource all security decisions and trust, both the individual consumer and the enterprise are incapable of protecting themselves in the face of threats. When inevitably there’s a hole in the vendor’s basket and eggs start to break, the customer discovers just how powerless they are to do anything about it. Often they even find it challenging to get information about the size of the hole and whether their eggs are affected.

            We live in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent society. Many people have realized over the past few years just how dependent they have been on outsourced infrastructure and supplies, and how unnerving it can be when those things are disrupted. In response, a number of people have changed their focus toward more self-sufficiency.

          • Julia Evans ☛ Implementing a toy version of TLS 1.3

            Recently I’ve been thinking about how I find it fun to learn computer networking by implementing working versions of real network protocols.

            And it made me wonder – I’ve implemented toy versions of traceroute, TCP and DNS. What about TLS? Could I implement a toy version of that to learn more about how it works?

            I asked on Twitter if this would be hard, got some encouragement and pointers for where to start, so I decided to go for it.

            This was really fun and I learned a little more about how involved real cryptography is – thanks to cryptopals, I already 100% believed that I should not invent my own crypto implementations, and seeing how the crypto in TLS 1.3 works gave me even more of an appreciation for why I shouldn’t :)

            As a warning: I am really not a cryptography person, I will probably say some incorrect things about cryptography in this post and I absolutely do not know the history of past TLS vulnerabilities that informed TLS 1.3’s design.

            All of that said, let’s go implement some cryptography! All of my hacky code is on github. I decided to use Go because I heard that Go has good crypto libraries.

          • ZDNet ☛ Some developers are fouling up open-source software [Ed: This is a malware issue, it’s shipped by Microsoft, but SJVN carries on misattributing the issue]

            For example, JavaScript’s package manager maintainer RIAEvangelist, Brandon Nozaki Miller, wrote and published an open-code npm source-code package called peacenotwar. It did little but print a message for peace to desktops. So far, so harmless.

            Miller then inserted malicious code into the package to overwrite users’ filesystems if their computer had a Russia or Belarus IP address. He then added it as a dependency to his popular node-ipc program and instant chaos! Numerous servers and PCs went down as they updated to the newest code and then their systems had their drives erased.

    • AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

      • Alex’ journal

        It’s a bit insane how racist people are being towards Ketanji Brown Jackson

    • Monopolies

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