06.16.22

GNU/Linux

• Linux Links ☛ Linux Around The World: Austria – LinuxLinks

  We cover events and user groups that are running in Austria. This article forms part of our Linux Around The World series.

• Audiocasts/Shows

  • Video ☛ Photoshop on the web, Thunderbird on Android, and Linux malware: Linux and open source news – Invidious

• Kernel Space

  • The Next Platform ☛ Meta Platforms Hacks CXL Memory Tier Into Linux

    We have been excited about the possibilities of adding tiers of memory to systems, particularly persistent memories that are less expensive than DRAM but offer similar-enough performance and functionality to be useful.

    In particular, we have been strong advocates for disaggregating DRAM memory from the CPUs that make use of it and for the creation tiers of pooled memory that are shared by many systems, thus driving massive memory capacity expansion and the kind of utilization that has been common in storage area networks in the enterprise datacenter for decades now.

    But prying apart the memory hierarchy and jamming in some new hardware doesn’t magically enable that new tier – or tiers – to be immediately useful. Very clever systems software has to be created transparently make use of that new memory. We say transparent – and that is a good word for it, as hyperscaler Meta Platforms and its Facebook social network division knows full well – because in order for this new, disaggregated memory to be accepted, it cannot mean that applications have to be rewritten to exploit the new memory technology and tier. This all has to happen under the skins and within the operating system kernel – in this case, the Linux kernel – because even a hyperscaler like Facebook, with legions of PhDs working as software engineers, cannot afford to go back and rewrite – and debug – its entire stack of code.

• Graphics Stack

  • Free Desktop ☛ [ANNOUNCE] mesa 22.1.2

    Hi list,
    
    I'd like to announce Mesa 22.1.2 is now available, after a short delay
    to bisect a regression. That's been fixed, and now we have a release!
    There's a lot of zink here, thanks to Mike for help with manually
    backporting parts of it! We've als got a bunch of fixes for panfrost,
    and some for intel, radeon, llvmpip, dzn, broadcom, nir, core gallium,
    the va state tracker, and freedreno.
    
    Cheers,
    Dylan
    

• Applications

  • Its FOSS ☛ 9 Best Matrix Clients for Decentralized Messaging

    Matrix is an open network standard tailored for secure decentralized real-time communication.

    It is published and maintained by a non-profit, Matrix.org Foundation. They aim to create an open, independent, and evolving communication platform.

    If an application supports the Matrix protocol, you can consider it a Matrix client.

• Instructionals/Technical

  • LinuxOpSys ☛ How to Give Root Privileges to a User in Linux

    The “root” super user is the king of users in Linux/Unix. Having root access grants full and unlimited access to the Linux box.

    The root or super user has full permission to read(r), write (w) and execute(x) any file. By default root user id is ’0′.

    In this tutorial, I will show you how to allow root access to a user in a Linux system. Typically, root level access is used in system administration. So it is always a pain to give root access to other users. You need to be careful and should withdraw the access once the need to do so is over.

  • ByteXD ☛ Install OpenRGB in Ubuntu/Debian-based Linux Distros – ByteXD

    The RGB lighting effects in PCs and their peripheral parts make the experience vivid and add aesthetics to the setup.

    The lighting feature is available in almost all components like keyboards, mice, fans, etc. Moreover, the hardware manufacturers provide their own software for controlling their RGB lighting systems.

    It is a positive thing, but there is a downside for Linux users. They do not create the software for Linux systems.

  • ByteXD ☛ How to Install GNOME Themes – ByteXD

    Knowing how to install GNOME themes empowers you to customize the appearance of your Linux graphical user interface. It entails defining GNOME, knowing how it works, and installing themes step-by-step.

    By the end of this tutorial, you will not only know how to install themes but navigate the file explorer and change the shell, and icons look.

  • Install OTRS Ticketting System on Ubuntu 22.04 – kifarunix.com

    Knowing how to install GNOME themes empowers you to customize the appearance of your Linux graphical user interface. It entails defining GNOME, knowing how it

  • TechRepublic ☛ How to install the Unbound DNS resolver on Ubuntu 22.04 | TechRepublic

    Unbound is a free and open-source recursive and validating DNS caching server, which uses DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-HTTPS to encrypt connections. Unbound is much faster than Bind9 and can help to reduce the loading time of web pages and other calls that require DNS resolution. Unbound also supports DNSSEC validation, so it can serve as a trust anchor on your network.

    I want to show you how to install Unbound on Ubuntu 22.04. This can be installed on either Ubuntu Server or Desktop and you’ll gain significant DNS resolving speed over the default.

  • Ubuntubuzz ☛ LibreOffice Calc: Create Data Entry Form

    Are you tired to do manual data entry into a spreadsheet? Would you like to make it easier with a form window? If you think this requires macros, no, it doesn’t require one. LibreOffice Calc can help you making data entry form instantly out of any table you have. Let’s create it now.

  • Ubuntu Handbook ☛ How to Enable Top Panel on Multiple Monitors in Ubuntu 22.04 | UbuntuHandbook

    Have your Ubuntu PC connected with multiple monitors? Here’s how to enable the top bar in all the displays.

    In Ubuntu 22.04, you may easily enable the left Dock in all displays via System Settings ->Appearance -> Dock -> show on ‘All Displays’.

    However, due to GNOME’s design issue, the top panel only appears in the primary display. So I’m writing this tutorial that could help.

  • ByteXD ☛ Inkscape Introductory Tutorial for Absolute Beginners – ByteXD

    When computers started to invade homes and work-place; and specifically, when people started using computers for generating art, something called raster graphics (the formal name for images with pixels) was the primary medium for working with visuals on computers; because of the discrete nature of computers (0’s and 1’s).

    But when vector graphics (no pixels) emerged, they were really like fire in bush, and became popular quickly, and in this article, we will discuss Inkscape, the oldest and most solid free and open-source vector graphics editor and creator out there.

  • ByteXD ☛ How to Use Stroke to Path in Inkscape – ByteXD

    Paths are primary elements in constructing vector graphics. One can say that a path is a set of connected points (called nodes), yet another description is that a path is a general-shaped region enclosed with a boundary.

    The region is called the fill (some refer to it as the path itself); the stroke is a tiny strip along the path’s boundary that can be colored separately of the fill color.

  • ByteXD ☛ How to Select Areas by Color in Inkscape – ByteXD

    Imagine this scenario: you are working on a large illustration of nature, but suddenly you thought that these pink flowers (which are really a lot, and they are scattered along the landscape) are better off being purple, yet selecting all of these flowers individually would be tedious, wouldn’t it?

    Here comes a great tool for selecting multiple objects (or paths), which satisfy a certain criterion, be it fill or stroke colors, stroke style or object type.

    In our example, the criterion would be the color of the fill, because all the flowers are already pink, so we will select them using that color.

  • ByteXD ☛ How to Align Objects to Center of the Page in Inkscape – ByteXD

    The first time I was working with vector graphics, I encountered an obstacle.

    How could I possibly align two rectangles perfectly, given that the resolution is technically infinite? Well, it will be impossible to align any two objects by just eyeballing and adjusting the position based on what you see.

    But thanks to the Align and Distribute tool in Inkscape for offering not just unreachable precision, but also with no much time or effort, and this article will show how you can align object to the center of the page.

  • Techtown ☛ How to Install RabbitMQ on Ubuntu 20.04 – Techtown

    Many times we have so many applications that require communication between them that it becomes heavy, slow, and difficult to manage them. That is why there are important applications like RabbitMQ that facilitate the process, making the matter much more bearable. Today, you will learn the process of installing RabbitMQ on Ubuntu 20.04.

  • Make Use Of ☛ How to Install a Plugin In Vim

    Vim is a versatile, powerful, and lightweight command-line text editor that has proven to be indispensable over time.

    You can install Vim on Windows, macOS, Unix, and Linux. Actually, most Unix and Linux-based systems come with Vim by default. One of the best ways to extend Vim’s functionality is via plugins, and here’s how you can install plugins in Vim.

• Games

  • Liliputing ☛ Anbernic RG353P is a retro gaming handheld that dual boots Android and Linux – Liliputing

    Handheld gaming company Anbernic’s latest device is a device with a retro design, a 3.5 inch, 640 x 480 pixel touchscreen IPS LCD display, and a 1.8 GHz Rockchip RK3566 quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor with Mali-G52 MP2 graphics.

    But perhaps the most unusual thing about the Anbernic RG353P is that it’s a dual-boot system that ships with both Android and Linux software. The RG353P goes up for pre-order June 18th, with prices starting at $130.

  • Make Use Of ☛ Proton 7.0-3 Release Boosts Linux, Steam Deck Game Compatibility, but Will It Entice Gamers to Switch to Linux?

    Valve Software, the creator of the popular Steam PC gaming platform and hit titles like Half-Life and Portal, has announced the release of Proton 7.0-3, improving Linux compatibility with Windows games. The release will enhance the Steam Deck’s compatibility with existing games.

    Proton 7.0-3 Makes More Games Linux-compatible

    The Proton 7.0-3 release brings a number of improvements, particularly in increasing the number of games that Proton can play. These include the classic adventure game, Beneath a Steel Sky (despite long having a native Linux port), as well as Age of Chivalry, Cities XXL, Star Wars Episode I Racer, and Warhammer: End Times, among others. A full listing of newly supported titles is available on Valve’s GitHub changelog for Proton.

  • Conquer Your Daemons or Command Them — Total War: WARHAMMER III now available on Linux | Feral News

    Total War: WARHAMMER III, the cataclysmic conclusion to the sweeping WARHAMMER trilogy is now available for Linux!

    Four Ruinous Powers surge from the Realm of Chaos to engulf the world, over which two mighty kingdoms of mortals stand sentinel. Lead daemonic armies on their campaigns of Chaos, or defend the mortal realms from their relentless onslaught.

• Desktop Environments/WMs

  • GNOME Desktop/GTK

    • Linuxiac ☛ GNOME Is the Winner of Microsoft’s FOSS Fund for May 2022 [Ed: GNOME was already corrupted well before this]

      Microsoft’s FOSS Fund program provides $10,000 to sponsor open source projects. For May, the award will go to GNOME.

      Microsoft has been working hard in recent years to dispel the notion that the company is an enemy of open source. Occasionally, though, some actions contradict this, but these are exceptions to the overall rule.

Distributions and Operating Systems

• SUSE/OpenSUSE

  • SUSE’s Corporate Blog ☛ K3s and NATS: A technology stack developers love to use at the Edge | SUSE Communities

    As innovation takes off at the Edge, one aspect we’re all trying to avoid is complexity. There is simply no room at the Edge for complexity— or much else for that matter. Simple, fast, robust, small yet powerful and dynamic is the name of the game. These demands are high. Enter ‘cloud native’ tech with its lack of assumptions, microservices architectures, container-based applications and dynamic orchestration of compute, storage, and networking resources and it’s quickly becoming apparent how fit for purpose cloud native is for the Edge.

• Fedora Family / IBM

  • Tune it Up: Improving Redis Performance for Ampere A1 on Oracle Linux in OCI

  • Red Hat Official ☛ Upskill on RHEL 9

    Last month, Red Hat announced the availability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (RHEL 9), boasting a more flexible and stable foundation to support hybrid cloud innovation and a faster, more consistent experience for deploying applications and critical workloads across physical, virtual, private and public cloud and edge deployments. Red Hat Training and Certification has always iterated their offerings in tandem with Red Hat product releases, and the launch of RHEL 9 is no exception. Courses and exams have been updated to reflect changes in the Red Hat product portfolio, so that learners are able to access training relevant to the version of Red Hat software that is used in their own working environment.

• Canonical/Ubuntu Family

  • Liliputing ☛ Hacker installs Ubuntu on a Google Nest Hub (2nd-gen) smart display

    
    The 2nd-gen Google Nest Hub is a smart display with a 7 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel touchscreen display, a built-in speaker, and a lightweight operating system designed to put Google Assistant front and center.

    But security expert Frédéric Basse found a security vulnerability that could be exploited to install other operating systems on the Nest Hub, and as a demonstration he installed Ubuntu Linux.

• Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

  • HowTo Geek ☛ How to Get Lock Screen Widgets on Android

  • Kim Kommando ☛ Notepin for Android has a notification feature we wish was built in

  • Notebook Check ☛ Xiaomi presents POCO C40 globally with MIUI 13 based on Android 11 and a 6.71-inch display – NotebookCheck.net News

  • 9to5Google ☛ Android Privacy Sandbox Developer Preview 3 released – 9to5Google

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

• The New Stack ☛ Isovalent Open Sources Tetragon, eBPF-Based Observability Platform – The New Stack

  How deep do you want to observe your systems? Would you like to peer all the way into the depths of the Linux kernel? If that sounds good to you, you’ll be happy to know that Isovalent, a company that incorporates networking, security, Kubernetes, and eBPF into its programs, recently open sourced Tetragon. It’s a very useful eBPF-based security observability and runtime enforcement platform.

  You may not know its name, but Tetragon is not a new program. Isovalent has used it for years in its Isovalent Cilium Enterprise program. Cilium monitors network and runtime behavior with Kubernetes identity to provide a single source of data for cloud native forensics, audit, and compliance monitoring. In short, it works well.

• OSI Blog ☛ The year of change for the Open Source Initiative [Ed: OSI admits that its paid membership decreased this past year; so OSI uses a fictional concept of membership; OSI is passing money to Microsoft (ClearlyDefined) and is thus partly a Microsoft front group, promoting proprietary software (GitHub)]

  Three organizations joined our Affiliate membership program and we also served as a fiscal sponsor for SeaGL and ClearlyDefined.

• Events

  • FSF ☛ Friday Free Software Directory on IRC: June 17 starting at 12:00 p.m. EDT/16:00 UTC

    Join the FSF and friends this Friday, June 17, from 12:00 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT (16:00 to 19:00 UTC) to help improve the Free Software Directory.

  • Collabora ☛ Emerging ideas at Open Source Summit North America

    Big events draw in an array of individuals to learn and connect, and the Open Source Summit North America is no exception. Offering a multitude of events and sessions, attendees will be immersed in all things open source.

    Taking place at the JW Marriott Austin in Texas, open source enthusiasts will have the chance to collaborate in person after two years of attending the conference virtually. Jam-packed with sessions to uncover from June 21 to 24, be sure to catch three talks by Collabora’s very own.

    Highlighting the benefits of a people-first driven approach, People Lead Manager Dave Bevan will be giving two separate talks. The first will breakdown the importance bridging cultural distinctions and the second will showcase strategies to foster team spirit within a remote environment.

  • Ubuntu ☛ Operator Day at Kubecon EU 2022 – recordings available! | Ubuntu

    The Operator Day at Kubecon EU 2022, hosted by Canonical, took place on Monday 16 May 2022. We thank everyone for attending the event. Our thanks go out especially to those who engaged with us via chat during the online event. We enjoyed answering questions and having conversations during the presentations. If you missed Operator Day, we have good news.

• Web Browsers

  • curl –insecure

    WARNING: be sure you know what you’re doing! this is especially true to knowing what website you’re trying to access. It may be fine to ignore SSL warnings for a local dev environment on your laptop or for accessing internal URLs in your private infrastructure. But anything on the public Internet that gives you an SSL warning must be reviwed before you progress.

  • Daniel Stenberg ☛ curl user survey 2022 analysis | daniel.haxx.se

    Once again I’ve collected the numbers, generated graphs, scratched my head and tried to understand what users mean and how to best use this treasure trove of user feedback.

    The curl user survey 2022 ran for two full weeks in the end of May. Here is the document with all the numbers, graphs and analysis from this year’s data.

    You will learn what protocols curl users use (HTTPS and HTTP), which TLS backend is the most popular (OpenSSL) and which the top platform is (Linux). And a lot more.

  • Mozilla

    • Mozilla ☛ Kids are growing up in a very online world. What’s a concerned parent to do?

      Technology is easy to blame for the mental health crisis that kids are facing. But according to experts, it’s not that simple.

      A rare public advisory from the U.S. surgeon general in December 2021 warned that young people are facing unprecedented challenges that have had a “devastating” effect on their mental health. These difficulties were already widespread before the pandemic started in 2020 — with up to 1 in 5 people in the U.S. ages 3 to 17 having a reported mental, emotional, developmental or behavioral disorder.

      We often attribute the crisis to technology, particularly social media. After all, young people today are spending much of their time glued to screens like no generation before them. One study conducted in 2021 found that teens spent 7.7 hours per day in front of screens for activities unrelated to school. But there is not a definitive correlation between mental health and social media use.

    • Mozilla ☛ Hacks Decoded: Bikes and Boomboxes with Samuel Aboagye [Ed: What does that have to do with the Web, with Mozilla, or with Firefox?]

Leftovers

• Environment

  • Energy

    • One hand knows what the other hand does

      The Swedish gov’t is gonna contribute 6000 million SEK to people’s electricity bills. Probably a needed thing, short term, but:

      1. If even one fraction of the reason for them having to do that (the high electricity cost) is because of miners (driving the price up (even partially as one of many factors)), I’m salty about that.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • When some evangelicals worshipped the wrong guy

    The fact that Donald J. Trump fulfills a hundred of the biblical checkbox prophecies for being the antichrist, the interloper, the deceiver—that’s not a reason to become a literal believer in a book over your own eyes and heart. Apophenia can trip you up and people like Trump have existed through the ages.

    But it is a reason to call into question all these evangelicals falling at Trump’s feet. They are, once again, making it painfully clear that they don’t read their own book. They worship the one person their book told them to not worship, while they tread upon the people their lamb asked them to lift up and care for.

• Internet/Gemini

  • Blogs, Authorship, and External Valdation

    I have been getting more and more into reading other peoples glogs, blogs, journals, whatever you want to call em. The small net as it turns out is a treasure trove of verbal people willing to sit down and write about things which interest them and novel thoughts on any degree of subjects. Its mind opening seeing different expectations each author has for their blog.

    Recently, a HUGE inspiration came to me from Nickspheres “Shouting into the void” where they explicitly expressed their own desires for their journal and what they want out of it. We diverge on many ideas but his contemplations helped open the floodgates to my own contemplations on what I actually want out of this.

  • Exploration

    While dealing with some tough moments and situations in the past few months, I’ve begun to explore the area. Some of the discoveries have become places of great sentimental value to me.

    I began personal therapy several weeks ago. Of course it would be inappropriate to discuss personal issues at my workplace, so I found a park close to my office that I can quickly drive to before session started. I’ve now attended the majority of my therapy sessions while sitting in my car at that park. As ar esult, that park has become a metaphorical place where I can speak my mind openly and frankly. I almost don’t want to go back there under other circumstances.

  • Technological Dependence

    Many people, myself included, have grown too comfortable with the conveniences of modern technology. When was the last time you went on a road trip without reliance on realtime GPS? I recently did, and it was eye opening.