Bonum Certa Men Certa

Links 02/04/2023: GNUnet 0.19.4 and Pine64/RISC-V SoC



  • GNU/Linux

    • Pine64March Update: Tablet Bonanza!

      We end the first quarter of the year with news that Star64 will be available for purchase on April 4th and that the PineTab2 and PineTab-V(ery good!) will launch the following week€  on April 11th.

    • Linux GizmosPine64 officially launches STAR64 RISC-V based SBC

      Pine64 announced today that the STAR64 Single Board Computer can be ordered from April 4th.

    • Liliputing PineTab2 Linux tablet coming April 11 for $159 and up
      The PineTab2 is a Linux-friendly tablet with a 10.1 inch display, a detachable keyboard, and a Rockchip RK3566 quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor.

      First unveiled in December, the new tablet has a faster processor, more memory, sturdier build quality and other improvements over the original PineTab. But one thing the new tablet has in common with its predecessor? It’s cheap. The PineTab2 will sell for $159 and up when it goes on sale April 11, 2023.

    • OMG! Linux$70 RISC-V Computer from Pine64 Goes on Sale April 4

      Been itching to get your paws on some affordable RISC-V hardware? If so, Pine64 has you covered.

    • CNX Software Pine64 Star64 SBC with StarFive JH7110 RISC-V SoC with GPU to launch for $69.99 and up
      Pine64 Star64 is a single board computer (SBC) powered by StarFive JH7110 quad-core 64-bit RISC-V processor equipped with an Imagination BXE-4-32 GPU, and in a form factor similar to the earlier Pine64 model A boards such as the Quartz64 Model A.

      The Star64 SBC ships with either 4GB or 8GB of RAM, an HDMI 2.0 video output connector, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, a WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 module, USB 3.0 ports, a PCIe slot, and a GPIO header for expansion.

  • WINE or Emulation

    • NeowinWine 8.5 released with WinRT dark theme support [Ed: Microsofters try to make it all about Microsoft]

      Just two weeks after the last update, Wine 8.5 has been released with support for the WinRT dark theme. Read on to learn more about what's new in this update and how to install it on your system.

  • Distributions and Operating Systems

    • New Releases

    • PCLinuxOS/Mageia/Mandriva/OpenMandriva Family

      • PCLOS OfficialPCLinuxOS Kernel Updates

        Kernels 6.2.9, 6.1.22 LTS and 5.15.105 LTS are now available in the PCLinuxOS Software Repository.

      • PCLOS OfficialDiscord updated to 0.0.26

        All-in-one voice and text chat that’s free, secure, and works on both your desktop and phone. Stop paying for TeamSpeak servers and hassling with Skype. Simplify your life.

      • PCLOS OfficialOpera Browser

        The Opera Browser has been updated to 97.0.4719.43 and available in the software repository.

      • PCLOS OfficialSeaMonkey Browser

        SeaMonkey Browser has been updated to 2.53.16 and shipped to the PCLinuxOS Software Repository.

    • Debian Family

      • Sparky GNU/LinuxSparky news 2023/03

        The 3rd monthly Sparky project and donate report of the 2023...

      • Mike Hommey: Announcing git-cinnabar 0.6.0

        Git-cinnabar is a git remote helper to interact with mercurial repositories. It allows to clone, pull and push from/to mercurial remote repositories, using git.

        Get it on github.

        These release notes are also available on the git-cinnabar wiki.

        What’s new since 0.5.11?
      • Russ AllberyRuss Allbery: rra-c-util 10.4

        rra-c-util is my library of supporting functions, code, Autoconf macros, and similar portability and build machinery helpers. This is a very minor release, made mostly because I haven't done a non-work free software release in rather too long.

      • Paul Wise: FLOSS Activities March 2023
        Focus

        This month I didn't have any particular focus. I just worked on issues in my info bubble.

      • Junichi Uekawa: April.

        April. Cherry blossoms are in full. Beautiful weather.

      • Debian Brasil: First 2023 translation workshop from the pt_BR team

        The Brazilian translation team debian-l10n-portuguese had their first workshop of 2023 in February, with great results:

        • The workshop was aimed at beginners, working in DDTP/DDTSS.
        • Two days of a hands-on workshop via Jitsi.
        • In the following days, translation work continued independently, with team support.

        • Subscribers: 29

        • New contributors to DDPT/DDTSS: 22

        • Translations from new participants: 175

        • Revisions from new participants : 261

        Our focus was to complete the descriptions of the 500 most popular packages (popcon). Although we were unable to reach 100% of the translation cycle, much of these descriptions are in progress and with a little more work will be available to the community.

    • Canonical/Ubuntu Family

      • Make Use Of15 Common Ubuntu Terms, Jargon, and Lingo: Explained

        Ubuntu is easily the most popular choice for an operating system if you're planning to switch to Linux. And if you want to make the transition easier, knowing the meaning of some common terms like sudo, package manager, LTS, and APT is a good idea.

        Understanding Ubuntu’s terminology will help you gain knowledge of how it works, helping you utilize the operating system to its full potential. Besides, if you’re switching to Linux, you probably want to become a power user. Knowing the meaning of these terms is the first step to becoming one.

        So let’s look at some common Ubuntu terms, jargon, and lingo that you should know about.

    • Devices/Embedded

      • Linux GizmosT-Firefly reveals modular PC with Rockchip SoC

        T-Firefly introduced a PC with modular design powered by the Octa-core Rockchip RK3588 processor. The Station P3D can be configured with multiple display ports, Ethernet ports and serial ports to target diverse user applications.

      • [Repeat] CNX SoftwareX88Pro 13 8K TV box runs Android 13 on Rockchip RK3528 SoC

        Rockchip demonstrated the Rockchip RK3528 TV box SoC at Mobile World Congress 2023, and the first Android 13 TV boxes based on the processors are now showing up for sale starting with the LEMFO X88Pro 13 TV box. The device comes with up to 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, supports up to 8Kp25 video decoding, features Fast Ethernet and WiFi 6 networking, as well as a few USB ports, and possibly optical S/PDIF audio output.

    • Open Hardware/Modding

  • Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

    • Content Management Systems (CMS)

      • Bruce PerensHello world! [Ed: Bruce Perens now on WordPress]

        Welcome to Bruce Perens – Undeveloped Domain Sites.

    • GNU Projects

    • Programming/Development

      • Barry KaulerAppImage Installer first download working version

        In the last few blog posts, mentioned a problem with downloading the latest AppImage file. A version may work, a later version may not. Therefore, the Installer now downloads a known working version.

        For the first installation, that is. Later on, there can be a deliberate choice to update to the latest. If the update doesn't work, it is easy to roll back, just by renaming /usr/bin/<app>.binOLD to /usr/bin/<app>.bin

      • Hubert FiguièreHubert Figuière: Niepce March 2023 updates

        This is the March 2023 update for Niepce. This is not an April's fool, and this is not the year I can announce a release on April's fool day. Sorry about that.

        Continuing with the renderer / previewer cache.

      • GNUGNU Guix: Reinstating an iconic error message

        Software development is a social process. What might be a “bug” for someone might well be a “feature” for someone else. The Guix project rediscovered it the hard way when, after “fixing a bug” that had been present in Guix System for years, it was confronted with an uproar in its user base.

        In this post we look at why developers considered the initial behavior a “bug”, why users on the contrary had come to rely on it, and why developers remained blind to it. A patch to reinstate the initial behavior is being reviewed. This post is also an opportunity for us Guix developers to extend our apologies to our users whose workflow was disrupted.

      • It's FOSS10 Tweaks to Supercharge Gedit as Code Editor

        Gedit is a good text editor. Turn it into a good code editor with these tips, tricks and tweaks.

      • C / C++

        • Linux HintWhat is cout in C++ Language

          The cout is used in a C++ program to output data to the console. For more details about cout use and its examples, follow this article’s guidelines.

        • Linux HintLittle Endian vs Big Endian in C

          Practical guide on the concept of endianness in computer and how to utilize it by understanding the differences between little endian and big endian machines.

        • Linux HintHow to Initialize Vector in C++

          Vectors are very simple to understand in C++ as it stores elements of the same datatype in memory dynamically and there are many ways it initializes vectors.

        • Linux HintHow to Convert a Python Program to C/C++ Code

          You can convert a Python program to C/C++ code manually, using online convertors, or by installing compilers. For more details, follow this article.

      • Shell/Bash/Zsh/Ksh

      • Java

        • Linux HintWhat is String equals() in Java

          The “String equals()” method compares two strings and returns the corresponding boolean values based on the equivalent or unequal strings.

        • Linux HintJava Syntax for print() and println()

          In Java, the “print()” method prints the particular values without any line break whereas the “println()” method prints the values with a default line break.

        • Linux HintHow to Compare Two BigDecimals in Java

          A “BigDecimal” in Java comprises a 32-bit integer scale. The two BigDecimals in Java can be compared by applying the “compareTo()”, or the “equals()” methods.

        • Linux HintArrays.stream() Method in Java

          The “stream(T[] array)” method of the Arrays class in Java returns a sequential stream of the array passed as its argument.

        • How to Properly Use Reflection in Java

          Reflection in Java is a mechanism that allows you to inspect and modify the behavior of classes, methods, interfaces, and fields at runtime, even if you do not have access to their source code during compile time.

  • Leftovers

    • MWLApril Fool’s Collection

      I believe that April Fools’ pranks should be benign violations of expectations, and that they are best when they have a physical reality. If they don’t have a physical reality, they should be targeted to amuse a small group of people.

    • James GWords I have heard and read recently

      When I hear or read words I have not encountered, I often make a mental note. "This word is new." If I have my phone nearby, I sometimes look up the definition of a word. This morning, for instance, I read a few words in The Guardian whose meanings I did not know. I looked them up so that I could better understand the articles I was reading. Over the last few days, I have been diligent in documenting the words I have newly encountered.

    • Jussi PakkanenJussi Pakkanen: Got the Star Trek - The Motion Picture Director's Edition box set? You might wan to check your discs

      TL/DR

      Star Trek The Motion Picture The Complete Adventure box set claims to contain a special, longer cut of the film. However it seems that this is not the case for some editions. The British edition does contain the longer cut, but the Scandinavian one seems not to. The back of the box still claims that the box set does contain the longer cut.

    • Science AlertHow And Why Some People Lose Their Accents or Pick Up New Ones

      What did you say?

    • TediumA Musical War of the Worlds

      Some musicals have an enduring legacy long after the final curtain is drawn. Then there's Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds.

      [...]

      As a kid, I loved HG Wells, Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, and, well, pretty much any science fiction I could get my grubby little hands on. As time moved on, I discovered Spider Robinson—whose Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon series remains one of my favorites today—and numerous other authors who would come to shape my love of the genre for years to come. But this isn’t a story about that; this is a story about giant robotic tripods from another planet crashing down to earth, a strange tale of a madman preacher, and a narrator’s cinematic journey—all in the inimitable style of the bombastic Jim Steinman-esque, rock opera that was so popular at the time. Join us in today’s Tedium as we explore the enduring popularity of a one-off rock opera based on the most incredible science fiction story of all time: Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds.

  • Gemini* and Gopher

    • Personal

      • Hello, April

        It was a really nice day out today. A *really* nice day out: it felt like early Summer. The weather said 22c / 71f but I think it was quite higher; more than a few people were in shorts and t-shirts.

        I inhaled some of that early Summer air today, and it was fantastic. Cold air in Winter doesn't smell like anything to me, but now in Spring the flowers are out and I could smell the river, and the sun was overhead, not far away, low on the horizon anymore.

    • Technical

      • Internet/Gemini

        • End of March Status Update

          March has been unbelievably busy in my real life. We are moving into a smaller, cheaper house next month in preparation for my wife to attend graduate school, and we've spent the last few weeks packing like madmen to ready our current house for showings. That, combined with a packed schedule at work has left with little time to relax at all, much less specifically devote to Gemini.

          Last week my capsule went offline for two days. The downtime was due to the house showings, which required me to disconnect my home server from the switch. The Ethernet cable had been haphazardly strung across our living room and down our basement steps to reach the server! We worked around the issue using powerline network adapters.

      • Programming

        • Wacky Unix Paths

          /bin//sh is typically used for not so legal purposes. /bin//sh unlike the normal form /bin/sh fits neatly into a 64-bit box, and one may not want any NUL characters in that box...because reasons.

        • Two Neat Features of JQ

          I did not realise until very recently that jq, the command line utility for working with JSON files, is a fully fledged programming language. Like AWK, script files can be passed in with the -f flag in addition to the one-lines that are passed in as string args.


* Gemini (Primer) links can be opened using Gemini software. It's like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter.



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