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Links 30/08/2022: Fwupd 1.8.4 and FTC Privacy Battles



  • GNU/Linux

    • Desktop/Laptop

      • Hacker NoonLinux Desktops and Hardware Enablement - It’s Time for a Change | HackerNoon

        When it comes to those we care about, we wish to see our loved ones succeed and become the best versions of themselves. We encourage them to push forward through this crazy thing we call life, and maybe even become a bit disappointed when someone we love makes a less-than-ideal decision.

        Perhaps the same can be said of fans of the Linux desktop. It's like family to us. But to say that our relationship with Linux on the desktop has been strained would be an understatement. We love our favorite desktop distribution. Perhaps not in the same way as we would feel for a human or canine family member, but we do want to see the Linux Desktop flourish - and dare I say it, succeed.

        Perhaps that's part of the reason why it sometimes becomes so irritating when we Linux enthusiasts witness Linux shooting itself in its own foot. Linux itself is incredibly successful, yet far from perfect - but still surprisingly popular depending on how you look at it. Chances are, the majority of your favorite sites and online services are powered by Linux. And while you were in the process of binge-watching the entirety of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds last week, it was probably a stripped-down variation of the Linux kernel running inside your television that presented Captain Pike's latest adventures onto your screen in glorious 4K.

        If you carry around an Android phone, you can thank Linux for facilitating your recent delivery call to your favorite Chinese restaurant. Who knows, perhaps some of you are reading this article from a Linux PC. (Maybe).

        [...]

        Soon, I'll let you know exactly why I feel as though the decisions being made for many popular distributions are causing the entire Linux desktop dream to be an exercise in futility.

    • Audiocasts/Shows

      • VideoHow Linux Respects Your Privacy (And How Windows Does NOT!) - Invidious

        I often claim that Linux is better for privacy than proprietary operating systems like Windows, Mac, ChromeOS, Android, iOS, etc. Usually, I talk about the things that are hidden from view, like the spyware and keyloggers that Windows secretly uses. Today though, I'm going to talk about easy-to-see, tangible benefits of using Linux if you are concerned about privacy.

    • Applications

      • 9to5LinuxFwupd 1.8.4 Adds Support for Star LabTop Mk III Linux Laptop, Google Prism

        Fwupd 1.8.4 is here to introduce support for new hardware, including the Star LabTop Mk III Linux laptop from UK-based Linux hardware vendor Star Labs, ThinkPad Thunderbolt 4 Dock, ThinkPad Universal Smart Dock, Elan non-HID touchpads, as well as Google Prism.

        It also adds new features like the ability to prompt users to fix the BIOS configuration in case of issues, support for reading and writing BIOS settings, support for loading a machine-default BIOS settings policy, the ability to load BIOS settings for host emulation, and a translated title and long description for HSI security attributes.

      • New fwupd 1.8.4 release - Technical Blog of Richard Hughes

        Today I tagged fwupd 1.8.4 which adds a few nice features and bug fixes. One specific enhancement I wanted to shout about is that we’re now supplying translated summary, description text and suggested actions for each HSI security failure. Two of the most common criticisms of the new GNOME security panel were “but what does it mean” and also “and what should I do” which ironically were fixed long before all the hubbub erupted. If you want to see both new bits of data then make sure you’re using gnome-control-center from the main branch and then install the new fwupd version – although if you’re stuck on a distro version of fwupd GNOME will still fallback to the single-line summary line as before.

    • Instructionals/Technical

      • OSTechNixInstall WINE, Winetricks, Lutris, GameMode With GameReady - OSTechNix

        Hello Linux gamers! Today I came up with an useful tip for you all. In this guide, we will see what is GameReady, how to install WINE, Winetricks, Lutris, GameMode and more using GameReady in Ubuntu and its derivatives!

      • TecMintHow to Install XFCE Desktop in Ubuntu and Linux Mint

        Xfce is a popular lightweight desktop environment for UNIX-like operating systems. It is designed to be fast and light on the utilization of system resources such as memory and CPU. In doing so, Xfce provides optimal performance and is usually recommended for old computers and PCs with low resource specifications.

        At the time of writing this guide, the latest version of Xfce is Xfce 4.16. It is written in C (GTK) and was released on December 22, 2020.

      • Linux Shell TipsHow to Block Image Hotlinking in Nginx Web Server

        Consider a scenario, you have finally managed to create and host your first web app under a Linux system and you wanted your web app to lure continuous user traffic, you beautified it with some custom images of which you have full copyright.

        However, while comparing different web apps with a similar spectrum to yours, you discover your custom images are being used without your consent. These secondary sites are using your images’ direct link to display them on their platforms. Each time your web app loads, your custom images also load on their web app platforms.

        This issue is called image hotlinking and it’s quite difficult to link it to copyright violation since these platforms are only mirroring your images. If you are lucky enough to be using Nginx as your primary web server, we can find a workaround for this issue.

      • UbuntubuzzLibreOffice Calc Basics VIII: HLOOKUP

        This tutorial explains the horizontal variant of vlookup formula, called HLOOKUP, on LibreOffice Calc. We will learn first about data transposing, then manipulating it with the formula. As a reminder, if you haven't followed this LibreOffice Calc series, read the first and second parts here. Now let's try.

      • OpenSource.comClean up music tags with a Groovy script

        Lately, I've been looking at how Groovy streamlines Java. In this series, I'm developing several scripts to help in cleaning up my music collection. In my last article, I used the framework developed previously to create a list of unique file names and counts of occurrences of those file names in the music collection directory. I then used the Linux find command to get rid of files I didn't want.

        In this article, I demonstrate a Groovy script to clean up the motley assembly of tag fields.

        WARNING: This script alters music tags, so it is vital that you make a backup of the music collection you test your code on.

      • OpenSource.comShare screens on Linux with GNOME Connections | Opensource.com

        When someone needs to share their screen with you, or you need to share your screen with someone else, you have several options to choose from. Video conferencing software, like the open source Jitsi web app, and while we call that "screen sharing," it's really presenting. You're presenting your screen to others, but they can't interact with it. Sometimes you actually want to share your screen and your mouse cursor with a trusted friend or colleague, and the tool for that is VNC (Virtual Network Computing), and it's built into your Linux desktop.

        In any screen sharing scenario, there are two computers and possibly two users. For that reason, this article has two parts. The first part is for the person setting up their computer to accept screen sharing requests, and the second part is for the person trying to connect to someone else's screen.

      • AddictiveTipsHow to Install Linux Mint 21 with manual partitions

        If you’re a Linux Mint fan and want to know how to install the latest version of Linux Mint with manual partitions, this is the guide for you. Follow along as we go over how to set up Linux Mint 21 with manual partitioning.

        Please note that to install Linux Mint 21, you will need a computer with at least two cores and 2-4 GB of RAM. You’ll also need a removable USB flash drive.

      • AddictiveTipsHow to play GTFO on Linux

        GTFO is a survival horror FPS video game that is played cooperatively. It was developed and published by developer 10 Chambers and released on Microsoft Windows. Here’s how you can play GTFO on Linux.

      • AddictiveTipsHow to play Halo: Spartan Strike on Linux

        Halo: Spartan Strike is a twin-stick shooter game set in the Halo video game universe. It is the sequel to Halo: Spartan Assault. It was released on April 16, 2015, on Microsoft Windows, Windows Phone, and iOS. However, you can play it on your Linux PC with a few tweaks.

  • Distributions and Operating Systems

    • DebugPointCrystal Linux: Emerging Arch Linux Spin for GNOME Fans

      Often I think that we have sufficient Linux distros already. The count is nearing thousands, and fragmentation is at its peak. That is not good for quality software, especially in the open-source space.

      There is always a distro available for every use case you can think of.

      But Arch Linux is one of the sectors, it’s still emerging – just because of its debatable complex installation methods. That’s why most of the emerging Arch Linux distributions (such as Xero Linux, Hefftor Linux, Mabox, etc.) try to invent something unique in installation and other areas.

      Crystal Linux is one of those distros with a different take on installation while being super user-friendly.

    • 8 Best Linux Distros To Try In VirtualBox

      Whether you’re a Windows user looking to try out Linux or a seasoned user searching for new distros to experiment with, Linux on VirtualBox is a very convenient way to make the switch.

      With hundreds of distros to choose from, though, picking the best Linux for VirtualBox is a common problem that many users encounter.

      The short answer to this dilemma is very simple – pick whichever you prefer. For most users, pretty much any distro will be able to fulfill their general needs.

      But at the same time, it’s also true that certain distros are better suited for certain use cases, like Ubuntu or Fedora for beginners or Kali for pen-testing and security purposes.

      Depending on what you’re looking for in a distro, you should have a better idea of what Linux distro best suits your needs after reading this article.

  • Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

    • Its FOSSLive Debugger Tool for Apps, Sidekick, is Now Open Source

      Sidekick is a live application debugger, meaning it lets developers know about bugs and issues in their applications in real-time. It was primarily a paid tool for the job, with a 14-day trial plan to test it out.

      So, if you were hesitating to pay for the tool as a subscription, you can now self-host it and use it for free as per your requirements.

    • Its FOSS7 Best Open Source Library Management Software

      When it comes to managing the library, the library management software can make a world of difference. It can break or make your digital library management experience.

      And, with open-source library management software, an organization/library can save investment costs, have better privacy, and have more flexibility without any vendor lock-ins.

      So, I came up with the compilation of open-source library management software to provide you with some good options to help manage your digital library. You can use some tools for personal use-case, but many of them are geared toward public libraries.

    • Content Management Systems (CMS)

      • Linux Links7 Best Free and Open Source Elixir Static Site Generators

        While we employ built-in server caching which creates static versions of the site, we don’t generate a full, static HTML website based on raw data and a set of templates. However, sometimes a full, static HTML website is desirable. Because HTML pages are all prebuilt, they load extremely quickly in web browsers.

        There are lots of other advantages of running a full, static HTML website.

    • Programming/Development

      • FOSSLifeDevOps Approach Speeds Code Releases

        Software developers are releasing code faster than ever, according to the recent GitLab 2022 Global DevSecOps Survey, with 47% of developers citing DevOps or DevSecOps as their development methodology of choice

        According to the survey, 70% of teams surveyed said they release code “continuously, once a day, or every few days,” which is an increase of 11% from 2021. Additionally, “35% said they’re releasing code twice as fast, while 15% are releasing code between three and five times faster, and 8% said the code is flying out the door more than five times faster.”

      • [Old] Git Hooks

        Hooks in Git are executable scripts that are triggered when certain events happen in Git. It's a way to customize Git's internal behaviour, automate tasks, enforce policies, and bring consistency across the team.

        For example, hooks can check that passwords or access tokens are not committed, validate that commit messages conform to an agreed format, prevent unauthorized developers from pushing to a branch, update local directories after a checkout, and so on.

        Git supports both client-side and server-side hooks. Hooks can be written in any programming language though it's common to use Bash, Perl, Python or Ruby.

  • Leftovers

  • Gemini* and Gopher

    • Personal

      • How many words do you write in a day?

        I've been revamping my writing workflow, and took advantage of the opportunity to count the number of words I write daily.

        These word coutns are rounded daily averages of writing over the last month (since August 1st).

    • Technical


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



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