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Do a presentation at NTLUG.
What is the Linux Installation Project?
Real companies using Linux!
Not just for business anymore.
Providing ready to run platforms on Linux
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- rsync 3.5.0 released
Version3.5.0 of rsync has been released with a hugenumber of security fixes:
This release fixes 33 security issues found during a focused audit ofrsync's path handling and daemon protocol, a companion daemon-protocolfuzzing pass, and reports from external researchers -- plus severalrobustness hardenings. CVE IDs were assigned by VulnCheck (CNA); theprecise "introduced in" version ranges accompany each advisory, andmany are much narrower than "everything before 3.5.0". Every fix shipswith a regression test in the test suite that fails on the unfixedtree.
- [$] 128-Bit page tables for Arm
The size of a processor's page-table entries directly limits how muchphysical memory that processor is able to access. Back in the 32-bit days,that limit was 4GB, an amount of memory that once seemed nearly infinite,but which would now struggle to hold a basic AI-enabled "hello world" app.The expansion to 64 bits on most popular architectures would seem tohave removed those limits now; some Arm systems, for example, can use56 of those bits to access up to 72PB of memory. So it might besurprising that the Arm architecture is evolving to support even largerpage-table entries (PTEs). Thispatch set from Anshuman Khandual adds support for 128-bit PTEs, butwho will benefit from this capability is not entirely clear.
- Security updates for Thursday
Security updates have been issued by AlmaLinux (abrt, dhcpcd, edk2, freerdp, gegl04, grafana, gstreamer1-plugins-good, iscsi-initiator-utils, isns-utils, kernel, kernel-rt, keylime, libarchive, libyang, nodejs-nodemon, opencryptoki, osbuild-composer, pacemaker, postgresql-jdbc, postgresql18, python-idna, python3.9, udisks2, valkey, vim, xorg-x11-server-Xwayland, and yggdrasil-worker-package-manager), Debian (flatpak, lemonldap-ng, neutron, python-django, spip, xdg-dbus-proxy, and xorg-server), Fedora (apr-util, cri-o1.34, libcupsfilters, linux-firmware, sqlite, and vaultwarden), Gentoo (FreeType), Oracle (dovecot, evince, fence-agents, gnutls, gstreamer1-plugins-bad-free, gstreamer1-plugins-good, isns-utils, java-1.8.0-openjdk, kernel, libarchive, osbuild-composer, pipewire, postgresql, ruby, ruby:3.3, sudo, and udisks2), Red Hat (bind, bind9.16, gnome-remote-desktop, grafana, opentelemetry-collector, python-pillow, python3, python3.12, python3.14, python3.9, and rhc), SUSE (chromium, clusterctl, dracut, gd, git-cliff, gleam, govulncheck-vulndb, graphicsmagick, gzip, kernel, kubevirt, libheif, librest0_7, nodejs22, nodejs24, openssh, openvpn, python3, python313-scikit-learn, rpm, stunnel, and zk), and Ubuntu (kernel, libgit2, linux, linux-aws, linux-aws-fips, linux-azure, linux-azure-6.8, linux-azure-fde, linux-azure-fde-6.8, linux-azure-fips, linux-fips, linux-gcp, linux-gcp-6.8, linux-gcp-fips, linux-gke, linux-gkeop, linux-ibm, linux-ibm-6.8, linux-nvidia, linux-nvidia-6.8, linux-nvidia-lowlatency, linux-realtime, linux-realtime-6.8, linux-xilinx, linux, linux-aws, linux-aws-fips, linux-azure, linux-azure-fde, linux-azure-fips, linux-gkeop, linux-ibm, linux-ibm-5.15, linux-intel-iot-realtime, linux-intel-iotg, linux-intel-iotg-5.15, linux-kvm, linux-nvidia, linux-nvidia-tegra, linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15, linux-oracle-5.15, linux-realtime, linux-xilinx-zynqmp, linux, linux-aws, linux-aws-fips, linux-azure-4.15, linux-azure-fips, linux-fips, linux-gcp-4.15, linux-gcp-fips, linux-kvm, linux, linux-aws, linux-azure, linux-azure-fde, linux-ibm, linux-oracle, linux-raspi, linux-realtime, linux-azure, linux-azure-6.17, linux-gcp-6.17, linux-hwe-6.17, linux-oem-6.17, linux-realtime-6.17, node-follow-redirects, and yelp).
- [$] LWN.net Weekly Edition for August 13, 2026
Inside this week's LWN.net Weekly Edition:
Front: BPF and binfmt_misc; CrossPoint ebook firmware; KVM planes; BPF formal verification; shadow-utils; new storage-code testing features. Briefs: Django releases; GNOME shell; LightDM 1.33.0; QEMU 11.1; uutils 0.10; Software Stewardship Lab; Quotes; ... Announcements: Newsletters, conferences, security updates, patches, and more.
- [$] Block-layer error injection
Storage code has to cope with hardware that fails in inconvenientways, but coaxing a healthy disk into producing those failures ondemand, for testing, is usually not possible. The kernelprovides several ways to inject block-layer I/O errors, but none of those can select the operation to fail, pick the status code to return, or target a diskdirectly without employing a stacked device on top. Use of a stacked device meansthe test runs against the mapper device, not the disk it was meant toexercise. A patchseries from Christoph Hellwig adds a configurable error-injectioninterface that does all three things that the current error-injection codelacks, controlled by a per-disk debugfsfile.
- [$] A look at CrossPoint e-reader firmware
There are a number of small,inexpensive, low-powered e-reader or e-paper devices that have promise asebook readers with one minor problem: the firmware they ship with does notrealize their full potential. To solve that problem, the CrossPoint Reader project looks toprovide replacement firmware that offers necessary features, better performance,and a more pleasant reading experience. On August 7, the project released version1.5.0, which opens large EPUBs more quickly, providesoffline dictionary lookups, and has reworked settings for changing layout andfont options. The release also improves support for right-to-left text as wellas Chinese, Japanese, andKorean (CJK) text rendering.
- QEMU 11.1 released
Version11.1 of the QEMU emulator has been released. The release containsmore than 3,200 commits from 285 authors and includes a long list ofimprovements; see the announcement and changelog for thedetails.
- Security updates for Wednesday
Security updates have been issued by AlmaLinux (fence-agents, firefox, frr10, gstreamer1-plugins-good, iscsi-initiator-utils, isns-utils, kernel, kernel-rt, perl-DBI:1.641, postgresql, postgresql:12, and resource-agents), Debian (libgd2, openjdk-25, php7.4, php8.2, and postfix), Fedora (clamav, domoticz, and libidn), Red Hat (delve, edk2, firefox, go-fdo-client, go-fdo-server, grafana, host-metering, ignition, kernel, kernel package, kernel-rt, ldns, libarchive, mariadb10.11, mariadb:10.11, multiple packages, rhc, rhc-worker-playbook, rhc-worker-script, sssd, thunderbird, yggdrasil, and yggdrasil-worker-package-manager), Slackware (expat and openssh), and SUSE (avahi, chromedriver, erlang26, gawk, glib2, go-sendxmpp, google-guest-agent, google-osconfig-agent, gpg2, gstreamer-plugins-bad, gstreamer-plugins-base, helm, ignition, ImageMagick, java-11-openj9, java-17-openj9, java-1_8_0-openj9, java-21-openj9, java-25-openj9, libarchive, libkrun, libpcp-devel, libpng16, libssh, libssh2_org, multipath-tools, net-tools, nmap, openssl-1_1, openssl-3, pcp, perl, python-pip, python-pyasn1, python-urllib3, python3-pip, python313-Django5, runc, samba, snpguest, spice-vdagent, sssd, unbound, wget, wild, wpa_supplicant, xmlrpc-c, and zpaqfranz).
- [$] KVM planes head for takeoff
Virtualization places a guest system into a separate security domain,typically with fewer privileges than software running directly on the host.Increasingly, there is interest in creating multiple security domainswithin a single virtualized system as well. CPU vendors (and softwarevendors too) are implementing solutions; each of which, of course, isdifferent from all of the others. KVM planes, currently under developmentby Jörg Rödel, Paolo Bonzini, and others in the KVM community, is anattempt to provide an abstraction layer that makes all of these featuresavailable on Linux systems; it is not a small task.
- Bernard: GNOME Shell design dreams
GNOME contributor Tobias Bernard has publisheda blog post that details some of the design team's ideas for theGNOME Shell over the long term:
Some of these we have relatively complete plans for, others aremore vague ideas that need more research and prototyping. As always,getting things like these implemented depends on developer capacityand interest (and sometimes funding).
While each of these ideas may require additional discussion,prototyping, and testing, we (the design team) have collected them alltogether here to share our longer-term vision and to give each ideamore visibility.
- GeForce NOW On Linux Native App Exits Beta
At the beginning of the year NVIDIA released a native build of GeForce NOW for Linux using Flatpaks. Today their native Linux build has exited beta to reach official production status for this cloud gaming solution from NVIDIA...
- 2.16-inch AMOLED SF32LB52X-based dev board offers LoRa, GNSS, and Bluetooth 5.3
LILYGO’s T-Display SF32 is a compact development platform built around the SiFli SF32LB52X ultra-low-power AIoT microcontroller. The device combines a 2.16-inch 480 × 480 AMOLED touchscreen with dual Arm Cortex-M33 cores, an ePicasso 2.5D graphics engine, LoRa connectivity, Bluetooth 5.3, and onboard battery power. The SF32LB52X uses a big.LITTLE-style arrangement consisting of a 192MHz high-performance […]
- Sparky Linux 2026 06 OverlayFS BTRFS with Timeshift setup (Assisted by Google AI)
Turning on OverlayFS on top of a Btrfs base setup in Sparky Linux 2026.06 brings a fundamentally different set of advantages compared to a standard deployment utilizing Btrfs subvolumes and Timeshift. While both configurations leverage Btrfs, they serve completely different operational philosophies: Timeshift provides a reactive "point-in-time recovery" safety net, whereas OverlayFS converts the environment into a proactive, transient "stateless or immutable" sandboxed workstation.
- Distro of the Week: MX Linux 25.2 Infinity
The developers at MX Linux 25.2 Infinity, this week's Distro of the Week, took an already superior distro in MX Linux 23.6 Libretto and surprisingly made it even better. In addition, it is a distro aimed at everyone, from the newest of newbies to the most grizzled greybeard.
- Apple Turns to Publishers For Help With Siri AI
Apple is reportedly negotiating multi-year deals with news publishers to give its redesigned Siri access to current news and other information, with payments potentially tied to how often publishers' content is used. The talks come as Apple prepares to launch its long-delayed Siri AI later this year, after partnering with Google to use distilled Gemini models. Engadget reports: [The Wall Street Journal] did not reveal the specific publishers Apple reached out to, but did note the company has proposed structuring payments around a variable compensation plan, which would see it pay those organizations when their content is used. By contrast, most large AI labs like OpenAI have typically offered guaranteed fees in exchange for broad access. According to the The Journal, Apple has paid publishers for access to their content in the past as part of earlier agreements that saw the company secure AI training rights.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- University of Michigan Drops First-Semester Grades to 'Curb Mental Health Crisis'
"In order to salve the mental health of freshman students, the University of Michigan has implemented a Pass/No Credit system for new students to improve their mental health," writes Slashdot reader Ol Olsoc. "The process, called 'Grade Covering,' is aimed at helping with the mental health crisis that students face by lessening grade pressure." Axios reports: U-M's College of Literature, Science and the Arts plans to replace first-semester letter grades on freshmen's transcripts with pass/no-credit marks, tentatively beginning in fall 2027. Professors would still assign grades, but they wouldn't appear on external transcripts or count toward students' GPAs. U-M says the idea, known as "grade covering," could help students adjust to college, take academic risks and "embrace the joy of learning." University spokesperson Chris Sebastian tells Axios that LSA faculty, staff and students will continue shaping the pilot, with more details to come this fall. "While I am sure that there is some pressure on freshman students, one of the best ways of dealing with pressure is enduring it and overcoming it, not attempting to shield people from it," comments Ol Olsoc.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- VA Launches Psilocybin Trial For Veterans With Treatment-Resistant Depression
Longtime Slashdot reader sbinning shares a press release: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced the launch of a new clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of psilocybin to treat major depression in Veterans, including those with concurrent PTSD. The new trial comes after a recent executive order on "Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness," which aims to increase clinical trial participation and accelerate innovative research models and drug approvals for psychedelic drugs. [...] The randomized, controlled trial will enroll Veterans diagnosed with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder, with or without concurrent PTSD, and will compare outcomes between two psilocybin dosage levels. The study will also assess participants' levels of depression before and after treatment, tolerability of side effects, and overall patient-reported depression. [...] In addition to this trial, VA is involved in 20 active clinical trials focused on psychedelic therapies for mental health conditions. All VA research -- including research into psychedelics -- is conducted under strict safety protocols and in full compliance with federal guidelines.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Scientists Create Largest 2D Map of the Universe
After 13 years of observations and data processing, astronomers have released the largest two-dimensional map of the universe ever assembled, "offering a sweeping new view of nearly 4 billion celestial objects across roughly three-quarters of the sky," reports Space.com. From the report: The new map, created by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Legacy Imaging Surveys team, contains a staggering 5.6 trillion pixels and combines more than 263,000 telescope exposures collected over more than a decade. The observations span visible and near-infrared wavelengths, providing an enormous portrait of stars, galaxies and other cosmic phenomena across the sky, according to a statement from the National Science Foundation (NSF) NOIRLab. "It's part of the fabric of astronomy research now," David Schlegel, co-lead of the Legacy Surveys and a scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, said in a statement. "When you're working with astronomical objects today, you often start by pulling up the Legacy Imaging Viewer to see what you're looking at."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- How Social Media Spurred a Refugee Crisis Between Spain and Morocco
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The New York Times: Two days before tens of thousands of migrants surged into Ceuta, one of Spain's enclaves on Morocco's northern coast, a newspaper there posted a video on TikTok and Instagram showing two young women walking in the city in wet suits, their hair still damp. The posts didn't say so explicitly, but the implication was clear: The women had just swum across the border from Morocco. "Ceuta can't take it anymore," the newspaper, El Faro de Ceuta, declared in the posts. On the other side of the border, the video resonated very differently. Cropped and reposted in Arabic, the video seemed like an invitation. The women were smiling, flashing peace signs and thumbs up and, most of all, walking around freely. The video seemed to legitimize rumors that had percolated for weeks on social media suggesting that a recent ruling by Spain's Supreme Court meant migrants who arrived illegally by sea could stay in the country. As one account on Facebook put it, falsely, "Ceuta is turning into an open gate," when in fact migrants still faced expulsion after a judicial review. The responses to the posts about the swimmers were a critical part of a cascade of disinformation that experts described as one of the starkest instances in which social media contributed directly to a real-world tragedy.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Trump Administration Enlists Private Companies To Hack Foreign Cybercrime Groups
The Trump administration today unveiled a new program that will allow vetted U.S. companies to conduct cyber surveillance and offensive cyber operations against foreign transnational criminal organizations. A presidential memorandum signed August 12 directs the National Coordination Center to establish and manage the program, expanding the government's fight against cybercrime by tapping the technical capabilities of the private sector. It builds on a March executive order that called for greater private-sector involvement, but goes significantly further by establishing a formal operational framework for the initiative. The White House argues that American companies possess a "critical offensive cyber advantage" whose capabilities have "historically been underutilized" in efforts to identify and disrupt criminal networks operating online. There are two broad categories of authorized activity. "Cyber Surveillance Operations" can involve secretly accessing foreign information systems without authorization to gather intelligence, including information that could later be used for offensive operations. "Cyber Effects Operations," meanwhile, can result in the "manipulation, disruption, denial, degradation, or destruction" of information systems, networks, or infrastructure. It's worth noting that companies will not be free to launch their own operations. The memorandum requires program officials to "review every cyber operations package and provide written approval and direction" before a participating company can act. Operations that could cause death or serious injury, or "rise to the level of use of force or armed attack under international law," are classified as "Critical Outcomes" and cannot be approved through the standard process. The program includes safeguards requiring companies to halt and report operations that unintentionally affect U.S. persons or systems, as well as any imminent threats to critical infrastructure.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Big Tech Wants to Harvest Your Thoughts
Wired reports that consumer neurotechnology is rapidly moving from the lab into workplaces and homes, with companies including Apple, Meta, and Snap developing products that can monitor or interpret brain activity. Researchers warn that as these systems improve, neural data could become the next major privacy battleground. Some neuroscientists are already calling for a series of core rights, coined "neurorights," that protect "mental privacy," "identity," and personal "agency." Here's an excerpt from the article: Over the past two decades, researchers using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which tracks the iron in the hemoglobin supplying oxygen to neurons, have been building up increasingly detailed maps and inventories of the mammalian cortex. Thanks to huge advances in machine-learning artificial intelligence -- computer algorithms that are able to sort through enormous amounts of information and use statistical methods to make classifications and predictions -- fMRI scans can now be used to identify everything from depressive thoughts to the nuanced feelings of envy and schadenfreude. Other algorithms have been able to accurately piece together reconstructions of movie clips watched by subjects, just by analyzing their brain scans; or have detected, in probing the brain activity of swing voters in the US presidential election, responding to photographs and videos of presidential candidates, which candidates provoked anxiety or even disgust, and which elicited positive responses or feelings of empathy. In just the last few years, neuroscience researchers have progressed from decoding images and emotions as they play across the cortex to sounds, words, phrases, and even language. In 2023, in a remarkable demonstration of this emerging technology, a woman called Ann Johnson, who had been paralyzed for 18 years by a brain-stem stroke, was able to speak again through the insertion of a grid of 253 electrodes onto the surface of her brain, which translated her neuronal signals into sentences, in real time, at a rate of 78 words per minute (just about half the speed of standard conversation). The research team at the University of California, led by neurosurgeon Edward Chang, had combined this brain-computer interface with an animated avatar of Johnson's head, which spoke in her own voice, as reconstructed from a recording of a 15-minute toast she had given at her wedding. Just as the avatar's mouth spoke Johnson's words as she thought them, so its expressions were similarly influenced by the nuances of her brain activity, which turned her thoughts about facial gestures into displays of emotion -- from smiles to pursed lips and frowns. [...] The more invasive the recording equipment, the richer and more detailed the data. Surgical interventions are at the vanguard of neuroscience and remain very rare -- fewer than 100 people on the planet have brain-computer interfaces like Johnson's embedded beneath their skulls. Yet almost inevitably, a concerted trickle-down effect is occurring. In the summer of 2023, a team at the University of Texas demonstrated that they could use fMRI to translate brain scans into words and sentences, after subjects listened to 16 hours of the storytelling podcasts The Moth Radio Hour and The New York Times' Modern Love to train an AI model. When the subjects then listened to new podcasts, the algorithm was able to convert the gist of what they heard, as it manifested in their brains, into words, phrases, and sentences that roughly captured the stories. As the team's lead computational neuroscientist, Alexander Huth, put it in an interview with Science, "Our thought when we actually had this working was, 'Oh my God, this is kind of terrifying.'" Now noninvasive, wearable brain scanners are beginning to proliferate beyond the lab, making their way into our workplaces and, through the vast global consumer market, into our homes too.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- 'Godmother of AI' Says Biggest AI Risk In Schools Is Students Losing the Desire to Learn
Fei-Fei Li, aka The Godmother of AI, says the biggest AI risk in education may be students losing the motivation and agency to learn, rather than simply using the technology to cheat. She argues against banning AI outright, saying it can be valuable when used to support engaged students instead of replacing the thinking and struggle that learning requires. Techspot reports: Speaking on an episode of the science podcast Huberman Lab this week, Li talked about the fears around how students are using AI. "The absolute bad outcome is that our young generation, their agency and human-level motivation of learning and living is taken away by tools," the ImageNet inventor warned. "It should not be taken away by humans nor should it be taken away by machines." If we see a generation of graduates who have completely relied on AI without actively trying to learn anything for themselves, they risk leaving education without having "properly developed the brain," Li said. [...] Li certainly isn't advocating for a complete ban on students using AI. She believes it can genuinely help struggling students who are already engaged in their learning. Li herself noted how she struggled with organic chemistry as a premed student, when teaching assistants and professors didn't have enough time to answer every question. While there's no obvious solution, Li says we need to find a way to keep children and students' motivation and agency. "Let's find a way to give them the access and the right way of using these tools," she said. Li added that if AI is used properly in education, it could make the students of the future "way smarter than us because they are superpowered."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- US Tries to Override New York Gambling Laws, Orders Kalshi to Keep Operating
The CFTC has ordered Kalshi to keep operating in New York, claiming the state's lawsuit against the prediction market created a "market emergency." They said it acted "to ensure market stability" and "ordered the exchange to continue to operate in accordance with the Commodity Exchange Act's Core Principles." Ars Technica reports: The market emergency alleged by the CFTC is that New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Kalshi on July 31. James' lawsuit seeks a court order to permanently enjoin Kalshi "from operating an unlawful gambling business" in the state. The lawsuit also demands that Kalshi "make full restitution to customers who have engaged in betting" and pay financial penalties. "New York intends to make event contract derivatives waste away under its iron curtain of state gaming laws before the courts get the chance to issue final rulings," CFTC Chairman Michael Selig said yesterday. "Congress did not intend for derivatives exchanges to be regulated under a patchwork of state gaming laws... New York has no business regulating these interstate financial markets. The commission is required by law to ensure order in these markets, and that is what we have done today." [...] The CFTC says it alone has the power to regulate platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket under the Commodity Exchange Act, a US law that gives the CFTC exclusive jurisdiction over designated contract markets (DCMs). "These are financial exchanges that offer financial instruments and operate across state lines," Selig said yesterday. "They match the bid from a resident of one state with the offer of a resident from another state and submit the trade to a clearinghouse that backstops the transactions of customers throughout the country."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- China-Linked Hackers Used AI To Run First-Ever 'Autonomous' Cyberattack On Taiwan
Researchers at Israeli cybersecurity firm Dream say suspected China-linked hackers used an open-source AI-agent system to conduct what may be the first observed end-to-end autonomous cyberattack against a government. According to the Financial Times (paywalled), the attack compromised at least 85 accounts and resulted in the theft of more than 2,500 personnel records from Taiwanese systems. Tom's Hardware reports: The campaign reportedly ran for four days at the beginning of July and at times deployed as many as eight autonomous agents in parallel. Dream said the system mapped 21 government systems before compromising user accounts and extracting personnel information. The attackers subsequently expanded their activity to Taiwan's nuclear safety agency, at least seven energy companies, government suppliers, and other government systems. Dream says it found the evidence inside a 160-megabyte (160MB) online archive that surfaced during its broader tracking of cyberthreat actors. The archive reportedly held 1,395 files showing that the tool was built on two open-source AI agent systems -- Hermes and OpenClaw -- both of which can be downloaded freely and are designed to let large language models carry out multi-step tasks on their own. Researchers could not determine which underlying model powered the agents, but the data reportedly showed the model's safeguards had been sidestepped by presenting the intrusion as an authorized penetration test rather than a real attack. Of particular concern is that the toolkit for the hack comprised such easily available systems, neither of which was purpose-built for offense. The operators appear to have assembled a capable autonomous tool out of components any developer can pull down and run. What the researchers describe as the tool's most striking feature was its ability to continuously devise attacks on its own, rather than follow a preprogrammed route. The platform continuously assessed available evidence, ranked possible attack paths, and reprioritized them as circumstances changed. When one technique failed, the tool tasked another agent with searching the internet for information and developing an alternative approach.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Security: Why Linux Is Better Than Windows Or Mac OS
Linux is a free and open source operating system that was released in 1991 developed and released by Linus Torvalds. Since its release it has reached a user base that is greatly widespread worldwide. Linux users swear by the reliability and freedom that this operating system offers, especially when compared to its counterparts, windows and [0]
- Essential Software That Are Not Available On Linux OS
An operating system is essentially the most important component in a computer. It manages the different hardware and software components of a computer in the most effective way. There are different types of operating system and everything comes with their own set of programs and software. You cannot expect a Linux program to have all [0]
- Things You Never Knew About Your Operating System
The advent of computers has brought about a revolution in our daily life. From computers that were so huge to fit in a room, we have come a very long way to desktops and even palmtops. These machines have become our virtual lockers, and a life without these network machines have become unimaginable. Sending mails, [0]
- How To Fully Optimize Your Operating System
Computers and systems are tricky and complicated. If you lack a thorough knowledge or even basic knowledge of computers, you will often find yourself in a bind. You must understand that something as complicated as a computer requires constant care and constant cleaning up of junk files. Unless you put in the time to configure [0]
- The Top Problems With Major Operating Systems
There is no such system which does not give you any problems. Even if the system and the operating system of your system is easy to understand, there will be some times when certain problems will arise. Most of these problems are easy to handle and easy to get rid of. But you must be [0]
- 8 Benefits Of Linux OS
Linux is a small and a fast-growing operating system. However, we can’t term it as software yet. As discussed in the article about what can a Linux OS do Linux is a kernel. Now, kernels are used for software and programs. These kernels are used by the computer and can be used with various third-party software [0]
- Things Linux OS Can Do That Other OS Cant
What Is Linux OS? Linux, similar to U-bix is an operating system which can be used for various computers, hand held devices, embedded devices, etc. The reason why Linux operated system is preferred by many, is because it is easy to use and re-use. Linux based operating system is technically not an Operating System. Operating [0]
- Packagekit Interview
Packagekit aims to make the management of applications in the Linux and GNU systems. The main objective to remove the pains it takes to create a system. Along with this in an interview, Richard Hughes, the developer of Packagekit said that he aims to make the Linux systems just as powerful as the Windows or [0]
- What’s New in Ubuntu?
What Is Ubuntu? Ubuntu is open source software. It is useful for Linux based computers. The software is marketed by the Canonical Ltd., Ubuntu community. Ubuntu was first released in late October in 2004. The Ubuntu program uses Java, Python, C, C++ and C# programming languages. What Is New? The version 17.04 is now available here [0]
- Ext3 Reiserfs Xfs In Windows With Regards To Colinux
The problem with Windows is that there are various limitations to the computer and there is only so much you can do with it. You can access the Ext3 Reiserfs Xfs by using the coLinux tool. Download the tool from the official site or from the sourceforge site. Edit the connection to “TAP Win32 Adapter [0]
- Redox gets installer improvements, merges new CPU scheduler
Another month started almost two weeks ago, so weve got a new monthly report from Redox, the general purpose operating system written in Rust. The month of July it seems the report was published with a bit of a delay, regardless of what the date on their site says brought improvements to the installer, with new options commonly found in most installers, such as a choice of installation method, network-based installation, and more. The Google Summer of Code work on the new CPU scheduler has also been merged, including a number of related performance enhancements. Theres improvements to the ARM port, Amlogic Meson UART ARM64 support, and uutils grep and sed have been successfully built on Redox, replacing their their GNU counterparts in the os-test test suite. In addition, a whole slew of demos were ported as well, from Ratatui demos to various Iced demos covering things like reading QR codes and processing Markdown. Of course, this is all topped off with the usual long list of lower-level, smaller changes and improvements to the kernel, drivers, Relibc, and more.
- The OSNews Fundraiser continues: you made me use Windows, now make me use macOS
The OSNews Fundraiser, to celebrate the fact I posted 20000 stories in 21 years, is still underway. The first major incentive was reached, and I, a long-time Linux user, published my experiences using Windows 11 for a month. It wasnt a success. Keep donating if you want to find out what a Linux user thinks of the current state of macOS! Donate through Ko-Fi Donate through SEPA transfer* Buy merch from our store Why a fundraiser? €5000 incentive: Make me use Windows 11 for a month (the results were not great)> €10000: Video tour of my office and my computers/devices collection `€15000: Buy a Mac and use macOS for a month (and review it)€20000: I get an OSNews tattoo *Name: Thom Holwerda IBAN: SE08 8000 0820 1684 4657 8414 BIC: SWEDSESS Why support OSNews? I want to make sure I can run OSNews for another two decades and another 20000 posts, and I need your help to do so. Since my wife, who has a tough, underpaid job in elderly care, is largely unable to work due to health reasons caused by that very same job, my income has become a lot more crucial for our kids, my wife, and myself. With OSNews readers being more skeptical of subscription-like things like our Patreon than most people, it’s exactly these one-time donations that make up the bulk of your support. Thank you.
- The little-known winstart.bat batch file
Raymond Chen explains what, exactly, the file winstart.bat in Windows 95 is used for. In Windows 95, you could create a winstart.bat file in your Windows directory. During startup, the virtual machine manager initializes and creates the so-called “System virtual machine” (the “System VM”), which is the virtual machine that all Windows programs run in. But before running the user-mode kernel in that virtual machine, the virtual machine manager runs the winstart.bat batch file if it exists. ↫ Raymond Chen Chen needs to use several diagrams to really explain what the batch file is used for, but as a very crude summary, it allows you to load TSRs that only apply to Windows programs, while not affecting any additional DOS command prompts you may load later after Windows is already running. While many think its a Windows 95 feature, it was already present in Windows 3.x. A unique feature that I doubt many people made active use of.
- Delphi 13 Community Edition released
Delphi is still very much a thing, and still very much in active development. The current stewards of Delphi, Embarcadero, released the Delphi 13 Community Edition today. Delphi Community Edition is a full-featured, free edition of Delphi for building native applications with the Delphi language. It includes a professional IDE, visual designers, integrated compilers and debuggers, the VCL framework for Windows development, and the FireMonkey framework for creating native applications from a shared codebase across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. It is designed for students, hobbyists, freelancers, and small teams that meet the Community Edition license requirements. ↫ Marco Cantu at the Embarcadero blog Delphi has been around since 1995, first released for Windows 3.1. Its both a programming language, a variant of Object Pascal, and the accompanying IDE and related tooling and frameworks, originally developed by legendary company Borland. This latest version of course adds a number of new features to the programming language, and further improves the IDE as well, this time with a brand new 64bit version. The two frameworks for visual application development, VCL and FireMonkey, have also been updated and improved. Sadly, its not open source, and the Community Edition is intended for mostly non-commercial, hobbyist use. If you want to actually earn any money using Delphi, youre going to have to step up to Delphi 13 Florence, which isnt free.
- Google hammers another, extremely petty nail in the Android Open Source Projects coffin
The slow but steady march to the grave for the Android Open Source Project continues. Every few months Google hammers another big nail in the coffin of Android as an open source effort, and Ive documented them all here on OSNews (nail, nail, nail, nail, nail), coming to the conclusion long ago that for all intents and purposes, Android is no longer an open source operating system. The latest move, however, is just petty. According to GrapheneOS on , Google has apparently replaced public, instant code downloads for Pixel phone drivers with a manual request form. Instead of publishing code directly to open developer platforms where anyone can grab it, Google now requires developers to fill out a Google Form and wait for someone to send them a Google Drive link. What used to take a couple of hours is now taking weeks. ↫ Hillary Keverenge at Android Authority Im perhaps misremembering, but I vaguely recall discussions decades ago about what, exactly, it meant to make source code available!, as open source licenses state in a variety of words. Would mailing a paper print-out by classic post satisfy such requirements? Could you write the source code on a brick and throw it through the users window? Could you hire a church choir to sing it? These are all silly examples, but before everyone had internet access, this was a relevant question. The widespread availability of the internet and software like git solved these issues, which makes it all the more petty that Google now requires an actual application process, waiting times, and Google Drive dumps just to get access to the source code for Pixel drivers. Google is clearly trying to kill whatevers left of the Android Open Source Projects rotting corpse, only barely technically complying with any license requirements only because theyre obligated to. The Android team at Google must be a hoot at parties.
- GNOME showcases a number of possible GNOME Shell changes
The GNOME Shell user interface has mostly seen minor refinements and quality of life updates in recent cycles, but on the design side we’ve explored a lot of longer-term things we’d like to do. Some of these we have relatively complete plans for, others are more vague ideas that need more research and prototyping. As always, getting things like these implemented depends on developer capacity and interest (and sometimes funding). While each of these ideas may require additional discussion, prototyping, and testing, we (the design team) have collected them all together here to share our longer-term vision and to give each idea more visibility. ↫ Tobias Bernard on the GNOME blog Theres quite a few good ideas in there, with most of them already being available in the form of various extensions. Im not entirely sure if Im a huge fan of copying Android and iOS by moving notifications into the quick settings dropdown thing, but its not like having them in the clock/calendar dropdown thing is any better. I only use notifications as they arrive and never look at the place where they end up thats a mobile thing for me so I dont think Ill really care either way. Things like editable quick settings, transparent top bar on certain backgrounds, the improved window drag and drop in the Exposé view, the alt+tab experiments, and some of the others do seem quite interesting though, and anything that reduces the number of GNOME extensions I need to install and keep updated gets a big thumbs up from me. If you wish to work on any of these suggestions, working on GNOME Shell has gotten a lot easier recently. In the past, GNOME Shell was significantly harder to contribute to and test than apps since you needed to use tools like jhbuild. This has changed in the past year: You can now easily build and test your branch in a nested session from Builder using Mutter Devkit. If you use GNOME OS, you can even build a sysext to install your branch on your host system. This allows daily driving experimental branches easily, which is super helpful for evaluating changes to everyday workflows. ↫ Tobias Bernard on the GNOME blog Thats quite neat.
- Microsoft drastically increases costs of Windows licenses for OEMs
This was bound to happen. According to a new report from Taiwanese publication United Daily News (UDC,) Microsoft is raising the cost of Windows license fees for hardware makers by a much higher amount than normal. According to the report, certain OEMs are seeing licensing price hikes of between 7% and 10%. ↫ Zac Bowden at Windows Central Like every other tech company diving head-first into AI!, Microsoft is losing money on its gamble head-over-fist, with no profitability in sight. Since admitting betting the company on AI! was a mistake is out of the question, Microsoft has to extract the money from somewhere else to make up for it. The cost of Windows licenses for OEMs is an obvious lever to pull, as OEMs really have nowhere else to turn to (yes, desktop Linux is making gains, but not in any meaningful numbers), so theyll take hit and pass the cost on to consumers. The end result will be that prices for laptops will increase even more than they already have thanks to the AI!-induced RAM and component crisis, creating a double-whammy of price increases caused by AI!, either directly or indirectly. Its just another category of products we can add to the cost of living crisis thats causing untold harm and damage to hardworking people all over the world. The price of incompetence is rarely paid for by the incompetent.
- An ambiguity in c89 which will never be fixed
I found some ambiguous wording in the c89(/c90) standard, where GCC and Clang disagree on the interpretation. It concerns the behavior of implicit function declarations, which were removed in c99, so this was never disambiguated. ↫ Sebastian at sebsite I am not going pretend to understand any of this.
- NetBSD brings its Englightenment port up to snuff
Enlightenment desktop is a low on resources desktop environment without sacrificing on visuals. NetBSD support for this BSD-licensed desktop has been left a few years behind. The aim of this project is to port the newest version of the desktop to pkgsrc and commit upstream portability fixes when necessary to ease future versions updates for NetBSD. ↫ Dimitris Gounaridis on the NetBSD blog Enlightenment seems like a natural fit for NetBSD, so Im glad they dedicated a GSoC project to getting the existing, outdated port up to snuff. The project is not complete as theres a few issues to work out before it can be packaged for easy installation, but this is great progress already.
- Publishing schematics before “open source” was a word: 55 years of Akizuki Denshi, Japan’s legendary parts Store
Akihabara, Tokyo’s famous “Electric Town,” is overflowing with foreign tourists these days, drawn by anime shops, maid cafes, and duty-free electronics megastores. But there is one storefront most of them walk past without a glance: Akizuki Denshi Tsusho. It may be one of those pockets of Japan that foreign visitors never see. Step inside and the narrow aisles are packed — not with tourists, but with Japanese customers hunting for electronic parts. It is a scene that has repeated itself here for more than 50 years. For readers outside Japan, imagine something between Adafruit, SparkFun, and a discount surplus warehouse. If you start tinkering with electronics in Japan, Akizuki’s website is the one you will open before any other. Generations of Japanese engineers, students, and hobbyists have treated it as the default source for parts, the way you might default to Digi-Key or Mouser. ↫ Gakuto Ochi and an uncredited translator Ive long been fascinated by places like Akizuki Denshi Tsusho and other places like it in South Korea and Chinas Shenzhen. An unending labyrinth of unimaginable amounts of technology stacked floor to ceiling. Whether they be like Akizuki, which focuses on the tiniest of electrical components, or more like the malls in Shenzhen, which seem to focus more on assembled parts, the idea of browsing through them in wonder draws me in like a moth to a flame. Im sad these places dont exist anymore (or in most cases, never did) closer to home, but perhaps someday Ill have enough time and funds to visit Tokyo or Shenzen and let myself be overwhelmed by things I dont understand, and people speaking languages entirely alien to me.
- Intel’s Linux Vulkan Driver Adds AV1 Video Encoding for Arc Alchemist GPUs
by George Whittaker
Intel’s open-source Linux graphics stack has taken another step forward with hardware-accelerated AV1 encoding through Vulkan Video. New code merged for Mesa’s ANV Vulkan driver enables the VK_KHR_video_encode_av1 extension on Intel’s DG2/Alchemist graphics hardware, including Arc A-Series GPUs.
The development expands Intel’s Vulkan Video capabilities on Linux and gives applications another standardized way to access the dedicated video encoding hardware found in modern Intel GPUs.
AV1 Encoding Arrives in Intel ANV
The key change is support for the Vulkan extension VK_KHR_video_encode_av1 in Mesa’s open-source Intel ANV driver.
The extension was finalized by the Khronos Group in 2024 and provides a standardized Vulkan interface for hardware-accelerated AV1 encoding. It complements Vulkan Video’s existing AV1 decoding support and means Vulkan can provide both encoding and decoding interfaces for AV1, H.264, and H.265.
Intel had previously stated that its Arc graphics products would support Vulkan Video AV1 encoding through a future software update.
Initially Targeting Intel Arc Alchemist
The newly enabled Linux support specifically targets DG2, better known commercially as Intel’s Arc Alchemist GPU generation.
These GPUs already contain dedicated hardware capable of AV1 encoding, so the Mesa update does not add AV1 capability through software. Instead, it provides Vulkan applications with another way to access the GPU’s existing hardware video engine.
That distinction is important because hardware encoding can deliver much better performance and efficiency than encoding AV1 entirely on the CPU.
Why AV1 Matters
AV1 has become increasingly important for streaming, screen recording, video conferencing, and online video distribution.
The codec can provide high image quality at relatively low bitrates, making it attractive for applications where bandwidth and storage efficiency matter. It is also royalty-free, which has helped encourage adoption throughout the open-source ecosystem.
Hardware AV1 encoding can be particularly useful for:
Game streaming
Desktop recording
Live broadcasting
Video conferencing
Video transcoding
Content creation
For Linux users with supported Intel Arc hardware, Vulkan Video now has the potential to provide a common API for these workloads.
Building on H.264 and H.265 Support
The AV1 work follows recent improvements to Intel’s Vulkan Video encoding support for other codecs.
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- New AMD P-State Patch Delivers Major Linux Gaming Performance Boost
by George Whittaker
A newly proposed patch for the Linux kernel's AMD P-State CPU frequency scaling driver is showing impressive gaming performance improvements, potentially delivering a noticeable boost for Ryzen users without requiring new hardware. Early benchmarks indicate that the optimization can significantly improve frame rates in CPU-bound games by allowing processors to respond more quickly to changing workloads. (phoronix.com)
Although the patch has not yet been merged into the mainline Linux kernel, the initial results have generated considerable excitement among Linux gamers and kernel developers alike.
What Is AMD P-State?
AMD P-State is the modern CPU frequency scaling driver for AMD Ryzen processors on Linux. Rather than relying on the older ACPI CPUFreq driver, AMD P-State communicates directly with the processor to adjust clock speeds based on workload demands.
Its goals include:
Faster frequency scaling Improved power efficiency Better responsiveness Higher performance during demanding workloads Lower power consumption when the system is idle
Most modern Linux distributions already support AMD P-State on compatible Ryzen processors. (kernel.org)
A Focus on Gaming Performance
The new patch specifically targets how quickly AMD P-State responds when a game suddenly demands additional CPU performance.
Many games rapidly alternate between light and heavy CPU workloads. If the processor takes too long to increase its clock speed, short performance dips can occur.
The proposed optimization reduces that delay, allowing the CPU to boost more aggressively when needed and helping maintain smoother gameplay. (phoronix.com)
Promising Benchmark Results
According to early testing, the patch delivers meaningful improvements across several Linux gaming workloads.
Reported benefits include:
Higher average frame rates Better 1% low FPS performance Faster CPU frequency response Improved responsiveness during gameplay More consistent frame delivery
The biggest gains appear in CPU-limited games where processor performance has a greater impact than GPU performance. Systems that are already GPU-bound may see smaller improvements. (phoronix.com)
Designed for Modern Ryzen CPUs
The patch targets systems using the AMD P-State driver, which supports many recent Ryzen processors.
Compatible platforms generally include:
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- Linux Kernel Begins Phasing Out the crypto_rng Layer to Simplify Random Number Generation
by George Whittaker
Linux kernel developers are moving forward with plans to remove the crypto_rng API layer, a long-standing component of the kernel's cryptographic subsystem. The proposed change is part of a broader effort to simplify the kernel's internal architecture by eliminating redundant code paths and encouraging developers to rely on the kernel's modern random number generation interfaces instead. (phoronix.com)
Although the change happens entirely behind the scenes, it reflects the Linux kernel community's ongoing commitment to reducing technical debt, improving maintainability, and modernizing core infrastructure.
What Is the crypto_rng Layer?
The crypto_rng framework is an API within the Linux kernel's Crypto API that provides random number generation services for kernel components.
Historically, it allowed different kernel subsystems and drivers to request random data through a generic cryptographic interface. Over time, however, the kernel's dedicated random number generator has matured considerably, making much of the crypto_rng abstraction unnecessary. (kernel.org)
Today, developers generally recommend using the kernel's built-in random number generation functions directly instead of routing requests through the older crypto layer.
Why Developers Want to Remove It
According to discussions on the Linux kernel mailing list, the crypto_rng layer has become largely redundant.
Modern kernel code already relies on well-established interfaces such as:
get_random_bytes() get_random_u32() get_random_u64()
These functions are maintained as part of the kernel's primary random number generation subsystem and are widely used throughout Linux. Maintaining an additional abstraction layer increases code complexity without providing significant practical benefits. (phoronix.com)
Removing unnecessary infrastructure also makes the kernel easier to maintain and audit over the long term.
Simplifying the Crypto API
The Linux Crypto API has evolved significantly over the years as new algorithms, hardware accelerators, and security features have been introduced.
Kernel maintainers have increasingly focused on:
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- GNU Binutils 2.47 Released with New RISC-V Features, Linker Improvements, and Reproducible Builds
by George Whittaker
The GNU Project has officially released GNU Binutils 2.47, the latest version of its essential collection of binary development tools for Linux and other Unix-like systems. The release delivers numerous bug fixes alongside new assembler, linker, and disassembler capabilities, expanded RISC-V support, reproducible source archives, and continued modernization of the GNU toolchain.
Used by developers worldwide, GNU Binutils forms a core part of the software development ecosystem, providing the low-level tools needed to assemble, link, inspect, and manipulate executable programs and object files.
What Is GNU Binutils?
GNU Binutils is a collection of command-line utilities that work closely with compilers such as GCC and Clang. While a compiler translates source code into object files, Binutils provides the tools needed to transform those object files into executable programs and libraries.
The package includes well-known utilities such as:
ld (GNU Linker) as (GNU Assembler) objdump objcopy readelf nm strip ar strings
Together, these tools are used daily by Linux distributions, embedded developers, operating system projects, and software engineers building applications in C, C++, Rust, Go, and many other languages.
Expanded Support for RISC-V
One of the biggest improvements in Binutils 2.47 is expanded support for the rapidly growing RISC-V architecture.
The release adds support for several additional standard RISC-V extensions, allowing developers targeting modern RISC-V processors to work with newer instruction sets and hardware capabilities. These additions continue the GNU toolchain's strong commitment to one of the fastest-growing open processor architectures.
As more Linux distributions, development boards, and enterprise hardware adopt RISC-V, keeping development tools current is becoming increasingly important.
New Assembler Options
GNU Assembler (gas) gains several useful enhancements in version 2.47.
Among the most notable is a new command-line option:
--reloc-section-sym=[all|internal|none]
This option gives developers finer control over how relocations referencing locally bound symbols are converted to section symbols, improving flexibility for certain assembly and linking workflows.
The release also introduces numerous assembler improvements across multiple CPU architectures.
Better Disassembly for AArch64
Developers working with Arm-based systems also benefit from new functionality.
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- GOG Officially Expands Linux Support with Native Galaxy Client in Development
by George Whittaker
After years of requests from the Linux gaming community, GOG has officially confirmed that it is developing native Linux support for the GOG Galaxy launcher. The announcement marks one of the biggest shifts in the company's history and signals a stronger commitment to Linux as a first-class gaming platform. While GOG has offered DRM-free Linux game downloads since 2014, its Galaxy launcher has remained exclusive to Windows and macOS—until now.
Although the company has not announced a release date, GOG says Linux has become a major area of investment, with development already underway.
A Long-Requested Feature Finally Becomes Reality
Native GOG Galaxy support has consistently ranked among the most requested features from Linux users. Until now, players who wanted to use Galaxy's library management, cloud saves, achievements, and automatic updates had to rely on compatibility layers or community-developed launchers.
In a statement to GamingOnLinux, GOG joint CEO Krzysztof Papliński said the company has hired a dedicated specialist and is actively exploring the best approach for bringing Galaxy to Linux. He described Linux as "one of the topics we hear the most about from our community," emphasizing that the project is now an active development priority.
Why GOG Galaxy Matters
Unlike the web-based game downloads that Linux users already have access to, GOG Galaxy serves as a full-featured game management application.
The launcher currently offers features including:
Automatic game installation and updates Cloud save synchronization Achievement tracking Playtime statistics Game library organization Integrated storefront browsing Friends lists and social features Cross-platform launcher integration
Today, Linux users typically access these capabilities through community projects such as Heroic Games Launcher, Lutris, or Bottles. A native Galaxy client would provide an officially supported alternative with direct integration into GOG's ecosystem.
Linux Is No Longer an Afterthought
GOG's announcement reflects the growing importance of Linux gaming over the past several years.
The rapid adoption of Valve's Steam Deck, continuous improvements to Proton, and increasing hardware compatibility have significantly expanded Linux's role in PC gaming. As Linux's share of Steam users has grown, more developers and publishers have begun treating the platform as a viable target rather than a niche operating system.
For GOG, supporting Linux more fully aligns with its philosophy of giving users greater control over their purchased games.
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- Linux Kernel 7.1.4 Released with Bug Fixes, Security Updates, and Hardware Improvements
by George Whittaker
Greg Kroah-Hartman has announced the release of Linux Kernel 7.1.4, the latest stable maintenance update for the Linux 7.1 series. As with other stable kernel releases, version 7.1.4 focuses on fixing bugs, improving hardware compatibility, and addressing security and reliability issues without introducing new features. The update became available on July 18, 2026, and users of the Linux 7.1 branch are encouraged to upgrade as soon as possible.
Rather than changing the kernel's feature set, Linux 7.1.4 delivers dozens of targeted fixes collected from developers across multiple kernel subsystems, helping ensure a more stable experience for desktops, servers, embedded devices, and cloud deployments.
Another Important Stable Maintenance Release
The Linux stable branch exists to provide safe updates between major kernel versions. Every stable release undergoes review before being published and contains fixes that have already been tested in the mainline kernel.
Linux 7.1.4 continues this process by incorporating patches that resolve regressions, improve system stability, and fix issues reported by users since the release of Linux 7.1.3.
For most users, these maintenance updates are recommended because they improve reliability without altering existing functionality.
Bug Fixes Across Multiple Kernel Subsystems
Like previous stable releases, Linux 7.1.4 includes fixes spanning many areas of the kernel.
The update addresses issues affecting:
Memory management File systems Networking Device drivers Architecture-specific code Core kernel infrastructure USB and storage subsystems
These targeted patches help eliminate crashes, improve compatibility with newer hardware, and resolve edge cases that may only appear under specific workloads.
Improved Hardware Compatibility
One of the ongoing goals of Linux stable releases is expanding support for existing and newly released hardware.
Linux 7.1.4 includes updated drivers and compatibility fixes for various devices, helping improve support for:
Graphics hardware Storage controllers Networking devices USB peripherals Laptop components ARM development boards
Although no major driver additions are expected in a maintenance release, incremental improvements like these often resolve hardware-specific bugs reported by users after earlier releases.
Security and Reliability Updates
Stable kernel releases also include security-related fixes that have been accepted into the maintenance branch.
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- Firefox 153 Released with HDR Video, Smarter PDF Tools, Better Privacy, and New Linux Improvements
by George Whittaker
Mozilla has officially released Firefox 153, bringing another round of improvements to its open-source web browser. The latest version introduces new multimedia capabilities, enhanced PDF editing tools, stronger privacy protections, better support for modern web technologies, and several features aimed at improving the browsing experience across Linux, Windows, and macOS. Firefox 153 became available on the stable release channel on July 21, 2026.
While this isn't a major redesign, Firefox 153 delivers a collection of practical updates that benefit both everyday users and web developers.
HDR Video Playback Comes to Windows
One of the headline features in Firefox 153 is support for High Dynamic Range (HDR) video playback on compatible Windows systems.
Users with HDR-capable displays and Windows HDR enabled can now enjoy richer colors, improved contrast, and brighter highlights when watching supported online video content. Mozilla notes that certain laptop displays offering only "HDR video streaming" are not currently supported, and some HDR videos recorded on mobile phones may still have limitations.
Although this feature is Windows-specific, it represents another step toward bringing Firefox in line with modern multimedia standards.
PDF Editing Becomes Even More Powerful
Mozilla continues expanding Firefox's built-in PDF editor, eliminating the need for third-party applications in many situations.
Firefox 153 introduces the ability to:
Merge multiple PDF documents Insert images as new PDF pages Continue using existing editing tools such as annotations, page organization, and text editing
These additions make Firefox an even more capable document viewer and editor, especially for users who frequently work with PDF files.
Stronger Privacy and Permission Controls
Privacy remains one of Firefox's biggest selling points, and version 153 introduces several enhancements designed to give users more visibility and control over website permissions.
New improvements include:
A visual indicator when a website is actively accessing your location More restrictive default permissions for browser extensions accessing local files Local Area Network (LAN) restrictions enabled by default for all users
These changes reduce unnecessary exposure of local resources while making it easier to understand what websites and extensions can access.
Experimental JPEG XL Support
Firefox 153 also adds experimental support for the JPEG XL image format, which many developers consider a promising successor to older image standards.
JPEG XL offers several advantages, including:
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- NanoKVM-Go Brings AI-Powered Hardware Control to Linux with a Compact USB-C KVM
by George Whittaker
Sipeed has introduced NanoKVM-Go, a compact USB-C KVM-over-IP device that combines remote hardware management with AI integration. Designed for Linux, Windows, macOS, and other USB-C devices, NanoKVM-Go allows users to remotely view and control a system through a web browser while exposing its keyboard, mouse, and display functions to AI agents via the Model Context Protocol (MCP).
Unlike traditional KVM-over-IP solutions that require multiple cables and dedicated networking hardware, NanoKVM-Go simplifies the setup into a single USB-C connection, making remote administration and AI-assisted automation more accessible for developers, system administrators, and homelab enthusiasts.
A Portable USB-C KVM
NanoKVM-Go is roughly the size of a smartwatch, measuring about 45 × 40 × 15 mm, yet it combines several functions into a single device.
Key hardware features include:
USB-C connection for video, audio, keyboard, mouse, and power Wi-Fi 6 connectivity Browser-based remote management Support for virtual USB storage Built-in Tailscale integration for secure remote access Fanless aluminum enclosure with low power consumption
Because it connects over USB-C using DisplayPort Alt Mode, the device can manage a wide variety of hardware without requiring software installation on the target system.
Designed for Linux and Beyond
NanoKVM-Go supports numerous USB-C devices, including:
Linux desktops and laptops Windows PCs macOS systems Mini PCs Steam Deck Android devices with DisplayPort Alt Mode iPhone 15 and newer models Tablets supporting USB-C video output
For Linux users, this provides an easy way to perform BIOS configuration, operating system installation, kernel debugging, or remote troubleshooting—even when the operating system is unavailable.
AI Integration Through MCP
One of NanoKVM-Go's defining features is its AI-native design.
Rather than simply streaming a desktop remotely, the device exposes its KVM functions as an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, allowing compatible AI agents to interact with the connected computer using hardware-level keyboard and mouse input.
This enables AI systems to:
View the screen Move the mouse Type on the keyboard Launch applications Navigate user interfaces Complete repetitive desktop workflows
Because control happens at the hardware level, AI agents can interact with systems regardless of the operating system installed.
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- AI Uncovers a 15-Year-Old Linux Kernel Root Vulnerability Hidden Since 2011
by George Whittaker
Artificial intelligence has helped uncover one of the most significant Linux kernel security flaws in recent years. Security researchers at Nebula Security announced the discovery of GhostLock (CVE-2026-43499), a critical local privilege escalation vulnerability that remained hidden in the Linux kernel for approximately 15 years before being identified by the company's AI-powered vulnerability research platform, VEGA.
The vulnerability affects Linux kernels dating back to version 2.6.39 (2011) and allows an unprivileged local user to obtain full root privileges on vulnerable systems. Its discovery not only highlights the importance of timely kernel updates but also demonstrates how AI is beginning to transform vulnerability research.
What Is GhostLock?
GhostLock is a use-after-free (UAF) vulnerability located in the Linux kernel's futex (fast userspace mutex) implementation.
Futexes are synchronization primitives that allow user-space applications to efficiently coordinate access to shared resources while minimizing expensive kernel interactions. Because they are widely used throughout Linux, any flaw within this subsystem can have broad security implications.
According to Nebula Security, incorrect handling of the remove_waiter() function can leave behind a dangling kernel pointer that an attacker can manipulate to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.
A Reliable Path to Root Access
One of the reasons GhostLock has attracted so much attention is the reported reliability of the exploit.
Researchers demonstrated that an attacker with nothing more than a standard local user account can escalate privileges to root in roughly five seconds, with a reported success rate of 97% on vulnerable systems.
Unlike many kernel exploits that are unstable or require highly specific system configurations, GhostLock appears to be both practical and repeatable, making it particularly concerning for administrators.
Container Escapes Are Also Possible
The implications extend beyond traditional Linux desktops and servers.
Researchers report that GhostLock can also be used to escape containers and compromise the underlying host operating system. Because containers share the host kernel, a successful privilege escalation inside a container can potentially grant root access to the host itself.
This makes the vulnerability especially important for environments running:
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- Azure Linux 4.0 Released: Microsoft Expands Its Enterprise Linux Platform Beyond the Cloud
by George Whittaker
Microsoft has officially unveiled Azure Linux 4.0, the latest version of its open-source Linux distribution designed for cloud infrastructure, enterprise workloads, and modern data centers. Formerly known as CBL-Mariner, Azure Linux has powered Microsoft's internal cloud services for years, but version 4.0 marks its biggest evolution yet by becoming a general-purpose server operating system that organizations can deploy both inside and outside Azure.
The release introduces updated core components, expanded hardware support, a predictable long-term lifecycle, and improved compatibility for enterprise environments, reinforcing Microsoft's growing investment in the Linux ecosystem.
A New Chapter for Azure Linux
Azure Linux began as Microsoft's internal operating system for Azure services, containers, and cloud infrastructure. Over time, it evolved into the foundation for many Azure-hosted workloads.
With Azure Linux 4.0, Microsoft is positioning the distribution as a broader enterprise Linux platform rather than one limited to Azure infrastructure. The operating system is now available through Azure virtual machine images, container images, and downloadable ISO files for testing and deployment in a wider range of environments.
Built for Enterprise and Cloud Workloads
Unlike desktop-focused Linux distributions, Azure Linux is optimized for infrastructure, virtualization, containers, and cloud-native applications.
Typical deployment scenarios include:
Cloud virtual machines Kubernetes clusters Container hosts AI infrastructure Edge computing Enterprise servers
Microsoft has designed the distribution to provide a consistent operating system foundation across Azure services while remaining suitable for on-premises deployments.
Updated Core Components
Azure Linux 4.0 modernizes much of the operating system's software stack.
Highlights include:
Linux Kernel 7.0 glibc 2.42 OpenSSL 3.5 Python 3.13 OpenSSH 10 dnf5 as the default package manager
These updates improve hardware compatibility, application support, security, and overall system performance while providing developers with a more current software platform.
Security Remains a Primary Focus
Security continues to be one of Azure Linux's defining characteristics.
Version 4.0 includes:
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