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(Two Column)
- Richards: Introducing tmux-rs
Collin Richards has announced version0.0.1 of tmux-rs, a port of the tmux terminal multiplexerto Rust.
For the [past] 6 months or so I've been quietly porting tmux from C toRust. I've recently reached a big milestone: the code base is now 100%(unsafe) Rust. I'd like to share the process of porting the originalcodebase from ~67,000 lines of C code to ~81,000 lines of Rust(excluding comments and empty lines). You might be asking: why did yourewrite tmux in Rust? And yeah, I don't really have a goodreason. It's a hobby project. Like gardening, but with more segfaults.
Richards says that the next goal for the project is to convert itto safe Rust. It is currently "not very difficult to get it tocrash", but he wanted to share the project with other Rust fansnow. The project is available onGitHub.
- [$] Kernel API specification and validation
The kernel project makes a strong promise to its users: the kernel ABI willnot be changed in ways that break user-space code. The occasional failurenotwithstanding, kernel developers do try to live up to that promise. Theyare handicapped by one little problem, though: there is no description ofwhat the kernel ABI is, and no comprehensive way to test whether a givenchange breaks it. The kernel APIspecification framework proposed (in its second revision) by SashaLevin addresses some of those concerns, but the solution is incomplete anddoes not come for free.
- Security updates for Thursday
Security updates have been issued by AlmaLinux (.NET 9.0, aardvark-dns, apache-commons-beanutils, bootc, buildah, corosync, delve and golang, exiv2, expat, firefox, ghostscript, git, git-lfs, gnutls, grafana, grafana-pcp, grub2, gstreamer1, gstreamer1-plugins-bad-free, gstreamer1-plugins-ugly-free, and gstreamer1-rtsp-server, gstreamer1-plugins-base, gstreamer1-plugins-good, gvisor-tap-vsock, iptraf-ng, java-21-openjdk, kernel, keylime-agent-rust, krb5, libarchive, libblockdev, libsoup3, libtasn1, libvpx, libxslt, microcode_ctl, mod_auth_openidc, nodejs22, nodejs:20, openjpeg2, osbuild and osbuild-composer, perl-FCGI, perl-Module-ScanDeps, perl-YAML-LibYAML, php, php:8.2, php:8.3, podman, protobuf, python-jinja2, python-requests, python3.11, python3.12, python3.12-cryptography, python3.9, rpm-ostree, rsync, rust-bootupd, skopeo, thunderbird, tigervnc, tomcat, tomcat9, webkit2gtk3, xdg-utils, xorg-x11-server, and xorg-x11-server-Xwayland), Debian (ring), Mageia (libarchive and rootcerts, nss & firefox), Oracle (.NET 9.0, corosync, firefox, osbuild-composer, pam, python3, python3.11, python3.12, python3.9, skopeo, sudo, and thunderbird), Red Hat (microcode_ctl, pam, php, thunderbird, tigervnc, xorg-x11-server, xorg-x11-server and xorg-x11-server-Xwayland, and xorg-x11-server-Xwayland), SUSE (clamav, icu, libgepub, libsoup, python-requests, tomcat, and xorg-x11-server), and Ubuntu (clamav, logback, mongo-c-driver, pcs, and python-flask-cors).
- [$] LWN.net Weekly Edition for July 3, 2025
Inside this week's LWN.net Weekly Edition:
Front: Kernel features from Python; i686 in Fedora; Kernel development with LLMs; Rust drivers; Load balancing with machine learning; Transparent huge pages. Briefs: Bcachefs removal; Coccinelle for Rust; Netdev Foundation; Oracle Linux 10; GNU HHIS 5.0; Rust 1.88.0; Quotes; ... Announcements: Newsletters, conferences, security updates, patches, and more.
- Debian looking for testers with Apple M1/M2 machines
Debian's Bananas team has putout a call for people with Apple M1 or M2 systems to help testDebian on those machines:
The Bananas Team has set up an installer at with images for GNOME, KDE and console installations. While we'd like to build an actual Debian installer sooner or later (we may need a heads-up from the Debian Images team for that), at this time we only provide an asahi-type installer, which installs both the "bootloader" and the OS partitions to disk from the network (as opposed to only installing the bootloader and then letting you install Debian using a d-i USB stick). We haven't forked Trixie from Testing yet, so what you'll get is Debian Testing quite deep into the freeze.
- The Netdev Foundation launches
The NetdevFoundation, which is "a user-led effort under the supervision of theLinux Foundation, focused on financially supporting Linux networkingdevelopment", has announced itsexistence.
The initial motivation was to move the NIPA testing outside of Meta, so that more people can help and contribute. But there should be sufficient budget to sponsor more projects.
(NIPA is NetdevInfrastructure for Patch Automation).
- [$] Accessing new kernel features from Python
Every release of the Linux kernel has lots of new features, many of whichare accessible from user space. Usually, though, the GNU C Library (glibc)and tools that access the Linux user-space API lag behind the kernelreleases. Geoffrey Thomas showed how Python programs can access these newkernel features as soon as the kernel is released in his "What's New in theLinux Kernel... from Python" talk atPyCon US 2025. While he had twoexamples of accessing new kernel features, the real goal of the talk was todemonstrate how to go about connecting Python tothe Linux kernel.
- Copyleft-next project relaunched
The copyleft-next project is aneffort to develop a next-generation copyleft license; it was covered here back in 2013 (as well as in 2015 and 2021). The project has stalled in recentyears, but now Richard Fontana and Bradley Kuhn have announceda new effort to push copyleft-next forward:
Today, GPLv3 turns exactly 18 years old. This month, GPLv2 turned 34 years old. These are both great licenses and we love them. Nevertheless, at least once in a generation, FOSS needs a new approach to strong copyleft.
- Security updates for Wednesday
Security updates have been issued by AlmaLinux (apache-commons-beanutils, firefox, kea, kernel, kernel-rt, libblockdev, libvpx, pam, python-setuptools, python3, python3.11, python3.12, python3.9, and sudo), Debian (chromium), Gentoo (sudo), Oracle (.NET 8.0, buildah, firefox, freerdp, golang-github-openprinting-ipp-usb, grafana, grafana-pcp, gvisor-tap-vsock, libsoup3, mod_proxy_cluster, perl-FCGI, podman, python-setuptools, qt6-qtbase, skopeo, sudo, and thunderbird), Slackware (mozilla), SUSE (redis, runc, xorg-x11-server, and xwayland), and Ubuntu (composer, linux, linux-aws, linux-aws-6.8, linux-gcp, linux-gcp-6.8, linux-gke, linux-gkeop, linux-lowlatency, linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8, linux-nvidia, linux-nvidia-6.8, linux-nvidia-lowlatency, linux-oem-6.8, linux-oracle, linux-oracle-6.8, linux-raspi, linux, linux-aws, linux-gcp, linux-gcp-5.15, linux-gke, linux-gkeop, linux-hwe-5.15, linux-ibm, linux-kvm, linux-lowlatency, linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15, linux-nvidia, linux-oracle, linux-oracle-5.15, linux, linux-aws, linux-gcp, linux-gcp-6.11, linux-hwe-6.11, linux-oracle, linux-raspi, linux-realtime, linux, linux-aws, linux-lts-xenial, linux, linux-gcp, linux-raspi, linux-realtime, linux-fips, linux-fips, linux-aws-fips, linux-gcp-fips, linux-realtime, and linux-realtime, linux-raspi-realtime).
- GNU Health Hospital Information System 5.0 released
Version 5.0 of theGNU Health Hospital Information System has been released. This project,working to support medical offices, shows just how far the free-softwareeffort can reach. Changes in this release include improved reporting andanalytics, more comprehensive handling of many types of patientinformation, a reworked medical-imaging subsystem, better insurance andbilling functionality, and more.
- RP2350-PiZero Pairs RP2350 Microcontroller with Raspberry Pi Zero Form Factor
Waveshare has launched an embedded platform with a form factor similar to the Raspberry Pi Zero, powered by the RP2350 microcontroller. Key features include a DVI interface for displays and a lithium battery connector for portable applications. The RP2350-PiZero is built around the RP2350B microcontroller and uses a dual-core, dual-architecture design: two ARM Cortex-M33 […]
- Solution one task of Boolean Algebra via Python module utilizing **dict(zip(keys,values))
The approach of utilizing **dict(zip([keys],[values])) for solving a wide range of tasks in the course of Boolean Algebra for students is known in general. This post is just a demo of flexibility of python programming for a hard to complete similar tasks in the way limited by the framework of exclusively truth tables, even obtained with limited Python programming skills
- Two Critical Sudo Privilege Escalation Flaws Patched
Yesterday, while I was making the final touches on LTM Monthly Newsletter 25.01, exactly in its Cyberwatch section and almost ready to hit the send (and publish) button, I got the news of two very serious vulnerabilities hitting the sudo utility you use frequently—if not daily—on your terminal: CVE?2025?32462 and CVE?2025?32463.This should storm your brain with two questions: What do these two sudo flaws offer attackers? And what should you do to protect your Linux system?While I already highlighted the answers in the last LTM newsletter issue, I believe such an important event deserves a dedicated post. So without further ado, let’s dive in.
- You Can Now Rent a Flesh Computer Grown In a British Lab
alternative_right shares a report from ScienceAlert: The world's first commercial hybrid of silicon circuitry and human brain cells will soon be available for rent. Marketed for its vast potential in medical research, the biological machine, grown inside a British laboratory, builds on the Pong-playing prototype, DishBrain. Each CL1 computer is formed of 800,000 neurons grown across a silicon chip, and their life-support system. While it can't yet match the mind-blowing capabilities of today's most powerful computers, the system has one very significant advantage: it only consumes a fraction of the energy of comparable technologies. AI centers now consume countries' worth of energy, whereas a rack of CL1 machines only uses 1,000 watts and is naturally capable of adapting and learning in real time. [...] When neuroscientist Brett Kagan and colleagues pitted their creation against equivalent levels of machine learning algorithms, the cell culture systems outperformed them. Users can send code directly into the synthetically supported system of neurons, which is capable of responding to electrical signals almost instantly. These signals act as bits of information that can be read and acted on by the cells. But perhaps the greatest potential for this biological and synthetic hybrid is as an experimental tool for learning more about our own brains and their abilities, from neuroscience to creativity. The first CL1 units will reportedly ship soon for $35,000 each. Remote access can apparently be rented for $300 per week.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Sterilized Flies To Be Released In Order To Stop Flesh-Eating Maggot Infestation
Beeftopia shares a report from CBS News: The U.S. government is preparing to breed billions of flies and dump them out of airplanes over Mexico and southern Texas to fight a flesh-eating maggot. That sounds like the plot of a horror movie, but it is part of the government's plans for protecting the U.S. from a bug that could devastate its beef industry, decimate wildlife and even kill household pets. This weird science has worked well before. The targeted pest is the flesh-eating larva of the New World Screwworm fly. The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to ramp up the breeding and distribution of adult male flies -- sterilizing them with radiation before releasing them. They mate with females in the wild, and the eggs laid by the female aren't fertilized and don't hatch. There are fewer larvae, and over time, the fly population dies out. It is more effective and environmentally friendly than spraying the pest into oblivion, and it is how the U.S. and other nations north of Panama eradicated the same pest decades ago. Sterile flies from a factory in Panama kept the flies contained there for years, but the pest appeared in southern Mexico late last year. [...] The USDA expects a new screwworm fly factory to be up and running in southern Mexico by July 2026. It plans to open a fly distribution center in southern Texas by the end of the year so that it can import and distribute flies from Panama if necessary. The New World screwworm fly is a tropical species, unable to survive Midwestern or Great Plains winters, so it was a seasonal scourge. Still, the U.S. and Mexico bred and released more than 94 billion sterile flies from 1962 through 1975 to eradicate the pest, according to the USDA. The numbers need to be large enough that females in the wild can't help but hook up with sterile males for mating. One biological trait gives fly fighters a crucial wing up: Females mate only once in their weekslong adult lives. "A similar approach to certain species of mosquito is being debated," adds Beeftopia. "The impact on ecosystems is unclear."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Wells Fargo Scandal Pushed Customers Toward Fintech, Says UC Davis Study
BrianFagioli shares a report from NERDS.xyz: A new academic study has found that the 2016 Wells Fargo scandal pushed many consumers toward fintech lenders instead of traditional banks. The research, published in the Journal of Financial Economics, suggests that it was a lack of trust rather than interest rates or fees that drove this behavioral shift. Conducted by Keer Yang, an assistant professor at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, the study looked closely at what happened after the Wells Fargo fraud erupted into national headlines. Bank employees were caught creating millions of unauthorized accounts to meet unrealistic sales goals. The company faced $3 billion in penalties and a massive public backlash. Yang analyzed Google Trends data, Gallup polls, media coverage, and financial transaction datasets to draw a clear conclusion. In geographic areas with a strong Wells Fargo presence, consumers became measurably more likely to take out mortgages through fintech lenders. This change occurred even though loan costs were nearly identical between traditional banks and digital lenders. In other words, it was not about money. It was about trust. That simple fact hits hard. When big institutions lose public confidence, people do not just complain. They start moving their money elsewhere. According to the study, fintech mortgage use increased from just 2 percent of the market in 2010 to 8 percent in 2016. In regions more heavily exposed to the Wells Fargo brand, fintech adoption rose an additional 4 percent compared to areas with less exposure. Yang writes, "Therefore it is trust, not the interest rate, that affects the borrower's probability of choosing a fintech lender." [...] Notably, while customers may have been more willing to switch mortgage providers, they were less likely to move their deposits. Yang attributes that to FDIC insurance, which gives consumers a sense of security regardless of the bank's reputation. This study also gives weight to something many of us already suspected. People are not necessarily drawn to fintech because it is cheaper. They are drawn to it because they feel burned by the traditional system and want a fresh start with something that seems more modern and less manipulative.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Norway Reached 96.9% Market Share For EVs In June
Electric vehicles claimed a dominant 96.9% market share in Norway in June 2025, with the Tesla Model Y alone accounting for over 27% of all new car registrations. Mobility Portal Europe reports: According to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (OFV), 17,799 new electric cars were registered in Norway in June out of a total of 18,376 new registrations. In this context, electric vehicles (EVs) held a market share of 96.9%. Compared to June 2024 -- when EVs made up 80% of all new registrations -- this technology increased by 3,790 units. In addition, in May 2025, Norway recorded 4,415 new EV registrations. Last month, only 577 new registrations were for vehicles without fully electric drive systems. Among these were 152 plug-in hybrids (an 83.7% drop compared to June 2024) and 223 other types of hybrids (an 89.1% decline). Over the year, hybrids lost market share, falling from 17% to 2%. Pure combustion engines also further reduced their market presence: 142 new diesel vehicles represented 0.8% of the market share, down from 2% a year earlier, and 57 new petrol vehicles made up 0.3% of the market, compared to 1% in June 2024. "Several campaigns with 0% or very low interest rates on new car purchases significantly boosted sales. The first interest rate cut by Norges Bank helped ensure that many people bought their dream car," said Oyvind Solberg Thorsen, Director of OFV. "It remained to be seen whether Tesla could maintain its strong position, and for how long."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Ripple Applies For US Banking License
Ripple Labs is applying for a U.S. national bank charter and a Federal Reserve master account, "following a similar move by stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Group as crypto firms look to be regulated to deepen ties with traditional finance," reports CoinTelegraph. From the report: Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse confirmed on X on Wednesday that the company is applying for a license with the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), following an earlier report by The Wall Street Journal. "True to our long-standing compliance roots, Ripple is applying for a national bank charter from the OCC," he wrote. Garlinghouse said if the license is approved, it would be a "new (and unique!) benchmark for trust in the stablecoin market" as the firm would be under federal and state oversight -- with the New York Department of Financial Services already regulating its Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin. [...] Ripple's Garlinghouse added that the company also applied for a Master Account with the Federal Reserve, which would give it access to the US central banking system. "This access would allow us to hold $RLUSD reserves directly with the Fed and provide an additional layer of security to future proof trust in RLUSD," Garlinghouse said. "Congress is working towards clear rules and regulations, and banks (in a far cry from the years of Operation Chokepoint 2.0) are leaning in," he added, mentioning the conspiracy that the Biden administration sought to cut off crypto from the financial system. Ripple applied for the account through Standard Custody, a crypto custody firm it acquired in February 2024.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Samsung Delays $44 Billion Texas Chip Fab Because 'There Are No Customers'
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Tom's Hardware: Samsung is reportedly delaying the launch of its Taylor, Texas, fab, citing difficulties in securing customers for its output. Sources told Nikkei Asia that even if the South Korean chipmaker brings in the necessary equipment to produce chips at the new plant, the company cannot do anything with them due to the lack of demand. Aside from that, the original planned process node for the Taylor plant is no longer aligned with current demand, highlighting the rapid pace of semiconductor technology. The chip maker started construction on the Taylor fab in 2022, with an initial investment of $17 billion. By 2024, the company decided to double this to $44 billion, with the addition of another advanced fab and expanded R&D operations. This move is supported by a $6.6-billion CHIPS Act subsidy, which was finalized in December last year, despite multiple delays and setbacks. Samsung C&T, the primary contractor for the Taylor fab, states that construction of the site is progressing. Documents from the company show that the site is almost 92% complete as of March 2024. Work on the site was originally scheduled to finish the following month, but regulatory filings indicate that this was moved to October. No reason was given for the delay, but multiple sources indicate that it occurred due to a lack of demand. It was initially planned for the Taylor Fab to produce chips for the 4nm process node, but this has since been upgraded to 2nm, to compete with TSMC and Intel. A supply chain executive told the publication that there is little demand for the originally planned 4nm process node at the site. "Local demand for chips isn't particularly strong, and the process nodes Samsung planned several years ago no longer meet with current customer needs," the executive said to Nikkei Asia. "However, overhauling the plant would be a major and costly undertaking, so the company is adopting a wait-and-see approach for now." Although it has already declared its intention to upgrade the site to manufacture the 2nm process node, that is a resource-intensive task in terms of time, effort, and money. Despite the lack of customers, Samsung says it will proceed with opening the Taylor Fab by 2026 -- a necessary move to qualify for CHIPS Act funding and avoid falling behind competitors like TSMC. Delaying further could jeopardize billions already invested in the project.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Microsoft Copilot Joins ChatGPT At the Feet of the Mighty Atari 2600 Video Chess
Robert Caruso once again pitted an AI chatbot against Atari 2600 Video Chess -- this time using Microsoft's Copilot instead of ChatGPT. Despite confident claims of chess mastery, Copilot fell just as hard. The Register reports: By now, anybody with experience of today's generative AI systems will know what happened. Copilot's hubris was misplaced. Its moves were... interesting, and it managed to lose two pawns, a knight, and a bishop while the mighty Atari 2600 Video Chess was only down a single pawn. Eventually, Caruso asked Copilot to compare what it thought the board looked like with the last screenshot he'd pasted, and the chatbot admitted they were different. "ChatGPT deja vu." There was no way Microsoft's chatbot could win with this handicap. Still, it was gracious in defeat: "Atari's earned the win this round. I'll tip my digital king with dignity and honor [to the] the vintage silicon mastermind that bested me fair and square." Caruso's experiment is amusing but also highlights the absolute confidence with which an AI can spout nonsense. Copilot (like ChatGPT) had likely been trained on the fundamentals of chess, but could not create strategies. The problem was compounded by the fact that what it understood the positions on the chessboard to be, versus reality, appeared to be markedly different. The story's moral has to be: Beware of the confidence of chatbots. LLMs are apparently good at some things. A 45-year-old chess game is clearly not one of them.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- 'Stop Killing Games' Consumer Movement Hits Major Milestones
The "Stop Killing Games" movement, led by YouTuber Accursed Farms, has gained serious momentum as it pushes back against the practice of game publishers shutting down access to titles consumers have paid for. Recent milestones include a UK petition surpassing 100K signatures and an EU initiative nearing its 1 million goal. GamingOnLinux reports: In the UK, the newer petition has flown past the 100K signatures (126,066 at time of writing) needed for it to be considered for a debate in Parliament. That doesn't mean it will happen, just that it now needs to be considered by the UK government to potentially have it mentioned. A good step though, with signatures still flowing in until July 14th, showing there's demand for change. On the EU side, things are also going well there now too. Against the needed 1 million signatures, it's now hit 977,864 (at time of writing). According to the official Accursed Farms X account, they've had reports of "non-citizens spoofing signatures on the EU initiative" so it may be a little inflated.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Nearly 1,000 Britons Will Keep Four-Day Work Week After Trial
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Nearly 1,000 British workers will keep a shorter working week after the latest trial of a four-day week and similar changes to traditional working patterns. All 17 British businesses in a six-month trial of the four-day week said they would continue with an arrangement consisting of either four days a week or nine days a fortnight. All the employees remained on their full salary. The trial was organized by the 4 Day Week Foundation, a group campaigning for more businesses to take up shorter working weeks. The latest test follows a larger six-month pilot in 2022, involving almost 3,000 employees, which ended in 56 of 61 companies cutting down their hours from a five-day working week. [...] Researchers at Boston College, a US university, said the findings from the latest trial were "extremely positive" for workers. They found that 62% of workers reported that they experienced less burnout during the trial, according to a poll of 89 people. Forty-five percent of those polled said they felt "more satisfied with life." The 4 Day Week Foundation has run successive trials to gather data and demonstrate how companies can make the switch. In January, the foundation said more than 5,000 people from a previous wave had started the year permanently working a four-day week. Companies involved in the latest trial, which started in November, included charities and professional services firms, with the number of employees at each employer ranging between five and 400. They included the British Society for Immunology and Crate Brewery in Hackney, east London. [...] The small web software company BrandPipe said that the latest trial had been a success for the business, coinciding with increased sales. Geoff Slaughter, BrandPipe's chief executive, said: "The trial's been an overwhelming success because it has been the launchpad for us to consider what constitutes efficiency, and financial performance is double what it was before." Slaughter added: "If we're going to see it rolled out more substantially across different sectors, there should be incentives for early adopters, because we're creating the blueprint for the future."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Google Ends Recipe Pilot That Left Creators Fearing Web-Traffic Hit
An anonymous reader shares a report: Google has ended tests of a feature that would have let users open a snapshot of cooking-recipe content directly in web search results -- a welcome development for creators and food bloggers who were concerned about eroding traffic to their sites. In recent months, Alphabet-owned Google has tested Recipe Quick View, which showed some food bloggers' content in search. The company framed the feature as an attempt to help users determine whether they are interested in a recipe before visiting a website. But some bloggers said they feared that the product would keep users from clicking through to their sites, depriving them of traffic and ad revenue. Google on Tuesday confirmed it ended the trial.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Wikidata: Attempting to bridge FOSS ideals and direct democracy
There's more to the Wikimedia organization than the famous encyclopedia
Comment Multiple other projects also use the vast linked data store that underpins ubiquitous internet encyclopaedia Wikipedia, and some of them are helping the fight for democracy.…
- 'Trained monkey' from tech support saved know-it-all manager's mistake with a single keypress
Righteous mockery entranced execs in ways slideware could not
On Call Friday dawns with the promise of precious freedom, yet the world of tech support is seldom free from trouble. The Register always finds a way to celebrate anyway, by bringing you a fresh instalment of On Call, the reader-contributed column that tells your tales of breaking away from bad bosses and ungrateful users.…
- Cold without the compressor: Boffins build better ice box
A thermoelectric material called CHESS is pretty cool
Scientists at Johns Hopkins and Samsung have developed a nano-engineered thermoelectric material that is twice as efficient at material-level cooling as existing alternatives, paving the way for broader adoption of solid-state refrigeration technology.…
- US budget bill passes without controversial block on states regulating AI
And with some increases to rural broadband funds, fresh spectrum auctions, and wholesale dismantling of clean energy subsidies
Lawmakers have passed President Trump's budget reconciliation but removed one of its most tech-contentious measures - the ban of state-level AI regulation – meaning the law will have little effect on the tech industry.…
- AI models just don't understand what they're talking about
Researchers find models' success at tests hides illusion of understanding
Researchers from MIT, Harvard, and the University of Chicago have proposed the term "potemkin understanding" to describe a newly identified failure mode in large language models that ace conceptual benchmarks but lack the true grasp needed to apply those concepts in practice.…
- 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]
- AI note takers are flooding Zoom calls as workers opt to skip meetings
Clifton Sellers attended a Zoom meeting last month where robots outnumbered humans. He counted six people on the call including himself, Sellers recounted in an interview. The 10 others attending were note-taking apps powered by artificial intelligence that had joined to record, transcribe and summarize the meeting. ↫ Lisa Bonos and Danielle Abril at The Bezos Post Management strongly encourages mandates that everyone use AI! to improve productivity, but then gets all uppity when people actually do. Welcome to finding out!.
- Elementary OS makes meaningful accessibility improvements
With recent efforts to improve accessibility in GNOME and KDE, as well as a renewed focus on highlighting the many issues that still need fixing, the Linux desktop is making meaningful strides in becoming more accessible to those among us with disabilities. Obviously, the Linux desktop is bigger than just GNOME and KDE, so today we have elementary OS improving its accessibility features in a variety of ways. July is Disability Pride Month, an opportunity for us to consider how we’re serving our disabled community and work on breaking down barriers to access. Last year we had the pleasure of being introduced to Florian—a fully blind cybersecurity enthusiast—and thanks to his feedback we completely rewrote navigation in Onboarding to be more keyboard and screen reader friendly, as well as took another look at Installation and Initial Setup to vastly improve our entire first run experience for blind folks. Plus, we implemented the screen reader interface in the + window switcher. Thanks to this feedback, elementary OS 8 can be installed and set up completely blind, an important win for maintaining your independence as a person with vision disabilities. Since the release of OS 8 we’ve been working on things like improving contrast, support for Dark Mode screenshots and brand colors in AppCenter, turning on or snoozing Dark Mode without canceling your schedule, expanding the scope of the “Reduce Motion” setting, and adding more options to reduce distracting notification bubbles. Plus, thanks to feedback from Aaron who you may know from his blog series on Linux accessibility, Notifications and the Shortcut Overlay both got releases that add screen reader support. ↫ Danielle Foré at elementarys blog Im glad were finally putting to rest this idea that accessibility features should be afterthoughts, relevant to only a minute percentage of people. Not only is the disabled community way bigger than we might think, many of the features they require are simply also extremely nice and beneficial to users who might not actually require them. I know tons of people who, for instance, love reduce motion features simply because it makes their operating system feel faster, or people who just dont want to be bothered with notifications the instant they arrive. Accessibility goes far beyond what we traditionally think of as accessibility features, like screen readers or high contrast modes. Making software more accessible for those that require it, also makes software more accessible for those that merely desire it. Even though elementary OS probably isnt the type of distribution that appeals to the average OSNews reader, Im incredibly happy theyre taking accessibility seriously, and I intend to continue to highlight such improvements.
- Servers and thin clients in every home is the future they stole from us
I’ve used thin clients at home for quite a while both for their intended use (remotely accessing a desktop of another system); and in the sense of “modern thin clients are x86 boxes that are wildly overpowered for what they run, so they make good mini servers.” Recently, I saw a bulk lot of Sun Ray thin clients pop up on Trade Me (NZ’s eBay-like auction site) and with very little idea of how many clients were actually included in this lot, I jumped on it. After a 9 hour round-trip drive (on some of the worst roads I’ve seen!), I returned home with the back of my car completely packed with Sun Rays. Time for some interesting shenanigans! ↫ catstret.ch I was unaware you could still set up a Sun Ray environment with latest versions of OpenIndiana, and that has me quite interested in buying a few Sun Rays off eBay and follow in the authors footsteps. It seems like its not too difficult, and while theres some manual nonsense you have to do to get everything to install correctly, its nothing crazy. To this day, I firmly believe that the concept of dumb thin clients connected to powerful servers is an alluring and interesting way of computing. Im not talking about connecting up to servers owned by massive technology corporations Im talking about a few powerful servers down in your own basement or attic or whatever, serving applications and desktops straight to basic thin clients all around your house. These thin clients can take the shape of anything, from something like a desktop setup in your office, down to a basic display in your kitchen for showing recipes, setting timers, and other basic stuff and everything in between. Sun Rays could hot desk using personal smart cards, but of course, in this day and age youd have your smartphone. The thin clients around your house would know it was you through your smartphone, and serve up the applications, desktop, tools, and so on that you use, but everything would be running on the servers in your house. Of course, my wife would have her own account on the server, as would our children, when they are old enough. None of this is impossible with todays tools and computing power, but it wouldnt be easy to set up. There are no integrated solutions out there to make this happen; youd have to scrap it together from disparate parts and tools, and I doubt such a house of cards would end up being reliable enough not to quickly become a massive annoyance and time sink. On top of that, we live in a rental apartment, so we dont even have a basement or attic to store loud servers in, nor are we allowed to drill holes and route Ethernet cabling for optimal performance. Anyway, theres no chance in hell any of the major technology companies would build such a complex ecosystem in a world where its much easier and more profitable to force people to subscribe to shitty services. In my ideal computing world, though a server in every home, with cheap thin clients in every room.
- The new troll diet
We need a new framework for how to defend against trolls!. The feeding metaphor ran its course many years ago. It is done and will not be coming back. New online risks demand that we adapt and become proactive in protecting our spaces. We have to loudly and proudly set the terms of what is permissible. Those holding social or institutional power in communities should be willing to drop a few loud fuck offs to anyone trying to work their way in by weaponizing optics, concern trolling, or the well known tolerance paradox!. Conceding through silence, or self-censorship, only emboldens those who benefit from attacking a community. ↫ diegoebe Een volk dat voor tirannen zwicht, zal meer dan lijf en goed verliezen, dan dooft het licht.
- Donkey Kong Country 2 and open bus
Apparently, Donkey Kong Country 2 has runs into a bug in the old SNES emulator ZSNES, where one of the barrels that youre supposed to be able to precisely control the spinning direction of ends up spinning forever. This bug is caused by ZSNES not emulating open bus behavior. I believe this was originally discovered by Anomie roughly two decades ago, who subsequently fixed the same bug in Snes9x. This original fix hardcoded the specific addresses to return the values that the game depends on rather than properly emulating open bus, but it fixed DKC2 and probably didn’t break anything else. The bug was never fixed in ZSNES, which is now a long abandoned project (last release in 2007). Purely out of curiosity, I wanted to dig into this a little more to figure out what exactly in the game code causes these barrels to spin forever in an emulator that doesn’t emulate open bus behavior. ↫ jsgroth Just in case youve always wanted to know.
- Wayback: experimental layer to run X desktop environments on Wayland
With X.org being in maintenance mode, with the process of replacing it with Wayland accelerating pretty quickly now, a lot of projects using X.org are looking for ways to prepare for the future. Alpine Linux, a distribution focused on musl, BusyBox, and OpenRC, also wants to reduce its maintenance burden for X11 applications, and so Alpine Linux maintainer Ariadne Conill has come up with something interesting. Wayback is an experimental X compatibility layer which allows for running full X desktop environments using Wayland components. It is essentially a stub compositor which provides just enough Wayland capabilities to host a rootful Xwayland server. It is intended to eventually replace the classic X.org server in Alpine, thus reducing maintenance burden of X applications in Alpine, but a lot of work needs to be done first. ↫ Wayback GitHub page Its nowhere near done and most likely contains massive amounts of bugs and issues, but the seed has been planted. Wayback will make it possible to keep running X11-based desktop environments even in a full-Wayland environment. This may be necessary in case you need a specific feature not yet available in the Wayland version of your desktop environment, or if your desktop environment of choice simply isnt going to move to Wayland at all (due to lack of maintainers or whatever). Itll also be a boon for retrocomputing, especially as over the coming years and decades unmaintained X11 desktop environments become become ever harder to keep running on modern Linux distributions. While X.org as it exists today certainly isnt going anywhere any time soon, it will, eventually, stop working properly on Linux distributions who dont ship it by default anymore, and its awesome to already have the beginnings of a project to address this problem.
- Microsoft to remove all but the latest versions of drivers from Windows Update
This blog post is intended to notify all Windows Hardware program partners that Microsoft has taken a strategic initiative to clean up legacy drivers published on Windows Update to reduce security and compatibility risks. The rationale behind this initiative is to ensure that we have the optimal set of drivers on Windows Update that cater to a variety of hardware devices across the windows ecosystem, while making sure that Microsoft Windows security posture is not compromised. This initiative involves periodic cleanup of drivers from Windows Update, thereby resulting in some drivers not being offered to any systems in the ecosystem. ↫ Microsofts Hardware Dev Center The general gist is that Microsoft is going to remove all drivers from Windows Update for which newer versions exist or, to put it in a different way, only the latest versions of a driver are going to remain available on Windows Update. Its effectively a clean-up of Windows Update, and the only way older versions of drivers will remain available on Windows Update is if the manufacturer in question can make a business justification! to keep them around. Some of this may sound surprising, since many people assume Windows Update only offers the latest versions of drivers annoyingly so, sometimes but this isnt the case. Corporations with fleets of devices can actually determine exactly which drivers get sent to their devices, including opting for older versions in case newer versions have regressions or otherwise cause issues. Sometimes you just dont have a choice. According to Adam Demasi, the creator and maintainer of the amazing Legacy Update service, Microsoft hasnt deleted a single driver or update from Windows Update since 2001 (save for problematic updates). This results in a truly massive collection of updates and drivers, and thats causing real problems for Microsoft. Windows Update has a pretty cool system of describing whether an update is necessary to be installed on the current system, or if it is already installed. It also builds a relationship graph between updates, to indicate when they have been replaced by a newer update that includes all changes from the previous update. That system is also its downfall, causing the Windows Update service to be incredibly slow in checking for updates, possibly never completing the check at all. This issue also applies to WSUS, which despite being based on the very robust SQL Server, struggles with the number of drivers Microsoft hosts on Windows Update. As of April, we know that Windows Update hosts 1,799,339 drivers, and this creates a 138 GB database that requires almost 16 days to synchronise down from the main servers. The WSUS server is brought to its knees, with frequent timeouts while it furiously tries to complete database queries. (The PC used is a Ryzen 5700G with 32 GB of 3600 MHz RAM and 500 GB of NVMe, running Windows Server 2025 and SQL Server 2022.) ↫ Adam Demasi From this, its easy to understand why Microsoft would want to perform some housekeeping, followed by a new set of rules around only keeping the latest versions of drivers around in Windows Update. Demasi also notes that these plans by Microsoft wont affect drivers for old devices, since they will still be served their newest! driver version, and it wont affect Legacy Update either.
- I want a good parallel computer!
The GPU in your computer is about 10 to 100 times more powerful than the CPU, depending on workload. For real-time graphics rendering and machine learning, you are enjoying that power, and doing those workloads on a CPU is not viable. Why aren’t we exploiting that power for other workloads? What prevents a GPU from being a more general purpose computer? ↫ Raph Levien Fascinating thoughts on parallel computation, including some mentions of earlier projects like Intels Larabee or the Connection Machine with 64k processors the 80s, as well as a defense of the PlayStation 3s Cell architecture.
- Windows gets new blue! screen of death and automated boot recovery
The blue screen of death has been such a core part of Windows thats its become part of humanitys collective consciousness. Theyre not nearly as common anymore as they used to be back in the Windows 9x and early Windows XP days, but they do still occasionally when dealing with broken hardware, shoddy drivers, or other such faults. Well, the blue screen of death is losing its eponymous blue colour, and will now clearly mention the stop code and where in which driver the kernel panic occurred. The Windows 11 24H2 release included improvements to crash dump collection which reduced downtime during an unexpected restart to about two seconds for most users. We’re introducing a simplified user interface (UI) that pairs with the shortened experience. The updated UI improves readability and aligns better with Windows 11 design principles, while preserving the technical information on the screen for when it is needed. ↫ David Weston at the Windows Blogs This is part of a new feature in Windows 11 called quick machine recovery, or QMR. If a Windows PC gets stuck in a boot loop, ending up in the Windows Recovery Environment, Microsoft can now deploy fixes and remediations through WinRE. This feature will become available later this year by default on Windows 11 Home, while on Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise, administrators can control how this feature works. So far, it seems QMR is only intended to be used for widespread outages, but I wonder if it would be possible to eventually use QMR locally. It would be pretty neat if Microsoft released the server-side component of QMR so individuals can run and (ab)use it locally for their own machines.
- Snow, a new classic Macintosh emulator
The world isnt short of classic Macintosh emulators, but one more certainly cannot hurt. Snow emulates classic (Motorola 6800-based) Macintosh computers. It features a graphical user interface to operate the emulated machine and provides extensive debugging capabilities. The aim of this project is to emulate the Macintosh on a hardware-level as much as possible, as opposed to emulators that patch the ROM or intercept system calls. It currently emulates the Macintosh 128K, Macintosh 512K, Macintosh Plus, Macintosh SE, Macintosh Classic and Macintosh II. ↫ Snows homepage Snow is written in Rust and open source under the MIT license.
- openSUSE Leap 16: Bridging Enterprise-Grade Stability with Community-Driven Innovation
by George Whittaker
openSUSE Leap 16 marks a significant evolution in the openSUSE project, integrating the robustness of SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE) with the dynamism of community contributions. This release aims to provide a stable, adaptable, and secure Linux distribution suitable for various environments, from enterprise servers to developer workstations.
Foundation: SUSE Linux Framework One (SLFO)
Leap 16 is built upon SUSE Linux Framework One (SLFO), formerly known as the Adaptable Linux Platform (ALP). This modular architecture allows for a more flexible and maintainable system, enabling users to tailor their installations to specific needs. By leveraging SLFO, Leap 16 inherits the enterprise-grade stability and support lifecycle of SLE 16, ensuring a reliable foundation for critical workloads.
Key Features and Enhancements1. Modern Installation with Agama
Leap 16 introduces the Agama installer, a web-based, modular installation tool that replaces the traditional YaST installer. Agama offers a cleaner user interface and supports features like remote installations and scripting for automated deployments, enhancing the installation experience for both new and experienced users.
2. Enhanced Security with SELinux
Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux) is now enabled by default in Leap 16, aligning with SLE's security practices. This change provides a more robust security framework, offering fine-grained access controls and improved isolation. For users preferring alternative security modules, AppArmor remains available as an option.
3. Transition to Wayland Display Server
Leap 16 adopts Wayland as the default display server, moving away from the legacy X11 system. Wayland offers improved performance, security, and support for modern graphics hardware. While X11 components are still available for compatibility, the shift to Wayland represents a step forward in graphical session management.
4. Updated Desktop Environments
Users can enjoy the latest desktop environments with Leap 16, including GNOME 48 and KDE Plasma 6.3. These updates bring new features, performance improvements, and enhanced user experiences to the desktop.
5. System Management Tools: Cockpit and Myrlyn
With the deprecation of YaST in Leap 16, system management transitions to Cockpit and Myrlyn. Cockpit provides a web-based interface for managing system settings, services, and performance monitoring. Myrlyn serves as a new Qt-based front end for software management, offering a streamlined experience for package installation and updates.
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- Manjaro 25.0 “Zetar”: A Bold Leap into Flatpak Integration and Gaming Optimization
by George Whittaker
Manjaro Linux has long been celebrated for blending the power of Arch Linux with user-friendly features. With the release of Manjaro 25.0 “Zetar”, the distribution takes significant strides in enhancing application management through Flatpak integration and optimizing the system for gaming enthusiasts. This update also brings advancements in desktop environments, file system choices, and hardware support.
Flatpak Integration: Streamlining Application Management
One of the standout features of Manjaro 25.0 is its enhanced support for Flatpak, a universal package management system. This integration allows users to install and manage applications in a sandboxed environment, improving security and ensuring that applications have access only to the resources they need. The inclusion of Flatpak support means users can easily access a vast repository of applications, including those not available in traditional repositories, directly through the Pamac package manager.
Gaming Enhancements: A Focus on Performance
Manjaro 25.0 places a significant emphasis on gaming, introducing several features aimed at improving performance and compatibility:
Linux Kernel 6.12 LTS: The default kernel in this release offers improved hardware support, including better compatibility with newer GPUs and CPUs, which is crucial for gaming performance.
Enhanced Graphics Support: Updates to graphics drivers, including the latest Mesa and NVIDIA drivers, ensure that gamers have access to the most recent improvements and bug fixes.
Manjaro Summit Initiative: Although still in its alpha phase, the Manjaro Summit project introduces a semi-immutable version of the distribution, aiming for greater system stability and consistency—an essential factor for gaming systems.
Desktop Environment Updates: GNOME 48, KDE Plasma 6.3, and Xfce 4.20
Manjaro 25.0 offers updated versions of its three main desktop environments, each bringing unique enhancements:
GNOME 48
Notification Stacking: Improves organization by grouping notifications from the same application.
Dynamic Triple Buffering: Enhances animation smoothness and reduces screen tearing.
Battery Charge Limiting: Introduces an option to cap battery charging at 80%, prolonging battery lifespan.
HDR Support: Initial support for High Dynamic Range displays, offering richer visuals.
KDE Plasma 6.3
Improved Fractional Scaling: Provides sharper visuals on high-DPI displays.
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- How Questing Quokka (25.10) Ushers a New Era of Rust-Based Tools
by George Whittaker Introduction: A New Chapter for Ubuntu
Ubuntu 25.10, affectionately codenamed Questing Quokka, represents more than just the latest iteration of Canonical’s flagship Linux distribution. It marks a decisive step towards modernizing the foundation of Ubuntu by integrating Rust, a systems programming language renowned for its safety, performance, and modern design. This bold move signals Canonical’s commitment to security, reliability, and future-proofing its desktop and server operating systems.
The release of Questing Quokka aligns with a growing trend across the Linux ecosystem: embracing Rust as a key technology for building low-level components. But what does this mean for Ubuntu users and developers? Let’s explore the significance of this change, what tools are being rewritten or introduced in Rust, and how this positions Ubuntu for the future.
Why Rust? The Language of Safety and SpeedThe Need for Safer Code
For decades, core components of Linux distributions—including Ubuntu—have been written predominantly in C. While C offers unmatched control and performance, it also exposes developers to a range of memory-related errors: buffer overflows, use-after-free bugs, and data races, to name a few. These flaws are among the leading causes of vulnerabilities that compromise system security.
Rust was designed specifically to address these issues. It offers:
Memory safety without garbage collection: Rust’s ownership model and borrow checker ensure that memory errors are caught at compile time.
Fearless concurrency: Developers can write multithreaded code that’s safe by default.
Modern tooling and ecosystem: A robust package manager (Cargo), modern build tooling, and vibrant community support.
Linux and Rust: A Growing Bond
Ubuntu is not alone in recognizing Rust’s advantages. The Linux kernel itself has started to accept Rust code, with drivers and modules being prototyped in Rust to enhance safety. Projects like GNOME, System76’s COSMIC desktop, and various networking utilities have already begun leveraging Rust.
By adopting Rust-based tools, Canonical is aligning Ubuntu with this broader movement—ushering in a future where critical system software is both fast and secure.
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- From Windows to Freedom: How Zorin OS Eases the Transition to Linux
by George Whittaker
In today's digital landscape, where privacy, customization, and performance are paramount, many Windows users are exploring alternatives. Linux, long regarded as a powerful yet complex option, has matured into a user-friendly ecosystem. However, the switch from Windows to Linux can still seem daunting. That's where Zorin OS comes into play—a Linux distribution meticulously designed to simplify this migration and empower users to take control of their computing experience.
The Windows-to-Linux Migration Challenge
For decades, Windows has been the default operating system for millions. Familiarity with its interface, applications, and workflow creates a comfort zone that's hard to leave. However, concerns about:
Privacy and data collection
System bloat
Forced updates
Licensing costs
have pushed users to consider alternatives like Linux.
The challenge? Linux can feel alien. Terminology, desktop environments, file systems, and software management differ significantly from Windows. Many distributions, while powerful, don't prioritize a gentle learning curve for Windows converts. This is precisely the problem Zorin OS aims to solve.
What Sets Zorin OS Apart?
Founded in 2008 by the Zorin brothers, Zorin OS was created with one mission: to make Linux accessible to everyone, especially Windows refugees. Unlike general-purpose distributions, Zorin OS focuses on:
Familiarity: Replicating the feel of Windows
Ease of use: Minimizing reliance on the terminal
Polish: Delivering a cohesive, attractive, and stable experience
Zorin OS 17.3, the latest stable release as of June 2025, represents the most refined iteration of this vision yet.
Zorin OS 17.3 Features That Simplify MigrationA Windows-Like Desktop, Out of the Box
Zorin OS 17.3 ships with a default layout that feels instantly familiar to Windows 10 and 11 users. From the bottom taskbar to the start-menu-style launcher, even the system tray icons and window controls mimic what Windows users expect.
The result?
Users spend less time figuring out "where things are."
The psychological barrier of switching is dramatically lowered.
Zorin Appearance: Customize with a Click
Want your system to look more like macOS? Or classic Windows 7? Zorin OS 17.3's Appearance app lets you change the entire desktop layout and theme with a single click. No tinkering with config files, no additional extensions—just straightforward personalization.
This tool:
Helps users ease into Linux at their own pace
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- Elementary OS 8: Where Privacy Meets Design Simplicity for a Better Linux Experience
by George Whittaker
In the world of Linux distributions, many projects aim to strike a balance between functionality, aesthetics, and security. Few, however, have achieved the level of polish and principled focus that Elementary OS brings to the table. With the release of Elementary OS 8, the developers have doubled down on their vision of an operating system that champions privacy and design simplicity without compromising usability. This article takes a look at how Elementary OS 8 prioritizes these values and why it deserves attention from privacy advocates and design enthusiasts alike.
A Fresh Take on Privacy: Built into the Core
Privacy isn’t just a feature in Elementary OS 8 — it’s a foundational principle. The developers have carefully considered how user data is handled at every level of the system.
AppCenter: A Curated, Privacy-Respecting Store
Unlike many popular app stores that may include proprietary apps with invasive tracking, the AppCenter in Elementary OS 8 focuses on open-source, privacy-friendly applications. Every app available through AppCenter undergoes a review process to ensure it adheres to the platform’s guidelines: no ads, no tracking, and no questionable data collection practices.
What sets AppCenter apart is its pay-what-you-want model, which allows users to support developers directly, eliminating the need for ad-supported or data-harvesting monetization schemes.
Flatpak Sandboxing
Elementary OS 8 ships with first-class Flatpak support, enabling apps to run in isolated sandboxes. This technology ensures that applications can only access the data and hardware resources explicitly granted by the user. For example, a note-taking app installed via Flatpak won’t have access to your microphone, camera, or sensitive directories unless you allow it.
The adoption of Flatpak aligns perfectly with Elementary’s privacy goals, as it provides clear boundaries between apps and the rest of the system.
Zero Telemetry, Transparent Feedback
Elementary OS 8 does not include any hidden telemetry or automatic data collection. Unlike some mainstream operating systems that quietly transmit usage statistics, crash reports, and device identifiers back to central servers, Elementary’s philosophy is that your data belongs to you.
When feedback is requested, such as through the optional Problem Reporting tool, users are clearly informed about what data will be sent and must opt in consciously.
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- Discover Linux Mint 22: How Cinnamon Became the Sleek, Speedy Desktop Champion of 2025
by George Whittaker
Linux Mint has long held a cherished place in the hearts of Linux users seeking a balance between elegance, ease of use, and rock-solid stability. In 2025, that reputation is only strengthened with the release of Linux Mint 22, a version that brings not just incremental updates, but substantial improvements — particularly in the form of the latest Cinnamon 6.x desktop environment. Sleeker visuals, faster performance, and thoughtful refinements mark this release as one of the most polished in Mint’s history.
In this article, we’ll take a look into what makes Linux Mint 22 with Cinnamon a standout — from under-the-hood performance boosts to user-facing enhancements that elevate daily computing.
The Legacy of Linux Mint and Cinnamon
Linux Mint has consistently been among the most recommended distributions for both newcomers and seasoned Linux users. Its mission: to deliver a desktop experience that “just works” out of the box, with sensible defaults and a traditional desktop metaphor.
At the heart of this experience is Cinnamon, Mint’s flagship desktop environment born as a fork of GNOME Shell over a decade ago. Cinnamon has matured into an independent, cohesive environment that champions:
Simplicity.
Customizability.
Consistency.
Linux Mint 22’s release continues this tradition while embracing modern UI trends and leveraging powerful performance optimizations.
Cinnamon 6.x: A New Standard of Sleekness
Cinnamon 6.x introduces a suite of visual and functional improvements designed to make Mint 22 feel both contemporary and familiar:
Refined Visuals: The theming engine has received significant attention. The default theme sports cleaner lines, flatter icons, and subtle gradients that provide depth without visual clutter.
Polished Animations: Transitions between windows, workspaces, and menus are noticeably smoother, thanks to improved animation handling that feels natural without being distracting.
Modernized Panels and Applets: Applets now integrate better with the system theme, and their configuration interfaces have been streamlined. The panel is slimmer, with better spacing for multi-resolution icons.
These changes might seem small on paper, but together they give Cinnamon 6.x an air of maturity and refinement, reducing visual noise while enhancing usability.
Performance Improvements: Speed Where It Counts
Where Linux Mint 22 truly shines is in its performance optimizations:
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- Fedora 41’s Immutable Future: The Rise of Fedora Atomic Desktops
by George Whittaker
The Fedora Project has long stood at the forefront of Linux innovation, often acting as a proving ground for transformative technologies later adopted by the wider Linux ecosystem. With the release of Fedora 41, the project takes another major leap into the future by fully embracing immutable desktops through its newly unified and rebranded initiative: Fedora Atomic.
This bold shift represents more than a technical update — it signals a philosophical evolution in how Linux desktops are built, managed, and secured. Fedora Atomic is not just a feature of Fedora 41; it's the flagship identity for a new kind of Linux desktop. In this article, we explore the origins, architecture, benefits, and implications of Fedora Atomic as it makes its debut in Fedora 41.
What Are Immutable Desktops? A Paradigm Shift in OS Architecture
An immutable desktop is a system whose core filesystem is read-only, meaning the foundational components of the operating system cannot be altered during regular use. This design flips traditional Linux system management on its head.
In mutable systems — like the standard Fedora Workstation or most desktop Linux distributions — the root filesystem is writable, allowing users or software to modify system libraries, configurations, and services at will. While this provides flexibility, it introduces risks of accidental misconfiguration, malware persistence, or system instability.
Immutable desktops tackle these issues with several key principles:
Read-Only Root Filesystem: Ensures the core system is consistent and protected.
Atomic Updates: System updates are applied as a whole, transactional unit. If something breaks, you can simply roll back to the previous working version.
Separation of Concerns: Applications are isolated in containers (e.g., Flatpaks), and development environments run in dedicated containers (e.g., Toolbox).
Reproducibility and Consistency: Identical environments across systems, ideal for testing and deployment pipelines.
Fedora Atomic is the embodiment of these principles — and Fedora 41 is the foundation upon which it stands.
From Silverblue to Atomic: The Evolution of Fedora's Immutable Desktop Vision
Fedora Atomic is not built from scratch. It is the evolution of Fedora Silverblue, Kinoite, and Sericea, which previously offered immutable desktop environments with GNOME, KDE Plasma, and Sway respectively. In Fedora 41, these projects are now rebranded and unified under the Fedora Atomic name, creating a streamlined identity and experience for users.
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- Breaking Barriers: How Pop!_OS 24.04 Revolutionizes Hybrid Graphics for Linux Users
by George Whittaker
In the realm of Linux desktop distributions, few names stand out as prominently as Pop!_OS, the custom-built operating system from System76. Known for its user-centric design, seamless hardware integration, and a progressive attitude toward Linux usability, Pop!_OS has earned a special place in the hearts of developers, engineers, gamers, and power users alike.
With the release of Pop!_OS 24.04, System76 boldly pushes the limits of what Linux desktops can do—particularly in the domain of hybrid graphics. This version introduces a host of under-the-hood improvements and user-facing enhancements aimed at solving a long-standing pain point for Linux laptop users: managing systems that have both integrated and dedicated GPUs.
This article dives into what makes Pop!_OS 24.04 a game-changer, focusing especially on its sophisticated, yet user-friendly approach to hybrid graphics.
A Leap Forward: What’s New in Pop!_OS 24.04
Pop!_OS 24.04 is based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, meaning it inherits long-term support, stability, and updated software packages. But Pop!_OS never simply repackages Ubuntu; it transforms it. Here are some of the standout features introduced in this release:
COSMIC Desktop Enhancements: System76’s in-house desktop environment has matured, delivering better window management, smoother animations, and more customization options. COSMIC is designed from the ground up using Rust, and this release brings faster performance and reduced resource consumption.
Kernel and Driver Upgrades: Linux kernel 6.8+ ensures better hardware compatibility and performance, especially for newer CPUs and GPUs. The latest NVIDIA and Mesa drivers are pre-integrated and optimized.
Refined Installer and Recovery: The Pop!_OS installer now includes better detection for hybrid graphics setups and offers system recovery options right from the boot menu.
However, the crown jewel of 24.04 is undoubtedly its radical improvements in hybrid graphics support.
Understanding Hybrid Graphics and Why It Matters
Most modern laptops come with two GPUs:
Integrated GPU (iGPU) – Built into the CPU (e.g., Intel Iris Xe, AMD Radeon Graphics), offering energy-efficient graphics rendering.
Discrete GPU (dGPU) – A powerful standalone GPU (e.g., NVIDIA RTX, AMD Radeon), ideal for gaming, 3D modeling, and heavy computation.
This setup, known as hybrid graphics, allows users to conserve battery power when performance isn’t needed and tap into powerful hardware when it is.
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- Ubuntu 25.04 “Plucky Puffin”: A Bold Leap Forward with GNOME 48 and HDR Brilliance
by George Whittaker
Ubuntu has long stood as a bastion of accessibility, polish, and power in the Linux ecosystem. With the arrival of Ubuntu 25.04, codenamed “Plucky Puffin”, Canonical has once again demonstrated its commitment to delivering a modern, forward-thinking operating system. This release isn’t just a routine update — it’s a confident stride into a future where Linux desktops are visually stunning, developer-friendly, and brimming with potential.
From the sleek new GNOME 48 desktop environment to the long-awaited HDR (High Dynamic Range) support, Ubuntu 25.04 introduces meaningful innovations for casual users, creative professionals, and hardcore enthusiasts alike. Let’s explore this release in depth.
The Spirit of “Plucky Puffin”
Ubuntu releases are known for their quirky animal-themed codenames, but “Plucky Puffin” feels particularly fitting. The word plucky denotes courage and determination — a nod to the OS’s bold push into new visual territories and its refined user experience. The puffin, a resilient seabird, suggests adaptability and elegance — both apt descriptors for Ubuntu’s trajectory in 2025.
Canonical has positioned Ubuntu 25.04 as a springboard for technological maturity ahead of the next long-term support (LTS) release. While it’s a standard, short-term release with 9 months of support, it packs significant under-the-hood improvements and user-facing features that elevate it beyond expectations.
GNOME 48: The Best Desktop Yet
One of the crown jewels of Ubuntu 25.04 is GNOME 48, the latest iteration of the popular desktop environment. GNOME 48 continues to refine the modern, minimalist ethos that has become its signature — but this time, with more responsiveness, better gesture support, and improved multitasking.
Visual Enhancements and Layout Tweaks
The Activities Overview is smoother and now integrates multitouch gestures on laptops and touchscreens. Swipe-based workspace switching feels intuitive and immediate.
New settings panels have been reorganized for clarity, especially in areas like display, accessibility, and power management.
The Files (Nautilus) app has received subtle UI updates and performance boosts, with quicker load times and enhanced file indexing.
Performance and Accessibility
GNOME 48 is noticeably lighter on RAM, thanks to backend improvements in Mutter (the window manager) and GTK 4 refinements.
Accessibility tools like screen readers and magnifiers now offer smoother integration for users with visual or physical impairments.
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- Transform Your Workflow With These 10 Essential Yet Overlooked Linux Tools You Need to Try
by George Whittaker
Linux is a treasure trove of powerful tools, many of which remain undiscovered by casual users. While staples like grep, awk, sed, and top dominate tutorials and guides, there's a second layer of utilities—lesser-known yet immensely powerful—that can dramatically improve your daily efficiency and control over your system.
In this article, we dive into 10 underrated Linux tools that can help you streamline your workflow, improve productivity, and unlock new levels of system mastery. Whether you’re a developer, sysadmin, or Linux hobbyist, these tools deserve a place in your arsenal.
1. fd: Find Files Fast with Simplicity
The traditional find command is incredibly powerful but notoriously verbose and complex. Enter fd, a modern, user-friendly alternative.
Why It Stands Out
Cleaner syntax (fd pattern instead of find . -name pattern)
Recursive by default
Colorized output
Ignores .gitignore files for cleaner results
Example
fd ".conf"
Finds all files containing .conf in the name, starting from the current directory.
Use Case
Quickly locate configuration files, scripts, or assets without navigating nested directories or crafting complex expressions.
2. bat: cat on Steroids
bat is a drop-in replacement for cat with superpowers. It adds syntax highlighting, Git integration, and line numbers to your file viewing experience.
Why It Stands Out
Syntax highlighting for dozens of languages
Git blame annotations
Works as a pager with automatic line wrapping
Example
bat /etc/ssh/sshd_config
You’ll get a beautifully highlighted and numbered output, much easier to parse than with cat.
Use Case
Perfect for reading scripts, configs, and logs with visual clarity—especially helpful during debugging or code reviews.
3. ripgrep: Blazing-Fast Text Search
Also known as rg, ripgrep is a command-line search tool that recursively searches your current directory for a regex pattern, similar to grep—but much faster and more intuitive.
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