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Do a presentation at NTLUG.
What is the Linux Installation Project?
Real companies using Linux!
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- [$] SFrame-based stack unwinding for the kernel
The kernel's perfevents subsystem can produce high-quality profiles, with fullfunction-call chains, of resource usagewithin the kernel itself. Developers, however, often would like to seeprofiles of the whole system in one integrated report with, for example,call-stack information that crosses the boundary between the kernel anduser space. Support for unwinding user-space call stacks in the perfevents subsystem is currently inefficient at best. A long-running effortto provide reliable, user-space call-stack unwinding within the kernel,which will improve that situation considerably, appears to be reachingfruition.
- Security updates for Friday
Security updates have been issued by AlmaLinux (gnome-remote-desktop, go-toolset:rhel8, golang, jq, kernel, kernel-rt, libxml2, and podman), Fedora (chromium, git, helix, pam, rust-blazesym-c, rust-clearscreen, rust-gitui, rust-nu-cli, rust-nu-command, rust-nu-test-support, rust-procs, rust-which, selenium-manager, sudo, thunderbird, and uv), SUSE (audiofile, chmlib-devel, docker, firefox, go1, libsoup, libsoup2, libssh, libxml2, tomcat, umoci, and xen), and Ubuntu (git and resteasy, resteasy3.0).
- [$] Anubis sends AI scraperbots to a well-deserved fate
Few, if any, web sites or web-based services have gone unscathed bythe locust-like hordes of AI crawlers looking to Anubis project is designed toprovide a first line of defense that blocks mindless bots—whilegranting real users access to sites without too much hassle. Anubis isa young project, not even a year old. However, its development ismoving quickly, and the project seems to be enjoying rapidadoption. The most recent release of Anubis, version1.20.0, includes a feature that many users have been interested insince the project launched: support for challenging clients withoutrequiring users to have JavaScript turned on.
- Five new stable kernels
Greg Kroah-Hartman has released the 6.15.6, 6.12.37, 6.6.97, 6.1.144, and 5.15.187 stable kernels. As is the usualcase, each contains important fixes all over the kernel tree.
- Security updates for Thursday
Security updates have been issued by Debian (sslh), Oracle (container-tools:rhel8, gnome-remote-desktop, golang, javapackages-tools:201801, jq, libvpx, libxml2, mpfr, and perl-File-Find-Rule-Perl), Red Hat (glib2, libblockdev, and sudo), Slackware (git), SUSE (avif-tools, containerd, djvulibre, gpg2, helm, kernel, libpoppler-cpp2, libxml2, libxml2-2, openssl-3, perl-YAML-LibYAML, python-cryptography, python-setuptools, python311-pycares, tomcat10, and wireshark), and Ubuntu (djvulibre, git, libyaml-libyaml-perl, and protobuf).
- [$] LWN.net Weekly Edition for July 10, 2025
Inside this week's LWN.net Weekly Edition:
Front: Python packaging; Kernel API specification; Kselftests and KUnit; niri; pedalboard. Briefs: Git security fixes; Amarok 3.3; Bash 5.3; Thunderbird 140; tmux-rs; U-Boot 2025.07; Quotes; ... Announcements: Newsletters, conferences, security updates, patches, and more.
- Amarok 3.3 released
Version3.3 of the Amarok musicplayer has been released. This is the first release of Amarok based onKDE Frameworks 6and Qt 6. Amarok 3.3also includes a major rework of its audio engine to use GStreamer for audioplayback.
The reworked audio engine provides unified feature set for all usersand should provide a solid and future-proof sonic experience for yearsto come. Notable improvements have also landed to the database system:improved character set support helps with e.g. emojis in podcastdescriptions and other very exotic symbols, date handling has beenimproved ('year 2038 problem'), and various other potential and actualdatabase-related issues have been fixed.
- New upgrade paths for ELevate
The AlmaLinux project has announcednew upgrade paths for its ELevate utility, whichallows users to upgrade between major versions of Red Hat EnterpriseLinux derivatives. The new paths include upgrades from AlmaLinux 9to AlmaLinux 10 and CentOS Stream 9 toCentOS Stream 10, with support for EPEL, Docker CE, andPostgreSQL third-party package repositories. LWN covered ELevate lastyear.
- [$] Reinventing the Python wheel
It is no secret that the Python packaging world is at something of acrossroads; there have been debates and discussions about the packaginglandscape that started long before our 2023series describing some of the difficulties. There has been progresssince then—and incremental improvements all along, in truth—but a newinitiative is looking to overhaul packaging for the language. At PyCon US 2025, Barry Warsaw andJonathan Dekhtiar gave a presentation on the WheelNext project, which is a communityeffort that aims to improve the experience for users and providers of Pythonpackages while also working with toolmakers and other parts of theecosystem to "reinvent the wheel". While the project's name refersto Python's wheelbinary distribution format, its goals stretch much further than simply theformat.
- Security updates for Wednesday
Security updates have been issued by AlmaLinux (container-tools:rhel8, jq, kernel, podman, python-setuptools, socat, and thunderbird), Gentoo (Chromium, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge. Opera, ClamAV, Git, NTP, REXML, and strongSwan), Oracle (buildah, gnome-remote-desktop, ipa, jq, kernel, podman, python-setuptools, ruby:3.3, socat, uek-kernel, and xorg-x11-server-Xwayland), SUSE (kernel), and Ubuntu (freerdp3, git, gnupg2, linux-aws, linux-oracle, linux-azure, linux-azure, linux-azure-6.11, linux-fips, linux-aws-fips, linux-azure-fips, linux-gcp-fips, linux-ibm-5.15, linux-intel-iotg, linux-nvidia-tegra, linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15, linux-nvidia-tegra-igx, linux-kvm, linux-lowlatency, linux-oem-6.11, and onionshare).
- A set of Git security-fix releases
Versions v2.43.7, v2.44.4, v2.45.4, v2.46.4, v2.47.3, v2.48.2, v2.49.1 andv2.50.1 of the Git source-code management system have been released."This is a set of coordinated security fix releases. Please update atyour earliest convenience". See the announcement for details;many of the vulnerabilities have to do with tricks buried in untrustedrepositories.
- Thunderbird 140 released
Version140 of the Thunderbird mail client has been released. Notablefeatures include "dark message mode" to adapt message contentto dark mode, the ability to easily transfer desktopsettings to the mobile Thunderbird client, experimental support forMicrosoft Exchange, as well as global controls for message threadingand sort order.
Thunderbird 140 is an extended-supportrelease (ESR) which will be supported for 12 months. However, theThunderbird project is trying to encourage users to adopt the Releasechannel for monthly updates instead. The project is staggeringupgrades to 140 for existing Thunderbird users in order to catch anysignificant bugs before they are widely deployed, but users canupgrade manually via the Help > Aboutmenu. See the releasenotes for a full list of changes.
- [$] Toward the unification of kselftests and KUnit
The kernel project, for many years, lacked a formal testing setup; it wasoften joked that testing was the project's main reason for keeping usersaround. While many types of kernel testing can only be done in thepresence of specific hardware, there are other parts of the kernelthat could be more widely tested. Over time, though, the kernel has gainedtwo separate testing frameworks and a growing body of automated tests to gowith them. These two frameworks — kselftests and KUnit — take differentapproaches to the testing problem; now thispatch series from Thomas Weißschuh aims to bring them together.
- Security updates for Tuesday
Security updates have been issued by Debian (djvulibre and slurm-wlm), Red Hat (apache-commons-vfs, container-tools:rhel8, kernel, kernel-rt, podman, python3, rsync, socat, and sudo), SUSE (apache2, helm-mirror, incus, kernel, openssl-3, python-Django, and systemd), and Ubuntu (dcmtk, File::Find::Rule, ghostscript, jquery, and libssh).
- U-Boot v2025.07 released
The U-Boot universal bootloader projecthas announced the release of version 2025.07. It has multiple new featuresincluding "uthreads" (inspired by the "bthreads" coroutines in the barebox bootloader), exFAT support,new architecture and SoC support and improvements to existing platforms,cleanups, better testing, and more. Project leader Tom Rini took theopportunity to mention his effortstoward getting some help with the project and more formal governance:As this is a full release, and not just a release candidate I'm hopingfor a few more people to read this and then read what I'm linking to aswell. For the overall health of the project, and the community, I'mhoping to find a few people within the community that can help withoverall organization and management. I would like to long term be ableto move us to being under the Software Freedom Conservancy umbrella andthat in turn means having a organizational structure that's not just asingle person.
He also noted that there is a community meeting on July 8th, 2025 at 9am (GMT -06:00) onGoogle Meet.
- NVIDIA Publishes RTXNTC 0.7 Beta For Neural Texture Compression
NVIDIA software engineers ended out the week by releasing a new beta of their RTX Neural Texture Compression (NTC) SDK. The RTXNTC software is NVIDIA's interesting solution for compressing material texture sets with very promising results for helping to reduce game data sizes moving forward...
- If MCP is the USB-C of AI agents, A2A is their Ethernet
Tell me, Mr. Smith ... what good is an agent if it's unable to speak?We have protocols and standards for just about everything. It's generally helpful when we can all agree on how technologies should talk to one another. So, it was only a matter of time before the first protocols governing agentic AI started cropping up.…
- Wine 10.12 Brings Optional EGL Backend
Wine 10.12 is out with optional EGL backend, Bluetooth Low Energy support, and various bug fixes, including improvements for games and system utilities.
- How to install Magento on AlmaLinux 10
Magento is a leading enterprise-grade e-commerce platform built on open-source technology, combining advanced features, flexibility, and a user-friendly interface. With features like integrated checkout, payment, and shipping, as well as catalog management and customer accounts, it makes the platform the choice for most online merchants. In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Magento on AlmaLinux 10.
- Low-Cost WT99P4C5-S1 Pairs ESP32-P4 SoC with ESP32-C5 Wi-Fi 6 Module
Wireless-Tag’s WT99P4C5-S1 is a versatile multimedia development board built around the WT0132P4-A1 core module, which integrates Espressif’s ESP32-P4 dual-core RISC-V SoC. According to the company, this board targets applications such as AIoT, Human-Machine Interfaces, and edge computing, offering extensive connectivity, audio features, and multimedia expansion options. The ESP32-P4 runs dual RISC-V cores at up to […]
- QuestDB 9.0 Released For High Performance, Time-Series Database
QuestDB 9.0 debuted today as the latest major update to this high performance, time-series database that is open-source under an Apache 2.0 license. QuestDB continues to be built using a combination of Java, C++, and Rust for being an interesting time-series database...
- Radxa Fanless Network Router Offers 4 GbE Ports and NVMe Storage Up to 4TB
The Radxa E24C is a fanless network computer based on the Rockchip RK3528A processor, designed for routing, edge networking, and industrial tasks. It combines four RJ45 ports, 4K HDMI output, and an M.2 NVMe slot for high-speed storage in a compact enclosure. The Radxa E24C uses the same RK3528A processor found in the Radxa E52C […]
- RISC-V-Based FireBeetle 2 with ESP32-P4 Starts at $11.90
The FireBeetle 2 ESP32-P4, previewed earlier this year, is now available from DFRobot starting at $11.90. This compact board handles real-time image processing and video streaming, combining the ESP32-P4 SoC with an ESP32-C6 co-processor for wireless projects. The board uses a 360?MHz dual-core RISC-V processor with single-precision FPU and AI instruction extensions, enabling the direct […]
- Astronomers Plan Far Side of the Moon Satellite to Hear Billion-Year-Old Radio Waves
An anonymous reader shared this report from Cosmos magazine about a plan to "pick up those faint signals from billions of years ago."Astronomers are planning to launch a tiny spacecraft to the far side of the Moon to listen out for "ancient whispers" in a quest to uncover the secrets of the early universe. The mission will focus on understanding the 'Cosmic Dawn', a period in the early stages of the universe after the Big Bang but before the first stars and galaxies appeared. One of the difficulties in studying this period of the universe is that silence is essential. With all the electronics and interference in our atmosphere, Earth becomes too loud, making it unsuitable for this kind of research... The proposed mission will utilise the Moon as a giant shield, blocking out the noise from Earth, in order to observe these signals... The mission, known as CosmoCube, is a joint study between the UK's University of Portsmouth, University of Cambridge and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Space... CosmoCube's radio will operate at low frequencies (10-100MHz), which should hopefully be able to detect extremely faint signals. The team hope to reach lunar orbit before the end of the decade, with a roughly 5-year roadmap planned. The article includes this quote from Professor David Bacon, from the University of Portsmouth and CosmoCube researcher. "It's incredible how far these radio waves have travelled, now arriving with news of the universe's history. "The next step is to go to the quieter side of the Moon to hear that news."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Amelia Earhart's Airplane May Finally Have Been Found
An anonymous reader shared this report from Jalopnik:On July 2, the 88th anniversary of famed aviator Amelia Earhart's disappearance, Purdue University announced an expedition [which will launch in November] to confirm whether or not the wreckage of her plane has been found. Satellite imagery from a decade ago indicated the presence of something that sure looks plane-like under the waters of Nikumaroro Island, an uninhabited spit of land in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that just happens to be near Earhart's intended flightpath... This isn't the first time Earhart investigators have been to Nikumaroro. Human bones were recovered from the island previously, which scientists determined with 99% confidence to belong to the beloved pilot, per the university's student newspaper the Purdue Exponent. The investigators also found some women's beauty products from the 1930s. If that is indeed where Earhart died, it stands to reason that her Lockheed Electra 10E, nicknamed the Flying Laboratory, wouldn't be far away. Since nobody noticed any aircraft wreckage on the island (which isn't very big), it would probably be under the water. Recovering such a legendary airplane will be a multi-stage process spanning years. This expedition, which will embark in November, is only planning to verify what's actually there, not retrieve anything. Recent satellite imagery doesn't show the object anymore, meaning it might have become buried; in fact, it was only ever visible in 2015, right after a cyclone blew threw and shifted a bunch of sand, as NBC News reports. The team will start with non-invasive procedures, such as sonar and magnetometers, before drilling through the silt with a hydroglobe to make physical contact with the object. Lastly, they will use a suction dredge to pull off loose sediment. If they're lucky, that will be sufficient to actually see part of the Lockheed Electra.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- EV Sets New Record for Longest Trip on a Single Charge - 749 Miles
Lucid Motors set a Guinness World Record for the longest journey by an electric car on a single charge, covering a distance of 749 miles (about 1,205 km), reports New Atlas. "In doing so, Lucid broke the 1,045-km (649-mile) record previously achieved by the Mercedes-Benz EQS450+ in June 2025 by the Japanese car website www.webcg.net/articles/-/52268webCG."The electric vehicle covered this journey between St. Moritz, Switzerland, and Munich, Germany, traveling through highways, secondary roads, and alpine roads — all without a single halt for charging. Given that the vehicle has a 960-km (596-mile) WLTP range, my guess is that the test team must have made good use of favorable road and weather conditions to make the feat possible. With a net elevation decrease of just over 1,310 m (about 4,300 ft) throughout the drive, the EV most certainly benefited from regenerative braking, a rather useful feature that turns downhill momentum back into battery power. Lucid has yet to release official data like average speed or total drive time, but what is apparent is that this was not a high-speed dash but rather a well-planned route to achieve one impressive result... The Air Grand Touring has two all-wheel drive electric motors with a combined system output of 611 kW (819 horsepower) and 1,200 Nm (885 lb.ft) of torque. Power is provided by an NMC battery, which has a gross energy capacity of 117 kWh (112 kWh usable). Best of all, it can go from 0-60 mph in just three seconds flat... For reference, the almost half-priced BMW i4 and jazzy Porsche Taycan offer less than half the WLTP range of the Lucid Air GT. So, it's not like there's a head-to-head competition out there. Lucid is miles ahead in its class (pun intended!) Starting at US$112,650, the Air Grand Touring is among the most luxurious sedans on the market right now. But as you can see, it comes at a price. Still, knowing that there is technology to conquer range anxiety is comforting. It might take a while, but there's no reason why we can't expect such range figures from reasonably priced EVs in the near future.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- 'Firefox is Fine. The People Running It are Not'
"Firefox is dead to me," wrote Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols last month for The Register, complaining about everything from layoffs at Mozilla to Firefox's discontinuation of Pocket and Fakespot, its small market share, and some user complaints that the browser might be becoming slower. But a new rebuttal (also published by The Register) argues instead that Mozilla just has "a management layer that doesn't appear to understand what works for its product nor which parts of it matter most to users..." "Steven's core point is correct. Firefox is in a bit of a mess — but, seriously, not such a bad mess. You're still better off with it — or one of its forks, because this is FOSS — than pretty much any of the alternatives."Like many things, unfortunately, much of computing is run on feelings, tradition, and group loyalties, when it should use facts, evidence, and hard numbers. Don't bother saying Firefox is getting slower. It's not. It's faster than it has been in years. Phoronix, the go-to site for benchmarks on FOSS stuff, just benchmarked 21 versions, and from late 2023 to now, Firefox has steadily got faster and faster... Ever since Firefox 1.0 in 2004, Firefox has never had to compete. It's been attached like a mosquito to an artery to the Google cash firehose... Mozilla's leadership is directionless and flailing because it's never had to do, or be, anything else. It's never needed to know how to make a profit, because it never had to make a profit. It's no wonder it has no real direction or vision or clue: it never needed them. It's role-playing being a business. Like we said, don't blame the app. You're still better off with Firefox or a fork such as Waterfox. Chrome even snoops on you when in incognito mode... One observer has been spectating and commentating on Mozilla since before it was a foundation — one of its original co-developers, Jamie Zawinksi... Zawinski has repeatedly said: "Now hear me out, but What If...? browser development was in the hands of some kind of nonprofit organization?" "In my humble but correct opinion, Mozilla should be doing two things and two things only: — Building THE reference implementation web browser, and — Being a jugular-snapping attack dog on standards committees. — There is no 3." Perhaps this is the only viable resolution. Mozilla, for all its many failings, has invented a lot of amazing tech, from Rust to Servo to the leading budget phone OS. It shouldn't be trying to capitalize on this stuff. Maybe encourage it to have semi-independent spinoffs, such as Thunderbird, and as KaiOS ought to be, and as Rust could have been. But Zawinski has the only clear vision and solution we've seen yet. Perhaps he's right, and Mozilla should be a nonprofit, working to fund the one independent, non-vendor-driven, standards-compliant browser engine.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- NVIDIA Warns Its High-End GPUs May Be Vulnerable to Rowhammer Attacks
Slashdot reader BrianFagioli shared this report from Nerds.xyz:NVIDIA just put out a new security notice, and if you're running one of its powerful GPUs, you might want to pay attention. Researchers from the University of Toronto have shown that Rowhammer attacks, which are already known to affect regular DRAM, can now target GDDR6 memory on NVIDIA's high-end GPUs when ECC [error correction code] is not enabled. They pulled this off using an A6000 card, and it worked because system-level ECC was turned off. Once it was switched on, the attack no longer worked. That tells you everything you need to know. ECC matters. Rowhammer has been around for years. It's one of those weird memory bugs where repeatedly accessing one row in RAM can cause bits to flip in another row. Until now, this was mostly a CPU memory problem. But this research shows it can also be a GPU problem, and that should make data center admins and workstation users pause for a second. NVIDIA is not sounding an alarm so much as reminding everyone that protections are already in place, but only if you're using the hardware properly. The company recommends enabling ECC if your GPU supports it. That includes cards in the Blackwell, Hopper, Ada, and Ampere lines, along with others used in DGX, HGX, and Jetson systems. It also includes popular workstation cards like the RTX A6000. There's also built-in On-Die ECC in certain newer memory types like GDDR7 and HBM3. If you're lucky enough to be using a card that has it, you're automatically protected to some extent, because OD-ECC can't be turned off. It's always working in the background. But let's be real. A lot of people skip ECC because it can impact performance or because they're running a setup that doesn't make it obvious whether ECC is on or off. If you're not sure where you stand, it's time to check. NVIDIA suggests using tools like nvidia-smi or, if you're in a managed enterprise setup, working with your system's BMC or Redfish APIs to verify settings.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Robinhood Up 160% in 2025, But May Face Obstacles
Robinhood's stock hit is up more than 160% for 2025, reports CNBC, and the trading platform's own stock hit an all-time high on Friday. But "Despite its stellar year, the online broker is facing several headwinds..."Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier opened a formal investigation into Robinhood Crypto on Thursday, alleging the platform misled users by claiming to offer the lowest-cost crypto trading. "Robinhood has long claimed to be the best bargain, but we believe those representations were deceptive," Uthmeier said in a statement. The probe centers on Robinhood's use of payment for order flow — a common practice where market makers pay to execute trades — which the AG said can result in worse pricing for customers. Robinhood is also facing opposition to a new 25% cut of staking rewards for U.S. users, set to begin October 1. In Europe, the platform will take a smaller 15% cut. Staking allows crypto holders to earn yield by locking up their tokens to help secure blockchain networks like ethereum, but platforms often take a percentage of those rewards as commission. Robinhood's 25% cut puts it in line with Coinbase, which charges between 25.25% and 35% depending on the token. The cut is notably higher than Gemini's flat 15% fee. It marks a shift for the company, which had previously steered clear of staking amid regulatory uncertainty... The company now offers blockchain-based assets in Europe that give users synthetic exposure to private firms like OpenAI and SpaceX through special purpose vehicles, or SPVs. An SPV is a separate entity that acquires shares in a company. Users then buy tokens of the SPV and don't have shareholder privileges or voting rights directly in the company. OpenAI has publicly objected, warning the tokens do not represent real equity and were issued without its approval... "What's important is that retail customers have an opportunity to get exposure to this asset," [Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said in an interview with CNBC], pointing to the disruptive nature of AI and the historically limited access to pre-IPO companies. "It is true that these are not technically equity," Tenev added, noting that institutional investors often gain similar exposure through structured financial instruments... Despite the regulatory noise, many investors remain focused on Robinhood's upside, and particularly the political tailwinds.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Northern Arizona Resident Dies From Plague
It killed tens of millions of people in 14th century Europe," CNN reports, though "today, it's easily treated with antibiotics." And yet "A resident of northern Arizona has died from pneumonic plague, health officials said Friday."Plague is rare to humans, with on average about seven cases reported annually in the U.S., most of them in the western states, according to federal health officials. The death in Coconino County, which includes Flagstaff, was the first recorded death from pneumonic plague since 2007, local officials said... The bubonic plague is the most common form of the bacterial infection, which spreads naturally among rodents like prairie dogs and rats. There are two other forms: septicemic plague that spreads through the whole body, and pneumonic plague that infects the lungs. Pneumonic plague is the most deadly and easiest to spread.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Microsoft Outlook Malfunctioned For Over 21 Hours Wednesday and Thursday
"Microsoft's Outlook email service malfunctioned for over 21 hours Wednesday and Thursday," reports CNBC, "prompting some people to post on social media about the inability to reach their virtual mailboxes."The issue began at 6:20 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, according to a dashboard the software company maintains. It affected Outlook.com as well as Outlook mobile apps and desktop programs. At 12:21 ET on Thursday, the Microsoft 365 Status account posted that it was rolling out a fix. Although earlier on Thursday Microsoft posted on X that "We identified an issue with the initial fix, and we've corrected it..." More details from the Associated Press:Disruptions appeared to peak just before noon ET on Thursday, when more than 2,700 users worldwide reported issues with Outlook, formerly also Hotmail, to outage tracker Downdetector. Some said they encountered problems like loading their inboxes or signing in. By later in the afternoon, reports had fallen to just over a couple hundred... Microsoft did not immediately provide more information about what had caused the hourslong outage. A spokesperson for Microsoft had no further comment when reached by The Associated Press on Thursday.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Much of the World's Solar Gear is Made Using Fossil Power in China
China "accounts for more than half of global coal use," reports Asia Times, "even as it builds the world's largest solar-panel and EV industries."Much of the world's solar gear is made on fossil power. The International Energy Agency finds that "coal generates over 60% of the electricity used for global solar PV manufacturing," far above coal's ~36% share of typical grids. That is because over 80% of PV factories sit in Chinese provinces like Xinjiang and Jiangsu, where coal dominates the grid. China has poured over $50 billion into solar factories since 2011, roughly ten times Europe's investment, cutting panel costs by about 80% and fueling a worldwide solar boom. But those panels were produced on coal. In one analysis, they repay their manufacturing CO2 in only months, meaning the emissions were dumped up-front in China's coal plants. Any major disruption to China's coal power or factories (from grid shocks to trade barriers) could thus send ripples through the global PV market. China's coal and heavy industries also feed its clean-tech supply chain. Coal-fired steel mills supply the aluminum and metal parts for EVs and panels, and coal chemicals provide battery precursors and silicon for solar... At the same time, Chinese oil and gas giants (CNPC, Sinopec) have set up solar, wind and battery divisions, redirecting fossil profits into green ventures. Another interesting statistic from the article: "In Thailand, Asia's long-time auto hub, Chinese EV brands now command more than 70% of EV sales." Thanks to Slashdot reader RossCWilliams for sharing the news.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Bitcoin Hits an All-Time High of $118,000, Up 21% for 2025
Bitcoin "vaulted to a fresh all-time high Friday, breaking above $118,000," reports Yahoo Finance:Year to date, the token is up roughly 21%, buoyed in part by crypto-friendly policies from the Trump administration, including the establishment of a strategic bitcoin reserve and a broader digital asset stockpile... "At the heart of this rally lies sustained structural inflows from institutional players," wrote Dilin Wu, research strategist at Pepperstone. "Corporates are also ramping up participation," he added. The analyst noted companies like Strategy and GameStop have continued to add bitcoin to their balance sheets. Trump Media & Technology Group this week also filed for approval to launch a "Crypto Blue Chip ETF", which would include about 70% of its holdings in bitcoin. The timing of bitcoin's breakout also comes days before Congress kicks off its highly anticipated "Crypto Week" on July 14. Lawmakers will debate a series of bills that could define the industry's regulatory framework... The GENIUS Act is among the regulations the House will consider. The bill, which recently passed through the Senate, proposes a federal framework for stablecoins. "After jumping above $118,000 on Thursday, technical analyst Katie Stockton, founder and managing partner of research firm Fairlead Strategies, believes bitcoin is on track to reach $134,500, about 14% higher than current levels," writes Business Insider .It's not just bitcoin that's jumped this week. Other cryptos are surging as well. Ethereum has rallied over 16% in the past five days, and as DOGE rose 8% in the last day alone... Additionally, over $1 billion in short positions were liquidated in the last 24 hours as the price of bitcoin surged and traders were forced to close their positions, [said Thomas Perfumo, global economist at crypto Kraken].
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- FCC Chair Accused of 'Political Theater' to Please Net Neutrality's Foes
The advocacy group Free Press on Friday blasted America's Federal Communications Commission chief "for an order that rips net neutrality rules off the books, without any time for public comment, following an unfavorable court ruling," reports the nonprofit progressive news site Common Dreams:A panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ruled in January that broadband is an "information service" instead of a "telecommunications service" under federal law, and the FCC did not have the authority to prohibit internet service providers (ISPs) from creating online "fast lanes" and blocking or throttling web content... FCC Chair Brendan Carr said in a Friday statement that as part of his "Delete, Delete, Delete" initiative, "we're continuing to clean house at the FCC, working to identify and eliminate rules that no longer serve a purpose, have been on our books for decades, and have no place in the current Code of Federal Regulations...." Responding in a lengthy statement, Free Press vice president of policy and general counsel Matt Wood said that "the FCC's so-called deletion today is little more than political grandstanding. It's true that the rules in question were first stayed by the 6th Circuit and then struck down by that appellate court — in a poorly reasoned opinion. So today's bookkeeping maneuver changes very little in reality... There's no need to delete currently inoperative rules, much less to announce it in a summer Friday order. The only reason to do that is to score points with broadband monopolies and their lobbyists, who've fought against essential and popular safeguards for the past two decades straight...." Wood noted that "the appeals process for this case has not even concluded yet, as Free Press and allies sought and got more time to consider our options at the Supreme Court. Today's FCC order doesn't impact either our ability to press the case there or our strategic considerations about whether to do so," he added. "It's little more than a premature housekeeping step..."
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- Before Air India Boeing 787 Crash, Fuel Switches Were Cut Off, Preliminary Report Says
Slashdot reader hcs_$reboot shared this report from NPR:A pair of switches that control the fuel supply to the engines were set to "cutoff" moments before the crash of Air India Flight 171, according to a preliminary report from India's Air Accident Investigation Bureau released early Saturday in India... Indian investigators determined the jet was properly configured and lifted off normally. But three seconds after takeoff, the engines' fuel switches were cut off. It's not clear why. According to the report, data from the flight recorders show that the two fuel control switches were switched from the "run" position to "cutoff" shortly after takeoff. In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots can be heard asking the other "why did he cutoff," the report says, while "the other pilot responded that he did not do so." Moments later, the report says, the fuel switches were returned to the "run" position. But by then, the plane had begun to lose thrust and altitude. Both the engines appeared to relight, according to investigators, but only one of them was able to begin generating thrust. The report does not draw any further conclusions about why the switches were flipped, but it does suggest that investigators are focused on the actions of the plane's pilots. The report does not present any evidence of mechanical failures or of a possible bird strike, which could have incapacitated both engines at the same time.
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- AI Slows Down Some Experienced Software Developers, Study Finds
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Contrary to popular belief, using cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools slowed down experienced software developers when they were working in codebases familiar to them, rather than supercharging their work, a new study found. AI research nonprofit METR conducted the in-depth study on a group of seasoned developers earlier this year while they used Cursor, a popular AI coding assistant, to help them complete tasks in open-source projects they were familiar with. Before the study, the open-source developers believed using AI would speed them up, estimating it would decrease task completion time by 24%. Even after completing the tasks with AI, the developers believed that they had decreased task times by 20%. But the study found that using AI did the opposite: it increased task completion time by 19%. The study's lead authors, Joel Becker and Nate Rush, said they were shocked by the results: prior to the study, Rush had written down that he expected "a 2x speed up, somewhat obviously." [...] The slowdown stemmed from developers needing to spend time going over and correcting what the AI models suggested. "When we watched the videos, we found that the AIs made some suggestions about their work, and the suggestions were often directionally correct, but not exactly what's needed," Becker said. The authors cautioned that they do not expect the slowdown to apply in other scenarios, such as for junior engineers or engineers working in codebases they aren't familiar with. Still, the majority of the study's participants, as well as the study's authors, continue to use Cursor today. The authors believe it is because AI makes the development experience easier, and in turn, more pleasant, akin to editing an essay instead of staring at a blank page. "Developers have goals other than completing the task as soon as possible," Becker said. "So they're going with this less effortful route."
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- Please Don't Cut Funds For Space Traffic Control, Industry Begs Congress
Major space industry players -- including SpaceX, Boeing, and Blue Origin -- are urging Congress to maintain funding for the TraCSS space traffic coordination program, warning that eliminating it would endanger satellite safety and potentially drive companies abroad. Under the proposed FY 2026 budget, the Office of Space Commerce's funding would be cut from $65 million to just $10 million. "That $55M cut is accomplished by eliminating the Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS) program," reports The Register. From the report: "One of OSC's most important functions is to provide space traffic coordination support to US satellite operators, similar to the Federal Aviation Administration's role in air traffic control," stated letters from space companies including SpaceX, Boeing, Blue Origin, and others. The letters argue that safe space operations "in an increasingly congested space domain" are critical for modern services like broadband satellite internet and weather forecasting, but that's not all. "Likewise, a safe space operating environment is vital for continuity of national security space missions such as early warning of missile attacks on deployed US military forces," the letters added. Industry trade groups sent the letters to the Democratic and Republican leadership of the House and Senate budget subcommittees for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, claiming to represent more than 450 US companies in the space, satellite, and defense sectors. The letters argue for the retention of the OSC's FY 2025 budget of $65 million, as well as keeping control of space traffic coordination within the purview of the Department of Commerce, under which the OSC is nested, and not the Department of Defense, where it was previously managed. "Successive administrations have recognized on a bipartisan basis that space traffic coordination is a global, commercial-facing function best managed by a civilian agency," the companies explained. "Keeping space traffic coordination within the Department of Commerce preserves military resources for core defense missions and prevents the conflation of space safety with military control." In the budget request document, the government explained the Commerce Department was unable to complete "a government owned and operated public-facing database and traffic coordination system" in a timely manner. The private sector, meanwhile, "has proven they have the capability and the business model to provide civil operators" with the necessary space tracking data. But according to the OSC, TraCSS would have been ready for operations by January 2026, raising the question of why the government would kill the program so late in the game.
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- Solar Was the Leading Source of Electricity In the EU Last Month
In June 2025, solar power became the leading source of electricity in the EU for the first time, surpassing nuclear and wind, while coal hit a record low. CBC reports: Solar generated 22.1 percent of the EU's electricity last month, up from 18.9 percent a year earlier, as record sunshine and continued solar installations pushed output to 45.4 terawatt hours. Nuclear followed closely at 21.8 percent and wind contributed 15.8 percent of the mix. At least 13 EU countries, including Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, recorded highest-ever monthly solar generation, [data from energy think tank Ember showed on Thursday.] Coal's share of the EU electricity mix fell to a record low of 6.1 percent in June, compared to 8.8 percent last year, with 28 percent less electricity generated than a year earlier. Germany and Poland, which together generated nearly 80 percent of the 27-country bloc's coal-fired electricity in June, also saw record monthly lows. Coal accounted for 12.4 per cent of Germany's electricity mix and 42.9 percent of Poland's. Spain, nearing a full phase-out of coal, generated just 0.6 per cent of its electricity from coal in the same period. Wind power also set new records in May and June, rebounding after poor wind conditions resulted in a weak start to the year. But despite record solar and wind output in June, fossil fuel usage in the first half of 2025 grew 13 percent from last year, driven by a 19 percent increase in gas generation to offset weak hydro and wind output earlier in the year. Electricity demand in the EU rose 2.2 percent in the first half of the year, with five of the first six months showing year-on-year increases. The next challenge for Europe's power system is to expand battery storage and grid flexibility to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels during non-solar hours, Ember said in the report.
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- If MCP is the USB-C of AI agents, A2A is their Ethernet
Tell me, Mr. Smith ... what good is an agent if it's unable to speak?
We have protocols and standards for just about everything. It's generally helpful when we can all agree on how technologies should talk to one another. So, it was only a matter of time before the first protocols governing agentic AI started cropping up.…
- ICANN fumes as AFRINIC offers no explanation for annulled election
As allegations fly regarding fraudulent powers of attorney, one member wants to wind up AFRINIC and start again
The receiver of the African Network Information Center (AFRINIC) has not explained why he chose to annul its recent election, prompting ICANN to again warn that it may need to step in, and longtime AFRINIC litigant Cloud Innovation to call for the body to be wound up.…
- British Perl guru Matt Trout dead at 42
A controversial and polarizing figure, but also widely hailed
obituary Matt Trout will be missed by many, even though he was a divisive figure who featured several times on The Register.…
- Pentagon snaps up ownership stake in America's only rare earths mine
Rare earth metals are vital to electronics, and most of them are mined in China
There is only one active rare earth mine in the whole of the United States. As of Friday, the Department of Defense has become the largest shareholder in the company that owns and operates it. …
- Datacenters feeling the heat as climate risk boils over
A warmer world will affect bit barn resilience, warn consultants
Many of the world's top 100 datacenter hubs are at risk from rising global temperatures, as growing cooling requirements push up costs and water consumption, while shutdowns to prevent overheating during heat waves may become more frequent.…
- Microsoft fixes the ESU blues for Windows 10 users
WIndows 11 might have a bigger market share, but Windows 10 is still alive. Kind of
Even as its market share is finally eclipsed by Windows 11, Windows 10 is still alive and in need of fixes. Alongside the replacement of the Blue Screen of Death in Windows 11, Microsoft has released a fix for the Extended Security Updates wizard to Windows 10 Insiders.…
- Lovestruck US Air Force worker admits leaking secrets on dating app
Oh my sweet secret informant lover, what happened in that NATO meeting today?
A lovestruck US Air Force employee has pleaded guilty to conspiring to transmit confidential national defense information after sharing military secrets information about the Russia-Ukraine war with a woman he met on a dating app.…
- Intel's leaders have stopped pretending – and it's about time
Not even in the top 10, CEO Lip-Bu Tan reportedly tells employees
Comment Pat Gelsinger's tenure as Intel's chief executive was epitomized by his unwavering optimism and ambitious plan to return the ailing chipmaker to its former glory. His successor has no such delusions of grandeur.…
- IBM moves scientists out of Almaden Research Center
Company mum on whether the site will be shuttered
IBM, which employees say stands for "I've Been Moved" due to frequent relocation directives, is moving research scientists from its Almaden Research Center in San Jose, California, to its Silicon Valley Lab a few miles east.…
- EU tries to explain how to do AI without breaking the law
A new code aims to make it easy to figure out
The EU has a new set of AI regulations poised to take effect soon. While debate over them continues, Brussels has put out a handy guidebook to help companies make sense of what they can and cannot do. …
- Slow down on building power plants for all those new AI datacenters, report warns
Projections are likely exaggerated, a new analysis from an environmental group says
Datacenters are slurping ever more energy to meet the growing demands of AI, but some estimates of future demand imply an increase in hardware that would be beyond the capacity of global chipmakers to supply, according to an environmental nonprofit.…
- Firebase Studio's new Agent Mode wants to code so you don't have to
Gemini CLI integration is nice, but there's little polish in building apps from prompts
Google today unveiled updates to Firebase Studio at its Cloud Summit event in London, adding Gemini command-line interface (CLI) integration, initial Model Context Protocol (MCP) support, and "Agent Mode."…
- Trump tariffs turn techies topsy-turvy as US braces for PC tax
Shipments in America flat, surge across ROTW ahead of Win 10 support cutoff
Tariff uncertainty caused by US President Donald Trump still hangs over the PC industry despite manufacturers navigating a "complex regulatory maze" to avoid being in the firing line over import taxes when the shooting begins.…
- NCA arrests four in connection with UK retail ransomware attacks
Crime-fighting agency cagey on details, probes into intrusions at M&S, Harrods, and Co-op continue
The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) arrested four individuals suspected of being involved in the big three cyberattacks on UK retail businesses in recent weeks.…
- Outlook takes another sick day
Millions of users disrupted, mailbox infrastructure blamed
updated Microsoft Outlook was down for the count in a major outage affecting millions of users worldwide for the more than 11 hours.…
- Eggheads hold science fair on Capitol Hill to decry funding cuts
'The Things We’ll Never Know' show highlights what we'll be missing
President Trump's budget slashes funding for science and led to the cancellation or reduction of thousands of research programs, so scientists have staged a series of presentations to show legislators innovations that America will miss out on in the future.…
- 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]
- Study: using AI! slows developers down significantly
Its become almost impossible to avoid the AI! evangelists spreading the gospel of how AI! tools are helping them work faster and get more stuff done in less time, but do any of those claims have any basis in reality? Should we really be firing countless people and replace them with AI! tools? Should we spend god knows how much money on AI! tools and force employees to use them? Well0 When developers are allowed to use AI tools, they take 19% longer to complete issues—a significant slowdown that goes against developer beliefs and expert forecasts. This gap between perception and reality is striking: developers expected AI to speed them up by 24%, and even after experiencing the slowdown, they still believed AI had sped them up by 20%. ↫ Joel Becker, Nate Rush, Beth Barnes, and David Rein Were very much in the early days of proper research into the actual effectiveness and real-world benefits of AI! tools for all kinds of professions, so a study like this definitely isnt a smoking gun, but it does fly in the face of the tech companies and their evangelists shoving AI! down our collective throat. With how much these tools get even the most basic stuff wrong, with how often they lie and make stuff up, I just cant imagine them speeding up as many tasks as people claim they do. At the same time, AI! tools do definitely have a place for very specific tasks, and I think that studies like these will look different for every single profession and even every single task within a profession. Its going to be incredibly hard or even impossible to come to a theory of everything! on the effectiveness and usefulness of AI! tools. It wont be until this idiotic hype dies down before we can have a grounded, honest, fact-based discussion about which AI! tools make sense where.
- The EU would be better off without American tech companies
James Heppell, representing Open Web Advocacy, published an article detailing his experience attending DMA compliance workshop in Brussels, in which members of the public can ask questions of companies who have products designated as gatekeepers under the DMA. After attending the Apple one, he concludes: As a final thought, I called this article Apple Vs The Law! primarily in reference to the rule of law, about how it should be applied equally and fairly against all, no matter the size and influence of your company. I think some of these gatekeepers above all Apple, do a lot to undermine this process, in some places genuinely damaging trust in democracy. Going out of their way to paint the DMA law and the EU as overstepping and extreme hurts its reputation, as does the invented rhetoric about it being the great risk to privacy ever imposed to government! (China?), or that theyre acting without experts in the field!. Similarly for the number of covertly funded and supported lobbying groups that they bring to regulators all around the world. And the constant pressure from the US administration to not enforce the DMA helped in no small part by these gatekeepers. These money-driven practices which in many ways mirror the propaganda typically produced by authoritarian regimes like Russia, seriously hurt all democracies that they come in to touch with, and is a kind of behaviour that should make Apple, and any other group involved, ashamed of themselves. ↫ James Heppell Sometimes I wonder if us Europeans wouldnt simply be better off without these lying, scheming, law-breaking American technology companies. Yes, theres be a bit of a shock and a chaotic scrambling as newcomers fill the void, but I think Id prefer that over the illegal behaviours that are clearly endemic in US technology companies. As a EU citizen, Im not even afforded 0.01% of the kind of silk glove, patient, and cooing treatment these corporations get when they break the law, and it highlights once more just how tiered justice really is. I think the EU would, in the long term, be better off without the likes of Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook routinely and repeatedly breaking our laws. Rip that festering, rotting band-aid off and endure the chaos for a few years while European newcomers fill the void in a beautiful explosion of competition and innovation. Do we really want to be tied to these corporations that clearly despise us?
- Thread: the tech we cant use or teach
Theres quite a few ways to mess around with home automation, with the most popular communication methods being things like ZigBee, plain Wi-Fi, and so on. One of the more promising new technologies is Thread, and Dennis Schubert decided to try and use it for a new homebrew project he was working on. After diving into the legalese of the matter, though, he discovered that Thread is a complete non-starter due to excessive mandatory membership fees without any exceptions for non-commercial use. To summarize: if you’re a hobbyist without access to some serious throwaway money to join the Thread Group, there is no way to use Thread legally the license does not include an exception for non-commercial uses. If you’re like me and want to write a series of blog posts about how Thread works, there’s also no legal way. A commercial membership program for technology stacks like Thread isn’t new; it’s somewhat common in that space. Same with requiring certifications for your commercial products if you want to use a logo like the “Works with Thread” banner. And that’s fine with me. If you’re selling a commercial electronics product, you have to go through many certification processes anyway, so that seems fair. But having a blanket ban on implementations, even for non-commercial projects, is absolutely bonkers. This means that no hobbyist should ever get close to it, and that means that the next generation of electrical engineers and decision-makers don’t get to play around with the tech before they enter the industry. But of course, that doesn’t really matter to the Thread Group:`their members list`includes companies like Apple, Google, Amazon, Nordic, NXP, and Qualcomm they can just`force`Thread into being successful by making sure it’s shipped in the most popular “home hubs”. So it’s just us that get screwed over. Anyway, if you planned to look at Thread… well, don’t. You’re not allowed to use it. ↫ Dennis Schubert So you can buy Thread dev kits to create your own devices at home, but even such non-commercial use is not allowed. The situation would be even more complex for anyone trying to sell a small batch of fun devices using Thread, because theyd first have to fork over the exorbitant yearly membership fee. What this means is that Thread is a complete non-starter for anyone but an established name, which is probably exactly why the big names are pushing it so hard. They want to control our home automation just as much as everything else, and it seems like Thread is their foot in the door. Be advised.
- Pixel Android gets a rolling release canary channel
To better support you and provide earlier, more consistent access to in-development features, we are announcing a significant evolution in our pre-release program. Moving forward, the Android platform will have a Canary release channel, which will replace the previous developer preview program. This Canary release channel will function alongside the existing beta program. This change is designed to provide a more streamlined and continuous opportunity for you to try out new platform capabilities and provide feedback throughout the entire year, not just in the early months of a new release cycle. ↫ Dan Galpin on the Android Developers Blog This new Canary channel is intended for developers, and you can expect a ton of bugs and breaking changes. Updates are basically streamed continuously over the air, but not all changes will make it to a final release of Android (as in, they can be pulled definitively). You can join the new channel with any supported Pixel device, but going back to a beta or final release will require a full wipe.
- Systemd has been a complete, utter, unmitigated success
The year is 2013 and I am`hopping mad. systemd`is replacing my plaintext logs with a binary format and pumping steroids into`init`and it is`laughing`at me. The unix philosophy cries out: is this the end of Linux (or, as many are calling it, GNU plus Linux)? The year is 2025 and I’m here to repent. Not only is`systemd`a worthy successor to traditional`init, but I think that it deserves a defense for what it’s done for the landscape – especially given the hostile reception it initially received (and somehow continues to receive? for some reason?). No software is perfect – except forTempleOS`– but I think that systemd has largely been a success story and proven many dire forecasts wrong (including my own). I was wrong! ↫ Tyler Langlois The article goes into detail on a number of awesome features, niceties, and clever things systemd has, and theyre legion. Even as a mere user, I like systemd, as every time I have had to or wanted to interact with it, its been a joy to use, with excellent documentation making it remarkably easy even for someone like me to get into it without doing any damage or breaking anything. Every time I read up on systemd more advanced features, Im surprised by how well thought out and implemented it all seems to be. Ive experienced several major leaps forward in the Linux world that made using Linux on my computers easier and more reliable, and the adoption of systemd stands among them as one of the biggest leaps forward desktop Linux has ever made. The idea of going back to a random piles of non-standardized init scripts with nebulous dependencies from varying sources and wildly different levels of quality seems like a complete nightmare to me. Theres a lot of charm in doing things the old way, and Im not saying youre wrong for wanting an init system that tries to do less, or thats easier to read and parse for you, or whatever, but that doesnt mean systemd is bad, evil, or part of a Red Hat conspiracy to kill Linux.
- Introducing Skia Graphite: Chromes rasterization backend for the future
In Chrome, Skia is used to render paint commands from Blink and the browser UI into pixels on your screen, a process called rasterization. Skia has powered Chrome Graphics`since the very beginning. Skia eventually ran into performance issues as the web evolved and became more complex, which led Chrome and Skia to invest in a GPU accelerated rasterization backend called Ganesh. Over the years, Ganesh matured into a solid highly performant rasterization backend and GPU rasterization launched on all platforms in Chrome on top of GL (via ANGLE on Windows D3D9/11). However, Ganesh always had a GL-centric design with too many specialized code paths and the team was hitting a wall when trying to implement optimizations that took advantage of modern graphics APIs in a principled manner. This set the stage for the team to rethink GPU rasterization from the ground up in the form of a new rasterization backend, Graphite. Graphite was developed from the start to be principled by having fewer and more comprehensible code paths. This forward looking design helps take advantage of modern graphics APIs like Metal, Vulkan and D3D12 and paradigms like compute based path rasterization, and is multithreaded by default. ↫ Michael Ludwig and Sunny Sachanandani at the Chromium Blog The level of complexity in browsers and their rendering engines blows my mind every time I read about it. When I first got access to the internet, it consisted of static pages with text and still images, but now browser engines are almost as complex as entire operating systems. Not all of that progress has been good boy has a lot of it not been good but were stuck with it now, and thus people making browsers have to deal with stuff like this. If you ever wonder why there really only are two browser engines in the world Googles Blink and Apples WebKit this is your answer. Who in their right mind wants to develop something like this from scratch and compete with Google and Apple?
- GlobalFoundries acquires MIPS
GlobalFoundries today announced a definitive agreement to acquire MIPS, a leading supplier of AI and processor IP. This strategic acquisition will expand GF’s portfolio of customizable IP offerings, allowing it to further differentiate its process technologies with IP and software capabilities. ↫ Press release about the acquisition MIPS has a long and storied history, most recently as it abandoned its namesake instruction set architecture in favour of RISC-V. MIPS processors are still found in a ton of devices though, but usually not in high-profile devices like smartphones or whatever. Their new RISC-V cores havent yet seen a lot of uptake, but thats a problem all across the RISC-V ecosystem.
- IBM launches Power11, vague rumblings about new Raptor workstations while IBM continues to not care about Power workstations
Ah, Power. The architecture that has so much going for it, but despite concerted efforts from very dedicated people, IBM seems to be hellbent on preventing anyone from expanding Power beyond expensive enterprise servers. We had Raptor Computing Systems achieving some niche success with their POWER9 workstations I have two, and reviewed one of them but thats about it. When IBM moved to Power10, the new processors required closed-source, proprietary firmware in a few areas of the design, which made them unsuitable for Raptor to develop a successor to the Talos II and Blackbird POWER9 workstations. I admire Raptor for sticking firmly to their convictions of only producing fully open source hardware, down to the firmware level. The requirement for proprietary firmware was never addressed by IBM during the Power10 lifecycle, so Raptor obviously never jumped aboard the IBM Power10 train, and as far as I can tell, neither did anyone else. As such, the only Power10 hardware we have comes from IBM, and the offering consist entirely of enterprise servers, which are unsuitable and unaffordable for home use, whether as server or workstation. Raptor did make a joint announcement with Solid Silicon, with rumours suggesting Solid Silicon was working on a Power10-based chip that didnt require any proprietary firmware, but that was late 2023, and its been silence ever since. But Power10 is old news now, since IBM just officially launched Power11. IBM made the date official: Power11 launches July 25, with the 32 AI-core Spyre Accelerator expected to follow in the fourth quarter. IBMs launch products will be the full-rack Power E1180 with up to up to 256 SMT-8 Power11 cores with 2MB L2 each and up to 128GB of shared L3 (8GB per core) with 64TB of DDR5 memory, the midrange 4U Power E1150 with up to 120 Power11 cores and 16TB of DDR5, the junior 4U Power S1124 with up to 60 Power11 cores and 8TB of DDR5, and the low-end! 2U Power S1122 with up to 60 Power11 cores and 4TB of DDR5. The processors come in 16, 24 or 30-core versions; the E systems have four sockets (with up to four nodes in the E1180) and the S systems have two. All four systems can run AIX and Linux, and all systems except for the E1150 can run IBM i. As is usual for IBMs initial offerings, internally they look like straight-up implementations of the Blueridge reference platform and should be expected to scale accordingly. And if you have to ask how much they are, well0 ↫ Cameron Kaiser Sadly, theres no word on whether or not IBMs Power11 processors still require proprietary firmware, so its impossible to tell if they will show up in any possible Raptor workstations. Theres also zero indication of anyone else joining the fray, and IBM itself obviously isnt going to focus on end-user workstations because the world is bleak and joyless. That being said, weve got some solid rumours from Cameron Kaiser, who is generally well-informed on these topics. I have been advised by an anonymous individual with knowledge of the situation that a new Raptor announcement on products under development is scheduled for Q1 2026 0 which would be six to twelve months after! as predicted. Open firmware! is specifically mentioned and absolutely planned. Its worth pointing out that both Raptor and SolidSilicon are now listed as top-tier Platinum members for OpenPOWER parallel with IBM itself. That implies SolidSilicon is still in the mix and IBM is still backing OpenPOWER. They stressed this is not an official announcement, so you take it for what its worth. ↫ Cameron Kaiser Its something, but not much. I would love to be able to upgrade the POWER9 machines in my office to something newer, even if they perform quite well to this day. I simply have a soft spot for Power, and I want the ISA to succeed beyond enterprise servers. The architecture has what it takes to do so, but IBM seems to have zero interest in making it happen, making life quite hard for anyone else in the ecosystem trying their hardest. All were asking for is a single or dual socket Power11 workstation in a nice case, IBM. Just flip one of those servers 90°, disable the enterprise stuff, and optionally ship it with AIX. It wont bite. I promise.
- Two weeks of Wayback: first alpha release in a few weeks
Alpine Linux maintainer Ariadne Conill only started working on Wayback a few weeks ago, but in a blog post today they dive into a few more details about how much progress has already been achieved. To refresh your memory, Wayback allows you to run a legacy X11-based desktop environment on top of Wayland by running a stub Wayland compositor in front of Xwayland, capable of serving as a full X server. This way, the transition to Wayland and the removal of X.org from popular distributions wont mean you cant run X11-based desktop environments anymore. Within just a few weeks, the project has made serious progress. There’s a lot still left to do before we can confidently say that Wayback is ready for distributions to switch to. This work is across the stack: Wayback still needs to expose surfaces that Xwayland can use, Xwayland needs to implement a few new features such as cursor warping and some X extensions inside Xwayland itself need to be properly plumbed (such as Xinerama being able to make use of the Wayland output layout data). Longer term goals aside, we are at most a few weeks away from the first alpha-quality release of Wayback. The main focus of this release is to get to a point where enough is working that users with basic setups and requirements can be reasonably served by Wayback in place of the X.org server, to allow for further testing. It’s already to a point where I am daily driving it. ↫ Ariadne Conill Of course, theres still tons of bugs to figure out and missing functionality to implement, but the fact that theyre just weeks away from a first alpha release is honestly impressive. I really hope Wayback picks up even more and gets adopted by other distributions as well, since its such an elegant and future-proof solution to a very real problem. Its important that desktop environments that will not or cannot transition to Wayland remain available to Linux users regardless of their choice of Wayland or X11. When facing the slow sunsetting of a windowing system, some people go off on deranged neofascist conspiracy rants against the woke illuminati, while others sit down and develop real forward-looking solutions. Im glad virtually every Linux distribution that matters trusts the latter over the former.
- Windows 11 finally overtakes Windows 10s user share
As of today, Stat Counter reports that Windows 11 now has 50.88% of the Windows market, with Windows 10 dropping to 46.2%, giving it a comfortable lead over its predecessor. Windows 11 has been on the market since 2021 but had only amassed less than 10% of the market by 2022. Its been a slow but steady climb since then, growing from 18% to 28% in 2023, with similar growth to 36% in 2024. Its this year where Windows 11 really started taking off, likely aided by the fact that Microsoft is now pushing`Windows 10s end of support`hard. ↫ Zac Bowden at Windows Central Up to 50% of all Windows users, mere months before Windows 10 is no longer supported, and it took them 4 years to get here. Windows users really dont like Windows 11, do they?
- Microsoft broke Windows Update on Windows 7 (again)
The developers of Legacy Update, the tool that allows users of older Windows versions to keep downloading updates from Microsoft, recently discovered that users of the tool on Windows 7 were having issues. After doing some debugging they figured out it was DNS it was an expired Microsoft certificate. This certificate was set to expire on 1 July 2025, and when it did, nobody at Microsoft bothered to correct it until a few days later. As you can see from 8lt;ExpiryDateb, it definitely stopped working because the expiry date lapsed. As seems to happen too often in our industry, apparently nobody set a reminder to make sure it would be updated in advance of the date. You might notice that it has an 8lt;IssuedDateb of 2017-12-01. That’s fairly recent! After digging further, we learned that this already happened once! On the 4th of that month, Bleeping Computer covered an error Windows 7 users were receiving when checking for updates. That error is 80248015 pretty familiar, right? Microsoft allowed this file to expire, not on the 1st but rather on the 4th (more specifically, 35 seconds before midnight in US Pacific time, or 8:00 PM UTC), and did not manage to upload a new file until the 6th at 10:02 AM Pacific (6:02 PM UTC). This left Microsoft Update broken for 3 days. ↫ Adam Demasi Microsoft moved the expiry date up to 2033, thereby fixing the problem. Legacy Updates developer Adam Demasi expected that once 2033 comes around, Legacy Update will probably have to add Widnows 7 to its proxy server that its already using for older versions, as improvements in TLS and ciphers will probably lock Windows 7 out of Windows Update definitively. But hey, 2033 is decades away. Right?
- WinUAE 6.0.0 released
WinUAE has released version 6.0.0 of the Windows version of the UAE Amiga emulator, packing a truly terrifying number of changes, improvements, and fixes. Major update to custom chipset emulation. Internally almost everything in main chipset emulation has been rewritten. Fastest possible/JIT mode chipset timing/sync had major changes which can cause side-effects. Bugs are very possible, especially in very rarely used features. ↫ WinUAE website Going through the changelog is dizzying, ranging from an almost complete rewrite of the main chipset emulation for internal cycle accuracy, to running the emulation of the Denise/Lisa chips in a separate thread for better performance, to a ton of fixes and smaller updates.
- MacOS icons keep getting worse every time Apple touches them
With macOS 26, Apple has announced a dramatically new look to their UI: Liquid Glass. Solid material icon elements give way to softer, shinier, glassier icons. The rounded rectangle became slightly more rounded, and Apple eliminated the ability for icon elements to extend beyond the icon rectangle (as seen in the current icons for GarageBand, Photo Booth, Dictionary, etc.). With this release being one of the most dramatic visual overhauls of macOSs design, I wanted to begin a collection chronicling the evolution of the system icons over the years. Ive been rolling these out on social media over the past week and will continue to add to and update this collection slowly over the summer. Enjoy! ↫ BasicAppleGuy Every single one of these icons is getting progressively worse with almost every design change. They go from beautifully crafted, easily readable and supremely distinguishable icons to generic, repetitive blobs of colour, void of any personality, artistry, or usability considerations. Also, Apples new icon design language makes the icons look fuzzy, like theyre not being rendered properly. Its very unnerving. The one exception is probably the generic folder icon, which looks fine in all of its incarnations. Then theres the classic Platinum, pixelated version from Mac OS 9 and earlier, which, together with icons from Windows and BeOS from the same time period, are a whole different style that I dont think most people would accept anymore these days, but that I absolutely adore. Mostly Im just sad that the craft of making exquisite icons for operating systems is dying, replaced by what almost look like AI! generated blobs of indeterminate meaning, that rely more on preexisting knowledge of the operating system and its applications in question than on being recognisable and decipherable by anyone. I truly hope Windows and the various open source desktops dont follow in Apples footsteps here.
- Tone-deaf Xbox executive urges laid off employees to talk to Copilot for emotional support
A couple of days ago, Microsoft announced 9,000 layoffs across its global workforce, impacting its engineering, Xbox, sales, and management teams. This move also affected various initiatives, resulting in the cancellation of at least three Xbox games, job cuts across various studios, and even the shuttering of one game studio, The Initiative. In the wake of this dark day in the the tech industry, a tone-deaf Microsoft executive urged laid off workers to turn to AI tools for emotional support. ↫ Usama Jawad at Neowin These corporations are raking in massive amounts of profit, theyre doing better than ever, the cup of money runneth over, and yet, they keep laying off thousands and thousands of people almost every few months. The incentives in modern-day capitalism clearly arent working out for the vast majority of people, and then to give that final kick when youre already down, some asshat manager tells you to talk to! sparkly autocomplete for emotional support. Fuck this guy.
- NVIDIA is full of shit
Since the disastrous launch of the RTX 50 series, NVIDIA has been unable to escape negative headlines: scalper bots are snatching GPUs away from consumers before official sales even begin, power connectors continue to melt, with no fix in sight, marketing is becoming increasingly deceptive, GPUs are missing processing units when they leave the factory, and the drivers, for which NVIDIA has always been praised, are currently falling apart. And to top it all off, NVIDIA is becoming increasingly insistent that media push a certain narrative when reporting on their hardware. ↫ Sebin Nyshkim Out of all the issues listed here and there are many, and each is bad enough on their own its the frame generation and related pressure campaigns on reviewers that really get on my nerves the most. Technologies like DLSS (rendering at a lower internal resolution scaling that up) and frame generation (injecting fake AI! frames to jack up the frame rate) can be fine technologies when used at the consumers discretion to find a balance between improved perceived performance in exchange for blurry image quality and artefacting, but weve now reached a point where NVIDIA will only boast about performance figures with these technologies enabled, downsides be damned. If that wasnt misleading enough, the company is also pressuring reviewers who dont enable these technologies, and focus on real frames, real resolutions, and this, real performance. If you dont comply, youre not getting the next crop of GPUs in early access. Its the kind of shit Apple pulls all the time, and we need less of it, not more. Just dont buy NVIDIA. Theyre already a terrible choice if youre running anything other than Windows, but the companys recent behaviour and serious missteps have made the choice for AMD or Intel only more obvious.
- Redox gets network booting, work on UNIX domain sockets continues
Redox continues to make progress, and as another month has passed us by, its time for another monthly update. This past month, the focus has been on UNIX domain sockets, which are needed for Redox goal of running Wayland. As we continue to move forward with our plans for Wayland, a key technology for Wayland support is the ability to send file descriptors over Unix Domain Sockets. File descriptor sending is also an important part of many other OS features, including Capability-based Security. Our Redox Summer of Code project to implement that ability has been progressing very well. Ibuki, a new member of the Redox team, has jumped right into the deep end, and implemented the sendmg and recvmsg functionality, and continues to move forward with work on UDS. ↫ Ribbon and Ron Williams You can read more about the UNIX domain sockets progress in a detailed post on the Redox website. Redox now also supports network booting through PXE, but for now, only UEFI is supported. Of course, all of this work is topped off with the usual slew of fixes in relibc, RedoxFS, various drivers, and more, as well updated ports across the board.
- Linux's Ascendancy: Charting the Open-Source Surge in the Desktop OS Arena
by George Whittaker A Paradigm Shift in Desktop Computing
The landscape of desktop operating systems has witnessed a notable transformation in 2025. Linux, once considered a niche player, has achieved a significant milestone by capturing 4.7% of the global desktop market share. This achievement underscores a growing trend of users seeking alternatives to traditional operating systems.
Tracing the Growth Trajectory
Linux's journey to its current standing has been marked by steady growth:
July 2022: 2.76%
July 2023: 3.12%
July 2024: 4.44%
June 2025: 4.7%
This upward trend reflects a combination of technological advancements and shifting user preferences.
Catalysts Behind the Surge1. Gaming Innovations
The gaming sector has played a pivotal role in Linux's rising popularity. Valve's Steam Deck, a handheld gaming device running on Linux-based SteamOS, has introduced a new audience to the capabilities of Linux. Additionally, compatibility layers like Proton have enhanced the gaming experience on Linux platforms.
2. Enhanced Hardware Support
Modern Linux distributions have significantly improved hardware compatibility, making installation and daily use more seamless for users across various devices.
3. Cost-Effective Solutions
The open-source nature of Linux offers a free alternative to proprietary operating systems, appealing to both individual users and organizations aiming to reduce software licensing costs.
4. Regional Adoption Patterns
Certain regions have exhibited higher adoption rates. In the United States, Linux's desktop market share reached 5.03% in June 2025. In India, the figure stood at 16.21% as of July 2024. These statistics highlight the global appeal and adaptability of Linux.
Addressing Ongoing Challenges1. Ecosystem Fragmentation
The diversity of Linux distributions, while offering flexibility, can lead to inconsistencies in user experience and software compatibility.
Despite progress, some proprietary applications and games remain inaccessible or require complex configurations on Linux systems.
2. Software Availability
Despite progress, some proprietary applications and games remain inaccessible or require complex configurations on Linux systems.
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- Linux Kernel 6.14: A Leap Forward in Intel and AMD CPU Support
by George Whittaker
Released on March 24, 2025, Linux Kernel 6.14 introduces significant enhancements for Intel and AMD processors, focusing on performance, power efficiency, and hardware compatibility. These updates are particularly beneficial for users leveraging the latest CPU architectures and AI-driven workloads.
Intel CPU EnhancementsSupport for Upcoming Architectures
Linux 6.14 extends support to Intel's forthcoming Panther Lake CPUs, incorporating thermal driver support for improved power efficiency and enabling Ultra-High Bit Rate (UHBR) modes via DisplayPort on Thunderbolt's Alt-Mode. This advancement allows for 10G and 20G UHBR modes, enhancing display capabilities for devices equipped with Xe3 graphics.
Additionally, preparations for Intel's Clearwater Forest server processors are underway, with the inclusion of EDAC (Error Detection and Correction) driver support and readiness of the Turbostat tool for monitoring.
Performance and Virtualization Improvements
The kernel introduces Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB) flushing scalability optimizations, reducing overhead during context switches and improving overall system performance. Enhancements to the x86 Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) also contribute to better virtualization support, benefiting environments that rely on virtual machines.
AMD CPU EnhancementsIntroduction of AMD XDNA Driver
A notable addition in Linux 6.14 is the AMD XDNA driver, providing support for AMD's Neural Processing Units (NPUs) integrated into Ryzen AI processors. This driver facilitates AI workloads, such as machine learning applications, by enabling efficient execution of tasks like convolutional neural networks and large language models.
Power Management and Performance Tweaks
The AMD P-State driver receives updates, including dynamic ranking of preferred CPU cores and defaulting to the 'balance_performance' Energy Performance Policy (EPP) on Ryzen and EPYC processors. These changes aim to optimize power consumption without compromising performance.
Furthermore, encryption performance sees a 2-3% boost for AES-GCM and AES-XTS standards on Zen 4 and Zen 5 processors, enhancing data security operations.
Broader Implications
Beyond CPU-specific enhancements, Linux 6.14 introduces the NTSYNC driver, improving compatibility and performance for Windows games emulated via Wine and Proton. The kernel also expands support to accommodate up to 4,096 CPU cores, doubling the previous limit and catering to high-performance computing environments. Additionally, improvements in suspend/resume functionality enhance power management for various devices.
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- 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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