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- Debian: DSA-5673-1: glibc Security Advisory Updates
Charles Fol discovered that the iconv() function in the GNU C library is prone to a buffer overflow vulnerability when converting strings to the ISO-2022-CN-EXT character set, which may lead to denial of service (application crash) or the execution of arbitrary code.
- [$] A change in direction for security-module stacking?
The long-running effort to complete the work on stacking (or composing) theLinux security modules (LSMs) recently encountered a barrier—in the form ofa "suggestion" to discontinue it from Linus Torvalds. His complaintrevolved around the indirect function calls that are used to implementLSMs, but he also did not think much of the effort to switch away fromthose calls. While it does not appear that a major course-change is in storefor LSMs, it is clear that Torvalds is not happy with the direction of thatsubsystem.
- Fedora 40 released
The Fedora 40 distribution has beenreleased. See the "what's new" pages for FedoraWorkstation and FedoraKDE to learn more about the desktop spins, along with this LWN article, for more information.
- [$] Rust for embedded Linux kernels
The Rust programming language, it is hoped, will bring a new level ofsafety to the Linux kernel. At the moment, though, there are still anumber of impediments to getting useful Rust code into the kernel. In theEmbedded Open Source Summit track of the OpenSource Summit North America, Fabien Parent provided an overview of hiswork aimed at improving the infrastructure needed to write the devicedrivers needed by embedded systems in Rust; there is still some work to bedone.
- Security updates for Tuesday
Security updates have been issued by Debian (glibc and samba), Fedora (chromium, cjson, mingw-python-idna, and pgadmin4), Mageia (kernel, kmod-xtables-addons, kmod-virtualbox, kernel-linus, and perl-Clipboard), Red Hat (go-toolset:rhel8, golang, java-11-openjdk, kpatch-patch, and shim), Slackware (freerdp), SUSE (apache-commons-configuration, glibc, jasper, polkit, and qemu), and Ubuntu (google-guest-agent, google-osconfig-agent, linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5, pillow, and squid).
- The Open Home Foundation launches
The Open Home Foundation has announcedits existence as a home and support resource for free home-automationprojects.
We created the Open Home Foundation to fight for the fundamental principles of privacy, choice, and sustainability for smart homes. And every person who lives in one.
Ahead of today, we've transferred over 240 projects, standards, drivers, and libraries—Home Assistant, ESPHome, Zigpy, Piper, Improv Wi-Fi, Wyoming, and so many more—to the Open Home Foundation. This is all about looking into the future. We've done this to create a bulwark against surveillance capitalism, the risk of buyout, and open-source projects becoming abandonware. To an extent, this protection extends even against our future selves—so that smart home users can continue to benefit for years, if not decades. No matter what comes.
- [$] Linus and Dirk chat about AI, XZ, hardware, and more
One of the mainstays of the the Linux Foundation's Open Source Summit is the "fireside chat"(sans fire) between Linus Torvalds and Dirk Hohndel to discuss open source andLinux kernel topics of the day. On April 17, at Open Source SummitNorth America (OSSNA) in Seattle, Washington, they held with traditionand discussed a range of topics including proper whitespace parsing,security, and the current AI craze.
- Hutterer: udev-hid-bpf: quickstart tooling to fix your HID devices with eBPF
Peter Hutterer announcesudev-hid-bpf, a tool to facilitate the loading of BPF programs thatmake human-input devices work correctly.
eBPF was originally written for network packet filters but as of kernel v6.3 and thanks to Benjamin, we have BPF in the HID subsystem. HID actually lends itself really well to BPF because, well, we have a byte array and to fix our devices we need to do complicated things like "toggle that bit to zero" or "swap those two values".
See this article for more information onthe BPF-HID mechanism.
- Security updates for Monday
Security updates have been issued by AlmaLinux (firefox and java-1.8.0-openjdk), Debian (chromium, flatpak, guix, openjdk-11, openjdk-17, thunderbird, and tomcat9), Fedora (chromium, firefox, glibc, nghttp2, nodejs18, python-aiohttp, python-django3, python-pip, and uxplay), Mageia (putty & filezilla), Red Hat (Firefox, firefox, java-1.8.0-openjdk, java-21-openjdk, nodejs:18, shim, and thunderbird), Slackware (freerdp), SUSE (apache-commons-configuration2, nodejs14, perl-CryptX, putty, shim, and wireshark), and Ubuntu (linux, linux-aws, linux-aws-5.15, linux-azure-5.15, linux-azure-fde, linux-azure-fde-5.15, linux-gcp, linux-gcp-5.15, linux-gke, linux-gkeop, linux-gkeop-5.15, linux-hwe-5.15, linux-ibm, linux-ibm-5.15, linux-intel-iotg, linux-intel-iotg-5.15, linux-kvm, linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15, linux-oracle, linux-oracle-5.15, linux-raspi, linux, linux-aws, linux-aws-5.4, linux-azure, linux-azure-5.4, linux-bluefield, linux-gcp, linux-gcp-5.4, linux-gkeop, linux-hwe-5.4, linux-ibm, linux-ibm-5.4, linux-iot, linux-kvm, linux-oracle, linux-oracle-5.4, linux-raspi, linux-raspi-5.4, linux-xilinx-zynqmp, linux, linux-aws, linux-aws-6.5, linux-azure, linux-gcp, linux-gcp-6.5, linux-hwe-6.5, linux-laptop, linux-lowlatency, linux-nvidia-6.5, linux-oem-6.5, linux-oracle, linux-oracle-6.5, linux-raspi, linux-starfive, linux-starfive-6.5, linux, linux-aws, linux-aws-hwe, linux-azure, linux-azure-4.15, linux-gcp, linux-gcp-4.15, linux-hwe, linux-kvm, linux-oracle, linux, linux-aws, linux-kvm, linux-lts-xenial, lxd, percona-xtrabackup, and pillow).
- Kernel prepatch 6.9-rc5
Linus has released 6.9-rc5 for testing.
But if you ignore those oddities, it all looks pretty normal and things appear fairly calm. Which is just as well, since the first part of the week I was on a quick trip to Seattle, and the second part of the week I've been doing a passable imitation of the Fontana di Trevi, except my medium is mucus.
- [$] Weighted memory interleaving and new system calls
Gregory Price recently posteda patch set that adds support for weighted memory interleaving — allowing aprocess's memory to be distributed betweennon-uniform memory access (NUMA)nodes in a more controlled way.According to his performance measurements, the patch set could provide asignificant improvement for computers with network-attached memory.The patch set alsointroduces new system calls and paves the way for future extensionsintended to give processes more control over their own memory.
- Security updates for Friday
Security updates have been issued by AlmaLinux (gnutls, java-17-openjdk, mod_http2, and squid), Debian (firefox-esr), Fedora (editorconfig, perl-Clipboard, php, rust, and wordpress), Mageia (less, libreswan, puppet, and x11-server, x11-server-xwayland, and tigervnc), Slackware (aaa_glibc), and SUSE (firefox, graphviz, kernel, nodejs12, pgadmin4, tomcat, and wireshark).
- [$] Gentoo bans AI-created contributions
Gentoo Council member Michał Górny postedan RFC to the gentoo-dev mailinglist in late February about banning "'AI'-backed (LLM/GPT/whatever)contributions" to the Gentoo Linux project. Górny wrote that the spread of the"AI bubble" indicated a need for Gentoo to formally take a stand on AItools. After a lengthy discussion, the Gentoo Council votedunanimously this week to adopt his proposal and ban contributions generated with AI/ML tools.
- [$] Warning about WARN_ON()
Kernel developers, like conscientious developers for many projects, willoften include checks in the code for conditions that are never expected tooccur, but which would indicate a serious problem should that expectationturn out to be incorrect. For years, developers have been encouraged (toput it politely) to avoid using assertions that crash the machine for suchconditions unless there is truly no alternative. Increasingly, though, useof the kernel's WARN_ON() family of macros, which developers weretold to use instead, is also being discouraged.
- Security updates for Thursday
Security updates have been issued by Debian (firefox-esr, jetty9, libdatetime-timezone-perl, tomcat10, and tzdata), Fedora (cockpit, filezilla, and libfilezilla), Red Hat (firefox, gnutls, java-1.8.0-openjdk, java-17-openjdk, kernel, kernel-rt, less, mod_http2, nodejs:18, rhc-worker-script, and shim), Slackware (mozilla), SUSE (kernel), and Ubuntu (apache2, glibc, and linux-xilinx-zynqmp).
- 9to5Linux Weekly Roundup: April 21st, 2024
The 184th installment of the 9to5Linux Weekly Roundup is here for the week ending on April 21st, 2024, keeping you updated with the most important things happening in the Linux world.
- 14 Best Free and Open Source JSON Tools
JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) is a standard, popular and lightweight data text-oriented format based on JavaScript object syntax to represent structured data.
- Spectre V2: A New Threat to Linux Systems
A significant security threat, known as the Spectre v2 exploit, has been observed targeting Linux systems running on modern Intel processors. Let's delve into the details of the Spectre v2 exploit, its implications, and the measures being taken to mitigate its impact.
- Ubuntu: Change Default Terminal Emulator
Changing the default terminal emulator in Ubuntu can sometimes lead to the error ‘Too many levels of symbolic links’. This issue can occur during the configuration of terminal alternatives. This guide will help you understand how to resolve this problem and set your preferred terminal emulator as the default on Ubuntu.
- How to orchestrate restic backups with autorestic on Linux
Restic is a modern backup program with support for encryption and deduplication. As we saw in this tutorial, Restic is easy to use, but it doesn’t make use of a configuration file, and doesn’t natively include a method to orchestrate and organize multiple backups. That is where autorestic comes in handy: it is a wrapper around Restic which let us configure and orchestrate backups in a single yaml configuration file, specifying multiple sources (locations) and destinations (backends).
- How to Install LAMP on Ubuntu 24.04
As we know, Ubuntu 24.04 is a Linux OS, Apache is a web server used for serving website files, MySQL is a database management system, and PHP is the programming language. This stack is used on millions of websites hosted on different servers. Every system administrator handles issues related to the LAMP stack daily. This tutorial will teach you how to install LAMP on Ubuntu 24.04. The LAMP stack is a shortcut for Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP
- Apple Cuts Vision Pro Shipments As Demand Falls 'Sharply Beyond Expectations'
An anonymous reader shares a report: Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a result, Apple is expected to take a "conservative view" of headset demand when the Vision Pro launches in additional countries. Kuo previously said that Apple will introduce the Vision Pro in new markets before the June Worldwide Developers Conference, which suggests that we could see it available in additional areas in the next month or so.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- FTC To Vote On Noncompete Ban
The Federal Trade Commission is set to vote Tuesday afternoon on a proposal to ban noncompete agreements, which prevent workers from taking positions at competitors for a period of time after they leave a job. From a report: The ban could be a win for workers -- particularly at the low end of the income scale. Critics of these agreements say they stifle innovation and wage growth by restricting workers' ability to take new jobs that pay higher wages or offer some other opportunity. They also make it tougher for employers to hire strong talent, lessening competition. Some states have laws limiting noncompetes to higher-income folks or banning them altogether -- but most don't. Experts told Axios that the final rule will likely look similar to the draft proposal, which was a broad prohibition on all noncompetes, even for executives. Any final rule is unlikely to take effect for many years -- if ever, as it will surely get tied up in court. The Chamber of Commerce, which opposes the ban, has already said it's ready and willing to file a lawsuit.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- No One Buys Books Any More
The U.S. publishing industry is driven by celebrity authors and repeat bestsellers, according to testimony from a blocked merger between Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster. Only 50 authors sell over 500,000 copies annually, with 96% of books selling under 1,000 copies. Publishing houses spend most of their advance money on celebrity books, which along with backlist titles like The Bible, account for the bulk of their revenue and fund less commercially successful books.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Fedora Linux 40 Officially Released
prisoninmate writes: Fedora Linux 40 distribution has been officially released -- powered by the latest Linux 6.8 kernel series, and featuring the GNOME 46 and KDE Plasma 6 desktop environments, reports 9to5Linux: "Powered by the latest and greatest Linux 6.8 kernel series, the Fedora Linux 40 release ships with the GNOME 46 desktop environment for the flagship Fedora Workstation edition and the KDE Plasma 6 desktop environment for the Fedora KDE Spin, which defaults to the Wayland session as the X11 session was completely removed." "Fedora Linux 40 also includes some interesting package management changes, such as dropping Delta RPMs and disabling support in the default configuration of DNF / DNF5. It also changes the DNF behavior to no longer download filelists by default. However, this release doesn't ship with the long-awaited DNF5 package manager. For AMD GPUs, Fedora Linux 40 ships with AMD ROCm 6.0 as the latest release of AMD's software optimized for AI and HPC workload performance, which enables support for the newest flagship AMD Instinct MI300A and MI300X datacenter GPUs."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- China's Ageing Tech Workers Hit By 'Curse of 35'
Chinese tech giant Kuaishou is laying off employees in their mid-30s as part of a company-wide restructuring plan dubbed "Limestone," FT reported Tuesday, citing people with direct knowledge of the matter. The move highlights the pervasive ageism in China's tech sector, where younger workers are favored for their perceived willingness to work long hours and keep up with the latest technological developments, the report adds. While China's labor law does not explicitly prohibit age discrimination, some have interpreted it as such. However, tech executives have openly expressed their preference for younger employees, with companies like ByteDance and Pinduoduo boasting some of the youngest workforces in the industry. The economic slowdown and regulatory crackdowns have exacerbated the problem, with tens of thousands of jobs cut across the sector in recent months. Those over 35 face significant challenges in finding new employment, as even the civil service and service sector prioritize younger applicants. The situation has left many older tech workers anxious about their future job prospects, the report adds.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Microsoft Launches Phi-3 Mini, a 3.8B-Parameter Model Rivaling GPT-3.5 Capabilities
Microsoft has launched Phi-3 Mini, a lightweight AI model with 3.8 billion parameters, as part of its plan to release three small models. Phi-3 Mini, trained on a smaller data set compared to large language models, is available on Azure, Hugging Face, and Ollama. Microsoft claims Phi-3 Mini performs as well as models 10 times its size, offering capabilities similar to GPT-3.5 in a smaller form factor. Smaller AI models are more cost-effective and perform better on personal devices.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Google Fires More Employees Over Protest of Cloud Contract With Israel
Google has fired another 20 workers for participating in protests against its $1.2 billion cloud computing contract with the Israeli government, according to an activist group representing the workers. From a report: In total, the company has now fired around 50 employees over sit-in protests held in Google offices last week that were part of yearslong discontent among a group of Google and Amazon workers over claims that Israel is using the companies' services to harm Palestinians. Google has denied those claims, saying Project Nimbus, the cloud-computing contract, doesn't involve "highly sensitive, classified, or military workloads relevant to weapons or intelligence services," and that Israeli government ministries that use its commercial cloud must agree to its terms of services and other policies. No Tech For Apartheid, the group representing the workers, claimed in a statement that Google is attempting to "quash dissent, silence its workers, and reassert its power over them." "That's because Google values its profit, and its $1.2 billion contract with the Israeli government and military, more than people. And it certainly values it over its own workers," it said. The group said it will continue organizing until Google cancels Project Nimbus. Further reading: Google To Employees: 'We Are a Workplace'.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Toyota's Hydrogen Future Is Crumbling As Owners File Lawsuits, Call For Buybacks
Toyota's Mirai, a hydrogen-powered Fuel Cell EV initially heralded as the future of driving, has faced significant challenges due to inadequate hydrogen fueling infrastructure. As chronicled by InsideEVs, many owners have become disillusioned with the vehicle's high operational costs, unreliable refueling options, and significant depreciation, prompting lawsuits and calls for buybacks. Longtime Slashdot reader whoever57 writes: Toyota Mirai owners are fed up and disillusioned. Hydrogen fuel pumps are hard to find and, rather than new pumps opening, they are closing down. Owners feel misled about the costs and availability of hydrogen fuel stations. Even if a Mirai owner can find a fuel station, it may not be operating. Moreover, refueling is frequently a long and problematic process, with pumps taking over an hour to fill a tank and cars getting stuck to the fuel pump for hours. It would be quicker to charge a battery EV. Naturally, resale values of these cars are plummeting. Even without those problems, once the complimentary hydrogen fuel supply that Toyota gives new owners expires or runs out, the cost of hydrogen fuel becomes quite expensive. "Not in my wildest dreams or nightmares would I expect a purchase from a giant car company like Toyota would turn out to be such a terrible experience," said owner Shawn Hall. "The entire H2 vehicle experience is an experiment that is failing. I didn't expect to buy a vehicle from Toyota and feel duped, cheated, and misled." Another user wrote on Reddit: "We all need to realize that we bought a vehicle that had, at best, a questionable future. Unfortunately in this instance, the gamble didn't pay off, and the technology of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles does not appear to be something the vehicle industry is invested in pursuing. Very similar to HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray, there was one clear winner and in our instance, the battery-powered EV won out over H2. Its sucks, but it is what it is."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- NASA Officially Greenlights $3.35 Billion Mission To Saturn's Moon Titan
NASA last week formally approved a $3.35 billion mission to explore Saturn's largest moon with a quadcopter drone. "Dragonfly is a spectacular science mission with broad community interest, and we are excited to take the next steps on this mission," said Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA's science mission directorate. "Exploring Titan will push the boundaries of what we can do with rotorcraft outside of Earth." The mission has a launch date of July 2028. Ars Technica reports: After reaching Titan, the eight-bladed rotorcraft lander will soar from place to place on Saturn's hazy moon, exploring environments rich in organic molecules, the building blocks of life. Dragonfly will be the first mobile robot explorer to land on any other planetary body besides the Moon and Mars, and only the second flying drone to explore another planet. NASA's Ingenuity helicopter on Mars was the first. Dragonfly will be more than 200 times as massive as Ingenuity and will operate six times farther from Earth. Despite its distant position in the cold outer Solar System, Titan appears to be reminiscent of the ancient Earth. A shroud of orange haze envelops Saturn's largest moon, and Titan's surface is covered with sand dunes and methane lakes. Titan's frigid temperatures -- hovering near minus 290 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 179 degrees Celsius) -- mean water ice behaves like bedrock. NASA's Cassini spacecraft, which flew past Titan numerous times before its mission ended in 2017, discovered weather systems on the hazy moon. Observations from Cassini found evidence for hydrocarbon rains and winds that appear to generate waves in Titan's methane lakes. Clearly, Titan is an exotic world. Most of what scientists know about Titan comes from measurements collected by Cassini and the European Space Agency's Huygens probe, which Cassini released to land on Titan in 2005. Huygens returned the first pictures from Titan's surface, but it only transmitted data for 72 minutes. Dragonfly will explore Titan for around three years, flying tens of kilometers about once per month to measure the prebiotic chemistry of Titan's surface, study its soupy atmosphere, and search for biosignatures that could be indications of life. The mission will visit more than 30 locations within Titan's equatorial region, according to a presentation by Elizabeth Turtle, Dragonfly's principal investigator at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. "The Dragonfly mission is an incredible opportunity to explore an ocean world in a way that we have never done before," Turtle said in a statement. "The team is dedicated and enthusiastic about accomplishing this unprecedented investigation of the complex carbon chemistry that exists on the surface of Titan and the innovative technology bringing this first-of-its-kind space mission to life."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Voyager 1 Resumes Sending Updates To Earth
quonset writes: Just over two weeks ago, NASA figured out why its Voyager 1 spacecraft stopped sending useful data. They suspected corrupted memory in its flight data system (FDS) was the culprit. Today, for the first time since November, Voyager 1 is sending useful data about its health and the status of its onboard systems back to NASA. How did NASA accomplish this feat of long distance repair? They broke up the code into smaller pieces and redistributed them throughout the memory. From NASA: "... So they devised a plan to divide the affected code into sections and store those sections in different places in the FDS. To make this plan work, they also needed to adjust those code sections to ensure, for example, that they all still function as a whole. Any references to the location of that code in other parts of the FDS memory needed to be updated as well. The team started by singling out the code responsible for packaging the spacecraft's engineering data. They sent it to its new location in the FDS memory on April 18. A radio signal takes about 22 1/2 hours to reach Voyager 1, which is over 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) from Earth, and another 22 1/2 hours for a signal to come back to Earth. When the mission flight team heard back from the spacecraft on April 20, they saw that the modification worked: For the first time in five months, they have been able to check the health and status of the spacecraft. During the coming weeks, the team will relocate and adjust the other affected portions of the FDS software. These include the portions that will start returning science data.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- California Is Grappling With a Growing Problem: Too Much Solar
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Washington Post: In sunny California, solar panels are everywhere. They sit in dry, desert landscapes in the Central Valley and are scattered over rooftops in Los Angeles's urban center. By last count, the state had nearly 47 gigawatts of solar power installed -- enough to power 13.9 million homes and provide over a quarter of the Golden State's electricity. But now, the state and its grid operator are grappling with a strange reality: There is so much solar on the grid that, on sunny spring days when there's not as much demand, electricity prices go negative. Gigawatts of solar are "curtailed" -- essentially, thrown away. In response, California has cut back incentives for rooftop solar and slowed the pace of installing panels. But the diminishing economic returns may slow the development of solar in a state that has tried to move to renewable energy. And as other states build more and more solar plants of their own, they may soon face the same problems. Curtailing solar isn't technically difficult -- according to Paul Denholm, senior research fellow at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, it's equivalent to flipping a switch for grid operators. But throwing away free power raises electricity prices. It has also undercut the benefits of installing rooftop solar. Since the 1990s, California has been paying owners of rooftop solar panels when they export their energy to the grid. That meant that rooftop solar owners got $0.20 to $0.30 for each kilowatt-hour of electricity that they dispatched. But a year ago, the state changed this system, known as "net-metering," and now only compensates new solar panel owners for how much their power is worth to the grid. In the spring, when the duck curve is deepest, that number can dip close to zero. Customers can get more money back if they install batteries and provide power to the grid in the early evening or morning. The change has sparked a huge backlash from Californians and rooftop solar companies, which say that their businesses are flagging. Indeed, Wood Mackenzie predicts that California residential solar installations in 2024 will fall by around 40 percent. Some state politicians are now trying to reverse the rule. "Under the CPUC's leadership California is responsible for the largest loss of solar jobs in our nation's history," Bernadette del Chiaro, the executive director of the California Solar and Storage Association, said in a statement referring to California's public utility commission. But experts say that it reflects how the economics of solar are changing in a state that has gone all-in on the technology. [...] To cope, [California's grid operator, known as CAISO] is selling some excess power to nearby states; California is also planning to install additional storage and batteries to hold solar power until later in the afternoon. Transmission lines that can carry electricity to nearby regions will also help -- some of the lost power comes from regions where there simply aren't enough power lines to carry a sudden burst of solar. Denholm says the state is starting to take the steps needed to deal with the glut. "There are fundamental limits to how much solar we can put on the grid before you start needing a lot of storage," Denholm said. "You can't just sit around and do nothing." Further reading: The Energy Institute discusses this problem in a recent blog post. Since 2020, the residential electricity rates in California have risen by as much as 40% after adjusting for inflation. While there's been "a lot of finger-pointing about the cause of these increases," the authors note that the impact on rates is multiplied when customers install their own generation and buy fewer kilowatts-hours from the grid because those households "contribute less towards all the fixed costs in the system." These fixed costs include: vegetation management, grid hardening, distribution line undergrounding, EV charging stations, subsidies for low income customers, energy efficiency programs, and the poles and wires that we all rely on whether we are taking electricity off the grid or putting it onto the grid from our rooftop PV systems. "Since those fixed costs still need to be paid, rates go up, shifting costs onto the kWhs still being bought from the grid."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Pareto's Economic Theories Used To Find the Best Mario Kart 8 Racer
Data scientist Antoine Mayerowitz, PhD, applied Vilfredo Pareto's (the early 20th-century Italian economist) theories to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to determine the best racer combinations. "When you break down the build options (including driver stats and various vehicle details) in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, there are over 700,000 possible combinations," notes Engadget. "But once you eliminate duplicates that differ only in appearance, you can narrow it down to 'only' 25,704 possibilities." From the report: Pareto's theories, most notably the Pareto front, help us navigate the complexities of choice. They can pinpoint the solutions with the most balanced strengths and the fewest trade-offs. Pareto's work is about efficiency and effectiveness. [...] Mayerowitz's Pareto front analysis lets you narrow your possibilities down to the 14 most efficient. And it turns out the game's top players were onto something: One of the combinations with the most ideal balance of speed, acceleration and mini-turbo is Cat Peach driving the Teddy Buggy, roller tires and cloud glider -- one already favored among Mario Kart 8 competitors. Of course, if that combination isn't your cup of tea, there are others that allow you to stay within the Pareto front's optimal range. As Eurogamer points out, Donkey Kong, Wario (my old standby, mostly because he makes me laugh) and Princess Peach are often highlighted as drivers, and you can use Mayerowitz's data fields to find the best matching vehicles. Keep in mind that others have identical stats, so racers like Villager (female), Inkling Girl and Diddy Kong are separated only by appearances. To find your ideal racer, you can head over to Mayerowitz's website. There, you can enter your most prized stats and view the combos that give you the best balance (those highlighted in yellow), according to Pareto's theories.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Apple Acquires Datakalab, a French Startup Behind AI and Computer Vision Tech
According to French business magazine Challenges, Apple has acquired Datakalab -- a Paris-based startup specializing in artificial intelligence compression and computer vision technology. 9to5Mac reports: Datakalab described itself as "experts in low power, runtime efficient, and deep learning algorithms" that work on device. On its LinkedIn page, Datakalab highlights "industry leading compression and adaptation to deploy embedded computer vision that is fast, cost-effective and precise." Prior to the Apple acquisition had between 10 and 20 employees. From Datakalab's now-defunct website: "Datakalab is a French technology company that develops computer image analysis algorithms to measure flows in public space. The images are instantly transformed into anonymized statistical data processed locally in 100ms. Datakalab does not store any images or personal data and only keeps statistical data. Datakalab products are built according to the principle of 'Privacy by Design.'" While neither Apple nor DatakaLab have acknowledged the acquisition, Challenges says that the deal was reported to the European Commission this month. The report says that Datakalab's two founders did not join Apple, but multiple other employees did make the jump. Datakalab also held multiple patents related to AI compression and vision technology. The acquisition makes perfect sense given Apple's rumored ambitions to run its upcoming AI-related features in iOS 18 "entirely on device."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Huawei Wants To Take Homegrown HarmonyOS Phone Platform Worldwide
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Register: Huawei plans to expand its native HarmonyOS smartphone platform worldwide, despite coming under US-led sanctions that have deprived it of access to key technologies. "We will work hard to build up the HarmonyOS app ecosystem in the China market first, then, from country to country, we will start gradually pushing it out to other parts of the world," Huawei's rotating chairman Erik Xu told attendees at its 21st Analyst Summit in Shenzhen last week. Part of this process will involve porting apps to HarmonyOS and encouraging other app developers to code for the platform. "In the China market, Huawei smartphone users spend 99 percent of their time on about 5,000 apps. So we decided to spend 2024 porting these apps over to HarmonyOS first in our drive to truly unify the OS and the app ecosystem. We are also encouraging other apps to be ported over to HarmonyOS," Xu said. According to Huawei's rotating chairman, more than 4,000 of those apps are already in the process of being transferred, and the company is "communicating with developers" on the 1,000 or so apps that remain. "This is a massive undertaking, but we have broad support in the industry and from many app developers," he claimed. "Once we have these first 5,000 Android apps -- and thousands of other apps -- up and running on HarmonyOS, we will have a real HarmonyOS: a third mobile operating system for the world," Xu said. That number could reach up to 1 million apps in the future, he claimed. According to Counterpoint Research, HarmonyOS accounted for 4 percent of global market share in the fourth quarter of 2023, and exceeded 16 percent market share in China. That makes it the third largest mobile OS by handset sales, behind Android and iOS. It remains to be seen whether there will be much of a market for HarmonyOS outside of China, given the current sanctions and sour US/EU-China relations.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Gaming Giant Embracer Group Is Splitting Into Three Companies
Jess Weatherbed reports via The Verge: Swedish gaming conglomerate Embracer Group announced plans on Monday to split itself into three distinct games and entertainment companies: Asmodee Group, Coffee Stain & Friends, and Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends. These will be separate, publicly listed companies, according to Embracer, which says the move will allow "each entity to better focus on their respective core strategies and offer more differentiated and distinct equity stories for existing and new shareholders." [...] The three new companies will be broken down as follows: - Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends: This company, which will be renamed from Embracer Group, is described as a "creative powerhouse in AAA game development and publishing" that will retain ownership of the Dead Island, Killing Floor, Kingdom Come Deliverance, Tomb Raider, and The Lord of the Rings IPs.- Asmodee Group: a new arm dedicated to publishing and distributing tabletop games. The existing catalog includes established titles like Ticket to Ride, 7 Wonders, Azul, CATAN, Dobble, and Exploding Kittens. Asmodee is also developing licensed tabletop games based on The Lord of the Rings, Marvel, Game of Thrones, and Star Wars franchises. Embracer anticipates the spinoff and share listings will take place "within 12 months."- Coffee Stain & Friends: described as a "diverse gaming entity" that will focus on indie, mid-market, and free-to-play games. Properties sitting under this new company include Deep Rock Galactic, Goat Simulator, Satisfactory, Wreckfest, Teardown, and Valheim. The share listings are projected to become available in 2025.
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- Miracle-WM tiling window manager for Mir hits 0.2.0
What are Mir and Wayland all about anyway?
Mir-based tiling window manager Miracle-WM version 0.2.0 is here, building on the basis of the initial release. Will Mir bring peace and harmony and convergence after all?…
- GM shared our driving data with insurers without consent, lawsuit claims
Motorists file class action alleging breach of contract and more after their premiums went up
Two New Jersey drivers claim they now pay more for their car insurance because General Motors (GM) and its OnStar app snooped on their driving behavior without their consent and sent metrics to "various insurance carriers."…
- Microsoft shrinks AI down to pocket size with Phi-3 Mini
Language model focused on reasoning fits on a smartphone and runs offline
Microsoft claims the latest incarnation of its lightweight Phi-3 Mini AI model rivals competitors such as GPT-3.5 while being small enough to be deployed on a phone.…
- Microsoft really does not want Windows 11 running on ancient PCs
Even tighter requirements, so it's time to put old hardware out to pasture... or find an alternative OS
Microsoft's war on old PCs appears to have intensified as the latest builds of Windows 11 will not boot if your CPU does not support the SSE4.2 instruction set.…
- Leicester streetlights take ransomware attack personally, shine on 24/7
City council says it lost control after shutting down systems
It's become somewhat cliché in cybersecurity reporting to speculate whether an organization will have the resources to "keep the lights on" after an attack. But the opposite turns out to be true with Leicester City Council following its March ransomware incident.…
- Silicon Valley roundabout has drivers in a spin
Accidents at intersection quadruple
The United States are widely free from roundabout tyranny with only one for every 33,330 people. A good thing too because people passing by Hollister, just south of Silicon Valley, can't seem to grok their new one.…
- European Commission to suspend TikTok's new rewards program, open second probe
For some reason the world's most notorious app decided not to tick all boxes under the world’s toughest digital law
TikTok has earned itself a second investigation under the European Union's Digital Services Act – and suspension of its rewards program – after failing to comply with the law in two important regards.…
- Misconfigured cloud server leaked clues of North Korean animation scam
Outsourcers outsourced work for the BBC, Amazon, and HBO Max to the hermit kingdom
A misconfigured cloud server that used a North Korean IP address has led to the discovery that film production studios including the BBC, Amazon, and HBO Max could be inadvertently using workers from the hermit kingdom for animation projects.…
- Japan to draw up routes for roads dedicated to robot trucks
Digital reform conference sees PM repeat calls to get online government services right at last
Usually when a government announces it's drawing up a digitalization roadmap, it's being metaphorical. In Japan's case, it's quite literal: roadways dedicated to autonomous vehicles handling logistics-related traffic will be mapped out.…
- Old Windows print spooler bug is latest target of Russia's Fancy Bear gang
Putin's pals use 'GooseEgg' malware to launch attacks you can defeat with patches or deletion
Russian spies are exploiting a years-old Windows print spooler vulnerability and using a custom tool called GooseEgg to elevate privileges and steal credentials across compromised networks, according to Microsoft Threat Intelligence.…
- Europol now latest cops to beg Big Tech to ditch E2EE
Don't bore us, get to the chorus: You need less privacy so we can protect the children
Yet another international cop shop has come out swinging against end-to-end encryption - this time it's Europol which is urging an end to implementation of the tech for fear police investigations will be hampered by protected DMs.…
- Lawsuit accuses Grindr of illegally sharing users' HIV status
LGBTQ+ dating app's maker previously denied selling sensitive user data
Hundreds have joined a UK class action lawsuit against LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr, seeking damages over a historical case of the company allegedly forwarding users' HIV status as well as other sensitive data to third-party advertisers.…
- Gone in 35 seconds – the Cybertruck's misbehaving acceleration pedal
Riveting conclusion to Tesla recall saga
While the vast majority of recent Tesla recalls have been addressed with over-the-air updates, the fix for Cybertruck's recalcitrant acceleration pedal necessitates a rare venture into meatspace. And it's as underwhelming as it is simple.…
- US House passes fresh TikTok ban proposal to Senate
Sadly no push to end stupid TikTok dances, but ByteDance would have year to offload app stateside
Fresh US legislation to force the sale of TikTok locally was passed in Washington over the weekend after an earlier version stalled in the Senate.…
- IT consultant-cum-developer in court over hiding COVID-19 loan
Syzmon Jastrzebski bagged six figures, money written off as he's left the country
UK government is kissing goodbye to the £100,000 an IT consultant-cum-software developer wrongly secured under the Bounce Back Loans scheme that was created during the pandemic to financially support firms.…
- Google all at sea over rising tide of robo-spam
What if it's not AI but the algorithm to blame?
Opinion It was a bold claim by the richest and most famous tech founder: bold, precise and wrong. Laughably so. Twenty years ago, Bill Gates promised to rid the world of spam by 2006. How's that worked out for you?…
- Zilog to end standalone sales of the legendary Z80 CPU
The processor that gave the world the ZX Spectrum and so much more is out of wafers
Production of some models of Z80 processor – one of the chips that helped spark the personal computing boom of the 1980s – is set to end after an all-too-brief 48 years.…
- Researchers claim Windows Defender can be fooled into deleting databases
Two rounds of reports and patches may not have completely closed this hole
BLACK HAT ASIA Researchers at US/Israeli infosec outfit SafeBreach last Friday discussed flaws in Microsoft and Kaspersky security products that can potentially allow the remote deletion of files. And, they asserted, the hole could remain exploitable – even after both vendors claim to have patched the problem.…
- Elon Musk's X to challenge Australian content takedown orders in court
PLUS: Samsung in 'emergency mode'; Tim Cook's Asian charm tour; APAC AI spend to surge
Asia In Brief Elon Musk's X, the artist formerly known as Twitter, has vowed to commence court action against Australia's government over orders to take down content depicting violence and violent extremism.…
- 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]
- Fedora 40 released with KDE Plasma 6 and GNOME 46
Its a big day for Fedora users such as myself and especially for Fedora KDE users, also such as myself. Fedora 40 has been released today, and while the main focus is always on the GNOME release although not everyone is happy about that the various other spins, in Fedora parlance, have also seen major updates. Most prominently among them is the KDE spin, which ships with KDEs recent megarelease, KDE Plasma 6. Starting at the top, Fedora 40 Workstation comes with the latest GNOME release, 46, which we covered when it was released earlier this year. It also comes with IPV4 Address Conflict Detection to resolve duplicate IPV4 addresses in the same physical network, and the PyTorch machine learning framework is now in the Fedora software repositories for easier installation and implementation by developers a harbinger of whats to come. The KDE spin comes, as already mentioned, with KDE Plasma 6, and inherits the non-GNOME improvements and fixes as well, of course. Theres also countless other spins covering pretty much every desktop environment and window manager under the sun, and Fedora 40 is also the first release to implement the new naming scheme for Fedoras various immutable editions the Atomic Desktops.
- NetBSD 9.4 released
Hot on the heels of NetBSD 10.0 comes NetBSD 9.4, a minor release in the previous release branch. NetBSD 9.4 is primarily a bug and security fix release, however, there are some new features, such as support for more MegaRAID controllers, ZTE MF112 and D-Link DWM222 USB 3G modems, and improved CPU feature detection for newer AMD/Intel devices. All users of netbsd-9 should upgrade if they are not following the stable branch. ↫ NetBSD 9.4 release announcement A very important note here is that the version of OpenSSL in NetBSD 9.4 is no longer supported unless you have a support contract with OpenSSL. They suggest upgrading to NetBSD 10.0, or to use OpenSSL from pkgsrc.
- Tribblix SPARC milestone 30 released
Tribblix, the unique ilumos distribution think Solaris has a new SPARC milestone. Its one of the few platforms still actively supporting SPARC, so even if the amount of users might be slim, I think its an important contribution to the ecosystem. The application software here roughly corresponds to m34 on x86 systems, although the underlying illumos is still closer to m25/m26. Note that there are no functional illumos changes from the m28 sparc release if that release didnt work on your system, this one wont either. ↫ Peter Tribble Im still looking for my mythical, unobtanium Sun Ultra 45, a goal farther away now than its ever been (Patreon maybe? One-time donation? Help me out after I took OSNews full-time?), and the SPARC version of Tribblix would be my first go-to.
- Making a flute controlled mouse
There is something about surprising interfaces: clapping to switch on lights is more fun than a flipping a switch. Pressing a panic-button to order a pizza is more fun than ordering via an app. Recently I came across this surprising interface: a flute controlled mouse cursor for a first person shooter. I recognize a good idea when I see one, and immediately wanted replicate the idea and make it freely available. So I got to work. ↫ Joren Six I dont think I have ever seen something quite so unique.
- What we learned inside a North Korean internet server
A misconfigured North Korean Internet cloud server has provided a fascinating glance into the world of North Korean animation outsourcing and how foreign companies might be inadvertently employing North Korean companies on information technology (IT) projects. The incident also underlines how difficult it is for foreign companies to verify their outsourced work is not potentially breaking sanctions and ending up on computers in Pyongyang. ↫ Martyn Williams at 38 North What an absolutely wild story.
- Paying for it doesnt make it a market
Cory Doctorow, nailing it as usual. If you care about how people are treated by platforms, you cant just tell them to pay for services instead of using ad-supported media. The most important factor in getting decent treatment out of a tech company isnt whether you pay with cash instead of attention – its whether youre locked in, and thus a flight risk whom the platform must cater to. ↫ Cory Doctorow Im sick and tired of the phrase if youre not paying for the product, youre the product!, because it implies that if just you pay for a product or service, youre not going to be treated like ass. The problem is, as Doctorow points out, that this simply is not supported by the evidence, and that it isnt whether or not youre paying that makes you have a good or bad experience its whether or not youre locked in. If youve got nowhere else to go, then corporations can treat you like ass. There are so, so many free services and products I use where Im anything but a product!. My Linux distribution of choice, Fedora. My web browser, Firefox. The countless open source applications I use on my desktops, laptops, and smartphone. Those are all cases where even though Im not paying, I know Im being treated with respect, and I feel entirely comfortable with all of those. And no, you dont get to exclude the open source world just because its inconvenient for the youre the product! argument. There are also countless services and products where the opposite is true; Im a paying customer, but I still feel like Im the product. I pay for additional Google Drive storage. I pay for an Office 364 subscription because I needed it as a translator (Im working on OSNews full-time now, and could use your help keeping the site going), but I cant cancel it because my wife, my parents, and my parents-in-law use that same subscription. We pay for Netflix and one or two other video services. I dont know if our ISP or wireless provider do anything malicious, but it wouldnt surprise me. And so on. Being a paying customer means nothing. Its how easy it is for you to stop being a customer that matters.
- Facebook opens its Android-based Quest operating system to other VR device makers
Today we’re taking the next step toward our vision for a more open computing platform for the metaverse. We’re opening up the operating system powering our Meta Quest devices to third-party hardware makers, giving more choice to consumers and a larger ecosystem for developers to build for. We’re working with leading global technology companies to bring this new ecosystem to life and making it even easier for developers to build apps and reach their audiences on the platform. Meta Horizon OS is the result of a decade of work by Meta to build a next-generation computing platform. To pioneer standalone headsets, we developed technologies like inside-out tracking, and for more natural interaction systems and social presence, we developed eye, face, hand, and body tracking. For mixed reality, we built a full stack of technologies for blending the digital and physical worlds, including high-resolution Passthrough, Scene Understanding, and Spatial Anchors. This long-term investment that began on the mobile-first foundations of the Android Open Source Project has produced a full mixed reality operating system used by millions of people. ↫ Facebooks blog In summary, Facebook wants the operating system of their Quest series of virtual reality devices an Android Open Source Project fork optimised for this use to become the default platform for virtual reality devices from all kinds of OEMs. Today, theyre announcing that both Asus and Lenovo will be releasing devices running this Meta Horizon OS, with the former focusing on high-end VR gaming, and the latter on more general use cases of work, entertainment, and so on. Facebook will also be working together with Microsoft to create a Quest inspired by Xbox!. The Meta Quest Store, the on-device marketplace for applications and games, will be renamed to the Meta Horizon Store, and the App Lab, where developers can more easily get their applications and games on devices and in the hands of consumers as long as they meet basic technical and content guidelines, will be integrated into the Meta Horizon Store for easier access than before. In addition, in a mildly spicy move, Facebook is openly inviting Google to bring the Google Play Store to the VR Android fork, where it can operate with the same economic model it does on other platforms!. The odds of me buying anything from Facebook are slim, so I really hope this new move wont corner the market for VR headsets right out of the gate; I dont want another Android/iOS duopoly. Im not particularly interested in VR quite yet but give it a few more years, and I certainly wont pass up on a capable device that allows me to play Beat Saber and other exercise-focused applications and games. I just dont want it to be a Facebook device or operating system.
- New version of Tiny11 Builder lets you debloat any Windows 11 build or version
The maker of Tiny11, a third-party project that aims to make Windows 11 less bloated with unnecessary parts, released a new version of Tiny11 Builder, a special tool that lets you create a custom Windows 11 image tailored to your needs and preferences. The latest release makes it much easier to create a lightweight Windows 11 ISO without worrying about installing a system modified by unknown third parties. ↫ Taras Buria at Neowin Perhaps you can make Windows 11 slightly more bearable with this. If theres any interest from yall, I could build my own debloated Windows 11 install and see if I can make this platform bearable for myself? Let me know in the comments.
- Inside the Super Nintendo cartridges
One of the remarkable characteristics of the Super Nintendo was the ability for game cartridges (cart) to pack more than instructions and assets into ROM chips. If we open and look at the PCBs, we can find inside things like the CIC copy protection chip, SRAM, and even enhancement processors!. ↫ Fabien Sanglard When I was a child and teenager in the 90s, the capabilities of the SNES cartridge were a bit of a legend. Wed talk about what certain games would use which additional processors and chips in the cartridge, right or wrong, often boasting about the games we owned, and talking down the games we didnt. Much of it was probably nonsense, but theres some good memories there. Were decades deep into the internet age now, and all the mysteries of the SNES cartridge can just be looked up on Wikipedia and endless numbers of other websites. The mysterys all gone, but at least now we can accurately marvel at just how versatile the SNES really was.
- Niri 0.1.5 released
Earlier this year, we talked about Niri, a very unique tiling window manager for Wayland that scrolls infinitely to the right. Ive never seen anything quite like it, and while it seems polarising, I think its absolutely worthy of a dedicated niche. The projects got a major new release out, and theres a lot of improvements here. First and foremost, virtually all animations have been overhauled, and new ones have been added for almost every kind of interaction. The videos on the release page do a really good job of highlighting what theyre going for, and I think it looks great, and for the animation-averse, every individual animation can be turned off. Niri now also supports variable refresh rate, and the IPC mechanism has been improved. Among the smaller improvements is a welcome one: when using the touchscreen, the mouse cursor disappears. I really think this one has to be tried before judged, and Im seriously contemplating setting up a Wayland environment just for this one, to see if it works for me. My window flow!, if that makes sense, is already left-to-right, so the idea of having that effectively automated with an infinite canvas sounds very appealing to me, especially on smaller displays. I just need to figure out if it works in reality.
- Microsoft now lets you download app executables directly from the Microsoft Store website
Microsoft is on a roll with updating its app store on Windows 10 and 11. Following the recent release of performance upgrades and improved algorithms, the company announced big changes in how the web version of the Microsoft Store works. Now, every user can download app executables directly from the website using new installers for web.! ↫ Taras Buria at Neowin Neat.
- Lunatik: a framework for scripting the Linux kernel with Lua
Lunatik is a framework for scripting the Linux kernel with Lua. It is composed by the Lua interpreter modified to run in the kernel; a device driver (written in Lua =)) and a command line tool to load and run scripts and manage runtime environments from the user space; a C API to load and run scripts and manage runtime environments from the kernel; and Lua APIs for binding kernel facilities to Lua scripts. ↫ Lunatik GitHub page Im not knowledgeable enough to understand what this might be used for, but I figured yall would be interested in this.
- Miracle-wm 0.2.0 released
Miracle-wm is a Wayland compositor built atop of Mir, and its core is a tiling window manager like i3 and sway. It intends to offer more features compared to those, though, gunning more for swayfx. The project, led by Canonicals Matthew Kosarek, recently released version 0.2.0, which comes with a bunch of improvements. It supports sway/i3 IPC now, so that it can function in conjunction with Waybar, a very popular tool in the build-it-yourself Wayland window manager space. Theres also a new feature where individual windows can live on top (Z-axis wise) of the tiling grid, where they work pretty much like regular windows. Another handy addition is that the configuration can be automatically reloaded when you change it. Miracle-wm comes in a snap package, but rpm and deb will arrive in a few days, as well. As the version number suggest, this project is in heavy development.
- Microsoft wants to hide the Sign out button in Windows 11 behind a Microsoft 365 ad
Microsoft is not done adding more odd stuff into its operating system. Following the not-so-great reception of new Start menu ads in one of the recent Beta builds, Microsoft is bringing even more ads, which, besides being slightly annoying, come at the cost of existing features. In build 22635.3500, the Sign Out button is now hidden behind a menu with a Microsoft 365 ad. Microsoft calls the new thing Account Manager.! In a nutshell, it is a flyout with your existing subscriptions, a Microsoft 365 upsell, and a few account-related notifications, like a prompt to add a backup phone number or enable OneDrive backups. There is now also a link to your Microsoft Account settings. ↫ Taras Buria at Neowin The beatings will continue until moral improves.
- Haikus Genio IDE introduces symbol outline feature
Genio, the Haiku OS integrated development environment (IDE), is receiving another exciting update in preparation for the upcoming summer release. The update focuses primarily on improving the Language Server Protocol (LSP) stack and introduces a cool new feature: Symbol Outline. Symbol Outline allows Genio to retrieve the list of symbols defined in a source file from the language server. This list can be sorted, nodes can be expanded or collapsed, and now a symbol can be renamed directly from there. Being part of the standard LSP specification, Symbol Outline should be supported by all language servers. The development team has tested it with clangd and OmniSharp. ↫ Andrea at Desktop on fire! Improvements to tools to develop truly native Haiku applications are exceptionally welcome, if only to prevent Haiku from becoming a worse way than Linux to run Qt applications.
- Firefox nightly now available for Linux on ARM64
Linux distributions running on ARM have had to roll their own Firefox builds for the architecture since forever, and it seems that Mozilla has taken this to heart as the browser maker is now supplying binary ARM builds of Firefox. They come in either a tarball or a .deb package installable through Mozillas apt repository. Do note, though, that Mozilla does not give the same kinds of guarantees for the ARM build of Firefox as they do for the x86 builds. We want to be upfront about the current state of our ARM64 builds. Although we are confident in the quality of Firefox on this architecture, we are still incorporating comprehensive ARM64 testing into Firefox’s continuous integration and release pipeline. Our goal is to integrate ARM64 builds into Firefox’s extensive automated test suite, which will enable us to offer this architecture across the beta, release, and ESR channels. ↫ Gabriel Bustamante These new builds wont mean much for the average ARM Linux user since distributions built Firefox for the architecture already anyway, but it does offer users a direct line to Firefox they didnt have before.
- Rebuilding and Modifying Debian Packages
by George Whittaker Introduction
The Debian packaging system is an integral part of managing software on Debian and its derivatives like Ubuntu. It facilitates the installation, upgrade, and removal of software packages. Sometimes, however, the available binary packages may not meet all the specific requirements of a user or organization, be it due to the need for a patched version, additional features, or customization for performance optimizations. This article delves deep into the process of rebuilding and modifying existing Debian packages, offering a guide for those who need to tailor software packages to their precise requirements.
Understanding Debian Packages
Debian packages, with the .deb file extension, are archives that contain compiled binaries, configuration files, and installation scripts. Understanding the internal structure of these packages is critical. A typical .deb package includes:
DEBIAN directory: Holds control files that manage how the package is installed, upgraded, or removed. data archive: Contains the actual files of the package.Common Files in a Debian Packagecontrol: Details package dependencies and metadata like version, maintainer, and description. changelog: Records all the changes made to the package. rules: Specifies how the package is to be built from its source.Debian Packaging Toolsdpkg: The base tool that handles package installation and removal. APT (Advanced Package Tool): Works at a higher level to handle the retrieval and installation of packages from remote repositories. dpkg-dev: A collection of tools necessary to build Debian packages.Why Modify a Debian Package?
Customizing software can optimize operational efficiency, enhance security, and add or modify features to suit better the unique environment in which they operate. Typical reasons for modifying packages include:
Customization: Adjusting software to fit specific local policies or performance requirements. Security patches: Quickly applying security patches that are not yet part of official releases. Functional updates: Adding features not available in the standard package.Preparing the EnvironmentInstalling Necessary Tools
Before beginning, ensure your system has the tools required for Debian package development installed:
sudo apt-get install dpkg-dev devscripts build-essential fakeroot
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- Understanding Backup and Disaster Planning Solutions for Linux
by George Whittaker
In today's digital age, the reliability and integrity of computer systems are more critical than ever. For Linux systems, which are widely used in servers and critical infrastructure, ensuring rapid recovery from failures is paramount. This article dives deep into the essentials of Linux system recovery, offering insights into effective backup strategies and disaster planning. By understanding these elements, users and administrators can safeguard their systems against potential disasters, ensuring continuity and security.
Understanding the Basics of Linux System Recovery
System recovery involves restoring a computer system to an operational state following a failure. In the context of Linux, this means having the ability to bring back data, configurations, and the operating system itself after incidents like hardware malfunctions, software corruption, human errors, or natural disasters.
Types of Failures Affecting Linux Systems
Linux systems, robust as they are, can still fall prey to various types of failures:
Hardware Failures: These include issues like hard drive crashes, memory corruption, or power supply failures. Software Issues: Software failures may involve bugs, accidental deletion of critical files, or system misconfigurations. Human Error: Often overlooked, human error such as incorrect commands or improper handling of data can lead to significant disruptions. Natural Disasters: Events like floods, earthquakes, or fires can cause physical damage to systems, necessitating robust disaster recovery plans.Backup Strategies for Linux Systems
A sound backup strategy is the cornerstone of effective system recovery. Here’s how you can approach backing up your Linux systems:
Incremental vs. Full BackupsIncremental Backups save changes made since the last backup, conserving storage space and reducing backup time. However, recovery can be slower as it may require a series of incremental backups to restore the latest state. Full Backups involve copying all data to the backup storage. They require more storage space and longer to complete but make recovery fast and straightforward.
Choosing between these methods depends on your specific needs regarding recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO).
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- How to Build Resilience with Linux High Availability Clustering
by George Whittaker Introduction
In the age of digital transformation, the uptime and continuous availability of systems are paramount for businesses across all sectors. High Availability (HA) clustering has emerged as a critical strategy for ensuring that services remain accessible, even in the face of hardware or software failures. Linux, with its robustness and flexibility, serves as an ideal platform for deploying HA solutions. This article delves into the concept of Linux High Availability Clustering, exploring its mechanisms, technologies, and the vital role it plays in building resilient and fault-tolerant systems.
Concept of Clustering
At its core, a cluster is a group of interconnected computers that work together as a single system to provide higher levels of availability, reliability, and scalability. Unlike standalone servers, clusters are designed to manage failures seamlessly and ensure that services are not disrupted. Clustering can be categorized primarily into two types: Active-Active and Active-Passive.
Active-Active clusters involve multiple nodes all handling requests simultaneously. This not only provides redundancy but also enhances the performance of the system by distributing the load. Active-Passive clusters, on the other hand, consist of active nodes and standby nodes where the standby nodes only come into play if the active ones fail.
The components of a Linux HA cluster typically include hardware nodes, networking, storage, clustering software, and applications configured to run on the cluster.
Key Technologies and Tools in Linux HA Clustering
Linux HA clustering leverages several tools and technologies to ensure system availability:
Pacemaker: An open-source cluster resource manager that handles the allocation of resources (such as virtual IPs, web servers, and databases) according to predefined policies in the event of node or resource failures. Corosync: Provides the messaging layer for Linux clustering solutions, ensuring all nodes in the cluster maintain constant communication and are aware of each other's status. DRBD (Distributed Replicated Block Device): Facilitates the replication of data across storage devices in real-time, ensuring data redundancy. Linux Virtual Server (LVS): Manages load balancing and delivers scalability across clustered server nodes.Architecture of Linux HA Clusters
The architecture of an HA cluster in Linux environments can vary based on requirements but generally involves several key components:
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- Harnessing the Power of Open Source for Private Clouds: Ubuntu Cloud Infrastructure with OpenStack
by George Whittaker
In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, cloud computing has emerged as a cornerstone, enabling businesses and individuals alike to leverage vast computing resources without the need for extensive physical infrastructure. Among the various flavors of cloud computing, private clouds offer a tailored, secure, and controlled environment, often making them the choice for organizations with stringent data control, privacy, and compliance requirements. This article delves into how Ubuntu Cloud Infrastructure, in conjunction with OpenStack, provides a robust foundation for setting up private cloud environments, blending flexibility, scalability, and security.
Introduction to Cloud Computing
Cloud computing has revolutionized the way we think about IT resources. It refers to the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage and computing power, without direct active management by the user. The main categories of cloud computing include public clouds, private clouds, and hybrid clouds, each serving different needs and purposes. Private clouds, the focus of our discussion, are cloud environments exclusively used by one business or organization, offering greater control and privacy.
Understanding Ubuntu Cloud Infrastructure
Ubuntu Cloud Infrastructure represents Canonical's commitment to providing a seamless, flexible, and scalable cloud computing experience. It is an integrated cloud infrastructure package that enables businesses to build cloud services within their firewall, with a special emphasis on ease of deployment, management, and maintenance. Ubuntu, known for its stability and security, brings these attributes to the cloud, making it an ideal choice for enterprises looking to deploy their private clouds.
Introduction to OpenStack
OpenStack is an open-source platform for cloud computing, mostly deployed as infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), allowing users to control large pools of compute, storage, and networking resources throughout a data center. It's managed by the OpenStack Foundation, a non-profit corporate entity established to promote OpenStack and its community. OpenStack's modular architecture ensures flexibility and enables integration with a broad range of software and hardware.
Ubuntu Cloud Infrastructure with OpenStack for Private Clouds
The combination of Ubuntu and OpenStack for deploying private clouds is a match made in heaven for several reasons. Ubuntu serves as the most popular operating system on OpenStack deployments, thanks to its reliability and the comprehensive support provided by Canonical. Together, they offer a powerful platform for building private clouds that can efficiently handle the demands of modern enterprise workloads.
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- Text Manipulation in Linux: Awk Vs. Sed
by George Whittaker
The Linux operating system is a powerhouse for developers, system administrators, and enthusiasts alike, offering unparalleled flexibility and control. Central to its prowess is the command line, a potent interface through which users can perform intricate operations with just a few keystrokes. Among the myriad of command-line tools available, awk and sed stand out for their text processing capabilities. These tools, though distinct in their functionalities, can be incredibly powerful when used independently or in conjunction. This article delves deep into both, unraveling their complexities, comparing their functionalities, and guiding users on when and how to use them effectively.
Understanding Awk: The Text Processing Powerhouse
awk is more than just a command-line tool; it's a full-fledged programming language designed for pattern scanning and processing. It shines in tasks that involve scanning files, extracting parts of the data, and performing actions on that data. The beauty of awk lies in its simplicity for basic tasks, yet it scales to accommodate complex programming logic for more advanced needs.
The Structure of an Awk Command
An awk command typically follows this structure: awk 'pattern { action }' input-file. The pattern specifies when the action should be performed. If the pattern matches, the corresponding action is executed. This structure allows awk to sift through lines of text, searching for those that meet the criteria specified in the pattern, and then execute operations on those lines.
Key Features of AwkBuilt-in Variables: awk offers variables like NR (number of records), NF (number of fields in the current record), and FS (field separator), which are instrumental in text processing tasks. Patterns and Actions: Users can specify patterns to match and actions to execute when a match is found, making awk highly versatile. Associative Arrays: Unlike traditional arrays, associative arrays allow indexing using strings, facilitating complex data manipulation.Demystifying Sed: The Stream Editor
While awk is celebrated for its processing capabilities, sed specializes in transforming text. sed is a stream editor, meaning it performs basic text transformations on an input stream (a file or input from a pipeline). It is renowned for its efficiency in editing files without opening them.
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- Best Practices and Strategic Insights to Dockerizing Your Linux Applications
by George Whittaker
In the realm of software development and deployment, Docker has emerged as a revolutionary force, offering a streamlined approach to creating, deploying, and running applications by using containers. Containers allow developers to package up an application with all the parts it needs, such as libraries and other dependencies, and ship it all out as one package. This guide delves deep into the world of Dockerizing applications on Linux, covering best practices, deployment strategies, and much more to empower developers and DevOps professionals alike.
Understanding Docker and Containerization
Docker is a platform that utilizes OS-level virtualization to deliver software in packages called containers. Containers are isolated from one another and bundle their own software, libraries, and configuration files; they can communicate with each other through well-defined channels. Unlike traditional virtual machines, containers do not bundle a full operating system — just the application and its dependencies. This makes them incredibly lightweight and efficient.
The Benefits of DockerConsistency across Environments: Docker containers ensure that applications work seamlessly in any environment, from a developer's personal laptop to the production server. Isolation: Applications in Docker containers run in isolated environments, reducing conflicts between applications and between applications and the host system. Resource Efficiency: Containers share the host system kernel and start much faster than VMs. They also require less compute and memory resources. Scalability and Modularity: Docker makes it easy to break down applications into microservices, making them easier to scale and update.Setting Up Docker on Linux
The process to install Docker varies depending on the Linux distribution. For Ubuntu, for instance, Docker can be installed with just a few commands:
sudo apt update sudo apt install docker.io sudo systemctl start docker sudo systemctl enable docker
After installation, verify that Docker is running by executing sudo docker run hello-world. This command pulls a test image from Docker Hub and runs it in a container, which prints a message.
Dockerizing Applications: Best PracticesCreating Efficient Dockerfiles
A Dockerfile is a script containing a series of commands and instructions to build a Docker image. The key to an efficient Dockerfile is minimizing the build time and the size of the image.
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- Mastering Linux Disk Management: LVM and Disk Partitioning
by George Whittaker
Linux stands as a bastion of power and flexibility in the world of operating systems, particularly when it comes to managing disk storage. Whether you're a seasoned sysadmin, a developer, or a Linux enthusiast, understanding how to efficiently manage disk space is crucial. This guide delves into the intricacies of Disk Partitioning and Logical Volume Management (LVM), equipping you with the knowledge to optimize your Linux system's storage.
Understanding Disk Partitioning
Disk Partitioning is the first step towards organizing the storage on a disk. It involves dividing a disk into separate sections, each functioning as an independent disk, which can be managed separately. This segregation helps in managing files, running different operating systems on the same disk, or creating a dedicated space for specific data.
Types of Disk Partitions
There are three main types of partitions:
Primary Partitions: Directly accessible and used for booting the system. A disk can have up to four primary partitions. Extended Partitions: Created within a primary partition, acting as a container that can hold multiple logical partitions. This is a workaround for the four-partition limit. Logical Partitions: Nested within an extended partition, allowing for more than four partitions on a disk.File Systems and Their Importance
A file system dictates how data is stored and retrieved. Each partition can use a different file system (ext4, NTFS, FAT32, etc.), affecting performance, storage efficiency, and compatibility.
Tools for Disk Partitioning in Linux
Linux offers a plethora of tools for disk partitioning, including:
fdisk: A command-line utility ideal for MBR disks. gdisk: Similar to fdisk but for GPT disks. parted: A versatile tool that supports both MBR and GPT disks.The Basics of Logical Volume Management (LVM)
LVM is a more flexible approach to managing disk space. It allows for resizing partitions (logical volumes) on the fly, creating snapshots, and combining multiple physical disks into one large virtual one.
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- Crafting Minimal Ubuntu Images for Embedded Brilliance
by George Whittaker Introduction
In the vast and evolving landscape of technology, embedded systems stand as silent yet powerful pillars supporting an array of applications, from the simplicity of a digital watch to the complexity of autonomous vehicles. These dedicated computing behemoths often operate within constrained environments, necessitating an operating system that is not just robust but also refined in its minimalism. Enter Ubuntu, a versatile and widely acclaimed Linux distribution, which emerges as an unexpected yet fitting candidate for this purpose. This article delves into the art of constructing minimal Ubuntu images tailored for the unique demands of embedded systems, illuminating the pathway towards enhanced performance, fortified security, and streamlined maintenance.
Understanding the Core of Minimalism in Embedded Systems
Embedded systems are intricately designed to perform specific tasks, where every millisecond of processing time and every byte of memory counts. In such a landscape, Ubuntu, known for its user-friendly approach and comprehensive support, may not seem like the obvious choice. However, its adaptability and the vast repository of packages make Ubuntu a prime candidate for customization into a lean operating system footprint suitable for embedded applications. The quest for minimalism isn't merely about shedding weight; it's about achieving the pinnacle of efficiency and security.
The Pillars of Performance Enhancement
A minimal Ubuntu image, stripped of unnecessary packages and services, boots faster and runs more efficiently, allowing embedded systems to dedicate more resources to their primary functions. This streamlined approach ensures that embedded devices can operate within their limited computational and memory capacities without compromising on their core functionalities.
The Fortress of Security
In the realm of embedded systems, where devices often operate in critical and sometimes inaccessible environments, security is paramount. A minimal Ubuntu image inherently possesses fewer vulnerabilities, as each removed package eliminates potential entry points for attackers. This minimalistic approach not only secures the device but also simplifies compliance with stringent security standards.
The Ease of Updates and Maintenance
Maintaining embedded systems, particularly those deployed in remote or challenging locations, can be daunting. Minimal Ubuntu images, with their reduced complexity, offer a more manageable solution. Updates are quicker and less intrusive, minimizing system downtime and reducing the risk of update-induced failures.
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- Linux Version Odyssey: Navigating Through Time and Technology
by George Whittaker
Linux, the cornerstone of modern computing, powers everything from tiny embedded devices to the world's most formidable supercomputers. Its open-source nature has fostered a rich ecosystem of distributions (distros), each tailored to different needs and preferences. However, this diversity also introduces complexity, especially when it comes to managing different versions of Linux over time. This article will navigate you through the labyrinth of past, present, and future Linux versions, equipping you with the knowledge to manage and utilize these systems effectively.
Understanding Linux Versioning
Linux versioning might seem daunting at first glance, but it follows a logical structure once understood. Major Linux distributions like Ubuntu, Fedora, and CentOS have their own versioning schemes, typically involving a mix of numbers and, sometimes, names. For example, Ubuntu versions are numbered based on the year and month of release (e.g., Ubuntu 20.04 was released in April 2020), and LTS (Long Term Support) versions are released every two years, offering five years of support.
Navigating Past Linux Versions
Older versions of Linux distros often face compatibility issues with newer hardware, limiting their functionality. Additionally, as software evolves, applications may no longer support outdated versions, complicating tasks that require up-to-date software. Moreover, security is a significant concern; older, unsupported versions do not receive security updates, exposing systems to vulnerabilities.
Maintaining legacy systems securely requires a strategic approach. One can isolate these systems from the internet or use them in a controlled environment. Furthermore, communities and special-interest groups often support older versions, providing patches or advice on managing these systems.
Embracing Current Linux Versions
Regular updates are crucial for security and performance. Most Linux distros offer simple commands or graphical interfaces to check and apply updates, ensuring your system is protected and efficient. Transitioning between versions, although daunting, is made manageable through guides provided by most distributions, detailing steps to upgrade without losing data.
Transitioning requires careful planning. Always back up your data before upgrading. Understand the changes and new features introduced in the new version to adapt quickly and leverage improvements.
Preparing for Future Linux Versions
Staying informed about upcoming releases allows users to anticipate changes and prepare accordingly. Engaging with Linux communities and news sources can provide insights into future developments. Additionally, participating in beta testing offers a glimpse into new features and the opportunity to contribute to the Linux ecosystem.
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- Integrating Linux and Windows in a Dual-Boot Setup
by George Whittaker
In the realm of computing, the choice between operating systems often feels like a crossroads. Each path—Windows with its widespread application support and user-friendly interface, and Linux with its unparalleled customization and robustness—offers distinct advantages. Yet, why choose one when you can walk both paths? Dual-booting, the practice of hosting Linux and Windows on a single machine, presents a solution. This article delves into the nuanced world of dual-boot systems, unraveling the challenges and laying down step-by-step solutions to integrate Linux and Windows seamlessly.
Understanding Dual-Boot Systems
A dual-boot system allows a computer to host two operating systems, giving you the choice of loading one of two (or more) operating systems at startup. This setup is ideal for users who need the robustness and flexibility of Linux for development or programming, alongside the accessibility and application support of Windows. Beyond the versatility, dual-boot systems can also serve as a safety net; if one OS fails, you can boot into the other to troubleshoot or recover data.
Pre-Installation Considerations
Before embarking on your dual-boot journey, a few preliminary steps are essential to ensure a smooth setup process.
Hardware Requirements and CompatibilityCheck Compatibility: Ensure your hardware is compatible with both Windows and Linux. Most modern hardware supports both, but checking the compatibility lists for your Linux distribution is wise. System Requirements: Verify that your system meets the requirements for both operating systems. Generally, if it can run Windows, Linux won't be a problem.Backup Strategies
Backup your data before proceeding. This can include personal files, application data, and even a full system backup of your current operating system. Tools like Macrium Reflect for Windows or Timeshift for Linux can help.
Partitioning the Hard Drive
Partitioning your hard drive is crucial for dual-booting. You'll need separate partitions for each operating system and possibly a shared partition for data accessible by both.
Partition Scheme: Use a tool like GParted to resize your current partitions and create new ones for the second OS. File Systems: Windows primarily uses NTFS, while Linux favors ext4. For shared data, NTFS is recommended as both systems can access it reliably.Installation Order
Install Windows first, followed by Linux. Windows' bootloader doesn't play nicely with others, whereas Linux's GRUB bootloader can easily add Windows to its boot menu.
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