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Do a presentation at NTLUG.
What is the Linux Installation Project?
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- [$] Creating a healthy kernel subsystem community
Creating welcoming communities within open-source projects is a recurringtopic at conferences; those projects rely on contributions from others, somaking them welcome is important. The kernel has, rather infamouslyover the years, been an oft-cited example of an unwelcoming project, thoughthere have been (and are) multiple efforts to change that with varyingdegrees of success. Hans de Goede talked about such efforts within hiscorner of the kernel project in a talk (YouTube video) atOpenSource Summit Europe.
- Security updates for Friday
Security updates have been issued by Debian (cups, imagemagick, libcpanel-json-xs-perl, and libjson-xs-perl), Fedora (checkpointctl, chromium, civetweb, glycin, kernel, libssh, ruff, rust-secret-service, snapshot, and uv), Mageia (curl), Red Hat (kernel), SUSE (cups, curl, perl-Cpanel-JSON-XS, regionServiceClientConfigAzure, regionServiceClientConfigEC2, regionServiceClientConfigGCE, trivy, and xen), and Ubuntu (cups, node-cipher-base, and qemu).
- Six stable kernels patching the VMScape Spectre variant
The VMScapevulnerability is a Spectre variant that "allows a malicious KVM guest toleak sensitive information such as encryption/decryption keys from auserspace hypervisor such as QEMU". Greg Kroah-Hartman has announcedthe 6.16.7, 6.12.47, 6.6.106, 6.1.152, 5.15.193, and 5.10.244 stable kernels, which add amitigation for the hardware bug.
- [$] A policy for Link tags
The Git source-code management system stores a lot of information aboutchanges to code — but it does not hold everything that might be of interestto a developer who needs to investigate a specific change in the future.Commits in a repository are the end result of a (sometimes extended)discussion; often, that discussion will result in changes to the code thatare not explained in the changelog. For some years now, many maintainershave followed the convention of applying a Link tag to commits that pointsback to the mailing-list posting of the change. Linus Torvalds has beenexpressing his dislike for this convention for a while, though, and itstime appears to be coming to an end.
- Security updates for Thursday
Security updates have been issued by AlmaLinux (python3.12-cryptography), Debian (chromium, hsqldb1.8.0, and imagemagick), Fedora (bustle, cef, maturin, rust-busd, rust-crypto-auditing-agent, rust-crypto-auditing-client, rust-crypto-auditing-event-broker, rust-monitord, rust-monitord-exporter, rustup, tuigreet, and wireshark), Oracle (kernel, microcode_ctl, and python3.12-cryptography), Red Hat (httpd:2.4 and multiple packages), SUSE (coreutils, curl, dpkg, ffmpeg-4, glib2, gnutls, go1.23-openssl, go1.24-openssl, go1.25-openssl, grub2, ImageMagick, jbigkit, kernel, libxslt, Mesa, opensc, opera, perl-JSON-XS, polkit, postgresql16, protobuf, python311, python311-deepdiff, sqlite3, ucode-intel, and warewulf4), and Ubuntu (bind9 and libxml2).
- How FOSS Projects Handle Legal Takedown Requests (F-Droid)
The F-Droid project has someadvice for free-software projects on how to deal with takedownrequests.
As part of our legal resilience research, we spoke with a range of legal experts, software freedom advocates, and maintainers of mature FOSS infrastructure to understand how others manage these moments. In this article, we share what we learned, and how F-Droid is incorporating these lessons into its own approach.
- [$] LWN.net Weekly Edition for September 11, 2025
Inside this week's LWN.net Weekly Edition:
Front: Space Grade Linux; KDE's new distribution; Rug pulls and forks; Dependency tracker; Kernel configuration; Framework 12 laptop. Briefs: npm security; high-memory; Anaconda WebUI; OpenSUSE bcachefs; 32-bit Firefox; Quotes; ... Announcements: Newsletters, conferences, security updates, patches, and more.
- [$] How many ways are there to configure the Linux kernel?
There are a large number of ways to configure the 6.16Linux kernel. It has 32,468 different configuration options on x86_64,and a comparable number for other platforms. Exploring the ways the kernel canbe configured is sufficiently difficult that it requires specialized tools.These show thenumber of possible configurations that options can be combined in has6,550 digits. How has that number changed over the history of the kernel, andwhat does it mean for testing?
- OpenSUSE disables bcachefs
The openSUSE project has announcedthat the bcachefs filesystem will be disabled in its kernel builds startingwith 6.17; bcachefs users will have to make other arrangements. "Thecurrent 6.16.* is NOT affected. Neither is Slowroll (for now)."
- [$] KDE launches its own distribution (again)
At Akademy 2025, theKDE Project released analpha version of KDE Linux, adistribution built by the project to "include the bestimplementation of everything KDE has to offer, using the most advancedtechnologies". It is aimed at providing an operating systemsuitable for home use, business use, OEM installations, and more"eventually". For now there are many rough edges and missingfeatures that users should be aware of before taking the plunge; butit is an interesting look at the kind of complete Linux system thatKDE developers would like to see.
- Three decades in kernelland
At OpenSource Summit Europe, LWN's Jonathan Corbet presented "Three Decades inKernelland"; the talk provides a look at how the kernel got towhere it is, what makes it successful, and what may be comingnext. The video of thetalk is now online for LWN readers who would like to check itout.
- Security updates for Wednesday
Security updates have been issued by Fedora (buildah, containers-common, glycin, loupe, podman, rust-matchers, and rust-tracing-subscriber), Red Hat (fence-agents, jackson-annotations, jackson-core, jackson-databind, jackson-jaxrs-providers, and jackson-modules-base, pki-deps:10.6, python-requests, python3.12-cryptography, redis:6, redis:7, and resource-agents), Slackware (libssh), SUSE (aide, cloud-init, iperf, java-1_8_0-openjdk, jq, kernel-devel, python-deepdiff, regionServiceClientConfigAzure, regionServiceClientConfigEC2, and regionServiceClientConfigGCE), and Ubuntu (gnutls28).
- Anaconda WebUI: progress update and roadmap
Fedora's Community Blog has a shortupdate on the progress of Fedora's new installer with a web-basedinterface. The new installer was introduced for the Workstationedition in Fedora Linux 42, it is now approved to beincluded in all Fedora spins and the KDE edition forFedora 43. Final deprecation of the GTK-based installer is setfor Fedora 45. LWN covered the installerchanges in April.
- Luckfox PicoKVM Lightweight IP KVM Remote Management Tool
Luckfox has introduced the PicoKVM, a compact IP KVM tool for remote control of PCs, servers, and development boards. It uses HDMI and USB for out-of-band management without requiring software on the target device, offering isolated operation independent of the host system. The device is powered by a Rockchip RV1106G3 processor featuring a single ARM […]
- AMD EPYC 9575F CPUs For GPU/AI Servers Show Leading Performance In Benchmarks
Since the launch of the AMD EPYC 9005 series nearly one year ago, I have performed hundreds of different benchmarks on these EPYC "Turin" processors across a wide range of workloads/disciplines to really terrific performance, power efficiency, and value. AMD EPYC 9005 performs exceptionally well compared to the competition from Intel and ARM CPU vendors. One area though I hadn't explored to this point was how well the AMD EPYC 9005 series performs for serving as the host CPU for GPU/AI servers. That changed as I recently wrapped up some benchmarks exploring that area using the AMD EPYC 9575F and it managed to accelerate past the available competition in proving capable of being the superior host processor for AI servers.
- PNY preorder listing shows Nvidia DGX Spark at $4,299.99
PNY has opened preorders for the Nvidia DGX Spark, a compact desktop AI system powered by the Grace Blackwell GB10 Superchip. It combines Arm Cortex-X925 and Cortex-A725 CPU cores with a Blackwell GPU, delivering up to 1,000 AI TOPS, or 1 petaFLOP of FP4 performance, for local model inference and fine-tuning. According to the product […]
- Hollow Knight Sequel 'Silksong' Crashed Game Stores, as $20 Price Irks Competitors
Last week Steam and other major storefronts crashed, reports the Guardian, including Nintendo's eShop, PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store. They were all "unable to cope with the demand for Hollow Knight: Silksong, the long-awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed 2017 indie hit Hollow Knight." (which had sold 15 million copies): SilkSong's release triggered widespread outages, with thousands of users reporting issues trying to buy the game in the first few hours of its release. Many were unable to complete purchases, with error messages persisting for almost three hours after the launch... Despite the technical hiccups, within 30 minutes of going live Steam reported more than 100,000 active players, suggesting many had managed to secure their copies. Aftermath says the "bug-tastic" phenomenon displaced everything except Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 on Steam's list of most-played games. The Guardian notes that "At least seven other new games have delayed their launch in the past two weeks to avoid a clash..." "People have been spamming the chat and the comments of every single game showcase or news event with the words 'Where's Silksong?' for years," writes the Guardian's video games editor:I've never seen another indie game achieve this level of notoriety before it was even released... As VGC points out, Atari released a similar game on the same day as Silksong (Adventure of Samsara) and it had only 12 concurrent players on Steam. They add that "the hype is justified". Eurogame called Silksong "beautiful, thrilling and cruel." PC Game said Silksong "glows with a level of precision and imagination that's hard to find anywhere else" and "will beat you, burn you, rub your face in the dirt, and then dazzle you with another piece of a haunted clockwork world." But at least some of the demand also came from the game's low price of $20 in the U.S., suggests Slashdot reader UnknowingFool (with variable regional pricing). "At 5.2M wishes, it was the most wish listed game on Steam. In Brazil, the local price was 74.95 Brazil Real or 13.94 USD."In the age of $70+ AAA games with additional costs, not everyone celebrated the consumer friendly price. Some independent game developers have expressed concern that their games may not sell as well compared to Silksong and cannot afford to charge less. From ScreenRant:Hollow Knight: Silksong's unbelievably low price point of just $19.99 is exceptionally good value for the consumer. It is an incredibly lengthy game that is only marginally more expensive than its predecessor... it is proving to be a source of controversy for other indie developers who believe it will distort players' expectations.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Could Heart Attacks Be Triggered By Infections?
Finland's second-largest university has announced new research suggesting that heart attacks could be an infectious disease. [T]he research found that, in coronary artery disease, atherosclerotic plaques containing cholesterol may harbor a gelatinous, asymptomatic biofilm formed by bacteria over years or even decades. Dormant bacteria within the biofilm remain shielded from both the patient's immune system and antibiotics because they cannot penetrate the biofilm matrix. A viral infection or another external trigger may activate the biofilm, leading to the proliferation of bacteria and an inflammatory response. The inflammation can cause a rupture in the fibrous cap of the plaque, resulting in thrombus [blood clot] formation and ultimately myocardial infarction... "Bacterial involvement in coronary artery disease has long been suspected, but direct and convincing evidence has been lacking," explains professor Pekka Karhunen [who led the study with researchers from the UK and Finland]. "Our study demonstrated the presence of genetic material — DNA — from several oral bacteria inside atherosclerotic plaques." The findings were validated by developing an antibody targeted at the discovered bacteria, which unexpectedly revealed biofilm structures in arterial tissue. Bacteria released from the biofilm were observed in cases of myocardial infarction. The body's immune system had responded to these bacteria, triggering inflammation which ruptured the cholesterol-laden plaque. The observations pave the way for the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for myocardial infarction. Furthermore, they advance the possibility of preventing coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction by vaccination. "The research is part of an extensive EU-funded cardiovascular research project involving 11 countries..."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Myanmar's 'Cyber-Slavery Compounds' May Hold 100,000 Trafficked People
It was "little more than empty fields" five years ago — but it's now "a vast, heavily guarded complex stretching for 210 hectares (520 acres)," reports the Guardian, "the frontline of a multibillion-dollar criminal fraud industry fuelled by human trafficking and brutal violence."Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos have in recent years become havens for transnational crime syndicates running scam centres such as KK Park, which use enslaved workers to run complex online fraud and scamming schemes that generate huge profits. There have been some attempts to crack down on the centres and rescue the workers, who can be subjected to torture and trapped inside. But drone images and new research shared exclusively with the Guardian reveal that the number of such centres operating along the Thai-Myanmar border has more than doubled since Myanmar's military seized power in 2021, with construction continuing to this day. Data from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (Aspi), a defence thinktank in Canberra, shows that the number of Myanmar scam centres on the Thai border has increased from 11 to 27, and they have expanded in size by an average of 5.5 hectares a month. Drone images and photographs of KK Park and other Myanmar scam centres, Tai Chang and Shwe Kokko, taken by the Guardian in August show new features and active building work... Myanmar's military junta has allowed the spread of scam centres inside the country as these criminal enterprises have become an essential part of the country's conflict economy since the coup, helping it rise to the top of the global list of countries harbouring organised crime. According to Aspi's analysis, Myanmar's military, which has lost huge swathes of territory since the coup and is struggling to retain its grip on power, cannot take meaningful measures against the scam compounds without endangering its precarious relations with the crucial armed militias who are profiting from them. While 7,000 people were freed from the compounds earlier this year, "Thai police estimated earlier this year that as many as 100,000 people were held inside Myanmar scam centres," the article notes. Elsewhere the Guardian reports that "The centres are run by Chinese criminal gangs," and describes people who unwittingly came to Thailand for customer service jobs, only to be trafficked to Myanmar's guarded "cyberslavery compounds" and "forced to send thousands of messages from fake social-media profiles, posing as a rich American investor to swindle US real estate agents into cryptocurrency scams."Since 2020, south-east Asia's cyber-slavery industry has entrapped hundreds of thousands of people and forced them to perform "pig butchering" — the brutal term for building trust with a fraud target before scamming them. At first, the industry mostly captured Chinese and Taiwanese people, then it moved on to south-east Asians and Indians — and now Africans. Criminal syndicates have been shifting towards scamming victims in the US and Europe after Chinese efforts to prevent its citizens being targeted, experts told the Guardian. That has led some trafficking networks to seek recruits with English-language and tech skills — including east Africans, thousands of whom are now estimated to be trapped inside south-east Asian compounds, says Benedikt Hofmann, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime's representative for south-east Asia and the Pacific. Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader mspohr for sharing the article.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- UAE Lab Releases Open-Source Model to Rival China's DeepSeek
"The United Arab Emirates wants to compete with the U.S. and China in AI," writes Gizmodo, "and a new open source model may be its strongest contender yet. "An Emirati AI lab called the Institute of Foundation Models (IFM) released K2 Think on Tuesday, a model that researchers say rivals OpenAI's ChatGPT and China's DeepSeek in standard benchmark tests.""With just 32 billion parameters, it outperforms flagship reasoning models that are 20x larger," the lab wrote in a press release on Tuesday. DeepSeek's R1 has 671 billion parameters, though only 37 billion are active. Meta's latest Llama 4 models range from 17 billion to 288 billion active parameters. OpenAI doesn't share parameter information. OpenAI doesn't share parameter information. Researchers also claim that K2 Think leads "all open-source models in math performance" across several benchmarks. The model is intended to be more focused on math, coding, and scientific research than most other AI chatbots. The Emirati lab's selling point for the model is similar to DeepSeek's strategy that disrupted the AI market earlier this year: optimized efficiency that will have better or the same computing power at a lower cost... The lab is also aiming to be transparent in everything, "open-sourcing not just models but entire development processes" that provide "researchers with complete materials including training code, datasets, and model checkpoints," IFM said in a press release from May. The UAE and other Arab countries are investing in AI to try reducing their economic dependence on fossil fuels, the article points out.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- A Single Exercise Session May Slow Cancer Cell Growth, Study Finds
The Washington Post notes that past research "indicates that exercise helps some cancer survivors avoid recurrence of their disease." But a new study "offers an explanation of how, showing that exercise changes the inner workings of our muscles and cells, although more study is still needed..."The study, published last month, involved 32 women who'd survived breast cancer. After a single session of interval training or weightlifting, their blood contained higher levels of certain molecules, and those factors helped put the brakes on laboratory-grown breast cancer cells. "Our work shows that exercise can directly influence cancer biology, suppressing tumor growth through powerful molecular signals," said Robert Newton, the deputy director of the Exercise Medicine Research Institute at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia, and senior author of the new study. His group's experiment adds to mounting evidence that exercise upends the risks of not only developing but also surviving cancer... Scientists know contracting muscles release a slew of hormones and biochemicals, known as myokines, into our bloodstreams and have long suspected these myokines fight cancer. In some past studies with mice and healthy people, blood drawn after exercise and added to live cancer cells killed or suppressed the cancer's growth... [The new study tested cancer cells in high-tech petri dishes with blood drawn from cancer survivors.] Drenched in plasma from either the interval trainers or the lifters, many cancer cells quit growing. Quite a few died. (The blood drawn before exercise had no effects.) The cancer-fighting impacts were greatest with the blood drawn after interval training. Why? Additional testing showed this blood contained the highest concentrations of certain, beneficial myokines, especially IL-6, a protein that affects immune responses and inflammation... What these results mean, Newton said, is that "exercise doesn't just improve fitness and well-being" in people who've had cancer. "It also orchestrates a complex biological response that includes direct anticancer signals from muscles..." Questions remain, of course. Can any type of exercise fight cancer? Newton and other researchers have doubts. The exercise in this study was strenuous, by design. "Earlier studies suggested that the stronger the exercise stimulus, the greater the release of anticancer myokines," Newton said... Even the weight training in this study was less potent than the intense intervals. But Newton believes weight training remains key to cancer fighting. "People with cancer who increase their muscle mass through resistance training also experience greater rises in circulating myokines," he said. More muscle means more myokines.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- The Software Engineers Paid To Fix Vibe Coded Messes
"Freelance developers and entire companies are making a business out of fixing shoddy vibe coded software," writes 404 Media, interviewing one of the "dozens of people on Fiverr... now offering services specifically catering to people with shoddy vibe coded projects." Hamid Siddiqi, who offers to "review, fix your vibe code" on Fiverr, told the 404 Media that "Currently, I work with around 15-20 clients regularly, with additional one-off projects throughout the year. ("Siddiqi said common issues he fixes in vibe coded projects include inconsistent UI/UX design in AI-generated frontends, poorly optimized code that impacts performance, misaligned branding elements, and features that function but feel clunky or unintuitive," as well as work o color schemes, animations, and layouts.) And others coders are also pursuing the "vibe coded mess" market:Swatantra Sohni, who started VibeCodeFixers.com, a site for people with vibe coded projects who need help from experienced developers to fix or finish their projects, says that almost 300 experienced developers have posted their profiles to the site. He said so far VibeCodeFixers.com has only connected between 30-40 vibe code projects with fixers, but that he hasn't done anything to promote the service and at the moment is focused on adding as many software developers to the platform as possible... "Most of these vibe coders, either they are product managers or they are sales guys, or they are small business owners, and they think that they can build something," Sohni told me. "So for them it's more for prototyping..." Another big issue Sohni identified is "credit burn," meaning the money vibe coders waste on AI usage fees in the final 10-20 percent stage of developing the app, when adding new features breaks existing features. Sohni told me he thinks vibe coding is not going anywhere, but neither are human developers. "I feel like the role [of human developers] would be slightly limited, but we will still need humans to keep this AI on the leash," he said. The article also notes that established software development companies like Ulam Labs, now say "we clean up after vibe coding. Literally." "Built something fast? Now it's time to make it solid," Ulam Labs pitches on its site," suggesting that for their potential customers "the tech debt is holding you back: no tests, shaky architecture, CI/CD is a dream, and every change feels like defusing a bomb. That's where we come in."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Megaupload Founder Kim Dotcom Loses Latest Bid to Avoid US Extradition
In 2015 Kim Dotcom answered questions from Slashdot's readers. Now CBS News reports on "the latest chapter in a protracted 13-year battle by the U.S. government" to extradite Finnish-German millionaire Kim Dotcom from New Zealand:A New Zealand court has rejected the latest bid by internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom to halt his deportation to the U.S. on charges related to his file-sharing website Megaupload. Dotcom had asked the High Court to review the legality of an official's August 2024 decision that he should be surrendered to the U.S. to face trial on charges of copyright infringement, money laundering and racketeering... The Megaupload founder had applied for what in New Zealand is called a judicial review, in which a judge is asked to evaluate whether an official's decision was lawful. A judge on Wednesday dismissed Dotcom's arguments that the decision to deport him was politically motivated and that he would face grossly disproportionate treatment in the U.S... New Zealand's government hasn't disclosed what will happen next in the extradition process or divulged an expected timeline for Dotcom to be surrendered to the United States Dotcom "has been free on bail in New Zealand since February 2012," the article points out — and "One of his lawyers, Ron Mansfield, told Radio New Zealand that Dotcom's team had 'much fight left in us as we seek to secure a fair outcome,' but he didn't elaborate..." The article notes that the latest decision "could be challenged in the Court of Appeal, where a deadline for filing is October 8."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- 'Forever Chemicals' Found In 95% of Beers Tested In the U.S.
ScienceDaily reports:Forever chemicals known as PFAS have turned up in an unexpected place: beer. Researchers tested 23 different beers from across the U.S. and found that 95% contained PFAS, with the highest concentrations showing up in regions with known water contamination. The findings reveal how pollution in municipal water supplies can infiltrate popular products, raising concerns for both consumers and brewers... [PFAS] have been found in surface water, groundwater and municipal water supplies across the U.S. and the world. Although breweries typically have water filtration and treatment systems, they are not designed to remove PFAS... [T]he researchers call for greater awareness among brewers, consumers and regulators to limit overall PFAS exposure. These results also highlight the possible need for water treatment upgrades at brewing facilities as PFAS regulations in drinking water change or updates to municipal water system treatment are implemented. "I hope these findings inspire water treatment strategies and policies that help reduce the likelihood of PFAS in future pours," research lead Jennifer Hoponick Redmon said in a May announcement about their research.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Pilot Union Urges FAA To Reject Rainmaker's Drone Cloud-Seeding Plan
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Rainmaker Technology's bid to deploy cloud-seeding flares on small drones is being met by resistance from the airline pilots union, which has urged the Federal Aviation Administration to consider denying the startup's request unless it meets stricter safety guidelines. The FAA's decision will signal how the regulator views weather modification by unmanned aerial systems going forward. Rainmaker's bet on small drones hangs in the balance. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) told the FAA that Rainmaker's petition "fails to demonstrate an equivalent level of safety" and poses "an extreme safety risk." Rainmaker is seeking an exemption from rules that bar small drones from carrying hazardous materials. The startup filed in July, and the FAA has yet to rule. Instead, it issued a follow-up request for information, pressing for specifics on operations and safety. In its filing, Rainmaker proposed using two flare types, one "burn-in-place" and the other ejectable, on its Elijah quadcopter, to disperse particles that stimulate precipitation. Elijah has a maximum altitude of 15,000 feet MSL (measured from sea level), which sits inside controlled airspace where commercial airliners routinely fly. Drones need permission from Air Traffic Control to fly inside this bubble. Rainmaker's petition says it will operate in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace unless otherwise authorized. ALPA notes the filing doesn't clearly state where flights would occur or what altitudes would be used. Rainmaker and ALPA did not reply to TechCrunch's requests for comment. The union also objects to the flares themselves, citing concerns about foreign object debris and fire safety. ALPA points out that the petition does not include trajectory modeling of the ejectable casings or analysis on the environmental impacts of chemical agents. However, Rainmaker says the flights will occur over rural areas and over properties owned by private landlords "with whom Rainmaker has developed close working relationships." [...] What happens next hinges on whether the FAA thinks those mitigations are sufficient. However it's decided, the agency's response will likely set the tone for novel cloud-seeding approaches.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- E-Bike Injuries Are a Massive Burden, Say Surgeons
Surgeons in London report a surge in severe e-bike-related injuries, putting major strain on NHS trauma units. The BBC mentions a couple e-bike accidents overheard at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel. "A 32-year-old, fit and well student... a couple of days ago he fell off an e-bike sustaining a closed left tibial plateau fracture." Another case involved a little girl named Frida: "Six-year-old girl, she was hit by an electric bike, she has a closed tib/fib fracture." From the report: Surgeon Jaison Patel is seeing more and more cases like this. "It's a massive burden on our department and I'm sure it's the same across the whole of London," he tells us. "If we can reduce the number of patients coming in with these sorts of injuries it would be great for the patients obviously, but also takes massive pressure off us in the NHS." Jaison deals with lower limb injuries. Just along the corridor his colleague Nick Aresti does the upper limbs. Nick explains that he is a cyclist himself, and it's something he encourages people to do for the benefit of their health. But, he has real concerns about e-bikes, and says: "What we've noticed with e-bikes is that the speed in which people are coming off is much higher and as a result, the injuries are much worse." He shows us X-rays of someone who has broken their collarbone. He explains that with e-bikes, the injuries they're seeing are much more severe, and as such, people are "struggling to get back to normality." Nick and Jaison both agree it's something they're seeing increasingly more of as time goes by, and they think the industry needs better regulation. "We should do something about it, I don't think we can let this carry on," Jaison says. Over recent days of course, thousands of Londoners have taken to e-bikes to help beat the strikes. For many it has been an essential way to get about. Currently, anyone aged 14 or over can legally ride an e-bike. The power output of an e-bike's motor should be capped at 250 watts, and the motor should not be capable of propelling the bike any faster than 15.5mph (25kph), according to government rules. London's Walking and Cycling Commissioner Will Norman says the rules need changing and says better regulation of the rentable electric bikes could be on the way. "We need to ensure that the vehicles are safe, that there's parking, they're not scattered all over the place, and that the batteries are safe," he says. "I'm really delighted that the government has now indicated in its English Devolution Bill that London and other cities across the UK will be getting more powers so again we can start regulating that, to ensure that they're safe for people to use and operate while they get around". The bill is currently going through parliament, and as yet there is no date for when it will be passed. Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns at Cycling UK, who are members of the Electric Bike Alliance, argues against the regulation of e-bike usage. "The cost of inactivity-related health issues to the NHS each year is 7.4 billion pounds, and people cycling saves them 1 billion pounds. We have seen a slight rise in the number of incidents involving hired e-bikes in London, but the health benefits of people cycling outweigh the risks by around 20 to one."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Synthetic Magnetic Fields Steer Light On a Chip For Faster Communications
Researchers in China have created synthetic magnetic fields within silicon photonic crystals, allowing them to steer and control light on a chip with unprecedented precision. "Beyond immediate applications, the work opens new avenues for studying quantum-inspired phenomena with light," reports Phys.org. "The ability to impose artificial gauge fields in photonic systems could enable devices for optical computing, quantum information, and advanced communication technologies." Slashdot reader alternative_right shares an excerpt from the report: The team achieved this by systematically altering the symmetry of tiny repeating units in silicon photonic crystals. Adjusting the degree of local asymmetry at each point allowed them to 'design' pseudomagnetic fields with tailored spatial patterns, without breaking fundamental time-reversal symmetry. Both theoretical analysis and experiments confirmed that these engineered fields can guide and manipulate light in versatile ways. To demonstrate practical applications, the researchers built two devices commonly used in integrated optics. One was a compact S-shaped waveguide bend that transmitted light with less than 1.83 decibels of signal loss. The other was a power splitter that divided light into two equal paths with low excess loss and minimal imbalance. In a final test, the devices successfully transmitted a high-speed data stream at 140 gigabits per second using a standard telecommunications modulation format, showing that the technique is compatible with existing optical communication systems. The research has been published in Advanced Photonics.
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- Proton Mail Suspended Journalist Accounts At Request of Cybersecurity Agency
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Intercept: The company behind the Proton Mail email service, Proton, describes itself as a "neutral and safe haven for your personal data, committed to defending your freedom." But last month, Proton disabled email accounts belonging to journalists reporting on security breaches of various South Korean government computer systems following a complaint by an unspecified cybersecurity agency. After a public outcry, and multiple weeks, the journalists' accounts were eventually reinstated -- but the reporters and editors involved still want answers on how and why Proton decided to shut down the accounts in the first place. Martin Shelton, deputy director of digital security at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, highlighted that numerous newsrooms use Proton's services as alternatives to something like Gmail "specifically to avoid situations like this," pointing out that "While it's good to see that Proton is reconsidering account suspensions, journalists are among the users who need these and similar tools most." Newsrooms like The Intercept, the Boston Globe, and the Tampa Bay Times all rely on Proton Mail for emailed tip submissions. Shelton noted that perhaps Proton should "prioritize responding to journalists about account suspensions privately, rather than when they go viral." On Reddit, Proton's official account stated that "Proton did not knowingly block journalists' email accounts" and that the "situation has unfortunately been blown out of proportion." The two journalists whose accounts were disabled were working on an article published in the August issue of the long-running hacker zine Phrack. The story described how a sophisticated hacking operation -- what's known in cybersecurity parlance as an APT, or advanced persistent threat -- had wormed its way into a number of South Korean computer networks, including those of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the military Defense Counterintelligence Command, or DCC. The journalists, who published their story under the names Saber and cyb0rg, describe the hack as being consistent with the work of Kimsuky, a notorious North Korean state-backed APT sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2023. As they pieced the story together, emails viewed by The Intercept show that the authors followed cybersecurity best practices and conducted what's known as responsible disclosure: notifying affected parties that a vulnerability has been discovered in their systems prior to publicizing the incident. Phrack said the account suspensions created a "real impact to the author. The author was unable to answer media requests about the article." Phrack noted that the co-authors were already working with affected South Korean organizations on responsible disclosure and system fixes. "All this was denied and ruined by Proton," Phrack stated. Phrack editors said that the incident leaves them "concerned what this means to other whistleblowers or journalists. The community needs assurance that Proton does not disable accounts unless Proton has a court order or the crime (or ToS violation) is apparent."
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- US EV Sales Smash Records In August
US EV sales hit a record 146,332 in August, grabbing nearly 10% of all new car sales, according to Kelley Blue Book. That's the highest yet and up from 9.1% in July. Electrek reports: With the federal EV tax credit set to expire on September 30, analysts say Q3 2025 is shaping up to be the strongest quarter for EV sales in US history. The current record holder is Q4 2024, when 365,824 EVs were sold. Prices ticked higher, too. The average transaction price (ATP) for an EV in August was $57,245, 3.1% more than July's revised lower ATP of $55,562. Year-over-year, though, EV prices were basically flat, down just 0.1%. The wave of EV sales also helped push up the overall market's ATP. Incentives, while not as high as July's record, remained hefty. EV buyers received discounts averaging over $9,000 in August, equal to 16% of ATP. That's more than double the incentive rate in the overall auto market and up from 13.6% a year ago. A separate report from Rho Motion found that global EV sales surged 25% in 2025, led by strong growth in Europe and China. "That amounts to 12.5 million EVs, although the data combines both battery EVs and plug-in hybrid EVs for the total," reports Ars Technica. As for North America? "EV sales are still growing but barely -- up just 6 percent between January and August 2025 compared to the same time period in 2024."
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- Newfoundland's 10-Year Education Report Calling For Ethical AI Use Contains Over 15 Fake Sources
Newfoundland and Labrador's 10-year Education Accord report (PDF) intended to guide school reform has been found to contain at least 15 fabricated citations, including references to non-existent films and journals. Academics suggest the fake sources may have been generated by AI. "There are sources in this report that I cannot find in the MUN Library, in the other libraries I subscribe to, in Google searches. Whether that's AI, I don't know, but fabricating sources is a telltale sign of artificial intelligence," said Aaron Tucker, an assistant professor at Memorial whose current research focuses on the history of AI in Canada. "The fabrication of sources at least begs the question: did this come from generative AI?" CBC News reports: In one case, the report references a 2008 movie from the National Film Board called Schoolyard Games. The film doesn't exist, according to a spokesperson for the board. But the exact citation used in the report can be found in a University of Victoria style guide -- a document that clearly lists fake references designed as templates for researchers writing a bibliography. "Many citations in this guide are fictitious," reads the first page of the document. "Errors happen. Made-up citations are a totally different thing where you essentially demolish the trustworthiness of the material," said Josh Lepawsky, the former president of the Memorial University Faculty Association who resigned from the report's advisory board last January, citing a "deeply flawed process" leading to "top-down" recommendations. The 418-page Education Accord NL report took 18 months to complete and was unveiled Aug. 28 by its co-chairs Anne Burke and Karen Goodnough, both professors at Memorial's Faculty of Education. The pair released the report alongside Education Minister Bernard Davis. "We are investigating and checking references, so I cannot respond to this at the moment," wrote Goodnough in an email declining an interview Thursday. In a statement, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development said it was aware of a "small number of potential errors in citations" in the report. "We understand that these issues are being addressed, and that the online report will be updated in the coming days to rectify any errors."
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- Employee Who Leaked 'Spider-Man' Blu-ray Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years Prison
A former Memphis disc manufacturing employee has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison after stealing pre-release Blu-rays from his employer and leaking them online. While he received 21 months for copyright infringement, a concurrent firearm charge extended his total prison term to 57 months. TorrentFreak reports: In February, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted 37-year-old Steven Hale from Tennessee, a former employee of a disc manufacturing and distribution company in Memphis. While working at the unnamed company between 2021 and 2022, Hale allegedly stole numerous "pre-release" DVD and Blu-ray discs from his employer. These stolen discs contained many high-profile movie titles including "Spider-Man: No Way Home." In addition to the copyright infringement charge, Hale was also indicted for a firearm offense. When raiding his premises, law enforcement found a gun in a car that was registered in his name, which, for a felon, is a separate criminal offense. Hale was sentenced at a federal court in Memphis yesterday, where Chief Judge Sheryl H. Lipman handed down a 57-month prison term, exactly in line with the U.S. government's recommendation. Two separate sentences will be served concurrently. Hale received 21 months for the theft and distribution of hundreds of pre-release movie discs. A longer sentence of 57 months was handed down for the firearm charge, which ultimately defines the total prison term. Judge Lipman also granted several requests by the defense. The court recommended that Hale be housed in a facility as close to Memphis as possible so he can be near his family. In addition, the defendant will be allowed to remain on bond and self-surrender to prison at a later date. The 21-month sentence for the copyright infringement charge is substantially lower than the maximum of 60 months. This is in part the result of a guilty plea the defendant signed in May. After accepting responsibility, the prosecution agreed to drop other charges and recommend a sentence at the low end of the guideline range. Hale entered his guilty plea to Count Two of the indictment. The charge relates to his distribution of ten or more copies of copyrighted works, including pre-release movies, for commercial advantage and private financial gain. This includes the pre-release 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' disc, which is likely the source of the public leak.
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- Bring back your old Mac: 5 ways to refresh the OS on elderly Apples
Newer OSes for unsupported kit, and new browsers for older OSes. There's always a way
Any day now, a new version of Apple's macOS is due to launch, and it will exclude the bulk of the Intel-powered models the company has ever sold. However, there are multiple ways to breathe new life into Macs that go back as far as 10 or even 15 years.…
- HybridPetya: More proof that Secure Boot bypasses are not just an urban legend
Although it hasn't been seen in the wild yet
A new ransomware strain dubbed HybridPetya was able to exploit a patched vulnerability to bypass Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) Secure Boot on unrevoked Windows systems, making it the fourth publicly known bootkit capable of punching through the feature and hijacking a PC before the operating system loads.…
- CISA program gave out $20k+ payments to unqualified employees, auditor says
The OIG says the Cyber Incentive program was rife with 'fraud, waste, and abuse'
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) mismanaged a program designed to retain skilled security professionals so badly that auditors have concluded it left the agency "unable to adequately protect the Nation from cyber threats." …
- Your call is very important to us – which is why we're connecting you to a human
Gartner survey of Fortune 500 corps shows very few are planning to replace human support staff
ai-pocalypse You'll be able to talk to a human when you need help for many years to come. A new Gartner study shows that fears about AI replacing humans with bots in call centers are unfounded, at least among Fortune 500 companies.…
- All your vulns are belong to us! CISA wants to maintain gov control of CVE program
Get ready for a fight over who steers the global standard for vulnerability identification
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) nearly let the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) program lapse earlier this year, but a new "vision" document it released this week signals that it now wants more control over the global standard for vulnerability identification.…
- Fork that: Three alternative kernels show devs don't need Linux
Managarm, Asterinas, Xous – where disaffected code whisperers could go
Between Rust, new file systems, clashes between developers, systemd absorbing its functionality, and more, rumors of possible Linux forks are being muttered again. But there is another, better way.…
- Google lands £400M MoD contract for secure UK cloud services
Deal promises sovereign datacenters, AI, and cybersecurity to strengthen communication links with US
The UK's Ministry of Defence has signed a £400 million ($540 million) contract with Google sovereign cloud to support security and analytics workloads.…
- Terminators: AI-driven robot war machines on the march
Science fiction? Battle bots already used in Ukraine
Opinion I've read military science fiction since I was a kid. Besides the likes of Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers, Joe Haldeman's The Forever War, and David Drake's Hammer's Slammers books, where people held the lead roles, I read novels such as Keith Laumer's Bolo series and Fred Saberhagen's Berserker space opera sf series, where machines are the protagonists and enemies. Even if you've never read war science fiction, you certainly at least know about Terminators. But what was once science fiction is now reality on the Ukrainian battlefields. It won't stop there.…
- Proxmox delivers datacenter manager beta that makes it a more viable VMware contender
One console to manage multiple clusters is table stakes, but some users are betting on mixed environments
Open source virtualization suite Proxmox has taken an important step towards becoming a stronger contender for those considering VMware alternatives by commencing beta testing for a datacenter management tool that can control multiple hardware clusters.…
- Hijacker helper VoidProxy boosts Google, Microsoft accounts on demand
Okta uncovers new phishing-as-a-service operation with 'multiple entities' falling victim
Multiple attackers using a new phishing service dubbed VoidProxy to target organizations' Microsoft and Google accounts have successfully stolen users' credentials, multi-factor authentication codes, and session tokens in real time, according to security researchers.…
- Appeals court blocks Trump bid to ax top copyright official in AI spat
It all started with a May report saying that some bot training may need licensing or permission
A US appeals court has thrown a wrench into the White House's attempt to oust US Copyright Office director Shira Perlmutter, ruling that the president likely has no authority to fire her.…
- Monty Widenius 'heartbroken' at the extent of Oracle's MySQL job cuts
Original author of open source database 'not surprised' but 'saddened' as critics slam vendor's layoffs
Oracle has instigated "widespread layoffs" across its core MySQL development team, sparking concern about the future of one of the world's most popular open-source databases.…
- Microsoft drops .NET 10 RC 'go-live' with 55,000 words on why it's faster
Benchmark bonanza shows big wins across JSON, compression, JIT, and more
The first release candidate of .NET 10 is out, complete with a "go-live" license, meaning that Microsoft supports production use. The company has also detailed performance improvements in this long-term support release, translating to real-world savings for users.…
- Walmart's bet on AI depends on getting employees to use it
The technology isn't the hard part, says enterprise business services SVP, it's managing people
At Walmart, "everybody's using AI every day across the enterprise," according to David Glick, senior vice president of the retail behemoth's enterprise business services.…
- Anti-DDoS outfit walloped by record packet flood
FastNetMon says 1.5 Gpps deluge from hijacked routers, IoT kit nearly drowned scrubbing shop
A DDoS mitigation provider was given a taste of the poison it tries to prevent, after being smacked by one of the largest packet-rate attacks ever recorded – a 1.5 billion packets per second (1.5 Gpps) flood that briefly threatened to knock it off the internet.…
- Spectre haunts CPUs again: VMSCAPE vulnerability leaks cloud secrets
AMD Zen hardware and Intel Coffee Lake affected
If you thought the world was done with side-channel CPU attacks, think again. ETH Zurich has identified yet another Spectre-based transient execution vulnerability that affects AMD Zen CPUs and Intel Coffee Lake processors by breaking virtualization boundaries.…
- US tosses $134M pocket change at fusion pipe dream
That won't even warm the plasma
America's Department of Energy (DOE) has earmarked $134 million in funding for two programs aimed at securing US leadership in emerging fusion technologies. The move comes amid renewed interest in nuclear power sparked by surging datacenter energy demands.…
- Experts scrutinized Ofcom's Online Safety Act governance. They're concerned
Academics and OSA stakeholders say watchdog needs to amend how controversial legislation is enforced
Industry experts expressed both concern and sympathy for Ofcom, the Brit regulator that is overseeing the Online Safety Act, as questions mount over the effectiveness of the controversial legislation.…
- Using OpenTelemetry and the OTel Collector for Logs, Metrics, and Traces
OpenTelemetry (fondly known as OTel) is an open-source project that provides a unified set of APIs, libraries, agents, and instrumentation to capture and export logs, metrics, and traces from applications. The project’s goal is to standardize observability across various services and applications, enabling better monitoring and troubleshooting. Read More at Causely
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- Xen 4.19 is released
Xen Project 4.19 has been officially out since July 31st, 2024, and it brings significant updates. With enhancements in performance, security, and versatility across various architectures like Arm, PPC, RISC-V, and x86, this release is an important milestone for the Xen community. Read more at XCP-ng Blog
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- Advancing Xen on RISC-V: key updates
At Vates, we are heavily invested in the advancement of Xen and the RISC-V architecture. RISC-V, a rapidly emerging open-source hardware architecture, is gaining traction due to its flexibility, scalability and openness, which align perfectly with our ethos of fostering open development ecosystems. Although the upstream version of Xen for RISC-V is not yet fully [0]
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- AI Produces Data-driven OpenFOAM Speedup (HPC Wire)
Researchers from TU Darmstadt, TU Dresden, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), and Intel have developed advanced applications that combine HPC simulations with AI techniques using the open-source computational fluid dynamics solver OpenFOAM and the HPE-led SmartSim AI/ML library. These applications show promise for improving the accuracy and capabilities of traditional scientific and engineering modelling with data-driven [0]
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- Linux's New "Sheaves" Per-CPU Caching Layer Showing Massive Wins For AMD Performance
Earlier this week I wrote about Sheaves as an opt-in, per-CPU array-based caching layer likely coming for Linux 6.18. The sheaves patches have been queued into the "slab/for-next" Git branch ahead of the Linux 6.18 kernel merge window. Patches posted now by Google are showing the Linux Sheaves code having a massive beneficial impact for large AMD systems...
- 62 Patches Posted For Stripping Classic Initrd Support From The Linux Kernel
Last month I wrote about initrd support potentially being on its way out of the Linux kernel. For years Linux developers have wanted to phase out the classic initial RAM disk support from the Linux kernel and it looks like that day may finally be near with patches having been posted for removing the support...
- libadwaita 1.8 Released Ahead Of GNOME 49
Ahead of the GNOME 49 stable release expected on Wednesday, libadwaita 1.8 released this week to incorporate all the enhancements made over the past six months to this GTK4 library that provides GNOME-specific widgets and features...
- Intel Loses Another Prominent Linux Engineer - Now Going To NVIDIA
In the past few months at Intel between layoffs / corporate reorganizations and some deciding to pursue job opportunities elsewhere, there have been unfortunate impacts to their Linux engineering resources. Intel over the summer lost some prominent Linux engineering talent and in turn has even led to upstream Linux drivers being orphaned along with other driver maintainers departing and various other staffing changes. Unfortunate for Intel, another notable Linux name has left the company...
- Intel i915 vs. Xe Graphics Driver Benchmarks For Meteor Lake: Extra Performance In 2025
Last month I provided a fresh look at the Intel Arc A-Series graphics between the i915 and Xe kernel graphics drivers for Linux systems. The aging i915 driver is the default for the Alchemist GPUs but there is "experimental" support with the modern Xe kernel graphics driver. There were some performance advantages for the Arc A-Series if switching over to that newer driver option. Similarly, there are advantages with Meteor Lake too when moving from the i915 to Xe Linux drivers. Here are benchmarks to quantify that advantage.
- Intel Linux Graphics Driver Seeing 2~5% Faster Shader Compilation Times, Up To ~20%
A few days ago I wrote about Intel fixing some Panther Lake Xe3 graphics performance issues ahead of launch. The downside of those performance optimizations for Panther Lake was that they led to longer shader compilation times. The good news though is that some separate improvements were merged now for Mesa 25.3 to help enhance the Intel graphics shader compilation performance...
- AMD EPYC 9575F CPUs For GPU/AI Servers Show Leading Performance In Benchmarks
Since the launch of the AMD EPYC 9005 series nearly one year ago, I have performed hundreds of different benchmarks on these EPYC "Turin" processors across a wide range of workloads/disciplines to really terrific performance, power efficiency, and value. AMD EPYC 9005 performs exceptionally well compared to the competition from Intel and ARM CPU vendors. One area though I hadn9t explored to this point was how well the AMD EPYC 9005 series performs for serving as the host CPU for GPU/AI servers. That changed as I recently wrapped up some benchmarks exploring that area using the AMD EPYC 9575F and it managed to accelerate past the available competition in proving capable of being the superior host processor for AI servers.
- Mesa Drops VDPAU Video Acceleration In Favor Of VA-API
Mesa's Gallium3D video acceleration code has long supported both the VA-API and VDPAU interfaces for video acceleration. VA-API has enjoyed more widespread support among Linux applications and typically more robust while the Video Decode and Presentation API for Unix (VDPAU) was the interface originally started by NVIDIA for their official Linux driver. As of today, Mesa has now removed support for VDPAU acceleration...
- openSUSE Disabling Bcachefs Support For Its Linux 6.17+ Kernel Builds
Linus Torvalds recently marked Bcachefs as "externally maintained" and isn't merging any new Bcachefs code for the time being but for now at least is keeping the existing Bcachefs code in-tree for anyone that has been relying on this experimental CoW file-system from prior kernel versions. OpenSUSE announced today though they are resorting to disabling the kernel driver in their Linux 6.17+ builds...
- Intel Fixes Panther Lake Xe3 Graphics Performance Issues For Linux Ahead Of Launch
A set of 14 patches were merged today to the Mesa 3D graphics driver codebase for fixing some wide-reaching performance issues that would have negatively affected the upcoming Xe3 integrated graphics with Core Ultra Series 3 "Panther Lake" hardware. The patches have been merged so will be very important that anyone buying an upcoming Intel Panther Lake laptop move to using an up-to-date Mesa to avoid these performance problems...
- Zink Begins Optimizing For Workstation Graphics With SPECViewPerf: Doubles The Perf
The Zink OpenGL-on-Vulkan driver is well optimized for Linux gaming and desktop use thanks to the work by Mike Blumenkrantz being funded by Valve. Zink has even worked with OpenCL thanks to Rusticl and now another frontier is being conquered for this generic OpenGL on Vulkan driver: workstation graphics with optimizing around the SPECViewPerf test cases...
- UTF-8 is a brilliant design!
The first time I learned about UTF-8 encoding, I was fascinated by how well-thought and brilliantly it was designed to represent millions of characters from different languages and scripts, and still be backward compatible with ASCII. Designing a system that scales to millions of characters and still be compatible with the old systems that use just 128 characters is a brilliant design. ↫ Vishnu Haridas On a slightly related note, if you are ever bothered or annoyed by text online rendering as unknown squares, you most likely are just missing the proper fonts to render them. At least on most Linux and BSD systems, all you need to do is install the entire set of Noto fonts, including those for every single non-Latin script. Assuming your package manager has sane naming conventions, itll most likely come down to something like sudo dnf install google-noto* or whatever your systems install package command is, and after installing a whole slew of font files, your system will now be able to render virtually every script under the sun. After installing this massive font set, you can do things like write and render in hieroglyphics, write Ea-nāṣirs name the way its supposed to, and render all kinds of other scripts and symbols without ever having to look at one of those blank squares ever again.
- How open is open-source! VTubing?
Im not really into the niche of virtual YouTubers! people who post YouTube videos and/or stream using a virtual avatar but to each their own, and if this technology enables people to remain anonymous while doing what they love on YouTube or Twitch, Im all for it. Since these virtual avatars also do things like face-tracking, theres a whole cottage industry of software tools to make this all work, but Adrian asie! Siekierka decided to take a look at where the training data used to make such face-tracking work actually comes from. One day, some years ago, I decided to look at the data used to train OpenSeeFace. OpenSeeFace is the most popular open source face tracking solution for virtual YouTubers. It is supported by both open source and commercial model rendering tools; in particular, VTube Studio allows using it as an option for webcam tracking. ↫ Adrian asie! Siekierka The results of the investigation are not exactly great. Much of the data used by OpenSeeFace comes with serious restrictions on commercial use, and many of the underlying datasets contain images that you would need consent for from the people inside the image to actually use. On top of that, a lot of these data sets seem to have just scraped the internet for images of faces without asking anyone of the people in those images for consent, which raises a whole number of troubling issues. I find this a very interesting topic of discussion, if only because youd be hard-pressed to argue that the average cartoon-esque virtual avatars even remotely resemble real human faces, so its not like youre going to suddenly run into your own face somewhere on YouTube or Twitch, but plastered into another person. On the other hand, the underlying datasets still contain a ton of peoples faces without those peoples consent, and even for those that did give consent, theres often a commercial use restriction which earning revenue on YouTube or Twitch might violate. Its a fascinating microcosm of a whole slew of issues were dealing with right now, neatly contained in a relatively small niche.
- SkiftOS: a hobby operating system with its own kernel, UI, browser engine, and more
Who doesnt love a desktop-oriented hobby operating system to start off the weekend? SkiftOS is a hobbyist operating system built from the ground up with a focus on modularity, simplicity, and modern design principles. Driven by a dissatisfaction with the fragmented user experiences prevalent in contemporary operating systems, SkiftOS strives for deep integration and a cohesive aesthetic. This project is a labor of love—an artistic pursuit rather than a commercial product. ↫ SkiftOS gitHub page Reading through the GitHub page and SkiftOS actual website, it reminds me so, so much of the desktop-oriented hobby operating systems of the early 2000s, like AtheOS, SkyOS, and others. It has its own microkernel, C++ core library, package manager, reactive UI framework, an entire desktop environment, and even a browser engine. This operating system is remarkably complete in the features that it already offers, especially considering its hobby status. The desktop environment is called Hideo, and its remarkably beautiful when you consider were talking about a hobby operating system. It comes with a variety of applications, too, mostly covering the basics weve come to expect from a desktop operating system, like a text editor, archive manager, task manager, image viewer, media player, a file manager, and so on. Meanwhile, the browser engine is called Vaev and is highly experimental, but its existence illustrates just how broad this project really is. I havent been able to find some time to run it yet, but if youre interested, they advise you to run it using qemu. While running it on real hardware is technically possible, its not advisable due to the alpha state of the operating system.
- You can actually stop Windows Explorer from flashbanging you in dark mode
One of the most annoying things I encountered while trying out Windows 11 a few months ago was the utterly broken dark mode; broken since its inception nine years ago, but finally getting some fixes. One of the smaller but downright disturbing issues with dark mode on Windows 11 is that when Explorer is in dark mode, it will flash bright white whenever you open a new window or a new tab. Its like the operating system is throwing flashbangs at you every time you need to do some file management. Luckily, it turns out theres a fix, as Neowin details. Windows 11 is turning four in a couple of months, but Microsoft still has not fixed this annoying and, for some people, legitimately life-threatening bug (there is a reason why we have seizure warnings in games, movies, etc). As such, users have to take things into their hands and come up with custom solutions. One such solution is a simple Windhawk mod that fixes what a nearly four-trillion-dollar company still wont figure out. ↫ Taras Buria at Neowin This made me check out Windhawk, and it seems like an awesome project for people forced to use Windows. It is basically a package manager for various small mods, fixes, and changes for Windows, allowing you to mix and match exactly what you need. This way, you can easily fix the little niggles that bother you, all from a central location. The list of available mods is quite long already, and browsing through it, Ive already seen quite a few things Id be applying in a heartbeat if I were to be using Windows. Every mod comes with its source code included, ensuring you can check that it does exactly what it says it will do, and of course, you can contribute your own mods as well.
- Apples assault on standards
We often focus on Googles detrimental effects on the web, but in doing so, we often tend to forget the other major player who is quite possibly even more damaging to the web than Google can even dream to be. Without a counterweight, network effects allow successful tech firms to concentrate wealth and political influence. This power allows them to degrade potential competitive challenges, enabling rent extraction for services that would otherwise be commodities. This mechanism operates through (often legalised) corruption of judicial, regulatory, and electoral systems. When left to fester, it corrodes democracy itself. Apple has deftly used a false cloak of security and privacy to move the internet, and web in particular, toward enclosure and irrelevance. This post makes the case for why Apple should be considered a corrupted, and indeed incompetent, autocrat in our digital lives. It continues to abusing a unique form of monopoly to extract rents, including on the last remnants of open ecosystems it tolerates. Worse, Apples centralisation through the App Store`entrenches the positions of peer big tech firms, harming the prospects of competitors in turn.`Apple have been, over the course of many years, poisonous to internet standards and the moral commitments of that grand project. ↫ Alex Russell at Infrequently Noted I have nothing more to add.
- Windows/386s check for buggy 386 chips survived until Windows 8.1
A version of Windows thats often overlooked, and often probably entirely unknown, is Windows/386. When Microsoft released 2.x, they did so in two very different variants: Windows/286 and Windows/386. The former would run on anything from a 8088 and up, but wouldnt make use of any of the new features of the 386, while the latter, as its name implies, was optimised for the 386 and introduced a ton of advanced features to the platform. Windows/386 laid the groundwork for the much more successful Windows 3.x and 9x, but weirdly enough, its never really been studied all that well to understand how it works and what its doing under the hood. That has changed now, as Will CaptainWillStarblazer! Klees, whom we already know for his amazing work to allow RISC Win32 applications to run on x86, has delved deep into Widnows/386 with a ton of reverse-engineering to uncover many of its secrets. Theres so many amazing findings in here, I honestly have no idea where to even start or what to highlight, so Im picking two things that I think are quite entertaining. First, Windows/386 does a number of checks to determine if your PC can run it, and one of the checks it does concerns defending against early buggy 386 steppings!. It turns out that this exact check for buggy steppings in early 386 processors survived in Windows all the way up until Windows 8.1, which is wild to think about. A second fascinating finding is that a crucial component of Windows/386 finds its origins in an unusual place: Xenix, Microsofts UNIX implementation. Finally, it begins loading the Virtual DOS Machine Manager (VDMM) into memory from the file WIN386.386. This file is not an OS/2 Linear Executable like the 386 files from later versions of Windows (that format did not yet exist), rather it is the 32-bit x.out executable format from Xenix-386 (thank you, Michal Necasek!), which makes sense as it was the only 32-bit executable format that Microsoft would have a linker for at the time (and interoperated well with Microsoft’s OMF-based tools, such as MASM). ↫ Will CaptainWillStarblazer! Klees at Virtually Fun Theres a fun detail about the 386 version of Xenix: it was ported to the 386 by a company we all came to hate deeply: SCO. The technology world is far smaller than we often seem to think. Apparently Xenix for the 386 was the first fully 32bit operating system for the x86 architecture, illustrating that once, a long, long time ago, SCO was an actually capable, innovative company. The work by Klees and his extremely detailed write-up are a joy to read, so head on over and have some fun.
- Deluxe Paint on the Commodore Amiga
VisiCalc on the Apple II. Lotus 1-2-3 on the IBM PC. Aldus PageMaker on the Macintosh. Deluxe Paint on the Amiga. The computer industry loves a “killer app,” that unique piece of software that compels consumers to purchase new computer hardware just for the privilege of running it. I can personally attest to Deluxe Paint as it compelled even my technophobic mother to buy into its potential. ↫ Christopher Drum Even though I knew what Deluxe Paint for the Amiga was, I never really delved any deeper into what, exactly, it was capable of. Drum does a great job setting up an emulated Amiga environment to go back in time to his childhood, and see what its like to use Deluxe Paint today, in 2025. It turns out it can do things I never thought it could, like create 3D perspective effects, with optional antialiasing even (even though the latter takes multiple minutes to render). In fact, it even has tools to create animations, allowing you to brush across different frames automatically, or even create movement paths in a 3D space by defining start and endpoints for a brush movement. Combine all of these tools, and you can create things like animated doors opening and closing with a clear 3D effect. Its quite neat. Its no secret the Amiga was far ahead of its time, but its still awe-inspiring to see it in action like this.
- What happens during startup of an M4 Mac?
With careful observation and a little knowledge of the startup sequence of an Apple silicon Mac, you can learn a lot about what can and can’t happen during that sequence. This article explains how, with examples from the log of a Mac mini M4 Pro. ↫ Howard Oakley Short and sweet.
- KDE Plasma 6 on FreeBSD using Wayland
This year, 2025, the KDE Community held its yearly conference in Berlin, Germany. On the way I reinstalled FreeBSD on my Frame.work 13 laptop in another attempt to get KDE Plasma 6 Wayland working. Short story: yes, KDE Plasma 6 Wayland on FreeBSD works. ↫ Adriaan de Groot Adriaan de Groot is a long-time KDE developer and FreeBSD package maintainer, and hes published a short but detailed guide on setting up a KDE Plasma desktop on FreeBSD using Wayland instead of X11. With the Linux world slowly but finally leaving X11 behind, the BSD world really has little choice but to follow, especially if they want to continue offering the two major desktop environments. Most of KDE and GNOME are focused on Linux, and the BSDs have always kind of tagged along for the ride, and over the coming years thats going to mean theyll have to invest more in making Wayland run comfortably on BSD. Of course, the other option would be the KDE and GNOME experience on the BSDs slowly degrading over time, but I think especially FreeBSD is keen to avoid that fate, while OpenBSD and NetBSD seem a bit more hands-off in the desktop space. FreeBSD is investing heavily in its usability as a desktop operating system, and thats simply going to mean getting Wayland support up to snuff. Not only will KDE and GNOME slowly depend more and more on Wayland, Xorg itself will also become less maintained than it already is. Sometimes, the current just takes you where its going.
- Unofficial Windows 11 requirements bypass tool now allows you to disable all AI features
If you need to reinstall Windows 11, youre most likely going to need to do a hell of a lot of post-install work to make Windows 11 somewhat manageable. Theres countless tools to make this process a little bit easier, and one of them, Flyoobe, just got a major update to aid in removing all the AI! nonsense Microsoft is forcing down the throats of its users. Starting off with version 1.7, people who hate the way Microsoft has been stuffing AI features into Windows 11 will be pleased to know that there is an OOBE view that allows you to discover and disable all AI and Copilot features after the installation of the OS. Moreover, the OOBE view that handles bloat removal has been enhanced too, and now allows presets ranging from Minimal to Full, along with the ability to load custom presets from GitHub. ↫ Usama Jawad at Neowin If Microsoft actually cared about the users of its Windows operating system, they would simply include an advanced options view during installation, in which you could customise your installation. Instead, users have to rely on what are essentially hacks to get to a point where their operating system installation can serve their needs, which is batshit insane to me. Im glad projects like Flyoobe exists, but they shouldnt have to.
- Nova Launchers open source release blocked by its owners, despite contractual obligations
Three years ago, the incredibly popular Android launcher Nova Launcher was acquired by Branch, a mobile links and analytics company. Understandably, people were worried this would spell the end of the launcher, as it would certainly become a vessel for tracking and mobile advertising. Weirdly enough, this never actually happened instead, Nova just kind of fizzled out. First, virtually the entire Nova team was laid off two years after the acquisition, save for Novas original founder, Kevin Barry, who was not let go. Development had come to a halt already at that point, and ever since, its been quiet. Until this weekend. Barry posted on his blog that he left Branch, and thus is no longer working on Nova Launcher. Youd think this would be the final nail in the coffin for this once rather ubiquitous launcher, but thats actually not the case, as Barry explains. For the past several months I have been preparing the Open Source release of Nova Launcher. This work included cleaning up the codebase, reviewing licenses, removing or replacing proprietary code, and coordinating with legal to ensure a proper release. When Branch acquired Nova in 2022, Branch then-CEO and founder Alex Austin made several public commitments to the community about Novas future, including statements about open sourcing: However I was ultimately asked to stop working on Nova Launcher and the open sourcing effort. ↫ Kevin Barry Basically, one of the reasons Barry felt comfortable selling Nova to Branch was a contractual agreement backed up by public statements from then-CEO of Branch, Alex Austin that if Barry were to leave Branch, he would be allowed to release Nova as open source. It seems that this promise is not being honoured by the new CEO, for unclear reasons, leaving what was arguably one of the best launchers for Android in limbo. Nobodys working on it anymore, and a contractual agreement is not being honoured, for whatever reason. One of the people who used to work on Nova but was part of that first round of layoffs, Cliff Wade, is now trying to raise awareness of this stalemate. Hes trying to talk to former colleagues at Branch, and trying to put some pressure on Branch to honour their contractual obligations and public promises. Im fully behind this effort, because up until the institutional neglect set in, Nova was one of the very best Android applications, clearly made by people who truly understood what Android enthusiasts wanted out of a highly configurable launcher. Branch needs to honour its word, and allow Barry to continue preparing the release of Nova as open source. Head on over to Branchs contact page, and let them know they need to release Nova as open source in a polite, constructive manner, of course. The people working at Branch are just ordinary folk like you and I, and I will not stand for anyone being aggressive, insulting, or otherwise committing harassment towards Branch and its employees.
- KDE releases first alpha of KDE Linux
Akademy 2025, KDEs yearly developer and community event, this year held in Berlin, Germany. Amid all the various talks and informal meetings, the KDE project also officially unveiled the first alpha release of KDE Linux, a project theyve been working on for a while now. KDE Linux will serve as a reference implementation! of KDE Plasma and official KDE applications, for use by developers and regular users alike. KDE Linux will have a quick update cycle, to ensure its users always have the latest releases of KDE Plasma and various other KDE applications and related technologies. It may, however, not be as optimised as other KDE distributions, and the intent of KDE Linux is not to compete with or replace other distributions. The goal is to show other distributions how KDE itself intends for its software to be presented. So, what is KDE Linux based on? KDE Linux is an “immutable base OS” Linux distro with a core created using Arch Linux packages — but it should not be considered part of the Arch family of distributions. Some very fundamental Arch technologies (like the pacman package manager!) have been removed. KDE software is then built on top of this core using KDEs homegrown development tools and Flatpak. KDE Linux leans on Systemd for a great deal of functionality. Updates are atomic and image-based, with the last 5 OS images cached on disk for safety. Only the Wayland session is supported. Apps primarily come from Flatpak and Snap. ↫ KDE Linux website The overview of the KDE Linux architecture provides some more details. I like that it eschews GRUB in favour of systemd-boot (GRUB should be retired in this, the year of our lord 2025) and relies on systemd-sysupdate for operating system updates. Of note is that the mention of Snap is merely for conveniences sake as an option; Snap is not a requirement, nor are any Snap packages installed by default. Since this is the first alpha release, expect bugs and issues, and dont use it on any production machines until theyre a few more releases in.
- EU hits Google with €2.95B fine for monopoly abuse
The European Commission today fined Google €2.95 billion for abusing its dominant position in the advertising technology market, despite the threat of trade retribution from U.S President Donald Trump. The American tech giant is alleged to have distorted the market for online ads by favoring its own services to the detriment of competitors, advertisers and online publishers, the EU executive said in a press release. ↫ Jacob Parry at Politico Not only does Google have to pay a pretty hefty fine for corporate standards, as its still peanuts when looking at Googles revenue, because class justice is real the company also has to submit a plan within 60 days detailing how its going to end the illegal behaviour. Of course, Google is going to contest the fine, but the company is also running to daddy to cry and whine about how those damn Europeans wont let it engage in illegal behaviour. Last night, all the big US technology CEOs gathered for a dinner with Donald Trump, each taking turns gratuitously thanking and praising the big man for his amazing achievements during these first few months of his administration. Tim Cook, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, and many more were all bending the knee and kissing the ring in what can only be described as a borderline pornographic display of fealty. Among them was, of course, the CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai, one day after Google laughed its way out of the courtroom. “Well you had a very good day yesterday,” Trump said, calling on Pichai at the Thursday evening dinner. “Google had a very good day yesterday. Do you want to talk about that big day you had yesterday?” “I’m glad it’s over,” Pichai responded to Trump, causing an eruption of laughter from the other table guests. “It’s a long process,” Pichai said. “Appreciate that your administration had a constructive dialogue, and we were able to get it to some resolution.” ↫ Jennifer Elias at CNBC Mind you, several of those other table guests! are also being investigated by a variety of arms of the US government for monopoly abuse and antritrust violations, and Im sure their laughter was almost entirely self-serving. If Google of all monopolies can slime its way out of any serious consequences, what hope does that leave that the other tech giants will ever have to face the consequences of their abuse? At least the European Union seems to be mostly holding its head high so far, but one cant help but wonder how long the Phoenician princess can hold off the bull. The fact of the matter is that the European and US economies are heavily intertwined, and we let ourselves become utterly dependent on the US for our defense, too, and with Trump not deterred by Pyrrhic victories, a fallout is definitely not out of the question.
- Vibecoding: nothing more than meowing nuns
Were all being told that AI! is revolutionizing programming. Whether the marketing is coming from Cursor, Copilot, Claude, Google, or the countless other players in this area, its all emphasizing the massive productivity and speed gains programmers who use AI! tools will achieve. The relentless marketing is clearly influencing both managers and programmers alike, with the former forcing AI! down their subordinates throats, and the latter claiming to see absolutely bizarre productivity gains. The impact of the marketing is real people are being fired, programmers are expected to be ridiculously more productive without commensurate pay raises, and anyone questioning this new corporate gospel will probably end up on the chopping block next. Its like the industry has become a nunnery, and all the nuns are meowing like cats. The reality seems to be, though, that none of these AI! programming tools are making anyone more productive. Up until recently, Mike Judge truly believed AI! was making him a much more productive programmer until he ran the numbers of his own work, and realised that he was not one bit more productive at all, and his point is that if the marketing is true, and programmers are indeed becoming vastly more productive, wheres the evidence? And yet, despite the most widespread adoption one could imagine, these tools don’t work. My argument: If so many developers are so extraordinarily productive using these tools, where is the flood of shovelware? We should be seeing apps of all shapes and sizes, video games, new websites, mobile apps, software-as-a-service apps — we should be drowning in choice. We should be in the middle of an indie software revolution. We should be seeing 10,000 Tetris clones on Steam. ↫ Mike Judge He proceeded to collect tons of data about new software releases on the iOS App Store, the Play Store, Steam, GitHub, and so on, as well as the number of domain registrations, and the numbers paint a very different picture from the exuberant marketing. Every single metric is flat. Theres no spike in new games, new applications, new repositories, new domain registrations. Its all proceeding as if AI! had had zero effect on productivity. This whole thing is bullshit. So if youre a developer feeling pressured to adopt these tools — by your manager, your peers, or the general industry hysteria — trust your gut. If these tools feel clunky, if theyre slowing you down, if youre confused how other people can be so productive, youre not broken. The data backs up what youre experiencing. Youre not falling behind by sticking with what you know works. If you’re feeling brave, show your manager these charts and ask them what they think about it. If you take away anything from this it should be that (A) developers arent shipping anything more than they were before (that’s the only metric that matters), and (B) if someone — whether its your CEO, your tech lead, or some Reddit dork — claims theyre now a 10xer because of AI, that’s almost assuredly untrue, demand they show receipts or shut the fuck up. ↫ Mike Judge Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and the evidence just isnt there. The corporate world has an endless list of productivity metrics some more reliable than others and I have the sneaking suspicion were only fed marketing instead of facts because none of those metrics are showing any impact of AI! whatsoever, because if they did, we know the AI! pushers wouldnt shut the fuck up about it. Show me more than meowing nuns, and Ill believe the hype is real.
- Even the birthplace of the world wide web wants you to use adblockers
I recently removed all advertising from OSNews, and one of the reasons to do so is that online ads have become a serious avenue for malware and other security problems. Advertising on the web has become such a massive security risk that even the very birthplace of the world wide web, CERN, now strongly advises its staff to use adblockers. If you value your privacy and, also important, if you value the security of your computer, consider installing an ad blocker. While there is a plethora of them out there, the Computer Security Office’s members use, e.g. uBlock origin (Firefox) or Origin Lite (Chrome), AdblockPlus, Ghostery and Privacy Badger of the US-based Electronic Frontier Foundation. They all come in free (as in “free beer”) versions for all major browsers and also offer more sophisticated features if you are willing to pay. Once enabled, and depending on your desired level of protection, they can provide another thorough layer of protection to your device – and subsequently to CERN. ↫ CERNs Computer Security Office I think its high time lawmakers take a long, hard look at the state of online advertising, and consider taking strong measures like banning online tracking and targeted advertising. Even the above-board online advertising industry is built atop dubious practices and borderline criminal behaviour, and things only get worse from there. Malicious actors even manage to infiltrate Googles own search engine with dangerous ads, and thats absolutely insane when you think about it. Ive reached the point where I consider any website with advertising to be disrespectful and putting its visitors at risk, willingly and knowingly. Adblockers are not just a nice-to-have, but an absolute necessity for a pleasant and safe browsing experience, and that should be an indicator that we need to really stop and think what were doing here.
- The GNU Guix Systems lack of manpower problems
As if Francesco P. Lovergine heard my prayers, he wrote an article detailing his experiences with using Guix. Considering hes a longtime Debian developer, were looking at someone who knows a thing or two about Linux. In the last few months, I have installed and upgraded my second preferred GNU/Linux system, GNU Guix, on multiple boxes. Regarding that system, I have already written a few introductory posts in the recent past. This is an update about my experiences as a user and developer. I still think Guix is a giant step forward in packaging and management, in comparison with Debian and other distributions, for elegance and inner coherence. ↫ Francesco P. Lovergine Lovergine found some problems with Guix, most notably those stemming from a lack of manpower. Its not a hugely popular package management system and associated distribution, so the team of developers behind it is relatively small, and this leads to issues like outdated packages, problems arising from updates, and possible security issues. Theres no specific security team, for instance, but at least its easy to roll back updates due to the nature of Guix. Another problem, partially related to the lack of manpower, stems from the fact that the GNU Guix System uses some unusual systems, most notably GNU Shepard. This init system is an alternative to the widely-used systemd, alongside other alternatives like runit (which I use through Void Linux), but due to its relative lack of popularity, it can take some time for more complex packages to be made compatible with it. Especially some packages like GNOME that depend more and more on systemd are going to lag behind on Guix. For anyone with decent Linux experience and a willingness to tinker, I dont think any of these issues and the others Lovergine mentions are dealbreakers. Sure, you might not want to deploy the GNU Guix System on a production system or anything that requires solid, strong security, but for personal and enthusiast use it seems like an interesting and somewhat unorthodox Linux distribution.
- EU OS: A Bold Step Toward Digital Sovereignty for Europe
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A new initiative, called "EU OS," has been launched to develop a Linux-based operating system tailored specifically for the public sector organizations of the European Union (EU). This community-driven project aims to address the EU's unique needs and challenges, focusing on fostering digital sovereignty, reducing dependency on external vendors, and building a secure, self-sufficient digital ecosystem.
What Is EU OS?
EU OS is not an entirely novel operating system. Instead, it builds upon a Linux foundation derived from Fedora, with the KDE Plasma desktop environment. It draws inspiration from previous efforts such as France's GendBuntu and Munich's LiMux, which aimed to provide Linux-based systems for public sector use. The goal remains the same: to create a standardized Linux distribution that can be adapted to different regional, national, and sector-specific needs within the EU.
Rather than reinventing the wheel, EU OS focuses on standardization, offering a solid Linux foundation that can be customized according to the unique requirements of various organizations. This approach makes EU OS a practical choice for the public sector, ensuring broad compatibility and ease of implementation across diverse environments.
The Vision Behind EU OS
The guiding principle of EU OS is the concept of "public money – public code," ensuring that taxpayer money is used transparently and effectively. By adopting an open-source model, EU OS eliminates licensing fees, which not only lowers costs but also reduces the dependency on a select group of software vendors. This provides the EU’s public sector organizations with greater flexibility and control over their IT infrastructure, free from the constraints of vendor lock-in.
Additionally, EU OS offers flexibility in terms of software migration and hardware upgrades. Organizations can adapt to new technologies and manage their IT evolution at a manageable cost, both in terms of finances and time.
However, there are some concerns about the choice of Fedora as the base for EU OS. While Fedora is a solid and reliable distribution, it is backed by the United States-based Red Hat. Some argue that using European-backed projects such as openSUSE or KDE's upcoming distribution might have aligned better with the EU's goal of strengthening digital sovereignty.
Conclusion
EU OS marks a significant step towards Europe's digital independence by providing a robust, standardized Linux distribution for the public sector. By reducing reliance on proprietary software and vendors, it paves the way for a more flexible, cost-effective, and secure digital ecosystem. While the choice of Fedora as the base for the project has raised some questions, the overall vision of EU OS offers a promising future for Europe's public sector in the digital age.
Source: It's FOSS
European Union
- Linus Torvalds Acknowledges Missed Release of Linux 6.14 Due to Oversight
Linus Torvalds Acknowledges Missed Release of Linux 6.14 Due to Oversight
Linux kernel lead developer Linus Torvalds has admitted to forgetting to release version 6.14, attributing the oversight to his own lapse in memory. Torvalds is known for releasing new Linux kernel candidates and final versions on Sunday afternoons, typically accompanied by a post detailing the release. If he is unavailable due to travel or other commitments, he usually informs the community ahead of time, so users don’t worry if there’s a delay.
In his post on March 16, Torvalds gave no indication that the release might be delayed, instead stating, “I expect to release the final 6.14 next weekend unless something very surprising happens.” However, Sunday, March 23rd passed without any announcement.
On March 24th, Torvalds wrote in a follow-up message, “I’d love to have some good excuse for why I didn’t do the 6.14 release yesterday on my regular Sunday afternoon schedule,” adding, “But no. It’s just pure incompetence.” He further explained that while he had been clearing up unrelated tasks, he simply forgot to finalize the release. “D'oh,” he joked.
Despite this minor delay, Torvalds’ track record of successfully managing the Linux kernel’s development process over the years remains strong. A single day’s delay is not critical, especially since most Linux users don't urgently need the very latest version.
The new 6.14 release introduces several important features, including enhanced support for writing drivers in Rust—an ongoing topic of discussion among developers—support for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile chip, a fix for the GhostWrite vulnerability in certain RISC-V processors from Alibaba’s T-Head Semiconductor, and a completed NTSYNC driver update that improves the WINE emulator’s ability to run Windows applications, particularly games, on Linux.
Although the 6.14 release went smoothly aside from the delay, Torvalds expressed that version 6.15 may present more challenges due to the volume of pending pull requests. “Judging by my pending pile of pull requests, 6.15 will be much busier,” he noted.
You can download the latest kernel here.
Linus Torvalds kernel
- AerynOS 2025.03 Alpha Released with GNOME 48, Mesa 25, and Linux Kernel 6.13.8
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AerynOS 2025.03 has officially been released, introducing a variety of exciting features for Linux users. The release includes the highly anticipated GNOME 48 desktop environment, which comes with significant improvements like HDR support, dynamic triple buffering, and a Wayland color management protocol. Other updates include a battery charge limiting feature and a Wellbeing option aimed at improving user experience.
This release, while still in alpha, incorporates Linux kernel 6.13.8 and the updated Mesa 25.0.2 graphics stack, alongside tools like LLVM 19.1.7 and Vulkan SDK 1.4.309.0. Additionally, the Moss package manager now integrates os-info to generate more detailed OS metadata via a JSON file.
Future plans for AerynOS include automated package updates, easier rollback management, improved disk handling with Rust, and fractional scaling enabled by default. The installer has also been revamped to support full disk wipes and dynamic partitioning.
Although still considered an alpha release, AerynOS 2025.03 can be downloaded and tested right now from its official website.
Source: 9to5Linux
AerynOS
- Xojo 2025r1: Big Updates for Developers with Linux ARM Support, Web Drag and Drop, and Direct App Store Publishing
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Xojo has just rolled out its latest release, Xojo 2025 Release 1, and it’s packed with features that developers have been eagerly waiting for. This major update introduces support for running Xojo on Linux ARM, including Raspberry Pi, brings drag-and-drop functionality to the Web framework, and simplifies app deployment with the ability to directly submit apps to the macOS and iOS App Stores.
Here’s a quick overview of what’s new in Xojo 2025r1:
1. Linux ARM IDE Support
Xojo 2025r1 now allows developers to run the Xojo IDE on Linux ARM devices, including popular platforms like Raspberry Pi. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities for developers who want to create apps for ARM-based devices without the usual complexity. Whether you’re building for a Raspberry Pi or other ARM devices, this update makes it easier than ever to get started.
2. Web Drag and Drop
One of the standout features in this release is the addition of drag-and-drop support for web applications. Now, developers can easily drag and drop visual controls in their web projects, making it simpler to create interactive, user-friendly web applications. Plus, the WebListBox has been enhanced with support for editable cells, checkboxes, and row reordering via dragging. No JavaScript required!
3. Direct App Store Publishing
Xojo has also streamlined the process of publishing apps. With this update, developers can now directly submit macOS and iOS apps to App Store Connect right from the Xojo IDE. This eliminates the need for multiple steps and makes it much easier to get apps into the App Store, saving valuable time during the development process.
4. New Desktop and Mobile Features
This release isn’t just about web and Linux updates. Xojo 2025r1 brings some great improvements for desktop and mobile apps as well. On the desktop side, all projects now include a default window menu for macOS apps. On the mobile side, Xojo has introduced new features for Android and iOS, including support for ColorGroup and Dark Mode on Android, and a new MobileColorPicker for iOS to simplify color selection.
5. Performance and IDE Enhancements
Xojo’s IDE has also been improved in several key areas. There’s now an option to hide toolbar captions, and the toolbar has been made smaller on Windows. The IDE on Windows and Linux now features modern Bootstrap icons, and the Documentation window toolbar is more compact. In the code editor, developers can now quickly navigate to variable declarations with a simple Cmd/Ctrl + Double-click. Plus, performance for complex container layouts in the Layout Editor has been enhanced.
What Does This Mean for Developers?
Xojo 2025r1 brings significant improvements across all the platforms that Xojo supports, from desktop and mobile to web and Linux. The added Linux ARM support opens up new opportunities for Raspberry Pi and ARM-based device development, while the drag-and-drop functionality for web projects will make it easier to create modern, interactive web apps. The ability to publish directly to the App Store is a game-changer for macOS and iOS developers, reducing the friction of app distribution.
How to Get Started
Xojo is free for learning and development, as well as for building apps for Linux and Raspberry Pi. If you’re ready to dive into cross-platform development, paid licenses start at $99 for a single-platform desktop license, and $399 for cross-platform desktop, mobile, or web development. For professional developers who need additional resources and support, Xojo Pro and Pro Plus licenses start at $799. You can also find special pricing for educators and students.
Download Xojo 2025r1 today at xojo.com.
Final Thoughts
With each new release, Xojo continues to make cross-platform development more accessible and efficient. The 2025r1 release is no exception, delivering key updates that simplify the development process and open up new possibilities for developers working on a variety of platforms. Whether you’re a Raspberry Pi enthusiast or a mobile app developer, Xojo 2025r1 has something for you.
Xojo ARM
- New 'Mirrored' Network Mode Introduced in Windows Subsystem for Linux
Microsoft's Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) continues to evolve with the release of WSL 2 version 0.0.2. This update introduces a set of opt-in preview features designed to enhance performance and compatibility.
Key additions include "Automatic memory reclaim" which dynamically optimizes WSL's memory footprint, and "Sparse VHD" to shrink the size of the virtual hard disk file. These improvements aim to streamline resource usage.
Additionally, a new "mirrored networking mode" brings expanded networking capabilities like IPv6 and multicast support. Microsoft claims this will improve VPN and LAN connectivity from both the Windows host and Linux guest.
Complementing this is a new "DNS Tunneling" feature that changes how DNS queries are resolved to avoid compatibility issues with certain network setups. According to Microsoft, this should reduce problems connecting to the internet or local network resources within WSL.
Advanced firewall configuration options are also now available through Hyper-V integration. The new "autoProxy" feature ensures WSL seamlessly utilizes the Windows system proxy configuration.
Microsoft states these features are currently rolling out to Windows Insiders running Windows 11 22H2 Build 22621.2359 or later. They remain opt-in previews to allow testing before final integration into WSL.
By expanding WSL 2 with compelling new capabilities in areas like resource efficiency, networking, and security, Microsoft aims to make Linux on Windows more performant and compatible. This evolutionary approach based on user feedback highlights Microsoft's commitment to WSL as a key part of the Windows ecosystem.
Windows
- Linux Threat Report: Earth Lusca Deploys Novel SprySOCKS Backdoor in Attacks on Government Entities
The threat actor Earth Lusca, linked to Chinese state-sponsored hacking groups, has been observed utilizing a new Linux backdoor dubbed SprySOCKS to target government organizations globally.
As initially reported in January 2022 by Trend Micro, Earth Lusca has been active since at least 2021 conducting cyber espionage campaigns against public and private sector targets in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. Their tactics include spear-phishing and watering hole attacks to gain initial access. Some of Earth Lusca's activities overlap with another Chinese threat cluster known as RedHotel.
In new research, Trend Micro reveals Earth Lusca remains highly active, even expanding operations in the first half of 2023. Primary victims are government departments focused on foreign affairs, technology, and telecommunications. Attacks concentrate in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the Balkans regions.
After breaching internet-facing systems by exploiting flaws in Fortinet, GitLab, Microsoft Exchange, Telerik UI, and Zimbra software, Earth Lusca uses web shells and Cobalt Strike to move laterally. Their goal is exfiltrating documents and credentials, while also installing additional backdoors like ShadowPad and Winnti for long-term spying.
The Command and Control server delivering Cobalt Strike was also found hosting SprySOCKS - an advanced backdoor not previously publicly reported. With roots in the Windows malware Trochilus, SprySOCKS contains reconnaissance, remote shell, proxy, and file operation capabilities. It communicates over TCP mimicking patterns used by a Windows trojan called RedLeaves, itself built on Trochilus.
At least two SprySOCKS versions have been identified, indicating ongoing development. This novel Linux backdoor deployed by Earth Lusca highlights the increasing sophistication of Chinese state-sponsored threats. Robust patching, access controls, monitoring for unusual activities, and other proactive defenses remain essential to counter this advanced malware.
The Trend Micro researchers emphasize that organizations must minimize attack surfaces, regularly update systems, and ensure robust security hygiene to interrupt the tactics, techniques, and procedures of relentless threat groups like Earth Lusca.
Security
- Linux Kernel Faces Reduction in Long-Term Support Due to Maintenance Challenges
The Linux kernel is undergoing major changes that will shape its future development and adoption, according to Jonathan Corbet, Linux kernel developer and executive editor of Linux Weekly News. Speaking at the Open Source Summit Europe, Corbet provided an update on the latest Linux kernel developments and a glimpse of what's to come.
A major change on the horizon is a reduction in long-term support (LTS) for kernel versions from six years to just two years. Corbet explained that maintaining old kernel branches indefinitely is unsustainable and most users have migrated to newer versions, so there's little point in continuing six years of support. While some may grumble about shortened support lifecycles, the reality is that constantly backporting fixes to ancient kernels strains maintainers.
This maintainer burnout poses a serious threat, as Corbet highlighted. Maintaining Linux is largely a volunteer effort, with only about 200 of the 2,000+ developers paid for their contributions. The endless demands on maintainers' time from fuzz testing, fixing minor bugs, and reviewing contributions takes a toll. Prominent maintainers have warned they need help to avoid collapse. Companies relying on Linux must realize giving back financially is in their interest to sustain this vital ecosystem.
The Linux kernel is also wading into waters new with the introduction of Rust code. While Rust solves many problems, it also introduces new complexities around language integration, evolving standards, and maintainer expertise. Corbet believes Rust will pass the point of no return when core features depend on it, which may occur soon with additions like Apple M1 GPU drivers. Despite skepticism in some corners, Rust's benefits likely outweigh any transition costs.
On the distro front, Red Hat's decision to restrict RHEL cloning sparked community backlash. While business considerations were at play, Corbet noted technical factors too. Using older kernels with backported fixes, as RHEL does, risks creating divergent, vendor-specific branches. The Android model of tracking mainline kernel dev more closely has shown security benefits. Ultimately, Linux works best when aligned with the broader community.
In closing, Corbet recalled the saying "Linux is free like a puppy is free." Using open source seems easy at first, but sustaining it long-term requires significant care and feeding. As Linux is incorporated into more critical systems, that maintenance becomes ever more crucial. The kernel changes ahead are aimed at keeping Linux healthy and vibrant for the next generation of users, businesses, and developers.
kernel
- Linux Celebrates 32 Years with the Release of 6.6-rc2 Version
Today marks the 32nd anniversary of Linus Torvalds introducing the inaugural Linux 0.01 kernel version, and celebrating this milestone, Torvalds has launched the Linux 6.6-rc2. Among the noteworthy updates are the inclusion of a feature catering to the ASUS ROG Flow X16 tablet's mode handling and the renaming of the new GenPD subsystem to pmdomain.
The Linux 6.6 edition is progressing well, brimming with exciting new features that promise to enhance user experience. Early benchmarks are indicating promising results, especially on high-core-count servers, pointing to a potentially robust and efficient update in the Linux series.
Here is what Linus Torvalds had to say in today's announcement:
Another week, another -rc.I think the most notable thing about 6.6-rc2 is simply that it'sexactly 32 years to the day since the 0.01 release. And that's a roundnumber if you are a computer person.Because other than the random date, I don't see anything that reallystands out here. We've got random fixes all over, and none of it looksparticularly strange. The genpd -> pmdomain rename shows up in thediffstat, but there's no actual code changes involved (make sure touse "git diff -M" to see them as zero-line renames).And other than that, things look very normal. Sure, the architecturefixes happen to be mostly parisc this week, which isn't exactly theusual pattern, but it's also not exactly a huge amount of changes.Most of the (small) changes here are in drivers, with some tracingfixes and just random things. The shortlog below is short enough toscroll through and get a taste of what's been going on. Linus Torvalds
- Introducing Bavarder: A User-Friendly Linux Desktop App for Quick ChatGPT Interaction
Want to interact with ChatGPT from your Linux desktop without using a web browser?
Bavarder, a new app, allows you to do just that.
Developed with Python and GTK4/libadwaita, Bavarder offers a simple concept: pose a question to ChatGPT, receive a response, and promptly copy the answer (or your inquiry) to the clipboard for pasting elsewhere.
With an incredibly user-friendly interface, you won't require AI expertise (or a novice blogger) to comprehend it. Type your question in the top box, click the blue send button, and wait for a generated response to appear at the bottom. You can edit or modify your message and repeat the process as needed.
During our evaluation, Bavarder employed BAI Chat, a GPT-3.5/ChatGPT API-based chatbot that's free and doesn't require signups or API keys. Future app versions will incorporate support for alternative backends, such as ChatGPT 4 and Hugging Chat, and allow users to input an API key to utilize ChatGPT3.
At present, there's no option to regenerate a response (though you can resend the same question for a potentially different answer). Due to the lack of a "conversation" view, tracking a dialogue or following up on answers can be challenging — but Bavarder excels for rapid-fire questions.
As with any AI, standard disclaimers apply. Responses might seem plausible but could contain inaccurate or false information. Additionally, it's relatively easy to lead these models into irrational loops, like convincing them that 2 + 2 equals 106 — so stay alert!
Overall, Bavarder is an attractive app with a well-defined purpose. If you enjoy ChatGPT and similar technologies, it's worth exploring.
ChatGPT AI
- LibreOffice 7.5.3 Released: Third Maintenance Update Brings 119 Bug Fixes to Popular Open-Source Office Suite
Today, The Document Foundation unveiled the release and widespread availability of LibreOffice 7.5.3, which serves as the third maintenance update to the current LibreOffice 7.5 open-source and complimentary office suite series.
Approximately five weeks after the launch of LibreOffice 7.5.2, LibreOffice 7.5.3 arrives with a new set of bug fixes for those who have successfully updated their GNU/Linux system to the LibreOffice 7.5 series.
LibreOffice 7.5.3 addresses a total of 119 bugs identified by users or uncovered by LibreOffice developers. For a more comprehensive understanding of these bug fixes, consult the RC1 and RC2 changelogs.
You can download LibreOffice 7.5.3 directly from the LibreOffice websiteor from SourceForge as binary installers for DEB or RPM-based GNU/Linux distributions. A source tarball is also accessible for individuals who prefer to compile the software from sources or for system integrators.
All users operating the LibreOffice 7.5 office suite series should promptly update their installations to the new point release, which will soon appear in the stable software repositories of your GNU/Linux distributions.
In early February 2023, LibreOffice 7.5 debuted as a substantial upgrade to the widely-used open-source office suite, introducing numerous features and improvements. These enhancements encompass major upgrades to dark mode support, new application and MIME-type icons, a refined Single Toolbar UI, enhanced PDF Export, and more.
Seven maintenance updates will support LibreOffice 7.5 until November 30th, 2023. The next point release, LibreOffice 7.5.4, is scheduled for early June and will include additional bug fixes.
The Document Foundation once again emphasizes that the LibreOffice office suite's "Community" edition is maintained by volunteers and members of the Open Source community. For enterprise implementations, they suggest using the LibreOffice Enterprise family of applications from ecosystem partners.
LibreOffice
- VirtualBox 7.2 Has Arrived
With early support for Linux kernel 6.17 and other new additions, VirtualBox 7.2 is a must-update for users.
- Linux Hits an Important Milestone
If you pay attention to the news in the Linux-sphere, you've probably heard that the open source operating system recently crashed through a ceiling no one thought possible.
- Plasma Bigscreen Returns
A developer discovered that the Plasma Bigscreen feature had been sitting untouched, so he decided to do something about it.
- Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.
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