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Do a presentation at NTLUG.
What is the Linux Installation Project?
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Show Descriptions... (Show All)
(Two Column)
- Debian 11 libarchive Critical DoS & Remote Exploits DLA-4563-1
Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in libarchive, a multi-format archive and compression C library, which also provides the following command-line tools: bsdcat, bsdcpio, bsdtar and bsdunzip. CVE-2026-4111 A flaw was identified in the RAR5 archive decompression logic of the
- [$] Hardware-assisted Arm VMs for s390
A recentpatch set from Steffen Eiden and others has set the groundwork for allowinghardware-assisted emulation of Arm CPUs on s390 CPUs.Version two of the posting fixes a handful of smaller problems, but does notdiffer much.The patches were welcomedby the Arm maintainers, pending some discussion of how the collaboration between thearchitectures could be structured to prevent maintainability problems on the Armside. When those details are resolved, the patches could pave the way fortransparently running Arm-based virtual machines (VMs) on s390 hosts at native ornear-native speeds.
- Security updates for Tuesday
Security updates have been issued by AlmaLinux (kernel, kernel-rt, libcap, LibRaw, openssh, thunderbird, and tigervnc), Debian (libarchive and lxd), Fedora (chromium, insight, nodejs20, rust-sequoia-git, and uriparser), Mageia (kernel, kmod-virtualbox), Oracle (kernel, libcap, thunderbird, and uek-kernel), Red Hat (.NET 10.0, .NET 8.0, .NET 9.0, fence-agents, sudo, and systemd), Slackware (httpd), SUSE (freerdp, hauler, helm, himmelblau, kernel, libspectre, thunderbird, trivy, and xen), and Ubuntu (curl, exim4, and sed).
- The retirement of the PHP license
The PHP project has long shipped under its own license — except forthe parts under the Zend Engine License. The PHP project has now announcedthat the PHP license has been retired, and the PHP code has been relicensedunder the three-clause BSD license. See thisblog entry for more details.
Getting here required more than writing an RFC. The PHP License gives the PHP Group the authority to change it, which meant tracking down each of the original PHP Group members and getting their written consent. Each approved the proposal. Perforce Software, the successor to Zend Technologies, needed to sign off on the Zend Engine side, as well. They provided a formal letter confirming their full authority and support for the change. I hired an attorney to review the proposal and provide advice on any legal questions that might surface during the discussion period. Speaking of which, I allowed for a six-month community discussion period preceding the vote, which passed unanimously.
LWN covered the license-change process back in March.
- Alpine Linux systems currently offline
The Alpine Linux account on fosstodon.org reportsthat all systems hosted at Linode, including its GitLab instance,"are suspended at the moment due to some billing issue". Theyare working to get it resolved, but in the meantime all of theirservices appear to be down.
Update: Alpine Linux's servers are back online.
- [$] Bug-monitoring expectations and Fedora GNOME packages
For a number of years, users submitting bugs reports against GNOME packages in Fedora havereceived an auto-reply saying that the reports were not activelymonitored; users were encouraged to file bugs with GNOME upstream instead. However,that practice seems to be in conflict with the Fedora Engineering SteeringCommittee (FESCo) policythat package maintainers "deal with reported bugs in a timely manner". OnApril 28, FESCo discussed the disconnect between practice and policy; so far,it has only opted to tweak the wording of the automatic response.
- NetHack 5.0.0 released
Version 5.0.0of the NetHackdungeon-exploration game, a distant relative of Rogue andHack, has been released. NetHack's code is now compliant with theC99 standard, and the release includes more than 3,100bug fixes and changes, detailed in doc/fixes5-0-0.txt(may contain game spoilers). Saved games from previous versions willnot work with NetHack 5.0.0.
- Security updates for Monday
Security updates have been issued by AlmaLinux (kernel, libcap, libtiff, sudo, and thunderbird), Debian (dovecot, imagemagick, incus, kernel, libexif, linux-6.1, openjdk-25, pyasn1, python-aiohttp, and thunderbird), Fedora (chromium, firefox, GitPython, glibc, insight, krb5, nano, nss, openssh, openvpn, perl-CryptX, python3.14, rust-openssl, rust-openssl-sys, rust-sequoia-git, and xen), Oracle (dtrace, fence-agents, grafana-pcp, libcap, libtiff, sudo, and xorg-x11-server-Xwayland), Red Hat (buildah, fence-agents, firefox, java-11-openjdk with Extended Lifecycle Support, LibRaw, nodejs24, nodejs:24, openssh, python-pyasn1, resource-agents, thunderbird, tigervnc, xorg-x11-server, and xorg-x11-server-Xwayland), Slackware (mozilla), and SUSE (avahi, curl, freeipmi, freerdp, google-guest-agent, google-osconfig-agent, gvim, helm, himmelblau, java-1_8_0-openjdk, kernel, krb5-appl-clients, libsodium, libssh, libtiff-devel-32bit, ntfs-3g_ntfsprogs, openCryptoki, openexr, ovmf, PackageKit, python-jwcrypto, python-Mako, python-PyNaCl, python311, python311-pypdf, sed, trivy, and vim).
- Kernel prepatch 7.1-rc2
The second 7.1 kernel prepatch is out fortesting. "It's not small, and while it's a bit early to say for sure, Ido suspect we're seeing the same continued pattern of more patches thanusual - probably due to AI tooling - that we saw in 7.0."
- Eden: NHS goes to war against open source
Terence Eden reportsthat the UK's NationalHealth Service (NHS) is preparing to close almost all of its open-source repositories as aresponse to LLM tools, such as Anthropic's Mythos, becoming moresophisticated at finding security vulnerabilities. He does not, to putit mildly, agree with the decision:
The majority of code repospublished by the NHS are not meaningfully affected by any advancein security scanning. They're mostly data sets, internal tools,guidance, research tools, front-end design and the like. There isnothing in them which could realistically lead to a securityincident.
When I was working at NHSX during the pandemic, we were soconfident of the safety and necessity of open source, we made sure theCovid Contact Tracing app was open sourced the minute it was availableto the public. That was a nationally mandated app, installed onmillions of phones, subject to intense scrutiny from hostile powers -and yet, despite publishing the code, architecture and documentation,the open source code caused zero securityincidents.
Furthermore, this new guidance is in direct contradiction to theUK's TechCode of Practice point 3 "Be open and use open source" whichinsists on code being open.
- [$] Version-controlled databases using Prolly trees
Modern database and filesystems make pervasive use ofB-trees, which are treestructures optimized for storing sorted lists of keys and values on blockdevices.Dolt is an Apache 2.0-licensed project that makes clever use of avariant of a B-tree to support efficient version control for an entire database.The data structure it uses could well be of interest to other projects.
- Security updates for Friday
Security updates have been issued by AlmaLinux (fence-agents), Debian (chromium, dovecot, and kernel), Fedora (chromium, dotnet10.0, dotnet8.0, dotnet9.0, emacs, glow, jfrog-cli, openbao, pyp2spec, python3.6, rust-rustls-webpki, vhs, and xen), Oracle (grafana, grafana-pcp, PackageKit, sudo, vim, and xorg-x11-server), Red Hat (rhc), SUSE (avahi, bouncycastle, chromium, container-suseconnect, firewalld, gdk-pixbuf, grafana, java-25-openjdk, kernel, libixml11, libmozjs-140-0, libpng12-0, libsodium, libssh, mariadb, Mesa, ntfs-3g_ntfsprogs, openCryptoki, openexr, packagekit, prometheus-postgres_exporter, python-jwcrypto, python-mako, python-Pygments, python-pynacl, python311, python311-pyOpenSSL, python315, radare2, sed, and vim), and Ubuntu (kmod and zulucrypt).
- [$] Restartable sequences, TCMalloc, and Hyrum's Law
Hyrum's Law states that anyobservable behavior of a system will eventually be depended upon bysomebody. The kernel community is currently contending with a cleardemonstration of that principle. The recent work to address some restartable-sequencesperformance problems in the 6.19 release maintained the documented APIin all respects, but that was not enough; Google's TCMalloclibrary, as it turns out, violates the documented API, prevents other codefrom using restartable features, and breaks with 6.19. But the kernel'sno-regressions rule is forcing developers to find a way to accommodateTCMalloc's behavior.
- GCC 16.1 released
Version16.1 of the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) has beenreleased.
The C++ frontend now defaults to the GNU C++20 dialect and the correspondingparts of the standard library are no longer experimental. SeveralC++26 features receive experimental support, including Reflection(-freflection), Contracts, expansion statements and std::simd.
Other changes include the introduction of an experimental compilerfrontend for the Algol68 language,ability to output GCC diagnostics in HTML form, and more.
- Seven new stable kernels for Thursday
Greg Kroah-Hartman has released the 7.0.3, 6.18.26, 6.12.85, 6.6.137, 6.1.170, 5.15.204, and 5.10.254 stable kernels. The 7.0.3 and6.18.26 kernels only contain fixes needed for Xen users; the others,though, have backported fixes for the recently disclosed AEAD socket vulnerability. Kroah-Hartman advisesthat all users of the other kernel series must upgrade.
- Security updates for Thursday
Security updates have been issued by AlmaLinux (buildah, firefox, gdk-pixbuf2, giflib, grafana, java-1.8.0-openjdk, java-21-openjdk, LibRaw, OpenEXR, PackageKit, pcs, python3.11, python3.12, python3.9, sudo, tigervnc, vim, xorg-x11-server, xorg-x11-server-Xwayland, yggdrasil, and yggdrasil-worker-package-manager), Debian (calibre, firefox-esr, and openjdk-17), Fedora (asterisk, binaryen, buildah, dokuwiki, lemonldap-ng, libexif, libgcrypt, miniupnpd, openvpn, podman, python3.9, rust-rpm-sequoia, skopeo, and xdg-dbus-proxy), Red Hat (buildah, gdk-pixbuf2, and nodejs:20), SUSE (dnsdist, libheif, openCryptoki, polkit, sed, and xen), and Ubuntu (linux-bluefield, python-marshmallow, and roundcube).
- Shuttle XPC cube SB860R8 targets workstation workloads with Core Ultra 200 support
Shuttle’s new XPC cube SB860R8 is a 14-liter barebone system supporting Intel Core Ultra 200 series processors. Key features include up to 192 GB DDR5 memory, four 3.5-inch drive bays, PCIe Gen5 expansion, dual 2.5 GbE, and multiple display outputs including HDMI 2.1 with 8K support. The system is built around the LGA1851 socket for […]
- What is /dev/zero in Linux and its Uses
In this article, you will learn about the special file /dev/zero and its various use cases, such as creating a swap file, a dummy file for testing, and formatting the drive for security reasons.
- NVIDIA Looking To Create New Tool For Generating AutoFDO Profiles For GCC
NVIDIA compiler engineers are looking to develop a standalone tool that could be upstreamed into the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) codebase for generating AutoFDO profiles for consumption by GCC in turn for better benefiting from automatic feedback directed optimizations (FDO) in the name of better performance...
- Arch-Based Omarchy 3.7 Released with Steam, RetroArch, Lutris, and Heroic Launcher
Omarchy 3.7 arrives as The Gaming Edition, adding Steam, RetroArch, Lutris, Heroic, Moonlight, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and more.
- Linux File-System Proliferation A Burden: Requirements Laid Out For Any Future File-Systems
The growing number of file-systems within the Linux kernel source tree is causing an ongoing burden for upstream developers maintaining the virtual file-system (VFS) code around it and associated code. As a result of the continuing rise of new file-systems being proposed for the Linux kernel, documentation is being introduced to establish clear guidelines for getting new file-systems accepted into the mainline kernel...
- MSI MS-CF27 3.5-inch SBC with Alder Lake-N, quad GbE, and triple display
Following earlier platforms such as the MS-CF16 V3.0 and MS-CF19, MSI has introduced a new 3.5-inch SBC based on Intel Alder Lake-N, Twin Lake-N, and Amston Lake processors, continuing its focus on fanless, low-power, wide-voltage embedded systems with expanded connectivity and I/O. Processor options include the Intel Processor N97, Core i3-N305, Amston Lake x7433RE, and […]
- 9to5Linux Weekly Roundup: May 3rd, 2026
The 290th installment of the 9to5Linux Weekly Roundup is here for the week ending May 3rd, 2026, keeping you updated on the most important developments in the Linux world.
- Adiuvo Explorer Board aims to bring Artix UltraScale+ FPGA to $99 platform
Adiuvo is developing the Explorer Board, a compact FPGA platform built around the Artix UltraScale+ AU7P, targeting embedded, signal processing, and high-speed I/O applications. The design aims to provide access to UltraScale+ capabilities at a lower price point. The design is based on the AU7P FPGA, which provides approximately 37K LUTs, 75K flip-flops, 216 DSP […]
- Many Exciting Google Summer of Code 2026 Projects & A Lot Of AI
This week Google announced the selected Google Summer of Code "GSoC" 2026 projects for providing stipends to student developers for engaging in different open-source projects. This year a lot of open-source projects involve AI/LLM adoption but there are also a number of other interesting student projects at large from GNOME Mutter GPU reset recovery to adding new features to FreeBSD...
- US Government Warns of Severe CopyFail Bug Affecting Major Versions of Linux
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: A severe security vulnerability affecting almost every version of the Linux operating system has caught defenders off-guard and scrambling to patch after security researchers publicly released exploit code that allows attackers to take complete control of vulnerable systems. The U.S. government says the bug, dubbed "CopyFail," is now being exploited in the wild, meaning it's being actively used in malicious hacking campaigns. [...] Given the risk to the federal enterprise network, U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA has ordered all civilian federal agencies to patch any affected systems by May 15.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Oscars Bans AI Actors and Writing From Awards
The Academy has clarified that only human-performed acting and human-authored writing are eligible for Oscar nominations. The Oscars will not ban AI tools broadly, but says it will judge films based on the degree to which humans remain central to the creative work. The BBC reports: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences [...], which controls the US film industry's most prestigious award, on Friday issued updated rules for what kind of work in movies and documentaries would be considered eligible for an Oscar as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology grows. In updated eligibility requirements, the Academy specified that only acting "demonstrably performed by humans" and that writing "must be human-authored" in order to be nominated for an award. The Academy called the requirements a "substantive" change to the rules for the Oscars. The need to specify awards can only go to acting and writing done by "humans" is new for the academy. [...] However, the academy did not issue a ban on AI use in films more broadly. Outside of acting and writing, if a filmmaker used AI tools in their work, such "tools neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination," the academy wrote. "The Academy and each branch will judge the achievement, taking into account the degree to which a human was at the heart of the creative authorship when choosing which movie to award," the group added. "If questions arise regarding the aforementioned use of generative artificial intelligence, the Academy reserves the right to request more information about the nature of the use and human authorship."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- VS Code Update Added Copilot As Default Co-Author To Git Commits
Longtime Slashdot reader UnknowingFool writes: On April 15, 2026, a Microsoft employee made a change to Visual Studio Code and pushed it within 8 hours without review, notification, or documentation. The change added "Co-authored-by: Copilot" by default to the end of commit messages in Git when Copilot was used in creating the code. However, the implementation was bugged, and the message was added to every commit regardless if Copilot was used or disabled. Since this message was automatically added to the end of commit messages, users were not aware of it as the UI does not show this addition when making commits. The change as been reverted as of May 3, but not before 1.4 million commits were made. Unfortunately, those messages cannot be cleansed and are permanent.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- 'Notepad++ For Mac' Release Is Disavowed By the Creator of the Original
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica, written by Andrew Cunningham: As its name implies, the venerable Notepad++ text editor began as a more capable version of the classic Windows Notepad, with features such as line numbering and syntax highlighting. It was created in 2003 by Don Ho, who continues to be its primary author and maintainer, and it has been a Windows-exclusive app throughout its existence (older Notepad++ versions support OSes as old as Windows 95; the current version officially supports everything going back to Windows 7). I'm not a devoted user of the app, but I was aware of its history, which is why I was surprised to see news of a "Notepad++ for Mac" port making the rounds last week, as though it were a port of the original available from the Notepad++ website. Apparently, this news surprised Ho as well, who claims that the Mac version and its author, Andrey Letov, are "using the Notepad++ trademark (the name) without permission." "This is misleading, inappropriate, and frankly disrespectful to both the project and its users," Ho wrote. "It has already fooled people -- including tech media -- into believing this is an official release. To be crystal clear: Notepad++ has never released a macOS version. Anyone claiming otherwise is simply riding on the Notepad++ name." Ho repeatedly asked the developer to stop using the brand and eventually reported the trademark use to Cloudflare, the CDN of the Notepad++ for Mac site. "Every day that website remains active, you are in further violation of the law," Ho wrote. "I cannot authorize a 'week or two' of continued trademark infringement." Letov has since begun rebranding the app as "NextPad++," though the old branding and URL reportedly remained available. The name changes is "an homage to NeXT Computer," notes Ars, "and uses a frog icon rather than the Notepad++ lizard."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- How Microplastics Are Likely Helping To Heat Up the Planet
A new Nature Climate Change study suggests airborne microplastics -- especially darker and colored particles -- are likely contributing to atmospheric warming by absorbing more heat than they reflect. Researchers estimate the effect could be roughly one-sixth that of black carbon, though outside experts say the uncertainties remain large and more study is needed before drawing firm policy conclusions. "We can say with confidence that overall they are warming agents," said Drew Shindell, a Duke University earth science professor and co-author of the study. "To me, that's the big advance." The Washington Post reports: To undertake their study, a group led by researchers at Fudan University in China examined how different colors and sizes of microplastics interact with light across the spectrum, while combining that information with simulations of how particles get dispersed in the air across the planet. "Black, yellow, blue and red [particles] absorb sunlight much more strongly than the white particles," Yu Liu, a Fudan professor and study co-author, said in a call with reporters. In fact, the study details how black and colored particles showed "absorption levels nearly 75 times higher than pristine, non-pigmented plastics." The scientists also found that different sizes of particles absorb light at different intensities -- and that how they absorb light can change as they age. The authors estimate that microplastics suspended in the atmosphere could be contributing to global warming at about one-sixth the amount of black carbon, also known as soot, a pollutant generated largely from burning fossil fuels. If the latest estimates are right, Shindell said, microplastics might not be an enormous source of atmospheric warming, compared with massive contributors such as cars and trucks, belching industrial plants or even burping cows. "But not a trivial one, either," he said. By his calculation, the effect of one year's microplastic emissions globally is approximately equivalent to 200 coal-fired power plants running for that year. But that rough estimate does not factor the longer-term repercussions of microplastics decaying and persisting in the environment for decades to come. Whatever the exact impact, the topic deserves further study, the authors say, because current climate modeling does not account for any additional warming that these tiny particles might be causing.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Astronomers May Have Detected an Atmosphere Around a Tiny, Icy World Past Pluto
"The Associated Press is reporting on a new study in Nature Astronomy suggesting that a tiny, icy world beyond Pluto harbors a thin, delicate atmosphere that may have been created by volcanic eruptions or a comet strike," writes longtime Slashdot reader fahrbot-bot. From the report: Just 300 miles (500 kilometers) or so across, this mini Pluto is thought to be the solar system's smallest object yet with a clearly detected global atmosphere bound by gravity, said lead researcher Ko Arimatsu of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. This so-called minor planet -- formally known as (612533) 2002 XV93 -- is considered a plutino, circling the sun twice in the time it takes Neptune to complete three solar orbits. At the time of the study, it was more than 3.4 billion miles (5.5 billion kilometers) away, farther than even Pluto, the only other object in the Kuiper Belt with an observed atmosphere. This cosmic iceball's atmosphere is believed to be 5 million to 10 million times thinner than Earth's protective atmosphere, according to the the study [...]. It's 50 to 100 times thinner than even Pluto's tenuous atmosphere. The likeliest atmospheric chemicals are methane, nitrogen or carbon monoxide, any of which could reproduce the observed dimming as the object passed before the star, according to Arimatsu. Further observations, especially by NASA's Webb Space Telescope, could verify the makeup of the atmosphere, according to Arimatsu.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- OpenAI President Discloses His Stake In the Company Is Worth $30 Billion
OpenAI president Greg Brockman's testimony dominated the fifth day of the trial for Elon Musk's lawsuit against the AI company. Brockman took the witness stand on Monday, disclosing that his stake in OpenAI is worth nearly $30 billion, despite not personally investing money in OpenAI. The judge also declined to admit a pretrial text in which Musk allegedly warned Brockman that he and Altman would become "the most hated men in America." From a report: Brockman's disclosure would put him on the Forbes list of the world's richest people, with wealth comparable to Melinda French Gates. [...] Late Sunday, OpenAI lawyers tried to admit as evidence a text message Musk sent to Brockman two days before the trial began. According to a court filing -- which did not include the actual text exchange -- Musk sent a message to Brockman to gauge interest in settlement. When Brockman replied that both sides should drop their respective claims, Musk shot back, according to the filing, "By the end of this week, you and Sam will be the most hated men in America. If you insist, so it will be." Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is overseeing the trial, did not admit the text exchange as evidence. Brockman acknowledged that he had promised to personally donate $100,000 to OpenAI's charity but never did. In explaining the delay, Brockman put the onus on Altman: "I asked Sam when I should donate this, and he said he would let me know," reports Business Insider. The first witness to testify on Monday was Stuart Russell, an artificial intelligence expert who teaches computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. "The most memorable part of Russell's testimony was when he talked about how much Musk's legal team paid him," notes Business Insider. "He received an eye-popping $5,000 per hour for 40 hours of preparatory work. Expert witnesses in high-profile cases typically make between $500 to $1,000 per hour." Recap:Musk Concludes Testimony At OpenAI Trial (Day Four)Elon Musk Says OpenAI Betrayed Him, Clashes With Company's Attorney (Day Three) Musk Testifies OpenAI Was Created As Nonprofit To Counter Google (Day Two) Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Head To Court (Day One)
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- White House Considers Vetting AI Models Before They Are Released
The Trump administration is reportedly considering an executive order to create a working group that could review advanced AI models before public release. The shift follows concerns over Anthropic's powerful Mythos model and its cyber capabilities, with officials weighing whether the government should get early access to frontier models without necessarily blocking their release. The New York Times reports: In meetings last week, White House officials told executives from Anthropic, Google and OpenAI about some of those plans, people briefed on the conversations said. The working group is likely to consider a number of oversight approaches, officials said. But a review process could be similar to one being developed in Britain, which has assigned several government bodies to ensure that A.I. models meet certain safety standards, people in the tech industry and the administration said. The discussions signal a stark reversal in the Trump administration's approach to A.I. Since returning to office last year, Mr. Trump has been a major booster of the technology, which he has said is vital to winning the geopolitical contest against China. Among other moves, he swiftly rolled back a Biden administration regulatory process that asked A.I. developers to perform safety evaluations and report on A.I. models with potential military applications. "We're going to make this industry absolutely the top, because right now it's a beautiful baby that's born," Mr. Trump said of A.I. at an event in July. "We have to grow that baby and let that baby thrive. We can't stop it. We can't stop it with politics. We can't stop it with foolish rules and even stupid rules." Mr. Trump left room for some rules, but he added that "they have to be more brilliant than even the technology itself." The White House wants to avoid any political repercussions if a devastating A.I.-enabled cyberattack were to occur, people in the tech industry and the administration said. The administration is also evaluating whether new A.I. models could yield cyber-capabilities that could be useful to the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies, they said. To get ahead of models like Mythos, some officials are pushing for a review system that would give the government first access to A.I. models, but that would not block their release, people briefed on the talks said.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft Back Bill To Fund 'AI Literacy' In Schools
An anonymous reader quotes a report from 404 Media: A new, bipartisan bill introduced (PDF) by Democratic Senator of California Adam Schiff and endorsed by the biggest AI developers in the world -- including OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft -- would change the K-12 curriculum to shoehorn in "AI literacy," something that young people and teachers alike already hate in schools. The Literacy in Future Technologies Artificial Intelligence, or LIFT AI Act, would empower the new director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to make grant awards "on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or a consortium thereof) to support research activities to develop educational curricula, instructional material, teacher professional development, and evaluation methods for AI literacy at the K-12 level," the bill says. It defines AI literacy as using AI; specifically, "having the age-appropriate knowledge and ability to use artificial intelligence effectively, to critically interpret outputs, to solve problems in an AI-enabled world, and to mitigate potential risks." The bill is endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers, Google, OpenAI, Information Technology Industry Council, Software & Information Industry Association, Microsoft, and HP Inc. [...] The grant would support "AI literacy evaluation tools and resources for educators assessing proficiency in AI literacy," according to the bill. It would also fund "professional development courses and experiences in AI literacy," and the development of "hands-on learning tools to assist in developing and improving AI literacy." Most importantly for real-world implications, it would fund changing the existing curriculum "to incorporate AI literacy where appropriate, including responsible use of AI in learning."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- The Pixel 11 Could Be the Next Victim of the RAM Shortage
Google's Pixel 11 lineup could see RAM cuts or lower starting configurations because of the global memory shortage, with leaks suggesting the base model may drop from 12GB to 8GB while Pro models could add 12GB versions below the current 16GB tier. The Verge reports: There will be 16GB configurations available for each, but adding a lower-spec model could mean the 16GB version is getting a price hike. However, the silver lining is that the specs from MysticLeaks also include camera upgrades and brighter displays for the Pro models. The RAM shortage is pushing other phone makers, including Samsung, to raise prices, too.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Expanded AMD HDMI 2.1 Support Is Coming To Linux
AMD is preparing expanded HDMI 2.1 support for Linux, following earlier delays after the HDMI Forum rejected an open source implementation of HDMI 2.1 as proprietary technology. As GamingOnLinux reports, AMD developer Harry Wentland submitted a patch series to the Linux kernel mailing list, noting that it brings "HDMI FRL support to the amdgpu display driver" and that "DSC is still being tested and will be sent out later." A forum post on Phoronix from an AMD driver developer also said "a full implementation will ultimately be available once the patches are ready and have completed compliance testing."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- The Audio Industry Is Grappling With the Rise of 'Podslop'
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg's Ashley Carman: Welcome to the modern era of podcasting in which thousands of new shows are released into the world every day with a sizable portion likely being AI-generated. Figuring out exactly which ones fall into that growing category is becoming more difficult just as the industry is starting to take this issue seriously. In only the past month or so, Amazon launched a feature that explains a product by generating a quasi-podcast, complete with co-hosts talking to each other and taking questions from users. Shout out to Business Insider reporter Katie Notopoulos for spotting this (and, naturally, demoing it with an adult diaper rash-cream). Not long ago, Nicholas Thompson, chief executive officer of the Atlantic, noted "podslop" dominated his Spotify search results when he typed in the word "Sora." This was around the time that OpenAI shut down its user-generated, AI-content-only app. [...] All of which raises some big, difficult questions. For one, what should the listening platforms do about this incursion? As of right now, Apple Podcasts requires creators who generated a "material portion" of their show using AI to disclose it. The platform also bans misleading or deceptive content. Spotify hasn't published any specific guidelines around AI, though it maintains general rules around dangerous and misleading content. Where this conversation gets even trickier is when it comes to money. Many of these podcasts are hosted on at least one free service that allows programs to opt into their ad marketplace with zero barrier to entry, meaning these shows (and the hosting service) profit off every listen or download. Spreaker, a company owned by iHeartMedia, is the primary one to watch here. Though it tells users to disclose when they rely on AI, it still allows those shows to opt into its programmatic ad marketplace, which pays creators 60% of the revenue generated by the ads placed in their shows. It stands to reason that most of these thousands of shows don't reach many people. But in the aggregate, the ears and dollars could add up. Are the advertisers on board with being next to AI-generated content, some of which might be deemed "slop?" There's also the question of how to define "slop." Jackson of the Podcast Index and his co-host Adam Curry treat it as something listeners simply know when they hear it, while Alberto Betella, co-founder of RSS.com, defines it as "fully automated content with no human review." Jeanine Wright, co-founder of Inception Point, rejects the debate altogether: "The people still talking about slop are still making 6-7 jokes," she said. "It's still yesterday's conversation."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Anthropic Nears $1.5 Billion AI Joint Venture With Wall Street Firms
Anthropic is reportedly nearing a roughly $1.5 billion joint venture with Blackstone, Goldman Sachs, Hellman & Friedman, and other Wall Street firms to sell AI tools to private-equity-backed companies. "The investors aim to create a company that acts as a consulting arm for Anthropic and helps teach businesses -- including the private-equity firms' portfolio companies -- how to incorporate AI across their operations," reports the Wall Street Journal. Anthropic, Blackstone, and Hellman & Friedman would each invest about $300 million, while Goldman would contribute around $150 million.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- GameStop Offers to Buy eBay for $56 Billion
GameStop has made an unsolicited $56 billion cash-and-stock offer to buy eBay (paywalled; alternative source), with CEO Ryan Cohen arguing he can turn the marketplace into a far larger Amazon competitor. "EBay should be worth -- and will be worth -- a lot more money," Cohen said in an interview. "I'm thinking about turning eBay into something worth hundreds of billions of dollars." The Wall Street Journal reports: Cohen said GameStop has a commitment letter from TD Bank to provide up to $20 billion in debt financing to help make a deal possible. GameStop delivered an offer letter to eBay on Sunday and released a copy of it following the Journal's report on the details of the bid. Cohen wrote in the letter to eBay Chairman Paul Pressler that GameStop started building its eBay position on Feb. 4. It said its offer consists of 50% cash and 50% GameStop shares. EBay said Monday morning its board and financial advisers would review GameStop's unsolicited proposal. It said there were no discussions with or outreach from GameStop before receiving the offer. Ebay added that it will review the offer "with a focus on the value to be delivered to eBay shareholders, including the value of the GameStop stock consideration and the ability of GameStop to deliver a binding, actionable proposal." If eBay isn't receptive, Cohen said he was prepared to run a proxy fight and take the offer directly to its shareholders. The window for shareholders to nominate director candidates at eBay ahead of an annual meeting scheduled for this June has already closed, according to the company's proxy materials. Cohen told the Journal that putting his videogame retailer and eBay under one roof could create opportunities to cut costs and improve earnings. The two companies have some overlap already, including a focus on selling collectibles such as trading cards. "There is nobody who is more qualified, based on my experience, to run the eBay business," Cohen said, referencing his time at GameStop and previously Chewy, the online pet-products marketplace he co-founded.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- Scientists Discover 27 Potential New Planets That Orbit Two Stars
Astronomers have identified 27 potential new circumbinary planets -- worlds that orbit two stars, like Star Wars' Tatooine. "To date, only about 18 circumbinary planets ... had been identified in the universe," reports the Guardian. "More than 6,000 planets have been discovered that orbit single stars, like Earth does around the sun." The Guardian reports: In a timely publication for May 4, also known as Star Wars Day, scientists have identified nearly 30 more candidate planets, whose distances range from 650 to 18,000 light years away from Earth. [...] More than half of the stars in the universe exist in binary or multiple star systems. The researchers instead used a method known as "apsidal precession," searching for a wobble between stars that orbit around and eclipse each other. "If we monitor the exact timing of these eclipses ... that can tell us that there's something else going on in the system," said Margo Thornton, the study's lead author and a PhD candidate at UNSW. After eliminating other factors such as the rotation and gravitational pull of the two stars, the team identified 36 star systems out of 1,590 whose behavior could only be explained by a third body. For "27 of those objects, it is possible that they are planet mass," Thornton said. More research into their spectra -- the light they emit -- was needed to formally confirm them as circumbinary planets, she said. "It's just a matter of: what is the mass of it? Is it a planet? Is it a brown dwarf? Is it a star?" The team discovered the potential planets -- which likely range from Neptune-sized to ten times heavier than Jupiter -- using data from Nasa's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, a planet-hunting space telescope that launched in 2018. The research was published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
- IBM asks DBAs to trust AI to act on their behalf
With help from Google and Intel, Big Blue brings new automation to Db2
IBM has added support for Google Vertex AI and Intel Gaudi to boost the AI-based management of its stalwart Db2 database.…
- ServiceNow clears agents for landing with new AI control tower
ServiceNow acquisitions Veza and Traceloop join to monitor agents and AI workflows
ServiceNow announced an expansion of its AI Control Tower, transforming what began last year as a governance dashboard into what the company now describes as a command center for managing AI assets across an entire enterprise, including those running outside ServiceNow's own platform.…
- DIY mystery box will wow your friends by hinting at what the ionosphere is up to
A rough guide to when your signal will behave, or not
Shortwave radio enthusiasts are sure to know the problem: You're trying to tune in to your favorite global broadcast only to find that the signal is fuzzy. Is it you? Your equipment? It might just be the conditions in the ionosphere, which you'd know if you built this DIY device. …
- Attackers are cashing in on fresh 'CopyFail' Linux flaw
Researchers dropped a reliable root exploit and it didn’t sit idle for long
CISA is warning that a newly-disclosed Linux kernel bug dubbed "CopyFail" is already being exploited, just days after researchers dropped a working root-level exploit.…
- Bun posts Rust porting guide, says rewrite is still half-baked
Zig's no-AI policy is at odds with view that most open source code will be AI-written in future
Bun creator Jarred Sumner has posted a Zig-to-Rust porting guide, igniting speculation that the project may migrate away from Zig, though Sumner said there is no commitment to rewriting, only that he is "curious to see what a working version of this looks like."…
- SAP dives deeper into Iceberg with Dremio acquisition
ERP giant previously leaned on Databricks for integration
SAP has snapped up Dremio, a data integration and analytics provider, to extend the reach of its data analytics and AI agent-building tools into external data sources.…
- VMware claims Cloud Foundation on track for world domination
Delivers update aimed at reducing hardware bill shock
VMware has announced an update to its flagship Cloud Foundation (VCF) private cloud suite and tried to make it fit the times by adding features that allow users to run with less hardware.…
- ShinyHunters claims dump puts 119K Vimeo emails in the wild
Vimeo points finger at analytics supplier Anodot, says no logins or card data were touched
More than 119,000 Vimeo users's email addresses were extracted in a breach traced to a third-party analytics vendor, according to Have I Been Pwned.…
- Unexpected item in Windows' bagging area
Activating Windows will cost more than a couple of cheap carrier bags
Bork!Bork!Bork! Things must be tough for UK grocery retailer Sainsbury's, judging by the state of Windows Activation on one of its self-service kiosks.…
- Singapore boffins get diverse SIEMs singing in harmony with agentic rule translation
Vendors all use different formats. This tech translates them all so you can smooth your SOC
Academics from Singapore and China have found a way to make AI useful for cyber-defenders, by creating a technique that translates rules from diverse Security Information and Event Managements (SIEMs) so they’re easier to consume across multiple systems.…
- Bad news for OpenClaw stans: Apple’s Mac Mini now starts at $799
The tiny desktop is no longer Apple's most affordable computer
The Mac Mini is the latest victim of the AI-fueled RAM-pocalypse. Last week, Apple discontinued the 256 GB version of the system, which cost $599. To get in now, you'll need to drop at least $799 on a 512 GB version.…
- Microsoft fixes VS Code after app gives Copilot credit for human's work
Devs not thrilled that Git extension added the bot as co-author by default
Imagine working your butt off on a project, only to have VS Code put an attribution into your commit that says Copilot helped you, even if it did not. Microsoft has reversed a change that added a default AI attribution notice after user complaints that the bot was claiming credit for human-authored code.…
- Kids say they can beat age checks by drawing on a fake mustache
46% say age checks are easy to bypass, and nearly a third admit getting around them
It’s been months since the UK government began requiring stronger age checks under the Online Safety Act, and recent research suggests those measures are falling short of keeping kids away from harmful content. In some cases, even drawing on a mustache has been reported as enough to fool age detection software.…
- Hobbyist xenomorphs Raspberry Pi into Alien-themed DIY laptop
Everything you need to build the PS-85 is available from its designer's website, even if you can't get to space
We've all been there: You're doing maintenance on a Weyland-Yutani hauler dragging mineral ore back toward Earth, and there’s no terminal handy to tap into the MU/TH/UR AI to check ship systems. Lucky for you, one enterprising maker has created just the machine for the job.…
- Hands off my trademark! Notepad++ dev threatens legal action against macOS port
It's not the fork that's the problem, it's the attempt to make it look official, says original Notepad++ dev Don Ho
Notepad++ remains a Windows-only app, at least under that name. The beloved developer-focused, open-source text editor recently was ported to macOS by a third party. However, developer Don Ho wants to be perfectly clear that, no matter how convincing the new project might look, it's not official. …
- Shadow IT has given way to shadow AI. Enter AI-BOMs
If you don't have visibility, you can't understand what to protect
When it comes to securing enterprise supply chains, now heavily infused with AI applications and agents, a software bill of materials (SBOM) no longer provides a complete inventory of all the components in the environment. Enter AI-BOMs.…
- Moving to mainframe can be cheaper than sticking with VMware: Gartner
Serious Linux VMs will enjoy big iron – if you can learn to love lock-in risks and skills challenges
VMware users considering a new home might find it cheaper to move to an IBM mainframe than adopting Broadcom’s new licenses, according to Gartner Vice President Analyst Alessandro Galimberti.…
- If the vote you rocked, your personal info can be grokked
Even limited voter rolls can be linked to identify people, research shows
Your voter data could be used against you. A foreign intelligence service that wished to identify the family members of deployed military personnel could do so by cross-referencing public voter record data and social media posts.…
- Hope your holiday was horrid: You botched the last thing you did before leaving
That box-full-of-old-tech-you-should-probably-have-thrown-out-but-kept-just-in-case got a techie in trouble
Who, Me? Monday is upon us once again and The Register hopes that when you arrive at your desk, all is well. We offer that sentiment because we use the first day of the working week to bring you a fresh instalment of "Who, Me?" – the reader-contributed column in which you confess to making mistakes, and explain how you survived them.…
- Five Eyes spook shops warn rapid rollouts of agentic AI are too risky
Prioritize resilience over productivity, say CISA, NCSC and their friends from Oz, NZ, Canada
Information security agencies from the nations of the Five Eyes security alliance have co-authored guidance on the use of agentic AI that warns the technology will likely misbehave and amplifies organizations’ existing frailties, and therefore recommend slow and careful adoption of the tech.…
- Royal Navy chief backs drones, autonomous weapons in ‘Hybrid Navy’
Plan mixes crewed ships, robot escorts, and long-range strike to bolster a stretched fleet
The leader of Britain’s Royal Navy has outlined a “Hybrid Navy” built on a mix of crewed, uncrewed, and autonomous platforms to ensure it can continue to defend the nation and operate overseas.…
- Job's a good 'un: Bank of England tech project wins watchdog praise
PAC: Now why can't everybody else in public sector do it like this?
Parliament's spending watchdog has held up a successful large-scale public sector tech transformation as a rare example worth emulating, in a striking departure from the usual diet of failure and overspend.…
- ServiceNow under siege as Atlassian adds to ITSM take-outs
CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes touts 'largest ever quarter for competitive displacements'
The chase is on. Atlassian reported its largest-ever quarter for taking share from a major IT service management provider, CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes said on the company's fiscal third-quarter earnings call Thursday, escalating its rivalry with ServiceNow.…
- Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone
Both Cupertino and Google are imposing ever stricter limits on their phones – but you have alternatives
As both Apple and Google introduce unwelcome changes in their phone OSes, here's a quick reminder that you do have alternatives to the Gruesome Twosome.…
- CIOs ready for another role-change as AI becomes agent of chaos
If software writes software the risk is “systematic failure at scale”. Someone needs to take charge, argues Forrester
Forrester predicts that by decade's end, the rush toward agentic AI will grow so chaotic that CIOs will be forced into a new role as enforcer of order.…
- That old phone in the kitchen drawer could save an industry
Users have less cash to burn and less patience for AI in new models... now where to get the used stock
Secondhand phones sales are booming - relatively speaking - and the industry has rising inflation, AI bloat, and consumers' growing apathy toward overpriced new handsets to thank for it.…
- Security: Why Linux Is Better Than Windows Or Mac OS
Linux is a free and open source operating system that was released in 1991 developed and released by Linus Torvalds. Since its release it has reached a user base that is greatly widespread worldwide. Linux users swear by the reliability and freedom that this operating system offers, especially when compared to its counterparts, windows and [0]
- Essential Software That Are Not Available On Linux OS
An operating system is essentially the most important component in a computer. It manages the different hardware and software components of a computer in the most effective way. There are different types of operating system and everything comes with their own set of programs and software. You cannot expect a Linux program to have all [0]
- Things You Never Knew About Your Operating System
The advent of computers has brought about a revolution in our daily life. From computers that were so huge to fit in a room, we have come a very long way to desktops and even palmtops. These machines have become our virtual lockers, and a life without these network machines have become unimaginable. Sending mails, [0]
- How To Fully Optimize Your Operating System
Computers and systems are tricky and complicated. If you lack a thorough knowledge or even basic knowledge of computers, you will often find yourself in a bind. You must understand that something as complicated as a computer requires constant care and constant cleaning up of junk files. Unless you put in the time to configure [0]
- The Top Problems With Major Operating Systems
There is no such system which does not give you any problems. Even if the system and the operating system of your system is easy to understand, there will be some times when certain problems will arise. Most of these problems are easy to handle and easy to get rid of. But you must be [0]
- 8 Benefits Of Linux OS
Linux is a small and a fast-growing operating system. However, we can’t term it as software yet. As discussed in the article about what can a Linux OS do Linux is a kernel. Now, kernels are used for software and programs. These kernels are used by the computer and can be used with various third-party software [0]
- Things Linux OS Can Do That Other OS Cant
What Is Linux OS? Linux, similar to U-bix is an operating system which can be used for various computers, hand held devices, embedded devices, etc. The reason why Linux operated system is preferred by many, is because it is easy to use and re-use. Linux based operating system is technically not an Operating System. Operating [0]
- Packagekit Interview
Packagekit aims to make the management of applications in the Linux and GNU systems. The main objective to remove the pains it takes to create a system. Along with this in an interview, Richard Hughes, the developer of Packagekit said that he aims to make the Linux systems just as powerful as the Windows or [0]
- What’s New in Ubuntu?
What Is Ubuntu? Ubuntu is open source software. It is useful for Linux based computers. The software is marketed by the Canonical Ltd., Ubuntu community. Ubuntu was first released in late October in 2004. The Ubuntu program uses Java, Python, C, C++ and C# programming languages. What Is New? The version 17.04 is now available here [0]
- Ext3 Reiserfs Xfs In Windows With Regards To Colinux
The problem with Windows is that there are various limitations to the computer and there is only so much you can do with it. You can access the Ext3 Reiserfs Xfs by using the coLinux tool. Download the tool from the official site or from the sourceforge site. Edit the connection to “TAP Win32 Adapter [0]
- Testing MacOS on the Apple Network Server 2.0 ROMs
Earlier this year, Mac OS and Windows NT-capable ROMs were discovered for Apple’s unique AIX Network Server. Cameron Kaiser has since spent more time digging into just how capable these ROMs are, and has published another one of his detailed stories about his efforts. Well, thanks to Jeff Walther who generously built a few replica ROM SIMMs for me to test, we can now try the 2.0! MacOS ROMs on holmstock, our hard-working Apple Network Server 700 test rig (stockholm, my original ANS 500, is still officially a production unit). And there are some interesting things to report, especially when we pit the preproduction ROMs and this set head-to-head in MacBench, and even try booting Rhapsody on it. ↫ Cameron Kaiser A great read, as always.
- Windows gets a new Run dialog
With Windows being as old and long-running as it is, theres a ton of old and outdated bits and pieces lurking in every nook and cranny. I have always found these old relics fascinating, especially now that over the past few years, Microsoft has attempted to replace some of those bits and pieces with modern replacements (not always to great success, but thats another story). One of those parts of the UI thats been virtually unchanged since the release of Windows 95 is the Run dialog, but thats about to change: Microsoft has released a completely new Run dialog to early testers. Windows Run, also known as the Run dialog, is a surface that has been around for over 30 years. It has become a heavily relied upon tool for developers and advanced users alike. Users have decades of muscle memory where they hit Win+R, navigate through their Run history, and hit Enter to quickly access various paths and tools. We all have our favorite tool we launch there as well. For us, some of our favorites are wt (Windows Terminal), mstsc (Remote Desktop) and winword (Microsoft Word). But it’s more than jUsT a TeXt BoX tHaT rUnS tHiNgS. The Run dialog can handle navigating both local and network file paths as well. And everything it does, it does fast. Win+R opens the run dialog seemingly instantly. If we wanted to modernize the Run Dialog to fit the modern Windows 11 design style, we had to make sure it did everything just as well as before. We needed to maintain the same performance while also keeping the user interface minimal, just as Windows 95 intended. ↫ Clint Rutkas at the Microsoft Dev Blogs The new Run dialog looks like it belongs in Windows 11, which is a nice improvement, but the most important part is that they actually seem to have made it a little faster. Sure, they may have only shaved off a few milliseconds from its opening time, but considering virtually everything else theyve touched in Windows over the years got considerably slower, thats a good showing for Microsoft. The new feature theyve added is that by typing ~\, you can open your home directory. The one casualty is the browse button, which according to Microsofts data, literally nobody ever used. I know its just a small thing and in the end not even a remotely consequential one, but with an operating system as old and storied as Windows, replacing these ancient parts that millions of people rely on every day absolutely fascinates me. There must be a considerable amount of pressure on the people developing something like this new Run dialog, especially with Windows reputation being at one of its lowest points, so its good to see them being able to deliver. The new Run dialog is available today for testers, and if youre on the Windows Insider Experimental Channel, you can enable it in Settings > System > Advanced. Coincidentally, on my Windows 11 machine that I use for just one stupid video game, this Advanced page displays a loading spinner for five minutes and then just dies. Also, Notepad wont start (one time it showed this dialog), and using the terminal to load it causes the old Win32 version of Notepad to open after 5 minutes of waiting, which then hangs and crashes. People pay money for this.
- GNOME is good, actually
While Im normally a KDE user, I do keep close tabs on various other desktop environments, and install and set them up every now and then to see how theyre fairing, what improvements theyve made, and ultimately, if my preference for KDE is still warranted. This usually means setting up a nice OpenBSD installation for Xfce, Fedora for GNOME, and less often others for some of the more niche desktop environments. Since GNOME 50 was just released, guess whos time in the round is up? Since everybodys already made up their mind about their preferred desktop eons ago, with upsides and downsides debated far past their expiration date, Im not particularly interested in reviewing desktop environments or Linux distributions. However, after asking around on Fedi, it seemed there was quite a bit of interest in an article detailing how I set up GNOME, what changes I make to the defaults, which extensions I use, what tweaks I apply, and so on. Of course, everything described in this article is highly personal, and Im not arguing that this is the optimal way to tweak GNOME, that the extensions I use are the best ones, or that any visual modifications I make are better than whatever defaults GNOME uses. No, my goal with this article is twofold: one, to highlight that GNOME is a lot more configurable, extensible, and malleable than common wisdom on the internet would have you believe. Its not KDE or one of those cobbled-together tiling Wayland desktops, but its definitely not as rigid as you might think. And two, that GNOME is good, actually. Tools of the trade The first thing I do is install a few crucial tools that make it easier to modify and tweak GNOME. I really dislike lists in articles, but I will begrudgingly use one here: After installing all of these tools, the actual tweaking can commence. Visual tweaks I didnt use to like GNOMEs Adwaita visual style, but over the years, it started growing on me to the point where I dont actively dislike it anymore. With the arrival of libadwaita, it has also become effectively impossible to theme modern GNOME applications, so even if you do change to something else, many of your applications wont follow along. If consistency is something you care about, youll stick to Adwaita, but that leaves one problem unresolved: applications that still use GTK3. These applications will follow a much older version of Adwaita, making them stand out like eyesores among all the modern GTK4 stuff. Luckily, since GTK3 applications are still properly themable, this is easily fixed: just install the adw-gtk3 theme, either by hand, or through your distributions repositories. To enable it, first install the user themes extension through Extension Manager, and then enable the theme in GNOME Tweaks for Legacy Applications!. Any potential GTK3 applications you still use will now integrate nicely with modern libadwaita applications. The one part of GNOME I really do deeply dislike is its icon theme. I cant quite explain why I dislike this icon set so much, but it runs deep, so one of the very first things I do is replace the default GNOME icon set with my personal favourite, Qogir. This is a popular icon set, so its usually available in your distributions repositories, but I always install it from its GitHub page. Changing GNOMEs icon set is as simple as selecting it in GNOME Tweaks. You cant get much more personal taste than an icon set, and there are dozens of amazing sets to choose from in the Linux world. Changing them out and trying out new ones is stupidly easy, and its definitely worth looking at a few that might be more pleasing to you than GNOMEs (or KDEs) default. Lastly, I open Add Water and enable the amazing GNOME theme for LibreWolf. Add Water basically makes this as easy as flipping a switch, so theres no need to copy any files into your LibreWolf profile or whatever. The application also provides a few more small tweaks to fiddle with, like enabling standard tab widths so tabs dont grow and shrink as you close and open tabs, moving the bookmarks bar below the tab bar, and many more. Extensions Since the release of GNOME 3 in 2011, extensions have been the most capable way to modify GNOMEs look, behaviour, and feature set. As far as I can tell, while the extension framework is an official part of the GNOME Shell, the extensions themselves are all third-party and not part of a vanilla GNOME installation. By now, there are over 2800 listed extensions, but that number includes abandoned extensions so its hard to determine the actual number of currently-maintained ones. Whatever the actual number is, theres bound to be things in there youre going to want to use. Here are the extensions I have installed. Lets just start at the top and work our way down. I guess Im forced to do another list. There are countless more extensions to choose from, and youre definitely going to find things you never even thought could be useful. Miscellaneous tweaks Theres a few other things I modify. In GNOME Tweaks, I make it so that double-clicking a windows titlebar minimises it while right-clicking it lowers it; two features I picked up during my years as a BeOS user that I absolutely refuse to give up. I configure the dock from Dash to Dock so that it always remains on top and never hides itself, no matter the circumstances. In Settings, I disable virtual desktops entirely (I dont like virtual desktops), and I make sure tap-to-click is disabled (if Im on a laptop). GNOME is good, actually After making all of these changes, I feel quite comfortable using GNOME, at least on my laptop. Its a nice, coherent experience, and offers what is probably the most polished graphical user interface you can find on Linux, even if it isnt the most full-featured. The third-party application ecosystem, through modern
- How fast is a macOS VM, and how small could it be?
To assess how small a macOS VM could be, I ran the same VM of macOS 26.4.1 on progressively smaller CPU core and memory allocations, using my virtualiser Viable. The VM’s display window was set to a standard 1600 x 1000, and I ran Safari through its paces and performed some lightweight everyday tasks, including Storage analysis in Settings. Starting with 4 virtual cores and 8 GB vRAM, where the VM ran perfectly briskly with around 5 GB of memory used, I stepped down to 3 cores and 6 GB, to discover that memory usage fell to 3.9 GB and everything worked well. With just 2 cores and 4 GB of memory only 3.1 GB of that was used, and the VM continued to handle those lightweight tasks normally. ↫ Howard Oakley This is good news for people interested in the MacBook Neo who may also want to run a macOS virtual machine on it.
- Email is crazy
Email is like those creaking old Terminators from the ’70s which continue to function without complaining. Designed for a world that doesn’t exist anymore, it has optional encryption, no built-in auth, three⁺ retrofitted security layers bolted on top, an unstandardized filtering layer and many more quirks. Yet billions of emails arrive correctly every single day. Email is not elegant but nonetheless it is Lindy. In the new age of agentic AI, we can only expect it to metamorphose into another dimension. ↫ Saurabh Sam! Khawase The fact that email is as complicated as it is bad enough, but having it be so dominantly controlled by only a few large gatekeepers like Google and Microsoft surely isnt helping either. I feel like email is no longer really a technology individuals can actively partake in at every level; it feels much more like WhatsApp or iMessage or whatever in that we just get to send messages, and thats it. Running your own mail sever isnt only a complex endeavour, its also a continuous cat-and-mouse game with companies like Google and Microsoft to ensure you dont end up on some shitlist and your emails stop arriving. I settled on Fastmail as my email service, and it works quite well. Still, I would love to be able to just run my own email server, or have some of my far more capable friends run one for a small group of us, but its such a daunting and unpleasant effort few people seem to have the stomach and perseverance for it.
- The day I logged 1 in every 2000 public IPv4: visualizing the AI scraper DDoS
What if you run a few online services for you and your friends, like a small git instance and a grocery list service, but you get absolutely hammered by AI! scrapers? I cannot impress upon you, reader, that this is not only an attack that is coordinated, it is an attack that is distributed. I run a small set of services, basically only for me and my friends. I am not a hyperscaler, I am not a tech company, I am not even a small platform. I have a git forge where I put the shit I make, and a couple other services where me and my friends backup our files or write our grocery lists. I am not fucking Meta and I cannot scale the fuck up just because OpenAI or Anthropic or Meta or whoever is training a model that weeks wants to suck all the content out of my VPS ONCE MORE until it’s dry. ↫ lux at VulpineCitrus So how much traffic did the author of this piece, lux, get from AI! scraping bots? Within a time period of 24 hours, they were hammered by 2040670 unique IP addresses, 98% of which were IPv4 addresses, which means that 1 out of every 2000 publicly available IPv4 addresses were involved in the scraping. Together, they performed over 5 million requests. And just to reiterate: they were scraping a few very small, friends-only services run by some random person. This is absolutely insane. If, at this point in time, with everything that we know about just how deeply unethical every single aspect of AI! is, youre still using and promoting it, what is wrong with you? If youre so addicted to your AI! girlfriends unending stream of useless, forgettable sycophantic slop, despite being aware of the damage youre doing to those around you, theres something seriously wrong with you, and you desperately need professional help. You dont need any of this. The world doesnt need any of this. Nobody likes the slop AI! regurgitates, and nobody likes you for enabling it. Get help.
- Earliest 86-DOS and PC-DOS code released as open source
Microsoft is continuing its efforts to release early versions of DOS as open source, and today weve got a special one. We’re stoked today to showcase some newly available source code materials that provide an even earlier look into the development of PC-DOS 1.00, the first release of DOS for the IBM PC. A dedicated team of historians and preservationists led by Yufeng Gao and Rich Cini has worked to locate, scan, and transcribe the stack of DOS-era source listings from Tim Paterson, the author of DOS. The listings include sources to the 86-DOS 1.00 kernel, several development snapshots of the PC-DOS 1.00 kernel, and some well-known utilities such as CHKDSK. Not only were these assembler listings, but there were also listings of the assembler itself! This work offers rare insight into how MS-DOS/PC-DOS came to be, and how operating system development was done at the time, not as it was later reconstructed. ↫ Stacey Haffner and Scott Hanselman Its wild that the source code had to be transcribed from paper, including notes and changes. You can find more information about the process on Gao’s website and Cini’s website.
- Apple gives up on Vision Pro, disbands Vision Pro team
When Apple unveiled the Vision Pro, almost three (!) years ago, I concluded: If there’s one company that can convince people to spend $3500 to strap an isolating dystopian glowing robot mask onto their faces it’s Apple, but I still have a hard time believing this is what people want. ↫ Thom Holwerda at OSNews (quoting myself is weird) MacRumors Juli Clover, today: Apple has all but given up on the Vision Pro after the M5 model failed to revitalize interest in the device, MacRumors has learned. Apple updated the Vision Pro with a faster M5 chip and a more comfortable band in October 2025, but there were no other hardware changes, and consumers still werent interested. Apple has apparently stopped work on the Vision Pro and the Vision Pro team has been redistributed to other teams within Apple. Some former Vision Pro team members are working on Siri, which is not a surprise as Vision Pro chief Mike Rockwell has been leading the Siri team since March 2025. ↫ Juli Clover at MacRumors VR what the Vision Pro is, whether Apples marketing likes to say it or not has proven to be good for exactly two things: games and porn. The Vision Pro has neither. It was destined to be a flop from the start, as nobody wants to strap an uncomfortable computer to their face that does less than all of the other computers they already have, and what it does do, it does worse. I do wonder if this makes the Vision Pro the most expensive flop in human history. Has any company ever spent more on a product that failed this spectacularly?
- Apple wants to kill your Time Capsule, but they run NetBSD so they cant
It seems like Apple is finally going to remove support for AFP from macOS, twelve years after first moving from AFP to SMB for its default network file-sharing technology. This change shouldnt impact most people, as its highly unlikely youre using AFP for anything in 2026. Still, there is one small group of people to whom this change has an actual impact: owners of Apples Time Capsule devices. Time Capsules only support AFP and SMB1, and with SMB1 being removed from macOS ages ago, and now AFP being on the chopping block as well, macOS 27 would render your Time Capsule more or less unusable. Its important to note that the last Time Capsule sold by Apple, the fifth generation, was released in 2013, and the product line as a whole was discontinued in 2018. If you bought a Time Capsule in the twilight years of the lines availability, I think you have a genuine reason to be perturbed by Apple cutting you off from your product if you upgrade to macOS 27, but at least you have the option of keeping an older version of macOS around so you can keep interacting with your time Capsule. It still feels like a bit of a shitty move though, as those fifth generation models came with up to 3TB of storage, which can still serve as a solid NAS solution. Thank your lucky stars, then, that open source can, as usual, come to the rescue when proprietary software vendors do what they always do and screw over their customers. Did you know every generation of Time Capsule actually runs NetBSD, and that its trivially easy to add support for Samba 4 and SMB3 authentication to your Time Capsule, thereby extending its life expectancy considerably? TimeCapsuleSMB does exactly that. If the setup completes successfully, your Time Capsule will run its own Samba 4 server, advertise itself over Bonjour (show up automatically in the Network! folder on macOS), and accept authenticated SMB3 connections from macOS. You should then be able to open Finder, choose Connect to Server, and use a normal SMB URL instead of relying on Apple’s legacy stack. You should also be able to use the disk for Time Machine backups. ↫ TimeCapsuleSMB Its compatible with both NetBSD 4 and NetBSD 6-based Time Capsules, although youll need to run a single SMB activation command every time a NetBSD 4-based Time Capsule reboots. This will also disable any AFP and SMB1 support, but that is kind of moot since those are exactly the technologies that dont and wont work anymore once macOS 27 is released. The installation is also entirely reversible if, for whatever reason, you want to undo the addition of Samba 4. This whole saga is such an excellent example of why open source software protects users rights, by design.
- Dillo 3.3.0 released
Dillo is an amazing web browser for those of us who want their web browsing experience to be calmer and less flashing. Dillo also happens to be a very UNIX-y browser, and their latest release, 3.3.0, underlines that. A new dilloc program is now available to control Dillo from the command line or from a script. It searches for Dillo by the PID in the DILLO_PID environment variable or for a unique Dillo process if not set. ↫ Dillo 3.3.0 release notes You can use this program to control your Dillo instance, with basic commands like reloading the current URL, opening a new URL, and so on, but also things like dumping the current pages contents. I have a feeling more commands and features will be added in future releases, but for now, even the current set of commands can be helpful for scripting purposes. Im sure some of you who live and die in the terminal are already thinking of all the possibilities here. You can now also add page actions to the right-click context menu, so you can do things like reload a page with a Chrome curl impersonator to avoid certain JavaScript walls. This, too, is of course extensible. Dillo 3.3.0 also brings experimental support for building the browser with FLTK 1.4, and implemented a fix specifically to make OAuth work properly.
- Ubuntu is going to integrate AI!, but Canonical remains vague about the how and why
Ubuntu, being one of the more commercial Linux distributions, was always going to jump on the AI! bandwagon, and Jon Seager, Canonicals VP Engineering, published a blog post with more details. Throughout 2026 we’ll be working on enabling access to frontier AI for Ubuntu users in a way that is deliberate, secure, and aligned with our open source values. By focusing on the combination of education for our engineers, our existing knowledge of building resilient systems and our strengthening silicon partnerships, we will deliver efficient local inference, powerful accessibility features, and a context-aware OS that makes Ubuntu meaningfully more capable for the people who rely on it Ubuntu is not becoming an AI product, but it can become stronger with thoughtful AI integration. ↫ Jon Seager at Ubuntu Discourse The problem with this entire post is that, much like all other corporate communications about AI!, its all deceptively vague, open-ended, and weasely. Adjectives like focused!, principled!, thoughtful!, and tasteful! dont really mean anything, and leave everything open for basically every type of slop AI! feature under the sun. Their claims about open weights and open source models are also weakened by words like favour! and where possible!, again leaving the door wide open for basically any shady AI! companys models and features to find their way into your default Ubuntu installation. Theres also very little in terms of concrete plans and proposed features, leaving Ubuntu users in the dark about what, exactly, is going to be added to their operating system of choice during the remainder of the year. Theres mentions of improved text-to-speech/speech-to-text and text regurgitators, but thats about it. None of it feels particularly inspired or ground-breaking, and the veneer of open source, ethical model creation, and so on, is particularly thin this time around, even for Canonical. I dont really feel like I know a lot more about Canonicals AI! intentions for Ubuntu after reading this post than I did before, other than Ubuntu users might be able to generate text in their email client or whatever later this year. Is that really something anybody wants?
- If 64bit Windows 11 contains a copy of 32bit explorer.exe, could you run it as its shell?
Raymond Chen published a blog post about how a crappy uninstaller on Windows caused a mysterious spike in the number of Explorer (Windows graphical shell) crashes. It turns out the buggy uninstaller caused repeated crashes in the 32bit version of Explorer on 64bit systems, and hold on a minute. The how many bits on the what now? The 32-bit version of Explorer exists for backward compatibility with 32-bit programs. This is not the copy of Explorer that is handling your taskbar or desktop or File Explorer windows. So if the 32-bit Explorer is running on a 64-bit system, it’s because some other program is using it to do some dirty work. ↫ Raymond Chen at The Old New Thing So I had no idea that 64bit Windows included a copy of the 32bit Explorer for backwards compatibility. It obviously makes sense, but I just never stopped to think about it. This made me wonder though if you could go nuts and do something really dumb: could you somehow trick 64bit Windows into running this 32bit copy of Explorer as its shell? Youd be running 32bit Explorer on 64bit Windows using the 32bit WoW64 binaries where you just pulled the 32bit Explorer binary from, which seems like a really nonsensical thing to do. Since theres no longer any 32bit builds of Windows 11, you also cant just copy over the 32bit Explorer from a 32bit Windows 11 build and achieve the same goal that way, so youd really have to go digging around in WoW64 to get 32bit versions. I guess the answer to this question depends on just how complete this copy of 32bit Explorer really is, and if Windows has any defenses or triggers in place to prevent someone from doing something this uselessly stupid. Of course, theres no practical reason to do any of this and it makes very little sense, but it might be a fun hacking project. Most likely the Windows experts among you are wondering what kind of utterly deranged new designer drug Im on, but I was always told that sometimes, the dumbest questions can lead to the most interesting answers, so here we are.
- 8087 emulation on 8086 systems
Not too long ago I had a need and an opportunity to re-acquaint myself with the mechanism used for software emulation of the 8087 FPU on 8086/8088 machines. ↫ Michal Necasek Look, when a Michal Necasek article starts out like this, you know youre in for a learnin ol time. The 8087 was a floating-point coprocessor for the 8086 and 8088 processors, since back in those early days, processors did not include an integrated floating-point unit. It wouldnt be until the release of the 486DX, in 1989, that Intel would integrate an FPU inside the processor itself, negating the need for a separate chip and socket. Interestingly enough, Intel also released a cut-down version of the 486 with the FPU removed, the 486SX, for which an optional external FPU did exist.
- How hard is it to open a file?
Sebastian Wick has a great explanation of why opening files programmatically is a lot more complex and fraught with dangers than you might think it is. This issue was relevant for Wick as he is one of the lead developers of Flatpak, for which a number of security issues have recently been discovered, and it just so happens that many of these issues dealt with this very topic. The biggest security issue found was a complete sandbox escape, originating from the fact that flatpak run, the command-line tool to start a Flatpak application, accepted path strings, since flatpak run is assumed to be run by a trusted user. The problem lay in a D-Bus service sandboxed applications could use to create subsandboxes, and this service was built around, you guessed it, flatpak run. The issues in question, including this complete sandbox escape, have been addressed and fixed, but they highlight exactly the dangers that can come from opening files. This subsandboxing approach in Flatpak is built on assumptions from fifteen years ago, and times have changed since then. If youre a programmer who deals with opening files, you might want to take a look at your own code to see if similar issues exist.
- AI as a fascist artifact
In that reading „AI“ is a machine for the creation of epistemic injustice and the replacement of truth with what a tech elite wants it to be in order to control the population. This is a Fascist project that not so subtly aligns with Fascism’s totalitarian will to power and control as well as its reliance in replacing reasoning and debate with belief in power and the leader. ↫ Jürgen Geute The purpose of a system is what it does, and what AI! does is stunt users own abilities and development and concentrate power and wealth even further in the hands of a very small privileged few a privileged few who consistently espouse fascist ideology and promote and implement fascist ideas. Jürgen Geute lays it out in much more detail backed by solid references and concrete examples, but the conclusion is clear. And uncomfortable to many, as such conclusions always are.
- Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Resolute Raccoon released
Im not sure many OSNews readers still use Ubuntu as their operating system of choice, and from the release announcement of todays Ubuntu 26.04 its clear why thats the case. Resolute Raccoon builds on the resilience-focused improvements introduced in interim releases, with TPM-backed full-disk encryption, improved support for application permission prompting, Livepatch updates for Arm-based servers, and Rust-based utilities for enhanced memory safety. This release brings native support for industry-leading AI/ML toolkits like NVIDIA CUDA and AMD ROCm, making Ubuntu 26.04 LTS the ideal platform for AI development and production workloads. ↫ Canonical press release Its obvious where Canonicals focus lies with Ubuntu, and us desktop people who dont like AI! arent it. On top of all the AI! nonsense, this new version comes with all the latest versions of the various open source components that make up a Linux distribution, as well as a slew of Rust-based replacements for core CLI tools, like sudo-rs, uutils coreutils, and more. All the derivative release of Ubuntu, like Kubuntu, Xubuntu, and others, will also be updated over the coming days. If youre already running any of these, updating wont be a surprise to you.
- Canonical Unveils Ubuntu AI Strategy: Local Models, User Control, and Smarter Workflows
by George Whittaker
Canonical has officially revealed its long-anticipated plans to bring artificial intelligence features into Ubuntu, marking a significant shift for one of the world’s most widely used Linux distributions. Rather than rushing into the AI wave, Canonical is taking a measured, privacy-focused approach, one that aims to enhance the operating system without compromising its open-source values.
The rollout is expected to take place gradually throughout 2026, with early features likely appearing in upcoming Ubuntu releases.
A Gradual, Thoughtful AI Rollout
Canonical isn’t positioning Ubuntu as an “AI-first” operating system. Instead, the company is introducing AI in stages, focusing on practical improvements rather than hype-driven features.
The plan follows a two-phase model:
Implicit AI features: Enhancements running quietly in the background Explicit AI features: User-facing tools and workflows powered by AI
This approach allows Ubuntu to evolve naturally, improving existing functionality before introducing more advanced capabilities.
Local AI First, Not the Cloud
One of the most important aspects of Canonical’s strategy is its emphasis on local AI processing, also known as on-device inference.
Instead of sending data to remote servers, Ubuntu will aim to:
Run AI models directly on the user’s hardware Reduce reliance on cloud services Improve privacy and performance
Canonical has made it clear that local inference will be the default, with cloud-based options available only when explicitly chosen by the user.
This aligns closely with the privacy expectations of Linux users, who often prefer greater control over their data.
What AI Features Could Look Like
Canonical has outlined several potential use cases for AI inside Ubuntu. These include:
Accessibility Improvements
AI will enhance tools like:
Speech-to-text Text-to-speech Assistive technologies
These features aim to make Ubuntu more inclusive and easier to use for a wider range of users.
Smarter System Assistance
Future AI features may help users:
Troubleshoot system issues Interpret logs and error messages Automate repetitive tasks
This could significantly lower the learning curve for new Linux users.
Agent-Based Automation
Canonical is also exploring “agentic” AI workflows, where AI can take actions on behalf of the user.
Examples include:
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- Thunderbird 150 Lands on Linux: Smarter Encryption, Better Tools, and a Polished Experience
by George Whittaker
Mozilla has officially rolled out Thunderbird 150.0, the latest version of its open-source email client, bringing a mix of security-focused enhancements, usability upgrades, and workflow improvements for Linux and other platforms. Released in April 2026, this update continues Thunderbird’s steady evolution as a powerful desktop email solution.
For Linux users, Thunderbird 150 delivers meaningful updates that improve both everyday usability and advanced email handling, especially for encrypted communication.
Stronger Support for Encrypted Email
One of the standout improvements in Thunderbird 150 is how it handles encrypted messages.
Users can now:
Search inside encrypted emails (OpenPGP and S/MIME) Generate “unobtrusive” OpenPGP signatures that appear cleaner to recipients
These changes make encrypted communication far more practical, especially for users who rely on secure email for work or privacy-sensitive tasks.
New Productivity and Workflow Features
Thunderbird 150 introduces several small but impactful workflow improvements:
A new Account Hub opens automatically on first launch, simplifying setup Recent Destinations in settings can now be sorted alphabetically Address book entries can be copied as vCard files A new custom accent color option allows interface personalization
These updates make Thunderbird easier to configure and more flexible to use daily.
Improved Built-In PDF Viewer
Thunderbird’s integrated PDF viewer gets a useful upgrade: users can now reorder pages directly within the viewer.
This is particularly helpful for:
Managing attachments without external tools Editing documents quickly before sending Streamlining email-based workflows
Combined with ongoing security fixes, the PDF viewer becomes both more capable and safer.
Calendar and Interface Enhancements
Several improvements focus on usability and accessibility:
Calendar views now support touchscreen scrolling Fixed issues with calendar layouts and navigation Better screen reader support and accessibility fixes General UI refinements across the application
These changes contribute to a smoother, more consistent user experience across devices.
Bug Fixes and Stability Improvements
Thunderbird 150 also resolves a wide range of issues, including:
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- Linux Kernel 6.19 Reaches End of Life: Time to Move Forward
by George Whittaker
The Linux kernel continues its fast-paced release cycle, and with that comes an important milestone: Linux kernel 6.19 has officially reached end of life (EOL). For users and distributions still running this branch, it’s now time to upgrade to a newer kernel version.
This isn’t unexpected, Linux 6.19 was never intended to be a long-term release, but it does serve as a reminder of how quickly non-LTS kernel branches move through their lifecycle.
Official End of Support
The final update in the 6.19 series, Linux 6.19.14, has been released and marked as the last maintenance version. Kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman confirmed that no further updates will follow, stating that the branch is now officially end-of-life.
On kernel.org, the 6.19 series is now listed as EOL, meaning it will no longer receive bug fixes or security patches.
Why 6.19 Had a Short Lifespan
Unlike some kernel releases, Linux 6.19 was not a long-term support (LTS) version. Short-lived kernel branches are typically supported for only a few months before being replaced by newer releases.
Linux follows a rapid development model:
New major versions are released frequently Short-term branches receive limited updates Only selected kernels are designated as LTS for extended support
Because of this, 6.19 was always meant to be a stepping stone rather than a long-term foundation.
What Users Should Do Now
With 6.19 no longer maintained, continuing to use it poses risks, especially in environments where security and stability matter.
Recommended upgrade paths include:
Upgrade to Linux 7.0
The most direct path forward is the Linux 7.0 kernel series, which succeeds 6.19 and introduces new hardware support and ongoing fixes.
This is a good option for:
Desktop users Rolling-release distributions Users who want the latest featuresSwitch to an LTS Kernel
For production systems, servers, or long-term stability, moving to an LTS kernel is often the better choice.
Current LTS options include:
Linux 6.18 LTS (supported until 2028) Linux 6.12 LTS (supported until 2028) Linux 6.6 LTS (supported until 2027)
These versions receive ongoing security updates and are better suited for stable environments.
Why EOL Matters
When a kernel reaches end of life:
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- Archinstall 4.2 Shifts to Wayland-First Profiles, Leaving X.Org Behind
by George Whittaker
The Arch Linux installer continues evolving alongside the broader Linux desktop ecosystem. With the release of Archinstall 4.2, a notable change has arrived: Wayland is now the default focus for graphical installation profiles, while traditional X.Org-based profiles have been removed or deprioritized.
This move reflects a wider transition happening across Linux, one that is gradually redefining how graphical environments are built and used.
A Turning Point for Archinstall
Archinstall, the official guided installer for Arch Linux, has steadily improved over time to make installation more accessible while still maintaining Arch’s minimalist philosophy.
With version 4.2, the installer now aligns more closely with modern desktop trends by emphasizing Wayland-based environments during setup, instead of offering traditional X.Org configurations as first-class options.
This doesn’t mean X.Org is completely gone from Arch Linux, but it does signal a clear shift in direction.
Why Wayland Is Taking Over
Wayland has been gaining traction for years as the successor to X.Org, offering a more streamlined and secure approach to rendering graphics on Linux.
Compared to X.Org, Wayland is designed to:
Reduce complexity in the graphics stack Improve security by isolating applications Deliver smoother rendering and better performance Support modern display technologies like high-DPI and variable refresh rates
As the Linux ecosystem evolves, many distributions and desktop environments are prioritizing Wayland as the default display protocol.
What Changed in Archinstall 4.2
With this release, users installing Arch through Archinstall will notice:
Wayland-based desktop environments and compositors are now the primary options X.Org-centric setups are no longer emphasized in guided profiles Installation workflows better reflect modern Linux defaults
This simplifies the installation experience for new users, who no longer need to choose between legacy and modern display systems during setup.
What About X.Org?
While Archinstall is moving forward, X.Org itself is not disappearing overnight.
Many applications and workflows still rely on X11, and compatibility is maintained through XWayland, which allows X11 applications to run within Wayland sessions.
For advanced users, Arch still provides full flexibility:
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- OpenClaw in 2026: What It Is, Who’s Using It, and Whether Your Business Should Adopt It
by George Whittaker
“probably the single most important release of software, probably ever.”
— Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA
Wow! That’s a bold statement from one of the most influential figures in modern computing.
But is it true? Some people think so. Others think it’s hype. Most are somewhere in between, aware of OpenClaw, but not entirely sure what to make of it. Are people actually using it? Yes. Who’s using it? More than you might expect. Is it experimental, or is it already changing how work gets done? That depends on how it’s being applied. Is it more relevant for businesses or consumers right now? That’s one of the most important, and most misunderstood, questions.
This article breaks that down clearly: what OpenClaw is, how it works, who is using it today, and where it actually creates value.
What makes OpenClaw different isn’t just the technology, it’s where it fits. Most of the AI tools people are familiar with still require a human to take the next step. They assist, but they don’t execute. OpenClaw changes that dynamic by connecting decision-making directly to action. Once you understand that shift, the rest of the discussion, who’s using it, how it’s being deployed, and where it creates value, starts to make a lot more sense.
Top 10 Questions About OpenClaw
What is OpenClaw?
OpenClaw is an open-source AI agent framework that enables large language models like Claude, GPT, and Gemini to execute real-world tasks across software systems, including APIs, files, and workflows.
What does OpenClaw actually do?
OpenClaw functions as an execution layer that allows AI systems to take actions, such as sending emails, updating CRM records, or running scripts, instead of only generating responses.
Do you need to be a developer to use OpenClaw?
No, but technical familiarity helps. Non-developers can use prebuilt workflows, while developers can customize and scale implementations more effectively.
Is OpenClaw more suited for business or consumer use?
OpenClaw is currently more suited for business and technical use cases where structured workflows exist. Consumer use is emerging but remains secondary.
How is OpenClaw different from ChatGPT or Claude?
ChatGPT and Claude generate outputs, while OpenClaw enables those outputs to trigger actions across connected systems.
Who created OpenClaw?
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- Linux Kernel Developers Adopt New Fuzzing Tools
by George Whittaker
The Linux kernel development community is stepping up its security game once again. Developers, led by key maintainers like Greg Kroah-Hartman, are actively adopting new fuzzing tools to uncover bugs earlier and improve overall kernel reliability.
This move reflects a broader shift toward automated testing and AI-assisted development, as the kernel continues to grow in complexity and scale.
What Is Fuzzing and Why It Matters
Fuzzing is a software testing technique that feeds random or unexpected inputs into a program to trigger crashes or uncover vulnerabilities.
In the Linux kernel, fuzzing has become one of the most effective ways to detect:
Memory corruption bugs Race conditions Privilege escalation flaws Edge-case failures in subsystems
Modern fuzzers like Syzkaller have already discovered thousands of kernel bugs over the years, making them a cornerstone of Linux security testing.
New Tools Enter the Scene
Recently, kernel maintainers have begun experimenting with new fuzzing frameworks and tooling, including a project internally referred to as “clanker”, which has already been used to identify multiple issues across different kernel subsystems.
Early testing has uncovered bugs in areas such as:
SMB/KSMBD networking code USB and HID subsystems Filesystems like F2FS Wireless and device drivers
The speed at which these issues were discovered suggests that these new tools are significantly improving bug detection efficiency.
AI and Smarter Fuzzing Techniques
One of the most interesting developments is the growing role of AI and machine learning in fuzzing.
New research projects like KernelGPT use large language models to:
Automatically generate system call sequences Improve test coverage Discover previously hidden execution paths
These techniques can enhance traditional fuzzers by making them smarter about how they explore the kernel’s behavior.
Other advancements include:
Better crash analysis and deduplication tools (like ECHO) Configuration-aware fuzzing to explore deeper kernel states Feedback-driven fuzzing loops for improved coverage
Together, these innovations help developers focus on the most meaningful bugs rather than sifting through duplicate reports.
Why This Shift Is Happening Now
The Linux kernel is one of the most complex software projects in existence. With millions of lines of code and contributions from thousands of developers, manually catching every bug is nearly impossible.
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- GNOME 50 Reaches Arch Linux: A Leaner, Wayland-Only Future Arrives
by George Whittaker
Arch Linux users are among the first to experience the latest GNOME desktop, as GNOME 50 has begun rolling out through Arch’s repositories. Thanks to Arch’s rolling-release model, new upstream software like GNOME arrives quickly, giving users early access to the newest features and architectural changes.
With GNOME 50, that includes one of the most significant shifts in the desktop’s history.
A Major GNOME Milestone
GNOME 50, officially released in March 2026 under the codename “Tokyo,” represents six months of development and refinement from the GNOME community.
Unlike some previous versions, this release focuses less on dramatic redesigns and more on strengthening the foundation of the desktop, improving performance, modernizing graphics handling, and simplifying long-standing complexities.
For Arch Linux users, that translates into a more streamlined and future-ready desktop environment.
Goodbye X11, Hello Wayland-Only Desktop
The headline change in GNOME 50 is the complete removal of X11 support from GNOME Shell and its window manager, Mutter.
After years of gradual transition:
X11 sessions were first deprecated Then disabled by default And now fully removed in GNOME 50
This means GNOME now runs exclusively on Wayland, with legacy X11 applications handled through XWayland compatibility layers.
The result is a simpler, more modern graphics stack that reduces maintenance overhead and improves long-term performance and security.
Improved Graphics and Display Handling
GNOME 50 brings several key improvements to display and graphics performance:
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) enabled by default Better fractional scaling support Improved compatibility with NVIDIA drivers Enhanced HDR and color management
These changes aim to deliver smoother animations, more responsive desktops, and better support for modern displays.
For gamers and users with high-refresh monitors, these upgrades are especially noticeable.
Performance and Responsiveness Gains
Beyond graphics, GNOME 50 includes multiple performance optimizations:
Faster file handling in the Files (Nautilus) app Improved thumbnail generation Reduced stuttering in animations Better resource usage across the desktop
These refinements make the desktop feel more responsive, particularly on systems with demanding workloads or multiple monitors.
New Parental Controls and Accessibility Features
GNOME 50 also expands its focus on usability and accessibility.
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- MX Linux Pushes Back Against Age Verification: A Stand for Privacy and Open Source Principles
by George Whittaker
The MX Linux project has taken a firm stance in a growing controversy across the Linux ecosystem: mandatory age-verification requirements at the operating system level. In a recent update, the team made it clear, they have no intention of implementing such measures, citing concerns over privacy, practicality, and the core philosophy of open-source software.
As governments begin introducing laws that could require operating systems to collect user age data, MX Linux is joining a group of projects resisting the shift.
What Sparked the Debate?
The discussion around age verification stems from new legislation, particularly in regions like the United States and Brazil, that aims to protect minors online. These laws may require operating systems to:
Collect user age or date of birth during setup Provide age-related data to applications Enable content filtering based on age categories
At the same time, underlying Linux components such as systemd have already begun exploring technical changes, including storing birthdate fields in user records to support such requirements.
MX Linux Says “No” to Age Verification
In response, the MX Linux team has clearly rejected the idea of integrating age verification into their distribution. Their reasoning is rooted in several key concerns:
User privacy: Collecting age data introduces sensitive personal information into systems that traditionally avoid such tracking Feasibility: Implementing consistent, secure age verification across a decentralized OS ecosystem is highly complex Philosophy: Open-source operating systems are not designed to act as data collectors or gatekeepers
The developers emphasized that they do not want to burden users with intrusive requirements and instead encouraged concerned individuals to direct their efforts toward policymakers rather than Linux projects.
A Broader Resistance in the Linux Community
MX Linux is not alone. The Linux world is divided on how, or whether, to respond to these regulations.
Some projects are exploring compliance, while others are pushing back entirely. In fact, age verification laws have sparked:
Strong debate among developers and maintainers Concerns about enforceability on open-source platforms New projects explicitly created to resist such requirements
In some extreme cases, distributions have even restricted access in certain regions to avoid legal complications.
Why This Matters
At its core, this issue goes beyond a single feature, it raises fundamental questions about what an operating system should be.
Linux has long stood for:
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- LibreOffice Drives Europe’s Open Source Shift: A Growing Push for Digital Sovereignty
by George Whittaker
LibreOffice is increasingly at the center of Europe’s push toward open-source adoption and digital independence. Backed by The Document Foundation, the widely used office suite is playing a key role in helping governments, institutions, and organizations reduce reliance on proprietary software while strengthening control over their digital infrastructure.
Across the European Union, this shift is no longer experimental, it’s becoming policy.
A Broader Movement Toward Open Source
Europe has been steadily moving toward open-source technologies for years, but recent developments show clear acceleration. Governments and public institutions are actively transitioning away from proprietary platforms, often citing concerns about vendor lock-in, cost, and data control.
According to recent industry data, European organizations are adopting open source faster than their U.S. counterparts, with vendor lock-in concerns cited as a major driver.
LibreOffice sits at the center of this trend as a mature, fully open-source alternative to traditional office suites.
LibreOffice as a Strategic Tool
LibreOffice isn’t just another productivity application, it has become a strategic component in Europe’s digital policy framework.
The software:
Is fully open source and community-driven Supports open standards like OpenDocument Format (ODF) Allows governments to avoid dependency on specific vendors Enables long-term control over data and infrastructure
These characteristics align closely with the European Union’s broader strategy to promote interoperability and transparency through open standards.
Government Adoption Across Europe
LibreOffice adoption is already happening at scale across multiple countries and sectors.
Examples include:
Germany (Schleswig-Holstein): transitioning tens of thousands of government systems to Linux and LibreOffice Denmark: replacing Microsoft Office in public institutions as part of a broader digital sovereignty initiative France and Italy: deploying LibreOffice across ministries and defense organizations Spain and local governments: adopting LibreOffice to standardize workflows and reduce costs
In some cases, migrations involve hundreds of thousands of systems, demonstrating that open-source office software is viable at national scale.
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- From Linux to Blockchain: The Infrastructure Behind Modern Financial Systems
by George Whittaker
The modern internet is built on open systems. From the Linux kernel powering servers worldwide to the protocols that govern data exchange, much of today’s digital infrastructure is rooted in transparency, collaboration, and decentralization. These same principles are now influencing a new frontier: financial systems built on blockchain technology.
For developers and system architects familiar with Linux and open-source ecosystems, the rise of cryptocurrency is not just a financial trend, it is an extension of ideas that have been evolving for decades.
Open-Source Foundations and Financial Innovation
Linux has long demonstrated the power of decentralized development. Instead of relying on a single authority, it thrives through distributed contributions, peer review, and community-driven improvement.
Blockchain technology follows a similar model. Networks like Bitcoin operate on open protocols, where consensus is achieved through distributed nodes rather than centralized control. Every transaction is verified, recorded, and made transparent through cryptographic mechanisms.
For those who have spent years working within Linux environments, this architecture feels familiar. It reflects a shift away from trust-based systems toward verification-based systems.
Understanding the Stack: Nodes, Protocols, and Interfaces
At a technical level, cryptocurrency systems are composed of multiple layers. Full nodes maintain the blockchain, validating transactions and ensuring network integrity. Lightweight clients provide access to users without requiring full data replication. On top of this, exchanges and platforms act as interfaces that connect users to the underlying network.
For developers, interacting with these systems often involves APIs, command-line tools, and automation scripts, tools that are already integral to Linux workflows. Managing wallets, verifying transactions, and monitoring network activity can all be integrated into existing development environments.
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