● 07.19.22

Gemini version available ♊︎

● Links 19/07/2022: Qubes OS 4.1.1 and Ubuntu 21.10 End of Life

Posted in News Roundup at 4:20 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNU/Linux

Server

• It is crucial to monitor the availability of your website if you do not want your readers/customers to go away.

• Whether it is an online business or a blog, website downtime can hurt your website’s online presence.

• It is also helpful to know if you picked the right server for your website if you are aware of the downtime. If your server is down for a long time at regular intervals, you need to identify what’s wrong with the server (or the configuration).

• Honestly, it is not always a malicious actor or an issue with a technology that you use; sometimes, it’s just the server that’s at fault.

Audiocasts/Shows

• This week’s episode of Destination Linux, we’re going to be pimping out our terminals. We’re going to give you all the tips you need to look like an elite hacker even if you only know apt update and apt upgrade. Then we will be discussing water cooling your Linux laptop. Plus, we have our tips/tricks and software picks. All this and more coming up right now on Destination Linux to keep those penguins marching!

Applications

• Running a blog like this means I need to keep one eye on the size of screenshots I use in posts — the smaller the images I upload the faster the page loads for you.

• Thus having access to a good image compressor tool is a must.

• Thankfully for those of us being mindful of bandwidth we are spoilt for choice. Not only is there a broad range of image compression apps for Linux, from powerful CLI type through to noob-proof GUI ones, there’s also a veritable surfeit of online compressors (including superbly useful Squoosh, which can work offline).

• Thing is, I prefer desktop apps where possible.

Instructionals/Technical

• Systemd is a well-known Linux system and service manager. Since Debian 8, systemd has been the default init system. It is compatible with both SysV and LSB init scripts. Therefore it can take the place of sysvinit in some situations.

• GNOME, an acronym for the GNU Network Object Model Environment, is a graphical user interface and set of computer desktop apps for Linux OS users. It is aimed at making Linux OS an easy-to-use OS for non-programmers. With GNOME, you can set the interface to look like Windows or macOS. GNOME is a free and non-proprietary desktop environment for all the major Linux distros, including Fedora Linux, Debian, Ubuntu, Enterprise Linux, Red Hat, SUSE, and others.

• On the other hand, a command-line alias cmd, CLI, prompt, console, or terminal refers to a text-based user interface (UI) utilized in viewing, manipulating, handling, running programs, and managing comp files as interacting with the computer. It is much like Windows Explorer or Finder on the macOS but without the graphical interface.

• GNOME has emerged as the most efficient, reliable, and stable of all the available desktop environments for Linux while retaining its user-friendliness features. GNOME began as a free and open desktop alternative to proprietary options like KDE at the time, and it has been going strong ever since.

• In this guide, we will show you how to install Sublime Merge on Ubuntu systems

• Sublime Merge is a git client. It allows to read a git repository in order to display the differential of the last modifications, the list of submissions (commits) and the branches, among other things.

• It is possible to submit (push) and retrieve (pull) modifications from the interface

• Sublime Merge includes a command line tool, smerge, to work with repositories on the command line. This can be used to open repositories, search, and merge files.

• In this guide, we will show you how to install Strawberry in Ubuntu systems.

• Strawberry is a free audio player for Linux , macOS and Windows. Strawberry has now been ported to Qt 6 and is therefore available for the three major desktop operating systems. It is a music player and collection organizer focused on cataloging your music collection.

• In this article, we will illustrate how to install Zim Desktop wiki on Ubuntu Systems.

• Zim is a graphical text editor used to maintain a collection of wiki pages. Each page can contain links to other pages, simple formatting and images. Pages are stored in a folder structure, like in an outliner, and can have attachments. Creating a new page is as easy as linking to a nonexistent page. All data is stored in plain text files with wiki formatting. Various plugins provide additional functionality, like a task list manager, an equation editor, a tray icon, and support for version control.

• In this guide, we will install WoeUSB on Ubuntu systems

• WoeUSB is a free, open-source simple tool that enables you to create your own USB stick windows installer from an iso image or an actual DVD. I have used it myself to create bootable USB sticks for installing Windows from ISO images, and it has worked flawlessly every time. The interface is straightforward to use.

• It is a simple tool that enable you to create your own usb stick windows installer from an iso image or a real DVD.

• In this article, we will illustrate how to install DeaDBeef player on Ubuntu systems

• DeaDBeeF (as in 0xDEADBEEF) is a modular cross-platform audio player which runs on GNU/Linux distributions, macOS, Windows, *BSD, OpenSolaris, and other UNIX-like systems.

• DeaDBeeF plays a variety of audio formats, converts between them, lets you customize the UI in almost any way you want, and use many additional plugins which can extend it even more.

• The Arduino IDE is free and open-source software to write and upload your programming code. It consists of an editor with features like assisted editing enabled by the compiler so you can do everything from within one program without switching between files or windows as often – it does help streamline things! The tool also enables better compiling because errors will be noticed before uploading. This means less time wasted on coding and more time spent on the project.

• In the following tutorial, you will learn how to install Arduino IDE on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Jammy Jellyfish desktop with APT, Snap, or Flatpak method using the command line terminal along with instructions on how to update and remove the software in the future if required.

• Rocky Linux is a security-focused distribution that offers users a robust firewall feature with FirewallD. For users accustomed to a Graphical User Interface (GUI), the command line may seem daunting because there is no visual representation. However, for those willing to learn the commands, FirewallD provides an easy way to control the firewall and disable or enable access to ports, services, or protocols. The software is also highly customizable so that users can tailor the firewall to their specific needs.

• The following tutorial will teach you how to install and enable FirewallD and install FirewallD GUI on Rocky Linux 9 using the command line terminal.

• Vivaldi is a freeware, cross-platform web browser developed by Vivaldi Technologies. It was created in response to the decline of Opera, as many users were disgruntled when it switched from the Presto layout engine to a Chromium-based browser. Vivaldi is built on the Chromium platform and shares many features with Google Chrome, but it also has some unique features that set it apart. These include built-in email and calendar functionality and advanced tab management options. Vivaldi is also highly customizable, allowing users to change the look and feel of the browser to suit their preferences. As a result of its unique features and user-friendly interface, the browser has become one of the most popular alternative web browsers on the market.

• In the following tutorial, you will learn how to install Vivaldi Browser on Rocky Linux 9 using the command line terminal and the option of Vivaldi stable or Vivaldi snapshot browser versions and how to maintain and remove it in the future.

• So why would you want to find out whether your Linux system is running on SSD or HDD? There are various valid reasons for this question.

• Firstly, you might not be tech-savvy enough to understand the hardware infrastructure associated with your Linux system. Secondly, knowing whether your Linux system runs on SSD or HDD helps set reasonable performance expectations for your Linux machine.

• AppArmor is a Debian-based Mandatory Access Control (MAC) system alternative to SELinux (for RedHat, Fedora, CentOS, AlmaLinux, etc.), allowing you the ability to restrict certain applications or scripts from doing certain things or allowing access to certain resources.

• In this article you’ll learn about AppArmor and how to create a profile for a user-generated script or application, and modify or update permissions for an already existing profile.

• [...]

• However, in some scenarios, you might want to mimic a certain directory structure that already exists maybe for your personal projects or for a files storage system just because that directory structure makes perfect sense and might require a lot of time to completely recreate it from scratch.

• This article will walk us through valid approaches to copying an empty directory structure from already populated directory files in Linux.

• PostgreSQL is a robust, stable, and reliable open-source database management system that has been in use for over 20 years. It’s backed by an active community of developers who contribute their time and expertise to its development, resulting in higher levels of resilience, integrity, and correctness. PostgreSQL powers many web applications, including those from Google Earth Engine Geospatial datastore for analytics software like Tableau. Its features include horizontal scalability, robust SQL compliance, and advanced data types such as JSON and XML support. In addition, PostgreSQL is open source software, meaning it can be freely used, modified, and distributed. As a result, it’s an attractive option for powering large-scale web applications.

• The following tutorial will teach you how to install PostgreSQL 14 on Rocky Linux using the command line terminal and some basic configuration and setup tips.

• Discord is a cross-platform application that can be used for voice calling, video calling, text messaging, and sharing media and files.

• It is extremely popular among gamers and streamers. Although, many open source projects have started using it for hosting their community discussion. You can find official Discord servers for such open source communities.

• Discord can be accessed straight from your web browser. Installing the official desktop client gives you system notifications and focused communication rather than fumbling for the Discord tab among multiple opened tabs.

• We cannot confidently call ourselves Linux file management experts without the mastery of text processing. Three known command-line tools (grep, sed, and awk) have built their reputation as Linux text processors. They come pre-installed on all major Linux operating system distributions hence no need to query their existence via a Linux package manager.

• Despite grep, sed, and awk commands being uniquely attributed in their text processing functionalities, some simple scenarios force their functionalities to slightly overlap.

• For instance, all these three commands can comfortably query the possibility of a file pattern match and forward the query results to standard output.

• Grunt is a node-based task runner that helps developers automate common tasks during the software development process. It can be used to compile code, run tests, and more. grunt is easy to install and configure, and it can be used with any programming language.

• Grunt is available as a free, open-source tool, that is typically used in conjunction with other tools, such as Git and npm. A grunt is a powerful tool that can help developers save time and improve their workflow.

• In this blog post, you will learn to install Grunt on Ubuntu systems.

• Linux distros come with lots of possibilities to develop new innovative ideas, however, while doing that you may face some errors, especially the newbies, who are yet developing skills to become a proficient Linux user… Out of hundreds of errors that may appear in Linux OS due to any bug or because of our mistakes, recently I faced the one: here is that:

• W: Unable to parse package file /var/lib/dpkg/status (1) E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened. W: _cache->open() failed, please report.

• I got this error because, by mistake, I deleted the Status file, the reason for this error in your case might be different.

• OpenLDAP is a software implementation of the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). This guide will teach you how to set up LDAP Server with OpenLDAP and LDAP Account Manager on the Ubuntu 22.04 server. This guide also will teach how to set up LDAP users and how to set up an LDAP Account Manager for managing the OpenLDAP server.

Distributions and Operating Systems

New Releases

• We’re pleased to announce the stable release of Qubes 4.1.1! This release aims to consolidate all the security patches, bug fixes, and upstream template OS upgrades that have occurred since the initial Qubes 4.1.0 release in February. Our goal is to provide a secure and convenient way for users to install (or reinstall) the latest stable Qubes release with an up-to-date ISO.

Arch Family

• We have recently began a repackaging of [nonsystemd] packages (see #3290). The displaymanager-openrc package has been removed and specific init scripts have been added for their respective display manager (e.g. sddm-openrc for sddm, gdm-openrc for gdm and so on with lxdm, xdm and lightdm)

Canonical/Ubuntu Family

• This is a follow-up to the End of Life warning sent earlier to confirm that as of July 14, 2022, Ubuntu 21.10 is no longer supported. No more package updates will be accepted to 21.10, and it will be archived to old-releases.ubuntu.com in the coming weeks.

• The original End of Life warning follows, with upgrade instructions:

• Ubuntu announced its 21.10 (Impish Indri) release almost 9 months ago, on October 14, 2021, and its support period is now nearing its end. Ubuntu 21.10 will reach end of life on July 14, 2022.

• The Ubuntu 21.10 (“Impish Indri”) release is no longer supported as of July 14; users who are on that version will want to look into upgrading soon.

• Welcome to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter, Issue 744 for the week of July 10 – 16, 2022.

Open Hardware/Modding

• Elecrow CrowPi L is an 11.6-inch laptop shell based on Raspberry Pi 4 designed for STEM education with optional electronics modules and tutorials. That’s an evolution of the CrowPi 2 laptop I reviewed in 2020 with a thinner design and more flexible since the electronics modules are optional, so it can serve the market of people just wanting a Raspberry Pi 4 laptop.

• The company has sent me a full “CrowPi L Advanced Kit” for review with the CrowPi L laptop fitted with a Raspberry Pi 4, as well as the Crowtail Starter Kit for Raspberry Pi.

• Normally, robotic arms are controlled by a GUI running on a host PC, or with some kind of analog system that maps human inputs to various degrees of rotation. However, Instructables user Maurizio Miscio was able to build a custom robotic arm that is completely self-contained — thanks to companion mobile app that resides on an old smartphone housed inside a control box.

• Miscio started his project by making 3D models of each piece, most of which were 3D-printed. These included the gripper, various joints that each give a single axis of rotation, and a large circular base that acts as a stable platform on which the arm can spin. He then set to work attaching five servo motors onto each rotational axis, along with a single SG90 micro servo motor for the gripper. These motors were connected to an Arduino Uno that also had an HC-05 Bluetooth® serial module for external communication.

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

• Consider what would happen if you were using one of the software applications that you have purchased by paying a hefty amount to the company and which you have been using for a decade without any issues.

• Although you know, this was the only application that could do specific work, and there was no alternative option to this application available on the market. Therefore, you couldn’t even imagine your life without that software.

• But unfortunately, one day, the company announced that we will not provide further updates or support to this particular application because they are shutting down their company due to some internal conflict. You will be under immense stress after hearing the announcement and finding a way out of this situation but you can’t do that because you don’t have the necessary resources to update an application.

• Now you are stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Web Browsers

Mozilla

• Dale Harvey implemented an experimental Quick Actions feature in the Address Bar

Programming/Development

• Yes, you can modify the source code of the Qt framework. You can also distribute products using the modified source code, as long it is in object form. You can also share the modified source code with the Qt Company for possible inclusion in upcoming releases.

• Time flies ! Now I have reached to middle of my outreachy internship. This blog post will throw some light on my journey till now .

Leftovers

Monopolies

Patents

• Some models of Oppo and OnePlus mobile phones will not be sold in Germany following a ruling by a Mannheim court in favour of Finnish telecommunications equipment vendor Nokia over a patent.

• The ruling, by a regional court in the southwestern German city, was the second in as many months and said Oppo’s use of some 5G and 4G technologies infringed Nokia’s patents, according to a report in the South China Morning Post, which cited a statement from the Finnish firm.

• The first ruling was issued in June. Oppo and OnePlus are both owned by Chinese firm B.B.K. Electronics which also owns the vivo, realme and iQoo brands.

• Oppo constantly ranks as the fourth selling smartphone brand after Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi. Neither Nokia nor Oppo’s owners have issued a public statement about the case.

Gemini* and Gopher

Personal

• I’ve been calling myself an anarchist for all these years, and I feel like a colossal hypocrite for putting so much of my energy into fighting (occasionally viscous fights) to make “leftist” spaces “more prefigurative”¹ while I neglected building more of the kinds of relationships that are going to get me through the coming decades.

Technical

• So I’m watching this video on a mouse/scanner combo thing when at the very end, Cathode Ray Dude [1] goes on a rant about the companies that make modern consumer electronics [2] that I found amusing. I also think it’s a sad state of affairs that I agree with his sentiment that most consumer electronic companies exist just to get bought out and not to sell a viable product.

Internet/Gemini

• I run a BBS (Bulletin Board System) on the Mystic BBS software which I find fun because it brings back memories of connecting to BBS when I was much younger before the Internet was popular.

• It is nostalgic to see the chuncky text and ansi graphics when I connect using a client like Netrunner or Syncterm however most of the time, I am not interested in the nostalgia but just to connect quickly to check for messages or any new activity.

• Since discovering gemini, this has stolen some of the time that I previously would have spent working on the BBS or chatting there or other improvements.

• I want to increase the amount that I interact in a positive way with others in the Geminispace, which includes promoting more of what other people are working on, and understanding and respecting the motivations for those others who are using this tech

• Even the negatives on his list seem like huge positives.

• Technically, he’s wrong here; there’s nothing stopping an RSS feed from getting slathered in JavaScript and CSS and there are many reading apps that will display that.

• But culturally, that practice isn’t very widespread, thankfully, and RSS (including Atom) has been a readers’ bastion similar to what we have here on Gemini. This is a good thing, not a bad.

• I’ve always seen Gemini as kind of similar to RSS; another way to publish your stuff, that’s more reader-friendly. Friendlier to mashups, ebook exports, tours, offline, your own styling, your own font choices, a clean and consistent typography that goes across sites, not just your own.

• Gemini (Primer) links can be opened using Gemini software. It’s like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter. Share in other sites/networks: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. Permalink  Send this to a friend

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