● 02.19.23

Gemini version available ♊︎

● Links 19/02/2023: Parole Media Player 4.18 and Linux 6.2 Released

Posted in News Roundup at 9:38 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNU/Linux

Server

• However, its growth has not been without controversies. Its content neutrality policy has been criticised, with it providing service to cybercriminals and sites containing hate speech and far-right content. In 2017 a buffer overflow in Cloudflare’s code caused private information from a small percentage of requests, such as authentication tokens, to be leaked.

Audiocasts/Shows

• The conversation that was wrapped around immutable operating systems and Wayland went a lot deeper than I thought it would.

Kernel Space

• More than two months in the works, Linux kernel 6.2 (codename ) is here to introduce protective load balancing (PLB) for the IPv6 stack, support for the Intel “asynchronous exit notification” mechanism, a new FineIBT control-flow integrity mechanism for x86, and further improvements to the new Rust infrastructure.

• Linux 6.2 also comes with a new tool called RV (Runtime Verification) that can control the operation of the runtime verification subsystem, a new framework to handle compute-acceleration devices, support for user-defined BPF objects, as well as a new sysctl knob for controlling the way the split lock detector works when in “warn” mode on x86.

• Get ready, as the Linux 6.2 merge window is about to be unveiled! This will mark the official commencement of a two-week period in which all new features and changes for Linux 6.3 are incorporated into one release.

• Takashi Iwai, the maintainer of the Linux sound subsystem, submitted the latest audio driver updates ahead of time for the upcoming Linux 6.3 cycle, which will start today with its official release of the Linux 6.2 stable kernel.

• Get ready for a brand new Linux experience with the forthcoming launch of Linux 6.3! As the Linux dev team prepares to debut the stable version of Linux 6.2 today, we can also look forward to all the exciting Intel changes set to be revealed in this next major release.

Applications

• Xfce’s Parole media player announced the 4.18.0 released a day ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 22.10 and their based systems.

• Parole is a modern simple video player based on the GStreamer. It’s an free opensource app fit well in the lightweight XFCE desktop, though also works in other Linux desktops.

• The new version 4.18.0 was released last night. It’s been more than 2 years since the last release, there’s however NO big changes but only bug-fixes, minor improvements, and translation updates.

• I’m traveling this week, so this is a very short recap. Week highlights: major changes in Krita, new releases of KiCad, Glaxnimate, CAD Sketcher for Blender, Ardour, and Yoshimi.

Instructionals/Technical

• Vim is a popular text editor that is known for its powerful and efficient editing features. One of the most common tasks that you will perform when editing text is deleting lines. In Vim, there are several ways to delete lines, from deleting a single line to deleting all the lines in a file. I

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Nvidia Drivers on Fedora 37.

• This guide shows you two ways to install the latest Firefox on Debian 11, so you can enjoy all the latest features and improvements.

• Have you ever worked in a Linux or Unix-based environment and used the command line interface to interact with your system? If so, then you’ve likely used Bash, a powerful shell environment that allows you to run programs and scripts, manage files and directories, and perform a wide range of other tasks.

• In this article, we will discuss how to configure Iptables for IPv6 networks, including the basics of IPv6 addressing, the structure of IPv6 firewall rules, and some practical examples.

• The Secure Shell (SSH) protocol allows for encrypted remote system management and file transfers across untrusted networks. SSH protects the connection between a server and a client by employing several encryption techniques, protecting the users’ instructions, authentication, and output from unwanted access and assaults. SSH is widely utilized in data centers and by nearly every organization operating on UNIX variations.

• LibreWolf is a privacy-focused, free, open-source web browser built from the Firefox source code. It is designed to prioritize user privacy and security by disabling features that may compromise them, such as telemetry and data collection.

• Darktable is a free and open-source photography workflow software designed to help photographers manage and edit their digital images. With a wide range of features, Darktable provides a comprehensive solution for organizing, processing, and enhancing photos. Some benefits of using Darktable include non-destructive editing, which means that your original photo remains untouched.

• Synaptic Package Manager is a graphical user interface (GUI) for managing software packages on Linux systems, particularly those that use the Debian package management system, such as Ubuntu. It provides an easy-to-use visual interface for searching, installing, updating, and removing software packages, making it a popular tool for system administrators and everyday Linux users.

Games

• This is a huge milestone, following the last piece of news in Q4 2022 when better compatibility was achieved.

• We are back with our usual monthly update! Boiling Steam looks at the latest data dumps from ProtonDB to give you a quick list of new games that work (pretty much? see ratings) perfectly with Proton since they were released

• Between 2023-02-12 and 2023-02-19 there were 110 new games validated for the Steam Deck. H

• In the latest Client Beta available for Desktop Steam and Steam Deck, Valve put in a new feature to help you transferring games.

• Even more options to upgrade your Steam Deck SSD! The folks at iFixit have begun offering SSDs and upgrade kits.

• When I first started to make games back in the middle ages, there was very little in the way of academic discussion regarding how to do it.

Desktop Environments/WMs

K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt

• Have been adding music to my Plex server this weekend. Part of that is cleaning up metadata before adding to Plex. Curating my music collection is one of those things that’s relaxing but also frustrating.Relaxing because I get a weird enjoyment out of using Picard and Kid3 to clean up tags before putting things into Plex. Frustrating because there’s lots of corner cases and things that Plex and other music players aren’t well designed to handle. For example, I’d like to be able to make mixtapes (playlists) more easily and have them be portable. (e.g., I’d like to make mixtapes that I can load onto my phone and Plex.)

• Found myself going down the proverbial rabbit hole on reading about other peoples’ complaints around music tagging: [...]

GNOME Desktop/GTK

• It has been a while since my last post, so I figured I just picked up a topic that has been around my mind lately.

• After I ported the RSVG Pixbuf Loader to Rust (although I gave up the meson-fu to Federico and Bilal) I decided that maybe I should give a try at porting the WebP Pixbuf Loader.

• webp-pixbuf-loader is probably the only FOSS project I have started on my own that I have managed to maintain in the long run without orphaning or giving it up to someone else. I wrote it out of curiosity and it turns out plenty of people find it rather useful as webp is pretty popular for storing comic book backups and other media.

• The WebP Pixbuf Loader is relatively small although ever since animation support was contributed it grew quite a bit. I’ve been handling a couple of issues ranging from endianness to memory leaks, I thought it was probably worth the while to give it some Rusty love.

Distributions and Operating Systems

Debian Family

• With only three or four months left until the Debian GNU/Linux 12 “Bookworm” hits the streets, the development team is hard at work preparing the Debian Installer with new features and improvements. The biggest changes so far are the inclusion of non-free firmware by default and the move to Linux kernel 6.1 LTS in the official images.

• That right there is very good news for fans of the Debian GNU/Linux operating system who aim to install the Bookworkm series this summer. Both the inclusion of non-free firmware packages and the long-term supported Linux 6.1 LTS kernel, which will receive updates until December 2026, will definitely boost hardware support for new installations.

Canonical/Ubuntu Family

• Cloud computing security coverage for the operating system and the entire collection of software packages for 10 years with Ubuntu.

• Set up secure air gapped network and automate hardening, patch management and standards like CIS, DISA-STIG and FIPS 140-2 certifications on Ubuntu.

Open Hardware/Modding

• Building a Raspberry PI Pico car is a great project for people wishing to create their own robot and is a funny way to get

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

GNU Projects

• GDB is a powerful and free source-level debugger that can be used for debugging programs written in Ada, C, C++, Fortran, Go Rust, and other languages. Not only can you debug your code on dozen different processor architectures with GDB, but it also has the capability to run on most of the popular GNU/Linux, Unix as well as Microsoft Windows systems.

• Today marks the exciting release of GDB 13.1, the latest version of GNU Debugger, an open-source code debugging solution designed to help you find and resolve errors quickly and easily.

• The latest GNU Debugger (13.1) builds upon its already powerful suite, adding LoongArch and C-SKY processor architecture support for GDB and GDB Server running on Linux machines – now with floating point capabilities!

Leftovers

• Turkey on Sunday said rescue efforts following last week’s devastating earthquake had ended in all but two provinces as visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $100 million in fresh humanitarian aid.

• Dr. Sanjay Gupta breaks down how some people are able to survive for many days under the rubble, and why some international rescue teams adhere to “the rules of fours.”

Science

• “Deceptively advanced.”

Hardware

• The ‘Malacca dilemma’ is generally considered to top China’s list of strategic concerns. The narrow strait linking the Indian and Pacific oceans serves as the conduit for around 60% of China’s oil imports.

Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

• US Sen. Sherrod Brown echoed officials’ beliefs Sunday that the water and air are safe in East Palestine, Ohio, after a train carrying hazardous materials derailed there earlier this month, but he acknowledged that residents are “right to be skeptical.”

• “We think the water is safe, but when you return to your home, you should be tested again for your water and your soil and your air.”

• Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is warning the CEO of Norfolk Southern that the freight rail company must “demonstrate unequivocal support for the people” of East Palestine, Ohio, and surrounding areas

• Here’s the bottom line on the East Palestine, Ohio horror so far: The White House doesn’t care about what happens to average Americans.

• They’re on the move.

• Bread with benefits.

Proprietary

• Meta is testing a subscription service which will allow Instagram and Facebook users to pay to get verified, Mark Zuckerberg announced on Instagram Sunday.

Security

• Reventics LLC is a business associate in Colorado offering revenue cycle management, clinical documentation, and quality improvement services. On or about December 15, 2022, Reventics detected some anomalies in its systems and discovered an intrusion and encryption of its files. Some of those files contained protected health information (PHI) of patients. On December 27, an investigation by external consultants confirmed that PHI had been accessed and exfiltrated.

• The information that may have been compromised potentially included first and last name, date of birth, healthcare provider’s name and address, health plan name, the numeric codes used to identify services and procedures patients received, and descriptions of these codes.

• In today’s increasingly digital world, cybersecurity is becoming an essential skill for citizens. With the rise of cyber threats, it is crucial for citizens to be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect themselves and their personal information. To address this need, Finland has launched the Cyber Citizen Project, in collaboration with Aalto University and the Ministry of Transport and Communications, to create a common model for teaching cybersecurity skills to citizens in the EU Member States.

• On February 3, Rise notified HHS of a hacking incident. In a notification sent to the California Attorney General’s Office on Edgepark’s behalf, Edgepark wrote that Rise detected an incident on November 14, and on December 2, its investigation determined that a file containing Edgepark data was involved in the breach. Rise notified Edgepark on December 5.

• Sometimes I download a Windows executable and when I run it, I get an error message “Unsupported 16-bit Application”:

• An undated notice about a “vendor incident” on mscript’s website states mscripts recently learned of an incident involving potential unauthorized access to a cloud storage asset, but the notice does not name any vendor as being responsible for the security of the asset.

Defence/Aggression

• North Korea said Sunday it had test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile as a warning to Washington and Seoul, saying the successful “surprise” drill demonstrated Pyongyang’s capacity to launch a “fatal nuclear counterattack”.

• Monday’s missile launch is the North’s third major weapons test this year.

• US military intelligence indicates China is considering supporting the Kremlin’s war effort in Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

• Conroy brushed aside criticism regarding the embassy and said Ukrainians were interested in Australia’s defence assistance, not its diplomatic footprint, after meeting with Ukraine’s deputy defence minister.

• Most opposition parties said that Finland need not necessarily wait for Sweden’s accession to be approved.

• Local leaders of the National Coalition Party said they were surprised to hear that a local NCP councillor is advocating an armed uprising in his native Nigeria.

• F

• A Canadian media report said Beijing had interfered in the 2021 federal elections.

• As the anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine approaches, a Russian warship armed with one of Moscow’s most powerful weapons pulled into a port on South Africa’s east coast this weekend.

• South Korea says North Korea has fired a ballistic missile toward the sea

• North Korea fired at least one unidentified ballistic missile into the waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula on Monday, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

• The Latvian Basketball Association (LBS), as well as the basketball organizations of eight other countries – Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Finland and Sweden – have withdrawn their members from participation in the FIBA Wilead program, whose members have just included representatives from Russia and Belarus, the LETa newswire reported.

• Checking up on the progress of the construction works for Rail Baltica during a visit last week, the German Transport Minister signaled his country`s strong support for the project – not least because Russia´s war in Ukraine has given the train connection clear geostrategic importance.

• Finnish President Sauli Niinisto spoke with FRANCE 24’s Marc Perelman during the Munich Security Conference. The president discussed Finland’s plans to join NATO, whether Western leaders misjudged Russian President Vladimir Putin prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and whether there is a risk that Russian military action will expand further into Europe.

• The Dutch government said Saturday that around 10 Russian diplomats will have to leave the Netherlands due to their repeated attempts to employ intelligence officers in diplomatic missions. The Netherlands is accusing Moscow of using diplomatic cover for espionage.

• The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine dominated this year’s Munich Security Conference, which concluded on February 19 with vows of additional support for Kyiv and pleas for even more aid highlighting the activity.

• Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will travel to Kyiv on February 20 to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a political source said.

• Several thousand people protested in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, against President Maia Sandu and the country’s pro-Western government on February 19, with many in the crowd linked to the Russia-friendly Shor Party.

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 19 said Iran was responsible for a reported attack on an oil tanker last week.

• Recent statistics show that despite the extreme propaganda promoted by the EU and its member states, 39% of Europeans still doubt Ukraine’s victory in its war against Russia. The Eupinions survey, conducted across the European Union, revealed that and average of 61% of respondents believe in a Ukrainian victory, while 39% are sceptical about it.

Environment

Wildlife/Nature

• Good news for the cows of the sea. A Florida coalition of government agencies, wildlife rehabilitation groups and conservation organizations has released an “unprecedented” 12 manatees into the wild in a single day, according to a news release from the Save the Manatee Club.

• Twelve cheetahs have arrived in India as part of efforts to revive the species after decades of extinction.

Finance

• The Sydney public hospital now controlled in the Cayman Islands is not subject to penalties for healthcare failures. Michael West reports on calls for a public inquiry into the privatisation and performance of Northern Beaches Hospital.

• Analysts say the government will face challenge reviving investor confidence and get people spending again

• Representatives of port operators and workers’ groups resumed talks at the National Conciliator’s office on Sunday as an ongoing strike hampers exports and postal deliveries.

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

• In recent years, the inflation rate in Pakistan has been on the rise, making it difficult for people to maintain a decent standard of living. As a result, many Pakistanis are considering the option of moving abroad to escape the impact of inflation on their finances.

• President Azali Assoumani of the Union of Comoros has taken over the rotating Chairperson of the African Union (AU) for 2023 during the 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union held February 18 at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

• Last year, while Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced at length the West’s historical depredations in India, China, and other parts of Asia and Africa, and cast Russia as the leader of a global anti-colonial alliance against a “racist” and “neo-colonial” West, recognizes Pankaj Mishra, a Bloomberg opinion columnist.

• Reporter Seymour Hersh (photo) on Democracy Now. An emission “How America Took Out the Nord Stream Pipeline” with his big revelations: – I’m just writing about inside baseball stuff. It’s the normal things you do. They set up in (White House) a committee to think of options. Russia was clearly going to go.

• After China officially announced its Belt and Road initiative, the Israeli side worked from the outset to be an essential and genuine part of it.

• The African Union insisted on Sunday it had “zero tolerance” for undemocratic changes of power and vowed to push through a continent-wide free trade deal as it wrapped up a two-day summit.

• In Brazil, Rio de Janeiro’s famous carnival is back in full swing and a little different this year. Following the failed January 8 coup attempt in Brasilia, Rio City Council has decided to inject a political element into the festivities by distributing banners celebrating democracy. The famous street brass bands known as “blocos” have also decided to take part in denouncing the recent anti-democratic stunt. FRANCE 24′s correspondants Perrine Juan, Louise Raulais and Jan Onoszko attended the festivities in Brazil.

Censorship/Free Speech

• Russia on Sunday blocked access to The Bell, a news outlet founded by one of Russia’s top journalists…

• Ron DeSantis should be careful of the company he keeps.

• Author Salman Rushdie weighed in this weekend on the decision to edit the popular children’s books by Roald Dahl to make them more inclusive, calling the move “absurd censorship.”

• Driving the news: The Telegraph reported Friday that Dahl’s publisher and the Roald Dahl Story Company made hundreds of changes to the children’s books to allow them to “be enjoyed by all children today,” the Washington Post reports.

• Recent changes in Dahl’s children’s books were a joint effort by the publisher and the Roald Dahl Story Company, which manages the works’ copyright and trademarks.

Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

• An Afghan journalist was released from detention on February 19 after spending five days in custody in the country’s southern province of Kandahar.

Civil Rights/Policing

• “With emotive delivery of powerful lines, BLACKstage’s rendition of Dominique Morisseau’s play “Pipeline” stunned the crowd on Saturday,” writes Linda Liu.

Gemini* and Gopher

Personal

• Recently a friend of mine who plays Magic: The Gathering wanted to give the Yu-Gi-Oh card game a try. I took a break from Yu-Gi-Oh for a while and wanted a refresher too. The options for getting started have improved a lot since I last looked.

• Master Duel is so much better that Duel Links. It’s the complete game, with tutorials that teach you how to play. I don’t think the tutorials are amazing, but they’re enough to get you started.

• Err, what does economic growth mean? I mean, sure, if a number has been pulled from their car-seat interface, certainly that number could be imagined to go up forever, especially if there are political reasons for it to do so. Someone at an internet retailer once advised me that the graph should always go “up and to the right” when presenting to the powers that be. Not sure why; clearly any rational consumer of information should be able to digest news about reality and not lash out at the messenger. Right?

Technical

• This weekend I helped my brother build and setup his new PC.

• Well, I say “helped” but I really mean I just went over to his place and stood around and chatted. So moral support, I guess? Had a good time hanging out and talking tech. It didn’t take too long to get everything together and Windows 10 installed.

• Sidenote: I’m surprised Microsoft is still charging home users for Windows. The only people buying their own licenses are power users, and those are also the people most willing to give another OS a try. You’d think it would make more sense for them to make the OS free, then make their money by promoting services like they’ve been doing.

Programming

• This is a new version of the fanciest define of all time a.k.a. match-generics.

• 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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