● 03.08.23

Gemini version available ♊︎

● Links 08/03/2023: DeaDBeef 1.9.5 and Linux Format Reaches 300

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

GNU/Linux

• We celebrate the best in open source ever, the Linux kernel and wonder where we’d be without the free software movement. Discover our top picks for the best free software, what the oldest open source projects are and revel in our retro distro reviews!

Applications

• PenPot version 1.0 released on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. Released with the slogan “Bring Design Freedom to your Product team”, it is the first official stable release of the new web-based, collaborative design & prototyping platform. Its purpose is to design User Interface (UI) of any computer program. To many people in UI & UX field, PenPot can be viewed as a very good Free/Open Source Software (FOSS) alternative to Figma. In this article we convey to you the news, introduce it, quick guide to use it and some useful information to learn more about it. Finally, we’d love to say congratulations and welcome to PenPot!

• Paper Clip is a terrifically simple app for editing PDF metadata on Linux.

• The lightweight DeaDBeef music player got an update recently. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 20.04, and Ubuntu 18.04. Just like Audacious did in v4.3, DeaDBeef 1.9.5 added the low-latency PipeWire sound server support.

Instructionals/Technical

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Apache Maven on Linux Mint 21. For those of you who didn’t know, Apache Maven is a popular build automation tool used in Java-based software development projects.

• Hello, friends. Although WhatsApp is incredibly popular in the world, there are those of us who value the privacy and features of other similar applications.

• Secure Shell (SSH) is a protocol used to connect and remotely manage systems over a network securely. It is a crucial tool for Linux Mint users who need to access their systems remotely, transfer files securely, and perform administrative tasks.

• As internet usage continues to grow, it’s crucial to have a fast and reliable network. One way to achieve this is by enabling BBR, a congestion control algorithm developed by Google. BBR (Bottleneck Bandwidth and Round-trip propagation time) optimizes your network’s speed and reliability, ensuring your data gets transmitted faster and more efficiently.

• Pamac AUR Helper is a powerful package manager for Arch-based Linux systems that allows for easy package installation, removal, and updating. It is user-friendly and provides a graphical interface that simplifies the management of software packages.

• There are several reasons a Linux user would want to create a Windows virtual machine, and VirtualBox is easily one of the most popular hypervisors available for Linux. It’s simple to use, easily accessible, and extremely flexible in what it allows you to do with your virtual machines.

• Removing packages from Manjaro Linux can be done easily from the command terminal using your chosen package manager or AUR helper. Pacman is the default package manager for Manjaro Linux and other Arch Linux-based systems, and it is particularly useful for managing packages from official repositories.

Games

• We are going to be at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2023, which will take place in San Francisco from March 20th to March 24th.

Distributions and Operating Systems

• MX Linux has quickly risen in popularity in recent years and is one of the most trending Linux distributions currently. Since most Linux users are very familiar with Ubuntu Linux already, it is common to use it as a base for comparison to other distros like MX Linux. Knowing how these two distributions stack up and compare to each other can lead users to a reliable conclusion about which one would be the best for their preferences and workflow.

• The average user can get overwhelmed when it comes to choosing a Linux distribution to use, just because of the sheer number of choices available. It is common to dip a toe into the Linux pool by installing Ubuntu, before graduating to a different distribution that is more tailored to the individual needs of the user. Could MX Linux be the next step for you?

• In this tutorial, we will compare MX Linux and Ubuntu across a few key areas and give a brief review of both distros. Read on to learn more about MX Linux and Ubuntu and how they compare. By the end of this article, you will be armed with enough information to choose the best distro for your needs.

Canonical/Ubuntu Family

• Word on the street (or rather a tip to my inbox) suggest yes, they are!

• I’m told that there are plans to ship Leleat’s Tiling Assistant GNOME Shell extension as part of the default install in either Ubuntu 23.04 or Ubuntu 23.10. As part of the process the extension is going to be renamed ‘Ubuntu Tiling Assistant’.

• In recent versions of Ubuntu you can drag an app window to the sides of the screen to snap it to to half of the size vertically, or drag a window to the top of the screen to maximise it fully. You can’t currently drag an app to a screen corner to snap it to 25%, nor drag a window to the top to snap it to only 50% of the available horizontal space.

• Linux Mint is a stable and reliable operating system for novice and advanced users. However, like any operating system, it can experience performance issues that can impact many of its in-use features. Luckily, there are ways around this that can help improve the performance of a Linux Mint system, ranging from basic maintenance tasks to more advanced optimizations.

• In this article, we will explore 10 of the most effective tips and tricks for improving the performance of Linux Mint so that you can enjoy a smoother and more responsive computing experience. We all detest when a running Linux system becomes slow or sluggish over time. You might have invested in powerful PC hardware but find it slow when running multiple applications. Linux systems are known for their resilience and speed of processes. However, sometimes processes or services take longer to execute than expected. Here are some helpful tips to improve Linux system performance.

Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

Web Browsers/Web Servers

Mozilla

Programming/Development

• The FreeBSD Project is excited to announce that we will again be serving as a mentoring organization in this year’s Google Summer of Code. If you’ve ever wanted to work with FreeBSD, take advantage of this amazing opportunity. What is Google Summer of Code?

• For some time now we have been working on the request page redesign. This time we have focused on adding comments on changed or removed lines in a diff, supporting add role requests, and enhancing the requests with multiple actions. The request redesign is part of the beta program. We started the redesign of the request workflow in August 2022.

• ELECFREAKS micro:bit XGO Robot Kit is a robotic dog designed for robotics education. It moves realistically and acts like a real pet dog, and can help teach various technology concepts related to mechanical engineering, electronics, programming, and artificial intelligence (AI). The kit support both the BBC Micro:bit V1 and V2 boards which can be programmed with Microsoft MakeCode, Python, the Arduino IDE, and other languages.

Leftovers

• I did an episode of my silly show back in 2015 that dealt with the nonsensical application of slanted bottlecaps on shampoo, thus preventing the orientation of the bottle upside down and letting gravity assist in removing the last of its contents. Like an ocean liner of yore, it was riveting. Riveted. River. Water. Foreshadowing.

Science

• An email contained additional allegations about Marc Tessier-Lavigne’s Alzheimer’s research and the 2011 internal review that former colleagues allege uncovered falsification.

Hardware

• SMIC has to delay deployment of a 300-mm fab due to lack of wafer fab equipment.

Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

• There’s a lot more going on.

Security

• Guest Post: How to _really_ figure out which CA issued a certificate.

• A vulnerability in Toyota Customer 360 CRM platform provided a security researcher with full access to the car maker’s Mexican customers

• Acer said one of its document servers was hacked after a hacker claimed to have stolen 160 Gb of data from the company.

• Kaspersky has seen a surge in attacks on ICS computers in Russia and blames it on the exploitation of a Bitrix CMS vulnerability tracked as CVE-2022-27228.

Privacy/Surveillance

• Berrak Tüzünataç filed a suit first in Türkiye in 2010 against a television channel that filmed her “kissing” another Turkish celebrity “on the terrace” at her home.

• New documents revealed by the ACLU and shared with Gizmodo show the lengths FBI and Pentagon officials went to develop “truly unconstrained” facial recognition capable of being deployed in public street cameras, mobile drones, and cops’ body cameras.

Confidentiality

• The findings of an investigation by professional services firm Deloitte into the Optus data breach, which came to light in September last year, will be known by late May.

• The Council of Granada is a public entity providing direct services to citizens as well as technical, economic, and technological support to the city councils of the municipalities of the province of Granada, Spain.

• On December 29, 2022, the group known as “GhostSec” listed a Granada Council database at dipgra.es for sale, claiming they had almost 7 GB of information. A small sample was provided as proof. The group signed their listing, “~With love GhostSec <3”

• In January, the BianLian ransomware group added an unnamed medical group to their leak site. In February, they also posted a teaser on their BreachForums account. Although neither listing named the victim, DataBreaches was able to figure out that it was the Northeast Surgical Group (“NESG”) in Michigan. DataBreaches reached out to them multiple times, but Northeast Surgical Group did not reply to an inquiry sent via their website contact form on January 28. They did not reply to a contact inquiry sent via Linked on January 29, and they did not reply to another contact form inquiry on February 17.

• Data from NESG was leaked on BreachForums in early February and eventually on BianLian’s dark web leak site, but silence from NESG until they notified 15,298 patients and HHS on or about March 6.

Defence/Aggression

• Guterres and Zelensky will discuss the continuation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in all its aspects, said the statement.

• In February, German parliamentarian Steffen Kotre, from the far-right party AfD (Alternative for Germany), was interviewed on Russian TV by the propagandist Vladimir Soloyvov. Kotre accused Western media of stirring up their populations…

• Vilnius has proposed imposing stricter penalties for sanction breaching after evidence emerged of blacklisted Belarusian firms exporting goods via Lithuania.

• For the first time, Finland and Sweden will take part in this week’s NATO Crisis Management Exercise 2023 in their new status as invitees.

• “I had that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach,” said one picoballoon hobbyist. “We knew it would come eventually. We really didn’t think it would go that way.”

Environment

Energy/Transportation

• The federal judge presiding over the case prosecutors brought against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried says the cryptocurrency entrepreneur can remain on the West Coast while his lawyers attend a hearing Friday. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan set the pretrial hearing in New York City on Tuesday and excused Bankman-Fried from attending.

Wildlife/Nature

• The BBNJ contemplates carrying out environmental impact assessments related to activities such as the installation of renewable energies, mining operations or submarine cables.

Overpopulation

• The ancient Greeks have exerted tremendous influence on western thought and culture, including in the realm of ethics. Yet few today realize that the founders of western political philosophy advocated a steady-state economy and limits to human numbers.

Finance

• The Federal Reserve will likely raise interest rates to a higher peak than previously thought and may consider ratcheting back up the pace of hikes in an effort to cool down a resilient economy, chair Jerome Powell told Congress on Tuesday.

• During a Congressional hearing on Tuesday, Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren went after Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell for his prediction that the unemployment rate will have to increase in order to tame inflation.

• Huge crowds marched across France on Tuesday in a sixth round of protests against President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to raise the retirement age, signalling continued opposition to a controversial reform that polls say up two three-quarters of French women reject.

• France was partly brought to a standstill on Tuesday as millions of protesters took to the streets in one of the biggest strike actions yet. Rejecting the government’s proposed pension reform bill, which includes raising the legal retirement age from 62 to 64, workers across all sectors turned out in force to show their disapproval in nation-wide demonstrations.

• Mark Zuckerberg has started delivering on his promise to make 2023 a “year of efficiency.”

• Sri Lanka’s president says China has given crucial debt restructuring assurances that mean the bankrupt nation could get its bailout package approved soon. President Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament on Tuesday that he has sent a letter of intent to the International Monetary Fund, which he expected to act this month. China owns about 10% of Sri Lanka’s foreign debt, and its delayed assurances were seen as the last hurdle to securing the $2.9 billion bailout package.

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

• Despite the introduction of yet another bipartisan bill that would set the stage for a stateside TikTok ban, the video-sharing app is now allowing creators to offer “premium content behind a paywall” with a feature called Series.

• In a new low for the billionaire, Musk insinuated a former employee’s disability was exaggerated and said he “did no actual work.”

• If you’re not told you are fired, are you really fired? At Twitter, probably. Haraldur Thorleifsson, who until recently was employed at Twitter, logged in to his computer last Sunday to do some work, only to find himself locked out.

• Twitter CEO Elon Musk sank to a new low on Monday night when he laughed at employee Haraldur Thorleifsson, who tweeted at him to ask whether he had been affected by the company’s recent layoffs. Throughout the course of their conversation on Twitter, Thorleifsson confirmed the worst: His days at Twitter were over.

• The Federal Trade Commission is demanding that Twitter turn over a broad array of internal communications, including those related to CEO Elon Musk and outside journalists.

• The Federal Trade Commission has been on a mission to compel Twitter to turn over internal communications and documents related to its ongoing layoffs…

• Fifty-eight years ago on March 7, television viewers saw 500 peaceful demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, teargassed and beaten by police. The marchers were protesting the murder of a young, unarmed Black man and the continued disenfranchisement of Black people in the South.

• The brutal, unprovoked attack sparked national outrage, became known as “Bloody Sunday,” and was a catalyst of the voting rights movement. This march led to the signing and passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by Congress and President Lyndon B. Johnson.

• Elon Musk doesn’t have a great track record of saying things that then come true. Or, put another way, he loves to make promises and then break them. Or, put yet another way: the man is full of it. For instance, he’s repeatedly said his biotech device company, Neuralink, is nearing human trial approval.

• Twitter has seen its share of political bot campaigns, but since spring 2022 there’s been a long-running, highly prolific bot campaign proliferating through Twitter to support former President Donald Trump.

Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

• Russia is continuing its campaign of disinformation around the Ukraine war through advanced social engineering delivered by a threat group tracked as TA499.

Censorship/Free Speech

• Workers at a refuse point in Kwai Chung Estate, a Hong Kong public housing estate, have removed art works that were displayed on the walls, telling HKFP they had been told to do so by the Housing Department.

Civil Rights/Policing

• Fans of Bursaspor displayed racist banners and threw objects onto the pitch during a Sunday game against Amedspor, a team based in the Kurdish-majority Diyarbakır city.

• Canada’s lax laws have made it a ‘dumping ground’ for products made with slave labour…

• A proposed law in Arkansas that would remove the age verification process for children entering the workforce is set to be signed by governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders after it passed the state legislature on March 6.

Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

• Gigi Sohn, Joe Biden’s pick to end a nearly two-year deadlock in the Federal Communications Commission, withdrew her nomination Tuesday. The exit, which Sohn blamed on stonewalling from dark money groups, means the FCC will remain without any one-party majority for the foreseeable future.

• Today, consumer champion and Federal Communications Commission nominee with more than 30 years of experience advocating for the public interest, Gigi Sohn, withdrew her nomination to serve as a Commissioner. President Biden previously nominated Ms. Sohn in October of 2021.

• We now have a path forward to ending digital discrimination, but it will require strong, enforceable rules for broadband providers.

• Chris Lewis, President and CEO of Public Knowledge, testifies before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on reigning in dominant platforms.

Monopolies

• The US Department of Justice (DOJ) Tuesday filed a civil antitrust complaint to block JetBlue’s proposed $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit Airlines. The DOJ’s complaint alleged that JetBlue’s acquisition will negatively impact millions of consumers.

• The Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit on Tuesday to block JetBlue’s planned $3.8 billion takeover of Spirit Airlines, alleging the merger of low-cost airline rivals would increase ticket prices and lessen options for travelers.

• Why it matters: Critics of the deal — which would make JetBlue the fifth-largest domestic airline — have argued that it’s against the public interest and would harm competition.

Trademarks

Copyrights

• Munsell envisioned his atlas as a system akin to musical notation, which would liberate visual description from commercially-driven colour names.

• The Musicians’ Union vows to fight job cuts at BBC Symphony, BBC Concert, BBC Philharmonic, and BBC Singers. The Musicians’ Union (MU) is in urgent talks with the BBC to save jobs after the corporation’s proposals to make cuts across the BBC Performing Groups.

Gemini* and Gopher

Personal

• To anyone who is not a musician, these days music experience is probably neatly packaged in well-designed products. Listening to recorded music, as opposed to live performances, has become the norm. Before there were any audio recording technologies, the ladies of the bourgoisie learnt to play the piano so that they could entertain family and friends with popular tunes in piano reductions of the full score. Later, in the Hippie era, everyone had an acoustic guitar and were able to find three chords, enough to accompany their singing of most songs they knew. Other instruments have been in widespread use in various geographical areas and times. No doubt, the easy access to digital music technologies have contributed to a decline in attention to traditional instrumental skills.

• Here in the US cities are weird. Los Angeles is an example of a sprawl with multiple ‘downtowns’ connected with 8-lane highways and suburbia in-between, full of malls and swimming pools. Not what I would call a city personally (more like a vision of hell). But it’s big and largely unwalkable, whatever it is.

• Cities are formed by inflated towns that run into each other. Like that game where small cells are consumed by larger ones, towns are absorbed into larger and politically mightier townships and eventually form cities. But that’s not what I am talking about.

• Look out the window. Do you see electrical wires on a pole? Town.

• Hey all! I’ve known about gemini for a couple of years now and have looked around in it semi-regularly since then (mostly through Antenna), so I figured now was a good time for me to launch my own capsule and join in.

• I’ll have some jimbeam, the white label, a double. Maybe it’s just time I got away from that Tax Rd. house. To be sure I’ll be sad to leave those bunch, even though they mostly don’t pay their rent share and I tend to cover. Yeah, I’ll miss their pills, but it’s their companionship I’ll mostly miss. Tinny too, you know, even though the frogness is pretty far along in her by now. She can’t even talk anymore, or maybe even listen. She’s about ready for to move to the pond for good, so our time’s up either way. I got to accept the regress, same as death. Still hard, though.

• I’m nearing the end of my PhD in robotics and often wonder what the purpose of robots is. But first let me clarify what I mean by robots. A robot is a machine that can autonomously act on and react to its environment. The key word here is “autonomously”. Different kinds of robots have different degrees of autonomy.

• Surgical robots are on the lower end of the autonomy spectrum, having practically no autonomy. A surgical robot needs to be continuously operated by a surgeon, like any other tool in the surgeon’s disposal. Surgical robots can only act on their environment if commanded to by a human operator. It’s fairly easy to find useful applications for human-operated robots, surgery, search and rescue operations in dangerous environments or safe inspection of difficult to access structures.

Technical

Internet/Gemini

• The smol internet (as supported by the current global system) perhaps pairs well with slow food (as supported by the current global system). And unto this age came Cabbage, destined to bear the salty crown of aqualonia upon a troubled brow. Doubtless it is easier to buy jars of the stuff at a store, given how much beating and chopping and weighing and making a general mess of the kitchen is involved. On the other hand such jars can range from being too expensive, too spicy, too salty, or to simply not being available in a food desert. Probably food deserts have neither cabbage nor kraut.

• 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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