● 08.24.23

Gemini version available ♊︎

● Links 24/08/2023: More Gaming-Focused Distros of GNU/Linux (Bazzite)

Posted in News Roundup at 7:36 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNU/Linux

Server

• Kubeflow, an open source MLOps platform can be used by firms to develop and deploy scalable ML systems. For financial institutions, ensuring the secure management of open-source software and its dependencies is critical. This holds especially true for an open source MLOps platform, where building and maintaining AI/ML-powered intelligent applications must align with stringent compliance, security, and support requirements.

• The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) revealed today that the Kubernetes Event-Driven Autoscaling (KEDA) project has formally graduated.

Graphics Stack

• The ongoing Asahi project to bring Linux to Apple Silicon has reached a milestone, adding the first conformant GPU driver for the family of chips.

• The Asahi Linux project for Mac first teased plans to launch a dedicated GPU driver for Apple Silicon running Linux back in 2022. At the time, they had already reverse-engineered a prototype that was “good enough to run real graphics applications and benchmarks.”

• Now, in 2023, the first and only conformant OpenGL ES 3.1 GPU driver is available for Apple Silicon-based Macs.

• Incidentally, Apple’s own GPU drivers aren’t conformant for any standards-based graphics API, including OpenGL ES — making Asahi’s achievement all the more remarkable.

• Mac users looking for the best gaming performance from their Apple hardware will be excited to hear about the latest OpenGL drivers meeting industry standards. What will come as a bigger shock is that the drivers do not come from Apple… instead, they come from the Linux community who use Apple’s hardware to run Linux.

Applications

• South River Technologies, Inc. (SRT) today announced the release of their popular Titan SFTP Server for the Linux Platform. Available in AWS and Azure marketplaces, as well as for on-site implementations, Titan SFTP Server for Linux offers all the functionality of the Windows based product.

• “Over the years we’ve had numerous requests from customers wanting Linux versions of our SFTP, MFT and reverse proxy solutions and we are excited to be able meet this need,” says Michael Ryan, South River Technologies’ CEO. “Adoption of our Linux versions thus far, particularly in the AWS and Azure marketplaces, has been very strong.”

Instructionals/Technical

• We’re long time users specifically of NFS v3, not NFS v4, and so for a long time we also did everything we could to disable NFS v4 on our NFS servers. When our NFS servers became Linux ones in 2018, one of the things we did was to run mountd with a command line option to disable NFS v4: [...]

• No, we are not joking; we’re deadly serious. There is an excellent explanation at useplaintext.email, and its URL is the “TL;DR” summary. It will tell you why to use plain text, as well as how to configure your email client to do it, and it does it all in a single page.

• The main way to format text online is HTML, and HTML email is as unsafe now as it was in 2004 when Network World warned against it – as The Reg did, too.

• HTML email is a malware vector, it enables spam, and it lays users open to phishing attacks. (Incidentally, formatting using Word is even worse.) We’ve repeatedly warned about it, but it keeps happening. Oh, by the way, HTML messages also offer a way to crack open encrypted mail, too.

• HTML e-mail will guarantee that you get more spam, because of something called a “web bug”. It also puts you at much greater risk of phishing. You could just take my word for it and turn off HTML, but keep reading for the details. Let’s look at the phishing risk first.

• I’ve recently written about things like finding who owns NFS v3 locks on a Linux server, breaking NFS locks on 22.04, and experimenting with NFS v4, where I mentioned in an aside that NFS v4 seemed better regarded for file locking. All of this work has been quietly motivated by it becoming obvious to us that we have some sort of NFS (v3) file locking problem on our Ubuntu 22.04 ZFS fileservers.

• To my surprise, many people replied that they agreed, default to light DOM, and only opt-in when it makes sense. I’m glad because it confirmed my feeling and encouraged me to rethink and restructure some of the components I built. Shadow DOM has its justification but does not always have to be the first choice.

• To help you make similar decisions, I summarized my pros and cons of Shadow DOM and style encapsulation. Please note that I’m writing this from the perspective of someone who, first and foremost, cares about accessibility and well-structured, semantic HTML. For me, JavaScript is an optional add-on and not the foundation of my code. That implies that I might not have to solve the same problems as others who primarily work with JS-heavy websites. That might also explain why my list of cons is longer than the list of pros.

• As a Linux user, you must know how to handle processes. By understanding how to start, list, and kill processes, you can effectively manage resources and ensure smooth operations. This tutorial discusses a few commands that will help you gain valuable insights into the processes running on your Linux system.

• A process is an instance of a program executing on a system, and Linux provides different ways for managing processes. In this tutorial, we will explore the basics of handling processes in Linux, including starting processes, listing running processes, and killing processes. We will also discuss the concept of parent and child processes. Understanding how to handle processes is an essential skill for any Linux user.

Games

• Ready for a big new bundle of games? Love your modern highly rated platformers like A Hat in Time? Check out the Masterful Modern 3D Platformers on Humble Bundle.

• Valve released a fresh mid-week update to Proton Experimental to fix up issues across multiple games, and once again the dreaded EA App behaving badly once again.

• Epic Games have announced their new Epic First Run program, to entice more developers to release on their store exclusively and give developers a boost. With this we can expect to see many more developers opt to go Epic exclusive.

• You all absolutely adore Denuvo right? Well it’s about to expand to offer game developers more options to add into their games so here’s what’s coming.

• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is an upcoming paid expansion for the open world game from CD PROJEKT RED. Here’s all the new details for you.

• As a big fan of the original game, I’m very excited for Streets of Rogue 2. Giving you a big unpredictable open world that combines elements of GTA, Deus Ex and various sandbox games. The first trailer was shown off during Gamescom.

• Seems we have even more remasters on the way from Nightdive Studios, as they’ve now announced both Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Remastered and Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster.

Desktop Environments/WMs

K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt

• I’m posting this a little bit earlier this month, because I’ll be busy until next week and won’t have a chance to finish anything. I have a lot of new features to show, and important documentation work to showcase!

• You can set the focal points in Tokodon as well! I really needed this feature because I post art on Mastodon, and had to use Mastodon Web because that was the only place I could set focal points.

• Here’s a list of features I’m working on, but are not quite finished yet. The first is Cross-account actions! This means you can interact with a post from another account, without the hassle of searching for it again and losing your place on the timeline.

Distributions and Operating Systems

• In the past, Linux was not a viable option for gamers seeking stability and performance. However, now there are hundreds of different Linux distributions that can be used for various purposes–including gaming! Although it is not as popularized, there are some great Linux gaming distributions that provide excellent performance, stability, and flexibility.

• These best Linux gaming distros come with innovative drivers, software, emulators, and more to ensure a smooth gaming experience. The following gaming Linux distributions have been designed to enable users to install and play games easily.

• Want to try something a little different? Bazzite was recently announced as a custom Fedora 38-based Linux image designed to bring the best Linux gaming to PCs and Steam Deck. The developers note it’s built from ublue-os/main and ublue-os/nvidia using Fedora technology so you’ll get expanded hardware support and plenty of drivers included.

New Releases

• Bodhi Linux has a new release — version 7.0.

• That’s what we heard on Monday from Robert Wiley, who’s been the lead developer for the minimalist Debian-based Linux distribution since the project’s founder, Jeff Hoogland, left in 2019, evidently to become a fulltime video streamer on Twitch.tv.

• In the headline to Wiley’s notice, he calls Bodhi’s latest and greatest “a landmark release,” and in the opening sentence he says the release is “a momentous step forward.” That’s a lot of superlatives for a distro who’s purpose is to be minimalistic.

Debian Family

• People have complained about exactly the same tactics in free, open source software projects like Debian. Volunteers simply disappear. Some little nazi adds their email address to a blacklist. Another little nazi starts a rumor about harassment. These are the tactics of cults and totalitarian regimes.

Canonical/Ubuntu Family

• Ubuntu Pro comes with many advanced security features. But is that enough to convince regular users to switch to the Pro version?

• If you’re an Ubuntu user and are curious about its Pro version, this article will help you understand what makes Ubuntu Pro different and if it’s worth trying.

• We’ll look at the features in detail and give our final verdict.

• Over the thirteen years of the Ubuntu Podcast the presenter lineup, format, duration and frequency changed here and there. In the early days, we would record a segment, have a cup of tea, and then record another one. It was a long and laborious process that took up most of a Sunday afternoon. After a little while we tweaked things and settled into our stride. Once we did, it helped us focus, and get episodes prepared and recorded with less stress.

• For various personal reasons, we stopped doing the show back in September 2021, and it was great to have a break from podcasting.

Devices/Embedded

• Kontron has developed the new Linux based SecureOS operating system that provides security and data protection for IoT solutions in critical areas. Data security is crucial for Kontron’s customers and SecureOS safeguards IoT solutions against remote control by intruders, hackers, or surveillance by third parties. Kontron is broadening its products and solutions mix and has started marketing its new SecureOS software solution against any remote interference in infrastructure projects.

• EDATEC has launched yet another Raspberry Pi CM4-based platform for industrial applications with the ED-HMI2020-101C 10.1-inch panel PC with 1280×800 resolution, 9V to 28V wide power input, and support for an optional “extended display” via an HDMI FPC cable that also carries USB/I2C signal for the touchscreen.

• The system comes with up to 8GB RAM, 32GB eMMC flash, Gigabit Ethernet, optional WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0, built-in stereo speakers, several other audio interfaces, as well as a 40-pin GPIO header for expansion.

• EDATEC says the industrial Panel PC supports Raspberry Pi OS (Desktop) 32-bit or 64-bit or Raspberry Pi OS (Lite) 32-bit or 64-bit, but the latter obviously does not make a lot of sense for a panel PC… I find it a little odd there’s no ingress protection (IP) rating for this type of hardware, as other Raspberry Pi CM4-based panel PCs such as ComfilePi CPi-C070WR4C or WIN Enterprises PL-50300 are rated IP67 (at the front).

Open Hardware/Modding

• Back in 2019, Frank completed a DIY drumming booth for his son, Vik. While it did the job of reducing the noise coming through to the living room, the next part of the process was to make it a million times cooler by throwing several Raspberry Pis at it.

• TRACEPaw (Terrain Recognition And Contact force Estimation Paw) is a sensorized foot for robot dogs that includes all of the hardware necessary to calculate force and classify terrain. Most systems like this use direct sensor readings, such as those from force sensors. But TRACEPaw is unique in that it uses indirect data to infer this information. The actual foot is a deformable silicone hemisphere. A camera looks at that and determines the force based on the deformation it sees. In a similar way, a microphone listens to the sound of contact and uses that to judge the type of terrain, like gravel or dirt.

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

• Linux plays an important role in powering robots. There are many notable examples of Linux in action in the robotics world. For example Nasa’s space exploration robot K10, which can be remotely operated on planetary surfaces, runs on custom, embedded software on a dual-core Linux laptop. Another impressive robot is the humanoid robot, HOAP-1, in which RTLinux has been deployed by Fujitsu. Also worthy of a mention is the Katana Robotic arm, which comes with an embedded controlboard running Linux 2.4.25 with Xenomai Hard Real Time extensions.

• Linux has a good range of open source toolkits for building robotic control systems. To provide an insight into the open source software that is available, we have compiled a list of 8 of our favorite robotics software. Hopefully, there will be something of interest here for anyone who wants to conduct research in robot systems. Here’s our verdict captured in a legendary LinuxLinks-style ratings chart.

Web Browsers/Web Servers

Mozilla

• Since Wolf joined in February of this year, he has spent a considerable amount of time on many of the individual pieces that make up the new and improved account setup user interface. July was the month when things started coming together. For the first time we were able to test the whole flow and not just individual parts.

• Things were looking good. But a few small issues kept us busy and prevented us from releasing a beta version containing the new account setup.

• We’ve done some experiments to get a better idea of how much work it will be to switch the app to Material 3, the latest version of Google’s open-source design system. We’re now cautiously optimistic. And so the current plan is switch to Material 3 before renaming the app from K-9 Mail to Thunderbird.

Productivity Software/LibreOffice/Calligra

• The real successor to OOo that has the features people want to use is LibreOffice, which IBM recently deleted from Red Hat Enterprise Linux and orphaned in Fedora.

• (They told people to go use Microsoft Office and then deleted the entire Fedora mailing list after that when it became obvious to management that people were not happy and that the mailing list activity was starting to be reported on.)

• Language packs in LibreOffice are add-ons that provide translations for the user interface, spell checker, and help files. These packs allow users to work in their native language, making the software more accessible and user-friendly.

• Usually, when you install LibreOffice, it installs the language pack of your system locale. For example, if your Windows/Linux/macOS is in English (USA), then the “en-us” language packs will be installed by default.

• However, if you want additional language packs, you need to install them manually. Here’s how.

• Writer supports Small Caps, but Impress and drawing shapes in general never fully supported Small Caps. The option was available, and the character dialog provided a preview, but Small Caps was rendered the same as All Caps, as seen here.

• This has lingered for years and it’s not easy as a user to try and manually workaround with varying font sizes because underline/overline/strike-through decorations won’t link up, as seen in this example…

Programming/Development

• A lot of developers want simplicity in the same way that a lot of clients claim they want a fast website. You respond “OK, so we can remove some of these 17 Javascript trackers and other bloat that’s making your website horribly slow?” – no, apparently those are all critical business functionality.

• In other words, they prioritise everything over speed. And then they wonder why using their website is like rowing a boat through a lake of molasses on a cold day using nothing but a small plastic spoon.

• The same is often true of complexity. The real test is the question “what are you willing to sacrifice to achieve simplicity?” If the answer is “nothing”, then you don’t actually love simplicity at all, it’s your lowest priority.

• Consider the following scenario: you come across a webpage containing a table, and would like to compute some basic statistics, or visualize a couple of columns from that table. A usual workflow for such a minuscule task is to (1) copy the table, (2) pasting it into Excel, (3) saving the Excel sheet, and (4) reading it into Rython.

• Can we not just copy the table and read it directly from the clipboard? Yes we can!

• I’ve added a new data validation rule to these columns to only accept two decimal places to prevent me doing something silly like this again.

Perl / Raku

• After recently installing perl 5.38, I stumbled upon some cool improvements to Perl’s built-in try/catch syntax while watching the excellent What’s new in Perl v5.38 youtube talk, delivered by Paul “LeoNerd” Evans at TPRC 2023 Toronto.

Python

• These two points are in contention for many Python projects. You could argue that the second point could be waved away with a carefully crafted security policy or placing more responsibility on users, but I think most would agree it’s preferable to preserve API design elegance for the 99% without compromising on security.

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