● 09.12.23

Gemini version available ♊︎

● Links 12/09/2023: KDE Plasma 5.27.8

Posted in News Roundup at 12:01 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNU/Linux

Desktop/Laptop

• The Gen3 TUXEDO Aura 14 and 15 laptops come with an Intel Core i5-1235U processor with 10 cores and 12 threads, Intel Iris Xe graphics, as well as 15 watts TDP, up to 64G DDR4 RAM, up to 4TB M.2 SSD PCIe Gen4 storage, a Full HD 1080p webcam with privacy shutter, and a 49 Wh battery with optional USB-C charging.

• Two models are available, TUXEDO Aura 14 with a 14.0 inch display and TUXEDO Aura 15 with a 15.6 inch display. Both displays are Full HD with a 1920×1080 pixels resolution, up to 100% sRGB, around 300 nits brightness, 1200:1 contrast for Aura 14 and 800:1 contrast for Aura 15, and a non-glare (matte) coating.

• As students start heading back to school, TUXEDO ushers in the third generation of their acclaimed Aura laptop line. These notebooks will provide high-quality Linux-optimized computing for the everyday user. Best of all, these computers are very affordable too.

• Aura 14, the most compact of the series boasts an ultra-mobile, lightweight but durable partial aluminum frame. It’s built to efficiently navigate everyday tasks, leveraging the strength of the Intel Core i5-1235U and its 2 performance and 8 efficiency cores. Users can select from a range of RAM options – 8, 16, 32, or even 64GB of speedy DDR4, complemented by an SSD that expands up to 4TB.

Server

• Cloud-based computing has revolutionized the way businesses operate. It provides secure data storage as well as cost-efficient access to vast amounts of information.

• The Kubernetes development cycle is an evolving landscape with a myriad of tools seeking to streamline the process. Each tool has its unique approach, and the choice often comes down to individual project requirements, the team’s expertise, and the preferred workflow.

• Among the various solutions, a category we dubbed “Local K8S Development tools” has emerged, which seeks to enhance the Kubernetes development experience by connecting locally running components to the Kubernetes cluster. This facilitates rapid testing of new code in cloud conditions, circumventing the traditional cycle of Dockerization, CI, and deployment.

• In this post, we compare three solutions in this category: Telepresence, Gefyra, and our own contender, mirrord.

Audiocasts/Shows

• The Steam Deck pushes Linux gaming stats over a small but significant threshold, why you should definitely switch from Chrome to Firefox, Microsoft throws its legal weight behind its generative AI, a quick KDE Xorner, and more.

• New episode of the Reality 2.0 podcast is uploaded and out today: Reality 2.0 Episode 149: Everything Is Personal. Tune in to our new episode!…

• It’s time once again for The Weekender. This is our departure into the world of hedonism, random topic excursions, whimsy and (hopefully) knowledge.

• It’s time once again for The Weekender. This is our departure into the world of hedonism, random topic excursions, whimsy and (hopefully) knowledge. Thanks for listening and, if you happen …

Kernel Space

• KSMBD (Kernel SMB Daemon) is the in-kernel module, developed by Samsung, that implements the SMB/CIFS protocol for sharing files and folders over a network. SMB3 server could take the place of the traditional Samba software.

• KSMBD was originally merged for Linux 5.15 but was tagged as experimental. That came about in 2021, and it’s taken some time to get KSMBD to a state that was considered stable. That time has come, and KSMBD is planned for Linux kernel 6.6.

• But why is KSMBD important? First off, it promises considerable performance gains and better support for modern features such as Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA). KSMBD also supports a number of features such as multiple dialects (SMB2.1, SMB3.0, SMB3.1), oplock cache mechanism, compound requests, ACL, and DCE/RPC.

Graphics Stack

• VKD3D-Proton, the tool that translates Direct3D 12 to Vulkan for Steam Play Proton, has a brand new release out with version 2.10 and it’s an exciting one. And hey, I’m actually on time with this news unlike DXVK v2.3…

• Somehow, I missed that DXVK 2.3 went out last week. So here’s a run over what’s new for this Vulkan-based translation layer that converts Direct3D 9/10/11 for Wine and Proton.

• DXVK-NVAPI is an alternative NVAPI (NVIDIA API) implementation used with DXVK and VKD3D-Proton for running Windows games on Linux and Steam Deck through Proton.

Applications

• Linux has a particularly strong and mature set of scientific software including a wide range of open source earth science software. We have not forgotten about astronomy software, but we’ve previously published recent articles on the finest astronomy software and astronomical data analysis tools.

• To provide an insight into the open source software that is available, we have compiled a list of 16 of our favorite earth science software. Hopefully, there will be something of interest here for budding scientists that need to work with large amounts of data with spatial attributes. Here’s our findings for each of the software. Here’s our ratings chart in the legendary LinuxLinks-style.

• Are you a music producer and use Linux as your primary operating system, then music production is going to become easy for you after reading this article.

• There is good music production software in Linux just as it is in Windows and Mac OS, though a few features may vary, but the underlying functionalities mostly are the same.

Instructionals/Technical

idroot

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Kubernetes on AlmaLinux 9. In the realm of modern container orchestration, Kubernetes has emerged as the gold standard for managing containerized applications at scale. AlmaLinux 9, a robust and dependable Linux distribution, serves as an excellent foundation for hosting Kubernetes clusters.

• If you’re an Ubuntu user who has encountered the “E: Unable to Locate Package” error, you’re not alone.

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Wireshark on Debian 12. Wireshark, the acclaimed open-source network protocol analyzer, is a crucial tool for network administrators, security professionals, and anyone seeking insights into network traffic.

• Jean H. Weber (photo) and the Documentation Team are happy to announce the immediate availability of the Writer Guide 7.6, the latest update based on the recently released LibreOffice 7.6

• Writer is the word-processing application. It is compatible with a wide range of document formats including Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx), and you can export your work in several formats including PDF. Anyone who wants to get up to speed quickly with Writer will find this book valuable. You may be new to word processing software, or you may be familiar with another office suite.

• The Writer Guide 7.6 incorporates the latest features of the software release including the Themes management for better MS Word compatibility, the accessibility checker used to produce accessible document and the Styles Spotlight to assist user in the best practices in document editing with styles.

• Don’t like the default looks for the Gedit text editor? You can surely try to change the color themes. Here’s how to do that.

• I’m moving some backups from one bacula-sd to another bacula-sd. If you don’t know what that means, this is not the post for you. You need more Bacula knowledge.

• I’m retiring a host and moving some of the backups on that host to another host.

• As the final chapter of the Proxmox series, learn how to upgrade Proxmox version.

• One of my favorite features of Proxmox is its ability to form clusters from multiple nodes (servers).

• Flatpak is a software deployment tool that aims to simplify software distribution and usage on Linux. It was primarily developed to contain applications in a secure virtual sandbox, allowing users to operate applications without the need for root privileges, all while not compromising the system’s security. Since Flatpak apps are housed within this sandbox environment, they must request permissions to access other parts of the operating system, hardware devices (like Bluetooth, network, etc.) and sockets (like pulseaudio, ssh-auth, cups, etc.). This guide teaches you how to easily configure Flatpak apps permissions with Flatseal on Linux.

• Odoo (previously known as OpenERP) is a collection of open source Business applications. The most utilized components or modules for Odoo are Point of Sale (POS), Stock, CRM, Website, Live Chat, eCommerce, Invoicing, Accounting, Warehouse, etc.

• Virtual Hosting is a concept where multiple websites or domains are hosted on a single server, which is done to reduce resource overhead and running costs of a business or organization.

• Apache web server simplifies hosting multiple sites by allowing system administrators to easily configure virtual hosts for each website. Virtual hosting can either be IP-based or name-based.

Games

• If you’re a fan of retro games and you love your shoot ‘em ups, you should check out Toaplan Arcade Shoot ‘Em Up Collection Vol.2.

• Need some more deckbuilding? Gordian Quest looks great and it recently became Steam Deck Verified, with the developer talking about the work involved in it. Nice to see more developers improving their older games like this!

• PPSSPP is a free and open source emulator for the Sony PSP, with release 1.16 out now adding in support for the popular RetroAchievements project.

• Seems like another classic is getting revived with the power of open source. Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri from 1999 has a remake in progress called GLSMAC. All unofficial, like most open source reimplementations and it’s early days for the project but it’s showing a lot of promise.

• The team and community behind OpenRCT2, the open source re-implementation of RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 have a brand new update out which includes some fun changes like a whole new title theme.

• In the ever-evolving world of online gaming, RNG stands as a beacon of trust, and Linux is at the heart of ensuring this trust is never broken. With its transparent, community-driven approach, Linux is poised to continue driving the future of RNG in online casino games, ensuring fairness and excitement for all players.

Desktop Environments/WMs

K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt

• When I first heard that KDE Plasma 6 was on the way, I immediately assumed it would be a major release with big changes. After all, the development and design team rarely fails to make a splash with a new release.

• But when I downloaded the unstable version of KDE Neon (which includes KDE Plasma 6), I was quite surprised to find the default layout and functionality to seem just as it was with the previous iteration.

• Coming six weeks after KDE Plasma 5.27.7, the KDE Plasma 5.27.8 update is here to add support for the new cross-desktop accent color standard to the KDE desktop portal implementation (xdg-desktop-portal-kde), improve Hybrid Sleep, and improve monitoring of NVIDIA GPUs on multi-GPU systems with Plasma System Monitor.

• KDE Plasma 5.27.8 is also here to fix a bug preventing the Night Color feature from being properly deactivated after waking up your computer from sleep at a time when it should’ve turned off automatically, as well as to improve taking screenshots with the Spectacle app on Plasma X11 sessions.

• Today KDE releases a bugfix update to KDE Plasma 5, versioned 5.27.8.

• Plasma 5.27 was released in February 2023 with many feature refinements and new modules to complete the desktop experience.

• This release adds five months’ worth of new translations and fixes from KDE’s contributors. The bugfixes are typically small but important and include…

Distributions and Operating Systems

Debian Family

• Based on the Debian GNU/Linux 12 “Bookworm” operating system series, Linux Mint Debian Edition 6 is powered by the long-term supported Linux 6.1 LTS kernel series and features the latest Cinnamon 5.8 desktop environment that was introduced with the Linux Mint 21.2 “Victoria” release in July 2023.

• LMDE 6 contains all the changes of Linux Mint 21.2 Cinnamon and it appears to use PipeWire as the default audio backend. Other than that, you’ll get a solid Debian base, all of the goodies of the Cinnamon 5.8 desktop, improved support for Flatpak apps, and a global Dark Mode setting to support GTK4/libadwaita apps.

Canonical/Ubuntu Family

• Trusted Platform Module (TPM) full disk encryption is a security technology that combines hardware and software to protect the data stored on a computer’s hard drive.

• It is a hardware-based component, a microcontroller, that is typically integrated into a computer’s motherboard and provides various security-related functions, one of which is helping to secure encryption keys used for full disk encryption.

• For the past 15 years, Ubuntu’s solution to full disk encryption has relied on the well-known Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS), with users authenticated via passphrases. At the same time, on Ubuntu Core 20 and subsequent versions, full disk encryption has been implemented using trusted platform modules (TPMs).

• Ubuntu 23.10, code-named “Mantic Minotaur” release, is gearing up as the final short-term release of 2023. With a support duration of nine months, this release aims to enhance Ubuntu’s core infrastructure while embracing new packages and cutting-edge technology.

• Let’s find out the best new features of Ubuntu 23.10.

Devices/Embedded

• The Tesla in question was equipped with heated rear seats, but the feature is hidden behind a paywall and activated only after the driver forks over $300. To get around that, three Ph.D. students from Technische Universität Berlin, along with an independent researcher (and the Tesla’s owner), say they physically tampered with the voltage supply that powers the car’s infotainment system. This allowed them to essentially glitch the computer, in the process gaining access to the rear heated seats free of charge. By “jailbreaking” the car, they were also able to access many of its internal systems and private user data. “We are not the evil outsider, but we’re actually the insider, we own the car,” one of the researchers told TechCrunch last month ahead of a cybersecurity conference where they presented their findings. “And we don’t want to pay these $300 for the rear-heated seats.”

• If you’ve ever thought about launching a high-altitude balloon, there’s much to consider. One of the things is how do you stream video down so that you — and others — can enjoy the fruits of your labor? You’ll find advice on that and more in a recent post from [scd31]. You’ll at least enjoy the real-time video recorded from the launch that you can see below.

• One of the things missing from the “classic” Arduino experience is debugging. That’s a shame, too, because the chips used have that capability. However, the latest IDE has the ability to work with external debuggers and if you want to get started with a classic ATMega Arduino, [deqing] shows you how to get started with a cheap CH552 8-bit USB microcontroller board as the debugging dongle.

Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

• Champagne said that following an expedited public consultation process, “the licences of all major carriers will be revised to ensure that all TTC riders will now be able to have coverage in the subway system in Toronto.”

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

Productivity Software/LibreOffice/Calligra

• LibreOffice’s success story is, in many ways, the epitome of open-source software’s potential. It is a testament to the collaborative spirit of the global open-source community.

• One of the primary reasons behind LibreOffice’s popularity is its comprehensive suite of tools. From the powerful Writer to the versatile Calc and the dynamic Impress, this impressive office suite ensures that users have all the tools they need to accomplish their tasks efficiently.

GNU Projects

• The GNU Project is turning forty. Come and celebrate this event with us together with kith and kin! For those of you located in the United States, the Free Software Foundation (FSF), the sponsor of the GNU Project, is preparing a family hackday in Boston, MA. For those located in the European Union, the GNU Project is organizing a hacker meeting in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland.

• The fortieth anniversary of the GNU System is an excellent opportunity to bring free software to the attention of the people around us. By helping us invite people to this event, you will be helping to promote computer user freedom. Together, let’s show the people of Boston what free software is all about! Volunteering is a way to directly support the FSF’s work, have a great time meeting other free software enthusiasts, swap stories, and graze like a gnu. If you volunteer, you might just make some friends — and you will certainly make some memories.

Programming/Development

• The pilot 3 test submission is an example of an all R submission package following eCTD specifications. These include the installation and loading of the proprietary {pilot3} R package and other open-source R packages, R scripts for the analysis data model (ADaM) datasets from pilot 3 and tables, listings, figures (TLFs) from pilot 1, analysis data reviewer’s guide (adrg), and other required eCTD components. To our knowledge, this is the first publicly available R-based FDA submission package, which includes R scripts to generate ADaM datasets and TLFs. We hope this submission package and our learnings can serve as a good reference for future R-based regulatory submissions from different sponsors. Additional agency feedback will be shared in future communications. [...]

• Long story short, I was able to get the firmware working with the AT90USB1286, but it was more difficult than I thought it would be. For some strange reason, the 646 and 1286 have a subtle difference other than the flash size: the USB PLL bits have different meanings. Debugging this remotely without hardware of my own was “fun” to say the least, but I got it working! (Will offered to send me one, which was very kind, but I declined and later built my own.) I was able to automatically detect the chip type at runtime so that the same firmware binary could be used on both variants.

• Finding the “low-hanging fruit” is not only the most straightforward plan, but it’s often one of the most effective. Continuously executing against the obvious plan gets you much further than you’d think.

• I’ve got a reputation at work as being a skilled debugger. It’s a frequent occurrence that the weird stuff lands on my desk1 after it goes through another skilled engineer or two. To say my job is substantially “debug the weird shit” would not be an understatement and I’m here for it.

• This extends throughout our codebase, and into code I haven’t seen before at all. I’m the longest tenured engineer at my company, so I’m familiar with most of our systems. But I’ve lost track of most of the features that get deployed, and we have way more code changes than I can personally review. And my debugging spans the stack: backend to frontend to database to weird Ubuntu behavior on our dev laptops. (Yes, our principal engineer also does tech support, and again, I’m so here for it.)

• So… How do I do it? If I’m presented routinely with bugs I’m expected to solve in systems I’m unfamiliar with, what’s the process? And does it extend to things outside of code?

• This article is meant to be a simple guide explaining how to make use of the OpenBSD specific feature pledge in order to restrict a software capabilities for more security.

• While pledge falls in the sandboxing features, it’s different than the traditional sandboxing we are used to see because it happens within the source code itself, and can be really tightened. Actually, many programs requires lot of privileges like reading files, doing DNS etc… when initializing, then those privileges could be removed, this is possible with pledge but not for traditional sandboxing wrappers.

Shell/Bash/Zsh/Ksh

• Thus, just like I’ve done a few years ago with Erlang, I’ll try to write my own erl and iex launchers in Rust…

Standards/Consortia

• Having a fondness for old and obscure audio and video media formats, [Techmoan] recently revisited the Philips Digital Compact Cassette (DCC) format introduced in 1992. Despite being billed as the successor to Philips’ original analog Compact Cassette format from 1963, DCC was short-lived and slipped away after only four years in 1996. [Techmoan] obtained a unique cassette that purports to be the only known published DCC tape which contains embedded song lyrics that scroll on the DCC player’s tiny screen in sync with the music — “Size Isn’t Everything” by the Bee Gees from 1993. Sure enough, he is able to demonstrate this in the video down below the break.

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