FOSS Weekly #24.01: Linux in 2024, GDM Customization, Distros You Missed Last Year

The first edition of FOSS Weekly in the year 2024 is here. See, what's new in the new year.
Warp Terminal

New year, new same old me 😄

What do we have in the first edition of FOSS Weekly in 2024? Some year end special articles.

But an important and surprising development came from Gentoo just before 2023 ended. That could take away the pain of compiling each and every package.

Other than that, I have noted down suggestions from readers like you on topics It's FOSS should cover in 2024. You shall notice the work on those topics this year.

💬 Let's see what else you get in this edition of FOSS Weekly:

  • Starting off 2024 with new app/distro releases.
  • GDM login screen customization
  • Year end round ups
  • And other Linux news, videos and, of course, memes!

📰 Linux news

  • Scribus 1.6 has arrived with plenty of improvements across the board.
  • Rhino Linux 2023.4 was one of the last distro releases of 2023, adds an Auto-Tiling feature.

Gentoo is embracing binary packages, software installations will be a whole lot quicker now.

Big News! Gentoo Linux is Now Providing Binary Packages for Quick Software Installation
Gentoo has the year end gift for users with slow hardware.

🛒Linux book deals

Become a Linux Master book bundle

Start the new year by learning new Linux skills with this Humble Book Bundle.


🌐 Follow us on Google News

By the way, if you use Google, follow It's FOSS on Google News to get trusted It's FOSS content before other websites in Google search.

It’s FOSS - Google News
Read full articles from It’s FOSS and explore endless topics, magazines and more on your phone or tablet with Google News.

🧠 What we’re thinking about

Linux comes to the rescue of your old computer

How Linux rescues slow computers (and the planet)

🎈 Year end specials

Just a glance back at 2023 before it is forgotten for good:

And it's time to look forward to the year 2024 with some 'fortune telling':

6 Predictions for Linux and Open Source in 2024
Let’s try our hands on fortune-telling!

🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials and More

Did you know you could modify the login screen in GNOME?

Using GDM Settings to Customize Login Screen in GNOME
Yes, even the GNOME login screen can be customized. Here’s a handy utility that makes things easier.

Or how about ways to check whether you are running systemd?

How to Check if Your Linux System Uses systemd
Wondering which init service your Linux system uses? Here’s how to find it out.

📹 What we are watching

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes when you fire up a Linux system?


✨ Project highlights

We started off 2024 with an interesting Arch-based distro that is lightweight in nature.

Archcraft: A Customized Lightweight Linux Distro Experience
Archcraft is an impressive distro with a customized out-of-the-box experience.

🧩 New quiz unit

Time to solve some riddles.

Guess the Linux Command from the Riddles
Can you guess the Linux commands from the riddles correctly?

💡 Quick handy tip

Usage of Super Key in Ubuntu (and other distros with GNOME):

  • Press Super and use the Mouse Scroll Wheel to switch workspaces.
  • Press Super and Right-click anywhere on a window to open the window menu, you can then take screenshots, hide the window, change window behavior and more.
  • Press Super and drag anywhere on any window to move it. (No need to grab the top bar to move)

🤣 Meme of the week

Windows and macOS users, come join us! Don't lurk in the dark.


🗓️ Tech Trivia

Will you believe that people bought personal computers just to run a spreadsheet software? Back in 1979, a spreadsheet software, VisiCalc was released for Apple II. People could use personal computer for business thanks to the spreadsheet software. The software sold over 100,000 copies and also boosted the sale of Apple II and forced bigger players like IBM to enter the personal computing market. The company behind VisiCalc, Software Arts, was formed on 2nd January 1979.

By the way, Blender turned 30 on 2nd January. The first release was in 1994.


🧑‍🤝‍🧑 FOSSverse corner

Here's what FOSSers can expect from It's FOSS in 2024. I am excited to see how it goes.

Happy New Year, 2024! Here’s What Will be ‘New’ on It’s FOSS
Happy new year to all the FOSSome community members 🙂 If you read the last FOSS Weekly, I had asked for suggestions on what It’s FOSS should write and do more in 2024. Here are a few thing that I’ll try to do with It’s FOSS in 2024: Organize more content into tutorial series formats (so that it is easy to follow a certain topic). A redesign for such pages in works. Create ‘getting started guides’ for more distros (we have Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Manjaro and Nix so far) Cover some…

❤️ With love

Share it with your Linux-using friends and encourage them to subscribe (hint: it's here).

Share the articles in Linux Subreddits and community forums.

Opt for It's FOSS Plus membership and support us 🙏

Enjoy 2024 with Linux 😄

About the author
Abhishek Prakash

Abhishek Prakash

Created It's FOSS 11 years ago to share my Linux adventures. Have a Master's degree in Engineering and years of IT industry experience. Huge fan of Agatha Christie detective mysteries 🕵️‍♂️

Become a Better Linux User

With the FOSS Weekly Newsletter, you learn useful Linux tips, discover applications, explore new distros and stay updated with the latest from Linux world

It's FOSS

Great! You’ve successfully signed up.

Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.

You've successfully subscribed to It's FOSS.

Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.

Success! Your billing info has been updated.

Your billing was not updated.